I've not seen it Richie, i completely agree it looks and sounds bad though. I knew someone on this site would've seen it so thanks to Dappers kind of recommendation lol i'll give it a try.

Here is a good movie to see it goes under 2 names. The family enforcer and the death collector. It was joe Pesci first movie. The star was Joey cortese a good guy.

You can see the whole movie free on YouTube under one of those two names.

Last night I caught THE LAST STAND, Arnold Schwarzenegger's comeback movie after his political career and his tabloid-rich divorce/love child storyline (minus his glorified cameos in the EXPENDABLES film series) which unfortunately lived up to the title on opening weekend, flopping hard.

Pity because I actually kinda enjoyed this. Partly its another throwback to the 1980s action film (which Arnold was King of back in his heyday) with the earned R-rated bloody violence and one-liners, which makes you wonder whether audiences truely want that again or just more post-action sloppy action realist nonsense?

TLS is also another of those pseudo-westerns remade for contemporary times (John Carpenter's B classic ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, the Coen Brothers' NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, and Walter Hill's EXTREME PREJUDICE all came to mind while watching this) because genuine westerns apparently don't make money unless Tarantino or Coens are directing them. A Mexican cartel leader escapes Federal custody and is making a run for the Mexican border in a super-fast gadget-loaded car, and the only thing in his way (including his army of disposable henchmen) is a spot on the map small town and it's police force of sheriff Austrian Oak and two deputies.

Such a plot set-up inevitably depends upon you ignoring the inevitable questions of logic gaps that this begs. (Consider for example how amazing the Feds deploy every device and trick that fail to stop this fast car except a low budget road spike strip. I'm reminded of Clint Eastwood's THE GAUNTLET when the bad guys shoot up that bus, but never once had the brains to, I don't know, put up a concrete barrier in the middle of Clint's way.)

But otherwise I enjoyed the patient build-up, the introduction of Arnold and the motley cast of misfit characters (all nicely casted from Johnny Knoxville to Luis Guzman and so forth) that he recruits and they prepare for the final confrontation and then WW3. We even get the western cliche older than John Wayne's old hats with the drunkard locked up for the weekend freed to help fight the good fight. We "hate" cliches supposedly, but I dunno I seem to always dig a good well-worn cliche when it's done right.

I even liked that after the big finale mano-y-mano fight between the villain and Arnold, he doesn't kill him as I was expecting (or dreading really). No Arnold the policeman (and not the vigilante) arrests him and takes him back into custody by an amusing visual that I dare won't spoil.

If TLS has one problem, its the movie cutting back routinely to the boring by the book police procedural scenes of FBI agent Forest Whittaker (wasted really in this dull part). You know the scenes you always see on TV or Jason Bourne movies where the boss is barking orders at his underlings, frantically typing away on their laptops or working the phones, then cut to the agents in the field/helicopters similarly shouting intel to each other over dispatch. Such scenes you can imagine beat by beat.

But otherwise, I liked this. Reminded me of the recent Tom Cruise vehicle JACK REACHER where it was a good, action matinee escapist time at the movies that you should walk (don't run) to go see. I would give this ***1/2 out of 5.

Anybody catch "The Following" on Fox starring Kevin Bacon? That is a very good show! The first show is like a 3 hour movie wrapped into a 1 hour television show! Good stuff!

I only saw part of it, but what I saw was pretty good.

I never heard of it till yesterday. I like Kevin Bacon and tho I really don't know what the show is about, I'll try to check it out.



TIS

Bacon is a "retired" FBI agent that is pulled back in when a serial killer he helped put away escapes from prison. I really don't want to give away too much more but while this killer is in prison, he is able to procure quite a cult like following with "fans" of his.

Sounds like something I'd like to watch. It is a mini-series no? I hear there's only 14 episodes or something? Anyway, thanks for giving me an idea of what it's about.



TIS

Not sure how many episodes there are in total but the second one is on tonight. I catch them OnDemand. You are welcome, TIS .

I DVR'd tonight's episode, and hope to catch the full first episode On Demand.

Anyone here watch "Suits"? I like the USA series. I loved "In Plain Sight" and was so sorry when it was canceled. I now watch Suits, Covert Affairs and think Psych is often hilarious.

Hi SB,

I see Suits advertised all the time but haven't watched it. The USA show I watch regularly is "White Collar" which is on Tuesday Night. Light drama, but filmed in NYC and I like it. I've also seen ads for Psych and have yet to see Covert Affairs.

Monday night I like "Being Human" on the Syfy channel

TIS

Speaking of new shows, anyone seen previews of FX's "The Americans?" Looks like that might be pretty good as well.




TIS

Some old movies that I like.

the Cardinal

Shoes of the fisherman

Best years of our lives

Who needs tv when you can watch these instead

I'm surprised. Just looking at trailer I wasn't expecting much. Maybe I'll check it out.

We can finally say that Arnie is past it, if this film had another actor in it im sure it may have done well, but people don't want to see Arnie in films like this that he did in the 80's, time to retire i think..

I am interested to see how that show comes out.

Anybody see anything on that new show House of Cards with kevin spacey? looks promising as well...

The first season is being released on netflix next month i believe. As well as Spacey i'm sure i heard David Fincher the director of Seven and Fight club will be directing some of it.

Camarel, I am just hearing of Spacey's show too. I'm really behind I guess.

On another note, I see the 2nd episode of "The Following" is on "On Demand" now so I'm tuning in now to see it.



TIS

Seems like the past few yrs tons of great tv shows have been popping up.


Speaking of great, the walking dead is back on very soon...yay!lol

There will be 14 episodes for this season, and for future seasons if Fox decides to renew it. That way Kevin bacon can do other movies (he is signed up for the show for 5 seasons). Anyways though I really like the show, and hoping that it won't be a repeat like chicago code of how it got cancelled.

The only thing that kind of sucks is that people are complaining about the violence in it. It just wouldn't look right if there is no blood at a crime scene.

Actor Jim Nabors is now a married man.

CNN affiliate KHNL Hawaii News Now reports that the "Gomer Pyle: USMC" star tied the knot with his longtime partner, Stan Cadwallader, in Seattle on January 15.

Shazam!

I hope I'm not overselling it. I enjoyed it, its good. Not great, not remarkable but a decent time-killing programmer. Just set your expectations accordingly.



Yeah unless all those old butt kicking geezers are in THE EXPENDABLES (which is the testosterone version of those infamous package tours of has-been stars like the Doo-Wop tours), it seems Americans unfortunately want nothing to do with that sort of film again which I find unfortunate. (Consider the terrific DREDD, another throwback to the 80s actioneer which despite damn good reviews got murdered in theatres last fall.)

But Arnold (and Stallone for that matter too) long had big audiences overseas and they'll have to depend upon them if they hope to keep making more movies.

Anyway Arnold and Sly have another movie out later this year in THE TOMB, a prison escape picture. I hope that's good too, but I'm not expecting good box-office returns. At least not in America.

No kidding. I am really looking forward to WD's return.

Btw, I saw the second episode of "The Following" and really liked it. I think I'm hooked already. A little (or a lot) gory/bloody BUT very good show.


TIS

I hadn't heard any news about Jim Nabors in years but really, am not surprised?




TIS

Does anyone watch "Person of Interest?" Not a bad show IMHO.




TIS

I didn't know he was still alive.

I am rarely attracted to any new show. Much of my TV viewing consists of Andy Griffith, Frasier, Friends, Raymond, and The Big Bang Theory reruns. I watched one episode of Broke Girls until they started talking about tampons. I grew tired of Mike and Molly. None of those sci-fi or supernatural shows interests me. I'd rather watch the History Channel.

I enjoy watching the old shows sometimes (Alfred Hitchock, Burns & Allen run regularly on Antenna TV here in CA.)

Yet, I do enjoy some new shows as well. I have seen Two Broke Girls, Mike & Molly and both are ok (tho I agree Broke Girls gets a bit risque' IMHO). For whatever reason tho, I've always been drawn more to drama and would choose a good drama to a comedy any day.



TIS

Corporal Boyle and Sgt. Carter must have hit the roof.

Throw in sports and news and you've pretty much described my tv viewing habits.