TEN MISTAKES SYFY MADE OVER THE YEARS
As far as I’m concerned the SyFy channel only made one mistake and it was a fatal one made back when they were still the Sci-Fi Channel: Too many freakin’ commercials.
When it launched, the very idea of this channel excited me to no end and I was a devoted viewer, especially of the old sci-fi television series they brought back. And I especially loved the marathons. But over time the commercials went from annoying to downright oppressive. And sadly, I’m starting to see the same on other networks I enjoy, like Discovery and TLC.
Calling it “American Chopper” is false advertising. It’s “Commercials Briefly Interrupted By American Chopper.”
The DVR helps, but I’m slowly giving up. Better to wait a few months for the DVD release than wait through 5 minutes of show for 11 minutes of commercial.
Think about it: you can buy a season of most any series for right around $20 or $30 — or a 1/3rd of your obnoxious cable bill. Kind of a no-brainer.
‘GHOSTBUSTERS’ THEATRICAL RELEASE SLATED FOR NEXT MONTH
One of the great only pleasures of living in Los Angeles was having the opportunity to see classic films as they were meant to be seen: on the big screen. If you’re a ‘Ghostbusters’ fan, take advantage of this. Home theatres are great and getting better all the time, but there’s nothing like seeing a favorite in a theatre again.
And I’m not just talking about big, widescreen, action extravaganzas like “Raiders of the Lost Ark” or epics like “El Cid.” Over the years, I saw “Gilda,” “Christmas Vacation,” “Saturday Night Fever,” and Errol Flynn’s “Robin Hood” — I saw as many as I could and each was a memorable experiences I wouldn’t trade for anything.
‘THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN’ ARRIVES ON DVD
Thanks to Netflix Streaming, the wife and I have been rediscovering a number of series from wayback and have been surprised at how well produced and engrossing they are. “Hawaii 5-0,” “Gunsmoke,” and “Emergency!,” especially. But about ten years ago one of the cable nets reran “The Six Million Dollar Man” and as someone who was addicted to the show as a kid (had the doll with the bionic arm and everything!), you can’t imagine how disappointed I was.
Even the Bigfoot two-parter stunk.
DEFENDING THE ‘POINT BREAK’ REMAKE?
‘The Wrap’ tries to defend the decision to greenlight a remake based on the fact that the original has a strong following that belies its disappointing box office take when originally released in 1991. But from an artistic point of view, this is a non-starter, “Point Break” is, from beginning to end, a director’s film and that director is the one-of-a-kind Kathryn Bigelow. You can’t remake a “director’s film.” You can’t recreate something that only came alive due to one artist’s singular vision and sensibility.
There isn’t even a good concept to work with here. Surfers who rob banks wearing U.S. president masks sounds like “The Town 2: Surf’s Up.”
There’s a lightning in a bottle feel about “Point Break,” that extends to the superb casting of Keanu Reeves, the much-missed Patrick Swayze, and a memorable turn by Gary Busey.
Finally, the film doesn’t seem like it’s 20 years old. It still feels fresh and urgent.
Before pouring $65 million into a remake, why not re-release the original in theatres?
—–
—–
QUICK HITS
WHO KNEW THERE WAS SUCH A THING AS A MOVIE TRAILER ‘EXPERT.’
‘STAR WARS’ BLU-RAY: LIST OF CHANGES TO THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY
DETAILED ANALYSIS OF ‘DARK KNIGHT’ CHASE SEQUENCE
10 CRAZY THINGS VIRUSES DO IN MOVIES AND TV
SCREENWRITER DESCRIBES GUT-WRENCHING EXPERIENCE OF WRITING A BOX-OFFICE FAILURE
WILLIAM SHATNER’S UNINTENTIONALLY HILARIOUS ROLES
HOW CRITERION ARTWORK IS DESIGNED
—–
—–
CLASSIC PICK FOR THURSDAY, SEPT 15
3:45pm ET Road to Utopia (1946) — Two song-and-dance men on the run masquerade as killers during the Alaskan gold rush. Dir: Hal Walker Cast: Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour. BW-90 mins, TV-G, CC.
Not only the best of the seven “Road” films (and the first six are all terrific), but one of the funniest films ever made. The jokes all hit the bulls-eye and come fast and furious through this fast-paced story with a closing joke that somehow got past the censors.
–Please send tips/suggestions/requests to jnolte@breitbart.com
–Please thank the increasingly indispensable ScottDS for many of today’s awesome quick hits.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.