Redefining Rockel

For the Record...

2011-02-27T17:15:00.003-08:00

Nothing too shocking... Social the predicted big winner with 5, then King's and Inception with 3, Fighter and Toy Story 3 with 2...

Lead Actor: Colin Firth, The King's Speech
Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Lead Actress: Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
Art Direction: Eve Stewart and Judy Farr, The King's Speech
Cinematography: Roger Deakins, True Grit
Costume: Colleen Atwood, Alice in Wonderland
Directing: David Fincher, The Social Network
Documentary Feature: Inside Job
Documentary Short: Strangers No More
Film Editing: Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, The Social Network
Foreign Film: Canada, Incendies
Makeup: Rick Baker and Dave Elsey, The Wolfman
Original Score: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Social Network
Original Song: Randy Newman, Toy Story 3 ("We Belong Together")
Short Film (Animated): Day & Night
Short Film (Live Action): Na Wewe
Sound Editing: Richard King, Inception
Sound Mixing: Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo, and Ed Novick, Inception
Visual Effects: Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley, Pete Bebb, and Paul J. Franklin, Inception
Writing (Adapted Screenplay): Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Writing (Original Screenplay): David Seidler, The King's Speech
Picture: The Social Network (Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca, and Cean Chaffin)

'09 Top Tep Update: Trailers

2009-05-24T13:50:00.004-07:00

So I meant to post this about a week ago when the first trailer for "Nine" was released... oh, well... busy... most have you have probably seen most (or all) of these by now, but in case you missed one, enjoy:

#8 - The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

#7 - The Year One

#6 - Sherlock Holmes

#5 - Where the Wild Things Are

#3 - Public Enemies

#1 - Nine

On Poverty and Socialism, with a foreword on Iowa and a post script on Marijuana

2009-04-03T21:37:00.005-08:00

Before I get into the main thrust of this post, a quick word on the news out of Iowa.

I haven't been terribly vocal on anything here lately, but I made no effort to hide my support of Prop 8 out here in California. I continue to support the "equality" argument of this divisive issue, and therefore applaud Iowa's supreme court, for the following reasons:

1. If I had to name one issue on which I most disagree with current American Christians and/or churches and church leaders, it is with the almost obsessive insistence of legislating morality. If we are to look to Christ as the example of how to live a Christian life (which I think goes without saying), then we ought to spend a bit less time erecting rules that make it easier to pick up stones, and a lot more time focusing on the plank in our own eyes so that we may reach out to those in need.

2. I believe in the separation of church and state. Not because of anything written or implied in the U.S. Constitution, but because of the distraction from real, meaningful work it offers Christians (see above comment), and because of the (real or perceived) wedge that it offers non-believers. I've spoken to the former, allow me to expound on the latter. We are called to love our neighbor. If our love for our neighbor is manifested in placing legislation within a man-made institution that allows this secular organization to treat one group of citizens one way and another group another, then what has this accomplished if not putting a sour taste in our neighbors mouth, driving a wedge between us. Christ did not seek to divide and then selectively apply his love, but rather loved and forgave - even those whom his followers (themselves unworthy of such love) may have considered unworthy (an adulterer springs to mind, though I choose to believe Christ's words and actions in that situation were not mutually exclusive to marital infidelity). Christ also did not seek to stamp His laws into the books of man because He knew that His Kingdom would last and those of man will change (depending on who's in control) and fall.

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Poverty and Socialism...

The other day I was driving around town and, while stopped at a stoplight, I witnessed an event that got me thinking. A man, who looked every bit the part of a homeless man, stepped onto a bus. He stood at the front of the bus, as it remained stopped at the bus stop, for several seconds before the driver stood up from his seat and the man turned around and exited the bus.

Now, one can draw several conclusions from the above scenario, and I don't presume to know everything about what transpired, but it definitely made me reflect on the all-to-present - in this city and this world - poverty/homeless problem and the all-too-common story of the "unfortunate fellow" who steps outside the bounds of the law (to varying degrees) for the sole purpose of acquiring the essentials of life for themself (shelter, food/water, and perhaps even clothing). And this brought me to a realization that probably shouldn't have shocked me as much as it did:

I do not mind programs that many would label "socialist" (those that redistribute wealth) at a local/state level; in fact, I may even welcome them.

While there may be some disagreement over accommodations provided for prisoners in this country (cable television and etc.), I don't know of anyone who thinks that the basic essentials of life ought not be provided for these people (the terms "cruel and unusual" and "human rights" come to mind). If our society is one that is built on law & order, which is upheld and enforced by our governments, then there is no getting around that some (if not all) of the burden of maintaining these detention facilities and providing for these prisoners will fall to the citizens/taxpayers.

Then, if we are expected (and willing) to allow our tax dollars to go toward providing the basic essentials (and oftentimes more) for criminals, why should we not be willing to provide the same basic essentials, and perhaps go a bit further to provide some basic health services or, I don't know, a free ride on public transportation (again, I am only going off of an assumption, but it is a fact that - at least here in LA - public transportation, funded in great part by taxpayer dollars, charges by the ride), to those unfortunate few who's only crime is being too unhealthy or too unwise to currently fit within the societal norm.

(I will take a moment here to acknowledge the fact that I am taking great license here by perhaps implying that no homeless person has ever committed a crime. It is not my intent to paint the entire homeless community as blameless, but rather to suggest that while there may be those in the homeless community that belong in prison [as well as those in prison who ought be free], I think the difference is great enough to exploit for this arguments sake)

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Post script:

I'll see if I can try to tie this whole thing together, pulling together the "legislating a perceived morality" and "those who ought not be in prison" arguments, by introducing a video I recently saw with the following:

If it's California politics, and it's not gay marriage, it's marijuana reform. Medical marijuana is currently legal in California, but illegal under federal law.

While the libertarian in me thinks that the war on drugs is absurd and the federal government should have little to say regarding private recreational use of any drug - be it caffeine, nicotine, marijuana, cocaine, etc. etc. - (the "little to say" being safety factors such as operating moving vehicles and such) I fear that relaxing or abolishing current drug laws would only exacerbate the problems inherent with the main section of this post. However, the fact remains that the current battle in California is over medicinal marijuana and the following video is one that highlights the absurdity of the current situation quite well, albeit with a few moments of sympathetic indulgence.

If you have 10 minutes to sit and watch, please do.

Oscar Night 2009

2009-02-22T16:08:00.045-08:00

STANDINGS:

"E" Mendenhall: 17.0
"Rock-el" Rockel: 15.0
"Da-Ego" Nazionale: 13.1
"The Catheter" Cathey: 13.1
"Last Stand" Custer: 13.0
"Tiger" B.A.L.M.: 11.0
"Turmoil" Turmel: 11.0
"General" Mills: 6.0

Blog-O-Matic:
Hugh's on stage. All bets are off. Let's go...
Self-deprecating humor, recession humor, "that's how I roll," and singing - so far, so good... nice to see Jackman hasn't seen "The Reader" either... Standing O already (this is going the way of the State of the Union Address)...
Technical difficulty #1... Standing O #2 (gracious, we're going to be here all night)... 5 presenters? really?... Alright, let's get this over with... I feel last place calling my name...
Cathey, Ego, and E-Mend score early...
Steve and Tina... effing brilliant.... and a scientology joke - good stuff... Rockel scores his first (as does Bother-Me) as Ego and E-Mend add to their lead... We also have our first political message as well as Thanks Mom #1 and Thanks God #'s 1 &2...
Rockel, Cathey, E-Mend, and B-Mend score with "Slumdog"'s first statue of (presumably) many... (E-Mend now a perfect 3/3... Mills, Custer, and Turmel a scoreless 0/3)...
First SOCIAL of the night - Wall-E... Eric now 4/4... is there any stopping that kid?
Time to start breaking some ties... give it to me Jack... Ego gets it win "something something something cube"...
wow... great set for the art awards... "Button" wins giving a lift to everyone save Turmel and Ego... E-Mend keeps rolling...
Costume is a volatile category, with any nominee awarding points except for Milk... Period takes it again... E-Mend continues to dominate...
Makeup... the last remaining social category... everybody wins or everybody loses... SOCIAL!!! Points all around, no position changes...
Hahahah... nicely done Mr. Stiller (and, may I say, Natalie is the perfect foil)... Slumdog get's it's second...
Tie breaks again... Will ego go 2/2 in this category? No! Cathey grabs a tenth of a point... Rockel, amongst many others, 0/2 in the tiebreaks...
Musical break - meh. At least we got to see Baz...
Joel Grey - what a guy... And now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've all been expecting (except, maybe, Turmoil)... Heath Ledger.
Man on Wire wins as E-Mend goes a perfect 10/10 in major categories...
Social disappointment as the cute girl documentary short takes it, leaving very little room to break ties...
Rockel underestimates "Button" as E-Mend takes a lead that Rockel will not be able to surmount.
E-Mend finally drops one (as does Rockel) as "Knight" steals one from "Wall-E"
The Tech awards stump the majority, but Ego's mounting a comeback...
Slumdog's big night continues while Rockel gains some ground on Cathey...
Analysis time... Rockel can't do better than 2nd... E-Mend is obviously in the drivers seat, but Nazi and Cathey still have a shot at the top spot...
Jerry Lewis - class act.
Ego's comeback stalls as Slumdog's goldrush continues...
Legend singing Gabriel with Indian african-garb-wearing backup singers gently swaying... interesting to say the least... nice mashup at the end...
Rockel moves ahead of Cathey and Ego stays alive with Jai Ho...
E-Mend's only competition now is Ego, while Rockel is still alive for a 2nd place finish...
Mills pulls a HUGE upset as Japan takes the stage...
The next segment is the big one... E-Mend is taking big risks in both of the lead acting categories... if neither one pays off, we could be looking at an Ego upset when Director is announced...
...but first... we pause for In Memoriam... woof, another tough year... let's stop and take another pause in honor of Pinter...
Director first... uh-oh... Ego will need to take this to stay alive in the hunt for the top... Ego strikes out! as the rest pick up a point as Danny bounds about the stage (and gives credit where credit is due... well done, Danny)...
With only three categories left, E-Mend secures the victory... The fight will be for 2nd place, where Rockel currently has a target on his back...
Marion... what a babe... Here we go... actress... Hathaway gives Mills a last minute boost, Leo gives E-Mend a little extra distance from the pack, Streep gives B-Mend a tiny boost to a possible 3rd place... Winslet keeps the 2nd place pack deadlocked...
The Brit gets it... the second place pack takes a futile step forward toward the distant Mendenhall...
The second place battle dies with the Actor... If Rourke takes it, Ego and Cathey - with very precious tie break points in hand - vault past Rockel for a two-way tie for 2nd... if Penn takes it, Rockel secures the runner-up position...
If I knew Kingsley was going to intro Rourke I may have had to switch my prediction... and second place goes to ---- ROCKEL! Sean Penn! Sean Penn! Politics! Politics! Gay Pride!
Mendenhall and Rockel cash in on the stunner and sit comfortably atop the standings...
Well, with only picture left, you're looking at the final standings (though the points may change)... Mills could pick up another point with an upset, but it won't be enough to pull him out of the basement...
Slumdog finishes strong, as does the Academy - well done, terrific format (with very few exceptions, and... I miss Jon)...
Great year, everyone. Despite my personal best showing in this event, the male Mendenhall was far too much for anyone to handle, posting the highest score EVER in a Rockel Oscar contest...

Good Night, East Coast...

It's almost that time... Let's get this on the record...

2009-02-22T00:09:00.002-08:00

Actor in a Leading Role

I saw all but one of the performances in this category. Unfortunately, the one I missed was Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor," who was supposedly magnificent. Fortunately (for me), Mr. Jenkins isn't getting much talk as a favorite in this category. I was somewhat disappointed with Langella's Nixon, although with so much build-up to the film it may have been inevitable. Some people are predicting him to do better than expected in the voting due to his status as a veteran and his performance in last year's (Oscar snubbed) "Starting Out in the Evening." As much as I enjoy most of David Fincher's work, I had a lot of issues with "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," not the least of which was Pitt's above-average, though far from brilliant and somewhat monotone, "ageless" performance. If I had to pick between the remaining two I would hand it over to Penn, who I thought did a more convincing job of truly embodying a more rounded character than did Rourke, however, the buzz seems to be pointing to Mickey. All that being said, my pick is for politics:

Sean Penn - "Milk"

Actor in a Supporting Role

Alright, I've seen all of the performances in this category, not that it really helps in this case. I truly admire Turmel's large round ones in picking PS Hoffman for this, and for Mr. Hoffman's sake I wouldn't mind seeing Turmel take this point. Not much else to say here other than the fact that I think Gary Oldman's supporting turn in "The Dark Knight" was the most overlooked performance this year and I would have no hesitation removing Shannon, or even Brolin, from the list to make space. Alright, there we have it. Easiest pick this year:

Heath Ledger - "The Dark Knight"

Actress in a Leading Role

Here's where I was really slacking... I've seen one of these performances - Meryl Streep in "Doubt," which was one of several excellent performances in the film (props to the Academy for recognizing them as such). Hathaway had the early buzz, Leo has the indy vote as well as Mr. Ebert's vote, "Changeling" didn't make enough of a splash to bump up the buzz on Jolie, and Winslet may be double-dipping with her performance in "Revolutionary Road."

Kate Winslet - "The Reader"

Actress in a Supporting Role

This category usually baffles me. I love Amy Adams and Marisa Tomei, but neither of their performances this year were strong enough to warrant a statue. I think we all know how I feel about Penelope Cruz (and, unfortunately [I suppose], this is the one performance I didn't see in this category). There is some worry that the dual nominations from "Doubt" may knock Viola Davis' brilliant performance out of the running due to split voting. Taraji P. Henson is picking up some late steam due to the fact that her performance was in the only film from this category to pick up a best picture nomination. However, Ms. Henson's racial-stereotype-fest performance (due in large part to the writing) was one of the more troubling aspects (in my opinion) of "Button." So with the same stubbornness that cost me a point in this category in the Jennifer Hudson incident (and because I don't want to see "Doubt" go away empty handed), I will ignore the cries of "Penelope" and go with:

Viola Davis - "Doubt"

Animated Feature Film

I didn't see "Bolt." "Panda" was a fun in a "hey, Jack Black is kooky" kind of way. Second easiest category:

"Wall-E"

Art Direction

I didn't see "Changeling" or "Duchess," and while the look of both (from trailers/tv spots) was impressive, I think the poor box office showings (and lack of buzz/other awards) will make this moot. "Revolutionary Road" was impressive in a quiet, orderly stereotype-of-surbia way along with some fun old-school boiler room/boys club stuff, but how do you compete with "epics" like "Button" and "Knight?" A big part of me wants to go with "Knight," but the other part says that this isn't the category to be stubborn with, so:

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Cinematography

Always a tough category, this year proves no exception for Cinematography. As previously stated, I haven't seen "Changeling," and I don't have too many reservations in eliminating that one from consideration in this category. "Button" was ambitious on many levels, photography not excluded, riding a wide range of looks from the sterile modern hospital, to the warmly colored flashbacks, to the flashbacks within flashbacks, to the harshness of the open sea, to the beautiful opening sequence. Not to be outdone, "The Dark Knight," arguably (as several critics have outright stated) the most impressively shot film of the year, ran the gamut from intense crime/interrogation scenes to soft, dramatic fare, to several larger-than-life action sequences (shot on IMAX cameras, no less). Still, if there was ever a case to be made for "most deserving" of an Oscar, based on nominations (now that both Randy Newman and Martin Scorcese have collected), it would be perennial Coen shooter, Roger Deacons, who co-shot "The Reader" with equally talented Chris Menges. And then there's the odds-on Best Picture candidate, "Slumdog Millionaire." Although it was shot entirely in India, I think the Dutch have equal claim to the photography... I felt like I needed to walk around with my head cocked to one side for several days after watching it. Even so, it cannot be ignored that it is the front runner for Best Picture and the photography was a major player in it's effectiveness as a story and as a film.

Anthony Dod Mantle - "Slumdog Millionaire"

Costume Design

We've got the 30's ("Australia"), the 50's ("Revolutionary Road"), the 70's ("Milk"), the better part of the 20th century ("Benjamin Button"), and then the always favored period piece ("The Duchess"). As I haven't taken too many risks thus far, and as I love Catherine Martin (not to take away from her incredible talent, as her costumes are always - this case no exception - brilliant), and as I'd hate to see Baz's latest walk away empty handed:

Catherine Martin - "Australia"

Directing

Unfortunately, I don't think "Button" nor "Frost/Nixon" display anything near the best work of their respective directors. Again, I have not seen "The Reader" (I'm saying this quite often, perhaps it will be my downfall), but "Milk" and "Slumdog" would most likely remain my top two, as they appear to be for many critics. At the outset of typing this post I had made up my mind on all 24 categories. To this point I have not changed my mind in any categories. However, that may change here as I am now no longer sure which name I will type below. ..... thinking .... I love Danny Boyle - an Irishman who tells bittersweet stories, what's not to love? And his film is exceptional. On the other hand, as much as "Oscar loves a comeback story," (every news organizations/critics justification for placing Rourke above Penn as the front runner for Actor) Oscar also loves politics, controversy, and real life stories. .... thinking ....:

Danny Boyle - "Slumdog Millionaire"

Documentary Feature

Here's another instance where politics/controversy may come into play, with the Katrina-centered "Trouble the Water," which, from all accounts, is a terrific documentary (and one I was hoping to watch before the ceremonies... oh well). I'm playing it safe and going with:

"Man on Wire"

Documentary Short

As with all shorts I'm basically going off of the trailers. "Witness" is historic, "Inch" is timely, "Pinki" just started getting a lot of press (unfortunately, "just started" isn't great when the majority of the voting happened a week - several weeks ago)...

"The Conscience of Nhem En"

Film Editing

As much as I think "The Dark Knight" is deserving for the incredible action sequences, I think "Slumdog" may take it here for the same reasons it'll grab cinematography - audiences love it (want to vote for it), and the story is told through engaging photography and editing.

Chris Dickens - "Slumdog Millionaire"

Foreign Language Film

All reports put "The Class" and "Baader Meinhoff" at the top of their game, and presumably this category. But I'm going to have to vote with the popular/most watched choice:

Israel - "Waltz With Bashir"

Makeup

If it weren't a first time nomination I might feel comfortable going with a supreme dark horse here ("Hellboy II"), however, this category really comes down to the Joker's face vs. the younger-and-younger Brad Pitt. If I had my way it would go to "Knight," but I won't:

Greg Cannom - "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Music (Score)

How much would I love to see Newton Howard take this one for "Defiance?" A ton. How much confidence do I have that that will actually happen? None.

A.R. Rahman - "Slumdog Millionaire"

Music (Song)

I know this is usually the Disney/Animated category (in years where there's no strong Musical contender, anyway), but I just can't get excited about "Down to Earth." Even though it's inspirational (and in English), it doesn't move me in the way that both of the "Slumdog" tunes do. Perhaps it's because it is in English/is an "American" song and so it resonates less as it is more familiar (white noise)... Although I'm tempted to place my vote for "O... Saya" due to M.I.A.'s presence on the track (popular pull), I'm going with the tighter, stronger track:

"Jai Ho" - Music by A.R. Rahman; Lyric by Gulzar

Best Picture

Alright, here we go. I think I've done enough of a lead-up to this:

"Slumdog Millionaire"

Short Film (Animated)

This one's actually tougher than I'd expected. I was not too terribly impressed with the trailer for "Lavatory." I saw a lot of potential in the trailer for "La Maison." I actually saw the full versions of "Oktapodi" and "This Way Up," both of which were amazing in completely different ways. But then there's the other perennial favorite, Pixar, with "Presto." "This Way Up" is different, dark, and interesting (a la Tim Burton), "Oktapodi" is endearingly cute, fun, and has a terrific ending that is both completely appropriate and somewhat unexpected, and then there's Pixar. Although my heart says "Oktapodi," my prediction says:

"Presto"

Short Film (Live Action)

This one wasn't difficult at all. Not saying I got it right, but I'm going with:

"Auf Der Strecke (On The Line)"

Sound Editing

Although "The Dark Knight" may very well win this one, it doesn't deserve to. Who does?

Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood - "Wall-E"

Sound Mixing

You could make a very convincing argument that "Wall-E" deserves this as well, but I'll play for a point here:

Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo, and Ed Novick - "The Dark Knight"

Visual Effects

Everybody's talking "Button" here and I'm not exactly sure why. The compositing was definitely not Oscar-worthy, and outside of that what was there? Certainly nothing that compares with Two-Face's face in "Knight" (or, for that matter, the externals of the city of Gotham)... not to mention about half of the entire "Iron Man" film. Because I want to hear John Favreau mentioned in an acceptance speech:

John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick, and Shane Mahan - "Iron Man"

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

No surprises here:

Simon Beaufoy - "Slumdog Millionaire"

Writing (Original Screenplay)

This one's tough. Oscar sometimes goes small here (a la "Little Miss Sunshine"), however, I think "Frozen River" and "Happy-Go-Lucky" may be a bit too small, and although "In Bruges" has built up a bit of a cult following, it is a following made up mostly by those outside the voting members of the Academy. Although "Wall-E" was a great film, I don't think it'll be one of the few animated features to walk away with this award. That's right, another chance to go political:

Dustin Lance Black - "Milk"

THE ROCKEL OSCAR PREDICTION CONTEST EXTRAVAGANZATHON RETURNS

2009-02-18T15:43:00.004-08:00

Made it back just in time...

Sincere apologies, once again, for my neglectful ways... and I really have no excuse as I've had nothing but time on my hands as work is slow here, hopefully this will change that.

I have been doing some writing (obviously not here) over the past month or so, which has been rewarding. I've revamped an old short script, nearly completed a feature length script, and have met a few times with a friend who wants to attempt to adapt an H. C. Anderson short story.

But looking to the future, the Oscars are almost upon us... Hollywood Blvd. between Orange and Highland has been closed all week long in preparation... and hopefully you will all take a moment or two to prepare some predictions in an attempt to dethrone me as I defend my title (I won last year, right? Not important, we shall assume I did).

So get your predictions in... same rules as last year, which were the same as the year before... you get one (1) point for every correct prediction except for the three (3) "short" categories, which are worth one-tenth (0.1) of one point each to serve as a tiebreaker... predictions must be in before the ceremony begins... and, unfortunately, the producers of this contest weren't able - in these tough economic times - to raise the funds needed to match last year's prize, so this year the prize will be slashed in half, all the way back to what it was at the first annual contest (from to years ago): just one helping of pride and bragging rights. Still, not too shabby.

I look forward to beating you all.

(nominees can be found here)

Awards, Take Two - Golden Globes

2009-01-11T19:55:00.004-08:00

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
(( Slumdog Millionaire ))

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Meryl Streep, Doubt
(( Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road ))

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
(( Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler ))

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Happy-Go-Lucky
(( Vicky Cristina Barcelona ))

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
(( Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky ))

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
(( Colin Farrell, In Bruges ))

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
(( Wall-E ))

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
(( Waltz With Bashir (Israel) ))

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Amy Adams, Doubt
(( Kate Winslet - The Reader ))

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
(( Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight ))

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
(( Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire ))

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
(( Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire ))

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
(( A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire ))

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
(( “THE WRESTLER” — THE WRESTLER ))
(( Music & Lyrics by: Bruce Springsteen ))

###########

Result - 11/14... not bad, though I obviously don't know my actresses, and a major congrats to Ms. Winslet.

The Official Opening of Award Season (Grab Your Guns)

2009-01-08T10:48:00.006-08:00

*Updated* with (( Winners ))

The BFCA hand out their Critics Choice awards tonight... I've been watching screeners from friends frantically this past week and have seen most (though unfortunately not all) of the major films in contention for top prizes at the early Awards shows...

Predictions for tonight...

BEST PICTURE
(( Slumdog Millionaire ))
runner-up: Milk

"Slumdog" is riding Heath-Ledger-esque momentum right now... as topical, political, and controversial as "Milk" is, I don't think it has enough to knock Boyle's piece out of the top spot.

BEST ACTOR
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
(( runner-up: Sean Penn - Milk ))

Rourke has been the frontrunner in this one for a long while, and now that I've finally seen it, I can't say I wholeheartedly disagree, although, to be honest, I'm a little disappointed with this category this year. I still need to see "The Visitor," but I was not at all inspired to watch Eastwood in "Gran Torino" after viewing the trailer, Langella was well over-hyped as Nixon, and Pitt left quite a weak impression on me in "Button."

BEST ACTRESS
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
(( runner-up: Meryl Streep - Doubt ))
(( Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married ))

Anne Hathaway had the momentum in this category shortly before Jolie took it over, and now Streep appears to be the favorite. It may be the fact that I'm not a huge fan of Ms. Streep, but her performance in "Doubt," while strong, dominating, and a bit quirky, couldn't match the power of Leo's performance (sort of soberingly honest a la Amy Ryan/"Gone Baby Gone") in "River."

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
(( Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight ))
runner-up: Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt

Well, I have to say, this category didn't quite turn out to be the landslide everyone (including myself) sort of assumed in the wake of Ledger's death and stupendous opening of "The Dark Knight." Brolin and Franco were both equally incredible in "Milk," which, unfortunately, as is often the case, will cancel each other out, and Downey Jr., as much as I love him, should be grateful to have pulled in a nomination, as the BFCA rarely gives them out to off-the-wall patently comic performances in silly (albeit big budget), goof-ball comedies. Hoffman can do no wrong in my eyes, and his performance in "Doubt" was easily the strongest - high praise when looking at his co-stars.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Viola Davis - Doubt
runner-up: Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
(( Kate Winslet - The Reader ))

Alright, this is me basically picking the upset over someone I can't stand. Not to take anything away from Davis, as her performance in "Doubt" was remarkable and perhaps (taking into account her very brief time on screen) the most powerful and lasting one this year, but Cruz seems to have everyone assuming this one is locked up.

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Doubt
(( runner-up: Milk ))

In much the same way that Viola Davis' dense (or, perhaps, "consolidated") performance should win out over Penelope Cruz, the very few masterful performances in "Doubt" should topple the larger cast with great performances, "Milk."

BEST DIRECTOR
(( Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire ))
runner-up: David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Nolan and Howard both made some excellent decisions which led to great films, but both made several choices I didn't take well to, and, as a result, should not be considered for this one. Van Sant's film was remarkable, and while I think it'll do better at the more political Oscars, I don't see it bringing home the critics. I love Danny Boyle. I love David Fincher. Both are well under-awarded, and as much as I would love to see that change for the latter, "Slumdog" is by far the superior film.

BEST WRITER (Original or Adapted Screenplay)
Dustin Lance Black - Milk
(( runner-up: Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire ))

This one was a tough one. Neither "Frost/Nixon" nor "Button" left me in awe of the writing. However, the other three are all very strong contenders. "Slumdog" is such an amazing film all around that although the writing didn't stick out as mindblowing, it was adequate to the purpose of the film, which, in such a terrific film, makes it great. However, you really have to appreciate the writing in films like "Milk" and "Doubt" that boast multiple Actor/Actress/Ensemble nominations. For me, great writing and great acting are so closely interlaced that it becomes the chicken-and-egg situation (Could that many strong performance come from a less worthy script? Could a less worthy script pull in that many strong actors/performances?). I don't know if "Doubt" will suffer because it is an "adaptation" (meaning the major speeches/dialogue were already "existing," even though the adaptation was done by the original writer), but I can't see "Milk" walking away from the evening empty handed.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
(( Wall-E ))
runner-up: Waltz With Bashir

This category would be a huge upset if anything other than Wall-E took it.

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS (Under 21)
(( Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire ))

No real contest here, I don't think. There still a lot of buzz over Dakota Fanning. Hopefully true talent will beat out name recognition.

BEST ACTION MOVIE
(( The Dark Knight ))

No real contest here, either. Too much press. Too much love. Too much Ledger. It can't be overthrown.

BEST COMEDY MOVIE
(( Tropic Thunder ))
runner-up: Burn After Reading

I guess you could call this an upset. "Burn" is the more "traditional" comedy winner, and "Barcelona" still has all that Penelope momentum, but "Thunder" is far and away the funniest (and the best) film on the list.

BEST PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
(( John Adams ))

No real contest. Again, I might look for "Recount" to do better at the Oscars, but I don't think "Adams" has anything to worry about tonight.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Let the Right One In
(( runner-up: Waltz With Bashir ))

I'm ashamed to say that I have seen 0 of the 6 films nominated in this category. So I'll just have to go with the buzz.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
(( Man On Wire ))
runner-up: Young At Heart

I've seen a few in this category, including my favorite movie from last year, "Young@Heart," but for predicting purposes I'm going to have to go with the film I just rented last night but have yet to watch, which has impressed 100% of the critics over at rottentomatoes.com, "Man on Wire."

BEST SONG
"Another Way to Die" (performed by Jack White and Alicia Keys, written by Jack White) - Quantum of Solace
(( runner-up: "The Wrestler" (performed by Bruce Springsteen, written by Bruce Springsteen) - The Wrestler ))

The Boss is the frontrunner, but you've got to love the theme song to the new Bond film. Alright, maybe you don't have to, but I certainly do. Best song of the year. No doubt. Even though Bruce will win.

BEST COMPOSER
Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard - The Dark Knight
runner-up: Danny Elfman - Milk
(( A. R. Rahman - Slumdog Millionaire ))

I contemplated removing the runner-up on this one, because there's pretty much no way Zimmer/Newton Howard lose this one. But if they do it'll be to Elfman.

The Rockel score = 9/17... that's gotta get better

'09 Top Ten

2009-01-02T22:16:00.013-08:00

#10

Title: A Serious Man
Release Date: TBD 2009
Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Starring: Michael Stuhlbarg, Fred Melamed, Richard Kind, Aaron Wolf
Description: A black comedy set in 1967 and centered on on Larry Gopnik (Stuhlbarg), a Midwestern professor who watches his life unravel when his wife prepares to leave him because his inept brother (Kind) won't move out of the house.

Someone once asked me if I thought the Coen brothers could do no wrong. Of course they can. It was called "The Lady Killers" (and to a lesser extent "Intolerable Cruelty"). But they're going back to a proven formula: Coens + oringinal script + black comedy + midwest - Hollywood A-list actors = win. (Cinematography, as always, by the magnificent Roger Deacons).

Title: This Side of the Truth
Release Date: March 20, 2009
Director: Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson
Starring: Ricky Gervias, Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Louis C.K., Tina Fey, Christopher Guest, Jeffrey Tambor, Jonah Hill, John Hodgman, Jason Bateman, Patrick Stewart.
Description: The film is set on an alternate Earth where no one has ever lied, and stars Gervais as a performer who tells the world's first lie, coming to wield its power for personal gain.

Ricky Gervais is easily one of the funniest and most creative men alive... an odd group of truly funny talent and the outlandishly silly premise should make this one of the funniest films this year.

Title: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Release Date: TBD 2009
Director: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole, Andrew Garfield, Tom Waits, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell
Description: In the present day, immortal 1,000-year-old Doctor Parnassus (Plummer) leads a traveling theater troupe that offers audience members a chance to go beyond reality through a magical mirror in his possession. Members of the troupe include a sleight of hand expert, Anton (Andrew Garfield), and a dwarf, Percy (Verne Troyer), Parnassus had been able to guide the imagination of others through a deal with the Devil (Waits), who now comes to collect on the arrangement, targeting the doctor's daughter (Lily Cole). The troupe, which is joined by a mysterious outsider named Tony (portrayed by Ledger, Depp, Law, and Farrell), embark through parallel worlds to rescue the girl.

If you've been following this one at all, you're a bit uneasy by the fact that this one still doesn't have a release date. But if Gilliam is somehow able to break his curse and cut this one together, it will no doubt find considerable success. Not only will this exhibit Heath Ledger's final appearance on film, but the three superb actors stepping up to help flesh out Ledger's incomplete role will no doubt draw elevated crowds. Add to this the reports that Gilliam looks to be returning to the style of his earlier works ("Brazil," "Time Bandits") as opposed to his less-appealing more recent works ("Brothers Grimm," "Tideland"), and hopefully the remaining Gilliam faithful will show their support.

Title: The Year One
Release Date: June 19, 2009
Director: Harlod Ramis
Starring: Jack Black, Michael Cera
Description: This comedy blends the old-school talent of director Harold Ramis with the new millennium hit-making prowess of producer Judd Apatow. YEAR ONE stars Apatow collaborator Michael Cera and funnyman Jack Black as men who are banished from their ancient village, causing them to travel across the world.

This thing has been pretty well shrouded in mystery... what we do know for certain is that Harold Ramis is amazing and will be directing this Biblical-era comedy, as he says, in the style of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Title: Sherlock Holmes
Release Date: November 20, 2009
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams
Description: Detective Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) and his stalwart partner Watson (Law) engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.

Sure, it's no secret that quite a few people will be looking forward to this one, but some may question such a high ranking. I'm a huge Ritchie fan, as well as a Downey fan, and something just feels right about this one. I'm fairly confident this isn't going to be the knockout punch that Favreau-Downey landed this past year with "Iron Man," but I think this Ritchie-Downey combo will do far better than many assume.

Title: Where the Wild Things Are
Release Date: October 16, 2009
Director: Spike Jonze
Starring: Paul Dano, Forest Whitaker, Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara
Description: An adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's story, where Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world--a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler.

I'm more than a little disappointed with all the people who still, to this day, question Jonze's ability to handle this project. Have you seen the screen test? The production stills? Those alone are more than enough to convince me. I'm predicting no letdown whatsoever.

Title: Brothers
Release Date: TBD 2009
Director: Jim Sheridan
Starring: Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire, Sam Shepard
Description: A young man Tommy Cahill (Gyllenhaal) comforts his older brother's wife Grace (Portman) and her children after his older brother Sam (Maguire) goes missing in Afghanistan. Based on Susanne Bier's award-winning film, "Brodre" ("Brothers").

As much as I would never like to see Tobey Maguire on screen again, I can't help but believe in the amazing Jim Sheridan ("My Left Foot," "The Field," "In the Name of the Father"), even though he will be sans-Day-Lewis and the setting/subject won't be Ireland.

Title: Public Enemies
Release Date: July 1, 2009
Director: Michael Mann
Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Channing Tatum, Giovanni Ribisi, Billy Crudup
Description: The Feds try to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger (Depp), Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) and Pretty Boy Floyd (Tatum) during a booming crime wave in the 1930s.

Amazing cast; Depp as Dillinger; cinematography by Dante Spinotti ("Heat," "Last of the Mohicans"); costumes by Colleen Atwood ("Chicago," "Memoirs of a Geisha," "Sweeney Todd").

Title: The Tempest
Release Date: TBD 2009
Director: Julie Taymor
Starring: Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons, Djimon Hounsou, Russell Brand, Alfred Molina, Ben Whishaw, Felicity Jones, Chris Cooper, Alan Cumming
Description: In Julie Taymor's version of 'The Tempest,' the gender of Prospero has been switched to Prospera. Going back to the 16th or 17th century, women practicing the magical arts of alchemy were often convicted of witchcraft. In Taymor's version, Prospera is usurped by her brother and sent off with her four-year daughter on a ship. She ends up on an island; it's a tabula rasa: no society, so the mother figure becomes a father figure to Miranda. This leads to the power struggle and balance between Caliban and Prospera; a struggle not about brawn, but about intellect.

Oh, sweet Bard. If "Titus" is an accurate measure of the depth of Taymor's genius (and I believe it is), this, her second venture into putting Shakespeare on the big screen, can only be brilliant. Once again surrounded by incredibly talented artists, including one of the greatest costume designers alive, Sandy Powell, Taymor will once again bring a visually stunning, powerful piece of theatre to the silver screen.

Title: Nine
Release Date: December 11, 2009
Director: Rob Marshall
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Stacy Ferguson, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren
Description: Nine is a musical following a film director named Guido Contini (Day-Lewis), who is in his middle age. He is trying to complete his next film. His main problem is that he has too many women in his life. Luisa (Cotillard), his wife, Carla (Cruz) his sexy mistress, and Claudia (Kidman), his muse and protege. Based on the 1982 Tony-award-winning Broadway musical of the same name, which was an adaptation of Federico Fellini's 1963 film, "8 1/2."

There are few things that can best Julie Taymor directing William Shakespeare, but this one is ridiculous. The script was co-adapted by the late, great (Academy Award winner) Anthony Minghella; it will be shot by (Academy Award winning cinematographer) Dion Beebe (who worked with Marshall on "Chicago," in addition to shooting "Memoirs of a Geisha" [for which he won the Oscar] and "Rendition"); also Simon Lamont is attached (the supervising art director from "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight"). Plus, taking on the acting (and singing!) duties are (Academy Award winner) Daniel Day-Lewis, (Academy Award winner) Marion Cotillard, (Academy Award winner) (Dame) Judy Dench, and (Academy Award winner) Nicole Kidman. Did I mention Daniel Day-Lewis is going to sing?

New Year, New Films

2009-01-01T18:29:00.012-08:00

Well, there's a lot to get thru so lets just jump in...

Quick note: all release dates, or rather months (ex. "(JAN)"), are subject to change. Those films whose release dates/months are unknown or unsure are labeled as such (UNS).

2009 is gonna be the year of 3-D... get ready for it... We shall be treated to massive amounts of horrors/thrillers in this new added-dimension form, including My Bloody Valentine 3D (JAN), Final Destination: Death Trip 3D (AUG), Piranha 3-D (JUL), and of course Horrorween (OCT). I'll also be sure to miss Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience (FEB) as well as Jim Carrey's latest destruction of a classic, A Christmas Carol (NOV). On the positive side of the 3D-ness is James Cameron's long-anticipated Avatar (DEC) as well as most of the animated films being released this year (and some re-releases), including Toy Story 3-D (OCT), Monsters vs. Aliens (MAR), Astro Boy (OCT), and Pixar's Up (MAY).

Speaking of Animated films, this looks to be a strong category this year... I'm going to recommend passing on The Princess and the Frog (DEC), Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey (SEP), as well as Rob Zombie's The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (UNS) (although, truth be told, I am [very] slightly interested by the casting of Paul Giamatti in the [voice] role of "Dr. Satan"). Top Picks in the Animation category:

`7` - Jackboots on Whitehall (UNS)... if for no other reason than Alan Cumming will be voicing Hitler, with Tom Wilkinson as the voice of Goebbels, in this "satirical version of World War II in which the Scottish defeat the German invasion of England." Yes, you read that correctly... the Scottish. So yes, Ewan McGregor will also being voicing a character.
`6` - Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (SEP)
`5` - Coraline (FEB)... A lot of talk about this one already. Based on a Gaiman book; directed by Henry Selick(Nightmare Before Christmas).
`4` - Monsters vs. Aliens (MAR)
`3` - Up (MAY)... it's tough to beat Pixar. Even so...
`2` - Fantastic Mr. Fox (NOV)... I think Wes Anderson's first journey into Animated features, on the back of the amazing Roald Dahl, has to beat out an old man and a boy scout in a floating house.
`1` - 9 (SEP)... Just saw the trailer for this one a couple days ago.... looks amazing... based on the director's (Shane Acker) short film of the same title that was nominated for an Academy award in 2006 (lost to "Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation, The").

Even more so than 3D, 2009 is (once again) shaping up to be the year of the sequel/prequel/series. And once again, there are plenty to avoid:
- Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (JAN)... no Beckinsale, no thanks.
- The Pink Panther 2 (FEB)... bad idea
- Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (FEB)... worse idea
- Fast & Furious (APR)... and just when you think it can't get worse-
- Crank 2: High Voltage (APR)... it does. But we're not done yet.
- Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakuel (DEC)... oh yeah, you read that right.
- Saw VI (OCT)
- The Descent 2 (UNS)... a sequel to the only film bad enough to make me leave the theater... it was a mistake to go attempt to see it anyway... and a long story, too... we'll just move on.
- New Moon (NOV)... Sequel to Twi- eh, scuse me.... Sequel to Twighli- whew, tougher than I thought... Sequel to Twighlight. Hurts to say that.

However, once again, not all the news is bad:

Some of it is just mediocre...
- Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian (MAY)
- Angels & Demons (MAY)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (JUL)... sorry, still can't justify recommending this series.
- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (JUL)

And the Top of the Category:

- Bruno (MAY)... okay, technically not a sequel to Borat, so I won't give it a number.... I'm still looking forward to it, though.
- New York, I Love You (FEB)... alright, again, not technically a sequel, but it is, I think we can safely say, a "follow-up" to 2006's "Paris, je t'aime" (which, translated, means "Paris, I [something] You"... oh, man... it'll come to me)

`4` - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (JUN)
`3` - X-Men Origins: Wolverine (MAY)
`2` - Terminator Salvation (MAY)... Christian Bale attempts to claim the title of "Able to ressusitate any series"
`1` - Star Trek (MAY)... I can't believe I'm putting J.J. first at something... whatever.

In addition to tons of sequels et al., there are a fair amount of remakes coming out this year, including:

- Friday the 13th (FEB)... trailer's out... actually doesn't look that horrible
- Race to Witch Mountain (MAR)... The Rock.... 'nuff said.
- Fame (SEP)... even Kelsey Grammer and Megan Mullally won't be able to come anywhere remotely close to saving this one.
- The Stepfather (OCT)
- The Wolfman (NOV)
- The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (JUN)... this looks like it might actually be good (as a film on its own, rather than as an assessment of how well it preserved the original, but lets not ask too much), however, it looks as though the filmmakers are abandonning the "color" character names (ie. - Green, Blue, etc.) of the original. There has been some speculation that this is due to the fear that modern audiences would assume they stole this idea from "Reservoir Dogs" and not the other way around. Just another way Tarantino sucks.

Speaking of sucking, there's gonna be quite a lot of bad comedies this year. It would take far too long to list out all the bad, so here are some highlights:

Dance Flick (AUG), continues the tradition of "Not Another _____ Movie," and then Not Another Not Another Movie (UNS) makes fun of it and all its predecessors (actual movie, not a joke). If you're in the mood for a bad comedy about a mall cop, you actually have your choice this year between Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop (JAN)) or Seth Rogan (Observe and Report (APR)). Lindsay Lohan will be playing a young woman who pretends to be pregnant (just so we're all up on where here career is currently), in Labor Pains (UNS), and Will Ferrell will star in a film adaptation of the TV show Land of the Lost (JUN).... not sure which one is going to stink more (and that's sayin' somthing, Will).

Some Comedies that got my "hmmmm" rating, meaning that there looked to be at least one redeaming virtue to them, are:

- Sunshine Cleaning (MAR)... Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, and Steve Zahn... all that and it still only got a "hmmmmm"
- Adventureland (MAR)... Ryan Reynolds, directed by Greg Mottola ("Superbad")
- My Life in Ruins (MAY)... Nia Vardalos has a way of making horrible things seem decent, and decent things seem good... this one kinda looks horrible.
- The Maiden Heist (MAY)... love me some William H. Macy... but not sure about this one.
- Funny People (JUL)... Happy Madison and Apatow team up... seems like a winning combo, but I smell destruction.

So, I was going to post the top ten films I'm looking forward to in 2009 at the end of this post, but its already getting long and there's still a lot to cover, so the top ten will be in the next post. I mention this here because 4 of the films in my top 10 are comedies... and as a result, there's not a whole lot left to put in the "good" category... so here are a few to take note of:

- All About Steve (MAR)... this is the Sandra Bullock romantic comedy that I worked on. Decent cast, but still only "rental"-worthy.
- Away We Go (UNS)... Sam Mendes (ooh) directing John Krasinski (nice) and Maya Rudolph (what?).
- Youth in Revolt (FEB)... I find it sad that a comedy about a 14-year-old boy trying to lose his virginity would make my "films to take note of" segement, but when Michael Cera plays the 14yo, and Justin Long, Steve Buscemi, Ray Liotta, and Fred Willard round out the cast, it's gotta be worth a little something.
- The Informant (SEP)... Steven Soderbergh comedy with Matt Damon in the lead.
- Old Dogs (NOV)... this film, starring Robin Williams and John Travolta, boasts the final performance of the late Bernie Mac.
- Young Americans (JAN)... Topher Grace... Anna Faris...
- Cold Souls (UNS)... nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, this offbeat indie comedy stars Paul Giamatti.
- I Love You Phillip Morris (UNS)... this one picked up a lot of press for its "shocking" factor, as it tells the true story of Steven Russell (Jim Carrey), a married father whose exploits landed him in the Texas criminal justice system where he fell madly in love with his cellmate (Ewan McGregor)
- Chandni Chowk to China (JAN)... I don't know why, and I'm a bit ashamed, but, after seeing the trailer, I want to see this goofball action-comedy.
- Fanboys (FEB)... I've been looking forward to this film for (literally) over 2 years... it has been pushed back time after time to accomodate more and more reshoots, as it won over lots of people who threw lots of money at it, and the potential then seemed limitless. I'm worried that with all the reshoots, the original brilliance may have been lost.
- Leaves of Grass (UNS)... No, not based on the Whitman collection... this is a comedy written and directed by Tim Blake Nelson ("Eye of God") starring Edward Norton as both an Ivy League professor and his pothead twin brother.

In addition to the rise in scripts adapted from books, Hollywood is also ramping up adaptations from TV Series' - Hannah Montana: The Movie (APR), G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (AUG) - as well as video games - Dragonball (APR), Warcraft (UNS).

The horor genre actually has some decent offerings this year (in addition to, of course, a plethora of those ridiculously bad, cheap, tasteless, etc. etc. etc.)... I'll skip the multitudes of worthless films, and list the four (yes, that's right, 4... I'm actually a bit proud of myself) at the top:

- Jennifer's Body (SEP)... Academy Award winner Diablo Cody (pain... in... chest...) follows up "Juno" with this story of a sultry high school cheerleader who begins killing her male classmates (pain... radiating...). As awful as it sounds, with her previous success and with Megan Fox ("Transformers") in the (very) titular role, this one will unfortunately do well (but won't win an Oscar, let's hope).

`3` - Drag Me to Hell (MAY)... with Sam Raimi back in his element, I can't deny that this will be successful, and with Allison Lohman in the lead I can't deny that I might actually see it.
`2` - The Box (NOV)... based on Richard Matheson's short story "Button, Button," Richard Kelly ("Donnie Darko") directs this horror/thriller about a small wooden box that - when opened - grants the owner(s) large sums of money at the expense of someone they don't know dying.
`1` - The Lovely Bones (DEC)... Peter Jackson directs a terrific cast in this film about a young girl who is murdered and "watches over her family - and her killer - from heaven."

Okay, more like three and a half.

The "Romance" category is another that I usually feel doesn't live up to the potential of the art/industry that is film. Once again, this year, I remain unconvinced by pretty much all of the offerings in this category, but if I had to recommend one, it would probably be one of the following two:

- 500 Days of Summer (JUL)... Zooey Deschanel... yeah, that's pretty much it. Also, Clark Gregg.
- Nailed (UNS)... David O. Russell ("Three Kings," "I Heart Huckabees") directs an incredibly offbeat romantic comedy with Jake Gyllenhaal, Jessica Biel, Catherine Keener, Paul Reubens, and Jon Stewart.

The Sci-Fi/Fantasy category, for me, boiled down to two iffy films, Mr. Nobody (UNS), and Inkheart (JAN). The latter, although it stars Brendan Fraser, features Paul Bettany and Helen Mirren, which may be its saving grace.

Almost to the end... two categories remaining... next up, Action/Adventure:

Side Note: I realize a lot of these categories are overlapping (ie. - there are plenty of sequels that are also action/adventure, etc.)... I put this together in a hurry... deal with it.

- Inglourious Basterds (UNS)... a lot of people are looking forward to Tarantino's return... most notably, M. Night Shyamalan, as he is tired of being the worst director working (Zing!)
- Whiteout (SEP)... Kate Beckinsale... Antarctica... sure, why not?
- The International (FEB)... this one has been a long time coming... should be pretty good... Clive Owen.
- Tree of Life (UNS)... a couple people have put this on their "best of upcoming films" lists... kind of a dark one, starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn.
- Watchmen (MAR)... a lot of hype, a lot of litigation... looks like it'll actually come out this year... prediction: won't live up to the hype.
- Ninja Assassin (UNS)... oh, come on! do you need anything else after a title like that? Directed by James McTeigue ("V for Vendetta")

Alright... into the home stretch... Drama/Suspense/Thriller:

We've got a couple of political films...
- Crossing Over (UNS)... imigrants struggling to acheive legal status... featuring Harrison Ford, Sean Penn, Ray Liotta, and Ashley Judd
- Green Zone (UNS)... CIA agents searching for WMD... with Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, and Amy Ryan. Directed by Paul Greengrass ("The Bourne Supremacy," The Bourne Ultimatum").

Then we've got Pedro Almondovar's latest (Broken Embraces (UNS)), Martin Scorcesse's latest (Shutter Island [aka Ashecliffe] (OCT)), and Francis Ford Copolla's latest (Tetro (UNS))

And rounding out the category, and the post:

- Notorious (JAN)... one of the few biopics this year.
- Shanghai (UNS)... asian period piece... sounds like fun... plus my girl Rinko is in it.
- The Limits of Control (UNS)... Jim Jarmusch's crime drama starring Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, John Hurt, and Gael Garcia Bernal
- The Soloist (APR)... Directed by Joe Wright ("Atonement"), this one looks like it could get a bit Movie-of-the-Week, but hopefully Downey Jr. will be enough to save it.
- Killshot (JAN)... all eyes will be on Rourke's performance here as a psychopathic hitman, after his strong performance in last year's "The Wrestler"
- The Road (UNS)... Viggo Mortensen's been hot lately... I expect good things from this post-apocalyptic thriller.
- Duplicity (MAR)... Tony Gilroy, Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Paul Giamatti, Tom Wilkinson... a little spy vs. spy... a little "Out of Sight"... should be quite good.

Alright... top ten coming up next.

Films I missed in 2008

2008-12-30T23:31:00.004-08:00

10. Rachel Getting Married... Jonathan Demme hasn't had a solid slam dunk since the early 90's, but all accounts point to Anne Hathaway's strongest performance to date as a good reason to check this one out.

9. When Did You Last See Your Father?... This one flew pretty well under the radar and got quite mixed reviews. It also looks like one of those emotional pieces that could very well pass for a glorified Lifetime Movie of the Week. But Jim Broadbent and Colin Firth (in a father-son combo) are reason enough for me to want to give it a shot.

8. Happy-Go-Lucky... This feel-good award-winner looks like a pleasant departure from the norm. Plus it boasts another strong female performance (Sally Hawkins) that may get some love come Oscar time.

7. In Bruges... I've talked about this one before. I wasn't too thrilled after seeing the trailer, much to my disappointment as I do enjoy me some Farrell and Gleeson. However, after being assured by several friends that it is most worthy, as well as some Globe love and Oscar buzz, I am looking forward to viewing it.

6. Man on Wire... Most accounts peg this one as one of (if not the) best documentaries this year, and it's (already) 6 or so awards from various festivals seem to back up this claim.

5. Milk... With the ridiculously amazing cast list attached to this, I really wanted to place this higher on the list. However, with it only managing to scare up one (1) - count 'em, er "it", 1 - Golden Globe nod, I had to drop it down the list a bit.

4. Doubt... How can you go wrong with Philip Seymour Hoffman? or, for that matter, Amy Adams? Streep I could take or leave. Add on top of that major predictions of a supporting actress Oscar nod for Viola Davis (already picking up the Globe nod) and it seems, at the very least, a fine display of acting.

3. The Wrestler... Aronovsky is a terrific director. Rourke's leading performance is pretty much being universally praised as the one to beat this year. I also look forward to Tomei (as always), and, from what I have been told, a wonderful performance by Ms. Evan Rachel Wood.

2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button... I'm a big fan of David Fincher. Although, ever behind, I still have not seen "Zodiac," a film that many said was snubbed by the Academy. And while many similar claims have been made throughout the years, it is undeniable that Fincher has released some great work to date and hasn't even one nomination from the Academy to his name. It would be great to see that change on this picture, and I don't think it would be too much of a stretch to hope for that this time around, as "Button" has received 5 Globe nods (Picture, Director, Score, Actor, Screenplay), and is perhaps the strongest candidate for a Screenplay award (behind the very capable pens of Eric Roth [Forrest Gump, Munich, The Good Shepherd] and Robin Swicord [Memoirs of a Geisha]), something that is frequently, though not always, followed by a Directing and/or Picture win.

1. Slumdog Millionaire... Danny Boyle is a risk-taking director, which usually results in something not-so-great ("The Beach," "Alien Love Triangle") or something brilliant, remarkable, and/or revolutionary ("Trainspotting," "28 Days Later"), but rarely anything in between. All reports on his latest film suggest that this may be - if not his best to date - one of the best this year, and certainly something to look for come Oscar (prediction) time.

Honorable Mentions:

- Australia... I love Baz Luhrmann and will see pretty much anything he makes. However, his latest is being hailed as a disappointment (and the box office receipts - to date making back only about 70% of the prod. budget - don't speak too highly either).

- Flash of Genius... I'm so upset that this didn't receive a better response. Greg Kinnear and Alan Alda in a true story of one man going up against the largest corporation in America... sure it sounds like it could have been a bit much (or, as noted above, a basic cable movie of the week), but it looked like it had some potential. The reviews were fair to decent, but apparently even that couldn't bolster its barely noticeable run at the box office.

- Frost/Nixon... I'm not super excited to see this one, even though I don't doubt that Ron Howard and his cast/crew "bring it" (as evidence by a well-rounded 5 Globe nods - Picture, Director, Actor, Screenplay, Score). However, I may have to bump one of my ten in favor of this, simply to compare Rourke's "Wrestler" lead performance with that of Langella as Nixon (the performance that many said, as far back as last year before his "Starting Out in the Evening" performance was "snubbed" by the Academy, would garner him a nod and possibly a statue).

- Che... (aka "Che: Part One" & "Che: Part Two", aka "The Argentine" & "Guerilla") Soderbergh's marathon of a biopic based on the life of Ernesto Che Guevara. I've been interested in this ever since hearing that Benicio Del Toro would be portraying Che himself, although since then I have heard everything from "his best performance to date," to "completely uninspired and lacking dimension." Hopefully I can find the time to watch and decide for myself.

Running long on words and short on time... on to the lightning round for the final three...

- Snow Angels... Rockwell, Beckinsale, NC School of the Arts Alum David Gordon Green ("All the Real Girls," "Pineapple Express"). Small town, indie flick. Looks interesting.

- Revolutionary Road... Yates novel, Mendes, Leo & Kate, lots of hype, don't think it'll live up, should want to see it more than I do.

- Defiance... True story, holocaust, Daniel Craig, Liev Shreiber, Russian accents. Bummed that preliminary reports are mild at best.

Rockel's Best

2008-12-28T21:49:00.005-08:00

Top Ten Films I saw this year:

`10` - Burn After Reading
If I had seen more films this year, this probably wouldn't have made the list (hence it's #10 position)... however, as much as it is nowhere near the brilliance of previous Coen Bros. films (Fargo, Blood Simple, No Country for Old Men), it did have it's moments. Malkovich was terrific and Brad Pitt managed to pull off an over-the-top performance reminiscent of George Clooney in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (something Mr. Clooney himself couldn't duplicate in this past year's "Leatherheads").

`9` - Traitor
I love me some Don Cheadle. The content matter of this film was of the kind that so easily goes far too political or far too outlandish. This film managed to keep a simple, honest approach to the treatment of all religious and political material that you could actually get involved in the plot without feeling the need to analyse biases/bents. Very nice supporting performances by Pearce and McDonough helped as well.

`8` - Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr. is rarely off his game, Jack Black really settles wonderfully into his element when given crazy physical-comedy roles, and Stiller is always at his best when his satirical characters catch even himself in the crossfire. Not to mention that the script was well above the pace of most recent comedy scripts, the supporting players were all wonderful, the cinematography and visual effects were great, and there were 2 (count them, 2) "surprise" cameos that paid out exponential dividends (I don't even know if there is such a thing as exponential dividends, but if there is, this is the very definition).

`7` - Synechdoche, New York
I saw this film on a whim one day as I drove by the movie theater and felt like a movie. I had heard about the film several months before and was intrigued, but knew very little about it. I struggled quite a bit trying to find the proper place for this film on my top 10. It is without a doubt one of the heaviest, most depressing films I've seen in recent memory. It's not something I'd necessarily recommend to a wide audience, unless you are a fan of Charlie Kauffman, in which case there's no way you should miss it. However, I decided to include it as it was one of the more engaging films I saw this year, and it had an amazing ensemble cast, headed by none other than Mr. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, whose portrayal of the main character (which one must assume Kauffman based heavily on himself, or an alter-ego type offshoot of himself), though monotonous at times, was quite powerful.

`6` - Iron Man
This movie was such a delight for me. Aside from it being thoroughly enjoyable, Favreau has long been one of my favorite talents whom I feel has been under appreciated by mainstream Hollywood. Had it not been for the ridiculous performance of the ever-mediocre Jeff Bridges, this very well could have been a strong top-5 contender.

`5` - The Dark Knight
Much of the criticism of this film dealt solely with an unfair comparison to it's predecessor, "Batman Begins." While "Begins" was an excellent film in it's own right (as well as a terrific rebirth of a series), "Knight" exceeded in ways I think "Begins" never did. My main criticism would be of Nolan and him allowing his title character to spend half of the film speaking as though he had laryngitis. Outside of that, the film moved well, was well written, and showcased some of the best supporting performances in years, most notably (in my humble opinion, although Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker was powerful) Gary Oldman in one of the best turns this year as James Gordon.

`4` - Redbelt
Is there a better writer today than David Mamet? For my money, no. As a side note, I just finished reading his most recent book, Bambi vs. Godzilla, which I highly recommend. But as to "Redbelt," Mamet delivers another winding, character- and dialogue-driven script that progresses slowly but steadily toward an exciting conclusion. And, as is always the case with Mamet films, every performance from the hero (masterfully played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) all the way down to the bit parts populated predominantly by Mamet regulars (Rebecca Pigeon, Ricky Jay, David Paymer), are top-notch. Although this most certainly is not Mamet's best work, I hold it far above the usual dramatic fare of today's films.

`3` - The Band's Visit
I was in no way expecting to be blown away when I saw this film, and I definitely was. It might be best compared to last year's "Little Miss Sunshine"... a feel-good, heart-warming, funny, sad, slice-of-life, comedy of errors meets indie travel film. This is perhaps one of the best directed films of the past year, achieving an honest simplicity while not dragging so much as to lose its interest.

`2` - The Counterfeiters
I have to admit that I really fell in love with this film. As someone who enjoys films that take a new and interesting take on events/genres/etc (as opposed to "falling into the trap" of a particular storytelling style), I was pleasantly surprised to see a holocaust film that preserved the historical authenticity of that horrible time without resorting to the traditional "holocaust film" scenes/gimmicks (as it wasn't necessary to tell the story). Aside from one small directorial choice that I heavily disagreed with (although, by the end of the film, it was relatively far from my mind, and therefore may not have been such a horrible offense), it was, to me, near perfection.

`1` - Young@Heart
I've written extensively on this film before, but I don't think it can be overstated. I'm not the type of person who treks to the cinema in search of sap with which to water the eyes, nor to discover the next "feel-good" hit of the year. "Young@Heart" manages to tell an engaging story while running the gamut of emotions, never landing too hard on the heavy, nor indulging too much in the sap.

Honorable mentions:

- War, Inc.
This got some pretty rotten reviews, and I can definitely see why. I saw it on a whim and enjoyed it, though not tremendously. I saw it a second time with friends (one of whom, after watching it, referred to it as "this generations 'Brazil'," which I will tell you is far too kind) and I think I may have been a little too hard on it with my first impressions. At it's most absurd, it's hysterical, however, it begins to drift away from the absurdity and by the third act is taking itself far too seriously, thereby ruining it. Still, one of the more interesting films this year. Perhaps that alone makes it worth considering

- The Foot Fist Way
A good, off-beat, slow, indie comedy (a la "Napoleon Dynamite") that launched the career of Danny McBride. If you were a fan of him in any of the Apatow films over the last few years (as Apatow love him and puts him in everything), I'd recommend checking this out. If you're in the mood for an offbeat comedy that's definitely off the beaten path, give it a shot.

- Step Brothers
Yeah, sure. Why not? John C. and Will Ferrell. Good times. Not "Tropic Thunder," but definitely funny. Plus, tons of extra content on the DVD as all good comedies should have (gag reel, line-o-rama, commentaries, etc.).

Coming up next, the top 10 (or possibly 15) films from 2008 that I have not yet seen, but definitely need to.

And then... What to look forward to in 2009.

2008 in Film (in Review), Part Two

2008-12-27T19:12:00.002-08:00

Continuing...

[[February 2008]]

Many films that premiered this month I did not see... for good reason:

Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert
Fool's Gold
Shrooms
The Eye
How to Rob a Bank
The Hottie and the Nottie
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
Step Up 2 the Streets
Jumper
Penelope
Witless Protection (a film that has now [now that "2008" lists are being compiled] been named on at least 2 lists I've read as "The #1 Worst Movie of 2008")

Of those I DID manage to see, I certainly would not recommend:

Semi-Pro (Clearly not Will Ferrell's best work)
Strange Wilderness (Clearly not Happy Madison's best work)
Vantage Point (Not horrible, but far too much build-up with very nearly nil in the payoff department)

There were also quite a few "above-mediocre" films that may be worth looking into. These include:

- A zombie film: Diary of the Dead, the latest from zombie god Romero (probably the reason for its moderate success despite reports of sub-par offerings); a pseudo-zombie film: The Signal; a period piece with two fine females that everyone thought would do much better: The Other Boleyn Girl; and two films that despite garnering healthy reviews have both been disqualified from my "recommended" section: Definitely, Maybe, and The Spiderwick Chronicles (The former is disqualified as it is a "Chick flick," the latter because it is a childrens film).

For myself, I hope to see several films that I would encourage you to consider, though I am cautious enough not to recommend outright. Be Kind Rewind is on my radar because I am a huge fan of Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "The Science of Sleep"), as well as both Jack Black and Mos Def. It was received luke-warm at best and I do not anticipate greatness in the traditional sense, but Michel has his own unique way of bringing about enjoyment. Also, Charlie Bartlett, the indie film about a rich boy who "becomes the self-appointed psychiatrist to the student body of his new high school," achieved only mild acclaim (to put it lightly), but the casting of Robert Downey Jr. in the school principle role was enough to pique my interest. Finally, In Bruges, starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson (two fine ol' Irish boys) as well as Mr. Ralph Fiennes, managed to fly pretty well under the radar, and I must say, upon viewing the trailer, I was not too terribly excited myself. This was, however, changed by an absolutely glowing recommendation from a friend coupled with the fact that this has now made at least 3 "best of" lists I've read for 2008 (keep in mind some of these lists are "the best 30..." or "the best 50...", but nevertheless...).

For the foreign-film-lover (or, rather, I should say, "foreign-language film lover"), your year is going quite well, as you now have 3 more worthy films to consider, in addition to last months Oscar nom. And once again, this (foreign) section ends the month, as it is the most impressive:

- City of Men (Brazil - "Cidade dos Homens")... I still have yet to see this film, and the only criticisms I recall from reviews were made in comparison to the amazing 2002 film "City of God" (directed by Fernando Meirelles, who produced "City of Men")... if the only thing lacking with a film is that it is not quite as good as "City of God," then I feel it is more than worth a watch.

- The Band's Visit (Israel - "Bikur Ha-Tizmoret")... I was working at Sony when one of there offshoots (Sony Pictures Classics) purchased distribution rights for this film. As such I was lucky enough to see a (free) screening of this much-lauded film. If you have not seen this film, you should. Although it didn't see a (being generous with the term here) wide release until February 2008, it did premiere in LA in '07, however it was ruled ineligible for consideration for a "Best Foreign Film" Oscar due to the fact that the film's dialogue is not "predominantly" in a language other than english. Good news for those of you who don't like subtitles! Even less reading required than your average foreign film. Plus it is quite easily one of the best films I saw this year (although it may have been '07 when I saw it, who knows).

- The Counterfeiters (Austria - "Die Falscher")... This was (another) one of the best films I saw this year, english or no. It was my pick (and, as it turned out, the Academy's pick) to win the foreign language film Oscar.

Alright, so this is getting long, and I'm beginning to run into the same films and the same reviews from when I last did this (sometime back in August I believe for DVD releases)... so I think for the next post I shall just compile a list of my ten, maybe twenty we'll see, favorite films from '08 and then move on to what's ahead in '09... I may also see if I can dig up "The Rockel 100": the list of my favorite films of all time so that I can update it and post it here for you (nothing wrong with checking out a good oldie every now and again)

2008 in Film (in Review), Part One

2008-12-26T19:34:00.005-08:00

Alright, so '09 is almost upon us... I am very disappointed in myself for failing to 1) post anything in the last, what, month and a half, 2) post anything concerning the coming year in film, 3) post anything even mentioning this years approaching "Academy Awards"... I will do what I can in what remains of the year to remedy some of this...

...beginning with a look back at the last 12 months, as I was asked by several friends over the Christmas break for recommendations of what quality product they may have missed this year and I was unable to give a clear and concise answer.

Judging from my ever-expanding notes, this will not be concise... hopefully it will be (relatively) clear.

Come journey along as I ramble on about nearly every movie that came out this year. Those that I do not feel require comment or note of any kind will be left out, however, (as I watched far fewer movies this year than one might expect, living out her) I will include as many as possible (even those I have not seen) and provide whatever 2nd- or 3rd-hand accounts I can to aid you in finding something enjoyable when you next enter a video store.

Part One:

In January, 2008...

...we were treated to some of the worst movies the year had to offer, or at least so we thought, as the year had just begun (how little did we know), starting with One Missed Call (a terrible horor film) and First Sunday (a terrible comedy), and followed shortly thereafter by In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (a terrible fantasy), directed by the infamous 2-time Razzie award nominee Uwe Boll. Not to be left out 27 Dresses gave us the first horrible chick flick of the year, followed closely after by the substantially worse Mad Money. There was also bad suspence (Untraceable), bad spoof comedy (Meet the Spartans), bad indie-drama (The Air I Breathe), and bad action/adventure (Rambo) [Sorry, Doyle]. My good buddy J.J. Abrams didn't let me down either, serving up the nasuea-inducing Cloverfield, which, although dissapointing, seemed a perfect treat after the previous weeks of ungodly tripe.

...the Veggie Tales movie, The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything saw a very limited release, and as such went unnoticed by much of the country (myself included).

...the first of several under-performing "modern war" movies (that is to say, movies that depict the dramatic/psychological effects of going to, or coming from, war as their main, if not sole, focus, as opposed to the great war films of yesteryear in which we were treated to breathtaking, if not somewhat macabre, visuals of actual warfare - the front lines, the trenches, etc.) opened. That being Day Zero.

...How She Move enthralled those who love modern dance movies ("Dance With Me," "Step Up," etc), and no one else.

...Cassandra's Dream delighted those who love Woody Allen movies, and no one else.

...Writer-director Mitchell Lichtenstein's feature debut, the horror-comedy Teeth, opened to rave reviews, despite the fact that the film's premise is the vagina dentata myth.

...the most well-received film was the Romanian film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, which received a "Best Foreign Film" Oscar nomination and collected the Palm d'Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

More to come in Parts Two and continuing.... sorry for just the one month this time, but I am still jet-lagging and getting settled back in out here on the left coast.

Merry (belated) Christmas to all! (and I won't say Happy New Year as I will definitely be posting more parts from this series before then)

Proposition 8

2008-11-04T15:58:00.002-08:00

Hello all...

My most sincere apologies for this, the most recent in a series of lengthy hiatuses. My next post will most likely detail the reasons for my month-long absence from the internets.

But for now, as I sit at my computer proudly wearing my "I Voted" sticker, I'd like to talk briefly about politics, religion, and this little thing out here in California known as "Prop 8."

Proposition 8 is: "an initiative state constitutional amendment on the 2008 California General Election ballot, titled Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry. If passed, the proposition will 'change the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California.' A new section would be added stating 'only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.'" (source)

As you may or may not recall, several months ago California's Supreme Court decided that there was nothing in the State Constitution that defined marriage as between one man and one woman. As such, the flood gates for same-sex marriage opened to the sheer delight of some communities and the utter horror of others.

It was only a matter of time, therefore, that a proposition for an amendment to the State Constitution be put up before the people of this great state. This is that proposition.

As I have attended several churches out here, failing as of now to find one on which to permanently land, I remain on several e-mail lists from 3 different churches. All 3 have sent out emails in the last several weeks/months detailing why the correct vote on Prop 8 is a vote of "Yes" to "restore traditional marriage."

I voted "No" on Prop 8.

I am not a homosexual. I do not advocate homosexuality. But amending the Constitution of the State of California to no longer recognize (governmentally-speaking) same-sex marriages is not "restoring traditional marriage."

Biblically speaking, "traditional marriage," as I understand it, is a covenant between one man and one woman, together with God, in the eyes of God and their respective families (both Church and biological). This covenant is sacred, as it is ordained by God.

However, when any human government institution decides to treat one group of persons differently based on any criteria, sacred or secular, it becomes a matter of man's law, open to abuse and discrimination.

By getting involved in this sacred institution/covenant, the United States Government is effectively subsidizing one form of relationship over another.

If we truly wish to return to "traditional marriage," then issues of the state should never enter in to the discussion; let the government treat all of its citizens equally and allow the churches to operate as they choose, providing access to sacraments and covenants as it aligns with their particular dogma.

Bill Maher: "The Whites"

2008-09-27T15:27:00.001-07:00

September October November December

2008-09-18T10:57:00.003-07:00

Back to movies...

We're down to the last third of the year... almost time to break out the Oscar talk. But that's for another post...

Here's a (nearly-comprehensive) list of the films set to come out in this, the final third of 2008, ranked according to the Rockel-meter:

5/5 Stars - Worth Seeing Opening Night
4/5 Stars - Worth Paying Full Price
3/5 Stars - Try a Matinee
2/5 Stars - Discount Theatre (can't really call them $1 theatres anymore)
1/5 Stars - Wait for Video
0/5 Stars - Just Skip It Altogether

and an all new category:

-1/5 Stars - Guantanamo Bay's New Interrogation Technique

I was going to take some time to discuss a few of the higher ranked films, but in an effort to keep this post as brief as possible I'll withhold comments until a future post.

OPENING NIGHT
Australia (11/26/08)
Slumdog Millionaire (11/28/08)
Defiance (12/12/08)
The Wrestler (12/19/08)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (12/25/08)

FULL PRICE
Battle in Seattle (9/19/08*)
Blindness (9/19/08*)
Miracle at St. Anna (9/26/08)
Flash of Genius (10/3/08)
What Just Happened? (10/3/08)
W. (10/17/08*)
The Changeling (10/24/08*)
Quantum of Solace (11/14/08)
Milk (11/26/08*)
The Reader (12/12/08)
Revolutionary Road (12/26/08)
Valkyrie (12/26/08)
Guerrilla, aka Che (12/2008**)

MATINEE
Burn After Reading (9/12/08)
Righteous Kill (9/12/08)
Ghost Town (9/19/08)
Eagle Eye (9/26/08)
Choke (9/26/08)
Body of Lies (10/10/08)
RocknRolla (10/31/08)
The Soloist (11/21/08)
Four Christmases (11/26/08)
Doubt (12/5/08)
The Day The Earth Stood Still (12/12/08)

DISCOUNT THEATRE
Appaloosa (9/19/08*)
Rachel Getting Married (10/3/08*)
Bolt (11/21/08)
Seven Pounds (12/12/08)
Yes Man (12/19/08)
The Spirit (12/25/08)

VIDEO
The Women (9/12/08)
The Express (10/10/08)
Max Payne (10/17/08)
Pride and Glory (10/24/08)
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (11/7/08)
Role Models (11/7/08)
Transporter 3 (11/26/08)
The Tale of Despereaux (12/19/08)
The Brothers Bloom (12/19/08*)

SKIP IT
Bangkok Dangerous (9/5/08)
Tyler Perry's The Family that Preys (9/12/08)
Igor (9/19/08)
Lakeview Terrace (9/19/08)
My Best Friend's Girl (9/19/08)
Nights in Rodanthe (9/26/08)
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (10/3/08)
City of Ember (10/10/08)
Soul Men (10/10/08)
Quarantine (10/17/08)
Zack and Miri Make a Porno (10/31/08)
Religulous (11/5/08)
The Punisher: War Zone (12/5/08)
Bedtime Stories (12/25/08)
Marley and Me (12/25/08)

GUANTANAMO BAY'S NEW INTERROGATION TECHNIQUE
Beverly Hills Chihuahua (10/3/08)
Sex Drive (10/17/08)
High School Musical 3 (10/24/08)
Saw 5 (10/24/08)
Twilight (12/12/08)

* = Limited release date, check local listings for release dates and show times in your area
** = Latest estimate on release date

Long Overdue Update

2008-09-15T18:02:00.002-07:00

Alright...I'm back on the left coast, but while I was over on that other one I realized that there are a few things that most of you don't know... I shall remedy this now; please excuse the tardiness...

#1 )) Carnivorous no more.

I no longer eat meat... unless you consider fish meat... I guess the technical term is Pescatarian. It's been about 5 months now, and it all started with me trying to quit smoking (once again) by living a bit healthier to discourage going back to such an unhealthy habit. So I quite fast food, soda, and started running, and eating more local/organic products. This had me shopping at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, where the meat options were a bit pricier than at "regular" grocers, so I ate very little meat, and one day decided to just kick it all together. So far, so good.

#2 )) Parkinson-of-a-gun

Roughly 16 years ago, my father was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. It progressed slowly and doctors managed to keep it under control with medication, until about a year ago when things began to head downhill. My recent trip back to NC was primarily due to the fact that he was scheduled for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery beginning September 9th (the surgery takes place in 2 parts). Here is an email my mom drafted to update friends and family:

Hey! Sorry I didn't get this out sooner - we had some technical difficulties in Charleston! The surgery was successful, which means that the surgeons got "good readings." We won't know for another month how if will actually affect Mike in the real world. In two weeks, we go back to Charleston to have the generators put in and then 8-10 days later, he'll actually get connected - then the process of "tweaking" begins. The surgeon and the neurologist were absolutely wonderful. The surgeon's nurse is very knowledgeable and great fun. Mike had some terrific nurses on the 10th floor (How he ended up there is a story for another day...) The MUSC experience on the whole, however, was phenomenally frustrating - thankfully, Matthew, Andrea, and Valerie were there and that kept me from being overwhelmed by the seeming incompetence of the people in charge of patient rooms. (At one point, two nurses showed up in the Recovery room - where, by the way, Mike stayed from the end of surgery until he checked out - again, another story - and wanted to know where he WAS!! You would all have been proud of my response - I mostly let them talk to each other and merely pointed at Mike, who was pretty obviously the brain surgery patient.) Ah...

But - God is good and Mike is back home, not quite himself on pain meds, but we're enjoying the laughs, some of which we may relate to him when he comes out of his very funny fog. Thanks, Pastor Ed, for the very loooooooong drive to pray with us and to visit. Thanks to all of you pray-ers for your prayers!! We felt very comforted by all of your support. Matthew is home until Sunday, Andrea is coming home for at least part of the weekend, my sister Jackie is come in this weekend and staying for two weeks. If you'd like to come visit Mike, I suggest that you wait for a few days - he really is funny right now, but he probably won't remember that you came to visit!!! I would think that by Saturday/Sunday, he'll be off most of the pain meds and would love a visit!!!

I'm so thankful for so much - Peg

Also, for more information, my dad posted some info on his blog.

That's all for now... I'll be back with more controversial fare later.

Breaking the Silence

2008-09-12T07:03:00.001-07:00

A Moment of Silence

2008-09-11T07:06:00.003-07:00

Back to Barack

2008-09-04T19:37:00.004-07:00

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA JR. (D-IL, U.S. Senate)

ABORTION

- The Talk:

"Barack Obama understands that abortion is a divisive issue, and respects those who disagree with him. However, he has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women’s rights under Roe v. Wade a priority as President. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in that case."

- The Record:

Barack Obama has voted Yea on:
> an amendment to the Senate's 2006 Fiscal Year Budget that allocates $100 million for the prevention of unintended pregnancies.

GAY MARRIAGE

- The Talk:

"[Obama] favors civil unions, though not gay marriage. He said religious denominations, not states, should decide whether to recognize gay marriages."

- The Record:

Barack Obama has voted Nay on:
> the motion to invoke cloture on a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment defining marriage as consisting of a man and a woman.

GUN CONTROL/2ND AMENDMENT

- The Talk:

"Barack Obama... has great respect for the passion that hunters and anglers have for their sport. Were it not for America’s hunters and anglers, including the great icons like Theodore Roosevelt and Aldo Leopold, our nation would not have the tradition of sound game management, a system of ethical, science-based game laws and an extensive public lands estate on which to pursue the sport.... Barack Obama believes the Second Amendment creates an individual right, and he respects the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms. He will protect the rights of hunters and other law-abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport, and use guns.... Obama supports the Open Fields Incentives legislation that provides incentives to farmers and ranchers who voluntarily open their land to hunting, fishing and other wildlife-related activities."

- The Record:

Barack Obama has voted Yea on:
> an amendment prohibiting the use of any funds appropriated in the FY2007 Department of Homeland Security Act from being used to confiscate legal firearms during states of emergency or major disasters. (Sec. 540)
> an amendment that requires all licensed importers, manufacturers and dealers who engage in the transfer of handguns to provide secure gun storage or safety devices.

Barack Obama has voted Nay on:
> a bill that provides liability protection for manufacturers, dealers or importers of firearms or ammunition products, as well as their trade associations, for harm caused by criminal or unlawful misuse.

Barack Obama did not vote on:
> an amendment that would prohibit funds in the Indigenous Health Bill (S 1200) from being used to "carry out any anti-firearm program, gun buy-back program, or program to discourage or stigmatize the private ownership of firearms for collecting, hunting, or self-defense."

IMMIGRATION

- The Talk:

"Obama wants to preserve the integrity of our borders. He supports additional personnel, infrastructure and technology on the border and at our ports of entry....Obama believes we must fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and increase the number of legal immigrants to keep families together and meet the demand for jobs that employers cannot fill.... Obama will remove incentives to enter the country illegally by cracking down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants.... Obama supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens."

- The Record:

Barack Obama has voted Yea on:
> an amendment that allows the Senate Budget Committee Chairman to raise spending levels to increase border security, expand enforcement of immigration laws, increase penalties against employers who hire undocumented immigrants, deploy National Guard troops to the southern and northern borders of the United States, and identify and deport non-citizen immigrants in prisons, provided that such spending would not increase the budget deficit.
> an amendment to an amendment that places an expiration date on a point based immigration system.
> an amendment that causes the Y-1 guest worker program to expire after five years.
> an amendment that establishes restrictions on admission into the United States for immigrants convicted of criminal behavior and penalties for illegal entry into the U.S.
> an amendment that declares English to be the common language of the United States.
> an amendment that reduces the annual limit on guest workers to two hundred thousand from a ceiling of six hundred thousand proposed in SA 1150.
> a bill that authorizes the construction of an additional 700 miles of double-layered fencing between the U.S. and Mexico and grants the Secretary of Homeland Security authority to take necessary steps to stop unlawful entry of undocumented immigrants into the U.S.
> To provide $1,829,100,000 for the Army National Guard for the construction of 370 miles of triple-layered fencing, and 461 miles of vehicle barriers along the southwest border.
> a bill that increases border security and enforcement laws, establishes criteria for U.S. citizenship, and provides financial assistance programs for areas of immigration.
> an amendment that provides certain undocumented immigrants present in the U.S. with an opportunity to become legal U.S. citizens. (Orange Card Program)
> a substitute amendment that requires an Electronic Employment Verification System to be implemented and used by employers to ensure that undocumented immigrants are not employed and makes it illegal to hire or continue to employ undocumented immigrants.
> an amendment that establishes a system for providing states with financial aid to offset the health care and educational costs incurred by giving aid to immigrants, and also allocates for funding the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP).
> an amendment that states all services or materials provided by the U.S. government be expanded to exclude any language other than English.

Barack Obama has voted Nay on:
> an amendment that allows the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee to increase spending levels for certain border security and immigration enforcement programs.
> an amendment that declares English as the language of "sole legal authority" for the business of the federal government, and declares that no person has a right to require officials of the United States government to use a language other than English.
> an amendment that would prohibit undocumented immigrants convicted of aggravated felonies, domestic violence, stalking, violation of protection orders, crimes against children, or crimes relating to the illegal purchase or sale of firearms, from gaining legal status.
> an amendment that would require information from applications on Z visas, which are renewable three year work permits, to be turned over to law enforcement under certain circumstances.
> an amendment that reduces discretionary funds in the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations on a pro rata basis by $1.83 billion to construct 370 miles of double-layered fencing between the U.S. and Mexico and 461 miles of vehicle barriers.
> an amendment that protects information submitted by immigrants seeking citizenship for any reason other than the application process.
> an amendment that declares English as the national language and calls for stricter requirements in language testing and knowledge of U.S. history.
> an amendment that specifies how an individual can petition for legal residence after being employed as a guest worker and after having maintained nonimmigrant status for four consecutive years.

Alright, there you have it... Lots of information. Just a quick note to say that any emphasis (italics) in this or the previous (McCain) post was unintentional and Bloggers fault. I was not attempting to draw more or less attention to any position/voting record.

Sources:
All of "The Talk" came from: https://www.barackobama.com
All of "The Record" came from: http://www.votesmart.org/index.htm

Another Political Detour

2008-09-04T18:45:00.005-07:00

Alright, so I still plan to get back to Obama and the issues...

...but for a moment I'd just like to rant about these ridiculous campaigns and the ridiculous media that sends them plummeting further into this moronic limbo...

First, before I really get going, I've been listening to a lot more talk radio now that I have some time during the day... I was listening to one show (couldn't tell you the name), where the host was on with a guest talking about the speaking/oratory skills of the two Presidential candidates, and commented something to the effect of: "I know everyone likes to talk about how much 'better' an orator Obama is, but I think the difference is actually quite slight, if it even exists at all."... I was listening to another program (couldn't tell you the name of this either, thought it was also strictly conservative), where the host made the comment of: "He (McCain) really is a poor speaker. He's getting better, I have to admit. But he most certainly isn't the orator that Obama is."... I continued listening to one of those two shows, I'll leave it to you to figure out which.... I do not hate McCain, I do not wish him to be seen as a blubbering idiot (as he is not), but no one is making the case that Obama is as much a war hero as McCain... I think it only fair to recognize something that is nearly as obvious going the other way.

Next, to Palin... and the nonstop chatter of the media bias against her so proudly proclaimed in the conservative media outlets...

No, the media has not ever questioned Obama's capabilities as a father... just as the media has not ever questioned Palin's flag-pin-wearing patriotism, her middle name, her "secret" religious beliefs, etc... both sides get it.

Yes, it sucks that the media keeps harping on Palin's pregnant daughter... but I won't shed a tear and demand that people leave her alone so long as the family/campaign keeps putting her in the spotlight/on the stage/etc....

Also on Palin, don't forget to FactCheck... even the cute ones.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Jon Stewart:

Last, but most certainly not least:
Video from the RON PAUL COUNTER-CONVENTION

Brief Political Break

2008-09-02T09:04:00.003-07:00

Alright... politics it is for a moment.

Setting aside, for the moment, the Vice Pres. nominees, let's take a look at the two big dogs... There are countless issues that I could cover, but I'd like to focus on a few of the main issues I've been hearing about lately... so we'll be looking at Abortion, Gun Control/2nd Amendment, Immigration, Gay Marriage, and anything else interesting I find...

JOHN SIDNEY MCCAIN III (R-AZ, U.S. Senate)

ABORTION

- The Talk:

"John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned,... Constitutional balance would be restored by the reversal of Roe v. Wade, returning the abortion question to the individual states. The difficult issue of abortion should not be decided by judicial fiat.... 'At its core, abortion is a human tragedy. To effect meaningful change, we must engage the debate at a human level.'"

- The Record:

John McCain has voted Yea on:
> prohibiting (federal) funds for groups that perform abortions
> prohibits any individual from knowingly performing a procedure, in which a fetus is partially delivered before it is aborted, unless the life of the woman is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury.

John McCain has voted Nay on:
> expanding access to preventive health care services that reduce unintended pregnancy (including teen pregnancy), reduce the number of abortions, and improve access to women's health care services
> prohibiting the use of funds for research that utilizes human fetal tissue, cells, or organs that are obtained from an abortion.

GAY MARRIAGE

- The Talk:

"The family represents the foundation of Western Civilization and civil society and John McCain believes the institution of marriage is a union between one man and one woman... As with most issues vital to the preservation and health of civil society, the basic responsibility for preserving and strengthening the family should reside at the level of government closest to the people."

- The Record:

John McCain has voted Nay on:
> invoking cloture on a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment defining marriage as consisting of a man and a woman.

GUN CONTROL/2ND AMENDMENT

- The Talk:

"John McCain believes that the right of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms is a fundamental, individual Constitutional right that we have a sacred duty to protect. We have a responsibility to ensure that criminals who violate the law are prosecuted to the fullest, rather than restricting the rights of law abiding citizens... John McCain opposes restrictions on so-called 'assault rifles'... John McCain opposes bans on the importation of certain types of ammunition magazines... John McCain cosponsored legislation to lift a ban on the law abiding citizens of the District of Columbia from exercising their Constitutional right to bear arms... John McCain supports instant criminal background checks... John McCain has opposed 'waiting periods' for law abiding citizen's purchase of firearms... John McCain opposes the confiscation of firearms from private citizens, particularly during times of crisis or emergency."

- The Record:

John McCain has voted Yea on:
> prohibiting the use of any funds appropriated in the FY2007 Department of Homeland Security Act from being used to confiscate legal firearms during states of emergency or major disasters.
> a bill that provides liability protection for manufacturers, dealers or importers of firearms or ammunition products, as well as their trade associations, for harm caused by criminal or unlawful misuse.
> an amendment that requires all licensed importers, manufacturers and dealers who engage in the transfer of handguns to provide secure gun storage or safety devices.
> a bill that would prohibit certain civil lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, dealers and importers of firearms and ammunition pertaining to acts of criminal or unlawful misuse of firearms.
> to table an amendment that would prohibit the transfer of guns which are not equipped with a locking device.

John McCain has voted Nay on:
> an amendment establishing gun show regulations.

IMMIGRATION

- The Talk:

"John McCain believes America's immigration system is broken. He is committed to a two-step process to reform.... John McCain's top immigration priority is to finish securing our borders in an expedited manner. Governors of border states will be required to certify that the border is secure...Once the borders are secure, John McCain will... implement a secure, accurate, and reliable electronic employment verification system to ensure that individuals are screened for work eligibility in a real-time fashion. John McCain will use this new system in conjunction with other Department of Homeland Security resources to identify and aggressively prosecute employers that continue to hire illegal immigrants...John McCain will implement temporary worker programs that will reflect the labor needs of the United States in both the high-tech and low skilled sectors while protecting the employment opportunities for US workers."

- The Record:

John McCain has voted Yea on:
> an amendment that declares English as the language of "sole legal authority" for the business of the federal government, and declares that no person has a right to require officials of the United States government to use a language other than English.
> an amendment that establishes restrictions on admission into the United States for immigrants convicted of criminal behavior and penalties for illegal entry into the U.S.
> a bill that authorizes the construction of an additional 700 miles of double-layered fencing between the U.S. and Mexico and grants the Secretary of Homeland Security authority to take necessary steps to stop unlawful entry of undocumented immigrants into the U.S.
> To provide $1,829,100,000 for the Army National Guard for the construction of 370 miles of triple-layered fencing, and 461 miles of vehicle barriers along the southwest border.
> a substitute amendment that requires an Electronic Employment Verification System to be implemented and used by employers to ensure that undocumented immigrants are not employed and makes it illegal to hire or continue to employ undocumented immigrants.
> an amendment that declares English as the national language and calls for stricter requirements in language testing and knowledge of U.S. history.
> an amendment that states all services or materials provided by the U.S. government be expanded to exclude any language other than English.
> a bill that changes regulations on H1-B (temporary work) visas for those who possess information technology skills and increases incentives for U.S. citizens to pursue degrees in math and science.

John McCain has voted Nay on:
> an amendment that would prohibit undocumented immigrants convicted of aggravated felonies, domestic violence, stalking, violation of protection orders, crimes against children, or crimes relating to the illegal purchase or sale of firearms, from gaining legal status.
> an amendment to an amendment that places an expiration date on a point based immigration system.
> an amendment that causes the Y-1 guest worker program to expire after five years.
> an amendment that declares English to be the common language of the United States.
> an amendment that reduces discretionary funds in the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations on a pro rata basis by $1.83 billion to construct 370 miles of double-layered fencing between the U.S. and Mexico and 461 miles of vehicle barriers.
> an amendment that protects information submitted by immigrants seeking citizenship for any reason other than the application process.
> an amendment that limits the H-2C visa program to five years following the enactment of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006.
> an amendment that provides certain undocumented immigrants present in the U.S. with an opportunity to become legal U.S. citizens. (Orange Card Program)
> an amendment that establishes a system for providing states with financial aid to offset the health care and educational costs incurred by giving aid to immigrants
> an amendment that specifies how an individual can petition for legal residence after being employed as a guest worker and after having maintained nonimmigrant status for four consecutive years.
> Vote to adopt an amendment that makes legal immigrants eligible to receive some forms of the following assistance: Emergency medical services, Benefits under National School Lunch Act, Assistance under Child Nutrition Act of 1996, Public health assistance for immunizations and treatment of communicable diseases, Services related to domestic violence or child abuse, Certain student assistance programs, and others.

Alright... once again, a post has gotten too long... Obama will have to wait for another day.

Sources:
All of "The Talk" came from: http://www.johnmccain.com/
All of "The Record" came from: http://www.votesmart.org/index.htm

In Memoriam

2008-09-01T22:23:00.002-07:00

(source)

2 Weeks Off

2008-08-29T11:52:00.004-07:00

I finally have some time now, as I just wrapped the reality-gameshow-tv show that kept me busy 24/7.... well, really more like 16/6, but we'll round up.

My apologies for neglecting my blogging duties... hopefully, I'll be able to make up for it over the next 2 weeks when I have nothing to do but relax and hang out with the fam/friends on this odd coast.

First up: DVD recommendations... The Daego called me recently from a video store and asked me to recommend something. I was ashamed to say that I had no idea what movies had come out in the past several months (good or bad), and so now that I have some time to research, I will provide my brilliant insights here:

[[CURRENTLY AVAILABLE]]
JUNE

"Flawless" - Michael Caine, Demi Moore, Crime/Heist drama... kind of a sleeper flick... I haven't seen it (though I haven't seen much lately, so no real shock), but I hope to give it a shot soon.

"The Onion Movie" - Sure. Why not. Looked funny enough in the trailer.

"Weeds (Season 3)" - If you haven't seen this show, you should. It's amazing. Based on some of the things I'm hearing about this coming season, this looks to be the last good season of this show.

"Rescue Me (Season 4)" - Another great show. This season has some incredible moments, however, this show seems also on the downslope and you can see it happen about halfway thru this season.

"The Other Boleyn Girl" - Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson. I couldn't bring myself to see this one in theatres, but I'll definitely see it on video.

"Funny Games" - If you're ever in the mood for a really raw, demented thriller, here's your ticket. With Tim Roth and Michael Pitt, I'm there.

"Be Kind Rewind" - Come on. Jack Black, Mos Def, Michel Gondry. Three reasons should be enough.

"Chaos Theory" - I'm a huge Ryan Reynolds fan, so I'll be checking this one out... I'm not gonna risk anything by recommending it.

Others worth considering:
"Charlie Bartlett"
"Persepolis"
"The Hammer"
"Caramel (Sukkar Banat)"
"John Adams"

JULY

"Mad Men (Season 1)" - I still haven't seen a full episode of this show, but judging from the highlight reels and trade mags, this is one of the best shows in a long while. I'll be checking it out.

"City of Men" - All reports of this film suggest it is far inferior to Morelli's "City of God," but let's face it, it'd be pretty amazing to surpass that on your next effort.

"My Blueberry Nights" - How far under the radar was this one? Very. I'm definitely gonna catch this one soon.

"Stop-Loss" - Just another in a long line of poor- to mediocre-performing Iraq war films, this is one of the few I'd actually like to see.

"The Bank Job" - This one got a lot of good press; based on a true story; Jason Statham.

"Shine a Light" - The Martin Scorsese documentary on the Rolling Stones.

Others worth considering:
"30 Days (Season 2)"
"Monk (Season 6)"
"Reno 911 (Season 5)"
"21"

August

"The Counterfeiters" - Great film. I predicted it would win the Oscar and it did. I'm predicting I'll be seeing it again.

"House, M.D. (Season 4)" - The new season starts soon. If you need to catch up, this was a pretty decent season considering the drastic reshuffling of cast members.

"Redbelt" - I'm gonna go out on a limb and recommend this one. It's a Mamet film (so I love it), which means it isn't terribly marketable to the mass audience, but it's got a different feel to it than the usual Mamet fare, so who knows. Give it a shot.

Others worth considering:
"Smart People"
"Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day"
"Recount"
"Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?"
"Chicago 10"

Next Post: DVD's Coming Soon (September, October, who knows maybe even November)

Release dates subject to change

2008-06-02T15:29:00.003-07:00

I didn't go see any movies this past weekend. I was sick for a majority of it, but I also was pretty uninspired by the current theater fare. But never fear, hope is right around the corner. And to prove it to you, here are a few films to look forward to in the second half of 2008...

[[JUNE]]

Kung Fu Panda

Yes, that's right. This weekend. Jack Black + Animation + Giant Panda + martial arts = awesome. As if Zohan wasn't cursed from the beginning (or, at least, from the first trailer), it's going to get absolutely crushed at the box office by Panda.

The Incredible Hulk

I wish I could be more excited about this new Hulk. I don't know. I'll definitely go see it to push it an additional $13 higher than that other movie that opens next weekend by that guy whose name I do not speak.

Wall-E

I wouldn't be surprised to see this thing go over $1B. Years in the making, tremendous international appeal, and terrific marketing are gonna make this one stand head and shoulders above other highly-anticipated "blockbusters" this summer.

[[JULY]]

Gonzo
The Dark Knight
Step Brothers

A documentary about Hunter S. Thompson; a sequel to the brilliant re-envisioning of a superhero franchise; a stupid comedy with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. Could these three be any more different? Could you think of going to see anything else in July? (The answer is no. If you answered "Hancock," please show yourself to the door)

[[AUGUST]]

Pineapple Express
Tropic Thunder
Choke

These three movies won't be anything too astounding, but there will be laughs and some good performances: James Franco as a pothead, Robert Downey Jr. as a black man, and Sam Rockwell as a "sex-addicted con-man."

[[SEPTEMBER]]

Burn After Reading
Righteous Kill
Eagle Eye

These three could go either way. The trailer for the Coen's "Burn" left me wanting more; "Righteous" has De Niro and Pacino teaming up again, but that's no guarantee; Shia takes another step closer to official "leading man" status.

[[OCTOBER]]

Where the Wild Things Are

Okay, this is the only one I'm really excited about in October. But it's plenty. People keep doubting my man Spike Jonze on this one, but I'm hanging with him just like I did with Favreau on Iron Man. Spike's gonna knock it out of the park.

[[NOVEMBER]]

Changeling (aka The Exchange)
Quantum of Solace
Australia

Clint Eastwood + an awesome cast + depression-era setting = awards; the new Bond doesn't do too much for me since I didn't see the last one, but...; they haven't set a solid release date for Australia, but I'm going to assume it'll be on the 8th as Baz Luhrmann's birthday present to me.

[[DECEMBER]]

Doubt
The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons
Revolutionary Road

Meryl Streep + Philip S. Hoffman + Amy Adams = awesome... however, Shanley directing his own (stage) work makes me a little nervous; David Fincher + Eric Roth adapting F. Scott Fitzgerald + Pitt, Blanchett, Swinton = really awesome; Sam Mendes + Richard Yates + Leo & Kate + Kathy Bates = awesome.

Latest and Greatest

2008-05-26T20:51:00.002-07:00

It's been a while... here's what's what.

I've left Rockelcomm Worldwide (West Coast)... for the past several weeks I've been working on reshoots for this movie...

Unfortunately, this Friday will be a wrap. Fortunately, everything looks clear for me to begin working on reshoots for this movie right away. Unfortunately, this gig will also only be a couple weeks, and with a potential SAG strike looming (June 27ish), Rockel may be back to the fluorescent-lit halls of Rockelcomm once more.

If you still haven't seen Iron Man, it's awesome. Redbelt was pretty good. I still can't bring myself to see Caspian, Speed Racer, or Indy.

I'll be updating more regularly going forward. But for now I have to launder the night away and get some sleep before an early wake up call.

P.s. - Aaron and Jamie had a son.

Summer's here... can you feel it?

2008-05-03T13:06:00.002-07:00

No? You must not be in a movie theater.

"IRON MAN" opened this weekend (along with Mamet's "Redbelt" [limited release]), and it... is... awesome. It's the best-reviewed movie of the year thus far and has raked in an estimated $38M already. Some people may have doubted my man Favreau, but he more than proved his worth as I knew he would.

Also, The Wachowski's "Speed Racer" opens next weekend, so this summer box office season looks to be a healthy one.

In other movie news, I saw "Young @ Heart" a few weekends ago. It's an amazing little documentary that is both incredibly fun/funny and intensely moving. It has now been expanded to over 100 screens nationwide, including 2 in Charlotte, NC (Ballantyne Village, Regal Manor).

I'm still waiting to hear back on jobs, but should have a better idea by the next time I post (if this once-a-week thing continues).

Job update and such...

2008-04-27T18:15:00.003-07:00

Well, Doyle, if this doesn't interest you I guess I'll just have to go off and find some local women's soccer team to report on. (note to self, may do that anyway)

Alright.... so, I'm still at Sony, and I just made the (sad?) realization this past week that it has now been about nine months since I began at this position. It's been incredibly rewarding and fun, and I now can do more in Excel than one should legally be allowed, but it looks like at long last it is finally in it's last throws.

Currently, I don't have anything solidly lined up, but I do have several options floating (which is a good state in which to keep ones options, I find)...

My first choice, as it is in production, is an Art Department PA gig that would, unfortunately, only last about 3 weeks as it's for re-shoots on a film that was shot in Wilmington, North Cack-a-lack about a year ago, before the strike came in and ruined everything. I met with the Production Designer this past Thursday and he seemed to like me, so if all goes well with my references, which it should, it sounds like everything should be a go, provided the timing and all works out. I submitted my resume to the Prod. Designer about six months ago at the request of a producer I worked with who really took a shine to me and never heard back, presumably because of the whole strike thing, until this past week. This would be a huge opportunity to make more connections within the (production side of the) industry, and hopefully future projects with this guy as he has a pretty impressive resume (everything from "Bad Boys" to "Goodfellas" to "Dodgeball"). As a side note, he's an incredibly nice guy and looks a lot like Sir Ben Kingsley...

Second choice is helping out a buddy of mine out here who's currently juggling a couple different projects (wrapping up one film, about to start picking up some re-shoots for another one, and right in the middle of another Dreamworks warehouse project). He's thinking he might have enough pull to get me a gig on the re-shoots, but if all else fails will most certainly need some help on the warehouse project. The warehouse option obviously isn't optimal (as it's about as far removed from production as a desk at Sony), however it, unlike the Sony desk jobs, would not turn into a 9-month project which, if it's not really going to help me in the long-run out here, I don't really need.

Third choice, if all else falls through, is another temp gig at Sony. Apparently, there's an executive director in a neighboring department (in the same building, on the same floor I'm currently on) needing a temp until they can fill a permanent position. I've worked with this guy a few times in the past nine months and he, and most of the people in his department that I've met, really like me. In fact, when I informed one of his team members that my temp gig was almost up he told me he'd speak to the executive director when he got back into town (next Tuesday) and he insisted that we do lunch next week. So, nothings ever certain, but right now that's about as close as I'm going to get, and that's my fall back option which, again, isn't optimal, but with talk of an imminent SAG strike bringing the industry to it's knees again, another Sony gig wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

Beyond that, life's kicking along at it's usual pace (last I checked), the Lakers are lookin' good, the Dodgers not so much, and the NHL playoffs are in full steam. Yeah, that's right. That Canadian sport, eh.

I still hope to post here regularly, although it looks like that may be only on the weekends... we'll see when I'm not job hunting... and I hope to get into more substantial things, like politics... hopefully, global, as American politics are not exactly hurting for commentary. Although, I will say this: John McCain is a douche. He is, and it's sad because he wasn't always a douche. At one point he was "that cute little old man guy," and at one time, that time when he was in a POW camp, he was "a downright bad-ass." But, unfortunately, now he's a political hack and a douche, saying all the wrong things in the "right" ways... It's sad.

Anyway, the only reason I say this is because of the whole Nevada situation that happened recently (yesterday?). It's no secret that I'm a Ron Paul fan and I've stated recently that I applaud Dr. Paul for staying in the race and giving people a chance to voice their disapproval of the Bush/Cheney foreign policy/economic system that, from all accounts, McCain looks to continue (he's chastised Bush for things such as the aftermath of Katrina, but hasn't distanced himself greatly in policy positions). However, I haven't heard/read enough of the accounts, nor know enough about the election process in Nevada, to know everything that happened or form an informed opinion about it, however I am glad to see that Dr. Paul's support is still strong and people aren't afraid to let their political party know how they feel.

The Problem w/ American Shots

2008-04-19T13:51:00.002-07:00

Not to get all "America sux," on you, but... well... America kinda sux.

When I was in Europe a few years back, a group of us ended up at a bar one night where we observed a rather kool-looking shot being enjoyed by a couple of people at the other end of the bar. We inquired as to what it was and were informed that it was a "Back draft" shot. We each did one. It was crazy.

Ever since, whenever I find myself at a new bar here in the states, I usually ask a bartender if they've ever heard of this shot, much less know how to make it. The reaction is almost always, "What? No. Never heard of it." It's a fun little game that I continue to play, not ever really expecting to find anything different, but curious none-the-less.

In order to be a bartender in America, all you really need to know how to do is pour a Jager shot and a half glass of Red Bull. I guess knowing how to make a long island iced tea is helpful, too, although even there there's some debate over the presence of orange juice.

Anyway, I met up with a couple friends last night at a little "saloon"-type place that I'd never been to before. It was an odd place to say the least. Very well kept, semi-uppity/trendy appearance, a good number of high def screens, and a very nice bar (the actual, physical bar). Here's where it starts getting odd: no beer on tap. None. This might not seem odd to you, dear reader, but it most certainly did to me.

So the choices, then, were mixed/well drinks or beer from a bottle/can. I ordered a gin and tonic (which somehow came back to me several minutes later as a vodka-tonic, but as I didn't feel like causing a stink and waiting another several minutes for a correction, I went with it). The guys I was with went with rum/coke-type drinks. After a couple minutes of conversing/checking out the place, I began to notice that there weren't a lot of people drinking beer (something that would've seemed obvious to most people upon noticing the lack of beers-on-tap, but I was in a bar... bar to me = beer...). Everyone had very elaborate mixed drinks and the bartenders worked with an amazing precision, given the feverish pace, to keep up with the drink orders, many of which required three or more liquors to be pulled from the shelves behind. With all the pouring/mixing going on, I thought that perhaps I might have more luck with my obscure-shot-inquiry game.

I asked one of the bartenders. Unfortunately, she responded in the usual fashion. I responded in my usual, "Oh well, no problem. Just curious." She replied then with, "But I could look it up for you." She walked off to the other end of the bar, leaving me to wonder why this had never happened before. I wasn't planning on ordering the shot, just as I never was when I asked. But what if I had been planning on it all those times I asked at other locations? There's no way a bartender can know every single drink known to man. If a patron came in looking to give you money to mix him/her an obscure drink, would you just say, "Sorry, no can do. Don't know how." Every bar must have a book, right? A cheat-sheet. Something. Why had no one looked before? Maybe they saw through my game.

At any rate, this bartender returned several minutes later to inform me she had found a shot named "Back draft" in her large mixed-drinks-for-dummies/Bartenders Encyclopedia/what-have-you. I get a bit excited. Had my quest finally reached it's end? She recited the recipe she had just read in her large book: "Cuervo Gold, Grand Marnier, and some Tabasco sauce. You wait for the Tabasco sauce to sink to the bottom," she said, "and then you shoot it."

This was not the shot from across the pond and this brings me to the problem with American shots.

A shot is a drink you taste for about a second. The effects of the shot may last beyond, and the taste may even linger a little bit longer (usually only if undesirable), but it's about a 1 second experience. In America, all the shots seem to be about enhancing the taste. Fruity... Sour... Sweet... Anything to make that one second a bit better. In Europe, in my experience, a shot is an experience in and of itself. The taste doesn't really matter. It's alcohol. It's getting inside of you. That is why, instead of improving the taste, they come up with interesting rituals/games to make the shot more of an experience than just drinking something small very quickly. Granted, America does rip off some of there more conservative rituals/games, such as dropping (bombing) a shot of something into a pint glass of something else and chugging it.

There is a vodka in Germany called Feigling. "Feigling" in German means "Coward." It is called this because it is only 40-proof. Feigling comes in clear, mini bottles (shooters) with a purple screw-on cap. The way to take a shot of Feigling is not from a shot glass but from the mini bottle. You roll up two pieces of paper (full sheets - 8.5 x 11) and stick them in your ears, then unscrew the purple cap to the bottle and shove it onto your nose so it sticks, then lean forward and bite the open bottle of Feigling. You light the ends of the paper (in your ears) on fire with two lighters, one in each hand, and then take the shot by tipping your head back. Why? Who knows? It's more fun than just doing a straight shot of 40-proof vodka.

So this brings us to the back draft. In America, a back draft is a shot where the ritual is waiting for Tabasco sauce to make its way to the bottom of the shot glass. Really exciting. In Europe, a back draft is a shot that can be mixed any number of ways, but always involves something flammable such as Grand Marnier or a high-proof rum. It is mixed in a brandy snifter (or similar) and lit on fire. After burning for a few seconds, you put your hand over the glass, completely cutting off any oxygen from getting into the glass. The fire extinguishes and smoke starts building up in the glass. You take a small straw and slip it between your fingers and drink the shot via the straw. Once the liquid is completely gone, you immediately remove your hand from the top of the glass, put it up to your face, and inhale the smoke.

Crazy, crazy shot. But really, if you were going to do a shot, which would you choose? The crazy one that involves fire, smoke, and several steps? Or the one where you have to sit around and wait for Tabasco sauce to drop?

With Apologies to Jesse Jackson

2008-04-18T08:52:00.003-07:00

I hope to be back to posting regularly very shortly... I've been slowly removing vices from my life for a while now (cigarettes, fast food, soda, etc.), and recently I've realized that I should be not just subtracting the bad but adding more healthy things in their places. So, I've begun exercising on a regular basis (almost up to running every day) and making attempts to eat more fruits/vegetables, as opposed to just merely cutting out fast food. Writing regularly on here, I believe, will be my next "healthy addition."

I don't know if it will be a daily event, nor do I know how insightful/relevant the content will be, but I hope to get into the habit of putting something down here. I have begun doing more substantial writing (which I hope to continue, and which is why I don't know how much brilliant content I shall be able to post here), completing a spec script for "The Office" a few weeks ago, and recently I have been turning my attention to a rough-first-draft of about half of a feature length script I began working on several months ago for the Cathey. I'm looking to go in a new direction with it, so I hope to put together at least a solid, full first draft. After that I plan to start work on an original sitcom and/or possibly drama to begin building a television portfolio.

Alright, all that being said, here's the news on the left coast:

$4/gallon gas. You got it yet? I do. It sux.

I've got a new roommate, now that the Cathey is off in the water. He works at an employment agency full time and does freelance graphic design on the side. He's a nice enough guy and we get along fine, so it's a good fit.

I've been going to a Messianic Jewish church for a while now. It's a good size (not too big, not too small - the Goldilocks method of assessment) and has a much more diverse group of people than I anticipated.

There's a radio station out here that does a call-in contest every once in a while (I've only caught it about 3-4 times since it's not on at a time that I'm normally listening to radio), that is called "What the Hell is Jesse Jackson Saying?" They play a short clip (2-3 seconds) of a speech by the good Reverend and the callers attempt to guess what he said. It's so wrong, but hysterically funny.

Finally, I'm sure most of my friends will appreciate this, so...

What the Hell? (Better late than never Political edition)

2008-03-17T20:05:00.005-08:00

My apologies for the delay in posting anything, much less this previously announced topic.

I'm a bit apprehensive to post, however, due to what happened to Duke after my posting about them (subsequently lost their next two games and finished out the season by losing to "that team" and not even making it to the ACC finals).

Ah, well. Caution to the wind. Politics.

I guess the most recent event in the political realm is the Spitzer scandal. First of all (here comes the libertarian in me), why is prostitution (or rather, the mere act of solicitation) illegal? Is there any other good or service that the government bans the selling, solicitation, or forceful taking of, but allows the free giving of? And let's not even get into the humongous grey line of "wine me, dine me...", jewelry, dinner-and-a-movie lifestyle where you're basically paying by proxy.

[non sequitur - what do you suppose deaf people think when they see a huge crowd of people clapping?]

Secondly, I realize he's a public figure, but does there really need to be a public press conference to announce something like this (with his wife right there)? Couldn't he just send out a press release or something? I mean, I realize if he had been using taxpayer money (I haven't been following the details; strictly hypothetical) there would have to be a public trial and the people could very understandably scrutinize the situation, but come on, is there a big press event every time he fills a pothole or enacts some type of environmental legislation? (maybe there is, who knows?)

Anyway. I will sum up by saying (as I'll [probably] come back to this) that I don't really need to know all the details of a public/elected offical's life (and this is in no way a defense of Bill Clinton).

Next topic: Democrats.

Nobody knows how to kill a party like they do. A completely historic election has deteriorated into to a discussion of how sexist and/or racist America is/was/could be based on what he/she said about/to him/her. Good stuff, guys. In November you'll be sending somebody up against Dubya 2.0 who has all but turned his back on his party's base, and YOU are the ones leaving a sour taste in peoples mouths. Amazing.

Finally: Republicans.

I could speak volumes about McCain, but I'll save that for another time, as there will be plenty of time to discuss him in the coming months. What I would like to talk about briefly is Ron Paul. He's remaining "in" the race even though it is essentially over. I think this is amazing. While his financial support is obviously not what it was several months ago, he is still receiving financial support because there are still people that believe in the cause of limiting government. If nothing else, it will assure Republican voters in late-primary states (like NC) that if they want to cast a vote against McCain's heavy-handed foreign policy, there will be a representative carrying that voice to the convention. And maybe, if the voice is loud enough, it will effect some of the policy choices McCain will make.

The only other thing I want to address with Dr. Paul (and here's where I'll tie in to Spitzer) is the (now pretty dormant, as he is "out" of the race) racism allegations. I never really knew what to make of this as it was never really a major story (as he was never a major candidate), but it came up in a recent (few weeks ago probably) video clip I was watching, and I had an interesting reaction. First let me say that I support Dr. Paul and (as I've said before) about 99% of his policy position. I think a lot of his following was made up with people looking for a break from the status quo, and willing to overlook/compromise with some of his policies, but this is not me. I voted for Dr. Paul, I like him and his positions, and I even contributed to his campaign (a first for me... yay growing up). So when the racism allegations started being brought up, I very quickly discarded them as senseless since I had so much admiration for him. He obviously couldn't be a racist. However, when I saw this particular video clip a few weeks ago, I actually considered the possibility that I might be wrong (something I strive to do often, but usually ignore).

And that's when I realized: I don't care if he was a racist. Furthermore, I don't care if he still is a racist.

I, myself, am not racist. I'm not someone who cares for any type of bigotry, classism, sexism, etc. I try not to associate myself with such people. However, racism, along with sexism and pretty much any other type of -ism, is not a crime (when it is not acted on in a violent or otherwise abusive way, outside of a workplace environment). If Dr. Paul, in his private life, secretly loathes members of a race (or races) other than his own, yet in his public life as an elected official has spent several decades promoting legislation that empowers people of all races (and for that matter genders, religions, etc.) and limits the governments power over them... I have no problem with that.

I prefer to think that he is not racist, since his extremely consistent voting record shows no evidence to support this, and because he has said he is not. But either way, I feel confident that he would continue to promote the healthy legislation his record shows.

But all of this is moot, as you will not have to ask yourself if you're willing to vote into the highest office an alleged racist who promotes anti-racist legislation, rather you will have to decide between an alleged conservative following the spend-and-expand path of the current alleged conservative and whomever the dems can finally decide to back as "the anti-McCain." Here we go again, America.

OSCAR NIGHT 08

2008-02-24T17:22:00.044-08:00

Bossman: 13.1
Da-Ego: 11.1
Turmel: 11.1
The Rockel: 11.1
Justin T: 11.0
She-Mendenhall: 10.1
He-Mendenhall: 9.0
Mills: 8.2

And, the Rockel-Cathey side bet:
Rockel: 88
Cathey: 77

Blog-o-matic:
Here we go... 3 minutes left... if you're not in now, better hurry...
Here's Jonny... Stewart's on stage, all bets are off...
Haha... Make-up sex... at least the first writers strike joke was a good one...
Lookout, baby... Stewart's on a role... wtg, Jon...
Alright, let's hand out some awards, and, more importantly for us, some points...
Rockel assumes last place as Elizabeth grabs a statue...
Ratatouille! Social! Also, rockel extends his lead in the side bet...
first upset wins Bother-me some points along with cathey in the side bet... Daego and Rockel alone at the bottom now...
Rockel needs some help from the Rock... and DOESN'T GET IT... Beth capitalizes on another upset and takes first...
SOCIAL!!! Everybody cleans up with Sweeney's Art...
Mr. Mills joins me and daego at the bottom as Javier gets what was coming to him... rockel pulls further away in the sidebet...
Let's start breaking up some of these ties... Owen, help me out... Alright, Mozart! a little name recog. goes a long way...
Bethanny capitalizes on another longshot, and takes mr. mills with her this time...
Supporting Actress... man this one could go any way... TILDA? way to go Greg! It even shocked her... Great speech, Tilda
SOCIAL!!! (sorry, greg)... Joel/Ethan pick up an adapted to go with their original fargo script...
"and the baby goes to..." HA! (<-- Dr. Morrow voice)... wtg, jon... best joke of the night
BOURNE scoring love already? Uh-oh... no points for anybody...
AGAIN!!???!!! BOURNE??!!1! WTF?
MARION!!!! Ryan and I start climbing out of hell as Cathey gains a few points in the sidebet...
Wii Tennis...
Falling Slowly... such a beautiful performance... bravo...
Bourne again... boo.
standing O... nice
as much as i'm not a Penelope Cruz fan, it's nice that they got a presenter who can pronounce all the names...
AUSTRIA, YEAH! Rockel cozies up to Bether-me (sorry Eric) as Bossman (my boss... I had to make his picks for an event he was attending tonight) takes first...
FALLING SLOWLY!!!FALLING SLOWLY!!!FALLING SLOWLY!!!FALLING SLOWLY!!!FALLING SLOWLY!!! So happy! So emotional! So happy!
Okay... at this point, we've got 8 awards left... rockel is near the top, which is as it should be, but he's taking a risk in a few remaining categories (orig screenplay, documentary), so we'll see... it should be noted, however, that cathey will have to win ALL of the remaining five categories where we differ in our sidebet picks to pull off the sidebet upset...
Marketa!!! Thanks, Academy...
Robert!!! No points for anybody... Deacons, what happened, Baby?
In Memoriam... wow... tuff year...
Bored during comercial... HIGHLIGHTS THUS FAR: Swinton's Speech, Marketa coming back out, "And the baby goes to...", Robert Elswit pulls an upset and tries to thank Danny Day, who... apparently went to the bathroom...
Cathey picks up a big win in the sidebet as Justin and Daego climb a few spots on Atonements Score...
The American Soldier as a presenter... nicely done, Academy...
Freeheld... no points for anyone... Mr. Mills picks up the most of the three tiebreakers (with 2), but lingers near the back with only 5 major category wins...
Nazionale and Turmel gain ground with Taxi... Rockel solidifies a win in the sidebet...
Only four categories left... Everybodies going with No Country for Director... Rockel's taking a risk on writing with Clayton... Daego's taking a risk on Picture with Atonement... and Mills is taking a risk on Actor with Depp... Which way's it gonna go?
Rockel's risk doesn't pay off... Juno ftw... dammit...
Mills' risk doesn't pay off... Day-Lewis ftw... HELLZ YEAH!!! MILKSHAKE!!!
With only Director and Picture remaining, you're pretty much looking at the final standings... Daego has a shot at a portion of first place if Atonement can pull down a best pic win, but he runs the risk of falling into a three-way tie for second with the Rockel and the Turmel...
SOCIAL!!! Congrats, Coens...
Here's Daego's big chance..............
Coen's Win! Coen's Win! Coen's Win!
So, none of the risks at the end pays off... Rockel pulls into a three-way tie for second, and Bossman wins (hopefully he did equally as well at his event...)
Not a bad night... Jon did even better than last year... maybe they'll have him back again... Good night, East Coast...

I guess I need to get this on the record

2008-02-23T20:08:00.002-08:00

Oscar predictions, people... you're running out of time...

So far I've got Mr.'s Mills, Nazionale, and Turmel locked in... if you've sent me your predictions and are not one of the three listed, shoot me a comment telling me how you sent them in (email, comment, etc...) I've been horrible at keeping up with them...

...I do believe I will live blog during the events tomorrow, but may decide to attend a friend's event... There will be no Oscars in person for the Rockel this year... oh well...

My predicts:

Actor - Lead: D. Day-Lewis
Actor - Supp.: J. Bardem
Actress - Lead: M. Cotillard
Actress - Supp.: C. Blanchett
Animated Feature: Ratatouille
Art Direction: Sweeney Todd
Cinematography: No Country...
Costume Design: Across the Universe
Directing: No Country...
Documentary Feature: War/Dance
Documentary Short: Salim Baba
Film Editing: No Country...
Foreign Language: Austria - Counterfeiters
Makeup: Pirates of the Caribbean 3
Music (Score): Atonement
Music (Song): Falling Slowly - Once
Picture: No Country...
Short Film (Anim): Madame Tutli-Putli
Short Film (Live Action): Le Mozart de Pickpockets
Sound Editing: Transformers
Sound Mixing: No Country...
Visual Effects: Transformers
Writing (Adapted): No Country...
Writing (Original): Michael Clayton

If you haven't submitted.... time's running out... I'm looking at you, Cathey... and Custer... and Mendenhizzles all...

Don't be left out!

The ego has landed

2008-02-20T19:57:00.002-08:00

Da-ego wanted me to send up the word that he is back online and posting...

...and since he just got accepted into this acting studio, I guess I could send some love his way.

Check him out.

Redirect

2008-02-19T21:12:00.002-08:00

Attention: The Wade that was once a Lucas has brought forth a Lucas into the Wade household.

Congrats to Chuck and Andie on the arrival of their gorgeous baby boy.

Here is the most recent video blog/update... but scroll through the Politically Correct page to see more pics and vids.

Political comments still on there way. Stay tuned.

5 days to the Oscars... get your predictions in.

What the Hell? (Sports edition)

2008-02-14T13:35:00.009-08:00

So, thanks to Doyle's comment, there will be a special Political edition of "What the Hell?" appearing here in the next few days. But first, to sports...

As mentioned previously, DUKE BEAT CAROLINA!!! (Ok, sorry, I promise no more outbursts) However, according to the brilliant people who sit around a table putting numbers in front of team names, the Blue Devils are still ranked only 2nd in the country.

Now, first of all, let me just say that second isn't too shabby (especially when UNC is fifth). Secondly, let me say that yes, I realize the number one team (Memphis) is undefeated. However... let me point out... that Duke plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) while Memphis is currently topping the charts in... Conference USA (C-USA).

For those of you unfamiliar with NCAA Conferences but very pleased with patriotic names, let me assure you that although Conference USA sounds great... it is anything but. C-USA boasts big school names like: Tulane Green Wave, Central Florida, Southern Miss, and Tulsa, as well as three teams well below .500: East Carolina, Southern Methodist, and Rice (0-10 in conference, 3-20 overall).

Now let's compare that to what Duke is facing in the ACC. A few days ago we witnessed the first team in the ACC to drop below .500 (since very early in the season) when the worst team in the conference (Virginia) nearly beat the 5th ranked team in the country (UNC), ultimately falling short by one point. That's right. The worst team in the ACC nearly beat the second best team in the ACC. Why? Because even though Virginia is an abysmal 1-9 in the ACC, they still are just barely under .500 overall (11-12) because they are (go ahead, do the math) 10-3 out of conference. Yes. The team with the absolute worst record in the ACC (2.5 games behind any other team) is 10-3 when playing teams outside of the ACC.

It's not just a different conference, it's practically a different sport.

So, anyway... Duke is not number one. As I said, 2nd is nothing to scoff at... and I'm not... I'm just getting warmed up for the real injustice...

OK, so blogger is being weak and not letting me post pics... the standings referred to are on this page, below is a pathetic attempt to copy the data over)

1. Memphis (72) 23-0, 1,800
2. Duke 21-1, 1,714
3. Kansas 23-1, 1,662

The number in parenthesis after the name represents the amount of #1 votes the team received. So not only is Duke ranked 2nd... there isn't a single analyst, out of the 72 that comprise the Associated Press board, that feels Duke deserves to be on top. Not a single one!

But even that's okay (to a degree... I guess)... Again, Memphis is undefeated... hard to argue with that... which brings us to ESPN and their "Power 16 rankings"... This is where they get 12 of their own analysts to rank the top 16 teams and compile them the same way as the AP Top 25... Here we go:

(Again, here's the link)

1. Memphis (11) 24-0, 191
2. Duke 22-1, 175
3. Kansas (1) 23-2, 158

Well, there they are again... same order. No difference, right? Wait. What's that after Kansas' name?! A One?! Kansas got a #1 vote?! Kansas?!

Now, wait, Rock, you say. They're listed as the number three team on both lists, and there must be some mistake because this one shows them as having two losses whereas the first list only showed one.

No mistake. After the AP list came out they lost, THEN the ESPN list came out and some idiot STILL decided that Kansas deserved a #1 vote over Duke (or Memphis for that matter).

But wait, Rock, you say. Kansas is in the Big 12 Conference, along with some very formidable opponents such as Texas, Kansas State, and Texas A&M.

Wow, I respond. You really know your conferences. It's true that it is one of the tougher conferences in College hoops. However, let's look at Kansas' record...

- They have played against only 3 teams ranked in the top 25 (Duke has played 5)
- Of those 3 games, they have won only 1 (Duke has won 4 of their 5)
- The one that they won was against #24 USC (Duke beat #13 Marquette, #20 Wisconsin, #23 Clemson, and #3 UNC)
- Kansas lost to #24 Kansas State by 9 points, and lost to #11 Texas by 3 points (Duke lost to #9 Pittsburgh by 1 point!! [in overtime!!!])

All of this and Kansas STILL gets the love over Duke, ESPN?

What the hell?

The Strike is Over!

2008-02-12T20:08:00.003-08:00

Finally... I can write again.

Because that's what has been keeping me from writing here... not that I've been lazy...

Anyway... lots of updates:

Yes, the strike is over... a tentative deal has been struck... but tentative means several years, so no worries, things will be getting back on track as far as your favorite tv shows go...

To keep up with what shows will be shooting existing scripts, new scripts, and which ones will be coming back next season, check out this page...

Here are the highlights:

The Office - Expected to shoot 6 new episodes to air in April/May.
24 - Season 7 likely postponed until January '09.
30 Rock - Expected to shoot 5 to 10 new episodes to air in April/May.
Bones - Four pre-strike episodes left. Unclear whether additional episodes will be produced for this season.
Boston Legal - Expected to shoot 6 to 8 new episodes to air in April/May.
Heroes - No new episodes expected until fall.
House - Expected to shoot 4 to 6 new episodes to air in April/May.
My Name is Earl - Expected to shoot 8 to 10 new episodes to air in April/May.
SNL - Returns Feb. 23.
Scrubs - Four pre-strike episodes remain. Four additional episodes will likely be shot; unclear whether they'll air on NBC or go straight to DVD.

The other big news out here is that the roomie got a job on a cruise ship... so he'll be shipping off in about a week or so. Congrats to him on that, and here's to getting your sea legs early in the 6 month tour of duty.

As for me, I'm still at Sony, still taking on more and more responsibility and projects, though my boss never misses a chance to (jokingly) remind me how soon I could be gone.

Oscars are less than two weeks away. Get your Predictions in!! The daego and the roomie have preliminary predictions in... Mr. Mills has sent his in as well... don't get left out. We're doubling the grand prize this year. That's right. Twice the pride AND the bragging rights of last year. It could change your life.

There's a woman at Sony who works a lot of the award shows... she just worked the Grammys and has worked the Oscars the last couple years, so there's a good chance she'll be doing it again this year. The Rockel is doing everything he can to swing that connection so he can watch the big night live and in person.

Other than that it's pretty much business as usual around here. My Pack didn't make it to the Super Bowl, but I ended up watching the big game at a house filled with Giants fans (and one really annoying Pats fan), so it turned out alright.

Speaking of sports... DUKE BEAT CAROLINA!!! @ Carolina!!! Undefeated in the ACC, baby!!! Go ahead... whine about how you were down a guard... Duke's been playing this whole season without a center and they've figured out how to win all their games (save one... by one point). Aaahhhhhh... anyway... my condolences to all my loser, er.. carolina fan friends out there. Keep looking on the bright side... take tonight for example... you managed to hold off the worst team in the ACC and win by one whole point. Dominance. March 8 looms large. Be afraid.

Okay... that's it from this coast.

Until next time...

Oscar, Oscar, Who's Got the Oscar

2008-01-22T09:59:00.000-08:00

Alright, the list is out, people.

Same rules as last year. Get your predictions in before the beginning of the (really lame, can barely call it a) ceremony (Feb 24, 5pmPT/8pmET), and we'll have some fun no matter how many actors show up.

Side note: the roomie did manage to throw together some rules before the nominations were announced for his "predict the nominees & winners" competition. So far yours truly is in the lead by 9 - count em, 9 - points with a score of 70-61 (unofficial). However, the roomie still has 19 predicted winners still in play to my 16, and since winners count for two points each, it's anybodies game (read: I will still win).

Eleventh of the Month

2008-01-11T12:25:00.000-08:00

Haven't done this in a while... let's stir things up.

Rudy hasn't forgotten...

...have you?

= Reports of explosions from first responders, eyewitnesses, and media reporters;;;
= News agency reporting a building had fallen before it actually did;;;
= Numerous architects, engineers, and professors finding "disturbing discrepancies" among the information/evidence;;;
= The Government changing their official story multiple times;;;

- And the people calling for a legitimate investigation are the crazy ones.

-- This guy is totally sane:

Coming in 2008, part the final

2008-01-08T20:23:00.000-08:00

Scanners
Wow. Bousman has been busy. Not only is he releasing "Repo! The Genetic Opera!" (discussed in the third installment), he'll also be spewing forth this remake of the 1981 horror classic. This has fail written all over it, though not to the extent of repo, so... D

Semi-Pro
Ouch. They recently released a red-band trailer of this and I was all excited... then I watched it. This one looks to have the same testosterone-induced groan factor of Anchorman, with less of the stylish (or lack thereof), vintage flair. I'll wait for video. C

Sex and the City: The Movie
Boo. Boo. Just all around boo. I tried watching this tv show once. It was almost painful. And not because I'm a man, but because I have a brain. The early reports are that while the die-hard fans will love this, most other people, including those who enjoyed the show every now and again, will loathe it. I'm sure I will loathe it and never see it, even on video. However, as much as I'd like to give it an F, I have to be (somewhat) objective, so... D+

Son of Rambow
"Son Of Rambow is a comedy about friendship, faith and the weird business of growing up." I'm really excited about this one. It's from Garth Jennings (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), it apparently did very well at Sundance this past year, and looks to be a strong candidate for "fun and fancy free feel-good comedy of the year." I'll check it out at full price if I must. B+

Speed Racer
I can't make up my mind here. It's the Wachowski Brothers (boo) directing Emile Hirsch (yay) as Speed Racer (hmm), Christina Ricci (eh) as Trixie (yes), Susan Sarandon (no) and John Goodman (yup) as Mom and Pops, and Matthew Fox (eh) as Racer X (sure). True, there is some dazzling photography in it, however, while I think that (from the looks of it) the Bros. will do the cartoon justice to creating an authentic look for this film version, from the looks of the trailer they may be going a bit "Transformer"-esque in their rapid-fire editing, resulting in cg images that (brilliant though they may be) get lost in the fray (it could just be the way the trailer is cut). Either way, this will be one of the biggest movies of this year, and while it probably deserves an A-, it's the Wachowski brothers (screw objectivity), so... B+

Star Trek XI
Yuck. J.J. Abrams. Not a fan. But every Trekkie I know is looking forward to this with insane anticipation. Of course this means there are only two options: Big success, or utter failure. I think we all know which way I'm leaning, not only because of the director, but because this is basically the "Dumb and Dumberer" of Star Trek, bringing in young, fresh (hot) faces to tell the early stories of the crew... I just sense failure. Maybe that's just the J.J. thing. I don't know. I may even go see this, if a group of friends are going, because SIMON PEGG is SCOTTY. At least the casting people got one right. It pains me to say it... B

Trailer Trash
Man oh man oh man oh man oh man. "What's this?" You ask. "Britney Spears' biopic finally got greenlit?!" No. Unfortunately no. This is a whole bunch of fake movie trailers (previews) combined into a feature length film. Go ahead and re-read that last sentence. I'll Wait. Ok. The director is Eli Roth who is most famous for the brutally twisted horror flick "Hostel." However, Eli also directed the fake trailer segment "Thanksgiving," that appeared between the two (abysmal) "Grindhouse" films by Tarantino and Rodriguez. Unfortunately for Eli, this time around his work will have to stand alone rather than stand out as "not as awful as Tarantino or Rodriguez's work." D- (the only reason it's not getting an F is I really want to distinguish M. Night's work as truly horrendous)

Valkyrie
This just got pushed back again due filming complications associated with the writers strike. It should still make it in 2008, though, and despite Tom Cruise's presence, it will actually be quite good. Bryan Singer and Christopher McQuarrie are teaming up again for the first time since "The Usual Suspects," and a strong supporting cast (Bill Nighy, Carice van Houten, Kenneth Branagh, Stephen Fry, and EDDIE IZZARD) should more than compensate for Tom's presence and American accent. I can't help but feel some Oscar pull here, too. True story, war story, love story, espionage, plot twists, strong cast. I'd say this will be a strong contender for quite a few Academy Awards nominations, possibly even breaking into the double digits. A-

Vantage Point
This one looks (based on the trailer) like a fairly interesting action/suspense film. Unfortunately, it also looks a bit like the Nick Cage conspiracy thriller "Snake Eyes." The cast is better, though, so there's hope. It won't win any awards, change anyones life, or blow anyones mind, but I'll watch it in theaters if I'm looking for a weekend matinee. C+

Wall-E
Pixar animation - check. Sci-fi - check. Cute protagonist - check. They pushed a teaser for this thing nearly one full year ago and the hype has steadily grown to many critics assuming this will be the best Pixar film to date. I hate it when movies get over-hyped (and don't believe this will top Toy Story), but this one looks amazing never-the-less. Plus, you gotta believe this will win the Animated Oscar next year, so I'll pay full price. A-

Wanted
I just watched this trailer again, and although it's got some really awesome special effects/stunts, the plot, along with much of the action, seems quite hokey. As far as action films go, it'll do fairly well and make a decent amount of money. As for me seeing it... maybe. C+

Where the Wild Things Are
I approve of this. You gotta love the book. You gotta love the cast: Paul Dano, Catherine Keener, Benicio Del Toro, Forest Whitaker. And you gotta love that crazy Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, some of the best music videos ever) is gonna direct this thing. Thumb up. Definitely seeing this wicked trip of a movie. B+

The X-Files 2
10 years after the release of the first film chronicle of the cult hit tv show, Chris Carter (whose only prior directing experience has been on the television series of the same name) brings you a stand-alone X-Files film (something even the first didn't do) with a truly odd short list of supporting actors (Billy Connolly, Xzibit) that is sure to keep the average viewer at home and leave the true fan mostly disappointed. I'll pass. C-

Zack and Miri Make a Porno
I don't know what to think of Kevin Smith anymore. Clerks was edgy, unique, and completely groundbreaking for independent film making. Mallrats was funny, different, and birthed several (moderately) successful acting careers. But it is growing more and more evident that he is just a one-trick pony with one outfit (although, you gotta love the shants) and an ever-diminishing box-office presence. After the luke warm success of Clerks 2, I don't think this will make a huge splash. I may or may not check it out on video. C-

Awards, Awards, Awards

2008-01-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

So... last night the critics spoke; tonight the people speak.

Last night's results:

Best Picture
No Country for Old Men

No big surprise here. Congrats to the Coens.

Best Comedy
Juno

This reassures me that Juno will land a Best Pic nomination from the Academy; no win, though.

Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

They got the category wrong here. It should be "Best Actor Alive." Oh, well. He better win the Oscar.

Best Actress
Julie Christie, Away from Her

Yeah. She's still my Oscar pick (at the moment). If I can find the cajones I may change that to Cotillard for "La Vie en Rose."

Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

No surprise. He's still the frontrunner for the Oscar, but don't be surprised if a veteran takes it from him (Holbrook, Wilkinson) like last year's Arkin/Murphey showdown.

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone

Big upset. As I've noted, this category should belong to Cate Blanchett for "I'm Not There." This may change a few minds. I'm still sticking with Cate for the Oscar.

Best Acting Ensemble
Hairspray

Thankfully there is no Acting Ensemble award at the Oscars. The less awards this film gets the better.

Best Young Actor
Ahma Khan Mahmidzada

No effect on the Oscars.

Best Young Actress
Nikki Blonsky, Hairspray

No effect on the Oscars.

Best Director
Ethan and Joel Coen, No Country for Old Men

Hoo-ah. Congrats to the Coens. Well deserved. I don't know if this solidifies an Oscar, but most certainly a nomination.

Best Writer
Diablo Cody, Juno

This is pretty big. The first time screenwriter, ex-stripper beat out the Coens, Aaron Sorkin, and Tony Gilroy ("Michael Clayton" - great script). I'm not sure she'll be able to hold up against the heavyweights at the Oscars, but I'm certainly rethinking things.

Best Composer
Jonny Greenwood, There Will Be Blood

This is awesome. Well deserved. Get that oscar.

Best Song
"Falling Slowly," Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova, Once

This has been, and will continue to be, my pick for the Oscar. The song category is always pretty obscure and rarely has a clear frontrunner. I gave it to "Falling Slowly" because "Once" is an incredibly beautiful, simple film that, while very engaging and enjoyable, will not (and rightfully should not) be considered for any other categories. I think the Academy voters will feel the same.

Best Foreign Language Film
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

No effect on the Oscars as "Diving Bell" is not in contention for the Foreign Language category. "Persepolis" is still a solid favorite. I'm still not ruling out "The Counterfeiters."

Best Animated Feature
Ratatouille

No surprise. It's only competition, if any, will come from "Persepolis." And the Academy voters aren't opposed to knocking out a clear favorite (Cars) for a more politically motivated piece (Happy Feet).

Best Family Film
Enchanted

No effect on the Oscars.

Best Documentary
Sicko

As I've noted before, I like what Michael Moore does (ie - stir shit up). I don't know that he deserves (another) Oscar. In fact, while putting together my list of nominees for the roomie's contest, Sicko barely made it in as a nominee. There are so many great, hard-hitting documentaries out there this year that don't come packaged in Moore's rough, dividing antics that I think the Academy voters will pass on this one.

Wow

2008-01-07T17:08:00.000-08:00

Just wow.

Just... wow.

Just......... wow.

Just.................. wow.

*negative points for any comments concerning "oral exams," or "studying hard."

Awards Show down... I repeat, we have an Awards Show down updated

2008-01-07T13:48:00.000-08:00

Freaking writers and their stupid strike.

The Golden Globes are cancelled.

The Awards will still be given out in a "news event" format...psh.

This better get fixed before Feb. 24.

***UPDATE***

Here's the new TV schedule for the Globes:

"At 7 pm we will air a Dateline with clips and interviews with nominees. (Currently scheduled to air for two hours on Saturday night.)

"At 8 pm, we are negotiating with Dick Clark Enterprises for a one-hour retrospective/clip show.

"At 9 pm [EST] there will be a press conference covered by NBC News announcing the Golden Globe winners. (9pm-10pm)

"At 10 pm we will broadcast an 'Access Hollywood' style, Golden Globes party show...visiting the various parties in Hollywood."

[source]

< / 2 0 0 7 > < 2 0 0 8 >

2008-01-02T15:58:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, Everyone!

2007 is no more. I hope that it was memorable for you all.

I'm still decompressing from the holiday trip, so I will return shortly to finish off the "Coming in 2008" series, as well as discussing many other incredibly interesting things.

Coming in 2008, part 3

2007-12-22T15:40:00.000-08:00

The International
Nine years ago (back when I was in Highschool... woof), Tom Tykwer saw some pretty unprecedented (for a German director) critical success with "Run Lola Run." Unfortunately, he's been rather quiet since then, with his only major project, "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer," not generating anywhere near the buzz or support of Lola. Even so, he's back with another big project, and this time he's got Clive Owen and Naomi Watts in a crime/espionage story surrounding international arms dealing. Although I'm not a huge Watts fan, she does bring star power, and Clive will definitely be in his element here. This won't be heart pounding, explosive entertainment for two straight hours, but should be a good thriller. I'll see a matinee. B-

Iron Man
I'm a huge fan of Jon Favreau. He's one of my favorite writer/actor/director/producers working today. Does he have the chops to pull of Iron Man? Have you seen the trailer? Of course he does. Plus, Robert Downey Jr. as Stark is just awesome. I'll pay full price. B+

James Bond 22
I don't know what to make of this one. First of all, even though they've been working on this thing since before they shot Casino Royale (and all reports are that this will be a "sequel" to Royale), the last report I got was that they hadn't locked a script before the strike began, which makes me wonder if this thing will find it's way to theaters in Summer 09 rather than Winter 08. Either way, they offered this project to Roger Michell (Notting Hill. Yes, that's right. Notting Hill), but negotiations there broke down or some such, so now Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Stranger than Fiction) is attached. Traditionally, the Bond films have gone (understandably so) to directors with more Action in their background. Too many things seem off in this scenario. But, it's Bond, and the new and improved/everyone's favorite Blonde Bond at that (Craig), so it should still fly pretty high. I'll probably pass this one up in theaters completely, simply because I've never been a huge Bond fan. B

Jumper
Now here's an action director. Doug Liman directed the Bourne Identity as well as Mr. & Mrs. Smith, which probably set a record for highest bullets/explosions to casualty ratio in movies (even when people aren't dying, he'll find a way to blow shit up). He even managed to make "Go," a teen drug comedy/drama, feel like a non-stop action flick. Unfortunately this time around he's working with Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson. That right there is enough to keep me out of the theaters. But it'll do fairly well and I'll have to watch it on video. C+

Kung Fu Panda
I love Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, and Iam McShane. Even so, I'm having a hard time getting into the animated flick. But Dreamworks (as young as their animation company is) has a pretty good track record going, so I can't see this one doing too badly. $2 theatre for me, because I refuse to pay over ten bucks to see an animated movie (outside of, maybe, something like Beowulf) on a big screen. C

The Love Guru
Wow. This thing is all set up for fail. I like Mike Myers, but his work has slowly declined as of late (outside of the Shrek series), and now he's back writing himself another wacky character in a super-kooky plot. After the decline in popularity of Austin Powers, I don't know how much success this'll have. I think the studio agrees with me as evidence by the fact that they've cast Jessica Alba and Justin Timberlake to ramp up the young audience. He's even bringing Verne Troyer back. It'll be a miracle if this makes it big. I'll wait for video. D+

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Another Mummy. Seven years later. The first two weren't terribly great, but this one features Jet Li, which should at least make it moderately successful. Video. C

The Other Boleyn Girl
News of Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson working together was enough to get many a young man's heart racing. Upon seeing the recently released trailer, I have to admit it may actually be a quality flick. Period drama based on historic records means a good chance at Oscar nominations (costume and makeup if nothing else), and I'm predicting some pretty good numbers (not stellar, but pretty solid) at the box office. I'm split between matinee and full price at this point. B-

Pineapple Express
I just saw a screening of "Dewey Cox," and I must say, even though quite a few of the risks taken didn't pay off, I laughed quite a lot and enjoyed it thoroughly. Even so, I'm not sure how well Apatow's original writing stacks up to his parody material, especially recently with the mixed-reviews of Knocked Up and the trailer for You Don't Mess With the Zohan, which looks nothing short of terrible. But, I suppose if there is anyone today who could redefine the pot comedy, it's probably the guy who redefined the sex comedy with 40-Year-Old Virgin. Hopefully, I can get away with a matinee. B-

Rambo
After the unexpectedly Huge success of the new Rocky, it'd be hard for the majorly anticipated, radically gory new Rambo to fail. I'm not a follower of the series, so I probably won't check this out in theaters unless I can find a $2 theater. C+

Repo! The Genetic Opera!
This is just the type of oddball, box-office-disaster film I would normally be excited about. However, this is from the director of all the Saw sequels (though not the original), and features Paris Hilton, so I refuse to comment (except I will say that Rupert Giles keeps this from getting an F). D-

RocknRolla
Guy Ritchie is awesome. They're starting to push his "Revolver" in US markets and it should be out soon, which should give him a nice boost before he releases RocknRolla which is a return to his bread and butter: London mob flicks. He's got a pretty good cast again (as always), including Jeremy Piven, which should be interesting. I'll definitely be in theaters for this one, though if I could avoid full price, it'd be nice. B-

The Ruins
Just saw the trailer for this on the big screen (before Sweeney Todd) and it looks like an odd combination of "Descent" and "Slither." From the looks of it, it's more creepy and disgusting rather than it is cheap, jump-out-of-the-dark scary, which is somewhat promising. But in the end, it's a horror flick which means I won't be seeing it and it won't do anything too massive at the box office. C-

4th and Final installment coming shortly.

Hello Loooooooooong Weekend

2007-12-21T14:58:00.000-08:00

WooHoo! I'm just about to get off work, not to return until Jan. 2!!! Hello Holidays!

Happy Holidays, everyone, in case I don't get a chance to say it in person/voice on the actual day(s).

Just some quick news blips before I head off to grub it up with the roomie:

We'll be checking out Sweeney Todd, so look for my review in the next couple.

Attention Panthers Fans! -- Go to this website before you go to the game this Sunday.

An update on my soul: According to Mike Huckabee's Grasroots [sic] Forum, mine will be burning in hell.

Never fear, I'm still working on parts 3 & 4 of the 2008 Movie list... they shall be up shortly (read: eventually).

Peace, Love, and long weekends.

The Return of Stewart/Colbert

2007-12-20T17:35:00.000-08:00

Save the date.

"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" will return to air on January 7, 2008.

They will return without their writers. Oh, well. If anybody can do it, they can.

"We would like to return to work with our writers. If we cannot, we would like to express our ambivalence, but without our writers we are unable to express something as nuanced as ambivalence."
— Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert

Award News

2007-12-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) announced their nominations today for the 14th Annual awards show to be held on January 27, 2008.

There were a few surprises, IMO, but we'll get into that later.

As noted in a previous post, the WGA will be picketing the Golden Globes show provided that the strike is still in effect (it will be). The producers of the show have stated that the show will still go on even though much of the speculation is now that *most* actors/directors/other "guild" members will not attend (aka cross a picket line) in solidarity with the writers.

The SAG has pretty much been solidly behind the writers since this whole thing began. As such, the WGA is going to support (the) SAG by penning an interim agreement allowing WGA members to work on the SAG awards show. So the SAGs will proceed as normal. Here are their noms with (as always) my analysis:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
GEORGE CLOONEY / Michael Clayton – “Michael Clayton”
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS / Daniel Plainview – “There Will Be Blood”
RYAN GOSLING / Lars Lindstrom – “Lars And The Real Girl”
EMILE HIRSCH / Christopher McCandless– “Into The Wild”
VIGGO MORTENSEN / Nikolai – “Eastern Promises”

I'm picking Day-Lewis to win the Oscar. I'm sure this is no terrible surprise to anyone which is why I mention it (gotta keep some cards close to the chest). Outside of that, I like George and Viggo to get some love. Emile I really had to wrestle with (and finally eliminate from my picks) because I just feel he's too young and the character of McCandless (in the film) doesn't have a terribly great arch to it. Gosling, I believed I talked about before, had some great moments that were all but erased by an overall stereotypical, monotone portrayal of a socially inept young man.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
CATE BLANCHETT / Queen Elizabeth I – “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”
JULIE CHRISTIE / Fiona – “Away From Her”
MARION COTILLARD / Edith Piaf – “La Vie En Rose”
ANGELINA JOLIE / Mariane Pearl – “A Mighty Heart”
ELLEN PAGE / Juno MacGuff – “Juno”

My only beef in this category is Cate. She's going to win for supporting, she's played this role (Elizabeth) before (and very well), but this movie was such a disappointment, both monetarily and critically, does she really deserve one of the five spaces when there were plenty other great performances this year?

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
CASEY AFFLECK / Robert Ford – “The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford”
JAVIER BARDEM / Anton Chigurh – “No Country For Old Men”
HAL HOLBROOK / Ron Franz – “Into The Wild”
TOMMY LEE JONES / Ed Tom Bell – “No Country For Old Men”
TOM WILKINSON / Arthur Edens – “Michael Clayton”

Javier is the out-and-out front runner this year by all accounts. Ever since seeing the Michael Clayton trailer I was sure Tom would score some critical praise and maybe even a golden guy (after nearly scoring it six years ago for In the Bedroom), but most Oscar buzz has him out of the top five. I'm glad to see SAG throwing him a bone. Hal is about the same. Some good critical buzz, but most people thought the role was too small for any awards. Tommy Lee is just out of place here. If the Academy gives him love it will most likely be in the Lead category for In the Valley of Elah.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
CATE BLANCHETT / Jude – “I’m Not There”
RUBY DEE / Mama Lucas – “American Gangster”
CATHERINE KEENER / Jan Burres – “Into The Wild”
AMY RYAN / Helene McCready – “Gone Baby Gone”
TILDA SWINTON / Karen Crowder – “Michael Clayton”

As said before by me and just about everyone on the planet, Cate will win this category at all award shows. Ruby's a bit of a dark horse here. There was definite buzz about her performance, but due to the overall feel of the movie being below par for Scott, and with a strong script and two "lead" actors each worthy (mainly by default) of at least one nomination, most people didn't see a supporting nomination coming this film's way. Obviously she won't win, as she's up against Cate, and I don't think she'll even be considered for the Oscar. I love Catherine Keener and Tilda Swinton and am glad to see them getting some love. Catherine's role, like Hal's, is rather small (as the film revolves around one young man's journey and everyone else sort of just comes and goes) and I wouldn't be surprised if she gets overlooked by the Academy. Amy's a pretty strong candidate, especially now with the support of the SAG nod. What's missing here (as in all categories, though most noticeably here) are the ladies from Atonement. I don't know if SAG has some beef against a producer on Atonement, but that was the one picture that seemed to have the formula down: romance, war, period, epic, adapted novel... Traditionally this formula applies more to the Oscars than SAG, but they don't usually ignore the film altogether. This was the one category I was sure that the three supporting ladies from Atonement (Ronan, Garai, Redgrave) would lock up at least one, possibly two, nominations. I may have to rethink this.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
3:10 TO YUMA
AMERICAN GANGSTER
HAIRSPRAY
INTO THE WILD
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Alright, here's where it just gets ludicrous. Hairspray? Really? I mean, I realize this is basically their "Best Picture" category, but when you label it "Performance by a Cast," what are films like 3:10 and Hairspray, whose leading and supporting performances you didn't find worthy of note, doing in this category? I mean, Michael Clayton got three nominations in the four acting categories, but the featured extras must really suck for it to not end up here. This whole category is just stupid. Wild or Country should win. I do want to see 3:10 now. I've got Hairspray down for two Oscar nods right now (not in the Orig. Song category either, which may come back to bite me) and that's certainly not changing. The roomie's getting a screener of Gangster today or tomorrow, so I'll watch it for free and then maybe feel better about it. Probably not.

Finally, something that's slipping a bit under the radar (as it's the LAST nomination on the SAG page... waaaay at the bottom):

Screen Actors Guild Awards 44th Annual Life Achievement Award
CHARLES DURNING

That's right, baby. Chucky D. Here he is doing a little sidestep. Enjoy.

Coming in 2008, part 2

2007-12-19T10:47:00.000-08:00

The Dark Knight
Hellz yeah. Nolan - check. Bale - check. Ledger (after seeing the trailer) - triple check. Freeman, Caine - check, check. Plus, they're bringing back Oldman and have traded Katie for Maggie (good choice). I'm trying to find something wrong with this and utterly failing. It's not the kind of film that's going to get Oscar love next year, but it'll surely rake in the money. I'll be there opening weekend. A

The Day the Earth Stood Still
Two words: Remake; Keanu.
Yes, Keanu plays Kaatu (the alien) and yes, Jennifer Connelly is in it. Is that going to be enough to save it? In my opinion, not completely. But my prediction is it won't matter either way (at least not in 2008). This thing is currently set for a December 12 release (after already being pushed back once) and is already running into some problems. Don't be surprised if this thing gets pushed back to '09... or further. If it does come out in '08, you won't find me in line at the theatres for this one (although, with the low expectations and the success of recent remakes [a la I Am Legend], this could be a sleeper hit). C-

Eagle Eye
Director Caruso and actor LeBeouf are back together after an incredibly successful Disturbia, and this more mature drama/thriller involving a terrorist plot could piggy-back nicely off their last flick. This won't win any awards or break box office records, but it should do quite well. I'll do a matinee. B-

Fanboys
This thing just got bumped (AGAIN) in the last couple weeks from Jan. '08 to Mar. '08... People have already been waiting well over a year for this thing, and if there's one sure way to lose an audience it's keeping them waiting (after you announce and push a trailer). Plus, though not technically a remake, it is an exposition of a 2003 short film. Even so, it has cult classic written all over it (I mean, come on, cameos by Carrie Fisher and Shatner [as himself]) and features Kristen Bell in the Leia bikini. If MGM/Weinstein can manage to roll this one out before the Summer season hits it may see some mild success at the box office. But I don't see this one achieving anything close to "Superbad" at the B.O. or "Clerks" on video, especially after all the delays. I'll try to find a free screening... or a $2 theatre. C+

The Fighter
Before you get too excited about this one let me just say that I don't know where these people got the 2008 release date for this one because Paramount certainly hasn't announced anything to that effect. As of right now the official release of this is TBA 2009. That being said, I don't know if Aronofsky can't go wrong, but he certainly hasn't thus far. As glad as I am that Pitt had to step away from The Fountain, I do like him and think he'll work very well in this role. If nothing else, Brad carries with him a lot of industry clout with which to leverage studio execs, something I'm sure Aronofsky appreciates after the (unfortunate) disappointing B.O. showing of the much-beleaguered Fountain. Since it's Aronofsky, I'll see it in theatres (in '09)... full price, but probably not opening weekend as I don't think this biopic will have the same cinematic punch as the picturesque, sci-fi Fountain or drug-induced Requiem. B+

The Forbidden Kingdom
Jet Li and Jackie Chan in the same movie. Whoa. Fight choreography by Yuen Wo Ping (The Matrix trilogy, Kill Bill). Whoa. Directed by Rob Minkoff. Who? The guy who directed The Haunted Mansion and Stuart Little. Yes, that's right. If you're old enough to remember the Jackie Chan movies that were actually good, you're too old for this movie. I'll wait for video. D+

Frost/Nixon
Director Ron Howard teams up with screenwriter Peter Morgan (The Queen, The Last King of Scotland) for a political drama that's sure to be a success. This one should collect quite a few Oscar nominations next year including Director, Adapted Screenplay, possibly Best Picture, and definitely Best Actor in a Leading Role for Frank Langella's portrayal of Richard Nixon. Langella is always brilliant and although I haven't seen so much as a screenshot of him as Nixon I can say with near certainty that when an actor of his calibre gets to step into a real-life character alongside a notable director, terrific supporting cast, and what promises to be a brilliant script involving politics, secrets, and controversy, you can more than pencil in a nomination... maybe even a win. I'll definitely pay full price for the performance(s). A-

Get Smart
This is a film adaptation of a spy-spoofing TV series co-created by Mel Brooks, helmed by Tommy Boy director Pete Segal, and starring Steve Carell in his first comedic lead since the disappointing Evan Almighty. Looking at all the comedic actors currently working, I'd say Carell has a better chance than most at doing Brooks-ian humor the justice it justly deserves. Not to mention the fact that he'll have Anne Hathaway as his leading lady and Alan Arkin as the chief. I'm looking for Carell to get back on his A-Game here... comedies are a good box office draw for me (I do like to laugh), so I may even pay full price for this one. B-

The Happening
M. Night Shyamalan. F

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Not much to say here. I haven't seen any of the movies (nor read any of the books), so I won't be seeing this one. After a bit of a slump (and I use the term loosely) around Azkaban, the series is back on the rise at the B.O., though none of the films have managed to make $1B worldwide. I think this might be the one that does it. B+

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, aka HBII
After the success of Pan's Labyrinth, Guillermo del Toro may have a broader audience willing to check out his next big project. He may not need it to recoup his budget this time, however, as there is a pretty sizable Hellboy following in the geek community (from what I'm told). It should do fairly well, although I wouldn't be surprised if this were the end of the Hellboy franchise on the big screen. I'll check it out at a matinee. C+

The Incredible Hulk
Why, why, why? I just don't get this. The guy who directed The Transporter series is having a crack at Stan Lee's famous angry, green guy. I can't imagine this being well received. Marvel apparently wants a "fresh start" to the franchise after the disappointing performance of Ang Lee's 2003 version, but a whole new cast/crew only four years later seems hurried. Speaking of the cast, lets talk about what a fustercluck that is: Ed Norton as Bruce Banner (love Ed... not so sure about him as Bruce... I could be convinced, though), Liv Tyler as Betty Ross (Liv is way overrated... plus she's having to follow in Jen Connelly's shoes - not gonna happen), Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky (This might actually work out), William Hurt as Gen. Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (No), and Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake is Awesome. Such says the Rockel)... This one's really throwing me for a loop. A lot of potential - both to do really well and to bomb completely... Unfortunately, my gut is telling me it's too soon and the action movie director is going to "John Woo" this thing to a horrible, fast-paced, CG-induced death. If it's playing at a $2 theatre I'll see it on the big screen. If not, video it is. C

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Boo-yah! There's no stopping this thing from being one of the highest grossing films of the year. Yes, it's almost two decades later. Yes, Harrison is much older, but at least they're incorporating that into the script rather than attempting to ignore it. I mean, how much better could this cast get? Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, Jim Broadbent? They even brought Karen Allen back (aka Marion Ravenwood, aka the chick with the frying pan). Big thumbs up. Full price. Opening weekend. A

13 more down. That only leaves...... carry the one..... 27 more to go. Two more instalments should get it done. Tune in next time.

Holy Crap... Updated

2007-12-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

...They will officially picket.

...I agree with something Bush is doing.

...I could never be a scientist.

...Rudy sees Mike Huckabee's Christmas Ad and raises him... er... lowers him... this ad.

...Vlad beat Al (and Rowlings).

...This passes for news on the Drudge Report.

...Something tells me the "Irrefutable"-ness of this story will be tested.

...D. Kucinich's brother found dead.

Coming in 2008, part 1

2007-12-18T17:41:00.001-08:00

In August of last year, Alex Billington over at firstshowing.net published an article entitled “Why 2007 Will Be A Great Year For Movies,” in which he listed 43 films to look forward to in 2007. Now that 2007 is almost at an end, “Why 2008 Will Be A Great Year For Movies” has just made its way onto the interwebs. It’s a good read and even included a couple titles that had slipped me by, but if you’d like the condensed version with honest commentary by yours truly, here are 54 movie to look forward to (or not) in 2008 (part 1)…

21
I love Kevin Spacey, but his work really has suffered the last few years. This flick looks interesting, but not stellar. I’ll wait for it on video. C+

Adventureland
First gig back for Mottola since Superbad looks to be somewhat promising. It’s going to be hard to live up to the juggernaut that was Superbad, but with Ryan Reynolds and Kristen Wiig in your cast you got a damn good shot. I may check out a matinee. B

Australia
Plot seems iffy, Nicole Kidman’s career is souring faster than her plastic surgery, but Hugh Jackman’s still strong, and – oh, yeah – it’s Baz Luhrmann. This won’t be the exciting smash hit Moulin Rouge was, but it has potential to be a nice love story like Strictly Ballroom… I’ll check it out at matinee price and like it; not love it. B-

Babylon A.D.
Cast - Vin Diesel, Gérard Depardieu, Michelle Yeoh. That’s really all you need to know right there. No? You want more? Here’s the plot: “Veteran-turned-mercenary Thoorop (Diesel) takes the high-risk job of escorting a woman from Russia to China….” Ok, doesn’t sound too bad. “…Little does he know that she is host to an organism that a cult wants to harvest in order to produce a genetically modified Messiah.” I’ll watch it at a friend’s house… if there’s nothing else to do… and I’m chained to the sofa. D- (The only thing keeping this from an F is what I can only assume will be insane stunts/action sequences)

Be Kind Rewind
This one is so tough to call. The premise is really odd, but nobody does odd like Michel Gondry (or for that matter Jack Black). I’m really looking forward to this one, purely for the mixture of Gondry, Black, and Mos Def. It won’t blow too many people away, but I’ll pay full price – maybe not opening weekend – and like it. B+

Blindness
Wow. Meirelles’ films are always beautiful and compelling, even if not well received, but I’ve long maintained (and will continue to do so) that Mark Ruffalo is one of the most mediocre actors around. M-Ruf in the lead means I won’t care for this one and given the success of The Constant Gardner, I’m not sure how much love the rest of the country is going to show it. I’ll see a matinee. C+

The Box
Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko) writes and directs this modified “Pandora’s Box” of a movie, starring James Marsden and Cameron Diaz as a married couple. After Kelly’s disappointing Southland Tales he’s going to need something big to come back on. I don’t think this is going to be it. The only thing to me that makes less sense than Cameron Diaz in a Kelly picture is the brilliant Frank Langella in the same Kelly picture. I’ll wait for video. C

Burn After Reading
Here we go. Finally something to really get excited about. I don’t think there’s any doubt that after No Country for Old Men, the Coen Bro’s are back on their A-Game. Can they maintain? Let’s take a look at the cast: Pitt, Clooney, Malkovich, Swinton, McDormand. And the plot: “A disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous gym employees who attempt to sell it.” This has old-school Coen written all over it (they even went back to writing their own original scripts). Pair that with their ever increasing skill in the art of filmmaking, and look out. Part of me would like to see the title change, but all of me is looking for this one to make money, garner praise, and earn awards. Full price… possibly even opening weekend. A-

The Changeling
America and the Academy love Clint Eastwood. I’m just not sure about this one, though. A period mystery written by a guy known for his He-Man, Babylon 5, and Twilight Zone episodic writing. Unfortunately, I think Clint’s best work may be behind him. I’ll wait for video. C+

Choke
The premise of this is so incredibly twisted it could only have come from Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club). A crazy story featuring Sam Rockwell as a sex-addicted con-man, directed by a graduate of the school of Mamet (Clark Gregg), adds up to me really wanting to enjoy this one. I may be setting myself up for disappointment here, but I’ll see a matinee… maybe even pay full price. B-

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Woof. I just don’t know. I really only thought Witch/Wardrobe was so-so (plus I’m still a little bitter that it one the Makeup Oscar), and from the looks of this new trailer I don’t the production team did anything but sit around watching Gladiator and the Lord of the Rings trilogy between films. It’ll be a hit (or, at least as big of a hit as Witch/Wardrobe was), but I won’t like it. If I can find a $2 theatre out here I can avoid paying matinee for it. B

City of Ember
So there’s this city where “people have for generations flourished under magical lights. Until… Ember’s once powerful generator is failing.” A world in crisis flick. What’s that? Yes. Tim Robbins is in it. And I don’t know how I feel about Bill Murray in a fantasy film. Given that one of the best fantasy films of recent memory, written by one of the premiere fantasy authors, starring a bang-up cast did relatively poorly this year (Stardust), I don’t see this one breaking any records. It might be worth a watch though… at matinee pricing. C+

Cloverfield
Alex Billington says of Cloverfield: “The early reviews have been all positive, and a new classic could be in the making.” Yes it could be. It could also be hugely disappointing and anti-climactic like other projects J.J. Abrams has produced. Given that this is the first screenplay produced by “Lost” writer Drew Goddard, and the first big-budget film Matt Reeves (“Felicity”) has directed, I’d say the chances are slanted towards the fail. I won’t like this one, but may watch it on the big screen for the heck (and scope) of it. Anyone who’s not a devout J.J.-ist will be disappointed. C

Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Excellent story (Fitzgerald), excellent screenwriter (Eric Roth), excellent director (Fincher), excellent cast (Pitt, Blanchett, Swinton, Ormond)… This has a lot going for it. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I’ll be paying full price to see this one. Maybe not opening weekend, but full price. B+

14 films down, 40 to go. Here endeth part 1. Tune in next time for more.

News, News, lots of News

2007-12-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

Where to start...

As Doyle has pointed out, Peter Jackson has mended his relationship with New Line and is all set to Exec. Produce, alongside longtime collaborator Fran Walsh, two films based on Tolkien's "The Hobbit" with principle photography beginning in 2009 and release dates in 2010 and 2011. No word on cast/crew at this point.

Jay and Conan will be back on the air beginning January 2, 2008. Happy New Year to us all. Unfortunately, they will be sans-writers. This may turn out to be a good thing, however, since there will now be more time, in the absence of monologues, for lengthier interviews and/or musical performances.

No official word on Jimmy, but most guesses are he will follow suit.

Dave and Craig, meanwhile, are all set to return with full writing staff, having come to an agreement on an interim contract with the WGA.

Now the really bad news:

The WGA will not be allowing members to write for the Oscars or Golden Globes. How is this bad news, you ask? Won't this just mean I won't have to sit through a bunch of lame, unrehearsed jokes? Well, yes. I suppose that's the silver lining. Unfortunately, the guild is also attempting to ensure that the producers of the award shows are not able to use clips from any WGA-written films (read: pretty much all films this year). Add to this the fact that there is talk of protesting/picketing both events, which would encourage a healthy number of actors/directors to not attend and/or picket in solidarity, and you got a pretty boring evening. Though it'd be nice to see the Oscars take less than 5 hours. Silver linings everywhere.

Anywho... my Oscar nod predictions are now about 95% complete. I still need to witness how some late-December releases are received and maybe take a stab at some of the short categories... outside of that, I'm all set to beat the roomie.

The NFL Network sucks...

2007-12-16T15:05:00.000-08:00

...but they've got the best ad capaign on TV.

more at joes.nfl.com

First Post in December

2007-12-16T11:42:00.000-08:00

And just a shade over two weeks in. My apologies.

Here's all the news from this coast:

First and foremost, I'm heading back to NC for the holidays... A week from tomorrow (Christmas Eve), I'll be flying into Charlotte Douglas to see the fam for the first time since coming out here about six months ago... time flies. Speaking of time flying, the last couple weeks have just blown by, but now that the trip home is only a week away and I'm super excited I'm sure this coming week is just going to absolutely drag on for eternity.

In the last couple weeks I've worked a few days on the next season of The Biggest Loser as well as two days (including one 17-hour day) on an independent feature titled "The Enlightenment of Bob." The 17-hour day consisted of shooting 4 or 5 scenes that all took place in and around a crack house. It was pretty cool since the building we were using for the crack house was a small office unit in an office-park type building. Lots of spray paint, cardboard, and plywood all add up to "movie magic."

I also got really sick for the first time since coming out here. It started while at work last Thursday, as I had to work a little late since I would be out the next day working on The Biggest Loser, with just some sniffles, sneezing, and a headache. I went to bed really early that night and woke up the next morning bright and early fully congested. I took a couple Sudafed and drove off into the sunrise, picking up some Dayquil on the way to the ranch. I was in a haze for most of the day and about midway thru every joint in my body was aching, making for a wonderfully miserable long day of work. So last weekend was mostly dedicated to sleeping and eating Campbell's chicken noodle soup.

The Cathey has done got himself hired by one of the agencies with whom he was previously interning. He is now a paid assistant to several agents at a Beverly Hills talent agency. Good stuff. The roomie has also been shopping around a (rather long) short script I wrote a while back to some moderate success. Apparently there is some interest if the 36 page story can become a 100-page feature. So, that's my focus the next month or two.

The Packers are currently playing the Rams. Green Bay is winning... no shocker there. But the big story is that it is now the end of third quarter and Favre is 1 yard away from tying Marino for most career passing yards. We'll see if he can pick it up here in the fourth. Also, Carolina finally put some points on the board, now up 3-0 in the fourth. If they can hold out against the Sea-birds (and GB hangs on to beat the Rams), the Pack'll have a first round bye in the playoffs.

Alright, I've covered life, sports... weather: It's actually getting pretty cold out here lately. Still not a whole lot of precipitation, but definitely cold. In fact, by the time we finally left the set on the 17-hour day - around 2-3am - it was 38 degrees. So, still not freezing, but cold all the same. I'll be all kinds of ready for all that snow that I'm going to see while in NC over the holidays (right?).

Writer strike update: A week or so ago they went back to the table. Same result, same story. No agreement, each side blames the other. The big news now is interim agreements. Letterman is looking at talks with the WGA that may lead to the Late Show being back up with new episodes and a full writing staff and crew by early-to-mid January. This has, of course, spurred other people to look into the same option, however Dave has a major advantage as his show (as well as the Late Late Show) is owned and produced by Dave's independent production company, Worldwide Pants, and not, like Jay's Tonight Show, the network he's on.

One of the last posts I did before disappearing for two weeks was on the awards season getting underway with the Spirit Award nominations. Since then the Golden Globes have announced their noms - a much bigger help in picking Oscar contenders. As I mentioned before, the roomie is looking to host an Oscar nomination prediction contest on his site and I'm looking to participate (read: beat the roomie). So I found the GG nominations helpful in that they reaffirmed my faith in many of my picks and provided a bit more insight into some of the more obscure categories like Best Song. Overall, at this point, I'm sticking to my gut for the most part, only allowing the GG's to influence about 2-3 of my picks.

I guess that only leaves politics... Huckabee came out of nowhere to lead or fall to a close second (depending on the poll) in the Republican race. I must say, as much as I'm not a fan of all of Huck's positions, it's nice to see Rudy getting some serious competition. And Huckabee seems to be handling it pretty well, picking up Rollins and (lightly) criticizing the foreign policy of the current administration. Mitt is looking to pick up a few points by jumping to Bush's defense, but Huck'll stand by his comments. Meanwhile, on the Dem side, Obama seems to be gaining massive amounts of ground on Clinton, so she no longer has a gargantuan lead... merely humongous or quite large (depending on the poll). This has (Bill) Clinton speaking out about Obama's preparedness for the (oval) office. I'm getting tired of all this in-fighting. Let's have these primaries already so that each side can start beating up on the other, like it's supposed to be.

Finally, in politics, from the NIE report to signing bills into law with more than just a signature, the Bush empire marches on.

Also, I haven't come up with a new poll yet, but the answer to the current poll is Chuck Norris. While I can't see Chuck calling Eric a dumbass, I think we can all agree that Chuck could come up with some pretty creative ways to put his foot up Eric's ass.

R.I.P.

2007-11-30T14:12:00.000-08:00

Evel Knievel

10.17.1938-11.30.2007

[img source]
"Knievel died on November 30, 2007, aged 69. He was assassinated by ninjas under the command of hip-hop musician Kanye West. Rest in peace."

You think I'm f--kin' with you? I am not f--kin' with you

2007-11-30T10:56:00.000-08:00

Birthdays are for closers.

Happy Birthday, David Mamet.

[img source]

Award Season Officially Open

2007-11-27T11:34:00.000-08:00

Guns only allowed the first week, so make it count.

The nominees have been announced for the 23rd Annual Film Independent's Spirit Awards.

More of an emotional milestone than anything else, the Indy-only nods draw from a far smaller pool of candidates than that of the globes and the Academy, and although they are the first to be announced, they aren't handed out until the day before the Academy Awards, so don't count on their results helping you pick your Oscar winners.

Even so, here's the full list with my analysis:

2008 SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS by category

BEST FEATURE
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
I’m Not There
Juno
A Mighty Heart
Paranoid Park

"Juno" might have a shot at an Oscar nod and possibly "I'm Not There" as the Academy loves ensembles.

BEST DIRECTOR
Todd Haynes - I’m Not There
Tamara Jenkins - The Savages
Jason Reitman - Juno
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Gus Van Sant - Paranoid Park

Right now I'm not considering any of these directors for an Oscar Nod. But if I had to pick one: Todd Haynes (they just don't like Gus all that much).

BEST FIRST FEATURE
2 Days in Paris
Great World of Sound
The Lookout
Rocket Science
Vanaja

The Spirit awards are great for up-and-coming films/filmmakers... none of these will get Oscar love.

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000; award given to the writer, director, and producer)
August Evening
Owl and the Sparrow
The Pool
Quiet City
Shotgun Stories

Again, awesome award... no Oscar.

BEST SCREENPLAY
Ronald Harwood - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Tamara Jenkins - The Savages
Fred Parnes & Andrew Wagner - Starting Out in the Evening
Adrienne Shelly - Waitress
Mike White - Year of the Dog

Jenkins, definitely Jenkins.

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Jeffrey Blitz - Rocket Science
Zoe Cassavetes - Broken English
Diablo Cody - Juno
Kelly Masterson - Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
John Orloff - A Mighty Heart

Cody and Masterson. Maybe Orloff just because the film's getting so much love early on. But Jenkins, Cody, and Masterson will all be in my predicted nods.

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Sienna Miller - Interview
Ellen Page - Juno
Parker Posey - Broken English
Tang Wei - Lust, Caution

Jolie is pretty close to a sure thing for this award as well as an Oscar nomination. My current predictions also have Page garnering a nod. I wouldn't even be too horribly surprised to see Tang Wei sneak into the Oscar running, but I'm not betting on it.

BEST MALE LEAD
Pedro Castaneda - August Evening
Don Cheadle - Talk To Me
Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Savages
Frank Langella - Starting Out in the Evening
Tony Leung - Lust, Caution

I really like Langella for this award and possibly an Oscar nod. Cheadle and Hoffman are both awesome and deserving of any award, I suppose, but I doubt either one will get Oscar love this year (at least in the lead category)

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Cate Blanchett - I’m Not There
Anna Kendrick - Rocket Science
Jennifer Jason Leigh - Margot at the Wedding
Tamara Podemski - Four Sheets to the Wind
Marisa Tomei - Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead

Blanchett is the closest you're going to get to a "sure thing" this year outside of "Transformers" for visual effects. But then again, "Cars" was pretty much a sure thing and we all remember what happened there. I'll still take Blanchett to win this award as well as the golden boy and Jason Leigh will be my long shot. I'm pretty sure the ladies from "Atonement" will fill at least two Oscar nods in this category.

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Chiwetel Ejiofor - Talk To Me
Marcus Carl Franklin - I’m Not There
Kene Holliday - Great World of Sound
Irrfan Khan - The Namesake
Steve Zahn - Rescue Dawn

Oh, man. Zahn. Come on. You gotta give it to him. He's Zahn. As for Oscar potentials... Franklin? Maybe. That's about it.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Mott Hupfel - The Savages
Janusz Kaminski - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Milton Kam - Vanaja
Mihai Malaimare, Jr. - Youth Without Youth
Rodrigo Prieto - Lust, Caution

It's gonna be hard to beat Prieto. I'll take him to win and also get an Oscar nod. Longshot for the win and an Oscar nod: Kaminski. Everybody else: just stay home.

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Crazy Love
Lake of Fire
Manufactured Landscapes
The Monastery
The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair

The only one of these on the Academy's Shortlist is "Lake of Fire," which makes it the (only) one with the best chance at an Oscar nod, which I believe it will get. I haven't yet decided if I think it will win the Oscar, but with the massive overdose of (Iraq) war docs in the running this year, a hard-hitting documentary about abortion by an acclaimed director might be the winning ticket (although, I wouldn't mind seeing "War/Dance" win).

BEST FOREIGN FILM
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Romania)
The Band’s Visit (Israel)
Lady Chatterley (France)
Once (Ireland)
Persepolis (France)

As the Oscar's only accept one entry per country and the spoken language in the film must be no more than 49% English, the only nods here with a chance at Oscar glory are "4 months...," and "Persepolis." I've currently got both down as nominees and I'm pretty certain that Persepolis will win either Foreign Language or Animated (it'd be nice to see Austria pull an upset in Foreign), so I'd really like to see "Once" take this award.

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
I’m Not There

This award recognizes a great film with an outstanding ensemble cast, which has me rethinking "I'm Not There" as a possible contender for a Best Pic nod at the Oscars. I don't know if this is going to be enough to convince me to bump one of my other strong contenders. We'll see what happens when the Globes are announced.

This next post is only dedicated to beautiful people here tonight...

2007-11-24T16:31:00.000-08:00

That means all of you. Thank you for coming along.

It was 16 years ago today that Freddie Mercury passed away, which is as good a reason as any to play some Queen. Enjoy.

Steee-rike 2

2007-11-21T11:06:00.000-08:00

Still the same strike; here's your second update.

Some articles:
Letterman Opens His Wallet
Family Guy Sans MacFarlane?

Both articles are pretty self explanatory from their titles, but a good read none the less if you are bored and need material (though rather old, sorry, I've been planning to get back to this topic for a while and failing). The one thing I will point out is the Letterman article, which deals with Dave paying his crew through the end of the year, discredits the (apparent) rumor that Jon Stewart was paying his crew out of pocket. As I had previously posted this as fact, I now apologize and correct.

Alright, so the big news now is that talks are set to get back underway this coming Monday. Fingers crossed, maybe they can get this resolved. Other than that, things have quieted down quite a bit here at the Sony lot, which is nice. It no longer takes me 15 minutes just to drive passed the picket lines. Good stuff.

In the interest of keeping this short, I'll just let the writers and producers speak for themselves. First a video from the writers followed by an open letter from the producers...

An Open Letter...

Like so many other facets of modern life, technology is rapidly changing the way Hollywood works. The Internet, mobile devices, TiVo and similar innovations give audiences a chance to watch movies, television shows and other content in ways undreamed of just a few years ago.

The negotiations between producers and writers over a new contract have taken place in the context of this paradigm shift in how entertainment is distributed and consumed.

That, in turn, has led to a lot of confusion about what the writers' strike is all about, even among many with a stake in the outcome. Some respected writers have even made public statements about the issues that demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of what is on the table and how they are being paid.

Given the complexity of the residual system itself and the often technical nature of the proposals submitted by writers and producers in their recent negotiations, such mistakes may be understandable. But they contribute to an atmosphere where bridging the gap between us seems harder than ever.

That is why we would like to set the record straight on key issues.

First, how should writers be paid when content is offered in "new media" formats, such as on the Internet?

It is important to make clear that writers currently do receive residuals for digital downloading (regardless of whether the download is temporary or permanent).

That means every time anyone pays for movies or television programs on the Internet or through other new media channels, writers are getting paid. So the notion that we are not sharing new media revenue with writers is simply not correct.

The Writers Guild is proposing to change the formulas for digital downloading. For electronic sell-through (like buying a movie on iTunes), the Guild is seeking at least a 700 percent increase over what writers currently receive, and more than a 200 percent increase over what they receive for Internet "pay per view." There is no way that these increases can be deemed reasonable.

A second issue of concern for writers and producers is this: what happens when content is streamed over the Internet for free?

The AMPTP has offered to pay writers a percentage of the revenues the producer receives from licensing streamed content on the Internet. However, the Writers Guild is asking that writers get a percentage of what the Internet site owners receive in advertising revenues connected with the streaming content, even if producers are getting none of that money themselves.

Simply put, what the Writers Guild is asking for has no precedent. No labor agreement in history has given writers, actors or directors a portion of advertising dollars. There is no way that this change can be deemed reasonable.

We believe common ground can be found once reasonable people take the time to understand the issues. We hope this letter can help move us all closer to that goal.

Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers
For questions and comments please contact: www.amptp.org
On behalf of the 350 producers of motion picture and television currently represented in negotiations with the Writers Guild of America

Lars and Oscar

2007-11-20T20:12:00.000-08:00

Last weekend the roomie and I checked out "Lars and the Real Girl." I gotta say, I was a little apprehensive. It seemed like an interesting premise, and Gosling, who's been picking up critical praise left and right lately, was once again lapping it up in reviews, but it also seemed like it could very easily fall into the slow, methodical, boring trap of the modern "indie" flick surrounding a socially inept protagonist.

I'm pleased to report, however, that I was quite wrong. I laughed harder and more frequently than I have in a theater in recent memory and the moments in between, though there were some heart-felt, dramatic moments, were very often of a pleasant, light-hearted nature. It was quite the joy to watch.

Goslings performance (as Lars) did flirt mightily with the aforementioned trap, and although he had some nice, organic moments of greatness, the delivery on the whole seemed disjointed and somewhat uninspired.

All of that was completely overshadowed, however, by Paul Schneider's brilliant portrayal of Lars' older brother, Gus. Brilliant comic timing, presence, and reactions transitioned nicely into honest, warm discussion of more serious content that remained believable without destroying the feel of the character.

Mortimer was good, as usual, and Kelli Garner was completely adorable in an awkward, endearing way (major points to her makeup/wardrobe peeps) as the Real Girl.

All in all it was a very enjoyable flick with some solid performance and a well-written, original script that has me considering it for Oscar contention in the Original Script category, which leads me to my next point.

Oscars.

They're coming. Soon. Those of you who have been following the Rockel for a while are well aware of the embarrassing semi-loss Rockel suffered almost a year ago in the big Academy Awards showdown. Fear not, for the Rockel will return better and stronger this year. So, pencil it in. Jan 22, 5:30am PT the nominees will be announced and the race will be on.

The rules will remain the same. Select the one nominee in each category that you believe will walk away with the golden man. One (1) point awarded for every correct prediction. EXCEPTION: There are three (3) categories worth only one-tenth of one point (0.1) for a correct prediction. These are the tie-breaker categories... the shorts: 1) Animated Short, 2) Documentary Short, 3) Live Action Short. A perfect score, then, would be 21.3. Stay tuned for more leading up to the big night.

For those of you who like a bit more of a challenge, the Cathey hopes to throw together a little competition of his own which will involve predicting the NOMINATIONS. Booyah. More to follow.

Paul, Revisited

2007-11-12T19:23:00.000-08:00

I received some excellent comments on the Dr. Paul post a while back that I never responded to due to lack of time.

Now that I've got a few minutes, I'd like to revisit some of the ideas brought up by Mr. Mills (ArtisianWell) and Edwards...

First on the war:

"I do believe that there was an incitation of War made against the U.S."
Even the current administration has given up on attempting to link the current war in Iraq with the inciting events of September Eleventh.

"We need to finish this war and allow the Iraqi people to setup their 'Own' Democratic Republic."
Before any of that, we need to actually establish what it means to "finish" this war. The people running it have changed the definition of success so much that it seems we have already finished it several times over. As to allowing Iraq to establish their own republic, we've been doing that now for over a year. It's about time we stopped "allowing" them and began forcing them (or leave them).

"I am sick to death of people all over saying it's an illegal war,... the point now is that we are in there. All discussions should flow from that point: we are there, how do we best resolve this."
I really don't mind people calling a spade a spade. All the discussion within the administration (aka the people [supposedly] running the war) should flow from the point "what do we do now?" However, I think it only appropriate to discuss the legality and implications of such activity at the highest level of our government.

"An analogy would be stabbing someone in a major artery. Once the knife is there, it doesn't matter how it got there. If you pull it out just because it was put there wrongfully (i.e., attempted murder) the shit is going to hit the fan instantaneously. The person will bleed out in seconds and be dead. You have to plan how to strategically take it out and do as little damage as possible. "
The analogy certainly works on it's own. However, so does the following: sticking your hand in a tank full of piranhas. Once your hand is in there, it doesn't matter how it got in there. If you keep it in there just to prove how tough you are, your arm is gonna get messed up. You have to remove it immediately to avoid maximum damage. Neither analogy is perfect and both, in my opinion, are worthy of debate.

The PATRIOT Act:

"I believe we need something far stronger against Terrorists without sacrificing Rights of Privacies."

"[Something] that guarantees the rights of it's people and one that enable us to root out the evil these men do."

"There needs to be something that gets terrorists but leaves citizens alone."

The reason I took so long to respond to these comments was I wanted to go back and reread the PATRIOT Act to solidify my argument against it. However, I was unable to motivate myself to get all the way through it. So my argument against it remains what it has always been. September Eleventh didn't change everything. The attacks on that day were incredibly unavoidable. The government failed us. Either by their complete incompetence, complete lack of communication, or complete lack of organization. Adding more money and another incompetent federal department does little more than give the illusion of security. Some accountability and small reforms to existing agencies would do much more good than unnecessary legislation paving the way for diminishing civil liberties.

Oh, So Good Stew!

2007-11-11T19:57:00.000-08:00

Again, I didn't come up with the name. The internet did.

3 Lb. stew meat, cut into bite sized pieces
2 Large onions, chopped
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1/3 C. dry red wine
1/3 C. all purpose flour
2 T. sugar
1 Tsp. dried thyme
1/4 Tsp. black pepper
4 Cups beef broth
1 12 oz. Beer
3-4 Lg. potatoes, cubed 1-1/2 inch
4-5 Lg. carrots, sliced 1/2 in thick
2 C. coarsely chopped cabbage
3/4 C. coarsely chopped celery
2 Bay leaves
Salt

Combine the meat, onions, garlic, and Worcestershire in large pot. (No, you do not brown the meat first.) Cover and cook over med. heat for 30 minutes. Uncover and stir often until the liquid evaporates. Add wine and stir to release browned bits. Mix flour, sugar, thyme and pepper with one cup broth and stir to a smooth consistency. Add to pot along with the remaining 3 cups of broth. Add beer, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, celery and bay leaves. Cover and simmer until meat in very tender and vegetables are cooked. Season to taste with salt. Enjoy!

ROCKEL's notes:
~ The directions are a bit loose, but it's a stew, if all else fails throw everything together and let it stew.
~ As you've already discovered (unless you're reading this post in reverse order), this is just your basic "Meat and Potatoes/Veggies" stew. It's relatively simple and quite delicious, so I gave it relatively high marks.
~ I used sweet onions. They were delicious.
~ I love Worcestershire sauce so I added a bit more than suggested. It definitely worked.
~ I used a Pinot Noir for my red wine. Not my first choice in a cooking wine, but I so rarely cook with wine that I figured for 1/3 of a cup I could just buy a bottle of wine (on sale for 5 bucks) that I wouldn't mind drinking. Either way, the result was delicious, so... win, win.
~ Of all the things not to have, John and I have no (white) sugar in our kitchen. I, of course, assumed we did (why wouldn't we?) and didn't purchase any when I went to the store pre-cooking. As I didn't feel like returning to the store, I used some brown sugar that I had bought for a previous cooking escapade. I cut the amount to about 1-1.5 T because I wasn't sure how it would effect the flavor. It was fine.
~ I used Guinness for my beer. I already had some in house because of the birthday and, well, it's Guinness, why wouldn't you use it? It was delicious.
~ I'm a big fan of cabbage in stew. I upped my cabbage to about 3 c. It still could have been much more.

Steee-rike

2007-11-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

I'm sure most of you have heard that there's this strike thing going on that's pretty much rocking Hollywood. Here's your little update on what it is, who it's effecting, the latest developments, and what's going to come of it.

First off: What is it?

The "Writers Guild of America" is on strike. In reality, there is no "Writers Guild of America," there are two unions: "Writers Guild of America East," and "Writers Guild of America West." It's just easier to use the one name. But basically, the two unions are on strike due to the inability to arrive at an amicable solution to several issues surrounding the guilds' contracts with the "Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers" (AMPTP) a trade organisation that represents producers of, you guessed it, movies and television.

Who does it effect?

Let's start with television. First to suffer it's effects were the late night talks (conan, leno, leterman, etc.), and the daytime chats (oprah, ellen, etc.)... basically any show that didn't have "scripts" in production several weeks in advance (sitcoms and dramas). However, the "scripted" sitcoms and dramas were next to be effected. Once the producers had shot all the scripts that had been finalized, that was it. No new scripts. No rewrites. Most shows have now, or will in the next week or so, run their course and production has/will shut down. That means the crews for all of these shows are on an indefinite, unpaid hiatus.
Next, to movies. Rest assured unless the strike ends quickly there will be some effect felt by the film studios. Most of the large studios have enough shows "in the pipeline" to continue on basically unscathed for several months, if not longer. However, again, the sames rules apply. No new scripts. No rewrites. So if you're not 100% confident with the script as you have it, you're going to have a tough time getting a producer to agree to green light it.

Who DOESN'T it effect?

Thankfully, me. Right now I'm in a pretty good position at a desk at Sony. It doesn't look to be ending any time soon and even if it does I've got some really good connections there and a temp agency that wants to continue to get paid (aka continue to get me paid). Plus, most of the production work I've gotten out here has been on independent projects and the Biggest Loser, which is... Reality TV. Our favorite kind of television. Contrary to popular belief not all Reality TV is completely unscripted (aka Writer-less), but several are, including Biggest Loser, and those that aren't could easily transition into a Writer-less environment if they chose to. So, it's business as usual for most Reality TV. Interestingly enough the "birth" of reality TV (though not the boom of recent years) was a direct effect of the 1988 Writers strike (more details below). COPS, in particular, was one show that was formed during those 5 months.

What are the latest developments?

Not a whole lot in the way of reaching a resolution. The writers continue to picket and voice their complaints loudly, most recently throwing a HUGE protest outside of Fox's studios in Century City. And the producers continue to say they refuse to sit down and negotiate while the writers are demonstrating as such. We'll just have to see.

What's going to come of it?

Hard to say. First off, let me give you a little background about what the big issues are involved in the dispute. The last time the writers went on strike was almost twenty years ago (1988). They did so because "home video" (aka VHS) was starting to become a popular means of entertainment consumption and the writers felt they deserved, along with all other "above the line" positions (producers, directors, actors, designers), residual payment for their work. I don't know how many of you remember this, but back in the day (aka 1988) a VHS copy of your favorite movie could run you up to 100 dollars. Hollywood threw this outrageous price tag on these beauties not because it cost that much to produce a VHS cassette, but rather because they calculated the cost of taking your entire family to see a movie in theatres several times (which, apparently, they felt was comparable to watching a VHS on your 20 inch wooden-cabinet-enclosed, no-remote-control television with on-board, blown-out, factory speakers). Anyway, at the close of the '88 strike the producers and writers came to an agreement on residual payment for home video. However, the agreement was based on a product priced at 50-100 dollars (it was something crazy like three tenths of one percent per video), so now that the 20 dollar DVD is the market standard, and with things shifting toward digital acquisition, the writers are looking to capitalize a little more than their current 4 cents per DVD. The writers were hoping to get 8 cents per DVD (yes, this strike is over little more than 4 cents) and also tap into the "new media" (aka digital downloads/viewing) market. On Oct. 31 the contract between the writers and the producers expired. On Nov. 1 the Writers Guild held a meeting in L.A. where they endorsed a strike. The next day, Nov. 2, they announced the strike would begin at 12:01am Monday, Nov. 5, 2007. In a latch ditch effort, a Federal mediator was brought in on Nov. 4 to bring the two sides to the bargaining table one last time. The effort, obviously, failed as the strike began as scheduled Monday Nov. 5, however, the details surrounding what happened on Nov. 4 are incredibly varied and completely unsubstantiated. Even so, here's the story I've heard most frequently:
The two sides came to the table. The Writers agreed to drop their demand for 4 more cents per DVD and settle for the current 4 cent per. The Producers, in response to this were giving serious consideration to giving the writers everything (or close to everything) they wanted in regard to "new media," however, they were still a little hesitant and the meeting was now stretching into the late evening so they broke for a late dinner. While they were at dinner, the Producers discovered that the Writers Guild East members (in NYC) had already begun to strike (as it was 12:01pm on the east coast), and since the Writers had promised not to carry out any of their strike actions until after the last ditch negotiation had been completed the Producers returned to the table grumpy, removed any offer they had previously made, said take it as it is now or strike, and the Writers said, "Strike."

So, anyway, what was I talking about? Oh, yeah. What's going to come of it? Obviously, one side will have to give in more than they are now. There really is no telling who or how much. But first, the writers have to stop demonstrating so the Producer can talk to them again without "a gun to their heads." As to how long it will take... The '88 strike lasted exactly 5 months and cost the industry an estimated 500 million dollars (that's 1988 dollars, mind you). So this thing could easily cost the industry over a Bil. Time-wise, the estimates are as follows:

- It will be over in a few weeks. For this to happen, the writers will have to stop making large demonstrations, return to the table and be a little humble. The Producers have to remove the silver spoons from their asses and maybe compromise a little.

- It will be over in 9 months. Most people agree that if this isn't resolved soon while it's fresh and in the news (and before everyone in the industry goes and finds another job) both sides will lock into their stubborn "long-term," "marathon" mentality. The next big opportunity for a resolution would be next summer when the contracts for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Director's Guild of America (DGA) run out. Unless something very drastic happens between now and then, both guilds are expected to side with the Writers and go on strike themselves.

- ????. If it's not resolved in 9 months it's because SAG and DGA are striking which basically means the Producers have as much pressure on them as is possible and they will either cave or it'll only be a matter of time before the scabs build a new industry.

Finally, the highlights/lowlights. Here is a list of a few things that have happened that you may or may not be aware of:
- Ellen crossed the picket lines, causing quite the commotion.
- Jay Leno bought the strikers doughnuts.
- Eva Longoria bought them pizza.
- Jon Stewart is paying his full staff (as well as the full staff on The Colbert Report) their normal salary (even though they have halted production indefinitely) for two weeks.
- NBC, in an effort to hardball the writers into hightailing it back to negotiations, made a point of formally firing the production crew of "The Office."
- It's spreading. All the way to Local One. That's right. For those of you who missed it, Broadway's dark.

Alright, there you have it. That's about all I can tell you on that. Stay tuned for more.

In other random stuff:
~ My new most favorite-est ad campaign: Accident by T-Mobile
~ Holy crap! Pairs and Group Gymnastics! Yeah, you heard me. Oh, you didn't? Then I'll say it again. Pairs and Group Gymnastics!

~ In response to Bethany's comment asking me my thoughts on Nov. 5 being Ron Paul's big money day: It was a clerical error, I assume. It was supposed to be the eighth, my birthday, but I'll overlook that. I'm delighted that his campaign has raised so much money for two reasons: 1) I really like him, his positions, and his politics (or lack thereof) so I am delighted that he is seeing success; 2) I am encouraged to see that so many of my fellow Americans support him, his positions, and his politics. As to Nov. 5 being the day that most people chose to give, I think the meaning inherent in the date is less impressive than the general outpouring of support. The giving on the date obviously symbolizes his supporters' willingness and readiness to see our current government (both the structure and the accountability) radically reformed, but that is, in effect, his message as a whole, so I believe it was more or less convenient that that particular day of infamy fell on Nov. 5 (had it fallen on March 5, well after the important primaries, I don't believe his supporters would have waited until then).

5 November

2007-11-05T19:50:00.000-08:00

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
The gunpowder, treason and plot,
I know of no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, ’twas his intent
To blow up the King and Parliament.
Three score barrels of powder below,
Poor old England to overthrow;
By God’s providence he was catch’d
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, make the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
Hip hip hoorah!

A penny loaf to feed the Pope.
A farthing o’ cheese to choke him.
A pint of beer to rinse it down.
A faggot of sticks to burn him.
Burn him in a tub of tar.
Burn him like a blazing star.
Burn his body from his head.
Then we’ll say ol’ Pope is dead.
Hip hip hoorah!
Hip hip hoorah hoorah!

WWJA10.9MDT?

2007-11-02T14:12:00.001-08:00

(Whom Would Jesus Award 10.9 Million Dollars To?)

Skipping for a minute the fact that Jesus probably wouldn't end a phrase with a preposition ("TWW... " just doesn't work as well), I'm sure you've all heard (and quite possibly rejoiced) that the Westboro Baptist Church (famous for it's leader Rev. Fred Phelps and his controversial "God Hates Fags" campaign as well as others) has been ordered by a jury to pay $10.9 million in damages to the family of deceased soldier Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder.

Let's also set aside the concept of Jesus suing or awarding damages to anyone, as well as a Christian, or Jesus-like, response to the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church. Basically, ignore the title. I needed something clever and couldn't come up with anything else.

Finally, before I proceed, let me acknowledge what hopefully all of you already know: I do not agree with the message of the Westboro Baptist Church and find their actions, to the extent of my knowledge, in this instance and many times in others, morally reprehensible.

All of that being said, I'm about to defend the Westboro Baptist Church. Here we go.

What is the price of freedom? It's easy (difficult as it may be) to put a figure to it when citizens of the united states are engaged in combat for the sake of American freedom. But apart from the horrible method of counting coffins (new and old), what price are we willing to pay on a daily basis.

Doyle just recently posted on gun control. The price we pay for the right to bear arms is that sometimes someone (otherwise law abiding or no) will abuse that right (whether by accident or direct malice) and another individual or individuals will be injured or killed. But you cannot deny the rights of the many due to the misuse of the few, especially when doing so (as with the right to bear arms) would put the many (law abiding) at a greater disadvantage to the few (those who would take advantage).

Now, in the case above, where the abuse of the right results in a criminal act (if performed intentionally), criminal and/or civil charges may be filed and a judgement may be handed down. Shouldn't the same, then, also apply to the right so speak freely?

The answer is, of course, "Yes." Just as your right to bear arms does not protect you from criminal actions such as murder, manslaughter, and assault with weapon, your right to free speech does not protect the speech you use to conspire to commit criminal acts such as treason, assassination, or grand theft. But does this apply to the Westboro Baptist Church?

I believe the answer here is, "Absolutely not."

During the trial..

"The [Westobro Baptist] church members testified they are following their
religious beliefs by spreading the message that the deaths of soldiers are due
to the nation's tolerance of homosexuality." [source]

This belief is controversial to say the least. It is not held by myself, anybody reading this, or most (if not all) of the mainstream political analysts and religious leaders. But it is their belief. And it is not criminal. So it is protected.

My heart goes out to the surviving family of this fallen marine. The price they paid in the name of their country was a steep one. But the (nearly) $11M price they have demanded from the Westboro Baptist Church for protesting at a public event, an amount that "far exceeds the net worth of the [church]," [source] is not only excessive, but completely unwarranted.

In closing, I'd like to honor the young marine by posting the article, "MD. Marine dies in Iraq Humvee accident," taken from Honor the Fallen's website...

WESTMINSTER, Md. — A Marine from Maryland was killed last week in Iraq in
an accident while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Defense Department
said Monday.

Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder, of Westminster, died March 3 after an
accident in the Anbar province of Iraq. The accident did not involve combat, the
Defense Department said. Snyder, 20, was assigned to Combat Service Support
Group-1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, in Twentynine
Palms, Calif.

Family members are still reeling from the news of his death. Julie Snyder,
Matthew’s mother, was too saddened to talk, but she allowed her sister, Cathy
Menefee, to speak for the family. She told The (Baltimore) Sun of his keen sense
of humor and an unwavering sense of responsibility, which culminated in his
decision to join the military. “It’s sounds so cliche, but he died doing what
he wanted to do,” Menefee said. “He always wanted to be a Marine.”

Snyder enlisted on Oct. 14, 2003. He had been based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.,
before being assigned to Twentynine Palms in August 2004 as a generator
mechanic. He was the middle of three children, with sisters Sarah Snyder, 22, of
Hanover, Pa., and Tracie Snyder, 18, who lives with their father in York,
Pa.

Reached by telephone at his home Monday night, Albert Snyder wept. “I just
want it to be over,” the father told the newspaper. “And I want answers. They
said he was the gunnery on top of the Humvee and the Humvee rolled. When is this
senseless war going to end?”

Matthew Snyder, who family members said had an exuberant personality,
enjoyed fishing and playing intramural soccer as a teenager.

David Brown, an assistant principal at Westminster High School where Matthew graduated in 2003, said he was “devastated” upon hearing of Snyder’s death. Brown said he had coached Snyder in an intramural basketball league, from kindergarten through second grade.

“The first image that clicked back in my head was that 6-year-old boy, in
the team picture, with the big green shirt that said ‘Terrors,’ kneeling in the
front row. I can still see the photograph,” Brown said. “I’ve known him as a
much younger child, and as a high school student, so it’s difficult. You see
faces and you hear on TV, but it’s always kind of distant until it comes home.
And now it’s home.”

Va-Jay-Jay

2007-11-02T12:55:00.001-08:00

{{My most sincere apologies to those of you who (like myself) never thought this blog would venture into the worlds of Tyra Banks or female anatomy}}

This is from the actual press release, direct from Tyra's "people":

----------

TALK SHOW HOST TYRA BANKS DEDICATES AN ENTIRE SHOW TO “DOWN THERE,” “GROUND ZERO” AND “HOO HA” — OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE VAGINA, ON “THE TYRA BANKS SHOW” AIRING ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5

Talk show host dedicates an entire hour to discussing the vagina with her audience, on “The Tyra Banks Show,” airing on Monday, November 5 (check local listings for stations and times). From the look of the vagina to the newest ways to prevent HPV, Tyra holds a no-holds barred discussion with her audience about the least talked (and looked at) about part of a woman’s part. Tyra says, “I have wanted to do this show for two years. I know for a lot of women talking about what is going on in our bodies is extremely difficult, but it is incredibly important. We should be able to talk to our daughters, sisters, mothers and friends about our bodies and not be embarrassed. I hope after this show women will not be ashamed about what’s up down there.”

Tyra begins the hour giving her audience a test to see if they can name all the parts of the vagina to unbelievable results – only 11% of her audience filled out the anatomical chart correctly. Shocked by the results, Tyra welcomes gynecologist Dr. Debby Herbenick to give her viewers a quick tour of their nether regions with a velvet and satin “vagina puppet” pointing out the clitoris, the labia minora and labia majora and the urethra.

Having avoided the doctor for 28 years, Tyra takes a Plano, Texas woman, who happens to be a registered nurse, to her very first gynecological appointment. After the woman breaks down in tears, Tyra gives her support and holds her hand of the woman while she has her first PAP test and breast exam with Dr. Michelle Francis of New York. Tyra says, “As we were getting closer to the exam, I could literally feel how tense she was.” Tyra welcomes the woman and Dr. Francis back to her stage to talk about her experience and to give her the results of her PAP – and to make her promise to go again next year.

Also on the show, Tyra introduces gynecologist Dr. Donnica Moore who educates Tyra’s audience on the importance of PAP smears and the newest vaccination for young women that can prevent the human papillomavirus – a virus that can cause cancer.

Tyra also shares with the audience the moment her mother gave her a hand mirror and told her to look at herself “down there.” Tyra says, “My mother told me to look at myself because, ‘It’s just another part of your body that needs to be healthy just like your eyes, your nose, your ears, your mouth and everything else.’”

----------

Quick comments:

- First of all, "Ground Zero?" That's just in poor taste.
- "Otherwise known as the vagina?" (emphasis added) Yeah, so far you're doing great work to bring this "taboo" item to a very serious forefront.
- Puppet? Really? "We're gonna have a serious talk... here's a puppet." Granted, I realize it's daytime network t.v. and you're only afford so many options... but, seriously, a puppet? At least it's a velvet and satin puppet.
"-" I can't "imagine" why "people," more particularly "women," have such a "hard" time "talking" about what they "feel" to be such an "uncomfortable," "taboo," or "socially awkward" topic"."
- How long before we get Geraldo or Maury doing the same for the guys? Because guys should be able to talk to their sons, brothers, fathers, and friends about "what's up down there?" And apparently the way to do that is have some hack of a t.v. host put together a "serious" discussion of it.
- For those of you who thought I was too hard on Tyra in that last bullet point, keep in mind this is the woman who will be hosting this discussion:

Redirect

2007-11-02T09:42:00.000-08:00

Another Matt is talking about Gun Control,

while yet another Matt is talking about Voter Fraud.

Also, the roomie has begun yet another blog.

Football Update

2007-10-31T12:44:00.000-08:00

In international news, now that Brazil has snatched '14, England has it's eyes on '18. The last time England played host was in 1966 when they won it all. Of course they want to host again.

In American news, my home state is somewhat in the spotlight as Green Bay has opened to a 6-1 start. This has already proved to be a record-breaking season for Favre and if he can win this week in Kansas City, he will not only become the third Quarterback (behind P. Manning and T. Brady) to beat every team in the NFL at least once, but he will become the third Quarterback in as many weeks to do so. Crazy.

Also, the Badgers, after starting strong, have now fallen to 21st in the nation with a 3-2 record in the Big Ten (7-2 overall). However, there are some who are predicting an upset this weekend over number one (The) Ohio State. I'm not entirely confident they can pull that off, but I'll be watching just in case it happens. Plus, the odds makers are setting the spread at 15.5 (or higher)... I'll definitely take Wisconsin to beat that spread.

Departing from football, thanks for continuing to read and respond despite my rather seasonal posting tendencies. In the next day or so I hope to respond to some excellent comments receive on the Dr. Paul post.

Also, don't forget, if you have a signature recipe, a favorite recipe, or if you just happened to find a recipe while flipping through a magazine on the john, send it in and share with all the other hungry people out there.

For those of you who know who Trace Beaulieu is...

2007-10-30T20:10:00.000-08:00

Joel Hodgsen has something big he'd like to tell you.

Titanic Big.

In Memoriam

2007-10-30T20:01:00.000-08:00

Big News

2007-10-30T11:04:00.000-08:00

Just Announced: Brazil to stage '14 World Cup.

Why is this "Big" News?

Basically because I don't feel like talking about any of the following:
- more closeted Republicans
- pots calling kettles black
- Jessicowen
- The Office... 2

I do care enough about the last one, apparently, to warrant a new poll, as the old one is a bit expired. (poll should be up shortly. Problem with the polling website)

So, (real) football is the name of the game (aka, post).

What effect does this news (pertaining to an event nearly seven years down the road) have, you ask?

Well, obviously there's the home field advantage. Six (6) countries have won the cup while hosting. Not a lot, you say? Let's remember that the Cup is only awarded once every 4 years. None of this ninny "here's a trophy and a whole bunch of rings, see you next year" crap. No. You gotta wait for it. 4 years. So, how many Cups have been won since the game's inception? 18. That's right. An average of once out of every three times the Cup has been held, it has gone home with the home country. Not too shabby.

And beyond that, countries that would otherwise have no shot seem to place higher than expected when hosting. Korea Republic's highest finish was 4th place when Korea/Japan hosted in 2002. The only time England placed higher than 4th was when they won the Cup in England 1966. Chile's only top 4 finish was 3rd at home in 1962. Even Sweden, yeah Sweden, made it to the final match (their only appearance) while hosting in '58. And, of course, the inaugural event itself, Uruguay 1930, went to Uruguay (their first of two) over Argentina.

Now, I needn't tell any of you (hopefully), that Brazil has always had a top-notch team. They have won the Cup 5 times (most of any country), and have placed in the top 4 at the World Cup 10 times (2nd only to Germany [11]). So it isn't as if they need a home field (/pitch) advantage. But the way Argentina and Germany have been playing lately, I don't think they'll mind having it. Of course this all a ways away, and a lot can change. Stay tuned for more updates during the next seven years.

Here are some more interesting World Cup tidbits:
- Brazil will join Germany, Italy, France, and Mexico as the only countries to host the Cup twice. Except for Mexico (whose team has never placed in the top 4), each of the countries won the Cup one of the two times they hosted. Brazil lost to Uruguay in the final match the first time they hosted, Brazil 1950, and had to win all five of their titles "on the road." So it seems they are due to win in 2014.
- Brazil is one of only two countries (the other, Italy) to win the Cup twice in a row: defeating Sweden in Sweden 1958, and defeating Czechoslovakia in Chile 1962 (Italy def. Czechoslovakia in Italy 1934, and def. Hungary in France 1938).
- Germany and the Netherlands are the only two countries to finish Runner-Up (lose the final match) twice in a row: the Netherlands losing to Germany in Germany 1974, and to Argentina in Argentina 1978; Germany losing to Italy in Spain 1982, and to Argentina in Mexico 1986.
- Germany and Argentina are the only two teams to play each other in the final match twice in a row: Argentina def. Germany in Mexico 1986, and Germany def. Argentina in Italy 1990.
- Brazil has won the Cup more times than any other country (5: 2002, 1994, 1970, 1962, 1958)
- Germany has finished Runner-Up more times than any other country (4: 2002, 1986, 1982, 1966)
- Germany has finished Third more times than any other country (3: 2006, 1970, 1934)
- Uruguay and Yugoslavia have finished Fourth more than any other country (2)
- As for the USA? They have indeed finished in the top 4. Once. At the inaugural event in Uruguay 1930 the United States finished 3rd.

Rule 16

2007-10-29T15:02:00.000-08:00

Hollywood used to make Musicals. A lot of them. So many, in fact, that there was a special category for them at the Oscars. What is now referred to as "Best Original Musical," was once "Best Original Song Score."

Yes, that's right. "Now referred to." It still exists. It unfortunately has not been given out since "Purple Rain" won "Best Original Song Score" back in '84, due to the fact that there aren't enough Musicals produced per year to meet the following qualifier:

"The category of Original Musical (III) may be activated only by special
request of the Music Branch Executive Committee to the Board of Governors in a
year when the field of eligible submissions is determined to be of sufficient
quantity and quality to justify award competition."
[taken from Rule 16 - Special Rules for the Music Awards]

With the sudden upswing of Musicals in the past several years, I've figured it was only a (short) matter of time before we would see this award as part of the official ceremony again.

And this year, I thought it could be the year.

Yes, I'm already looking toward February, rifling through the several hundred movies that have already premiered or will likely premier before the end of the calendar year, selecting what I believe to be the Oscar contenders.

And during my rifling I noticed a few more Musicals than I recalled over the year:

- Sweeney Todd
- Across the Universe
- Hairspray
- Once
- Music and Lyrics
- Feel the Noise

(say what you will about the last two, they meet the definition of "Musical")
6 Contenders, I thought. Surely that must be enough. Surely you could find 3-4 worthy nominations from there. My hopes just ran away with themselves thinking this would be the year.

But then I remembered that the award was not given out for Best Musical, hence why in past years films such as "Chicago" weren't eligible. The award is for Best Original Musical. And so, with the field of eligible films now cut to half of what I assumed, and with my hopes now dashed into a million pieces, I shall have to wait until next year to see if that is the year when Hollywood discovers a small piece of Originality and the (Original) Musical returns in full force.

Here's hoping.

AP: Blackwater guards given immunity in Iraq killings

2007-10-29T15:00:00.000-08:00

"The Associated Press is reporting that the State Department promised Blackwater bodyguards immunity in its investigation of last month's killing of 17 Iraqi civilians."

"No comment from Blackwater, the State Department, Justice Department or the FBI."

No comment from Rockel.

story taken from here

Whatcha Gonna Do?

2007-10-29T11:41:00.000-08:00

Bad Boys 3 managed to put together a few votes at the end there to avoid a shutout. But now it is my unfortunate pleasure to inform you that I just updated the "big board" in one of the execs offices here at Rockelcom Worldwide, during which I added, under the heading of "July 15, 2008," the title:

Starship Troopers: Marauder

Now here's the disturbing thing (for those of you not already disturbed)... The visual fx-heavy original "Starship Troopers" ran up a Production budget of $100 million. With an extra $25 million for Prints and Ads budgeting, this thing barely recouped, thanks only to a decent showing overseas and on DVD, as it pulled in less than $55 million in domestic Box Office receipts.

So, all in all, they eventually made back the entire budget and then maybe a mil. or two, but it was close. Definitely not the thing you'd bank on pressing a sequel to. Yet they did. What was the budget for Starship Troopers 2, you ask? 50 mil? 30 mil? 10?

No. No. No.

7

$7 million. Direct to video, where it completely flopped, obtaining an average of a one-star rating from the five people who actually watched it. Yet it warranted a sequel?

Anyone care to guess the budget on 3?

Well, following the same pattern... 100 - 7 - X.... the budget should either be $-86 million, or $500 grand. Right?

$20 Million! And although I have yet to see the letters DTV (direct to video) attached to this project, I also haven't seen a Theatrical Release date (July 15, 2008 - the date on the "big board" is the [tentative] DVD street date), so unless they decided not to market this one at all and it just appears in theatres in the next couple weeks, get ready for a $20 Million direct to video release of a second sequel. I just don't get it.

Alright. Game over. There you have it. Bad Boys wins. Although pretty much everyone involved with Bad Boys 1 & 2 has expressed an interest in rolling on a third, any type of actual production is still "Rumored" at best.

So if you were one of the two people to vote for Bad Boys 3, give yourself a pat on the back. Or, if you were the person who voted for it twice, give yourself two pats on the back.

Until next time.

Dr. Paul: Or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Republican Party

2007-10-28T18:26:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know, I'm a huge fan of Ron Paul (as are some of you, apparently). For those of you who didn't know, now you do.

Dr. Paul has confirmed what I have felt (though have probably been unable to articulate clearly) for some time: When it comes to politics at the federal level I am conservative to an extreme degree.

Normally I would feel the need to defend this somehow, or justify it, given my "liberal" stances in the past. However, since most of Dr. Paul's support is currently coming from more "liberal" sources, such as former registered democrats, left-leaning television programs like "Real Time with Bill Maher," and left-leaning websites like Crooks and Liars (crooksandliars.com), it probably isn't terribly shocking to most of you that he has my support.

To be sure, Dr. Paul is appealing. Refusing many of the "perks" associated with a D.C. position and treating it as a public service rather than a fast-track to power and/or lucrative retirement is certainly a breath of fresh air to many citizens sickened by the level of politic-ing and corruption in our government "of/by/for the people."

He is a genuine person who appeals to the common man, not because he attempts to speak like the common man or relate to him/her by discussing his humble upbringing (I mean, he's a doctor, for crying out loud. That's one of the big ones, right? Doctor, Lawyer,... something else), but because he honestly and diligently applies himself and his resources to truly helping the common man, whether it be with his vote in congress or with his private medical practice.

He is also appealing as a Presidential candidate. He is "well-seasoned" in years and experience in public service, he has served in the military, and (now that W has forever lowered the bar for Presidential public speaking) is a more than competent orator. To be sure he is one of the most intelligent candidates running, as well as the most ethical, honest, and consistent (as much as I would love to never hear the words "flip-flop" again, it must be noted that his voting record is nearly impeccable).

So what, then, is the problem? The problem is that he's appealing.

With all this talk of how great he is, it's easy to overlook his actual position on... well, anything, really.

Again, let me say that I am a huge fan. I agree almost 100% with Dr. Paul's political positions.

But that doesn't change the fact that...
...He is running as a Republican who:
- Has voted AGAINST a Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage and does not support legislation to counteract the "homosexual agenda."
- Is AGAINST the death penalty.
- Is seen as "weak on terror" because he voted AGAINST the P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act, voted AGAINST making the P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act permanent, voted AGAINST allowing electronic surveillance without a warrant, and let's not forget...
- ...is the ONLY candidate who would withdraw our troops from Iraq, beginning immediately.

Now, one would think that with the current Republican President's approval rating sinking to roughly one quarter of the population, and support for the war dwindling down to nearly the same, the one candidate running on a platform of withdrawal would be faring better. However, with "tuffness on terror" remaining near (if not at) the top of the Republican voting points, it really isn't any surprise that Dr. Paul is gaining support from former/current Democrats. Especially with each of the Democratic candidates slowly loosening his/her stance on the war to the point where if it continues, I'd be more worried about a Democrat invading Iran, just to "prove how tough" they are on terror.

But even with the "liberal" support, registered democrats seem more than happy to vote for Hillary R-C as she continues to dominate the polls, garnering near 50% support even with 7 (?) candidates still in the running.

And eventually, the liberals supporting Dr. Paul will realize that he:
- voted AGAINST allowing human embryonic stem cell research.
- is AGAINST affirmative action.
- voted FOR banning gay adoptions in D.C., and of course...
- ...would seek to return the U.S. Federal Government to performing ONLY the tasks for which the U.S. Constitution explicitly gives it power.

Again, I am for nearly everything that Dr. Paul stands for. Even so, I fully understand that were he elected President he would merely be the head of one branch of government and would still, barring any drastic shift that I don't think anyone is predicting, have a Democratic-controlled congress at his side. Therefore, these "extreme" ideas of a Government reduced to post-roads and national defense (exaggeration) would not be something he could pull off with the snap of his fingers. Although, given how much W has been able to expand the reach of Executive Power, I can't say I'd blame people for being cautious.

So, that's my spiel on Paul. Thanks to Bethany for provoking it. And, as a result, I have changed my mind.

If you're a registered Republican, vote Paul. Or, if you don't, don't vote Rudy (or, if you do, don't tell me).

If you're a registered Democrat, vote Colbert (write-in outside SC).

[sources for Ron Paul info]
ronpaul2008.com
ontheissues.org

Anti-Seafood Jambalaya

2007-10-28T18:09:00.000-08:00

recipe taken from the interwebs

(6 servings)

2 tablespoons oil
3/4 lb smoked garlic sausage, sliced
3/4 lb boneless chicken, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons garlic
1 teaspoon thyme
salt
cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 (10 ounce) cans low sodium chicken broth
1 (14 3/4 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 scallions, sliced

+ In a soup pot, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add sausage and chicken and cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mix to a large bowl.

+ In the same pot, heat remaining oil and add celery, onion, and bell pepper. Cook about 5 minutes.
+ Add bay leaves, garlic, thyme, salt and cayenne pepper, cook 2 minutes longer.

+ Return sausage mix to the pot, add uncooked rice, broth, and tomatoes. Bring mix to a boil and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Cook until rice is tender about 10 minutes longer and remove bay leaves.

+ Sprinkle with scallions and serve.

Rockel's NOTES:
~ I doubled this recipe and it just fit into a 6qt. stock pot (to give you an idea of what size pot you'll need).
~ I found a couple of the can sizes didn't align with what I was finding at the store. I used 2 (since I doubled it) 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes and roughly two and a half (again, double recipe) 14 oz. cans Chicken Broth.
~ I also used half smoked turkey sausage and half beef sausage since they were on sale. Delicious.
~ There are no measurements for the salt and cayenne pepper which upset me a bit. I'm a huge fan of cayenne pepper, but didn't want to overdo it so I played it pretty cautiously (especially since I was doubling it and anything I added already looked massive) and the flavor of the end product suffered for it. It's still really great, I just wish (since the spice is what makes a good Jambalaya) they would have been more specific (this is why it's only getting three stars).

Minions!

2007-10-28T18:08:00.000-08:00

Show love.

That is all.

Politics

2007-10-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

Oh, man. What a time we live in, eh?

It's sad to think that a Federal Agency designed to aid in disaster/emergency situations can pull a totally shyster-y move like holding a rigged "press" "conference," in the midst of a swarm of devastating forest fires, and my reactions is, basically: "eh."

It's sad to think that our beloved President wishes to expand an ill-conceived, poorly-run, unnecessary war (that we're losing) and move it into another country. No, not Terror:Iran. Drugs:Mexico.

But since we're talking about Iran, and apparently we are now, it's nice to know that public enemy no. 1 has allegedly taken up residency there. As if we needed to give the morons with their finger on the button another reason to take this idiotic war across that border. (Yes, that one is Terror:Iraq[/Iran])

Oh, well. The Democrats have a plan. Keep Bush distracted by sending him stuff to veto over and over again, like SCHIP. One of the other Matt's has an excellent post concerning, specifically, SCHIP and, more broadly, the Government redistribution of wealth that is quite excellent and speaks clearly and to the point how I feel the Government should handle (that being not at all) the redistribution of wealth. However, I must be honest in that when I heard Bush planned to veto the Dem's SCHIP expansion bill and the Dem's went ahead and sent it to him anyway, I was absolutely amazed. I don't know that I want to say it was pride, but I think it almost was. And when I heard that they were going to attempt to do whatever they could to override the veto, I got even more excited. And now that they're pushing on, and actually leveraging what power they have to attempt to get their views passed through, I'm pretty much floored. Remember, mind you, that I am fully opposed to the SCHIP expansion (along with most of the policies) of the Democrats. However, something I find, not only much more detestable, but much more destructive to this union is the willingness of those in power (aka, Bush and the neo-conservatives at his side) to take full advantage and to steamroll anyone of a weaker position, who will not stand up for him/herself, by way of fear, political leverage, or any other means. It's about time we saw a little check and balance (even if this is one point where I think the Democrats are horribly wrong), and it's nice to see the "opposition party" coming up with spine enough to play political hardball with a man and a party that has basically gotten his/its way the past several years.

Whether or not history hails this administration as the one that prevented (or at least delayed, I suppose) World War 3, I think it is also sad to note (this is a very "sad" post) that history, though it may brand him/it as "the worst" president/administration in United States history (as it has to several others before, and will, most likely, again), will fail to recall just how dishonest he/they were in everything from how investigations were carried out, to how press conferences were handled, to how wars were started, to how people were hired/fired, to how everything had the stink of a cover-up on it to where you had to question whether or not they were truly that incompetent, truly that guilty, or truly just went that far out of the way to make themselves appear that guilty.

Looking ahead to next year and the changing of the guard, I find it absolutely unbelievable that the one republican candidate that actually adheres to conservative principles (extreme degree though they may be), is the one (amongst, what? 10 freakin' candidates) called out by the "conservative" party themselves as not fitting with the party politics; that the actor with virtually no "stage presence" is still a viable candidate; that the strongest republican candidate is running on his performance on one day in one city, albeit most residents of that one city would not vote for him based on that one day's performance.

And where the Red team has a handful of candidates pretty much tied up for first place at this stage in the race, the Blue team has all but handed the baton to the former first lady. I'll be honest, I'm not a fan. It's not because she's a woman, but because I just get tired of how relevant and funny she constantly tries to be (and I've just about had it with the first husband jokes). Obama and Edwards both have (different) strengths that I think would be good for this country, but, barring anything drastic in the next several months, it doesn't look like they'll be able to give her much of a fight. At this point I think she need only fear Gore.

Woof.

Vote Colbert.

Holy Crap! (I mean, "Dammit!")

2007-10-26T10:24:00.001-07:00

What's Red Forman doing on "24"?
Season(/Day) 7 Trailer

Speaking of 24. Oh, look. A Movie.

Southeast Asian Curried Vegetable Stew

2007-10-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

contributed by Wanderingshadow. As appears in "Joy of Cooking."

1 T. Veggie Oil
1 1/2 cumin seeds*
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1-1" piece fresh ginger, peeled and quartered
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1-2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded
1 t. ground turmeric
2 T. water
1-14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 c. stock (chicken or veggie, depending on preference)
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾" cubes
3 c. broccoli stems and florets
1-10 1/2 oz package firm tofu, or 8 oz tempeh, cut into ¾" cubes
1 tomato
3 T. lime juice
2 T. water
2 T. all purpose flour
1/2 -1 t. chili paste**
salt and ground black pepper
lots of hot rice/cous-cous/quinoa/grain of choice
fresh cilantro and chopped cashews***

- Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. Cook, stirring, for about 1-2 minutes.
- Process in a food processor/blender: onion, ginger, garlic, jalapenos, turmeric, and water. Add this to the cumin seeds and cook over med-low heat for 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in: coconut milk, stock, and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 8 minutes.
- Stir in broccoli and tofu/tempeh. Simmer about 10 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender.
- Add and bring to a boil: the tomato.
- Combine and stir in: lime juice, water, and flour. Boil, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chili paste, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Hot grain of choice on a serving platter/indiv plates, stew stuff over that, and then top with cilantro and cashews, or not, depending on preference.

Wanderingshadow's NOTES:
* I used ground cumin cause I didn't have the seeds. It worked.
** I don't know what chili paste is…I don't think I actually added this…
*** I didn't use either of these, and it worked out
+ I'm sure this could be meat-ified if desired...I bet you could add shredded cooked chicken (salt-pepper 2 skinless boneless breasts, fry in some oil about 5ish minutes a side before starting anything else) at the end. In fact, I think I did that...it was tasty.

Red, White, and Blah

2007-10-25T12:18:00.001-07:00

(sorry, but the titles that got passed over were "Two Non Brunettes," and "Reese-less Pieces," so be thankful)

That's right. Coming next year (direct to video), sans the-former-Mrs.-Phillippe, is "Legally Blondes" (aka "Legally Blonde 3"), which is "Currently filming in Los Angeles and Malibu through November." [source]

"Uh-oh," you say. "Malibu? Isn't that where the big fire is?" Fear not, concerned reader. Although IMDb is an excellent source of information, it is nothing compared to yours truly, who happens to know that the filming out west is actually taking place north of Malibu (closer to Calabasas), in an area that should (all things remaining roughly as they are) remain well out of the way of the blaze, at the old King Gillette Ranch.

Yes, that Gillette.

"Razor baron King Camp Gillette bought the property in 1926."*
- No, he wasn't really a king. King was his first name. Yes, his given name. He was a baron, though. A razor baron.

"Gillette commissioned leading Los Angeles architect Wallace Neff to build him a 'paradise on earth, California style.'"*
- Xanadu, anyone?

"MGM movie director Clarence Brown (Anna Karenina, National Velvet) bought the property in 1930, following Gillette's death. Brown built a private airstrip for elaborate MGM 'fly-in parties' that were attended by such luminaries as Clark Gable and Greta Garbo."*
- Party at my place. BYOP (Bring your own plane)

"In 1952, the director sold the ranch to Bob and Delores Hope,..."*
- Nice

"...who promptly donated it to the Claretian Order of the Catholic Church."*
- Had enough yet? No?

"In 1978 the site was purchased by Elizabeth Clare Prophet's the Church Universal and Triumphant,..."*
- It's pretty difficult to become Universal without being Triumphant. Believe me, I know.

"...which in turn sold it to Soka University of America in 1986."*
- Soka U.! Wasn't that one of the top party schools last year? No?

"In April 2005, the site became a haven for all living things in perpetuity,..."*
- Ohhmmmmmmmmmmm. Zennnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

"...when it was bought as public parkland by a partnership consisting of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), the National Park Service, California State Parks,..."*
- ...a subsidiary of AOL/Time Warner.

"...as well as..."*
- Are you kidding me?

"...a number of other state and local agencies and some private contributions. King Gillette Ranch opened to the public in June of 2007. "*
- "Opened to the public" (read: feel free to shoot your movies/t.v. series here)

Alright, enough of that. There you have it. The history of the Gillette Ranch.

Down to the final two in the poll:
Bad Boys 3
Starship Troopers 3

Will it be an upset? Could Bad Boys 3 walk away with the title, having yet to score a single vote? Or will it be the third in the sci-fi series (they made a second?) began oh-so-long-ago by razzie winner Paul Verhoven?

Tune in next time to find out. Same Rockel time. Same Rockel channel.

*[source]

Yummy

2007-10-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

Last night I cooked up a nice, big pot of Wanderingshadow's Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew.

(Afterwords, I opened up a nice, big can of whoop ass on John in some Monopoly)

Let me tell you. Delicious. I'm currently enjoying a scrumptious reheated bowl on my lunch break. Too good. Too good. I've left a comment on the recipe post detailing my thoughts/changes.

Thanks again to Wanderingshadow, and definitely give this recipe a try.

Best. Acting.

2007-10-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

Evar.

FIRE!

2007-10-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

I know you're all dreadfully worried about me (and perhaps even John), so I've put together this little map thingy, thanks to GoogleMaps:

As you can (sort of) see...

- Downtown L.A. is off to the lower right

- Our apartment is the Green Dot at the top center (in Van Nuys)

- Culver City (where I work) is near the lower center (underlined in a light blue)

- Santa Monica and Beverly Hills (where JC interns) are north and west of Culver (underlined in sort of a pink-ish color), and

- the Fire is off to the West in and around Malibu (the, yes, red and orange spray paint [God bless MSPaint])

So, no real danger for us or pretty much anyone else. The big bad fire killing people, closing down highways, and making the national news is way down in San Diego county. This one is just forcing rich celebs to evacuate to their secondary homes.

In other updates, for those of you (aka, Doyle) who missed the bit about Recipes, there is now a link over there to the left under "Topics" (it's the only topic at the moment) that you can click on and check out all the wonderful recipes I will be posting in the coming weeks/months/etc. If you'd like to submit one of your own to share, feel free to email, post, or comment it and I'll definitely put it up for all to see. I'll even make it and tell you what I think of it (provided "authentic truffles," or "Beluga caviar" aren't key ingredients).

Also, the poll has been updated to include only the current contenders. You can also vote as many times as you like now.

Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew

2007-10-23T10:53:00.001-07:00

contributed by Wanderingshadow. As appears in "Joy of Cooking."

- 1/4 c. peanut oil*
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 fresh jalapeno or Serrano pepper, seeded and minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 packed T. minced peeled fresh ginger
- 1 T. chili powder
- 1 t. ground cumin
- 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½ “ pieces
- 1/3 c. tomato paste**
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 small zucchini (1” in diameter) trimmed and sliced
- 1/2 c. peanut butter, chunky or smooth, preferably unsalted***

+ Heat oil, then add the onion and peppers, and cook until veggies are tender but not brown, + about 7-10 minutes.
+ Add garlic and ginger, cook another 2-3 minutes.
+ Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes, cook ~ 1 minute.
+ Add sweet potatoes, tomato paste, and salt and pepper to taste.
+ Add enough water to barely cover the veggies and mix well.
+ Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 mins, stirring occasionally.
(if you wanted to add meat, during this time would be where you cook your 12 oz ground beef or turkey in 1 t. oil, then set it aside till the 45 mins is up, then add.)
+ Add the zucchini**** and cook another 15 mins.
+ Stir 1 c. of the stewing liquid into the peanut butter in a separate bowl until smooth, then add to the pot. Mix well and cook another 15 minutes.
+ Season with Black pepper and salt to taste.
+ Serve with hot rice or couscous. Quinoa would work really well too.

Wanderingshadow's Notes:
* I used Canola. I bet peanut would help, but whatever. It was tasty with canola
** I just used 1 whole can. It may be ½ c. instead of 1/3. I can live with that.
*** Chunky is the way to go. Then you get little bits of peanuts, and that’s cool. Whole Foods has unsalted PB. I bet other places do as well, but Whole Foods is awesome.
**** I added a squash as well. It worked. I bet other tasty veggies would too…thinking eggplant, maybe some other stuff…

[H]Offspring

2007-10-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

During production of "Snakes on a Plane," the production team jokingly referred to their upcoming B-movie as "Anacondas 3," perhaps referencing the quality of film they believed they were making as well as the unlikelihood of someone producing a sequel to the god-awful "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid" (aka "Anaconda[s] 2").

While they may have been correct in their assessment of the quality of their film, they were completely wrong in assuming that no one would resurrect this horrible film series.

I am pleased to announce that not only will "Anacondas: Offspring" (aka "Anaconda[s] 3") be making its debut on video store shelves in late July 2008 (tentative), but also you will have the pleasure of looking forward to an as-of-yet-untitled sequel ("Anaconda[s] 4") soon after.

Yes. You read that correctly. Now are you ready? Because it's about to get good.

The reason for the title of this post is that the word on the street is that the leading male actor signed on for both of these new sequels is none other than the German sensation... (anyone?)

David Hasselhoff.

Now. Good news/bad news here. He's signed on for both sequels, meaning he won't die in the first one (unless his presence in the 4th is simply for flashback or other ghostly purposes, which I doubt), so my advice to everyone is skip the 3rd but definitely rent the 4th to see if Mr. Hoff bites it at the expense of a large snake. Should be fun to watch.

Ok. So, there you have it. "Anaconda(s) 3." Actual upcoming movie. One more loser out of the way, and the remaining three are:

- Bad Boys 3
- Legally Blonde 3
- Starship Troopers 3

Mom's Seafood Pasta Salad for a Crowd

2007-10-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

Alright, this isn't my mom's seafood pasta salad for a crowd, that's just the name of the dish as listed on the internets here.

INGREDIENTS
1 (32 ounce) package dried small pasta shells
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 (16 ounce) bottle French dressing
1/2 (16 ounce) bottle thousand island dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 (6 ounce) cans water packed tuna, drained and flaked
2 (6 ounce) cans tiny shrimp, drained

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

In a large bowl, toss together cooked pasta, celery and green onions. Mix in French dressing, thousand island dressing and mayonnaise. Fold in tuna and shrimp. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 3 hours.

Lone Justice

2007-10-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

"After cleaning up his hometown, Nick (Kevin Sorbo) retires as county sheriff and heads to Dallas where he hopes to start a new life with an FBI Agent and her twelve-year old daughter. Just being 'the boyfriend' is tough enough for Nick. When a ruthless drug lord targets several key witnesses to a Federal case, Nick finds himself in the middle of a war with nobody to trust. This time Nick is on their turf and he is pitted against a ferocious army of gang bangers. Nick's brand of country justice just doesn't seem to cut it on the rough city streets but he will stop at nothing to protect his own. "*

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you:

Walking Tall: Lone Justice, the sequel to "Walking Tall: The Payback", the sequel to "Walking Tall" (the remake).... or in other words...

Walking Tall 3

That's right. It IS currently in production (actually, it IS currently in my apartment [Sony title... free copy...]), which means it is NOT the correct answer to the poll at left.

Possible winners remaining:
Anacondas 3
Bad Boys 3
Legally Blonde 3
Starship Troopers 3

Which one is NOT currently in some phase of production?
Stay tuned for more results.....

*[source]

Iraqi gov. finally growing a pair of brass ones?

2007-10-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

In a response to the notion of the United States establishing permanent military bases in Iraq, Mowaffak Al-Rubaie, Iraq's national security adviser, recently "sent a message" to Vice President Dick Cheney, stating that “The people of Iraq, the Parliament, the Council of Representative and the government of Iraq, all say no, big fat no, N, O, No military bases for Iraq because we believe that is in direct encroachment to our sovereignty, and we don’t need it.”
[source]

Granted, the current administration has gone on record stating that "There is no particular U.S. desire to have a permanent presence in Iraq," [from video at same source] but I think we all know how far I (read: 76% of America) trust this administration.

Is the Iraqi government finally standing (or beginning to stand) up for themselves? Will they actually have the cajones to tell America to shove off if it comes to that? Will this administration just replace the Iraqi government before it comes to that? Is the national security advisor just blowing smoke?

Endnote:
Blogging world, look out. The Rockel is back, and apparently in full force. Now that I've stepped back up to the monitor, Matt has picked up his keyboard again and is posting wildly, desperately seeking 200 career posts.
Plus, Matt has come out of what some considered blog retirement to sign with a brand new blog site. No more blogger for him.
Anyway. You've now been updated. Show love.

R.I.P.

2007-10-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

Joey Bishop (second from right) died of "multiple causes" yesterday at 89. He was the final surviving member of the above-pictured "Rat Pack." So crank up the Pack tunes in memory.

And, although the Rat Pack may be gone, I'd just like to remind you all that...

...The Pack are Back.

The Abode

2007-10-14T00:17:00.000-07:00

202. Hey, that's us! Nice paint on the railing.

Let's step inside.

Alright. A sexy man cooking in the kitchen, coke bottle on the floor, and... hey, what's that to the left? A fireplace?

Oh, you know it, complete with tiny t.v., vacuum cleaner, and shiny-backed running shoes.

Ooh, a door to an outdoor porch...thing... let's step outside.

Nice courtyard action. Ok, kinda cold, let's go back inside.

Hey, where'd the sexy man go? I bet he snuck off to the back of the apartment. Let's go down the hallway.

Thermostat. Living like kings. Alright, let's check the bathroom.

Nope. Nothing here but some head and shoulders. What was further down the hall?

The Rockel Bedroom. He doesn't appear to be here. Although he could be hiding in that massive closet. Let's check out more of that awesome bed.

Made and everything. Complete with Wal-Mart lamp.

But where does the Cathey hang out, you ask? Well hold on... cuz there's more:

The master suite. with room for a mini-bookshelf...

Queen size bed, and...

Desk and chair. Plus all the convenience of yet another bathroom:

Yeah, baby. That's "The Neverending Story" on the counter, for those of you playing along at home.

Thanks for stopping by. Come again.

Rockel
202

photos by Cathey. Copyright 2007

Redefining Rockel

For the Record...

'09 Top Tep Update: Trailers

On Poverty and Socialism, with a foreword on Iowa and a post script on Marijuana

Oscar Night 2009

It's almost that time... Let's get this on the record...

THE ROCKEL OSCAR PREDICTION CONTEST EXTRAVAGANZATHON RETURNS

Awards, Take Two - Golden Globes

The Official Opening of Award Season (Grab Your Guns)

'09 Top Ten

New Year, New Films

Films I missed in 2008

Rockel's Best

2008 in Film (in Review), Part Two

2008 in Film (in Review), Part One

Proposition 8

Bill Maher: "The Whites"

September October November December

Long Overdue Update

Breaking the Silence

A Moment of Silence

Back to Barack

Another Political Detour

Brief Political Break

In Memoriam

2 Weeks Off

Release dates subject to change

Latest and Greatest

Summer's here... can you feel it?

Job update and such...

The Problem w/ American Shots

With Apologies to Jesse Jackson

What the Hell? (Better late than never Political edition)

OSCAR NIGHT 08

I guess I need to get this on the record

The ego has landed

Redirect

What the Hell? (Sports edition)

The Strike is Over!

Oscar, Oscar, Who's Got the Oscar

Eleventh of the Month

Coming in 2008, part the final

Awards, Awards, Awards

Wow

Awards Show down... I repeat, we have an Awards Show down **updated**

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Coming in 2008, part 3

Hello Loooooooooong Weekend

The Return of Stewart/Colbert

Award News

Coming in 2008, part 2

Holy Crap... *Updated*

Coming in 2008, part 1

News, News, lots of News

The NFL Network sucks...

First Post in December

R.I.P.

You think I'm f--kin' with you? I am not f--kin' with you

Award Season Officially Open

This next post is only dedicated to beautiful people here tonight...

Steee-rike 2

Lars and Oscar

Paul, Revisited

Oh, So Good Stew!

Steee-rike

5 November

WWJA10.9MDT?

Va-Jay-Jay

Redirect

Football Update

For those of you who know who Trace Beaulieu is...

In Memoriam

Big News

Rule 16

AP: Blackwater guards given immunity in Iraq killings

Whatcha Gonna Do?

Dr. Paul: Or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Republican Party

Anti-Seafood Jambalaya

Minions!

Politics

Awards Show down... I repeat, we have an Awards Show down updated

Holy Crap... Updated