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March, Part 2: Arrested Boogaloo
[Film] -Intrusion: Cambodia (1983) [4/10] -Fireback (1983) [3/10] -Acquasanta Joe (1971) [5/10] -Vengeance [Joko invoca Dio... e muori] (1968) [8/10] -Two Gladiators [I due gladiatori] (1964) [4/10] -Babel (2006) [7/10] -Dangerous Liaisons (1988) [7/10] -Ghost (1990) [7/10] -The Conversation (1974) [8/10]
[Television] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 3: Bringing Up Buster [8/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 4: Key Decisions [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 5: Charity Drive [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 6: Visiting Ours [8/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 7: In God We Trust [8/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 8: My Mother the Car [8/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 9: Storming the Castle [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 10: Pier Pressure [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 11: Public Relations [8/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 12: Marta Complex [8/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 13: Beef Consomme [8/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 14: Shock and Aww [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 15: Staff Infection [8/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 16: Altar Egos [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 17: Justice Is Blind [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 18: Missing Kitty [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 19: Best Man for the Gob [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 20: Whistler's Mother [8/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 21: Not Without My Daughter [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 1, Episode 22: Let 'Em Eat Cake [9/10] --------------------------------------------------------------------- -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 1: The One Where Michael Leaves [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 2: The One Where They Build a House [8/10] -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 3: Amigos [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 4: Good Grief! [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 5: Sad Sack [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 6: Afternoon Delight [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 7: Switch Hitter [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 8: Queen for a Day [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 9: Burning Love [8/10] -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 10: Ready, Aim, Marry Me [8/10] -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 11: Out on a Limb [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 12: Hand to God [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 13: Motherboy XXX [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 14: The Immaculate Election [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 15: Sword of Destiny [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 16: Meat the Veals [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 17: Spring Breakout [9/10] -Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 18: Righteous Brothers [9/10] --------------------------------------------------------------------- -Community: Season 3, Episode 7: Studies in Modern Movement [8/10] -Community: Season 3, Episode 8: Documentary Filmmaking: Redux [9/10] -Community: Season 2, Episode 12: Asian Population Studies [9/10] [RW] -Community: Season 2, Episode 13: Celebrity Pharmacology 212 [7/10] [RW] --------------------------------------------------------------------- -Bored to Death: Season 1, Episode 5: The Case of the Lonely White Dove [7/10] -Bored to Death: Season 1, Episode 6: The Case of the Beautiful Blackmailer [8/10] -Bored to Death: Season 1, Episode 7: The Case of the Stolen Sperm [9/10] -Bored to Death: Season 1, Episode 8: Take a Dive [8/10] --------------------------------------------------------------------- -Freaks and Geeks: Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot [9/10] -Freaks and Geeks: Season 1, Episode 2: Beers and Weirs [9/10] -Freaks and Geeks: Season 1, Episode 3: Tricks and Treats [9/10] -Freaks and Geeks: Season 1, Episode 4: Kim Kelly Is My Friend [9/10] -Freaks and Geeks: Season 1, Episode 5: Tests and Breasts [8/10] -Freaks and Geeks: Season 1, Episode 6: I'm with the Band [8/10] -Freaks and Geeks: Season 1, Episode 7: Kim Kelly Is My Friend [9/10]
[Books] -Read a couple of chapters of Game of Thrones, might have to just sit down and finish it one of these afternoons
[Thoughts]
The second half of March saw me close of my Richard Harrison marathon with the following films:
-Intrusion: Cambodia (1983) [4/10] -Fireback (1983) [3/10] -Acquasanta Joe (1971) [5/10] -Vengeance [Joko invoca Dio... e muori] (1968) [8/10] -Two Gladiators [I due gladiatori] (1964)
As you can see there wasn't a lot of fun to be had, both Intrusion and Fireback where Filipino action schlock made for American money, and very little of it apparently. Amateurishly put together the two are poor both on a technical level and a storytelling level, and worst of all they are boring.
Acquasanta Joe was an okay spaghetti western, but far too silly for my taste. I tend enjoy them with a little grit, so thank the powers that be for Vengeance a gritty, if a bit episodic, revenge tale of Harrison avenging his brothers death. Good spaghetti from Antonio Margheriti, best I've seen from Harrison.
The last, but by far the most disappointing was Two Gladiators. Starring both Harrison and Giuliano Gemma I had high hopes for this one, but it didn't come close to delivering, poorly put together with messy fight scenes, terrible stuff.
The rest of the films have been covered in the Academy Awards thread.
On the television front I continued my love affair with Arrested Development, this show is just amazing, clever comedy that just delivers time after time. So much makes sense now; all the "bring back Arrested Development" stuff, the high IMDb rating, so many references, why anyone would submit themselves to a comedy starring Will Arnett. I also now love Michael Cera for at least 15 new reasons (like I needed them).
Community delivered hands down the best episode of season 3 with Documentary Filmmaking: Redux.
And Bored to Death seemed to finally get on a track towards the end of season 1, delivering consistently funny episodes in a row. Now it remains to see if season 2 can continue this new intriguing trend. Also, I think you might like this one Rant, it is a "noir-otic comedy" (they coined the term, not me), it is a bit heavier on the neurotic comedy than the noir, but if you can stomach the former you might find yourself enjoying it. I know I am.
Finally, you might ask "but Rutledal why haven't you seen Arrested Development too?", well son it is because I decided that after delivering two seasons of pure genius the makers of Arrested Development had deserved my money and so I invested in a complete series box set. While waiting for it to make its way into my mailbox I decide to give another "cancelled too soon?"-cult comedy series a shot, namely Freaks and Geeks, and so far I'm loving it. Great characters, good comedy, quality stuff.
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 - You brought two too many.
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