411 Fact or Fiction Movies/TV 6.15.12: Week 335
Posted by Ben Piper on 06.15.2012
Does the trailer for Django Unchained have us excited to see the movie? Will That's My Boy be a better movie than Adam Sandler's other recent efforts? Will Rock Of Ages be a bad movie? 411's Shawn S. Lealos and Mike Nasiatka debate these topics and more in this week's 411 Fact or Fiction: Movies!
What's happening, hot stuff? Welcome back yet again to the place where pop-culture pundits debate and the internet rolls look for a bridge to live under, Fact or Fiction. This week we've got Shawn S. Lealos and Nike Nasiatka to kick around. Here's what they have to say…
1. That's My Boy will be a better and funnier movie than Adam Sandler's other recent efforts.
Shawn S. Lealos:Fiction. I don't really know about this statement in general. If we are just talking about Jack and Jill, a monkey taking a dump is funnier. However, Just Go With It was not horrendous and the trailer for That's My Boy look pretty bad. Plus, I think that Funny People was great and that was only four movies in the past. I want it to be good because I have been a Sandler fan since his early comedy albums and loved every film from Billy Madison to Little Nicky. Of course, I loved You Don't Mess with the Zohan, so what do I know?
Mike Nasiatka:Fact. I say fact with the upmost hesitance. From what I've seen through advertising, this movie just doesn't look all too funny. But, if we look at Sandler's recent work, the bar has been set quite low. We really can't count Funny People as a recent effort since that movie was more Apatow's than Sandler's. With Funny People removed, Sandler's last three movies were Jack and Jill , Just Go With It , and Grown Ups. I don't think surpassing those three films in quality will be a difficult task. Let's also not forget the R rating That's My Boy carries. While I don't believe only R comedies can be funny, it certainly opens up more possibilities for the formerly edgy Sandler.
Score: 0 for 1
2. Tom Cruise & Matt Damon teaming up for a remake of The Magnificent Seven is an idea you can get behind.
Shawn S. Lealos:Fact. Give me anything with Tom Cruise and Matt Damon and I am excited. Damon proved he can play in a western with True Grit and I believe Tom Cruise can do anything he puts his mind to. Now, I am not excited about a remake of The Magnificent Seven in general, but then again, it was a remake of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, so it can't be considered off-limits. I can live with the remake, especially with Damon and Cruise onboard.
Mike Nasiatka:Fact. Fact mainly because Matt Damon rarely does anything that is total garbage. We could argue We Bought A Zoo and a few other underwhelming films, but the point is Damon generally chooses roles in movies that are at least passable. I've never been a fan of Tom Cruise, but with him attached, other big names will follow. I think ideally two or three more big name actors should join in the project with a few slots left for up and comers. With a couple more names and a good director, this could become a highly anticipated movie.
Score: 1 for 2
3. You'd eagerly tune in to a series of Toy Story TV specials.
Shawn S. Lealos:Fact. I would for more than one reason. First of all, Toy Story is a wonderful trilogy that just got better as the movies went on. Add in the great shorts that Pixar created with them and it proves there are so many great stories that can be told, even with the minor toys. What makes these TV specials (one in 2013 and one in 2014) great is that Pixar is making them and they are not rushing them. The second reason is that my son will be four when the specials air and Toy Story is one of his favorite movies. Show him the DVD and he yells WOODY and is ready to watch. That means I can enjoy new Pixar stories on the small screen and my son can get to watch some new cartoons right along with me.
Mike Nasiatka:Fact. My friend and I the other day were trying to figure out if there are any movie trilogies where quality remains high throughout all three films. We excluded the Lord Of The Rings trilogy since it was filmed in one shot and wouldn't have to deal with the same issues as other trilogies. With that criteria, the only one we could think of was the Toy Story series. Thus far, Toy Story has defied the law of diminishing returns, and I can easily see this success carrying over into television specials. Plus, even though Pixar whiffed a bit with Cars 2, the studio can still basically do no wrong.
Score: 2 for 3
Switch!!!
4. Even with its impressive cast, Rock Of Ages won't be very good.
Mike Nasiatka:Fact. I just don't like musicals. Well to be more accurate, I don't like musicals that weren't written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. I guess the songs are more accessible than standard musical numbers, but I'm not even a fan of most of those songs anyways. The ensemble cast is rather solid, but it will most likely just be a bunch of big names walking through their roles and singing a tune or two. I do want to slightly question that sentiment as Paul Giamatti and Bryan Cranston are in it, but I just can't see this movie being anything close to good.
Shawn S. Lealos:Fiction. I was supposed to see this movie at a screening on Tuesday night, and I was really stoked to see it, but it was two blocks from the site of the NBA Finals in Oklahoma City and I was not fighting that traffic. But, I won't care what any critic says, I will pay to see it this weekend. For one thing, it looks like the funnest musical since Moulin Rouge!, which I love. Next, Tom Cruise is in it and this looks like his most interesting role since Magnolia, and I can't wait to see it. As for the musical numbers, I have complete faith in Adam Shankman to pull that off impressively. Finally, I was a teenager in the ‘80s and these are some of my favorite bands, from Poison and Warrant to Def Leppard and Bon Jovi. This movie has everything I could possibly want and I cannot wait to get to see it.
Score: 2 for 4
5. You're looking forward to the return of Falling Skies this weekend.
Mike Nasiatka:Fiction. I must be totally honest and admit that I don't watch Falling Skies. I've heard good things about the show, but no one seems to be losing their mind over it. I did read about the addition of Terry O'Quinn for the upcoming season, so that does add a bit of intrigue. Perhaps I am looking forward to the show's return, but only because if it maintains its positive buzz, I might start watching. Ultimately, every ounce of anticipation I currently have will be going towards the return of Breaking Bad this summer.
Shawn S. Lealos:Fiction. Just like Mike, I never really watched the first season. I'm glad it is coming back because episodic TV needs more genre shows like this. However, while I think this is good for television and Terry O'Quinn coming aboard might make me actually tune in to see what it is about, I can't say I personally am looking forward to it.
Score: 3 for 5
6. The trailer for Django Unchained has you completely stoked to see the movie.
Mike Nasiatka:Fiction. I'm only comfortable writing what I'm about to write because I am so used to being reprimanded for it, but I am not a Quentin Tarantino fan. I do love his passion for film and filmmaking, but something about his movies just never wholly appealed to me. I greatly enjoyed Kill Bill Vol. 1 because I felt it embraced my biggest criticisms of Tarantino films and just took them to a whole other (surprisingly awesome) level. With that said, I do always see Quentin Tarantino's movies when they come out as they are important pieces of work. The Django Unchained trailer doesn't necessarily have me stoked to see the movie, but it has piqued my interest more so than previous trailers like Inglorious Basterds had. Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio are solid actors with the latter pretty much only starring in great films. Like I said, I will definitely be seeing Django Unchained, but not with the same zeal as mostly everyone else.
Shawn S. Lealos:Fact. I am more excited about Django Unchained than I am for any movie left this year, outside of Dark Knight Rises. The trailer actually made me even more jacked to see it. Jamie Foxx and Christophe Waltz look to be in good form and Leonardo DiCaprio looks like he is having a ball in the trailer. The trailer also shows Quentin Tarantino's flair for cool shots and the music is vintage Tarantino. I love everything Tarantino has done, with Inglorious Basterds, Jackie Brown and Pulp Fiction as personal favorites. This looks like it shares a bloodline with all three of those movies but is wholly original as well. This movie is going to rule the holiday season.
Final Score: 3 for 6
Shawn and Mike split the difference between them. Thanks to them both for coming by and participating. Come back next week and we'll do this thing again with different people. 'Til then...
-BP
