OK, that huge jet rocket fire at the Daytona 500 was pretty epic but let’s be honest here- that’s the only cool part about Nascar. Sure tailgating is fun but no amount of booze can make 43 cars driving in a circle entertaining for more than a couple laps.
But then there’s the National Auto Sport Association. Created to promote racing (and right turns) for anyone who has that need for speed, NASA has a full tank of events across the country. Spectators can tailgate and watch the races for free and even ride-along with drivers if they are feeling daring.
So whether you’ve got Dale Jr. mugs you only drink with on Sundays or you’re the next Ricky Bobby, consider checking out a NASA event as a cheap way to watch some fast cars and drink beer.
Project X is a “found footage” movie, filmed in handheld style (imagine Chronicle or Cloverfield), about three high school students that end up throwing the biggest party in high school history (take that 16 Candles). The story focuses on Thomas Cubb (Thomas Mann) who is turning 17 and wants to host a birthday party, as soon as his parents get out of town. Encouraged by his two friends Costa (Oliver Cooper) and JB (Jonathan Daniel Brown) to deliver the best party ever, the film follows their antics as the party turns into an unstoppable force, with well over 1,500 people showing up.
Imagine all the high school (or college) parties you ever went to – remember the ones that got a little out of control and people broke things, stole your high school’s TV studio camera, and peed in your closet? Well it’s nothing compared to Project X (and no, not THAT ‘Project X‘)
First off, I think the young actors in the film did a great job with the script and making it actually believable. While there were a couple times the dialogue seemed forced in order to keep the plot moving, the actors held their own. The character I liked most was JB, a short chubby kid who was incredibly awkward and grabbed any scene he was in. I also give credit to the director, who left long shots in the film that continue on for minutes at a time, convincing the viewers it is in fact a documentary.
The first half of the film was done really well. The set up was delivered well and the characters introduced almost immediately in their stereotypical roles. When the party finally gets going, it starts out great as a viewer — and then quickly goes over the top. The amount of debauchery and insanity that unravels as the night goes on is almost unbelievable, however, credit to the writers, because it actually seems possible in the film. But I found myself wanting the party to end as more and more things were destroyed in his house. I felt sorry for Thomas and the wrath his parents would be bringing back when they saw the house. Maybe this is a sign I’m getting old? Who knows. While Superbad featured high school students also, these kids were much more believable as high schoolers. I did learn one thing from the movie though, once I have kids, I am never going out of town.
Ultimately though, this movie is about the boy chasing the girl — Thomas after his long time girl friend Kirby — while the biggest party ever goes on around them. While stereotypical in almost every aspect, Project X brings something new to the ‘party film’ with a found footage aspect and the party all others will have to top now.
The Kibitzers give Project X 3/5 — Overall, I would recommend this movie for a rental, it’s funny and entertaining, but it’s also obnoxious. Bonus points for a great party soundtrack throughout the movie.
I’ll admit I had really low expectations for this movie, so anything short of falling on its face is an improvement over what I was imagining. The movie centers around two CIA agents Tuck (Tom Hardy) and FDR (Chris Pines), as they battle each other for the love of same girl. Tuck is a sensitive British bloke, looking for someone to spend the rest of his life with. Tuck’s partner and best friend, FDR, is more of a hit it and quit it kind of guy, who doesn’t understand a deep meaningful relationship outside of the one he has with Tuck. Once the two best friends realize they are both in love with the same girl, Lauren (Reese Witherspoon), they use every trick, gadget, and resource available to them to win over her love.
From a traditional “film critic” stand point, This Means War is pretty predictable for the most part. In fact, we guessed the opening sequence and several of the jokes while waiting in line, and perhaps even gave the writers too much credit when we anticipated any kind of major plot twist. Without a lot of depth or back story to it, the result is limited character development, with some characters flaws and baggage being written away with one liners (always reminds me of the conversation in Thank you for Smoking, when Aaron Eckhart and Rob Lowe are discussing smoking in space, and Rob Lowe says “…But it’s an easy fix. One line of dialogue. ‘Thank God we invented the…you know, whatever device.’”). A few of the second tier characters are almost complete mysteries. For instance, why is the bad guy a bad guy? What does he want and why are the two main characters after him? What is Nana’s relation to Tuck and FDR? She seems to have a British accent, but has pictures of FDR all around the house… but Tuck says that he gave her a grandchild… soo… what’s happening here?
But, ultimately, those things don’t matter in this movie, so let’s just ignore that.
Writers Timothy Dowling (Roles Models) and Simon Kinberg (Sherlock Holmes) have done well keeping audiences entertained in the “bromance” genre by utilizing strong leading men to deliver quick wit and heavy sarcasm, while sprinkling in some slapstick. This Means War is no exception to this tried and true process. I felt like the banter between Tuck and FDR was on point in the beginning, and when the friendship was starting to feel the strain from their competition, the addition of some goofy CIA analysts helped carry the audience through some of the slower parts. I found myself laughing out loud only a few times, but the rest of the audience was going craaaazy!
There are a few action scenes, with… ehh… decent fights, which is just barely enough for the average guy to enjoy. It’s not over the top romantic, nor are there bunches of unnecessary men’s bodies/abs all up in your face, so that’s a plus for guys too. Don’t worry ladies, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy clearly hit the gym at least once, if not twice a month, so there is still some eye candy. Also, Chelsea Handler plays Lauren’s good friend Trish, and the women in the audience probably laughed after every single line she delivered. In general, no one is going to be overly impressed or blown away with any part of the movie, but This Means War comes out on Valentines Day (February 14th) so if you have to compromise, you could definitely do worse than.
Kibitzer’s gives This Means War a rating of 3 out of 5. Overall, the movie is entertaining enough and strikes a good balance between action, comedy, and romance.
And we’re back with another podcast folks! On this one we tried to keep it a bit shorter. We debate Peyton’s future (again), the past two NFL championship games, all star games, and Kronum!
Click the down arrow on the waveform to download the mp3 of this file!
For New Years, I made a quick power hour of the music videos I thought were the most popular/best in the past 6 months or so. It’s a pretty eclectic group, from Gotye to Weezy, it’s all in here. Anyways, we thought we would share our power hour with you, so you could enjoy it and watch it with your friends! Go ahead and click the download link here and put it on your computer, iPod, PS3, XBox, whatever — just enjoy it with friends.
Just one game separates these 4 teams from the Super Bowl — win or go home! A lot of times, these games end up being better than the Super Bowl itself, so be ready! TO THE PICKS
AFC Championship Game: Sunday 3pm CBS
Baltimore Ravens AT New England Patriots
Andrew – Baltimore Ravens.
Greg – New England. Ok let’s say you’re the Ravens defense. Who are you guarding/locking down? Wes? Gronk? Hernandez? Branch? Think about that.
NFC Championship Game: Sunday 6:30pm FOX
New York Giants AT San Francisco 49ers
Andrew – New York Giants.
Greg – San Francisco 49ers. The Giants have had another amazing run to get into the playoffs and to the Championship round (much like 2007). However, this time, they must travel to the West coast, a trip many have faltered under. The 49ers played unbelievable last week, forcing turnovers and making the Saints look like they were the team new to the playoffs. This week they will face a Giants team that will be sure to test their defense, however, I see this game as a GIANT explosion (get it?) of turnovers/bad plays by New York. I think the 49ers defense will come in amped up to get back to the Super Bowl. I really could see this game going either way, but some key turnovers will be critical against the Giants. You can expect that the 49ers will not be able to score as they did last week against the Saints, so I’ll go with 49ers 23-17.
Hey there everyone, myself and two coworkers (Aaron and Hutch), got together on Friday to record a little something for everyone. Basically, every morning we have about 20-30 minute discussions about just about everything (but primarily sports) — so we thought, why not just record one of these?! So get out your Zunes, because you can listen to this one while working out this weekend, getting ready for the day, or just when you’re bored! Without further ado, please enjoy the following podcast where we predict what will happen this week in both NFL games, discuss Peyton Manning’s future, the NBA, Lebron, and much more!
