24 and more

Wow! What a great finish to another exhilarating season of 24. Another major terrorist attack averted, and another pathos-filled season (and season to come) for the real American hero, Jack Bauer. Although 24 utilizes a ticking clock, it's the moral pulse of the show that keeps it running. Smart, intuitive and mostly compassionate people are thrown into dire circumstances and are forced to make the right decision in a split-second. There's always a right and wrong decision, but the difference is razor thin. Excellent casting and sharp writing make 24 a gripping thriller and an effective drama.

On the Reds front, they finally pulled out another win (5-3 over the Nationals). But, the good news was overshadowed by the demotion of Danny Graves (he was designated for assignment). After a fairly successful career with the Reds (he's the teams all-time saves leader), he was given a pretty quick heave-ho. I'm not at all surprised that he was demoted from the closer role, but to be kicked off the team was a bit startling. With over six-million dollars still invested in Graves, I would have thought the Reds would at least convert him to a mid-reliever, set-up man or even a spot starter. Although he'll get his money, I feel bad for Graves. In all of the interviews and television appearances, Graves seemed like a pretty good guy. Here's hoping he gets a fresh start somewhere else.

And, I would be remiss if I didn't chip in my two cents on the Senate filibuster compromise. Seven Democrats and seven Republicans agreed that filibusters will not be used against judicial nominees unless "extraordinary circumstances" deem it necessary. Yes, "extraordinary circumstances" is a rather vague term, but it's better than both party's alternative. The big winner here is our country and government, at least for the time being. Democrats ensure that the filibuster remains intact (which it rightfully should be), and Republicans were able to ensure that Bush's judicial nominees were voted on (which each rightfully should be). Unfortunately, I don't think this issue is behind us. Hopefully an "extraordinary circumstance" doesn't occur with the next Supreme Court appointee.

Well, it's time to hit the sack. Another "Now Playing" is scheduled for tomorrow night, and THE LONGEST YARD is also on tap. Good night.

REVENGE OF THE SITH thoughts

REVENGE OF THE SITH was a fitting end to the first three installments of the STAR WARS saga. The film continues the stoic and dry approach to the sci-fi material, opposed to the more carefree and fun atmosphere which encompassed the middle three episodes. EPISODE THREE offers the most dramatic moments of any of the first three episodes, but doesn't come close to catching the same magic of the originals.

The most interesting aspect of REVENGE OF THE SITH is connecting the dots from EPISODE THREE to EPISODE FOUR. What was the nature of the fallout between Anakin and the Jedi knights? Why must Anakin, soon to be Darth Vader, hide behind the black armor? Why are Leia and Luke separated just after their birth? All of these questions and more are answered, and mostly to great satisfaction.

There's a little bit of humor and excitement, deriving laughs from R2D2, 3CP0 and Yoda, but nothing ratchets up the excitement to the level of the coliseum/gladiator scene or Yoda light-saber scene from ATTACK OF THE CLONES.

Well, I have to get back to my full-time gig. I'll try to hash out a few more thoughts later, and get a LOST update in here.

I'm not LOST in REVENGE OF THE SITH

Well, it's the evening before I see STAR WARS EPISODE THREE: REVENGE OF THE SITH, and for some reason I'm not getting goose bumps. Maybe it's because the last two episodes have been inferior to the middle three installments (albeit ATTACK OF THE CLONES was significantly better than THE PHANTOM MENACE), or maybe it's because I've always liked, but never loved the STAR WARS phenomenon.

I'm much more excited to see the newest episode of ABC's LOST tomorrow night. Here's a show that deals with different creatures, a mysterious landscape and several psychological issues. Unlike the WARS films, LOST also adds a rich pallette of characters, terrific performances and an intense amount of emotional baggage.

I'm sure if any WARS fans are reading this, they'll think I'm nuts, but they probably haven't watched the full season of LOST.

I'll try to report back tomorrow on both SITH and LOST.

Early Morning Tidbit

For some reason, I can't seem to sleep in this morning. Maybe it's the on-going agony of my fantasy baseball team, the Reds woes or knowing I have many things to accomplish today. Here are a few thoughts I didn't get on the board yesterday...

UNLEASHED is the best Jet Li movie I've seen (which is positive, but not an overwhelming amount of praise). It's a bizarre, gruesome modern-day fairy tale, which works wonderfully with our darkest and greatest emotions.

ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM is a fairly captivating look at how arrogance, greed and pride can topple the most successful and intelligent individuals. The only thing that prevents this from being a better documentary, is it's political motivations and it's unabashed bias. By laying more blame on President Bush for the California blackout than the state's own Governor (Grey Davis at the time), ENRON: TSGR reveals more about itself than it does President Bush or Enron.

Ferrell Flub

On the film front, Will Ferrell's latest was a grand disappointment.

KICKING AND SCREAMING is not only the title of the film, but also reveals the delicacy, or lack thereof, of the entire film. The only comprehension for why this film got made was a chance to place Ferrell in a situation, with kids, where he could go completely bonkers. Don't let this film fool you, it's not about two father and son relationships, it's not about the growth of a boy to a man and a man to a boy and back to a man, but rather a silly and often annoying excuse for Ferrell to lay on his shtick (and heavy).

Ferrell is a very talented comedian, and just like his previous SNL predecessors Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin, he can make you laugh just by showing up. In KICKING AND SCREAMING, Ferrell turns a mild-mannered every dad into a raving maniac. In some regards, KICKING AND SCREAMING might have worked had director Jesse Dylan refused to let sentimentality rain on Ferrell's far-fetched father. Too many "dramatic" scenes clutter up KICKING AND SCREAMING, and with Ferrell's Phil we never really buy these "serious" moments.

There are a few funny moments including a sub-plot about Phil's caffeine addiction and the Tigers' bloody entrance following a butchering session.

Outside of these inspired instances, KICKING AND SCREAMING just doesn't work. It desperately wants to be soccer's version of THE BAD NEWS BEARS, but it's just bad news.

Welcome

Thanks for checking out my blog. This is an introductory post, but more interesting news and views will follow. The blog title stands for three of my greatest loves (outside of my wife) which are flicks (movies), sticks (baseball) and politics.

I was going to post my views on Will Ferrell's latest KICKING AND SCREAMING, but quickly realized that as a film critic it's a no-no (at least in Columbus) to release a review before its opening night. I'll have something up early on Friday.

As for baseball, it doesn't get much worse for a Cincinnati Reds fan. Another day, another poor performance from Paul Wilson and another Reds loss. After sinking millions of dollars into pitching, majority owner Carl Linder has got to be ready to blow both of Great American Ball Park's smoke stacks. If this is what over 10-million dollars can get you in pitching, then Linder had better ask for a refund. I expect another fire sale for my beloved Reds just before the all-star break.

It's slow in the world of politics. Clinton in 2008 is a no-doubter, but who will the Republicans counter with? If they go with star power, Rudy G and John McCain will duke it out; or will they try to firm up the base with conservative southerner Bill Frist. It's too early to tell, and even earlier to begin to talk about. I'll save my breath for Blog: Day 2...

See you tomorrow.