Looking Back at Mann, Mohicans

Looking for some entertainment last night, I stumbled across Last of the Mohicans in Netflix's streaming catalog. Hard to believe it's been twenty years since Michael Mann's first real success, one that helped him move on to Heat, Ali, and all the rest. Hard to believe we were still early on in Daniel Day-Lewis's career as well!

Needless to say, the movie holds up almost two decades later. Of the acclaimed frontier pics of that era, it easily trumps Kevin Costner's bloated Dances With Wolves, thanks to a tighter narrative, a more compelling lead, and what might be one of cinema's finest scores.

As for Mann, what can I say? I look back and think of him as a defining director of the past twenty years, yet, when I look at his bio, I'm stunned by how few films he's made, especially the fact that he's made only a handful of truly memorable ones. Does that diminish his greatness? Honestly, I'm not sure, but, for that one night, I was reminded of all he can be.

Hell on Wheels, Round Two

At least once every television season, I latch onto a new program before it even airs. Some combination of clever commercials and critical buzz - positive or negative - convinces me to become invested in one of these programs, and nothing seems able to dissuade me. This year's "winner" happens to be Hell on Wheels.

Set shortly after the conclusion of the Civil War, Hell on Wheels follows a former Confederate soldier on his quest for vengeance out on the frontier. It stars a cast of barely-known actors - Anson Mount, Colm Meaney, and Common - but it's hooked me nonetheless. I'm not sure where it's going, and I'm not sure it will be able to maintain what little momentum it seems to have. That being said, so far, I'm in, and that qualifies as a good start...

Is This The Hangover for Women?!

Somewhere along the way, I was either told that Bridesmaids was like The Hangover for women, or I came to believe it. My wife & I danced around renting this film for a number of months, and, last night, we finally pulled the trigger. And?! Well, it's not The Hangover.

Does Bridesmaids have some funny moments?! Yes! Melissa McCarthy is hilarious and very much deserving the Best Supporting Actress buzz she's receiving. Beyond that? The film is overly long - how many comedies clock in at 2+ hours? - and, halfway through, it turns overly serious. Producers - it's a comedy, so act like it!

Finding Glee in the dog days

To say that summer television this year has been disappointing an understatement. Since Game of Thrones went off the air a few months back, things have been crawling. We've taken to trolling Netflix for something - anything! - to keep our interest! Thankfully, we found Glee!

While it might not be the finest show on television - although the show's hearty Gleeks would no doubt disagree - it's very entertaining, and it makes you look at music in a different way. (Try turning on the radio without imaging the Glee kids singing each song.) Nevertheless, the most bizarre thing is that I like precious few of the individual characters, yet I still like the show! Go figure!