Good Deeds & The Art of Appreciation

It would be nice to live in a world where everyone went out of his or her way to help each other out and people were genuinely appreciative of that assistance. No ulterior motives, no expectations or compensation and sincere gratitude. In the end everyone feels good! 

This optimistic idea of ‘paying it forward’ is how it’s described nowadays, but it’s nothing new. It’s just being nice. And I’m not talking about sending some forwarded email crap with stupid requests to do something nice for someone this week that you forget about in thirty seconds. I’m talking about real life crap, going out of your way, getting your hands dirty and doing something that consumes your energy and time for someone else.

Not caring about sounding arrogant here, but recently I did a good deed for someone. It was kind of a pain and I would have much rather been doing something else, but I could see it would have really helped this person out. So I went out of my way, tried to help out the best I could, got this person out of a very inconvenient jam and things worked out in the end.

This individual was full of sincere appreciation. They actually went out of their way to express earnest thanks and because of that I felt really good for having done this. See we both felt good! And I didn’t even want any money from this! This was a classic, old-fashioned good deed story.

This helpful incident was in direct contrast to a few past helpful endeavors that I’ve done for other folks who basically….seem to just squander my goodwill and almost come off as if they were entitled to it.

It’s this ungracious attitude that really chaps my ass and makes me hesitant to do good deeds for some people. 

And again I’m not looking to be placed on a pedestal with fanfare and accolades or compensation for any good deed that I might do, just some simple gratitude by them and not feel like my time and energy was wasted on someone who could care less. When that’s the kind of attitude I feel like I get I want to ask them – “how many other people would have done this for you?” or reminding them that people get paid for what I just did for you! I'm not sure if they're unaware as to how they're coming off or completely disregard it or what. Whatever reason this line of thought seems to just escape some people.

It’s boggles my mind how some people don’t express gratitude and can make you feel like garbage after doing a good deed. I just don’t understand their mindset. I’ve often thought they should squeeze in etiquette classes in school. Maybe try to impart the importance on thankfulness, respect, and manners. It’s a shame that this stuff would have to be taught to some people, but some of them really do need it!   

Every now and then a good deed I do feels like it was really worthwhile and I helped someone who placed some real value on it and then goes out of their way to acknowledge it. I wish that were all the time though. It’s the ingrate’s who don’t attach any importance to it that I feel burned by and wish I never helped them in the first place.

You can be sure I won’t be picking up the phone the next time they need a hand with anything. I’ll take great joy in telling them to find someone else and that I have better things to do.

2012 Oscar Predictions - As If I Would Know....

Being a movie lover naturally I watch the Oscars. At least I used to.  After a certain number of dragged out shows I started to realize for me this Oscar stuff was all pretty pointless. It rarely had any kind of significance for me personally as what was chosen as the Best Picture of the year or who got honored with a golden statue that proclaimed them the best of the year.

I started to view it more as popularity contest and had less and less to do with any historic significance within the world of film. You can just look back at all the head-scratcher winners of Oscars past and see what films and performances they beat out. The strangest ones are the films that seemed to mark a real turning point in cinema and have since become extremely influential and remembered. But they lost the Oscar for a more popular choice at the time.

I’m not going to go into all that, let’s just say I’ve leaned towards the Woody Allen and George C. Scott camps as to how I feel about the big show. It’s a great program to watch if you want to see all the glamorous dresses and hairstyles on the actress (and read about them for the next month in magazines and those “entertainment” shows….other than that I don’t much care.

In any event being a film lover every year I get requests from friends and family to fill out their Oscar pool ballots. I try to explain I don’t really have any inside leads and they would be better off reading the local film critic for his predictions, but they insist and I end up with an Oscar ballot in my hand.

Up front I have no idea who’s going to win or follow any logic to the Academy’s train of thoughts. Every year that’s what Oscar fans do. My favorite one of these is how if the person won an Oscar recently they’re not going to win again (except if your name is Tom Hanks).

This one always seems completely nonsensical to me. If the actor or actress gave the best performance of the year shouldn’t they simply win, whether they won last year or not??? If a previous win hurts their chances and they’re just there to fill a nomination slot, then why bother nominating them in the first place? If it were me, I wouldn’t care if they win every single year I would still vote for them if I thought they gave the best whatever every year. Apparently the Academy doesn’t do that though, they like to spread the accolades around. Maybe they should just establish a rule that you can’t be eligible for nomination until three years have passed since your last win. Then that would eliminate this problem and open up that slot for someone people might actually vote for and has a chance of winning.

Yeah, I know. It’s an honor just to be nominated.

 

Anyway, here’s my list of predictions for the winners that I’ve been telling folks to fill out in their office Oscar pools without having seen most of these films!

Best Picture – The Artist

Shhhhhh......

Everyone seems to really like this film and I’ve read a lot about it. I’m sure Billy Crystal will do a funny silent film comedy bit around it. Will we be seeing an influx of silent black and white films now? No. I kind of look at it as gimmick film and a one time only shot, but everyone seems to really like it. I’m still looking forward to seeing it.

The Best Picture nominees is the most goofed up category since they now nominate ten films for Best Picture. This was said to give more films opportunities to win, but really who are they kidding? This was all due to The Dark Knight fallout of not being nominated that year and movie fans being pissed. Don’t be fooled the majority of the films that fill out the nominated list don’t have a chance and are just there for show. I’m still confused as to how Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close – a film I have not seen one good review for – made it onto this list. Apparently everything Tom Hanks touches does turn to gold.

Best Director – Michel Hazanavicius. He directed the best picture so he’ll win it. These wins usually go hand in hand.

 

And the award for hottest date goes to
Mr. Clooney! Way to go George!

Best Actor – George Clooney

Hollywood really likes him. Since the Facts of Life he’s done some pretty good work. So good in fact he’s almost managed to erase the memories of Batman and Robin. Hopefully Clooney's squeeze Stacy Keibler will be wearing something really hot so at least there will be something to keep my attention during the show. Yes, I can get wrapped up in all this fashion crap too! Just as long as there's a lot of leg and cleavage, the dress will get a thumbs up from me.

Best Actress -  Viola Davis

The Help is a respected movie and from what I’ve heard one of the best things about it was Davis’ performance. Her closest competition is Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady, but no one has been too excited about that film. And besides Streep has won twice already (STRIKE TWO!), plus she's nominated like every year - even when she doesn't do a film (STRIKE THREE)! Michelle Williams will be happy to be nominated in a film that wasn’t that good, but she did a decent job at channeling Marilyn Monroe. BTW everytime I see a picture of Glenn Close in Albert Noobs I always think she looks like she’s playing Stan Laurel.

Best Supporting Actor – Christopher Plummer

Plummer has consistently been great throughout his career and this slot is to honor actors who have managed to stick around. His closest competition is Max Von Sydow. But since that was for the supbar film Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close AND people like The Sound of Music so much, Plummer wins! Besides I thought he should have won in 1999 for The Insider.

Best Supporting Actress – Octavia Spencer

Again, The Help won’t need any 'help' in these categories! (that’s my feeble attempt at that corny Oscar night humor we’re treated to by reporters)

Original and Adapted Screenplays will be Midnight in Paris (the Academy loves Woody, even if he doesn’t really reciprocate that affection) and The Descendents.

The rest of the categories are sort of a grab bag and let’s be honest the newspapers the next day won’t exactly be filling headlines with the winner of Sound Mixing. But the majority of wins will be split between The Artist and Hugo. Rise of the Planet of the Apes will probably win for Visual Effects and the Muppets will win for best song. It shouldn’t be too hard considering there are only two nominees in that category. How did that happen? Wasn’t there any other songs in any more movies last year??? Even bad ones, just throw them in there to make this race interesting for everyone!

Remember it’s an honor just to be nominated!

POSTSCRIPT:

February 27th 2012

I ended up getting a few of my predictions wrong, most notably Best Actor and Actress which went to Jean Dujardin for The Artist and Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady. Visual Effects also got snatched up by Hugo with all its other technical awards.


Despite some of my mistakes I still managed to tie for first in my Oscar pool. Not bad. I didn't even manage to watch any of the show, but have heard I didn't miss much.

Bobby Fischer Against The World (2011) - A Quick Review....

Home Box Office has had some terrific sports documentaries in the past, usually falling under their own HBO Sports division. This particular one isn't an HBO production, but maintains the quality that I've come to associate the channel with in this area.

I have always been fascinated by chess genius Bobby Fischer (who isn't). The fact that he came onto the chess scene as such a young age and seemed to have such a promising future that ended up turning into a pattern of bizarre behavior, disappearing from public view and reemerging twenty years later in a clearly unstable condition is a seemingly perfect Shakespearean story of the fall of a potentially great man.

Bobby Fischer Against The World recounts Bobby's tumultuous childhood and his growing obsession with the game of chess. His 1971 chess match against the Russian champion Boris Spasky would thrust this loner into the limelight and make him one of the most popular figures during the period.

The film is very well put together and does an excellent job of setting the tone of the period and presenting the fragile conditions of Fischer's psyche that would eventually snap from the public exposure, mental illness and possibly from the game he so loved to play. It's a very fair portrait with plenty of insightful interviews from colleagues, friends and archived interviews from Fischer himself.

In the end your left with a sadness from the thoughts of how Fischer's story could have gone and what kind of influence he could have made on the game of chess in the second half of his life. Had he had half the impact on the world as his first fifteen years playing the game who knows what he might have accomplished, but you leave with an understanding of why he's considered by many as the greatest chess player ever.

An Evening Watching AMC's The Walking Dead & Comic Book Men.....

I don’t watch much regular television, but the other night I managed to spend an evening watching the start of the new season of The Walking Dead and the new series Comic Book Men on AMC. That’s American Movie Classics in case you didn’t know. I don’t think anyone actually calls it that anymore though. Nowadays everyone is so acronym happy. People can’t spend the time uttering unnecessary syllables. I personally think it started with the whole email/texting thing. Besides why call it American Movie Classics, they barely show any classic films anymore. Turner Classic Movies has become the channel to go for that. Oh excuse me, TCM.

Anyway, after friends recommending me to check out The Walking Dead, that it would be a show I would most likely enjoy, I finally started watching it from the beginning. It didn’t take long for me to get hooked and watched the two seasons leading up to the premiere of the third.

I usually come late in the game with television shows, so I’m happy to say that I’m currently watching a show! When I first heard about the show I was somewhat skeptical. Zombies have become one of those ‘hip’ things for the last few years and I suspected this was simply a show that was going to cash in on it. But with Frank Darabont’s name attached (at least at the beginning, now he’s left the show) my expectations got a lift.

The Walking Dead could have easily focused on scary zombie attack scenes that this group of survivors encounter and leave it at that. But the main focus is on these individuals butting heads, relationships forming and fracturing, life and death decisions being made and the repercussions of them and how it will affect everyone. Sure we get the fun zombie attacks, and the show does a great job of presenting this hollowed out world where life and hope have been overrun with dead “walkers” wandering around, but the show is much more than just that.

I’m not going to get into much more about it now, but only to say that my friends were right, it is a show I’m enjoying and am looking forward to see where the series will take these characters.

Along with the new season of The Walking Dead I also stuck around to watch the series premiere of Comic Book Men…..this was the less entertaining part of the evening.

I liked Kevin Smith’s first film the 1994 fan favorite Clerks and 1997’s Chasing Amy. Then after that….not much else.

I never really cared for the majority of the films he’s directed. The best thing I can think that Smith has done since becoming popular is some of his speaking engagements. At times he can be a pretty entertaining lecturer, like talking to an audience about why his Superman script never got made, but as for film work it’s been a real letdown since Clerks his later films - Mallrats, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jersey Girl, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Cop Out, I didn’t like one of them. Dogma was kind of interesting at least.

In fact Kevin Smith seems to have maintained popularity with his fan base by simply being Kevin Smith. Along with milking his Clerks characters incessantly for any project possible. He’s become more a personality than a filmmaker. Maybe his cameo appearances in Daredevil and Fanboys give a jolt of excitement to his hardcore fans, for me it doesn’t do too much. In fact thinking about it, I’ve gotten kind of tired of seeing him.

So now his new show Comic Book Men is another reality-type show that is meant to show us the inner workings of what it’s really like to work in the Smith-owned New Jersey comic book store Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash (the name inspired naturally by his Clerks characters)

It actually sounded like it could be a fun premise. Being a comic book geek is now a pretty happening thing and getting introduced to real fans and listen in on their conversations harkens back to the old Clerks days (I’m referencing that movie a lot huh, almost as much as Smith does)

Unfortunately the show is nowhere near as entertaining as I think the makers think it is or try to make it.

To start, it’s an hour-long show and feels very heavily padded. It wouldn’t feel like such a long stretch if the folks we were hanging out with were as much fun as Smith thinks they are, but they’re not.

The store manager Walt is the most likable out of the bunch; unfortunately he’s surrounded by workers Mike and Ming, along with Bryan, who just hangs out in the store all day long. They pretty much range from forgettable to unlikable.

We get some of the clichéd comic book talk with the guys, along with Smith in a podcast segment talking about which superheroine they think is the sexiest. Back at the store the guys throw the typical insults at each other, the things that guys do. Ming seems to be the target for most of the berating. I wasn’t laughing along with them though. Smith should of scripted some lines for them.

The show offers up the look at the inner workings of the comic shop, by having a bunch of people come in and sell their collectibles ala Pawn Stars. Apparently they don’t get any paying customers in this place. This was probably the most interesting segment. I realize there is some planning involved with reality programs, but all of these looked very blatantly staged. A guy just happens to walk in with an original Bob Kane Batman drawing…..good thing the cameras were there to capture this!

We do get to learn a little about these comic items, although most of the things people bring in were either toy or movie-related memorabilia. American Pickers, the short-lived show Hollywood Treasure and the pilot for the proposed show Toy Hunters on the Travel Channel would be better shows to see and learn about collectible items.

The show presses on, plops the guys down at a flea market and a challenge to see who can make the most money from their tables of collectibles. It’s a pretty tedious segment. We don’t really get to see what exactly the guys are selling, nor do we care who wins the contest. At one point Bryan starts breaking these plates Ming is trying to sell. I guess it’s supposed to be funny, but he just comes off as a real obnoxious jerk. At that point I really didn’t want to spend anymore time with any of these guys.

Perhaps this group of comic book geeks are truly just a bunch of nice guys and were given roles to play by the makers of this (your going to be the quiet guy, your going to be the picked on guy, your going to be the mean guy). Just because Smith enjoys hanging out with them doesn’t mean we all will. Maybe Smith’s fans will enjoy this and these guys will become a welcome addition to the Smith stable of characters.

The show is apparently a six-part series, so there’s more coming. Maybe it will improve in later episodes. The idea of learning about comic book fans, the culture and a comic book store – really a gradually disappearing retail environment, really how often do you see them nowadays – it has some great potential for a show. Certainly more than just seeing a bunch of guys tell dick jokes. Based on this first episode it doesn’t look too good for Comic Book Men and already I’m thinking it will end up on the forgettable pile of short-lived reality shows.

The Mechanic (2011) - A Quick Review....

I love me a good old-fashioned action movie. The big problem nowadays is finding an actor to be convincing enough to pull it all off.Today with the help of computers and snazzy editing, films can make anyone become an action star (remember Drew Barrymore in Charlie’s Angels!!!), but how about someone a bit more believable?

Jason Statham has been kicking around for awhile in his own action films that have been a throwback to the 80’s action films of the past. He has always been in hit or miss films for me. His Transporter and Crank franchises have been a success with audiences. And he’s starred in one really great underrated action flick in my opinion – The Bank Job.

In a remake of the 1972 Charles Bronson film The Mechanic Statham adds yet again another entertaining actioner on his resume and I think one of his better ones. Statham plays Arthur Bishop, a world class assassin who takes on an apprentice and teaches him how he has become the best at his trade. There really aren’t any likable characters in the film and the plot is nothing we haven't seen before, but that’s ok.

With a supporting cast that includes Ben Foster, Donald Sutherland and Tony Goldwyn, everyone is a bad guy, even our hero. But the film does deliver on the action, which is the whole point of a film like this. There are some enjoyable action set pieces and Statham has a soft spoken charisma that draws me in. Certainly not the best action film or even the best Statham film, but The Mechanic is an ideal late Saturday night kind of action flick.

World's Greatest Dad (2009) - A Quick Review....

Normally Robin Williams seems to have gone the route of making family friendly films that are really pretty lousy and just squanders his talents that we all know he has (much like Eddie Murphy). His recent films – Old Dogs, License To Wed, RV, makes me wonder if he really lost his way.

However, every now and then Williams takes a chance with a smaller, more offbeat choice and it reminds me that he doesn’t have to rely on doing his ‘Robin Williams schtick’ to be funny, he actually acts and plays a character.

Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait World’s Greatest Dad is as far from the light, Disney-fied films he’s done lately. Williams plays a Lance a high school poetry teacher who has consistently failed at his long-hoped for writing career. Relegated to having everything he writes rejected and stuck teaching to a handful of uninspired students, Lance tries to get some kind of bonding to happen between him and his son Kyle. Despite Kyle being about the most unlovable a character he could possibly be Lance tries his best.

I won’t say anymore since when I watched the film I went in completely cold, didn’t know anything about the story and don’t want to be the one to spoil it for others. Suffice to say the story heads into some pretty dark territory and at times I was surprised at how far it went. The hypocrisy and selfishness of some of the characters is pretty appalling. The film isn’t necessarily a laugh-outloud riot, but it consists of a more uncomfortable, awkward-type laughs. And you know what, that’s just fine with me!

It’s not a film for everyone. If you just want to see Robin play a funny priest you’re better off skipping this one. But for me the film was a refreshing break from the silly, tired and mainstream comedies Williams has starred in and the uninspiring ones Hollywood seems to be experts at churning out.

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991) - A Quick Review....

One of the best behind the scenes/making of documentaries ever. The film recounts the consistent obstacles director Francis Ford Coppola faced when he trekked out to the Philippines to shoot his 1979 film Apocalypse Now. When he arrived everything that could go wrong did.

Coppola's wife Eleanor accompanied him and along the way shot footage recounting the production. Bad weather, heart attacks, confused actors, miscommunication with the Philipino government, an escalating budget, an endless schedule and an unfinished script helped create a swirl of bad fortune for the eventual revered film and the stressed director. However, at the time all of Hollywood was snickering at what Coppola got himself into.

The behind the scenes footage is fascinating to see. While we've become accustomed to seeing endless hours of 'making of' clips, interviews with actors on-set and botched takes today for every film, it's not very often audiences are offered much of that insight into an older film, especially one that has become considered a modern classic.

The revisited interviews with Coppola, the actors and other filmmakers offer honest, revealing stories about their time spent on the film and they don't necessarily paint everyone in the best of light. Marlon Brando might be considered one of the greatest actors ever, but he sure does come off as a big pain in the ass. The film does a great job throwing you into the time and place of the filming when everyone wasn't sure if the film would ever get finished and what exactly it would turn out to be if it ever did.

For anyone who's seen Apocalypse Now, this documentary should be required viewing. In fact any fan of cinema should see it.

The King's Speech - A Quick Review...

Normally winning the Oscar for Best Picture doesn’t impress me. I view it merely as a popularity contest and whether the winner actually merits the distinction of being anointed "the best film of the year" is an afterthought.

Period film, about an English royal, overcoming an affliction – The King’s Speech seemed like it was specifically made to win awards. This time the film actually deserved them.

The story of King George the VI struggling with a stammer while trying to be the voice to calm the people of his country at an uneasy period in their history is a compelling setup to both a personal struggle and an epic story.

However, it’s the clashing of two drastically different personalities and the classes between the King and his speech teacher Lionel Logue is what really makes the film so compelling. The mutual respect and friendship that develops between them is as interesting as the great stakes the nation is facing. The cast are all great. Colin Firth deserved his Oscar and Geoffrey Rush is just as good. Any dramatic license the film takes with the actual events are there to help tell a better dramatic story, which the film beautifully does.

Machete (2010) - A Quick Review....

Director Robert Rodriguez has always had a thing for old-fashioned, B Grindhouse flicks. Inspired by his own homage of a simple tongue and cheek trailer that wasn't meant to be any more than just a fun joke - it morphed into its own feature film and became one of the most entertaining action flicks of 2010.

Starring Danny Trejo as Machete, a Mexican that you really don't want to mess with. After being betrayed by some heavy bad guys Machete goes out for revenge and you can bet he'll be using some sharp, shiny objects to take them down.

Machete doesn't pretend to be any more than what it sets out to be - a fun, silly action movie. It squeezes in some topical issues of immigration and the treatment of them by the US, but its main focus is having Trejo kill a lot of bad guys and he does it very well. He will look familiar to audiences from small roles in countless films through the years and he has a much more believable presence in this type of film than some pretty boy actor who's trying to act tough.

The film has an eclectic supporting cast - Robert DeNiro, Steven Seagal, Jeff Fahey, Michelle Rodriquez, Don Johnson, Cheech Marin, Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Alba, but Trejo is the star of the show. He proves he can headline an action flick and not just be a background actor and introduces us to a character that could seemingly continue with more bloody adventures. This is what The Expendables should have been.

A New 'Official' Pic From Skyfall!

Not too long ago Bond fans were treated to a poolside photo of Daniel Craig, which was supposedly from Bond 23 Skyfall. It was something of a head scratcher. It wasn't exactly the typical 007 image fans are accustomed to seeing. Where was the tux, the gun, the martini? All we got was a glimpse of Craig's rump.

Well, now 007.com released this new image of Craig in a bit more of classic Bond pose from Skyfall. He's got his Walther and looks to have a very serious 'I mean business and are ready to take out some bad guys' look on his face. This is the stuff isn't surprising to see.

The one thing that is however is Craig's apparent beard he's sporting. It's very unlike Bond. So it makes you wonder - what the heck is that about?

As one fellow Bond fan pointed out already, the last time we saw 007 with a beard was in 2002's Die Another Day on Pierce Brosnan. It was meant to represent a long passage of time while Bond was being tortured. The beard quickly disappeared with the help from one of the films sponsors and along with the loss of the beard Bond's physical and mental torture vanished too. Pretty convenient.

I'm getting off topic, so what's with Craig's facial hair? I know they want to limit the gadgets he's given nowadays, but surely they'd allow him access to an electric shaver!

I'm pretty sure Craig's stubble won't be hanging around for too long and he'll be back to his clean shaven 007 that we've seen in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. In fact some on set pictures have surfaced that show Craig walking around stubble-less.

I'm clearly over analyzing things here, but that's what Bond fans do or any kind of fan in fact that you give a tease for something they're highly anticipating. We start studying as if it were the Dead Sea Scrolls.

In all honesty, I would be content to not know anything about Skyfall and just go see it opening weekend without any idea what to expect. No sneak peaks at press photos or trailers, no inkling of what the story might be, what action set pieces I can expect, who are the characters that will be popping up.

But that's kind of difficult nowadays with movie gossip that can travel much faster and easier than ever before. Plus the fact, that despite my noble declaration....I always seem to fold and just feel a compulsion to look or read anything about Bond. It's a vicious cycle....

But back to the photo, I really can't think of much to say about it or even have much of a reaction to it. I suspect it might be a scene from the opening of the film perhaps, the pre-credits sequence. The image does kind of make me think of a Mission Impossible film in a way, I think it was the second one where Cruise was breaking into some high tech skyscraper. Maybe it's the electronic lights in the background that's causing me to make that connection.

One thing about this photo and the on set one, is that Craig is looking a bit tired in both pictures. It looks like I can see the four years worth of age on his face since his last Bond outing. Craig has always had a very distinctive, rough looking face, but it seems like those lines that gave him that look have gotten longer and deeper. In the official photo it even took me a second to recognize that it was Daniel Craig. He looks somewhat different there. Hmmmm maybe it's just me or it could just be the tense face he's got in the photos.

So there's a bit of a Skyfall update. This past week I was thinking about the Super Bowl and started to hope that maybe we could get some kind of short teaser commercial for Skyfall. I really would like to have some kind of commercial I'd be really psyched to see to make it worth my time to tune into the game. But I think it's still way too early for it and we'll just have to be happy with the images they'll release sporadically. Maybe before summer we'll get the first teaser trailer for it. So I think we still have a decent wait for that.

Super Bowl Ad Pre-Mature Exposure.....

Well, it only lasted a short time. Some nameless company who recruited Matthew Broderick to step back into the shoes of 80's cinematic teen icon Ferris Bueller had everyone talking. A short ten second teaser of a new Super Bowl commercial really created some buzz and excitement, including for yours truly. Finally getting to see the full commercial got me motivated to be sure to tune into the game just to see it. At least I knew they would have at least one commercial this year that would have my interest.

Well, they blew all that anticipation by releasing the commercial online already! I have no idea why. Maybe the company - Honda, just couldn't keep it in their pants and wait just a few days more, show it during the game and have it be topic of the so-called 'water cooler talk' Monday morning. Perhaps they thought by posting it online only a section of their target audience would see it and there would still be plenty of people who it will be a surprise to.

I just think they blew it.

The commercial itself.....well, the build up and tease was much better than the actual ad itself. I wasn't expecting a great comedy goldmine, but for me it was still a letdown. Seeing Ferris...well Broderick, reenact classic scenes from the film in his adult years was just sort of 'cute' and there really wasn't enough of a spin on any of them that I found them to be really entertaining.

Fans of Ferris will enjoy some of the quick references from the film (they're really background details), but overall I thought the ad was somewhat overwhelming. The idea was great, the final execution.....eh.

But it's just a commercial afterall. It is kind of funny the response the Ferris teaser generated. Some fans were seriously thinking it was an actual sequel to the film and are still hoping for one. Now that the commercial has been seen, some of the response range from "it's great to see Ferris back" to "Ferris traded in that awesome red corvette convertible for a Honda CR-V???? Wow he really grew up uncool! Somebody please save Ferris!!!!"

LOL!

As for the hopes of seeing a NEW decent commercial during the game....I did hear they might have some kind of Avengers teaser....so that could be something....