LOST finally returns to ABC!

After a long, long wait LOST finally returns to TV with new episodes. I am unsure how ABC schedules their network as it seems that there is no real yearly structure, traditional show 'seasons' have gone out the door. However what is rumored now is that LOST will actually have a full runs (relative with only 17 episodes each) this season and its final 6th one as well. TV shows used to be 22 to 24 episodes and those with ongoing storylines ran a new episode every week (unlike shows with self contained single plots like CSI or Law and Order which can survive on skipping a week or rerunning and episode). I hope that ABC plans on sticking to full seasons of LOST. This show is complicated and really needs an focused view to follow. The premiere last week was actually 3 hours long. The first hour was a rather comprehensive yet lame recap of the previous four seasons, this was an attempt to try to clue in new viewers to what is going on. The producers came across like a couple of newbies who just rented the DVD's and now are trying to explain the show to someone. For those of us who have been loyal to the show, this recap explained little to us, left out lots of important characters and situations from the past seasons and provided no answers to what is going on. The recap should have been about 30 seconds with the producers saying "If you are new to LOST please watch the DVD's of seasons one through four before attempting to watch this season. And to you returning viewers remember this; The Oceanic Six got off the island and Ben made it disappear. Enjoy more questions and odd situations. Thanks!"

I should explain here too how I became a dedicated LOST fan. When I was in LA I studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, in my school we had a variety of name actors who were landing TV and FILM work every season, from Doris Roberts, Autumn Reeser, Jenna Elfman, Brian Callen to Cathrine Bell. Now, I had one classmate named Jorge Garcia, who I did scene work with and became friends with. Great story, one day he came into class and announced that he had landed a part in a new J.J.Abrams pilot and was flying to Hawaii for 20 days to film! This was LOST... and a few weeks later he announced that the show had been picked up for a run by ABC and he was moving to Hawaii indefinitely to film the series! We all celebrated for him. Now of course I have to watch and support my friends new show, and what I found was a great and intriguing show and Jorge had a great part in it. which only got grander as the show progressed. The rest is history. And now I am still a loyal fan of his and the show.

Season Five: Expectations. Well I can't say that I have any hope for any clear resolutions of LOST this season. The producers stated in the recap that they would be supplying some long sought answers to questions that have been posed over the series. However, the two hour opening to this season provided none. In fact it did the opposite and created even more questions as every episode seems to do. They Oceanic Six have to return to the Island orchestrated by Ben, Why? Where's the island? Why is Desmond immune? How come the other doesn't time travel with the island, he's on it? Who are the butcher lady and church lady? If Daniel was on the island with the Dharma initiative as a worker how did he get off and why when he got there last season did he behave as it was all new to him? One really annoying thing this episode creates is their time traveling issue. There are so many holes to be found in the writers' theories of how it works here. "You can't change the past".... however John Locke gets shot in the leg in a 'past' by Ethan, someone who has yet to meet him and "you only bring back or forward what you came with in the first white blast"(i.e. the team's raft) however John Locke can bring a bullet in his leg, a watch and repairing gauze. With this the team who left the beach could have stayed there wait for a flash when the camp returns grab whatever they can and bingo it is now with them. Not to mention the time dilemma of; What if you arrive in a time and spot where you run into yourself? And if you are jumping from one time to another do you just disappear to those you are jumping from and doesn't this in fact change things? Time travel is a tricky hole to fall into as a writing element, it leaves so much up to explanations that violate its own logic. I fear that the writers might have shot themselves in the proverbial foot by attempting to use this plot device. The disappearing island concept was hard enough to swallow and that was on top of the magical island concept now its a time traveling island as well. Ugh I can only hope this has a satisfying resolution.

I think after LOST is all said an done, the creators and writers are going to skip town and the media for a long while so they don't have to explain all the untied ends that fans will surely be clamoring to be answered. Their best bet would be to create a special Show, DVD, or Website called "LOST's lost answers answered here". And just sit and answer all of the questions they will ultimately leave unanswered from the show's 117 episodes.

I am still going tune in to see how it turns out (or doesn't turn out)!

Review: "DEFIANCE" Score: B-

Almost every year lately there has been a Holocaust related film or two (or three or more) released 2008 was no exception. Defiance is one of the latest and it takes on a bit of a different tone than most of them. It is based on a true story of a group of Bielski brothers who actually fought back against the Germans themselves. This is something we rarely hear about, most of the films are about submissive Jews who face the situations and killings and round up with little to no practical warfare resistance. This recollection follows this group of brothers who exact revenge for the killing of their parents and take refuge in the nearby woods that they know well. Eventually more and more Jews who escaped to the woods come across the brothers and they all form a woodland community where they build a new home, arm themselves, have 'forest' marriages, and then start appropriating food stuffs from local non-Jewish farmers. Nearby the Russians have a camp of their own and are also fighting the Germans. After some in fighting between the two oldest brothers Tuvia and Zus(played by Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber) they split, with Tuvia leader of the wood camp and Zus going off to fight with the Russian force. For the most part all of the actors keep their accents in check with the exception of the younger Asael (Jamie Bell) who accidentally slips into his native UK tone at times. The group of the wood community eventually swells to over 1000 resisdents (mostly middle class Jews with no real skills for living or fighting in the woods). The community is faced with starvation, sicknesses and freezing. Tuvia does his best to lead this group and hold them together and also train them to defend themselves. Eventually after quite some time, the Germans discover their hidden town and mount and all out bombing and attack forcing the group to flee through a swampy forest. Some decent battle scenes shot. The group makes it to landfall and are confronted by even bigger forces, but are joined by Zus's small team who abandoned the Russians when they fled the forests to avoid confrontation of the German forces, leaving the Jews to fend for themselves. Now although this is a historically based film there are elements that were pumped up for dramatic effect and elements left out to make the brothers look more heroic, in the end the woodland camp did help over 1200 Jewish people escape sure death and their lines now survive today because some of the protection/killings the Bielski's provided. This is a well made shot and crafted film. But remember it is a movie not a documentary. It is hard to see Craig right now as anything other than JAMES BOND and that is a little distracting to the overall movie. Worth a view though. A little resembling RED DAWN in nature with a more serious tone.

Review: "BE KIND REWIND" Score: B-

Jack Black(as Jerry) and Mos Def (as Mike) star in this quirky comedy that is not quite what you think it is going to be. In a run down neighborhood, Danny Glover's Mr. Fletcher owns the Be Kind Rewind video rental store still renting tapes only. Mr. Fletcher is about to lose the store as the building is slated for demolition. When Fletcher goes on vacation he leaves his sole employee Mike in charge his accident prone and mentally ill buddy Jerry gets himself magnetized and erases all of the store's tapes. Now the duo must recreate all the movies in their own versions in what they call Swedeing. Business picks up and they are on the way to saving the store. Most of the really funny elements are in the recreations, some really funny laugh out loud stuff. This continues for a while until the studio lawyers (an odd and brief Sigourney Weaver appearance) sue under copyright, and destroy all the films. Then the film takes on a whole new tone and mission and ends rather out of sync with the comic lines of the film as well. If you like the oddness that is Jack Black this is worth checking out for his funny stuff alone. Not bad but not what I expected in the end, wanted to see more of the Sweded films. Would have been better had they gotten to the Swede premise faster and spent more time with that rather than the odd Jazz musician storyline.

Review: "MR. WOODCOCK" Score; C+

There is nothing really wrong with 'MR. WOODCOCK' however there is nothing really great about it either. Its more of a black comedy then a straight up laugh out loud one. Little in the way of jokes per say is supplied. John Farley played by Sean William Scott of "AMERICAN PIE" fame is pitted against Jasper Woodcock by Billy Bob Thorton in a battle over Scott's mother (Susan Sarandon). Mr. Woodcock was John's middle school gym teacher and tormented the chubby kid. Now all grown up John is a successful self help book author and returns to his hometown to find his mother is in a relationship with Mr. Woodcock. The rest of the film is him trying to break them up and the battle these men have with each other. Thorton plays Woodcock as such a mean spirited asshole similar to what he did in "BAD SANTA". His portrayal almost makes you wonder if Thorton is actually like that in real life. As for the rest of the cast Ethan Suplee as his buddy does OK but its hard to see him as anything other than dimwitted "Randy" from his TV role in "My Name is Earl". Amy Poehler is John's agent and she is a bit one note as a controlling alcoholic, she is a bit wasted in this. This is an OK movie, but no need to put it on the top of your see list.

Review: "FROZEN RIVER" Score A

This is the little dramatic film that could. The movie by writer/director Courtney Hunt (her first) is a well pieced together, nicely cast and shot independent feature. With unexpected moments of tension and real concern for the characters and situations, "Frozen River" is a hidden gem worth seeking out for a view. The film is based in upstate New York next to the Mohawk tribe Reservation in the snowy winter. Melissa Leo (as Ray Eddy) turns in a powerful performance as a downtrodden mother of two boys who's gambling husband skipped out on them a week before Christmas. She is a good woman trying to give her kids a better life and a new home; a double wide trailer the family ordered that she is unable to pay for due to her husband running off with the money to gamble somewhere. In trying to track down her husband she comes across his car at a bingo hall, he is not there and a young Mohawk woman (Lila played by Misty Upham) has absconded with it. Ray tracks Lila down and the woman claims she found it abandoned with the keys in it at the bus station. Lila then sucks Ray into thinking that she has someone who will buy the car from her. Ray needing the money drives with Lila at gunpoint over the reservation and into Canada where there turns out to be no buyer but instead a human smuggler who, after Lila takes the gun from Ray, puts two Chinese men in the trunk, gives Lila $1200 and they drive back to New York dropping the men off and collecting another $1200. And the human trafficking element takes the movie to a new level. Ray who can't even get full time work after two years at the local dollar store, sees the trafficking as her ticket to get the cash to pay for the double wide. There are some very tense scenes of the smuggling, being pulled over by the cops, a Pakistani couple and their duffel bag, a shootout with a seedy human peddler, and finally an escape to the reservation and showdown with the New York and Reservation police. Ray is really a sympathetic character, we root for her because she is just trying to do the best for her children. The poverty they live in and the desperation she has leads her to her dangerous actions. "Frozen River" is a surprisingly great piece of film. I can highly recommend it for fans of real drama, and this is one that will draw you in. The character work by Melissa Leo is top notch and the writing of this story is stellar in composition. Check this one out.

Review: "BANGKOK DANGEROUS" Score: B-

After Nicholas Cage won an Oscar for "Leaving Las Vegas" he for whatever reason decided that he wanted to become an action star. The results have been mixed, with some OK outings like "The Rock" and "National Treasures" and some schlock like "Con Air", "Ghost Rider" and "Next" . Here he takes another shot, pun intended. As Joe the secretive, for-hire hit man, Cage attempts to portray a lonely yet expert mercenary. This time he is in Thailand for what he claims will be his final four kills and then he is out. At first Cage does a decent job being the on-point and straight to business killer but after the introduction of his loneliness and his connection (and dating) with a deaf Thai pharmacist he loses his expert cool in a simple scene with an elephant. Regaining it with convenient park mugging and killing of two thugs. The side love interest story seems relatively out of line with the rest of the film. And when Cage is training his new 'student'/messenger its reminiscent of Keanu Reeves learning Kung Fu in the "Matrix", it doesn't look right. Joe violates his own mercenary rules of getting involved with a local woman, of getting attached to his messenger and questioning an ordered hit. After killing a few bad guys in various hits, his last is not a 'bad man' and its a political assassination, which he torn about but he goes as far as aiming at the man in a JFK type parade, but all the happy faces in the crowd make him soft and he changes his mind and then he somehow escapes the entire elite force of Thai Swat and Police. And as he tries to leave town the men who have hired him have already captured his 'student' and he must kill the entire gang to save him. And apparently now he becomes a super killer not just an elite hit man. This one doesn't end the way you think it would. Mostly Cage is more suited for work in films like "Adaptation" or "Matchstick Men", than as an action star. Overall this is an average action film, but nothing new or spectacular here. An "It's OK" recommendation.

Review: "THE LOOKOUT" Score B+

This under-discovered Bank robbery film starring Joseph Gordon Levitt deserves a look for fans of independent film. In what is more of a character study than a full on heist film, this is a rather well done piece. Levitt portrays Chris, a young small town athlete who is now brain damaged and has trouble functioning in normal life. In his small town four years earlier he wrecked his car killing a few of his close friends and sustaining an irreparable head trauma. Now supported by his parents and a janitorial job he is sharing an apartment with a blind friend (Jeff Daniels). Preyed upon by a gang of amateur wanna be bank thieves, Chris is sucked into helping them rob the small town bank he cleans at night. Levitt gives a layered performance in the film, depicting a young man who is not only dealing with his condition, but is also with the guilt of what he did as well as the loss of the life he could have lead without the accident. The entire supporting cast lend to the authentic small town favor. Again what the majority of the film is about is the character development of Chris, what adds to this is the addition of what becomes a rather interesting bank robbery situation and how he will get out of it. Takes on a new tone in the last third of the film. Check it out.

Review: "THE VISITOR" Score: A-

On the back of the high caliber work of Richard Jenkins THE VISITOR delivers a powerful performance. Jenkins as a quiet unassuming College Professor travels to New York and discovers that a young couple 9of foreigners0 are living in his little used apartment there. After they agree to leave the professor offers them to stay until they are able to find a new place. Director Tom McCarthy strikes a balance of this professor emerging from his emotional and social cocoon and making a statement about the United States handling of illegal aliens and their stay in this country, or their detention and deportation. The intersecting of four people's lives over this unique situation is the basis for the film. Jenkins in the lead here (a step away from his mostly supporting role career) turns in a muted and subtle performance with moments of release toward the end. A very nice performance on his part. The out reaching of this man to what are essentially imposing strangers is a touching occasion, one that should stop the rest of us in our tracks to question our ability and/or willingness to do the same. He is attempting to help them all and in the process opens himself up to more than he was being. As his character states, he was pretending to be busy and isn't really. This is a really a solid yet mostly overlooked film. Recommendation see it.

Review: "JUMPER" Score: C-

What had some potential to be a good sci-fi movie is ruined by a weak story, poor acting, holes in the logic of the 'jumping' ability and a bright white wigged Sam Jackson. The mostly decently done special effects and the various worldwide locals are the only really admirable parts of this film. I think that this was developed as a possible superhero type storyline, complete with opening voice over like the first Spider-man, with a set up of origin, a love interest and a villain type to run from. What had the possible makings of a formula superhero film quickly falls apart in a mish mash of action and some poor writing. The majority of the issues come in the form of us buying into the 'jumping' concept and then quickly bashing it with logic problems and with a super trained team led by Jackson who's only mission is to kill all the jumpers because "Only God should have this power". Lots of unexplained tech, history and motives run throughout the short length of this film. In the kid friendly non violent ending we are set up for a sequel, (please executives if you have the money to make a sequel do not spend it on this, use that money for a good film, any other film). Recommendation is Skip it.

Review: "THE WACKNESS" Score: B+

The Wackness is about a pessimistic awkward teenage drug dealer who becomes best friends with his drug abusing pot smoking Psychiatrist and falls for his step daughter. Now that is not much of a normal plot for any kind of movie, however it works. This is a good film, well shot and well acted. Particularly Ben Kingsley who for most of his career blends into every role he sinks his teeth into. As this crazed, childlike pot smoking psychiatrist Kingsley delivers yet another of his great characters, seemingly on paper this would not be your typical casting for his type and was clearly a risk by the film's director and producer. What could be simply a teen summer romance film turns on its head with the elements of the odd friendship built. With some real touching moments thrown in regarding the plight's if both the teen's life and the psychiatrist's life the film takes on a different tone. Really worth a view. Check it out.

Documentary Review; "MAN ON WIRE" Score: B

As far as traditional feature length documentaries go this one is put together beyond the traditional fact finding and interviews, it goes as far as making recreations of events recalled in the interviews in the fashion of a 20/20 or Unsolved Mysteries type special. The basis of the documentary is on a tight rope walker and performance artist, Philippe Petit. The event at the center of it all is Petit's 1974 crime of wire walking between the two World Trade towers. Through interviews of his French and American team mates, the doc unfolds like its a great bank heist. The precision of the planning in the event, the sneaking around and hiding from guards, and the huge amount of equipment that was needed are what makes the telling of this tale. The fact that this event can never be duplicated ever (seeing that the towers are now gone) is not mentioned in the film at all. In fact 9/11 is not mentioned and shouldn't be. In the film the towers still stand in all their glory and we can marvel at the stunt that this man dreamed of doing and after years of planning carried out. The precise elements that were needed for this to happen are quite remarkable and its really amazing the he and his team made it happen at all. This is an interesting documentary worth checking out.

Review: "REDBELT" Score; A-

David Mamet has a distinctive style that can not be overlooked or duplicated. When you watch a Mamet film you know its a Mamet film. Mostly due to chopped repetitive Miesner-esqe (an acting teacher and exercise for those not in the know) type dialog. This film is no exception. Mamet is a daft film maker and does churn out mostly quality movies, though he has has his share of hits and misses. This is one of his hits. Using the honor code of a true martial art and setting it up against the backdrop of today's MMA market driven fight contests is an new and unseen storyline. That seems to be what almost every good film today has in common, a new story, or at least a new way of telling the old ones. Most good films follow the structured 'heroes journey', as this one does. Filled with a cast of qualified actors this one is well put together. And although Martial Arts are a prevalent theme in this film it is not in any way an action movie. Jujitsu instructor Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor who does a nice job here) is challenged to keep his honor and integrity or get some finances fixed. Troubles present themselves along the way, in the form of a shot out window, a skittish female lawyer, a washed up film actor and his agent, a hot watch, a cop who wants to keep honor, stolen concepts, a duplicitous wife and of course some fights. The most powerful scene in the entire film comes near the forth quarter, where Mamet purposefully sets the camera far away from the scene and we can't hear anything taking place in a conversation that simply ends in a slap (it says a lot without saying a thing). Although the ending fight of the film and the subsequent results are a little over the top of the mostly grounded reality of this film, it ends with a powerful stop without needing an explanation. This is a little gem of a film that didn't receieve much notice and its a good one to check out.

Review: "VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA" Score: B+

This is a well acted and shot odd romantic comedy. All of the acting in the film is well done and this is perhaps one of Woody Allen's best films (for me at least as I am not a huge fan of his and think that he is better behind the camera then in front of it). This irregular romantic triangle is injected with a forth when 'Maria Elena' (Penelope Cruz) comes in as Juan Antonio's (Javier Bardem) ex-wife. Christina (Scarlett Johansson) and Vicky (Rebecca Hall) are on vacation when they are propositioned by Antonio which they accept (each singularly) then complications abound as the crazy ex-wife returns and Vicky get married to her fiancée. The complications are all over the place and their unique relationships are presented throughout. Its actually odd to think that it was Allen who penned this script. A unique tool but one that is perhaps 'stolen' is the narration which is supplied by an unseen participant and virtually mimics that of Ron Howard narrating episodes of 'Arrested Development'. Its a decent film that is interesting to watch. However for a comedy there are few places where any real laughs are produced. Its more a comedy of situation than a situation comedy with jokes or funny happenings. The women are all stunningly beautiful as they should be and the scenes flow well into each other as the narration weaves them together. Worth a view.

Review: "GRAN TORINO" Score: B+

Clint Eastwood makes good films. There is no doubt about his prowess as a film maker. I can't really think of any film he has ever made that hasn't been a decent movie. In this, it is not his best effort, its is good but certainly not as high quality as 'Million Dollar Baby'. He does deliver his vintage Eastwood acting in one of the best characters he's portrayed as an actor, and he is really the only outstanding member in the movie. Sans the racist comments this character spews out this is probably very close to the real man. Eastwood tells it how it is, he is independent willed and spirited, has a heart of gold, and he is surprisingly still vital for his age, as is his character Walt. This film lacks the impact it could perhaps because of the casting of the mostly unskilled, but traditionally real Laos actors. The story itself is significantly structured and is something uniquely done. As for the shots, most of them are well done as usual, Eastwood is known for his single takes and moving on. The reality of neighborhoods in America turning into areas like the one portrayed in the film makes a statement in and of itself. As for the rest of the cast, a group of relative unknowns, they bring the quality of the storytelling down some, mostly due to their inexperience as actors and their inability to hold their own in scenes with a professional of Eastwood's caliber. Overall, It is worth seeing and is a good film.

Review: "GHOST TOWN" Score; C+

Ricky Gervais star of the original 'OFFICE' and 'EXTRAS' television shows as well as some parts in film, headlines this comedic outing. Greg Kinner stars almost as much. The premise for "GHOST TOWN" I think was basically concieved as 'Sixth Sense' meets 'Grumpy Old Men' as Gervais' character is a curmudgeon dentist who hates nearly everyone and through an odd way dies and comes back to see dead people who want his help. With a love interest thrown in with Tea Leone, there is little more left to the film than that. Gervais has great comic timing and comes off as an acid tongued mean old lonely dentist. His interactions with the dead are basically contained to Greg Kinner's ghost. And the rest of the ghosts are cartoon cut outs of various dead folk. Most of the comedy comes solely from Gervais and his fumbling through his life, falling for the girl and avoiding the ghosts. In the end the film wraps up in a neat 'the guy changes his ways and gets the girl in the end' package. Not a great film and Gervais seems that he is much better suited for his brilliant television work opposed to the lead of a movie. Mediocre fluff entertainment if you want it check it out.

Review: "IN BRUGES" Score: A

This is independent film making at its finest. A well structured tale that is fantastically acted and shot with the director crafting a quality movie that is ultimately satisfying in the end. This is definitely a Spoiler-free review(I don't want to give anything away), as I can wholeheartedly recommend this film. I can start off telling you that I am not much of a Colin Ferrell fan (other than his first American outing in "Tigerland"), I think for much of his stint in films he has been over-hyped and he was seen as a cash machine for studio execs as a pretty boy lead (kind of like an Irish Matthew "over-hyped" McConaughey). In this neatly packaged independent film Ferrell won me over (and he also won a Golden Globe for this role). He takes us on a ride of this tortured character who is funny, curious, boyish, savvy and saddened all at the same time. Getting to some deep emotions in later scenes. Brenden Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes are both brilliant in their respective roles as well. The acting is top notch all the way through the movie. Gems of great dialog are scattered in scenes throughout this film, as are some unexpected actions and laughs to be found. Ferrell portrays 'Ray' with a likable innocence. Gleeson as 'Ken' holds his character to a higher standard of men. And foul mouthed 'Harry' (Fiennes) holds himself to the ultimate of high standards. With the unfolding like a great book this film takes us on a ride of a serious yet humorous storyline. Check this out, put it up there on your list of must sees!

Review:"HAPPY-GO-LUCKY" Score: C+

So I think that I missed the boat on this one so to speak. Almost all the other critics picked this as one of the best films of 2008. A recent poll of past reviews on it had it scoring second only to WALL-E as highest critic scoring film. I don't see it. It is a nice film, it is well acted and shot. But it plays more like a "very special" episode of "Friends"... "The one with the Angry driving instructor". And our lead (Sally Hawkins) would be akin to a "Phoebe Buffay". She has the same quirky, fly by night attitude and crazy everybody should get along demeanor. Along with her jolly everything is just dandy smile and giggle. Other than the barely there burgeoning relationship with the driving instructor the rest of the film plays a bit like a British version of a feature length "Seinfeld" episode, a lot about nothing, a thirty something cast chatting on about nothing much. The title of the film is a full on description of the lead character here. We aren't left with anything resolved in this film (I don't describe this as a story because there really isn't one) as this is simply a collection of relatively unrelated happenings in the life of this "Happy" woman. Didn't get it, the other critics for some reason liked it and the Hollywood Foreign Press awarded a Golden Globe to Ms. Hawkins (I think she was just playing herself, not really stretching any acting muscles). As others have said if you want to see this type of quirky, peppy, optimistic character rent "AMELIE", its better.

Review: "THE HILLS HAVE EYES 2" Score D+

Caught this film only because it was on cable. This lame horror sequel starts off promisingly and then quickly falls into horrible after the introduction of the National Guard actors. Sarge (Flex Alexander) is perhaps one of the worst actors that somehow actually gets work in film and TV. His dialog delivery is so poor that I actually cheered when he got shot and killed in the film by his own men, thankful that I didn't have to bear any more of his bad acting in this mediocre horror film. The beginning of the film with the scientist and their deaths set up something interesting and then the story turns to a group of untrained military wanna-bes. As the nerdy soldier is told to hold his gun in the air on one leg and guard the port-a-potty the rest of the group sans one female head into "The Hills" to find the rest of the scientists. A surviving feces covered scientist emerges from the port-a-potty tank and the two left at camp clean him off as he dies yet they fail to notify anyone else of their find. On the mountain the rest are picked off one by one by the mutant mine hill dwellers. Until they have to go into the mine to rescue their captured other female soldier (who was taken by the mutants for breeding). Other than a couple interesting death scenes (The soldier pulled down an arm size hole in the rock and the soldier arm chop) the gore in this film is rather second rate. Then there is the mutant helper (who speaks like a two year old) who for some unknown reason leads them to the mine kitchen (complete with their fellow soldiers body parts) in the lair. Poppa mutant comes out to attack after raping the captured female. One soldier finds some dynamite, only to blow himself up by knocking over the already attached detonation switch. The only two remaining soldiers are the two left at camp (the nerd guy and girl) find the raped girl and save her after an un-climatic fight with poppa. The film ends with the three exiting the mine door, with their thermal heat spotted on a laptop which is closed by a mutant hand. Ooooh another sequel maybe? (Please no) Its hard for me to believe that Wes Craven wrote this one, he must have needed some cash. SKIP it (I just told you the whole film)

Review: "FUNNY GAMES" Score B+

This film is disturbing. A remake of the director's 1997 Australian film, it takes aim at the American cinema. Ultimately unsatisfying this movie reaches beyond our notions of any Hollywood ending. More pushed toward the saturation of violence in our society at large. The un-satisfaction that we as viewers are left with is done on purpose by the film maker. I wish to leave it up to you to view and form your own opinions as to the nature of the statement the story unfolds for you. It is probably somewhat different for each viewer. Written and directed by Michael Haneke, it is quality film making and is steered much more toward an independent or art film than a mainstream feature (dispite some of the stars in the film). Haneke knows how to form simple scenes that envelope much more than meets the eye. The beginning egg scene is one to watch closely. My description of the film is simply this "Two psychotic young men invade a private vacation home owned by a wealthy family of three and terrorize the family in a sick set of mental and physical games, in which the family must see if they can survive the night." Other than leading next with some 'Spoilers' I can not write much more than that. I can tell you that this is a film worth viewing. I can say that is not particularly graphic. And I can say that if it sets off your sensibilities and leaves you a little, at least a little, bit disturbed it has done its job. Check this one out.

Review: "LAKEVIEW TERRACE" Score B+

Pleasantly surprising 'Lakeview Terrace' is a tense well crafted, well acted and directed film. When originally released this Sam L. Jackson thriller didn't create much buzz in the film universe and worldwide didn't pull down any miraculous ticket sale numbers either. On DVD it seems to work a little better. Sam Jackson is hit or miss in most of his films (ex. Hit=Pulp Fiction, Miss=Star Wars) . In his past recent film work I was getting sick of Jackson's typical movie line delivery and expected as much in this, but was relieved for the most part when his own cliche's didn't apply. Jackson turns in some of his most impressive work of his career here. He take a turn at a 'Training Day/Denzel Washington' role. This is some solid work from Jackson. Terrace works as a tightly wound neighborhood thriller in the tone of the movie 'Pacific Heights'. Jackson's character is an extremely uptight and stressed out policeman with some serious racism issues. He really hates his new neighbors... for some largely unknown reasons, a one-conversation-explanation is supplied in the film but his reasons are still unclear (either that or they are very simple ones). As events escalate we get a look into the mind of a rather deranged man who takes things too far. In the end he goes off the deep end and is forced to try to cover tracks up which only ramp things up even more. A statement about racism underlies the whole of the film and is really sad that this still exists in neighborhoods everywhere. This story is only ramped up even more because the racist is also LAPD. Check it out.

Review: "SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE" Score A

Another one of the best films of the year. It works so well because it offers something that recent films are mostly missing, a new story. Slumdog offers a storyline that we as an audience have yet to see. Something new, something unique. Dir. Danny Boyle who has some hits under his belt already knows how to craft a film. Structurally the film is really well built. Through the telling of the story the lead actors go through three incarnations of age. The film carves out interesting segues from each of the game show questions to a tale of how each answer was arrived at. The overall heart of the movie is a simple love story. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy must find girl again. Repeat, and its grander and more meaningful the second time to a fulfilling ending (no sarcasm here either). Another theme present in the movie is about the human spirit itself and the perseverance of the individual through adversity after adversity. There are some really insightful scenes into the plight of the Indian lifestyle and the conditions that a certain segment of the poor have to endure. Additionally, I can't write a review of this film without out a mention of one of the most beautiful new actresses to grace the big screen. Freida Pinto a model turned actress is arguably one of the most beautiful women in the world. Its hard to take your eyes off her when she is on screen. Also for some fun be sure to stay around for the end credits as Boyle adds a Bollywood style dance number to the end roll (clearly a nod to every other full Indian film that is filled with these type of dance numbers). A great movie with a top recommendations to see. This one will be gaining some awards this season. Keep your eyes on it.

Review: "THE RUINS" Score B+

Usually I don't find that many horror films these days are very well done, but this one is a clear winner in the genre. Despite a cast filled with relative unknowns and the obscure location this film really works. Its a little slow to start out but that actually helps it a bit in setting up whether or not this group of twenty-somethings are being set up. The Ruins are just that old Mayan ruins in old ancient Mexico (where the group is on vacation). Without giving any of the good stuff away, these ruins are not your average tourist site-seeing location. The group of four (a set of couples) meet a German guy at the hotel pool and he says he is going the next day to meet up with his brother and some other girl at a Mayan Temple ruins site with she was digging. The group agrees to tag along to see the ruins even though the site is not on any of the tourist maps. When they get a taxi the next day the driver gives them their first warning by saying the place is 'no good" and that he will take them to the tourist trap pyramids instead. They just give him a wad of cash and he agrees to take him to the spot they want. Their second warning comes when they are dropped off in the middle of nowhere and their phones get no signals. Except the German guy says his phone does. And his brother's jeep is sitting at the drop point. After they venture into the jungle for a while they find the temple they are searching for. And let the tension begin. I will not spoil what happens, or to whom or what because the film would be.... ruined (ha). Just go along for the ride and enjoy the horror. panic and stresses. Recommended for a nice horror thriller. Check it out.

Review: "DEATHRACE" Score C+

I watched this one solely on the fact that Stephen King put this on his list of top ten films of 2008 (In Entertainment weekly). Also I admire some of Jason Statham's work. This is a bit out there. Its definitely a Sci-Fi futuristic view of the possible privatizing of the prison system turned reality game show for your freedom with unlimited killing allowed. (Uh yeah we've seen this before as it is a remake and also Arnold did a shot at the same exact story in "The Running Man") This is probably why King liked this movie as he wrote "The Running Man". As usual with these films they never seem to set the story far enough in advance (this one its 2012 and the only thing that will be real is the frighteningly predicitive first title screen that reads "The US Economy has Collapsed"). Almost every screenplay written about some ominous future always sets it too close to our actual time (ie. "Demolition Man" 2032, "Blade Runner" 2019, "Terminator" 2029, Original "Deathrace 2000"). If you are going to write a date set it far enough in the future we can't imagine it. Anyway you watch a film like this knowing what it is and what will mostly be in each scene. Statham is not given a whole lot to work with as a character other than revenge, fighting and driving. Joan Allen does make a nice villain adding to her "Bourne"series casting. Ultimately I couldn't help wondering logically if these prisoners design these killer cars and have access to the garage and weaponry and tools that they couldn't use them to escape. Or why the cars in the races spend all their time shooting at metal shields when the tires could seemingly be destroyed ending a car's drivability. Also the need for a navigator in the car? And it is always some hot woman from the women's prison? Also how a large pickup truck and a tractor trailer can keep up with a souped up nitrous enhanced mustang? Or how today you can not escape from the normal police in a simple freeway car chase but in this future you can escape not only from them but from a super-privatized-police force and a maximum security racetrack and island and then get away to Mexico without anyone catching you. I guess we just have to throw it all out the window (0f a moving vehicle) and just enjoy future prison killer cars being raced for Internet pay per view. And leave it at that.

Review: "NAMESAKE" Score; B-

A simply shot, non-bollywood Indian film, with a little more of an in depth look at the Indian lifestyle transplanted into an American life in the late 70's to the present. With half the film in subtitled Indian it is an interesting yet complex tale of a son's journey as an Indian/American and whether he adopts his American raising or holds onto and embraces his Indian culture. Kal Penn is arguably the most successful Indian/American actor in mainstream Hollywood. Prior to his 'Harold and Kumar" outings he gives a nicely layered performance. Some conflicting emotions and some solemn reflective work here. There are some moments cut short maybe perhaps directorial and not from Penn as an actor, hard to say. Deep seeded traditions seem to dominate the theme of the movie and "Namesake" takes on the significance of its title. Worth a view, yet it does seem more of a two hour Indian after-school special than a sit down big screen theater feature. Nicely done none the less.

Review: "RIGHTEOUS KILL" Score: C+

People were clamoring for DiNero and Pacino to do another film together since they did HEAT (In which their coffee shop scene was literally added post scripting purely because they were in a film together and a face to face scene was deemed necessary). In this film they are both on the same side (as it starts), which may be a detriment to the movie, as making them partners brings them both down. As adversaries they would have brought each others' performing game up. Unfortunately these two great iconic actors of our generation seemingly phone it in here. Little is left for them to really step up to the plate to as the caliber of their past works would dictate. DiNero has a little bit more to work with, having Leguizamo to throw some of his work at. Pacino walks through most of this and is wasted a bit through the film until the end and even then nothing spectacular rises from either of these acting giants. Something more along the lines of a CASINO or a SCARFACE storywise would have been a better choice to pair these two in again. Had they been on opposite sides from the beginning their talents might have been better utilized. This could have been a better film without them as their persona's overshadow the story, which is decent enough but lost. If they work together again let us hope that they choose more wisely the material and challenge themselves a bit. This is an OK film but not for them really.

Review: "HOAX" Score: B

An interesting story from the real book about the events surrounding this film. HOAX covers the story of a man writing a fictional book about Howard Hughes and passing it off to his publishers as a real autobiography by the secretive secluded Hughes (and duping them out of millions of dollars in the process). It really has some engaging moments as you follow how this author almost completely pulled of his hoax. Richard Gere is best when he is simply acting the role from himself, and he is not so good when he is pretending to be Hughes. Gere is not an actor that can get lost in a role, in fact anytime he has tried to act any role with any type of accent he fails. Its something he is not good at. When he is basically himself he works fine in a role. Molina as his buddy is good as he usually is in any character he portrays. And the rest of the supporting cast does a good job as well. Although Marica Gay Harden as Gere's character's wife threw me a bit with the odd accent however I can only assume the real woman was a foreigner. Really the most compelling part of this movie is not in the acting its the storyline. To actually know that its based on a true event makes it even more interesting to follow. The line is blurred a bit when the author falls into some paranoia over Hughes possible pursuit of him after the book is done. Additionally the eccentric-ness of Hughes is hinted at in descriptions of him but more of his genius is revealed in the final result of the never released book. I liked this film and can recommend it.

Review: "KICKIN' IT OLD SCHOOL" Score D

I knew that this was going to be a bad film when I started watching it. I just wasn't sure how bad. I am a mild fan of Jamie Kennedy as he is one of my generation, type, and casting, who has actually met with some fame in the acting world. This though I can only assume he produced and starred in because his buddy Stu Stone and him were on a flashback fest of wanting to be rappers and B-Boys. Stone makes a cameo as the DJ and music cuts from their co-rap album are integrated into this film as well. I though I might enjoy some parts of this because I was also a mid eighties breakdancer in middle school, wrote raps and street performed at the time (including winning an eighth grade talent show breakin'), however it turns out this film is a bad excuse for Kennedy to act (poorly) like a man-child and for some awkward scenes of an overweight Latino man pretending to be a chick for the guys to grope in teaching Kennedy's character how to "score". Bobby Lee, who is usually funny in his Mad TV skits, is wasted in his respective part in this movie. This was a waste of time.... but then I expected as much as it started. Skip it!

Review: "THE INVASION" Score: D+

This remake from the campy sci fi horror film "THE INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS" barely works at all. Where to start with the badness.....OK the story is a mishmash of the original, slopping together a thriller that is all over the place. When a strange man comes to your door in the middle of the night saying he works for the census and needs to be let in to survey you now, and then virtually attacks to try to get in but you manage to lock the door, (which is only glass yet he stops) and you talk to your love interest on the phone right after and act as if the door attacker was only a small scare....something is wrong with the logic in the story. Then the editing style is something out of a bad MTV video with jump cuts on top of jump cuts. Then of course there is Nicole Kidman, who I suspect wanted only a paycheck for this one. There are times where she completely drops her thin American accent. As if she forgot to have it, and her Aussie roots come tumbling out. (in a car scene for example) And her scared acting is reduced to some panting and jogging and tossing down Mountain Dew and drugs (which don't work at all?). Maybe she is immune to the drugs but not the alien virus. Logically also if she is trying to blend in with these invaders, why when she is running from some of them other ones ignore her...that is until she wrecks her car into some of their cars then they all randomly jump on top of her car? Just a bad movie. Poorly done. Skip it!

Review: "DOUBT" Score: A

This is an actor's film by far. As it was adapted from a stage play and the playwright also drafted the screenplay it is a well crafted piece of film making. The actors, from leads down through the supporting cast are all able to sink deep into their respective roles. Strictly on a film scale this is top notch movie making at its simple best. No special effects, no outlandish action, no need for over acting. This is a simple clearly written story that fulfills its title DOUBT to its best advantage. This is a quality piece because it makes you think, it makes you second guess, it doesn't give you answers that are cut and dried. DOUBT leaves you with doubt and that rises it above most films. Streep sets up her character slowly at first but sternly as well and we hate her almost from the start. My early prediction is that Streep will walk away with the next female lead Oscar for her work here. Hoffman does equally as well with his role yet his category for an Oscar will be filled out with steeper competition this season. Subtle and simple writing and cinematic shots add to the unknowingness of the truth in the story. Simple shots help to make you doubt and simple phrases that don't reveal a confession nor do they reveal any solid truth either. You leave the theater with the title of this film. Another of the Best films of 2008. Check it out.

Review: "FROST/NIXON" Score A

Ron Howard has nothing to prove as a film maker as he has created plenty of quality films before. This one just cements his directorial prowess and shows that he deserves the title of one of the best living directors working today. Easily earning a solid A score as a piece of film making FROST/NIXON stands out from 2008's mostly poor field of films to choose from. Everything about this film is imprinted with excellent work; from the direction, to the acting, to the cinematography and to the story structure itself. It works as a historical recounting and also as a bit of a political thriller. Frank Langella does an outstanding job as Nixon, almost making it difficult to recall the real Nixon and how he talked and acted. Its a role that we can safely keep our eyes on for an award nomination or two. Also Michael Sheen as David Frost does an equally impressive job holding his own against Langella's Nixon. The rest of the supporting cast roles are filled out by a fine group of actors (most we've seen before). Some of the most surprising moments from the film come in the form of phrases uttered by Nixon. We are shocked thinking 'did he really say that back then?' Most of which we assume to be true if the screenwriters didn't take liberties in his dialogue. The tension is set up in this film as two adversaries square upon a match to get to the truth or cover it up. I suspect most viewers might be stirred to track down and watch the actual video interviews that Frost had with Nixon to see them in their entirety. One of the year's best films and at top of recommendations to see.

Review: "TRANSPORTER 3" Score D+

I feel bad for Jason Statham in this one. He's trying his best to carry on his franchise but its to no avail with this poor script, poor plot line, poor direction and poor supporting cast. The director I fear is without previous action film making experience. All of the action scenes seem to be pumped up with the bad effect of speeding up the film, which in most cases make it comical not punched up action. And the fight choreography this go around seems to have taken fives steps back from the original "Transporter" film. The plot is so full of holes it makes you wish the detontation wrist devises would go off early and end this lame adventure. What started out as a decent franchise, should die a poor death after this chapter. As for the female lead this time around..horrible. On top of not being very attractive she is perhaps one of the worst actresses put in an action film. (If a girl can not act and is simply to be eye candy for a movie she should at least be drop dead gorgeous to make up for those lack of acting skills.) This movie was just a bad fortay into the action film realm. If not for the budget and the marketing this would have been a straight to DVD shelf movie. Skip it and save an hour and a half for another movie.

Review: "ZATHURA" Score: B-

I think Zathura's downfall is in its obvious story similarities to "Jumaji" from ten years earlier. Its an old board game that some kids find and start playing, it releases/rescues a man trapped in the game, it unleashes havoc into their reality and with the help of the man all is restored by the end. Only difference is this one is a Space adventure. The child actors are all quite good. The special effects are mostly top notch and it is overall a fun adventure. With a lesson wrapped in it to boot (Take care of your brother). It is a worthwhile family film, that is well directed by Jon Farvearu who is now one of Hollywood's better film makers. Zathura wasn't really given much of a chance. It was not a blockbuster and probably overlooked for a variety of reasons. Its name alone puts it at the bottom of alphabetical listings for films (or now DVD rentals). It wasn't marketed correctly and its genre was perhaps not appealing enough for the cartoon kid crowd. Anyway if you are looking for a nice enough film that the whole family can sit down and enjoy you could do much worse than Zuthura. It works for what it is and although not an outstanding adventure it serves as a decent film none the less.

Review: "WAITRESS" Score: B

This is a decent independent film. Keri Russel stars as the lead 'waitress' with rest of the cast filled out by some familiar television talent. Everyone does a good job in their respective roles. What starts out as what I thought was going to be a romantic type drama-dy takes a turn at the end and becomes something different. After everything our lead heroine goes through she rises to become her own woman and new strong mother by the final frame. Some bizarre characters and situations abound in this movie but most of them are just entertaining enough to swallow. The odd cast of character written in this one tend to carry an otherwise unconventional story along its road. Russel does an honorable job with her southern accent and character with a chip on her shoulder. The use of descriptive pies with their respective assembling shots as well as the narrated "dear baby" letters serve the story well to let us know where the character is in her thinking. The sudden strength she gains upon immediately holding her new born daughter near the end caps off an odd yarn that leads our waitress to her triumphant stride forward with her life. Worth a view.

CRAFTSTEAK restaurant at MGM Grand Resort Las Vegas

First fine dining restaurant review for my Blog. CRAFTSTEAK in the MGM Casino in Las Vegas is one of the better places to have a steak in town. Tom Colicchio owner has a fine restaurant on the Strip. He is owner of a slew of restaurants in various big cities, a handful of books and has been head judge on the TV show TOP CHEF since it began. Pleased with the decor of the space, it lends an wooden and earthy feel to the atmosphere. In question was some of the table arrangements (not mine but there are a couple tables that are literally almost out in the hallway for every passer by to brush up or observe your meal). And inside I know that dining is a shared experience, but not with the strangers seated half an arms length away in some sections. Though this was New Years Eve and the restaurant was filled, with a wait. Menu is simple and refined with average pricing at about $100 per person for app, entree, a glass of wine, and small dessert. The table rolls were airy and delicious without being too filling. My Lobster Bisque was well seasoned, creamy and filled with chunks of perfected lobster. The Steaks were cooked to perfection and mine was one of the best I've had in a while. Sides are a bit overpriced yet were fresh and tasty. Service was on the standard expected and efficient as well. I opted for some Chocolate Malt Ice cream for dessert and it was the only down moment of the meal, as it tasted of nothing much not Malt nor Chocolate. Overall I can offer a high recommendation for a great Vegas steak restaurant.

Review: "THE HOUSE BUNNY" Score B

Started this one with low expectations and it rose above them. First to mention is how good Anna Farris looks here. Is this the same girl from the "Scary Movie" roles. She has grown up and looks great. Easily believable as a late 20's Playboy model. With that aside, this becomes a bit of a unique tale in the tone of "Revenge of the Nerds" with girls. Hef and his real bunny girlfriends (at the time the movie was filmed) are playing themselves are, harmlessly enough, bad actors. Farris does a great job playing the dumb blond role with the heart of gold. Plus she is easy on the eyes. The you can see where this is going before it happens plot of the former bunny helping the nerdy campus sorority girls become hot and popular serves its purpose. And of course the evil girl from the other sorority trying to get them kicked off campus fits the role as well. The cast of nerd girls is almost a page from the "Revenge of the Nerds" playbook as they are re-tooled them into female roles. Sentimentality rears its head at the end with the lessons learned, even if in an after school special kind of way. Pleasently surprised that this film was as cute and entertaining as it was. Worth a viewing.

Review: "SMOKIN ACES" Score: C+

With as many 'name' actors that are studded in the roles of this film I expected more. I think after viewing it that it has been modeled after Guy Richie films. Same tone, same multiple character driven style, same on screen titles of characters as they are being talked about and introduced in a flashback. Also the multiple capers of a "Lock Stock" type storyline. Most of the actors do a nice job in what they have to do. They story is fairly well paced and there is plenty of action to be had by the climax of the film. Quirky characters abound as well. There are some scenes where you think its going to lead up to payoff later that are gunned down in their tracks and never materialize. (One would be Ben Affleck's bounty hunter crews plans) Lots of bodies drop by the end reel. Andy Garcia stands out (and not in a good way) with a bit of over acting using an odd accent he pulls out at the end (sounding like a 1940's commissioner doesn't work for him). The movie's title makes little sense in the context of the film, I think they just wanted something that sounded cool and hip. Some parts of the film could have been cleaned up a bit. What I think was trying to be the next "Pulp Fiction" or "Snatch" is not even close. Sorry no Ace's up this sleeve.

Review: "HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE" Score: C

So this one was clearly not what I thought it was going in. I thought it was going to be a comedy based on the tabloid reporting industry and instead I got a bit of a sappy romantic comedy. Simon Pegg is usually quite good in most of what he is in, this seemed to be a bit phoned in and the physical comedy was a bit forced. Kirsten Dunst is cute enough for a female romantic lead yet again seemed a bit phoned in. For those layman out there who don't know what I mean when I use 'phoned in', its like this the actor books a role in a film then shows up on set, asks what scene they are shooting, says their respective lines and goes home. This is opposed to actors like Johnny Depp, James Brolin, Daniel Day-Lewis or Meryll Streep who spend time developing their characters, honing them, making choices and creating a piece of acting far in advance of film being rolled. This movie seems to me like a formula movie; boy meets girl, girl hates boy, boy goes after another girl, boy and girl end up together in the end. I don't remember laughing at much of what happens in this film. Romantic comedies tend to be like this though, the humor is situational and rarely funny. I can't recommend running out to catch this film as its mostly forgettable after its over. The only outstanding thing is the beautiful Megan Fox who here basically is playing herself; a new young starlet rising to fame simply on beauty and the publicity machine that is Hollywood. Jeff Bridges and Gillian Anderson fill out some supporting roles and do a decent job with the flat characters they have been written.

Review: "THE FOOT FIST WAY" Score: B-

An independent film that put Danny McBride on the map. And led to his roles in "Tropic Thunder" and "Pineapple Express". Apparently the story goes that this film was passed around among some of the Hollywood elite as an underground comedy. Basically it is a showcase for McBride, who wrote and starred in it. Its a bit of "Napoleon Dynamite" as a strip mall TaeKwon Do instructor. Now as a long time TaeKwon Do practitioner, black belt and former instructor/competitor I can really appreciate the details in the instruction, the commands, the class structures, demos, and other technical items. On the other hand the poor martial arts skills of everyone in the film just made me cringe. Now of course this is part of the charm of the film is that there are thousands of practitioners all over the U.S. that are just like the ones in this film no matter what their belt rank. What I think is most conveyed here is McBride's clueless, over confident, straight talking delusional instructor. He lays a foundation for what he can offer as a character actor and much of that is carried over in his later roles in "Tropic" and "Express". The movie is actually a success story for him as much as it is the characters. Funny pieces at the party, back yard fight and ultimate showdown are the best parts. Much of it is predictable and some is almost mirroring Steve Carrell's role as the awkward clueless boss in TV's "The Office". It offers a reason to check out, yet be forewarned this is an independent film, low budget, poor supporting acting and filmed more like an episode of "Reno 911" or "The Office".

Review: "BURN AFTER READING" Score: B-

Joel and Ethan Cohen are directors that don't care much about critiques or awards, despite last year's win with "No County for Old Men". In this their follow-up film "Burn.." has more of the the feel of a quirky "Fargo" than anything else. This bizarre tale is a bit all over the place and is a star studded one at that. Mostly it is an opportunity for leading actors to stretch their comic muscles and to create some off the wall characters. McDormand does a nice job as the clueless lead seeking here elective surgeries at any cost. Pitt and Clooney both mug here a bit in their respective parts as Malkovich and Swinton bring up the rear with their high strung full of bitching-ness couple. The intertwining of characters and the overall story is a bit too convienient for my tastes. A couple laughs here and there and a couple of shocking moments as well (both expected from a Cohen feature of this genre). Don't want to spoil any of it, so if you like what the Cohen brothers do it may be one for your list to check out. Overall a decent film, but nothing for me to push up its score.