Monday, November 5, 2012

Why 'Breaking Bad' is still a better show than 'The Walking Dead'

With the last half of the last season of Breaking Bad hitting the fan this coming summer and The Walking Dead having just started its third season, it's probably safe to say that television has hit one of its highest points within the past decade or so. But with all this talk of either of these shows being the "Best show on television," the question becomes: "Which of these shows is TRULY the best show on television?" Surely there is only room for one best!

Some will agree and some will argue (to no avail, says I) but the true and clear so-called "Best show on television" is none other than Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad. Let me make it clear, however, that there is indeed more than one show that is argued for the title of "Best show on television" (I'd hoped that was obvious). What I am doing in this article is simply arguing for why Breaking Bad is a better selection than The Walking Dead for "Best show on television"  as opposed to trying to argue Breaking Bad against every other show on television (for that would entail a much larger task than I care for; however, I feel safe in assuming that we can universally rule out Jersey Shore).

Now that that's all cleared up...

If you ask somebody what makes a good television show, chances are they will answer, if they answer at all, by saying "Characters." So if we are going by that criteria, Breaking Bad definitely has shines brighter than The Walking Dead.


"Wait! The Walking Dead has Rick, Lori, Daryl, T-Dog, and Glenn- especially Glenn!" says the loyal Dead Head. To which I must ask: "Come on. Is Lori really all that interesting?"

Yes, The Walking Dead has A LOT of characters, but quantity is not the same as quality. Sure there are a few characters on this show who do intriguing/exciting things under the circumstances (like having sex in an abandoned pharmacy after just killing a zombie), but in its third season, how much do we ACTUALLY know about Glenn, one of the most popular characters on the show? The same could be asked of any of these characters:

1.) Other than riding in the same cop car, what experiences did Rick and Shane share that bonded them so closely, as we are told, so many times, that they are?

2.) Daryl talks a lot about finding his brother, Merle, because they're supposedly close; however, when Daryl has a hallucination about Merle in Season 2, Merle seems to be treating him pretty poorly. Why does Daryl admire Merle as much as he says he does?

3.) In Season 3 it becomes evident that the relationship between Lori and Rick has almost completely diminished and the writers, for all their talents, almost never explore what is going on the minds of this married couple and when they do, it results in an exchange of empty glares between the two. They say actions are more powerful than words, but the two of them do almost nothing! 

The list could go on.

Yes The Walking Dead is only in its third season and more about what makes these characters tick is slowly coming to light, but, watching this show, I can't help but feel like these people are still strangers to me.


So I've explored why The Walking Dead falls short of the title "Best show on television"; according to the intangible rules of argument, I must put forth my reasoning for why Breaking Bad is indeed a better choice for that same title.

Using the same standard of "characters" set forth earlier in my argument...

This show is a lush, fertile landscape for character development. And what makes this soil so lush and ripe for character development? A simplistic story.

Where The Walking Dead is epic in scale and open to a world (literally) of possibilities, Breaking Bad is the simplistic, yet enticing, story of one man's transition from good guy to bad guy. That's it. Yes his transition affects the people closest to him, but it's still about HIS transition.

Just a handful of characters is all that is needed to tell the story of this transition and this allows for a much deeper, more focused area of writing: Start with one man, his transition, and spread out from there to how everyone around him is affected by the choices that he makes. It's a more effective way of developing characters than opposed to starting outward with a global tragedy and working inward to see how that one massive event has affected, not just a particular group of characters, but everyone they come across. This expands the story you're trying to tell and diminishes the focus on individual character development.

So if you're going based off of characters and how interesting they are, Breaking Bad obviously takes the cake. However, if character development isn't important to you then you're probably a fan of Girl on the Loose, in which case you've just wasted your time.

This is just the opinion of one humble viewer. What do you think?

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Franchises that deserve sequels

On movie blogs you always read lists about movies that shouldn't get sequels and a lot of posts that make sequels seem like they're a bad thing; almost as if the word "sequel" is a dirty word to movie fanatics. Well, I happen to enjoy many sequels and believe that there are certain movies that deserve them. Allow me to share with you a few particular franchises that I believe still have a bit of gas left in them.

Anchorman



Yes, it's finally been confirmed that a sequel to Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is coming out next year but fans of this cult classic have been waiting almost a decade to see this dream realized.

21 Jump Street (2012)



Again, a sequel to this year's 21 Jump Street reboot had already been green lighted before the first one was ever released, but after seeing it for myself it's easy to understand why.

Pitch Perfect



The characters in this movie are so sincere and so funny that when it was over, I immediately wanted more. Sure, I'll see it a few times to try and satisfy this need, but eventually I am going to want to see these characters take on something else. Here's hoping that they actually do!

Mission Impossible



A fifth installment for a franchise is pushing it, I'll grant you; however, it is rare for every installment in a franchise to be a this good. Not only is Ghost Protocol an awesome movie, but you could argue that it's the best of the four. Having said that, I think the only way I'd be open to another Mission Impossible is if it had the same cast from 'Protocol'. 

The Incredibles



Sure Pixar doesn't have a great track record with sequels (outside of Toy Story), but if there was ever going to be a sequel to one of their movies, it'd be this one! Superheroes hardly ever get just one movie, so the idea of a FAMILY of superheroes just begs for (at least) a sequel. Not to mention, the ending obviously suggests that the Incredibles are up for more!

Jeepers Creepers



Sure it's been almost a decade since the last Jeepers Creepers came out, but I think it's about time for a closer to a trilogy. The idea of this "Creeper" is about as original an idea we've had in the monster movie field in a long time and there's still more ground to be covered with it, if only for one last movie. Besides, the ending of number two hinted at a sequel.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

2012: The top 23 movies so far!

"23?" You might say that this is an odd number for a "top" list. Yes. Yes it is. I was aiming for "Top 25", but I couldn't find two more movies that I liked enough to include in my favorites list. Anywho, just thought I'd share with you the handful of movies that I enjoyed the most so far this year!

23.) Moonrise Kingdom


I wasn't crazy about this movie like most people. 

22.) Hope Springs


Oldies but goodies. 

21.) The Five-Year Engagement 


It'd be higher on my list if it wasn't so depressing.

20.) American Reunion


I'm glad the gang got back together again.

19.) Rock of Ages


If ever I had a guilty pleasure...

18.) Safe House


I was pleasantly surprised!

17.) The Words


It's not as smart as it thinks it is, but I still like it.

16.) Jeff Who Lives at Home


The Brothers Desplat are no longer a one-hit wonder.

15.) Pitch Perfect


There's more here than just a pretty face!

14.) Ted


It's probably a good thing I like Family Guy...

13.) Seeking a Friend for the End of the World


It's got sort of a naive charm!

12.) The Master


If for nothing else, see this movie for Hoffman's stache.

11.) Dredd 3D


An action movie that takes its time and delivers on the one-liners. Wait, it promised those, right? 

10.) Wanderlust


One of the best ensemble casts this year!

9.) The Campaign 


This is what nuts feel like.

8.) The Avengers


Nerd pornography.

7.) Perks of Being a Wallflower


It scores its points for being so genuine. 

6.) End of Watch


The biggest surprise for me this year!

5.) 21 Jump Street


Funniest movie of the year.

4.) Seven Psychopaths


Marketed as a comedy, but it achieves so much more.

3.) The Grey


What's better than an hour and a half of Liam Nesson punching wolves? This movie!

2.) The Cabin in the Woods


A horror movie this far up on my list this far into the year?

1.) Argo


Smart, funny, insightful and well acted. 

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

God-awful sequels I love to hate

In honor of this week's release of Taken 2, I am listing off some of my most hated sequels to have followed up a movie that I love.

Son of the Mask

I hate this movie so much, that I don't even care to post a picture of it on my blog.

Robocop 3


It's not even the real Murphy...

Jeepers Creepers 2



I tried to avoid putting horror movies on this list just because if I was going to name off all the horrible sequels I hate, then this list would have been a lot longer. Jeepers Creepers is special to me, however. The original is a creative mixed-bag monster flick and the Jeepers Creepers 2... isn't. 

Any JAWS sequel



Not that I have anything against green screen sharks, it's just that they were all SO bad that I couldn't pick just one of them (although Jaws 3D came close...)

Transformers 2 & 3


Those who know me know that I love the Transformers, have ever since I was a youngling. Those same people also know that I am a fan of Michael Bay's first Transformers movie; however, the last two are practically- scratch that- they ARE unwatchable.

The Dark Knight Rises



The Dark Knight is probably one of my favorite movies. It's just so sad that the conclusion of what could have been such a fantastic trilogy ended with such a cop out, among many other flaws.

Taken 2



My dog has made terds smarter than this movie... (review pending)

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Favorite Pop Culture Villains

Popular culture is full of goodies and baddies that do battle in hopes of securing... well, whatever it is they hope to secure! You could read the AFI's Top 100 Villains or, instead, you can take a look at MY favorite villains!

Michael Myers


Let's pretend for a moment that John Carpenter's Halloween is the only Halloween that exists. Please, indulge me. What is more frightening than a psycho with a knife, a fancy for death, and absolutely no clear motive? Oh, I know! One who can't die! Michael's emotionless mask and enigmatic ways have earned him the nickname "The Shape" as well as a spot on my list of all time baddies.

Doctor Octavius (aka: Doctor Octopus, aka: Doc Oc)



Sam Raimi's take on the troubled mad scientist is somewhat sympathetic. Raimi does a nice job setting up Octavius as a kind-hearted, loving husband and friend dedicated to using his big brain to make the world a better place (after all, with great power comes great responsibility) and then yanking the plugs and destroying the very foundation that was Octavius' identity by killing off everything he ever loved. To make things worse, his very creation meant to do good has now poisoned his conscience and turned him into a global threat. Up to the tender moment of his demise, Octavius' character development (his dip into madness and then redemption) is a roller coaster of emotion that make you feel sorry for his fate (which was ultimately ending up on my list).   

Rorschach



Probably not the first person to jump into your mind when you're thinking about villains and Rorschach himself definitely does not think of himself as a villain; however, when you examine the characteristics of heroes and villains and the difference between what is right and what is wrong, there are a lot of grey areas and those are where Rorschach resides. Yes he is dedicated to helping mankind reach its full potential and cleansing the world of scum, but he also isn't afraid to take a life if you cross the line between good and bad- a line that he draws. For this reason, Rorschach is as much a threat to a serial killer as to a petty thief who steals in order to feed his family and this is exactly why Rorschach makes my list of favorite villains.

The Joker



If you're a New Millennial like I am, then the first thing that pops into your head when you hear the words: "The Joker" is Heath Ledger's lip licking, makeup sporting madman from Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (and if you're my parents' generation, then it's a Steve Miller song). Ledger's interpretation is without a doubt a fascinating one; however, I am thinking more along the lines of the original, more flamboyant, comic book-y Joker (with Mark Hamill's voice of course!). No known history and no clear motive to his evil doings other than "Because I can." The Joker represents extreme commitment to being one's self and challenging society's norms. There's something very chilling about this philosophy and it scares me so much that I feel that if I do not include The Joker in on this list, he will come find me. He just better hope that Rorschach doesn't get his hand on him.

Walter White


Heisenberg has definitely come a long way from cooking meth in his whitey tighties. Some may argue that Walter is just doing the wrong thing for the right reason; nevertheless, his descent into the Id over the course of the show is undeniable. However, the scariest part of his fall from grace is how realistic it is; Walt represents everyone's potential to do bad and that is why he is my favorite villain of popular culture.

Added 10/5/12

Owen Davian


Sure I saw this movie in theaters when I was just a youngling, but still to this day Seymour Hoffman's performance in Mission Impossible III still gives me the creeps.

Friday, August 3, 2012

'Recall' is a total letdown

"We can remember for you" promises the title of Philip K. Dick's short story on which this Total Recall movie (and the original) is based. My response? Please do! Because there isn't anything here that I WANT to recall.


What made the original Total Recall so great was its fleshed-out characters, over-the-top, gory action sequences, and the masterful way Paul Verhoeven made it all seamlessly come together. So, hollow out the characters (by A LOT), downgrade the action to PG-13 gunfire, and throw the story out the window and presto! You have Len Wiseman's unacceptably boring adaptation of Total Recall.

By now it's no secret: Arnold Schwarzenegger is not the greatest actor in the world, but on the big screen he was always so much fun to watch: the way he threw around the bad guys whilst spewing out those cheesy one-liners that we all love so much. However, with Colin Ferrell there is no tradeoff. He is just boring.

Ferrell brings absolutely NOTHING to the character of Douglas Quaid. He spends the entirety of the movie murmuring his half-hearted lines while continuing to be out preformed by the rest of the talented cast who, surprisingly, do not bring much more to their own characters.

As I mentioned earlier, the action was a key factor in the success of the original Total Recall. It was fun to watch Arnold wreak carnage upon everyone who got in his way. Sadly, Wiseman's idea of action is one dully choreographed chase sequence after another, each one lit up with special effects bullets and climaxing with some dramatic jump. By the end of it all, MY legs were hurting.

Where Verhoeven developed the story over the course of the movie, Wiseman wants to cut the bull and jump straight into the "action" (and I do use that term loosely).

We are given an uninspired metaphor for social separation and fifteen to twenty minutes of Ferrell moping around, blatantly questioning his existence and the routine of everyday life before he starts running around for the remainder of the film. Nothing is developed much beyond that and by the time it hits the "twist" towards the end, we are just supposed to believe that we just endured a psychological thriller. It's kind of insulting.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Why The Dark Knight Rises isn't "totally awesome!"

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW! IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THIS MOVIE, KEEP AWAY! THANKS!

I'm just going to come right out and say it. The Dark Knight Rises is a letdown of epic proportions. Not surprising, seeing that it was handed the task of following up what is largely considered the greatest superhero movie ever made. Still, that is no excuse for how unfocused and, dare I say: boring, Christopher Nolan's last installment to his Dark Knight trilogy is. 

I'm sorry, what did you say?

Let me start with the basic auditory problems of this film (you know where I'm going with this!). Since the release of Batman Begins back in 2005, our hero's voice has been the subject of both scrutiny and comedy. So it's only fitting that, to round out the franchise, the villain's voice is just as awkward and hard to understand. Fitting, yes. Practical, no. Now I'm not saying that Bane's voice is inaudible, but at times I missed serious lines of dialogue and found myself keeping on track only by thinking: "What did he just say exactly? Oh, whatever! He's doing something bad!"

Supernova performances 

Perhaps the greatest part about The Dark Knight was Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker. Every time he was on it, he owned that screen! What 'Rises' lacks is a standout performance like this.Sure Michael Cane and Morgan Freeman are great in their roles as usual, but they are horribly misused and do not get much screen time, even combined. Both Ann Hathaway and Tom Hardy, though welcomed additions to Batman's Nolan-verse, do little to evoke the kind of emotional response that Ledger earned.

Upsetting the established order

What Nolan did so well with the past two Batman movies was bring everything down to Earth and make it feel grounded (no Lazarus pit for this Ra's). With 'Rises' it seems as if all of that was thrown out the window: nobody seemed to age over the course of eight years, Bane still had unexplained supernatural strength, and apparently Bruce Wayne lost all of the cartilage in his leg but that's okay because he has a clamp that makes it function normally.

More than we could chew

The past couple of Batman movies had some things to say and they said those things fairly well. However, this new installment seems to be going for so much all at once and it becomes difficult to follow. Sure, they will bring something up, but then never go into much more detail. I.e. what was that guy in the pit saying to Bruce Wayne about conquering fear of death in order to jump the ledge? That does not even make much sense seeing is how SPOILER Batman doesn't die in the end. 

Die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain 

If you've read this far then it probably already know that Batman lives. What a cop out! Bruce Wayne cannot take a vacation from being Batman, let alone a permanent one. If he is chilling on the beach with Selina and hears about another siege on Gotham, he is going to spring into action. It's who he is. Besides, didn't we just see a rich guy in a super suit carry a nuclear bomb away from a highly populated, New York-esque city not too long ago (see The Avengers movie for more details)?

Well there you have it. Just a few minor complaints I have for Christopher Nolan. I know, I know, I am in the minority, but dangit! The Dark Knight deserved a better sendoff than this. 

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Why Batman has to die in 'Rises'

There is a lot of anticipation for Christopher Nolan's last chapter in his 'Dark Knight' trilogy, and along with that anticipation comes a decent amount speculation as to the fate of the world's greatest detective.

SPOILER ALERT! HE IS GOING TO DIE!

 And here is why:



Reason #1

Take a good look at the poster. It reads: "The Legend Ends." That's right, ENDS; as in, it's over, concluded, there is no coming back from this.

Now, I don't want you to think that I am basing all of this off of the unusually detailed, slightly depressing poster alone(do I smell foreshadowing, anyone?). No. I am basing this off of Nolan's history with the franchise. He is clearly doing his own thing with the source material and has no intentions of dragging it out any further. Ergo: it truly must be an ENDing and there is no greater ending than... well, death.

Reason #2

Christopher Nolan is a filmmaker who is obviously obsessed with giving his audience something that they have never seen before; he wants to give us something memorable. However, people have seen Batman on the big screen before, so Nolan has the seemingly impossible task of making his own take on the iconic hero stand out amongst all others (here's hoping that nippley armor is not involved). So how do you make your Batman movie stand out?

For one: in any iconic, linear, motion-picture trilogy things always get darkest just as the second movie ends and the last movie begins. From there, you as a filmmaker can take your story one of two ways: things get better or things get even darker. Now it may be a sad truth, but people always tend to remember the darker things better.

Example: When you and your friend are riding your bikes down the street and you pass the tree where the firefighter safely retrieved Ms. Jenkins' cat only to have it jump out of her arms minutes later and run into the street where it gets struck by a car, the conversation never goes:

     "Hey! Remember that time the firefighter saved Mrs. Jenkins' cat?"
     "Yeah! That was awesome!"

It always goes:

     "Hey! Remember that time when old lady Jenkins' cat got run over by that car?"
     "Yeah! That was... pretty terrible..."

And every time the courageous act of retrieving the cat will only be brought up as a side note after the cat's death has already been mentioned.  

Or two: You go all the way and kill off the bat. It's never been done before (on screen at least) and it's definitely going to stick with people (for better or for worse).

Reason #3

What I like most about Nolan's Batman movies is that he is obviously focusing more on what it truly means to be a hero and the harsh (as well as the rewarding) consequences that come along with making such a sacrifice. The ending of 'Dark Knight' is a perfect example of this. Batman takes the blame for Harvey Dent's death (as well as the deaths of the cops that Dent killed) in order to maintain Gotham's faith in "real heroes." So how do you top declaring yourself a homicidal, masked vigilante with a taste for popular political figures and policemen in order to protect society from itself?

Well, in one of the newer trailers for 'Rises', Catwoman tells Batman that he has given everything for the people of Gotham. Batman simply replies: "Not everything. Not yet" (do I smell foreshadowing, anyone?). What more could this committed hero possibly have left to offer?

Given the fact that this is Nolan's last installment and that the sequel laws of film demand that Nolan top the ending of "The Dark Knight", as well as all the allusions to a dark yet satisfying curtain call, it can safely be concluded that the only thing the caped crusader has left to offer the Gothamites is his life and in today's society, there is no greater sacrifice than the giving of one's life in order to protect.

Batman is all about making those sacrifices and doing whatever necessary in order to maintain peoples' faith in themselves as well as in humanity and sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

These are the questions: Prometheus


Were you confused after the end credits hit from Prometheus? Don't worry, you're not alone. Ponder with me, if you will, a handful of the questions that would have cleared a few things up had the writers deemed them important enough to answer.





1.) [Watching beginning credits] Is this planet supposed to be Earth?

2.) [As spaceship leaves Engineer on unspecified planet] Who's spaceship is that?
3.) How does that black goo work exactly?
          - How can you "engineer" life if it has to go through seven different hosts?
4.) What did David say to the Engineer whilst speaking their language?
5.) If the Engineers' DNA is a 100% match to humans, why don't we look exactly alike?
6.) Also, how do you, a scientist, safely conclude that these "Engineers" are our creators based solely  on a DNA match?
7.) Did the Engineers design their hologram recordings to conveniently appear as plot segways?
8.) How is Shaw surviving being thrown around by the Engineer while being held together by stitches?
9.) What's that giant head supposed to be?
10.) Why is there a seemingly random picture of a xenomorph on the wall?
11.) Why does Captain Janek suddenly know that this moon is a military instillation?
          - And why didn't he let everybody know sooner?
12.) Why is Shaw with Holloway? He kinda seems like a dick.
13.) Who's really in charge around here: Janek or Vickers?
14.) So, those worms aren't important? 
15.) If Weyland dies next to David, where is his body in later shots of David?

If you have other questions, feel free to post them below. Likewise, if I come up with any more, I will post them above. Also, if you have answers to any of these questions, please let me know!

Monday, June 11, 2012

5 favs of 2012... so far

5.) Prometheus


The sole fact that I do have a love-hate relationship with this film, is enough to earn it a spot in my top five favorite movies this year.

4.) Jeff Who Lives at Home


The Duplass brothers discover that they do not have to make a movie totally depressing in order to make the audience feel things.

3.) The Avengers


You know your list is tight when The Avengers is only NUMBER THREE on your list of favorite movies this year.

2.) The Cabin in the Woods


There was a period of time where, after seeing this movie, I had lost interest in watching any other movies.

1.) The Grey


Sure it wasn't anything that I was expecting it to be, yet I was able to walk out of the theater totally entranced by what I had just experienced- kinda like an Oliver Stone movie, only without all the sex and drugs.