January 10th, 2012

Breaking News!

After a whirlwind night on December 24th, Santa has apparently suffered a severe setback.

And my neighbors have still not found the time to help him!

The MOVIES

Let's banish all movies about dads coping with dead moms/wives.

     Did you see The Descendents?  They are going to give George Clooney an Oscar (probably) for playing George Clooney, who runs around the block in docksiders or flip flops at a very fast clip, with a very earnest look on his face when he learns his wife (who is in the hospital, dying) has cheated on him.  I do not think Clooney smiled more than twice in the film or hugged the actresses playing his daughters more than once. (But then, being the proverbial Hollywood smarmy bachelor, who has never wed or had kids, this was quite a stretch for Clooney anyway. Maybe that's why he is mentioned for an Oscar?)  His expressions varied from stone-faced to slight wince, which I think was meant to be a smile.

In We Bought a Zoo, Matt Damon, at least, has more experience with fatherhood, but this movie, too, was boring, predictable, and l-o-n-g. At least it seemed long.  It's mantra:"Save the Tiger and let him go only when you are ready to say good-bye!" At least, there is no buzz about any awards.

Did you see the latest Mission Impossible?  I call it a stunt-a-thon movie.  Except for that wonderful theme song, the classy TV show getting out of tight places and pulling off an impossible mission using brains and convincing deception within a very tight timeframe, with a few high-tech gadgets, has evolved into a Tom Cruise hero - who also runs at a very fast clip with that strange marching band gait of his - pulling off stupid stunts that defy suspension of disbelief.  His facial range of expressions, too, was no better than Clooney's.  But, oh, that theme song was so worth two and a half hours of stunt, stunt, stunt, plot point, stunt, stunt, stunt, ad nauseum.

And the coming attractions featured aging stars in action hero roles that brought laughs to the audience:  Bruce Willis, for heaven's sake?  And Liam Neeson?  C'mon, Hollywood, let's get some guys who could actually be believable in these unbelievable roles.

Attention all you late 40-ish-50-something actors still vying to be your late 1970s, 1980s, or 1990s-something selves - it's over, pack it up, move on! Please...