Why That 70's Show Beat Freaks and Geeks

Freaks and Geeks is a comedy/drama from 1999-2000 that takes a look at the lives of an “average” family in 1980.

Starring Linda Cardellini and John Francis Daley, Freaks and Geeks has a cast of secondary characters that would go on to become some of the biggest names in television in movies. The crew of “Freaks”, the high school kids who party and break all the rules, features James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Jason Segel.

While 1999 may have been before these big name actors really broke out, it’s surprising that the show only aired one season and did not get picked up for another. The main reason for this was probably the show’s competition with That 70’s Show, which started around the same time. The two shows are very similar; both show a group of high school kids that are a mix between news and rule breakers. Both shows featured high school aged kids smoking weed, and both shows had characters who would freak out over all the developments in the “nerd community”.

 While Freaks and Geeks had many characters who would go on to be well known actors, they didn’t gain any advantage over That 70’s Show because of this. That 70’s Show featured Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and many more successful actors.

Probably the biggest reason That 70’s Show was picked up for 8 seasons and Freaks and Geeks only got 1 was because of the length of the shows. That 70’s Show consisted of quick, 22 minutes episodes full of cheap laughs and minimal overarching storylines. Freaks and Geeks, however, took more of the “dramedy” route, requiring viewers to watch each episode in order to really understand what’s going on. Following a series of hour long episodes before the era of online streaming was difficult, and thus it was easier for That 70’s Show’s viewers to follow along. Even still, Freaks and Geeks is an entertaining show with likable characters that deserved more than the one season it got.

Jupiter Asending

Jupiter Ascending, released February 6th, can be added to the list of box office failures that sare seemingly hitting theaters nonstop in early 2015. Directed by the Wachowski Siblings(Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski), this film was expected to be a must see sci-fi action adventure for moviegoers, with the latest visual effects and all-star cast. Sadly, this was not at all the case. The first week was an absolute disaster for the film. With an estimated 200 million dollar budget, opening weekend brought in under 50 million dollars in both domestic and foreign theaters.

(Here comes the plot summary. Try to bare with me)
This film is about a woman named Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) who is a struggling cleaning woman for rich residents of the city of Chicago. One day, during a routine surgery operation, she is attacked by aliens that are posed as human doctors. Luckily she is saved by an alien adventurer by the name of Caine Wise (Channing Tatem). We then find out that an alien prince by the name of Balem (Eddie Redmayne) wants Jupiter dead so that he can inherit a production plant on the planet Jupiter and rights to the Earth. If she is left to live Balem will not receive his inheritance due to the fact that Jupiter is a genetic reincarnation of his mother, the recently deceased matriarch of his house. The movie follows the many attempts made by the royal family to kill Jupiter or trick her out of her ownership of the Earth. The movie concludes when Balem is killed by Jupiter and she returns to the Earth. We then realize she is going to continue living her life as an everyday house cleaner, not at all acknowledging that she is the supposed queen of Earth.

The plot is outrageously hard to follow while watching the movie. Even after I saw the film I needed to read multiple plot summaries from various websites to try and half understand what was going on. Another aspect of this movie that had a negative impact on the overall quality was the ridiculous dialogue. There were many scenes that were supposed to either be epic or romantic but if the viewer paid any attention to what the characters were saying the effects were ruined. For example, in one scene that is supposed to have a mystical effect a side character by the name of Stinger Apini (Sean Bean) is explaining to Jupiter how she is the Queen of the Earth. During this scene a swarm of bees surrounds Jupiter without touching her. Apini then says that bees were put on Earth to sense royalty, and that is why she was not stung. Seriously?! This is an actual interaction between two characters in this movie. The dialogue is poorly written and is only interesting in a shocking humorous way.

Sure, this film looks really good. The animation and visual effects are spot on, but that is quite honestly all this film has going for it. The acting was also slightly underwhelming. I was really hoping that with such a star studded cast there would be something to look forward to, especially from Eddie Redmayne who is nominated for an Oscar for his performance in The Theory of Everything. Those hopes were crushed when he began speaking in a ridiculous and dry voice that he maintained for the entire movie. Tate and Kunis did not do a terrible job; however, their performances in no way added to the film.

To be quite honest I was very disappointed with this movie as a whole. Besides the expensive budget and flashy visual effects there was not much going for the film. Yes, there were big name actors; however, their performances were all adequate at best. The plot was extremely confusing. Every time there was an advancement in the story it was forced and usually made little to no logical sense, even for a science fiction film. I would not recommend wasting the money to see this film in theaters.

3/10

TAR

Based on C.K. Williams and his Pulitzer Prize winning poems, his beautiful words have paved way of an incredible story, and now an incredible film.  However, it wasn’t the topic of the story, or the meaning of the story itself that amazed me when I found out about the creation of this movie.  It was actually the story behind the making of story that still has me in awe.

With a big name cast including James Franco from 127 Hours, Oz: The Great and Powerful, and This Is The End, Mila Kunis  known for Friends With Benefits, Black Swan, and That 70’s Show, and Jessica Chastain  known for her work in The Help, Zero Dark Thrity, and Mama, you would have been waiting  for the mention of a well known director and writer as well,  and the fact that there isn’t is the craziest part to me. 

Written and directed by 12 New York University film students—yes 12, and yes students—I am flabbergasted, not only by the fact that they were able to book a cast of actors with such prestigious credentials, but the fact that it is looks so professional you never would have known it was made by a small group of students who many would deem as inexperienced. As an aspiring filmmaker, and one with great appreciation of film itself, I am both envious and determined.  I am envious that I was not a part of that team of twelve, and even more determined to reach the quality and ability that they were able to do and gain the knowledge I need to become in a position like that.  They have raised the bar for young filmmakers and have made a beautiful piece worthy of recognition.

The story takes us back to 1940’s Detroit where we meet William’s mother (Chastain), then through his tough years as a teenager, to the time where his writing career began on its journey to its peak in the 1990’s.

I cant wait to see it!

Oz the Great and Powerful

A few weeks ago I went to see Oz the Great and Powerful. It is a prequel to the amazing Wizard of Oz and tells the story of how Oz came to the world of Oz and became the wizard. I thought the film was very imaginative and appealed to all types of people. It was a movie that anyone can appreciate at any age. One of the coolest things that I liked in the film was how they began with a 4:3 aspect ration and in black and white rather than widescreen and in color. I thought it was very clever how they did that like in the original Wizard of Oz, although it probably wasn't as shocking as seeing a film in color for the first time.

Another thing that I really enjoyed about Oz the Great and Powerful was the animation and special effects. The animators and special effects team did a fantastic job creating the world of Oz. The animated landscapes were incredibly beautiful and I also thought that the flying monkeys were very cool looking. Another place in the film where the special effects team excelled was turing Mila Kunis into the Witch. It was very interesting seeing someone like Mila Kunis play the ugly Wicked Witch of the West.

Overall I thought that Oz the Great and Powerful was a good film but did not live up to and certainly was not better than the original Wizard of Oz. 

Thoughts on OZ The Great And The Powerful

"Oz The Great And The Powerful" is a prequel film to "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". The star of the film James Franco is a magician who ends up in the this mystical land, complicating the lives of several witches, Evanora, Glinda, and Theodora, played by Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and Mila Kunis. As the troubled magician tries to cope with his struggles with the women, he soon finds himself heading down a path that exposes him to his prominent destiny.

Director, Sam Raimi seems to have created a colorful and vibrant style of the land of Oz for all types of audiences to experience with a great sense of familiarity and new astonishment. The colors are so beautiful and practically pop out of the big screen. Disney used this similar approach of bright colors and outstanding effects for their fantastic film, "Alice In Wonderland". I think anyone could be excited about the release of this film.


For me, the most outstanding part of the HD trailer is the clearly the opening. We (the audience) are brought back to a Kansas in a dilapidated state, in all black and white footage. Those scenes immediately bring back direct memories of the original Oz movie, which was created by King Vidor. With the drastic difference between the black and white scenes and then the magnificent rainbow, and then the vibrant colors of the main plot, creates even more drastic contrast.When it comes to the for three leading female actresses, Weisz is certainly not the most evil of witches we’ve ever seen but has the potential, and Mila Kunis seems to be a little out of place. But, Michelle Williams seems to have effortlessly slipped into her role as Glinda the “good” witch who would go on to, as we all know, give a girl named Dorothy some very important ruby slippers.

I really think everyone should go out and see this film. I doubt Raimi is going to upset anyone.







Enjoy!