You know what really pisses me off?

I'm an interesting paradox of a person. I like to be spontaneous and am certainly not an introvert. However, I can be pretty uptight at times. I like things a certain way and have a certain rhythm in which I live my life. When this rhythm is thrown off due to lack of planning...you get it.
So, my manager at Blockbuster is out on maternity leave and has been for two weeks. That's TWO weeks to figure out how to get our checks to us on time. On time is 10AM Wednesday (every other Wednesday). So, no checks at 10AM today. I promised Thomas and my nephew, Kyle, that we could go out and do something, including buying Thomas a new winter jacket which he so desperately needs. I call the store at 10, and like I said, no checks. I stop by at 11:45...no checks. This really aggravates the ever loving crap out of me. I have bills to pay, a check to the drawer that went to the bank this morning and I don't have a freaking check to put in the bank yet! Guess what...banks are closed tomorrow!
Then to make my life's rhythm even more off-beat...the new movies at work (which we normally get between Wednesday and Friday the week before they are released) came in on Tuesday. Hooray, I'll have a whole week to watch them, right? NOPE! In an attempt to make more money over the holiday weekend the owner put them all out. A WEEK EARLY! Prince Caspian and Wanted are the ones that I wanted to watch particularly. I'm pissed about this for two primary reasons. One, I don't make a lot of money so my free rentals and the ability to watch the new movies before they are released are perks that make it worth while. Two, companies have a release date on their films for a reason. It is technically a violation and subject to huge fines to rent or sell them earlier than the release date. The owner does this on a regular basis with smaller title releases which is also annoying since there are some that I actually want to see. But with a Disney release? As an independent franchise owner, would you like to get fined by a company that large? It would totally sink you! No one else is able to generate extra income on next week's releases over the Thanksgiving weekend. Why should Versailles Blockbuster?
I honestly have half a mind to turn his release-date-violating-butt in.
I feel better now that I've vented.

What's in a name?

Several years ago when I started writing I thought it would be neat to use a variation of my name that stood out. E. Russell Henninger. I still like the way it sounds. However, I've tried to carry that over into my acting, directing, and producing of short films. It has been confusing on a few occasions, even for me. In my auditions class the other day the gentleman conducting out "mock" auditions looks at my resume (which reads E. Russell Henninger) and says "What Russell did here..." And I'm standing on the stage looking around for this guy named Russell. Oh right, that's me! Everyone knows me by Eric. So even when I audition with E. Russell Henninger on my resume, these people get to know me and then bill me as Eric Henninger...posters, IMDB, credits, etc. The only time I've been billed in a short film as E. Russell is when I've produced and edited the film. Aside from my own projects, all the films and theatre productions that I've done have me billed as Eric. So, I thought, what about using E. Russell as my writing name and Eric for my acting and everything else name? Then I figured that could get confusing on a project where I wear more than one hat. For example the last film that Bald Brother's Studio Productions (that's my production company) completed I co-wrote, produced, executive produced, and acted in. This would be very confusing in the credits when they read "Written by: E. Russell Henninger...starring Eric Henninger." See what I mean? I consulted a couple of my most trusted friends on the subject. I honestly felt like a diva for even having to think about what name to use. They confirmed what I was leaning towards anyway...Eric. Worst case scenario...when I am able to become a member of SAG, if there is already an "Eric Henninger" then I can fall back onto E. Russell or maybe just Russell.
Anyway, now that you all know more than you needed to or wanted to know...I bid you adieu.

I hate politics!

I just have to say that I sincerely hate politics in America. Granted, our system seems to be better than any other system out there and I certainly wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
But it seems to me that each party is more interested in being in control than they are in the actual well-being of the American people. Also it seems kind of childish to me the arguments that people are throwing out in opposition to each candidate..."Obama has no experience." Honestly? Is that the best we can come up with? How does one gain experience as a president if not by actually being president? Shy of someone running for their second term, has anyone had the proper experience?
"McCain is too old." What the heck? Really? Is that the best we can do? Most people, I think, would agree that Reagan was one of the finest presidents we've had in the last half a century or so and he was rather old when he took office. And he was a fan of the Rambo movies! No more evidence needed for me that he was a good president!
I'm convinced that if we had a Democrat in office as president and he were to have a ridiculously high approval rating, the Republicans would find something to complain about. And, if we had a Republican president in office with a high approval rating the Democrats would still find something to complain about. Get over yourselves!
Another thing that royally irritates the crap out of me is the "non-biased" press intentionally slanting things to one side. Point and case (regardless of which side of the fence you ride): New York Times front page a few days ago had two pictures. One of a "McCain/Palin" sign in the yard of home that looked decidedly upper middle class. Another photo showed an "Obama/Biden" sign in the yard of of someone clearly less fortunate. No bias there. As it turns out, there's no one in my neighborhood that is wealthy and there are a healthy smattering of signs for both sides. There are as many better-off people voting for Obama tomorrow as there are for McCain. There are also those who are struggling to make ends meet that will vote for McCain, just as there are those who will vote for Obama.
And yet another burr in my saddle is the whole race/sex thing. My daughter (who is 13 and not even able to vote)was asked by another student who she would vote for if she could. We don't typically talk politics in our house unless one of the kids asks our opinions, so I'm proud of my daughter for answering from her own personal conclusions. She told the student that she would probably vote for McCain. The student asking her for her opinion then flat-out called her a racist. What the frak, people? Seriously? Is this what it's going to be about? Vote for Obama/Biden or you're a racist. Vote for McCain/Palin or you're a sexist. The race/sex card should not even be an issue, nor should it be a rebuttle from either side as an excuse for not addressing real issues. I heard someone ask once if "Obama is elected, will the American people be able to be as openly critical and cynical of his administration without being called a racist?" Would they? I don't know. One shouldn't vote for Obama based solely on the basis that he is black. Nor should one vote for McCain based solely on the basis that his running-mate is a woman.
It really shouldn't matter whether someone is black or white/male or female if they are the best qualified to take the helm of our great nation.
I also hate campaign adds of all kinds: federal and local. Why don't we just take the last step down and put our mud-slinging in terms that everyone understands? "Don't vote for so-and-so because he's a moron." "Vote for me because I'm not as big of a poo-poo head as the other person." Can we all grow up and act like we have some degree of pride in ourselves as people and as a country?
So, you ask, which side of the fence to I fall on? Personally, I think that Spongebob and Patrick or even Palpatine and Vader would be better choices. My campaign slogan is "We're Screwed '08."
Seriously, I didn't do this blog to try to convince anyone of my personal political views. You need to vote for who you honestly feel is the best person to lead our country into the future. I motives in this blog have been simply this: to vent my aggravations with politics, regardless of which side I may or may not support. Elections, of any kind, have become a circus and it nauseates me.
No matter what the outcome ends up being, this will be a historic election.
VOTE!

How not to make friends

So I am walking into Corbitt (the main Media-Comm building for you non-asburians) and was signing up for my advising appointment before heading to class. This guy is standing there - I have no idea who he is or was, since I've never seen him before - and he looks at my shirt (emblazoned with a Patriots logo for tonight's game) and says, "Are you really a Patriots fan?" I answer, "Heck, yeah!" "Really?" He asks. "Even with their coach being a cheater?" Now the thing is that there wasn't a hint of playfulness or jest in his voice at all. He was dead serious and his tone indicated that I probably shouldn't call myself a Christian and a Patriots fan - like it was some kind of paradox. Needless to say, it pissed me off. In my most seriously irritated tone I said, "Don't even start with me, buddy." I walked away.
The moral of this story is: if you want to make friends, insulting people is probably not the best way to do it.

Friends and the Spitfire Grill

As most of you know I've had the privilege of being involved with Asbury's fall theatre production entitled, "The Spitfire Grill." It was a good laugh all summer for me that I auditioned for a musical and got cast as the one character with no lines or songs. It's okay to laugh...the irony is very amusing. It's still funny to me. It sounded rather easy since I had no lines to memorize or songs to learn, but I took the role seriously. I read the script, pestered the director to make sure I was giving him what he wanted, and even created an inner monologue for my character. Because my character only made one short appearance in the first act and only a couple in the second act, I tried something different...different for me at least...I tucked myself in a corner and shut myself off from the rest of the cast during each act. It was kind of a method approach. My thinking was that I didn't have much stage time to convey what my character need to convey, so I had to be in character even when I wasn't on stage. It seemed to work out pretty well, although it was emotionally draining. For two shows I tried doing the role without the whole "method" approach. I don't know if the audience could tell a difference, but I certainly did. For the last show I reverted back to the "method" concept. Last night, after our final show, one of the cast member's mother and I were talking. She had seen the show more than once and told me that she felt like there was more intensity to my role when I did the method thing. That's cool, since you hope that what's going on in your head as an actor is being conveyed in your body language and facial expressions. While it was a small role, it was very challenging and fulfilling for me as an actor.
Here's the coolest thing...the cast. What a group of super talented people. Not only are they talented, but they're great people and I have had such a great time getting to know each of them better and am glad to be able to call each of them a friend. In spite of the age difference that exists, they embraced me and accepted me as one of their own. This is cool for me because I don't usually feel as old as I am anyway, and most of my friends are a bit younger than myself. It was my honor to get to be a part of such a great cast of people and I'm a bit sad that it's over-the show's over anyway.
While I love making new friends and getting to know people, I highly value those friends of mine that have been known me for a while and are super supportive, caring, and loving. They took time out of their busy schedules to come see the show and support what I was doing. That means the world to me! First of all, my wife, Lori, is amazing to allow me to pursue this crazy acting thing and she came to three of the six shows. Krysta and Sean, Zack, Katie, Kevin,Tim, and Ryan all made it out to see the show. I felt like that kindergarten student who is so exited that his parents are in the audience that he waves at them during the performance. I didn't wave of course, but I had to fight the urge:-)
So, to all my friends, new and seasoned alike...thanks for who you are and all that you do. I love each one of you!

Kelsey's last day

Well, as I'm writing this I have to confess that I've been something of an emotional wreck the last couple of days. Today is the day when my parents take Kelsey to the vet for her to be put to sleep. My son, Thomas, woke me up this morning with a stuffed animal tucked under his arm: a dalmatian, that he's had for several years now, he named Kelsey so that when he wasn't in North Carolina with her he'd have her close by. It was no accident that he had that stuffed animal under his arm this morning. I saw that and I just held him for a while. He even made my dad put the phone up to Kelsey's ear last night so he could say good-bye. I couldn't keep it together.
I read two things this morning that touched me deeply as it relates to Kelsey and my last blog. The first was an email that my mom had sent me in regards to my regret mentioned in my previous blog. She said that God doesn't hold our regrets against us and neither should we. That's easier said than done. The second was in a bulletin my brother, Gregg, posted on My Space. He said that we go through life and too often take for granted the people and the things (pets, etc) that are in our lives and even take for granted the love that we are shown. It's true, we do that. Our lives get so busy that we miss the little acts of love that we are shown everyday by those around us. How sad is that? I think that these little acts of love that come from our friends, loved ones, and yes, even our pets, are one of the many ways that God says "I love you" to us.
The last thought that I had on this topic blew my mind...I was putting together pictures for a project in a class and one of those pictures was of the earth, taken from a shuttle mission. Breath taking. Then I heard a song as I was driving: "God of wonders beyond our galaxy...the universe declares your majesty..." These two things reminded me of my astronomy class a couple years back and it seems amazing to me that as insignificant as we, as people, are in the grand scheme and scope of the universe, that the maker of it all is intimately interested in the details of our lives. Even down to Kelsey. It's incredible to think that this morning, with everything else going on in the world, that God feels the sorrow of my family at the loss of Kelsey. I guess it blows me away because nothing comes in and out of our lives that God doesn't notice or care about. I'll take comfort in that.

Kelsey

The beginning of a new week has brought with it some sad news for my family. A little back story is in order before I get to the sad news. During the summer of 1995 I was doing an internship at Trinity Assembly of God in Derry, NH. I purchased a Dalmatian puppy from a breeder in a nearby town. There were several puppies there, half with black spots and half with brown (liver spotted is what they call it). I sat there on the grass and watched as the puppies romped and played with each other. All but one. This one particular puppy had the brown spots, one blue eye, and one brown eye. The eye color thing meant that she could never be a show dog because it is looked at as a defect, but I thought it added character and besides, I had no intention of entering her in any shows. Anyway, I took her home. She threw-up in my car on the way home...funny that I think that's funny looking back. I got her home and brought her in the house and she just stood there, not sure what to think of her new surroundings. Everybody fell in love with her. Not only was she laid back and calm (not a trait usually found in Datamations), but she was very affectionate and sweet. That summer, Kelsey went every where with me. She ran errands with me, sat in the church office with me, and even slept in my bed...even though she was a bit big for that.
At the end of the summer, Kelsey and I headed out to Minnesota for what should have been my fourth year of college. The difference this year was that, Lori was waiting for me when I arrived. I was young and in love and applied all my time and effort to that relationship and, as a result, Kelsey didn't get the attention and love she needed or deserved from me. That is something that is still something of a regret for me. I was, however, conscious of my lop-sided priorities and brought her back to NH for my brother's wedding in October of 1995. My parents, who loved Kelsey, took her as their own dog and she's been with them ever since. Although, I've always still thought of her as mine I know that she was perfect for mom and dad and they were perfect for her. On our visits to my parents I always looked forward to seeing Kelsey. She smiles when she's excited...it's quite funny actually.
I didn't know it at the time, but I saw my Kelsey for the last time this past July. She is thirteen years old, which is old for a larger dog. Typically they only live 10-11 years. I received an email from my mother yesterday saying that Kelsey was not doing well and that her heart was having some trouble and that she had spent the last two days with the vet. We knew over the summer that she was having some trouble, but I didn't realize how quickly the condition would go down hill. Last night I received another email from my mother saying that, after much prayer, thought, and consulting with the vet, the decision was made to have her put to sleep since her heart condition had gotten the the point where she was in pain and the possibility of coming home and finding her dead was very real. So, mom and dad had to make that difficult and painful decision. I can't even drive down to see Kelsey one last time because my damn schedule just won't allow it. I'm so grateful that she has had a great life with my parents...they've been so good to her. But, I've always carried and will always carry that regret that I wasn't able to be a bigger part of her life. The cynics would laugh and say, "it's just a dog," but our pets really do become a part of our family and such a big part of our lives.

I'm such a softy!

We have cats. Three of them to be exact, which is about three too many. There good, actually, and the only reason we really have them is my fault. The kids wanted the first one..."Daddy, please can we have a kitten?" How do you say no? The other two we obtained because I saw them at the humane society and was like, "Aww...look at the little kittens..." So, we ended up with two more. Anyway, One of them lives outside because he kept peeing on the floor and one of the others likes to spend time outside and he likes to hunt. He brings us dead moles, mice, an occasional bird, and he brought a rat once. If he brings another rat we will, of course, call the city. I digress...last night I was standing outside talking to some friends of mine and Jack (the hunting cat) comes prancing into the yard with something rather large dangling from his mouth. I assume it's a rat. Jack drops it in the yard and the thing is still twitching and stuff. I move in for a closer look. It was a little baby bunny rabbit! Bunnies are cute and innocent. *warning-I'm going to be totally honest here* Now, I know that Jack is just doing what cats do, but it was a bunny! So I smacked him on the but and said "get away you little shit!" He ran off and my friends and I got a flashlight and examined it more closely. It was very much alive, but had some bite wounds. So I pick the thing up and bring it into the house. It was after midnight, but it wasn't long and everyone was up, worrying about the little bunny. We made some phone calls to vets, but no one answered, obviously. we wrapped it in a towel and placed it in a little cage we had and decided we'd see if it made it through the night. I fully expected to be burying a little bunny this morning. But, the thing's still alive! And it even drank some water! This morning we will call a vet and see if there is anything they can do for it. I'm so soft. I couldn't leave the little thing outside last night to die. I thought that if it was going to die it deserved to die warm and doted on.

NFL Week One

The title's a bit misleading. I will not be doing this every week. The first week, though, is of particular interest. I was so excited about the Pats' first game. We did manage to come away with a win. Bittersweet. Yeah for the win, but it also carries with the season ending injury of (I'd like to see someone try to argue this) one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, Tom Brady.
Don't get me wrong, Matt Castle played well...our defense played exceptionally well, especially in the last quarter...but Castle just isn't Tom Brady. Honestly, all my hopes for the perfect season (the one we should have had last year) are a bit dim. Hopefully, Matt Castle will be what Tom Brady was to Drew Bledsoe. We'll see. That's all I have to say about that.

Nothing Specific

Well, this will be random. For those of you that know me that'll come as no surprise. Generally, my mind feels very random and draws random connections that, if unexplained to the listener, may make no sense. At any rate, now some of you know be better than you did 30 seconds ago. So hang on to your mouse and, if you try really hard, you may be able to make some sense out of the following stream of thoughts. Actually, you probably won't...but it will fill you in on the last couple weeks of my life.

First of all, the short film we shot over the summer, "Previously Viewed: 2 Day Rental" is nearly finished. A little ADR and maybe a hint of music and we're done. I'm trying to work out a premier in December at the Downtown Arts Center in Lexington. I'll let you all know when that happens.

As most of you probably know by now I was cast in an independent film with a company out of Columbus, OH. The film is entitled "Bangin'" and NO it is NOT a porn. We'll shoot sometime in November. I'm quite excited about it and wowed and flattered that they selected me over so many talented people. many of whom I thought were far more talented than myself.

Yesterday I was supposed to be in a scene for another independent film called "Mountain Mafia" in which I am a hitman (fun to play against your character traits) and we've choreographed, with the help of a stuntman, a rather brutal-it'll look great-fight scene. The shoot got rescheduled and I'm hoping for cooler weather on the reshoot date.

I think...no, I know I have had the easiest part in Asbury College's Fall Musical, "The Spitfire Grill." This is another project that I'm really looking forward to, but as the only character with no lines or songs (there's irony there folks...to go audition for a musical and then get cast as the mute!) I've not been needed at all the preliminary rehearsals. I won't actually have to be there until the week before tech week. It's a small part, but the emotions in the scenes is high and they have potential to be very strong and powerful for the audience.

My good friend and partner in crime, Zack, and I went to Louisville on Saturday to audition for a TV pilot. It was tons of fun and we'll just wait and see where it goes.

At the end of my first week of my second semester at Asbury, I'm feeling a wee bit overwhelmed, to be honest. I love to read, but there's a lot of it and all of it from one class (Screenwriting) is making it painfully obvious to me that writing scripts may not be my strongest point in the whole filmmaking process. I love the whole process, but am finding the the majority of my passion lies in the acting department. I do, however, wish to have a solid understanding of all the pieces to make me a better rounded actor/filmmaker.

At any rate, between family, work, school, and the other projects, I've been feeling just a little stressed out this week. Not really super over tired, just tense and not relaxed in the slightest.

Lastly (I'm really going to be done now), let me drop my brief opinion on a couple movies I saw recently (which I pulled myself away from my school work to watch in hopes of refreshing my mind).
"What Happens in Vegas" I really had no preconceived expectations for the movie other than Cameron Diaz being her normal cute self. She was. It was rather humorous and I thought the concept was rather funny and provided plenty of conflict. Not in my top ten new movies, but perhaps the top twenty. I would watch it again. So if you need a good laugh, check it out.

"Harold and Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay"
Nutshell...hated the first one. I don't get into the drugs are funny humor. There's some exceptions to that rule of mine (as far as humor in movies goes), but it was the whole catalyst for the first movie and plays a huge role in the new one. Granted, there are several moments that are actually funny that don't involve pot, boobs, or vaginas. While there were those funny parts, I didn't feel they justified my hour and a half.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"
Directed by Steven Spielberg

I was one of the fortunate few that didn't have their expectations set unrealistically high on opening night. Thank God. I just recently went to see the newest Indiana Jones film this last week with my son. I had heard so many negative things about it ("if it wasn't Indiana Jones I wouldn't have cared at all about the story or characters...") that my expectations were ridiculously low. This turned out to be a good thing. since I wasn't expecting anything at all I was pleasantly surprised. Admittedly (spoiler warning), I really hated the whole alien tie in. That tended to add an element of "cheese" to a franchise that had been mostly "cheese free." The characters didn't really change to much through the film and, the fact that we know at least two of the characters from past films not withstanding, seemed a bit flat. That was disappointing. However, I still managed to enjoy the film overall. It was fun and entertaining, although not the best of the four films.

"The Shack"

"The Shack"
By William P. Young
As well as enjoying films, I also enjoy reading. I always have a book with me or by my bed to read. Depending on what's going on in my schedule I have more time for reading than at other times. I've never actually blogged my thoughts on a book before, but this was just so good I had to share.
"the Shack" is a must read, as far as I'm concerned, for christians and non-christians alike. It will challenge your preconceptions of God. How much of the God we "know" is really God and how much is centuries of lifeless man-made tradition and dogma? How does God feel about people? The author presents God (although he explains why he does this) in a rather unorthodox way. In fact, I've already heard of one person saying that they found it somewhat offensive. At any rate, you'll have to read it to really understand what I'm getting at. I don't want to tell too much.
So, my thoughts are this...christians seem to be comfortable living in bondage to a God that expects us to preform and try to live up to an impossible standard, only to find that we can't do it alone. But we keep trying anyway because that's what we've been told and taught for years. Christians are also afraid of new ideas. We don't want to listen to someone or read something that we might not agree with. Reading or listening does not involve an obligation to accept and adopt. We automatically assume that if something is contradictory to what we've been taught for years (I'm not talking about Biblical truths here) than it obviously wrong and heretical. Really, though? Do we really think that we've got God so perfectly figured out and fit into our little comfort zone that we may not have missed something? I think we've missed tons! Organized religion is lifeless. I believe that God's plans for a "church" transcend a building or a specific theological doctrine that divides. It goes so much deeper than what we have made it. I believe that god wants so much more out of his relationships with us too. More than we've made it; a rigid list of "do this" and "don't do this." It has become something we do instead of a relationship with God. We live in guilt and condemnation when we do not "preform" up to his "expectations." all which doesn't bring life is not from God. I have started ranting...
At any rate, the story has some very interesting things to say about life and presents life and God in a very real and relevant way. Check it out. I promise it will revolutionize your life.

Dark Knight

"Dark Knight"
Directed by Christopher Nolan

Probably the most anticipated movie of the summer...the year. Heath Ledger's death only added to the movie's appeal. Had Ledger not passed away the film would still stand on the brink of breaking all kinds of records and would still be, in my opinion, on of the best films of the year and certainly the best (hands down) comic book movie ever. Yes, that's right. DC has set the bar several notches higher for the movie making machine known as Marvel Studios. While Iron Man was the best Marvel movie I've seen in years, it paled next to Nolan's Dark Knight.
Performances of an extraordinary level run throughout the film. Ledger's being the most noticeable larger due in fact to his current absence. Not to impugn his performance, because it was chilling and amazing. But, the others' can't be forgotten. Bale, Cain, Freeman, Eckhart, Oldman, and Gyllenhaal give great performances as well and compliment Ledger's beautiful portrayal of the Joker. Gyllenhaal, whom I like, is the only one playing a character from Batman Begins that was originally portrayed by another actress (Katie Holmes). I can't say too much without giving too much away and I certainly don't want to spoil the film. Suffice it to say that early reviews were calling the Dark Knight "The greatest superhero movie of all time" and "one of the greatest crime dramas...." I fully agree. Granted, I am a huge Batman fan, but that aside...Dark Knight is a fantastic film no matter how you look it. It is a piece of cinematic genius and beauty. Check it out. I promise it won't be a film that you easily forget about once you leave the theatre.
One last thought to leave you with...I still thought Michael Keaton made a great Batman/Bruce Wayne...Val Kilmer was okay, and Clooney was just a horrible choice. Christian Bale, however, is my favorite with no room for debate. Just so you know:-)

Batman Returns

Let's be honest, shall we? Up until the most recent Christopher Nolan "Batman" movies there were only two of the original four that should have ever been made and both of them starred the same actor (Michael Keaton) as Batman and were directed by the same genius (Tim Burton). I saw both of those movies in the theaters and recall not being very impressed with "Batman Returns." I revisited the film twice in the last three weeks and both times I was blown away and going, "Why didn't I like this movie when it came out?" Everything about it was intelligent (says me) and the acting was great. Michelle, Michael, and Danny were amazing. At any rate, watching this movie again for the first time in almost twenty years was like rediscovering something that you had misplaced. Hooray for the Batman movies (not counting the Batman Forever and Batman and Robin...poop) that started a trend.

Superhero Movie

"Superhero Movie"
Directed by Craig Mazin

I'm not a big fan of spoof movies. Well, let me clarify...I loved Spaceballs, Young Frankenstein, and Dracula: Dead and Loving it, but I usually shy away from things like "Scary Movie" or "Meet the Spartans." I think my reasoning has been that it seems like these movies are made by taking someone else's perfectly good ideas and then just making fun of it. I suppose that's the point exactly with a spoof, but I've always felt that that approach lacks a certain creativity. Although it requires a certain amount of its own too. I'm clearly conflicted. "Outrageously funny" as it was billed on the DVD cover may very well be the overstatement of the year. I did find myself chuckling from time to time but wasn't in pain from laughing so hard. Thankfully there were no penguin testicles or scenes of a penguin crapping on anyone's face (see "Meet the Spartans"). At any rate, while I did laugh a little, the best part of this film, for me, was that it was only 82 minutes long. Thank God!

It has arrived!

As I've said earlier, I had to work very hard at occupying myself today instead of staring out the window waiting for the FedEx guy to show up with my Mac. My wife called and asked if I wanted to play golf. Well, normally I wouldn't think twice...but, I figured it was already almost 2:00 and it probably wouldn't come until tomorrow. So we left a note on the door, just in case, and asked my neighbor if she'd sign for it if it did come. Naturally, the FedEx guy showed up a few minutes after we left the house. When we got back (I actually had a pretty good game too...well, for me it was good) I only had thirty minutes to get it out of the box and drool over it before I had to go to work. Anyway, it was the longest night of work ever! Now I'm sitting here and the beautifully sexy Mac is telling me that it is going to take another 17 hours to finish installing Final Cut Studio! That's over half a day! I've got to sleep...well, that's what my wife tells me anyway:-)

me, myself, and I-Mac

Okay, so I recently ordered a new Mac primarily for editing and what not. I received an email the other day saying that it would arrive either on the 1st of July or the 2nd. I'm sitting around the house trying not to stare out the window waiting for the FedEx guy to come. I'm even cleaning the house and stuff just to keep my mind off it. My stomach is honestly in knots with the anticipation! Anyway, I am a geek and I'm proud.

Let's review a few movies, shall we?

I'm going to be fairly brief with these since I'm going to try to cover three films. So, at any rate...

"Wanted"
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov

I was so happy I read EW's article on Angelina Jolie before I saw this film. I had a less than positive opinion of her. As I read the article I realized (this is a bid "duh" I know I know) that I know nothing about this woman as a person. Needless to say, the article changed my view. Without that change of view I wouldn't have given two rats' butts about going to see this movie and I would have missed out. From start to finish "Wanted" is a fun, adrenaline rush of a film. Some of the voice over took me out of the moment a couple times and there were some interesting visuals that made more sense when I learned that the film is based on a comic book series. Anyway, don't miss this kick-ass fun movie!



"Son of Rambow"
Directed by Garth Jennings

I stumbled on a trailer for this film a few months ago and fell in love with the concept. It was released in the UK in April, but took a bit longer to get over here. But if you want to see this one you won't find it at the main theatres in town. No, you'll have to make a pleasant visit to the historic "Kentucky Theatre" in Lexington. Blah blah blah....the film...eh hem...yes...a great story of friendship that over comes boundaries of class and religion while two young boys try to make a film for a contest sponsored by the BBC. I don't want to tell you too much, but check out the trailer and then head to the theatre. I will be so bold as to say that if you don't like this film you're a "wanker."



And finally...
"The Incredible Hulk"
Directed by Louis Leterrier

No doubt you would be in the minority if you are one that absolutely loved the first Ang Lee directed "Hulk." While, granted, it had some neat moments, the story wasn't one of them, not were the characters. This time (yes, a risky move in my opinion for Marvel) they got the formula right. As I watched all the eye-popping action I realized in a fresh way how much of nothing actually happened in Ang Lee's "Hulk." So, all the elements are there. If you're waiting to see this one because you're gun shy from the first one, be afraid no more! Get out there and check it out.

I realize how fortunate I am to have gone to see three good movies in a row. Usually you get some turds in there:-)

I'm such a jerk

Okay, a little back story before I tell you what happened to me today: A couple years ago during my stint in hell...er...I mean Walmart I was taking care of business in a stall in the men's room (for those of you that don't think outside the box- I was taking a crap). Someone walks in and sticks their head under my stall door. Being the understanding guy I am yelled, "What the hell, dude?" He began mumbling to himself ala Dustin Hoffman in Rainman. Perfect, I yelled at a mentally handicapped person. Real nice.
So, today...I'm at the pool with Lori and the kids and I'm waiting in line with Thomas for the water slide (which is rather fun by the way) and there's this rather large man behind me. Keep in mind here that I had just finished in the gym and hadn't been in the water yet so my skin in dry and very warm due to the sun. Anyway, as I'm standing there waiting I feel something cold, wet, and fleshy touching the small of my back. I correctly assume that is this guy's belly that has just rubbed against my back. I roll my eyes and mutter to myself as I put my hand on the rail and raise myself to the next step. I then feel a wet hand touching my elbow, followed by the belly on my back again. I mutter out loud, but still under my breath. Every inch forward he matched, making sure his belly did not leave the 1 centimeter distance that he was working had to maintain.
I make it down the slide, followed by the guy whose stomach had been molesting me. He's behind me again. The same thing happens and I ignore it the first two times on this go around. The third time I turn around and say (very politely, after all he was bigger than me), "I'm sorry, man am I in your way? I can scoot up if you'd like." He looked blankly back at me and I realized that he was mentally handicapped. Great, I finally speak up and stand up for myself and I end up feeling like a jerk. At any rate, I went and laid down until he was done using the water slide. Mentally handicapped or not though, I don't like strangers rubbing on me. It's just creepy.

What in the world?

I had to call Windstream customer service today. Our DSL has been in and out and, of course, it goes out at he most inconvenient times-of course. I called and got to listen to the mind-numbing automated messages that they play...as if this is going to help the wait feel shorter. Most of the messages were something like this, "We know that your time is valuable...most of your questions can be answered by visiting our website at Windstream.com." "Visit our website for a list of frequently asked questions." "Visit our website for our trouble shooting guide." Are they serious? The whole reason I'm sitting here wasting my time on the phone is because I CAN'T ACCESS THE INTERNET! I was half expecting the guy in Calcutta to ask if I'd tried visiting the website. He didn't, so that's good. Anyway, I just thought it was funny.

Teeth

"Teeth"
Directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein

When I read the description of this movie at work I had to rent it. Not because I thought it would be a good movie, but because any movie about a woman with teeth in her vagina has to be the worst possible movie ever made. Turns out I was right! It pretty much sucked crap out of a dead cow's butt. However, I knew it was going to blow chunks when I rented it, and as a result laughed hysterically. You know what the movie's about, so I really don't need to say much else here. They bill it as a "cautionary tale" for young men. Well, that "cautionary tale" didn't say much more than "all men are horny and sex crazed and women's vaginas will bite your penis off if you're not nice to them." Great message. Anyway, I highly recommend that you avoid this movie if you're looking for good cinema. You won't find it here. But, if you're bored and in the mood for a good laugh (albeit slightly dark), then you may not mind wasting two hours of your life. Sure to entertain with countless scenes of tasteful humor and romance (note the sarcasm...I'm totally kidding, there's nothing tasteful here at all).
I end with a question: If there is someone out there willing to finance a film about a penis destroying, tooth infested vagina, then shouldn't I have an easier time finding someone to finance one of my projects?

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

"National Treasure: Book of Secrets"
Directed by Jon Turteltaub

Admitingly, I'm a bit of a history buff. So, needless to say, I love the "National Treasure" movies. Now, I know that there is fiction, myth, and conspiracy theory mixed in with the history, but I still like it. Those little nuggets of actually history are so tantalizing. This newest of the National Treasure films made me start thinking about how cool it would be to do a period film on the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. So, that has nothing to do with anything. So, before I digress any more. Check this one out on the 20th of May when it's released on DVD.

Iron Man

"Iron Man"
Directed by Jon Favreau
Do you remember movies that set a standard for the Comic Book genre? (Well, we'll talk Marvel for our purposes. DC Comics is another topic for another day) Movies like "Spiderman," "X-Men," etc? You know movies that you left the theatre going, "That was so freakin' awesome!" You felt like you could be a superhero if afforded the right opportunities. Then the sequel was released so the studio could capitalize on the first one and you were wicked pumped for it and it was pretty good. But then the third one comes out and you're still excited because you feel like it should be better than the second, but you leave the theatre saying things like, "Brett Ratner did a disservice to that," or "Well, I thought Venom was cool for the five minutes he was in the film."
I say all that to say, WEE FREAKIN' HOO! "Iron Man," the first blockbuster of the summer, has brought the cool back to the genre. A fresh hero, fresh story, fresh franchise. I'm hard pressed to find something that I didn't like. The closest I can come is that they had to throw in a very brief sex romp. There's no nudity and I get that they are establishing the kind of man Tony Stark was before his change. But, as the father of a son, I of course see these things and go, "I get it, but can I distract my son for a few seconds so he can enjoy the rest of the 2 hour film that I know he'll love?"
Anyway, very non-offensive overall and that impresses me since too many times people seem to want to push the envelope too far. At any rate, Iron Man delivers and I was not in any way shape or form disappointed. Great story, great visuals, great writing (one liners and all), great acting (I love Downey Jr. in this role), great teaser at the end of the credits. All I'm saying is, "Ultimate Avengers?"
This is a film that I will make it a point to go back and see in the theatre and I will pre-order the special edition DVD when the time comes. So, Check Robert Downey Jr. out in this Jon Favreau film. You will not be sorry.

Let's Play Catch Up

Okay, okay...I know...I haven't blogged about anything lately and I know that you all are not sure which movies to spend your time watching without my input. Just kidding. So, here's the rundown on what to see and what to not waste your time on.

Alvin and the Chipmunks-no academy awards here and I don't like Jason Lee, but it is a fun family film and worth watching.

August Rush-obviously the critics and general public are studpid because this movie didn't do great in theatres and didn't get glowing reviews, but it is fantastic. The soundtrack rocks, the performances by the cast are great, and the story is heart-warming. Rent or buy it and you'll be glad you did.

Sweeny Todd-Is Johnny Depp one of the most versatile actors you've ever seen or what? Tim Burton's films are always interesting to watch (I loved "corpse bride") and this one is no exception. Very entertaining and, of course, very dark and a bit bloody. Cool over all.

Dan in Real Life- wonderful. See it!

Awake-this one was just alright. I suppose it's worth seeing once, but you're not missing much if you don't.

Well, that's about all the movie watching I've been able to do recently. Things have been pretty busy. I'll try to do better:-)

I Could Never Be Your Woman

"I Could Never Be Your Woman"
Directed by Amy Heckerling

I'm a sucker for a good romantic comdedy. There, I said it. This one was extremely cute and I am constantly amazed at how absolutely good looking Michelle Pfeiffer is for a woman that is a wee bit older than some. I Could Never Be Your Woman is a romantic comedy about a sitcom writer in her forties who hires an actor for her show and falls in love with him. Problem is, he's only twenty-nine. There romance is a bit odd and certainly quirky, but it's endearing and sweet as well. Unlike some romantic comedies, there were actually places where I laughed out loud.
Here's my only issue: for some reason that I can't find, the writer decided to put Mother Nature in as a character for Michelle's character to dialogue with here and there. While Mother Nature's monologue at the very begining was funny, the rest of her appearances were distracting and really took me out of the story. Anyway, other than that, I really liked this movie and I thought it was extremely cute. Check it out.

Hitman

"Hitman"
Directed by Xavier Gens

I love the name Xavier. Which, of course, has nothing to do with anything. I also loved the promo posters for "Hitman". My liking the poster was probably two-fold: they looked wicked and the main character is a butt-kicking bald guy. I like that.
Seriously though, here's my opinion...I thought a lot of the dialogue was poorly written. The acting was better in some places than in others, but I thought it was, overall, mediocre at best. Even some of the character development wasn't all that great. However, the visuals in this film are super cool and alone are worth seeing the film for.

Once

"Once"
Directed by John Carney
Two handheld cameras, $100,000 budget, and an Academy award. That's pretty impressive. In my opinion, this is a true independent film. Not one that is privately financed by Emilio Estevez or someone with a crap load of money. I know $100K sounds like a lot to you and me, but it really isn't.
As a low budget film, there are things that are more than noticeable-camera man shadows, etc.
One that isn't an aspiring filmmaker may not enjoy this movie as much. The acting is weak in places and strong in others. The music, however, is great all the way through the movie.
This is one that I wouldn't mind having on my shelf, simply because of what it is...a true and well done independent film.

Michael Clayton

"Michael Clayton"
Directed by Tony Gilroy
One this year's Best Picture nominations, Michael Clayton delivers. Great acting and well thought through writing create an engaging drama/suspense feeling. Not a lot of action for those of you that like to see random things blowing up. There is some, but most everything here is drama and carried by the great cast.
Speaking of the cast...I've never been a big Clooney fan (he's so lucky Batman and Robin didn't ruin his carreer), and while he was great (nominated for an Academy award) I still can't help but being more impressed with Tom Wilkinson's acting. Everytime I see him in something I'm simply blown away. He's amazing. If you see this film for no other reason, see it for Tom Wilkinson's performance. The story is good, though. Hang in there and don't be thrown off by the begining "4 years earlier" thing. It pays off fairly well.
And that's all I have to say about that.

Spiderwick Chronicles

"Spiderwick Chronicles"
Directed by Mark Waters

Another children's fantasy series turned film. Unlike Eragon, which I didn't like very much (I couldn't even get through the book either), I found myself enjoying this film. My daughter, Allison (who has read all the Spiderwick books), and I went out to see it. We both had different expectations: I had never read the books and the bar was very low. Allison had, like I said already, read the books and was already skeptical that they shoved all five books into one 97 minute movie. While she says she enjoyed her date with dad, she also said she wasn't as impressed with the movie as she had wanted to be. That happens a lot when you've read a book first.
I, on the other hand-with my expectations set low, found the film to be paced well, written fairly well, acted out well, and was original enought that it was not distracting. It was quite entertaining and engaging. While there were elements that felt Potter-esque and bits of Lewis and Tolkien here and there, there was still enough original thought and story that I wasn't constantly going "Yep, there's Rowling's work stolen...and there's Tolkien..." I did do that through Eragon-which, by the way, is almost the exact same plot line as Star Wars. Call me sometime and I'll give you my thoughts on that.
Anyway, a good family fantasy film. Check it out.

Customer Service

I'll ask you in advance to forgive the random nature of this blog and any gross spelling or grammar errors. It's around 3:30 AM and I'm sitting at the computer having something of a coughing fit and I'm waiting for the medicine to kick in before I go back to bed. Blah blah blah...
I've thought on this for a week now and thought I'd finally share. Last week my wife, Lori, and I went out for Valentine's day/my birthday. In addition to dinner (and the beautiful flowers I bought her...I know-what a romantic) I wanted to find a new pair of shoes for my birthday...a pair of Doc Martens-black, to be precise. So, we started at Journey's at the Fayette Mall. Now, for starters, let me say that I sort of understand why I can't get any service at Abercrombie...Let's face it, I'm don't look nearly young enough to shop there (not that I could afford it anyway) and I'm just now approaching the age where I have children that are "Abercrombie aged". Journey's, however, is a shoe store and doesn't seem, to me, to carry the same snooty, rich-kid attitude that Abercrombie does. So we walk in to join the very small handful of other customers perusing shoes. There are three, a male and two females, employees standing at the counter doing...well, nothing. I pick a shoe up off the display and look towards the guy at the counter thinking that this is enough to get his attention. As it turns out, simple eye contact doesn't mean anything. I had to kind of wave the shoe around a bit before he rolled his eyes and trudged over to us. "Can I help you?" Did he really need to ask? Wasn't it obvious? While I found the lack of help annoying, I was able to write it off by saying, "well, they are rather young and young people today just don't have the same work ethic or customer service skills-I blame the parents," and I felt better. Then...
After a couple more stops at places that didn't carry Doc Martens, we thought we'd try Dillards. After coming to the conclusion that Dillards is an easy place to get turned around in and find yourself wondering, "Where the frack am I, and how do I get out?" we found the shoes. Woot! Woot! Here's the scene: Two salesmen, both older than myself-at least in the forties or fifties, one not-so-old and fairly attractive female customer, and us. One of the employees is standing behind the counter smiling, laughing at the other employee and the customer as they have a decidedly one-sided conversation. Oh, and he's eyeing the fairly attractive lady up and down...yeah, it was pretty obvious. He does, however, break his daydream of things that will never happen in his lifetime to make eye contact with us as I am holding a shoe and looking back at him. Nothing. The set of younger boobs in front of him seemed to cancel out everything else. No worries there was still the other salesmen who was sure to have better service skills than his silent, creepy partner. Nope. He was so sure that with his 1970's bald on top with long ratty pony tail in back hair cut and his mindless banter, that he had a chance with this woman who was half his age. Not only did he seem to think that he had a chance, but he actually seemed to think that she was actually interested in what he was saying. "My great, great, aunt actually sailed with pirates and...blah blah blah...Blackbeard...blah blah blah...." I know what the woman was thinking because it's the same thing I would be thinking in her place, "Does this guy ever shut up?"
It the midst of his "I've got something cool to say...don't you think I'm cool and sexy" monologue, he did manage to also notice me holding a shoe and looking at him. Eye contact! I was sure I'd get help now. Not even a nod or anything. He just went on yaking and yaking, completely oblivious to the line of drool that was leaking out of the woman's mouth as his speech went on and on and on killing more of the woman's brain cells. Poor thing, too polite to tell him to "Shut the heck up! No one give a crap about your great, great aunt." Instead she was probably late for some important engagement and now "Gar! I'm related to pirates man" has held her up. I was furious. What was funny is that he really thought she cared about what he was saying and found him interesting. If he had paid attention to body language he would have noticed that she was really thinking, "Oh my God! I want to stab myself in the heart with a dull object! Doesn't he know that his hair do went out in the late 70's?" Granted, the woman was far better looking than myself, but that's irrelevant! I'm a customer too and I'm wanting to actually spend money. This lady had either already made her purchase or wasn't buying anything and yet out of two people, one of which wasn't involved in the conversation (not counting the lady you wasn't participating in the conversation either), offered us no help. Not a "Hey, how are you" or a "Let me know if you need anything" or "I see you're holding up a shoe and probably need me to check on a size for you. I'd love to since that's what they pay me for." I even waved the dang shoe around a little bit. Lori suggested that I ask for help. "They are both looking right at me, they're standing no more than five feet away, and I'm waving the shoe. I shouldn't have to ask. Forget it! I wouldn't buy shoes from these idiots anyway." I said that out loud...honestly. I don't think they heard me over the pirate conversation though. I mumbled something highly inappropriate, slammed the shoe down and walked away, inevitably in the wrong direction since I had lost brain cells while I was subjected to the mindless jibber jabber.
If I was annoyed by the Journey's employees, I was nothing short of pissed off at the Dillards employees. They were older and should have known better. At least I think so. Even at little Blockbuster here in Versailles, we greet the customers as they come into the store and never ignore one with a question in favor of annoying a more attractive customer with mindless stories. What happened to good customer service?

30 Days of Night

"30 Days of Night"
Directed by David Slade

The only horror films that I really enjoy watching are Vampire films. There's some out there that aren't very good and others that are. I still enjoy them regardless and am, in fact, collaborating on a script concerning vampires.
30 Days of Night is one that I wanted to see in the theatres, but never got the chance to do so. So I had to wait for it to come out on DVD, which it does this coming Tuesday-February 26. One of the perks of being a Blockbuster employee is that I get to watch the new DVDs the week before they are released. I digress...
I couldn't wait to watch the movie. Like a lot of vampire films it didn't have the "B movie" feel. So right of the bat we're ahead of the curve. This is also a movie that falls solidly into the horror genre, and yet is not full of gratuitous nudity or sex. It can be done.
If you like vampires or like movies that are at least somewhat scary, then you've got to check this one out. If the premise (a town in Alaska where it is dark for 30 days, and vampires only come out when there's no sunlight) doesn't grab you as interesting and moderately unique, then the visuals will grab you. This film has a great look to it and while there is no gratuitous sex/nudity, there is plenty of gratuitous violence. But, honestly, it wouldn't have been right in this instance to have no violence. There were a couple times when I cringed and said "Oh, dear" out loud. I wan't tell you anymore...you'll just have to watch it for yourself.

My Final Thoughts This Football Season

I don't know if any of you noticed this today, but it was raining? You know why? Because God was weeping over New England's loss last night.
Seriously, though, I want to share some thoughts to complete this season. A couple of random thoughts first: My son was told on the buss today that the Patriots suck. This is of course a completely assanine statement. A team doesn't suck because they lose any game. My son repsonded with a perfectly valid anwser from one who is upset by the loss of his team. He said, "New York cheated." Bravo, son! The boy then hit Thomas over the head with his book bag. Not cool! And since my son suffers from the same condition I do (the I-am-too-nice-syndrome) he didn't say or do anything about it. Neither did the bus driver. It seems as thought I'm going to have to teach my son to throw a good right hook or jab or something.
The second thought is this: My phone rang three times last night after the game. I was in bed with a fever (I was physically sick for reasons not involving the game) so I didn't answer it. I got the messages this morning. Those that know me well know better than to call and harrass me over a New England loss. One friend tried to call this morning and I didn't answer because I was in bed. He messaged me and said "I'm not calling to make fun of you, I just wanted to chat." There's a guy who knows me. He also said the last time he gave a hard time I cussed at him. Very possible since I'm pretty dang passionate about my football. At any rate one of my friends, whom I have gotten to know better in the last year hasn't learned this lesson yet and left a voice mail for me saying, "I just called to give you a hard time about the super bowl! Love you, man." I know he's just playing, but I don't think it's funny. I'm funny that way and I would never do that to someone.
At any rate...
So let's look at this season. Are the Giants the best team in the NFL because they won the Super Bowl? Is the Super Bowl anything more than an over-the-top hyped up regular game? Do the Pats suck because they lost the Super Bowl?
I think the bowl game is over hyped and too long because of those friggin' commercials. That's just my opinion and I know that some of this may sound like a dissappointed fan talking...maybe it is a little, but I think you'll find some truth here. What was the Pats record for this season? Counting the loss of the SB they finished at 18-1. The Giants were 10-6. A flash in the pan who lucked out against Green Bay. And they had some lucky calls and plays last night as well. for example: The I'm almost sacked, throw it up because I think I'm a Brett Favre god and fortunately it doesn't get picked by #22. So, sure I would rather have gone 19-0 with a fourth SB title or I would have rather lost a regular season game and won the SB. Which by the way still would have looked like this: 18-1. But, it goes without argument that the Pats were by far the most superior team consistantly in the NFL this season. I dare you to try to argue that. How many team and NFL records did the Giants break this season? I think they were like the third wild care team ever to win a SB. And...? How may did NE break? Right, I lost count too.
Will NE be back in the runnings next season? You better count on it. So just like brother Peyton, Eli is a flash in the pan one SB wonder who may go back, but it won't be next year. And yes, there was a little bitterness in those words, because now the Giants have become the second team on my list of teams that I hate and will root against no matter who they play.
I've never been a cocky fan who thinks his team is undefeatable and I never will be. You'll never hear me give someone a hard time (unless of course they give it to me first) because their team lost. I'm bitter, yes, but I'm a good sport. That is why I'm venting here.
Lastly, Tom Brady is still the best looking quarter back in the NFL.
Until next season...Peace out

Good Luck Chuck

"Good Luck Chuck"
Directed by Mark Helfrich

Okay, I like movies and I usually like to look for the good in all films. I do this because usually there is some good things to even the worst films-not always, but a lot of times. I'm aware that most of my reviews are fairly positive, so I'm going to throw you a negative one here and I know there are those that will disagree with me. That's okay, though. What fun would life be if we all saw eye to eye?
I'll start with the blunt and non-sophisticated response...I thought "Good Luck Chuck" would have been more aptly named "You Suck Chuck".
I liked Dane Cook in "Employee of the Month," it was wicked funny. Here, though, painfully short on funny. A promiscuous, horn-ball, man whore? Yes. Funny? Not a chance.
I also usually like Jessica Alba. Yeah, yeah, some of that's because she's beautiful, but I also like her disposition on screen. In this film, however, at best she was cute...not funny, mind you, just simply cute.
There was moderate chemistry between Cook and Alba which is more than I can say for the writers. They obviously thought that more boobies equals more laughs. Not the case. More boobies equals...well, more boobies, which is nothing but trash when it's done for the sake of shock value, cheap laughs, and exploitation. Countless directors have done nudity tatefully and with class. Helfrich, however, did not seemed to be concerned with taste or class.
In short...I hated this film and would have rather spent the hour and a half sawing my arm off with a dull piece of scarp metal. You would have a lot more fun going to an airport terminal and yelling "BOMB!" at the top of your lungs. Don't waste your time, since it is precious.
Don't be deceived by the trailer. Remember the job of the trailer guy is to make the film look appealing.
Not funny:


Funny:

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
Directed by Andrew Dominik

Don't the ridiculously long title detour you from seeing this very artistic film.
I wasn't sure what I was expecting from this picture, although I guess I assumed it would be a shoot 'em up western. This isn't the same type of western that we've been seeing resurface in recent years. While the film is, admitingly, slow in places it is never boring. It managed to keep my interest piqued. Of course, I love history and I'm aware that not everyone does. So, it is fair to say that this movie will probably not hold a mass appeal. However, if you like the tasteful, artistic, and,at times, gritty, then you'll enjoy this unique film. It is definintely worth checking out. For film students this is a great example of well composed shots.

Across the Universe

"Across the Universe"
Directed by Julie Taymor

While I'm not a giant fan of
musicals (particularly when random dialogue is sung for no good reason), there have been a few as of late that I've enjoyed. Dreamgirls was the first one that I enjoyed, followed by Rent, and then Hairspray. Now, it's Across the Universe.
Taymor gives us a great looking film. It's funny, quirky, engaging, and sometimes down right strange, but it's all good.
Without a doubt this is a politically charged piece. It brought back to my mind some of the questions that I'd asked myself recently. For example, "Are we on the brink of another 'Vietnam' in Iraq?" I think it's beginning to look like that. Despite being set in the 60's during the Vietnam war, the film is shockingly relevant to us today.
This is one for you to check out and one for me to add to my personal collection. Oh and let's not forget that you'll want to own the soundtrack! This is such a great and tasteful remakes of some of the Beatles' greatest songs.

I Teach Kids That Crime Doesn't Pay

Funny story...I'm driving the twins over to a friend's house earlier this evening and we pass two little kids, a boy and a girl. They're just out playing and having a good time. I notice that the girl is holding a fake gun-a soft air bb gun. I recognize it because it's the same one I have. Anyway, I think nothing of it until they start to act a little...well, funny as we got closer. As we were parallel to the girl with the gun, she shot at my car as we passed. Her and the boy stood there laughing, thoroughly amused with thier little prank. I watched them for a moment in my rear view mirrior and then I said to Abbi, "You want to see two kids get really scared?"
I quickly applied my breaks, the whole time looking in my mirrior to be sure to see the change of expressions on the faces of the kids. Sure enough, they stopped laughing and stood perfectly still until...I put the car in reverse and began backing up to their location. They ran as fast as they could to their house.
Abbi, Allison, and I let out an enormous laugh at our little joke and Abbi said (while continuing to laugh, mind you), "We're so mean."
No, Abbi. We're not mean. Hopefully those little pranksters will think about a couple things next time they try to be funny. First, they had the drive-by shooting thing all backward and...Second, it's all fun and games until the bigger guy comes back.

Jumbled thoughts

Let me warn you here, in the begining, that a lot of what I'm about to say may seem disjointed and random. Don't worry. It is. I've been a bit down lately. I fell like I went from knowing lots of people and a seemingly easy time making friends at BCTC to being the new guy that no one knows at Asbury. I like the classes and everything, but I don't seem to be able to connect with the people as well as I'd like to be. Also, I have this fear: I'm afraid that, regardless of my marital status, females will think I'm hitting on them if I'm friendly. Granted, I'm equally as friendly to males and I'm not afraid of the same thing. I guess I don't want people to think that I'm the "dirty old man" or anything like that. I know I'm not, but it's a fear nonetheless.
I thought about my time at BCTC and realized that I made few friends in a "normal" class room setting. There is one exception to that rule, but the people that I'm still good friends with now are people that I met and worked with in an acting class or a production. Film class was entirely different since we all had to work on projects together there was very little "every man for himself" mentality. I miss those film classes.
I also thought that perhaps the reason for not getting to know people as quickly (other than being the new kid) was that I didn't live on campus and thus miss out on social activities. You see, at BCTC no one lived on campus so performanced based classes or extra curricular activities were the only way to socialize.
Perhaps this becomes an argument too for the positive side of smoking. Many people in our film classes smoked and seldom did anyone smoke alone. If somone wasn't bumming a cigarette to join in, than someone was standing outside with the smoker anyway. What do you do while you stand and smoke? You talk. You get to know each other and develop friendships. The friends that I made in film class, the people I got to know during countless smoke breaks, will always be friends and will always be at the top of my list of people to call when I'm doing a film project. Since we're not in class together, and life, as they say, goes on, we don't see each other often. Phone calls and occasional visits keep us in touch and will future Academy award winning projects. My point is not that smoking is healthy and we'll have more friends if we do it, but there is something to that environment where we stand and talk and get to know one another.
Perhaps as the acting class I am in progresses and the school's spring film (which I got cast for-woot woot!) begins production I will become better acquainted with those I share a campus with. Until then, I'll just be a little sad.

Sunshine

"Sunshine"
Directed by Danny Boyle

Working at a Blockbuster we receive what we call "single title" movies. When something is a single title it is typically something that didn't do well in the theatres or the owner doesn't think it will rent well enough to justify more than three or four copies...or both. Usually there is a reason a film didn't do well in the theatres or that the owner thinks it won't rent well, but once in a while there is an exception to that rule. Sunshine is one of those exceptions. Star Wars not withstanding, I'm not the world's biggest sci-fi buff, but I found myself thourougly enthralled in the story and the "science" behind the film's premise. There are certainly some scenes that are remenecent of Ridley Scott's "Alien" and probably more references that I'm not sci-fi savy enough to catch. Long story short...Sunshine is a great film and worth seeing. There's some great acting, phenominal special effects, and a decent helping of action. Even if you're not a sci-fi fan you should check it out. It's good to expose yourself to genres that you don't typically watch. I promise you'll find at least one thing in Sunshine that keeps you watching.

Rambo

"Rambo"
Directed by Sylvester Stallone

I know this sounds a little strange, but the Rambo movies hold a bit of nostalgia for me. My mom took me to theatres to see the last two Rambo movies when I was younger. Yes, you read that right...my mom took me. I have special movie memories that I share with my father too. It just so happens that Rambo is the one I share with my mother. There's something about John Rambo that we just really dig on. He's not a perfect man, but he stands for so many things that are good and just. Whether it's the unjust, ignorant police in a small town, the Russians, or warlords from Burma, you can't help but cheer on the guy who wants to make a difference and is willing to sacrifice his life for someone else.
So, with that said, what did I think about the fourth installment in the Rambo saga? I absolutely loved it! Granted, it made the last three movies look something like a cross between tele-tubbies and Mr. Rogers' in comparison. Strong, gritty, gory violence and some other disturbing imagery as well as a heavy dose of "f"-bombs earn this film its "R" rating. It doesn't fluctuate on the "PG-13"/"R" border either. It steps purposely and purposefully over the line with a decided determination and lands itself fully and without doubt deep in "R" territory. Be that as it may, the violence and the profanity are not without purpose. I am not a big fan of violence for violence sake or profanity for profanity's sake. But when these elements are used to advance the plot and character development they work well. Stallone (as co-writer and director) has used these brutal images and strong language to portray character and convey a reality that most of us in the USA will never experience first hand. Maybe, just maybe there is a little bit of an underlying political comment on our situation in the USA...entertain me for a moment, if you will. Peace and diplomacy are good things, no doubt. Unfortunately, it seems that sometimes war is needed to maintain peace because, whether we like it or not, there are evil people out there and all the diplomacy in the world won't amount to a hill of beans. That's not to say that I agree whole heartedly with what we, as a country, are doing currently in the Middle East, but that's another topic for another time. The point is that evil is not subdued with mere speech.
Anyway, Stallone has done a great job with yet another interpretation of one of his older characters (see Rocky Balboa) and I even found myself having to restrain myself from clapping and shouting out loud when he finally showed up and cracked open that "Rambo-can-of-whoop-ass". Wonderfully entertaining and gripping. I sat on the edge of my seat throughout and found myself at the point of tears at the conclusion. What a beautiful way to wrap it all up. Of course, I'm not going to tell you...you'll have to go see it for yourself.

The Invasion

"The Invasion"

Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel

What would the cost be for true world peace? What would it take to end all wars and atrocities? Would it mean the end of the individual? The end of human expression and uniqueness? "The Invasion" looks into these issues.

Remakes are a touchy thing these days, but Hirschbiegel keeps it relevant. To have used the red scare motif or the cult motif wouldn't have been nearly as relevant to today's society. Good Job there.

There were some moments that seemed a bit contrived, though. Let me give you one example: How do you get the higher ups in government to be exposed to the virus? Simple...you have a child cross unhindered through a NASA/FBI quarantined area to hand a piece of exposed space shuttle debris to a high ranking official. The believability here was tough for me. There's no way some kid is crossing into a highly secured area to hand something contaminated to anyone with the explanation of, "we found this on our roof." And, the guy had just come out of a tent where he was in full bio-hazard gear to look at the debris. Why would he touch this piece of debris that he knows is contaminated? I don't know.

Aside from little things of that nature, it was an entertaining experience with some killer visual effects and great acting (mostly...there may have been one or two exceptions to this rule), particularly Kidman and Craig. Just for the record, I've never really paid too much attention to what a gorgeous woman Kidman is, but I certainly noticed in this film. No, no, no there was no nudity! Get your mind out of the gutter! I'm just simply saying that the director knew how to flatter his leading lady.

At any rate, "The Invasion" is not one I'll run out and add to my collection, but it is certainly worth a viewing.

For the Few

This doesn't apply to everyone who will read this, but I just had to get it off my chest. You want to know what one of my pet peeves is? Good, because I'm going to tell you! I try to take the time to read all of my friends' blogs and I always leave comments unless I feel I have nothing useful to say. I'll even read and leave comments if the blog had nothing useful to say. Granted, there's times when I have nothing to say...those times are few and far between, but they do happen on occasion. Anyway, I say all that to set up my pet peeve: When people post blogs and beg the readers to leave comments-so I do-but I never have any comments left on my blogs by those people. Here's the deal: Practice what you preach, do unto others, etc and whatever you want to label it with, do it. Don't expect others to take the time to read your blogs (whether they are interesting or meaningless is irrelevant, it still takes time out of people's busy schedules) and leave comments when you yourself are not willing to reciprocate. Be a reciprocater (if that's even a word...but you know what I mean- one who reciprocates), for heaven's sake!

My Wife

Contrary to what some of you out there may think, I was not forced into doing this blog by anyone:-) I just wanted to put some things out there in an attempt to find ways to show my wife how much I love her and appreciate her. I tell her these things of course, but it's nice to tell through the things we do. So, for those of you that don't already know...
I have the greatest wife in the world. Not only has she stayed with me for 12 years, not an easy accomplishment since I'm far from perfect, but she is so supportive and encouraging. I have huge plans, dreams, and goals. Not once has she ever tried to sway me away from those passions. Not once has she ever told me that I'm foolish and unable to succeed. Not once has she given me the breakdown on the odds of making it in the film business. She believes in me. That in itself is a very empowering thing. Because she believes in me, I believe in me. It'll be an interesting and long journey and I don't want to make it alone. I want her right there with me every step of the way. When we finally arrive at our destination, I want us to enjoy the feeling of accomplishment together. I don't want our relationship to be like the axiom, "behind every successful man is a good woman." I'd rather have her standing right next to me, holding my hand, and an intricate part of what I'm doing.
Even these words, seem to fall painfully short of how thankful I am to have a woman that puts up with me and loves me the way she does. I can't imagine my life without her and I certainly wouldn't be the man I am today without her support and encouragement.
Thanks Lori. You're the best and I love you!

Death of Heath Ledger

While I was never a huge Heath Ledger fan (my wife thought he was cute) I was particularly excited about what I saw of him as the Joker in the Dark Knight trailers. It's easy to make jokes like "we're glad he finished the Dark Knight before he died" and things like that, but I really have felt quite sad about the whole thing. It's tragic, to be sure. I feel like I felt when River Phoenix died so many years ago. I didn't know him or Ledger, but there is something about the life of someone so young and talented being wasted in such a way. Why are some people able to cope with the pressures of celebrity better than others? Why are some more drawn to the drugs and the darker side of things? Maybe I'm just naive, but if I was that successful and had that kind of money I can think of better things to spend it on than drugs. I'm not judging...I'm just saying. Who knows? Maybe he didn't have to pay for the drugs due to his celeb status. No matter how you slice it and whether you like Heath or not is irrelevant. It is sad and tragic when someone so young has their life snuffed out, be it by their own hand and vices or from an outside force. Life is so fragile and tender and we are not promised tomorrow. Will Hollywood go on without Heath? Of course it will, much like it has gone on without River Phoenix. While voids like this are easily filled in Hollywood it doesn't change the fact that human life was needlessly lost. A life that had value (not because of the celebrity status) and could make a difference. A life that was created with a purpose...gone forever. It's just plain sad.

A few days later we all learned that drugs of any kind do not appear to be involved in the untimely death of a great actor. This is good news and it seems that Heath had changed a lot of things in his life since the birth of his daughter. A child will change your life. So, there seems to be different contributing factors to his death although, like I said, drugs do not appear to be among those. My comments about drugs and celebrity are still relevant regardless of their non-involvement in this case.

I'll try this out/stupid questions #1

So a friend of mine uses this sight and I thought I'd give it a try too. At any rate you'll have to pardon me if this sucks and what not since I'm new to it.
As my first thought let me tell you about a phone call I received at work the other day. The phone rings and, of course, I answer it. "Blockbuster. May I help you?" I spoke clearly and, shy of being stupid or deaf ,the other person should have understood me. "Is this Blockbuster?" He asked. Well, duh! You think? "Yes." The next question blew me away more than the first. Now, this isn't the first time I've had this question, but it struck me as particularly dumb on this day. "Are you open?" Now, why would I be here answering the phone if we weren't open? Once someone answers the phone at a place of business your question should change to "How late are you open?" Or something like that. Does one think that I honestly don't have anything better to do with my life and time than sit at work when we're closed and answer the phone? Come on, people! Let's think about what we're asking before we ask it.