Many Thoughts: Don LaFontaine, Redbelt, TV Pilots, and More

1. The Best Thing This Week: The Trailers of Don LaFontaine - LaFontaine was the well known trailer voice-over king who recently passed away. He was the one responsible for all those great gravelly bass-toned lines, like "in a world," and "He thought it was just an ordinary day, until . . " Yesterday, I watched a TV special on Reelz that showed several of his most recognizable trailers, including Friday the 13th, The Godfather, Die Hard, and Independence Day. The special also provided some interesting info on LaFontaine -- for example, did you realize that LaFontaine not only voiced these trailers, but wrote them as well! Were you even aware of it? Anyway, he was awesome, and will be missed.

2. Redbelt (DVD) - The most recent film from my favorite playwright-turned-filmmaker David Mamet tells the story of a black-belt Jujitsu master who is forced to compromise his values to get out of debt trouble. The jujistu master is played by one of my top-5 favorite actors, Chiwetel Ejiofor -- see Dirty Pretty Things for his best -- and includes Emily Mortimer and Tim Allen in interesting, if tangential, roles. Usually, you can expect a Mamet film to include some sort of con game (See, e.g., House of Games, Spanish Prisoner, Homicide, Heist), but this movie kind of veers from that model. Redbelt at times does feel like the Spanish Prisoner with hand-to-hand combat, but Mamet never really throws any gotcha moments at us. Instead, he's content to give us a character study about what an honorable person does when surrounded by corruption and weakness (perhaps a companion piece, in contrast, to Edmond). I consider it a hidden gem, but acknowledge that it isn't for everyone. If you liked Mamet's Spartan, you're enough of a fan that you'll enjoy this one, too. A-

3. 88 Minutes (DVD) - Al Pacino plays a haggard, blowhard of a forensic psychologist who puts away a serial killer played by scary-eyed Neal McDonough. On the eve of the serial killer's execution, Pacino gets menacing phone calls telling him he's only got 88 minutes to live. Thereafter we watch him run around calmly, but stupidly, in an effort to find out what's going on (as opposed to going to the police, for example). It was more of a mystery than thriller, since the action consists of weird encounters with each of his forensic psychology students, every one exhibiting over-the-top suspicious behavior. I wasn't bored, but some of it is so convoluted that it gets distracting. The resolution isn't predictable, but that doesn't mean it makes much sense, either. Look for a quality performance by TV's Alicia Witt in what amounts to a lead role opposite Pacino. B

4. Kath & Kim (NBC) - Last night's pilot of Kath and Kim was placed right before The Office, in an effort to attract the audience, myself included, who like cringe-worthy, embarassing humor. Unfortunatley, Kath and Kim just doesn't have the writing chops to justify a juxtaposition with the Office -- as Jules would say, it's not only not in the same ballpark, but "it ain't even the same f*ckin' sport." There was just nothing to it. Kath and Kim, played by SNL-alum Molly Shannon, and Selma Blair, repectively, are a mother daughter pair who are essentially blank-souled cartoon characters. Kath is a sweet, good single mom who's found love with a plucky man played by John Michael Higgins (of Christopher Guest films and Arrested Development). Kim is a stupid, mean, utterly worthless girl who doesn't seem to have any sort of sympathetic base whatsoever. Combine that with writing that is not even chuckle-worthy, and you have a show that will last exactly three episodes. D

5. Life on Mars (ABC) - Police Detective Sam Tyler (Jason O'Mara) is on the hunt for a serial killer with his girlfriend/fellow officer Mya (Lisa Bonet). During the investingation, she gets abducted by the serial killer, and Tyler goes after them. In pursuit, he gets hit by a car, and wakes up in 1973. OK, so far, so NOT good. But wait . . . he's also a cop in 1973, with the same name, and he's on a case that's eerily similar to the one he was on in 2008. So, after an initial period of denial (difficult after seeing the twin towers still standing), he goes with it, and investigates the case with his team, which includes such luminaries as tough guy Harvey Keitel, moustachioed Michael Imperioli, and oppressed girly-cop Gretchen Mol. By the end of the pilot, we find out what the connection is between the 1973 and 2008 serial killings, and a very interesting ethical theme is introduced as a result (Would you kill Hitler if you could go back in time?). Tyler believes that he is really in some sort of coma (he hears people talking to him through the TV and radio) and that he's got to do something to get back home, but he doesn't know what. It's Waking Life meets Quantum Leap meets Hill Street Blues. B+

6. Nick and Norah - I saw Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist last week and generally agree with Aaron's review. I thought that the one big problem with the movie was that it just did not have enough dialogue. It was advertised as a kind of Before Sunrise for the new generation, and I just did not get enought of a sense of why the two characters were attracted to each other. Regardless, Kat Dennings and drunken best friend Ari Graynor were very good, and there were enough laughs and tender moments to make it a good date movie. B+