Flawed, but an OK way to kill a few hours on the couch.
I was interested in how Korean samurai movies compare with Japanese samurai movies, so I forgave many of this films fundamental transgressions. In the same way that photorealistic art undermines the thing that makes comic books work, the director of a sword-and-sash fantasy does his project a disservice when he opts for a grainy, cinema verite approach.
That kind of thing works in movies where you're trying to drive home some kind of reality (the beach landing from Saving Private Ryan comes to mind). It doesn't work so well when you've got people leaping onto the roofs of buildings and running across the tiles like a cat, or pulling arrows out of their chest so they can spit in the face of the opressor and fight on. It creates a disconnect with the audience.
This movie was Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon re-imagined as Gimme Shelter, and it just didn't pan out.
6.30.2006
movie: the latest
two more for the permanent collection:
Emma
A very nice Austen adaptation. The wife is adding it to her 'watch when depressed' stack, alongside The Apartment, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind & Manhattan
Titus
My pick, one of the greatest films ever made.
I think it was the role that broke Anthony Hopkins, in the way Apocalypse Now broke Frances Ford Coppola and Blade Runner broke Ridley Scott. He seems to have entered into the Brando stage of his career, cashing paychecks for mailed-in roles.
Emma
A very nice Austen adaptation. The wife is adding it to her 'watch when depressed' stack, alongside The Apartment, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind & Manhattan
Titus
My pick, one of the greatest films ever made.
I think it was the role that broke Anthony Hopkins, in the way Apocalypse Now broke Frances Ford Coppola and Blade Runner broke Ridley Scott. He seems to have entered into the Brando stage of his career, cashing paychecks for mailed-in roles.
6.29.2006
hee, hee
"Awkward moments abound in penis pump trial"
Yikes!
Former Judge Donald D. Thompson, a veteran of 23 years on the bench, is on trial on charges he used a penis pump on himself in the courtroom while sitting in judgment of others
Yikes!
6.28.2006
movie: battle royale (with cheese)
Lived up to my expectations.
Not everyone's cup of tea, but one of the greatest examples of the genus "real film wearing the skin of a genre movie" I've seen in quite a while.
This is the movie Quentin Tarantino wishes he could make but lacks the depth to pull off...which explains why he cast BR's Girl #13 as Gogo Yubari in Kill Bill.
Earns my highest rating.
Lovers of exploitation, Japanese weirdness and art films who don't mind buckets of arterial spray will be pleased.
Not everyone's cup of tea, but one of the greatest examples of the genus "real film wearing the skin of a genre movie" I've seen in quite a while.
This is the movie Quentin Tarantino wishes he could make but lacks the depth to pull off...which explains why he cast BR's Girl #13 as Gogo Yubari in Kill Bill.
Earns my highest rating.
Lovers of exploitation, Japanese weirdness and art films who don't mind buckets of arterial spray will be pleased.
movie liveblogging: Pitch Black
so far it's Alien Lite, not really bad but suffereing under the hand of a director who's reach substantially exceeds his grasp.
It's the sort of movie where the freshman actors treat the hokey script like Shakespeare and the Ripley stand-in says "what, do you think I'm trying to prove something?" to which the Dallas stand-in replies "I don't know....are you?".
Good news- the male romantic lead who I liked and thought looked vaguely familiar turns out to be Cole Hauser, son of one of my all-time favorite b-movie actors Wings Hauser.
Wings registered one of the all-time p4p b-movie tour de force roles as the maniacal pimp Ramrod in Vice Squad. I'm glad to see his boy getting some work.
final verdict:
A solid B- overall.
It had strengths and weaknesses. Sorta frustrating because the weaknesses could have been done away with by more diligent rewrites on the screenplay. But didn't piss me off and drive me crazy like so many mainstream releases. The critters were pretty cool, it didn't go overboard with explaining every little thing that happened and Vin did a solid job as the ex-con antihero.
Worth a rental.
On to my next victim!
It's the sort of movie where the freshman actors treat the hokey script like Shakespeare and the Ripley stand-in says "what, do you think I'm trying to prove something?" to which the Dallas stand-in replies "I don't know....are you?".
Good news- the male romantic lead who I liked and thought looked vaguely familiar turns out to be Cole Hauser, son of one of my all-time favorite b-movie actors Wings Hauser.
Wings registered one of the all-time p4p b-movie tour de force roles as the maniacal pimp Ramrod in Vice Squad. I'm glad to see his boy getting some work.
final verdict:
A solid B- overall.
It had strengths and weaknesses. Sorta frustrating because the weaknesses could have been done away with by more diligent rewrites on the screenplay. But didn't piss me off and drive me crazy like so many mainstream releases. The critters were pretty cool, it didn't go overboard with explaining every little thing that happened and Vin did a solid job as the ex-con antihero.
Worth a rental.
On to my next victim!
sick time
I hate being sick like Huey Newton hated The Man.
Fortunately I confront my nemesis only rarely...unlike Huey, who died of his affliction.
One silver lining of teh sick is freely indulging my weakness for cream of tomato soup & saltine crackers, one of the few relics of my childhood I've allowed to remain standing.
Another is grabbing a pile of b-movies and hunkering down on the couch for several hours of uninterrupted exploitation with absolutely no guilt.
Our DVD player is one of those weird Sony 5-disc changers, neatly eliminating the need to move for anything short of a pressing emergency.
tonight's lineup:
Battle Royale, a movie I've been meaning to see for a few years and not one I could ever talk the wife into, even though it stars Takeshi Kitano. He became a favorite of ours during our Paris idyll a few years ago. The movie house closest to our hotel was having a Kitano film festival where we stopped every day on our way back from touristy outings.
Predator II
I couldn't make it past the first 15 minutes of Aliens vs Predator so I thought I'd give this goofy sequel another spin.
Sword in the Moon
A modern Korean martial arts flick. I've been meaning to take a closer look at the Korean cinema renaissance...what better representative than a movie Rotten Tomatoes tags with the keywords "Foreign Films, Korean, Action, Adventure, Martial Arts, Vengeance, Assassins"
Pitch Black
I don't "get" Vin Diesel, but after seeing him on some talk show unabashedly admitting he played AD&D as a kid I decided to give him another chance. Even sickness would be no excuse for a Fast and the Furious screening, so this SF opus got the nod.
will report back with my findings.
Fortunately I confront my nemesis only rarely...unlike Huey, who died of his affliction.
One silver lining of teh sick is freely indulging my weakness for cream of tomato soup & saltine crackers, one of the few relics of my childhood I've allowed to remain standing.
Another is grabbing a pile of b-movies and hunkering down on the couch for several hours of uninterrupted exploitation with absolutely no guilt.
Our DVD player is one of those weird Sony 5-disc changers, neatly eliminating the need to move for anything short of a pressing emergency.
tonight's lineup:
Battle Royale, a movie I've been meaning to see for a few years and not one I could ever talk the wife into, even though it stars Takeshi Kitano. He became a favorite of ours during our Paris idyll a few years ago. The movie house closest to our hotel was having a Kitano film festival where we stopped every day on our way back from touristy outings.
Predator II
I couldn't make it past the first 15 minutes of Aliens vs Predator so I thought I'd give this goofy sequel another spin.
Sword in the Moon
A modern Korean martial arts flick. I've been meaning to take a closer look at the Korean cinema renaissance...what better representative than a movie Rotten Tomatoes tags with the keywords "Foreign Films, Korean, Action, Adventure, Martial Arts, Vengeance, Assassins"
Pitch Black
I don't "get" Vin Diesel, but after seeing him on some talk show unabashedly admitting he played AD&D as a kid I decided to give him another chance. Even sickness would be no excuse for a Fast and the Furious screening, so this SF opus got the nod.
will report back with my findings.
stolen content
Bobo has a pile of photos from his amazon river outing up on flickr.
Some cool shots of monkey and pirahnas.
Some cool shots of monkey and pirahnas.
6.25.2006
How You Know You're Getting Old
When you go to sleep feeling fine, and wake up with a twisted ankle you can barely walk on.
>:(
Feels like I rolled it playing basketball, but all I did was get a good night's sleep.
>:(
Feels like I rolled it playing basketball, but all I did was get a good night's sleep.
6.24.2006
no close friends?
Blame teh internets!!11
oh please.
maybe this is a problem for younger folk who grew up with the internet and have some kind of weird socialization, but I've met plenty of people I consider 'close friends' on-line.
And the internet has made staying in touch with my IRL close friends WAAAAY easier.
Instead of a letter every couple of weeks, I'm emailing, chatting and talking to them pretty much daily.
What say you, my loyal readers?
Has the net helped or hurt your social network?
oh please.
maybe this is a problem for younger folk who grew up with the internet and have some kind of weird socialization, but I've met plenty of people I consider 'close friends' on-line.
And the internet has made staying in touch with my IRL close friends WAAAAY easier.
Instead of a letter every couple of weeks, I'm emailing, chatting and talking to them pretty much daily.
What say you, my loyal readers?
Has the net helped or hurt your social network?
books: SCORE
Just had a Fine/Fine 1st edition of Martin's Game of Thrones come in over the counter.
I've got a couple of copies I snagged off the B&N sale table years ago, but they're in storage...this one will look nice on the shelf next to my 1st of Terry Goodkind's first book and my 1st of The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan.
Yeah, yeah...it's the second book in the series...but I've never even seen the 1st book in hardcover, let alone a 1st edition.
Scarcest modern fantasy/sf book I own:
A signed 1st of Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. It's an ex-library copy, but given it had a print run of 600 copies I'm not complaining.
I've got a couple of copies I snagged off the B&N sale table years ago, but they're in storage...this one will look nice on the shelf next to my 1st of Terry Goodkind's first book and my 1st of The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan.
Yeah, yeah...it's the second book in the series...but I've never even seen the 1st book in hardcover, let alone a 1st edition.
Scarcest modern fantasy/sf book I own:
A signed 1st of Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. It's an ex-library copy, but given it had a print run of 600 copies I'm not complaining.
More for Bobo & Ivanus
Undaunted by the lukewarm response to my discovery of dark treasure for my two anally-fixated pals, I place another offering on their (unreasonably selective) alter:
BEHOLD!
I think I have Bobo's next birthday gift...
BEHOLD!
I think I have Bobo's next birthday gift...
6.23.2006
the wife on America's Got Talent
lady:
this is Wazoo, he's an African Grey...
Regis:
now, why do they call the bird WAZOO?
lady:
Wazoo is French for 'bird'.
The Wife:
Bird in French is oiseau, you CUNT.
and on the next act:
"This reminds me of being a kid, this shitty dog shit."
this is Wazoo, he's an African Grey...
Regis:
now, why do they call the bird WAZOO?
lady:
Wazoo is French for 'bird'.
The Wife:
Bird in French is oiseau, you CUNT.
and on the next act:
"This reminds me of being a kid, this shitty dog shit."
world boxing announcers
One of the myriad joys of the internet, ranking right up there with free music and cheap hotel rooms, is the availability of foreign boxing to the enterprising fight fan.
The relative scarcity of top notch, competitive domestic fights even in good years makes access to quality fights from other countries a boon to the starving fan. I watched a handful of foreign treats tonight and subconsciously ranked the announcing teams...and what's the point of having a blog but to share such mental ephemera with my completely disinterested readership?
Well, disintersted except for DT.
I've disqualified the Brits because I can understand what they're saying. Listening to the Sky Sports team is like listening to American announcers who were kidnapped at birth and raised on a small island to be erudite, funny, interesting and accurate.
IRON ANNOUNCERS
#1: Japanese
What can I say...a hyped up Japanese announcing team could make Smoke Gainer vs Juan Manuel Marquez sound like World War III. They have that crazy guttural roar when they get agitated, and the rapid-fire staccato cadence of the language moves the rounds right along. Also, teams of multiple broadcasters have no qualms about all shouting at the same time if something astonishing happens in the ring.
#3: Germans
Anything shouted in German sounds like the end of the world. Plus, their production values are second to none and all of the best ringwalks I've ever seen are off German fights.
#3: French
Number three, but if I were going to listen to more than 45 minutes or so at a go I'd probably rank them #1. They can make the most awful carnage sound positively cultured. Plus, I can get the wife to translate in a pinch.
The relative scarcity of top notch, competitive domestic fights even in good years makes access to quality fights from other countries a boon to the starving fan. I watched a handful of foreign treats tonight and subconsciously ranked the announcing teams...and what's the point of having a blog but to share such mental ephemera with my completely disinterested readership?
Well, disintersted except for DT.
I've disqualified the Brits because I can understand what they're saying. Listening to the Sky Sports team is like listening to American announcers who were kidnapped at birth and raised on a small island to be erudite, funny, interesting and accurate.
IRON ANNOUNCERS
#1: Japanese
What can I say...a hyped up Japanese announcing team could make Smoke Gainer vs Juan Manuel Marquez sound like World War III. They have that crazy guttural roar when they get agitated, and the rapid-fire staccato cadence of the language moves the rounds right along. Also, teams of multiple broadcasters have no qualms about all shouting at the same time if something astonishing happens in the ring.
#3: Germans
Anything shouted in German sounds like the end of the world. Plus, their production values are second to none and all of the best ringwalks I've ever seen are off German fights.
#3: French
Number three, but if I were going to listen to more than 45 minutes or so at a go I'd probably rank them #1. They can make the most awful carnage sound positively cultured. Plus, I can get the wife to translate in a pinch.
film: Kung Fu Hustle
Top drawer!
Stephen Chow has graduated from a dude who's movies I avoided like bad fish to a quality filmmaker.
I'm sure this one appeals more to nerds like me with the cinematic equivalent of a Masters degree in wire-fu movies, but it's a winner even if you do miss most of the in-jokes and references to other genre films.
Good natured, unpredictable and with a surprising emotional resonance, it's the best kung fu flick I've seen in a good long while.
Stephen Chow has graduated from a dude who's movies I avoided like bad fish to a quality filmmaker.
I'm sure this one appeals more to nerds like me with the cinematic equivalent of a Masters degree in wire-fu movies, but it's a winner even if you do miss most of the in-jokes and references to other genre films.
Good natured, unpredictable and with a surprising emotional resonance, it's the best kung fu flick I've seen in a good long while.
One More Step Toward the Robot Apocalypse
courtesy DT's Brother's Brother
shudder!
“People are going to be having sex with robots within five years,” he said.
shudder!
6.22.2006
Hair Today
here ya go Anner.
Should work...I have it set so only friends and family can see, so if anyone photoshops it I'll know where to look!
(hat tip to DT's Brother for the post title)
Should work...I have it set so only friends and family can see, so if anyone photoshops it I'll know where to look!
(hat tip to DT's Brother for the post title)
6.21.2006
Time to Dump AT&T
They just changed their rules so they can reveal your data to whoever they want, whenever they want, for whatever reason comes to mind.
clicky clicky.
Nice!
clicky clicky.
Nice!
classic movies it's OK to hate
according to The Onion.
Just FYI, it's not Ok to hate Clockwork Orange, whatever some mouthy Onion intern says.
Just FYI, it's not Ok to hate Clockwork Orange, whatever some mouthy Onion intern says.
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