October Horror Movie of the Day #8 - Grindhouse

The Film: Grindhouse
The Director: Robert Rodriguez & Quentin Tarantino
The Cast: Kurt Russell, Rose McGowan, Marley Shelton
Release Date: April 6, 2007

Undoubtedly the most bold horror experiment taken by Hollywood in the past decade, Tarantino and Rodriguez' Grindhouse is the perfect throwback to the types of double features that permeated cinemas in the 1970s.  Featuring two films back to back - Rodriguez' Planet Terror and Tarantino's Death Proof - the chance to see two Hollywood cowboys produce this much schlock is a once-in-a-lifetime cinematic experience.

Surrounded by trailers for fake movies (Rodriguez' recent Machete was born here), Planet Terror and Death Proof are on opposite ends of the horror spectrum.  The first film is a all-out action fest, as a zombie-like creatures terrorize a band of survivors after a biochemical terror is released.  The follow up film is a more methodical film, in which a retired stuntman (Kurt Russell, the best actor EVER) and his stunt car terrorizes a couple of groups of young women.  The latter film is a little bit of a drag in the context of the double feature - I'd have flipped the films, to capitalize on Planet Terror's carnage later in audiences' attention spans - but is probably my favorite of the two to watch on its own.

Grindhouse succeeds because the two filmmakers know what they're doing and love what they're mimicking.  The result is a truly memorable horror experience that should become a classic in years to come.

October Horror Movie of the Day #7 - Dark Night of the Scarecrow

The Film: Dark Night of the Scarecrow
The Director: Frank De Felitta
The Cast: Charles Durning, Robert F. Lyons, Larry Drake
Release Date: October 24, 1981

I've long searched for the perfect killer scarecrow film, and I'm pretty sure Dark Night of the Scarecrow is as good as I'm gonna find.  The film focuses on a group of bigoted men who murder a mentally challenged fellow named Bubba (Darkman's Larry Drake), who then returns to haunt them in the form of a scarecrow.  Borrowing from the slasher films of the era, the scarecrow is never seen and kills often occur from his perspective, though this is hardly your typical slasher.  (In fact, the film was made for television and features little gore or sexual content.)

There's something to be said for a horror like this which focuses on adults, who are living with a lifetime of their own prejudices.  These men are terrorized by the unseen killer, and it's effective to the viewer because one can tell that these people truly don't believe that anything like this could happen to them.  I think teen-based horrors sometimes miss this point when they give characters a quick understanding of the terror that surrounds them.  It's scarier to see someone realize they've been wrong all their life as they're facing doom.

Dark Night of the Scarecrow is a revenge film under the guise of a slasher, and a darn good one at that.  Recently released on DVD for the first time, I strongly recommend you seek out Dark Night of the Scarecrow, and enjoy an old-fashioned terror tale.  (Even if it does star Charles Durning, who always does something to make me mad at him.)

October Horror Movie of the Day #6 - The House of the Devil

The Film: The House of the Devil
The Director: Ti West
The Cast: Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Greta Gerwig
Release Date: October 30, 2009

Yesterday I said that Dawning was one of my favorite horror films of recent memory.  I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty sure that The House of the Devil is my very favorite horror film of recent memory.   A slow burning horror tale about a young college girl (Donahue) who takes a babysitting job in a secluded house.  The residents of said house are an older couple played by veteran awesome people Tom Noonan and Mary Wornov, and there's no baby to be found.


One of the most tense films I know, The House of the Devil is an exercise in build up that is punctuated by a bucketload of carnage.  The cast does a fantastic job of filling West's minimalist story, and the film pays homage to the horrors of the 1980s beautifully.  This isn't your average hack and slash horror, but make no mistake about it - The House of the Devil is gripping horror entertainment at its finest.

Get Him To The Greek

On a trip to the Vatican on July 22nd, 2001 former president George W. Bush said: "I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe -- I believe what I believe is right." This cryptic message of genius...this little nugget of insight into the human condition we all experience known as belief can be evidently found in the film Get Him to the Greek. Writer/director Nicholas Stollar vividly portrays a firm belief in doin' chicks, mixing narcotics, and rock and roll. George W., I would surmise by his previous "sniffage" of coke bombs, would love this movie.

Aldous Snow (played by Russell Brand) plays a down and out rock star coming off a flop of an album about an African child/futuristic African Space Jesus. His wife, model and singer performing tunes about sexual positions (played by Ross Byrne), leaves him to be with LARS from Metallica. Meanwhile, Capitol Records exec (played by Sean P. Diddy Combs) needs to make a buck and sends a peon to England (played by Jonah Hill) in order to get Aldous Snow's band to a theater to perform a live show of a very famous album at the Greek Theater. Here is what happens through the whole movie from this point: 1) Puking 2) Drug Use 3) Ladies are plowed 4) More Drug Use 5) Heroin Muling 6) A mixing of drug use and heavy petting on a furry wall 7) A threesome with a suicide attempt 8)More puking and drug use. Somewhere in there P. Diddy eats little P. Diddy floating heads. That is the movie.

When it comes to movies, I am pretty open minded friends. I can watch just about anything anytime, Outside of Gone Fishin' and Angels in the Outfield (both Danny Glover films ironically). The awkwardly forced constant drug use and weak "trip out hallucinating" scenes were heavily annoying. The film sets up this nice fun lovin peon that we all can side with. Then, he nails some random skore (a skank + a whore) in a bathroom. I lost interest at that point. Somehow, Aaron Green's (Jonah Hill) indiscretions get related back to a threesome between Aldous Snow, Aaron Green, and his girlfriend. I don't know what else to say except this movie sucks for pure failure of comedy. Unfortunately, Jason Segal (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) co-wrote this fine cinematic adventure to crap town...I mean to the "Greek." Overall, don't waste your time.

Martin Luther King, Junior once said: "Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness." If you square the darkness from destructive selfishness and multiply it by the stupidity of Sarah Palin, you get this gem of a film. Pretty sure MLK, Jr. would be pissed by this movie and that the scariest part of every town seems near or around a street named after him.



Narcosleepy Out

Quote of the Day

“It’s OK to have beliefs, just don’t believe in them.”
-Guy Ritchie

October Horror Movie of the Day #5 - Dawning

The Film: Dawning
The Director: Gregg Holtgrewe
The Cast: Jonas Goslow, Najarra Townsend, David Coral
Release Date: TBD

One of the great blessings of the internet is the chance to stumble upon things - in my case, usually horror films - that you'd never have found otherwise.  Such was the case with Dawning, a fabulous independent horror that's currently making the rounds at film festivals around the globe.  While the film waits for distribution, I was fortunate enough to have been given a look at it a few months back - and it instantly became one of my favorite horror films in recent memory.

The film's low-budget and independent background are evident, and could provide a hurdle for viewers who are used to mainstream entertainment.  But when you really get into the film - in which a family is reunited in a remote Minnesota cabin and terrorized by an unseen force and a babbling wanderer - you realize that it speaks from the core of horror cinema.  This isn't a film about killing for the sake of killing, nor is it out to trick the audience into being on edge.  It's the kind of film that, quite frankly, wants to get under your skin and make you shiver.

Across the board, the film is a fine achievement.  Writer/Director Holtgrewe has put together a production that feels like a classic horror show, and the actors offer realistic performances that, for the most part, work well.  The film's technical aspects were most impressive to me, specifically the sound effects - which truly seemed to capture the creaks and bumps that can enhance terror in an uneasy situation.  The film uses the tense relationships between the family to add to the drama, and things definitely boil over in the final act. 

I've been thinking more and more about Dawning for almost seven months now, and I can't see it not winning over horror fans everywhere when it does make its wide debut.  I assure you, I'll be one of the first to let you all know when Dawning might be available in your area - because this is the kind of horror film that must be seen.  In the meantime, check out the film's official website and the trailer below!

October Horror Movie of the Day #4 - Onibaba

The Film: Onibaba
The Director: Kaneto Shindo
The Cast: Nobuko Otowa, Jitusko Yoshimura, Kei Sato
Release Date: November 21, 1964

(This post, while serving as part of (O)PP's October Horror Series, is also designed as part of the Final Girl Film Club!  I usually drop these FG bombs over at my blog, but tonight - y'all gets some too!  Check it out, then head on over to Final Girl and check out what other fine feathered finks* have to say about the film!)

* denotes that those fine feathered finks might just be normal blogger people.

Onibaba is one heck of a strange movie.  Set in war-time Japan, the film focuses on a  old woman and her daughter in law who are struggling to survive in their minuscule hut.  By struggling to survive, I mean they're dispatching of rogue samurai in a giant pit, and then selling their weapons to make money.  But when the younger woman becomes interested in a local man whose animal lust quickly flips her freak flag, tensions begin to rise.  In the meantime, a soldier wearing a hideous demon mask shows up to torture the old woman, but the tables are quickly turned against him.  The old woman, does the most logical thing - takes the demon mask and tries to scare her daughter-in-law away from sexing and leaving her alone.

(The title - Onibaba - is taken from Japanese folklore, and is not to be confused with Baba Yaga (which is a child-eating witch from Slavic folklore).  The Onibaba was a human-eating demon, like the one shown in the film, that resembled and old woman with wild hair, large eyes, and a crazy grin on her face.)

The most shocking thing about Onibaba is certainly not the demon, it's the amount of sexual content for a film made nearly 50 years ago.  The film is an obvious morality tale, but the frankness of it all really surprised me.  Hachi is an entirely sexual creature, and the young woman seems to be completely changed by her encounters with him.  There's a small part of the brain that considers the old woman's plan to be for a good cause - the actions of the lovers can't be completely right - but it's only a small part of the story.

The film's horror trappings are most impressive, particularly when the old woman dons the mask and becomes Onibaba.  The swamp setting adds to the tension, and the music used - specifically a repeating drum cadence followed by a maniacal scream - adds to the nightmarish feel of the film.

I admired Onibaba greatly from a technical standpoint, but I'm not sure it will become a favorite of mine.  The film runs a little slow for its 102 minute length, and it's a long time into the film before the mask becomes a part of the story.  Like most Japanese cinema of the era, the actors seem to be overplaying their emotions a little too much for me, but that's just a personal preference.  The final scenes added greatly to my enjoyment of the film, but the whole product left me a little less happy than I'd have expected.  I can't really explain it...It's just that it took too long to make me care about what it was doing.  By the time the demon face showed up, I was out of the film.

Maybe the film just hasn't translated well over the years, but it still has a lot of power at a lot of moments.  I recommend it to any horror historian, as it's an incredibly relevant piece of international horror.  I'll probably revisit it some day - those visuals of the demon are fabulous enough for that - but I'm not salivating over it like I hoped I would.

October Horror Movie of the Day #3 - Carnival of Souls

The Film: Carnival of Souls
The Director: Herk Harvey
The Cast: Candace Hilligoss, Sidney Berger, Francis Feist
Release Date: September 26, 1962

One of my favorite nightmares on film is most certainly the 1962 independent horror hit Carnival of Souls.  Primarily shot in Lawrence, Kansas, the film was made by a company that specialized in industrial film.  In other words, the film probably had to battle titles like "Your Safety Goggles and You" in the interoffice awards race.  Director Herk Harvey and writer John Clifford, waived any profits from the film so they could get it made - a shoot which took only three weeks and cost a minuscule $17,000.

The film's most memorable scenes, however, take place at an abandoned amusement park outside Salt Lake City, Utah.  As we follow actress Candace Hilligoss on a cross-country journey, Harvey appears uncredited as a haunting spectre (credited only as "The Man") who seems to be reminding her of past sins.  There are plenty of fantastic scenes that capture Hilligoss' Mary as she faces demons she doesn't understand, and the film's amateur nature seems to add to the allure.  The film is so simple that it almost feels real.

Despite its meager beginnings and unwatchable remake, Harvey's Carnival of Souls has become a prototypical horror film that lives on nearly 50 years later - you can watch it for free online at many sites, and it's also been restored and released by the Criterion Collection.  Check it out, if you dare!

October Horror Movie of the Day #2 - The Bird with the Crystal Plumage

The Film: The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
The Director: Dario Argento (Suspiria, Tenebre, Deep Red)
The Cast: Tony Musante, Suzy Kendall, Eva Renzi
Release Date: February 19, 1970

Anyone worth their weight in horror knowledge will tell you that Dario Argento is one of the most groundbreaking filmmakers to ever pick up a camera.  Billed as "The Italian Hitchcock" by many, Argento has made a 40-year career out of thrilling audiences while harnessing luscious colors, featuring gorgeous women in various states of peril, and providing a sense of mystery that often resembles our worst dreams.

Such is the case in his directorial debut, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, in which a young man witnesses the murder of a beautiful redheaded girl (get it?) and struggles to unravel the mystery while avoiding those who know what he knows.  Argento, who had cut his teeth working with the great Sergio Leone on films like Once Upon a Time in the West, shows a natural talent for creating tension and framing terror; highlighted by a wonderful sequence where a woman on a seemingly normal stairwell is terrorized in both complete darkness and brightest light.  Argento would go on to make many giallo classics (giallo = the Italian slasher/mystery genre) throughout his career, and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is a great starting point for anyone interested in his other works. 

(And yes, I know. Suspiria is the Argento film that anyone who's even remotely interested in horror MUST see.  But everyone else is gonna love that this month.  I'm being diff, don't harsh my mellow.)

October Horror Movie of The Day #1 - Something Wicked This Way Comes

(Hey everybody, The Mike here.  Since I'm currently featuring the films of Hammer Studios all month at my other blog (this one, to be exact), I thought I'd also use the month to briefly share some of my other horror favorites here at (Optimus) Prime & Prejudice!  Let's get at it!)

The Film: Something Wicked This Way Comes
The Director: Jack Clayton (The Innocents)
The Cast: Jason Robards (Parenthood, The Ballad of Cable Hogue), Jonathan Pryce (Pirates of the Caribbean, Tomorrow Never Dies), Diane Ladd (Chinatown), Pam Grier (Jackie Brown)
Release Date: April 29, 1983

Based on Ray Bradbury's novel and produced by Disney, Something Wicked This Way Comes manages to balance old-fashioned storytelling and creepy visuals.  The story tells of a wicked carnival leader (Pryce) who brings his own brand of evil magic to town, granting wishes of the townsfolk in exchange for their souls (a precursor to Steven King's fantastic novel Needful Things).  Two young boys and one of their fathers (Robards, playing the wise town librarian) have to stand up to his evil ways.

Something Wicked This Way Comes features plenty of tense moments, a seductively evil Pam Grier, and even a few icky spiders, but still manages to play within the boundaries you'd expect from Disney.  At a PG rating, this is a fine choice for younger horror fans who love spooky stories and still can get caught up in a good old tale of G vs. E.

Quote of the Day

"She's really old. I think of her as an old friend. I mean an old friend. But listen, she's got moves you wouldn't believe. She’s totally flexible in the hip area. Her arms are stiff, but the hips? Totally flexible."

-William Shatner on Betty White

Movie of the Day-You Again

Great casts don’t always make for great movies, so I went in to You Again with an open mind.  The cast of this film is great and the trailers made it looked like a cute film, but I tried not to get my hopes up.  I luckily was pleasantly surprised.  I probably won’t end up buying the film, but definitely don’t feel like I wasted my time or money.

The plot of the film is pretty simple.  Marnie, played by the fabulous Kristen Bell of Veronica Mars, is bullied in high school by a beautiful Joanna, played by Odette Yusman.  Marnie vows to make something of herself after high school, grows out of her geekiness, and becomes a VP of  PR firm.  Marnie goes back home for her older brother’s wedding and finds her brother is marrying her high school bully Joanna.   Marnie sets out on a mission to show Joanna’s true colors before it is too late.  The cast is rounded out with some great supporting players including Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, Victor Garber, and Betty White.

The film had some really hilarious moments, but not enough.  With all of these great comedic actors, I didn’t feel like I laughed as much as I should of.  The film also had some really dark moments.  The bullying moments of the film at times were almost too intense.  I found myself getting down during a movie that was supposed to be fun and lighthearted.  With that being said, the positives did out weight the negatives, making this film worth a view!

Man v. Food in Ames, IA!!!!!!!!

The 2010 Packers According to The Mike - Week Three

Nothing like a little Monday Night Football to get your blood boiling!  Actually, I'm kinda against Monday Night Football....one should not have to go back to work, come home, and then have football taunt them before it goes away for a few days.  Alas, I cannot refuse my Packers, so let's get at it!

Pre-Game Notes:
The Game: At Chicago Bears.  The oldest rivalry in football is a little fresher these days, as both teams enter week three with matching 2-0 records.  First place in the NFC North - and the title of last undefeated team in the NFC - is on the line.  The Bears much hyped offense, led by last year's goat Jay Cutler, is complementing their usually stingy defense (which hasn't been that stingy the last few years, either).  Pardon me for not entirely buying the Bears, but they're definitely improved.

Things That Excite Me: While the day of the game is a slight annoyance, it's always exciting to be playing in prime-time.  The Packers offense has been explosive, and I know they want to make some big plays under the lights.  That said, the Packers' run game - which has been maligned the last two weeks - has had a lot of success against the Bears the last few years.  If they're going to win, it'll be because they make big plays in the run game.

Things That Worry Me: The Bears are playing over their heads, and loving it.  The Packers haven't put together a full game yet, and some of the stars can get a little overconfident at times.  I mentioned last week that they tend to overlook games at times, and I still worry this could be that type of game.  Against a good team, that's a problem.

Also, the Packers' offensive line still needs to come together, and All-Pro DE Julius Peppers could eat either 34-year old Chad Clifton or Rookie Bryan Bulaga alive.

The Game:
First Quarter:  The Bears got the ball to start the game, and put together a decent opening drive.  The Packees broke down on a couple third downs - tight end Greg Olson beat linebacker Brandon Chillar on a short route once and Charles Woodson got called for pass interference against Devin Hester.  Woodson made up for his mistake with a good third down blitz the next time out, and the Bears' Robbie Gould missed a 49 yard field goal - barely - on the next play.

The Packers passing game picked up right where it left off last week, with solid completions to Greg Jennings, Jermichael Finley, and James Jones on the first drive, taking them into the Bears' red zone.  Aside from a nice stop on a run play by mega-millionaire Peppers, the Bears defense didn't put up much of a fight before the Pack took a time out on first and goal, and came back on-field with a quick TD pass over the middle to Jennings to take a 7-0 lead.

Mental errors cost the Packers on the ensuing kick-off, as linebacker Desmond Bishop - a summer-time warrior who's yet to make an impact in season - was offside on the kickoff.  The Bears second return - assisted by some poor tackling by the Packers - gave the Bears great field position at their 43 yard line.  Another penalty gave the Bears a first down two-plays later - a facemask by Clay Matthews on Cutler - and the Bears were right back in Packer territory.  Thankfully, 2009 Cutler reared his head, overthrowing a long pass into the arms of reserve safety Derrick Martin; an interception that gave the Packers the ball back and killed the Bears' second drive.

The Packers couldn't capitalize on the turnover - though James Jones made a valiant effort on a third down WR screen - and punted to the Bears as the quarter neared its close.  Cutler fired again on the Bears' first play, hitting Hester for a first down as the quarter ended. (7-0, Packers lead.)

Second Quarter: The Packer defense continued to bend, but not break, early in the second.  Cutler beat the whole defense scrambling for a first down on another third down lapse, but Cullen Jenkins ended the Bears' next set of downs with a big third down sack.  The offense took the ball back and controlled it for a large portion of the quarter, but another penalty - this time a holding on guard Daryn Colledge - in the redzone stalled the drive.  Rodgers forced a couple of passes on the following plays, and the Packers were forced to settle for a Mason Crosby field goal to take a 10-0 lead.

The Packer defense held again, giving the ball back to the offense.  Rodgers and company would be stalled again, and punter Tim Masthay made the biggest mistake of the first half on fourth down.  Masthay's line drive punt gave Bears return specialist Devin Hester plenty of time to gain speed, and the return set up the Bears with great field position for their two minute offense.  Receiver Johnny Knox beat the Packers for a good gain to get the Bears in the red zone, and Cutler's third down pass to Olson - who beat Chillar for the second time on third down for the Bears' first touchdown, cutting the lead to 10-7 with 31 seconds left in the half.  Jordy Nelson put together a great return to give the offense a chance as the half ended, but Rodgers' hail mary pass as time expired was intercepted by Lance Briggs to send the game to halftime. (10-7, Packers lead.)

Third Quarter: The Packer offense took over to start the second half, and looked sharp on a nearly nine minute drive.  But, another miscue in the red zone - this time a holding penalty on Josh Sitton, pushed the team back.  Rodges connected with Finley on a third down touchdown plays later, only to have that play also negated by a holding call against veteran right tackle Mark Tauscher.  The Packers were forced to settle for a field goal attempt from 37 yards out, but Peppers blew up the Packers line, coming through Sitton and Bulaga to block the Crosby kick.  The Bears took over and quickly made a move downfield.  The Packers defense seemed out of sync on this drive, which saw the Bears get to the one yard line where receiver Earl Bennett was ruled down - correctly - on a third and goal pass from Cutler.  The Bears refused to kick, going for the touchdown on fourth and goal.  Cutler threw a quick out to backup tight end Desmond Clark, and the wobbly pass bounced off Clark's hands incomplete.  The Packers escaped unscathed, and the offense took over on the one yard-line.

After consecutive false starts by Tauscher - which didn't cost the Packers any yards, but were annoying - Rodgers completed a quick pass to Finley to get out of the Bears endzone.  Another inexcusable penalty followed, as the team was called for Delay of Game - meaning they didn't get the play off in the required amount of time - on third and one, creating a third and six play as the fourth quarter started. (10-7, Packers lead.)

Fourth Quarter: On third and six from the Bears' 4, Rodgers missed an open Donald Driver behind the Bears' defense, and the Packers were forced to punt.  Masthay - trying to compensate for his first half mistake - boomed a huge 57 yard punt.  The problem is, he out kicked his coverage - and Hester had an open lane to run the kick back for a Bears touchdown.  After the extra point, the Bears took their first lead at 14-10.

The Packers offense came back on the field with determination, using a series of short passes to get downfield quickly.  The most impressive play of the drive occurred when running back John Kuhn followed a sea of blockers on a pitch play that took the Packers into first and goal territory, carrying defenders for a 18 yard gain.  The Packers were held to another third down after rookie tight end Andrew Quarless (playing because Finley had left due to an injury - he would return later) just missed Rodgers' second down pass.  Rodgers, whose ankle had been turned on an illegal hit earlier in the drive, came out on third down and couldn't find any of his receivers on the play.  Thankfully, he still had a little bit of mobility, and beat the Bears to the pylon for a rushing touchdown; giving the Packers a 17-14 lead.

On the Bears' offense's next play, Cutler was hit and lobbed a ball over the middle that was intercepted by linebacker Nick Barnett.  However, the hit on Cutler - by undrafted rookie Frank Zombo - was deemed roughing the passer because helmet-to-helmet contact occurred.  The penalty - a fifteen yarder and an automatic first down - is correct within the NFL's rules, but only goes to show how the NFL rule makers have designed the game to protect the passing game.  More on that later.

After another personal foul - this time on Nick Collins, who threw a Bear to the ground after the play was over, the Bears were in field goal range.  The Packer defense held again, but Gould's kick tied the game at 17 with just under four minutes to play.

The Packers started their final drive with a couple of good plays, but Rodgers threw a first down pass away and was called for intentional grounding while avoiding a sack.  This set up a 2nd and 20 play which would be the Packers' undoing.  Receiver James Jones, fighting to gain extra yards after a short catch, fumbled the football, which rolled right next to the sideline before Bear corner Tim Jennings dove on it.  Mike McCarthy foolishly used a challenge to see if Jennings had stepped out of bounds recovering the ball, but it was clear that the play was correct as called.  This cost the Packers a time out which they could have used later.

The Bears looked ugly again as their offense came back on the field, and a holding call gave them their own second and 20.  But a Cutler pass down the seam to Olson beat Chillar a third time (and Chillar even was flagged for interference as the pass was completed), and gave the Bears a first down in deep field goal range.  The Bears weren't going to settle in there, and Cutler took another shot downfield. 

This play, above any other in recent memory, had me ready to attack the television.  Rookie safety Morgan Burnett was covering Bennett deep, and got inside position, looked back, and turned around playing the ball.  Bennett initiated contact with Burnett - who was simply standing in one spot, not attacking the receiver - and couldn't get past him as Collins swooped underneath to intercept Cutler's pass inside the 10 yard line.  But, the referee stepped in - and penalized Burnett for pass interference. 

At this point it was incredibly clear that the Packers didn't deserve to win the game, but this play could have changed the tide.  However, this completely terrible call, gave the Bears first and goal with under two minutes to play.  McCarthy stubbornly refused to let the Bears score - wasting his remaining time outs and all but four seconds of game time in the process - and the Bears kicked a go ahead field goal to take the lead.  After a series of laterals failed on the ensuing kickoff, the game was final.  The Packers had succeeded in beating themselves. (20-17, Bears win.)

Looking Back:
The Good:

• The Packers' pass rush did a great job of pressuring Cutler, who literally gave the ball to the Packers four times.  Unfortunately, one potential interception was dropped, and two were negated by penalties that prove the NFL has little interest in allowing defensive players to make plays.
• Aaron Rodgers was gutsy and efficient.
• Zombo - aside from the roughing penalty that I've already addressed - was an adequate fill-in for the injured Brad Jones.

The Bad:

• Where do I even begin?  Oh yeah, PENALTIES.  18 penalties against the Packers were enforced, which is a franchise record.  That means that, in 91 years, the Packers have NEVER played a less disciplined football game.
• The offense continued to shoot themselves in the foot.  Three holding penalties in the red zone, Jones' fumble (at least his third costly fumble against the Bears in his 4 year career), and no running game whatsoever.  Yet, the Packers were not stopped by the Bears once in this game - each possession was ended by their own mistakes.
• The punting game was a major liability, obviously.  14 of the Bears' 20 points occurred due to it.
• Charles Woodson - Where are you?  No turnovers forced through three games for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Gameballs:

• As I mentioned, Aaron Rodgers played flawless football.  I do wish he was allowed to take a couple more shots down field, but he made the most out of what was given to him.  His TD run was an amazing play.
• Scott Wells was the only Packer offensive lineman to NOT be penalized.  That's good enough for me.
• And, lastly, I have to give credit to Morgan Burnett - because I honestly believe that there's not a planet in the galaxy on which what he did on that crucial play should have been called pass interference.  The referees took a game saving play away from him and Nick Collins.

Final Observations: 
Sometimes, you just don't deserve to win a football game.  The Packers seemed to dominate most aspects of the game, but they weren't smart enough to do things right and didn't want to win as badly as the Bears did.  Considering the expectations for the team this year, this is an absolutely heartbreaking development.  On the other hand, it's plenty early in the season - and there's a lot of time for them to correct their mistakes.  Whether McCarthy can get them to fix these errors - and he hasn't shown the ability to over the past five seasons - will determine whether or not the 2010 Packers are an actual Super Bowl contender.  They sure as hell didn't look like one tonight.

Next Week: The Packers head back home to face 0-3 Detroit.  While the Lions have looked improved this year, injuries have set them back again.  Hopefully the Packers can refocus during this short week, and put together a better effort for that game.

at the 2:45 mark...

Morning Music - Take Me Home Tonight

I want to learn every dance move in this video.

Music of the Day - Meat Loaf

Kenny Powers is Back! Can't Wait!

Movie of the Day-Letters to Juliet

I LOVE chick flicks and this film is the ultimate chick flick!  I saw it in theaters and rushed to rent it  as it came out on DVD last week.  It was cute, sappy, and predictable.  All of this equaling to the perfect chick flick.  It made me laugh, made me have a few tears of joy, and tugged at the strings on my heart.  It also was visually stunning, being mostly filmed in Italy, and had a talented cast.  The cast included Amanda Seyfried, Gael Garcia Bernal, Franco Nero, and legendary actress Vanessa Redgrave.

The story starts with Sophie (Seyfried) and her fiancé Victor (Bernal) jetting off to the land of Romeo and Juliet, Verona , Italy, for a pre-wedding  trip.   Victor spends most of the trip traveling throughout Italy sampling foods and wines for a new restaurant he is about to open in New York, leaving Sophie alone.  Sophie, an aspiring journalist, decides to sit out by Juliet’s balcony and watch women in love leave letters for Juliet.  At the end of the day a lady comes, collects the letters, and takes them away in a basket.    Sophie follows the lady and meets a group of women called the Secretaries of Juliet.  The five women respond to every letter left for Juliet.  The next day Sophie helps the women out and finds a 50 year old letter stuck in the wall under Juliet’s balcony.  It is the letter from a 15 year old Claire asking for advice regarding a guy her parents’ did not approve of.

Sophie responds to Claire’s letter and so the story begins.  A few days later Claire arrives with her grandson, Charlie, played by the charming Christopher Egan.  Claire decides after 50 years she wants to search for her great love Roberto Bartelini, played by her real life husband Franco Nero.  Sophie decides to go on the journey with Claire and Charlie through Italy looking for her Roberto.  In the journey along the way, the originally cold Charlie starts to warm and his and Sophie’s relationship ends up blossoming.  Eventually they come across the correct Roberto, to find out he had lost his spouse like Claire had and they reconnect.  After the reconnection, it is time for Sophie to leave.

Sophie and Victor head back to New York, where Sophie finally gets an article published, a story of her adventures with Claire, and Victor opens his restaurant.  Claire comes to realize Victor and her were not meant to be and that Charlie is her destiny.  Sophie heads to Italy for the wedding for Claire and Roberto, sees Charlie, and you can figure out the rest from there.

This is one of the few movies that I will actually purchase on DVD.  It is a true feel-good movie and a chick-flick for all generations.  With the love story between Sophie and Charlie and the love story between Claire and Roberto, it is one of the few chick flicks that can be appealing to younger and older generations.  So here is to destiny, and to finding your Romeo (or Juliet)!

Things Rick Astley Will Never Do

Katy Perry and Elmo

Movie Review - The Town

What is it about crime that makes it the ultimate cinematic drug?  Is taking money without doing much work the American dream?  Do we feel better about our violence if there's profit from it?  Or, do we just want to prove that chicks dig "bad boys"?  Whatever the reason, there's no denying the fact that most of Hollywood's crime thrillers will do their best to hammer home one fact - that the people who commit these acts have no escape; that these acts are an addiction that has taken hold of them.  These criminals aren't necessarily bad people, they are hopelessly trapped in the path their actions have set for them.

If you talk to anyone who studies the concept of addiction, they'll tell you something that also rings true of most alpha criminals in these films.  No matter what your addiction is, the high that comes from it will decrease over time.  This can be a steady process or a complete drop, but at some point your brain will build up a resistance to that which once was a thrill.  The positive effects will wear off, and you'll be left to choose whether you're still in or if you're going to try to get out.  Attempting the latter may leave you chasing that "last job", and trying to break free of the cycle you've walked into.

The Town, directed and co-written by star Ben Affleck, follows a thief who is at that point.  We open as he and his crew - including a token driver, a token electric man, and his violent-yet-loyal boyhood friend played by Jeremy Renner - make their move on a Boston bank.  It's quickly evident that there's a disconnect between the lead male characters, because one is loud and brutal while the other is polite and tender - particularly toward the female bank manager played by the lovely Rebecca Hall.  Before we even see their faces, we can tell that these two characters are on opposite sides of their addiction.  One man is enjoying the rush, one just wants to get it over with and walk away.

So, when Affleck's Doug (affectionately known as Dougie to most) takes an interest in Hall's Claire, it becomes difficult for the viewer to be sure of their feelings about him.  We know that he does bad things, but he seems to be more in touch with his human side than the characters around him.  His motives for meeting the girl are not pure, but he is not out for blood.  Despite his tender side, Doug struggles to stay clean.  When Claire tells him that some guys in the projects are giving her trouble, he immediately goes to Renner's Jim and tells him "they're going to hurt some people".  It's entirely possible that he needs Jim to take care of this because he no longer has the heart to do it, but he is still at fault.  He knows what Jim is capable of when he walks through his door, and he makes the choice to follow in Jim's ways.  In his mind, there is no other way to deal with the situation.

If I were naming the four most important characters in the film, the fourth - with apologies to Jon Hamm's entertaining FBI agent - is The Town itself.  Doug and Jim's home is Charlestown, an allegedly notorious side of Boston, which is shown to be a one way town in which the only way to survive is submitting to the crime addiction.  A "Florist" played by Pete Postlethwaite is the Kingpin of this connected empire, which goes all the way down to Jim's sister (played by a whored-up Blake Lively) who runs Oxycontin on the streets.  She's also been Doug's girl since their childhood, extending the myth that he can not escape from this written path in life.  The Town is painted as a trap, and all of the people around Doug do their best to remind him that he has no right to life in the outside world.  This again parallels the drug culture, where any addict who feels trapped will tell you that others will always see them as a user, no matter what they say or do.

None of this is new territory for the crime genre, but The Town at least stays fresh in its execution.  The chase scenes and shootouts are technically sound - though the final heist does seem a little spastic - and the characters are fleshed out well.  The film balances its action and drama well, and the pacing seems right on.  The cast all do fine in their roles, and Affleck - despite his sullied reputation - is a very capable lead.  Renner is the highlight of the cast, stealing scenes in a role that seems distant from his star-making role in last year's The Hurt Locker.

The Town succeeds in most regards, even if it doesn't answer our questions about cinema's crime addiction.  Affleck hasn't matched his directorial debut (the thought-provoking Gone Baby Gone), but he's made a film that's both an effective drama and am exciting thriller, cementing himself as a director on the rise that audiences should be aware of.

The 2010 Packers According To The Mike - Week Two

We're back for round two with the 2010 Packers, and it was a rough week for the team.  Starting running back Ryan Grant, who has been a workhorse over the past two-and-a-half years, is done for the season due to the ankle injury that he incurred last week.  Luckily, the opponent for the home opener hasn't made the playoffs in a decade plus.  Let's get at it!

Pre-Game Notes:
The Game: Vs. Buffalo Bills.  The Bills have fallen on hard times since their reign over the AFC in the mid 1990s, and new coach Chan Gailey brings them to Lambeau with an 0-1 record.  Quarterback Trent Edwards is getting his last chance to lead the team, and the team hopes rookie running back CJ Spiller can carry the offense.

Things That Excite Me: Well, it's the home opener, so it's hard not to be excited.  I've been to Lambeau 15 times in the last 17 years. and the chance to witness the gameday environment in Green Bay is always a pleasure.

Things That Worry Me: Recent Packers teams have often overlooked some games that seem like easy wins on the schedule.  Most recently, they went to Tampa Bay last year and dropped the game to an 0-7 team.  Everyone knows that the Bills are rebuilding, but the Packers still have to show up and play the game.

The Game:
First Quarter: The Packers took the ball to start the game, and the opening drive quickly became three points on a Mason Crosby field goal.  And the defense picked up right where it left off last week, with linebacker Clay Matthews ending the Bills' first possession with his 4th sack of the young year.  Also notable on the first Bills drive was the fact that Packer linebacker AJ Hawk made the opening tackle on Bills running back Marshawn Lynch.  Both players are former first round picks that started the season off wrong (Hawk didn't play a down last week due to gameplanning issues, Lynch has been trailing Spiller and Fred Jackson on the Bills' depth chart), and have been the subject of trade rumors this year.  (Both players would get a lot of action in this game.)

A big play from Aaron Rodgers to boisterous-and-talented tight end Jermichael Finley would set the Packers up inside the 10 yard line on the next series, but the offense stalled and Crosby was needed to hit another field goal.  The Bills followed suit with another three-and-out, and the next Packers drive would not be stopped.  Rodgers and Finley connected for 32 yards on a third down, keeping alive a drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown by Grant's replacement, Brandon Jackson.  Jackson got to take the first Lambeau Leap of the season, and the Packers ended the first up by a couple of scores. (13-0, Packers lead.)

Second Quarter: The Packers seemed to stall entirely in the second quarter, on both sides of the ball.  The Bills ran the ball well on their first drive of the quarter, and a pass interference penalty on Packers corner Charles Woodson extended their drive.  Fred Jackson got in for the Bills' first score less than five minutes into the quarter, cutting the Packers' lead to six.

Neither offense did much the rest of the quarter, with the Packers stalling on both of their possessions.  The defense stayed strong, and rookie Sam Shields made a nice open field play to stop the Bills' last drive of the half on a third down pass over the middle.  Packers coach Mike McCarthy oddly chose not to stop the clock and utilize his two-minute offense with time running down, and the Packers went to the half with a meager lead. (13-7, Packers lead.)

Third Quarter: The defense continued to carry the team in the early third quarter.  Linebacker Brandon Chillar - who's the guy that has taken AJ Hawk's playing time - pulled in his first career interception on a tipped third down pass, and the Packers responded on offense.  Greg Jennings made a great third down grab to keep the drive going (last week he had to leap and make a one handed grab to extend a TD drive, this time he slid to catch a ball thrown behind him), and Rodgers connected (on another third down) with the Packers' all-time leading receiver - and my personal favorite Packer - Donald Driver for a TD.

Clay Matthews pulled in his fifth sack in 7 quarters on the next Bills three-and-out, and the offense took back over.  Rodgers and company put together another fine drive (Finley pulled in his third 20+ yard reception of the game), and scored on a quarterback keeper from nine yards out to stretch the lead .  (27-7, Packers lead.)

Fourth Quarter:  It didn't take much of the fourth quarter to confirm that this was mop-up time.  Rookie safety Morgan Burnett, who has done a fine job of not getting burnt through two games, took a short pass away from Bills receiver Roscoe Parrish for his first career INT, and a drive of just over two-and-a-half minutes ended with Rodgers hitting James Jones for a 30 yard touch down.  From there on, it was just about going through the motions to end the game.  In the process, Matthews took the time to pull in his third sack of the game, putting him at six on the young season.  The Bills got some yardage on the final possession, but the Pack held on a fourth down and put the game in the books. (34-7, Packers win.)

Looking Back:
The Good: 

• The defense swarmed the Bills for most of the game, and really made up for their second quarter lapses in the third.  Matthews looks like a superstar, and the suspect pass defense has held up fine - though this wasn't much of a challenge in that department.
• The passing game looked explosive.  Finley was a mismatch for the Bills, and the top four receivers each made an impact.
• Crosby hit on his field goals again, and Jordy Nelson looked good on kick returns again.

The Bad:

• The second quarter was completely wasted.  The team looked uninspired at times early, and lacked punch on offense and defense.  I worry that this team, still relatively young, will let the high expectations for the season go to their heads at times, and this quarter seemed to show that.
• Veteran left tackle Chad Clifton was pulled from the game in the second quarter by McCarthy, and replaced by rookie first-round pick Bryan Bulaga.  Clifton has had a long injury history, and it's sad to say that time may be catching up with the 34 year-old tackle.
• Tramon Williams didn't do much in the punt return game, and I'm absolutely terrified that he's going to get hurt twisting around on these plays.  Williams is starting at cornerback - the Packers' thinnest position - in place of injured veteran Al Harris and the Packers can not afford to lose him.
• I know Grant's only been gone one week, and the running game wasn't needed here.  But the offensive line has to be more consistent in making the ground game work if Brandon Jackson, John Kuhn, and Dmitri Nance are going to be their primary ball carriers.

Gameballs:

• Clay Matthews, of course, needs to be mentioned for the second straight week.  He looks as dominant as any pass rusher in the league through two games.
• Jermichael Finley talks a big game, and today he backed it up.  He only caught four passes from Rodgers, but totaled 103 yards.  He showed that he can be a nightmare for defenses.
• Bryan Bulaga, the rookie from Iowa (*tear*  Go Cyclones!), looked very good in relief of Clifton.  If he has to start going forward, he looks ready.
• Morgan Burnett's play to get his INT was a heads-up and hard-nosed one.  Hoping to see more of this for years to come.

Final Observations:
This is the kind of game you expect to win, and it's good to see the Packers get it done.  It might not have been a perfect game, but the team showed off plenty of the reasons why they're one of the favorites to compete in the playoffs at season's end.  With no major injuries occurring, there's not much more the team can ask for here.

Next Week: The Packers get their only Monday Night appearance of the year, on the road at the rival Chicago Bears.  The Bears are a surprising 2-0 and tied with the Packers atop the NFC North.  It's early in the season, but every divisional game is a must win in this league.  Should be a fun one.

In movie news.....Boy Scouts vs Zombies!!!

It is being reported that Andy Fickman, director of the upcoming You Again, is attached to a movie were boy scouts take on zombies.  This could potentially be amazing.  Thoughts?!?!?

Quote of the Day

I'm not a big filmophile. I don't watch movies a lot for a hobby. I spend all my time watching sporting events. Because, opposed to movies, you can never tell how they're going to end.
Michael Douglas

Dream Come True-Gilmore Girls Movie!

The word is getting around of a possible Gilmore Girls movies!  Being one of my favorite shows, if not my favorite show of all time, this would be a dream come true.  I was heart-broken when the show ended after seven fabulous seasons and would love to see the show hit the big screen.  The characters of Gilmore Girls were some of the quarkiest and most fun to watch.  There were many times I found myself wanting to live in Stars Hollow and befriend all of them.  In addition to great characters, the dialogue was some of the best to be found in tv.  With scripts twice as long as other hour long shows,  the banter and speed of delivery of lines was amazing and so unique.  As long as they could produce a script that would produce the same Gilmore Girls charm as the tv show, it would be a sure hit.

Here is what Lauren Graham, aka Lorelai Gilmore, had to say:

"It might [happen]. What's funny to me is that in all these years, no-one ever talked about [a film] except the fans. But now people… who could actually make it happen are talking about it. I think it could be good, but I wonder if we've waited too long. I don't want to be walking around the town square with a cane. It's hard to say because the show was never very plot driven. That is what might be uncovered in a two-hour movie."

 Here is to keeping fingers-crossed and hoping this happens!!

Tomorrow

Mascots Eat Cheerleaders!

Now that's a diet The Mike approves of!