MikeyD1981 Reviews

30 Rock: The Fabian Strategy (2010) Season 5, Episode 1

Great Series - Bad Episode

[2/10 · 4 October 2010]

I must say I am a HUGE 30 Rock fan and do I prepared myself for the season 5 premiere by watching seasons 1-3 on DVD in their entirety, and I also took some time and listened into the audio commentaries too to get a feel for how the show is cast and run. Most of the past episodes are lighthearted and filled with so many clever one liners you have to watch it twice to fully appreciate all the work that goes into making these episodes.

But I got a different feeling from the season premiere of the fifth season. Naturally after watching 3 consecutive seasons in a row I was going to pick up on the usual changes in the characters appearance and moods. Judah Friedlander's character Frank also had some rust on him. This is to be expected. But there was something upsetting to me about this episode.

First, most season premiers are the launching point for story lines that will unfold throughout the rest of the year. That's all fine and good but let's hope that does not happen to Kenneth, as the viewer learns he has been inexplicably fired from NBC and has found a similar job at CBS. Why the hardest working page would be fired without reason or without a care in the world from his former staff (all except Tracy) is a total mystery. As he is popular with the fans I'm sure he will be back in the page jacket soon but the apathy is quite bizarre.

Second, and along the same lines, this episode had a generally negative feel to it. I don't know if it was pessimism by the writing staff, the director, or just a lack of emotion by the actors but in addition to the coldness toward Kenneth's departure, there was Jenna who decided to rip the heart out of an elderly employee without any sort of a back story to her rivalry towards her. Then you had staffers fearful of other budget cuts across the board (which, by the way, has already been done on this show before in a much more entertaining way) Alec Baldwin looks out of shape and out of character - his business wit yielding to some kind of a homo-erotic power play between himself and an interior decorator hired by his love Avery (Elizabeth Banks) Now that scenario sounds funny on paper - because it is. But on screen Baldwin simply does not pull it off, and the whole scene is quite awkward.

Oh, and speaking of Avery, where is she? It wasn't as if Avery is a new character and this episode was to lay the groundwork for her arrival. We already know who she is and what she is like. Avery has appeared on several episodes from the last season and she appears promptly in the second episode of Season 5, so what happened to her in this episode? Maybe a scheduling conflict on the part of Elizabeth Banks but come on - the worst thing any viewer has to sit through is hearing about a character and then never seeing her If I were the director and found out Elizabeth Banks was not available I would ask for an immediate re-write of the scenes that reference her.

Matt Damon is a nice cameo but we have seen him before and from the get go it is clear that he will only be in another episode or two, so why not bring him in midway through the season for a few laughs and use the series premiere to introduce a love interest for Liz that will last a little while.

All in all this was just about the poorest episode of 30 Rock I've seen in a while. I really hope the the series remains as positive and lighthearted as it has been for the last 4 years. If any of the writers or producers are reading this feel free to drop me a line. I'd love to help out! - Mike

The Box (I) (2009)

It took all the strength I had not to stab myself...

[1/10 · 17 July 2010]

Okay first, there is a reason that no films are set in in the 1970's unless they are non fiction or they need to be for the storyline - pretty much because the decade was a bust, the hair and the clothes were awful, and it was a hangover decade from the progress of the 60's. The only thing worse than a film that volunteers to be set in the 70's is a sci-fi film that volunteers to be set in the 70's. Add in some bad accents by the two main characters and make them inconsistent scene to scene, throw in a bad plot, boring dialogue, scenes that simply cant keep your interest, and an ethical question that can be answered in so, so many more intelligent ways than through this "story" and you will have The Box.

Now I am not going to delve into the plot or characters because so many others already have. I will however proceed to rant about the garbage that stained the past couple of hours of my life.

It took me a good four or five times to try to get through this DVD. I had to stop it and take breaks as I was mentally exhausted and in shock at how awful the writing, acting and plot was. Several times I got up and announced I had had it with this movie as it just got too bizarre and uninteresting but I must be a gluten for punishment because the fighter in me said to push through it.

I can't imagine how much money was spent to bring back the 70's but it should've been spent on test audiences or market research and maybe the world could've been spared and innocent unsuspecting moviegoers would not be out of pocket hard earned money. But nooo. Whatever group financed this just gave the writer/director a free pass to insult the world of creative cinema with this massacre.

Seriously, I don't know what the hell this even was...

Angels in America (2003)

I want 6 hours of my life back

[2/10 · 9 November 2009]

Despite a few A-List actors this is not a mainstream film and thus is not meant for your typical widespread audience with a short attention span. I don't know the details behind who funded this but it was clearly not made to make money, and I am very supportive of anyone who has the courage to take a risk and present a story from their heart - as opposed to selling out to fit Hollywood guidelines. Also, the series was made from a different point of view that most of us will hopefully never get to see in real life, showing suffering in a very visceral way, and that is another aspect that should be applauded.

But I am afraid that is where the compliments end for Angels in America. The screenplay was very, very political where the characters either directly or indirectly blame a Republican ideology and President Ronald Regan for the AIDS crisis, as if he and his supporters were the ones that was causing AIDS to spread instead of the common sense fact that AIDS is spread through promiscuous men having unprotected anal sex.

Al Pacino does a good job in his portrayal of Roy Cohen although I am sure his character was exaggerated to show more of his perception from the gay community. Aside from that, the film was dark and dreary with absolutely no hope for any of the characters except for their drug induced hallucinations. At the end of the film I didn't feel bad for anyone although I suppose I could have if they weren't portrayed in such a self serving and spiteful fashion. My favorite scenes included Mary Louise Parker as she was the only one that was light-hearted an innocent without an agenda of her own.

The far majority of scenes were drawn out and unnecessary. The fact that the same exact story could have been told in 3 hours instead of 6 really leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Again, I support films that go against the tide, especially ones for a cause, but this screenplay, or adaptation rather, was over the top, drawn out and boring.

Gattaca (1997)

A Sci Fi Movie With a Message

[22 July 2004]

Some may say that this movie had too much content for it's own good but I say it had every element that a good movie should have - rivalry, romance, deception, rebellion against an unfair system, etc. As far as I'm concerned the premise of the movie is about one thing and one thing only - and this was clearly stated in the best line of the film: "in this world we no longer judge each other by the color of our skin, we now have discrimination down to a science." The movie is about one man's struggle to prove a system wrong, and it is done in a very clever way. It's true that this film lacked the special effects that are a prerequisite for most sci-fi's, but on the other hand it had something that most of the other films lack: a strong story and an even stronger message. This film is definitely one of my favorites and I highly recommend it to all.