Well, I'm back and safe from the concrete black hole known as Los Angeles. I'm afraid to say that my pop culture team "Out of the Way Peck!" did not qualify for the 2007 World Series of Pop Culture. I signed a non-disclosure agreement about the testing procedures they put us through, but let me just say that I probably should've more adequately studied the works of David Hasselhoff and Lauren Graham.
Pictures are to follow, but not for a couple of days. In order to fix my computer, they had to re-install the home version of Windows. As a result, many of the traditional programs I use to edit photos and view videos are not presently working. So now I'm faced with getting my crappy computer up to snuff or just patiently waiting for the iMac to arrive (and not know how to work it). Yes, I just ordered it today. HUGE HEADACHE. Apparently I have a limit on how much I spend using my debit card. I wasn't aware of that until today, so I was on the phone with Wells Fargo asking for an increase in my limit and also on the phone with Apple asking them to continue in their attempts to authorize the payment. I had to call Wells Fargo twice and Apple three times. I'm hoping that if Macs are as good as everyone says they are, my new computer will do all my phone work from now on.
Anyway, pictures coming soon!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Friday, January 26, 2007
let's look at me for a minute
We haven't seen me in a little while, so here I am. Most of you who know me know that I grow an official "Chester A. Arthur" every year for New Year's Eve. I kept year's a little longer on account that I think it's perfect for trying out for The World Series of Pop Culture. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go here. I know that many of you are annoyed by my silly scruff lately, but bear with me for a little while longer. If our team doesn't make it, I'll shave it right off.Btw, we're leaving in a few hours so have us in your prayers! Actually, it might be a bad idea to actually ask God for help in something so inherantly trivial and worldly. Just wish us luck. And thanks everybody for watching all those movies and all that tv and playing all those video games with me.
You may also notice in this picture that I've got something in my mouth. A few weeks ago I had a horrible toothache. I suspected just another cavity (I get lots), but the dentist couldn't find anything. His best guess was that I'm grinding my teeth in my sleep. I thought it weird, but the teeth team went ahead and made me a cute teeth mold for me to wear to bed. I've been wearing it and it seems to be working. No more toothache. I never would have pegged myself as a grinder. As a bonus they made me one for my upper teeth too and gave me bleaching syringes. For the past several years I've been a little insecure about my toothy yellow. It probably was brought about when I bought some vampire teeth for Halloween that were pre-yellowed (like monster teeth should be) and I discovered that my teeth were actually yellower. I'm hoping these bleaching trays will change that. Hopefully next time you see me, I won't be afraid to smile or bite you.
peter gunn is my homeboy
So Joe just came over and killed me at Guitar Hero. For a while there I thought I would have no equal but man, that guys got some skills. I'm pretty secure in the fact that nobody else on the planet that I also know can beat me at Guitar Hero. And I also take comfort in the fact that although I'm not infallible in one video game arena, there are others where I can't be touched. For example, I am the greatest Spyhunter player I know as evidenced by this self-recorded footage:
Yeah, that's right. I got to the boats AND the dreaded icy roads. Jealous. I also feel I was gypped on a lot of my kills. Those last two were totally bad calls on the game's part.
Yeah, that's right. I got to the boats AND the dreaded icy roads. Jealous. I also feel I was gypped on a lot of my kills. Those last two were totally bad calls on the game's part.
Monday, January 22, 2007
the two most unrelated things ever
Thanks everyone for your awesome input on the computer matter. I gotta tell ya, the more I learn about iMacs, the more excited I am to try them out. If nothing else I can at least pad my resume with sweet Mac skillz. I might go pick it up tomorrow. Here are the specs I'm partial to:
Specifications
2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
250GB Serial ATA Drive
ATI Radeon X1600/256MB VRAM
SuperDrive 8X (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Final Cut Express HD preinstalled
Apple Keyboard & Mighty Mouse + Mac OS X (US English)
AppleCare Protection Plan for iMac - Auto-enroll
20-inch widescreen LCD
AirPort Extreme
Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
I'll probably be buying some kind of Photoshop as well as a new edition of Microsoft Office for OS-X. This could set me back, but at least it will give me something to play with while I'm all poor again and stuff.
In the meantime, I got my old computer back from the shop, so a c-note later and it sorta works again. Right when I got it back I began making back-ups of the essential stuff on there before I get a new computer (or before it crashes again... whatever comes first) and I came across this little gem:
This is one of the oldest films I've ever made. Of the three films I've made, this one is the second oldest. My friend Jeremey Tuck and I collaborated to put this project together. I'm afraid to say, the book is way better in a lot of ways. Some aspects of the story are lost on the screen, such as the relationship with Blind Guy With Bazooka and Dismembered Man. Also, we simply had no budget to simply establish the setting as "the entire universe." Filming was limited to Peter Ivie's house and the parking lot at Albertson's. Keep in mind that this was originally made without the use of video editors. This is especially noticeable between scenes where a lot of essential information was accidentally chopped off due to "on-site editing" (sometimes the editing turned out remarkably well, however (especially during the climactic "spit sequence)). This version is an updated "director's cut" (done without permission of Jeremy Tuck) with effects updated to 19th century standards and actual credits. I might should make a director's commentary with this one if for no other reason than to just explain what's going on. Probably the most important thing to remember is that there are ten different characters in the movie even though we really only had two actors and didn't even bother with wardrobe.
Specifications
2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
250GB Serial ATA Drive
ATI Radeon X1600/256MB VRAM
SuperDrive 8X (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Final Cut Express HD preinstalled
Apple Keyboard & Mighty Mouse + Mac OS X (US English)
AppleCare Protection Plan for iMac - Auto-enroll
20-inch widescreen LCD
AirPort Extreme
Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
I'll probably be buying some kind of Photoshop as well as a new edition of Microsoft Office for OS-X. This could set me back, but at least it will give me something to play with while I'm all poor again and stuff.
In the meantime, I got my old computer back from the shop, so a c-note later and it sorta works again. Right when I got it back I began making back-ups of the essential stuff on there before I get a new computer (or before it crashes again... whatever comes first) and I came across this little gem:
This is one of the oldest films I've ever made. Of the three films I've made, this one is the second oldest. My friend Jeremey Tuck and I collaborated to put this project together. I'm afraid to say, the book is way better in a lot of ways. Some aspects of the story are lost on the screen, such as the relationship with Blind Guy With Bazooka and Dismembered Man. Also, we simply had no budget to simply establish the setting as "the entire universe." Filming was limited to Peter Ivie's house and the parking lot at Albertson's. Keep in mind that this was originally made without the use of video editors. This is especially noticeable between scenes where a lot of essential information was accidentally chopped off due to "on-site editing" (sometimes the editing turned out remarkably well, however (especially during the climactic "spit sequence)). This version is an updated "director's cut" (done without permission of Jeremy Tuck) with effects updated to 19th century standards and actual credits. I might should make a director's commentary with this one if for no other reason than to just explain what's going on. Probably the most important thing to remember is that there are ten different characters in the movie even though we really only had two actors and didn't even bother with wardrobe.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
help me os-1 kenobi, you're my only hope
Okay I don't actually know who or how many of you are out there who actually read this thing, but I could use your help right now.
Once again, my computer is in the shop. I took it in a week ago because it had a hard time connecting to the internet. I assumed it would be an overnight job, but they've run into all sorts of problems fixing it. It's to the point where I'm avoiding calling them to see what's up, partially out of embarrassment for them. They're the ones who supplied me with a new computer when it crashed last time, and I've continued to have problems with it. Those of you even slightly aware of my wired lifestyle know that I've had CONSTANT computer problems for the last FIVE YEARS.
Anyway, I have no doubt that I'll be starting completely over, and not just getting a new CPU and hard drive. I am SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING switching over to Mac. I'm always pretty hesitant about life changes, but at the same time, they usually go smoothly with very little hitch. Leaving Cricket for T-Mobile wasn't that big of a deal at all. I pretty much still use a phone the same way. Snowboarding for skiing went alright as well. It's brought new pleasures, and yet I'm still just as dorky on the slopes. Switching from blondes to brunettes was equally fruitful.
Anyway, I've got lots of options to mull over computer-wise. I look forward to using a Mac for pictures, video editing and publishing reasons. At the same time, I'm worried that I will have to sacrifice computer games (which I guess I don't really play anymore anyway) and internet options. Macs can be more expensive and I'm wondering if they're worth the extra money or if I'll even notice the difference. I hear Macs don't have spyware problems. Whatever the reason, how true is this? What makes a Mac a Mac Pro?
Anyway, more importantly, there are also the issues of public use and portability. My computer is traditionally the one used by visitors in my home. What do you people think specifically about the following options:
1) Get a Mac Pro desktop unit that will sit in the public area of my house on my desk. Will visitors be afraid or ashamed of using a Mac? I like this option because I'd probably rather do video editing on a desktop.
2) Ditch the old computer and just get a new Dell PC desktop. This is the most comfortable and cheap option which would completely eliminate the whole Apple presence.
3) Get my computer back, flaws and all, to use it as the public computer. Proceed to buy a MacBook for myself that I could have in my room, on the bus, on the beach, wherever. I'm hoping that having a more portable computer would help me keep up with blog entries and frivolous surfing. At the same time, I'm afraid I'll use it less because it doesn't have the convenient layout of a desktop environment.
4) I'm strangely leaning toward this one even though it's vomit-inducingly impractical. Get a new MacBook AND get a new Dell PC. I didn't mention above that it wouldn't be too much more expensive to get the Dell since I already have the monitor, keyboard, mouse, camera dock, printer and scanner (the printer and scanner, by the way, aren't working with the current p.o.s. I have in the shop right now).
Is there a combination that I'm not aware of? Should I make Rhett buy a desktop? Nobody's said that yet have they? What do you think? Give it to me. Remember, the sooner you get back to me, the sooner we can be gathered around the computer letting the radiation of YouTube hit us right in the face.
Once again, my computer is in the shop. I took it in a week ago because it had a hard time connecting to the internet. I assumed it would be an overnight job, but they've run into all sorts of problems fixing it. It's to the point where I'm avoiding calling them to see what's up, partially out of embarrassment for them. They're the ones who supplied me with a new computer when it crashed last time, and I've continued to have problems with it. Those of you even slightly aware of my wired lifestyle know that I've had CONSTANT computer problems for the last FIVE YEARS.
Anyway, I have no doubt that I'll be starting completely over, and not just getting a new CPU and hard drive. I am SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING switching over to Mac. I'm always pretty hesitant about life changes, but at the same time, they usually go smoothly with very little hitch. Leaving Cricket for T-Mobile wasn't that big of a deal at all. I pretty much still use a phone the same way. Snowboarding for skiing went alright as well. It's brought new pleasures, and yet I'm still just as dorky on the slopes. Switching from blondes to brunettes was equally fruitful.
Anyway, I've got lots of options to mull over computer-wise. I look forward to using a Mac for pictures, video editing and publishing reasons. At the same time, I'm worried that I will have to sacrifice computer games (which I guess I don't really play anymore anyway) and internet options. Macs can be more expensive and I'm wondering if they're worth the extra money or if I'll even notice the difference. I hear Macs don't have spyware problems. Whatever the reason, how true is this? What makes a Mac a Mac Pro?
Anyway, more importantly, there are also the issues of public use and portability. My computer is traditionally the one used by visitors in my home. What do you people think specifically about the following options:
1) Get a Mac Pro desktop unit that will sit in the public area of my house on my desk. Will visitors be afraid or ashamed of using a Mac? I like this option because I'd probably rather do video editing on a desktop.
2) Ditch the old computer and just get a new Dell PC desktop. This is the most comfortable and cheap option which would completely eliminate the whole Apple presence.
3) Get my computer back, flaws and all, to use it as the public computer. Proceed to buy a MacBook for myself that I could have in my room, on the bus, on the beach, wherever. I'm hoping that having a more portable computer would help me keep up with blog entries and frivolous surfing. At the same time, I'm afraid I'll use it less because it doesn't have the convenient layout of a desktop environment.
4) I'm strangely leaning toward this one even though it's vomit-inducingly impractical. Get a new MacBook AND get a new Dell PC. I didn't mention above that it wouldn't be too much more expensive to get the Dell since I already have the monitor, keyboard, mouse, camera dock, printer and scanner (the printer and scanner, by the way, aren't working with the current p.o.s. I have in the shop right now).
Is there a combination that I'm not aware of? Should I make Rhett buy a desktop? Nobody's said that yet have they? What do you think? Give it to me. Remember, the sooner you get back to me, the sooner we can be gathered around the computer letting the radiation of YouTube hit us right in the face.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
the 29 best songs of 2006 (a couple of them i only heard once)!
***Sorry this took so long to put up! My computer euthanized itself again. I'll probably have to write about it.***
29. "The Adventure" by Angels and Airwaves
I got this cd free from Graywhale for registering up for a membership. I gave it to Rhett because he used to be a big Blink fan. He immediately gave it back because it sucks. I think Angels songs are pretty cool by themselves, but you don't want to listen to more than one of them at a time. I'll also forever remember this song on the graduation episode of The O.C. which is sadly cancelled now. I should probably be blogging about the trauma that's caused me.
28. "When You Were Young" by The Killers
This sort of grew on me after a while, but then got sort of stale. Brandon Flowers talked big all year, but when it came down to delivering the goods all anybody could think was that this is no "Mr. Brightside." Still, it's very fun to sing along to.
27. "Into the Ocean by Blue October
"Hate Me" was one of my very least favorite songs of the year, so this one came as a surprise to me when I discovered I liked it. Absolute stunning melody. One thing I'll always remember about this band is that Zayra's best performance on Rockstar: Supernova was a Blue October song. It was also the song that eliminated her.
26. "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" by Arctic Monkeys
I wonder if The Arctic Monkeys are The U.K.'s answer to The Monkees. I didn't hear this song this year as much as I think I should have. Too bad the band wasn't able to exceed the ridiculous expectations set out for them. Stupid British press. Well, they really were fun while they lasted.
25. "Promiscuous" by Nelly Furtado
I think one of the most amusing things to witness in the music scene is when sweet, folksy chicks suddenly skank the shiz out of themselves. Usually they laugh it off and say something like, "It's totally cool that I do it; because, really, It's totally not me. I'm not really a skank, so it's funny." Probably the best definition of a skank is a girl who goes around needing to tell people that she's not a skank. Skank actually might be too harsh a word for Nelly, but it's kind of in that direction. Just a little more promiscuous. The song itself gets stuck in the head too.
24. "You Have Killed Me" by Morrissey
I probably would have given this one a better ranking if not for two reasons. First, I didn't hear it enough. Also, I prefer the darkly humorous Morrissey to the over-the-top Morrissey. Of course if I heard it more, I probably would have gleaned a bunch of funny from it.
23. "American Witch" by Rob Zombie
Here's another one I totally could have used more of. Like Morrissey, Zombie's thematics are near-perfect for me. As a result, he can release something not nearly as infectious as his earlier stuff, but I'd still dig it enough to put it on my list.
22. "Psychological" by Pet Shop Boys
I really only heard this song once and it was during the Pet Shop Boys concert. The concert was beautifully silly and most of the new stuff (especially this song) had a darker, uniquer sound to it.
21. "White and Nerdy" by Weird Al Yankovic
I'm amazed that this (apparently) is his only top ten hit. You'd think I would have heard it more if it was his most popular song ever. Oh well. I've always respected the guy. He doesn't just rip people off, he takes it very very seriously.
20. "I Thought It Was You" by Andy Bell
This is pretty much a plug for his whole solo cd which came out this year. This particular tune is guested by Jake Shears from Scissor Sisters (whose song "I Don't Feel Like Dancing" nearly nearly made this list). Anyway, Bell does a tremendous job here (even more so than in Erasure) of injecting a sort of exuberance into electronic music where there's usually sterility.
19. "Nausea" by Beck
Beck did a couple things that will make me always love him: 1) He made a prominent appearance on a hilarious episode of Futurama and 2) He and his band put in some awesome television performances this past year with this song. Did anyone see the puppets with this song on Saturday Night Live?
18. "Whoo! Alright Yeah.. Uh Huh" by the Rapture
C'mon, you know the title alone ensures it breaking the top 20, right? Great band. Great grooves. More cowbell.
17. "Out of Control" by She Wants Revenge
I can't imagine this band will have much of a lasting effect on the music scene considering that they're pretty much electronic spoken word. This song, however, is fabulous at setting a beat and then setting a mood. Pretty dark-dancey.
16. "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" by Jet
Even though most rock critics make fun of this band's lack of depth, but I think their straight-forward sense of rock is simply great. At least I think that when they decide to rock rather than chill out. This song, for example, took me by surprise. It's fun to scream to just like "Cold Hard Bitch" was a couple of years ago, but I had no idea it was them when i first heard it. I actually thought it was a chick singing (a wicked hard-as-nails chick).
15. "Love Like Winter" by A.F.I.
This is a really strange entry. I never much cared for this band, especially the singer's voice. A.F.I. released a few hugely successful songs here in Utah and they must have worn me down for this one. Maybe its timing was good, coming out in the middle of winter and all. I also love the emphasized guitar reverb echo near the beginning of the chorus. I'll always air guitar that part.
14. "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White Ts
Speaking of popular here in Utah... when I first heard this song I was driving alone and I actually said out loud, "IS THIS A JOKE? THIS HAS GOT TO BE A JOKE." 300 listens later and I sing along to every word of this ridiculous gooey sapfest. My favorite set of lines: "Two more years and you'll be done with school and I'll be making history like I do/You'll know it's all because of you,/ we can do whatever we want to/Hey there Delilah, here's to you,/this one's for you." There's nothing like rhyming five lines -- three of which use the same word.
13. "Trouble Sleeping" by Corinne Bailey Rae
Light jazz can be a difficult habit to get into. Personally I think it tends to sound a bit too lazy most of the time. Of course what do I know? I'm still trying to get into it. Corinne Bailey Rae sang part of this song on Studio 60. For some reason I've seen nearly every episode of that show, but I'm not shy about expressing that I'm pretty underwhelmed by it. If nothing else, maybe I was guided to watch just to discover this gem. It's light jazz, but it has a really groovy sly bite to it that I don't even hear in her other songs.
12. "Lali Est Paresseux" by Nellie McKay
Nellie, of course, is my personal high-ranking lady of pop-jazz. I didn't write about it too much, but seeing her perform live in New York was the highlight of that whole trip. Tragically, her cd I've been waiting for a year to come out didn't impress me as much as I felt it should. This song, sung in French, was the big winner. It has Nellie's sense of child-like fun just seeping from it. Definitely a fun one to sing-along to even though I don't understand it. It actually turns out that, translated, it's pretty much gibberish.
11. "Ain't No Other Man" by Christina Aguilera
I've always favored Britney more than Xtina. Everyone knows that Aguilera has way more talent, but I've never really been able to actually enjoy her actual songs as much. She was very very wise to go all retro and pull out the sweet sweet big band horns. Such a joyous throwback actually scored her a spot better than the exquisite Nellie McKay (not an easy feat)! Speaking of throwbacks, did anybody see Idlewild? I really wanted to see it. I'm sure if I did, there'd be an OutKast song somewhere on this list.
10. "Knights of Cydonia" by Muse
At first I thought that Muse evolved into camp from their Absolution days. After actually witnessing them perform this geeked out D&D ode (or whatever the hell it's about, I have no idea) in the flesh standing in front of a sweet stage fan blowing their hair majestically, I humbly stand corrected by their wailing awesomeness.
***Hmm. Wow. I just looked up what some people say this song is about and someone said that Cydonia is the area on Mars where that famous face is at that some people say proves that life existed on Mars. So I guess that means this song is sort of about the last stand of ancient Martians. Whoa! I'm getting so much geek energy right now!***
9. "Le Disko" by Shiny Toy Guns
Sort of an underdog song that lots of people latched onto. Every year I cheer for an underdog that sounds like it was an underdog back in '85. I love the beat of silence.
8. "My Love" by Justin Timberlake
It's a good thing I adore this song because toward the end of the year I would hear it three times a day. It's enjoyable pop subtlety at its finest.
7. "S.O.S." by Rhianna
The very instant I heard it with its Soft Cell sample, I shuddered just a little before realizing that Soft Cell did their own rip-off of "Tainted Love." It's not that I hate covers or samples. I totally don't, I just sometimes worry that people don't acknowledge the source material. This one of course is unique. Rhianna sampled from a song that is a cover of another song. I bet it gave the record company lawyers quite a headache. Anyway, I very much approve the use of this particular sample. It ultimately created a real fun ride.
6. "Lazy Eye" by Silver Sun Pickups
This one sounds like the meloncholorful groove of Gish-era Smashing Pumpkins. It has a very very pretty build-up that totally calms me down. Easy and dreamy. I hope the song itself isn't about something stressful, because it has the opposite effect with me.
5. "Steady As She Goes" by Raconteurs
Jack White is a hero of mine, so it's wonderful to see him with an actual band. Of course they did write a song that sounds just like "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" by Joe Jackson, but that's a favorite of mine as well.
4. "Martyr" by Depeche Mode
This one went more under the radar than I think it should have. I got into it a lot more than most of the stuff off of Playing the Angel. I'm not totally certain that everyone agrees with me since I don't associate with my fellow Mode-ites nearly as much as I used to. Am I wrong? Is this not actually a really good song? It appears on their new best of compilation and, like "A Pain That I'm Used To" from last year, it really thematically sums up Depeche Mode's music. If you get a chance, check out the promo video the label compiled together for this song. I really think it's cool.
3. "Here It Goes Again" by OK Go
Of course the video for this is probably in my top ten of all-time favorite videos, but unfortunately it was a long time before I realized how catchy the song itself is. Hopefully in the long run the song isn't eclipsed by its video.
2. "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley
You may notice that my entries are getting pretty small. One would consider that I'd talk a lot more about the top picks. Well, I'm tired. Sorry. And anyway, you all know this song. Hopefully Gnarls sticks around. They bring some long-needed new blood for both rock and hip-hop.
1. "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by Deathcab for Cutie
I listened to hundreds of songs this year, but only one made me cry (well "Crying" by Roy Orbison made me cry, but that one didn't come out this year). Make sure you pick up a Halloween 2006 cd. J.R. did a really fabulous augmented version of this song that will make you cry then scream.
Well, that's it. I do want to throw out a couple of honorable mentions:
"This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" by Fallout Boy: I don't really like the band or their over-exposure, but all the beginning of this year, this one has been stuck in my head.
"Mother" by Wolfmother: I just bought Guitar Hero II and I got to wail out with this song. It mother-rocks.
The whole Teddybears cd: In my haste, I neglected to pick a song off of here before compiling my list together. The record is actually awesome. It's the guy from Caesars, one of my favorite bands of the last five years. The music, however, is a lot more electronic and dance-driven. Some of the songs are in commercials right now.
29. "The Adventure" by Angels and Airwaves
I got this cd free from Graywhale for registering up for a membership. I gave it to Rhett because he used to be a big Blink fan. He immediately gave it back because it sucks. I think Angels songs are pretty cool by themselves, but you don't want to listen to more than one of them at a time. I'll also forever remember this song on the graduation episode of The O.C. which is sadly cancelled now. I should probably be blogging about the trauma that's caused me.
28. "When You Were Young" by The Killers
This sort of grew on me after a while, but then got sort of stale. Brandon Flowers talked big all year, but when it came down to delivering the goods all anybody could think was that this is no "Mr. Brightside." Still, it's very fun to sing along to.
27. "Into the Ocean by Blue October
"Hate Me" was one of my very least favorite songs of the year, so this one came as a surprise to me when I discovered I liked it. Absolute stunning melody. One thing I'll always remember about this band is that Zayra's best performance on Rockstar: Supernova was a Blue October song. It was also the song that eliminated her.
26. "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" by Arctic Monkeys
I wonder if The Arctic Monkeys are The U.K.'s answer to The Monkees. I didn't hear this song this year as much as I think I should have. Too bad the band wasn't able to exceed the ridiculous expectations set out for them. Stupid British press. Well, they really were fun while they lasted.
25. "Promiscuous" by Nelly Furtado
I think one of the most amusing things to witness in the music scene is when sweet, folksy chicks suddenly skank the shiz out of themselves. Usually they laugh it off and say something like, "It's totally cool that I do it; because, really, It's totally not me. I'm not really a skank, so it's funny." Probably the best definition of a skank is a girl who goes around needing to tell people that she's not a skank. Skank actually might be too harsh a word for Nelly, but it's kind of in that direction. Just a little more promiscuous. The song itself gets stuck in the head too.
24. "You Have Killed Me" by Morrissey
I probably would have given this one a better ranking if not for two reasons. First, I didn't hear it enough. Also, I prefer the darkly humorous Morrissey to the over-the-top Morrissey. Of course if I heard it more, I probably would have gleaned a bunch of funny from it.
23. "American Witch" by Rob Zombie
Here's another one I totally could have used more of. Like Morrissey, Zombie's thematics are near-perfect for me. As a result, he can release something not nearly as infectious as his earlier stuff, but I'd still dig it enough to put it on my list.
22. "Psychological" by Pet Shop Boys
I really only heard this song once and it was during the Pet Shop Boys concert. The concert was beautifully silly and most of the new stuff (especially this song) had a darker, uniquer sound to it.
21. "White and Nerdy" by Weird Al Yankovic
I'm amazed that this (apparently) is his only top ten hit. You'd think I would have heard it more if it was his most popular song ever. Oh well. I've always respected the guy. He doesn't just rip people off, he takes it very very seriously.
20. "I Thought It Was You" by Andy Bell
This is pretty much a plug for his whole solo cd which came out this year. This particular tune is guested by Jake Shears from Scissor Sisters (whose song "I Don't Feel Like Dancing" nearly nearly made this list). Anyway, Bell does a tremendous job here (even more so than in Erasure) of injecting a sort of exuberance into electronic music where there's usually sterility.
19. "Nausea" by Beck
Beck did a couple things that will make me always love him: 1) He made a prominent appearance on a hilarious episode of Futurama and 2) He and his band put in some awesome television performances this past year with this song. Did anyone see the puppets with this song on Saturday Night Live?
18. "Whoo! Alright Yeah.. Uh Huh" by the Rapture
C'mon, you know the title alone ensures it breaking the top 20, right? Great band. Great grooves. More cowbell.
17. "Out of Control" by She Wants Revenge
I can't imagine this band will have much of a lasting effect on the music scene considering that they're pretty much electronic spoken word. This song, however, is fabulous at setting a beat and then setting a mood. Pretty dark-dancey.
16. "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" by Jet
Even though most rock critics make fun of this band's lack of depth, but I think their straight-forward sense of rock is simply great. At least I think that when they decide to rock rather than chill out. This song, for example, took me by surprise. It's fun to scream to just like "Cold Hard Bitch" was a couple of years ago, but I had no idea it was them when i first heard it. I actually thought it was a chick singing (a wicked hard-as-nails chick).
15. "Love Like Winter" by A.F.I.
This is a really strange entry. I never much cared for this band, especially the singer's voice. A.F.I. released a few hugely successful songs here in Utah and they must have worn me down for this one. Maybe its timing was good, coming out in the middle of winter and all. I also love the emphasized guitar reverb echo near the beginning of the chorus. I'll always air guitar that part.
14. "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White Ts
Speaking of popular here in Utah... when I first heard this song I was driving alone and I actually said out loud, "IS THIS A JOKE? THIS HAS GOT TO BE A JOKE." 300 listens later and I sing along to every word of this ridiculous gooey sapfest. My favorite set of lines: "Two more years and you'll be done with school and I'll be making history like I do/You'll know it's all because of you,/ we can do whatever we want to/Hey there Delilah, here's to you,/this one's for you." There's nothing like rhyming five lines -- three of which use the same word.
13. "Trouble Sleeping" by Corinne Bailey Rae
Light jazz can be a difficult habit to get into. Personally I think it tends to sound a bit too lazy most of the time. Of course what do I know? I'm still trying to get into it. Corinne Bailey Rae sang part of this song on Studio 60. For some reason I've seen nearly every episode of that show, but I'm not shy about expressing that I'm pretty underwhelmed by it. If nothing else, maybe I was guided to watch just to discover this gem. It's light jazz, but it has a really groovy sly bite to it that I don't even hear in her other songs.
12. "Lali Est Paresseux" by Nellie McKay
Nellie, of course, is my personal high-ranking lady of pop-jazz. I didn't write about it too much, but seeing her perform live in New York was the highlight of that whole trip. Tragically, her cd I've been waiting for a year to come out didn't impress me as much as I felt it should. This song, sung in French, was the big winner. It has Nellie's sense of child-like fun just seeping from it. Definitely a fun one to sing-along to even though I don't understand it. It actually turns out that, translated, it's pretty much gibberish.
11. "Ain't No Other Man" by Christina Aguilera
I've always favored Britney more than Xtina. Everyone knows that Aguilera has way more talent, but I've never really been able to actually enjoy her actual songs as much. She was very very wise to go all retro and pull out the sweet sweet big band horns. Such a joyous throwback actually scored her a spot better than the exquisite Nellie McKay (not an easy feat)! Speaking of throwbacks, did anybody see Idlewild? I really wanted to see it. I'm sure if I did, there'd be an OutKast song somewhere on this list.
10. "Knights of Cydonia" by Muse
At first I thought that Muse evolved into camp from their Absolution days. After actually witnessing them perform this geeked out D&D ode (or whatever the hell it's about, I have no idea) in the flesh standing in front of a sweet stage fan blowing their hair majestically, I humbly stand corrected by their wailing awesomeness.
***Hmm. Wow. I just looked up what some people say this song is about and someone said that Cydonia is the area on Mars where that famous face is at that some people say proves that life existed on Mars. So I guess that means this song is sort of about the last stand of ancient Martians. Whoa! I'm getting so much geek energy right now!***
9. "Le Disko" by Shiny Toy Guns
Sort of an underdog song that lots of people latched onto. Every year I cheer for an underdog that sounds like it was an underdog back in '85. I love the beat of silence.
8. "My Love" by Justin Timberlake
It's a good thing I adore this song because toward the end of the year I would hear it three times a day. It's enjoyable pop subtlety at its finest.
7. "S.O.S." by Rhianna
The very instant I heard it with its Soft Cell sample, I shuddered just a little before realizing that Soft Cell did their own rip-off of "Tainted Love." It's not that I hate covers or samples. I totally don't, I just sometimes worry that people don't acknowledge the source material. This one of course is unique. Rhianna sampled from a song that is a cover of another song. I bet it gave the record company lawyers quite a headache. Anyway, I very much approve the use of this particular sample. It ultimately created a real fun ride.
6. "Lazy Eye" by Silver Sun Pickups
This one sounds like the meloncholorful groove of Gish-era Smashing Pumpkins. It has a very very pretty build-up that totally calms me down. Easy and dreamy. I hope the song itself isn't about something stressful, because it has the opposite effect with me.
5. "Steady As She Goes" by Raconteurs
Jack White is a hero of mine, so it's wonderful to see him with an actual band. Of course they did write a song that sounds just like "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" by Joe Jackson, but that's a favorite of mine as well.
4. "Martyr" by Depeche Mode
This one went more under the radar than I think it should have. I got into it a lot more than most of the stuff off of Playing the Angel. I'm not totally certain that everyone agrees with me since I don't associate with my fellow Mode-ites nearly as much as I used to. Am I wrong? Is this not actually a really good song? It appears on their new best of compilation and, like "A Pain That I'm Used To" from last year, it really thematically sums up Depeche Mode's music. If you get a chance, check out the promo video the label compiled together for this song. I really think it's cool.
3. "Here It Goes Again" by OK Go
Of course the video for this is probably in my top ten of all-time favorite videos, but unfortunately it was a long time before I realized how catchy the song itself is. Hopefully in the long run the song isn't eclipsed by its video.
2. "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley
You may notice that my entries are getting pretty small. One would consider that I'd talk a lot more about the top picks. Well, I'm tired. Sorry. And anyway, you all know this song. Hopefully Gnarls sticks around. They bring some long-needed new blood for both rock and hip-hop.
1. "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by Deathcab for Cutie
I listened to hundreds of songs this year, but only one made me cry (well "Crying" by Roy Orbison made me cry, but that one didn't come out this year). Make sure you pick up a Halloween 2006 cd. J.R. did a really fabulous augmented version of this song that will make you cry then scream.
Well, that's it. I do want to throw out a couple of honorable mentions:
"This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" by Fallout Boy: I don't really like the band or their over-exposure, but all the beginning of this year, this one has been stuck in my head.
"Mother" by Wolfmother: I just bought Guitar Hero II and I got to wail out with this song. It mother-rocks.
The whole Teddybears cd: In my haste, I neglected to pick a song off of here before compiling my list together. The record is actually awesome. It's the guy from Caesars, one of my favorite bands of the last five years. The music, however, is a lot more electronic and dance-driven. Some of the songs are in commercials right now.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
a spiteful suicide
So guess what place ran out of curry again today. I'll give you a hint. It rhymes with shmeriyaki shmix at shmeast shmay shmoulevard in shmprovo. You can check out what I've already disgustedly written about this place here. Their record for having the most popular meal there is now LESS THAN 50%. This time when they broke the news to me, I didn't even acknowledge them. I muttered "Son of a..." and then just drove off.
I'm seriously considering buying the domain name www.theteriyakistixateastbayinprovosucks.com
As a result, I went to Taco Bell. Too soon, you think?
If I happen to die from eating Taco Bell food, I just want all my friends and family know that I love them and I'm sorry for leaving you and that the Teriyaki Stix at East Bay doesn't actually serve food. Mom can have all my money, Maria can have my snowboard, Rhett can have my mug collection and the rest of you can fight over my cds and dvds.
Despite killing people every once in a while, the folks at Taco Bell had what I wanted, promptly served me, asked if I wanted condiments and were just plain friendly in general. Of course I STILL don't know the difference between a chalupa and a gordita. Isn't one supposed to have a hard shell?
By the way, my list of the top 29 songs of 2006 is still coming (if I survive)!
I'm seriously considering buying the domain name www.theteriyakistixateastbayinprovosucks.com
As a result, I went to Taco Bell. Too soon, you think?
If I happen to die from eating Taco Bell food, I just want all my friends and family know that I love them and I'm sorry for leaving you and that the Teriyaki Stix at East Bay doesn't actually serve food. Mom can have all my money, Maria can have my snowboard, Rhett can have my mug collection and the rest of you can fight over my cds and dvds.
Despite killing people every once in a while, the folks at Taco Bell had what I wanted, promptly served me, asked if I wanted condiments and were just plain friendly in general. Of course I STILL don't know the difference between a chalupa and a gordita. Isn't one supposed to have a hard shell?
By the way, my list of the top 29 songs of 2006 is still coming (if I survive)!
Monday, January 01, 2007
the top 29 movies of 2006 (in other words a list of the movies i saw this past year)
29. Lady in the Water
This year I had a really hard time picking my least favorite of the year, so I had to sort of settle on this one. Ultimately, and unfortunately, the fact that it was an M. Knight Shyalaman flick is ultimately what did it in. I suppose the disappointment was only amplified when the movie was delivered by the same guy who did some of my all-time favorite movies. I know I'm not supposed to care so much about the pay-off in this one, but it certainly would have helped if I cared enough about the story and the fable and the magic without an end payoff.
28. Marie Antoinette
Fortunately this had an awesome soundtrack with The Strokes, Gang of Four and The Cure to ultimately redeem it from not being the worst movie of the year. I know I don't usually care for modern music in period pieces, but more modern music would have been more helpful. It's actually not that I hate modern music in period pieces... usually the problem is in the execution. It tends to be very very distracting. This movie could've used the diversion. I couldn't really latch onto the message. I saw a lot of senseless shots of Marie hanging out, but her conflict strangely wasn't fleshed out at all.
27. Last Holiday
Queen Latifah and her smugness have always bugged pretty hard. The annoying thing about this movie is that the characters in the movie absolutely adore her character although she's annoying.
26. Stick It
I hate shows about arrogant young athletes who have a hard-as-nails coach with whom they butt heads, but ultimately come to terms with teamwork. Fortunately this movie forsakes that formula half-way through and becomes a protest piece for unfair competitive gymnastics judging. Wait a minute! That storyline is all over the place! May as well stick it to a movie that doesn't even stick to a storyline. Lose-lose of course, since I already didn't care for the original storyline. Whoops.
25. Just My Luck
This is that one this year with Lindsey Lohan. Fortunately, I saw it at the drive-in, so just my luck, I guess I didn't really see it.
24. The Break-Up
Every year there's a movie like this on my list. A rom-com offshoot with big stars THAT ISN'T FUNNY. This thing had so much potential. There is a lot of comedic promise in a movie that bases it's whole concept on the worst part of relationships. Instead, it tried to speak to our emotions. Some people chided the people who didn't like the movie because the main characters don't wind up back together. I chide the people who really liked this movie for its realism, by countering that it was also wicked dull. Oh, and also, couldn't they possibly find a gayer song for that guy to sing than "Owner of a Lonely Heart?" I personally own at least 500 songs way gayer than that.
23. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
I don't have to tell you about this one. We all saw it. But let me ask you this: does anybody remember it?
22. Employee of the Month
Dane Cook and Dax Shepherd are funny. Jessica Simpson and Pedro are less fun to be around. Oh well, this one fell right where it should. I sort of hope Dane Cook cools it a little in 2007. He's loud enough as a comedian, so I get I huge headache when I see and hear him everywhere else.
21. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
I went out of my way to see this because I've always been fascinated by Tokyo and because (for reasons I've never been able to explain) the original Fast and the Furious was my favorite movie from that year. Did I like this movie though? I can't remember.
20. The Illusionist
It's too bad there were two turn-of-the-century magician movies this year. Otherwise, I might have given this one a better score. It was okay, but not interesting enough to warrant sitting in the uncomfortable Broadway Theatre. Also, Edward Norton has been way too full of himself lately.
19. Step Up
This year's dance movie. I wonder if anyone would notice if the biz didn't put out a movie about dancing in 2007. According to my girlfriend and my friendgirls, this was the best movie of 2006. I guess that means that the male lead was way hotter than the female lead.
18. Iceage: The Meltdown
I didn't see the first Iceage movie, so I was lost through the whole thing. That squirrel and nut bit was plenty funny though.
17. She's the Man
This was the high-school movie I saw this year. It's really strange that I love high school movies so much, considering how reclusive I was during high school. I guess it's just because I started getting into high school movies ten years before I ever went to high school. Anyway, this one is about a girl who pulls a Yentl and dresses up as a boy to get on the soccer team. Of course it's played for absurdity. The sexy guy who was in Step Up was in this one and for my benefit he was funnier in this one.
16. Akeelah and the Bee
Spelling bees are so hot right now, but I don't know how much more bee I can take. This, of course, is a standard involving drama with all sorts of conflict and trust issues and pride and stuff. One thing I never figured out though: what mother thinks her daughter winning a spelling bee is a step backward?
15. Superman Returns
It'd be nice if Bryan Singer hung around to finish off the X-men series instead of moving over to the Superman one. That way I think X-men would have scored higher this year. Anyways, this movie suffered a little with the enjoyable balance between tongue-in-cheek and straightforwardness. The original movies did a much better job at that. It's a hard battle. At times I wanted it to be more serious and at other times I wanted Parker Posey to make me laugh more.
14. Monster House
Coming of age animated Halloween movie. Lots of right ingredients. I'm not sold on the computer animation with human characters. They tend to look pretty spooky and not in the good Halloween way.
13. Mission Impossible III
At least J.J. Abrams made it better than MI:II. What it really needed was more Philip Seymour Hoffman. A good action movie is more driven by the villain. Also, I would have done one scene differently. Remember the part where Tom Cruise goes into the building to recover something, but they didn't show it? He just comes flying out a window and we don't know what happened in there. It would have been better and funnier if Jonathan Rhys Meyers or another underused member of the team did that particular task and we kept the point-of-view of Tom Cruise intact (since it's pretty much his p.o.v. for the rest of the movie anyway). That way we don't break the storytelling mechanisms already set up, we're treated to an out-of-place unknown sequence that could be played for laughs and it doesn't look like they just ran out of money for another special effects sequence.
12. Dreamgirls
This was the last movie I saw. One could possibly say I prepared well to watch it by viewing five Broadway musicals during the course of the year. It was nice to see Eddie Murphy in a performance I appreciate. Reminded me of his stellar James Brown impersonation on Saturday Night Live. What makes next to no sense, however, is Jennifer Hudson being nominated in the Golden Globe for best supporting actress while Beyonce Knowles nabs the best actress nomination. Rest assured, if the roles were reversed we'd probably still see Beyonce running for best actress.
11. The Heart of the Game
I thought I'd do myself a favor and bunch all the documentaries I saw all right in a row. This one was pretty good. It's about girls' basketball. I saw it on a plane. The guy next to me didn't have headphones and kept asking me what was going on. So people always tell me that girls can't play basketball, but they do have two things: 1) they can play better than me. 2) Their intensity is only amplified by all that estrogen.
10. An Inconvenient Truth
I love hearing people discuss the environmental fate of the world. Either we're all going to die real soon or there is absolutely nothing to worry about. The wide expanse between the arguments leaves a lot of room for just about anything (which makes me excited to fill my recycling bin and save up for a Prius). In the meantime, I liked Al Gore's movie because he showed clips from Futurama.
9. Who Killed the Electric Car?
Speaking of Prii... this one is far less an environmental documentary than it is a study on the many interests involved in the marketing and consumption of a product. In this case, it's a super ugly car with a cool engine.
8. Scoop
Some Woody Allen movies are worse than others, but I've never seen one I didn't enjoy (although I was with a group of people who started Bananas but the group got bored and we turned it off). Anyway, this one is a step down in quality from his last one, but at least it was more enjoyable. It was probably best that Allen did something light after the 5000 pound weight which was Match Point. Lots of the jokes were groaners, but I really appreciated Allen's humorous chemistry with Scarlett Johanssen.
7. The Queen
I never imagined the royal family even had any pull in the U.K anymore. Pretty interesting to see things from the royal side. Maybe we were wrong to start the Revolution. Nah, things are probably better this way.
6. X-Men: The Last Stand
No matter what if you make a movie about my favorite comic book team, you'll score your movie in my top ten. Like I implied earlier, though, something is missing without Bryan Singer. It might be more intimate characterizations or something. Still, on the other hand, we're treated to giant mutant battles and a wicked sexy killer Jean Grey/Phoenix, so it's still pretty exhilarating for me.
5. V for Vendetta
I snuck out of work to watch this. For some reason I don't remember everything about it, except that it looked smooth and stylized and perfect. Pretty much it made me drool over the upcoming Watchmen adaptation.
4. Rocky Balboa
In essence this is really a remake of the first Rocky film and it uses the same formula that totally works. Drab depressing beginnings, followed by building trust with the support group, followed by the intense training sequence accompanied by a sudden burst of 70s music followed by the most intense fight you've ever seen. Of course, the fight wouldn't be nearly as good without all the building up to it, but that's the beauty of it. The payoff becoming a real payoff because of our investment in it.
3. Casino Royale
I miss the old James Bond, but this grit is definitely a direction I don't mind seeing the franchise take. That chase scene at the beginning was pretty awesome wasn't it? I'd love to get that guy on a superhero team. His special power could be running away.
2. The Prestige
Here's a list of stuff that anyone could use to make a movie I would automatically totally dig. Get the guy who plays Batman and get the guy who plays Wolverine and pit them against each other. Have both characters narrate the film at different times and through the eyes of the opposite character. Enable both characters to be cunning enough to not only hide their tricks from each other, but also hide them from us. Set the film in the past but also bring ridiculous science-fiction elements to it. Get David Bowie.
1. Match Point
One reason I picked this one as my number one is that hardly anyone I know saw it, so nobody can disagree with me. The biggest reason I picked it is because it was ridiculously effective in what it set out to do, which, to my understanding, was to make me as uncomfortable as humanly possible. I am aware of lots of people who loathed it for that very reason. For the same reason Rocky builds and builds on heroism, this one builds and builds on wickedness. Unfortunately, we don't realize that until we're too absorbed. It's kind of weird sitting in the theater completely uncomfortable, followed by telling everyone how brilliantly Woody Allen made it happen. Wait! This is a Woody Allen movie? Holy heck.
This year I had a really hard time picking my least favorite of the year, so I had to sort of settle on this one. Ultimately, and unfortunately, the fact that it was an M. Knight Shyalaman flick is ultimately what did it in. I suppose the disappointment was only amplified when the movie was delivered by the same guy who did some of my all-time favorite movies. I know I'm not supposed to care so much about the pay-off in this one, but it certainly would have helped if I cared enough about the story and the fable and the magic without an end payoff.
28. Marie Antoinette
Fortunately this had an awesome soundtrack with The Strokes, Gang of Four and The Cure to ultimately redeem it from not being the worst movie of the year. I know I don't usually care for modern music in period pieces, but more modern music would have been more helpful. It's actually not that I hate modern music in period pieces... usually the problem is in the execution. It tends to be very very distracting. This movie could've used the diversion. I couldn't really latch onto the message. I saw a lot of senseless shots of Marie hanging out, but her conflict strangely wasn't fleshed out at all.
27. Last Holiday
Queen Latifah and her smugness have always bugged pretty hard. The annoying thing about this movie is that the characters in the movie absolutely adore her character although she's annoying.
26. Stick It
I hate shows about arrogant young athletes who have a hard-as-nails coach with whom they butt heads, but ultimately come to terms with teamwork. Fortunately this movie forsakes that formula half-way through and becomes a protest piece for unfair competitive gymnastics judging. Wait a minute! That storyline is all over the place! May as well stick it to a movie that doesn't even stick to a storyline. Lose-lose of course, since I already didn't care for the original storyline. Whoops.
25. Just My Luck
This is that one this year with Lindsey Lohan. Fortunately, I saw it at the drive-in, so just my luck, I guess I didn't really see it.
24. The Break-Up
Every year there's a movie like this on my list. A rom-com offshoot with big stars THAT ISN'T FUNNY. This thing had so much potential. There is a lot of comedic promise in a movie that bases it's whole concept on the worst part of relationships. Instead, it tried to speak to our emotions. Some people chided the people who didn't like the movie because the main characters don't wind up back together. I chide the people who really liked this movie for its realism, by countering that it was also wicked dull. Oh, and also, couldn't they possibly find a gayer song for that guy to sing than "Owner of a Lonely Heart?" I personally own at least 500 songs way gayer than that.
23. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
I don't have to tell you about this one. We all saw it. But let me ask you this: does anybody remember it?
22. Employee of the Month
Dane Cook and Dax Shepherd are funny. Jessica Simpson and Pedro are less fun to be around. Oh well, this one fell right where it should. I sort of hope Dane Cook cools it a little in 2007. He's loud enough as a comedian, so I get I huge headache when I see and hear him everywhere else.
21. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
I went out of my way to see this because I've always been fascinated by Tokyo and because (for reasons I've never been able to explain) the original Fast and the Furious was my favorite movie from that year. Did I like this movie though? I can't remember.
20. The Illusionist
It's too bad there were two turn-of-the-century magician movies this year. Otherwise, I might have given this one a better score. It was okay, but not interesting enough to warrant sitting in the uncomfortable Broadway Theatre. Also, Edward Norton has been way too full of himself lately.
19. Step Up
This year's dance movie. I wonder if anyone would notice if the biz didn't put out a movie about dancing in 2007. According to my girlfriend and my friendgirls, this was the best movie of 2006. I guess that means that the male lead was way hotter than the female lead.
18. Iceage: The Meltdown
I didn't see the first Iceage movie, so I was lost through the whole thing. That squirrel and nut bit was plenty funny though.
17. She's the Man
This was the high-school movie I saw this year. It's really strange that I love high school movies so much, considering how reclusive I was during high school. I guess it's just because I started getting into high school movies ten years before I ever went to high school. Anyway, this one is about a girl who pulls a Yentl and dresses up as a boy to get on the soccer team. Of course it's played for absurdity. The sexy guy who was in Step Up was in this one and for my benefit he was funnier in this one.
16. Akeelah and the Bee
Spelling bees are so hot right now, but I don't know how much more bee I can take. This, of course, is a standard involving drama with all sorts of conflict and trust issues and pride and stuff. One thing I never figured out though: what mother thinks her daughter winning a spelling bee is a step backward?
15. Superman Returns
It'd be nice if Bryan Singer hung around to finish off the X-men series instead of moving over to the Superman one. That way I think X-men would have scored higher this year. Anyways, this movie suffered a little with the enjoyable balance between tongue-in-cheek and straightforwardness. The original movies did a much better job at that. It's a hard battle. At times I wanted it to be more serious and at other times I wanted Parker Posey to make me laugh more.
14. Monster House
Coming of age animated Halloween movie. Lots of right ingredients. I'm not sold on the computer animation with human characters. They tend to look pretty spooky and not in the good Halloween way.
13. Mission Impossible III
At least J.J. Abrams made it better than MI:II. What it really needed was more Philip Seymour Hoffman. A good action movie is more driven by the villain. Also, I would have done one scene differently. Remember the part where Tom Cruise goes into the building to recover something, but they didn't show it? He just comes flying out a window and we don't know what happened in there. It would have been better and funnier if Jonathan Rhys Meyers or another underused member of the team did that particular task and we kept the point-of-view of Tom Cruise intact (since it's pretty much his p.o.v. for the rest of the movie anyway). That way we don't break the storytelling mechanisms already set up, we're treated to an out-of-place unknown sequence that could be played for laughs and it doesn't look like they just ran out of money for another special effects sequence.
12. Dreamgirls
This was the last movie I saw. One could possibly say I prepared well to watch it by viewing five Broadway musicals during the course of the year. It was nice to see Eddie Murphy in a performance I appreciate. Reminded me of his stellar James Brown impersonation on Saturday Night Live. What makes next to no sense, however, is Jennifer Hudson being nominated in the Golden Globe for best supporting actress while Beyonce Knowles nabs the best actress nomination. Rest assured, if the roles were reversed we'd probably still see Beyonce running for best actress.
11. The Heart of the Game
I thought I'd do myself a favor and bunch all the documentaries I saw all right in a row. This one was pretty good. It's about girls' basketball. I saw it on a plane. The guy next to me didn't have headphones and kept asking me what was going on. So people always tell me that girls can't play basketball, but they do have two things: 1) they can play better than me. 2) Their intensity is only amplified by all that estrogen.
10. An Inconvenient Truth
I love hearing people discuss the environmental fate of the world. Either we're all going to die real soon or there is absolutely nothing to worry about. The wide expanse between the arguments leaves a lot of room for just about anything (which makes me excited to fill my recycling bin and save up for a Prius). In the meantime, I liked Al Gore's movie because he showed clips from Futurama.
9. Who Killed the Electric Car?
Speaking of Prii... this one is far less an environmental documentary than it is a study on the many interests involved in the marketing and consumption of a product. In this case, it's a super ugly car with a cool engine.
8. Scoop
Some Woody Allen movies are worse than others, but I've never seen one I didn't enjoy (although I was with a group of people who started Bananas but the group got bored and we turned it off). Anyway, this one is a step down in quality from his last one, but at least it was more enjoyable. It was probably best that Allen did something light after the 5000 pound weight which was Match Point. Lots of the jokes were groaners, but I really appreciated Allen's humorous chemistry with Scarlett Johanssen.
7. The Queen
I never imagined the royal family even had any pull in the U.K anymore. Pretty interesting to see things from the royal side. Maybe we were wrong to start the Revolution. Nah, things are probably better this way.
6. X-Men: The Last Stand
No matter what if you make a movie about my favorite comic book team, you'll score your movie in my top ten. Like I implied earlier, though, something is missing without Bryan Singer. It might be more intimate characterizations or something. Still, on the other hand, we're treated to giant mutant battles and a wicked sexy killer Jean Grey/Phoenix, so it's still pretty exhilarating for me.
5. V for Vendetta
I snuck out of work to watch this. For some reason I don't remember everything about it, except that it looked smooth and stylized and perfect. Pretty much it made me drool over the upcoming Watchmen adaptation.
4. Rocky Balboa
In essence this is really a remake of the first Rocky film and it uses the same formula that totally works. Drab depressing beginnings, followed by building trust with the support group, followed by the intense training sequence accompanied by a sudden burst of 70s music followed by the most intense fight you've ever seen. Of course, the fight wouldn't be nearly as good without all the building up to it, but that's the beauty of it. The payoff becoming a real payoff because of our investment in it.
3. Casino Royale
I miss the old James Bond, but this grit is definitely a direction I don't mind seeing the franchise take. That chase scene at the beginning was pretty awesome wasn't it? I'd love to get that guy on a superhero team. His special power could be running away.
2. The Prestige
Here's a list of stuff that anyone could use to make a movie I would automatically totally dig. Get the guy who plays Batman and get the guy who plays Wolverine and pit them against each other. Have both characters narrate the film at different times and through the eyes of the opposite character. Enable both characters to be cunning enough to not only hide their tricks from each other, but also hide them from us. Set the film in the past but also bring ridiculous science-fiction elements to it. Get David Bowie.
1. Match Point
One reason I picked this one as my number one is that hardly anyone I know saw it, so nobody can disagree with me. The biggest reason I picked it is because it was ridiculously effective in what it set out to do, which, to my understanding, was to make me as uncomfortable as humanly possible. I am aware of lots of people who loathed it for that very reason. For the same reason Rocky builds and builds on heroism, this one builds and builds on wickedness. Unfortunately, we don't realize that until we're too absorbed. It's kind of weird sitting in the theater completely uncomfortable, followed by telling everyone how brilliantly Woody Allen made it happen. Wait! This is a Woody Allen movie? Holy heck.
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