Star Trek

This clip is not from Star Trek, but it shows how embedded Star Trek is in our culture.

     While the newer Star Trek series have upped the game as far as set design, and the acting may be less over-wrought, I still love the Original Series.

     A recent poll asked what series you would choose if you could only watch one of them for the rest of your life. The One Trek Show You'd Watch Forever Is... This is a tough one for me, but I agree with the readers at Startrek.com, the Next Generation would be my series of choice. Fortunately I don't have to choose, because all of the series AND movies are available on Netflix. Even the Animated Star Trek.

     If you haven't seen the Original Series in years, they have been updated with some new special effects. Many of the scenes in space have been re-engineered and they look great. I watched the Blu-Ray disc and saw the comparisons between the broadcast version and the new version, and they look amazing. The Special Effects CGI crew took great pains to stick to the style and mood of the original effects but they are fresh and crisp. I recommend seeing them.

It is possible to commit no errors and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life. -Captain Picard to Data, Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Peak Performance”

Available at Netflix

Harold and Kumar escape from Guantanamo Bay

Neal Patrick Harris made us cry, laughing in the first Harold and Kumar. I will never forget him standing through a sunroof snorting coke off a strippers ass while flying ten feet off the ground in a stolen car.

The first Harold and Kumar was hilarious and while it was dumb, it was National Lampoons dumb.

I was excited to see the sequel when it arrived from Netflix; I got the wife with me to watch it A.S.A.P. I don't know if I can describe in words how sad I was to see the debauchery taken to the nth degree for half the laughs.

Don't get me wrong I loved the 'Bottomless Party' where none of the girls wore pants, dresses or panties. In fact I am trying to plan one of my own; however the we're not topless we're bottomless gag was not a big enough punchline for the makers of the film and I was subjected to seeing an enormous Ball Fro complete with veiny wiener for 3 whole seconds longer than can be blocked out with medication.

And yes I know that threesomes are awesome and it is funny for a pothead to include a Ginormous bag of weed as girl number two, but wrist deep? Really?

Only five minutes of the movie were worth five minutes. The most impressive minute was Harold and Kumar smoking dope with George W.. This must of been what they used to pitch the movie. The second minute is of course, Neal Patrick Harris. The third minute, I won't spoil it, but Cyclops with teddy bear is all you need to know. There are another two minutes sprinkled in 10 second gags throughout the movie.

Harold: "Neil, can you just focus on driving? You've had-- Focus on the road. You've had dozens of schrooms, my friend."
Neil Patrick Harris: "Uh, Dude, I was able to perform an appendectomy at age 14. I think I can handle a couple mushrooms."
Kumar: "Wasn't that just a TV Show?"
Neil Patrick Harris: "Jesus Christ! Did you see that unicorn? It's horn was so shiny."

The first movie was National Lampoons the second was dry John Waters. If you can't resist, I recommend not getting the unrated edition.

Available at Netflix

Tron 2.0 UPDATED

Hoo boy. A tron sequel. And you thought the Matrix would be the closest thing you would get.


This is a project in the proto-planning stages, however it is exciting. Disney owns the rights and it sounds like some writers from Lost, are on board.


I can't wait to see the updated light cycles.



Hopefully the female cosutmes will be a little better looking this time around.

Soon to be available at Netflix

Update: From the NYTIMES

Review Summary

The Master Control Program is booted back up in this revamped Tron continuation, helmed by commercial director Joseph Kosinski (Logan's Run remake). Original director and co-writer Steven Lisberger is onboard to produce the new film, written by Lost screenwriters Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

Update: From Comicon;TR2N

Mobile Cam footage of a surprise viewing of a Tron sequel trailer.
I am giddy with a geek euphoria I have not felt since a freshly minted Darth Vader spoke; Yes, My master.

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