What Tripped My Trigger…9/16-22/07

I’m going to attempt something new with my contributions to The Film Lounge. Each week I’ll present a number of film/geek-related items that I enjoyed over the course of the week. It’s a way for me to share whatever I’m getting my kicks from while still being too lazy to write full reviews.

Russell Crowe and Ben Foster in 3:10 to Yuma (Film)
While 3:10 to Yuma is a good film, it wouldn’t be half of what it is without the star presence of Crowe (in full bad-assery mode) and Foster. Crowe exudes the charisma that made his roles in Gladiator and LA Confidential so memorable and propelled him to the A-list, pre-phone bashing. However, Foster still manages to upstage Crowe whenever he’s on the screen proving that he’s a young actor to keep an eye on. To label him something as obvious as ‘The Next Sean Penn’ seems natural, given his similarities in the looks and scenery-chewing ability departments, but it would do Foster a disservice---he’s a true original.

Doctor Who Series 3 (Television)
I feel like I slip more and more into inescapable geekdom everytime I even think the words ‘Doctor Who’, but I can’t deny that the last few episodes aired on the Sci-Fi Channel have been some of the most well-crafted science fiction tales I’ve seen on television. David Tennant continues to cement his place as the best actor to take the role. Note: My Doctor experience consists solely of Tennant, Chris Eccleston, and Paul McGann’s one TV-movie stint, so my opinion in that matter probably isn’t weighted all that much. Nevertheless, he’s fantastic. Let’s hope he and companion Freema Agyemon stick around for a while.

Shoot Em Up (Film)
The movie is stupid, stupid, stupid. And awesome. As well as hilarious, dirty-minded, exploitive, and over-the-top. If you’re a fan of slapstick and violence (the closest comparison I can come to is Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle) it’s a must-see. If any of these things are a turn-off: bad physics, Paul Giamatti making his Planet of the Apes performance look subtle, using vegetables as weapons, breasts, and using guns for things guns shouldn’t be used for---it’s an avoid-at-all-costs picture. Did I mention how stupid it was? Or how awesome?

New Beowulf Trailer (Film/web)
The new trailer for the upcoming motion-capture animated fantasy film loads up on the action, rock music, and screaming. Watching it in high def may cause your eyes to pop out of their sockets. See it here—It’s #2.

X-Men: First Class Mini-Series (Comic)
Taking place in established Marvel continuity and following Professor Xavier’s original five X-Men (Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel, and Iceman), First Class is a fun read that forms fully-developed characters out of the X-Men that were later overshadowed by the likes of the more brooding and dynamic Wolverine and the lot. It’s an X-book that forgoes the existential angst and whining that often weighs down the other titles. Hopefully, the ongoing series will be able to introduce more of Stan Lee’s original social commentary while maintaining the level of amusement.

Annie Hall (DVD)
There’s not much I can say about this classic film that hasn’t been said better by hundreds of people. While re-watching it again on DVD, I was reminded by how touching the journey is---one feel like they’ve been through the entire relationship themselves by the time the credits roll. By addressing the camera at the beginning of the film, Allen lets the audience know how it’s going to turn out---but we watch with the same optimism mixed with affection and dread that the characters experience. It’s a masterpiece.

Superman-Doomsday (DVD)
A direct-to-DVD animated film that re-tells the famous Death of Superman story, Superman-Doomsday puts Marvel’s attempts at DVD movies to shame. The writing staff of the Batman/Superman/Justice League series created a stand-alone universe for the PG-13 story and that meant an all new voice-cast and character designs. Most of the design work is good, but Superman has unnecessary lines added to the face to prevent him from looking like his previous animated incarnation. He looks craggily and, frankly, less than super. It’s with Superman’s voice casting that the film missteps as well, while Anne Heche does a more than adequate job as Lois Lane and Smallville’s Braniac James Marsters is a great Lex Luthor, Adam Baldwin (an actor I normally love) just doesn’t have the vocal presence to do Superman justice. The story, while not perfect, still manages to make up for these problems and the deviations from the comic are necessary improvements. Fans of Superman should definitely check it out.

Amazon Unbox (Web/Television)
Amazon’s new television download service allows you to get some of the hottest shows sent straight to your TiVo in DVD quality. Since I don’t have a TiVo, my laptop will have to suffice as I watch the available free downloads of Chuck, Journeyman (both really good), Bionic Woman, and Life (yet to watch).

What tripped YOUR trigger this week? Sound off in the comments section.