BOYD'S BEST BETS
by Boyd Jones

Past Articles:

• Summer 2007
• 2007 Movies
• Best of 2006
• Fall 2007

It's hard for me to believe that it is that time of year again, but this is the week that students return to campus here at Winthrop University so while the calendar may say that summer is still around for a while, as far as I'm concerned, summer is over. I wanted to look back over the summer and give you my favorites as I reflect on my best bets of Summer 2007.

Movies : It's been a pretty good summer overall as there have been several flicks I've enjoyed. It's been mainly a summer of sequels and most have been worth catching (Spiderman 3, Ocean's 13, Fantastic Four 2, Shrek 3, Harry Potter 5,  Pirates 3, but only 2 sequels are going to make my "Best Bets" of the summer). My two "honorable mentions" for Boyd's Top 10 for the summer are little movies that came and left theatres quickly but you should check out upon DVD release. One is Angelina Jolie in "A Mighty Heart" ( yes, you may know how it ends depressingly but her performance was so powerful and I found all the police work quite involving) and the other is the independent film "Once" about a street performer in Dublin… Both are must see flicks for true moviegoers and while not in my "Best Bets" of summer,  I definitely recommend both to you. Here goes, BJ's Best Bets for Summer 2007 :

In Alphabetical Order…

• The Bourne Ultimatum .. I loved the books and consider this the thinking man's action series. I've been a Matt Damon / Joan Allen fan for years and they play off each other so well in this series. I think they have all been well written, acted, and directed and have not gone down in quality as some sequels do,but get better and better each time.
• B )  Hairspray .. Loved the original 1988 movie , really enjoyed the Broadway production, and was so hoping they'd do it right as this piece has a great message , great characters, awesome songs, and was hoping this would land in the "Chicago", "Dreamgirls" , "Moulin Rouge" category and it does. John Travolta had me laughing out loud and the young star playing Tracy is a revelation . Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Amanda Bynes, Queen Latifih, Brittany Snow, Elijah Kelley, James Marsden, Allison Janey, and the entire cast deserve a standing ovation as this movie is pure fun from beginning to end while still delivering a very important message about self acceptance as well as challenging society's views of dealing with people different from the mainstream. I got the soundtrack and it puts a smile on my face every time I hear the songs .. especially " You Can't Stop the Beat !"
• Knocked Up .. Judd Apatow 's script is a bit crass at times and goes over the line every now and then but this is a funny flick and one that shows a developing talent that will continually get better w/ time. Not for everyone but it did make me laugh!
• Live Free or Die Hard… This is the second best sequel of the summer as when I saw the previews that Bruce was doing Die Hard 4, I just was not excited at all. I loved the original but the last 2 installments fell short. This one brings back all the excitement, delivers some unbelievable moments that are just so out there you applaud their brazenness for attempting it, and it really had an interesting concept. It's about the internet and how much it can / does control us and what damage could be done if someone took control of it and used it for their own vile interests.
• Ratatouille … Disney/Pixar does it again.. Great imagry, great characters (especially the food critic) and while I'm not a cook and cannot relate to chefs in a kitchen at all, I found this movie about rats in the kitchen …delightful !!!
• Sicko … Can't say that I'm a Michael Moore fan  but do find his film work thought provoking and worth checking out. I really liked "Bowling for Columbine" while thought "Farenheit 9/11" was too partisan and one sided. This examination of our health care system is one that I hope many of America's leaders will watch and respond to as it brings up some good questions for us all. I also like the fact that it is about an issue , not a party, or a candidate and I hope people on both sides of the aisle will take the time to examine this important issue / film as it will affect us all .
• Stardust … I loved "The Princess Bride" several years ago and while I won't say this new film is as good as that one, it comes very close. It takes you to a far away land and introduces us to some memorable characters, takes us on an adventure, throws in some humor, a bit of romance, some suspense, and is a fun way to spend a couple of hours. This movie is well cast ( Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes, Peter O'Toole, Charlie Cox, Rupert Everett) and very well conceived as there are several stories going on and the way they intersect is quite amusing, original, and fun to see how it will all play out. Don't miss this film as Hollywood needs quality , unique films like this to succeed so that more of these are made vs. continually being served up sequels all the time.
• Talk to Me…I"ve been a Don Cheadle fan since TV's "Picket Fences" and I think he is one of the more underrated actors as I think he makes any project he undertakes better by just being in the cast. He plays Petey Greene, the original shock jock, and does it masterfully. He is funny, he is touching , he is out there, and he is always watchable.. Hopefully this film will find an audience as it is really well done and Don Cheadle shows another side to his amazing talents.
• Transformers… If you had told me this would be on my list this Spring, I would have bet you money that you were wrong. I didn't grow up in the era where these toys were popular and I didn't have any desire to see this picture. .. Then I saw the previews and they were much better than expected.. and then I saw the name .. Steven Spielberg..on the screen as Executive Producer and knew this would be worth my time.. and it was.. From the cast to the story to the effects to the music, this movie had me in its grips.. It rocks! I know many of my movie fans are probably checking to see what site they are reading as BJ endorsing "Transformers" doesn't really fit ..but this movie is better than you think it will be and you will be glad you gave it a chance.
• Waitress… My favorite independent film of the year so far.. Maybe because I didn't have any expectations for this film but went to see because I am an Andy Griffith fan and was excited to hear he was back working and in this movie. I just loved the quirkiness , the characters, the cinematography, the music, the cast, the writing, and the unpredictability of the story. I have not spoken to anyone who has given this film a chance that didn't enjoy themselves. If afterwards, you are not wanting a fresh piece of homemade pie, then we're just not made of the same stuff as this movie should do wonders for local diners that serve delicious homemade desserts.

TV:
This summer , I've enjoyed the 3 talent shows on " America's Got Talent" ( enjoyed last summer more as I knew 3 of the finalists, but there are some worthwhile acts this year as well) and " So You Think You Can Dance" ( this show just gets better and better each year ) as I am just blown away by the quality and talent of the competitors and wish for all of them a career in dance. I also watch "Last Comic Standing " but have not been as impressed by the comics this year but still enjoy the show..miss Anthony Clark as MC. As far as scripted series go, the ones I'm watching and enjoying this summer are " Entourage" ( just gets better and better) , "Big Love" ( I can't believe that a show about pologomy can be so entertaining. A great new show is "Damages" with Glenn Close and Ted Danson ..very compelling and Denis Leary on "Rescue Me" is one I can't miss . The writing, the characters, the storylines, are so well conceived and it is one of the best ensemble casts on TV. On the BBC, " The Graham Norton Show " is hysterical and I also enjoy "Inside the Actor's Studio" on Bravo. Looking forward to the return of Showtime's "Weeds" and F/X's "nip/tuck".

MUSIC : CD's I've been listening to this summer are the latest by Prince, Brad Paisley, Bucky Covington, Volatile Baby, Carrie Underwood, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Wynonna, John Mellencamp, Allison Krauss, Stevie Nicks, Christine Kane, David Lamotte, Daugherty, Dixie Chicks, anything by Dolly, Little Big Town, Lloyd Dobler Effect, Gwen Stefani, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Elton John, Keith Urban, Bonepony, Chris Young, Sugarland, John Mayer, Billy McLaughlin,  and I love the soundtrack to "Hairspray" .

THEATRE : I have not seen much this summer but did see a revival of "Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at Flat Rock Playhouse and really enjoyed two productions about the Carter family and their effect on music . One was "Wildwood Flowers" in Charlotte at the Performing Arts Center ( just a blast) and the other was "Keep On the Sunny Side" which played at the Blowing Rock Stage Company. Both were excellent and my good friends in the musical group Volatile Baby had major roles in each and really did superb jobs in both. Next year, "Wicked" and "Avenue Q" as well as "Twelve Angry Men" are coming to Charlotte and I am very excited about seeing each of these when they come our way.

ON CAMPUS: We have a great mixture of returning acts that always deliver a great show mixed with some very talented rising stars coming Winthrop's way this fall.

Check out www.winthrop.edu/studentaffairs/dsu periodically to see who is coming our way and come visit us and enjoy what we offer the Winthrop community when you can.

You'll be glad you did. I am fortunate to work with some outstanding student programmers who really strive to produce a quality and entertaining series each year .

I am proud to be a part of the Winthrop community and love being able to present such diverse, entertaining, & educational shows each week. Check out the site from time to time as it is continuously updated , click on the various links and come join us when you can.

Time to get out of here and get things ready for beginning of the upcoming school year.

This is " BOYD'S BEST BETS" for SUMMER 2007…" FOR WHAT ITS WORTH "

Hope each of you have had a wonderful first few months of 2007.

    I know I am really looking forward to this summer's movies as it looks to be one of the best yet. First , let us look back at an overview of Jan-April 2007 and see what some of the highlights have been so far this year. There have been flicks out that make you laugh ( "Wild Hogs" / "Blades of Glory"), some that were decent action flicks ( "Shooter"/ " Alpha Dog" / "Smokin' Aces" ) , some that while not awful by any means, I had higher aspirations for considering the talent within ( "Reign Over Me", " Fracture", " Ghost Rider") and we've had two feel-good movies that probably won't be on any "Best of " lists at end of year but I enjoyed and came out with that "all is not lost" feeling ( " Pride" , " Freedom Writers"). Two movies that I have yet had chance to see of the first 4 months are " The Namesake" and " Grindhouse". I hope to catch these before they leave theatre if I can.

   My favorites for the first few months of 2007 are  :  "Amazing Grace" the story behind the anti-slavery movement in Great Britain and also you get a chance to understand more of the history of the classic hymn and its author... " "Black Snake Moan", a must see for its originality and for an incredible performance by Samuel L. Jackson and Cristina Ricci..."Breach" .. the true story of the greatest security breach in US history...excellent performances by Chris Cooper and Ryan Phillipe..."Disturbia", a hip version of the Hitchcock classic "Rear Window" with a star making performance by Shia LeBeouf..."The Lookout" which stars Joesph Gordon-Levitt who shows us all that he was not just the kid from "3rd Rock from the Sun". His post 3rd Rock films ( "Mysterious Skin", "Latter Days", "Brick" and now "The Lookout" ) shows he has the chops to be around for quite some time... "The Hoax" , a very enjoyable true story about the scam that author Clifford Irving pulled on the public as well as the publishers when he got millions for supposedly writing an approved version of Howard Hughes autobiography. Richard Gere is terrific in lead role... "Miss Potter" is a nice , little, movie about the author of the "Peter Rabbit" tales. Renee Zellwigger and Ewan McGregor are quite good in this small , interesting movie that unfortunately failed to find its niche at the box-office. Last , but not least this Spring is "Zodiac" where Robert Downey, Jr, Mark Ruffalo, and Jake Gyenhall all are terrific in this detailed flick showing how the press and law enforcement worked together and separately to arrest and unveil the infamous Zodiac killer.

   I haven't had the chance to see many plays this Spring but was lucky enough to catch " Doubt" on its national tour. What an interesting story and one that makes you think about it long after you leave theatre. I was also lucky enough to be able to go and enjoy the national tours of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and "Mamma Mia".

   Both were just a great deal of fun and both leaves you smiling big-time when you leave theatre. Coming our way soon to the Charlotte area is " Wicked" , "Avenue Q" and the "Sweet Charity" tour with Molly Ringwald. I'm looking forward to all three. A local Charlotte company is presenting presently " The Great American Trailer Park Musical" which sounds like a hoot. Hoping to catch it very soon as the premise had me laughing out loud. Also being presented in May is " Wildwood Flowers: The June Carter Cash Musical" which I think will be a good time for all. I am friends with some of the cast members and I look forward to being in audience and enjoying the show.

   Musically, these past 4 months, I've been listening to all sorts of cds. Not that they came out during this past Spring but the cds that have most often been in my cd player at home, work, or in car have been the latest from the following... Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Prince, Teddy Geiger, Marty Stuart, Keith Anderson, Faith Hill, Travis Tritt, John Mellencamp, Hank Williams, Jr., Amy Grant, John Mayer, John Mayer Trio, Little Big Town, Tony Bennett, Vince Gill, Sam Moore, Tim McGraw,

   Dolly Parton, Bruce Hornsby, Alison Kraus, Dixie Chicks, Dave Matthews Band, Daugherty, Volatile Baby, Sugarland, Bon Jovi, India.Arie, Kellie Pickler, KT Turnstall, Aaron Neville, Chris Young, Keith Urban, Phil Vassar, and I still am playing Bruce Springsteen's "The Seeger Sessions".

   TV has seen a resurgence of good shows as new shows " Brothers and Sisters", "Heroes", " Friday Night Lights" ( which may be the best show on TV that not enough people are watching) , and "Shark" have all become " must see" shows and get better as time goes on. " The Riches" on F/X has possibilities and of course great shows such as " Entourage" " 2 1/2 Men" , " Boston Legal", "American Idol", "The Office" , "Scrubs" , "Without a Trace" , "Smallville" and  "Desperate Housewives" are definitely worth keeping up with for sure. I really enjoyed " The Class" on CBS but am afraid it is history but it was a new series with a shaky start that improved continuously during the course of its run. Looking forward to return of "Weeds" and "nip/tuck" in summer. It will be interesting to see which shows get saved and which get the ax when fall schedules are announced .

   At work, it has been a very very busy year here at Winthrop,and the DSU Program Board I work with has really brought some excellent talent to the Winthrop community this year. If you are interested in checking out the acts we've presented and also see which the DSU students have voted as their respective favorites, check out www.winthrop.edu/studentaffairs/dsu.

   Can't wait for summer as the line up of what 's coming between first week of May and Labor Day is just amazing and I'll report back later with my favorites of the summer season.

BOYD'S BEST BETS… BJ'S BEST OF 2006

2006 was a year where there was some really excellent films released. Of the films I saw last year, these were the ones that were my favorites. For those of you who enjoy films, this might be a good list to keep and check out some of these when they appear on cable, Netflix, at video rental stores, etc.

I'm excited already about 2007 as we get the latest installments of Spider Man, Shrek, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, Rush Hour, Fantastic Four, the new Jason Bourne thriller, Oceans 13 as well as getting psyched from previews already playing such as "Across the Universe", "Fracture" , "The Breach", "Zodiac", "Wild Hogs" , "Shooter", "Reign Over Me", "Grindhouse", "Black Snake Moan".. and the movie adaptation of the Broadway hit " Hairspray" (hoping it will be as good as "Chicago" and "Dreamgirls").

Well, here goes.. Here's my thoughts looking back on the 2006 releases I've enjoyed…

BJ's TOP 5 (in alphabetical order)

• The Departed
• Dreamgirls
• Letters from Iwo Jima
• Little Miss Sunshine
• The Queen

Rounding out my Top 10 (in alphabetical order)

• Babel
• Casino Royale
• The Devil Wears Prada
• Notes on a Scandal
• Thank You For Smoking

Rounding out my Top 20 (# 11-20 in alphabetical order )

• Akeelah and the Bee
• Children of Men
• Clerks 2
• The Illusionist
• Last King of Scotland
• Mission Impossible III
• Monster House
• The Prestige
• The Pursuit of Happyness
• V for Vendetta

Others I enjoyed and worth checking out (in alphabetical order)

• Blood Diamond
• Borat
• Cars
• Down in the Valley
• Eight Below
• Flags of our Fathers
• The Good Shepherd
• The Groomsmen
• The Guardian
• The History Boys
• Idlewild
• An Inconvenient Truth
• Inside Man
• Invincible
• Little Children
• Miami Vice
• The Painted Veil
• The Pink Panther
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
• Prairie Home Companion
• United 93
• We Are Marshall
• World Trade Center
• X Men III: The Last Stand

Acclaimed movies that I have not seen that may/may not have made list

• Venus
• Miss Potter
• Pan's Labyrinth
• Sherrybaby
• Volver

Hope you will check out some of these titles and that list might prove useful in some way.

Take care and have a wonderful 2007.

Looking forward to watching Ellen DeGeneres hosting the Academy Awards the night of February 25^th !!!

BOYD's BEST BETS… Fall 2007

Fall 2007 has been a really good one in many ways as there have been some quality offerings in a variety of genres. The holiday season always sees many options coming our way but wanted to look back over the past few months to point out a few of my favorites.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!!!

MOVIES

My top ten favorites for the fall were: (in alphabetical order)

• 3:10 to Yuma.. The western is back … Russell Crowe and Christian Bale both are excellent in this throwback to another era. Ben Foster is also quite good in supporting role. This is a movie that reminds you of the old time Saturday matinees and is one I think people would enjoy if they would just give it a chance.
• Across the Universe.. This is a movie that has inspired moments and some that make you scratch your head, but definitely one to see. It has 33 Beatles songs within and how they use those to complement the story is very unique and interesting. This is from Julie Taymor who was force behind Broadway's "The Lion King."
• American Gangster… Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, a wonderful supporting cast of characters, and director Ridley Scott... a must see film with a lot of style and one that does a great job of recreating the era. All the performances are first rate, but Denzel is just terrific as Frank Lucas.
• Dan in Real Life.. When you see an ad for this film and you see that Steve Carrell and Dane Cook are together in a film, you will expect to come and see a film that will have you laughing out loud repeatedly.. That is not what you get w/ Dan in Real Life. You get a very well thought out story and subdued performances that feel just right for this script. It will sneak up on you and be a movie that you'll be glad you went to. This movie is a little gem just waiting for folks to discover it.
• Eastern Promises.. This is a really good movie from director David Cronenberg about the Russian mob and has excellent performances by Naomi Watts, Viggo Mortensen and Armin Mueller-Stahl... Has some scenes where you might need to look away as it can be violent at times, but an interesting story and one of the more interesting films of the year.
• Gone, Baby, Gone... If you say Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris, I'll go to a movie as these two usually make any movie worth watching. This film is Ben Affleck's debut as a director and you can tell that he has the gift and the touch to be an excellent director. This movie was written by the author of "Mystic River". Give this movie a chance. You'll be glad you did
• In the Valley of Elah… This movie is worth seeing for the performance by Tommy Lee Jones as the father of an Iraq soldier gone missing. The movie shows the heartache of the loved ones back home and also contains a brief but effective supporting performance by Susan Sarandon as the soldier's mother. Not a fun night out on the town, but one that is important to see and experience.
• Into the Wild.. I was wondering how this book would translate into a film and am proud to say, a great deal of care was taken into the making of this adventure. Emile Hersch is excellent as Chris McCandless and the supporting characters are quite good, especially Hal Holbrook. The cinematography of this film is outstanding and the way they blended his journal, his adventures, the back story , etc. together to create the film shows it was done w/ a lot of care .
• Lions for Lambs.. Now I know most reviewers did not like this film but I thought it was well cast, had very interesting dialog, brought up many worthwhile issues, presented various sides of the story, and I think more should give it a chance . I know it may be too much like watching the news but if you put Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, and Tom Cruise in a movie, I'm there…and I'm glad I went.. I think it is not a movie for the masses, but for certain types, you'll eat it up! Give it a try! (I know it is not everyone's kind of film, but I found it mesmerizing)
• We Own the Night.. Another great cast… as I'm fans of Mark Wahlberg, Joacquin Phoenix, and Robert Duvall. It's an interesting story of a police chief and his 2 sons who have taken different paths in life and while it may be a bit melodramatic and there may be nothing new to the tale, it was one I enjoyed and was so well written/cast/acted so I definitely think it's a good choice when it comes out for DVD rental!

TV

Haven't been able to check out all the new shows but my favorite is definitely "Chuck" on NBC on Monday nights. It has gotten better and better each week. I also am enjoying "Moonlight" (CBS Fridays) more than I expected. The one getting all the press is "Pushing Daisies" and I applaud its uniqueness, creativity, and originality but I 'm not as involved with the premise, storyline, or characters as I am with the others yet. The other one I've been giving a chance is "Big Shots" as I'm a fan of all 4 of the major characters. It's a bit uneven but I am hoping it gets better as I'd like for it to succeed. Another in this category is "Back to You"… being a big Kelsey Grammer & Patricia Heaton fan, I just keep wanting this to be better ( they are great, the supporting characters are just not that funny and need pruning or better writing).

My favorite returning shows are still "Friday Night Lights" , "Heroes" (although the second year has not been as strong as the first), " Brothers and Sisters" , "Boston Legal", "Desperate Housewives" (much better than past 2 seasons), "The Office", "Scrubs", " Shark", "Til Death", "Without a Trace", and " 2 ½ Men" .

On cable, we had the excellent "Damages", "Entourage" , and "Weeds" and still have "nip/tuck" and 'Brotherhood" . If not checking out the great offerings not on major networks, you are missing some of the best TV out there, so check these shows out when you can.

Broadway

This fall has seen "The Drowsy Chaperone" and "The Rat Pack is Back" come Charlotte's way. Both were better than I was expecting. Looking forward to rest of our series when "Wicked" makes its Charlotte debut and I'll also get to see "Twelve Angry Men", "Wedding Singer" , "Avenue Q" and the return of "Stomp".

Music

Many great CDs are out there and you know whether it's recent or not, I've always got a Dolly Parton, Wynonna Judd, or John Mellecamp cd close by. But those I've gotten in past several months that I've really enjoyed are the latest by Josh Turner, Trisha Yearwood, Dwight Yoakam, Eagles, Martin Sexton, Ellis Paul, Sugarland, Bon Jovi,

Carrie Underwood, LeAnn Rimes, Brad Paisley, Reba ( duets), Marty Stuart, Annie Lenox, Sam Moore, John Fogerty, Bruce Springsteen, and still playing latest by John Mayer.

Some wonderful Greatest Hits have come out in past year by Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Keith Urban, J. Geils Band, Garth Brooks, Santana, Nickel Creek, Allison Krauss, Kim Richey, Alanis Morisette, Amy Grant, Matchbox 20, Sara Evans, and Eric Clapton.

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and I 'll return early 2008 to give you my thoughts on the latest offerings.

Take care…

"For What's It's Worth" – Boyd Jones

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