Current Tunes: Immortal – At the Heart of Winter
Man, it’s like, pretty much five days until “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” How crazy is that? I’m ready, I’m completely ready.
Finally something in politics that’s piqued my interest enough to make it into a blog post: Iran’s elections. The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had this fantastic quote, referring to the election as a “political earthquake.” That might be accurate, but I think that’s a bit over exaggerating. I’ve got this gut feeling that this whole situation is being blown out of proportion. I know, mighty “Bushy” of me to go with my gut, but sometimes you can’t help it. I’m only so annoyed by this situation because when it’s all done and over with, Ahmadinejad will still be president, and people will calm down eventually and business will carry on as usual. Yeah I know people are getting shot and hurt right now, but this is all just posturing on both sides, eventually everyone there will chill out and they’ll fall back into the usual regiment.
Now if the election was rigged, then yes that’s a tragedy. It’s certainly a plausibility, after all this Ayatollah is pretty much bosom buddies with Ahmadinejad. But what can the U.S. do about it? Invade? Yeah, right. What can anyone else do about it? Absolutely squat. I’m not trying to be apathetic about it, I was genuinely hopeful that this reformer guy would perhaps take home all the marbles, but alas. Evil triumphs again. Such is the way of the world.
On another political (and extremely selfish note), I’m totally ready for government-run health care. Let me tell you why: because I have no health care right now. None. I’d like some. I don’t care if it’s health care at a diminished quality, or if it costs someone else a bit more taxes. I want to be healthy and right now I have no way to pay for it, so I’m more than willing to let someone else foot the bill for a while.
@LANta starts in a few hours, I’m very excited. I desperately need a weekend locked in a house with good friends, playing video games nonstop and drinking myself into oblivion. Cheers.
19 June 2009
16 June 2009
Movie Time
Current Tunes: Bloc Party – Like Eating Glass
So with my time in Florence I saw not one, not two, but three total films at the theater. Up until this weekend, I had seen only two films all year, so I increased my count by 150%. I figured I’d use today’s post to run down the films I saw…
First up, “Angels & Demons.” Why it was better than a history class in college: more comfortable seats and no comprehensive final exam once it was over. More seriously, if even half the stuff that movie posits about the Catholic church is true, all I’ve got is: “Holy Crap.” The plot was pretty horrendous, in terms of believability and plausibility, but I don’t suppose that was really the point. Tom Hanks/Robert Langdon was pretty wooden and mindless, just like he was in “Da Vinci.” You can do better Tom, you really can. The concept of the movie was cool though, much more interesting that “Da Vinci’s” concept. I enjoyed myself, I was in suspense, but I felt kinda dirty and icky after it was all over.
Next, “The Hangover.” Todd Phillips is a credit to America. I absolutely love how there is no joke and no situation Phillips is afraid to tackle. There’s a scene where a baby is strapped to a guy’s chest, and another idiot opens the car door and slams it into the baby, who obviously starts crying. The baby’s fine, but more importantly this is just a movie, just fiction. More than one person in the theater I know felt awkward because of the scene; I couldn’t stop laughing. That’s how Todd Phillips operates, he pushes buttons. Zach Galafanakis. That’s the name they should be calling out for the Best Actor Oscar next year. So amazing; he sold every line down to the last word, the last syllable. This movie made me desperately want to sell everything I own and hitchhike to Vegas.
Third and finally… Yes, the rumors are true, I saw “Star Trek.” Or, as I will forever refer to it: “The Tale of Two Films.” The start is phenomenal. The opening scene was absolutely perfect, I had cold chills as the screen faded to black and the sun rose on the spinning “Star Trek” logo. The story set up, watching Kirk waste away his life was absolutely brilliant. I wish they would have just stuck with that; it wouldn’t make sense of course, but I couldn’t help but wonder how much different the world of “Star Trek” would be if Kirk didn’t get on that transport ship to the Academy. Seeing the world of the young and growing Academy was interesting too. I got pulled in really well, and I had started to believe that I had been wrong in judging this movie.
But then the plot truly revealed itself. Once I realized all the villain wanted was revenge and to watch shit blow up, I got really tired and depressed. Villains like that always end up getting defeated; not because the plot dictates it (well, ok, yes because of that) but also because they’re too brain-dead and sightless to pose any sort of challenge. To better illustrate my point, the guy is a Romulan miner for fuck’s sake. How intimidating is that? Not very. Khan was a literal machine of super intelligence and death-making. That’s why he could go the revenge route and make it work, because he wasn’t just some other schmuck (like Nero is). I was literally falling asleep through the second half of the film.
I could go on about this for a long while, I’ll try to stop eventually. Karl Urban was great. He had Bones’ mannerisms and accent down to a T. That’s a lot of praise from me, considering Bones has just about always been my least favorite original series character (for no good reason at all, I will concede). Whoever played Chekov, thumbs up to you as well. You will not go unsung.
Dear Simon Pegg, I’m so sorry that Abrams and the screenwriters screwed you as hard as they did. But remember, you get the last laugh because “Shaun of the Dead” will be remembered long after the other 4 or 5 films in this new reboot series have all but killed the “Star Trek” franchise.
Apparently Romulan mining ships are some of the most poorly designed ships ever. The bloomin’ thing looked like a reject for some “Mad Max” vehicle. It’s pretty insulting to think the Romulans can’t design a better ship.
/end rant
So with my time in Florence I saw not one, not two, but three total films at the theater. Up until this weekend, I had seen only two films all year, so I increased my count by 150%. I figured I’d use today’s post to run down the films I saw…
First up, “Angels & Demons.” Why it was better than a history class in college: more comfortable seats and no comprehensive final exam once it was over. More seriously, if even half the stuff that movie posits about the Catholic church is true, all I’ve got is: “Holy Crap.” The plot was pretty horrendous, in terms of believability and plausibility, but I don’t suppose that was really the point. Tom Hanks/Robert Langdon was pretty wooden and mindless, just like he was in “Da Vinci.” You can do better Tom, you really can. The concept of the movie was cool though, much more interesting that “Da Vinci’s” concept. I enjoyed myself, I was in suspense, but I felt kinda dirty and icky after it was all over.
Next, “The Hangover.” Todd Phillips is a credit to America. I absolutely love how there is no joke and no situation Phillips is afraid to tackle. There’s a scene where a baby is strapped to a guy’s chest, and another idiot opens the car door and slams it into the baby, who obviously starts crying. The baby’s fine, but more importantly this is just a movie, just fiction. More than one person in the theater I know felt awkward because of the scene; I couldn’t stop laughing. That’s how Todd Phillips operates, he pushes buttons. Zach Galafanakis. That’s the name they should be calling out for the Best Actor Oscar next year. So amazing; he sold every line down to the last word, the last syllable. This movie made me desperately want to sell everything I own and hitchhike to Vegas.
Third and finally… Yes, the rumors are true, I saw “Star Trek.” Or, as I will forever refer to it: “The Tale of Two Films.” The start is phenomenal. The opening scene was absolutely perfect, I had cold chills as the screen faded to black and the sun rose on the spinning “Star Trek” logo. The story set up, watching Kirk waste away his life was absolutely brilliant. I wish they would have just stuck with that; it wouldn’t make sense of course, but I couldn’t help but wonder how much different the world of “Star Trek” would be if Kirk didn’t get on that transport ship to the Academy. Seeing the world of the young and growing Academy was interesting too. I got pulled in really well, and I had started to believe that I had been wrong in judging this movie.
But then the plot truly revealed itself. Once I realized all the villain wanted was revenge and to watch shit blow up, I got really tired and depressed. Villains like that always end up getting defeated; not because the plot dictates it (well, ok, yes because of that) but also because they’re too brain-dead and sightless to pose any sort of challenge. To better illustrate my point, the guy is a Romulan miner for fuck’s sake. How intimidating is that? Not very. Khan was a literal machine of super intelligence and death-making. That’s why he could go the revenge route and make it work, because he wasn’t just some other schmuck (like Nero is). I was literally falling asleep through the second half of the film.
I could go on about this for a long while, I’ll try to stop eventually. Karl Urban was great. He had Bones’ mannerisms and accent down to a T. That’s a lot of praise from me, considering Bones has just about always been my least favorite original series character (for no good reason at all, I will concede). Whoever played Chekov, thumbs up to you as well. You will not go unsung.
Dear Simon Pegg, I’m so sorry that Abrams and the screenwriters screwed you as hard as they did. But remember, you get the last laugh because “Shaun of the Dead” will be remembered long after the other 4 or 5 films in this new reboot series have all but killed the “Star Trek” franchise.
Apparently Romulan mining ships are some of the most poorly designed ships ever. The bloomin’ thing looked like a reject for some “Mad Max” vehicle. It’s pretty insulting to think the Romulans can’t design a better ship.
/end rant
14 June 2009
Steps Forward to the Dawn
Current Tunes: TV and the birds chirping in the sunny backyard
Recent developments have been moderately… surprising. I came to Florence this weekend looking for a quick escape, and I suppose I’ve received that, but I’ve also gotten something else I didn’t even intend to find. I’ve had a great time just spending time with my parents. It’s been enjoyable to the point that I’m actually going to stay another day just to get a little more of that. I haven’t had a weekend with them this stress-less, this quiet, calm. So for now, for once, I consider myself grateful for my parents.
I wonder how I’ll make out through summer school. Going with online classes, there’s no formula and regularity of class sessions to keep me grounded. I’ll have to do it all under my own power. What’s more difficult is I have little to no interest in these classes I’m taking. But I can succeed. Scratch that, will succeed.
There’s plenty of other things to be concerned about as well, goals and objectives to achieve. I have to narrow it down though. I absolutely cannot do all these things at once. My willpower, though I’m learning to summon it from the invisibles nether regions, still has a finite reserve and to try too much will only end in more disappointment and discouragement. A big piece of the puzzle has got to be figuring out a couple of things, not the least of which is learning to believe in myself and be confident. But at the same time not straining myself beyond my capabilities and limits.
At least I have a few things to keep the stress level down. LAN party in less than a week, then after that a trip to the beach for about a week. Balancing hard work and perseverance with recreation and relaxation will be the lesson of the month.
Recent developments have been moderately… surprising. I came to Florence this weekend looking for a quick escape, and I suppose I’ve received that, but I’ve also gotten something else I didn’t even intend to find. I’ve had a great time just spending time with my parents. It’s been enjoyable to the point that I’m actually going to stay another day just to get a little more of that. I haven’t had a weekend with them this stress-less, this quiet, calm. So for now, for once, I consider myself grateful for my parents.
I wonder how I’ll make out through summer school. Going with online classes, there’s no formula and regularity of class sessions to keep me grounded. I’ll have to do it all under my own power. What’s more difficult is I have little to no interest in these classes I’m taking. But I can succeed. Scratch that, will succeed.
There’s plenty of other things to be concerned about as well, goals and objectives to achieve. I have to narrow it down though. I absolutely cannot do all these things at once. My willpower, though I’m learning to summon it from the invisibles nether regions, still has a finite reserve and to try too much will only end in more disappointment and discouragement. A big piece of the puzzle has got to be figuring out a couple of things, not the least of which is learning to believe in myself and be confident. But at the same time not straining myself beyond my capabilities and limits.
At least I have a few things to keep the stress level down. LAN party in less than a week, then after that a trip to the beach for about a week. Balancing hard work and perseverance with recreation and relaxation will be the lesson of the month.
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