20th Century Fox’s recent adaption of the Japanese anime, Dragonball titled Dragonball Evolution is an insult to the creators and fans of the Japanese franchise. The adaptation rewrites the Dragonball legacy, leaving only a few elements from the original storyline intact; the studio executives just needed to find a writer to who could transform the abundance of Dragonball material into a script; if the studio executives had done that, they could have created a franchise that would rival Warner Brother’s Harry Potter franchise. The general rule of thumb is to stay loyal to the source material, whether it is a book, past movie or animation since there is already a devotee group of fans that want to see their materials adapted, not rebooted.
Adaptations should never reboot a franchise unless it is a dying franchise that needs to be revitalized, like the Star Trek franchise. The previous Star Trek movies have been unsuccessful so it stands to reason that the new Star Trek movie is a reboot, only when all options of faithful adaptations are explored should a producer even consider creating a different storyline because they run risk of alienating the existing fan base and destroying the franchise.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Mark Kwan: Founder of NYCMovieScreenings, NYCStreetTeam & NYCMovieParties
At an advanced screening for The Soloist, Mark Kwan of NYCMovieScreenings received a phone call from Michelle who works for Studio Gems. She needed Kwan to organize a promotional event at 6 a.m. The next morning during the Today Show for the upcoming movie, Obsessed.“They changed the event to tomorrow, it was suppose to be on Friday,” said Kwan as he and two of his interns began messaging invitations to their friends. It was almost 8 p.m., yet they did not have enough people for the event.
The next morning at the Today Show, Kwan recruited the general audience to be his promoters, “you can have these Obsessed t-shirts and posters but you have to wear them in front of the camera,” he said to the crowd. There were New Yorkers in the crowd but it was predominately tourists spanning from Maine to Wyoming. The people gladly accepted the items and flaunted them in front of the cameras. The event was a success. “Media-hackery” is what Jon Stewart would say, manipulating the audience and media to promote a new movie.
Kwan is the founder and owner of NYCMovieScreeings; the company has been organizing free advanced movie screenings each week in New York City for the public since 2006. Since then the company has branched out to Long Island, Albany and New Jersey. This is quite an astounding feat considering Kwan was an intern at the company several years earlier; at the time the company was called RSVPNYCity and they focused on organizing parties that promoted upcoming movies. However, the owners, Jeff and Mitch did not find the company profitable so they gave it away to their only employee, Kwan. He eventually rebranded the website to NYCMovieParties and then expanded the company to NYCMovieScreenings and NYCStreetTeam with the connections he gained from the previous owners and the help of his photographer, Sherwin Dyer.
Kwan would have never dreamed he would have his own company and office in Manhattan when he was flipping burgers a Wendy’s for minimum wage or when he graduated CUNY Queens College with a degree in Computer Science. “I wanted to be a token Clerk for the MTA,” he said. Kwan had quit his lucrative job doing data entry at law office and turned down an internship at JP Morgan to find something he enjoyed doing; he began taking on various side projects, producing comedy shows and he eventually found his way to RSVPNYCity. At the time his parents thought he was foolish for not choosing a steady job or choosing a job related to his degree, but today they take pride in saying, "my son can give your son a job.”
Kwan says that this summer his company will be announcing two projects that they have kept secret. He said their company would offer a rewards program in the future through a Facebook application. Members would be able to earn points when they use the application and will be able to redeem the points for prizes like movie memorabilia, guaranteed seating to advance screenings and gift cards. The application has yet to go into development but Kwan expects the rewards program to launch sometime in 2009.
“You are fired”, is what Kwan will be saying a lot of during the summer because he has decided to host a competitive internship that will be made into a web-series, not unlike Donald Trump’s The Apprentice. Interns will be vying for a cash prize and six-month job as Kwan’s personal assistant. Interns have to accomplish their given task with their allotted budget each week or else they will be kicked off the show.
Despite his success Kwan is a humble guy, last year his NYCStreetTeam partnered with New York Cares to repaint the outside of a school. This year Kwan hopes to be working more closely with other non-profits organizations and possibly organizing canned food drives at their screenings. When asked about the deal he made with the previous owners, Kwan simply said, “We never signed a contract, and the company that was given was not really a company. It was more of a login and password to a website. It was [not] profitable back then, so it was not something of value. I saw it's potential, and I think I was the only one with the dedication and the drive to make something of it.”
Kwan would have never dreamed he would have his own company and office in Manhattan when he was flipping burgers a Wendy’s for minimum wage or when he graduated CUNY Queens College with a degree in Computer Science. “I wanted to be a token Clerk for the MTA,” he said. Kwan had quit his lucrative job doing data entry at law office and turned down an internship at JP Morgan to find something he enjoyed doing; he began taking on various side projects, producing comedy shows and he eventually found his way to RSVPNYCity. At the time his parents thought he was foolish for not choosing a steady job or choosing a job related to his degree, but today they take pride in saying, "my son can give your son a job.”
Kwan says that this summer his company will be announcing two projects that they have kept secret. He said their company would offer a rewards program in the future through a Facebook application. Members would be able to earn points when they use the application and will be able to redeem the points for prizes like movie memorabilia, guaranteed seating to advance screenings and gift cards. The application has yet to go into development but Kwan expects the rewards program to launch sometime in 2009.
“You are fired”, is what Kwan will be saying a lot of during the summer because he has decided to host a competitive internship that will be made into a web-series, not unlike Donald Trump’s The Apprentice. Interns will be vying for a cash prize and six-month job as Kwan’s personal assistant. Interns have to accomplish their given task with their allotted budget each week or else they will be kicked off the show.
Despite his success Kwan is a humble guy, last year his NYCStreetTeam partnered with New York Cares to repaint the outside of a school. This year Kwan hopes to be working more closely with other non-profits organizations and possibly organizing canned food drives at their screenings. When asked about the deal he made with the previous owners, Kwan simply said, “We never signed a contract, and the company that was given was not really a company. It was more of a login and password to a website. It was [not] profitable back then, so it was not something of value. I saw it's potential, and I think I was the only one with the dedication and the drive to make something of it.”Friday, May 1, 2009
Chuck Versus The Office
I really enjoy watching Chuck; it’s a relatively simple show to follow, the story line is consistent and the character development is great. The characters are constantly being developed unlike The Office where after five seasons Michael Scott is still the same guy as he was in season one. In the latest episode Casual Friday, Michael Scott plays the same joke on the staff as he does in the beginning of the series where he pretends to fire someone and then later plays it off as a joke.
In addition his constant need to satisfy his employees continues to hinder his judgment; at first Michael was very adamant about Pam and Ryan keeping the clients they had stolen but he eventually gave in when Phyllis said “we were suppose to be family.” Time after time Michael has demonstrated he can be an ingenious character but his constant need for approval prevents him from growing; he out-smarted David Wallance during the negotiations in the last episode and then we see Michael whimpering when his employees are mad at him.
While the premise for Chuck is unrealistic, the character development and character philosophies are more genuine than The Office. The majority of the characters in The Office are static characters compared to the variable characters in Chuck. Both shows are meant to be light comedies and have an underlying plot but The Office fails drastically when paired with Chuck. The storyline in Chuck is much more progressive and for the most part, all the characters are development in a certain. After five seasons, the writers have barely developed Creed’s character or Oscar’s character. Last Monday the second season of Chuck ended so if you haven't checked out the series yet, it's a good time to start.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Monsters vs. Aliens
Pixar Studios has been leading the animated films industry ever since they developed Toy Story in 1995, and continued to uphold their prominence by producing films like Monsters, Inc (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007) and WALL-E (2008) that have transcended age and cultural barriers. This fame has led to many challenges from other studios, most recently is Dreamworks Animation’s Monsters vs. Aliens. This latest project is the brainchild of Conrad Vernon and Rob Letterman, two individuals who had helped develop Shrek, Shrek 2 and Shark Tale in the past for Dreamworks Animations.
Monsters vs. Aliens is an animated comedy rendered with 3D effects that depicts an impending battle between a secret government agency’s monster squad and a fleet of alien forces. The visual detail of the film is remarkable; every inch of every character is carefully constructed with details present in everyday people, in one particular scene the General W.R. Monger (Kiefer Sunderland) is facing away from the camera, allowing the audience to see the very detailed and precise fading hairline that looks almost real.
Aside from the vivid graphic, Dreamworks animators has taken a lesson from Pixar by incorporating easter eggs into the film; easter eggs in animated movies are usually hidden messages or images within the movie that alludes to a previous movie the company has produced. In several scenes of Monsters vs. Aliens, General W.R. Monger can be seen wearing a medal that looks like Shrek.
Despite the intricate details of this movie, it is a third-rate movie because it relies too heavily on the 3D visual effects and its celebrity cast rather than a well-structured plot. In addition the characters are poorly developed. Monsters vs. Aliens will certainly entertain younger audiences but older viewers will be extremely disappointed.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
I Love You, Man Review
When NBC’s hit television show Friends was scheduled for its tenth and final season, people predicted which of the six original Friends cast members would excel after the show, surprisingly the only “friend” to slowly rise was Mike Hannigan (Paul Rudd). Paul Rudd has been starring in films like The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Role Models, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the upcoming I Love You, Man directed by John Hamburg; who has also worked on screenplays for Meet The Parents, Meet The Fockers, Zoolander and Along Came Polly.
I Love You, Man is a hilarious romantic comedy with a unique plot unlike any other movie; the main character Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) goes on a quest to find not the perfect girl but a best man for his upcoming wedding.
Kalven decides to go on this friend-quest after he overhears a conversation between his fiancé, Zooey (Rashida Jones) and her bridesmaids about his lack of male friends and the possibility that his mom is his best friend. Embarrassed at the prospect of not having any groomsmen, Peter gets his charismatic gay brother Robby to help.
Right off the bat Robby tells his brother not to arrange any dinner meets because it will send the wrong message. Peter is, of course persuaded to dismiss the advice later on by his mother, who mistakenly sets him up with her friend’s gay son, Doug (Thomas Lennon). The dinner scene is an ode to Shakespeare as it utilizes mistaken identities to perpetuate comical situations; Peter thinks he’s finally found a new friend while Doug believes he has found a boyfriend, it is not until Doug repeatedly kisses Peter in the parking lot during a farewell does Peter realize the situation he is in.
After several unsuccessful “man-dates” Peter meets Sidney Fife (Jason Sigel), an investor at an open house he was showcasing, and decides to offer his realty services to Sidney as a means to befriend him. Despite Peter’s entrepreneurial instincts the two do not talk about business, they simply hang out for several hours getting drunk and hang out again the next day.
The two continue to hangout with each other everyday and Peter is slowly transformed from an unassertive nice guy to an independent individual capable of expressing himself. The reason for this seemingly savvy character helping Peter out is that Sidney himself has problems. Sidney’s hedonist lifestyle has held him back as his friends pursue careers and start families.
Much of the film’s enticing comedy is in its flawless portrayal of the awkward and silly moments in everyday life. The actors in I Love You, Man interact harmoniously, allowing each scene to seamlessly build to the next. A delightful surprise was the movie’s subtle use of humanizing quirks that just brings the characters to life.
In addition there are numerous supporting characters like Jaime Pressly, Jon Faveru, Andy Samberg, Rob Huebel and several others who have their share of excellent scenes. The movie does not rely highly on any single character to carry the film but cohesive interaction between all actors to produce an ingenious film.
The only negative aspect is the movie tried to end in a happily ever after tone for all characters. For the most part it was successful; but Sidney revealing himself as this highly successful investor was unnecessary and inconsistent with his previous image. If the movie trailer fails to entice you to watch I Love You, Man then your friends who watch the movie will surely convince you otherwise. This is one movie that should not be missed.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The Office: Golden Ticket Review
Season 5 Episode 19: Golden Ticket
Director: Randall Einhorn
Writer: Mindy Kaling
The Office is a roller coaster of television goodness; many people criticize the show for its slow plot development and its inconsistent character interaction, but The Office is a show to be enjoyed without much thinking, just embrace the silliness that is Dunder Mifflin!
The golden ticket episode is a tribute to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as Michael Scott (Steve Carell) creates five golden coupons to hide in various paper shipments; each coupon is a 10% discount. Michael even dresses up like Willy Wonka to promote his idea.
Staying true to Murphy’s Law, “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong;” Michael accidentally sends all five coupons to the company’s largest client, without having marked limit one per customer on the coupons. Frightened at the prospect of being fired for his marketing ploy, Michael Scott manipulates Dwight into taking the blame.
Michael has always been a lovable character that everyone just wanted to cheer for but lately his actions are becoming more unbelievable and harder to reconcile with. In the previous episode, Blood Drive, Michael hosted a Valentine’s Day party for singles at the office to attract a woman he met during the blood drive. Michael could have easily asked the woman out when they were both donating blood but he chose to take the improbable path of drawing her in with a singles party.
Michael continues to forgo opportunities and make unimaginable mistakes like an adolescent. While his childish behavior is entertaining, ultimately people want to see characters like Michael Scott succeed by taking charge of their lives and break out of their repetitive nature. It was truly disappointing to see Michael trying to use Dwight as a scapegoat, and then try to reclaim the idea after Dwight received high praise from David.
Andy’s heart broken nature is shown when he gives Kevin dating advice, contrary to his previous courting behavior with Angela, Andy advises Kevin to take extreme caution and to retain the ”power” in the relationship. It is interesting to see that Kevin’s character is slowly being developed as he tries to ask out the woman he met during the party. Even though he is still the child-minded Kevin from the previous seasons, I look forward to seeing more of Kevin.
It will also be intriguing to see the creators develop Creed and Oscar; the two have always been stock characters providing witty sound bites. The best line by Creed has to be, "No one steals from Creed Bratton and gets away with it. The last person to steal from me disappeared, his name, Creed Bratton."
Director: Randall Einhorn
Writer: Mindy Kaling
The Office is a roller coaster of television goodness; many people criticize the show for its slow plot development and its inconsistent character interaction, but The Office is a show to be enjoyed without much thinking, just embrace the silliness that is Dunder Mifflin!
The golden ticket episode is a tribute to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as Michael Scott (Steve Carell) creates five golden coupons to hide in various paper shipments; each coupon is a 10% discount. Michael even dresses up like Willy Wonka to promote his idea.
Staying true to Murphy’s Law, “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong;” Michael accidentally sends all five coupons to the company’s largest client, without having marked limit one per customer on the coupons. Frightened at the prospect of being fired for his marketing ploy, Michael Scott manipulates Dwight into taking the blame.
Michael has always been a lovable character that everyone just wanted to cheer for but lately his actions are becoming more unbelievable and harder to reconcile with. In the previous episode, Blood Drive, Michael hosted a Valentine’s Day party for singles at the office to attract a woman he met during the blood drive. Michael could have easily asked the woman out when they were both donating blood but he chose to take the improbable path of drawing her in with a singles party.
Michael continues to forgo opportunities and make unimaginable mistakes like an adolescent. While his childish behavior is entertaining, ultimately people want to see characters like Michael Scott succeed by taking charge of their lives and break out of their repetitive nature. It was truly disappointing to see Michael trying to use Dwight as a scapegoat, and then try to reclaim the idea after Dwight received high praise from David.
Andy’s heart broken nature is shown when he gives Kevin dating advice, contrary to his previous courting behavior with Angela, Andy advises Kevin to take extreme caution and to retain the ”power” in the relationship. It is interesting to see that Kevin’s character is slowly being developed as he tries to ask out the woman he met during the party. Even though he is still the child-minded Kevin from the previous seasons, I look forward to seeing more of Kevin.
It will also be intriguing to see the creators develop Creed and Oscar; the two have always been stock characters providing witty sound bites. The best line by Creed has to be, "No one steals from Creed Bratton and gets away with it. The last person to steal from me disappeared, his name, Creed Bratton."
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The Chopping Block Review
Ever since Bravo Television’s reality show, Top Chef reached critical acclaim, similar shows have risen from other networks, and each one has maintained the basic model of a cooking competition intact to ensure authenticity.
However NBC’s new reality cooking show, The Chopping Block makes no attempt to uphold this integrity; the show utilizes numerous elements from other shows that are unnecessary and wrong for a cooking competition, leaving the viewer unfulfilled and left with another horrendous show on television. If looking for a cooking show, you are better off watching reruns of Top Chef or Iron Chef than watching The Chopping Block.
The Chopping Block is like Top Chef’s “restaurant wars” actualized in New York City; two teams, black and red must open a functional restaurant within the allotted time to serve New Yorkers. During this period the contestants must create a full course menu with appetizers, entrées and desserts.
The two teams are not made up of individual chefs vying together like “restaurant wars” but actually four separate teams, each consisting of two individuals with a preexisting relationship competing for the $250,000 grand prize.
This style works for The Amazing Race but does not work in a cooking competition. Many of the partners end up not cooking and one individual; Denise Nguyen does not even know how to cook. Regardless of any ingenuity or moral support this type of casting creates, a person who cannot cook should never be cast in a cooking competition.
The elimination process for the show is laughable as the “head judge;” Marco Pierre White tries to determine a loser with out having tasted any of the food. The elimination is reminiscent of the boardroom in The Apprentice as chefs bicker to find a scapegoat. The judge does inquire about each person’s responsibility or even assign corrective feedback, he simply watches the debate until he picks someone to eliminate which is ironic because he had said, “when you are playing with people’s dreams you have to be fair, I have a moral obligations to do the right thing.”
The show is overly pretentious as the show is focused on Marco Pierre White’s all encompassing reputation and his personal comments rather than the contestants or food. People enjoy cooking competitions because they want to see the individuals strive for success while they learn about fine cuisine. The Chopping Blocks explores neither aspect, it barely introduces the contestants and only briefly is the food ever the focus of the show.
When watching Top Chef or Iron Chef, one is able to see the contestants conceptualize and create wondrous dishes out of simple ingredients; almost alluding at the possibility that the audience members could do the same. The creators of The Chopping Block have failed to realize this, even with five seasons of Top Chef and the Food Network as market research; perhaps they should spent less money on computer generated images like the ones on Fringe used to convey locations and more on market research and focus groups.
At the end of the show Marco is unable to eliminate anyone because the team of Asian cousins, Khoa Nguyen and Denise Nguyen decide to quit. Khoa is fairly talented as a chef but is unable to endure the intense disputes. The contestant that was supposed to be eliminated said, “it was one of the most selfless things ever.” The act of quitting any competition is not selfless; it is cowardice and should never be done. Khoa’s actions were entirely uncalled for and reaffirmed the Asian stereotype.
If the most enticing incident throughout a cooking show is a large fire grill falling and a glass door oven shattering; then the show is not worth your time.
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