Unfortunately, the direction by first-timer Kent Alterman is fairly flat and sitcom-ish, and if Scot Armstrong’s screenplay was just a little bit smarter and/or grittier, Semi-Pro could have been a sports comedy in league with the awesome Slap Shot - instead of just another funny-but-kinda redundant Will Ferrell vehicle. (Matter of fact, the story’s pretty uneventful and the flick is plagued with spotty editing; Ferrell and his cast salvage the flick from its own sketchiness at every turn.) So there’s a missed opportunity there, but why knock a flick for what it’s not? Ferrell fans will dig it. Of that I’m pretty damn confident.

As he often does, Will Ferrell cedes some of the comedic spotlight to his supporting players: Woody Harrelson is on hand to remind us that his comedic chops are still perfectly fresh (even if his character suffers from a seriously pointless romantic subplot), Andre Benjamin proves to be a surprisingly funny performer, and (of course) the background is peppered with amusing quips from the likes of David Koechner, Rob Corddry, Andy Richter, Will Arnett, Matt Walsh and (particularly) Andrew Daly as a nerdy announcer. The “amusingly odd cameo appearance” goes to Jackie Earle Haley as a stinky hippie who’s owed ten grand from goofy ol’ Jackie Moon.

Like most popular comedians, Ferrell has found a niche and he’s doing some consistently funny work there these days. Although it’s been injected with a fair dose of funny profanity, Semi-Pro suffers a bit from being the guy’s fourth sports comedy in as many years -- but unlike some comedians who run one joke into the ground (sorry, Sandler), Ferrell is still able to wring some real chuckles out of a very familiar blueprint. I guess the guy’s just that funny.

 

CAN THE ROCKETS CONTINUE THIER WINNING WAYS WITHOUT YAO???

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming will be out the rest of the season and post-season with a stress fracture in his sore left foot.With an injured Yao Ming watching from the bench, the Rockets dominated the Wizards 94-69 to extend their winning streak to 13 games.Yao was examined after Monday’s practice at Memorial Hermann Hospital and met Rockets team physician Dr. Tom Clanton to go over the test results.At an news conference this evening, Yao said that he told teammate Tracy McGrady to step it up so the Rockets could continue their success.“I told him ‘Now is your time. You need to turn it up,.’ Yao said that he would seek a second opinion and was considering his options. “I don’t know why it happened,” Yao said. “Maybe I’m just an unlucky guy.”The Rockets confirmed the news this afternoon.“It is not an injury we feel he can play with,’’ Rockets team doctor Tom Clanton said.“I’ve made the recommendation that it be treated surgically and we are working with him to get other opinions just to be certain that that is indeed what should be done.’’The Rockets (37-20) have won 13 consecutive games since losing the one game Yao has missed this season. Yao averaged 22 points and 10.8 rebounds this season.“We’ve been playing exceptional ball and Yao’s been a huge part of that,’’ Rockets GM Daryl Morey said. “We feel very confident about our playoff push. We’ve managed to step up and play well without Yao in the past and coaches and players feel confident that we’re going to continue to play well and make the playoffs this year.’’ Clanton said Yao is not expected to miss the Olympics in Bejing in August.

WALLY'S TRAILER PARK : IRONMAN MAY 2,2008

 

 

On April 29, the Roots will unveil Rising Down — the latest step in the six-member Philadelphia hip-hop band's 15-year evolution on record. The darkly funky, politically charged project is now almost done after more than a year of recording, though it is currently missing contributions from planned guest artists Common, Lupe Fiasco, and Q-Tip.

 

'RISING DOWN'' (possible alternate title: ''Humdrum'') Guest rappers Mos Def and Styles P join Trotter in unleashing a slew of dystopian imagery over heavy, atmospheric synths. ''It's not an intro, but more an introduction to the topical theme of the album,'' Trotter says. ''Mos kicks it off from one perspective. My verse is about global warming and how the world is all haywire. And Styles P is rapping about prescription-drug campaigns, the stuff they advertise on TV, all the crazy side effects. We're all dealing with different aspects of the state of the world.''

''GET BUSY'' It's a Philly celebration, with verses from longtime protégé Dice Raw (''kinda like W.E.B. DuBois/Meets Heavy D and the Boys'') and more recent associate Peedi Peedi as well as scratches from DJ Jazzy Jeff. The beat's driven by an aggressive, grinding bassline. ''That's the return of the boom-bap,'' says Trotter. ''We're revisiting golden-era East Coast hip-hop, but the synthesizers make it modern.'' Adds an oracular Thompson: ''What was 20 years ago is also tomorrow.''

''BLACK'S RECONSTRUCTION'' Trotter raps for 75 bars straight on this lyrical exercise, spitting effortless game (''Smooth like the dude Sean Connery was playing'') over a dirty drumbeat and foghorn-like tuba moans. ''It was a first take,'' notes Trotter. (Show-off!) ''That's a song in the tradition of 'Web' and 'Thought @ Work'. It's become something that die-hard fans check for, that extended freestyle, minimal chorus, hard-hitting lyrical joint.''

''APOLOGIZE'' Thompson calls this rhythmic, brass-laced cut (also featuring Dice Raw) a tribute to late Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti. Trotter's lyrics examine the challenges of today's music industry: ''Look into my daughter's eyes/Wonder, how can I provide?'' ''It's about not apologizing for what you are,'' Thompson elaborates. ''Dice Raw's verse does his commentary on how the new minstrel image of black people is in vogue now — how that's the image that's being sold to you. It's really hard to hold on to your dignity and not resort to shucking and jiving to sell records.''

''CRIMINAL'' (possible alternate title: ''Pay the Bills'') A simmering meditation on street life, still awaiting a guest verse from Saigon. ''It's about being persecuted and having no other alternative,'' Trotter says. ''You could also see it from the angle of the Rockefeller laws,'' adds Thompson, ''certain groups of people get persecuted and others get away with it.'' Chuckling sardonically, Trotter concludes: ''That [song] is a light-hearted one! It's a happy album...''

''I CAN'T HELP IT'' Trotter says this harrowing tale of addiction, bustling with keyboard burbles and ethereal background vocals, is about ''giving in or not giving in to your urges.'' ''I can't help it/Maybe I'm selfish,'' he raps. ''The way I'm running is becoming a health risk/I might have a heart attack, I'm taking more pills than Elvis.''

 

''SINGER MAN'' Two little-known guest rappers chime in on this unsettling multipart suite, which segues from a spare bass drone to a backmasked, drumless ambient section. ''That's three different first-person accounts of people that felt justifiable violence,'' says Thompson. Trotter raps in the voice of ''an African child soldier fighting for Charles Taylor in Sierra Leone''; Truck North takes on the role of a suicide bomber; and the very unfortunately named emcee Porn explores the perspective of a school shooter.

''UP THERE'' ''It was a cold night/Not cold like the winter, but I can feel an energy in the air that I don't like'': Another claustrophobic narrative, backed by melting synths and an eerie vocal loop. Trotter compares its steady crescendo to 1996's ''Panic''. ''It's a dream sequence. Some person is driving me through this place where I see my life, like a drive-in movie. Then the guy disappears, and I'm being carjacked. It's one of those things like the 'You Got Me' video, where [the plot is] left wide open — it's in the eye of the beholder.''

''LOST DESIRE'' Urgent verses from Talib Kweli (who shouts out his new project Idle Warship) and former Roots member Malik B anchor another look at contemporary social ills: ''No one cares what the truth is/It's a fortress built on lies,'' goes the hook. ''Malik and I are always the yin and yang of Philadelphia,'' says Trotter. ''He represents the street, that accurate commentary, and I'm kind of the polar opposite of that. So we balance each other out on the song, and Kweli's in the middle, talking about what goes on in Brooklyn.''

''THE SHOW MUST GO ON'' Cascading drums and a serrated synth texture set off the song that Common is expected to appear on. (''He promised his left arm if he doesn't get us his verse!'' kids Thompson.) ''It's about where we are at this point in our career, why we do it — a more introspective, personal type of joint,'' says Trotter. ''I'm saying some fly s--- on that song. I like those verses, boy!''

''RISING UP'' The title track's counterpart has a far lighter tone, courtesy of two fresh-faced guests: soulful songbird Chrisette Michele and much-buzzed-about Washington, D.C., rapper Wale. ''Where 'Rising Down' is one of the darker moments of the album, 'Rising Up' is the beacon of hope,'' says Trotter, who boasts on the song's hook that he's ''getting paper like John Travolta.'' The track's beat calls to mind the polyrhythmic pulse of Washington's go-go scene — an unexpectedly touchy subject, it turns out. ''It's more percussive than your average Roots song,'' Trotter continues with a grin. ''But Wale, who's a die-hard 23-year-old D.C. native, just refuses to accept that as go-go in any way, shape or form: 'What?! Oh, that ain't no go-go jam!' So it's our attempt at something quasi go-go-esque.''

''BIRTHDAY GIRL'' Summery guitar chords and an ultra-catchy hook sung by Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump have made this the leading contender for Rising Down's first single. It's a pleasant breeze of a song — at least until you notice the vaguely creepy lyrics, in which Stump and Trotter fondly address an adoring female fan on the occasion of her 18th birthday. ''It's based on experiences that we all go through today, as musicians and as parents,'' Trotter says. ''It deals with what our daughters are exposed to, the effects of My Super Sweet 16, reality TV, all this crazy s---.'' Thompson, however, laughs off the song as a hip-hop Lolita: ''It's the most beautiful statutory rape song ever!''

Source: EW.com

WALLY RUN'S MOVIE PICK OF THE WEEK!!!

BE KIND, REWIND.

Jerry (Jack Black) is a junkyard worker who attempts to sabotage a power plant he suspects of causing his headaches. But he inadvertently causes his brain to become magnetized, leading to the unintentional destruction of all the movies in his friend's (Mos Def) store. In order to keep the store's one loyal customer, an elderly lady with a tenuous grasp on reality, the pair re-create a long line of films including The Lion King, Rush Hour, Ghostbusters, When We Were Kings, Back to the Future, Driving Miss Daisy, and Robocop , putting themselves and their townspeople into it. They become the biggest stars in their neighborhood.

Check the Trailer Here!!!

Source: Rottentomatoes.com

 

WALLY RUN'S MUSIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK

 

LIL MAMA, CHRIS BROWN FEAT T-PAIN - SHAWTY GET LOOSE

 

by Wally Run

ARE YOU AN UP AND COMING RECORDING ARTIST? THINK YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?SPEKTRUM MUSIC WANTS YOU!!!!!  

 

Contact Chuck at Chuckdogginfo@aol.com for details. 

 

 

 

We are very happy to announce that the song "What U Need" off of the soon to be released Chuck "The Triple Threat" Album is featured on the soundtrack to this weekend's most anticipated sequel STEP UP 2. Support Chuck's Hustle and GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!!

 

George Lucas is at it AGAIN!!!!!!

 

George Lucas is at it again with an all new CGI Star Wars feature: The Clone Wars.

by Wally Run

 

George Lucas’ 3D CGI continuation of the Star Wars saga isn’t just coming to television this fall -- the new series will kick-off this summer with a full-length theatrical release. 

Warner Bros., Turner Broadcasting, and production company Lucasfilm Animation announced yesterday that the eagerly-anticipated series, which will air in 30-minute “mini-movies” on TNT and Cartoon Network, will begin with a theatrical release on August 15. 

Anticipation on the project has been building for years following the two-year run of Lucas’ previous animated Star Wars: Clone Wars series. That show aired on Cartoon Network from 2003-2005 and covered the period between Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, filling in the Star Wars mythos with stories featuring Count Dooku, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The new Clone Wars will also cover events in the same time period, including closer looks at supporting characters like Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker’s Togruta Padawan and Jedi commander Kit Fisto, whose fate is sealed in Episode III. 

From the official Star Wars: Clone Wars site: 

“I felt there were a lot more Star Wars stories left to tell,” said George Lucas, executive producer of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. “I was eager to start telling some of them through animation and, at the same time, push the art of animation forward.” 

 

Beware:

 

 The Nerds will be in full effect this fall.

 

THE MOST ANTICIPATED BLOCKBUSTER OF THE SUMMER? ARE WE SURE?

Does Indy have what it takes to pull off another summer blockbuster?

by Wally Run

It has been almost twenty years since we’ve seen Harrison Ford don the fedora and leather jacket. Given the rise in movie technology over the years, the question on everyone’s mind is what does Indy have in store for us next?  Is it the charm and adventure that was Raiders of the Lost Ark?  Is it the dark mood that we got from the Temple of Doom? Or is it the fun joyride that was the Last Crusade.  This latest installment of the Indiana Jones, “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” franchise promises to be one of if not the best and possibly last of the series.  Returning to the fray along with Indy is Marion Ravenwood aka Karen Allen from Raiders which shows promise that everything in the Indiana Jones series will come full circle.  Transformers star Shia Lebouf plays Indy’s son and seeks to bring in a new younger generation of fans into theaters this summer.  May 22, 2008 is the date, so get ready to crack that whip one more time.  From the looks of the newly released teaser trailer, we are in for another wild ride.

 

View the Teaser here:

 

 

 

Articles by Wally Run

Site: myspace.com/c_wally_run

The Rating: 3 out of 5 

 

The Synopsis: 

How She Move is an energetic, gritty and ultimately inspiring coming of age tale about a gifted young woman who defies all the rules as she step dances her heart out to achieve her dreams. Featuring a fresh cast of new discoveries, this Sundance Film Festival hit marks the feature film debut of the electric RUTINA WESLEY, with street-style step sequences by top choreographer Hi Hat and special appearances by R&B singer-songwriter Keyshia Cole and comedian DeRay Davis.

 

The Review: 

You would think that after You Got Served, Step Up and Stomp the Yard we would be tired of movies like this.  Surprisingly this overused story of inspiration through dance gets a fresh and energetic cast of young talented unknowns.  Don't get me wrong I wasn't blown away or anything and the movie is indeed geared to inspire the younger generation, but it earns my respect for not being too cliche and taking a chance on younger talented actors instead of teen celebs playing the part.  This is worth checking out.

Here's the Trailer:

 

 

 

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 

 

The Synopsis: 

Twenty years after the last film in the series, John Rambo (SYLVESTER STALLONE) has retreated to northern Thailand, where he's running a longboat on the Salween River. On the nearby Thai-Burma (Myanmar) border, the world's longest-running civil war, the Burmese-Karen conflict, rages into its 60th year. But Rambo, who lives a solitary, simple life in the mountains and jungles fishing and catching poisonous snakes to sell, has long given up fighting, even as medics, mercenaries, rebels and peace workers pass by on their way to the war-torn region. 

That all changes when a group of human rights missionaries search out the "American river guide" John Rambo. When Sarah (JULIE BENZ) and Michael Bennett (PAUL SCHULZE) approach him, they explain that since last year's trek to the refugee camps, the Burmese military has laid landmines along the road, making it too dangerous for overland travel. They ask Rambo to guide them up the Salween and drop them off, so they can deliver medical supplies and food to the Karen tribe. After initially refusing to cross into Burma, Rambo takes them, dropping off Sarah, Michael and the aid workers... 

Less than two weeks later, pastor Arthur Marsh (KEN HOWARD) finds Rambo and tells him the aid workers did not return and the embassies have not helped locate them. He tells Rambo he's mortgaged his home and raised money from his congregation to hire mercenaries to get the missionaries, who are being held captive by the Burmese army. Although the United States military trained him to be a lethal super soldier in Vietnam, decades later Rambo's reluctance for violence and conflict are palpable, his scars faded, yet visible. However, the lone warrior knows what he must do... 

The Review:

ITS A RAMBO MOVIE, NUFF SAID!!!...LOL... Truth be told I am a bigger fan of the Rocky Series than the Rambo Series. Watching this movie I am reminded of why. While Rambo had his own troubled backstory there wasn't really much heart in the Rambo series persay. It was all action, hunter vs hunted type shit.  This Rambo Movie is no different, however it is a hell of a lot more over the top blood and guts than I remember Rambo having.  Nonetheless, Stallones latest reboot falls short on actual story and plot, its nothing we haven't seen b4. However if the story your looking for is an old grizzled warrior opening a can of whoop ass in over the top fashion this movie is definitely for you!!!

 

Here's the official trailer:

 

And here's the trailer they didn't want you to see:

Disclaimer:

PLEASE WATCH WITH EXTREME CAUTION!! THIS IS A RED TRAILER, IT IS VERY VERY BLOODY

 

and finally:

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of actor Heath Ledger.  His talent will be sorely missed throughout the world.  In Tribute here is the trailer for his final film and one of the most anticipated this summer (and this movie reviewer's most anticipated.):

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT

 

 R.I.P. Heath Ledger 1979 - 2008

Reviewed by: Maersk Doydora a.k.a. Hypernerd ONE Wally Run

Website: myspace.com/c_wally_run