The Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien NBC Late NIGHT Debacle

Conan's last show of his TONIGHT SHOW was Jan 22 2010. After just 7 months in the seat he was going to be forced to move to 1205am to make room for Leno before him or leave. He chose to leave..on principle that it would destroy the actual TONIGHT SHOW and that NBC had screwed him and its viewers around enough. Not to mention he got a heafty payday of $34million on his exit and Conan O'Brien will be allowed to join another network September 1 2010. So how in the Hell did all this happen? Well cut to 5 years and 7 months back.... NBC who was doing OK at the time, wanted to keep Conan O'Brien as a talent for the network so they said hey in five years you are going to get to succeed Leno and take over the hosting duties of the TONIGHT SHOW, and to Leno they said hey you've been number one, and you've had a good run so in five years you are going to retire from the show and pass the torch like Carson did with you. And it seemed for five years that was the agreement. Conan took over the seat and time came for Leno to leave and he and NBC said NO GO.... "Waaaa I want to say here" and 'Waaaa we don't want to risk you going somewhere else".... so some idiots came up with really crappy network killing idea. "Jay you will get to do you exact same show at 10 every night and we will just cancel all of our one hour dramas and put thousands of people out of work so you can stay". When this crap fest hit the airwaves the ratings were horrible....this bled into almost every NBC Affiliate losing major audiences for their nightly news and then this in turn led to even lower numbers for Conan's TONIGHT SHOW. The affiliates showed that the Leno program destroyed revenues for their news shows because of his bad lead in numbers, some over 60%. NBC paints the picture that Conan's ratings weren't that good and that's why we want to move him....NOT citing the fact that it was due to LENO's crappy lead in numbers and his destruction of any decent lead into anything that followed him. Personally LENO should have done the honorable thing and LEFT when his time at the TONIGHT SHOW was done, not to have taken a dumpy 10pm show that brought a shit storm to NBC's lineup (and cost all those prime time drama workers jobs) and especially he should not have taken back his seat from Conan!!! In fact now except for NBC's block of comedies on Thursday night there is no reason to watch anything on that network. I will be boycotting Jay Leno and anything he does and hope that others do too. Conan will hopefully be back doing what he loves on a new network sometime after September 1st.

DVD Review "CARRIERS" Score C- 72%

If you have ever seen a movie where a virus out break is killing off humanity (and at this point there are at least five of these a year) then this is another one to add to your list. Its OK with its minimal cast and locations. There are a few good moments of tension but for the most part this is just a rewrite of any number of similarly themed movies. As in most of these types of films you will find yourself yelling at the lead characters for their repeated stupid decisions and moves. "Why the "F%^#" would you do that knowing what you know about this killer virus?" or "That" or "THAT?" Almost to the point where you are just like 'OK come on you deserve to die already'! If you are bored and want to bide some time......

DVD Review "STREET KINGS" Score B- 80%

Keanu Reeves is once again trying to step out of his nitch role of the straight up good guy hero and in this plays a bad ass drunken flawed killer rogue cop. With a few twists and turns most of which we can see coming ahead and figure out based on the minimal plotline this isn't a bad cop movie. Although this is no LA CONFIDENTIAL its a modern day version of the corrupt LAPD and what goes on. Of course a lot of this is embellished for movie going jaded audiences. There are some great shoot outs and some good tense moments. In the end there is nothing that surprises you too much. Worth a view if you like cop films.

DVD Review "BEOWULF" Score C 75%

Computer animated movies are getting better and better. However with that said I don't think that we have gotten to a point where real people are just not ready to be portrayed digitally. Creatures, yes, cartoons yes... humans not yet. When I was watching this I kept wanting to reach for a game controller so I could play the game.....except its a movie. The best thing about this though was the amazing naked digital Angelina Jolie... really beautiful and at one point I thought she posed for this footage for real. Nope they created her naked body... but it sure looked real. Overall this isn't a bad movie, and it isn't a great one either. Worth watching only if you are into fantasy action that looks like a computer game.

DVD Review "SLITHER" Score B- 82%

Most straight to DVD films usually have a lot in common... bad acting, cheap effects and a re hashed story. This one only has a re-hashed story Alien meteor infects humans in attempt to take over world creating zombie like monsters.... the cast and acting are well done as are most of the effects. The combination of scary, gross out and some comedy make for a fun horror movie. I liked this in that fact that it doesn't try too hard. It knows what kind of movie it is and doesn't try to push to be taken seriously.

DVD Review "GIVE EM HELL MALONE" Score A- 90%

This is a much hidden gem. For an independent film it has a great cast and is filled with some great character work. In the world of Private Guns for hire Malone is one guy you don't want to mess with... he's hard to kill. I had fun with this one because of the film noir look and feel and the smart dialogue as well as a particularly outstanding firebug gangster who is equally creepy and over the top. Sit back with a bowl of popcorn and enjoy this romp through a noir world. Not quite on par with say PULP FICTION but still a good one none the less.

DVD Review "SHRECK THE THIRD" Score C 75%

About now I am over the Shreck films and character... this one seems reduced to a Saturday morning extended cartoon episode. The one note that Shreck is, is simply extended in this film. There are a few jokes to be found but the originality that was the first one and even to some extent the second one is lost by the time it reached this sequel. But of course these things make money so they keep making them, in fact I think a SHRECK4 is coming out soon, I don't think I will be wasting my time on it. These movies are for families with some inside jokes for the adults and the educated and bright animation characters for the kids

DVD Review "EVOLUTION" Score C+79%

This comedy was better than I gave it credit for when I saw its Trailers. A meteor hits earth, it contains a goo of a lifeform that evolves millions of years faster than earths. The creatures grow out of control and a over eager government wants to burn it up. Only fire makes it grow faster...... oops. Don't worry the scientist team will fix it. Its filled with some good special effects and creatures and being an Ivan Rietman film its got that Ghostbusters feel to it. A cast of decent actors all playing for the laughs mostly. I enjoyed it but there is nothing special about it or outstanding at all. Not much else to say about this one.

DVD Review "PANDORUM" Score C+ 79%

What starts out as Mystery disolves into a hybrid space horror psychotic movie. In the future earth's population is exploding and we find another earth like planet many light years away that we intend to send a ship Noah's Arc proportions of 60000 humans and thousands of other species to inhabitate. A sole man wakes from frozen animated suspension and is confused at where he is who he is and what's going on. A superior officers awakens and they attempt to get the ships power back online before everyone and everything inside dies. However groups of humans have already been awake, and transformed into monsters except for a few others who are fighters. Oh then the captain is crazy with pandorum space crazy sickness. There is in-fighting, running from monsters who will eat ya, or cannibal loners in a closed off section who tell wacky stories drug you, hang you upside down and try to eat ya. In the end SPOILER: we realize the ship already landed on the planet they were headed to and is just under an ocean, but know one knows that until they get the lights on and look out the window. They they simply crack the glass, and the ship shoots the frozen life pods to the surface THE END. The monsters look like they are stolen from the movie THE DESCENT almost exactly the same. The movie is a lot of darkness, and not much action. Could have been much better.

DVD Review "MISS CONGENIALITY" Score B- 81%

I missed this when it came out but decided to give it a shot and watch it. Its much better than I anticipated but then again I didn't have much in the way of expectations. I give Sandra Bullock a lot of credit as one of the top female actresses out there. She is showing her range and her mass appeal here. She is on verge of a modern day Lucille Ball. She is smart down to earth and really can capture an audience.. in fact these days she just won a Golden Globe against Merril Streep and will be up for an Oscar for her current work (BLIND SIDE). In this as a bumbling FBI tom boy agent. She is required to go through a make over to be a contestant in the now terrorist threatened Miss United States contest. In almost sitcom style this one unfolds as a comic crime caper that is ultimately foiled by Bullock's contestant. Its fun and harmless. A laugh here and there and a wonderful pretty Sandra Bullock to watch.

DVD Review "9" Score B 85%

Visually this movie is stunning, it looks like it made with stop motion puppetry but its entirely animated. The story is a bit convoluted with a basic theme that extends the MATRIX concepts. Basically a human scientist created an AI robot, the government used this to make war machines, eventually the machines targeted all humans as a threat. The scientist's last invention is a machine that split his human soul into a set of 9 fabric robot dolls, why that who knows. The last of the dolls #9 awakes to find itself in the room with the now dead scientist, he explores the destroyed world finding the other dolls, which are hunted by the machines to steal their life force or something like that. Its bleak film with a bleak look at a weird futuristic theme. Not for children at all and is more of an animators film maker movie.

DVD Review "THE DESCENT" Score B- 80%

Another addition to the hot chicks can kick some monster ass film genre. This one starts out rather boring, a kind of twenty something SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELLING...WHATEVER... These girls are out for a 'girls weekend' in a camp and plan on going hiking and cave dwelling... They go to what they think is a previously explored cave system and then come to find out that they were mislead by one of them and this is a new cave area unexplored. Finally after what seems to be a darkened eternity they run into problems, get trapped and must escape... now what was a mostly unlit film, becomes filled with more light, only so we can see what is going on... and they run into a pack of cave dwelling, blind bat humanoid creatures who hunt them down to eat them, and suddenly the light that was almost gone now becomes a given in every scene without question as to where its coming from. The typical horror cliches apply as well as some in-fighting between them as they are picked off. Creatures are decently scary and there are some jump moments to be had. Not a bad film to rent. SPOILER: The end almost becomes satisfying until they pull out a Oops that was just a dream ending ha ha.... Should have let her escape and ended it there.

DVD Review "DOOMSDAY" Score B 86%

Taken with a grain of salt this film is a fun ride. Its a mish mash up of a variety of genres. The film starts out as a Zombie/virus infection of half of Scotland (in the future) where its quarantined off from the rest of the world so the infected can just die out. They don't and years later they discover survivors which means a cure as the virus has now restarted outside the quarantined area. So to get the cure they send in their most bad ass Spec. Ops chick with a glass/computer eyeball (she lost her eye as a child in escape from the virus area). So they send her and a team into the area of survivors to get the cure. So then the movie morphs to a soldiers vs. town of zombies movie, into a bizarre Mad Max mash up then into a castle with gladiators where everyone is dressed up in middle ages clothing then back to the Mad Max men with Fast and Furious car chases and a touch of Blade Runner tossed in along all the fighting. The whole thing although in concept seems comical, is played for keeps and straight up and it actually works. Its a fun ride. With the now normal super chick hero who can kick the asses even the biggest baddest men of the world. Enjoy it for what it is a "B" action flick that is a mash up of a bunch of different genres.

DVD Review "CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS" Score B+ 87%

Computer animation these days has made leaps and bounds as far as filmmaking has gone. This non-PIXAR entry into the field of these films should not go unnoticed. I really liked this film despite another absurd premise, a food making machine that can make anything (especially full meals) is launched into the sky by its inventor and the rain of food stuffs saves the dying fishing town... a town that only fished sardines. Everyone of these films seems to have to have a Villain and this one is no exception, except this one is just an over eager Mayor who loves the food rains so much he balloons to a huge man and he ultimately leads to the mutation rain overload the town gets. A virtual tsunami of food threatens the town and then the wave happens as our love struck hero and inventor of the food machine saves the day in the end. Good fun for the whole family and this is a great little animated gem.

DVD Review "FUNNY PEOPLE" Score C+ 78%

I still don't know what to think about this one. The lonely comedy star gets sick and we are supposed to feel what for him?....The assistant role is oddly introduced and then when the ending happens is almost like a big WTF?! Until the very ending with a friendly make up talk. The stand up segments are mostly drab and the comedy only comes in the moments of conflict and doctor visits. I can't give this much of a recommendation as it is a little all over the place. Adam Sandler pretty much plays himself in this one if you like him maybe you'll like this one.

DVD Review "THE SKEPTIC" Score C+ 77%

What started out as a haunted house flick quickly blends into a movie about the fractured memories of a man. Tim Daly stars and there are some moments when you wish he'd work on his acting a bit more (ie. His 'scared' screaming is really bad). Tom Arnold's part is both confusing and odd. The whole story looks like its going to be one about a ghost in the home terrorizing anyone there. Instead it turns into a movie about mommy issues and the Skeptic is quickly turned into a doubter then a believer. Only about one moment of jolt scare to be found in this one. Overall it falls apart and there are moments of fake scares thrown in for no reason.... Tom Arnold convulses, the table shaking with the priest etc... The ending really ruins this one and it tries to be something its not.

DVD Review "MARY AND MAX" Score B+ 88%

This animation is out of the book of Wallace and Gromit-ville (if you haven't seen any of their films check em out). The stop motion claymation of these characters is brilliantly done. And the odd black and white look, but not shot in black and white lends even more charm to this odd tale. The storyline is definitely nothing like you've seen before. I found myself chuckling and smiling throughout this one. Really enjoyable piece of film making. Its more for adults almost more than it is for children. The tale is told mostly from the view of the pen pal letters being read with lots of visuals to be found along the way in the descriptions as the letters are read outloud. Top notch character work combined with this odd yet fun story is spread out over a beautiful back drop of clay figure animation. Check this one out for a good time.

DVD Review "JULIE and JULIA" Score: B+ 89%

A surprisingly delightful film. Pegged and marketed as a "Chick flick" it is nothing of the sort. This is more the struggles of a want to be writer as she Blogs her way through Julia Childs' cookbook and a interesting bio pic of Childs life. Really interesting ways of cutting back and forth from modern day to Childs' life. The food in this one is gloriously shot and if you are not hungry after watching this you may not be human. Streep effortlessly falls into her character and once again proves her talent to us. I didn't think I would care for this one much but I can honestly say that it pleasantly surprised me as a good film. Makes for a great Date film.

DVD Review "EXTRACT" Score: C+ 77%

Where OFFICE SPACE was a funny cult film that is worth more than one view this one is one of the only watch once variety. Jason Bateman is funny as the straight man (like he is in Arrested Development) and there are some funny moment to be found in this but overall the weak story and slow pace tends to cut this down a bit. Ben Affleck does a decent job as the slacker, druggie bar tending friend, as are crazy cast of oddball supporting characters. Mila as the con artist seems to be out of place and extraneous to the film. Its worth a look for a few laughs but not something that you will want to own or watch more again.

DVD Review "BOONDOCK SAINTS" Score: A- 91%

How I ever missed this independent Gem of a film is almost unforgivable except for the fact that have now seen it. Really a great film in both concept and action. On par with Pulp Fiction and True Romance. The concept of these vigilantes on a mission to destroy the evil criminals of the day works great as does their almost random choices of who is next. The gun fights are superior especially on the first meeting with the old man. DeFoe in a creepy role as the cop who hunts them down, solves their actions at the crime scenes and ultimately wants to and does join them in their mission. SPOILERS: DeFoe as a prostitute helping the guys out is priceless and In the end the crazy Italian being the only non survivor means a sequel will most likely be brilliant as well. Billy Connely is in his best role to date here and for a stand up comedian he transitioned into a great actor. Really liked this one. My type of film.

DVD Review " SAW 5" Score C- 70%

This tired series is played out. How many more ways can we come up with to kill people in unescapble 'traps'? And this time Jigsaw is not hiding behind the puppet we get to see him.... and he has an apprentice in a dirty cop who wants in on the games. This movie is just as predictable as you might think and little is left but just filling in some blanks. Really the franchise of these films is done, but they keep at it and keep making money.

DVD Review "PARANORMAL ENTITY" Score D+ 67%

This laughable knock off of Paranormal Activity is a poorly constructed, and poorly acted POV camera shot video. The premise of a haunted house that is resided by a Mother and her two older children Samantha and Thomas. An evil presence is attacking them and the son is documenting it all with video cameras set up around the home. However they stay in the house despite the evil, bangings, footprints, and attacks. The mother is a particularly bad actress. There are one or two moments of banging and attacks that could be a little bit frightening so that's why this can get a plus on its D Score here. Overall.....Skip it. Or better yet grab your video camera and make your own better version... its that amateur.