Take 4: A Bunch of Bull
Ah...my first "official" review of 2008. Here we have a three-disc TV series that I reviewed...and a single, solitary movie, in order to bring the disc count up to four. I'm nothing if not consistent.
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The Basics: Television series on Showtime, with five completed seasons having aired; Most episodes rated TV-MA (mostly for language and nudity, I'm guessing)
What's Going on Here? During each half hour episode of their award-winning series, stage magicians and comedians Penn & Teller confront head-on many of the popularly held beliefs that society has on a wide variety of topics. Their goal? To separate fact from myth, to encourage critical thinking...and to end stupidity if they can. With episodes coverinig everything from endangered species and ghost hunting to Gandhi and The Patriot Act, their show continually surprises you with what you think you know.
Random Trivia: Penn has stated that those they ask to be on the show to interview know in advance what the name of the show is, what kind of show it is and even generally knowing what side Penn & Teller will be on. Not only this, the interview subjects are even given copies of past shows to view (with the exception of those interviewed during Season One). And yet...they keep comin' on.
And I Quote: Penn: "Sure, we lie, cheat, and swindle. We've been known to deal in a bit of bullshit ourselves. So some of you may ask, "Why pee on someone else's parade?" One important difference: WE TELL YOU WE'RE LYING!"
Curt's Take: Must See - Catch at least a few episodes of this show...from any season. You're likely to find a lot of episodes where you fall squarely on Penn & Teller's side of things...but still end up learning things you didn't know. And then there will be that handful of episodes that really challenge your beliefs and test your open-mindedness. I firmly believe that this is vital to our growth as...well...as intelligent people. So catch a few reruns on Showtime, or throw this in your rental line-up. At the very least, you'll learn to do a little research before taking anything for granted.
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The Basics: A horror/thriller, based on a short story by Stephen King, starring Jonathan Jackson, David Arquette and Barbara Hershey; Rated R for violence, disturbing images, language, drug use and some nudity
What's Going on Here?: It's October in 1969, and young, over-imaginative Alan Parker is about to head out with friends to a John Lennon concert in Toronto. Shortly before leaving, he receives word that his mom had a stroke. Giving his tickets to his friends, Alan much hitchhike 120 miles to make it home and visit his recovering mother in the hospital. Along his journey, he meets several interesting characters...some who may not have the best interest of Alan (or his mom) at heart.
Random Trivia: The old red car with the white top that is featured several times in the film is supposed to be a 1958 Plymouth Fury...the same make and model as the Stephen King's killer car Christine.
And I Quote: Alan: "Nothing seems to last. But The Bullet...The Bullet is constant. The Bullet is always there. You wait in line, that's all. And when it's your turn to ride The Bullet, maybe you ride, maybe you run. Either way, it comes to the same thing. Fun is fun. And done is done. Nobody lives forever, but we all shine on."
Curt's Take: Don't Bother - Unlike This Mist (recently in theaters), I'd never heard of this Stephen King story. And to be honest, I have no idea how this title ended up in my rental list...maybe because the previews made it look like it involved a haunted amusement park. As a horror movie, it wasn't scary; as a thriller, it didn't deliver edge-of-your-seat tension; and as a drama, it really didn't contain characters you felt that strongly about. Overall, I'm wondering why I even spent 98 minutes watching this. I'd tell you more about it, but don't want to accidentally give you a reason to watch it. Just don't.
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Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Season Three (2005)
The Basics: Television series on Showtime, with five completed seasons having aired; Most episodes rated TV-MA (mostly for language and nudity, I'm guessing)
What's Going on Here? During each half hour episode of their award-winning series, stage magicians and comedians Penn & Teller confront head-on many of the popularly held beliefs that society has on a wide variety of topics. Their goal? To separate fact from myth, to encourage critical thinking...and to end stupidity if they can. With episodes coverinig everything from endangered species and ghost hunting to Gandhi and The Patriot Act, their show continually surprises you with what you think you know.
Random Trivia: Penn has stated that those they ask to be on the show to interview know in advance what the name of the show is, what kind of show it is and even generally knowing what side Penn & Teller will be on. Not only this, the interview subjects are even given copies of past shows to view (with the exception of those interviewed during Season One). And yet...they keep comin' on.
And I Quote: Penn: "Sure, we lie, cheat, and swindle. We've been known to deal in a bit of bullshit ourselves. So some of you may ask, "Why pee on someone else's parade?" One important difference: WE TELL YOU WE'RE LYING!"
Curt's Take: Must See - Catch at least a few episodes of this show...from any season. You're likely to find a lot of episodes where you fall squarely on Penn & Teller's side of things...but still end up learning things you didn't know. And then there will be that handful of episodes that really challenge your beliefs and test your open-mindedness. I firmly believe that this is vital to our growth as...well...as intelligent people. So catch a few reruns on Showtime, or throw this in your rental line-up. At the very least, you'll learn to do a little research before taking anything for granted.
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Riding the Bullet (2004)
The Basics: A horror/thriller, based on a short story by Stephen King, starring Jonathan Jackson, David Arquette and Barbara Hershey; Rated R for violence, disturbing images, language, drug use and some nudity
What's Going on Here?: It's October in 1969, and young, over-imaginative Alan Parker is about to head out with friends to a John Lennon concert in Toronto. Shortly before leaving, he receives word that his mom had a stroke. Giving his tickets to his friends, Alan much hitchhike 120 miles to make it home and visit his recovering mother in the hospital. Along his journey, he meets several interesting characters...some who may not have the best interest of Alan (or his mom) at heart.
Random Trivia: The old red car with the white top that is featured several times in the film is supposed to be a 1958 Plymouth Fury...the same make and model as the Stephen King's killer car Christine.
And I Quote: Alan: "Nothing seems to last. But The Bullet...The Bullet is constant. The Bullet is always there. You wait in line, that's all. And when it's your turn to ride The Bullet, maybe you ride, maybe you run. Either way, it comes to the same thing. Fun is fun. And done is done. Nobody lives forever, but we all shine on."
Curt's Take: Don't Bother - Unlike This Mist (recently in theaters), I'd never heard of this Stephen King story. And to be honest, I have no idea how this title ended up in my rental list...maybe because the previews made it look like it involved a haunted amusement park. As a horror movie, it wasn't scary; as a thriller, it didn't deliver edge-of-your-seat tension; and as a drama, it really didn't contain characters you felt that strongly about. Overall, I'm wondering why I even spent 98 minutes watching this. I'd tell you more about it, but don't want to accidentally give you a reason to watch it. Just don't.
posted by Curt at 12:03 AM
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