7/15/07

Why is it always the movies that get me going?

C'mon Steve... you can do better

TRANSFORMERS

This movie had so much potential. Transformers was a franchise unto itself. There was no way you could possibly make a bad Transformers movie.

Then, Michael Bay was named Director.

All that's good in movies ends with Michael Bay. He transformed Transformers into a plotless, spineless, erratic, over-hyped mess. All of Bay's trademarks are in this movie. Erratic editing that makes action scenes impossible to follow. Strategy-free action - you might as well watch some UFC. Far too many subplots. Dippy dialog. And, any woman that actually utters a word in this movie is orgasmicly hot.

Give me a better script!

There are 2 redeeming features to this movie. First, the special effects. They are amazing and flawless. The Transformers are updated from their 1980 models. In a sense, that loses something. But I expected it, and I was pleased with the outcome. Also, Shia LaBeouf's performance was better than the script. I was hoping to get a preview of him since he's in Indiana Jone's 4. I now maintain hope that Indiana Jones 4 will not be another Indiana Jones 2.

If you need to know anything else, check out Michael Bay's blog. He brags about the amount of money his movie has made. Great. You can cash in. But answer me this, Michael – exactly how many sequels have you been asked to make? What, no sequel to Armageddon? You don't get to do another World War II movie? Surprising... really, it is.

OTHER NOTES

There's just one other big web development I should let you know about. I will probably not be updating the photo page here much more. I've moved to Flickr. There are so many more options than I could possibly program myself - I particularly like the "Geotaging" feature. So, go visit my Flickr page. If I get a chance, I may move my photos from here to Flickr, but I will have to be really bored.

6/20/06 - Preakness Pix Posted

...and I thought the last break was long.

ANYHOW, I do have lots of new pictures, but they're all thanks to my girlfriend, Jody Benedict. I was lucky enough to get press passes for both of us. She was the one who brought a camera. We partied with some of our friends from 98Rock, and then moved into position for the actual race. Unlike the rest of America, we did not see when Barbaro broke down. We could tell something had happened by the tone of the crowd, but we could not see it since we were on our way toward the Winner's Circle. She might have captured him in one of the race shots. She captured excellent shots of his equine ambulance (like, who even knew they had one of those?)

Enjoy the photos. Anyone wanting copies, please contact me or Jody.

Sorry, it has been about a month since I've done anything with the site. I think I have a few significant updates. First, I've added a couple of people to the links page. For those of you with Google Earth, note the KML links next to the places. I hope to add more throughout the site. Finally, add my button to your Google Toolbar! If you don't have the beta version of the Google Toolbar, the link will let you install it. I have found that it is quite solid, and I like it a lot.

1/5/06 - Movies, Links

WOW! It's 2006! Let's start this off right.

The reason to see this movie

Memoirs of a Geisha

I wasn't sure why I wanted to see this film. After seeing it, I'm still not sure why. But, I like it... I think. Memoirs is based off of the popular book by the same title. It traces one girls life from despair in a poor family, to becoming the top geisha in Japan. This movie absolutely absorbs you in a stunning reality. Not just visually, but in the mystery that is the geisha. If you are expecting to get definitive answers as to what a geisha is, you will not find them here. I found two disappointments. First, the accents are a little thick. If you do not handle them well, wait for the english subtitles on the DVD. Second, I just looked up the filming locations for this movie. It appears most of the movie was shot in L.A. How disappointing. However, I liked this movie. But, since I have no frame of reference, I have no idea whether it is actually good or not.

His mission - kill Your mission - ask questions

Munich

There are a few of you who should not see this film. As much as I don't want to hurt the box office take of fellow Eagle Scout Steven Speilberg, I think this movie warrants a couple of warnings. Like Geisha, this movie is thick with accents. Like Saving Private Ryan, this movie contains appropriate gore. And like any topical movie, this movie asks questions some people do not want to ask. This apparently applies to one reviewer, Michael Sragow of The Baltimore Sun.

This movie follows the Israeli response to the Black September attack at the Munich Olympics. It proceeds to ask questions of both sides, and does not come to any clear conclusions. The fact that this movie deals with the moral issues at all apparently surprises Sragow. The fact that the movie actually answers none of them also comes as a surprise to Sragow. If Sragow had actually gone to the Munich website, he would have seen that Speilberg simply wanted to raise these questions, not answer them. Sragow apparently has no questions he wants to ask when it comes to America's response to terrorism. People like Sragow should not see this film. After reading his review, I truly wonder what type of movie he was expecting to see. Now, on to the movie.

spoiler skipper

One "response"

Speilberg does a wonderful job of putting you inside the Munich massacre. One particular moment stands out. He creatively reconstructs the famous balcony video. In Speilberg's shot, you are inside the hotel room as the terrorist steps onto the balcony. The newsreel footage plays on a TV in the room in an expertly crafted shot. Another moment stands out, but because it is truly disturbing. Near the end of the movie, you see the conclusion of the attack at the Munich airport. Most of the attack has been viewed through flashbacks. This one is as well, but during a violent and loveless sex scene between Eric Bana's character and his wife. I am searching for an explanation as to why Speilberg built it this way. I can only come to the conclusion that he added the sex to the violence because we have become numb to the violence. Adding the sex somehow adds the horror we should want to feel. I'm afraid we're all going to have to wait for the director's track for an explanation on this one.

As an interesting aside, very few of my friends even knew the movie was coming out. I didn't, but I found out before they did. I got to watch their reactions when I showed them the trailer on the Quicktime website. Nearly everyone gasped at the same moment; when Jim McKay says “they're all gone.” As an interesting aside for the older crowd, none of them were alive during the attack. Nor was I.

If you want to go see a good historical fiction, go see this movie. If you want to explore the war on terror through the lens of the Munich attack, go see this film. But, if you've answered all of these questions and you don't want to see a good movie, skip it. You're a better man than I.

Also, I've added a "Link Archive" page. This will contain key links from this site, all on one handy page. It will also contain some page exclusive content. Namely, a list of the coolest, free Wi-Fi hotspots I've found. Check them out. With a few exceptions, I believe Wi-Fi will become a free, value-added service at most urban locations. Sometimes I wonder why I pay for a connection.

12/19/05 - Christmas in D.C.

One of the things I realized that I did not have was any Christmas photos of Washington. About a week and a half ago, I took care of that. The biggest thing I discovered was how much film photography has changed over the past decade. I went to several stores, asking for ASA 1000 film. I was told it was a specialty speed and that they could special order it. My options were 800 or 1600. I went with the 800 for the grain. I also figured that it would be bright enough. For you photo-wonks out there, I was shooting with a Pentax K1000, with an SMC Pentax-F 50mm lens. It opens up to a f1.7, but I was surprised to find that I was not on the lowest setting all the time. Still, f1.7 gave me a chance to work some depth-of-field. I hope you enjoy. If anyone wants copies, contact me - the stills on the site are low-res.

12/5/05 – Little things

Hummm...

Aeon Flux – Flopped

It looked like Aeon Flux. It felt like Aeon Flux. This was NOT Aeon Flux. I had high hopes for this movie. The anime series on MTV was thrilling, sexy, and mysterious. The movie had none of these things. She was given a boss and a back story. Part of the intrigue of the cartoon was that she had none of these. The movie took the best part of the series, and simply gave them to us without letting us discover them. I tried really hard to like it. I really did. But, not even Charlize Theron's skimpy little outfit could turn me. If it is any consolation, it will probably be a hit in Germany and Japan. If you really want to know how bad it is, read this review in the Boston Globe.

For the girls... Merry Christmas

Jarhead

I have very few comments about this movie, but for a very different reason. This is one of the best movies of the year. It traces one Marine's journey through the first Gulf War. Like the Gulf War, there was a lot of waiting, and very little fighting. This movie explores the mindset of one soldier – what it did to him, and what it made him. Granted, this is only one soldier's story, but it may provide an uncomfortably close glimpse at what happens. Comparisons to American Beauty are accurate. Expect three or four Oscar nominations out of this one. Jake Gyllenhaal may get one for Best Actor. Jamie Foxx could get the nod again for Best Supporting Actor. It may also get a trophy for Cinematography, and could get a nomination for Best Picture.

"Random 1" – "Road Rules" goes goodwill hunting

This is an interesting experiment. It is the anti-"Fear Factor", but contains the aggressiveness of the NBC show. Sane-Guy John and Crazy-Guy Andre pair up, and assault people on the street with “Guerrilla Philanthropy.” In reality, they are merely frontmen for a slightly larger organization, housed in an RV. No task is too challenging... for the people in the RV. No person is too intimidating for John and Andre.

I would recommend giving this show a try. The show did suffer from some storytelling problems early on, but the producers seemed to have worked out the kinks. They are also ambitious about sacrificing potentially boring parts in favor of strong, emotional moments. John and Andre help a wide range of people, from drunks to corporate women just looking for a foot in the door at a charity. Obviously, they show their successes, but they also show some of their failures. This is another well produced entry on A&E's lineup, and I hope it succeeds.

In the interest of full disclosure, I know a couple people working on this show.

It's French, Bitch!

"The Colbert Report" – Are you there, Bill?

Bill O'Rielly, you better watch your back. Stephen Colbert has the cold, hard knife of satire pointed at your throat.

This is "The Colbert Report."

Stephen Colbert was one of the many standouts on "The Daily Show." He did some brilliant work with fellow alum Steve Carell. Now, Colbert is on his own, and he's holding it pretty well. Right now, this show is sharper than "The Daily Show." "The Report" mirrors "The O'Rielly Factor," including his very own Talking Points (Word). One moment rammed the pitchfork of sarcasm right into my gut. Before his first interview, HE triumphantly trots over to the interview set. If you have any other questions, watch “Let the Gravitas Begin” in the “Season 1” part of the video section. Never mind that everything says Colbert. Never mind that the news desk is in the shape of a gigantic C. This guy is taking it to the bank. You should too.

11/21/05 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Fly, Harry... Fly

“No dragons were harmed in the making of this film.” Or particularly challenged, either.

I was actually excited about going to see this movie. I am NOT a Harry Potter fan. I have not read a single page of ANY of the books, and I don't intend to start. And, the first two movies were really kids movies, and laborious at that. The Prisoner of Azkaban proved that, in the hands of the right director, even massive Harry Potter tomes could be toned into interesting movies.

Girls!

It's a classic story. The Goblet forces Harry Potter to grow up before his time. It thrusts him into the TriWizard Tournament, eventually sending him into the claws of Lord Voldemort. He also faces girls! No one is sure which fate is worse.

The big difference between this movie and the last movie is the plot. Azkaban, and the solution to the film, was quite clever. There was also a consistent artistic tone to Azkaban. Neither could be found in Goblet. Now, I think the plot prevented a consistent tone in Goblet. Harry faces girls, and his first dance. Neither are supposed to be the end of the world, but it does require a lighter tone. Also, since the story didn't have a clever solution, it could not drop as many little plot devices as Azkaban did.

Cuaron and his Prisoner

Snaped Again

I will say, British actors come out in full support of J.K. Rowling. Alan Rickman is underused. Ralph Fiennes plays a brilliantly creepy Voldemort. Brendan Gleeson absolutely leaps off the screen, like the eye out of his head.

Overall, Potter fans should go see this movie. Non-Potter fans will enjoy it, but don't consider it required viewing. The Potter fans you go with may complain about the things that were left out, but a 700 page screenplay was never going to work. At two and a half hours, however, this movie keeps plenty for all to enjoy.

11/7/05 - More quickies

Shopgirl

The Men

The Woman

The question has to be asked. This guy, or this guy – and will we ever know why this girl chooses either one of them? The movie did provide an answer to that question. It didn't need to.

The movie is about the Shopgirl (Claire Danes). She is presented with two choices – the tall, dark, arty type, and the much older provider/father-figure. The movie explores who she picks, when, and why. As a guy, it was fascinating to watch.

The real gem in this film is Claire Danes. The characters that Jason Schwartzman and Steve Martin play are a little flat, but they do not have to be particularly deep. They provide the catalyst for Danes to do her work. I cannot believe that this is the same Claire Danes that played the angst-ridden teen in “My So-Called Life.” My, how times, and a young woman, change. I don't know if she will receive an Oscar nomination for her performance, but she should at least send it in for their consideration.

Some of the actions and some plot points were predictable, but most were presented in an interesting way. My other problem is with the narration. It was sporadic and, at times, unnecessary. Why do producers and directors think we're dumb and feel the need to explain everything. Show us, and let us draw our own conclusions. My other beef is with the movie ratings system. This movie was rated R for no good reason. It BARELY had full frontal nudity, and no male bits were seen. I think someone was trying to scuttle this film.

I TOTALLY got convinced to see this movie, and I'm glad I did. If you're wearing XX genes, go see it, and pay full price. Men, go with your girl.

Go Live!

“The West Wing” – Live Edition

To be honest, I have mostly tuned out of “The West Wing.” Once Aaron Sorkin leaves your show, your writing is going to take a big hit. But I knew I had to tune in once I heard about the live sweeps stunt they were about to pull off. A West Wing debate? Why had they waited so long?

I have less to say about the show, than about 2 reviews of it. The only thing that truly bothered me about the debate was the bug. They used the NBC News bug. That was simply irresponsible. Otherwise, I thought it was well scripted, well acted, and acceptably executed. I think Alan Alda staged the smoothest performance.

I do not know this for a fact, but the review written by Doug Elfman from the Chicago Sun-Times just sounds ignorant. It sounds as if the closest he gets to television production is his couch divot. Of course actors will stumble. Of course camera operators will slip into some shots. But guess what? This is LIVE television, and since the entertainment side of television is out of practice when it comes to live TV, those errors will get in the show. I can say this – if the actual candidates ever decided to ad-lib a debate, it would probably look worse.

My views come closer to Ray Hanania of the News Herald in southwest Chicago. He correctly points out that this live debate was less about a sweeps stunt, and more about what we wish politics could be. They debated real issues, using real information, with real (acted) passion. If the actual politicians ever did that, I think we would check to see if we were watching some freak episode of “The West Wing.”

10/28/05 - Quickies

I know it has been a while since my last update. I'm going to try to make up for that with a couple move reviews.

The Friendly Clooney

See It Now

Good Night, and Good Luck

Obviously, I saw this movie because of my job. I was not disappointed. The movie centers on the conflict between Senator Joe McCarthy and newsman Edward R. Murrow.

A couple reviews of the movie mention how slow the film is. I must agree. It is slow, but it moves. I believe George Clooney has become a skilled director. He certainly knows that Good Night, and Good Luck is a film that will leave every modern adrenaline junkie dissatisfied. It may be slow, but it left me glued to the screen. It does take itself quite seriously, but it is not totally humorless. Clooney has the skills and the brains enough to break the ice.

If you think you are going to see a George Clooney film, you would be wrong. The star of the film is David Strathairn, who plays Murrow. To me, he was a relative unknown, and that helps sell him as a credible Murrow. Any recognizable actor would have been distracting in this role. Clooney Clooney's Fred Friendly – no surprise there. There are several A-list stars in the movie, playing appropriate roles. The surprise of the film was McCarthy. While Clooney was doing press for this movie, some test screening information was revealed. Apparently, some people in the audience thought the person playing the senator was over-acting. The movie used file film of the real McCarthy.

The Real Deal

Two last notes... any parallels to the current climate in this country are, without a doubt, intentional. Righties may not like this. I was also hoping someone could help me out with my second note. During the film, they show several scenes of See It Now. The way they portray it, while Murrow is broadcasting the show, Friendly is sitting out of camera range, by Murrow's leg, cuing him with a pen-tap to the calf. Is this accurate?

Overall, I would recommend this movie. Definitely see it if you are a journalist. Probably go and see it if you like good movies. Skip it if you are an adrenaline junkie. Also skip it if you are in the age range for...

The Dynamic Duo

Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

This is a great kids film, with a couple of caveats. It traces the adventures of Wallace and his brainy and faithful dog, Gromit. They run their own rodent control firm, “Anti-Pesto.” Of course, at one point, this goes horribly wrong.

The animation is great and the story is solid. Some things must have had CG help, because doing it in clay would have taken years. This film should be solidly entertaining for kids, but unlike some of the latest Pixar releases, I felt left out as an adult. Just a warning here – at one point, the dialog and physical jokes get surprisingly risque. The only thing more shocking was that some very young kids were laughing. Just a sign of the times I guess. Overall, if you like kids movies, you'll like this one. The kids will like it too. I hope the money it pulls in encourages the studio to make more. It's one of the better imports from across the pond.

Lastly, check out my newest Favorite Thing Ever, Google Earth.

8/21/05

MOVIE REVIEW – The 40 Year-Old Virgin

I think this would also be a good spot to drop a movie review or two, especially when I find a particularly good or bad movie.  Or other reviews that I need to respond to.  This movie qualifies as a good movie with existing reviews that need some balance.

Carell's stimulating poster

The 40 Year-Old Virgin stars Steve Carell.  Most of you know him as “that guy from The Daily Show.”  Those who missed him there, missed some priceless comedy.  Luckily, he still has a set of links on The Daily Show website, and performs the occasional guest bit.  This is Carell’s first leading role, but he also shares the writing responsibilities with Judd Apatow.  Apatow penned the brilliant TV comedies “Undeclared” and “Freaks and Geeks” – so brilliant that both series have been sitting in the canceled bin for quite some time.  Fortunately, both series are now on DVD.  Get them!  With this team, I had high expectations for this movie.  It did not disappoint.

Carell stars as Andy Stitser, the virginal tech-guy at the “this-is-not Circuit City” store.  Friends uncover his deep, dark secret, and the comedy flows from there.  This is where I depart from other existing reviews.  Some reviewers talk about the lewd jokes within the film.  Ladies and gentlemen, this film is called The 40 Year-Old Virgin.  It is rated R.  It’s apparent to me that the reviewers complaining about the jokes in this film forgot the title and the rating.  Oddly, critics don’t complain when the body count in violent movies reaches orgasmic proportions, but they complain about the jokes in this film?  Spare me.  Considering the topic, the lewdness was kept well under control.  The rude jokes do exist, but friends who are extremely sensitive to such topics love this movie.  Mature movie-goers should not hesitate to give this film a try.

Keener inserts soul

Wax on, wax off

I wish they would have left the chest-hair waxing scene out of the promos.  That scene was hysterical, and I hate it when the promo people put the funniest stuff in the trailers.  Fortunately, there are plenty of other extremely funny scenes in the movie that are not revealed in the trailers.

I haven’t seen a lot of movies this summer.  Judging by the box office returns, I’m not alone.  I predict this movie will be the sleeper hit of the summer.  I went to the 12:20 A.M. run at Arundel Mills Mall and it was packed.  Comedies tend to have a steep drop-off after the first week, but I think this one will hold a high spot on the charts for several weeks.  It could be a good date movie… if you’re past the first couple of dates.  I also recommend refraining from viewing all the clips on the website.  It may be tempting for readers still questioning the content of the movie, but I believe the clips give away too much of the film.  Overall, definitely go see it, see it in the theater, and don’t hesitate to pay full price.  It is one of the few films this summer that is well worth the money.

8/18/05

Lots of cannon, even more landscape at Saratoga

There are lots of changes in this update, but mainly under the hood.  For content, I’ve added photos of my run through the Saratoga National Historical Park.  I took them while I was on my week-and-a-half long summer vacation.  For history nuts, it’s worth the trip.  There’s not much to “see,” but the area is maintained as it was in 1777.  Since this battle was key to America eventually winning the war, it’s a nice spot to visit.

I’ve also made the “Great Links” section “dynamic.”  It will contain content relevant links.  This mainly solves the problem of updating that box on every page every time I update the site.  I’m still working on a “Link Archive” section.  I plan on putting everything there so you don’t have to dig for it.

Under the hood, this site had some odd properties on less-than-optimal screen widths.  A few frames along with some cut-and-paste work fixed this.  I also ended up with a handy page template.

Acoustic Alanis

8/4/05

As for the concert, I thought it was great. I've been to 3 of her concerts now, and I think this one was the best by far. During her past two shows, she interacted with the audience only sparingly. This time, especially since the Meyerhoff is such an intimate venue, she engaged us quite a bit. Also, she is a far different woman than she was 10 years ago, when this music first came out. The source of the music may be the same, but she's in a different place, and it shows. She saved "You Oughta Know" for one of the encore sets. The highlights for me were "Unsent" from Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, and "Uninvited" from the City of Angels soundtrack. She said "Unsent" was requested during a concert in New York, and this was her first stage performance of it. She ended the show with "Uninvited," and she did it in a very cool way. The last word was the end of the show.

Her opening act was Jazon Mraz. I thought he was an acceptable opening act. Parts of his show were quite funny, but in the end, he is rather vanilla.

In the end, definitely go see this show if you're an Alanis fan. Also, do not hesitate to see any show at the Meyerhoff. It is a spectacular venue.

6/18/05

Hello, and welcome to my new website!  I’m thrilled.  I haven’t had an active web page for years.  The last time I had a site online, simply posting pictures on the web was a big deal.  Now, I’m still trying to wrap my head around frames.  I need to give a HUGE thanks to the designer of this website, Angela DiMeglio .   She is the best web designer I know.  Obviously, right now, that means I’m just providing content.  I hope to learn a few tricks from this base site, and eventually add to it.  My first goal is to post my resume and add some photographs.  Eventually, I hope to add sample video clips, but I may need to move this site off of the Verizon server to make that happen.  Watch this space for website and personal news.  And, of course, enjoy the show.