Semi-Pro

Semi-Pro with Will Ferrel was very funny, but not that funny. I enjoyed it very much and will probably watch it again some day, but for those of you expecting to pee your pants like you did with Anchorman, it falls a little short.
I was born in the seventies so it is always fun to see a film set when my parents were getting to know each other. There is a lot of smoking and casual drinking. The "Hot and Sweaty" version we found on the DVD had other great things from the seventies; breasts and fur coats.

Jackie Moon:Everybody panic! Oh my God, there's a bear loose in the coliseum! There will be no refunds! Your refund will be escaping this deathtrap with your life! If you have a small child, use it as a shield! They love the tender meat!

You will definitely get Jackie Moon's song "Love Me Sexy" stuck in your brain. And it will make you sweaty, "I'm talkin' rainforest sweaty".

Rated R for partial nudity and a lot of cursing.

Available at Netflix

Multiple Queues being axed Kept

Updated!

This just in; from the folks at Netflix. Due to overwhelming demand, they are going to keep user profiles. Yeah!

From Netflix:

We Are Keeping Netflix Profiles

Dear (Redacted),
You spoke, and we listened. We are keeping Profiles. Thank you for all the calls and emails telling us how important Profiles are. We are sorry for any inconvenience we may have caused. We hope the next time you hear from us we will delight, and not disappoint, you.

-Your friends at Netflix

Previous Post

Netflix users that participate in multiple queues, got some bad news yesterday. Netflix has decided to discontinue the feature on September 1st, 2008.

For those of you who have not used multiple profiles; they allowed you to split up your monthly movie allotment amongst separate users. In our house that meant that the kids and my wife had a single movie lineup and I had a two movie lineup. When a movie from thier queue went back to Netflix, they got one of their kids movies or chic flicks in return. Likewise, when I crammed in two discs from the Battlestar Galactica series and return them I get Fletch and Beowulf back instead of All Dogs Go To Heaven. If the kids decide to sit on a Go Diego Go video for two weeks it doesn't affect my movies.

Below is the text of the announcment:

Important News Regarding Netflix Profiles
Dear Netflix user(name redacted),

We wanted to let you know we will be eliminating Profiles, the feature that allowed you to set up separate DVD Queues under one account, effective September 1, 2008.

Each additional Profile Queue will be unavailable after September 1, 2008. Before then, we recommend you consolidate any of your Profile Queues to your main account Queue or print them out.

While it may be disappointing to see Profiles go away, this change will help us continue to improve the Netflix website for all our customers.

If you have any questions, please go to http://www.netflix.com/Help?p_faqid=3962 or call us anytime at 1 (888) 638-3549. We apologize for any inconvenience.

- The Netflix Team

I am sad to see this feature go although I understand that it will spur some people to get their own account instead of watching movies on their in-laws account. More revenue for Netflix.

Available at Netflix

Big Trouble In Little China

Kurt Russell as Jack Burton and his friend Wang Chi Witness the kidnapping of Pai, Wang's girlfriend, by some thugs from Chinatown. Jack Burton and Wang end up under Chinatown where they meet 2000 year old Lo Pan. Lo Pan is cursed, and must marry a women with green eyes and then sacrifice her to be released from his ghostly form and become human again.
Burton and Wang fight Lo Pan's gang of Henchman, the "Wing Kong", and the "Three Storms" Three men who can control Rain, Thunder and Lightning. Gracie Law, a lawyer played by Kim Cattrall, a tour bus driver/sorcerer called Egg Shen played by the venerable Victor Wong, Eddie Lee a friend of Wang's, and a helpful street gang the Chang Sing, all do their best to help defeat the demons and monsters of ancient China.

Jack Burton: When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the bar-room wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail."

Kurt Russell plays the heroic idiot to a tee. He says again and again, What was that! Who was that! What does that say! and no matter what the answer is he charges on anyways. I compare this movie to a greasy cheeseburger; I love every minute of it even though it's terrible.

PG-13 is for Kung-Fu action and some language.

Available at Netflix

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory(2005) vs. Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory(1971)

There is no denying the power of nostalgia when watching childhood favorites. Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory from 1971 was a magic adventure for me. Burned into my mind and psyche is the image of Gene Wilder with a cane ambling out to meet the kids at the front gate and then falling forward into a summersault before springing to his feet. Instantly Willie Wonka becomes a mystery and you know right away that you can't take anything at face value

I will also never forget when my friend Ryan asked me what I thought of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory(2005). I said, "You know, I liked it better than the original." Ryan's eyes got wide and then turned mean, "Blasphemy!". That is one of those offenses a friend will tolerate but not forget.

Gene Wilder created a Willie Wonka that uses whimsy as a tool. A man of conviction and intellect. I love how you can see in his eyes, a deep current. Johhny Depp created a Willie Wonka whose eccentricities and genius form an equation that outputs a fantastic whimsical world. It is not as engaging a performance as Gene Wilder's but I think it was more entertaining.

For an unbiased assessment of the two films I Netflixed them back to back and allowed my six year old to watch them. She liked the original, but felt that the Oompa Loompas were too weird and it was a little confusing. She enjoyed the dancing and singing in the new version and I think she identified with the kids in the new one better. Especially because the new Charlie holds his family in his heart as a treasure and so does my daughter.

Sam Beauregarde: What is this Wonka, some kind of funhouse?
Willy Wonka: Why? Are you having fun?

My wife really enjoyed Depp's attitude towards the 'brats'. Her favorite line is when Mike Teavee is berating Wonka about one of his inventions and Wonka turns to him and says, "Uh, you really shouldn’t mumble, because I can’t understand a word you’re saying."

Our house votes Charlie and the Chocolate Factory(2005), but I recommend getting Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory(1971) first and seeing them both. Either film will reach the child in you.

Available at Netflix