It is December 10th and the pressure is starting to build. Do I have everyone covered off on my holiday list? Does friend X get a small token of love or the limited edition book on Paris's most influential designers that will cost me a half day's pay? Do I donate $500 to Children's Aid and send everyone a card? In previous years, I have gone the baked goods route; filling small white boxes with my best confectionery creations. This has been a smashing success in the past, but I have opted to see if I can go the more traditional gift route and not pull my hair out.
The first day in the mall wasn't too painful. I aimlessly wandered in and out of chain stores trying to find inspiration for the gifts I will give to my loved ones. As I spend more time in each store I start examining things; scarfs, hats, books, pens, and other gift items that have promised to satisfy all your holiday gifting needs. Many of the items I examined were pretty and shiny and colorful. They almost put you into a coma like state where everything around you bleeds into itself and you are left with a rainbow of colors and a very perky salesperson to help you pick your color of choice! I tried desperately to find something; anything that I could feel safe buying someone that said I care. Not "I don't really know you so here is a basket from Bath and Body Works". Please don't assume that statement applied to everyone. There are people you and I know that we like and respect, but really don't know enough to get them a Best Friends Forever pendant. It is those people that do appreciate the kind gesture of a more general item like a gift certificate or the always awesome "Spa in a bag". I am talking about the people you have fought battles with, endured break-ups and make-ups with. The ones that can tell how you are feeling by the temperature in the air around you. They are the ones that you know and want to surprise with something they would adore, but never think to buy for themselves.
Perhaps I am placing the present bar too high. Creating a sort of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" situation where I am setting expectations so high, they are doomed to be missed. Following my first trip at the mall, it was clear I needed to really flush out the presents before entering the building of stuff and things with no home. I layed all the people out, their favorite things, their secret passions, their most prized possessions and built a wish list of things for each person. Back to the mall I go with a game plan and my trusty ipod to block out the screaming children and chattering teenagers. After two hours or dogging, weaving, sorting and lots of waiting I came out with three presents. THREE out of FIFTEEN. Although I felt a small success, the three bricks I pulled down were nothing in comparison to the other fifteen that remained.
After my mall visits and my attempt to personalize each gift I made a decision. I am not going to do holiday gifts in the month of December anymore. I am going to explain to all my peoples that they will get awesome things. They will get surprised. They will get these awesome things and surprised at ANY point during the year. It will be when the moment is right and the stars have aligned to bring me and their gift together in a meeting of wonderment. In addition to the mall visits and challenges reconciling a manufactured holiday dictating when and why I should buy somebody something, I came to my final decision after listening to a Toys R Us commercial aimed at parents. The commercial painted this picture of the old days when Christmas was about family and egg nog and stringing the tree with fresh cranberries and popcorn. It said " Remember when Christmas was about family and friends, not toys and presents". then is continues to say " old days are gone and new are here to stay, so get your kid the best toy on the market". Basically saying without saying "get your kid the cool toys or he will be judged". I am being slightly dramatic, but can't we try and strike a fine balance and throw in a carol with the newest addition to the Sony Playstation family. Hey, maybe they can create a game for Rockband where the family gets together to sing custom carols, they get recorded and you email that out as your holiday card. Just a thought.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
SAW HI TO AWESOME...THE NEWEST SEXY MOBILE DEVICES..OR I LIKE TO CALL THEM MY LIFE TOOL
http://blog.e-tms.com.my/top-10-smartphones-of-2010
Monday, November 30, 2009
A FEW MOVIES AND THE CURRENT STATE OF TELEVISION!
Hey, how is it going out there? I have started to catch up on my movie watching since TIFF.
I always need to go through a detox after TIFF to scrape all the images, thoughts, reflections and random lines out of my brain.
Recently, I have seen:
In The Loop- Awesome satire of the British Parliament's back door activities.
AntiChrist- Artistic, disturbing, self serving (on the director's part) and choppy. I saw the film as a commentary on female sexuality but many have countered that interpretation with their view that it was about misogyny. If you decide to see it, I had nothing to do with it.
Away we go- Awesome, go see it. Leaves you knowing that there is beauty in the flawed. May be hard to find it at first, but it is there.
Up in the Air- More of a downer if you ask me. I got it. I just didn't care all that much. It was an story about a guy that fires people for a living and the parallels that come out of the stories between him, those he fires and the firm he works for. There is more to the movie, but I really don't want to waste your time.
Terminator- Salvation- Holy awesome Batman. The newest addition to the Blockbuster shelves does not disappoint. It is everything it should be and more. Find a friend with a killer entertainment system and hijack it for the day.
New Moon- People reviewing this film need to LOWER their expectations to that of a 13 year of girl. Every young teen entering the new world of sexuality and love needs something to reflect their delusional, unrealistic and unhealthy romantic ideals onto. Just sayin.
The Blindside- True story about Michael Oher who went from extreme poverty to an NFL Ravens left tackle player with the help of a family of strangers. He is black and from the hood, they are white and own a big house and some fast food chains. The Blindside was not given much love from the critics, and one reviewer said that it was a shame they didn't talk to the racial tension that MUST have existed between the family and Michael. Who is to say that there was any. The reviewer assumed there must have been some and they kept it out of the movie. For me, its not a racial thing so much as a rich and poor thing. I grew up around poverty and numerous ethnicities. There were divides in high school between races to some degree, but the thing that really created a divide was money. Kids without it got into trouble and did bad things. Kids with it were taught to stay in school, take up extra curricular activities and to get a job at Starbucks. I never felt out of place until I was with the rich kids. Throughout my youth I realized that money doesn't solve problems and people with or without it are all equal. But I grew up in Toronto, not Mississippi, so I may need to suck it up and realize there are racial tensions around the world and there may have been some in the Tuohy household.
During my movie catch up I decided to give TV a try again. I don't have cable. The last time I moved, I decided to get the cable connected. It had been a while and I thought maybe the cycle of suck TV had come to an end. It didn't, and two months later I disconnected it. This last attempt was at a friends and I can tell you right now, I have NO intention of reconnecting my cable anytime soon. I will preface this with I know there is SOME good TV out there. I am judging from channel 2 to lets say 40. Anything above 40 and on specialty is in a different category. The Category that I can purchase in full series format or episode by episode either in the store or online. All I have to say is I can't believe someone paid someone to follow Tori Spelling around. It actually gives me a stress rash..Not going to lie. Go online...Broadcasters are adapting and making it possible for us to consume what we really want, not what's been programmed for our ideal enjoyment. It is exciting to think about how my kids will live and consumer their entertainment and stories. The world is moving quickly and the further from traditional format TV we get, the happier I will be! Ciao for now...
I always need to go through a detox after TIFF to scrape all the images, thoughts, reflections and random lines out of my brain.
Recently, I have seen:
In The Loop- Awesome satire of the British Parliament's back door activities.
AntiChrist- Artistic, disturbing, self serving (on the director's part) and choppy. I saw the film as a commentary on female sexuality but many have countered that interpretation with their view that it was about misogyny. If you decide to see it, I had nothing to do with it.
Away we go- Awesome, go see it. Leaves you knowing that there is beauty in the flawed. May be hard to find it at first, but it is there.
Up in the Air- More of a downer if you ask me. I got it. I just didn't care all that much. It was an story about a guy that fires people for a living and the parallels that come out of the stories between him, those he fires and the firm he works for. There is more to the movie, but I really don't want to waste your time.
Terminator- Salvation- Holy awesome Batman. The newest addition to the Blockbuster shelves does not disappoint. It is everything it should be and more. Find a friend with a killer entertainment system and hijack it for the day.
New Moon- People reviewing this film need to LOWER their expectations to that of a 13 year of girl. Every young teen entering the new world of sexuality and love needs something to reflect their delusional, unrealistic and unhealthy romantic ideals onto. Just sayin.
The Blindside- True story about Michael Oher who went from extreme poverty to an NFL Ravens left tackle player with the help of a family of strangers. He is black and from the hood, they are white and own a big house and some fast food chains. The Blindside was not given much love from the critics, and one reviewer said that it was a shame they didn't talk to the racial tension that MUST have existed between the family and Michael. Who is to say that there was any. The reviewer assumed there must have been some and they kept it out of the movie. For me, its not a racial thing so much as a rich and poor thing. I grew up around poverty and numerous ethnicities. There were divides in high school between races to some degree, but the thing that really created a divide was money. Kids without it got into trouble and did bad things. Kids with it were taught to stay in school, take up extra curricular activities and to get a job at Starbucks. I never felt out of place until I was with the rich kids. Throughout my youth I realized that money doesn't solve problems and people with or without it are all equal. But I grew up in Toronto, not Mississippi, so I may need to suck it up and realize there are racial tensions around the world and there may have been some in the Tuohy household.
During my movie catch up I decided to give TV a try again. I don't have cable. The last time I moved, I decided to get the cable connected. It had been a while and I thought maybe the cycle of suck TV had come to an end. It didn't, and two months later I disconnected it. This last attempt was at a friends and I can tell you right now, I have NO intention of reconnecting my cable anytime soon. I will preface this with I know there is SOME good TV out there. I am judging from channel 2 to lets say 40. Anything above 40 and on specialty is in a different category. The Category that I can purchase in full series format or episode by episode either in the store or online. All I have to say is I can't believe someone paid someone to follow Tori Spelling around. It actually gives me a stress rash..Not going to lie. Go online...Broadcasters are adapting and making it possible for us to consume what we really want, not what's been programmed for our ideal enjoyment. It is exciting to think about how my kids will live and consumer their entertainment and stories. The world is moving quickly and the further from traditional format TV we get, the happier I will be! Ciao for now...
Thursday, October 1, 2009
TIFF MAKES THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE
It's done. It's over. It's a distant memory. It was here and now it's gone.
The 34th Toronto International Film Festival touched down with a whirlwind of people, parties and prolific filmmakers like Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Adam Egoyan.
During it's nine day city invasion, TIFF reminded local and visiting filmfans why it really is the best and most consumer friendly film festival in the world. In addition to the regular mini tornado's comprised of heavyhitters like Le Weinstein, Lowe, Barrymore and Connellly, TIFF made a huge statement by hosting numerous free screenings and live performances including films about U2, The Dixie Chicks and Bob Marley. They told the world that TIFF is for the people and spent a considerable amount of money making it happen.
I got to see a few movies in between planning our CFC Annual BBQ fundraiser that helps keep the CFC training tomorrow's film, television and new media content creators. Each year, the team works tirelessly and we raise close to $200,000 from an amazing group of sponsors who make it possible for us to host over 1,000 visiting and local members of the industry. They come, they drink, they make plans to talk deals, then they are off to the next of dozens of stops on the TIFF tornado!
So what did I see worth mentioning? Out of the 10 films I saw, three of them are worthy of checking out.
1. The first pick is The Invention of Lying with Ricky Gervais. As my friend Dustin said, " It's a totally original idea and story". The Invention of Lying takes you on a journey into a world where people don't lie...EVER. It's an awesome, and you would assume idealistic place to live,
but Mr.Gervais takes the story from the clouds to the mean streets quicker that you can say ' no, your ass doesn't look fat in that". Its a cute movie that will make you laugh, done.
2. Whip It is my second pick. I totally wished I was a thirteen year old girl watching this movie about a young girl living in a small town near Austin, Texas. She is the odd ball, the quirky one, the purple haired, Doc Marten wearing rebel chick who needs a home. While in a head shop, she
finds out about roller derby and as soon as she sets foot into the warehouse space to see her first game, you know this little one has found her people. She tries out, and it's clear she can handle her own. The rest of the movie was as predictable as the beginning, but this movie is about sending a message to young ladies that you can be all that you want...Smart, tough, pretty and a little crazy all at the same time..Why this was not taught to us in grade eight sex-ed, I do not know...But I would have saved a lot of time had it been!
3. Micmacs (Micmacs à tire-larigot) is my third pick. This film is from Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who co-wrote and directed Amelie. Micmacs is a film about optimism. Based on a character named Brasil who was orphaned as a youngster when his soldier father was killed by a roadside bomb. Working in a video store and trying to find his place in the world, Bazil is hit by a stray bullet in a freak drive-by shooting incident. Emerging from hospital, he finds himself jobless and penniless. Brasil finds support in a group of underground gypsies who take him in as family and help him create plan to destroy two big weapons manufacturers, one of which made the roadside bomb
that killed his father. The journey takes a few left turns and you are more than happy to go for the ride with a beautiful sensory experience only the likes of Jeunet and his team of free thinkers could create. Mic Macs is beautiful, subtitled and will become a classic like Amelie.
P.S: I also saw two NON TIFF movies recently.
THE INFORMERS: If you are doing a project on period pieces from the 80's, watch it. Otherwise, it will bore you and remind you that the 80's sucked..was a vacuous period of self-indulgence.
SUNSHINE CLEANING: Awesome, sweet and considerate storytelling, motivating and an overall good movie that makes your heart feel.
The 34th Toronto International Film Festival touched down with a whirlwind of people, parties and prolific filmmakers like Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Adam Egoyan.
During it's nine day city invasion, TIFF reminded local and visiting filmfans why it really is the best and most consumer friendly film festival in the world. In addition to the regular mini tornado's comprised of heavyhitters like Le Weinstein, Lowe, Barrymore and Connellly, TIFF made a huge statement by hosting numerous free screenings and live performances including films about U2, The Dixie Chicks and Bob Marley. They told the world that TIFF is for the people and spent a considerable amount of money making it happen.
I got to see a few movies in between planning our CFC Annual BBQ fundraiser that helps keep the CFC training tomorrow's film, television and new media content creators. Each year, the team works tirelessly and we raise close to $200,000 from an amazing group of sponsors who make it possible for us to host over 1,000 visiting and local members of the industry. They come, they drink, they make plans to talk deals, then they are off to the next of dozens of stops on the TIFF tornado!
So what did I see worth mentioning? Out of the 10 films I saw, three of them are worthy of checking out.
1. The first pick is The Invention of Lying with Ricky Gervais. As my friend Dustin said, " It's a totally original idea and story". The Invention of Lying takes you on a journey into a world where people don't lie...EVER. It's an awesome, and you would assume idealistic place to live,
but Mr.Gervais takes the story from the clouds to the mean streets quicker that you can say ' no, your ass doesn't look fat in that". Its a cute movie that will make you laugh, done.
2. Whip It is my second pick. I totally wished I was a thirteen year old girl watching this movie about a young girl living in a small town near Austin, Texas. She is the odd ball, the quirky one, the purple haired, Doc Marten wearing rebel chick who needs a home. While in a head shop, she
finds out about roller derby and as soon as she sets foot into the warehouse space to see her first game, you know this little one has found her people. She tries out, and it's clear she can handle her own. The rest of the movie was as predictable as the beginning, but this movie is about sending a message to young ladies that you can be all that you want...Smart, tough, pretty and a little crazy all at the same time..Why this was not taught to us in grade eight sex-ed, I do not know...But I would have saved a lot of time had it been!
3. Micmacs (Micmacs à tire-larigot) is my third pick. This film is from Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who co-wrote and directed Amelie. Micmacs is a film about optimism. Based on a character named Brasil who was orphaned as a youngster when his soldier father was killed by a roadside bomb. Working in a video store and trying to find his place in the world, Bazil is hit by a stray bullet in a freak drive-by shooting incident. Emerging from hospital, he finds himself jobless and penniless. Brasil finds support in a group of underground gypsies who take him in as family and help him create plan to destroy two big weapons manufacturers, one of which made the roadside bomb
that killed his father. The journey takes a few left turns and you are more than happy to go for the ride with a beautiful sensory experience only the likes of Jeunet and his team of free thinkers could create. Mic Macs is beautiful, subtitled and will become a classic like Amelie.
P.S: I also saw two NON TIFF movies recently.
THE INFORMERS: If you are doing a project on period pieces from the 80's, watch it. Otherwise, it will bore you and remind you that the 80's sucked..was a vacuous period of self-indulgence.
SUNSHINE CLEANING: Awesome, sweet and considerate storytelling, motivating and an overall good movie that makes your heart feel.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
WIN SINGLE TICKETS TO THE TIFF WAVELENGTH PROGRAM PREMIERS
The first four people to post a correct response to four questions listed below, get one single ticket to the following:
Wavelengths 2: Pro Agri, Sat., Sept 12th at 6:30PM
or
Wavelengths 3: Let each one go...Sat., Sept 12th at 9PM
or
Wavelengths 4: In comparison, Sun., Sept 13th at 4PM
or
Wavelengths 5: Une Catastrophe, Sun., Sept 13th at 6:30PM
Winners get to pick the ticket they want based on who posted first. Ticket pickup responsibility of the winner. Ok, here we go succas:
#1: What movie does this line come from " You shut your mouth when your talkin to me"
#2: What is the longest movie in history?
#3: Who created the costumes for " The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover"
#4: What movie sucked really bad and should have just remained a book? HINT: The word Devil is in the title.
Once four correct answers are listed, I will post my email address on the blog for winners to contact me and get their tickets!
Wavelengths 2: Pro Agri, Sat., Sept 12th at 6:30PM
or
Wavelengths 3: Let each one go...Sat., Sept 12th at 9PM
or
Wavelengths 4: In comparison, Sun., Sept 13th at 4PM
or
Wavelengths 5: Une Catastrophe, Sun., Sept 13th at 6:30PM
Winners get to pick the ticket they want based on who posted first. Ticket pickup responsibility of the winner. Ok, here we go succas:
#1: What movie does this line come from " You shut your mouth when your talkin to me"
#2: What is the longest movie in history?
#3: Who created the costumes for " The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover"
#4: What movie sucked really bad and should have just remained a book? HINT: The word Devil is in the title.
Once four correct answers are listed, I will post my email address on the blog for winners to contact me and get their tickets!
Friday, September 4, 2009
SIN NOMBRE- BEAUTY FROM THE SADNESS
"Honduran teenager Sayra reunites with her father, an opportunity for her to potentially realize her dream of a life in the U.S. Moving to Mexico is the first step in a fateful journey of unexpected events".
This plot is but a fragment of the full picture. SIN NOMBRE also tells the story of El Casper, a young gang member who can no longer rationalize the violent and morally reprehensible behavior him and his fellow homies not only take part in, but seek out. Sayra and El Caspers roads cross paths in the most unlikely of manners. What ensues is the ability for both characters to go through a series of self realizations that serve the story well and roll out in a natural and uncontrived manner.
SIN is set up from the first shot to make the viewer feel like this is a legitimate window into the world of these characters many people have only heard about. Riding illegally on train tops, avoiding border patrol and gang initiations are things read in books or in the occasional article about immigration laws and what we are doing to reduce gun violence.
There is no attempt to buy the viewers sympathy for future storyline outcomes or to pave a path for ultimate salvation. You are taken on a journey with flawed people who are trying to make just decisions and have hope for a future.
It's rare when you can say a story is honest in every way. SIN is honest in the broken lives, the anger that drives people and how salvation is a path of muddy terrains many never make it out of.
I think one of the things that made such a violent and sad story one that leaves the viewer with some love and hope in their heart is the way the story was set against the most spectacular bckdrops. Hundreds of travelers sitting on top of a train with an amber sky and mountains for miles gives perspective that there is beauty everywhere; inside and out. SIN tells us no life is perfect and we all have the capacity to forgive. It makes the viewer think on a humanistic level very movies could ever do. Please go see it.
If I was to pick a top 10 right now for 2009, SIN NOMBRE would be on it.
This plot is but a fragment of the full picture. SIN NOMBRE also tells the story of El Casper, a young gang member who can no longer rationalize the violent and morally reprehensible behavior him and his fellow homies not only take part in, but seek out. Sayra and El Caspers roads cross paths in the most unlikely of manners. What ensues is the ability for both characters to go through a series of self realizations that serve the story well and roll out in a natural and uncontrived manner.
SIN is set up from the first shot to make the viewer feel like this is a legitimate window into the world of these characters many people have only heard about. Riding illegally on train tops, avoiding border patrol and gang initiations are things read in books or in the occasional article about immigration laws and what we are doing to reduce gun violence.
There is no attempt to buy the viewers sympathy for future storyline outcomes or to pave a path for ultimate salvation. You are taken on a journey with flawed people who are trying to make just decisions and have hope for a future.
It's rare when you can say a story is honest in every way. SIN is honest in the broken lives, the anger that drives people and how salvation is a path of muddy terrains many never make it out of.
I think one of the things that made such a violent and sad story one that leaves the viewer with some love and hope in their heart is the way the story was set against the most spectacular bckdrops. Hundreds of travelers sitting on top of a train with an amber sky and mountains for miles gives perspective that there is beauty everywhere; inside and out. SIN tells us no life is perfect and we all have the capacity to forgive. It makes the viewer think on a humanistic level very movies could ever do. Please go see it.
If I was to pick a top 10 right now for 2009, SIN NOMBRE would be on it.
Monday, August 31, 2009
MOVIES BASED ON MUSIC===
I would like someone to create a movie based on the new WHITE LIES album "TO LOSE MY LIFE...It's like a story starts to write itself as I go from "death' to "Unfinished Business". Each song doesn't literally tell a story, but it paints a picture..AND ITS DARK, WITH THE SILHOUETTE OF A MYSTERIOUS CHARACTER, LOVER AND FRIEND.
It like the movies Desperately seeking Susan, Lean on me and Blade Runner keep crossing paths in the album. "I live on the right side, sleep on the left...That's why everything's gotta be love or death".. POETRY...POETRY I SAY.
It like the movies Desperately seeking Susan, Lean on me and Blade Runner keep crossing paths in the album. "I live on the right side, sleep on the left...That's why everything's gotta be love or death".. POETRY...POETRY I SAY.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
15 movies I like---in no order
1. Once were Warriors (1994)
2. Pump up the Volume (1990)
3. Crash (2004)
4. Zoolander (2001)
5. Fight Club (1999)
6. All about Eve (1950)
7. Working Girl (1988)
8. Old School (2003)
9. Roger and Me (1989)
10. Edward Sizzorhands (1990)
11. The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)
12. Drug store cowboy (1989)
13. Wall-E (2008)
14. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
15. Braveheart (1995)
(AND A SHOUT OUT TO TEEN WITCH. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098453
.I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE THE MOST POPULAR GIRL IN SCHOOL)
2. Pump up the Volume (1990)
3. Crash (2004)
4. Zoolander (2001)
5. Fight Club (1999)
6. All about Eve (1950)
7. Working Girl (1988)
8. Old School (2003)
9. Roger and Me (1989)
10. Edward Sizzorhands (1990)
11. The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)
12. Drug store cowboy (1989)
13. Wall-E (2008)
14. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
15. Braveheart (1995)
(AND A SHOUT OUT TO TEEN WITCH. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098453
.I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE THE MOST POPULAR GIRL IN SCHOOL)
Saturday, August 15, 2009
INGLORIOUS BASTERDS--
With the Toronto International Film Festival fast approaching, Beyond the next will be all film and film related funtimes for the months of August and September!
The first film to kick off the cinema celebrations is INGLORIOUS BASTERDS (IB).
Quentin Jerome Tarantino and Eli Roth showed up to introduce the film. It was quick, messy and over before I could blink an eye. Roth told everyone Tarantino was a god and that he loved working on the movie..Wow, that's a revelation. Thanks for being so insightful about the movie we are about to see. It was cool to see Tarantino in all his glory for two and a half minutes..I was hoping for a Q&A, but immediately following the intro, he got on a plane for the NY premier and Eli Roth held it down for a few questions. Can we talk about Tarantino being on American idol.
I was confused by this and a little dissapointed. Ok, sorry, back to the movie.
To be honest, I was expecting it to be mediocre. I didn't think Dianne Kruger and Brad Pitt could really pull off what the trailer was selling; sophistication, revenge and yet another attempt at cross pollinating film periods/gengres. I pretty much ate my assumptions within the first 15 minutes of the movie. Inspired by 1978's "Quel maledetto treno blindat" (Inglorious Basterds), Tarantino's IG was filled with kick ass suspense, top notch acting and more than a handful of "creative kills". IG is based In Nazi-occupied France during World War II. The main storyline revolved around a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" who are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. They excel at their task and I may have spent more time looking at my neighbor to the left in the theatre trying to avoid some of the more gruesome kills scenes like the eye gouging or back skull stabbing.
IG's main storyline is actually not the main highlight for me. What made me leave the theatre saying, "Wow that was one of the most bad ass, entertaining and enlightening movies I have seen in a long time" was the way the other storylines married with the Basterds and that each characters personal history with the occupation allowed for a group of amazing stories, of which, each could fill a script for a full movie.
In addition to the layers of deep and diverse experiences, the movie gives the viewer the ability to sympathize and empathize with the occupied Jews during that time; making you almost beam watching the SS and Gestapo pay for their Sin's in some of the most inglorious fashions!
All the actors were stellar, story was satisfying, sets and shooting location were perfect and Tarantino yet again takes mixed genres to the next level. With strong lighting, immaculate makeup and a tip of the hat to war films of years past, IB is a triump in every way. I hope it spreads the world entertaining all and leaves the viewer wishing IB was not a fictional story, but inspired by true ones.
http://www.inglouriousbasterds-movie.com/
The first film to kick off the cinema celebrations is INGLORIOUS BASTERDS (IB).
Quentin Jerome Tarantino and Eli Roth showed up to introduce the film. It was quick, messy and over before I could blink an eye. Roth told everyone Tarantino was a god and that he loved working on the movie..Wow, that's a revelation. Thanks for being so insightful about the movie we are about to see. It was cool to see Tarantino in all his glory for two and a half minutes..I was hoping for a Q&A, but immediately following the intro, he got on a plane for the NY premier and Eli Roth held it down for a few questions. Can we talk about Tarantino being on American idol.
I was confused by this and a little dissapointed. Ok, sorry, back to the movie.
To be honest, I was expecting it to be mediocre. I didn't think Dianne Kruger and Brad Pitt could really pull off what the trailer was selling; sophistication, revenge and yet another attempt at cross pollinating film periods/gengres. I pretty much ate my assumptions within the first 15 minutes of the movie. Inspired by 1978's "Quel maledetto treno blindat" (Inglorious Basterds), Tarantino's IG was filled with kick ass suspense, top notch acting and more than a handful of "creative kills". IG is based In Nazi-occupied France during World War II. The main storyline revolved around a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" who are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. They excel at their task and I may have spent more time looking at my neighbor to the left in the theatre trying to avoid some of the more gruesome kills scenes like the eye gouging or back skull stabbing.
IG's main storyline is actually not the main highlight for me. What made me leave the theatre saying, "Wow that was one of the most bad ass, entertaining and enlightening movies I have seen in a long time" was the way the other storylines married with the Basterds and that each characters personal history with the occupation allowed for a group of amazing stories, of which, each could fill a script for a full movie.
In addition to the layers of deep and diverse experiences, the movie gives the viewer the ability to sympathize and empathize with the occupied Jews during that time; making you almost beam watching the SS and Gestapo pay for their Sin's in some of the most inglorious fashions!
All the actors were stellar, story was satisfying, sets and shooting location were perfect and Tarantino yet again takes mixed genres to the next level. With strong lighting, immaculate makeup and a tip of the hat to war films of years past, IB is a triump in every way. I hope it spreads the world entertaining all and leaves the viewer wishing IB was not a fictional story, but inspired by true ones.
http://www.inglouriousbasterds-movie.com/
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
“Used-car liquidator Don Ready is hired by a flailing auto dealership to turn their Fourth of July sale into a majorly profitable event”.
Jeremy Piven makes you laugh, forget everything going on in your life and keeps you entertained for ALMOST two hours. THE GOODS: LIVE HARD, SELL HARD is a funny and slightly memorable story of Don Ready (Piven) and his band of merry men (and a lady), who make their way from dealership to dealership helping broken salespeople bring some buzz onto their lots and clear cars. With an awesome ensemble cast with the likes of Ving Rhames, Catherine Hahn (Anchorman), Ken Jeong (Roll Models and The Hangover), Ed Helmes, James Brolin, David Koechner and Will Farell, they keep the gut crunching one liners going throughout the film.
First and foremost, there are actually people who travel the country helping badly performing dealerships bring their numbers up. We were lucky enough to have Jeremy Piven at the screening for a Q & A and he told us about a doc called Slashers about people in the “Car moving biz”. Weird; yes. Tres American: Yes.
In The Goods, set in a small town in
Can we end on a super random note. I asked Piven how the script for THE GOODS made its way to him and he said the name of the person and then went on to tell the story of how the movie got made. When he put it in his brother-in-laws hand, Adam Mckay (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0570912/), it moved quickly and was made within a year…ok, did you just hear what I said, Adam Mckay..What the H#$*…his bother-in-law is Adam Mckay…Crazytown. Adam McKay is married to Shira Piven, Jeremy’s sister. Ok, so there is your random fact for the day.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
www.wired.com
WIRED MAGAZINE
Time and time again Wired magazine comes out with the most well rounded articles I have ever read. Sure, tons of publications pump out quirky headlines, amusing stories and new spins on the records of the past, but it's a rare occassion when you can say a story is smart, funny, educational and entertaining. Wired meets that tall order ALMOST every issue.
Case in point; HOW TO BEHAVE: NEW RULES FOR HIGHLY EVOLVED HUMANS. The piece is written by Brad Pitt and promotes his new movie Inglorious Basterds.
The piece is a how to's of supremed douchness..How TO and NOT be a douche. Numerous questions are posed by "readers" with varying topics and interests. Below is an example of a question from HOW TO BEHAVE: NEW RULES FOR HIGHLY EVOLVED HUMANS;
I exaggerated my salary on my online dating profile. Should I fess up?
Hell no. Everyone lies online. In fact, readers expect you to lie. If you don't, they'll think you make less than you actually do. So the only way to tell the truth is to lie.
Clearly the "ironic" answer.... The next one is my favorite and I totally concur with the reader response.
Can I answer my cell during a movie if it seems urgent?
Never. It may be a brief interruption—just a few seconds—but what if someone sitting near you is trying to make a decent bootleg? Did you ever think of that? Now all those street-corner copies are permanently defiled by your so-called "emergency." Don't be so damn selfish.
The piece continues with similar questions that both educate and entertain,,,oh yeah, and make you laugh...They achieve the honor of most well rounded article by providing
- Relevant content that applies directly to the reader
- Promotional integration that truly fits. Brad Pitt is an actor with many facets..The article is a reflection of that and seamlessly builds in the Inglorious Basterds identity with the sub headlines
- The responses to the questions are both compelete insanity and totally on point. When they say you should take your "bluetooth headset" off when your not using it, that makes total sense....
- The photoshoot that was done to marry with the Q&A were almost stand alone---I could have been happy with the pictures and a quick caption!
Wired rules...FYI: Not only can you see it in print, but Wired has it online as well..Why, because they rule.
Time and time again Wired magazine comes out with the most well rounded articles I have ever read. Sure, tons of publications pump out quirky headlines, amusing stories and new spins on the records of the past, but it's a rare occassion when you can say a story is smart, funny, educational and entertaining. Wired meets that tall order ALMOST every issue.
Case in point; HOW TO BEHAVE: NEW RULES FOR HIGHLY EVOLVED HUMANS. The piece is written by Brad Pitt and promotes his new movie Inglorious Basterds.
The piece is a how to's of supremed douchness..How TO and NOT be a douche. Numerous questions are posed by "readers" with varying topics and interests. Below is an example of a question from HOW TO BEHAVE: NEW RULES FOR HIGHLY EVOLVED HUMANS;
I exaggerated my salary on my online dating profile. Should I fess up?
Hell no. Everyone lies online. In fact, readers expect you to lie. If you don't, they'll think you make less than you actually do. So the only way to tell the truth is to lie.
Clearly the "ironic" answer.... The next one is my favorite and I totally concur with the reader response.
Can I answer my cell during a movie if it seems urgent?
Never. It may be a brief interruption—just a few seconds—but what if someone sitting near you is trying to make a decent bootleg? Did you ever think of that? Now all those street-corner copies are permanently defiled by your so-called "emergency." Don't be so damn selfish.
The piece continues with similar questions that both educate and entertain,,,oh yeah, and make you laugh...They achieve the honor of most well rounded article by providing
- Relevant content that applies directly to the reader
- Promotional integration that truly fits. Brad Pitt is an actor with many facets..The article is a reflection of that and seamlessly builds in the Inglorious Basterds identity with the sub headlines
- The responses to the questions are both compelete insanity and totally on point. When they say you should take your "bluetooth headset" off when your not using it, that makes total sense....
- The photoshoot that was done to marry with the Q&A were almost stand alone---I could have been happy with the pictures and a quick caption!
Wired rules...FYI: Not only can you see it in print, but Wired has it online as well..Why, because they rule.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
REVIEWS AND STUFF
WORTHY DOCS
OUR DAILY BREAD
In the vain of Naqoyqatsi, OUR DAILY BREAD is a visual montage of different ways we grow, treat, harvest and consume our food. There are some amazing and disturbing images that leave you seeing the agricultural industry in a new light. OUR DAILY BREAD provides yet another opportunity for us, the consumer, to become more educated about how our food gets to us. It empowers us to make smarter purchasing decisions and to the part of the process that will hopefully effect positive change in the way food is farmed and distributed. Everyone has an opinion and OUR DAILY BREAD gives you a bit more info to strengthen or to question your existing opinions.
ADDICTED TO PLASTIC
Smart, well made, global perspective, relatively impartial, great education tool, gives true and feasible alternatives to ecological options to plastic. Rent it.
OUR DAILY BREAD
In the vain of Naqoyqatsi, OUR DAILY BREAD is a visual montage of different ways we grow, treat, harvest and consume our food. There are some amazing and disturbing images that leave you seeing the agricultural industry in a new light. OUR DAILY BREAD provides yet another opportunity for us, the consumer, to become more educated about how our food gets to us. It empowers us to make smarter purchasing decisions and to the part of the process that will hopefully effect positive change in the way food is farmed and distributed. Everyone has an opinion and OUR DAILY BREAD gives you a bit more info to strengthen or to question your existing opinions.
ADDICTED TO PLASTIC
Smart, well made, global perspective, relatively impartial, great education tool, gives true and feasible alternatives to ecological options to plastic. Rent it.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
THREE WORD MOVIE REVIEWS
STAR TREK = Awesome, Beautiful, Entertaining
GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE= Fragmented, Anti-Climactic, Confusing
PUBLIC ENEMIES= Unnatural, Confusing, Disappointing
TV SHOWS
DAMAGES = Amazing, magnificent, Essential
GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE= Fragmented, Anti-Climactic, Confusing
PUBLIC ENEMIES= Unnatural, Confusing, Disappointing
TV SHOWS
DAMAGES = Amazing, magnificent, Essential
Friday, July 3, 2009
TORONTO CITY STRIKE
For those who don't know "At 12:20 a.m. on Monday, June 22, 2009, the City of Toronto's unionized employees represented by the Toronto Civic Employees' Union Local 416 (CUPE) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 79 began a legal strike". The strike has affected many services in the city, including garbage pick-up. As a downtown dweller, I have seen the deterioration of the city streets over the last few weeks. I am writing this to talk about what this strike has highlighted about many people who live in the city of Toronto.
As I walked the length of Queen Street running from Dufferin to Church ( approx 45 min walk), my sense of smell was assaulted with a mixture of discarded foods left in overflowing garbage bins, alleyways and in places, right on the sidewalk. I was stepping over shopping bags full of take-out packaging, plastic bottles, plastic bags and other random garbage that didn't have a home. It highlighted two things:
1. People clearly don't feel that they have to take responsibility over their own waste
2. Most of the waste littering the streets doesn't have to exist. The items have been created over time to make our lives more convenient and to make the cost of doing business lower. Gone are the days of glass milk cartons and ONLY tupperware for lunches..We have been conditioned to think that single use items that are not recyclable and end up taking up much needed living space are ok to use. Only recently has the buy local and sustainable mantra become hip. There are not enough environmentally conscious people yet to make that a financially viable option for businesses, so it will remain a cottage industry until the education and empowerment spreads.
To help create awareness about the problem and try and help empower the community to effect change, I thought about creating a facebook group for people who want to volunteer their time to do neighborhood garbage clean up. I was embarrassed by the way my city looked and wanted to help clean it up. Then I thought that would be too easy..The ones who would volunteer would probably be the people bringing their garbage home, trying to reduce their impact on the waste issue and also looking for solutions. Those are not the ones who should be cleaning up after others....It should be the ones who have removed themselves from the responsibility of taking care of their own space, their city.
The strike has caused the situation, but it's not an excuse for relinquishing personal accountability. At the end of the day there is nobody to pick up our garbage right now. We need to take care of it and we are not. It is sad and I wish I could say that people took what their parents taught them as young ones to heart and CLEANED UP AFTER THEMSELVES, but they aren't. It doesn't mean they can't...But right now, they aren't and people's attitudes need to change about the city their live in or we will continue to fall apart even after the strike ends...What to do? Suggestions anyone?
As I walked the length of Queen Street running from Dufferin to Church ( approx 45 min walk), my sense of smell was assaulted with a mixture of discarded foods left in overflowing garbage bins, alleyways and in places, right on the sidewalk. I was stepping over shopping bags full of take-out packaging, plastic bottles, plastic bags and other random garbage that didn't have a home. It highlighted two things:
1. People clearly don't feel that they have to take responsibility over their own waste
2. Most of the waste littering the streets doesn't have to exist. The items have been created over time to make our lives more convenient and to make the cost of doing business lower. Gone are the days of glass milk cartons and ONLY tupperware for lunches..We have been conditioned to think that single use items that are not recyclable and end up taking up much needed living space are ok to use. Only recently has the buy local and sustainable mantra become hip. There are not enough environmentally conscious people yet to make that a financially viable option for businesses, so it will remain a cottage industry until the education and empowerment spreads.
To help create awareness about the problem and try and help empower the community to effect change, I thought about creating a facebook group for people who want to volunteer their time to do neighborhood garbage clean up. I was embarrassed by the way my city looked and wanted to help clean it up. Then I thought that would be too easy..The ones who would volunteer would probably be the people bringing their garbage home, trying to reduce their impact on the waste issue and also looking for solutions. Those are not the ones who should be cleaning up after others....It should be the ones who have removed themselves from the responsibility of taking care of their own space, their city.
The strike has caused the situation, but it's not an excuse for relinquishing personal accountability. At the end of the day there is nobody to pick up our garbage right now. We need to take care of it and we are not. It is sad and I wish I could say that people took what their parents taught them as young ones to heart and CLEANED UP AFTER THEMSELVES, but they aren't. It doesn't mean they can't...But right now, they aren't and people's attitudes need to change about the city their live in or we will continue to fall apart even after the strike ends...What to do? Suggestions anyone?
Monday, June 29, 2009
ONE WORD REVIEWS...
WENDY AND LUCY = LAME
TRANSFORMERS = DISAPPOINTING
YEAR ONE = FUN
THE HANGOVER = SUPERGREATFUNNYNESS
MY SISTER'S KEEPER = DECENT
SAVE ME = WORTHY
TV SHOW TOSH.0 = HILARIOUS
TRANSFORMERS = DISAPPOINTING
YEAR ONE = FUN
THE HANGOVER = SUPERGREATFUNNYNESS
MY SISTER'S KEEPER = DECENT
SAVE ME = WORTHY
TV SHOW TOSH.0 = HILARIOUS
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/
D.A. Therrien
BEAUTIFUL LIGHT: FOUR LETTER WORD MACHINE, 2009
D.A. Therrien's BEAUTIFUL LIGHT: FOUR LETTER WORD MACHINE will suspend four giant light sculptures in the air above Council Chambers, blasting an ever-changing array of four-letter word patterns all night long.
Suspended 65 meters in the air between the Viljo Revell-designed Toronto City Hall towers, the four 7m square alphanumeric quartz lamp arrays will display codes, DNA sequences and elemental words. With each of the four “characters” consisting of 16 light segments, the machine is capable of displaying nearly 4.94 billion distinct graphic combinations, facilitating the expression of any word in any language.
Human operators, themselves controlled via a system of computers and unusual interface devices, determine the final outcome of the display, directing surges of electricity through large scale electro-mechanical switching systems. The light/machine itself is 33 meters across and will be visible and readable for several miles.
Since 1984, D.A. Therrien has been creating large scale spectacles as “rituals of technology” – utilizing machines, computers, information displays, high intensity light, robotics and live electricity in complex interactions with human performers/operators. His performances in Europe, Asia and North America address humans’ relationship to political and religious systems, medical technology, surveillance, information systems and other 20th and 21st century technologies that are now pervasive in everyday life.
Installations in D.A. Therrien's BEAUTIFUL LIGHT series are derived from the phenomenas of light and electricity and the role of light in our belief systems, language, biology, natural world and cosmology – light as illumination, energy, information and as a metaphor for good and evil.
– www.beautifullight.org
BEAUTIFUL LIGHT: FOUR LETTER WORD MACHINE, 2009
D.A. Therrien's BEAUTIFUL LIGHT: FOUR LETTER WORD MACHINE will suspend four giant light sculptures in the air above Council Chambers, blasting an ever-changing array of four-letter word patterns all night long.
Suspended 65 meters in the air between the Viljo Revell-designed Toronto City Hall towers, the four 7m square alphanumeric quartz lamp arrays will display codes, DNA sequences and elemental words. With each of the four “characters” consisting of 16 light segments, the machine is capable of displaying nearly 4.94 billion distinct graphic combinations, facilitating the expression of any word in any language.
Human operators, themselves controlled via a system of computers and unusual interface devices, determine the final outcome of the display, directing surges of electricity through large scale electro-mechanical switching systems. The light/machine itself is 33 meters across and will be visible and readable for several miles.
Since 1984, D.A. Therrien has been creating large scale spectacles as “rituals of technology” – utilizing machines, computers, information displays, high intensity light, robotics and live electricity in complex interactions with human performers/operators. His performances in Europe, Asia and North America address humans’ relationship to political and religious systems, medical technology, surveillance, information systems and other 20th and 21st century technologies that are now pervasive in everyday life.
Installations in D.A. Therrien's BEAUTIFUL LIGHT series are derived from the phenomenas of light and electricity and the role of light in our belief systems, language, biology, natural world and cosmology – light as illumination, energy, information and as a metaphor for good and evil.
– www.beautifullight.org
http://www.jaman.com/
JAMAN is in my opinion the slickest site to access an amazing array of content from around the Globe. It's easy to use, has features that customizes suggested content for you like ITunes does JAMAN offers both independent and studio productions in long and short form. I am one of the consumers who is cool with paying for my content online, I just want it easily and quickly...JAMAN does it...
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS
THIRD INSTALLMENT OF THE UNDERWORLD SERIES==I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THERE WILL BE MORE AND WILL THEN BE BY DEFINITION " A SERIES"
Quick info on RISE OF THE LYCANS: Viktor (Underworld)|Viktor, the ruthless king of the vampires, has captured werewolves and turned them into slaves that would toil for him and guard his vampire clan during the day. These lycanthrope|lycans are less volatile than the original breed, which cannot revert back to human form. The first of these Lycans was Lucian (Underworld)|Lucian, whom Viktor spared after killing his werewolf mother. As Lucian grows up at Viktor's home, he and Viktor's daughter Sonja (Underworld)|Sonja are attracted to one another and secretly become lovers.
I will be honest and let you know I did see the first UNDERWORLD. I did not see the second, UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION. When I sat down to watch LYCANS, I actually thought I was about to see the sequel. Shame on me for not keeping up on my vampire/werewolf flicks. So I decide to watch it and see if it really matters that I missed the second movie and let me tell you, it didn't. They did a good job of doing an intro recap of what's going on, who's who and what evil lurks for the vampires around the next corner. LYCANS does a great job of telling a story, keeping you engaged and setting the stage for the next UNDERWORLD. You are taken on a journey through the lives of both vampire and lycan; using the age old feuding families lovers story to create certain conflict. As per the original UNDERWORLD, vampires and lycans are doing ok until a few ruin it for the rest...Sonja (King's Daughter) falls for Lucien (head lycan)and it causes nothing but mayhem. She's stubborn, he's pushy, she doesn't take direction well, he's half man/half werewolf..Never a good combo. At this point they have hundreds of lycans working the kingdom under slavery. They are shackled and mining what appears to be coal..They are all sweaty and not a happy lot. They establish at the beginning of the film that there are other lycans outside the kingdom keeping watch, waiting for the chance to get in the door and cause some damage. When the humans and vampires get scared, the decide to have a meeting. People start coming from neighboring villages to the vampire kingdom to figure out how to deal with the lycans. Of course they decide to travel in the dead of night, when the lycan's blood lust is at its peak. Sonja decides to leave the kingdom walls to help the humans arrive safely and at that point it's a bloodbath worthy of a human/lycan fight..People are animals, animals are people..Blood is everywhere and you are thoroughly entertained. By the end of the movie you get just enough and can honestly say it was time well wasted. As long as your expectations are reasonable, you will enjoy a really cool movie that has tolerable acting, good CG and the satisfaction that UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS will not bleed into your subconscious and influence life decisions...It entertains you and then you go away..DONE, PEROID
Quick info on RISE OF THE LYCANS: Viktor (Underworld)|Viktor, the ruthless king of the vampires, has captured werewolves and turned them into slaves that would toil for him and guard his vampire clan during the day. These lycanthrope|lycans are less volatile than the original breed, which cannot revert back to human form. The first of these Lycans was Lucian (Underworld)|Lucian, whom Viktor spared after killing his werewolf mother. As Lucian grows up at Viktor's home, he and Viktor's daughter Sonja (Underworld)|Sonja are attracted to one another and secretly become lovers.
I will be honest and let you know I did see the first UNDERWORLD. I did not see the second, UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION. When I sat down to watch LYCANS, I actually thought I was about to see the sequel. Shame on me for not keeping up on my vampire/werewolf flicks. So I decide to watch it and see if it really matters that I missed the second movie and let me tell you, it didn't. They did a good job of doing an intro recap of what's going on, who's who and what evil lurks for the vampires around the next corner. LYCANS does a great job of telling a story, keeping you engaged and setting the stage for the next UNDERWORLD. You are taken on a journey through the lives of both vampire and lycan; using the age old feuding families lovers story to create certain conflict. As per the original UNDERWORLD, vampires and lycans are doing ok until a few ruin it for the rest...Sonja (King's Daughter) falls for Lucien (head lycan)and it causes nothing but mayhem. She's stubborn, he's pushy, she doesn't take direction well, he's half man/half werewolf..Never a good combo. At this point they have hundreds of lycans working the kingdom under slavery. They are shackled and mining what appears to be coal..They are all sweaty and not a happy lot. They establish at the beginning of the film that there are other lycans outside the kingdom keeping watch, waiting for the chance to get in the door and cause some damage. When the humans and vampires get scared, the decide to have a meeting. People start coming from neighboring villages to the vampire kingdom to figure out how to deal with the lycans. Of course they decide to travel in the dead of night, when the lycan's blood lust is at its peak. Sonja decides to leave the kingdom walls to help the humans arrive safely and at that point it's a bloodbath worthy of a human/lycan fight..People are animals, animals are people..Blood is everywhere and you are thoroughly entertained. By the end of the movie you get just enough and can honestly say it was time well wasted. As long as your expectations are reasonable, you will enjoy a really cool movie that has tolerable acting, good CG and the satisfaction that UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS will not bleed into your subconscious and influence life decisions...It entertains you and then you go away..DONE, PEROID
Sunday, June 7, 2009
WORLDWIDE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL - CHECK IT
Check-out Critic-Cal’s music video on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KCnqbNQom4
A CRUDE AWAKENING- THE OIL CRASH
I feel privileged to be part of the DOC generation.
Through out my life, there have been a wide range of documentaries that have both educated and entertained me about the planet, the gods, the spoken word, the way we love, and much more. I can honestly say I am more aware, more empowered and more open to the possibility that there are multiple sides to every story. This ability to easily find well documented, concise and impactful information is not something that has been available for a long time. Only in the last 20 years did the interest of the Doc come into awesomeness. Then came the evolution of access to information, which made the filmmakers ability to make Docs well rounded; offering information from multiple perspectives and historical facts to substantiate the subject matter. This offers a great segue into the most recent doc I saw, A CRUDE AWAKENING, THE OIL CRASH.
CRUDE AWAKENING offers a wide span view into the world's VERY, VERY short history and romance with OIL. It marries interviews, historical data and fore sighting to give the viewer a picture of where we could be in 40 years. It reminds us that less than a century ago the world didn’t rely on oil at all, and the thought of it was but a distant twinkle in Texas’s eye. It was a time when coal was king and horses still ruled the roads. Of course that was then and this is now and we are looking at a future of continued oil dependency.
The best part of CRUDE AWAKENING is not the top experts in the field or the numerous statics referenced such as the millions of barrels a day the current oil producing countries must make to keep our cars on the road. The best part of CRUDE AWAKENING is the traumatic imagery shown of places in Baku and Venezuela. At one time they were major oil producing regions with growth, wealth and prosperity. Baku and Venezuela’s rusted oil rigs line the waterfront by the dozens reminiscent of dinosaurs and how they ruled the Earth. But now the rigs litter the shoreline that was once home to rich and diverse ecosystems. The water now thick with sludge leaves a haunting picture of things to come in current oil producing communities.
It is clear through the picture painted in CRUDE AWAKENING that we will run out of oil; it’s just a matter of when. By referencing Marion King Hubbert (October 5, 1903 – October 11, 1989) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubbert_peak_theory, there will be a point when we will need to reduce, if not eliminate, the amount of oil we need. We can now drill off shore and deeper than in 1975 when Hubbert put his peak theory forward. This means we will have more time than he suggested, but how much?
So what are the world leaders doing to get infrastructure, the manufacturing sector, technology and the economy ready for the next stage of fuel and energy innovation? CRUDE AWAKENING does not answer this question, but it does arm us with the knowledge that we need to stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution. WATCH IT!! TRY AND GET YOUR MIND BEYOND THE NEXT
Through out my life, there have been a wide range of documentaries that have both educated and entertained me about the planet, the gods, the spoken word, the way we love, and much more. I can honestly say I am more aware, more empowered and more open to the possibility that there are multiple sides to every story. This ability to easily find well documented, concise and impactful information is not something that has been available for a long time. Only in the last 20 years did the interest of the Doc come into awesomeness. Then came the evolution of access to information, which made the filmmakers ability to make Docs well rounded; offering information from multiple perspectives and historical facts to substantiate the subject matter. This offers a great segue into the most recent doc I saw, A CRUDE AWAKENING, THE OIL CRASH.
CRUDE AWAKENING offers a wide span view into the world's VERY, VERY short history and romance with OIL. It marries interviews, historical data and fore sighting to give the viewer a picture of where we could be in 40 years. It reminds us that less than a century ago the world didn’t rely on oil at all, and the thought of it was but a distant twinkle in Texas’s eye. It was a time when coal was king and horses still ruled the roads. Of course that was then and this is now and we are looking at a future of continued oil dependency.
The best part of CRUDE AWAKENING is not the top experts in the field or the numerous statics referenced such as the millions of barrels a day the current oil producing countries must make to keep our cars on the road. The best part of CRUDE AWAKENING is the traumatic imagery shown of places in Baku and Venezuela. At one time they were major oil producing regions with growth, wealth and prosperity. Baku and Venezuela’s rusted oil rigs line the waterfront by the dozens reminiscent of dinosaurs and how they ruled the Earth. But now the rigs litter the shoreline that was once home to rich and diverse ecosystems. The water now thick with sludge leaves a haunting picture of things to come in current oil producing communities.
It is clear through the picture painted in CRUDE AWAKENING that we will run out of oil; it’s just a matter of when. By referencing Marion King Hubbert (October 5, 1903 – October 11, 1989) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubbert_peak_theory, there will be a point when we will need to reduce, if not eliminate, the amount of oil we need. We can now drill off shore and deeper than in 1975 when Hubbert put his peak theory forward. This means we will have more time than he suggested, but how much?
So what are the world leaders doing to get infrastructure, the manufacturing sector, technology and the economy ready for the next stage of fuel and energy innovation? CRUDE AWAKENING does not answer this question, but it does arm us with the knowledge that we need to stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution. WATCH IT!! TRY AND GET YOUR MIND BEYOND THE NEXT
Monday, June 1, 2009
POWDER BLUE- MOVIE REVIEW
Four Los Angelenoa – a mortician, an ex-con, a suicidal ex-priest, and a stripper – are brought together on Christmas Eve by a mixture of circumstances
Hi, my name is Powder Blue and I am the poor man's version of an intersecting storyline...Like the movie CRASH by Paul Haggis. The cast is stacked; Jessica Beil, Forrest Wittaker, Lisa Kudrow, Patrick Swayze (weird role, but he made me believe it and Ray Liotta (Whatever)...random Liotta story. I was working at a photo lounge years ago and their were some photo props including fine jewellery for talent who wanted to throw something on...Liotta walks by and says "Is this free". The individual taking care of the pieces says "no", and Liotta replies with "then what's the point". In addition to the above cast there was this guy Eddie Redmayne who was creepy and sexy and really interesting to watch. The whole movie is washed out with a light blue color and the movie carries this super depressing tone that sort of takes you somewhere...The question is wither you want to go to that "somewhere" they take you. I'm not going to give you a play by play of each storyline. Only that it's all been done before better in other films. The talent makes Powder Blue watchable, and it should be the other way around. The story should bring the actors to life with the depth of the characters. At least that's what I thought watching the film. I will say on the final tip that the sound editing and the chosen soundtrack was done so amazingly...the last 20 minutes were really beautiful and I almost gave it two high fives out five. But I didn't..If you are at home and it's on TMN, watch it...I wouldn't pay for it in the theatre...
Hi, my name is Powder Blue and I am the poor man's version of an intersecting storyline...Like the movie CRASH by Paul Haggis. The cast is stacked; Jessica Beil, Forrest Wittaker, Lisa Kudrow, Patrick Swayze (weird role, but he made me believe it and Ray Liotta (Whatever)...random Liotta story. I was working at a photo lounge years ago and their were some photo props including fine jewellery for talent who wanted to throw something on...Liotta walks by and says "Is this free". The individual taking care of the pieces says "no", and Liotta replies with "then what's the point". In addition to the above cast there was this guy Eddie Redmayne who was creepy and sexy and really interesting to watch. The whole movie is washed out with a light blue color and the movie carries this super depressing tone that sort of takes you somewhere...The question is wither you want to go to that "somewhere" they take you. I'm not going to give you a play by play of each storyline. Only that it's all been done before better in other films. The talent makes Powder Blue watchable, and it should be the other way around. The story should bring the actors to life with the depth of the characters. At least that's what I thought watching the film. I will say on the final tip that the sound editing and the chosen soundtrack was done so amazingly...the last 20 minutes were really beautiful and I almost gave it two high fives out five. But I didn't..If you are at home and it's on TMN, watch it...I wouldn't pay for it in the theatre...
Thursday, May 14, 2009
MOVIE REVIEWS A LA NOONAN- FIGHTING http://fightingmovie.net/
Ok, so you have a movie with Terrence Howard and Channing Tatum...And it's about fighting.
Could be amazing and super awesome...There are a few ways the film could have played out.
1. It could have been a straight up dude flick with well choreographed fight scenes that have a UFC tone. Nothing more, nothing less.
2. It could have been a film that shows the evolution of a character through his life as a young wrestler who battles his inner demons to fight a peace with his surroundings, his relationship with fighting and where his future is looking towards. Fighting would play as a metaphor for this evolution, providing a visual poetry to the storyline
3. It could have been a two dimensional film about a dude who fights and dates a chick with a kid.
The problem with Fighting is it was all of the above and none of the above. It made weak attempts to be deep and superficial and pretty and urban..and, and, and...You were suppose to care about the main character, Shawn MacArthur, who is befriended by a street hustler, Harvey Boarden. Within five minutes Harvey has witnessed Shawn's natural skills of the fight and has duped him into fighting. You don't get any history about Shawn's character until the middle of the movie, and by then you have no attachment or interest in Shawn's success or well being. Mid film, there is this secondary storyline dropped about Shawn being kicked out of wrestling school for hitting his dad after he got in the middle of a match with Shawn's rival, Evan Hailey....which he lost.
Of course Evan is now a pro fighter and shows up at the local club where Shawn is...where else would he be! This sort of establishes what Shawn ends up "fighting for". He has to finish the fight he lost so many years ago. Then he finds a girl that is hot, stalks her, has an akward date and they do it. Let's sum up the romantic storyline with "I have more chemistry with my tea kettle". Two hot and talented people do not always = on screen magic! Some other irrelevant scenes take place and everything is wrapped up in a pretty bow. FYI: Harvey boarden, Terrence Howard's character starts out with this bitchy high pitches voice,,sort of like Tyson meets Jewel,,By the Fourth act he was flat and clear as a bell,,,which made the audience happy, but the continuity person was clearly getting a latte when they were doing his voice work..
To close up this review I will wrap it up on a positive tip. Fighting had two things that made it tolerable...Channing Tatum in all his sexytime glory..If anyone has seen "http://www.saintsthemovie.com/" you know he has chops...But they were shelved for this flick..The second is the film was honestly flawed...There was an attempted honesty that gave you the impression the film makers were from NYC..It was beautiful..the arial shots at night made you want to be part of the big lights that power the New York night....The problem is I didn't sit down to watch an homage to New York Skylines..I sat down to watch Channing Tatum be hot and charming, Terrence Howard be awesome and awesome....Better luck watching chick cat fights on youtube..
Could be amazing and super awesome...There are a few ways the film could have played out.
1. It could have been a straight up dude flick with well choreographed fight scenes that have a UFC tone. Nothing more, nothing less.
2. It could have been a film that shows the evolution of a character through his life as a young wrestler who battles his inner demons to fight a peace with his surroundings, his relationship with fighting and where his future is looking towards. Fighting would play as a metaphor for this evolution, providing a visual poetry to the storyline
3. It could have been a two dimensional film about a dude who fights and dates a chick with a kid.
The problem with Fighting is it was all of the above and none of the above. It made weak attempts to be deep and superficial and pretty and urban..and, and, and...You were suppose to care about the main character, Shawn MacArthur, who is befriended by a street hustler, Harvey Boarden. Within five minutes Harvey has witnessed Shawn's natural skills of the fight and has duped him into fighting. You don't get any history about Shawn's character until the middle of the movie, and by then you have no attachment or interest in Shawn's success or well being. Mid film, there is this secondary storyline dropped about Shawn being kicked out of wrestling school for hitting his dad after he got in the middle of a match with Shawn's rival, Evan Hailey....which he lost.
Of course Evan is now a pro fighter and shows up at the local club where Shawn is...where else would he be! This sort of establishes what Shawn ends up "fighting for". He has to finish the fight he lost so many years ago. Then he finds a girl that is hot, stalks her, has an akward date and they do it. Let's sum up the romantic storyline with "I have more chemistry with my tea kettle". Two hot and talented people do not always = on screen magic! Some other irrelevant scenes take place and everything is wrapped up in a pretty bow. FYI: Harvey boarden, Terrence Howard's character starts out with this bitchy high pitches voice,,sort of like Tyson meets Jewel,,By the Fourth act he was flat and clear as a bell,,,which made the audience happy, but the continuity person was clearly getting a latte when they were doing his voice work..
To close up this review I will wrap it up on a positive tip. Fighting had two things that made it tolerable...Channing Tatum in all his sexytime glory..If anyone has seen "http://www.saintsthemovie.com/" you know he has chops...But they were shelved for this flick..The second is the film was honestly flawed...There was an attempted honesty that gave you the impression the film makers were from NYC..It was beautiful..the arial shots at night made you want to be part of the big lights that power the New York night....The problem is I didn't sit down to watch an homage to New York Skylines..I sat down to watch Channing Tatum be hot and charming, Terrence Howard be awesome and awesome....Better luck watching chick cat fights on youtube..
TWITTER is the LAZERDISC of communication tools
ANYONE REMEMBER LAZERDISC----I DIDN'T THINK SO
I am not sure how you feel about Twitter, but its frustrated me and actually decreased the quality of my life...I may not be embracing it as much as the "others", but with the busy lives we lead, it's important to multi-task and get stuff done...and done.. friend feed is some sweet action...And I hope more aggregators make their way to our browsers...But WITHOUT Twitter as an option...I am sure I will find another way to read about what David Miller's "assistants" are saying David is doing...
I am not sure how you feel about Twitter, but its frustrated me and actually decreased the quality of my life...I may not be embracing it as much as the "others", but with the busy lives we lead, it's important to multi-task and get stuff done...and done.. friend feed is some sweet action...And I hope more aggregators make their way to our browsers...But WITHOUT Twitter as an option...I am sure I will find another way to read about what David Miller's "assistants" are saying David is doing...
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