Posts Tagged ‘Gaggle’
August 1st, 2009 | 
Author: W elcome back, Kevin Spacey. The two-time Oscar winner hasn’t had a role worthy of that title in ages, but that changes in a big way with the new indie drama “Shrink.” The film follows a depressed psychiatrist and the gaggle of emotionally stunted patients driving him to distraction. What a shame the film surrounding Spacey clings to the already tired “Crash” template with such fidelity. “Shrink” stars Spacey as Dr. Henry Carter, one of those celebrity docs whose feel-good books sell
A preview of the upcoming Xbox Live update goes live on Monday, but we’ve got all the details to share with you now. And we have a gaggle of screenshots to boot. What does this Xbox LIVE Update include? Netflix Updates Now you can watch movies with your friends no matter where they are and manage your queue from the comfort of your couch. Movie Parties – Xbox LIVE Gold members can sit together in a virtual theater with up to seven friends no matter where they are while your Avatars w
A preview of the upcoming Xbox Live update goes live on Monday, but we’ve got all the details to share with you now. And we have a gaggle of screenshots to boot. What does this Xbox LIVE Update include? Netflix Updates Now you can watch movies with your friends no matter where they are and manage your queue from the comfort of your couch. Movie Parties – Xbox LIVE Gold members can sit together in a virtual theater with up to seven friends no matter where they are while your Avatars
Here are a gaggle of summer events happening in Charlotte and the surrounding area June 7-June 15 as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. ARTS FIGHT CLUB A stage performance based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk. COTU ventures out into the parking lot to bring you Fight Club . 18 and up. Doors open at 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.citizensoftheuniverse.org or www.myspace.com/cotutheatre. You may also email cotu23@yahoo.com or call 704-449-9742 or 704-953-2874. Events may
Ricky Gervais is brilliant in Ghost Town, playing an unnervingly rude dentist, Bertram, who dies for a few minutes during surgery and acquires the unwanted ability to see ghosts. Chased throughout Manhattan by a gaggle of restless spirits begging him to take care of their unfinished business on Earth, Bertram turns them all away except Frank (Greg Kinnear). The latter, a rogue who cheated on his archaeologist widow, Gwen (T?a Leoni), wants Bertram to intervene in a romance between Gwen and a starchy activist (Bill Campbell). Misanthropic Bertram has to polish his relationship patter, but ends up sounding a lot like Gervais’ infamous character in the original The Office, unable to complete a sentence without making others uncomfortable. In time, of course, Bertram falls for the wonderful Gwen, setting up a bunch of overlapping conflicts. Cowritten and directed by David Koepp (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), Ghost Town walks a fine line between comic freshness and a story idea with elements that have become overly familiar in movies and on television. Kinnear and Leoni have never been better on screen, but Ghost Town is well worth seeing because no one like Gervais has previously played the hapless hero in a high-concept film such as this one. With Gervais doing his familiar, hilariously discomfiting thing, it really doesn’t matter what kind of movie Ghost Town is. Happily, it’s a pretty good film in every respect. –Tom Keogh
Stills from Ghost Town (Click for larger image)
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User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars From the moment I saw this, it could’ve been a lot worse.
I do like Ricky Gervais’ comedy such as what he did in “Night at the Museum” (there’s a sequel coming out). All said and done, I saw “Ghost Town” again on DVD and I had a bit of a worse experience with the film than I had in theaters. Don’t get me wrong, Ricky Gervais is very funny in a lot of his stuff. He had a few laughs that I tolerated for “Ghost Town,” but overall, it’s the type of movie I have to go see when I’m really in the mood, but overall, it’s a fine film.
Yes, I will have to admit it again, “Ghost Town” is a fine film. Don’t get me wrong.
“Ghost Town” tells the story of a guy named Bertram Pincus. He hates people and wants to hurt them for a living. He is a dentist. One day, he goes into a hospital and dies for seven minutes. When he wakes up, he has the annoying ability to see dead ghosts.
“Ghost Town” is a very cute movie, and the Blu-Ray doesn’t offer too much. There’s just commentary by Ricky Gervais and director David Koepp and some featurettes.
Overall, “Ghost Town” is an okay film. I liked it from the moment I saw it. It’s a nice friendly film and grownups would like this for a good date movie.
5 Stars Best movie I’ve seen in a long time!
I loved this movie. My kids couldn’t believe that I was actually laughing out loud since I haven’t done that in a long time. Dr. Pincus’ gag reflex got me every time. I believe it would be funnier to an over 35 crowd since younger people won’t get the attraction between the Tea Leoni character and the not-so-attractive Dr. Pincus.
5 Stars Ghost Town Bluray
This is an excellent movie. Never heard of it until I rented it. It is funny as can be.
5 Stars worth watching
Didn’t know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. This movie is worth watching.
5 Stars Funny!!!
This is one of the funniest movies i’ve seen!! Richy Gervais makes it! I’m leaving this square to go and buy it!
Ricky Gervais is brilliant in Ghost Town, playing an unnervingly rude dentist, Bertram, who dies for a few minutes during surgery and acquires the unwanted ability to see ghosts. Chased throughout Manhattan by a gaggle of restless spirits begging him to take care of their unfinished business on Earth, Bertram turns them all away except Frank (Greg Kinnear). The latter, a rogue who cheated on his archaeologist widow, Gwen (T?a Leoni), wants Bertram to intervene in a romance between Gwen and a starchy activist (Bill Campbell). Misanthropic Bertram has to polish his relationship patter, but ends up sounding a lot like Gervais’ infamous character in the original The Office, unable to complete a sentence without making others uncomfortable. In time, of course, Bertram falls for the wonderful Gwen, setting up a bunch of overlapping conflicts. Cowritten and directed by David Koepp (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), Ghost Town walks a fine line between comic freshness and a story idea with elements that have become overly familiar in movies and on television. Kinnear and Leoni have never been better on screen, but Ghost Town is well worth seeing because no one like Gervais has previously played the hapless hero in a high-concept film such as this one. With Gervais doing his familiar, hilariously discomfiting thing, it really doesn’t matter what kind of movie Ghost Town is. Happily, it’s a pretty good film in every respect. –Tom Keogh
Stills from Ghost Town (Click for larger image)
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User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars From the moment I saw this, it could’ve been a lot worse.
I do like Ricky Gervais’ comedy such as what he did in “Night at the Museum” (there’s a sequel coming out). All said and done, I saw “Ghost Town” again on DVD and I had a bit of a worse experience with the film than I had in theaters. Don’t get me wrong, Ricky Gervais is very funny in a lot of his stuff. He had a few laughs that I tolerated for “Ghost Town,” but overall, it’s the type of movie I have to go see when I’m really in the mood, but overall, it’s a fine film.
Yes, I will have to admit it again, “Ghost Town” is a fine film. Don’t get me wrong.
“Ghost Town” tells the story of a guy named Bertram Pincus. He hates people and wants to hurt them for a living. He is a dentist. One day, he goes into a hospital and dies for seven minutes. When he wakes up, he has the annoying ability to see dead ghosts.
“Ghost Town” is a very cute movie, and the Blu-Ray doesn’t offer too much. There’s just commentary by Ricky Gervais and director David Koepp and some featurettes.
Overall, “Ghost Town” is an okay film. I liked it from the moment I saw it. It’s a nice friendly film and grownups would like this for a good date movie.
5 Stars Best movie I’ve seen in a long time!
I loved this movie. My kids couldn’t believe that I was actually laughing out loud since I haven’t done that in a long time. Dr. Pincus’ gag reflex got me every time. I believe it would be funnier to an over 35 crowd since younger people won’t get the attraction between the Tea Leoni character and the not-so-attractive Dr. Pincus.
5 Stars Ghost Town Bluray
This is an excellent movie. Never heard of it until I rented it. It is funny as can be.
5 Stars worth watching
Didn’t know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. This movie is worth watching.
5 Stars Funny!!!
This is one of the funniest movies i’ve seen!! Richy Gervais makes it! I’m leaving this square to go and buy it!
For passionate fans of Rent–the popular Broadway rock musical that updated La Boheme with electric guitars, steel drums, strippers, and drag queens–Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway is a must-have.Written and composed by Jonathan Larson (who died suddenly of an aortic aneurysm just before the show premiered), Rent follows an absurdly clean-cut gaggle of hipster artists who, after having been squatting in a run-down building for a year, are now being told they have to pay that rent by the building’s owner, a former friend. At least, that’s the plot point that launches everything; really, the musical is about modern romance, grappling with AIDS, and celebrating the creative spirit. This film documents the last performance of the Broadway production, which ran for 12 years. Though the aggressive camera moves and sometimes frenetic editing seem intended to make the film feel less stagebound, this Rent first and foremost captures the stage experience. The production’s raw set and self-conscious theatricality (which highfalutin’ theater folk might call “Brechtian”) creates genuine show-biz razzle-dazzle and helps distract from some of the cliches in the musical itself. There are no famous faces (the closest is Tracie Thoms, who played the same role, the lesbian lover of a performance artist, in the movie version), but the cast is solid and exuberant, throwing themselves wholeheartedly into the show’s unapologetically sincere paeans to life and love. –Bret Fetzer
Stills from Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway (Click for larger image)
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User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Rentheads and the rest: You won’t regret buying this DVD.
I was pleasantly surprised with “Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway”. I thought I’d be bored with seeing a stage production on film, I was wrong. The project was in good hands, close-ups in the right places etc.
I have been a “Renthead” since the show opened in ‘96. I had a chance to hear the original cast on Broadway (I couldn’t get in to see the show, but the guy in the lobby let me hang out there and listen to several songs - what a guy) and see Wilson Cruz and Neil Patrick Harris in L.A.
“Rent” was the first time that I heard a love song between two guys in a musical and a semi-sorta love song between two women too. I was blown away. Everything about the musical helped me through some rough times when I was coming out and dealing with people around me dying from AIDS. Jonathan Larson was truly inspired.
With all that being said, it’s sad to see the show close on Broadway. But this DVD is a great keepsake to have. The show is complete. Unlike the movie where certain aspects were dropped, this version shows it all. “Christmas Bells” is in it and thank goodness it is.
The cast is phenomenal. Sure it’s impossible to replicate what the original cast did, but the show lives on through this cast of fresh faces. Particular stand outs (in my opinion) are Will Chase as Roger and Adam Kantor as Mark.
If you’re already a fan or new to the Life Cafe, this DVD is worth buying. There are some pretty awesome extras as well. And seeing most of the original cast at the end is a treat.
No day but today!
5 Stars Thank God this moment’s not the last
Rent is it’s own phenomenon. Truly a unique show on Broadway, gritty, real, raw. For twelve years, it set the White Way on fire with its music, its stories of all types of love, it’s handling of AIDS and drug abuse. It became more than just a musical, but an honoring of so many people’s stories, of so many people’s realities. With the news of the closing of the show, the powers that be smiled upon us, and took to filming one of the final performances of the show for austerity and all of us who have spent the last years loving this show.
Not to be confused with the movie version, which recaptured many of the original actors performances in the roles they founded, Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway captures the zest and energy of the actual show. After having watched the movie version now for a couple of years frequently, I’d forgotten how much of the original show songs that I really loved that had been eliminated from the movie. The performances of the final cast are real, although I must admit my heart longs for Anthony Rapp or Idina Menzel again.
Sometimes, the filming of a musical just doesn’t work well. Odd cuts, weird camera angles, or jarring shots sometimes take you out of the show and become more distracting. Fortunately, this show has none of that. The camera work is invisible, and very real, allowing you to enjoy the show fully.
Complete with several “makng of” segments that only add to the enjoyment of the DVD, this is one disc that you must have for your collection if you are a fan of the show. We may not be able to attend the show anymore, but we’ll have this to watch when we need a dose of humility, or just want to hear some of our favorite songs once again. Jonathan Larson would have been proud.
5 Stars RENT the way it should be
While I enjoyed the movie made a few years ago, it isn’t as good as the stage show. I’m really glad I pre-ordered this. Definitely watched it as soon as it arrived.
I’ve seen the show live 4 times. I love having the DVD because there are so many nuances in the expressions and actors that you can’t see from your seat in the theater. Being able to see those make it that much better.
I’m also glad this was filmed with a live audience, especially during Marueen’s show. It just wouldn’t be the same without the mooing.
5 Stars I love this movie
I was fortunate enought to see RENT on stage before seeing the movie. This play touched me in such a profound and ineffable way. When I heard that it was closing, I was in shock. I had wanted nothing more than to play Maureen on Broadway. But it was a comfort to me to be able to see it once more, and filmed on Broadway.
I took my best friend to see it, and he had only seen the movie version before. He was amazed at how much had been cut out. He enjoyed the play version much more. And now I can watch my favorite play anytime, in the comfort of my home, like I’m really there.
If you haven’t seen RENT or have only seen the movie version, then I strongly recommend this film. Like any great artist, Jonathan Larson was able to deliver as touching message about serious human issues in an entertaing and moving manner. I can never watch RENT without crying and coming away a better person. I cannot put into word the effect this play had on my life.
5 Stars Wish I was there for the last show…..
I’ve seen Rent on Broadway about a dozen times, a few touring companies and the film. And now this. I am overjoyed that I will always have it to watch anytime I want. The first time I saw Rent on Broadway I left the theater feeling something I had never felt before. This dvd captures that live performance I remember 10 years ago, and I still try to live life like it’s no day, but today.