Why does God hate us?
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Posting...
Posting might be scarce for a while cause I have to do actual, you know, work. But the moment something interesting happens I'll let you know.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Video of the Day: Chasing Amy
This has got to be in my top ten of all time favorite scenes. Language NSFW.
Comic-Con Comedown
Well. What a weekend it was. I don't think my feet ever prepare for all of the walking that Comic-Con entails. From walking to the trolley to walking across the (extremely crowded) street to walking the main event: The Comic-Con Floor.
Ahhh, the Floor. Where all the action is and if you're not careful you can get overwhelmed.I know I still did and I'm a three year Con vet. Go me. I could talk about a lot of awesome things but right now my mind is still trying to catch up to being at work so I'll just go ahead and post lots o' pictures for y'all.
More to come...
UPDATES:
And yet, still more...
Ahhh, the Floor. Where all the action is and if you're not careful you can get overwhelmed.I know I still did and I'm a three year Con vet. Go me. I could talk about a lot of awesome things but right now my mind is still trying to catch up to being at work so I'll just go ahead and post lots o' pictures for y'all.
More to come...UPDATES:
And yet, still more...
Friday, July 27, 2007
COMIC-CON!!!
Tonight, after work, I will have my happy ass going down to San Diego for the greatest fan event in the world. It's so awesome I can hardly stand it.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Getting Over Nerves
My dad gave me a good tip on how to get over nerves when you're speaking: Have something in your hand to distract you.
Normally I'm a very good public speaker, have no problem with it. But lately I've been getting nervous pitching out ideas 'cause I'm pitching them in front of the Big Boss.
All through this week I'd been fine pitching to everyone else, however today the opportunity came for me to speak up and I did and I could feel the tension in my stomach build. I knew it was only a matter of time before my voice broke so I grabbed a dry erase marker like my life depended on it and spoke to it, occasionally making eye contact with him and then going back to the marker to make it look like I was Deep In Thought.
It worked. It totally worked. Thanks dad.
*One day till Comic-Con!
Normally I'm a very good public speaker, have no problem with it. But lately I've been getting nervous pitching out ideas 'cause I'm pitching them in front of the Big Boss.
All through this week I'd been fine pitching to everyone else, however today the opportunity came for me to speak up and I did and I could feel the tension in my stomach build. I knew it was only a matter of time before my voice broke so I grabbed a dry erase marker like my life depended on it and spoke to it, occasionally making eye contact with him and then going back to the marker to make it look like I was Deep In Thought.
It worked. It totally worked. Thanks dad.
*One day till Comic-Con!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Two Days
Two days until Comic-Con!! Well, at least until I GO, to comic-con, for a few lucky souls the con actually started tonight and technically it starts tomorrow.
Video of the Day: Eagle Man Commercial
This commercial is scary in so many ways, I don't know where to begin. I swear to god, if a giant Eagle jumped my car the last thing I'd think about was car insurance because I'd probably have shit myself. I don't know what's worse, the eagleman costume or that the makers of this commercial thought it would be cute to have a male eagle drop an egg out of his ass. Complete with a little eaglet. This commercial is proof positive that small town businesses should not be allowed to make their own commercials.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Work Ethic
I have no misconceptions that I, for the most part, am a desk jockey. While I might not sit at a desk all day (the other half of the day is behind a table) I do spend a majority of my time on my keaster typing out things, whether for myself of my bosses.
However, despite that obvious fact, at the end of the day I find myself in a surprising state: tired.
I feel I have no right to be tired, as technically, I have put forth no real physical effort. I sit. And I type. Occasionally (when I'm not a nervous wreck for no damn reason) I speak. And I get fed so I don't have to forage for my own food. For eight hours a day one could say that I really do nothing. So what's with the being tired?
Though it's not doing something productive like, say, being a doctor, or teaching, anyone who's a desk jockey in a cubicle can understand that you don't always have to be working from lack of sleep or trying to teach the next generation, or hell, working in a coal mine, in order to be tired. As a matter of fact, the very act of sitting all day can be tiring, especially after you've eaten lunch.
We'll eat around 12 or 1pm and then by 4 I'm reeling from my lack of a nap. Top that off with me dragging (nay, kicking) my ass to the gym and by the time I get home I'm exhausted.
So what is it about sitting all day that makes one tired? I pose this question to my fellow desk jockeys, commence to answering!
(Three Days Till Comic-Con!)
However, despite that obvious fact, at the end of the day I find myself in a surprising state: tired.
I feel I have no right to be tired, as technically, I have put forth no real physical effort. I sit. And I type. Occasionally (when I'm not a nervous wreck for no damn reason) I speak. And I get fed so I don't have to forage for my own food. For eight hours a day one could say that I really do nothing. So what's with the being tired?
Though it's not doing something productive like, say, being a doctor, or teaching, anyone who's a desk jockey in a cubicle can understand that you don't always have to be working from lack of sleep or trying to teach the next generation, or hell, working in a coal mine, in order to be tired. As a matter of fact, the very act of sitting all day can be tiring, especially after you've eaten lunch.
We'll eat around 12 or 1pm and then by 4 I'm reeling from my lack of a nap. Top that off with me dragging (nay, kicking) my ass to the gym and by the time I get home I'm exhausted.
So what is it about sitting all day that makes one tired? I pose this question to my fellow desk jockeys, commence to answering!
(Three Days Till Comic-Con!)
Monday, July 23, 2007
Countdown to Comic-Con
Everyone has a Happy Place. Whether it's in their head or real, there's a Happy Place for all of us.
My happy place is the San Diego International Comic Book Convention, otherwise known as Comic-Con.
I can't even begin to describe the awesomeness of the convention, from the San Diego convention center which is HUGE and looks like a space ship about to take off, to the abundance of free shit the studios bring down for you in order for you to not blog about how much their films suck (but geeks blog about it anyway) to the panels. There are the panels (Battlestar Galactica *shudder*), there are the geeks in costumes. All the vendors hawking their wares.
I go Friday night and will be there Saturday and Sunday, if you're lucky I'll remember to blog some stuff for you.
Four days and counting!
My happy place is the San Diego International Comic Book Convention, otherwise known as Comic-Con.
I can't even begin to describe the awesomeness of the convention, from the San Diego convention center which is HUGE and looks like a space ship about to take off, to the abundance of free shit the studios bring down for you in order for you to not blog about how much their films suck (but geeks blog about it anyway) to the panels. There are the panels (Battlestar Galactica *shudder*), there are the geeks in costumes. All the vendors hawking their wares.
I go Friday night and will be there Saturday and Sunday, if you're lucky I'll remember to blog some stuff for you.
Four days and counting!
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Video of the Day: Aliens Direct TV Ad
Why, Sigourney why? Did you really need the money that badly? Why the hell did you pick the most awesome scene from Aliens? Because you know Alien 3 was a piece of shit? Shame, Sigourney, Shame.
Movie Review: Sunshine
I saw Danny Boyle's Sunshine on Friday and for the most part I freakin' loved that film. My problem comes from most people's problem with the film, the third act. But we'll get to that in a minute.
The first two acts are done wonderfully. Sunshine is set about 50 years in our future when the sun is dying out. A second team of scientists are sent with a nuclear payload the size of Manhattan to deliver to the heart of the sun in order to restart it. Yes, the plot is a bit fantastical but so was 2001: A Space Odyssey. I point out a second team was sent but that's because a first team was lost and hadn't been heard from in seven years. Both teams are aptly named Icarus (I and II)but the names don't feel like they're hitting you over the head if they weren't so appropriate.
The team of the Icarus II consists of a nice mix of ethnicities, though there wasn't one black team member which makes me think either Boyle doesn't believe black people make good scientists or that if asked a black person would respond to the request of being shot into space for seven years with a "Fuck you, whitey." We are introduced to each character very quickly and this, much like the original Alien, and even, dare I say it, Predator, should be a study in how to get a character's personality across quickly. There's the Mauian guy who's obvisously becoming an addict to exposure to sunlight (as can be tracked through out the film with his ever peeling sunburnt face), the hot headed jock scientists played by the hot Chris Evans, who is quickly and mercifully removed from his god awful long haired "wig" which looks like it was taken directly from the set of his previous film London. There's the sensitive scientist played by Boyle favorite Cillian Murphy, and -- had this been any other film-- the obvious love interest played by Rose Byrne.
The captain of the ship, The Last Samurai's Hiroyuki Sanada, doesn't get enough screen time for me but Michelle Yeoh makes up for that with her botanist. Why does a space ship need a botanist? Because it needs oxygen, which I felt was, as far as I know, an original idea that a ship wouldn't just be recycling it's oxygen (though it does recycle the water). I know normal airplanes can recycle oxygen, however at most an airplane would fly for 16 hours, not seven years. It's a nice touch is what I'm saying.
Once we know all the characters we get into the heart of the second act: the discovery that the Icarus I is still intact and sending out a distress beacon. Here's where the debate begins for the characters and I was glad to see that there was a character who had enough common sense to know that going off mission would be a damn stupid idea. He spoke out about it very passionately, however he was overruled. At this point the viewer should know that it's not going to end well, and I found myself going, "no, no, no, no" though if they didn't go off mission then we wouldn't have a film.
So they go off mission and find the Icarus I, though it's not what they were expecting to find and it turns out going off the original mission was for naught. At this point I wanted to yell, "I told you so!" but I had to keep my blackness in check as I was in the Arclight theater and they don't take to kindly to talking (which is why I pay the extra three bucks to go in the first place).
I could go on about act two, however it would be full of spoilers. Just know that as expected when you do something you're not supposed to shit goes horribly, terribly, wrong. There are some really cool deaths though, one involving extreme heat and the other involving extreme cold. Don't even use your imagination, just go see it.
HOWEVER, be warned that the third act comes out of nowhere and is dependent on very smart people doing very stupid things, like standing around gawking when they should be subduing an enemy with a baseball bat to the head. Did I just say that out loud? Probably.
Despite the third act Sunshine has got to be one of the better, if not best, Sci-Fi films I've seen in years. It's an amalgam of a few other Science Fiction pieces, most notably echoing Event Horizon, which I happen to like. It's well worth seeing in theaters, as the visuals are some of the most stunning I've seen and I don't know how they'll translate onto the small screen (unless you're one of those HD people) also of note is the awesome soundtrack, which had me running across the street to Amoeba Records to buy only to find it's not out yet. That's significant 'cause I haven't bought a new CD in years.
Basically what I'm saying is go see it, I highly recommend it.
The first two acts are done wonderfully. Sunshine is set about 50 years in our future when the sun is dying out. A second team of scientists are sent with a nuclear payload the size of Manhattan to deliver to the heart of the sun in order to restart it. Yes, the plot is a bit fantastical but so was 2001: A Space Odyssey. I point out a second team was sent but that's because a first team was lost and hadn't been heard from in seven years. Both teams are aptly named Icarus (I and II)but the names don't feel like they're hitting you over the head if they weren't so appropriate.
The team of the Icarus II consists of a nice mix of ethnicities, though there wasn't one black team member which makes me think either Boyle doesn't believe black people make good scientists or that if asked a black person would respond to the request of being shot into space for seven years with a "Fuck you, whitey." We are introduced to each character very quickly and this, much like the original Alien, and even, dare I say it, Predator, should be a study in how to get a character's personality across quickly. There's the Mauian guy who's obvisously becoming an addict to exposure to sunlight (as can be tracked through out the film with his ever peeling sunburnt face), the hot headed jock scientists played by the hot Chris Evans, who is quickly and mercifully removed from his god awful long haired "wig" which looks like it was taken directly from the set of his previous film London. There's the sensitive scientist played by Boyle favorite Cillian Murphy, and -- had this been any other film-- the obvious love interest played by Rose Byrne.
The captain of the ship, The Last Samurai's Hiroyuki Sanada, doesn't get enough screen time for me but Michelle Yeoh makes up for that with her botanist. Why does a space ship need a botanist? Because it needs oxygen, which I felt was, as far as I know, an original idea that a ship wouldn't just be recycling it's oxygen (though it does recycle the water). I know normal airplanes can recycle oxygen, however at most an airplane would fly for 16 hours, not seven years. It's a nice touch is what I'm saying.
Once we know all the characters we get into the heart of the second act: the discovery that the Icarus I is still intact and sending out a distress beacon. Here's where the debate begins for the characters and I was glad to see that there was a character who had enough common sense to know that going off mission would be a damn stupid idea. He spoke out about it very passionately, however he was overruled. At this point the viewer should know that it's not going to end well, and I found myself going, "no, no, no, no" though if they didn't go off mission then we wouldn't have a film.
So they go off mission and find the Icarus I, though it's not what they were expecting to find and it turns out going off the original mission was for naught. At this point I wanted to yell, "I told you so!" but I had to keep my blackness in check as I was in the Arclight theater and they don't take to kindly to talking (which is why I pay the extra three bucks to go in the first place).
I could go on about act two, however it would be full of spoilers. Just know that as expected when you do something you're not supposed to shit goes horribly, terribly, wrong. There are some really cool deaths though, one involving extreme heat and the other involving extreme cold. Don't even use your imagination, just go see it.
HOWEVER, be warned that the third act comes out of nowhere and is dependent on very smart people doing very stupid things, like standing around gawking when they should be subduing an enemy with a baseball bat to the head. Did I just say that out loud? Probably.
Despite the third act Sunshine has got to be one of the better, if not best, Sci-Fi films I've seen in years. It's an amalgam of a few other Science Fiction pieces, most notably echoing Event Horizon, which I happen to like. It's well worth seeing in theaters, as the visuals are some of the most stunning I've seen and I don't know how they'll translate onto the small screen (unless you're one of those HD people) also of note is the awesome soundtrack, which had me running across the street to Amoeba Records to buy only to find it's not out yet. That's significant 'cause I haven't bought a new CD in years.
Basically what I'm saying is go see it, I highly recommend it.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Oh My Frakkin' GAWD! Saturday video Blogging: Prison Thriller
This is the only video today's blogging will ever need. I mean, duh-am.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Video of the Day: Rock is Dead - Marilyn Manson
This is the final, and probably my favorite Marilyn Manson song and video for my Marilyn Manson week. It came out on The Matrix soundtrack and fit very well with the film and I love the energy of the song and the style of the video. It's Marilyn's full descent into a transvestite instead of a shock rocker but oh well. He had to take his image somewhere. At least there's no fake man tits.
The Written Word
Being a writer I can tell you there's a great feeling in seeing your work completed. don't get me wrong, watching a blank page fill up with your words from your imagination is a great feeling as well, but once you have it all down in that raw form, there's a tremendous sense of 1) relief and 2) accomplishment. You now have It done. And now It can be molded. It's like building a skeleton, putting the bones in place can be time consuming and at times frustrating when you're not sure of what goes where, but once you've got the frame done, or rather the first draft, then the hard part is over and you can play with your creation to your heart's content.
This is where you can see the whole story as it has been laid out and can adjust, edit, lengthen, whatever you need to do. It's a time to have fun with your creation. And I must say, seeing something that I thought up put onto paper brings me a lot of joy and reminds me of why I love to write.
This is where you can see the whole story as it has been laid out and can adjust, edit, lengthen, whatever you need to do. It's a time to have fun with your creation. And I must say, seeing something that I thought up put onto paper brings me a lot of joy and reminds me of why I love to write.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Window Of Opportunity
I learned today that when you get a chance to do something, something that may impress people, it's best to just go ahead and do it instead of waiting, because the moment you think might come up again, probably isn't going to come up again. And it feels really shitty when you miss that window you've been waiting for to show your stuff.
....Then again, the damn idea didn't occur to me until after we'd broken for lunch so maybe I just need to teach my brain to think faster.
....Then again, the damn idea didn't occur to me until after we'd broken for lunch so maybe I just need to teach my brain to think faster.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Lady Party
I hung out with a bunch of feminists last night at a club/bar and it was a treat. I got to meet Jessica Valenti who was doing a reading from her book Full Frontal Feminism and she was awesome. I learned a lot, listened to some good music and the Vodka was free for all. If you get a chance you can check out Jessica's blog at www.feministing.com.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
The Point Is, I tried.
I am the new guy at my job. I get that. I understand it and to some point I embrace it. However, my ambition, like a hyper active dog on a leash, wants to push past that and escape into a better plain, i.e. a job promotion. Working on a show you get a chance every new season to get said promotion and my promotion is dependent upon my participation, like when you're in college and the professor makes class participation part of your grade. You might not necessarily have anything to say, but damn it, you'd better think of something if you want that 10 percent.
I'm finding it very hard to participate, even though I keep trying. I have to remind myself that I am the new guy and it's not really expected of me to jump in with brilliant ideas at every opportunity. But I want to. I really want to so they'll know I'm an asset and they'll want to 1) keep me and 2) promote me.
The point is is that I'm trying, mostly I'll toss out an idea and get a "That's interesting," but usually that will lead to my boss(es) thinking on it and then going with something else. My problem is that I haven't come up with an idea that anyone has stuck with, which makes me worry. Then again, I haven't been here the whole time either, so can I really be expected to come up with awesome ideas on the spot?
The point is though, I'm trying.
I'm finding it very hard to participate, even though I keep trying. I have to remind myself that I am the new guy and it's not really expected of me to jump in with brilliant ideas at every opportunity. But I want to. I really want to so they'll know I'm an asset and they'll want to 1) keep me and 2) promote me.
The point is is that I'm trying, mostly I'll toss out an idea and get a "That's interesting," but usually that will lead to my boss(es) thinking on it and then going with something else. My problem is that I haven't come up with an idea that anyone has stuck with, which makes me worry. Then again, I haven't been here the whole time either, so can I really be expected to come up with awesome ideas on the spot?
The point is though, I'm trying.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Video of the Day: The Beautiful People
I used to be a fan of Marilyn Manson. While the only album I ever bought of his was his Lest We Forget: The Best of Marilyn Manson, I still borrowed and burned copies of friends CD's:).
Manson is good to listen to when you're writing horror, and I had him right up there in my collection with Rob Zombie, though I actually bought Rob's Hellbilly Deluxe, to this day one of my favorite albums.
What got me on this sentimental tear for Manson, I'll be posting a video of his each day, was the video for his new song Heart Shaped Glasses. Manson hadn't done much since his last album The Golden Age of Grotesque and I can't even tell you a single single from that album. The last descent song I remember (and own) from him was Disposable Teens.
I listened to Manson's latest album, Eat Me, Drink Me, while hanging out at a record store and I must say while I wouldn't want to deny any artist the right to move forward and change with their career, it made me miss the old Manson. I saw the "video" for Heart Shaped Glasses, mostly because James Cameron, my favorite director, directed it. While watching I had no idea why Cameron would have been involved with such garbage, aside from the opportunity to play with his new 3-D technology, something that the video was to be shot in. Aside from that it looks like something a film student could have done, not even as good as the videos from the very beginning of Manson's career.
It was crap is what I'm saying and it just made Manson seem all the more irrelevant than he'd already become. My friend Tasha once told me that everything has a time and place, and some things that were popular in their orignal time periods just managed to hit right when they needed to. I'd say the same of Manson. He came out in the mid to late 90s and hit just when the music industry was looking for a new rock star, an Alice Cooper for my generation. Now? No one gives a shit about Manson. I'd venture a guess that he'd become irrelevant by the early 2000s, as indicated in this gem of an article from The Onion. Watching Manson having sex (possibly real sex) with his 19 year-old girlfriend on his ex-wife's bed as fake blood poured over them didn't seem edgy at all, it seemed desperate and borderline pathetic. I highly doubt Manson will have the talent, popularity and influence he once had, and that's sad because for a while it seemed like he really had something to say when he wasn't molesting security guards. But time marches on, and sometimes people must be left behind.
Routine
More than likely when you have a job you have a routine. Whether or not your job is during the day or at night there is some established president that you follow every day that you find yourself working, the weekend being the time you can sleep through the ritual.
I must say I have a routine to which I have become accustomed and when that routine is interrupted I don't enjoy it.
I usually set my alarm for 7:50, giving me that jolt I need to wake up so that I may get up, walk to my alarm clock ill conceivedly placed across the room and snap it off, turning on the radio. I then walk back to my bed, lay down and proceed to fall in and out of sleep for the next thirty minutes. at 8:30 I realize that I've been sleeping, thanks to my trusty cell phone alarm, and then I pull my ass out of bed. I walk to the bathroom, do my business and then wash my face and brush my teeth, etc. until I'm dressed and ready for work. I then grab a chocolate Protein enhanced Ensure and grab my gear and head down to my car, where I then take off to work, to arrive there 15 minutes later (usually).
Today, however, was different as I had a doctor's appointment that could not be put off until a later time. Even though my morning routine was almost the same (I actually had to get up at 7:30 am) and the home routine was pretty much the same, it felt wrong once it came time to direct the car to it's destination. Instead of going right I had to turn left and it just felt odd.
Plus, even though there was no work to be done this morning I came in an hour after my usual time of getting in to work. My backpack was in my trunk instead of right next to me and when I pulled up to the gate I had to get out and get it so that they'd let me onto the lot. I did end up getting a parking spot right on the second level, instead of the fourth level or even the roof like most times so I guess there is something to be said for breaking routine.
I must say I have a routine to which I have become accustomed and when that routine is interrupted I don't enjoy it.
I usually set my alarm for 7:50, giving me that jolt I need to wake up so that I may get up, walk to my alarm clock ill conceivedly placed across the room and snap it off, turning on the radio. I then walk back to my bed, lay down and proceed to fall in and out of sleep for the next thirty minutes. at 8:30 I realize that I've been sleeping, thanks to my trusty cell phone alarm, and then I pull my ass out of bed. I walk to the bathroom, do my business and then wash my face and brush my teeth, etc. until I'm dressed and ready for work. I then grab a chocolate Protein enhanced Ensure and grab my gear and head down to my car, where I then take off to work, to arrive there 15 minutes later (usually).
Today, however, was different as I had a doctor's appointment that could not be put off until a later time. Even though my morning routine was almost the same (I actually had to get up at 7:30 am) and the home routine was pretty much the same, it felt wrong once it came time to direct the car to it's destination. Instead of going right I had to turn left and it just felt odd.
Plus, even though there was no work to be done this morning I came in an hour after my usual time of getting in to work. My backpack was in my trunk instead of right next to me and when I pulled up to the gate I had to get out and get it so that they'd let me onto the lot. I did end up getting a parking spot right on the second level, instead of the fourth level or even the roof like most times so I guess there is something to be said for breaking routine.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Movie Reviews: Two For One
I saw Kasi Lemmons' Talk to Me as well as Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and I liked both of them but I liked Talk, a whole lot more.
Talk to Me is the story of Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene, a D.C. radio D.J played by Don Cheadle. I love Cheadle as an actor, and I have since I caught Picket Fences reruns on FX (I will admit I didn't watch Fences when it originally aired on CBS) played wonderfully by Cheadle, Petey becomes an engaging and entertaining character, and I found myself wanting to know more about this figure that I hadn't known before.
Cheadle isn't the only bright spot in the film, Chiwetel Ejiofor, another actor I love (thanks Serenity!)works wonders in his role as Dewey Hughes, Petey's boss and later manager. The acting it top notch, the direction is on point and the editing is seemless. You're taken through two decades of time and only once are you given a cyron of the time period, everything else is indicated by clothes and hair styles.
There's a lot of great stuff in Talk, mostly it's the acting which I was in awe of, there's a great deal of humor as well, including one memorable scene where Petey, back for the second time to interview as the new D.J., has a run in with the station's uptight receptionist. The humor doesn't detract though, from the some of the serious subject matter, including Petey having to broadcast they day that Martin Luther King was assassinated, when a lot of D.C. was burning. It's a touching and moving scene, especially the moment before they all go home and Martin Sheen, playing E.G. Sonderling, the owner of the WOL radio station, is in the hall trying very hard not to cry at what's happened. I didn't cry but I did feel a great sense of loss, which is effective considering I was thirteen years removed from the incident.
I'd have to say that Talk to Me is probably the best film I've seen this year, right above Ratatouille.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was enjoyable for the most part, I felt it was better than the last time out, the Prisoner of Azkaban. I know a lot of people enjoyed the new direction Azkaban took, especially with putting the young wizards in normal street clothes, but I thought the director tried to cram far too much into it (and I haven't read any of the books) and the editing was sloppily done to get to the main plot but to keep in the little details that you needed to understand it.
Order of the Phoenix doesn't really have that problem, the writer and director choosing to go with the main plot from the beginning (from what I understand of what was left out from the books). Harry is growing older and there is a darker tone to these films, including one jump out of your seat moment at the beginning involving the ghost like wardens of Azkaban. I can really only give my opinion as a lay person, like I said I never boarded the Harry Potter train so I don't know anything about the books (aside from the fact that J.K. Rowling is a very rich woman) but it was a fun escape for two hours.
Though I will say watching Order made me think back to Transformers and the big problem I had with that movie. On one hand you've got people saying, "C'mon, it's a movie about giant fucking robots," and on the other you've got a movie about teen wizards who use spells and say things like "muggle". Harry Potter could have been just as ludicrous of a plot as Transformers but there was an internal logic and reality that was created and the author/screenwriters didn't feel like having a world of magic gave them cart blanche to do whatever the hell they wanted to, unlike Transformers which I still believe treats its audience as if they were too stupid to know better. Potter will most definitely be number one at the box office but I don't doubt Transformers will still be in the top five, it's just good that Harry shows audiences that you don't have to play to the lowest common denominator in order to entertain.
Talk to Me is the story of Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene, a D.C. radio D.J played by Don Cheadle. I love Cheadle as an actor, and I have since I caught Picket Fences reruns on FX (I will admit I didn't watch Fences when it originally aired on CBS) played wonderfully by Cheadle, Petey becomes an engaging and entertaining character, and I found myself wanting to know more about this figure that I hadn't known before.
Cheadle isn't the only bright spot in the film, Chiwetel Ejiofor, another actor I love (thanks Serenity!)works wonders in his role as Dewey Hughes, Petey's boss and later manager. The acting it top notch, the direction is on point and the editing is seemless. You're taken through two decades of time and only once are you given a cyron of the time period, everything else is indicated by clothes and hair styles.
There's a lot of great stuff in Talk, mostly it's the acting which I was in awe of, there's a great deal of humor as well, including one memorable scene where Petey, back for the second time to interview as the new D.J., has a run in with the station's uptight receptionist. The humor doesn't detract though, from the some of the serious subject matter, including Petey having to broadcast they day that Martin Luther King was assassinated, when a lot of D.C. was burning. It's a touching and moving scene, especially the moment before they all go home and Martin Sheen, playing E.G. Sonderling, the owner of the WOL radio station, is in the hall trying very hard not to cry at what's happened. I didn't cry but I did feel a great sense of loss, which is effective considering I was thirteen years removed from the incident.
I'd have to say that Talk to Me is probably the best film I've seen this year, right above Ratatouille.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was enjoyable for the most part, I felt it was better than the last time out, the Prisoner of Azkaban. I know a lot of people enjoyed the new direction Azkaban took, especially with putting the young wizards in normal street clothes, but I thought the director tried to cram far too much into it (and I haven't read any of the books) and the editing was sloppily done to get to the main plot but to keep in the little details that you needed to understand it.
Order of the Phoenix doesn't really have that problem, the writer and director choosing to go with the main plot from the beginning (from what I understand of what was left out from the books). Harry is growing older and there is a darker tone to these films, including one jump out of your seat moment at the beginning involving the ghost like wardens of Azkaban. I can really only give my opinion as a lay person, like I said I never boarded the Harry Potter train so I don't know anything about the books (aside from the fact that J.K. Rowling is a very rich woman) but it was a fun escape for two hours.
Though I will say watching Order made me think back to Transformers and the big problem I had with that movie. On one hand you've got people saying, "C'mon, it's a movie about giant fucking robots," and on the other you've got a movie about teen wizards who use spells and say things like "muggle". Harry Potter could have been just as ludicrous of a plot as Transformers but there was an internal logic and reality that was created and the author/screenwriters didn't feel like having a world of magic gave them cart blanche to do whatever the hell they wanted to, unlike Transformers which I still believe treats its audience as if they were too stupid to know better. Potter will most definitely be number one at the box office but I don't doubt Transformers will still be in the top five, it's just good that Harry shows audiences that you don't have to play to the lowest common denominator in order to entertain.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Friday, July 13, 2007
A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words Friday
Yesssssssss. My plan is coming together nicely. Excellent.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
A Better Mii
So I was goofing off on the 'puter last night and came across this gem. You can waste time at work by making a little computer you thanks to the Mii from the makers of Wii (fun to say isn't it?). I love how I have no hands. And no room for genitalia apparently. I'm sure my mother would appreciate my cat smirk, I put it there just for her and she'll know exactly what I'm talking about:)
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Auto Erotic
You you don't already know me then something to learn about me is that I love Lamborghinis (Lamborghiny?). Absolutely. Frakking. LOVE them. I fell in love with the car when I was young and my brother had two car books: One of Porsche and one of Lamborghini. I guess I naturally gravitated toward the body design of the Lamborghini. There was also this movie called Speed Zone, a sequel to The Cannonball Run, where one of the main characters drives a red Lamborghini (he didn't win) and that probably had something to do with it (actually, it had a lot to do with it).
Since I've been in L.A. I've seen only a few of my favorite cars out in the open. And it never gets old. It's still exciting every time. Tonight, coming from the gym, I saw a Lamborghini pulling into the parking structure. It was an ugly, burnt orange color, which seems to be all the rage now, and it didn't have a spoiler but I still found myself turning my head almost 180 degrees. Had it really wanted to win my affection it would have had a spoiler and been black, or silver, or yellow or some combination thereof. But it was still sweet. And I wouldn't kick it out of my garage.
Since I've been in L.A. I've seen only a few of my favorite cars out in the open. And it never gets old. It's still exciting every time. Tonight, coming from the gym, I saw a Lamborghini pulling into the parking structure. It was an ugly, burnt orange color, which seems to be all the rage now, and it didn't have a spoiler but I still found myself turning my head almost 180 degrees. Had it really wanted to win my affection it would have had a spoiler and been black, or silver, or yellow or some combination thereof. But it was still sweet. And I wouldn't kick it out of my garage.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Video of the Day: Flight of the Conchords
If you've never seen an episode of this show you're seriously missing something funny. It doesn't hit all the time but when it has songs like this it's priceless.
Performance Anxiety
I've been working at my new job for a total of seven days and I love it. It's great work with a great group of people. However, my ambition is rearing it's ugly head and while I am no longer the absolute last totem on the pole, I'm still pretty far down there. I want to move up dang it. And do it quickly.
I know I know: Good things come, etc. etc. And there's pretty much nothing I can do in regards to getting that promotion, aside from what I'm already doing. I want to be awesome so that they'll promote me but I'm falling short of my own expectations. And that in turn is causing me stress. I really had no stress at my last job. None whatsoever, then again, I didn't really have that much responsibility. Here, not only do I have responsibility to my bosses but I have it to myself in order to get that promotion.
Perhaps I'll calm down in time and whatever will come my way will come my way naturally. We'll see. But until then I'll have to learn to stop fretting over every little thing and the constant wondering if I'm doing a good job.
I know I know: Good things come, etc. etc. And there's pretty much nothing I can do in regards to getting that promotion, aside from what I'm already doing. I want to be awesome so that they'll promote me but I'm falling short of my own expectations. And that in turn is causing me stress. I really had no stress at my last job. None whatsoever, then again, I didn't really have that much responsibility. Here, not only do I have responsibility to my bosses but I have it to myself in order to get that promotion.
Perhaps I'll calm down in time and whatever will come my way will come my way naturally. We'll see. But until then I'll have to learn to stop fretting over every little thing and the constant wondering if I'm doing a good job.
Monday, July 9, 2007
This Means War
For years I've been what you could call "physically fit". I'm always within my "desired" weight range (I really have no idea, I'm going off charts from various doctor's offices throughout my young adult life) and for the most part I've got some nice arm and leg muscles. I like my arm and leg muscles, pretty much I like everything on my body. Except for one thing.
My stomach.
Now, I know there are thousands of women out there who hate their flabby bellies, whether their bellies deserve the hatred or not. My belly is probably one of those innocents who, if it were actually alive and animated, would look up at me and go "Wha'd I do?"
Well, I would retort, you're not as muscular as I'd like you to be. The arms have fallen in line. My legs have fallen in line, hell, by now I've got muscles at the bottom of my legs I didn't even know existed. Everything has definition except for my abs. Well, I'm sure my abs have definition, it's just that there's a layer of fat that covers it.
A layer of fat that vexes me. It vexes me even more to know that I could do stomach crunches from here until eternity and it wouldn't make a difference. My fat doesn't come from an unhealthy diet, it comes from something far, far worse: genetics.
Not that I hate my genetics. By god my parents made some beautiful kids. It's just that my dad passed on his belly to me. I know I get it from my dad because I've seen my mom's belly and after a certain number of still youthful looking years and three kids it's flatter than a pancake. However, I seem to be in the constant state of a second month of pregnancy, three months when I eat something.
Despite the fact that I know it's genetics and there's really nothing I can do I still try. Try anything that will burn the fat off. At one point earlier this summer I was doing an hour and a half of cardio and my weight only went down two pounds and my stomach didn't get any flatter. I could use it as an excuse to not work myself so hard but I just can't seem to get it out of my head that my stomach has beat me. So, every few weeks I will declare war on my jelly belly, do some crunches, do some hard cardio, and after a few weeks of that I'll drop the crunches altogether and just stick with the cardio and free weights. I guess when it comes to my belly I'm George W. Bush. It will yield to me, I swear it will!
My stomach.
Now, I know there are thousands of women out there who hate their flabby bellies, whether their bellies deserve the hatred or not. My belly is probably one of those innocents who, if it were actually alive and animated, would look up at me and go "Wha'd I do?"
Well, I would retort, you're not as muscular as I'd like you to be. The arms have fallen in line. My legs have fallen in line, hell, by now I've got muscles at the bottom of my legs I didn't even know existed. Everything has definition except for my abs. Well, I'm sure my abs have definition, it's just that there's a layer of fat that covers it.
A layer of fat that vexes me. It vexes me even more to know that I could do stomach crunches from here until eternity and it wouldn't make a difference. My fat doesn't come from an unhealthy diet, it comes from something far, far worse: genetics.
Not that I hate my genetics. By god my parents made some beautiful kids. It's just that my dad passed on his belly to me. I know I get it from my dad because I've seen my mom's belly and after a certain number of still youthful looking years and three kids it's flatter than a pancake. However, I seem to be in the constant state of a second month of pregnancy, three months when I eat something.
Despite the fact that I know it's genetics and there's really nothing I can do I still try. Try anything that will burn the fat off. At one point earlier this summer I was doing an hour and a half of cardio and my weight only went down two pounds and my stomach didn't get any flatter. I could use it as an excuse to not work myself so hard but I just can't seem to get it out of my head that my stomach has beat me. So, every few weeks I will declare war on my jelly belly, do some crunches, do some hard cardio, and after a few weeks of that I'll drop the crunches altogether and just stick with the cardio and free weights. I guess when it comes to my belly I'm George W. Bush. It will yield to me, I swear it will!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
The Devil Made Me Do It
There was a great ruckus outside my apartment this afternoon, so much so that I had to get up and perform my little old lady duties years too soon to see what all the fuss was about. At first, I couldn't see anything out my peep hole and when I tried again later I see three fire fighters standing outside my door, chatting. It was weird to say the least. There was no alarm and I have no idea why they were there.
But seeing as I was in my little old lady mode anyway, I threw on some clothes and found an excuse to leave my apartment: I took my glass and plastic bottles downstairs to give to the homeless guy who just happened to be there. Don't get me wrong, I usually do that anyway, except I save it for the black homeless guy who pops by on weekends to sift through the garbage bin. This guy was Latino and I'd never seen him before but I figured I was doing good either way. The recycling place that used to be down the street from me is closed permanently now and even when it wasn't I would only get about 2 dollars for three months worth of plastic. I don't like throwing it away knowing I could be helping my planet but the next closest recycling plant to me is too far so I just give it to the people who probably need it more than me. At least that way I know it's going to be recycled.
So I step out of my apartment and there are not three, but six fire fighters shootin' the shit. Instead of going Whiskey Tango Foxtrot I quickly make my way downstairs and outside to the trash bins, giving the Latino guy my bottles and plastic. But instead of going straight back to my apartment I go around and pretend to check my mail, which is stupid considering it's Sunday (maybe I forgot to check the mail yesterday, did you think of that Mr. Fireman?). So I find there's no mail but there is a giant red firetruck outside my apartment. The hose is even on the ground and now I'm wondering just what the fuck, excuse me, whiskey tango foxtrot, I slept through this morning. It couldn't have been the fire alarm because that thing is a horrible hellhound of a noise and wakes me up every freakin' time.
The firefighters pass by me, I guess done with their job, and are out the door before I can ask if there was a cat in a tree. So I have no idea why they were there.
But that's not even what this post is about, it just happened when I was beginning to write the post. This post is about shopping.
I got a new job last Monday and I realized that the wardrobe I had in my closet was totally lacking. So on Wednesday, which was our day off, I hung out at the Third Street Promenade and managed to buy a few things. Like, three shirts. Which doesn't help.
So Saturday I went to The Grove, which is not known for it's cheap retail. However, there is one store, one store that I had avoided for so long but in this instance I couldn't help it.
I went to Forever 21.
What's wrong with Forever 21 you ask? Nothing if you don't mind having John 3:16 at the bottom of your shopping bag and know that you are contributing your hard earned (or hardly earned in this case) money to religious zealots.
But as I was trying to save money (which I probably shouldn't be spending in the first place) Forever 21 has, and I will admit, a few good items of clothing that are as cheap as something you'd find at JCPenny, without actually shopping at JCPenny (sorry mom).
Since I'd spent money at the other religious zealot hot spot (a little chain called In N' Out Burger) I justified it with that and my impending poorness (job ends come October, let's pray I'm asked back). Plus the fact that I really did need some new, work looking attire.
Being a writer and working with other writers makes shopping for clothes fairly easy. I don't need to look too professional but I couldn't keep wearing my Mortal Kombat t-shirt. So between the two shopping trips I now have two weeks worth of clothes. Yay.
However there is one thing that I bought that I didn't need to: a pair of shorts.
It was a milestone of sorts, I haven't actually worn a pair of jean shorts in five years (I'm not counting the shorts I wear to bed, only the ones I go out in public with). It occurred to me during one of my frequent trips to San Diego that I would have been more comfortable wearing shorts. The only problem was, I didn't own a pair of shorts. So when I was in Forever 21 I found the shorts rack and for the first time I saw shorts that didn't look like ass (figuratively speaking). And they were actually comfortable. So I bought them. It didn't occur to me until I was leaving the store that I don't really have anywhere to wear the shorts.
But I'm sure I'll find somewhere, eventually.
But seeing as I was in my little old lady mode anyway, I threw on some clothes and found an excuse to leave my apartment: I took my glass and plastic bottles downstairs to give to the homeless guy who just happened to be there. Don't get me wrong, I usually do that anyway, except I save it for the black homeless guy who pops by on weekends to sift through the garbage bin. This guy was Latino and I'd never seen him before but I figured I was doing good either way. The recycling place that used to be down the street from me is closed permanently now and even when it wasn't I would only get about 2 dollars for three months worth of plastic. I don't like throwing it away knowing I could be helping my planet but the next closest recycling plant to me is too far so I just give it to the people who probably need it more than me. At least that way I know it's going to be recycled.
So I step out of my apartment and there are not three, but six fire fighters shootin' the shit. Instead of going Whiskey Tango Foxtrot I quickly make my way downstairs and outside to the trash bins, giving the Latino guy my bottles and plastic. But instead of going straight back to my apartment I go around and pretend to check my mail, which is stupid considering it's Sunday (maybe I forgot to check the mail yesterday, did you think of that Mr. Fireman?). So I find there's no mail but there is a giant red firetruck outside my apartment. The hose is even on the ground and now I'm wondering just what the fuck, excuse me, whiskey tango foxtrot, I slept through this morning. It couldn't have been the fire alarm because that thing is a horrible hellhound of a noise and wakes me up every freakin' time.
The firefighters pass by me, I guess done with their job, and are out the door before I can ask if there was a cat in a tree. So I have no idea why they were there.
But that's not even what this post is about, it just happened when I was beginning to write the post. This post is about shopping.
I got a new job last Monday and I realized that the wardrobe I had in my closet was totally lacking. So on Wednesday, which was our day off, I hung out at the Third Street Promenade and managed to buy a few things. Like, three shirts. Which doesn't help.
So Saturday I went to The Grove, which is not known for it's cheap retail. However, there is one store, one store that I had avoided for so long but in this instance I couldn't help it.
I went to Forever 21.
What's wrong with Forever 21 you ask? Nothing if you don't mind having John 3:16 at the bottom of your shopping bag and know that you are contributing your hard earned (or hardly earned in this case) money to religious zealots.
But as I was trying to save money (which I probably shouldn't be spending in the first place) Forever 21 has, and I will admit, a few good items of clothing that are as cheap as something you'd find at JCPenny, without actually shopping at JCPenny (sorry mom).
Since I'd spent money at the other religious zealot hot spot (a little chain called In N' Out Burger) I justified it with that and my impending poorness (job ends come October, let's pray I'm asked back). Plus the fact that I really did need some new, work looking attire.
Being a writer and working with other writers makes shopping for clothes fairly easy. I don't need to look too professional but I couldn't keep wearing my Mortal Kombat t-shirt. So between the two shopping trips I now have two weeks worth of clothes. Yay.
However there is one thing that I bought that I didn't need to: a pair of shorts.
It was a milestone of sorts, I haven't actually worn a pair of jean shorts in five years (I'm not counting the shorts I wear to bed, only the ones I go out in public with). It occurred to me during one of my frequent trips to San Diego that I would have been more comfortable wearing shorts. The only problem was, I didn't own a pair of shorts. So when I was in Forever 21 I found the shorts rack and for the first time I saw shorts that didn't look like ass (figuratively speaking). And they were actually comfortable. So I bought them. It didn't occur to me until I was leaving the store that I don't really have anywhere to wear the shorts.
But I'm sure I'll find somewhere, eventually.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Friday, July 6, 2007
Of Hot Guys and Gyms
I started going back to the gym yesterday, after about a five day hiatus. I don't usually like to go that long without some form of exercise but I had so much going on these past few days; interviewing for a new job, getting said job, starting job, that I just didn't feel like going. I tried to make myself not feel to bad, after all, I worked out for an hour every day for three months straight (with a few days off here and there but not many) and I considered myself pretty healthy. I'm sure my joints were happy for the time off.
I'm now working exercise back into my daily routine, though it's going to be tough because whereas I worked out in the morning when there was no one there I now have to go after work--like everybody else--when everybody is there. I actually had to wait for a Treadclimber machine which offended my sense of entitlement. But before I got to the Treadclimber I was on the second floor lifting weights, grunting and straining when an Adonis sits on the bench next to me.
I'm not exaggerating when I say that he was H.O.T., probably the most attractive non-actor (for all I know) guy I've seen since I've been in Los Angeles for the last three years. Two thoughts went through my head when I saw him: 1) Damn, he's hot and 2) I wish I were prettier.
I have never sucked in my gut harder.
It was weird because on one hand I wanted him to notice me, or for myself to come up with a clever come on and on the other I knew we were at the gym and most people don't want to be bothered when they're hot (soooo hot) and sweaty. I don't like it when the old guys wink at me as they pass by so I kept to myself and would just glance at him occasionally through the mirror. Thank god for mirrors in the gym btw.
I tried to think of some extra exercises just to keep me there, but I couldn't and you can only stretch for so long so eventually I did leave and head downstairs to do my cardio. And then I had to wait for that damn Treadclimber. Injustice I say.
I'm now working exercise back into my daily routine, though it's going to be tough because whereas I worked out in the morning when there was no one there I now have to go after work--like everybody else--when everybody is there. I actually had to wait for a Treadclimber machine which offended my sense of entitlement. But before I got to the Treadclimber I was on the second floor lifting weights, grunting and straining when an Adonis sits on the bench next to me.
I'm not exaggerating when I say that he was H.O.T., probably the most attractive non-actor (for all I know) guy I've seen since I've been in Los Angeles for the last three years. Two thoughts went through my head when I saw him: 1) Damn, he's hot and 2) I wish I were prettier.
I have never sucked in my gut harder.
It was weird because on one hand I wanted him to notice me, or for myself to come up with a clever come on and on the other I knew we were at the gym and most people don't want to be bothered when they're hot (soooo hot) and sweaty. I don't like it when the old guys wink at me as they pass by so I kept to myself and would just glance at him occasionally through the mirror. Thank god for mirrors in the gym btw.
I tried to think of some extra exercises just to keep me there, but I couldn't and you can only stretch for so long so eventually I did leave and head downstairs to do my cardio. And then I had to wait for that damn Treadclimber. Injustice I say.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Hippie Funk and Sh*tty Movies
I, like many lemmings yesterday, saw Michael Bay's Transformers. I don't just say I saw Transformers because it's not the Transformers I grew up with and loved. Mind you I know it was a shitty cartoon created to sell a line of toys, but still, it was the shitty cartoon of an entire generation who loved it despite it's shittiness. It's wonderful, campy shittiness. I dare you to find a children's cartoon today that holds up, or is any good. Truth is you probably won't, unless you pick out Transformers Armada, or some other 80s cartoon that's being redone for today's young audiences because the original cartoons they have suck balls, so much so that The Powers That Be are digging through our childhood treasure chest, trying to recreate the magic that made us such rabid fans in the first place.
But I digress.
It's Michael Bay's Transformers, let there be no doubt. But before I get to that, let's talk about hippies.
There's a cool store on Sunset called Amoeba and it sells everything that's music or movie related. Really, you can find yourself spending a crap load of cash in that store as if you were in Wal-Mart. Not that Amoeba is driven by consumerism, though I'm sure that has to play a part, it's just that you can find so many videos you were looking for and most of the time you can get it for cheap. It's also cool that a part of your proceeds will go to some kind of charity, most likely environmental.
Before I handed over my ass to be spanked by Bay I hung out in the store, partly because I was intending to shop and partly because there parking lot is free (when you can get in)and I wanted to save a few bucks from the mandatory cost of parking at the theater structure (1.50 for first two hours w/validation, 1.50 every half hour there after). As soon as i got into the store I was hit with the funk of several unwashed hippies. It only got worse when I got to the second level, where they keep the movies, and there were at least three stinky guys who somehow ended up in the aisle I just happened to be in.
Why is it that the New Agey, anti-establishment, F the Man types fight the hygiene? Really, you grew up in the valley, just because there are flies around you doesn't mean you can identify any more with those Africans you're always talking about. I'm sure they'd appreciate you adding soap to your morning routine just as I would. Body odor is not "hip", it's not "cool" or whatever hippie language you're using now. Oh, it makes you stand out, yes sir're you stand out. But not in the good way. Not in the way that makes me want to hold a conversation with you and your beliefs. You stink. And the only thing I want you to do is get the f*ck away from me. That's why I LEFT the aisle I was in when the video I wanted was right in front of you. I couldn't bring myself to reach across and risk your funk hopping onto me. Do the world a favor and take a nice long bath when you're trying to think of ways to Damn the Man. It'll make you feel better I promise.
Onto other things that stink.
Transformers was good for about ten minutes total and then even for me the wonder of watching giant robots beat the shit out of each other wore off and became redundant and mundane. It wasn't as if the fight were any good either! For the most part, aside from Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Barricade I couldn't tell who was who when they were fighting. It didn't help that Bay decided we didn't need to see any of the other Decepticons until about twenty minutes before the film ended. You saw TWO and then all of a sudden Megatron wakes up from a thousand years of sleeping and then they put out an all call to the rest of the Decepticons who'd been doing god knows what this entire time. There was a kind of roll call where you saw them saw their names but it really didn't help cause once they transformed they all looked the same. I'm not being racist against the Decepticons, they really did all look alike. It also didn't help matters that they made Megatron a military jet, as well as Starscream and when they were in their non-jet forms you couldn't tell the difference until one of them spoke. I had the same problem with some of the Autobots once the rest of them were introduced. I was pissed to say the least.
There is no story to speak of, though the writers tried to create one by giving us the standard tropes of shitty action pictures: Geeky boy after hot girl? Check. Pretty white boy American solider who wants to get home to his wife and new born baby who he hasn't seen? Check. Fat, loud, black guy who lives with his momma? Check. Idiotic D.C. bureaucrats? Double Check? Realism? Wait..what's that?
I know, trust me, I KNOW that this is a movie about giant alien robots who come to earth and look like cars. I get that. HOWEVER, you could have played at least SOME realism to the way people react to these things, especially Optimus and the rest of the Autobots. They come down to earth and no one seems surprised that there are walking talking 18-wheelers running around. They actually do address that with these horrible Sector-7 guys (it's secret, shhh) when Optimus goes, "You don't look surprised to see us," well Optimus, that's because they've been keeping Megatron on ice since the 1930s, so the fact that there are four more of you now walking and talking freely just isn't that impressive anymore. You're 70 years too late to the party, pal. Go surprise another species.
I mean really, just a few scenes of "oh shit, there are GIANT FUCKING ROBOTS" here on Earth. There would be a myriad of emotions: fear, excitement, curiosity, and yes, even surprise. Even the humans who weren't exposed to Megatron's cold, sleeping body weren't all that surprised that the cars transformed. Shia LeBouf's character does the emotional equivalent of shrugging his shoulders and going "meh". It's like, "Hey, my car's ALIVE, go figure." At least spend a scene of him terrified, and then interacting with Bumblebee on a personal level, ask some questions, poke at him, do SOMETHING aside from playing it off like it happens every other day. I would piss myself with glee if my Toyota Camry turned into a transformer. I also wouldn't go to work for a few days and I'd call my parents.
There were a few honestly funny moments but they were too few and far between. And once Megatron is awake all common sense, human or otherwise (but mostly human) goes out the window and they literally do one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. Let's just say that if you have something Very Important and you need to hide it to get it away from the Decepticons the absolute LAST thing you'd do is take said object into the middle of the FUCKING CITY. Not only that, but once they get it to the city, without ever having specified WHERE they were going to hide it. It was exactly like, "get it to the city and hide it," and none, not ONE person stopped to ask, "Where?" That comes into play later, when the Autobots and Decepticons are fighting it out, with hundreds of people witnessing (and dying) from the carnage, and the pretty boy solider says, "We have to get it out of the city!"
REALLY now? It didn't occur to you BEFOREHAND that that might not have been the best idea to begin with?
So now we come to the battle between Megatron and Optimus and I shake the child in me awake and she rubs the sleep out of her eyes and gets giddy. There are a few good shots of buildings being pummeled from the impact of tons of alien robot smashing into them but over all the fight was 1) way to short and 2) ended TERRIBLY. Optimus didn't even defeat Megatron, Shia did and the child in me cried from the stupidity of it. I honestly don't understand why they couldn't just let Optimus kick Megatron's ass.
Even if there is a sequel, if Bay is at the helm then there's slim to none chance I'll see it. I said I wouldn't see this one but the urge to see Transformers in a real life setting was just too much. What could have been cool, brain dead fun was an excuse for a car commercial.
But I digress.
It's Michael Bay's Transformers, let there be no doubt. But before I get to that, let's talk about hippies.
There's a cool store on Sunset called Amoeba and it sells everything that's music or movie related. Really, you can find yourself spending a crap load of cash in that store as if you were in Wal-Mart. Not that Amoeba is driven by consumerism, though I'm sure that has to play a part, it's just that you can find so many videos you were looking for and most of the time you can get it for cheap. It's also cool that a part of your proceeds will go to some kind of charity, most likely environmental.
Before I handed over my ass to be spanked by Bay I hung out in the store, partly because I was intending to shop and partly because there parking lot is free (when you can get in)and I wanted to save a few bucks from the mandatory cost of parking at the theater structure (1.50 for first two hours w/validation, 1.50 every half hour there after). As soon as i got into the store I was hit with the funk of several unwashed hippies. It only got worse when I got to the second level, where they keep the movies, and there were at least three stinky guys who somehow ended up in the aisle I just happened to be in.
Why is it that the New Agey, anti-establishment, F the Man types fight the hygiene? Really, you grew up in the valley, just because there are flies around you doesn't mean you can identify any more with those Africans you're always talking about. I'm sure they'd appreciate you adding soap to your morning routine just as I would. Body odor is not "hip", it's not "cool" or whatever hippie language you're using now. Oh, it makes you stand out, yes sir're you stand out. But not in the good way. Not in the way that makes me want to hold a conversation with you and your beliefs. You stink. And the only thing I want you to do is get the f*ck away from me. That's why I LEFT the aisle I was in when the video I wanted was right in front of you. I couldn't bring myself to reach across and risk your funk hopping onto me. Do the world a favor and take a nice long bath when you're trying to think of ways to Damn the Man. It'll make you feel better I promise.
Onto other things that stink.
Transformers was good for about ten minutes total and then even for me the wonder of watching giant robots beat the shit out of each other wore off and became redundant and mundane. It wasn't as if the fight were any good either! For the most part, aside from Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Barricade I couldn't tell who was who when they were fighting. It didn't help that Bay decided we didn't need to see any of the other Decepticons until about twenty minutes before the film ended. You saw TWO and then all of a sudden Megatron wakes up from a thousand years of sleeping and then they put out an all call to the rest of the Decepticons who'd been doing god knows what this entire time. There was a kind of roll call where you saw them saw their names but it really didn't help cause once they transformed they all looked the same. I'm not being racist against the Decepticons, they really did all look alike. It also didn't help matters that they made Megatron a military jet, as well as Starscream and when they were in their non-jet forms you couldn't tell the difference until one of them spoke. I had the same problem with some of the Autobots once the rest of them were introduced. I was pissed to say the least.
There is no story to speak of, though the writers tried to create one by giving us the standard tropes of shitty action pictures: Geeky boy after hot girl? Check. Pretty white boy American solider who wants to get home to his wife and new born baby who he hasn't seen? Check. Fat, loud, black guy who lives with his momma? Check. Idiotic D.C. bureaucrats? Double Check? Realism? Wait..what's that?
I know, trust me, I KNOW that this is a movie about giant alien robots who come to earth and look like cars. I get that. HOWEVER, you could have played at least SOME realism to the way people react to these things, especially Optimus and the rest of the Autobots. They come down to earth and no one seems surprised that there are walking talking 18-wheelers running around. They actually do address that with these horrible Sector-7 guys (it's secret, shhh) when Optimus goes, "You don't look surprised to see us," well Optimus, that's because they've been keeping Megatron on ice since the 1930s, so the fact that there are four more of you now walking and talking freely just isn't that impressive anymore. You're 70 years too late to the party, pal. Go surprise another species.
I mean really, just a few scenes of "oh shit, there are GIANT FUCKING ROBOTS" here on Earth. There would be a myriad of emotions: fear, excitement, curiosity, and yes, even surprise. Even the humans who weren't exposed to Megatron's cold, sleeping body weren't all that surprised that the cars transformed. Shia LeBouf's character does the emotional equivalent of shrugging his shoulders and going "meh". It's like, "Hey, my car's ALIVE, go figure." At least spend a scene of him terrified, and then interacting with Bumblebee on a personal level, ask some questions, poke at him, do SOMETHING aside from playing it off like it happens every other day. I would piss myself with glee if my Toyota Camry turned into a transformer. I also wouldn't go to work for a few days and I'd call my parents.
There were a few honestly funny moments but they were too few and far between. And once Megatron is awake all common sense, human or otherwise (but mostly human) goes out the window and they literally do one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. Let's just say that if you have something Very Important and you need to hide it to get it away from the Decepticons the absolute LAST thing you'd do is take said object into the middle of the FUCKING CITY. Not only that, but once they get it to the city, without ever having specified WHERE they were going to hide it. It was exactly like, "get it to the city and hide it," and none, not ONE person stopped to ask, "Where?" That comes into play later, when the Autobots and Decepticons are fighting it out, with hundreds of people witnessing (and dying) from the carnage, and the pretty boy solider says, "We have to get it out of the city!"
REALLY now? It didn't occur to you BEFOREHAND that that might not have been the best idea to begin with?
So now we come to the battle between Megatron and Optimus and I shake the child in me awake and she rubs the sleep out of her eyes and gets giddy. There are a few good shots of buildings being pummeled from the impact of tons of alien robot smashing into them but over all the fight was 1) way to short and 2) ended TERRIBLY. Optimus didn't even defeat Megatron, Shia did and the child in me cried from the stupidity of it. I honestly don't understand why they couldn't just let Optimus kick Megatron's ass.
Even if there is a sequel, if Bay is at the helm then there's slim to none chance I'll see it. I said I wouldn't see this one but the urge to see Transformers in a real life setting was just too much. What could have been cool, brain dead fun was an excuse for a car commercial.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Monday, July 2, 2007
First Day of Work Down
And I'm feelin' good. But we'll see how I feel at the end of the week. ;) I go in tomorrow and then Wednesday we have off, and I will be forcing myself to see Transformers. (more on that later, when I give my review).
It was a good day and I'm really enjoying the atmosphere and hoping that I'm not screwing it up. Again, we'll see where I am at the end of the week. :)
It was a good day and I'm really enjoying the atmosphere and hoping that I'm not screwing it up. Again, we'll see where I am at the end of the week. :)
Sunday, July 1, 2007
For Mike- Video of the Day: The Chapman Bros.
As long as you jump rope for Jesus, the child abuse was worth it.
Movie Reviews: Two For One Again
This weekend I saw Ratatouille and Sicko, both were very good and I recommend them highly.
Ratatouille basically proves that Brad Bird can do no wrong. Everything that man touches turns into a hit. I could sit here and gush about the film, the humor is spot on, I especially loved the little touches, if you payed attention there were small cuts on the chef's hands as there would be for people who work in a kitchen all day. Even the new chef, Linguini, gets a cut on his hands after a few days of working in the restaurant, and it's never mentioned you just catch it yourself. There's a scene where Remy the rat is caught and taken out in a jar to be killed, as Linguini stares down and talks to Remy, Remy is cowering against the glass and you can see his heart pounding, much like you would see with a rodent or a rabbit. I was just impressed with the minute details the animators paid attention to, when they really didn't have to.
The animation is top notch, even down to the movement of the rat's fur and people's hair. I will admit I was kinda shocked by the violence that's in the film. Early on the rats are chased around a house and attacked with a shotgun, later as Remy is escaping through the sewers he runs past an apartment building where a woman is holding a gun on her cheating boyfriend. Even later still is a moment where the female chef Linguini likes slaps him and then threatens to slap him again when she finds out what's been going on. Though I will admit that was a great moment, she doesn't actually slap him but she raises her arm to do it and then thinks it over and you can see the conflict in her eyes. She really really wants to pop him one but she can't bring herself to because by this time she likes him.
The violence isn't really anything to be concerned about, it was just something I was surprised with, probably because I'd never expected the movie to be as mature as it was in presenting character feelings and reactions.
It's also realistic in other ways, especially the ending, but I won't give that away.
Sicko is a whole other matter, and left me kinda pissed for the majority of the film. I realize Michael Moore is a controversial topic and he's not as honest as he likes to present himself, but for the most part he's bringing up topics that the average American would rather not discuss. They'd much rather watch Paris Hilton on Larry King.
Sicko goes over the American Health Care system, or lack thereof. It's basically about how insurance companies and drug companies screw over their customers all the while taking their money as well. It made me ashamed that I even have to pay for health insurance, and worried about ever getting sick.
The one complaint that I have about the film is that Moore does present foreign countries as the land of OZ: perfect. He goes to upper middle class houses in England and France to discuss the extra taxes they have to pay in order to afford free health care, however I know there are slums and ghettos in England and France and wondered how the taxes affected them. It was never even brought up. Though I will admit the thought of moving my family to London or France crossed my mind several times. Perhaps mom and dad wouldn't mind Canada (shhh, don't tell them I said that).
I'd still recommend Sicko, if only so you can know just how much the health care industry hates you.
Ratatouille basically proves that Brad Bird can do no wrong. Everything that man touches turns into a hit. I could sit here and gush about the film, the humor is spot on, I especially loved the little touches, if you payed attention there were small cuts on the chef's hands as there would be for people who work in a kitchen all day. Even the new chef, Linguini, gets a cut on his hands after a few days of working in the restaurant, and it's never mentioned you just catch it yourself. There's a scene where Remy the rat is caught and taken out in a jar to be killed, as Linguini stares down and talks to Remy, Remy is cowering against the glass and you can see his heart pounding, much like you would see with a rodent or a rabbit. I was just impressed with the minute details the animators paid attention to, when they really didn't have to.
The animation is top notch, even down to the movement of the rat's fur and people's hair. I will admit I was kinda shocked by the violence that's in the film. Early on the rats are chased around a house and attacked with a shotgun, later as Remy is escaping through the sewers he runs past an apartment building where a woman is holding a gun on her cheating boyfriend. Even later still is a moment where the female chef Linguini likes slaps him and then threatens to slap him again when she finds out what's been going on. Though I will admit that was a great moment, she doesn't actually slap him but she raises her arm to do it and then thinks it over and you can see the conflict in her eyes. She really really wants to pop him one but she can't bring herself to because by this time she likes him.
The violence isn't really anything to be concerned about, it was just something I was surprised with, probably because I'd never expected the movie to be as mature as it was in presenting character feelings and reactions.
It's also realistic in other ways, especially the ending, but I won't give that away.
Sicko is a whole other matter, and left me kinda pissed for the majority of the film. I realize Michael Moore is a controversial topic and he's not as honest as he likes to present himself, but for the most part he's bringing up topics that the average American would rather not discuss. They'd much rather watch Paris Hilton on Larry King.
Sicko goes over the American Health Care system, or lack thereof. It's basically about how insurance companies and drug companies screw over their customers all the while taking their money as well. It made me ashamed that I even have to pay for health insurance, and worried about ever getting sick.
The one complaint that I have about the film is that Moore does present foreign countries as the land of OZ: perfect. He goes to upper middle class houses in England and France to discuss the extra taxes they have to pay in order to afford free health care, however I know there are slums and ghettos in England and France and wondered how the taxes affected them. It was never even brought up. Though I will admit the thought of moving my family to London or France crossed my mind several times. Perhaps mom and dad wouldn't mind Canada (shhh, don't tell them I said that).
I'd still recommend Sicko, if only so you can know just how much the health care industry hates you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
