Armchair Commentary

My Review of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: It Could be the Best One Yet!

I'll just preface this review by saying that I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. I've read all the books four times (at least), and I'm always at the midnight showing of each premiere (despite the fact that I've already been to the press screening). I visit Mugglenet.com daily, and even listen to their HP podcast. To drill in the point, I'll even out myself as a complete geek and admit to having a $200 Sword of Gryffindor hanging on my bedroom wall. HP is my bible!

The reason I mention this is that it took me a long time to get to a place where I could enjoy the movies--because I was so fixated on the books. I just want to reach out to all the HP fans out there and encourage you to view the movies as a whole different experience than the books, so it will simply not be the same. Don't let that unchanging fact ruin these great adaptions for you!

OK, enough babble. Here is my review:

The sixth installment of the Harry Potter series begins right where The Order of the Phoenix left off. The wizarding world is rocked by the news that "He Who Must Not Be Named" has truly returned, and the audience finally knows that Harry is "the Chosen One"--the only wizard who can defeat Lord Voldemort in the end. Dark forces loom around every corner, and now regularly attempt to penetrate the protected walls of Hogwarts School. This is no longer the fun and fascinating world of magic from the first few books—it's dark, dangerous, and scary.

Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) suspects Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) to be a new Death Eater recruit on a special mission for the Dark Lord. In the meantime, Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) seems to have finally removed the shroud of secrecy from Harry about the dark path that lies ahead, and instead provides private lessons to get him prepared. It's in these intriguing scenes that the dark past of Tom Riddle (a.k.a. Voldemort) is finally revealed. The actors cast as the different young versions of Riddle (Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and Frank Dillane) do an eerily fantastic job of portraying the villain as a child. While the previous movies' many new characters could be slightly overwhelming, only one new key character is introduced this time: Professor Horace Slughorn (with a spot-on performance by Jim Broadbent). Within his mind he holds a key secret in the battle to defeat the Dark Lord, and Harry is tasked by Dumbledore to uncover a memory about Voldemort's darkest weapon--the Horcrux. Despite the long list of distractions, Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) still try to focus on being teenagers, and audiences will enjoy the budding awkward romances. All of the actors have developed nicely, giving their most convincing performances to date.

More dramatic and significant things go down in this movie than any of its predecessors, and the stakes are higher than ever. The creators have been tasked with a practically impossible challenge, as fans of the beloved J.K. Rowling book series desperately want the movies to capture the magic of the books as closely as possible. Alas, the point at which one accepts that these two mediums are very different is the point at which one can truly enjoy these brilliant adaptations. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is no exception: it may be the best film yet. For those who have not read the book, nail-biting entertainment is guaranteed. For those who have, the movie does it justice. The key dramatic scenes, including the cave and the shocking twist in the final chapter, are executed very well. It does a perfect job of setting up the two-part grand finale that is to follow. --Jordan Thompson

My Interview with "Weeds" Star Justin Kirk

You probably know him best as "Uncle Andy" Botwin from Weeds. Under that context, we already know this guy is freakin' hilarious. Oh, the stuff he gets into...

Well, during the filming of Weeds: Season 4, I was able to catch up with Justin to talk about the new season, hear some stories from filming past seasons, and talk about his acting career in general.

Make sure you tune in to hear about his unique experience of filming a dog biting off his toes, some awful jobs he had before he was an successful actor, and his strangest experiences since he became famous.

Also, if you only know Justin Kirk from Weeds, make sure to check HBO's Angels in America, where Justin plays a main character dying from AIDS. He also stars along side Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, and Mary Louise Parker. The man has many layers. -- Jordan

Listen:

"JCVD": Best DVDs of May 2009

What is it: JVCD. That's right. Jean-Claude Van Damme...like you've never seen him before. Jean-Claude plays himself as an out-of-luck actor. He is out of money; his agent cannot find him a decent production; and the judge in a custody battle is inclined to give custody of his daughter over to his ex-wife. When he goes into a post office to receive a wire transfer, he finds himself in the middle of a hostage situation. Due to an unfortunate mistake, the police believe Van Damme is responsible for the crime. As the events are played from different perspectives, Van Damme finds himself acting as a hero to protect the hostages, as well as a negotiator as the presumed perpetrator.

Why it's Significant:  Jean-Claude Van Damme has been a household name for a long time. Everyone knows him for his action films, but no one has really taken him seriously  as an actor--until now. You might be surprised to hear that JCVD has been very well-received by critics, and is the first Van Damme film to be "Certified Fresh" on the Rottentomatoes.com "Tomatometer" (at 84%--which is pretty Damme good). If you are expecting Street Fighter 3, you'll be disappointed. Whether or not this will mark some epic turn in Jean-Claude's movie career is yet to be seen, but it does show that he (and film-maker Mabrouk El Mechri) had some vision, and made a great action/comedy movie.

- Jordan Thompson

My Interview with Jamie-Lynn Sigler

Way back in 1999, Jamie started off her TV career with the pilot for The Sopranos, and went on to star in all 86 of the critically-acclaimed show's episodes. America fell in love with her character, Meadow Soprano, and watched her closely up until that epic scene--where she was really struggling to park--and of course the fade-to-black finale.

Well the The Sopranos may be finished, but Jamie isn't. I got a chance to catch up with her about her new DVD release, New York City Serenade. We also talked about her time on The Sopranos, her current cameo on HBO's Entourage (and what it's like to play herself), what TV shows she watches now, and the possibility of her starring in her own network TV show--just to mention a few things.

Listen in! You'll quickly remember why she immediately won you over in that first episode of The Sopranos.

--Jordan Thompson

Listen:

"Howard the Duck": Best DVDs of March 2009

What it is:  In 1986, Lucasfilm and Universal Pictures produced this movie, starring Lea Thompson, Jeffrey Jones, Tim Robbins, and, as the voice of Howard, Chip Zien. In the film, a scientific experiment unknowingly brings extraterrestrial life forms to the Earth through a laser beam. First is the cigar smoking drake Howard from the duck's planet. A few kids try to keep him from the greedy scientists and help him back to his planet. But then a much less friendly being arrives through the beam--an evil alien called the Dark Overlord of the Universe, who is intent on destroying the Earth.

Why it's significant: Believe-it-or-not, this 1986 classic has never been on DVD until now. This was another one of those First to Know™ movies that Amazon.com customers have been begging to have released for years, and now the thousands of them can feel that satisfaction...as they sit back and watch one of the creepiest doll/puppet/kids?/duck/Sci-Fi movies of all time. George Lucas has brought us a lot of weird stuff, and if Jar Jar didn't make you wonder--Howard will. I'm not gonna lie, though. I loved this movie as a kid, and it gave me and my friends nightmares. Oh Howard. How we've missed you. --Jordan

"Madagascar - Escape 2 Africa" Elephant Cam (brought to you by the San Diego Zoo)

 

In celebration of the DVD release of Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Amazon.com, Dreamworks Animation, and the San Diego Zoo have teamed up to bring you the Escape to Africa Elephant Cam (above).

Bad weather? No Zoo in your town? Grab the kids and sit back and watch the elephants of the San Diego Zoo live.

Enjoy!

-- Jordan Thompson

Best DVDs of January 2009: "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (Amazon.com Exclusive)"

What it is:   Conceived as an "online miniseries event" during the 2008 writers' strike, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is a 42-minute musical romp that bears the distinctive stamp of Joss Whedon.  Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) plays the title character, who video-blogs about his twin goals to join the Evil League of Evil and to woo the fair Penny (Felicia Day, of Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Web series The Guild), a woman he met at the local laundromat. Dr. Horrible is foiled on both fronts, however, by his arch-nemesis, the self-absorbed superhero Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion, Whedon's Firefly).

Why it's Significant: If you are already a Whedon fan, you've likely been enjoying Dr. Horrible since it initially hit the internet. Don't overlook the slew of special features that are only available on the DVD, though. For those of you who are Whedon newbies, if you like super-quirky humor, musicals, and science fiction--you'll find yourself watching this repeatedly.

What makes it extra special is that you can only buy the DVD at one place...Amazon.com --Jordan

Celebrity Blog: Joss Whedon on Amazon.com Exclusive "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog"

 

Academy Award-nominated writer, director, executive producer, and actor Joss Whedon has written a celebrity blog for us to promote his new release, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Whedon is best known for creating well-known TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly. --Jordan

When Amazon asked me to review this movie, I was hesitant, as I'm not too familiar with the genre, and also I made it.  But I found Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog quite rewarding, which is to say, if you buy it, I will be rewarded with a small sum of money.  But what's in it for you?  A few surprises, I won't lie.  THE SECRET OF ETERNAL YOUTH.  The Dark Knight doesn't have that, does it?  A CONTROLLING INTEREST IN EUROPE.  Not available with Mama Mia!  BEES.  Deadly, hideous bees are contained in certain shipments, sorry.  We're trying to control that.  But already, a pretty extraordinary disc.

The film itself I didn't really get.  Apparently young people today think it's okay to make fun of supervillains.  In my day we treated them with respect and fear, especially when they were singing.  I did like the jokes, except when one man mentioned his secret love appendage to another, which I find crass.  But the tunes are very hummable, and many of them ran through my head as I fell asleep before the ending, which I'll bet was a humdinger.  In fact, the whole movie humdinged.  I give it forty eight billion stars.

The extras (Eternal life, Europe, Bees) were mostly exciting.  There is a whole second musical, called "Commentary!", which harkens back to the days of Radio and of writing things really poorly.  I can't recommend it enough.  (That should read "I can't recommend it.  Enough!"  Sorry.)  Seriousfully, it's not so much a commentary as chance for the cast and writers to make fun of each other in every musical style possible.  I give it forty eight billion stars.

The extra extras are all solid fun, especially the many applications to the Evil League of Evil, sent by people who know how to show a supervillain the proper respect.  I was promised eggs, but did not find any eggs, only horrible, stinging bees, but I am told the eggs are good.  That is my review.  I think you should buy the DVD every day forever, and I am totally unbiased.  Happy Holidays! --Joss Whedon

Best of 2008: First to Know

Here are Amazon's picks for the top First to Know Movies & TV of the year. --Jordan Thompson

DVD

 

1. Twilight

2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

3. Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.5

4. High School Musical 3

5. Dexter: Season 3

6. True Blood: The Complete First Season

7. Weeds : Season 4

8. The Wonder Years

9. Blood Ties

Blu-ray

1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy [Blu-ray]

2. The Adventures of Indiana Jones - The Complete Movie Collection [Blu-ray]

3. Star Wars Trilogy (Episodes IV - VI) [Blu-ray]

4. Braveheart [Blu-ray]

5. Saving Private Ryan [Blu-ray]

6. Star Wars Trilogy (Episodes I - III) [Blu-ray]

7. Gladiator [Blu-ray]

8. Finding Nemo [Blu-ray]

9. Jurassic Park [Blu-ray]

See the rest of our top picks in our Best of 2008 store.

Best DVDs of October 2008: "Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains"

What it is: Originally in theaters in 1982, this release has been long-anticipated (and much-requested by Amazon customers via First to Know), and is finally available on DVD for the very first time.

Why it's significant:   Some movies just stumble towards cult, mythic status; Ladies and Gentlemen,  The Fabulous Stains is one of those magnificent accidents. Besides in-fighting, the few previews shown to the public were unanimously panned, Paramount was at a loss as to how to market it, and the movie had never been available on DVD (or VHS, for that matter). This has just compounded its status as a "lost" film, with the few people who have seen it being evangelical in their gossip about this pseudo punk 'n' roll documentary. Now that it’s here, was it worth the wait? Does it hold up over time? You bet it does. Orphaned girls (Diane Lane, Marin Kanter) along with their cousin (Laura Dern) channel their frustration into a band, The Stains. After a few gigs, the media picks up what they consider a novelty. This leads to a tour with The Looters--idealistic punks from London--and the Metal Corpses (headed by Fee Waybil of the Tubes in a perfectly oblivious performance). Head Looter takes head Stain under his wing, only to become disillusioned as he watches the American media, and by extension American teens, chose popularity over talent (as he sees it). Despite their differing views about how the movie should be handled, both the message of girl empowerment (screenwriter Nancy Dowd) and the idea that all great ideas become co-opted and watered-down (director Lou Adler) resonate throughout the film. The performances, while not uniformly great, work so well within the context of the documentary style that they have their own charm. And Diane Lane, as Stain leader Corinne "Third Degree" Burns, is simply outstanding, simmering with angst that bursts out at all the right points. A young Ray Winstone turns in a fine performance as the lead singer of the Looters, showing both contempt and sensitivity towards the fledgling Stains. Adding to its cult credentials, the rest of the Looters are played by Steve Jones and Paul Cook (Sex Pistols) and Paul Simenon (The Clash). With audio commentaries by not only director Adler, but stars Lane and Dern, this movie is not only great for any fans of Times Square and Rock 'n' Roll High School, but it’s a great addition to any library of music films in general.

Watch the preview:

--Jordan Thompson