Damox's Entertainment Blog

Evan Almighty Very So-So

2007-06-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

The new Steve Carell movie, Evan Almighty, will be a big winner at the box office despite some very lackluster reviews. It's a "sort-of" sequel to Bruce Almighty, starring Jim Carrey, which was also a lackluster film that did very well with ever-fickle audiences.

Steve Carell does his best work in smaller-budget movies that nobody sees coming. Who would have thought a film like The 40-Year-Old Virgin could actually be a smart comedy that adults could enjoy? Little Miss Sunshine came out of nowhere last year to wow film festival crowds before being picked up by a major studio and getting a feature release. Carell is a good leading man loser, but only when we don't see it coming.

There are many reasons why this movie doesn't work. First of all, we can all pretty much figure out what's going to happen. It's the same basic plot as Miracle on 34th Street, which was released in theaters 60 years ago. A person receives a message from a higher being, the person makes some sort of lifestyle change due to this message, everyone thinks the person is crazy, and then the person convinces everyone that he/she is not crazy. It doesn't work here because the general public should realize that Carell's character is not crazy. He has pairs of animals that follow him everywhere for no apparent reason. Oh yeah, he must be crazy, because he's making us see all those animals. The animals then help him build an ark. Yep, still crazy. He must be using mind control on the animals. When he shaves his beard, it instantly grows back. Only a crazy man could have that kind of follicle control.

I realize that this movie is fiction, but the reactions of the people in the movie to the changes in Carell's character's life are far out of line with what I can find believable. It's a story of one man who talks with God and the general public who lacks faith. I just don't understand what kind of sign these people need. An instant-growth beard and hundreds of animals with self-awareness following a man are not enough to prove that something strange is going on? Nope, let's call him crazy and remove him from his job.
Variety.com - Reviews - Evan Almighty

MTV Movie Awards honors 'Pirates'

2007-06-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

Mindless Idiot Television, or MTV (they thought mindless and idiot were one word) held their annual meaningless movie awards last night, and to no one's surprise they gave the best movie award to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Johnny Depp, who I have nothing against, won for best performance.

The MTV Movie Awards are slowly merging into the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards with each passing year. The Pirates sequel was not only not as good as the first, it wasn't good period. Even many fans of the first were turned off by the mindless special effects and lack of any coherent storyline.

It's a shame that MTV chose to recognize Johnny Depp for this movie and completely ignored his crazy take on Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas back in 1998. That film represented the young adult market that MTV wishes it could target a lot better that some over-the-top pirate movie.
Variety.com - MTV Movie Awards honors 'Pirates'

Donald Trump Quits Apprentice... After He Was Fired

2007-05-18T23:58:00.000-07:00

NBC left The Apprentice off its prime time schedule for next year, essentially ending the show. That would lead many to believe that Trump was fired. Donald Trump doesn't think so. He announced today that he is "moving on" from the low-rated TV show. I guess that gives him the higher ground. Right? I'm actually missing the Trump/Rosie feuding right about now.
Donald Trump to NBC: You can't fire me, I quit | Reuters

People Smash XM Receivers in Response to Opie & Anthony Suspension - Gizmodo

2007-05-17T16:31:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note on the Opie & Anthony firings:
People are protesting by canceling their XM satellite radio subscriptions and smashing their receivers. If you are an XM customer, you can call them and threaten to cancel due to the O&A fiasco and receive 3 to 6 months of free service. I suggest every XM customer do this, just to punish XM for censoring its content. The whole point of satellite radio is that the content would not have to be censored. Wake up, XM!
Secretary Sex: People Smash XM Receivers in Response to Opie & Anthony Suspension - Gizmodo

ABC Picks Up Caveman Comedy Despite Laughably Bad Pilot

2007-05-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of weeks ago, industry insiders were spreading the news of the pilot episode of a comedy series based on the Geico cavemen. The word was, the show was terrible. Worst-show-of-all-time terrible. It seemed almost certain that ABC would reject the show based on the pilot, and it would be up to some intern working on the inside to leak that one episode on to YouTube so the rest of the world could see how terrible a show really could be. We may have underestimated how desperate ABC really is.

ABC decided to pick up the comedy show, titled "Cavemen," for their fall lineup. Also new on their list is a spin-off of "Grey's Anatomy." While it's nice that ABC has decided to hire writers from our nation's large pool of mentally challenged people, I fail to see how these bottom-of-barrel shows are going to rescue the once proud network.
ABC turns to cavemen, modern women, for new lineup | Entertainment | Reuters

Spiderman 3 Breaks Weekend Records Despite Mixed Reviews

2007-05-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

Spiderman 3 broke box office records this weekend, bringing in $148 million in just 3 days, shattering the old mark of $135.6 million set by Pirates of the Caribbean 2. Spidey 3 has received mixed reviews at best, with a convoluted storyline that includes one villain after another for no particular reason other than the filmmaker wanted to use up everything they had just in case this is the last Spiderman movie they make.

Some of the bizarre casting decisions made for this movie include Topher Grace as one of the villains. Someone needs to tell Topher Grace that he hasn't aged a day since the first episode of That 70's Show. He still looks like a 15-year-old kid struggling with adolescence. I liked him in That 70's Show, but he should not be playing leading male roles or supervillains in major motion pictures.

Spiderman 3 will likely threaten some of the top box office records, which is too bad. The movie-going audience has changed in the past 10 years. We champion mediocrity like never before. Big names and special effects can carry a movie to box office gold, while a great script and legendary director will do nothing to affect gross.
Deadline Hollywood Daily » WHAT A WIDE, WIDE, WIDE, WIDE WEB! ‘SPIDEY 3′ SPINS $148 MILLION & SETS BIGGEST U.S. WEEKEND OPENING EVER!

Tom Hanks signs on to Angels & Demons for Record Payout?

2007-04-10T16:37:00.000-07:00

Tom Hanks has signed on to star in Angels & Demons, a prequel to Dan Brown's DaVinci Code. Reports are swirling that Hanks salary for the next film will be the highest ever paid to an actor for a single movie.
Tom Hanks signs on to Angels & Demons for Record Payout? | /Film

2007 Box Office Is Hot, Will MPAA Blame Piracy?

2007-04-02T18:40:00.000-07:00

At about this time last year, box office receipts were way down, and the MPAA was on the warpath, looking for the young kids who were pirating their movies and bringing down sales. This year, the box office is hot, up 6% over last year. It makes me wonder how all those pirates are causing this reversal in movie ticket sales.

What are your thoughts?
2007 box office is smoking - USATODAY.com

Is "Veronica Mars" Canceled?

2007-03-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

I'm hearing rumors that Veronica Mars has been canceled. I am in a state of shock. I can barely move. Ok, I'm actually fine. I've never seen the show, nor known anyone who has. I guess that's why it's a strong candidate for cancellation.

Can the entire CW network just cancel itself? I just took a look at their lineup, and I don't see a redeeming show on the list. True, I've only watched about 2/3rds of the shows, but how much better could the remaining 1/3rd be?
Is "Veronica Mars" C-c-c-canceled? Say It Ain't So!

Richard Jeni Dead: Comedian Found Shot, Self Inflicted? - The Post Chronicle

2007-03-11T15:04:00.000-07:00

Comedian Richard Jeni died earlier today of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face. He was best known for his HBO comedy specials, which brought pleasure to millions. The last time I saw him he was doing one of those lame shows on VH1 where comedians make fun of celebrities. I guess that explains a lot about where his career had gone.

In lieu of flowers, please send a letter to VH1, asking them to cancel all of their current programming and go back to showing music videos from decades past. Yes, I know there's a VH1 Classic. That doesn't excuse the regular VH1 from playing crap 24/7.
Tittle-Tattle Too: Richard Jeni Dead: Comedian Found Shot, Self Inflicted? - The Post Chronicle

What Happened to Edward Furlong? - TMZ.com

2007-03-10T19:52:00.000-08:00

Edward Furlong was once a promising young actor. After getting his big break as a child in Terminator 2, he went on to big roles in such critically-acclaimed movies as American History X and Pecker. Sometime in the past few years, something went terribly wrong.

Look at the picture on the page I've linked to at the bottom of this. It's what Edward Furlong looks like now. He appears to be in the neighborhood of 250 pounds, he's given up showering, he blows smoke into his infant daughter's face, and he's developing a healthy hump in his back.
What Happened to Li'l Eddie Furlong? - TMZ.com

‘Wild Hogs’ Goes Hog Wild at Box Office; But Jake Gyllenhaal’s ‘Zodiac’ Disappoints

2007-03-03T21:43:00.000-08:00

The end of the world is near. "Wild Hogs", a road trip comedy crapfest, finished #1 at the box office this weekend, beating out "Zodiac", which opened surprisingly flat despite good reviews.

The American public is once again exhibiting its very weird, very low brow taste in movies in this run-up to what I think will be a box office shattering movie: 300. 300 will open next week, and I'm expecting some big numbers from that movie. $300 million plus. Perhaps much bigger. The hype has been huge, and early screenings received strong reviews. If America doesn't want 300, the movie industry might as well fold. I certainly don't want to live in a world where movies like "Wild Hogs" are successful.
Deadline Hollywood Daily » ‘Wild Hogs’ Goes Hog Wild at Box Office; But Jake Gyllenhaal’s ‘Zodiac’ Disappoints

Associated Press Declares Blackout on Paris Hilton

2007-02-28T15:00:00.000-08:00

Last week, the Associated Press made a decision to not report any more Paris Hilton stories. They did finally break and reported today that Hilton had been arrested for driving with a suspended license, speeding, and failure to use headlights at night.

I encourage other journalists to take this same vow. If we don't mention PH, she might just go away. And don't break that vow to report traffic infractions. From now on, it's death or nothing.
NYO - The Transom -

Celebrity partygoers exposed to Hepatitis A | Top News | Reuters.com

2007-02-27T20:21:00.000-08:00

Wolfgang Puck catering crew exposed numerous celebrities to Hepatitis A, a liver disease that can be very serious if it is allowed to fully develop without treatment.

The worker, who has been identified and is on medical leave, contaminated raw food products served at a party hosted by Sports Illustrated following the publication of their annual swimsuit issue. The contamination was not intentional. Among the celebrities at the party were Beyonce Knowles, Kanye West, Kenny Chesney, and members of Aerosmith and Gnarls Barkley. It should be noted that Paris Hilton was not at the party, but anyone near her should see a doctor and get tested immediately.
Celebrity partygoers exposed to Hepatitis A | Top News | Reuters.com

Deadline Hollywood Blogs The Oscars... Because I'm Too Lazy To Do It

2007-02-25T19:55:00.000-08:00

I really don't feel like giving the run-down of every Oscar awarded tonight, so I'll let Deadline Hollywood do it for me. I think this will be the year for Martin Scorsese, but I didn't think The Departed was that great of a film. The ending was a joke, which I think was kind of the point, but I still don't care for it. Scorsese got robbed when Taxi Driver lost out to Rocky (my pick for most overrated film of all time), but giving him the award this year won't make up for that. It will just rob the director that deserves to win of the statue. 30 years from now we'll have to give that guy an Oscar for a film that doesn't deserve, just to make up for this year. Do you see why this reasoning for giving the Oscar for Scorsese doesn't make sense?
Deadline Hollywood Daily » Finke Wrap: Live-Blogging The Oscars

Jessica Simpson, Pizza Hut Spokesperson, Is Allergic To Pizza

2007-02-23T04:20:00.000-08:00

As if you needed another reason to hate every member of the Simpson family, Jessica has now revealed that she is allergic to just about every ingredient in a Pizza Hut pizza. That's right, Pizza Hut's main dish gives the star internal bleeding. I guess that means she'll stop whoring herself out on those commercials. Oh wait, Jessica Simpson needs that money to pay off Nick.
Jessica Simpson, Pizza Hut Spokesperson, Is Allergic To Pizza - Consumerist

Anna Nicole Smith Bites The Dust

2007-02-08T18:59:00.000-08:00

I would just like to remind everyone that I kicked Anna Nicole Smith long before she went down. I'm not gloating at the news of her death earlier today, but rather saddened by the tragic tale of greed and lust that told the story of her life.

Perhaps the saddest member in the Anna Nicole saga is her boyfriend (according to CNN, although I was sure they got married), whose name happens to be Howard Stern. He was her lawyer before they became an item, and now he's going to face a DNA test to see if he really is the father of the child Anna gave birth to just a few months ago. With the Anna Nicole estate in a battle with the estate of her billionaire ex-husband, that baby could be worth millions of dollars. But I'm sure Howard Stern wouldn't be interested in that.

Technorati Tags: anna, nicole, smith, stupid

Peter Jackson Looks To Take Back Control Of Hobbit Movie

2007-02-06T19:55:00.000-08:00

Peter Jackson has lost control of the latest Tolkien movie from New Line Cinema, and he isn't very happy about it. It seems that New Line was upset that Jackson sued them over profits from The Fellowship of the Ring, so they decided to yank him from the director's seat on The Hobbit.

Movie insiders are fairly confident that Jackson will win the battle of public opinion and settle the lawsuit with New Line Cinema, who will be eager to wipe the egg of their face. They'll all but have to give control of the next movie to Jackson, as fans would rebel against the series without their esteemed director.

Brandy Sued For Wrongful Death; Manslaughter Charges Possible

2007-01-30T17:23:00.000-08:00

Pop singer and "actor" Brandy has been named in a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit and could be charged with misdemeanor manslaughter charges following a fatal car accident last month. She caused the crash by hitting a small car with her SUV, which was going 65 miles per hour at the time of the crash. The car, and the traffic in front of it, was stopped. No word on which part of her face she was putting on at the time of the crash.

Technorati Tags: brandy, crash, manslaughter

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie Trailer

2007-01-28T14:01:00.000-08:00

Aqua Teen Hunger Force is coming to theaters... apparently. I found the latest trailer and the video is below. I've been a bit too busy late at night lately to watch Adult Swim, so I'm not about when this movie is coming out or the background info on it, but I'll be looking into it. ATHF is the funniest shi+ this side of Family Guy.

Technorati Tags: aqua, teen, hunger, force, athf, movie

Oscar Watch: Academy Award Nominees

2007-01-22T20:03:00.000-08:00

The Oscar nominees will be coming soon, and it seems like the picks this year will be easier to make than ever. Little Miss Sunshine, Babel, Dreamgirls, and The Departed are all expected to be nominated for best picture. I agree with all of them but The Departed. I'm still trying to figure out why people like that movie so much. I know, I know, Oliver Stone deserves a Best Film Oscar, but this is NOT the film. SPOILER ALERT** - Just about everyone dies at the end. It's like he couldn't come up with an ending so he just decided to shoot everyone in the head, one after the other, almost like dominoes. That is not what great films are made of. I think about as much thought went into the script for The Departed as the Rocky Balboa movie. Of course, the original Rocky did win an Oscar. Eat that, Mr. Stone.

Technorati Tags: academy, awards, oscars

Trump's 'Apprentice' Falling Fast

2007-01-15T15:40:00.000-08:00

Watch out below! It appears Rosie O'Donnell has flopped on Donald Trump's toupee, causing the ratings for his "Apprentice" TV show to hit the skids. The show scored a measly 4.7 rating last night against rather heavy competition from "24" on FOX.

Look for Trump to get the boot before he gets the chance to make another season of his show. Viewers just aren't tuning in anymore. Trump should have realized that his demographic was the same as Rosie O'Donnell's before he got involved in this whole feud, because the viewers have known Rosie longer, and they actually like her more. It didn't help that he called her fat, because his viewers are American, and most Americans are fat. I can't wait until he brings out the lez jokes, and then maybe Ellen Degeneres will get in on this.
Big NFL Finish Carries CBS Sunday - '24' returns strong, ABC below average - Zap2it

Ex-Fox News Publicist Source of Brit Hume Affair Rumor

2007-01-04T21:19:00.000-08:00

A former Fox News publicist who left his job recently is the source of rumors about an affair between talking head Brit Hume and Megyn Kendall, a correspondent. I'm not sure which one Kendall is, so I don't know whether to say "niccccccccce" or "nassssssssssty". The publicists name is Paul Schur, as if you know who that is. He was caught because the posts he made online to spread the rumor were from the same known IP address as his home computer. Oops!
FOX - EX-FOX NEWS PUBLICIST REPORTED TO BE SOURCE OF VICIOUS RUMORS

Fox Cancels The OC, Terrorists Lose

2007-01-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

The OC, that show about those phony Californians that some experts, such as myself, cited as a reason why terrorists hate America, has been canceled by Fox. Although the show had great ratings in its first season, ever-fickle young viewers stopped watching after the second season. The show officially jumped the shark when Marissa Cooper was killed off at the end of season 3. That character was played by Mischa Barton, who I've heard will f**k anything with a fat wallet - man, woman, or animal. I guess she was the only one who acted like a true resident of Orange County, California.
Newsvine - Fox's Once-Hot 'The O.C.' Is Canceled

FBI Considered "It's A Wonderful Life" Communist Propaganda

2006-12-24T15:26:00.000-08:00

"It's A Wonderful Life" is a Christmas classic watched by millions each year. It was also once considered Communist propaganda by the FBI. Although I don't see any anti-free market sentiment in the film, it does have a community that comes together to help an unlucky man who thinks he's lost everything.

It's amazing that the FBI was once so focused on ending Communism that even a community working for the common good was seen as anti-American. Although some still defend the actions of McCarthy and the blacklisting of Hollywood stars and directors, such as conservative columnist Ann Coulter, I'm glad most Americans now see the harm such actions had on our country. Helping those in need should never take a back seat to fighting those who "might" someday try to hurt us.

Happy Holidays ("holiday" being a word derived from "holy day" and encompassing the various religious days recognized at this time of year. If you want a Merry Christmas and no mention of any other religious days, go read Bill O'Reilly)
FBI Considered "It's A Wonderful Life" Communist Propaganda | Wise Bread