Two of my favorite April Fools pranks from the web are:

• Ely to be purchased by Canada.

• Sir Richard Branson’s ambitious new project.

Enjoy!

I was eagerly anticipating “Vantage Point” - the new thriller/actioner with A-list actors Sigourney Weaver and Forrest Whitaker. Sure the reviews were tepid, but maybe it had some low-brow fun to be had.

No.

Just, no. No fun, no sense and no bloody sense of pace at all.

The conceit of the film is that we seen the same 20 minutes of an international incident from different vantage points.  And we do, but the director doesn’t bother making the different vantage points - um,  different.  Seriously, it’s not the manically funny repetition of  Groundhog Day, nor the vast (and valid) shift in tone and perspective of Rashomon.  It feels like the director just decided to change camera angles a bit.  There are some explosions that are meant to be exciting, I’m sure, but after it’s presented for the fifth time in almost exactly the same way - you’ll be grinding your teeth.

Dennis Quaid has a permanent grimace as the Secret Service agent who can do no wrong, and apparently is bullet-proof, car crash proof and can beat the baddies just by setting his jaw and perservering through a 20 minute car chase that starts out exhilarating but ends with groans and derision - from the audience.

Sigourney Weaver gets a thankless one dimensional opening sequence.  William Hurt fares little better. And Forest?  He outgrew these aw-shucks simpleton everyguy roles even before Phenmomenon.

Hi!

New blog. This will chronicle what happens between cups of coffee.