As alluded to previously, my favorite filmmaker is Orson Welles. And even though he has been dead for 20 years, there is still plenty of NEW news about his work. Of primary interest is when The Other Side of the Wind will be released. When I say released, I mean released to theaters. Editing was never finished on the film after it was shot back in the early 70s due to ownership difficulties. Also, Chimes at Midnight is considered by many to be one of the greatest films ever made, but it has yet to be released on DVD in this country. These are two of many issues that have cropped up on this great Orson Welles fansite.
I visit the AVS Forum daily. If you're an electronics geek, this is your site.
I get sick of all the recruiting talk, but the best place to read discussions about Illini basketball is here. It's a rather jubilant place after that dismantling of the Tigers tonight.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Links, Interrupted
One of the great things about the Internet is that most newpapers are just a couple clicks away. And most are free. My newspaper of choice is the Sun-Times. It employs some good writers, isn't too tabloid, and isn't owned by an evil corporation bent on destroying any chance the Cubs will ever have to get into the World Series. Of course, Roger Ebert writes for the Sun-Times, although Ebert now has a somewhat separate site for his writing, befitting his popularity and clout. Ebert's movie critic partner Richard Roeper also writes for the newspaper. Roeper is quite inciteful and intelligent as he dissects popular culture in a column that mentions movies a lot less than one might think. Although he does bring up the movies in his Sunday column. I think he's wrong in downplaying the box office slump, but only time will tell which one of us is right.
The best column focusing on movies is James Berardinelli's REELTHOUGHTS. Berardinelli is an interesting character. He began reviewing movies back in the early 1990s, when he would post his reviews to rec.arts.movies.reviews, which I can remember reading back when I was at UofI. He would later receive an endorsement from Ebert, which is no small feat. Eventually Berardinelli started his own site. The commercialization of the Internet arrived a few years ago, although you wouldn't know it from Berardinelli's site. Berardinelli has a job separate from the movies (I think he might have mentioned something about being an engineer), and that is where he derives most of his income. While he has released two books that are compilations of his writings, his website remains non-commercial. I cannot fathom why he wouldn't become a full-time movie reviewer/columnist for some newspaper or magazine. Writing is a lot of work, and surely books sales are not enough to properly compensate him for the effort. Maybe I'm overestimating the money that is available from newspapers and magazines.
The best column focusing on movies is James Berardinelli's REELTHOUGHTS. Berardinelli is an interesting character. He began reviewing movies back in the early 1990s, when he would post his reviews to rec.arts.movies.reviews, which I can remember reading back when I was at UofI. He would later receive an endorsement from Ebert, which is no small feat. Eventually Berardinelli started his own site. The commercialization of the Internet arrived a few years ago, although you wouldn't know it from Berardinelli's site. Berardinelli has a job separate from the movies (I think he might have mentioned something about being an engineer), and that is where he derives most of his income. While he has released two books that are compilations of his writings, his website remains non-commercial. I cannot fathom why he wouldn't become a full-time movie reviewer/columnist for some newspaper or magazine. Writing is a lot of work, and surely books sales are not enough to properly compensate him for the effort. Maybe I'm overestimating the money that is available from newspapers and magazines.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
King of the World
Anyone remember what happened with Titanic. Yeah, I know, it struck an iceberg and sank. I'm talking about the overblown movie. It was long, long, long, and at the time was the most expensive movie ever made. Its first weekend gross was $28 million, not to shabby back then for a movie that long, but not that remarkable.
King Kong is also very expensive, and very long. The first day gross was only $10 million. Not that good when compared to previous Wednesday openers. But bad weather, school, and a lack of urgent anticipation kept away a lot of people from opening day. Never underestimate word of mouth. It'll be very interesting to see what kind of business Kong does over the next ten days.
I believe that Hollywood is intently watching the audience reception to Kong. If Kong fails, look for a big push to be made by the studios for the closing of the window between the theatrical release and the DVD release. The head of Disney has already been arguing that the DVD should be released simultaneously with the theatrical release, or at least some experimentation should be done in that regard.
King Kong is so important because it has been such a disappointing year revenue-wise for the studios. You can spin it however you want, but box office receipts should NEVER go down in a year that features both a Star Wars and a Harry Potter film. The future looks bleak, with the Star Wars franchise done, and only two Tolkien books left to mine (and I doubt that even Jackson could come up with a feasible film version of The Silmarillion). There are few cash cows to fall back on, which is devastating to an industry that has become so reliant on sequels instead of creating anew.
So will the studios make a radical change in the distribution system? I really don't care. I have basically stopped going to the theater. It's not worth the hastle and expense. While I have some affinity for the film medium, that attachment only goes so far. Gimme the DVD now, instead of making me wait. I won't be going to the theater anyway, so why make me wait?
Actually I will probably make it out to see some award contenders. But my comfy home theater is all I need.
King Kong is also very expensive, and very long. The first day gross was only $10 million. Not that good when compared to previous Wednesday openers. But bad weather, school, and a lack of urgent anticipation kept away a lot of people from opening day. Never underestimate word of mouth. It'll be very interesting to see what kind of business Kong does over the next ten days.
I believe that Hollywood is intently watching the audience reception to Kong. If Kong fails, look for a big push to be made by the studios for the closing of the window between the theatrical release and the DVD release. The head of Disney has already been arguing that the DVD should be released simultaneously with the theatrical release, or at least some experimentation should be done in that regard.
King Kong is so important because it has been such a disappointing year revenue-wise for the studios. You can spin it however you want, but box office receipts should NEVER go down in a year that features both a Star Wars and a Harry Potter film. The future looks bleak, with the Star Wars franchise done, and only two Tolkien books left to mine (and I doubt that even Jackson could come up with a feasible film version of The Silmarillion). There are few cash cows to fall back on, which is devastating to an industry that has become so reliant on sequels instead of creating anew.
So will the studios make a radical change in the distribution system? I really don't care. I have basically stopped going to the theater. It's not worth the hastle and expense. While I have some affinity for the film medium, that attachment only goes so far. Gimme the DVD now, instead of making me wait. I won't be going to the theater anyway, so why make me wait?
Actually I will probably make it out to see some award contenders. But my comfy home theater is all I need.
Paint It Black
The thing I have yet to finish at the new house is my home theater. I say home theater, because my intent is that it be a home theater. One of my prerequisites for a new house was that it would contain a room suitable for such a purpose. "Suitable" means that it can be light controlled and is sufficiently large. The room is plenty big, and there is only one window which I can easily block off.
Thanks in large part to Christy's dad, my projector and screen are now hung. This leaves me with two chores: hanging curtains and painting. I still haven't figured out the logistics of the hanging curtains part, so finishing the painting is my next objective. While I plan to repaint the walls, until I know the color of my Berkline chairs (to be purchased in 3 months), that will have to wait. With the immediate workload conveniently narrowed down, that leaves me with painting the ceiling. My first question was "what dark color?" The color has to be dark, as you wouldn't believe how much a white ceiling reflects projector light. Dark gray or dark blue were possibilities, but in the end I chose the blackest black. Allegedly it will make the room seem larger, which would help since the drop ceiling in that room is a few inches shorter than the standard 8 feet (the other rooms in the basement have standard 8 foot drywall ceilings, so there is already an unavoidable contrast between rooms).
All in all, I've spent very little on the home theater. The most expensive part will be the Berkline chairs, which will cost more than my projector and screen combined. And that's at the cutrate prices I'm going to get by going to the quarterly outlet sale at the Berkline headquarters in Tennessee (a convenient trip since Christy goes to that same area two times a year to visit her granny). All of this stuff can be as expensive as you want it to be ($20,000 projector, $2,000 screen, $2,000 chair), but the cheap way out does not result in cheap looking product, or at least that is what I'm claiming.
Thanks in large part to Christy's dad, my projector and screen are now hung. This leaves me with two chores: hanging curtains and painting. I still haven't figured out the logistics of the hanging curtains part, so finishing the painting is my next objective. While I plan to repaint the walls, until I know the color of my Berkline chairs (to be purchased in 3 months), that will have to wait. With the immediate workload conveniently narrowed down, that leaves me with painting the ceiling. My first question was "what dark color?" The color has to be dark, as you wouldn't believe how much a white ceiling reflects projector light. Dark gray or dark blue were possibilities, but in the end I chose the blackest black. Allegedly it will make the room seem larger, which would help since the drop ceiling in that room is a few inches shorter than the standard 8 feet (the other rooms in the basement have standard 8 foot drywall ceilings, so there is already an unavoidable contrast between rooms).
All in all, I've spent very little on the home theater. The most expensive part will be the Berkline chairs, which will cost more than my projector and screen combined. And that's at the cutrate prices I'm going to get by going to the quarterly outlet sale at the Berkline headquarters in Tennessee (a convenient trip since Christy goes to that same area two times a year to visit her granny). All of this stuff can be as expensive as you want it to be ($20,000 projector, $2,000 screen, $2,000 chair), but the cheap way out does not result in cheap looking product, or at least that is what I'm claiming.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Falling Flat
College basketball, the only sport that matters anymore, is back. Unfortunately it is crippled after all the departures last offseason. I don't hear anyone talking about the weak state of college basketball, but that is probably because it is in most commentators' interest to hide the ugliness.
Take a look at the conferences. The SEC sucks, but that is nothing new. Of course, any year it is good is reason enough for the NCAA to open an investigation (Georgia is the most recent example). The Pac Ten becomes pathetic when Arizona has a down year, and a 2-3 start qualifies as a down year. One of those two wins hardly counts, as it was against Kansas in a game in which the victor shot 29 percent. 29 percent!!!
The ACC lost several players to the NBA, and I'm still scratching my head about Shelden Williams staying around at Duke another year. It's not like they'll get to the final four---their depth is highly suspect. They're the default number one right now, but look for them to be crushed by Texas this weekend.
Which brings me to the Big 12, which has two good teams in the aforementioned Texas and Oklahoma, but the rest of the teams would have trouble competing in the Missouri Valley. Oklahoma State just lost at home to Norwestern State! Then there is Kansas, which continues to attract high profile recruits, even though "Bucknell" Bill Self's coaching ability is very much in question. It reminds me of what happened a few years ago, when some high profile Illinois talent similarly spurned UofI for Depaul. We all know how that turned out.
The BIG East has a lot of teams. Hmmmm. This conference has a lot of teams. Villanova might be good.
The Big Ten is a mystery. Michigan State has looked terrible. What is the deal with their non-conference ineptitude? They beat Boston College tonight, otherwise it would really look bad for the Big Ten with Iowa just losing to Northern Iowa and Indiana losing to Indiana State. The Illini have been surprising. Most surprising is Dee Brown's pathetic shooting. If his shooting touch ever comes around, they might be a legitimate top ten team. And if Jamar Smith continues to light it up like he did last night, they might be a legitimate Final Four contender. I know it's too early to be this optimistic, but this is one of those teams that I expected to be much better in the second half of the season due to the player turnover. If that improvement happens, look out. Of course, all these rosy expectations are based on my belief that college basketball is lacking dominant teams this year. We shall see.
Take a look at the conferences. The SEC sucks, but that is nothing new. Of course, any year it is good is reason enough for the NCAA to open an investigation (Georgia is the most recent example). The Pac Ten becomes pathetic when Arizona has a down year, and a 2-3 start qualifies as a down year. One of those two wins hardly counts, as it was against Kansas in a game in which the victor shot 29 percent. 29 percent!!!
The ACC lost several players to the NBA, and I'm still scratching my head about Shelden Williams staying around at Duke another year. It's not like they'll get to the final four---their depth is highly suspect. They're the default number one right now, but look for them to be crushed by Texas this weekend.
Which brings me to the Big 12, which has two good teams in the aforementioned Texas and Oklahoma, but the rest of the teams would have trouble competing in the Missouri Valley. Oklahoma State just lost at home to Norwestern State! Then there is Kansas, which continues to attract high profile recruits, even though "Bucknell" Bill Self's coaching ability is very much in question. It reminds me of what happened a few years ago, when some high profile Illinois talent similarly spurned UofI for Depaul. We all know how that turned out.
The BIG East has a lot of teams. Hmmmm. This conference has a lot of teams. Villanova might be good.
The Big Ten is a mystery. Michigan State has looked terrible. What is the deal with their non-conference ineptitude? They beat Boston College tonight, otherwise it would really look bad for the Big Ten with Iowa just losing to Northern Iowa and Indiana losing to Indiana State. The Illini have been surprising. Most surprising is Dee Brown's pathetic shooting. If his shooting touch ever comes around, they might be a legitimate top ten team. And if Jamar Smith continues to light it up like he did last night, they might be a legitimate Final Four contender. I know it's too early to be this optimistic, but this is one of those teams that I expected to be much better in the second half of the season due to the player turnover. If that improvement happens, look out. Of course, all these rosy expectations are based on my belief that college basketball is lacking dominant teams this year. We shall see.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Returning To Form...
I'm back. Kinda. The last two weeks have been stressful. I hate moving. The moving has been extended by the need to clean the new house. The previous owners did not leave it a mess, but it could have been cleaner. We have a mess of things left in the garage, awaiting placement in our storage room. Said storage room needs to be cleaned first. Our main bathroom is currently a kitty litter depository, at least until we get the gym room cleaned. Then we'll get to clean that bathroom. And so it goes. Today was the first day where we actually seemed to be somewhat caught up. We still have tons to do before next Wednesday night, when my parents visit. Thanksgiving Day we are hosting them and Christy's family. We might have been premature in accepting hosting duties so soon after moving. My back is killing me. I originally hurt it a few weeks ago, and all this moving has caused a relapse. Anyway, I'll be back to regular postings soon.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Delayed Fulfillment
Last night Christy and I finally found out the date when we officially take possession of our house. While we closed on it five weeks ago, the sellers requested to stay in the house until their new house's construction was finished. The rental income has supplied us with enough money to completely cover the first mortgage payment, but in the last several days we have become impatient. We have also become weary due to the strain of trying to find the right furniture. The house has several atypical color schemes, for which finding matching furniture is difficult. It is even more difficult thanks to our faulty memories of those colors. Occupying the house for a few days will solve that problem. In ten more days we should be comfortably moved into our house-I hope.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Desperate Tourists Try To Escape Vacation
CANCUN (AP) Thousands of desperate tourists stranded for six days by Hurricane Wilma besieged airports and tour offices today as officials faced evacuating 22,000 visitors with only 6,000 airline seats out of Cancun a day. "Now I know how those people in New Orleans felt," said financial banker Angela Benitez. "We were forced to subsist on a diet of rice and beans and room temperature white wine. Several days of desperation is no way to live."
Says Microsoft CFO Marie Schmidt, "I knew these bad storms happened in the U.S. But who would have thought they would hit a paradise resort in Mexico?" Added Dr. Ronald Smith, "I won't make this mistake again. Next year my wife and I are staying far away from water, as our vacation will be to the landlocked country of Syria. I always wanted to go halfway around the world."
In less reported news, Roderigo Gonzalez was seen walking the beach, looking for washed up debris with which to rebuild his fishing boat and his house for his eight children, wife, and three grandparents.
The preceding article is currently the lead story on the front page of cnn.com. It has been somewhat altered for the purposes of this blog.
Says Microsoft CFO Marie Schmidt, "I knew these bad storms happened in the U.S. But who would have thought they would hit a paradise resort in Mexico?" Added Dr. Ronald Smith, "I won't make this mistake again. Next year my wife and I are staying far away from water, as our vacation will be to the landlocked country of Syria. I always wanted to go halfway around the world."
In less reported news, Roderigo Gonzalez was seen walking the beach, looking for washed up debris with which to rebuild his fishing boat and his house for his eight children, wife, and three grandparents.
The preceding article is currently the lead story on the front page of cnn.com. It has been somewhat altered for the purposes of this blog.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Building Ain't Rocket Science
Here is an article about trends in house building. After spending the summer looking at houses, it is no surprise to me that builders are about ten years behind the times. Fireplaces are nice, but they leave you with little flexibility on where to place your furnishings. Many of the new constructions don't have a place to hang up a plasma, assuming you don't want to put it above the fireplace, which is sometimes too high. I distinctly remember one house where the thermostat was hung near the middle of the wall.
Two To Watch
Adam Carolla's new TLC show, The Adam Carolla Project, is very funny. Carolla dominates the show with his clever observations and witty repartee. We see his work as a contractor on a construction project (building a house to take advantage of the hot California market), and we also see parts of his personal life, including interactions with his wife. I might have to check out Carolla's late night talk show on Comedy Central to see if it is equally as entertaining.
Speaking of Comedy Central, The Showbiz Show with David Spade is nothing more than an expansion of Spade's Hollywood Minute back in his Saturday Night Live days, but let's face it--that is what he does best. Not dumb movies, not lame sitcoms. Making fun of celebrities (including himself) is what Spade was born to do.
I recorded that Tanya Tucker reality show for Christy. It can't possibly be good, can it? I'll report back with her opinion.
Speaking of Comedy Central, The Showbiz Show with David Spade is nothing more than an expansion of Spade's Hollywood Minute back in his Saturday Night Live days, but let's face it--that is what he does best. Not dumb movies, not lame sitcoms. Making fun of celebrities (including himself) is what Spade was born to do.
I recorded that Tanya Tucker reality show for Christy. It can't possibly be good, can it? I'll report back with her opinion.
A Face Made For Standard Definition
My cable company just added a high definition NBC channel. That, combined with the fact that Saturday Night Live is now in high definition made me curious enough to tune in. First, I didn't see the beginning of the show, so I wasn't clued in that Catherine Zeta Jones was the host. After watching two skits I still didn't know that Jones was the host. She was unrecognizable. Not in a negative way, though. She just looked different, maybe due to her past pregnancy.
On the negative front, OH MY GOD, WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH TINA FEY'S FACE? I have long heard that high definition would be an unwelcome addition for some newscasters, whose facial imperfections could previously be obscured by a layer of makeup. A good high definition broadcast conveys stunning detail. That detail can be realized on a large screen, such as my 92 incher. Which brings me to the news segment, and Tina Fey. You are probably aware that Mrs. Fey has a scar on the left side of her face. But there is more going on than just that scar. It is hard for me to describe. I'll just say that the area below the scar running down to her chin is not what you expect to see from a television personality. Not quite as noteworthy are the acne scars on the right side of her face below her eye, but they help to illustrate just how much I was able to see. It's not that she's The Elephant Woman. It's just not what I'm used to seeing on tv or in movies, where everyone has this glossy prettiness. Makeup and flattering camerawork are often the difference makers between ordinariness and beauty. I have a feeling that the makeup person screwed up big time, not having anticipated the hazards of high definition in what was Tina Fey's first episode of the fall season.
The potential for improvement in Tina Fey's makeup is the one thing that might get me to watch another episode of Saturday Night Live. I won't be tuning in for the entertainment value, as the show's attempts at comedy are absolutely dreadful.
On the negative front, OH MY GOD, WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH TINA FEY'S FACE? I have long heard that high definition would be an unwelcome addition for some newscasters, whose facial imperfections could previously be obscured by a layer of makeup. A good high definition broadcast conveys stunning detail. That detail can be realized on a large screen, such as my 92 incher. Which brings me to the news segment, and Tina Fey. You are probably aware that Mrs. Fey has a scar on the left side of her face. But there is more going on than just that scar. It is hard for me to describe. I'll just say that the area below the scar running down to her chin is not what you expect to see from a television personality. Not quite as noteworthy are the acne scars on the right side of her face below her eye, but they help to illustrate just how much I was able to see. It's not that she's The Elephant Woman. It's just not what I'm used to seeing on tv or in movies, where everyone has this glossy prettiness. Makeup and flattering camerawork are often the difference makers between ordinariness and beauty. I have a feeling that the makeup person screwed up big time, not having anticipated the hazards of high definition in what was Tina Fey's first episode of the fall season.
The potential for improvement in Tina Fey's makeup is the one thing that might get me to watch another episode of Saturday Night Live. I won't be tuning in for the entertainment value, as the show's attempts at comedy are absolutely dreadful.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Music To Nauseate The Savage Beast
I just had the misfortune of hearing a remake of the classic Extreme song, More Than Words. Oh, the humanity! I never cared much for Extreme, but what this "Frankie J" character did to this song should be considered a crime against humanity. I'm still reeling.
What happened to popular music? Admittedly, there have always been songs that I wanted to shield my ears from, but at least it was somewhat listenable. Ever since the demise of grunge about 10 years ago, pop music has deteriorated to the point that it is now used to torture prisoners of war. Make them listen to Hollaback Girl for an hour straight and they'll be begging to tell you where Osama is and renounce their almighty Muhammad at the same time. Some song called Photograph just came on the radio. Echo and all. Blech.
But following up that garbage is Gorillaz. Odd. In case you didn't know, Gorillaz is a band that includes the former lead singer of Blur. Blur received little airplay in this country, even though their songs are much more original and far superior to those of Oasis, their rivals in their native Britain. It is ironic that Blur had to morph into a fake band (Gorillaz is represented by cartoon characters) in order to enter the mainstream in this country.
Also being played heavily now is Beverly Hills by Weezer. Weezer just never seems to go away, and I can't say that I'm complaining. Except for the insufferable Buddy Holly, (Weezer's Shiny Happy People) Weezer's output has been welcome. Curiously, it took about 5 months for Beverly Hills to take off, as it was being played on alternative radio way back in late April. The Gorillaz song had also been around a while before being embraced by top 10 radio.
But for every decent song, there are ten that are embarrassingly bad. I wonder if any of the new Fiona will make it. Her performance on the VH-1 benefit for Katrina victims (about a month ago) made me remember what real singing is.
What happened to popular music? Admittedly, there have always been songs that I wanted to shield my ears from, but at least it was somewhat listenable. Ever since the demise of grunge about 10 years ago, pop music has deteriorated to the point that it is now used to torture prisoners of war. Make them listen to Hollaback Girl for an hour straight and they'll be begging to tell you where Osama is and renounce their almighty Muhammad at the same time. Some song called Photograph just came on the radio. Echo and all. Blech.
But following up that garbage is Gorillaz. Odd. In case you didn't know, Gorillaz is a band that includes the former lead singer of Blur. Blur received little airplay in this country, even though their songs are much more original and far superior to those of Oasis, their rivals in their native Britain. It is ironic that Blur had to morph into a fake band (Gorillaz is represented by cartoon characters) in order to enter the mainstream in this country.
Also being played heavily now is Beverly Hills by Weezer. Weezer just never seems to go away, and I can't say that I'm complaining. Except for the insufferable Buddy Holly, (Weezer's Shiny Happy People) Weezer's output has been welcome. Curiously, it took about 5 months for Beverly Hills to take off, as it was being played on alternative radio way back in late April. The Gorillaz song had also been around a while before being embraced by top 10 radio.
But for every decent song, there are ten that are embarrassingly bad. I wonder if any of the new Fiona will make it. Her performance on the VH-1 benefit for Katrina victims (about a month ago) made me remember what real singing is.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
The Madness of Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert remains one of the most thought provoking men in our country. His writing is second to none in the reviewing world. However something disturbing has arisen concerning Ebert's reviews. He seems to be going soft. He has always been more favorable than the average critic, but not to the extent that he is now. I remember a friend of mine making a comment a while ago that Ebert seemed to like everything. Well, now that almost appears to be the case. Take a look at this last weekend's openers, a weak crop that dropped without a lot of fanfare, although Elizabethtown received a fair amount of promotion. Elizabethtown rated only 32% favorable on the tomatometer. Even worse was Domino, with only 13%. His defense of the earlier release Flightplan (36%) leaves a lot to be desired. The idea that the absurdity of Flightplan's situations is apparent only in retrospect denies the existence of the quick thinking audience member to whom this absurdity is apparent while watching the movie. Wow, that last sentence was clumsily worded, but I'm too tired to do anything about it. There goes my Pulitzer Prize for blogging.
Hopefully Richard Roeper isn't being infected by Ebert's benevolence. Roeper agreed with Ebert's reviews this last weekend. Agreement between the two is rare in itself, so it was shocking to see Roeper's concurrence about last week's subpar selection.
Whatever the case, I'll still be DVRing their show every week. Gems like their blistering reviews of Dirty Love a few weeks ago are not to be missed.
Hopefully Richard Roeper isn't being infected by Ebert's benevolence. Roeper agreed with Ebert's reviews this last weekend. Agreement between the two is rare in itself, so it was shocking to see Roeper's concurrence about last week's subpar selection.
Whatever the case, I'll still be DVRing their show every week. Gems like their blistering reviews of Dirty Love a few weeks ago are not to be missed.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Everybody Hates The New Network Shows
First off, if it was not for my DVR I wouldn't see any of this crap. Not only does the DVR make automatically recording shows easy, but it also lets me fast forward through the ponderous commericals.
Most of the new shows this fall are much like the new shows of last fall, and the new shows of the year before that--they aren't worth watching. Excluding reality shows, the situation has really been dire for network tv. NBC has been so bad that its two top shows are ER and Law and Order. They might as well try to bring back Seinfeld and Friends. Most of those actors could use the work. Since Jerry was the least interesting character on the show, you wouldn't even need Seinfeld himself.
NBC does have one new show to be proud of. My Name Is Earl has done reasonably well in the ratings, and I kinda like it. It isn't great, but it offers up enough laughs and just enough smart writing to be a success for the time being. But the premise might get really old fast. And eventually the ex-wife subplot needs to be curtailed if not entirely removed. How many different ways can she try to get Earl's money? Even Wile E. Coyote had his limits.
B
Martha Stewart's attempt at The Apprentice has failed miserably in the ratings, and it has already been moved to a later time slot. Will the real Martha Stewart please stand? People have claimed in the past that Martha Stewart is a real bitch/taskmaster. None of that is on display here. She even writes a letter, almost apologizing to the person she fired. And as Christy has noted, Martha's daughter has NOTHING to say. This show will finish its run and be done.
C-
Did we really need another Invasion of the Body Snatchers ripoff? If the show is Invasion, then the answer is no. I have only watched the first episode, and I might watch more since the episodes are already recorded, but so far this show has exhibited lazy writing and poor pacing.
D+
Everybody Hates Chris has potential, but so far it hasn't been very funny. And it is supposed to take place in 1982, though you would never know it from the hairstyles of Chris' parents. Were black men already shaving their heads in 1982? Unless your name is Scatman Crothers, I don't think so.
C
Right now I do not have HBO, so I am missing Rome. Considering The Sopranos is supposed to be back in March, I guess I will pick up HBO again. Especially if I can get a deal with the cable company.
Most of the new shows this fall are much like the new shows of last fall, and the new shows of the year before that--they aren't worth watching. Excluding reality shows, the situation has really been dire for network tv. NBC has been so bad that its two top shows are ER and Law and Order. They might as well try to bring back Seinfeld and Friends. Most of those actors could use the work. Since Jerry was the least interesting character on the show, you wouldn't even need Seinfeld himself.
NBC does have one new show to be proud of. My Name Is Earl has done reasonably well in the ratings, and I kinda like it. It isn't great, but it offers up enough laughs and just enough smart writing to be a success for the time being. But the premise might get really old fast. And eventually the ex-wife subplot needs to be curtailed if not entirely removed. How many different ways can she try to get Earl's money? Even Wile E. Coyote had his limits.
B
Martha Stewart's attempt at The Apprentice has failed miserably in the ratings, and it has already been moved to a later time slot. Will the real Martha Stewart please stand? People have claimed in the past that Martha Stewart is a real bitch/taskmaster. None of that is on display here. She even writes a letter, almost apologizing to the person she fired. And as Christy has noted, Martha's daughter has NOTHING to say. This show will finish its run and be done.
C-
Did we really need another Invasion of the Body Snatchers ripoff? If the show is Invasion, then the answer is no. I have only watched the first episode, and I might watch more since the episodes are already recorded, but so far this show has exhibited lazy writing and poor pacing.
D+
Everybody Hates Chris has potential, but so far it hasn't been very funny. And it is supposed to take place in 1982, though you would never know it from the hairstyles of Chris' parents. Were black men already shaving their heads in 1982? Unless your name is Scatman Crothers, I don't think so.
C
Right now I do not have HBO, so I am missing Rome. Considering The Sopranos is supposed to be back in March, I guess I will pick up HBO again. Especially if I can get a deal with the cable company.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Biting The Hand In Chicago
My plan Friday was to get to the arena by 3:00. Unfortunately, Christy had to stay at work, despite having requested the afternoon off previously. She would be looking for another job if the money was not so good. Anyway, we did not end up leaving here until after 3. Which meant we ran into rush hour traffic, adding another hour to our drive. By the time we checked into the hotel and walked over to the arena, it was well after 7 and the opening act was about over. Why am I mentioning this? Well, it turns out that about 30 people were let in to see the end of the NIN soundcheck and there was a "meet and greet" with the band. I knew this was a possibility, which is why I wanted to arrive early. However, apparently I would have had to be in line at the very latest by 3 (to be among the first 30 people), and a nearly 2 hour wait in line was necessary, as the 30 people were not let in until 4:45. Saturday was a cold day in Chicago, and with my recently injured back I don't think I would have had the patience to wait, not knowing for sure if they would let anyone in, as they don't always do it.
A 3 day old hotdog and a large drink were $9.50. A beer was $6.50.
The opening acts did not do much for us. We only saw the last two songs by Autolox. They had a great female drummer, but little else to offer. Queens of the Stone Age surprised me. Or, I should say, the lack of fans for Queens of the Stone Age surprised me. NIN fans are notoriously fickle about their music. As about 99% of the people there were only on hand to see NIN, you can imagine how cold the general audience reaction was to obviously inferior music. Even the people standing right in front of the stage were behaving like zombies during Queens' set. Would this catatonic state continue into the NIN set?
Thankfully, no. The difference was night and day. The crowd in the pit surged forward, hopped up and down, and generally put forth a chaotic physical melee. We were up in the safety of reserved seating. Did I say seating? Everyone in our section stood for the entire 21 song set. A jaw-dropping number of people were singing along. My best guess is that 80% of attendees were hardcore NIN fans. And a shocking number were women. There might have been more women than men in my section, though in the rough and tumble pit area it was probably more men. The average age was impossible to tell, though there could not have been many people older than me, or younger than 20. Enough with the demographics. Was the show good? Yes. With me, that was practically a given. But even Christy gave it high marks, despite not being familiar with anything besides Closer and Hurt. The energy level displayed by Mr. Reznor was astounding. The music was top notch also, despite the presence of a brand new drummer who played NIN songs for the first time at a midnight rehearsal the night before. Up next-the St. Louis show later this week.
A couple pics-first, a frame from a video taken of the meet and greet-
Performing-
A 3 day old hotdog and a large drink were $9.50. A beer was $6.50.
The opening acts did not do much for us. We only saw the last two songs by Autolox. They had a great female drummer, but little else to offer. Queens of the Stone Age surprised me. Or, I should say, the lack of fans for Queens of the Stone Age surprised me. NIN fans are notoriously fickle about their music. As about 99% of the people there were only on hand to see NIN, you can imagine how cold the general audience reaction was to obviously inferior music. Even the people standing right in front of the stage were behaving like zombies during Queens' set. Would this catatonic state continue into the NIN set?
Thankfully, no. The difference was night and day. The crowd in the pit surged forward, hopped up and down, and generally put forth a chaotic physical melee. We were up in the safety of reserved seating. Did I say seating? Everyone in our section stood for the entire 21 song set. A jaw-dropping number of people were singing along. My best guess is that 80% of attendees were hardcore NIN fans. And a shocking number were women. There might have been more women than men in my section, though in the rough and tumble pit area it was probably more men. The average age was impossible to tell, though there could not have been many people older than me, or younger than 20. Enough with the demographics. Was the show good? Yes. With me, that was practically a given. But even Christy gave it high marks, despite not being familiar with anything besides Closer and Hurt. The energy level displayed by Mr. Reznor was astounding. The music was top notch also, despite the presence of a brand new drummer who played NIN songs for the first time at a midnight rehearsal the night before. Up next-the St. Louis show later this week.
A couple pics-first, a frame from a video taken of the meet and greet-
Performing-
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Somewhere, Kubrick Is Smiling
This has been circulating the Internet this week. Keep it in mind whenever a trailer for a movie piques your interest. A long time ago I decided to avoid trailers whenever possible. I hate when they are misleading. Even worse are the trailers (seemingly most of them nowadays) that spoil integral surprises in the plot.
Friday, September 30, 2005
The Next Big Reality Show
The drummer on the current NIN tour has been diagnosed with a heart condition and apparently will be unable to continue on the tour. The result:
Thursday, September 29, 2005
My Brush With Genius
Maybe the problem is a lack of maturation. Considering my rural, small town background, the "fish out of water" connotation might apply to me during my undergraduate years at the University of Illinois. I blame my four years of high school. What a big waste of time. The teachers were not to blame. Intellectual stimulation was not on the table in a place where 85% of the students were not college bound.
These early teen years where I was able to get away with doing very little work made me lazy. This laziness remained while at the UofI, though I was able to shake it off whenever I found a class that I actually liked. Disinterest in the material was a major impediment: for the typical class (mostly history, as that was my major) scanning about 60% of the so-called required reading was sufficient for obtaining a "B." My first two years of undergrad I got straight Bs.
Maybe it is time that I arrived at the thrust of my post, before I am accused of too many longwinded introductions. I never really connected with my history classes. The professors were as dry as the material. My major required that I also take 20 hours of another subject. So I began taking English classes. One of these classes was an American literature class taught by one Michael Berube. I do not remember if it was Berube himself or his selection of required readings that caused me to finally connect with the material. Suddenly I liked what I was reading. I was spurred to think and have ideas.
Last night I was looking up the bio of Joseph Conrad when it suddenly occurred to me to type in Michael Berube's name in the Google search. The search revealed that Berube is an author, with several books to his credit, and many articles. Berube even has a blog. Looking at his credits and writings, it strikes me that Berube is something of a genius. Many people are scholars, but few are geniuses. And this genius was a good teacher.
These early teen years where I was able to get away with doing very little work made me lazy. This laziness remained while at the UofI, though I was able to shake it off whenever I found a class that I actually liked. Disinterest in the material was a major impediment: for the typical class (mostly history, as that was my major) scanning about 60% of the so-called required reading was sufficient for obtaining a "B." My first two years of undergrad I got straight Bs.
Maybe it is time that I arrived at the thrust of my post, before I am accused of too many longwinded introductions. I never really connected with my history classes. The professors were as dry as the material. My major required that I also take 20 hours of another subject. So I began taking English classes. One of these classes was an American literature class taught by one Michael Berube. I do not remember if it was Berube himself or his selection of required readings that caused me to finally connect with the material. Suddenly I liked what I was reading. I was spurred to think and have ideas.
Last night I was looking up the bio of Joseph Conrad when it suddenly occurred to me to type in Michael Berube's name in the Google search. The search revealed that Berube is an author, with several books to his credit, and many articles. Berube even has a blog. Looking at his credits and writings, it strikes me that Berube is something of a genius. Many people are scholars, but few are geniuses. And this genius was a good teacher.
Monday, September 26, 2005
Isn't Two Better Than One?
I just read this article. It is quite slanted against the hybrid vehicles. While the author offers up some points to think about, his conclusion is dubious. His main point is that the premium price of the hybrids cannot be overcome by the savings from buying less gas. First off, these cars might cost a premium, but one would assume that they also have a greater resale value. He makes no mention of this. Second, he starts off by saying that the Prius cars are selling like crazy. He then goes on to mention other hybrid models in making his argument that hybrids are not a very good financial investment. He finally gets to the Prius model (you know, the one that was selling so well) and says that it might "save a small amount of money." Gee, he had exact figures on the money losers, but he couldn't come up with a figure on the Prius. And apparently he did not include the 2006 tax credit in his figures either. One more thing. Anyone who knows anything about new products sales knows that increased production volume leads to cheaper production costs which in turn leads to cheaper pricing, assuming adequate competition is present. The price difference between hybrids and non-hybrids will shrink quickly, especially if you consider how few hybrids are manufactured currently compared with the non-hybrids.
This is a money article, so I can understand why he did not mention how enviromental concerns would factor into a person's purchasing decision (he even absurdly recommends diesel cars). But what about this: maybe people would rather their money go to the Japanese (who last I checked were not a haven for terrorists) rather than enriching the Middle East (or the price gouging refinery companies in this country). This is a money issue, and the financial future of the people of this country could be greatly affected if enough people buy into the hybrid cars. At the very least it could stabilize demand and therefore stabilize the price of gas.
This is a money article, so I can understand why he did not mention how enviromental concerns would factor into a person's purchasing decision (he even absurdly recommends diesel cars). But what about this: maybe people would rather their money go to the Japanese (who last I checked were not a haven for terrorists) rather than enriching the Middle East (or the price gouging refinery companies in this country). This is a money issue, and the financial future of the people of this country could be greatly affected if enough people buy into the hybrid cars. At the very least it could stabilize demand and therefore stabilize the price of gas.
Washington Square
In a previous post I mentioned that I was reading Washington Square. This book really picks up the pace about halfway through. The verbal sparring that takes place is more than a little jarring after reading chapter after chapter of chivalrous exposition. Not one character is very sympathetic, yet James masterfully creates sympathy for every character. It is that fleeting sympathy that keeps the reader interested. It is also what makes the melodrama more than tolerable. Washington Square is clever, even if its heroine is not. **** out of 5.
I am anxious to see The Heiress, the 1949 film version of the James novel. I had never heard of this movie before, but after some research it seems that the film is something of a classic (even Pauline Kael liked it). Olivia de Havilland and the great Montgomery Clift star. Unfortunately The Heiress is not on DVD yet. More recently Jennifer Jason Leigh starred in a movie version (this time with the original title of Washington Square) that costarred Albert Finney as her father and Maggie Smith as her meddling aunt. This version is on DVD, and will be going in my Netflix queue.
I am anxious to see The Heiress, the 1949 film version of the James novel. I had never heard of this movie before, but after some research it seems that the film is something of a classic (even Pauline Kael liked it). Olivia de Havilland and the great Montgomery Clift star. Unfortunately The Heiress is not on DVD yet. More recently Jennifer Jason Leigh starred in a movie version (this time with the original title of Washington Square) that costarred Albert Finney as her father and Maggie Smith as her meddling aunt. This version is on DVD, and will be going in my Netflix queue.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
And Then They Threw Away The Key
Arrested Development's season 3 debut was Monday night. The brilliant series (the best thing Ron Howard has ever been associated with) has been plagued by poor ratings throughout its run. Monday's night's rating was dismal, as less than 5 million people tuned in. In comparison, an awful "comedy" like two and a half men (which doesn't deserve to be in bold) is watched by 15 million morons, err, I mean retarded idiots each week.
Why has Arrested failed to attain a higher viewership if it is such a good show? The biggest reason is that this type of show (no laugh track, semi-incest, etc.) has never played well on one of the big broadcasting networks. Anyone remember Garry Shandling's first show? It couldn't even survive back in the early days of the fledgling Fox network. Shandling wisely moved on to HBO.
Exacerbating the problem is the show's frequent use of in-jokes that would only be understood by regular viewers. However, the joke per minute ratio is high enough that this should not matter. I think the dumb viewers feel overwhelmed by the fast paced comedy, and quickly bail.
Is there anything that can be done at this point? Nope. Arrested Development is doomed. It might not even last the entire season. Its only hope in that regard is that Fox might want a full season 3 to release on DVD.
There is one hope for a season 4. HBO could take on the show. Shows have switched networks before. But I do not recall any show moving to HBO. Hmmmm. The more I think about it, the less likely it seems to happen.
Maybe going out after 3 seasons is for the best. James Dean is considered one of the greatest actors who ever lived, and he only made three movies. Could Arrested go down as one of the greatest comedies of all time? A lot depends on this season. But Monday night's episode forbodes a great finish (if they are allowed to finish---my biggest fear is that cousins Maeby and George-Michael won't get around to having sex, thus preventing the Parents' Television Counsel from having another thing to bitch about.)
Why has Arrested failed to attain a higher viewership if it is such a good show? The biggest reason is that this type of show (no laugh track, semi-incest, etc.) has never played well on one of the big broadcasting networks. Anyone remember Garry Shandling's first show? It couldn't even survive back in the early days of the fledgling Fox network. Shandling wisely moved on to HBO.
Exacerbating the problem is the show's frequent use of in-jokes that would only be understood by regular viewers. However, the joke per minute ratio is high enough that this should not matter. I think the dumb viewers feel overwhelmed by the fast paced comedy, and quickly bail.
Is there anything that can be done at this point? Nope. Arrested Development is doomed. It might not even last the entire season. Its only hope in that regard is that Fox might want a full season 3 to release on DVD.
There is one hope for a season 4. HBO could take on the show. Shows have switched networks before. But I do not recall any show moving to HBO. Hmmmm. The more I think about it, the less likely it seems to happen.
Maybe going out after 3 seasons is for the best. James Dean is considered one of the greatest actors who ever lived, and he only made three movies. Could Arrested go down as one of the greatest comedies of all time? A lot depends on this season. But Monday night's episode forbodes a great finish (if they are allowed to finish---my biggest fear is that cousins Maeby and George-Michael won't get around to having sex, thus preventing the Parents' Television Counsel from having another thing to bitch about.)
They Said They Was From New Orleans...
Ok, read this.
Why weren't these people properly questioned before the handouts began? I'm not talking about doing a full background check before giving them aid, but some basic questions could have caught this trash in their lie. Can I see your driver's license? No driver's license? How did you get to central Illinois? Why is it you do not have a Louisiana accent? Give us a phone number of a relative who can verify this information. If this questioning comes up with no verifiable information, then separate the kids from the parents and ask them the same questions. Use an interpreter if necessary. I wonder what "prosecuting to the maximum extent" means. Probably probation, which is why people will continue to commit fraud like this.
Why weren't these people properly questioned before the handouts began? I'm not talking about doing a full background check before giving them aid, but some basic questions could have caught this trash in their lie. Can I see your driver's license? No driver's license? How did you get to central Illinois? Why is it you do not have a Louisiana accent? Give us a phone number of a relative who can verify this information. If this questioning comes up with no verifiable information, then separate the kids from the parents and ask them the same questions. Use an interpreter if necessary. I wonder what "prosecuting to the maximum extent" means. Probably probation, which is why people will continue to commit fraud like this.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Closer to 2001
We already had tickets bought for the NIN concert in Chicago coming up on Friday, October 7. Then Christy noticed that 2001: A Space Odyssey is playing at The Music Box that weekend, in 70mm. The key to what I just wrote is the "in 70mm" part. Viewing a true 70mm film is a breathtaking experience. And it is an experience that few have undertaken due to the paucity of theaters that have a 70mm projector on which to show these films. There is only one such theater in Chicago, and there are only a handful remaining across the country. I have been fortunate enough to view several 70mm films at Roger Ebert's film festival in Champaign, Illinois, which remarkably enough has a historic theater with a 70mm projector. Most of the remaining 70mm projectors are to be found in large metropolises like Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and Atlanta.
I have already seen 2001 in 70mm at the Virginia in Champaign. It was stunning. And everyone among the crowd of 1,200 that saw it with me would agree. The print was absolutely pristine. A couple of the special guests that night (including Keir Dullea) remarked that it looked even better than they remembered it looking when it opened back in 1969.
Unfortunately, the filmgoing experience at The Music Box will fall a little short of the Virginia experience. The Box's screen is about 1/3 the size of the screen at the Virginia. To make up for this deficiency I am going to sit up front, probably in the first five rows. 2001 is a spectaculary visceral experience that loses a lot on television.
Oh, I almost ended this post without describing exactly what the difference is between 70mm and 35mm, the standard for today's film releases. 70mm is brighter and sharper. Much sharper, almost to the point of seeming 3 dimensional. If 70mm is so good, then why was the format largely abandoned by the early 1970s? Cost. The film and cameras were much more expensive, which is why only select movies were filmed in 70mm.
I have already seen 2001 in 70mm at the Virginia in Champaign. It was stunning. And everyone among the crowd of 1,200 that saw it with me would agree. The print was absolutely pristine. A couple of the special guests that night (including Keir Dullea) remarked that it looked even better than they remembered it looking when it opened back in 1969.
Unfortunately, the filmgoing experience at The Music Box will fall a little short of the Virginia experience. The Box's screen is about 1/3 the size of the screen at the Virginia. To make up for this deficiency I am going to sit up front, probably in the first five rows. 2001 is a spectaculary visceral experience that loses a lot on television.
Oh, I almost ended this post without describing exactly what the difference is between 70mm and 35mm, the standard for today's film releases. 70mm is brighter and sharper. Much sharper, almost to the point of seeming 3 dimensional. If 70mm is so good, then why was the format largely abandoned by the early 1970s? Cost. The film and cameras were much more expensive, which is why only select movies were filmed in 70mm.
Is Someone Trying To Tell Us Something...
A big storm yesterday knocked over the top of this beautiful maple tree in the side of our yard. When the best part of your yard gets destroyed...let's just say I was not very happy. This is the third weather related yard injury in the past year. A ten foot tall bush in our front yard is standing at a 60 degree angle thanks to last Thanksgiving's ice storm. And last summer 1/4 of the Mulberry tree in our back yard fell down during another windstorm. To clarify, the yard that I am talking about is our current yard, not the place we just bought and will become our new residence in a few weeks. It's a good thing we're moving!
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Shall We Dance
I let Christy choose the movie tonight. The result was Shall We Dance. "Oh god!" my sympathetic readers exclaim. Well, don't fret too much for my well-being. J-Lo was nowhere in sight.
This is actually the second film named Shall We Dance that I have watched. And again, J-Lo was nowhere in sight. Shall We Dance (1996) was an amusing Japanese film that played at Ebert's film festival back in 2003. The J-Lo "effort" was a remake of that film. The Christy selection was the 1937 film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
Now that the clarifications are out of the way, on to my review of the film. Shall We Dance (1937) tries to be what many musicals try to be-part comedy, part drama, part dance, and part singing. It succeeds at the third. The comedy needed to be diminished. Lame comedy vignettes needed to hit the cutting room floor, including the record setting number of double-takes by Edward Everett Horton's character during the first 15 minutes. The drama was underdeveloped, as the relationship between Astaire and Rogers seemed to flash between cold and hot, cold and hot, in a love'im or hate'im fashion. The singing was ok. Fortunately the songs, by the brothers Gershwin, were relatively brief. They were not very memorable, except for the ultra-famous "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me."
Finally, the dancing was good. Spike Lee would be pissed off by a number that takes place in the bowells of a cruise ship, a location that is entirely populated by black workers. The workers wait around for whitey to show up, at which time they can perform while whitey dances to their music. One could look at the scene as offensive, or perhaps it was a restrictive way to provide some diversity in an otherwise monotone film.
Other dancing included a number on roller skates! Now, this was impressive. Not quite as impressive as the dancing woman who contorted her body in a right angle (backwards), but still impressive. Astaire and Rogers were able to keep perfectly in sync with each other, which must have taken ample practice or a multitude of takes. [Holy bejesus, I just read that this scene took around 150 takes! Wow.]
*** (out of 5)
This is actually the second film named Shall We Dance that I have watched. And again, J-Lo was nowhere in sight. Shall We Dance (1996) was an amusing Japanese film that played at Ebert's film festival back in 2003. The J-Lo "effort" was a remake of that film. The Christy selection was the 1937 film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
Now that the clarifications are out of the way, on to my review of the film. Shall We Dance (1937) tries to be what many musicals try to be-part comedy, part drama, part dance, and part singing. It succeeds at the third. The comedy needed to be diminished. Lame comedy vignettes needed to hit the cutting room floor, including the record setting number of double-takes by Edward Everett Horton's character during the first 15 minutes. The drama was underdeveloped, as the relationship between Astaire and Rogers seemed to flash between cold and hot, cold and hot, in a love'im or hate'im fashion. The singing was ok. Fortunately the songs, by the brothers Gershwin, were relatively brief. They were not very memorable, except for the ultra-famous "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me."
Finally, the dancing was good. Spike Lee would be pissed off by a number that takes place in the bowells of a cruise ship, a location that is entirely populated by black workers. The workers wait around for whitey to show up, at which time they can perform while whitey dances to their music. One could look at the scene as offensive, or perhaps it was a restrictive way to provide some diversity in an otherwise monotone film.
Other dancing included a number on roller skates! Now, this was impressive. Not quite as impressive as the dancing woman who contorted her body in a right angle (backwards), but still impressive. Astaire and Rogers were able to keep perfectly in sync with each other, which must have taken ample practice or a multitude of takes. [Holy bejesus, I just read that this scene took around 150 takes! Wow.]
*** (out of 5)
Friday, September 16, 2005
Encountering James
I'm in the middle of reading Washington Square this week. Christy had the book hidden away in a drawer, and when we rearranged our second bedroom for staging purposes said drawer was opened. Never having read Henry James, my curiosity was piqued.
This novel is not plot heavy. In fact, I'm on Chapter 11, and the events so far can be related in one sentence: A young woman is being pursued by a jobless and wayward suitor, with her disapproving father looking on. That's pretty much it. James provides glimpses into the minds of multiple characters, though the point of view is mostly restricted to an omniscient narrator for comprehension's sake. The young woman is described as being "not clever." It is not often in literature that the heroine is a dummy.
I have no idea where the book is going. Unpredictable is good. I just hope it is going somewhere.
This novel is not plot heavy. In fact, I'm on Chapter 11, and the events so far can be related in one sentence: A young woman is being pursued by a jobless and wayward suitor, with her disapproving father looking on. That's pretty much it. James provides glimpses into the minds of multiple characters, though the point of view is mostly restricted to an omniscient narrator for comprehension's sake. The young woman is described as being "not clever." It is not often in literature that the heroine is a dummy.
I have no idea where the book is going. Unpredictable is good. I just hope it is going somewhere.
Kicking the Dead
One of my principle interests/hobbies in life is the cinema. So expect movie news/discussion/reviews to appear here frequently. Like the following: Robert Wise is dead. Ho-hum. His name does not really standout in mainstream circles, but it is associated with some very famous films. The Sound of Music and West Side Story are his two most recognizable titles. Others (mainly Geeks) might not realize that he directed the first Star Trek film.
My opinion of Wise is less than favorable. He began as a film editor and should have stayed one. He was the editor on Citizen Kane. How much credit he should be given for Kane's breakthrough stylistic choices is debatable. Wise's later films demonstrate little of the genius found in Kane. Undoubtedly it was Welles' genius overflowing into the editing room on Kane.
I bear a grudge against Wise. It was on Welles' followup to Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, that the controversy lies. Wise was also the editor on Ambersons. Here is the short version: the movie had been completed, and Welles made the mistake of going to South America to work on a new project. Meanwhile, Ambersons was shown to a preview audience, who allegedly hated the movie. The studio panicked and demanded changes to be made. Welles sent instructions on editing changes, but this was not enough. Here is where Wise made a fateful choice. He tried to edit the movie in accordance with the studio's wishes, and the studio even had Wise film a new ending. Wise was a studio man, and pleasing the studio was his primary goal. The fact that Ambersons was butchered was immaterial. In fact, Wise was too much of a hack to even realize that his actions had not improved the movie. The deleted scenes, including the original ending, have never been found and were probably destroyed. We are left with a crippled, "what could have been" masterpiece. Wise is not 100% to blame for this, but he was a major contributor.
Shift forward in time. Wise parlays his "studio man" image into a directing career. The movies were often artistically mediocre but commercially successful. The best thing that could be said about Wise was that he was versatile, making films in many genres. It is just that none of these films were great. That includes the overrated The Haunting and The Day the Earth Stood Still. Wise will not be missed by me.
Nice eulogy, huh?
My opinion of Wise is less than favorable. He began as a film editor and should have stayed one. He was the editor on Citizen Kane. How much credit he should be given for Kane's breakthrough stylistic choices is debatable. Wise's later films demonstrate little of the genius found in Kane. Undoubtedly it was Welles' genius overflowing into the editing room on Kane.
I bear a grudge against Wise. It was on Welles' followup to Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, that the controversy lies. Wise was also the editor on Ambersons. Here is the short version: the movie had been completed, and Welles made the mistake of going to South America to work on a new project. Meanwhile, Ambersons was shown to a preview audience, who allegedly hated the movie. The studio panicked and demanded changes to be made. Welles sent instructions on editing changes, but this was not enough. Here is where Wise made a fateful choice. He tried to edit the movie in accordance with the studio's wishes, and the studio even had Wise film a new ending. Wise was a studio man, and pleasing the studio was his primary goal. The fact that Ambersons was butchered was immaterial. In fact, Wise was too much of a hack to even realize that his actions had not improved the movie. The deleted scenes, including the original ending, have never been found and were probably destroyed. We are left with a crippled, "what could have been" masterpiece. Wise is not 100% to blame for this, but he was a major contributor.
Shift forward in time. Wise parlays his "studio man" image into a directing career. The movies were often artistically mediocre but commercially successful. The best thing that could be said about Wise was that he was versatile, making films in many genres. It is just that none of these films were great. That includes the overrated The Haunting and The Day the Earth Stood Still. Wise will not be missed by me.
Nice eulogy, huh?
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Three Heads Are Better Than One
This day marks a milestone in mine and Christy's lives. We bought our first house. And, considering we got it for $3,000 below the appraisal value, I think we made a good investment. We would have been happy with the house anyway, as its aesthetic appeal was what really won us over, not just the affordable price. Though we might be happy, the final arbiters of good taste will be the cats, who like a room with a view and plenty of running room. I expect they will question why we need 3 bathrooms when they have the one little kitty litter area, way down in a secluded part of the basement. They might have a point.
The Fifth Blog
This is fifth time I've tried to start writing my blog. Waitasecond, I just said blog. What is a blog, anyway? One of my favorite online writers (notice I didn't say bloggers) is James Berardinelli. Said writer opined about the blog in his Aug. 25th column.
Hopefully this fifth attempt will be more successful, with nearly daily updates. The daily updates will be possible thanks to my lax work schedule with ample Internet access. A good timekiller at work, in other words.
I don't know how entertaining this blog will be. Usually I'll be writing to amuse myself. As long as this remains a pro bono enterprise, I am not overly concerned about the size of my readership.
Hopefully this fifth attempt will be more successful, with nearly daily updates. The daily updates will be possible thanks to my lax work schedule with ample Internet access. A good timekiller at work, in other words.
I don't know how entertaining this blog will be. Usually I'll be writing to amuse myself. As long as this remains a pro bono enterprise, I am not overly concerned about the size of my readership.