Site Update -- 15,000!

Hit a mini-milestone today. 15,000 hits. Not very impressive seeing that this blog has been up for almost 2 and a half years BUT, it makes me feel good about myself. Although I am positive that at LEAST 75% of them are from my mother's browser opening. STILL - I am pumped. It took only the last three weeks to go from 12,000 to 15,000. So more people must be tuning in - or my mom is really going online a lot. Keep checking back in and make sure to hit us up on Twitter, Facebook and Myspace.

PS - how great is that picture above?

Site Update -- Luke of Earl

GoodenoughFilms has added a new writer to the staff. Luke of Earl is hot on the scene and ready to bring us up to date on whatever the hell he feels necessary. The only introduction you need to Earl is this hot music video he made for his Prep school's rivalry week straight slaughtering the dreaded Hill School (pee-you!). Earl is sure to bring a nice and younger vibe to the blog that has been a bit too infused with us old heads. With that - I present to you - Luke of Earl. Keep it real, bitches.

Link: In Pottstown
Site: YouTube
Length: 3:49

If you want to become a fan of The Earl himself - feel free with this link to his Facebook fan page.

Did you know you could become a fan of GoodenoughFilms on Facebook too? Right here.

Music Videos -- Michael Jackson

Link: Thriller
Site: YouTube
Length: 13:41

I feel like it is a civic duty of mine since I am on my recent music video craze to post this amazing gem. I am sure 99.9% of the entire planet has seen the music video for Thriller but I figured I would post it just in case you are planning on going out in the not so distant future because every bar I have been to recently has been blazing this track and my ability to do about 75% of the Thriller dance moves has made me one of the more popular guys in the place. So study up and enjoy the best music video of all time.

Film Review -- The Hangover (R)

Directed by Todd Phillips
Released June 5, 2009

My 60 year old father took me to delicious Chinese food and to see The Hangover yesterday. I was surprised because the films target audience did not include him or his fiance. Nevertheless, the three of us went to a theatre last night and laughed together as Todd Phillips (Old School, Road Trip, Starsky and Hutch) delivered another comedy that defines our generation (Next?). The Hangover in no ways matches or surpasses Old School. Actually, it does not come close using my flawless Laugh-o-meter. All but a couple of the characters lacked the stupidity or outlandishness that I crave in a comedy. Do not misread this review please, this is a funny movie. However, I would be fine seeing this movie at home. Please consider that I do not regularly see comedies in the theatre for their lack of explosions and other aesthetically pleasing things. Obviously, I do plan on seeing G.I. Joe in the IMAX.

In The Hangover, the story about a debaucherous bachelor party is classic. However, the B movie stars who form the central characters have little to work with as they struggle to demonstrate consistent comedic attributes easily. Alan Garner played by comedian and rising star Zack Galifianakis (Super High Me, Out Cold) does deliver the needed knee slapping humor in nearly every scene. The other characters are better than others, but nothing extraordinary.

I do think that the dialog written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore was truly hysterical. Many of the funny lines were just great lines that fell into the actors lap. Comedian Mike Epps plays Black Doug and shines as always; while cops played by Rob Riggle and Cleo King are also hilarious. The funniest character was by far the always awesome Ken Jeong (Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, Role Models) who caused the audience to erupt in response to his role - gangster Mr. Chow. Jeong is a physician which earned him the name "Dr. Ken". He is always good as any character and was on tv shows such as The Office, Entourage, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Dr. Ken steals the movie in three or four scenes. An interesting note is that there is already Hangover 2 set for 2011.

It was a fun night at the movies which my father pointed out as we left on an unseasonably cool St. Louis night in July. My only caution is that the pictures shown as the credits roll at the end are not for children or churchgoers. Go see it for sure if you like to laugh.

3 out of 4
(Review by Thomas Demerath)

News -- MJ Memorial Service

This is one of the most remarkable online video moments in the history of the world. CNN estimates that already over 10 million people are watching this live online with this unique ability to live chat through Facebook Status' and I cannot believe the internet has come to this point in history. I can only imagine what the number of Facebook Status' will be after all is said and done today. Tune in through this link if you are not already. RIP MJ. Way to go out with a virtual big bang.

Music Videos -- LMFAO

Link: Yes
Site: YouTube
Length: 3:10

Yes, I am posting about this group. The music video tops the record books as the worst of all time, but I double-dog dare you to get a little drunk with some friends and pop this jam on and not get to shaking your rump. As a self proclaimed hip hop connoisseur, the lyrics of this summer hit are the dregs. But, just looking at these clowns and the hilarious car ride music video they put together makes me like them one hundred times more. Scope the video or just have it playing in the background while you Gmail Chat at work or Facebook Stalk at home. Yes. It's on and poppin'.

Feel free to learn more about LMFAO here.

Film Review -- Public Enemies (R)

Directed by Michael Mann
Released July 1, 2009

So it appears that the summer movie season is officially upon us. It's a time of year that I usually venture into with trepidation. It seems like Hollywood is always very hit or miss once the days get longer and warmer. Sometimes you get lucky and a movie like The Dark Knight comes along and sometimes you get The Taking of Pelham 123. Either way - you never know whats going to happen. With that in mind, I went to see Johnny Depp's latest, Public Enemies, which is a true story that focuses on the last year of bank robber, John Dillinger's life.

I didn't know exactly what to expect going into this movie. I knew that there would be some good 1930's-esque action which there was. And I knew that there would be some great acting from Johnny Depp, and he didn't disappoint. However, if you're looking for a good action movie with wall-to-wall heart stopping action this isn't the movie for you. Granted the action scenes in the movie were really well done and the sound editing really pulled you into the moment, unfortunately they were too few and far between. What you have left over is a very slow paced movie in between with few flashes of acting brilliance from Depp and Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard (who plays Dillinger's girlfriend, Billie Frechette). Christian Bale wasn't half bad either, although his role in the movie isn't very big. The supporting cast in this movie overall was very strong.

My recommendation would be to wait it out and rent this one when it comes out on DVD, unless you're a die-hard Depp fan and just have to see him on the big screen. Overall Public Enemies is a decent film, but I think it would have been better served starting earlier in Dillinger's life, perhaps give us some back story as to how he became a bank robber. This would have allowed for more action scenes as well which would have helped the movie move along a little faster.

2.5 out of 4
(Review by Chris)

TV Spotlight -- Hung (HBO)

I finally got around to watching HBO's new follow-up to the almighty TrueBlood on my DVR this morning. Hung is the story of Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane), a Detroit native high school basketball coach whose life after divorce and financial turmoil left him in a serious bind. Add to that his house burning down and his fat and ugly kids leaving him to live with his Ex, Ray's life officially blows. But while the rest of us might try and pick up a second job, take a loan or beg family for funds, Ray takes the high road to using his one god given gift (as the title of the series makes pretty obvious) - his wiener.

The series has a very simple look to it - similar production value to other HBO single camera shoots like Entourage or Sopranos. The story flows threw Ray's voice-over narration (which has NOTHING on Dexter Morgan in Showtime's Dexter) and boasts an original film-like score to accompany the plot and move the story right along.

All in all, I am interested to see where Hung takes me and I have always found it funny that I think Thomas Jane is the same person as Aaron Eckhart (Thank You For Not Smoking, The Dark Knight). Really he is just that dude from Deep Blue Sea who seems ready to be the talk of the town this summer with his new series about his big dong. With a lack of reality TV in my life (besides Daisy Of Love which is proving to be pretty fun since I have a serious bro crush on 12 Pack) and only a glimmer of hope still remains that Entourage will be what it once was - you can be sure I will be watching Hung again July 12th for episode number two.

Music Videos -- Marina & The Diamonds

Link: I Am Not a Robot
Site: YouTube
Length: 3:37

I had to share this little video that my good friend Derek Jeter put up on his Blog the other day of the ever wonderful Marina & The Diamonds. I have been digging her sound since Derek first introduced us over iChat transfer and it has been a magical ride watching her career bloom. I found her new video to be splendid and in the world we live in where everyone with a built in iSight is making talking to yourself legit, I found this video as a great example of how to take that same style of "looking in the mirror" filmmaking and making it something fantastic. Of course, this was shot in beautiful HD and not on a MacBookPro so the quality reflects the artist and the filmmaker, Rankin. I heart Marina.

Film Review -- Star Trek (PG-13)

Directed by J.J. Abrams
Released May 8, 2009

Star Trek was one of those movies I saw was coming out and wanted to see right away. However, about ten movies got in the way and I always put Star Trek off as an "I'll see it later" film. But with it being out in theaters for almost two months, I started to worry my local twelve-plex was going to stop showing the film with summer blockbusters bursting on the scene (Transformers 2 with over $200 million in the first week? WOW!). So I buckled up, shut up and went to see the two-hour adventure with a bag of Jiffy Pop in Magical Sara's purse (recession woes).

What I got was pretty much what I expected. I had enough trusted friends tell me that this was a good movie that I knew it would be in fact a good movie. And it was. Nevertheless, what I got in the theatre was probably more entertaining than this film. NOT TO DOWN TALK THIS ACTION FLICK - it was good. But the antics in the seats around me were too much to not divert my attention away from Spock (Zachary Quinto) and Kirk (Chris Pine) at least for a little while. I will focus on two great spectators: 1. The ULTIMATE Trekkies in front of us and 2. The BRAINIAC young Trekkie behind me.

The ULTIMATE TREKKIES were unreal. There were three of them. They knew every quote to the film. They clapped more than they blinked. Their collective hard-on for the film started off painfully annoying and ended leaving me wondering, "Have they seen this movie ten times or have they just seen every episode of the series ten times?"

The BRAINIAC YOUNG TREKKIE had some great play by play: "Saturn is the second largest planet in the Solar System" and "Did you know Gravity would pull Kirk at the speed of 9.8 meters per second per second making him accelerate at an incredible velocity that would make pulling his shoot after dropping this distance from U.S.S. Enterprise nearly impossible?" (Impossible for anyone but Captain Kirk of course). I couldn't see his face - but I imagined he was just like that little kid in Jerry Maguire. You know the quote, "Did you know the human head weighs eight pounds?" I have often been compared to this little egg head.

But it was these two groups who reminded me who Star Trek is for and why, although I do not hang on Sulu's every word or marvel at Scotty's ability to beam, the show and many films have an incredible power for those more brainy on this Earth. Indeed, J.J. Abrams (LOST) did a great job of mixing the brains of Spock with the braun of Kirk. I only wish there was a cameo from the PRICELINE NEGOTIATOR!

For you Trekkies, I am glad your show has been revived from the shaky-camera, low budget film of the past. Congratulations - after 43 years since your epic show first began - Star Trek might finally be cool.

3 out of 4

Film Review -- Year One (PG-13)

Directed by Harold Ramis
Released June 19, 2009

For all of you who read this that haven't seen the movie yet, congratulations! You've just saved yourself a bunch of money. This movie had about 8 laughs total. Jack Black plays the same exact character he's played in every other movie he has done and Michael Cera plays the same role he created on Arrested Development. Hank Azaria and Oliver Platt offer the only few bright spots in this movie, but their short roles aren't worth the admission. If you are a die hard Black or Cera fan then by all means rent this one. Otherwise save your money. In short Year One equals garbage!

0 out of 4
(Review by Chris)

Editor's Note: Glad to have Chris back destroying films he does not like and giving out advice to those wanting to save money in hard economic times. Welcome back, Chris.

Film Review -- Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen (PG-13)

Directed by Michael Bay
Released June 24, 2009

Sequels are tricky like Penn and Teller. For a film to match what was achieved during the original or rise above the often lofty expectations can be like finding the white whale or beating breaking DiMaggio’s hitting streak. I watched James Cameron’s Termanator and Termanator 2: Judgement Day earlier in this week and became enthralled with the idea that Transformers and Transormers 2 director Michael Bay (Bad Boys I and II, Pearl Harbor, The Rock) could do what Cameron did. Cameron needed seven years to make Termenator 2 which made people praise the sequel like never before. Walking in the footprints of god-like director Francis Ford Coppola (Godfather I and II) who also only needed two years to make what many call “The greatest sequel of all time” –Many aka They, Bay did not delay the super hyped Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. Two summers ago Bay’s Transformers bulldozed Hollywood with its unseen special effects and young star power.

Transformers originated in the mid 1980s as an animated TV series aimed towards kids all over the world. In 1986 the animated Transformers movie was released which nourished fans and featured the voices of stars like Orson Wells, Leonard Nimoy, and Robert Stack. Yes, I left Judd Nelson out on my list of “stars” in the film. The fact that it took twenty years for another major motion picture to be released about the noble and evil alien/robots from space is remarkable. Transformers fan base is bigger than the Joaquin “El Chopo” Guzman’s bankroll. From baby boomers to kids whose births were announced via text message, everyone wants to see change. Whether it’s a car, jet, helicopter, motorcycle, boom box, or a shiny eighteen wheeler, we see the transformation from familiar to foreign.

I sat in a crowded IMAX theatre in Torreon, Mexico and observed the children who were going to fall asleep, and the girlfriends who were humoring their man. The mass advertizing was a success and the people came. From the start of the film’s destruction of Shanghai our attention was in Bay’s hands. It was so crowded that I could feel the excitement from the surrounding seats. As a crane turned super unicycle destroyed the ten year old Pudong cityscape and battled with U.S. elite military unit, the “ooohhs” and “ahhhhhs” were only drowned out by the THX sound. Old characters Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) and Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) are revisited along with fan favorite Autobot Bumble Bee (Mark Ryan). The writers do an impeccable job of keeping the same diversity within the Transformers genre. I recall a friend of mine last year ignorantly griping about the comedic elements in Bay’s first Transformers. My friend also does not remember the 80’s and how everything including television shows like Transformers and G.I. Joe needed funny characters and jokes. The writers of Transformers 2 do a better job creating humor than in the 2007 film. More comedic characters like Jolt (Anthony Anderson) and his twin Skids (Tom Kenny) along with funny scenes (mom eating pot brownies, and dogs/decepticons humping, fraternity party) keep viewers laughing between gasps. There are no awkward Jar Jar Binks (Star Wars Episode 1) characters or unbelievable plot twists (Weekend at Bernie’s II).

The plot of Transformers 2 is just as far-fetched and open ended as the 2007 film, however the writing was superior. One of my favorite actors John Turturro (Do the Right Thing, Mo’ Betta Blues, Miller’s Crossing, The Big Lebowski , The Bronx is Burning) was able to continue his role as Agent Simmons who is a hilarious caricature of a federal agent. He starts by working at his mother’s deli in Brooklyn, and ends by being one of the films heroes in Egypt. Whether the action took place in Asia or Africa the Autobots and Decepticons war destroys skyscrapers, forests, bridges, submarines, landmarks and aircraft carriers on a grand scale. Michael Bay and his team of writers do a great job bringing everything to the screen. Jaw-dropping lucid special effects that has never been seen, Megan Fox in naughty positions and tight outfits, Optimus Prime getting dirty and whooping ass while talking trash make Transformers 2: Rise of the Fallen a must see. Like The Simpsons there are jokes your children will not understand, but the violence is unrealistic and there is little blood. Parents bring your kids! Kids bring your parents!

3.75 out of 4 (needed more Megan Fox time)
(Review by Thomas Demerath)

News -- Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson has left this world - sure to be moving on to a better world maybe in another universe. The King of Pop is gone. RIP, Mr. Thriller.

Site Update -- Sold Out

I hear 'em crying, "You gon' sell out!" Ya damn right. I done sold out before and re-caught the same night. Straight hopped the next flight, too Icey for sunlight. Dunkin' without Sprite, yeah you heard me dirty! I'm from the Show-Me State, show me seven I'll show you eight. Karats in one Ring, heavily starched jeans, representin' St. Louis everytime I breathe. Every city I touch down and I bob and weave, ay. -Cornell "Nelly" Haynes, Jr.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I admit I have steered away from independent film making and took a position working with the Washington Redskins as a TV Producer for the Redskins Broadcast Network. We have a daily feed of videos here and I will keep you up to date once my own TV show Inside the Redskins starts airing in the Washington D.C. area. Life here is sweet, I love DC, I love the NFL and I am doing more editing/producing than I could have ever imagined a year out of college. No more internships for this guy (hopefully). And it is not that I have said goodbye to film - but this position was far too lucrative to turn away. I will still do my best to frequent the cinema (Up was a recent love of mine and Land of the Lost was nothing special). However, you most likely noticed that I had slowed down well below a snail's pace with my reviews anyhow so I am most likely writing this post to myself. I am feeling a void in my life that I believe revolves around my lack of writing. And I do live a 5 minute walk from a movie theatre and I am seeing more movies than ever so expect the reviews to continue. Believe it or not though, I do have the last film I will most likely make in my Boston University career and I would like to share it with you.

Slowpoke is a film shot entirely in High Definition using a shnazzy new Panasonic P2 Card reading mammoth camera. The film was conceptualized by a new good friend of mine Joe LaRocca who is seriously passionate about film making and from watching him first hand, I can tell he will be a great director for this world. For once I was not the editor on this masterpiece but I did get to get my hands dirty as the Director of Photography. Working with the HD camera for a short fiction film was a great time and the final product is a pretty high quality masterpiece of sorts. See if you can decipher the riddle of Joe LaRocca's Slowpoke.

Link: Slowpoke
Site: YouTube
Length: 9:50

For more Joe LaRocca goods, check his website at LaRoccaFilms.com

Original -- Glory Holes

Did this for a production class at school. Not the best piece of work I have ever edited but within the time constraints given, I am pretty pleased with some parts of it. Excuse the extended dialogue from a pretty inarticulate subject and make sure to take note on the excellent narration. I edited this piece.

Link: Glory Holes: The Tale of a Modern Day Glass Artist
Site: YouTube
Length: 4:45

I better get used to informative media... I did just get a job at PBS. We'll see how that goes. More reviews soon. Vote Obama.

(P.S. A glory hole is the hole in the furnace where you gather the lava-fied glass. What a nasty mind you have.)

Original -- Bonaduce and Fairplay Kiss

We thought it would be a good idea to toss this up on the site. On of our writers, CMill, is not only holding it down with some reviews, but is also a talented editor working out in LA. He created this viral video promoting the upcoming "Fox Reality Channel Really Awards." Definitely fun to watch and the editing is spot on.

Link: Bonaduce and Fairplay Kiss and Make Up
Site: Break.com
Length: 0:40 Seconds

Hopefully we will get more stuff from CMill and perhaps a write up on how the Really Awards turn up. Good work, my dude!

Film Review -- Lakeview Terrace (PG-13)

Directed by Neil LaBute
Overlook Entertainment/Screen Gems
Released September 19, 2008

Well... This one was tough. The film had one big problem -- it was inherent in the writing process that the theme of the film would be racism. Once they established that as a theme, they then decided to write a movie. When there is too much attention paid to the theme and it is not something hidden or interwoven as racism was in Crash, then it becomes all too obvious what every major conflict is going to be about. And in Lakeview Terrace, race and racism were the entire driving force behind the film.

It takes a lot for me to not see Samuel L. Jackson in a movie. I even went to see Black Snake Moan although it looked very odd to me (and turned out to be okay, I think I reviewed is sometime before the summer). And Sam was good and had a good character and was a great antagonist in the film. The problem was, it was tough to find a protagonist to be in love with.

Patrick Wilson (Running With Scissors) and Kerry Washington (Little Man) are the married, racially mixed couple who move into a new neighborhood in SoCal right next door to the (if you saw any advertisement or trailer) very easily disturbed Jackson. But neither character was likable. Wilson (Chris Mattson) was a hard nosed dickhead who was mean to his wife and Washington (Lisa Mattson) was obnoxious, secretly malicious and wore horrible glasses throughout. So the viewer was left to make the antagonist (Jackson) the only likable character although he was a major jerk. The lack of likable characters made it tough to root for anyone in this thriller.

A fun movie to gander if you have seen everything else in theaters. Sam Jackson was super badass. If that is all you need, than be my guest and check out this big B film.

2 out of 4

Film Review -- Burn After Reading (R)

Directed by Ethan and Joel Coen
Relativity Media
Released September 12, 2008

The Coen brothers are at it again! After winning the Academy Award for Best Picture with No Country For Old Men, the duo has come back with a late summer comedy that is chock full of talent. Cloney, Pitt, & Malkovich are just some of the names that alone made this film seem worthwhile.

I must say I was oddly impressed with this film. The first ten reviews I read gave it pretty crappy remarks. Perhaps it is just my undying love for these comedic geniuses that made me again fall for it in the end. Although the plot was pretty much based upon misunderstandings and wacky affairs, it had awesome character depth and a surprisingly hilarious supporting role from Brad Pitt.

I understand why all the hostility about this movie exists in the critic world. I mean, technically, nothing actually happens in this movie. But at the same time, a lot happens. It is a subtlety that I personally believe makes the Coen brother's movies fantastic. The majority of their films, especially The Big Lebowski, are driven by their wonderful characters and not the plot. Like The Big Lebowski, this is a film where almost everyone is in deep and over their heads flies the plot which they all try and grab a hold of so as to understand what the heck is going on.

Although the film is certainly not an Academy winner or a future cult classic like many of their films, it is not a flop like The Ladykillers, although some believe it is. I can hardly believe they actually turned this movie around so quickly -- not to mention they have 5 other movies lined up between now and 2010. If you like easy humor, twisted plots, Clooney or hearing the word "fuck" well over 200 times, go see this movie today! Let me know what you think, I'm dying for more opinions.

3 out of 4

News -- Paul Newman

Hollywood lost one of it's greatest stars and wonderful people today. Paul Newman passed away today at the age of 83. Paul was always one of my favorite actors and Cool Hand Luke will forever be one of my favorite films. My best wishes to his family and friends, I'm off to the supermarket to buy every Newman's Own product I can find.

Film Review -- The Dark Knight (PG-13)

Directed by Christopher Nolan
Warner Brothers Pictures
Released July 14, 2008

(Editors Note: Because this site was being updated, Thomas wrote this review in a timely fashion but it was put on the back burner un-posted. Use the review to sway your DVD/Netflix options in the near future.)

I was bummed to hear the negativity surrounding the fourth Indiana Jones so I decided to wait until it reaches DVD. The second Hulk looked better than Ang Lee’s flop and I enjoyed John Favreau’s Ironman. Superhero films are extraordinary because we can live vicariously through them and do things we only dream of doing. That is why I didn’t hesitate to brave crowded theaters full of lines and 90’s babies to see The Dark Knight -- Christopher Nolan’s newest and perfect installment in the Batman series.

The Dark Knight is what any avid or casual movie viewer needs. From start to finish this two and a half hour masterpiece proves that Tim Burton does not comprehend the complex character of Bruce Wayne or Batman as well as Christopher Nolan. Nolan’s directorial fame began with Pi and continued with Memento. When Nolan’s Batman Begins hit theaters in 2005, fans were allowed a glimpse into the evolution of a superhero. Nolan’s vision of the famed “Caped Crusader” is real. From Gotham City to Alfred, no part of The Dark Knight is unbelievable. Nolan has given us a Batman who does not fit into the stereotypical mold for good reason. Adam West played the Batman of the baby boomer generation. That colorful show and film was full of countless “pows,” “bams,” and “splats.” That was realistic because of the 50s/60s time period when it was set and taken directly from the comic. Meanwhile, The Dark Knight is a reflection of the 21st century urban American society and also stays true to the original comic books storyline.

A star-studded cast including Michael Caine (Get Carter & Alfie), Morgan Freeman (Glory & Driving Miss Daisy), Christian Bale (Empire of the Sun & Newsies), Gary Oldman (Sid and Nancy & The Professional), and many others shine in The Dark Knight.

However, no one matches the sheer genius that the late Heath Ledger (Monster’s Ball & The Brothers Grimm) demonstrates as The Joker. From the first scene in The Dark Knight until the end, Ledger’s performance is a “tour de force”. His laugh is demented, his eyes are full of terror, and his vicious words emanate from the depths of evil. Jack Nicholson’s Joker in Burton’s 1989 Batman was an entertaining and humorous character. Ledger’s Joker is the definition of villain.

Go see this movie in theaters! Unless you have a stellar home theater there is no possible way that you can fully appreciate Dark Knight on DVD. The intensity of the explosions, score, and suspense are amplified on the big screen.

Although The Dark Knight received a PG-13 rating, I DO NOT recommend that children see this film because it is too realistic. This outstanding film showcases my generation’s greatest actor. Although, Heath Ledger died young, his career taught all of us about life, love, fear, happiness and death.

5 out of 4
(Review by tee diddie)

Original -- Sarah Palin Advertisement

In order to get myself back into the scene here, I thought it would be a good idea to post a little mock-video I made in jest of the Sarah-Palin-Pro-Life contingency in the ol' US of A. The commercial was for my post-production class (I'm in graduate school, by the way) and it has yet to be recieved by the class. I thought I would share it all with you first...

Link: Sarah Palin Advertisement
Site: YouTube
Length: 0:41 Seconds

In case you were confused, I am a fervent supporter of Mr. Obama and have been for quite a while. With almost 2 months to go in this election, you can be sure to see a lot of interesting stuff about the Obama/McCain battle that is sent to me. I'll keep my opinions to a minimum and focus on entertaining political media. Enjoy the advertisement.

Site Update -- New Template

After a long hiatus, GoodenougFilms returns with a new look. I blame myself completely for a lack of posts during the summer. I graduated college, had a great summer and I got lazy re-writing the blog-HTML. But here it is. Get ready for new posts soon. Writer Tee Diddy has left China and is now teaching geography in Mexico and hopes to keep his international perspective alive. Keep in touch and keep up with the enthusiasm. We are over 10,000 hits (thanks Mom).

Film Review -- 21 (PG-13)

Directed by Robert Luketic
Relativity Media / Michael De Luca Productions
Released March 28, 2008

So I got the unique chance to see this film a bit ahead of time. Since I am a Boston University student and for the majority of the last spring the producers used our campus to film, they are now giving back by way of free screenings. With my free popcorn and small drink, I was in a pleasant mood (although I had been a jerk all day for some reason) and went into this film with a clear head.

And then the film started and without fail, I was back to my crabby mood watching a bad movie. Literally within the first 20 minutes of the film there was no doubt in my mind that I was not going to like the movie. I was also annoyed by all the other students in the theater who were giggling and chatting every single time a scene in the film was on our campus. Just because a film is made on our campus does not mean we are now famous. Especially since every character in the film sports an MIT shirt, hat, bag or pendant.

Forget the audience, back to the film. Everything seemed to be right in the thought process for this movie except one thing -- just because you are basing a movie of a book based on an interesting story in reality, it does not mean you need to hire two of the crappiest screen writers ever (Peter Steinfeld & Allan Loeb) to try and adapt it to film. The opening sequence? Horrible voice over narration. First scene of dialogue? Completely awkward and unbelievable. This is going to be a long two hours and three minutes (I check on my iPhone within 15 minutes).

If you have not already seen a trailer for this movie you are lucky. Literally run out of the room if you are watching the Celtics beat the Mavericks tonight on TNT if it comes on because the trailer and the premise is all this film has to offer. There is no character depth what so ever. All the sudden you will find Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth) making out with main character Ben Cambell (Jim Sturgess aka WHO?) for no real reason besides they are just all soooo smart. Meanwhile Kevin Spacey will do everything he can to make this movie badass but the PG-13 rating makes it F'ing weak. Oh yea, Laurence Fisburne is in it and he is somewhat bad ass. He is like a half-ass-bad-ass.

Well if you do read this review and still go see the movie, make sure you know the only significant work that director Robert Luketic has done is Legally Blonde and you will understand fully why it sucks so hard. The guy has some sort of Kate Bosworth fetish, too (she did look pretty goood though. They did a good job of hiding her gaseous, anorexic bootydoo). The cinematography was actually pretty well done and it was nice to see Boston in film. But next time Hollywood, bring your A-list directors and writers to town. Where the hell is Scorcese?

1.5 out of 4

Film Review -- Rambo (R)

Directed by Sylvester Stallone
Rouge Marble/Nu Image Films
Released January 25, 2008

Luckily for last months Oscar winners John Rambo aka Rambo 4 aka Rambo IV: Pearl of the Cobra was not released until after the 2007 deadline. Sly Stallone triumphantly returns to the screen to play the simple, barbaric and nostalgic character John Rambo. Stallone is no stranger to playing roles created a quarter of a century ago (Rocky Balboa aka Rocky VI in 2006) and his aging is hardly noticeable thanks to countless cycles of designer steroids combined with plastic surgery. Today Stallone is still a major action star thanks to his willingness to play roles from the Regan administration to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Hollywood hiatus. The Rock is the closest thing we have to mega-action hero today and he is simply too good of an actor (trained by the astute WWF) to play the roles that Sly and Arnold did.

As I watched Rambo IV for the first time I was excited to see who the 21st-Century John Rambo was and I wondered what a twenty year break would do to such a complex character. When I read in the opening credit sequence that Stallone co-wrote and directed this fine film, a comforting feeling came over my mind and body. Remembering First Blood (1982) aka Rambo which is a great movie, First Blood Part II aka Rambo 2 which is a typical awful 80’s action piece of crap and then Rambo: First Blood Part III which is possibly one of the worst action movies ever; I was pleasantly surprised to find myself in awe of Rambo IV: Pearl of the Cobra. This is a well done, semi-realistic film that kept me on the edge of my seat while consistently blurting out “Holy…” and other assorted exclamations.

The plot is simple. The film begins with a montage of graphic footage of Burmese soldiers abusing and murdering people. Next we witness John Rambo in Thailand catching snakes (Cobras) and selling them to a Thai amusement park with snake charmers. Rambo also demonstrates bow-fishing and sharing as he gives local Buddhist’s fish he caught. Just up the river is war-torn Burma where the military in power is ravishing the country attempting to annihilate the Karin people (a minority). When American missionaries are captured by the Burmese military, Rambo escorts mercenaries to Burma to rescue them. The priceless quote that defines the movie is, “When you’re pushed, killing is as easy as breathing.”

Rambo introduces himself as “John” and the mercenaries refer to him as “boat man”. I think it is ironic and interesting that the name Rambo is not present in the script. If you like action movies then do not miss Rambo IV! It is a return to the gory glory days of human flesh being torn apart and more gunfire than words. If you miss the 80’s/90’s senseless violence and the lack of plot movies this is for you. The happy ending is great because it leaves enough of an opening for a fifth part of the First Blood series. My only question is whether John Rambo will be freeing his fellow elderly people from abusive orderlies at a nursing home or organizing violent protests against AARP and Social Security organizations in Rambo V.

4 out of 4
(Review by tee diddee)

Film Review -- Be Kind Rewind (PG-13)

Directed by Michel Gondry
Partizan
Released February 22, 2008

What can I say about a movie that has one of my favorite funny-men (Jack Black), one of my favorite hip hop artists (Mos Def), and fifty percent of one of the greatest cop duos since Starsky and Hutch (Danny Glover), except that these three need to work together more often. If Be Kind Rewind would have casted just one of these men, it would have been a decent movie. But if you put them all together, you have a film that is as funny as it is heart-warming.

Be Kind Rewind is the story of two friends Jerry (Black) and Mike (Mos Def) who are trying to deal with a crisis. Jerry becomes magnetized following a botched sabotage mission and his magnetism accidentally erases all of the videos in the store where Mike works. Their solution? Re-create every movie in the store every time a customer wants to rent it. These "re-makes" become so popular that Mike, Jerry and their female accomplice Alma (Melonie Diaz) become local celebrities.

The lesson in Be Kind Rewind is that it does not take a lot of special effects and a huge budget to make a movie worth watching. A good movie just needs some imagination, desire and heart. Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) definitely delivers with this movie without an incredibly confusing premise found in his other films.

Definitely check this one out, but don't expect it to be your typical Jack Black comedy. However, you will still laugh and be entertained.

3 out of 4
(Review by CMill)