Amy's Movie Reviews

so, summer's here, that means the big guns have been drawn and the movies are big and loud. There are art house films out there as well, but sometimes they get lost. Here are a few reviews of some of the movies I've seen lately.

Art School Confidential (dir. Terry Zwigoff)- They had me at "from the director of Bad Santa". If you haven't seen Bad Santa do yourself a favor and check this one out. It's a hateful little gem of black comedy. Zwigoff is a director that follows his own path. He has directed documentaries and also heartfelt drama, but with this film and Bad Santa, it's obvious that his heart is with black comedy. There isn't really a plot here, but Zwigoff and writer Daniel Clowes have a huge bone to pick with art school and the people who go there. The film makes it known that talent is there, but will be destroyed by the staff and other students. The teachers are seen as failures, with the exception of Angelica Huston's art history professor who it is made clear isn't a painter trying to cash a paycheck. There was a lot of humor, but it was aimed directly at the people who were watching the film. If you are not offended and want to laugh while choking down some bile then you should enjoy it.

Mission Impossible III (dir. JJ Abrams)- So, when I saw the trailer for this movie I wanted to see it, but I was conflicted. The conflict is in the fat that I love JJ Abrams' work on Felicity and Lost, but I hate Tom Cruise. So, I wasn't sure if I wanted to see it. However, my love of Abrams and many of the other actors won me over. And, what can I say. It was great. It was definitely the best of the bunch. That might be damning it with faint praise, but that's not what I mean. This film follows the TV much closer and has a lot of life and some great sequences. The acting is good, it is well directed, and the main bad guy is a Republican!!!! That's an Amy Patrick special. Don't let Tom Cruisazzy keep you from seeing this film. It is actually really good.

My TV Exploded!!!!

It's true. Your #1TV fan had her hubby's fancy flat screen pop and shut off. Right in the middle of The People's Court no less.
I turned it off and have been doing nutty things like cleaning, reading, and actually blogging since then. It's amazing what happens when you stop looking at a screen.
So, I am hopefully going to find out about the job I went to 2 interviews for. All of you out there, pray to your higher power for me. I really want this job.
If I don't get it, I already talked to a manager at West Elm. So, retail might be back in my future. I'm going to hit the bricks next week when I find out what is going on with my dream job.
And, lastly, my comedy career is finally hitting the mid-level. I am producing, along with my buddies Josh and Sim, a comedy show in Brooklyn. June 15th is the first night. $5 gets you some really great comedy. Come check us out. I need to feel like I have some kind of career!

Found this and Had to Post it.

http://www.mcsweeneys.net. They always have some great stories. I am copying a recent article they had up. As a comic, writer, and a liberal, this was the funniest thing I've read in a long time.


WHY THERE AREN'TMANY RIGHT-WINGOBSERVATIONALCOMEDIANS.
BY TEDDY WAYNE
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You ever see a roomful of old white guys trying to dance? They're bumping along out of rhythm to some corny '50s song in their tuxedos, like three feet away from their wives, and you're just like, "Yes—that's exactly what respectable nightlife socializing should be."
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I'm in the supermarket checkout the other day, and this woman is taking forever to pay—with her checkbook, of course. So I lean over and say, "Hey, lady, you know what we're all thinking when you pay by check? That you're not reaping any potential benefits from a cash-back or frequent-flyer credit card." I mean, how stupid can you be not to know that most major cards give triple miles for supermarket or drugstore purchases? Am I right, people?
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My wife complains like it's her job. About out-of-control government spending and affirmative action. And I totally agree with her. She's a spokeswoman for Rick Santorum.
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The other day, on a flight, I open up my package of peanuts, and there are five peanuts inside. I ask the flight attendant if there's a mistake, and she says it's a cost-cutting procedure to help save the airline from bankruptcy. I go, "Oh, yeah? You want an idea for another 'cost-cutting procedure'? How 'bout taking a stand against the pilots' union and raising the retirement age to 65 from the current 60 so the 401(k)s aren't depleted and the average middle-to-upper-class passenger doesn't foot the bill?" Boo-ya!
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I once had this real tight-ass boss who constantly yelled at all his employees for slacking off. For our Christmas bonuses, he gave us tube socks. Tube socks. And, by saving money, he was able to hire new, better employees the next year, fire us, and improve profit margins. That man knew how to run a fiscally responsible company.
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The other night my wife and I are watching Hannity & Colmes, and she goes, "I'm cold—let's turn up the heat." So I say, "Just put on a sweater." And she gives me this look that's like, No missionary sex in the marital interest of procreation for you! And I'm thinking, "Man, if only the pansy liberals let the military flex a little more muscle in the Middle East and force an effective European coalition, we might be able to dissolve the OPEC terrorists, gain some leverage over oil prices, and avert domestic crises like this." The fellas know what I mean!
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You guys seen Brokeback Mountain? I actually thought it could've been a good movie. If one of the guys were a woman. And they were married. And practicing Christians. And they didn't outsource the directing to Taiwan.
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Where are you folks from? Paris? Really? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Ha ha, just kidding, madame. But get out of my face. Seriously. You make me sick.
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I Like Doctor Who (Holy Crap!!!!)

I can't believe that I'm saying this, but the new Doctor Who from the BBC is fantastic. It's going to be out on DVD here in the U.S. in July. I have a great connection here in the city for bootleg DVD's.

So, when he had the good doctor, my husband grabbed it up.
Joe is a big Doctor Who fan. I will call him out right now. He has been to a Doctor convention. With all of that in mind, he really wanted to see the show. I was reluctant to say the least.

A little back story on my love/hate affair with science fiction. I am a little schizo on this topic. I think in many things there are good ideas, but I also think that many times the execution is off. American Sci-Fi distracts you with amazing effects and British Sci-Fi distracts you with the lack of effects. It's a little weird. There are many things in science fiction I enjoy. My favorite books are Brave New World, Farenheight 451, and Slaughterhouse Five. I'm not sure how that happened. And, the big ideas in the first 2 Matrix films was right up my alley.

Sorry, tangent. But, the new Dr. Who is extremely well done. Good acting, clever scripts, and decent effects are all here. Christopher Ecclestone plays the Dr. Much more sour and sarcastic. He is not twinkly like Tom Baker. Billie Piper and John Barrowman play his traveling companions. John Barrowman plays a bi-sexual time traveler. The character is done very well and handled with wit and dignity.

Russell Davies is the new writer/producer. He created the original Queer as Folk. He brings the same good writing and strong show running to this new doctor. Doctor Who is really good. Everyone who enjoys science fiction or British humor should check it out. And, if you watch a lot of British product, look for a variety of guest stars.

Fliering with the Famous

So, I just got back from a tough room that I fliered for. The place is great, the other comics were great, and I have had amazing sets there. Tonight the crowd was tough, but every laugh was worked for. So, I did feel a bit of success.

But, I was able to flier in Times Square. Amazingly, Cee-Lo, rapper from Goodie Mob and currently out with the combo Gnarls Barkley was walking by. I said, "hey Cee Lo" and tried to sound like I knew him. It worked. He turned around and so did his friends. I worked my Amy magic and he took a flier. His friends laughed at my chutzpah and also took fliers.

They did not come to the show. But, they have my flier. Maybe they'll think about it and come another time.

I think the value in this lesson is to always be brave and do what you need to do.

I am so happy about this story, I've posted it on all my blogs! I'm such a loser.

The End of an Era

So, tonight Will and Grace had their series finale. I watched it. Full disclosure, I haven't watched this show in years. But, I wanted to watch the finale because I think this show, when it first aired, was a revelation. It had gay characters who spoke in a truly "gay" way. There were in jokes, sexy jokes, and a wealth of pop culture.

For me, I related to the show. When it first appeared I was still single and my best friend, then as now was my own Will Truman, Dale. I related to the closeness of the characters. Many things on the show seemed as if they were my life. I know if Dale reads this, he knows that Will and Grace's dominance at games was directly lifted from our lives.

After college I got married and moved to NYC. Dale came with his partner Tom and moved close by. As I watched the finale. All of the talk of destiny and how those who are supposed to be in your life will always be there, spoke to me. I got a little teary thinking about my life and how much richer it is because of all of those who have come into my life. Especially my best friend.

So, the episode was fine. But, the feelings that it brought up meant something. Honestly, without this show I don't think acceptance would be where it is. We have a long way to go, but in it's own way, Will and Grace brought gay people into millions of homes and maybe a few out of their closets. So, with all that said, goodbye Will and Grace. The world is better because you were on the air.

Upocoming Amy Events

Wonder what Amy is up to? Want to see her hilarious comedy?
Then check out my MySpace page for all the dates, times, and prices.

http://www.myspace.com/amypatrick

All your Amy news in one place!

Happy Birthday!!!

So, my hubby is soon to be 30!
Holy Crap!
I just wanted to put this short post and say Happy Birthday and I love you so much.

Don't Fear the Reaper Joe!

In Search of the Real Me

So, because of the awesome Noushineh, I have done this test.

So, this is a way to see how you see yourself VS. how others see you. Go to the site and see what you would pick for me.

http://kevan.org/johari?name=Amy Patrick

Amy's Movie Reviews

So, I'm finally seeing more movies. Yay!!! I will also have more reviews coming next weekend. And, I am going to share stories about my DJ class on my MySpace and Comedy Soapbox blogs. But, for now, sit back and relax, enjoy the show!

Take The Lead: (director Liz Friedlander)
So, anyone who knows me, knows my favorite genre of film is the "ragtag group of ______ pulls it together and makes something of themselves" genre. This type of film can be found in almost every style of film. A few examples that I highly recommend; The Dirty Dozen, The 7 Samurai, The Bad News Bears, Slap Shot, School of Rock, and you even have documentaries like Spellbound and Mad, Hot Ballroom.
Take the Lead follows in the footsteps of all of these films. The movie is based on the life of Pierre Dulaine. He is a professional ballroom instructor and dancer. After seeing a troubled teen one night, he decides to work with kids who really need him. The story breaks no new ground. He has to get the kids to trust him and also get them to believe in themselves.
Antonio Banderas is very good as the teacher and he can really dance. The students are played by a variety of familiar faces from other teen flicks. Rob Brown from Finding Forrester and Coach Carter does a good job as does Lauren Collins from Degrassi and Yaya Acosta from America's Next Top Model.
The movie captures class difference and how race is important, but being poor can wear on you harder than anything. The NY scenes are captured well and uses locations not normally seen in the city. It's a nice change of pace.
Many of the kids are types and we also have an uptight teacher and a principal who loves the program but might have to shut it down. Will the kids make it to the big competition? Will the program survive? Will mortal enemies find love? You know all the answers already. But, that didn't stop me from getting misty and enjoying the film.

Silent Hill: (director Christopher Gans)
It's official. If you want to make a frightening film, you must decide to have it take place in an alternate dimension or hell on Earth. Silent Hill is based on a video game, but works as a movie. The atmosphere, tension, and general work on the film make it a pretty good horror film.
I am not a fan of PG-13 horror/suspense. I grew up watching horror in the 1980's and was weaned on films like A Nightmare on Elm Street, Dawn of the Dead, Jacob's Ladder, and various other gory and scary films.
Currently, horror has been pandering to teens and watering down the product. Only foreign horror has been stepping up. But, Silent Hill is gory, scary, and tense. It follows in the creepy tradition of Candyman, Hellraiser, and In the Mouth of Madness.
Lovecraftian horror is an idea using the work of H.P. Lovecraft. His work features an idea of unspeakable horror. And, unspeakable horror never works on film. Excluding a few films, that I already mentioned, it hardly ever works.
Silent Hill was directed by French director Christopher Gans. Check out his film Brotherhood of the Wolf. It's crazy, scary, and really well done. Silent Hill is muc better directed than most horror. The gore is there and the acting is fairly good. My biggest qualm is that you can really feel that it is based on a video game. Certain scenes, sound effects, and plot points seem very much like they were lifted directly from a game. During the last big confrontation my husband said, "That was one hell of a boss level".
But, if you just want to be scared and can leave a certain level of logic at the door, check this out.

Whatever Happened to TV Theme Songs?

So, I recently downloaded the theme song to "Sanford and Son" to my iPod. Before you judge me, this is a great song. And, as a TV theme it's perfect. When you hear the song, it sounds like the instruments are found in a junk yard. There's funk in it and the overall tone captures the shambling spirit of the show.
As I listened to it, I thought about how great all the shows in the 70's and 80's used their theme songs to capture a feeling or mood about the show. Typically, songs with lyrics were organic to the show. The lyrics usually summarized the show or set the tone. Today, if there are lyrics they very rarely fit the show's content.
This is a short post, but something I've been thinking about recently. I wish we had more singable or recognizable themes. Even the old themes without lyrics set a tone. Think about "Barney Miller" or "Night Court". And, pretty much any show created by Norman Lear (Good Times, The Jeffersons, Maude) or Junger/Witt (The Golden Girls) had a song that made you fondly recall the show. I am pretty sure that these themes made the shows better and kept them on the air longer.
So, check out the themes now. You'll see that they are actually really good songs. They stand on their own merits. I wish TV shows had that today.

Lost Stuff

I'll admit it, I'm a nerd for this show!

http://www.thehansofoundation.org

1-877-HANSORG

Both are great timekillers. The tenacles of the conspiracy grows.

A Few Thoughts on Immigration

I am writing this short post because I truly supported the May 1st march. The boycott I'm on the fence about. But, I really just have a few thoughts on all of it and wanted to share them.

1. If your last name isn't KillingDear or RunninBear you have a stake in the march. Just because we subjugated people and ran rampant, that has somehow made us not immigrants anymore. I don't buy it. Every group that has come to this coutnry has been crapped on and treated badly. But, now, when the face of it is darker than khaki, we want to build a wall.

2. Building a wall around the United States is one of the worst things I've ever heard. A wall blocking us in is one of the tragedies of our lifetime. If we do it, we will fall the way Rome, Egypt, and other great Empires fell.

3. And, if people wanted to stop illegal immigration, they would force businesses to stop outsourcing, raise the minimum wage, and force employers to have ethics.

4. Also, if you don't want to lose a job to a "Mexican", then get a diploma, start a business, and get some training because honestly, that's the jobs they're allegedly taking.

5. And finally, most illegals pay into our system. In fact a large amount of them pay taxes into the system and get nothing back.

So, finally, can we stop this nonsense? We are the greatest country in the world, even though there are times when I get mad about it, but our time might be closing. Narrow minds and cold hearts are the problem in this world. Let's be open and honest and work as the nation of immigrants we are.