...wow.
What a lackluster Fall season? Barring a 'Million Dollar Baby' out-of-nowhere dark horse, I'm thinking 'Dark Knight' may not have such an outside shot after all.
EW Fall Preview
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Big Magilla
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E.W. has apparently been inspired by the re-design of TV Guide, another mis-step in my estimation but one that has probably been profitable. They've even hired TV's chief gossip.
I thought perhaps that Lisa Schwartbaum might be gone as Owen Glieberman has been doing most of teh major reviews lately with some new guy handling the rest, but she's back this week with her review of Tropic Thunder.
They've also dumped their DVD review section or more precisely split it in two and now place their DVD reviews of films at the tale end of the movie section and TV shows at the tail end of the TV section. This week there are no movies on DVD reviews at all and just the usual one page on TV on DVD reviews.
Their Fall Film Preview issue used to be something to look forward to, but whether it's the films of little interest coming out, the fact that those that might prove interesting (Doubt, Milk, W.) have already been speculated about to death on the internet, or E.W.'s dumbed down coverage, it's jus another ho-hum issue.
This year they haven't even bothered to speculate on which films might be Oscar contenders, although they do suggest that Frank Langella and Michael Sheen will be busy come awards season thanks to Frost/Nixon.
I thought perhaps that Lisa Schwartbaum might be gone as Owen Glieberman has been doing most of teh major reviews lately with some new guy handling the rest, but she's back this week with her review of Tropic Thunder.
They've also dumped their DVD review section or more precisely split it in two and now place their DVD reviews of films at the tale end of the movie section and TV shows at the tail end of the TV section. This week there are no movies on DVD reviews at all and just the usual one page on TV on DVD reviews.
Their Fall Film Preview issue used to be something to look forward to, but whether it's the films of little interest coming out, the fact that those that might prove interesting (Doubt, Milk, W.) have already been speculated about to death on the internet, or E.W.'s dumbed down coverage, it's jus another ho-hum issue.
This year they haven't even bothered to speculate on which films might be Oscar contenders, although they do suggest that Frank Langella and Michael Sheen will be busy come awards season thanks to Frost/Nixon.
I haven't looked at EW in a long time; the last time I checked it out, it looked pretty dreadful, as you describe, very choppy and graphic-crazy--but I find the redesigns for Time and Newsweek to be similarly awful and have stopped reading them as well.
So, although I've not seen the Fall Preview, based on the release schedule at IMDb, here's what I'm looking forward to:
The House Bunny; reason: Anna Faris is the finest comedienne working in film today.
The Women; reason: could be awful, but I like the cast and--though I'm probably alone in this--I keep hoping Meg Ryan will have a comeback--she hasn't given a really great performance in over a decade, but my fingers are crossed.
Nights in Rodanthe; reason: again, just the cast--my childhood crush on Richard Gere has continued into adulthood, and if I were straight, I'd have the hots for Diane Lane--then add in hotties James Franco and Christopher Meloni; and, yeah, I have a soft spot for Brief Encounter-type romances.
Religulous; reason: Bill Mahar skewering religion? I'm so there.
W; reason: curiousity to see what the cast and director do with this story.
Changeling; reason: I am sooooo over Jolie and Eastwood, but this will probably be a player, so I guess I have to....
Quantum of Solace; reason: I'm still a Bond fanatic after all these years.
Milk; reason: do I have to explain? Still think they should change the title.
Revolutionary Road; reason: Kate and Leo back together? OMG, OMG, OMG, I can't wait--even though I was disappointed with the book.
The Reader; reason: Kate, again, and this time I loved the book; is it still scheduled for this year?
So, although I've not seen the Fall Preview, based on the release schedule at IMDb, here's what I'm looking forward to:
The House Bunny; reason: Anna Faris is the finest comedienne working in film today.
The Women; reason: could be awful, but I like the cast and--though I'm probably alone in this--I keep hoping Meg Ryan will have a comeback--she hasn't given a really great performance in over a decade, but my fingers are crossed.
Nights in Rodanthe; reason: again, just the cast--my childhood crush on Richard Gere has continued into adulthood, and if I were straight, I'd have the hots for Diane Lane--then add in hotties James Franco and Christopher Meloni; and, yeah, I have a soft spot for Brief Encounter-type romances.
Religulous; reason: Bill Mahar skewering religion? I'm so there.
W; reason: curiousity to see what the cast and director do with this story.
Changeling; reason: I am sooooo over Jolie and Eastwood, but this will probably be a player, so I guess I have to....
Quantum of Solace; reason: I'm still a Bond fanatic after all these years.
Milk; reason: do I have to explain? Still think they should change the title.
Revolutionary Road; reason: Kate and Leo back together? OMG, OMG, OMG, I can't wait--even though I was disappointed with the book.
The Reader; reason: Kate, again, and this time I loved the book; is it still scheduled for this year?
"...it is the weak who are cruel, and...gentleness is only to be expected from the strong." - Leo Reston
"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
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Mister Tee
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Not sure if this belongs in this section, but I wasn't sure where it fit better.
Has anyone noticed EW -- never a journalistic beacon -- sharply declined in its recent re-design? They seem to have opted for crazy-man-crazy graphics, I presume in a bid to court "the kids", and have cut back on text. (Which seems misguided, since most blogs -- allegedly where kids are these days -- are heavy on text) I've mostly stopped buying it -- opting to scan it at physical therapy instead -- but I did pick up this, typically my favorite issue of the year.
Sorry to say, the listings reinforce me in my view that this year shapes up lackluster. When supposedly blue chip prospects are being directed by Joe Wright, Ridley Scott, Ed Zwick, Ron Howard, Baz Luhrmann and John Patrick Shanley, I have to ask myself, who's directing the un-promising films?
Among films to which I might have looked forward -- Blindness and Synecdoche New York have already been downgraded at Cannes; W looks silly (and, given the press's attitude toward Oliver Stone, will likely lead to sympathy for Bush right before the election); Burn After Reading looks like it's filled with Little Rascals acting (do Pitt and Clooney really think such google-eyed stuff make them look good?).
I hope Spike makes something of his film, but it sounds like Oscar-whoring. And, as much as I hope Milk works, the limitations of the biopic make me less than wildly expectant.
What am I looking forward to? Benjamin Button, above all. Revolutionary Road, provisionally. The Road, though I'm unfamiliar with the director's work. Rachel Getting Married, in hopes that Demme and Winger can come back. And Changeling, though reactions at Cannes were more mixed than initially thought.
And surprises, of course. But it's an iffy year when you have to rely on surprises.
Has anyone noticed EW -- never a journalistic beacon -- sharply declined in its recent re-design? They seem to have opted for crazy-man-crazy graphics, I presume in a bid to court "the kids", and have cut back on text. (Which seems misguided, since most blogs -- allegedly where kids are these days -- are heavy on text) I've mostly stopped buying it -- opting to scan it at physical therapy instead -- but I did pick up this, typically my favorite issue of the year.
Sorry to say, the listings reinforce me in my view that this year shapes up lackluster. When supposedly blue chip prospects are being directed by Joe Wright, Ridley Scott, Ed Zwick, Ron Howard, Baz Luhrmann and John Patrick Shanley, I have to ask myself, who's directing the un-promising films?
Among films to which I might have looked forward -- Blindness and Synecdoche New York have already been downgraded at Cannes; W looks silly (and, given the press's attitude toward Oliver Stone, will likely lead to sympathy for Bush right before the election); Burn After Reading looks like it's filled with Little Rascals acting (do Pitt and Clooney really think such google-eyed stuff make them look good?).
I hope Spike makes something of his film, but it sounds like Oscar-whoring. And, as much as I hope Milk works, the limitations of the biopic make me less than wildly expectant.
What am I looking forward to? Benjamin Button, above all. Revolutionary Road, provisionally. The Road, though I'm unfamiliar with the director's work. Rachel Getting Married, in hopes that Demme and Winger can come back. And Changeling, though reactions at Cannes were more mixed than initially thought.
And surprises, of course. But it's an iffy year when you have to rely on surprises.