America's favorite re-recycled Roman pastime

by MK
NBC has decided to put the striking writers of the WGA into a powerful sleeper-hold, then move swiftly into a devastating suplex. That way it's easier to distract their audiences from the fact that they couldn't come up with any new reality television ideas.

The brand-new re-hashing of the most original/ancient idea is back on the air Monday nights at 8pm (EST). And, while it can still be enjoyable to watch people try to interview after getting slammed to the ground by other, more freakish people--the show has definitely lost some of its charm the second time around.

Hulk Hogan is an adequate host, while Lela Ali leaves a bit to be desired. Hulk is familiar and likeable, while not going overboard with catch-phrases or banter. Ali simply doesn't have the experience to keep things moving in live interviews, but still comes off fairly polished. The producing is not yet up to snuff, and as a result the show feels choppy. During the "Assault" event, it was difficult to even see what was happening with the jerky editing. Undoubtedly, this will improve with time.

The main problem with this glorified re-run is that the contestants have become acutely aware of what a "reality show contestant" should act like. Back in the late 80s and early 90s, the contestants were real, three-dimensional--even awkward. Now, due to the identity of reality television, all the competitors have canned answers and seem like caricatures of themselves. This really takes the fun out of watching everyday Joe's and Jane's (well, very athletic Joe's and Jane's) pitted against Goliaths.

The Gladiators themselves, however, have some personality--something lacking in the original conception (not counting Rome). They have unique characters that are pretty cheesy, yet still entertaining. They are also extremely potent athletes, making each event as challenging as ever. By giving the gladiators voices, it becomes a bit more personal--rather than interchangeable muscle/spandex-bound parts. The women gladiators have a bit less personality then the very theatrical men, but that may also evolve over time.

NBC will probably score a hit with this particular environmentally-friendly re-use of a popular concept, but it may take a bit for the show to hit it's stride. Hopefully, the producers will realize that finding contestants who don't NEED to be on television (hint: don't cast in LA) will only enhance the inherent drama built around the competition and elevate this classic television series to a new level.

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - Shake and Bake, Rattle and Roll!

by JP

This is the story of a musical legend; a man who started with nothing but raw talent; who overcame adversity and disability to reach dizzying heights of success; and whose battles with his personal demons and the temptations of stardom threatened to take it all away.

If this sounds familiar, that's exactly the point. Writer/director Jake Kasdan and co-writer Judd Apatow have set their comedic sights on the seemingly bottomless genre of musical biopics and created Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. In charting the life of the fictitious Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly), Kasdan and Apatow underline the formulaic nature of a genre that has become an award-season sure thing for movie studios (as well as money in the bank for record companies and music publishers).

Though Walk Hard most closely parallels the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line, Cox's story is a pastiche of numerous rock biographies. Music fans will enjoy playing "guess-the-reference" through the many ups and downs of Cox's career, from his stint as a Dylanesque singer of ludicrously cryptic "issue" songs, to his Brian Wilson-like retreat into obsessively self-indulgent record production, and subsequent stint as star of his own flashy variety show a la Glen Campbell. Slavish attention to period detail, as well as deceptively authentic original songs performed by Reilly, further blur the line between Walk Hard and the real-life stories it lampoons.

The chief reason Walk Hard works is due to the casting of John C. Reilly as Dewey Cox. Having already established a solid reputation for dependable dramatic supporting work (What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Magnolia, The Aviator), Reilly has also revealed his considerable comedic abilities in more straightforward comedies like Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. His effectiveness as Cox lies in the ways he plays it straight; by approaching the role of Cox with the same level of focus and dedication he would give to portraying a flesh-and-blood icon, Walk Hard is elevated from what could have easily been just another phoned-in showpiece for a more limited comedy star.

If only the rest of the movie showed as much restraint as Reilly. There are plenty of well-earned laughs in both the writing and performances - particularly from Saturday Night Live vet Tim Meadows, who as Cox's longtime drummer delivers a series of hysterical (and unheeded) warnings about the effects of various controlled substances. But while much of the humor of Walk Hard comes from the manner in which Kasdan and Apatow underline the inanities of the biopic formula, their need to underline nearly every joke can come off as a smug inability to reign in their own hilariousness. At times, this borders dangerously close to turning their movie into a send-up not only of music biopics, but of comedies in general. Despite these tendencies, Walk Hard remains a infectiously fun, highly re-watchable exercise in irreverence.