All posts by Stephen Sanchez

TV

Curb Your Enthusiasm: 8.05 – “Vow of Silence” Review

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Two Larryisms to start off tonight’s episode: The first being everyone’s least favorite person – The person who takes up two spaces with their car. Unacceptable! The second is with Larry in full social assassin mode as he calls out a woman performing a ‘chat and cut’ in the food line at the going away party they are at. Larry calls her out and she backs down getting behind Larry and Jeff in line. Don’t mess with Larry, as good as your chat and cut skills might be.

It was nice seeing Michael McKean back on Curb as ‘Matt Tessler’, though I was a little confused as to the civility between him and Larry in this episode. In the Bat Mitzvah he propagated a not so true rumor about Larry having a gerbil stuck up his ass that quickly spread around town, so I would imagine Larry not even speaking to him instead of simply trying to avoid going to an event with him. But either way it was a nice method of pushing Larry into having to go to New York with Jeff and Susie.

The biggest linchpin of disaster for Larry in this episode was their friend Vance, whose spiritual adviser suggested he take a vow of silence. Vance had most of the funny scenes with Larry in the episode, particularly when a certain flashback occurs involving Jeff, Larry and some ice cream. My favorite part of the show was when Larry tells Vance that if he tattles to Susie on him and Jeff that he will burn in hell for being a tattletale. The way he delivered that line was just freakin’ brilliant.

There was a nice little side story with Richard Lewis which is always good and one of the characters is unfortunately no longer with us. I’m gonna miss that hairy son-of-a-bitch.

I give the episode 4 out of 5 bears. Hopefully now that Larry is getting to New York the season hilarity will really pick up. I mean come on, Ricky Gervais is in the next episode.

Movie News & Opinions

‘Short Circuit’ Getting Reboot Treatment

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Above art from MattiasFahlberg 

To be honest, I never even thought of the possibility of rebooting the Short Circuit franchise. I didn’t think they had to anyways since the loveable and cute Wall-E garbage bot completely f–king ripped off the Johnny 5 image anyways.

Dubya Tee Eff? ? ?

I loved the two Short Circuit movies as a kid and always wanted my own Johnny 5 robot to follow me around and make funny quips and observations about our organic-lifestyles. Now when I watch the films I become a little nauseous seeing how ridiculous it all seems in this day and age, which is the case with a lot of movies and cartoons from our childhood.

So I suppose it’s time for a reboot even though the masses aren’t exactly clamoring at the gates for one. And who better to bring a self aware, kid friendly robot from the 80’s forcefully back into our lives than Tim Hill, the director of the recent kid hit “Hop“. Check out the snippet from Deadline below:

Dimension Films is making a deal with Tim Hill to direct its reboot of Short Circuit, the 1986 film about an experimental robot manufactured to be a weapon until a lightning strike fills it with intelligence. It runs away and befriends a fractured family, the military in hot pursuit. Hill directed the Illumination pic Hop and Fox’s Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Seriously let’s face it, Hill can absolutely mine the box office gold out of this one. He made $183 million worldwide for a movie about the Easter Bunny’s son who shits out jelly beans for Cthulu’s sake! I’m sure he can have Johnny five rolling along the street crapping batteries and kids will go nuts. I say go for it Mr. Hill, as long as there is an audience willing to pay then go for it. One request I have is to please not have Johnny 5 voiced by the increasingly annoying Russell Brand. In my opinion that guy’s ship has sailed past the point of tolerable to the falls of un-f**king-bearable. I can’t stand him. Sorry to all you Brand fans, but you can join him if you wish.

I actually have another request. I would emphatically request that in this reboot they bring back the Los Locos, the most politically correct, well spoken group of individuals you will ever see. Watch the video below for their mission statement.

Movie Trailers

Movie Trailer: The Darkest Hour (Aliens! Invading! And Killing Humans!)

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People have to be on alien overload right now! Falling Skies on TNT, Cowboys and Aliens, Attack the Block, Skyline and Battle: LA are the most recent alien invasion movies to hit the screens. Out of all of those movies I truly only enjoyed Battle: LA. Attack the Block I have yet to see, but I’ve heard it is most excellent. I would say that the Darkest Hour was just another alien invasion flick but it does look to have it’s own identity in the form of the alien’s appearance.

Check out the trailer starring Emile Hirsch whom I haven’t since in a movie since the puke-fest that was Speed Racer:

Sure it’s another alien invasion flick, but the part that intrigues me is that the aliens are energy based lifeforms. How the hell do you fight something like that? It looked a little ridiculous with them having some sort of alien zapper guns, but I’m interested in seeing how humans could fight aliens that you can only see when they are around electronics.

Alien-Vision!

They actually reminded me of the phantoms in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within in terms of detecting their presence. We’ll see if the movie is at least decent come December, but I’m not holding out much hope. I think it will still be better than the oft delayed Apollo 18. 

Movie News & Opinions

Superman Revealed: Henry Cavill In The Cape

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Well it’s about damned time we finally get to see what our latest Man of Steel will look like when he debuts in the next Superman movie also titled the Man of Steel. I was wondering how Cavill would look in it or which direction they were going with the suit. I wasn’t worried about Cavill looking lame, but the suit was my main concern and it looks completely fine in the picture. Behold! And all hail IGN for the image! Not only does the suit look excellent, this picture looks extremely bad ass! I’m anticipating the hell out of this movie right about now with the cast they have lined up so they can release a trailer ASAP. Actually that’s not very realistic based on their anticipated release date of 2013. Not much is known about the plot other than Zod being in the movie as the villain, so hopefully with this picture out more is revealed soon! Let your voice be heard down below if you love or hate Supes new look! (Or lack there of!)

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Marvel Comics Review: The Punisher #1

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I have four words to say after reading this comic book: Thank you Mr. Rucka. The fresh start (and another #1 from Marvel) for Frank Castle has been one of my favorites from Marvel so far. Daredevil was great and Moon Knight is right behind but after all of the garbage that The Punisher character has been through this issue was nothing but win all the way through.

Frank Castle was like a ghost in this issue, lurking in the shadows before he would strike and when he did it was fast, bloody and brutal. This is the best Punisher since the MAX series by Garth Ennis, but it’s a step below it in regards to violence and swearing. I don’t mind the swearing being gone and the violence is only one notch down. They aren’t shy with it. I can’t believe I’m saying this but he almost reminded me of Spawn in this issue the way he showed up a couple times, took out some scum and departed.

Obviously I don’t want to see the whole series be about the detective in this story, Walter Bolt, while Castle is just some force of nature lurking in the shadows. I honestly can’t remember where Castle’s story left off because the character took a downward spiral after Civil War and was in the toilet with the abomination that was Franken Castle.

So now I’m hoping to see what Frank Castle has been up to since Franken Castle and what his relationship with Detective Bolt is. I give the issue a five out of five bears.

The art, story and return of Frank Castle was truly epic. It may seem like a quick reed because of this dialogue free opening and the last part that recollects events through a police report but the whole thing just flowed seamlessly. Excellent work by Greg Rucka and the artist Marco Checchetto in bringing the Punisher back to respectability. This $3.99 comic is worth every penny and there will be a new one out in two weeks! I can’t wait!

TV

Game of Thrones Season 2: Even More Casting! Jaqen H’gar

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I swear it’s like Chanukah around here lately because there have been multiple castings over the past few days for season 2 of a Game of Thrones. Now, thanks to news from IGN we’ve been graced with the casting of the mysterious yet bad ass character of Jaqen H’gar. H’gar is one of the prisoners that will be accompanying Arya, Yoren and a bunch of scumbags back to the Wall…. if they make it there. I’ll fill in those of you who like spoilers after the jump about H’gar and his background.

Jaqen H’gar will be played by Tom Wlaschiha, another newbie who hasn’t had much of anything besides extra roles in movies. But hopefully he has some potential to be his best in what I think is a pretty big role as far as Arya’s part of the story is concerned.

**SPOILERS**

The character of Jaqen H’gar starts off as a regular criminal, but definitely one to be feared as his dungeon mates are scared to death of him. As it turns out, Jaqen is really one of the Faceless Men. The Faceless are an elite group of assassins operating out of Bravoss with the ability to magically change their faces at will, which is what makes them so adept at getting close to those they choose to eliminate. Jaqen will be a great help to Arya in season 2 and in many way helps forge her future as she moves on through the remaining books/seasons. Can’t wait to see him in action! Be prepared for some more casting that I’m sure will be coming!