Quick Hits

Movie of the Week: I Am Legend
Definitely a solid entry in the post-apocalyptic zombie genre. The marketing team did a helluva job of making this film seem like a mainstream action film akin to Independence Day. In reality, it's more like Dawn of the Dead or 28 Days Later (not that I'm complaining). If you're worried about the tame PG-13 rating, don't be - the action sequences are definitely intense, especially when the sounds of explosions and creature screams are booming out of IMAX speakers. 2.5 PB Jars

TV Series of the Week: Dexter
If you haven't had the privilege to see an episode of Showtime's breakout hit yet, spend your holiday weekend with America's favorite serial killer. Though Dexter Morgan is the show's narrator and obvious focal point - Miami PD blood splatter expert by day, cold-blooded vigilante by night - it's the ensemble cast (not to mention the gripping story arc) that make Dexter: Season 1 so addictive. The series has the look and feel of a movie, and like it's cinematic cousin American Psycho, the top-notch scripts include plenty of humor and satire to complement the stalking/ritual execution sequences. Don't worry - this show is actually not very gory or explicit, except when it comes occasional nudity. (It's not TV; it's Showtime.) Rent Season 1 (now on DVD) and you'll surely get hooked. If you still need a fix after finishing those 12 episodes, sign up for a month of Showtime and watch the recently-concluded Season 2 on demand. (Monday's finale proved to be another satisfying nailbiter). 3 PB Jars

Sporting Event of the Week: Chi-Town Lunchboxes vs. Stay Puft Marshallow Men
That's right - B and I are taking our rivalry from Hollywood to the (fantasy) gridiron. B's #1 Lunchboxes (13-1) square off against my #2 Marshmallow Men (10-3-1) in our fantasy football league's Super Bowl. A $70 pot and bragging rights are on the line. B's squad boasts an all-star lineup: LaDainian Tomlinson, Randy Moss, and Adrian Peterson, to name just a few. I'll need a big game from St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson tonight against the Steelers, and probably a handful of Tom Brady touchdown passes this Sunday against the Dolphins. Lunchboxes 3 PB Jars, Marshmallow Men 2.5 PB Jars + moxie

December TOTM: Predalien > Rambo

I'm not gonna lie: I'm a big fan of the unofficial Rambo trailer. However, since we're on the subject of unusually gory movie previews, I humbly submit the "red band trailer" (for restricted audiences only) for Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (coming 12/25/07):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaqldqBKCZU

It looks like the Alien/Predator series is returning to its hardcore, R-rated action roots. (AVP was a disappointing PG-13.) If the trailer is any indication, this will surely be the best installment since James Cameron's Aliens and the original Predator. Can't wait to see the hybrid "Predalien" do some serious damage in Middle America.

I also love the second trailer that was released for AVP:R. If I had seen this in a theater, I would have guessed after the first minute that it was a preview for a sappy drama or something:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvVwRKHIkeA&feature=related

December TOTM (Trailer of the Month)

December's TOTM is long overdue. I saw this promotional trailer for John Rambo (the title has since been changed to Rambo: To Hell and Back or simply, Rambo) during the summer when it was released for a few days on a fan site. This is not the official trailer, but rather an R-rated collection of promotional footage for fans of the Rambo series. Six months later I have rediscovered the footage on the following website: http://www.movieweb.com/video/V07E5qruBCFHRX.

Please note, this trailer is seriously "R-rated" and not for the squeamish. The final 90 seconds feature a beheading, a gutting, numerous dismemberments from gunfire, and, my personal favorite over-the-top moment, Rambo ripping someone's throat out with his bare hand.

Additional trailers for Rambo are available on the official website: http://movies.break.com/rambo/

If this trailer is any indication, I don't believe that the fourth installment in the Rambo series will make much effort at plot or character development, but rather endeavor to be ridiculously over-the-top, badass, blood-flowing entertainment. That approach works for me, since it brings me back to the guilty-pleasure cheesiness of most 80s action movies, particularly any movie starring Stallone or Schwarzenegger. It is also pretty clear that Stallone will never recapture whatever dramatic inspiration led to the quality scripts for Rocky and First Blood, so why mess around? Rambo looks to be Stallone doing what Stallone does best - running through the woods like a 'roided up freak of nature, spilling blood, leaving body parts in his wake, and capping it off with choice, unintentionally humorous dialogue. What's not to like?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Can Act - Who Knew?

Who would have thought that Tommy from "3rd Rock from the Sun" would have real acting chops? Few young teen TV actors have been able to make the jump to the big screen successfully. Notable failures have included Gordon-Levitt’s mid-90s family sitcom counterparts, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Zachery Ty Bryan of "Home Improvement." With surprisingly impressive showings in this year’s The Lookout and 2005’s Brick, Gordon-Levitt has proved that he may have what it takes to stick around in Tinsel Town, get his name to the top of a few billboards, and maybe even take home a golden statuette in a few years. With one or two more solid outings, he may even become nickname worthy, because let’s face it, writing out “Gordon-Levitt” a bunch of times is a pain in the ass. I vote for G-Lev.

The Lookout – 2 PB Jars

The Lookout came and went without much fanfare in early spring of this year. I added it to my Blockbuster queue after I read an article talking about how The Lookout’s script, penned by Get Shorty, Out of Sight and Minority Report scribe Scott Frank, had been considered one of the best unproduced scripts in Hollywood over the past few years. Directed as well as written by Frank, The Lookout is a witty, engaging, and well-paced bank heist caper. The real highlights are the acting performances delivered by G-Lev as Chris Pratt, a disabled youth who has trouble processing sequential memories, and Jeff Daniels as Lewis, his blind, wisecracking roommate. Matthew Goode is serviceable as the bad guy (and a far cry from his prior prim and proper role in Match Point). Isla Fisher, of Wedding Crashers fame, is hot but largely forgettable as a femme fatale who is also one of the films few loose ends. The plot follows Chris as he copes with his disability by falling in with a group of thugs planning to rob the bank that Chris works at (imagine Memento combined with The Score). The heist goes haywire and Chris is in the middle of the action. Not quite Memento, but The Lookout is certainly worth a rental.

Brick – 3 PB Jars

After being pleasantly surprised by The Lookout, I checked out 2005’s Brick and was impressed to find that G-Lev’s performance was not a fluke. In fact, Brick was one of the most original and engaging films I have seen all year - I can’t believe I missed it two years ago. Brick takes a classic film noir plot, complete with gangsters, detectives, and femme fatales, and sets it in a suburban high school. The characters have names like Brain, Pin and Tug, and the dialogue is straight out of a 1930’s James Cagney flick. G-Lev is Brick’s protagonist and plays the hard-boiled detective trying to locate his ex-girlfriend after receiving a mysterious phone call from her. The most enjoyable part of watching this film was seeing the various plot twists unfold, so I won’t give anything away – just be sure to check it out on DVD, you won’t regret it.