Quick Reviews

Movies:
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - 3.0 - Maybe it's because I wasn't paying much attention, but the movie seemed dumb, and not even funny-dumb. It was bad-dumb. The special effects looked hokey. The dialogue alternated between forced and nonsensical. I guess they were trying to capture the tone of the book, but if that is the case, I can only conclude that pulling off deadpan is easier in print that it is with mediocre actors and bad-looking special effects.

Shawshank Redemption - 9.0 - Freeman and Robbins both give near-flawless performances. It's not a groundbreaking movie, but it's a masterful version of a simple story. It deserves mention in any conversation about the best movie of the last 20 years.


TV :
Rome (Season 1) - 7.5 - It started slow, and sometimes it seemed like the sex was there more for ratings than for plot advancement, but there were 3 or 4 very compelling characters and the last third of the season was very strong. It doesn't rank with the opening season of Sopranos or the Wire, but it's a worthy addition to HBO's amazing library, and there is definitely a lot of potential going forward.

Scrubs (Season 3) - 5.5 - I've decided that the best word for scrubs is pleasant, and I mean that as a backhanded compliment. It's rarely laugh out loud funny. The main characters are kind of annoying. I find my self siding with the antagonist Janitor who torments everyone. Yet for some reason I can't seem to stop watching it ... Maybe I need a hobby.