THE GREAT GATSBY, Now Available on DVD, Blu-Ray HDDVD, and On Demand. (Check Your Service Provider) Starring Leonardo diCaprio, Toby Maguire, Isla Fisher, and Carey Milligan. Based on the novel by F.Scott Fitzgerald, Directed by Baz Luhrman, Rated R
It may sound like plagarism, but at this point, I would like to recap a review of Peter Bogdanovich's adaptation of the same book, as reported by the legendary film critic Gene Shalit on the TODAY show's Critics' Corner segment.
The review opened with a 20's-inspired title card reading THE GREAT GATSBY. Gene shook his head.
The title card was altered to read THE GOOD GATSBY. Again, Gene shook his head.
THE FAIR GATSBY? Another head shake.
THE MEDIOCRE GATSBY? Another head shake.
Historical accuracy was eschewed in favor of journalistic accuracy as a title card inspired by the CinemaScope logo proclaimed:
YECCCCCCCCCCCCCCCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After which Gene smiled and applauded. Geno, wherever you are, I concur with you, only this time, the object of my objection is the 2013 Jay-Z/Baz Luhrman version. The lowlight of this movie is a tie between Jay's unabashedly hip-hop autobiography "Izzo/H.O.V.A" and his otherwise perfect wife Beyonce's roaring 20's version of her own "Crazy In Love." Did I say ROARING 20's? SNORING 20's and BORING 20's are more like it. KICK IT!
And now for something completely different, as in, better:
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, Tuesday 8:30 PM ET,TV-14 (FOX) Andy Samberg, Stephanie Beatriz, Terry Crews,Andre Braugher
In the world of television, two of the most popular prime-time genres are the workplace comedy and the police procedural. This is a story of what happens when these two genres collide.
Former SNL cast member is Andy Samberg is Lt. Jake Peralta, a detective working out of the 99th Precinct in Brooklyn. I won't say he's a loose cannon, but he makes such characters as Columbo,Barretta, and Shadoe Stevens' famous character Max Monroe, who DID say HE was a Loose Cannon, seem absolutely normal by comparison! Peralta's life is OK, until Captain Ray Holt (Braugher) assumes command. Just like the AIRPLANE! movies, everybody plays their characters perfectly straight, although there ARE times when it's up to Andy to carry the show all by himself, but, nine times out of ten, he manages to succeed. No police show sacred cow goes unroasted, and there IS the occasional element of drama just to make things interesting. BROOKLYN NINE-NINE is, far and away, the most arresting sitcom of the young TV season. CLICK IT!
About the only major thing wrong with BROOKLYN is its lead-in:
DADS, Tuesday 8:00 PM ET, TV-14
Unlike GATSBY, I won't embarass the cast by naming names, they already embarassed themselves by agreeing to appear in this insensitive, racist, sexist, UNFUNNY excuse for a comedy perpetrated by Seth McFarlane who created the WAY funnier FAMILY GUY,AMERICAN DAD! and THE CLEVELAND SHOW. (I WILL mention Brenda Song, better known as heirhead London Tipton from Disney's THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK AND CODY and THE SUITE LIFE ON DECK,who totally demeans herself by posing as an anime character.) KICK IT!
TTYL! (Talk To You Later!)
Steve
P.S.: I will be in Philadelphia from November 18-November 25, so there either WILL or WON'T be a Blog that week. Stay tuned!
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