TV Review: Entourage (Season 7 Premier)

This is, in my opinion, a show that has a tendency of pulling the audience back in every season with new obstacles and issues right off the bat and getting right back on that roller coaster ride that is Entourage. Last season, we saw Vince on the outs in Hollywood and then reclaim his place when he played the lead in Scorsese's Gatsby. We saw Turtle start to follow his own path. Drama was staring on a hit show and somehow managed to mess that up as usual. E dealt with life without Sloan, and then ended up proposing to her. And last but definitely not last, Ari became the biggest Agent in the world when he bought his old agency from Terrance. The new season starts off with a bit of a jump in time. Vince is working on a new movie and is pressured into doing something that he may regret. Both E and Ari are busy and happy, and even Turtle is running his own business. Drama is already in a panic right away, and things are off to a running start as Season 7 kicks off. Tune in Sunday nights on HBO for the new season or catch the reruns on Spike TV.

I give Entourage (Season 7 Premier) a 5 outta 5.

Movie Review: Grown Ups

If you like Adam Sandler movies, then this is a must-see for you. The big difference between this movie and his other movies is that this one shows a more grown up side (pun actually not intended) that doesn't have him talking in weird voices and screaming at people throughout the film. Then you add Kevin James, and fellow SNL alums: David Spade, Rob Schneider, Chris Rock, Maya Rudolph and even guest spots for Colin Quinn (who I really enjoy) and Tim Meadows. On top of that, Selma Hayek, Steve Buscemi also supply a good deal of humor. With such a large cast, it is fairly easy to follow the story and keep track of all of the relationships while you get to know this diverse and hearty group. The only thing that bugged me was that some of the jokes came across as cheap gags, and were just put in for laughs, but did not add anything to the story. Some of them were just one timers, and others were recurring jokes throughout the film that would have been better off if they did not repeat. All together though, the movie was really enjoyable and a good choice for a summer flick for the whole family to enjoy.

I give Grown Ups a 7 outta 10.

Movie Review: The Book of Eli

Denzel! Gary Oldman! Mila Kunis! All playing in a kind of Max Maxish future where books are hard to come by, but Eli has a very special and rare book in his possession. When Carnegie (Gary Oldman) finds out, he will stop at nothing to get it. Hell, he's even willing to whore out his step-daughter, Solara (Kunis) if it gets him what he wants. In this movie, Denzel is a total bad-ass, and Oldman goes back to playing a nasty SOB like in the good ole days. Add a helping of a dirty, desolate future and a bunch of people running around looking for hidden treasures from the past, such as soap... Yeah, I know, classy. If our future is anything like this movie, then we are pretty much screwed. It's a fun movie, but not too stimulating.

I give The Book of Eli a 5 outta 10.

Movie Review: Quatantine

I waited quite a while before seeing this movie, and after sitting down and watching it the other night, I realize that I could have waited longer. The story follows a TV show host as she hangs out at a fire house one night and when they go out on a routine call, things start to get weird. When it first came out, I was under the impression that they would be up against zombies, or some kind of exorcism type of situation. To my surprise, they were instead up against a strain of super-rabies that one of the tenants was developing. Exciting, right? Not so much, even with the added bonus of the shaky cam from beginning to end... The tenants, TV host, camera man, firefighters and a couple cops are all trapped inside while people continue to get infected and things get worse. Honestly, if you're really looking for something to watch, it's not the worst choice you could make, but don't go looking for this one.

I give Quarantine a 4 outta 10.

(I give a point or two for senseless violence)

Movie Review: Legion

The end of the world! The Rapture! For a small group of people trapped in a rundown diner on a remote road, it's going to be a Hell of an experience. The young waitress is pregnant and if her child is born, God is gonna be pissed! The Archangel, Michael thinks that is lame and decides to take matters into his own hands and goes against the greater good to protect mother and expected child, while Gabriel, his fellow angel, has decided to stay true to the cause and send a shit-ton of weird zombie-goblin people raining down on the diner like the plague. Can Michael, the pregnant chick, Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson, Kate Walsh, Charles S. Dutton (with a hook-hand, no less), and the rest of their ragtag band of yokels and tourists stave off the apocalypse and see that this kid gets born and screws up God's plan? To find out, watch the movie. I'm not just going to tell you.

I give Legion a 6 outta 10.

TV Review: Breaking Bad (Seasons 1-3)

Okay, I was a little behind the hype on this show, but after speeding through it over the last couple of weeks, I have officially caught up all the way the the end of the most recent third season. Bryan Cranston is remarkable as Walter White, part-time high school science teacher, part-time meth supplier, full time husband, father, and cancer patient. With Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) as his junkie, meth-peddling business partner, and a brother-in-law with the DEA (Dean Norris) you can only imagine how the show begins. Throughout the first three seasons, we see Walt's ups and downs in the drug community. We see him battle with cancer and his mortality, and we see him do the best he can to make sure that his family is taken care of when he's gone. With a supporting cast that tends to change from time to time and danger around every corner, things never get boring. That, and seeing the occasional severed head riding the back of a tortoise in the desert, among other shenanigans, always keep you guessing how it's all going to turn out. If you have not seen this show yet, but you've thought about it, you should just do it! You totally have time to catch up before the next season starts! There is no excuse.

I give Breaking Bad (Seasons 1-3) a 5 outta 5.

TV Review: Futurama (Season 6, Episodes 1-2)

Alright, I am kicking off a new set of reviews right now, and what better way to start, than with something that was dead, and brought back to life! Starting now, I am also going to be reviewing TV shows and a variety of other sources of entertainment across many mediums. The main difference between the ratings for TV shows is that I will only be rating them on a scale of 1 to 5, while I will continue to review movies on a 1 to 10 scale. And here we go...

Futurama first debuted on Fox back in 1999 and ran for five years before Fox pulled the plug. Can you believe we have not had any new episodes since 2003?! Well, after all this time and three direct to DVD movies, the show is back on the air and debuted with two brand new episodes the other night. With the entire voice cast returning and familiar banter all around, it felt like they never left. How the show will hold up this time around, we can only guess. In my opinion, they didn't really have to fix it because it was never really broken, and I think they know that to be the case as well.

I give the new season of Futurama a hopeful 4 outta 5.

Movie Review: She's Out Of My League

This movie, in my opinion, was in and out of theaters with little notice at all, but now that I've sat down and watched it, I can say that it's actually not too bad. Jay Baruchel was fully able to carry the film as Kirk, a mind-mannered airport security guard with low self-esteem. Then Molly, played by Alice Eve, shows up and she is, as they point out a thousand times, a perfect ten. The supporting cast is pretty entertaining, including Nate Torrence (Get Smart), T.J. Miller & Mike Vogel (Cloverfield), and Krysten Ritter (Breaking Bad) as well as Debra Jo Rupp (That 70's Show). Self-esteem and image concerns aside, there are some really funny moments (most courtesy of Vogel, Torrence, and Ritter) mixed with a little physical comedy and some crude humor really make it a good mix of funny from all angles. It's worth it if you're interested in seeing it.

I give She's Out Of My League a 7 outta 10.

Movie Review: Hot Tub Time Machine

And the good times keep on 'a rolling! I was interested in this movie, but was really scared that it was gonna suck. Too bad I didn't have anything to worry about. Four friends got away for the weekend when their lives are almost too shitty to bear, when they are given a chance to go back to the 80's and live one of their most epic weekends all over again. Are there consequences to going back in time? Will things work out better the second time around? Only "time" will tell (wow, that was punny, I'm sorry... but really I'm not). John Cusack was awesome... as usual (duh!) Craig Robinson was effin hilarious, proving once again that he has what it takes to be part of the comedic A-List of the new millennium. Clark Duke, who I truly enjoyed in Sex Drive (watch it if you haven't!!!) delivered another great performance here as he traveled back to the weekend of his conception. And Rob Corddry was perfect as the downer in the group with a lot to prove, or not. All this, and a supporting cast that includes Chevy Chase, Lizzy Caplan, and Crispin Glover makes this movie a great watch, and a whole lot of time-traveling fun!

I give Hot Tub Time Machine an 8 outta 10.

Movie Review: Iron Man 2

As anyone that knows me can tell you, I am a sucker for comic book movies and besides the fact that Iron Man rocked, and I know that Iron Man 2 would be a lead in to the Avengers movie, I was really looking forward to what this movie had to offer. Mickey Rourke playing Whiplash (who in the comics, was a shitty C-List baddie) mixed in with a little of the Crimson Dynamo back story and some cooler gadgets turned out to be a good choice for Jon Favreau along with a weasel like Justin Hammer (played to his full asshole potential by Sam Rockwell). When you add Nick Fury, Black Widow, and War Machine to the mix, I'm sure some people were a little overwhelmed, but for me as a big time fanboy, I effin loved it! Robert Downey Jr. was great, just like in the first movie, and Gwyneth Palthrow might have been even better this time around as Pepper Potts. Don Cheadle was a good Rhodey, but I don't know if I preferred him to Terrence Howard. Anyway, the length of the movie was good. I never got bored, and the plot was full enough to keep going for a full two hours without dragging on or getting ridiculous. Then, topping it all off with a special appearance from a certain Hammer after the credits... I'm not gonna lie, I shed a single tear. All in all, it was a fun movie, and that's all I could have asked for.

I give Iron Man 2 an 8 outta 10.

I found this quote kind of inspiring. I hope you do too.

My Return To The Land Of The Living!

So I have been absent from my blog for a while, but I intend to fix that now. The good news is that I haven't had the chance to see too many movies, and the ones that I have seen, I am updating blogs for now.

Secondly, on top of movie reviews, I will also be reviewing some TV shows and updating some treats as well from time to time. I also have a couple other surprises in the works, so get excited and check back often because shit's gonna get crazy up in here! (I want to apologize for that last bit, I honestly don't know where it came from).

Stay tuned folks, Deuce's Wild 2.0 is here and it's gonna be a wild ride!

Movie Review: Alice In Wonderland

I love Tim Burton. I love Johnny Depp. I did not love Alice In Wonderland. Some things were good, but others were just odd and confounding. Sure, it's supposed to be Wonderland, and things there are supposed to be insane, but that should not be used as an excuse for flawed storytelling. Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter was just awkward, and his role was way more important than the character needs to be (but if you're gonna pay Johnny Depp to be in a movie, you're sure as hell gonna use him!) I was entertained my Helena Bonham Carter's shenanigans, as usual, but again, it was just not enough to redeem it for me. The Cheshire cat was good, but Alice was dry and emotionless in my opinion. Eh, I could keep going, but why waste my breath on a movie that came out six months ago... At least it was pretty to look at.

I give Alice In Wonderland a 5 outta 10.