Friday, May 28, 2010

Sex and the City 2
Guest Reviewer


I know from movies I have seen you might guess that I have no standards. When it comes to current movie series, there are only two that I am staying away from. The first is Twilight and the second is Sex and the City. In both cases, there is nothing there for me, although Twilight you would think was close, since its about vampires and werewolves.

So, to keep my sanity, I give you an email from a friend regarding her sneak preview of SatC2. This is coming from a woman who has the whole series on DVD and loves the show. Please to enjoy.


The characters have turned into totally parodies of themselves, but mainly it was just cheesy, weak dialogue with some gorgeous settings (and crazy, over-the-top fugly wardrobes) to distract you from the fact that there wasn't a plot. I still contend that Carrie Bradshaw is the reason half of the women in this country are crazy. They're all looking for their "Mr. Big", but what is Big, really. He's a douche who couldn't commit in the show, told her he'd never marry again (and then married a 20-year-old), cheated on said wife with Carrie while Carrie was engaged, and then in the first movie when he FINALLY decided to marry her...he LEFT HER AT THE ALTAR! And the first movie ends with her marrying him anyway in a city hall ceremony.

In the second movie, Big tells Carrie that he wants a "break" from their marriage two days a week, where they live apart. Come on, if any of my friends dated this loser for more than two seconds, I'd tell her to kick him to the curb for good. In the era of Tiger Woods and Jesse James, women should know better than to idolize Carrie Bradshaw. I know all of this sounds like way too serious a reaction to a movie, but women do try to live the Carrie lifestyle. And it's all style and no substance.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Prince of Persia



In 1995, I got a Mac computer. And when I say "I" that means my folks got one for our house to be used by four kids and one father. We got a disc of demo games with the computer. One of the demos was two levels of Prince of Persia. It was a fun game. You could use the arrows to get a guy to walk up to a wall and jump straight up in the air (pictured above). It was just fun enough to play two levels. I guess they made a new version of the game a couple years ago for Playstation, but I know nothing about it. Now they use sands of time. 


The movie title is based on one of the games. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. I understand not wanting to call your sequels "Part 2". But why on Earth would you have a colon hyphen for your first movie. People like to shorten titles, not lengthen them. Dreamworks advertised "How to Train Your Dragon" as "Dragons". If I said "did you watch Arrested last night?" you know that I was talking about Arrested Development. You'd also wonder why I was talking to someone about a show that was cancelled four years ago.


So, how is the movie? Well, its made by Disney, who has successfully marketed three Pirate movies that were each over 2 and a half hours long. They made Nicolas Cage run around looking for secret books that Presidents hide. Its along those lines. This time they have Jake Gyllenhaal pretend he is middle eastern decent (a plot device keeps us from complaining by having him be adopted). It has Gemma Atherton, who I forgot was a red head in the last James Bond movie. Alfred Molina shows up for comedic effect sans the funny parts. 


This one will be easily forgotten. But it had some parkor, which I guess is still popular. There are a lot of sets that look like sets. There are a lot of the close shots and quick cuts that make me feel like no one can frame an action shot anymore. No one can choreograph fight scenes.  Some day in ten years there will be people flipping by TBS asking "what is this again?" And the reply will be "the one where Donnie Darko looks like a video game fighting snakes".  


Did you enjoy it?
Eh. Sort of.

Would you see it in theaters again?

No

Would you buy it?

No

Would you rent it?

No

Would you watch it if you saw it was on TV?

No

Wednesday, May 26, 2010


Motion City Soundtrack covers Pavement

Back in the early 1890's a group of single cell organisms climbed out of the primordial ooze to create an influencial band. Do you get the joke? I'm old. Anyways, The Onion AV Club has been putting on a great cover series. Well now they've got one of my favorite songs being covered. And they do a good job. And I have to get hip replacement surgery soon. Hopefully in time to see Pavement reunion at Pitchfork this summer.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Dear Netflicks


Sometimes, things are self explanatory.

Monday, May 24, 2010

MacGruber Blew Up


MacGruber skits are about 60 seconds long. Is that better or worse to develop a movie? On the one hand you don't have a lot of back story to shoehorn into the plot. As long as you have something that is going to blow up at some point, you're golden. On the other hand, is there really enough recognition and love for the character to get you to pay $11 to see it?

The movie itself is tackling the same issue. Is it a comedy action movie or action comedy? The first scene of the movie makes it seem more action oriented but then falls into it's comedy stride. Casting Val Kilmer as the bad guy was a brilliant move. There is a running joke with MacGruber's hot rod (do you see what I did there?). That was the joke that had me laughing the hardest.

For a comedy it is pretty funny. It's probably not going to be the funniest movie this summer, but its not bad. With my company included, I was probably laughing the second most. One laughed more and one laughed less. I thought it was just right.

Did you enjoy it?
Yes.

Would you see it in theaters again?
No.

Would you buy it?
Maybe.

Would you rent it?
Yes.

Would you watch it if you saw it was on TV?
Yes.

Friday, May 21, 2010

The New Site





A new change to the blog, we've got our own web address now. No more advertising for blogpost. You can now enjoy all the things you've always loved about krull nugget without the hassle of work blocking the site because it had the word "blog" in the title.




Welcome to www.KrullNugget.com !







*Now, go enjoy your weekend.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Chop It Up!

New shirts for this summer's softball team. One was designed by me. One was designed by my arch nemesis. One is a dummy shirt. The people demand a public option, so place your vote today!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Splice (with Q&A by the Director)

I have been curious about this movie for a while. It was made independently a couple years ago. It has been slowly making its way around the festival circuit. Then Joel Silver decided he liked it. Now the movie is a synergistic partner with NHL Stanley Cup Finals. Amazing.

This is a cautionary tale of genetic engineering. And it goes places I didn't expect. I should have been prepared since Guillermo Del Toro came on board as an Executive Producer. He has a certain affection for his creatures. And this movie is no different.

Originally, I felt the movie gave away too much plot. Having seen it, I can safely say that is not the case. The whole time I am sitting in the theater with sweaty palms. When you have a genetically engineered animal, you're never sure if "Dren" is going to act humanely, or like a wild animal. I can safely tell you there are no cheap scares here. Every scary moment is earned.

One problem I have has nothing to do with the movie. It has to do with the director Vincenzo Natali talking behind me during the end of the movie. He was at the screening for a post movie Q&A. I guess some reps came in with him and kept asking him questions. I actually had to give the guy who made the movie a glare to shut up. That's something I haven't done before.

There are a couple of scenes that I thought were meant for open interpretation. But during the Q&A Vince explained what he was going for in the scene that kind of took all the mystery out of it. And the thing is, what he put on the screen didn't really match up with what he said after.

It's pretty good through and through. I do have a few qualms with the end of the movie that don't really ruin my enjoyment, but definitely take it from a "must see" to a "pretty good". Part of the plot was also in Jurassic Park (book more than movie) and doesn't make as much sense in this context. But we're talking about a movie where a person is made with a combo of other animals in a lab, so I guess I shouldn't peel the onion too much.

Did you enjoy it?
Yes. You should go see it if you like scary movies.

Would you see it in theaters again?
Possibly. It does lend itself to repeat viewings.

Would you buy it?
No.

Would you rent it?
Yes.

Would you watch it if you saw it was on TV?
Yes.

Monday, May 17, 2010

How to Train Your Dragon 3D

Dreamwork's Dragon (as it was called in all the commericals) is the movie that got me to the fork in the road. Yes, I saw it about a month after it came out. Yes, I did use a free pass to get in. But my Plus 1 did not have a plus one. Can you guess the amount of U.S. Currency used for her ticket? $16.50. What? I've watched movie prices almost triple in cost from when I was in college. That's absurd.

Disregarding the outrageous cost to see a movie in 3D for the general public, how was it? Well it isn't worth $16, but it is worth more than free. Maybe $8. Split the difference. Sure.

Our hero is a Viking (Purple Pride) that lives on an isolated island where they are under constant attack of dragons. There are layers of acceptance by parents to be who you are; war; friendship etc peppered in the movie.

It does look cool in 3D. But unless I get free passes, my 3D gimmick days are over. I even brought my old 3D glasses, so you can't say I should pay $5 for those!

Did you enjoy it?
Sure.

Would you see it in theaters again?
Noooooooooooooooooo.

Would you buy it?
Naaaaaahooooooooooooooooooooo.

Would you rent it?
Meh. Nope.

Would you watch it if you saw it was on TV?
If it was this vs usual daytime television, possibly.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

New Nuggets

Well, work decided anything with the word blog in it was now officially blocked. Arrangements are being made to take care of that issue. Then we'll be back on track.

Until then, go see Robin  Hood on Friday. Let me know how it was, because I'm not feeling it.

And in case you didn't notice, I'm now putting up the links for free screenings around the Chicago area. I will update it as I notice them.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

I see into the Future and it is SCARY

In line for a free movie last night I saw a great many things.

  • A man who had to be close to  homeless. Either that or he has a job that requires he carries five grocery bags everywhere he goes. 
  • There was a family of seven trying to get in with only two passes copied three times.
  • But most importantly, I saw the same group of elderly people who are at almost every screening. 
It really made me take a look at myself. If I'm still doing this in 30 years, please please please print off this post (or show me a holo-fax screen projector implant, whatever there is in the future) and slap some sense into me.

Iron Man 2


Iron Man is back. What does that mean? It means at least two more villians. More action. New suits. More hotties. Marvel in-jokes. Post credit connections to other movies. And Samuel L. Jackson.

Starting six months after the first movie, we find Tony Stark just as much a cocky hero as we left him. This movie is like stretching and stuffing the first one. We get a lot of the same, only amped up. It has a sluggish second act, just like the first one. I liked the first one. It took a less known comic (at least to me) and put on a great show. This one does more of that.

Two things they did right in this one: Scar Jo's boobs. Just kidding. They added Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Reynolds. The acting here is top notch across the board. It does add weight to the movie.

There is little plot involved. Worse than that Iron Man doesn't really do anything. Everyone around him helps him out. At one point he says "That was easy". I agree. His limo driver helps him. His secretary, his legal aid, his army buddy, his nemesis. His S.H.I.E.L.D. pals. Even his dead dad joins in. Tony Stark also tells us that Iron Man doesn't have a sidekick. I'd say he has twelve.

I think the best way to see this would be the way AMC is trying to drum up midnight business. They're showing the first one at 9pm on Thursday and then you see the new one at midnight right afterwards. If you liked the first one, you'll like this one. And of course don't forget to stay through the credits to see the Marvel teaser of their next property.

Did you enjoy it?
Yes.

Would you see it in theaters again?
If I'm going to pay, I will pralle go see it in IMAX next time.

Would you buy it?
Yes.

Would you rent it?
Yes.

Would you watch it if you saw it was on TV?
Yes.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Will, how's yo' summa?

You have three days to get your summer schedule planned. This summer doesn't look super promising, but hopefully there will be some good stuff there. I'm really surprised because since I was a little kid movie studios usually brought their big guns out for Independence Weekend. This year we get a movie version of a cartoon by the guy who made one of the worst movies about nature killing people (The Happening). In fact, I think August is going to be the best summer month this year. Here's a calendar to help get prepared.

May 07: Iron Man 2
May 14: Robin Hood
May 21: Macgruber
May 28: Prince of Persia
June 04: Get Him to the Greek / Splice
June 11: The A-Team
June 18: Toy Story 3
June 25: Knight and Day
July 02: Nothing (The Last Airbender?)
July 09: Predators
July 16: Inception
July 23: Dinner for Schmucks (or Salt)
July 30: Nothing (Beastly? No, not Beastly!)
August 06: The Other Guys
August 13: Scott Pilgrim vs the World / Expendables
August 20: The Switch
August 27: Piranha 3D