JOHN ADAMS - This is a 9-part series from HBO Films that originally aired in 2008. The series is based on the book by David McCullough...and it's basically a retelling of the founding of the United States told through the eyes of John Adams. The show is phenomenal. I've always found the American Revolution fascinating, and I would say this miniseries is probably the best show/movie I've ever seen about that time in our nation's history. Paul Giamatti plays Adams, one of the architects of the revolution, our nation's first Vice President, and then later our second President. Giamatti won an Emmy for "Best Actor" for his role as Adams, and deservingly so. His performance is as good as it gets. The story begins with Adams involved in the Boston Massacre trial, and touches on his relationship with George Washington, the revolution, the declaration of independence, his presidency, and eventually his death at the age of 90 (coincidentally on July 4th, fifty years after the declaration of independence.) This is great TV! I highly recommend it to anyone. You will not be disappointed.
THE SHIELD: SEASON 2 - Jenny and I are slowly getting into this show. THE SHIELD takes place in L.A., and is about good cops who act bad, and bad cops who act good (and a few bad cops who are just plain bad.) The writing and style of the show is abrasive and raw, but it works perfectly in the theme of a cop show. We've seen gritty cop shows before, but what makes this one unique is the characters and their side stories and backgrounds. In season 2 we start to see a nice balance of "cops doing cop things," as well as "cops having problems at home." Great show!
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM: SEASONS 4 and 5 - Jenny and I love this show. If you don't know anything about it, the show follows Larry David, the creator behind SEINFELD. The show uses the same Seinfeld comedic formula and will feel very familiar to any longtime Seinfeld fan. However, this show is made for HBO, and the language and themes are a lot more adult and graphic. But having said all that I would still recommend this show to anyone who loves Seinfeld. It's one of the few "comedies" that actually make me laugh out loud, and the characters are just as memorable as Seinfeld. This is another one I highly recommend.
THE BOX - I rented this one simply because of the director...Richard Kelly. Kelly's previous work includes DONNIE DARKO, a "sci-fi/time traveling/other dimension" kind of film that I both love and hate. So I felt compelled to check this film out. In THE BOX, Cameron Diaz and her husband are visited by a mysterious stranger, played by the great Frank Langella. Langella brings with him...well...a box. The box has a button on it, and if the couple presses it they will receive a million dollars - but someone will also die somewhere in the world. Ah...there's the twist. Unlike DONNIE DARKO, this is one of those films where you can see where it's headed after the first 5 minutes (that or maybe I've just seen too many movies.) Anyway, I was very disappointed in this one. Too formulaic and dull...which is surprising for a Richard Kelly film.
PERCY JACKSON: THE LIGHTNING THIEF - This is a movie based on the popular children's books about a boy who discovers he's a son of Zeus. I frankly don't know why I rented this one. Maybe I was thinking it would be Harry Potter'ish (which is probably what the producers were hoping for.) The effects are okay, and it tries its best to be Harry Potter-like...but it's just not. Anyway, I have heard great things about the books, so I think the kids and I will check them out sometime when they get a little older.
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE - This is a pretty funny comedy about a group of longtime friends who discover...well...a hot tub time machine. They travel back to their college days in the 80's and try to conquer old mistakes that have haunted them into adulthood. The plot isn't deep...and unfortunately the jokes aren't either. I did laugh I admit...but not as much as i expected to. A lot of the best jokes are in the trailer I'm afraid. When I compare this one to THE HANGOVER, HANGOVER is much better. This one was good for a rental, but HANGOVER is the better choice if you have to choose.
CENTURION - This is a new release that I happened to catch the premiere of on HDNET. It's the story of a Roman legion stranded in the highlands of Scotland in 117 A.D. What first intrigued me about the film was that it stars Dominic West, the great actor from the acclaimed WIRE series on HBO. For what it is I can't say this movie is bad, but it lacks character. I just had a hard time getting into it. I guess looking back on it I wonder why I even watched this thing. But like I said, it was a special premiere on cable. So at least I didn't waste my money.
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