Ultimate belly flops . . .
Month: July 2012 (Page 8 of 15)
I’ve mentioned on several occasions how great the selection of Blu-rays has been this summer, and it’s not just the quality of the films that matters, but the variety as well. This week’s lineup of new releases is a perfect example, with something for just about everyone. Though I wish that a review copy of “Lockout” had arrived in time to include in my column, there’s still quite a bit here to keep you entertained for most of the week.
“Mean Streets”
“Mean Streets” is one of those movies that’s lingered on my must-see list for years but I never found the time to watch, so this Blu-ray release was the perfect opportunity to remedy the situation. But whether it was just a case of my expectations being too high or something else altogether, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Although there’s some great stuff in the movie that Martin Scorsese went on to utilize to even better effect in future projects, the sum of those parts feels too raw and unpolished. Robert De Niro delivers a stellar supporting performance in the first of his many collaborations with Scorsese, but the rest of the acting isn’t quite up to par. The story is also pretty lacking for a movie that runs nearly two hours in length, and it wastes so much time on petty confrontations that by the time the big finale finally arrives, my interest had waned considerably. I may be in the minority when it comes to the gritty crime drama, but when you’ve already seen all the other Scorsese/De Niro team-ups, it’s understandable why this might pale in comparison.
Blu-ray Highlight: Any audio commentary with Martin Scorsese should be considered mandatory listening material, and the one included here featuring the director with co-writer/frequent collaborator Mardik Martin and actress Amy Robinson is no exception.
“Singin’ in the Rain”
For a movie that’s considered by many to be the best musical of all time, it’s surprising that Warner Bros. took so long to release it on Blu-ray, although you could say the same for a lot of their classic titles. In celebration of its 60th anniversary (hardly an important milestone, but one that sounds impressive nonetheless), the studio has spared no expense for the film’s Blu-ray debut, which boasts a new 4k high definition video transfer that looks amazing. Though it’s a little strange to watch the movie after having seen “The Artist” (which, let’s be honest, was obviously heavily influenced by “Singin’ in the Rain”), it’s still a really enjoyable flick. The story is admittedly a bit cheesy, but almost every song-and-dance number is memorable, and the main three actors are perfectly cast in their roles. In fact, although the film may be a Gene Kelly vehicle, it’s his two co-stars that steal the show. Donald O’Connor manages to keep up with the fleet-footed Kelly every step of the way (and makes you laugh while doing so), while Debbie Reynolds is so charming that you’d be crazy not to fall madly in love with her the minute she appears onscreen.
Blu-ray Highlight: The Ultimate Collector’s Edition box set comes packed with some pretty cool goodies (including a 42-page hardcover book and your very own umbrella), but the all-new documentary “Raining on a New Generation” is the best of the limited bonus material. Featuring interviews with the likes of Paula Abdul, Matthew Morrison and Harry Shum Jr. of “Glee,” and the directors and choreographers of recent movie and TV musicals, the featurette is an interesting retrospective on the film that covers the choreography, ensemble cast and the effect that it still has on Hollywood today.
The initial reaction to the idea of a new Three Stooges film for 2012 brought no end of moans and groans from Moe, Larry & Curly purists, but after Bobby and Peter Farrelly’s film hit theaters, many were surprised by the fact that it didn’t completely suck. Indeed, it was actually about as good as anyone could’ve hoped, thanks in no small part to the Farrelly’s devotion to making the best possible tribute to the comedic trio that they possibly could, aided in no small part by the efforts of Chris Diamantopoulos (Moe), Sean Hayes (Larry), and Will Sasso (Curly). Bullz-Eye talked to Peter Farrelly in conjunction with the film hitting DVD, and he spoke about the trials and tribulations of getting the film made, his Zen attitude toward the lengthy casting process, and his continued optimism that the Farrellys’ next film will indeed be “Dumb & Dumber 2.”
Bullz-Eye: Not that you haven’t been asked this more than a few times, but…what’s your very first memory of experiencing the Three Stooges?
Peter Farrelly: You know, the God’s honest truth…? I don’t remember it. Because they were always there. I’ve been watching the Stooges since I could turn on a TV. But I guess the thing I recall the most is, for some reason, I went through a period when I was, like, a freshman in high school where they were on every day from I think 4 – 5 PM, and I just remember it being the highlight of that winter. [Laughs.] Every day, because it was freezing out, you’d just get in the house and turn on the TV. Every kid in my school at that time was watching. For some reason, they were going through some sort of a renaissance. Everybody was watching them that year.
BE: Not that you guys have ever been afraid of testing boundaries, but it would seem to be pretty daunting to update the Three Stooges. I think the last time anyone tried it was with “The Three Robonic Stooges.“
PF: Yeah, we knew it wasn’t gonna be easy, but we love the Stooges and…the God’s honest truth is that we felt like they were going away. I had little kids…well, they’re 11 and 13 years old now, but the last few years, I asked their friends, and two-thirds of them did not know the Three Stooges. Or they had heard of them, but they didn’t really know who they were. And that bothered us, because we’re huge Stooges fans – they’ve given me more laughs than anybody – and we wanted to bring them back. But we knew that…you know, look, anytime you do anything like this… There was a huge, huge opportunity to fall on our faces, but I did believe that it should be done, the movie should be made, and I felt very confident that we could pull it off.
This story is getting plenty of play today, as it should. Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band capped off a marathon show in Hyde Park in London by inviting Paul McCartney on stage. They ripped through “I Saw Her Standing There” and then moved on to “Twist and Shout” when all of the mikes were cut off. Apparently they had gone beyond the curfew and someone decided it was time to end the show. What a shame.
Mike Furci has a new column up today on Bullz-Eye with workouts to help you build your back. Check it out the full article for some great back exercises.
I want to highlight one section of the article that focuses on four workout principles. These can apply to all your workouts, and developing habits around these principles will make your workouts more effective and help you avoid injury.
– Do not cheat while performing an exercise. Performing movements without strict form places excessive stress on the connective tissue. When a rep cannot be completed in a smooth fashion, end it. Using other muscle groups, like leaning back to finish a barbell curl, is not stimulating the biceps more. There is absolutely no place for this technique in any program no matter what the level or age of the lifter.
– Avoid using negative-only training. The theory behind using negatives is based on the fact that you can use a great deal more weight during the eccentric (negative) portion of a lift as opposed to the concentric (raising) portion. The theory states that by performing negatives with heavier weight than you can lift with traditional reps, it will elicit a greater adaptive response and further hasten your progress. As anyone who’s performed negative-only training will tell you, it’s extremely demanding and wearing on the body. The inroads to your recovery ability, and the wear and tear made by performing negatives, is very difficult to regulate. The ends do not justify the means.
– No forced reps. A forced rep is performed at the end of a set. As the lifter fails in an attempt to perform the concentric portion of the rep, a spotter helps move it to completion. The lifter then lowers the weight and attempts another rep; when the rep starts to fail, the spotter again helps complete the rep. Forcing a fatigued muscle to do extremely hard work is playing with fire. As with negatives, forced reps — because of the level of wear and tear — is a technique that should be avoided.
– Form over all. I cannot stress this enough. The form you use when performing an exercise is of the utmost importance especially for advanced lifters. This principle coincides with the above, “Do not cheat while performing an exercise.” Once you can no longer move the weight in a smooth controlled manner, end the set.
The first three principles are major don’ts, the last is a major do. All four of the above principles are imperative in keeping from walking that tight rope between training with intensity and injury.
Check out Mike’s columns on Bullz-Eye for great fitness and nutrition tips.
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