I am a long time Kevin Smith fan, having discovered Clerks and Mallrats on home video back in the day, and following his films up to Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. But for some reason, I skipped over Jersey Girl. For one, Jersey Girl was the first Kevin Smith film that had nothing to do with the characters Jay and Silent Bob. And being the immature fanboy that I was, I wanted nothing to do with any "serious" Kevin Smith project. Secondly, Jersey Girl happened in the middle of "Bennifer," Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's much publicized romance. It was overkill. "Aw, aren't they the sweetest couple ever? And look! They're doing a movie together! How cute!" It's not their fault, but I was just plain sick of hearing about them at the time. Thirdly, I'm not a Ben Affleck fan. Nothing against the guy; I just don't care for his acting. Maybe I just can't shake the impression of seeing him in Dazed and Confused, but it feels like he hasn't grown out of that character, at least not in the Affleck films I've seen so far, which to be fair doesn't include Good Will Hunting. (I'll get around to it...) I'm also not a Jennifer Lopez fan. Don't care for her music, and at the time she was just over-exposed. Not her fault again, but too much was too much. And lastly, I was under the (wrong) impression that the entire film was centered around their relationship; one of those self-indulgent "Look at us!" romantic comedies. And I wanted nothing to do with that at all.
So I skipped Jersey Girl and waited for the return of Jay and Silent Bob and the Star Wars reference filled yuck yuck movies from Kevin Smith I'd come to know and love. But I've been getting into Kevin's work big time lately by listening to his many podcasts, and immersing myself in his Twitter feed as often as possible. His Q & A dvds have been some of the best things I've rented from Netflix so far this year. He seems very down to earth and likable, and getting his perspective on things has definitely helped to reverse some of the media-fed false impressions placed upon him as of late. All by way of saying, I was in a movie store yesterday, and I decided to finally give Jersey Girl a shot. It was on super clearance, and for $5, I couldn't go wrong. Hell, I caved and bought the Friday the 13th remake for $6 in the same trip, so picking up a Kevin Smith movie, even if I ended up hating it, surely would be less guilty than paying money to own the Friday the 13th remake travesty.
But to my surprise, I ended up really liking Jersey Girl. It had a lot of heart, and not the schmaltzy, gimmicky heart I expected, though it did toe the line at times admittedly. It is, after all, a romantic comedy at it's core, and although there aren't any "Awkwardly getting ready for the big date" montages, or clumsy ice skating scenes, there are a few cliched moments. But they're few and far between, and it was an honest portrayal of a single parent trying to balance life. That's a big credit to Kevin, because this was the first time he really created a piece of fiction. Clerks, Mallrats etc. were steeped in personal experiences. They're fictional and imaginative, of course, but they're the kinds of things friends come up with after a long night of goofing around. I love those films, but they're essentially jokes layered around a flimsy at best and mostly secondary story. Jersey Girl is pure story, with a few jokes thrown in. But it works. Having listened to many hours of podcasts and interviews, Kevin's voice really shines through with the dialogue in Jersey Girl. He's not a single parent in real life, but he is a parent, with a young daughter, and the built-in conflict of his career and his duties of fatherhood; the same essential conflict that Ben Affleck's character faces in Jersey Girl. So Kevin is still writing from experience; it's just a far more grown up experience.
Jersey Girl didn't change my opinion of Ben Affleck. He still doesn't light the torch for me. That's not to say he was bad, but the problems I've always had with his performances are still present. Interestingly enough, he seemed to have far more chemistry with Liv Tyler than with Jennifer Lopez. Liv is a better actress, so that may have something to do with it, but it's kind of interesting given the fact that Ben and Jennifer were actually a couple at the time. But then, I've always liked Liv Tyler's acting, and just as Jersey Girl didn't shake my opinion of Ben Affleck's acting, it hasn't changed my opinion of Liv Tyler's acting either. She breathed life into a somewhat stagnant character. George Carlin was perfectly cast. Who knew he was a good actor, as well as a hysterical comedian? He is missed. Stephen Root will always be Milton in my heart, but he was great as well, especially coupled with Mike Starr. Jason Biggs had a relatively small but fitting role, although the stink of American Pie hadn't quite washed off yet. He's still playing the nice guy who's a little too awkward for his own good, despite his best intentions. Raquel Castro was excellent. I'll have to see if she's done anything since. But she really grasped the material and picked up on her character better than many adult actors do, and certainly better than most child actors.
All in all, I'm glad I picked this one up. I do plan on watching it again, as the dvd extras include two commentary tracks. It's just going to be a little hard getting through the beginning scenes two more times, as they present one of my biggest fears, being a husband who adores his wife, and hopes to possibly have kids some day. I was surprised I liked Jersey Girl, frankly, but I suspect that I had built up too many unfair, and unwarranted prejudices against it from the get go. I think it just came down to fame fatigue, and close-minded fanboy-ism, and perhaps poor marketing. I probably still wouldn't have seen it in the theater, but maybe I would have at least not waited 7 years to catch it on video. And now, I really can't wait to see Red State.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Feet Bowl Competition, You Say? Go Sporting Team!
My appreciation for professional sports has wained as I've gotten older. I have to wonder if it's just a change in priorities, if old age has made me a cynic, if I'm just more aware of the industry behind professional sports, if there's just more exposure of the negative aspects of sports in this electronic age, or if it's just a natural progression in life. My childhood heroes have pretty much all retired, and the new wave of "heroes" just don't do it for me anymore. Tickets are too expensive, fans are too obnoxious, athletes are too full of themselves, and I'd rather do other things than sit mindlessly watching other people accomplish things that ultimately have little real meaning, and earning more money that I can comprehend for doing so. And yet, when it comes to the Super Bowl, I seem to have a Pavlovian response. I feel drawn to watch it every year, for reasons I can't figure out.
I haven't had a real vested interest in the outcome of the game since 1994, when the Buffalo Bills were in the Super Bowl. I'm obligated to be a Bills fan, since so many people in my family are Bills fans. Growing up in Syracuse, New York, it only made sense to be a Bills fan, especially in the 90's when they made the Super Bowl four years in a row. And then, they lost... all 4 of their Super Bowl appearances... One of them, by 1 point... (Scott F'n Norwood...) And suddenly, it was very difficult to be a Bills fan, and they haven't been back since.
And yet, I still watched the Super Bowl every year from then on, and I still do to this day. It's the bell, and I am the trained dog. I resigned myself to the aged old excuse of "I watch it for the commercials, mostly." But that holds as much water as "I read Playboy for the articles." One can't pick up a Playboy issue without realizing that it contains photos of naked women. Likewise, one can't turn on the Super Bowl without realizing that there's football happening.
Though to be fair, a 30 second commercial during the Super Bowl commands a $3 million plus pricetag, meaning generally companies willing to invest that much money take special care to craft something interesting, or at least memorable. It really is consumerism at its best. They have 30 seconds to play with; what can they do that will get people to come to their website, or buy their product, or at the very least remember their name? If they make an impact, their commercial will be viewed, and re-viewed days after the original airing. People will gather at the water coolers, or in modern times the electronic water cooler known as the internet, to discuss their favorite commercials. Prudish viewers will protest the content of the more risque commercials, forcing us to once again evaluate where we stand as human beings. And a few people might actually buy something.
The day after the Super Bowl is also an interesting study in sociology and marketing. We use it to discuss what happened. The sports buffs will discuss the game; what plays were good, which ones were bad, how was the refereeing, how did Player X play, what should Coach Y have done differently, etc. Entertainment buffs will discuss the National Anthem performance and the half time show performance. John and Jane Q Public will discuss the cute commercial with the kid in the Darth Vader costume. Bottom line, people will talk about it. And that's exactly what I'm doing, albeit in a far more drawn out manner than most.
The Game I have to say, it was pretty entertaining to watch. I wasn't drawn to either team in particular, so in that respect it was hard to care too much. I'm also not a betting man, so with no money on the line I had nothing at stake. So, it came down to cheering for a team that has won 6 Super Bowls in their history, or cheering for a team that has won 4. Do I support a quarterback that has won a Super Bowl, or one that hasn't? Do I follow the guy that has the same first name as me, or the other guy? The alleged rapist, or the rape-free guy? I like cows, cows make cheese, cheese comes from Wisconsin, Green Bay is in Wisconsin, and their fans wear silly hats with pride. So I cheered for Green Bay. Also, they don't have any rape allegations. Anyway, it was a close game, which is always more fun to watch. Unless it's your team doing the beating, a one sided game gets boring quickly. And even if it's your team winning, it loses its appeal after awhile, with the outcome set in stone so quickly on in the game.
National Anthem Performance It was a hot button issue this year, with Christina Aguilera flubbing a line. That seems to be happening quite a lot lately, and it's a real shame. I can understand being nervous, intimidated, etc. That's forgivable when it's someone not accustomed to performing in front of huge crowds of people. Christina Aguilera, however, has won a Grammy. Several, in fact. She sells out huge stadiums and theaters. And... It's the Super Bowl. Wouldn't you practice until you're reciting it in your sleep? Also, it's the NATIONAL ANTHEM! School children have to memorize it; why can't a critically acclaimed pop superstar memorize it? It's an honest mistake, and I know she's taken a lot of crap for it already, and I'm sure she feels horrible for doing it, but it's a sad reflection of just how little people care about such things these days. A reported 61% of Americans don't know the words to the National Anthem. That's really sad, to me. It's a celebration of our ability to overcome adversity; to the struggles we endured to earn our independence. It's not just a song. Forgetting the words to Genie In A Bottle is fine. Forgetting the words to the National Anthem is hard to forgive. Especially when this particular Super Bowl honored the first recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam war.
Half Time Show Wow... Painfully bad. To be fair, it began with technical difficulties when Fergie's microphone either wasn't turned on, or wasn't picking up for a few seconds. That'll throw anyone off, and it shouldn't happen at the Super Bowl. It should be nearly flawless from a technical standpoint. Even so, the songs were really, really bad. I'm not a Black Eyed Peas fan. Full disclosure. Auto-tune sounds like squealing pigs to me, and it has absolutely no place in live performances. I want to hear you sing, not a computer. But I'll give them credit for trying to appeal to a wide audience by including guest spots by Slash and Usher, representing rock and pop. But Slash couldn't have been more disinterested if he were actually asleep, and it was so painful to watch at that point, I completely missed Usher's appearance. The show was at least visually interesting, although the Tron theme was tiresome. We've seen enough glowing bodies at this point. Let's get a little more creative. And even then, the stage prop wasn't working correctly as the "V" in Love didn't light up properly. Again, there really shouldn't be technical difficulties like that at the Super Bowl. With the amount of money and time that goes into the show, everything should have been checked 100 times, and verified 110 times. The again, I can't really think of a Super Bowl half time show that left me feeling completely satisfied. I was excited to see The Who last year, until I realized that they were going through the motions, and perhaps even playing to a taped performance. Michael Jackson was fantastic in 1993. I was excited to see Aerosmith in 2001, until they proceeded to play their worst songs... with Brittney Spears, Nelly, Mary J Blige and 'N Sync in tow, for no apparent reason. U2 was the next year, which was fine. I'm not a U2 fan. No Doubt, Shania Twain and Sting the next year. And then, nipple gate. Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction, when Janet's pastied nipple was visible for 1 1000th of a second. And the nation wept.
Paul McCartney played the next year as an attempt to return to a safe performer. Rolling Stones after that proving that they really should hang it up already. And then... Prince? You go from harmless and safe Paul McCartney and now sexless Rolling Stones, to a man who has built his career on being sexually ambiguous and explicit? Tom Petty was great, Bruce Springsteen was good, bringing us back to The Who. Can we please do a little better next year? How about Metallica? Maybe Joan Jett? George Clinton? Blue Man Group? Lynyrd Skynyrd? Fleetwood Mac?
Commercials They were pretty unimpressive this year. Although oddly enough, I feel like some of them were far more objectionable and questionable than the eyebrow raisers of the past. Either last year or the year before, Snickers had a commercial involving two men eating a Snickers bar, resulting in an accidental kiss. It resulted in a huge brew-ha-ha. This year, Doritoes had a commercial where a man sucks the fingers of another man to extract the cheesy residue. Then the same man removes and licks the pants of another man after rubbing cheesy residue on them. To me, that far more "shocking" than two men kissing. But so far, nobody has raised an eyebrow over the licking. This year also featured a commercial in which a rubber baby is catapulted against a plate glass window. I don't remember what the product or company was, so fail in that respect. Also, what's the point? Doritoes also had a commercial in which a pug runs toward a glass door. We're lead to believe that he's going to crash into it as a cruel joke. Instead, the pug dropkicks the door knocking his owner over. It didn't bother me much really, but I'll bet it raised the self-righteous hairs of PETA.
As for good commercials, I really dug the Eminem commercial celebrating Detroit's auto making history. Nationalistic pride? Perhaps. And Eminem has nothing to do with cars, but he's made Detroit proud at least. I don't know why it captured my imagination the way it did, but I dug it. The one everyone's taking about, Volkeswagon's Darth Vader commercial, was very cute. My favorite was another car commercial that made fun of the panic that winter weather brings with it. This one was my favorite because that's exactly how Richmond responds to the mere mention of snow.
This year proved to be an interesting experience for me, as it's the first time I browsed Facebook and Twitter while watching the game. It was kind of fun to read, write, and respond to things that my friends were putting up on their statuses. I haven't gone to a legitimate Super Bowl party in a few years now, and my wife isn't all that interested in sports, so it was fun watching it and having a chance to comment on the game as it was happening. The only way it could have been more fun is if I cared about the teams. There's always next year.
I haven't had a real vested interest in the outcome of the game since 1994, when the Buffalo Bills were in the Super Bowl. I'm obligated to be a Bills fan, since so many people in my family are Bills fans. Growing up in Syracuse, New York, it only made sense to be a Bills fan, especially in the 90's when they made the Super Bowl four years in a row. And then, they lost... all 4 of their Super Bowl appearances... One of them, by 1 point... (Scott F'n Norwood...) And suddenly, it was very difficult to be a Bills fan, and they haven't been back since.
And yet, I still watched the Super Bowl every year from then on, and I still do to this day. It's the bell, and I am the trained dog. I resigned myself to the aged old excuse of "I watch it for the commercials, mostly." But that holds as much water as "I read Playboy for the articles." One can't pick up a Playboy issue without realizing that it contains photos of naked women. Likewise, one can't turn on the Super Bowl without realizing that there's football happening.
Though to be fair, a 30 second commercial during the Super Bowl commands a $3 million plus pricetag, meaning generally companies willing to invest that much money take special care to craft something interesting, or at least memorable. It really is consumerism at its best. They have 30 seconds to play with; what can they do that will get people to come to their website, or buy their product, or at the very least remember their name? If they make an impact, their commercial will be viewed, and re-viewed days after the original airing. People will gather at the water coolers, or in modern times the electronic water cooler known as the internet, to discuss their favorite commercials. Prudish viewers will protest the content of the more risque commercials, forcing us to once again evaluate where we stand as human beings. And a few people might actually buy something.
The day after the Super Bowl is also an interesting study in sociology and marketing. We use it to discuss what happened. The sports buffs will discuss the game; what plays were good, which ones were bad, how was the refereeing, how did Player X play, what should Coach Y have done differently, etc. Entertainment buffs will discuss the National Anthem performance and the half time show performance. John and Jane Q Public will discuss the cute commercial with the kid in the Darth Vader costume. Bottom line, people will talk about it. And that's exactly what I'm doing, albeit in a far more drawn out manner than most.
The Game I have to say, it was pretty entertaining to watch. I wasn't drawn to either team in particular, so in that respect it was hard to care too much. I'm also not a betting man, so with no money on the line I had nothing at stake. So, it came down to cheering for a team that has won 6 Super Bowls in their history, or cheering for a team that has won 4. Do I support a quarterback that has won a Super Bowl, or one that hasn't? Do I follow the guy that has the same first name as me, or the other guy? The alleged rapist, or the rape-free guy? I like cows, cows make cheese, cheese comes from Wisconsin, Green Bay is in Wisconsin, and their fans wear silly hats with pride. So I cheered for Green Bay. Also, they don't have any rape allegations. Anyway, it was a close game, which is always more fun to watch. Unless it's your team doing the beating, a one sided game gets boring quickly. And even if it's your team winning, it loses its appeal after awhile, with the outcome set in stone so quickly on in the game.
National Anthem Performance It was a hot button issue this year, with Christina Aguilera flubbing a line. That seems to be happening quite a lot lately, and it's a real shame. I can understand being nervous, intimidated, etc. That's forgivable when it's someone not accustomed to performing in front of huge crowds of people. Christina Aguilera, however, has won a Grammy. Several, in fact. She sells out huge stadiums and theaters. And... It's the Super Bowl. Wouldn't you practice until you're reciting it in your sleep? Also, it's the NATIONAL ANTHEM! School children have to memorize it; why can't a critically acclaimed pop superstar memorize it? It's an honest mistake, and I know she's taken a lot of crap for it already, and I'm sure she feels horrible for doing it, but it's a sad reflection of just how little people care about such things these days. A reported 61% of Americans don't know the words to the National Anthem. That's really sad, to me. It's a celebration of our ability to overcome adversity; to the struggles we endured to earn our independence. It's not just a song. Forgetting the words to Genie In A Bottle is fine. Forgetting the words to the National Anthem is hard to forgive. Especially when this particular Super Bowl honored the first recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam war.
Half Time Show Wow... Painfully bad. To be fair, it began with technical difficulties when Fergie's microphone either wasn't turned on, or wasn't picking up for a few seconds. That'll throw anyone off, and it shouldn't happen at the Super Bowl. It should be nearly flawless from a technical standpoint. Even so, the songs were really, really bad. I'm not a Black Eyed Peas fan. Full disclosure. Auto-tune sounds like squealing pigs to me, and it has absolutely no place in live performances. I want to hear you sing, not a computer. But I'll give them credit for trying to appeal to a wide audience by including guest spots by Slash and Usher, representing rock and pop. But Slash couldn't have been more disinterested if he were actually asleep, and it was so painful to watch at that point, I completely missed Usher's appearance. The show was at least visually interesting, although the Tron theme was tiresome. We've seen enough glowing bodies at this point. Let's get a little more creative. And even then, the stage prop wasn't working correctly as the "V" in Love didn't light up properly. Again, there really shouldn't be technical difficulties like that at the Super Bowl. With the amount of money and time that goes into the show, everything should have been checked 100 times, and verified 110 times. The again, I can't really think of a Super Bowl half time show that left me feeling completely satisfied. I was excited to see The Who last year, until I realized that they were going through the motions, and perhaps even playing to a taped performance. Michael Jackson was fantastic in 1993. I was excited to see Aerosmith in 2001, until they proceeded to play their worst songs... with Brittney Spears, Nelly, Mary J Blige and 'N Sync in tow, for no apparent reason. U2 was the next year, which was fine. I'm not a U2 fan. No Doubt, Shania Twain and Sting the next year. And then, nipple gate. Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction, when Janet's pastied nipple was visible for 1 1000th of a second. And the nation wept.
Paul McCartney played the next year as an attempt to return to a safe performer. Rolling Stones after that proving that they really should hang it up already. And then... Prince? You go from harmless and safe Paul McCartney and now sexless Rolling Stones, to a man who has built his career on being sexually ambiguous and explicit? Tom Petty was great, Bruce Springsteen was good, bringing us back to The Who. Can we please do a little better next year? How about Metallica? Maybe Joan Jett? George Clinton? Blue Man Group? Lynyrd Skynyrd? Fleetwood Mac?
Commercials They were pretty unimpressive this year. Although oddly enough, I feel like some of them were far more objectionable and questionable than the eyebrow raisers of the past. Either last year or the year before, Snickers had a commercial involving two men eating a Snickers bar, resulting in an accidental kiss. It resulted in a huge brew-ha-ha. This year, Doritoes had a commercial where a man sucks the fingers of another man to extract the cheesy residue. Then the same man removes and licks the pants of another man after rubbing cheesy residue on them. To me, that far more "shocking" than two men kissing. But so far, nobody has raised an eyebrow over the licking. This year also featured a commercial in which a rubber baby is catapulted against a plate glass window. I don't remember what the product or company was, so fail in that respect. Also, what's the point? Doritoes also had a commercial in which a pug runs toward a glass door. We're lead to believe that he's going to crash into it as a cruel joke. Instead, the pug dropkicks the door knocking his owner over. It didn't bother me much really, but I'll bet it raised the self-righteous hairs of PETA.
As for good commercials, I really dug the Eminem commercial celebrating Detroit's auto making history. Nationalistic pride? Perhaps. And Eminem has nothing to do with cars, but he's made Detroit proud at least. I don't know why it captured my imagination the way it did, but I dug it. The one everyone's taking about, Volkeswagon's Darth Vader commercial, was very cute. My favorite was another car commercial that made fun of the panic that winter weather brings with it. This one was my favorite because that's exactly how Richmond responds to the mere mention of snow.
This year proved to be an interesting experience for me, as it's the first time I browsed Facebook and Twitter while watching the game. It was kind of fun to read, write, and respond to things that my friends were putting up on their statuses. I haven't gone to a legitimate Super Bowl party in a few years now, and my wife isn't all that interested in sports, so it was fun watching it and having a chance to comment on the game as it was happening. The only way it could have been more fun is if I cared about the teams. There's always next year.
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