Affleck = Badass

I like irrational bragging rights. Not the bragging rights where you win a legit game and you’re champion for a season, but rather the bragging rights where you make a prediction or statement and it turns out to be true, and the only people who know it’s true are you and whomever else you said it too. I feel that I’m the champion of a lot of irrational bragging rights. At this current moment in time I’m cashing in on a statement I made years ago in a possible intoxicated moment, a statement that I doubled down on.

I was in a deep movie conversation with my buddy and the topic was Ben Affleck. I told him that Affleck was a badass to which he disagreed with the fury of a man who may have just been told Brett Favre was traded to the Vikings. The badass comment then started an ongoing thread that resulted in many conversations and even this blog post.

The truth is, even as of a few years ago I couldn’t have seen where Affleck was going with his career. Who could? At this moment in time thousands of people are writing about Argo and wondering how this guy went from low in the Hollywood rankings, to one of the most bankable individuals around. But I don’t want to get into that, because there is no reason to drift into wonderland to think about how a talented individual did something.

Buuuut….

For the sake of irrational bragging rights I’m going to stretch this out and be a little smugger and say these final things about Affleck:

Extract is underrated and he had a great performance.

Hollywoodland was the turning point for him.

He should direct the next Jack Ryan film and have a cameo in it to be the first actor director to ever be in a film of the character he once played, then he’d be more of a badass than Jack Ryan… did that make sense.

I’m looking forward to Argo, and if I didn’t mention it above – I called it. I knew Affleck was a badass*. F you Ottford. *Irrationally bragging.

Green Bay Packers: Rational Reminders

I’ve been a little reluctant to write anything about the Green Bay Packers simply because I kind of don’t know what is happening to them. Last Thursday I was talking with my friend Ottford while they were playing the Chicago Bears and we collectively may have gone through a rollercoaster of emotions that only those who are in psychotic relationships go through. One minute we were basically giving up all hope and conceded that nothing good is going to happen to this team. The next moment their defense was playing better and we talked us into the idea that they have figured out how to play and everything is okay.

We’re sports fans, this is how it’s supposed to be, right?

Moving forward I’ve made a list to keep me sane while this football season is active, these are things that I need to remind myself because without this list to knock sense into me I may look back at this time in my life as an embarrassment. An embarrassment because I cared so much about things out of my control…

Reminder 1: The Packers had a historically horrible defense last year, why would they have pulled a total 180 this year?

Reminder 2: Their offense will pull their shit together.

Reminder 3: Even though Donald Drive has never dropped a pass in his entire life and is the most reliable player on the Packers, Aaron Rodgers obviously knows something I don’t know because he’s not passing to him every play.

Reminder 4: They’re going to get a running game. No they won’t. Yes they will. No they won’t!

Reminder 5: They won the Super Bowl when they were 9-7 and season long team momentum has never seemed so important. It’s okay if the Packers lose games.

Reminder 6: The Packers have the best quarterback in the NFL.

Reminder 7: Jermichael Finley will always piss me off; I shouldn’t be surprised about his rock hands.

Reminder 8: Once again: I’m not playing on the team so for me to think that I have a single bit of control makes me reverse insane. Just accept whatever is happening (This is a crutch… but seriously I need to actually believe this).

With these year long reminders I think I can successfully remain okay with what’s happening, win or lose – or at least pretend to be okay with things.

Goon: Perfect Netflix Clutter

You know when you’re putzing through Netflix and see more shit than you know what to do with, but then you watch something and it reminds you that you’re getting a bargain by only paying 7.99 – that reminder is Goon.

I should note that Netflix streaming has always been a source of clutter and total randomness for me. One day I go to my home screen and it’s promoting Felicity and the next day it’s showing Mission Impossible as a new release. I think they need a better organization system, especially when their “new release” was released to the world in the 90’s.

The clutter that is Netflix steered me to the film starring Sean William Scott and Jake Baruchel. It reminded me to trust Netflix and their options (unless they change their name to Qwikster) and it also reminded me that Netflix is more than just TV series and random reality shows – for now.

The best way I can describe Goon is … shit … that’s the thing - I can’t describe this movie. Maybe that’s why I like it so much. Is it Rocky meets Miracle? Eh, sort of. The film follows William Scott, the insanely nice and self describe “stupid” bouncer whom hangs with Baruchel (also the writer of the film). Baruchel takes William Scott to a hockey game where one of the players rushes the stands and attempts to kick Baruchel’s ass. William Scott steps in and drops this guy in seconds – unleashing his talent: Kicking ass.

The ass kicking capabilities of William Scott gets him a job on the hockey team. His sole purpose is to fight and protect his players, which he does aka a “Goon.” Many fights later he’s brought up to a semi pro team to serve the same purpose. However, William Scott isn’t the only person in the world who serves this exact purpose. A crafty vet played by Liev Schreiber is currently positioned in the semi-pro league and he’s a legend. He’s also probably the best part about this film (more on that later).

As William Scott unknowingly makes his team better and forms bonds with his teammates we build to the inevitable conclusion of Liev (not using his last name because I like his first name so much) and him meeting in a “who gets into the playoffs” game where the two are destined to face off in one historic fight… And they do.

I’ll avoid the spoilers, but what you need to know about this film is that it somehow is filled with a heartbeat. William Scott carried this film. I would argue that aside from playing “Kar” in Bulletproof Monk this might be his best film. No, but seriously, this is his best film.

Liev kind of killed it as the old man who has seen everything but is still fighting to fight. As I was watching I kind of forgot how much I liked him as an actor. Aside from the performances, it was funny, fast, to the point, and was quite possibly the perfect Netflix movie.

Having said all of that I should probably note that there are some definite flaws in the movie, but I don’t want to dive into them because it’s not exactly a movie that you’d try to tear apart, you just enjoy it. Also, I kind of like trusting Netflix…

See Goon.

(Former) Arrogant Packers Fan

 

Green Bay Packers VS San Francisco 49ers: Sunday, Sept 9th 2012

There is 1:30 left in the third quarter of the Packers VS 49ers game but it doesn’t take a genius to state the obvious – the Packers are sluggish and they’re going to lose.

It’s amazing how football is such an extreme minded sport. When I say “extreme” I mean we as football fans are conditioned to view things in extremes and absolutes. You’re either up or you’re down, you’re rarely in between, and when you’re up you’re REALLY up, and when you’re down you’re REALLY down.

A few months ago, before the season actually started, I was up, really up, so up that I wrote this. I thought the Packers were going to have a 14-2 season, only losing back-to-back games late in the season. Shit. I was very wrong. After watching this team I think they’re going to be more like 10-6, maybe even 9-7. No, I take that back, I can’t do 9-7, I can’t even think about that.

What I can think about is that this Packers team looks absolutely no different from last season and neither do the 49ers. The Packers are essentially built on finesse. They try to intercept everything and slap the ball from everyone’s hands. They play very free, and when it works it’s a beautiful thing. The 49ers on the other hand are built on smash mouth football. They’re a team that’s almost mechanical in their actions aka very good coaching. This finesse free balling play may not be the best way to play, but the problem is… it’s all the Packers have.

As I write this Randall Cobb just scored on a punt return. Did those officials just screw up again? Maybe. The Packers may have just inserted themselves back in this game, but I think it may be fools gold. I also just decided to turn this into a running emotional game watching experience that may end in me tossing this computer against the wall. My running emotional Packers VS 49ers log: The 4th Quarter. Time remaining is on top. 11:16 15-23: Jordy just tied it up with a 2 point conversion.

A few quick random thoughts about this whole experience as I prepare for the Packers to kick off… Are the Nike Logo’s backwards? Should I get off of social networking if the Packers actually lose so I don’t have to hear from all my friends? Why are so many Packers players are in commercials? I wish they stopped showing this 49ers guy with the bloody nose. Jermichael Finley is such a liability. 49ers driving. 10:50: Is Frank Gore doing anything? Why did I pick him up on fantasy football?

10:10: 3rd down: This is huge. SHIT Gore just got the first. They marked him short but I’m sure he got it. These officials are terrible. Oh wait, maybe the officials were right, it’s under review. I love being a fan from home; it’s so easy to be right, even when you’re wrong. I stand corrected; the officials prevail (sorry official’s).

49ers punt. Packers driving. 8:50: Aaron Rodgers tosses an interception. Fuck. That was a Favre pass to absolutely nobody. Unreal.

49ers driving: 8:50: 15-30: Gore just ran in a 23-yard touchdown. How horrible. I wish I didn’t talk about my fantasy team, I think I just jinxed the Packers nation.

I wish I could stop writing this right now. I want to turn the game off, fuck! I feel like I need to see this through right now. I was fooled by a missed call on a punt return.

Packers driving. 8:36: Another dropped pass. Another late flag.

7:30: Big 3rd down. I feel okay right now…

James Jones just had a very big play. Still, so late in the game.

7:02: Another good catch by Jones. Why the shit do the Packers even try to run the ball? They have no run game.

6:05: Touchdown Jones!! See comment above.

Random text messages from my buddy Ottford:

Jones>Finley

I completely agree with Ottford. 22-30: I suppose there is a still a game here, but it’s much closer than I want and the 49ers are just way to consistent.

49ers are driving. 4:02: Monster sack from Clay Matthews, which means we have a huge 3rd down. Oh God.

Nervous.

Nervous.

3rd and 17.

Nervous.

4th down! Green Bay uses their final time out. 3:45 left.

Green Bay driving. 3:37: Oh. My. God. Near interception. Is A Rodg nervous?

3:28: Oh. My. God. The sequel. A Rodg is sacked.

3rd and 9

Pass to Cobb, 1st down! Man, Cobb is killing it today.

Time is flying right now. Finley just caught another pass. Wait, did I just write that he caught it and it didn’t bounce off his hands like that little kid in Little Giants? Yes! He caught it!

Alright. We’re headed to the two-minute warning. The harsh reality is that even if the Packers score we need to score the two-point conversion, which just scares me. But there’s a chance…

2 minutes left…

1:53: Rodgers just scrambled and he’s the Packers leading rusher - my hands are clammy.

1:40 seconds and counting – it’s 3rd and 17.

Shit! It’s 4th down. Dksjfa;lksflkajsl;fkjsdkl;fjlkasjfkl;ajsdf;kljsaklfjklsadjfakl;kljdfl ;akjlkjsldkjg;sdlkfgjs;kldfjgskldjfg;ldfjgsl;dkjgsl kdjfgl;sdj;glkjdlkjg;sdkjglk;sjdg;lkjdfkgjs; Game over. The 49ers just won this game. Final take away:

The Packers are in trouble; they haven’t evolved from their previous season. The Packers were outplayed and outcoached.

This is a REALLY big down, I suppose there is only one way to go from here.

Onward.

 

3 Weeks Later... The Dark Knight Rises

Image Deep breath.

(breathing)

Okay…

I can finally come to terms with things – I was disappointed with The Dark Knight Rises. I felt there we so many plot holes and questions that I can’t let it go. I liked Batman Begins and loved The Dark Knight, this third installment was supposed to make me pass out from joy while watching.

I thought I was crazy not to like it so I reached out to my buddies earlier today and asked what everyone thought, maybe I’m missing something? Maybe I’m overlooking things because I live in LA and overanalyze movies to a degree that is annoying. Keep in mind these are my friends that are in no way associated with the entertainment industry, they just love movies and keep me in check when I tangent into why things suck or don’t suck.

My email: Did we all see it? Can everyone sum up their thoughts, feelings, and any lingering questions…

Friend 1: Will there be another???? ROBIN!!!

Hmmm, okay, I read this as – “Yes I liked it and I want more.”

Friend 2: Wasn’t as GOOD as the 2nd one…THE VILLAIN was BAD ASS… like a modern day darth vader…

I admit, I thought Bane was ehhhh, but maybe that’s because I loved the Joker.

Friend 3: I liked banes voice. The 2nd batman was better. Heath’s performance was classic. I love the themes behind Nolan’s Batman movies. There’s always a cool plot twist or dark explanation of the villains motives. Can’t wait to see what him & Zack Snyder do for the Superman franchise!

Yeah, Heath was classic and I can’t wait for Superman either. I didn’t like Bane’s voice all that much because I couldn’t fully understand him. But still, he brought up some good points…

Friend 4: NO REPLY! You know who you are dude, answer my emails!

I gathered that my friends kind of liked it, but not nearly as much as the second film. Is that the general consensus? After reading the reviews and talking with a few other people I’m convinced that there hasn’t been a film like this in a long time, in the sense that people either love it or kind of hated it due to the plot holes.

There’s no denying the plot holes!

Ultimately I thought it was ambitious but I just can’t come around to it like I did with the previous films. I will say this – Chris Nolan’s films have this way of sneaking up on me just like Batman, and years after watching something I realized that I kind of loved it and want more of it…

3 Trailers: The Game

I kind of love the Internet. Why? Well, simply because we have the opportunity to run the spectrum of “stuff”. Below I present to you the spectrum of trailers that have recently been released. We’re playing a game, you need to decide which film falls into which category. The categories are as follows…

Oh my God was this movie made in 1995 and being released in 2012? No. Okay, wow. Seriously?

Wait, another one?

And

I love you James Bond.

Below are the trailers. Good luck guessing which fall into which category.

Trailer #1 Home Run Showdown

 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAVDugRfe5s&w=560&h=315]

 

Trailer #2 Skyfall

 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwp5z-JaIoc&w=560&h=315]

 

Trailer #3 Paranormal Activity 4

 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aCKnVXzt-4&w=560&h=315]

 

***Hint: Skyfall is in the I love you James Bond category.

 

(Future) The Dark Knight Rises review.

 

I should note that I haven’t actually seen The Dark Knight Rises but at this moment my expectations are starting to take over. I wish this wasn’t the case, I swore off high expectations for films after I pre bought tickets for a midnight showing of Indiana Jones 4 with my buddy. Never again would I think something was going to be so insanely cool that I may have to have a drink afterwards, but it’s happening at this current moment in time.

The worst part about all of this is that my tickets aren’t until next Sunday afternoon (don’t ask) so I now have to hear all of my friends talk about the awesomeness that is Christopher Nolan and just grin and bear it because they saw it on Friday and Saturday. I hate when people see things before me, it’s like someone taking the almanac from Back To The Future 2 and touting it around.

I have to get over that aspect and realize that ultimately this doesn’t stop what I hope my future Dark Knight Rises review is going to be. Judging from the trailers, the pictures, and other various aspects of the current onslaught of marketing I imagine I’m going to be saying something like this: — One week from now— Coolest fucking movie ever. I don’t really know where to begin or how to digest The Dark Knight Rises. Somehow Nolan and his crew managed to conclude this trilogy with the best installment yet. Somehow they made Batman’s voice sound normal and not like he’s about to have a hernia. Somehow Anne Hathaway didn’t annoy me with her on again off again over acting. Somehow Joseph Gordon Levitt worked. Somehow the same reoccurring characters in all Nolan movies were seamlessly intertwined. Somehow the political undertones of the 99% revolting seemed to somehow make sense. Somehow Liam Neeson once again stole the movie and all that was missing was him calling someone telling them his skill set. Finally, somehow Tom Hardy has just bumped himself into the “best Batman villain” conversation.

That’s it.

I realize that my review may not be all that in depth, as a matter of fact I know it’s not, but that’s because I’m a fan first and once something I like starts to exceed expectations then I stop caring about over analyzing it.

I walk away from The Dark Knight Rises with a greater appreciation for Nolan and his pure vision. He managed to move forward with his series after setting the bar so high and somehow moving the bar even higher.

If it’s not already being done in film classes, people will one day analyze this trilogy and ultimately how it changed the game. How Nolan changed the complexity of what a “comic book” film was and what it can be. He sent a ripple through out Hollywood by being as ambitious as he was and it paid off. When it’s all said and done the only question that will linger is:

“How the shit was Katie Holmes in the first movie?”

Go see The Dark Knight Rises.

Movies you must watch when they're on TV

Image This weekend the greatest thing in the world happened – as I was trolling through my guide on TV I randomly stumbled upon The Shawshank Redemption. I immediately switched from whatever I was watching and I think the clouds parted because I was roughly 15 minutes away from one of 9,236 quotable lines from the movie: Get busy living or get busy dying. I’m not talking about the first time when Andy and Red are sitting in the courtyard but the second time when Red is out in the world and Andy has dropped breadcrumbs for him to come be with him on the Pacific.

I’m not sure if it was the slight hang over that I may or may not have been nursing, or the fact that I really wish I changed the channel earlier to see Andy escape from Shawshank, but I suddenly felt a bit emotional. I called my girlfriend into the room and said “babe, check it out. Get busy living or get busy dying.” She watched it with me - Like she’s done every other time. Once the movie was coming to an end she stood up and said, “Wow, you really love this movie.”

Fuck yeah I love this movie. If you don’t love this movie you have issues.

Her small comment led me to do some thinking. I wondered why she said that, and was there a tone to the way she said it? It’s not like I always talk about Shawshank. So, I asked her.

“Hey, why did you say I loved this movie? I mean, I do love this movie, but why’d you say that?”

“Because you always stop watching whatever you’re watching to turn it on.”

I always do irrationally turn on Shawshank as though I directed, wrote, and produced it. There is something that feels great about catching a movie you love on TV, as though you can just plop in and say hello to it.

I started thinking about movies that no matter what’s happening, I’d change the channel for. It’s those movies that you’ve seen 18 times but if you don’t change the channel there’s some sort of internal conflict that ultimately challenges how much you like film in general – whether it be for a scene, line, sequence, character, or third act, you need to turn on that movie.

I dug deeper and ultimately accumulated my first ever: Movies that if you ever see are on television then you need to change the channel and peek in on it otherwise the movie Gods will know list.

The Shawshank Redemption: See above.

The Matrix: If you catch this on a channel like TNT or TBS, then you’re basically only watching until you realize they took out great action scenes and also the curse words. But if you catch it on a premium channel and get to watch the groundbreaking action and Keanu almost being emotional then you’re set. At some point in this channel change you’ll inevitably say “Whoa” and then “Wow, this movie was awesome, but the others weren’t.”

Back To The Future: Come on. I feel like people turn this on for nostalgic purposes and you inevitably realize that you’re watching a perfect movie.

Good Will Hunting: I feel like there was a moment when Affleck was bringing down the credibility of this movie but then redeemed everything with Gone Baby Gone and The Town. You’re probably turning this on for the first act of the film when Damon is outsmarting everyone and saying “How do you like them apples” or you hope to catch the final sequence, which in my opinion is insanely underrated, when Affleck heads to the vacant house of Damon.

ET: If you’re sitting by someone who’s never seen this movie then you need to evaluate your friendship with whomever you’re sitting next too.

Pulp Fiction: Last week I changed the channel just to watch the dance scene with Travolta.

The Truman Show: I’ve argued the greatness of this movie for years. Jim Carrey was robbed of an Academy Award nomination (He WON for Golden Globe by the way) and this film is way ahead of its time. If you’ve never seen this movie… Do it… Now.

Minority Report: Some of the best running Tom Cruise has ever done is in this movie. Take a second and turn this movie on, you’ll notice that roughly 80% of the “science fiction” is actually here today.

The Empire Strikes Back: I’m not ever going to mention why someone needs to turn on this movie.

The Karate Kid (original): If you see this on television then just hope it’s the moment when all the badasses are dressed as the skeleton’s aka the best continuous Halloween costume ever.

Top Gun: This was essentially a perfect storm. It’s kind of when Jerry Bruckheimer figured out how to do action, it really put Tony Scott on the map, and Tom Cruise could essentially do no wrong (insert any joke here). If you’re fortunate enough to turn on this movie during the montage of volleyball and motorcycle riding then you should go buy a lottery ticket.

The Sixth Sense: If you’re the person who says, “I knew Bruce Willis was dead” then you’re full of shit. This movie was an amazing break out for M Knight Shyamalan and even though he made some… um… uh… questionable movies afterwards we can’t let The Happening ruin liking this.

Yes, I’m aware there are hundreds of other movies to fill the list, and yes I know all the movies above were released no later than 1980, but that’s neither here nor there right now. The next time you find yourself lounging on your couch and you see one of the films above – I dare you not to change the channel. See how good you feel about yourself afterwards.

Get busy living or get busy dying.

Rebooting Back To The Future.

 

I think I have finally figured it out! After years of tough and long mental thought I have figured out how to move forward and reboot the Back To The Future trilogy… and it came to me in a dream… No, seriously. I’ll hold off on the dream talk for now because we need to get a few things clear.

When I’m talking about Back To The Future I’m bundling all 3 films together because it’s that complete. I’m well aware that the 1st film is the best, the 2nd is arguably as good as the 1st, and the 3rd isn’t nearly as good as either but somehow gets better when you catch it on TV.

Here’s why it’s a brilliant trilogy:

Aside from the obvious things like amazing characters, fun storylines, great writing, great directing, and continuous new imaginative visuals it created a fail safe for itself. When Back To The Future literally went to the future in Part 2 it went to the year 2015, forever sealing its fate in that desired time and location. We currently cannot make a sequel to the film because our modern day (2012) doesn’t look like the conception when it was released in 1989, ie: hover boards, flying cars, and fashion. It’s brilliant, right?

Also, in Part 2 we learned that Marty had kids, was married to Jennifer, and Biffs grandson Griff went to jail (to name a few) - another fail safe. Initial thought is there is no way to make a sequel, say Back To The Future Part 4 because it would look hokey and out of touch. Of course this couldn’t have been the intent of the team behind Back To The Future when they created it but it happened, and it’s awesome.

Here’s what my thoughts have always been about trying to flip this trilogy:

- In order to keep this series going with the same title and characters someone would have to conceivably start from scratch and remake the film with a new Marty, Doc Brown, George McFly, Biff, etc… The problem with this idea is everyone knows it’s to soon to do this and that the original films are still better than almost everything in the world.

- The movie could take place in 1985 picking up from where Part 3 left off but the main issue is that a train murdered the DeLorean and Doc Brown is stuck in the old west. OH, and lets not forget the obvious… Michael J Fox and Doc Brown are older and cannot be in these films.

- Speaking of Doc Brown; maybe Part 4 could start in the Wild West and he could send some cowboys into the future for whatever reason. But, who really wants to start a film in the Wild West?

- At the end of Part 3 when Jennifer’s fax disappears stating “you’re fired” she asks Doc what the deal is and Doc says: “the future has not been written yet” – Oh shit! Does that one sentence negate everything above? Did Zemeckis know what he was doing when that line was spoken? What does that mean!?

Quick Side Note: I feel like this is a good random stopping point to point out that I don’t know why everything needs to be rebooted or remade. Honestly, I don’t know why I can’t leave this alone, well, yes I do. I loved this series and deep down I want to pay homage to it. I know that someone is going to redo this movie and trilogy and I want it to be me. Moving on…

Back to my dream and my Back To The Future solve. Remember in Part 1 when Doc Brown was shot by the Libyans at the Twin Pines mall and was talking about plutonium? Also, remember that Marty was recording him? In fact, Marty brought the videotape with him to 1955 to show doc he knew about the flux compacitor. Well, that footage is key to keeping everything moving forward.

In my dream a group of current day kids found the footage from Doc Brown and Marty (along with footage we’ve never seen in the films) and learned how to build a time machine, and not just from a DeLorean but from anything because they know what makes time travel possible… The Flux Compacitor.

The beauty of Doc filming himself in the first film opens up the idea completely and it’s totally logical he was in YouTube mode filming himself stating what he needs to do to time travel. Doc was essentially making a running diary of his work, thus throwing all of his knowledge to future time travelers.

The kids would then reference the footage, create a time machine, and proceed to go on their own adventure, and on this adventure they could maintain the integrity of the series and also reference things like Hill Dale, the clock tower, Marty and Jennifer, Biff, hover board… basically everything from the original that’s cool.

Major issue: The flying fucking cars in the future that we don’t have in current day. The solve: Doc Brown was the catalyst behind the flying and much of the technology that we saw in Part 2 but he just didn’t know it (this would also explain how he created a flying train in Part 3). But since Doc isn’t around because he went back to the Wild West the flying car hasn’t hit the scene… yet (but could be referenced in the video tapes).

Also, lets not forget Doc’s crazy ass “the future has not been written yet” line and plug that in when we need to. Is this line a cop out? Yes. But my entire plot hinges on that line and the videotape footage.

And BOOM, we have a reboot and a semi sequel to the films! But wait, just like Back To The Future there’s one more option -

My dream also consisted of a low budget version of Back To The Future – seriously. That low budget modern day version is a found footage approach, which still revolves around Doc’s videotapes but takes place in 1985. This version takes place during the time that Marty heads back to the past in Part 1 when the Libyans shot Doc.

The major flaw to this is that Marty took the video camera with him, but I’m sure there is some kind of work around to that. How cool is a found footage time travel movie?

What this all boils down to is that in order to reboot this franchise and not fuck things up we need Doc’s footage, it’s the spine to everything, its like the flux compacitor. In my dream it seemed perfect. With this footage we can move forward to open a new adventure for a new group of kids and integrate the old crew.

Does this sound crazy?

In my perfect world this franchise would go untouched, but that’s not reality. We’re in that zone where it’s easier to just retool and reboot everything under the sun due to the built in audience and financial return. Also, we’re getting to a point where the people that are taking over and can make these decisions were fan boys of the original series and if someone has the opportunity to redo this thing, it’s going to happen.

Truthfully, I want to make this movie and when I pitched the idea to someone they thought I was crazy and couldn’t be done. Screw crazy, Doc Brown was crazy and he made a time machine out of a DeLorean. If someone reads this and has the immediate power to get a reboot in motion don’t F things up.

21 Jump Street - Check it Out!

My God there is a lot on the Internet. I’m actually worried that there may be too much. Every single web page is a portal into 55 different options and I don’t know how I feel about it. On one hand I’m insanely happy for the options and on the other hand I just don’t want so many options – it’s in our nature to explore everything.

When I wrote the first sentence above I was confident that I was going to be able to transition into movies rather easily. The plan was to talk about how great it felt to be back inside a movie theater, and not feeling so overwhelmed with so many different choices. It feels good to shut off and be in a position where you’re entertained. But my transition started to take a left turn when I realized I was about to go on a rant on the Internet and feeling like my head will explode with options.

Fuck. I know there is a segway into how good it feels to be around great movies – oh, that was just it – MY TRANSITION! Forget the internet talk for now… on to movies.

You know when you’re somewhere and you feel like that’s exactly where you’re supposed to be? That’s how I feel when I’m watching a good movie. You’re not worried about anything else or thinking about work, email, twitter, friends, and what else is going on – You’re in the right spot. I think deep down that’s part of the allure of a good movie. You’re in the right place at the right time and it’s an escape. Watching something good makes you think, “That’s what I want to do” or “That’s what I want to be.” Am I looking to deep into movies and entertainment? Maybe.

I was fortunate enough to see 21 Jump Street on Tuesday and I loved it. Without breaking down the specifics like acting or directing, I found myself laughing – a lot. For an hour in a half I felt lost in a really funny movie. Lets be honest: 21 Jump Street isn’t exactly going for an Academy Award, it’s created for the sole purpose to make us laugh and to be entertained. It did just that.

I think there are 5 different types of people when it comes to this movie:

The people who watched the TV show and are pissed they made a movie with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum so won’t see it.

The people who watched the TV show and are happy they made a movie so will see it.

The people who love Hill and Tatum and definitely will see it.

The people who don’t love Hill or Tatum and won’t see it.

The fence people… could live with it, could live without it.

In the various personalities above there are sub categories, but you fall somewhere in there (trust me). Wherever you fall I’m confident you have to find some humor in this film. Just know that going into it it’s a comedy with JONAH HILL, so don’t be surprised when you see jokes that are so far out there you have to question what just happened.

Now breaking down some specifics:

Channing and Jonah – Truth be told I wasn’t to sold on Tatum and his comedy chops but he kills it. He does a great job and I think he’s the stand out.

The Film itself – The film is out there… in a good way. I definitely think it has it’s own feeling and vibe. Its kind of a hybrid of Superbad meets a Ruben Fleischer sensibility type film. If you don’t know Fleischer, he did Zombieland and 30 Minutes or Less. The film has an interesting feel to it - lets just say that. It absolutely has it’s own stamp and is very relevant to the time we’re in.

Supporting Cast – Solid, very funny.

Really Awesome Cameo that you should find out on your own – is there. As an overall I think this general concept is really cool and honestly I wish I were into the TV show when it was relevant (it was a little before my time). I’m sure there is some purists who don’t want to see an old show get retooled like this and I get it, but at the same time you have to get over it. To be fair it’s just the general concept of the TV show, it’s not as though this is the first film where adults posed as high school students.

When you find yourself planning to get hammered for St. Patty’s day this weekend do yourself a favor and sneak this movie in, or sneak this movie in while you’re getting hammered. Either way, enjoy a fun movie escape and laugh for a little bit. I’m interested as to what people are going to think about it and what it’ll do for Tatum’s comedy career.

If you’re into rotten tomatoes and general reviews it’s currently tracking with 85% positive… That’s a good thing…

Just because, check out this teaser:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhDCAww9Dwg&w=560&h=315]