This Movie’s Dope

4 Oct

If it’s November, you know it’s time to bring out the big guns. And with American Gangster you get some real big ones: Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington and director Ridley Scott.

Washington stars as Harlem drug king Frank Lucas, and Crowe is Richie Roberts, the detective working to bring him down.

Don’t be expecting a two-man show, though. This one belongs totally to Washington. I’m not usually a Denzel fan, but here he’s so cool, so charismatic, such a badass, so bigger than life, that he damn near steals the movie all for himself. How appropriate.

Not that Crowe is lacking. It’s just that by comparison, Washington has the more showy role. Continue reading →

One Down

4 Oct

12-3. Ouch. The Yanks sure did get spanked tonight.

Wild, Wild West

3 Oct

Am I the only one out there watching Kid Nation? I hope not. I mean, I know Wednesday was game one of the ALDS, but that’s what a dual-tuner DVR is for. I’ve been waiting for this show since May, and it has not disappointed. The kids are too funny — some are earnest, others are spoiled, others are bullys, others are babies — and all say and do the darndest things. Last week they killed chickens so they could have some protein. Of course there were some who didn’t want to do that, and one locked herself in the chicken coop. In the first episode, one kid danced in the street so she could raise money to buy a bike. Tonight they were tackling sheep (!!) in a competition and were torn between a microwave and 40 pizzas as a prize. They also survived a dust storm. It’s just awesome and hysterical, and basically, if you haven’t been watching, then you’ve been missing out. Thankfully, you can catch full episodes on CBS.com or on On Demand on your cable box. For now, here’s a quick video about my favorite kid on the show, Jared, who seems to have no friends, but always has the funniest things to say. He’s totally flying under the radar as far as the other kids are concerned, but this video makes it look like he’ll eventually get his moment to shine. Do yourself a favor and watch when Kid Nation is on again next Wednesday at 8 p.m. on CBS. This may just be the best new show of the entire season.

Welcome Back, Kapler

3 Oct

What an awesome start to the playoffs for the Red Sox! Equally exciting — alright, maybe not equally — is the fact that my buddy Gabe Kapler has started a blog to document his thoughts on the team’s playoff run. Gabe’s a smart guy, and after a year as a manager down in the minors, I’m eager to see what he’ll have to say about each game. And, hopefully this’ll be another step on his road to returning to the Red Sox roster in 2008.

Is She Serious?

3 Oct

“Oh, there’s a Red Sox game tonight? Well, that explains it.”
— a woman on the outbound D line at 6:15 p.m. this evening as we were pulling into Copley station, trying to figure out why it was so crowded

I wrote a while back that it surprised me how people could be so unaware of the Red Sox in such a baseball-crazy city. Well, explain to me how this woman could be so oblivious on the night of Game One of the playoffs (even if it is just the ALDS), when the train was beyond packed, and there were a ton of people wearing Red Sox gear. She had been on the train for at least a couple stops. What, did she think everyone was just out for a night on the town? Did she not see the Globe or the Herald today, or watch any of the local news programs recently? I’m not saying she has to be a fan or even watch the game, but how can she not know it’s happening?

Anyway … forget her. Let’s Go Red Sox!!!

A Medical Miracle?

2 Oct

So the strangest thing happened Monday afternoon. I finally got around to calling my doctor to schedule an appointment for a physical. I figured I wouldn’t actually get to see the doc until November or December, at the earliest. And after a good natured guilt trip from the receptionist about when I last had a physical (it’s been at least three years, I think; last time I saw him for any other reason was more than a year and a half ago), she told me that actually, there had been a cancellation and would I want to come in Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. I was stunned. It’s an easy(er) week at work, and there’s a convenient appointment available less than 48 hours later. Is the doctor really operating on my schedule? Amazing. Unheard of. Perfect. How often does that happen? (Uh, never.) So there’s just one problem. Now I actually have to go.

Not Quite Fit for a King

30 Sep

Terrorism, at least on the surface, is a pretty senseless act.

It’s often marked by big, loud actions that do nothing more than disrupt an otherwise peaceful existence.

Though this analysis might be weak and simplistic, I find it an apt way to begin a review of The Kingdom because similarly, the movie is often big and loud, and on the surface, it’s pretty empty.

Kingdom tells how a group of FBI agents go to Saudi Arabia to investigate a terrorist bombing in an American compound by an Osama bin Laden wannabe.

It stars Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, and Chris Cooper, but none of those folks — not even my beloved Jennifer Garner — give a performance that makes much of an impact.

Jeremy Piven’s also in the film, but he seems totally miscast. He’s playing an ambassador, but I kept giggling every time he was on screen waiting for him to bust out an Ari Gold–ism.

Which is not to say The Kingdom is a bad movie necessarily. But it sets everything up and then in about 15 minutes it blows up into explosions, chases and gunplay, and then it’s over.

Essentially, it turns a timely setting into a convenient place for an action flick. And it’s a good last 15 minutes, but sort of a waste nevertheless.

So I’m giving The Kingdoma B-. Sorry, Jen.

Down in the Valley

30 Sep

I wish I could review In the Valley of Elah fairly, but watching it was not a great experience.

That said, this is a very good movie.

Tommy Lee Jones gives a fantastic, Oscar-worthy performance as the father of an Army private who has disappeared after returning home from Iraq. It’s one of the best performances I’ve seen from him.

This is a more introspective character and his performance doesn’t require him to bark orders or chew scenery.

Instead, he’s often quite heartbreaking — particularly in his phone conversations with his wife, played by Susan Sarandon. Continue reading →

Yummmmm

29 Sep

Didn’t have much to do today, and I was still in a celebratory mood after last night’s Sox clinching of the A.L. East title, so I decided to spend the day wandering the city. After lunch in the waaaaaay too crowded Faneuil Hall, I walked to the North End and finally went to Trani, the unfortunately-named store where you can get baked goods injected with ice cream. (It’s right next to my favorite Italian restaurant, Al Dente.) I had what is called a “Bust-Out,” i.e.: a cupcake stuffed with ice cream and covered in fudge. Actually I had two: a yellow cupcake stuffed with chocolate ice cream, and a chocolate cupcake stuffed with vanilla ice cream. (What?! The cupcakes were really small.)

Can I just tell you how good these were? I mean, how could they not be? It was my two great loves — cupcakes and ice cream — in one delicious snack, with chocolate fudge on top. The cake was moist and tasty, the ice cream was really good, and the fudge, although it was the kind that hardens in seconds, was also good. Best of all, believe it or not, these were not heavy, filling snacks. If I was feeling truly gluttonous, I could probably have eaten two more. But I refrained. So next time I go back, I’ll have to try a brownie or a canoli, or any of the other yummy-looking things on the menu.

Don’t have much exciting to tell you about the rest of the walk, although I did find a nice park I never knew existed and that was pretty cool. Oh, and I checked out the new Hard Rock Cafe, now located where The Rack used to be. They did a nice job renovating that place. But anyway, lotsa people were out and about today. It was a great day to be in Boston.

Thanks for Nothing

29 Sep

To the two women who brought their two young children to the 2:50 p.m. showing of In the Valley of Elah at the AMC Boston Common theater today …

You suck. You really, really, really suck.

Why do you suck? Do I really need to tell you? Continue reading →

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