Cowboys and Aliens - a fun film

So...a quickie review. I saw Cowboys and Aliens on opening day. I love Science Fiction and Westerns. Sounds like a good combo to me!

I was glad it was a straightforward film. Not any kind of camp. It had most of the cliches that the two genres can produce. But I must admit it was fun seeing Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig playing it straight and having to fight the nasty aliens. Not a classic by any means. It entertained me, and that's all I ask.

Speaking of "camp," one of my biggest disappointments was the TV debut of Batman is the 1960s. I was a BIG DC comics fan (had a subscription to Superman), and I couldn't WAIT for the new Batman series to debut. Was I crestfallen when it turned out to be jumpy "campy fun," instead of a straightforward show. Holy Bummer, Batman!

Unfortunately, the big hit Batman became affected my other TV show at the time, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The first season was a great fun semi-serious rip off of the James Bond films that were floating around, but after Batman became a craze, the second and third seasons of U.N.C.L.E. jumped on the bandwagon. I was not amused...

Sadly, TV actors now shilling products in character

I was catching up on some of the TV series I watch, and yesterday I viewed last Sunday's "The Glades." Much to my amazement two characters were getting into a car, and one of the actors (I'll save him the embarrassment of naming him) said something to the effect of, "Oh, this is the new Kia Optima. I love this car! It's got a sun roof..." and so on. Unsurprisingly, the next commercial break had a Kia Optima spot. The episode was entitled "Gibtown" if you want to see it yourself.

Now I know we have to suffer through various types of product placements when watching a TV show (can of a certain soda brand on the table, Apple computer, etc.), but this really goes beyond the pale!

What scares me is that once something like this happens, it's just a matter of time when the actors will be shilling brands all through the show. I can see it now:

"Don't you DARE spritz me with that can of Reddi-Whip with real cream!"
"Care for a Bud Light, which has great taste but it's less filling?"
"Son, how's that iPad workin' for you with your school studies?"
"Damn, I missed my favorite show, 'Burn Notice'!"

You get the point. I do remember many years ago reading that the future will bring us the technology to point at various items on the TV screen during the show (possibly with some kind of laser pointer) such as a piece of furniture or character's clothing, a dialog balloon will popup with the details of the item and its price, and you can buy the item at that instant. Now that's impulse buying!

Of course, this is a corollary to my post regarding women who HAVE to buy Princess Kate's wedding dress. Sadly, the masses just need to have what the celebrities are either wearing or shilling.

I wonder how it goes when the purchaser talks with a friend or neighbor. "Look, Marge, I'm wearing what Piper Perabo wore in last week's episode of 'Covert Affairs'! Isn't it just DIVINE?!?!

Exactly what does a Hollywood/TV Producer do?

I was watching the season premier of "Leverage," and I was amazed at how many "Co-Executive Producers" there were. So, of course, it aroused my curiosity as to exactly what all these producer titles were about. I did a little digging and came up with these definitions from a How Stuff Works web article entitled How Movie Producers Work.

Executive Producer -- Supervises one or more producers as they perform their duties for one or more films. The executive producer may represent the film studio and keep watch over the producer to make sure the movie is within budget and being made the way the studio wants. Or the title may be given as a symbolic gesture or to give a movie visibility. George Clooney, for example, was listed as executive producer for "Far from Heaven" (2002) to generate publicity, but didn't spend any time on the set, according to the film's producer Christine Vachon.

Associate Producer -- Handles certain aspects of production, as assigned by the producer. Usually the associate producer has worked through all three stages of the production, from preproduction to post-production. Sometimes the associate producer title is given as a courtesy title to a key backer of the film who does not have a major role in producing the film.

Assistant Producer -- Works on tasks assigned by the associate producer.

Co-Producer -- Shares producer responsibilities as a team or group with other producers. One producer may take on creative responsibilities while another handles business functions. Or one of the producers may be a major investor who is not directly involved in the movie production. Or a co-producer may have brought the script or the film's star to the production.

Supervising Producer -- Oversees one or more producers as they perform some or all of their duties. The supervising producer may take the place of an executive producer or work for the executive producer.

Coordinating Producer -- Coordinates the work of several producers to create a unified end result. Coordinating producers are valuable when a studio produces several related films, as with "Spiderman," or particularly when two related films are being produced at the same time, as with the two sequels to "The Pirates of the Caribbean."

Line Producer -- Handles the physical aspects of a movie's production and usually is not involved in decision-making regarding creative issues. This is the person who oversees the budget and day-to-day activities during filming. In addition to making sure the movie stays on budget and on target, the line producer handles any crises that may occur.

Almost as many producers as Carter has pills! And if you remember where that phrase came from, you've been on this planet quite a while...

The article runs several pages, and I recommend it as a good way to start to understand what producers do, how the great ones got started, etc. If you're a TV or movie buff, this is a worthwhile read. Besides, it might pique your interest enough for you to become the next great producer!

Lord of the Rings Extended Edition: A great experience!

I just marathoned (if that's not a word, it should be) the new Lord of the Rings Extended Edition on Blu-ray. It was fantastic! I have a 47" HDTV 3D screen along with a high-end sound system. I can't say enough how great it was.

I watched "Fellowship" Friday night and spent the entire morning and early afternoon on Saturday viewing "Two Towers" and "Return." Tons of fun! It was really great getting lost in the world of Middle Earth.

I recommend you getting this fifteen(!) disc set if you're any kind of a movie buff. It's going for $69.99 on Amazon or at Best Buy. You can also download digital copies as well.

Happy 4th of July everyone!