wongie loves: grindhouse

yep, i saw grindhouse over the weekend and i am proud to say that it lives up to the hype that i've been blabbing about for the past few months.

clocking at just about three hours (don't drink too much liquid if you want to watch all the fake trailers in between the movies - my favorite being 'don't' by edgar wright director of shaun of the dead), the world of 'planet terror' kicks in almost immediately with ball bustin (literally), zombies and a ripped limb that leads to the cool ass rose mcgowan machine gun leg. the robert rodruiguez film is so OTT that you're not quite sure if you can handle the 2nd movie slated after the intermission.

but you gotta stay on cause quentin tarantino's 'death proof' is definitely worth the wait. starting off pretty slow and lackadaisical, the film goes into overdrive when serial killer stuntman mike (hilariously played by kurt russell) goes on a murder rampage. the true find in 'death proof' is real life stuntwoman zoe bell, who plays one of the films potential victims (her sequence with the car is just plain amazing!). hopefully we'll see more of this cute strong lady in the future.

though the hardcore genres might turn off some viewers, the way to watch and hopefully enjoy the experience is to just leave your inhibitions at the door and go with the insane silliness of it all. that is the true grindhouse spirit!

watch movies this weekend: the lookout, after the wedding

if you're looking for some movies to watch this weekend that AREN'T your typical hollywood fare, then the lookout and after the wedding are perfect choices.

one is a slow brewing thriller about a young man trying to cope with his mental limitations and then discovers himself in the midst of a bank heist (trust me, the amazing joseph gordon-levitt makes this storyline completely plausible). the other is an amazing family drama that uncovers secrets and missed opportunities in a very simple way.

these films won't change your life, but not only should you help out their opening weekend tally, but they are pretty darn good for this quiet time in cinema (the calm before the crazy summer blockbuster storm).

other great movie choices this weekend:
blades of glory
300
the host
avenue montaigne
the page turner
boy culture

hilarious: adam sandler and don cheadle - endless love

adam sandler and don cheadle - endless love
[check this hilarious piece out! adam sandler filled in for david letterman the other day and well... this is what happened when his co-star don cheadle popped in for a chat.]

check out these preposterous reviews of shooter

personally i hate it when a publicist walks up to me for a quote, these days i try my hardest to not lie (i've learned to joke it off).

but whatever i think of the mark wahlberg action film shooter, i probably wouldn't lie when faced with the chance to get quoted by the films press agents.

here is a collection of one line reviews by some of reviewers in hollywood today.

who are these totally outrageous people?

Shawn Adler / MTV / Reporter
“I loved it. It’s so different than any other action hero I’ve seen. It was great. I’ve been talking about it with my friends all weekend.”

Lynn Barker / Teen Hollywood.com / Writer
“’Rambo for the 21st Century’ or ‘The Thinking Man's Rambo’. As a popcorn actioner, I really enjoyed it. I think Americans especially are ready to kick some government butt so we can root for Mark's character to get even for all of us. Acting was very good and it was very well-paced and shot. I think you have a winner here.”

Carrie Bell / People Magazine / Writer
“I really liked it. It was definitely better then I expected. Mark Wahlberg was great. I was very interesting to learn about snipers.”

Steven Chupnik / Movieweb.com / Writer
“I thought it was awesome!! I loved the gun fights and the action! Ok, so this is the kind of movie I love! And not only that, I know my dad would like it too - and he's 60 years old! Knowing Stephen Hunter from working in Baltimore, I couldn't wait to see how one of his books looked on the big screen. I'll tell you, Mark Wahlberg can play any type of character and nail it perfectly; and then you have Antoine Fuqua's vision coming into play!! Two perfectionists who got it right on!!”

Bob Lee Swagger is one of those characters you can relate to - in one way or another; at one point in your life, you've wanted to seek revenge on someone and he gets to live out that fantasy for you. Plus, the action scenes rock! The supporting cast stepped up as well in this; Danny Glover was down right nasty in this, and completely unexpected!! And then you throw in Ned Beatty, classic!! And Kate Mara is sure making a career for herself. Michael Pena, unfortunately, is the one negative about the movie - hell of a nice guy, just didn't support Mark's character enough for me; but still a good acting job. And one last thought - you know Lorenzo di Boneraventura is not going to make a bad film; whatever he attaches his name to seems to be good. Shooter is kick ass! Awesome action!"

Ben Lyons / E! “The Daily 10” / Host
"The hottest Hollywood has to offer, Kate Mara is a star on the rise. She sizzles in 'Shooter'".

Carol Mar / Made In Hollywood / Producer
“Lots of seat jarring explosive action. Mark Wahlberg was FANTASTIC!”

Mike Richards / Reelz / Writer
“I think Shooter represents the next generation of action movies. Wahlberg is one of the few actors who is completely believable in a military role. The best part of the movie is that you never knew where it was going and the ending was very satisfying.”

Mario Rivas / Entertainment News Service / Writer
“I haven’t seen a great action movie like this in a long time. I really enjoyed it”

George Roush / LatinoReview.com / Writer
“I love action movies where the hero kills 98% of his supporting cast.
Shooter is that movie!”

viral wongie: daily show - how to cure the gay

daily show - how to cure the gay
[i love this show! thanks to jeffers.]

wongies list: april 2007

time for the monthly list of the things i'll be buzzing about in that lil head of mine. perhaps you'll join in on my wavelength.

tv
1. battlestar galactica - with the shocking death of one of it's biggest characters, this intelligent, socially relevant sci fi drama continues to prove that it's one of the most surprising shows around. absolutely brilliant.

2. the riches - taking on the premise that a family of thieves would try to find normalcy moonlighting as a wealthy family, the powerhouse duo of eddie izzard and minnie driver are the surprise trump cards that make grifting look like so much fun.

3. the agency - bitchy bitchy bitchy. who knew modeling agencies could be this cut throat and nasty?

4. pussycat dolls present: the search for the next doll - like next top model meets idol. not only are the girls scorching hot, but they are a catty batch. oh wait, that was a play on words!

5. skins - no way in hell would the US ever commission such a fast paced realistic saucy look at teenage life (which is why it's produced from the UK). with a kicking soundtrack and talented cast, this is the kind of show that makes you excited about the small screen.

6. the hills - with lauryn and heidi's tenuous friendship at an all time low, what will these girls do to survive in the cold hard world of fashionable LA... oh who am i kidding, it's all fake anyway, which is why i love this show so!

7. ugly betty - though the crazy storylines make me think that this show has probably one more season before the backlash starts, i'm more than happy to go along for the ride just to crack up at the one liners (go ahead, call me gay).

8. instant star - though the first two seasons of this pop star odyssey was kind of run of the mill, this year already has introduced a catty nemesis for our heroine jude harrison and a death of a close friend (she was destructive punk rocker literally drove herself to her demise). being a singer these days is sure difficult.

9. greys anatomy - now that the death of grey is far behind us (probably some of the most emotional episodes i've seen in awhile), let the focus go back to multiple love triangles and good ol fashioned sex!

10. heroes / lost - both are impressive in their scope of storytelling and both continue to introduce twists and turns that you would least expect. don't give up on either show because you're missing out on amazing tv on a weekly basis.

runner up tv: the L word, work out, hotel babylon (uk), robin hood (uk), bonkers (uk)

film
1. grindhouse - at this point, i may have overhyped this movie to the point of disappointment. hopefully when i see it this weekend, i'll be able to ease my pain.

2. hot fuzz - from the same team who brought you shaun of the dead, this is their version of the buddy cop flick. hilarious!

3. sunshine - director danny boyle's (trainspotting, 28 days later) take on the sci fi flick. sunshine is not only wonderfully claustrophobic, beautiful, psychological, and nail biting, but watching the diverse international cast makes this one of the more interesting movies of the year.

4. knocked up - based on the trailer alone, this looks like the sleeper raunchy comedy of the summer. i can't wait!

5. the nanny diaries - ok, i'm a girl. but the idea of watching scarlett johansson work for a nasty laura linney is reason enough for me.

6. disturbia - the teen version of 'rear window' is a plotline that will never get old for a closet voyeur like me.

7. vacancy - a couple in peril. nuff said.

three movies you should have seen by now:
the host
after the wedding
the lives of others
300

music
[to discover more about music please go to my music blog]
1. amy winehouse
2. peter bjorn and john
3. feist
4. loney, dear
5. james morrison
6. the fratellis
7. travis
8. groove armada
9. timbaland
10. maroon 5
11. beyonce
12. simian mobile disco
13. elliot yamin
14. josh pyke
15. lcd soundsystem

wongie loves: hot fuzz

from the team that brought you the hilarious zom-rom-com shaun of the dead and spaced (one of my favorite tv comedies ever) comes their latest genre tweaking masterpiece hot fuzz.

this time the comedic duo of simon pegg and nick frost get paired up in the seemingly quiet town of sandford. sent to the idyllic town because he was showing up his london co-workers in the police force, over achieving cop nicholas angel (pegg) quickly realizes that the inhabitants of his surroundings have a high level of deathly 'accidents'.

what ensues is a wacky who done it filled with bloody murder, bruckheimer gunplay and funny gags galore. who knew that the suburbs could be so deadly?


hot fuzz - trailer

watch this now! spiral magic

i'm such a dork for this stuff. watch the news piece on abc.com and you'll have a total 'whoa' experience like i did.