The Reckless Moment

Shane Carwin VS. Brock Lesner

2010-06-28T21:18:00.000-07:00

I am highly anticipating the upcoming Heavyweight battle between current Champion Brock Lesner and interim Champion Shane Carwin, so much so that I thought I would blog about it.

There have been few fights in the UFC that have me this jazzed up, mostly because I want Brock to lose in a highly desperate way. There are many who feel the same way, especially after many of the questionable antics that Brock has displayed in his last few victories, especially after defeating Heath Herring and Frank Mir. Personally I think that Brock is a disgrace to the sport and while he may have talent, his size and wrestling background has really been his main advantage over opponents at this point that have not put him to the full challenge.

Let's recap:

Brock has lost once thus far in the Octogon, it was to Frank Mir when the two met for the first time, the fight was fairly short and sweet and basically went something like this...

Brock dominated the first few moments and was able to get Mir into a few bad positions on the ground, mostly punching him with short, quick rabbit punches that were effective, but before they could do fight-stopping damage Mir was able to use his expertise off his back and put Lesner into a heal-hook from hell that has the bruiser tapping in a matter of seconds. End of fight.

Lesner being the sore loser that he is pouted, but since then has been improving and gained victories over Heath Herring, Randy Couture, and was able to avenge his loss to Mir the second time they met. However, Lesner and Carwin were suppose to meet in late 2009 but a illness kept Brock from fighting until now, which July 3rd will certainly be a 4th of July firework celebration a day early for sure.

This is really the first time that two fighters of this caliber have met in the octogon at the Heavyweight division. If we look at where the sport has come in the past five years, we also see a growing trend of fighters who can weight over 235lbs and still have agility, grappling, boxing, and Jiu-Jitsu abilities despite their large frame and weight. Brock is often praised for his ability to move quickly, have great power, and punish his opponents when he gets into the ground and pound. However, I think that many commentators and fans are forgetting about several key things that I would like to point out that I think will make all the difference in the Carwin/Lesner bout.

I went back and watched both men in their last few fights, mostly observing Lesner in his defeat over Hall of Famer Randy Couture, which was a great fight for Randy who fought hard against a man who easily weighed about 50lbs more than him. Randy was able to avoid a great deal of damage early on, he was also able to keep Lesner up against the fence for some dirty boxing, and for the most part Randy executed a great strategy to win by decision, but before that became a factor Lesner was able to get Randy to the ground in a bad position and land several short blows, especially a hard one to the back of Randy's head (which should have been called by the ref and a point deduction OR at least a warning), but instead Randy was injured and Brock went on to win the fight due to the referee stoppage (AKA TKO).

Carwin has many of the same skill sets that Randy does, but he is a few years younger and far more explosive than Randy, he also has far more power in his punches, his heavier, and I think possibly better on the ground, which is why I think Carwin (if he can control Lesner up against the cage) will have a huge advantage and should easily be able to pull out a victory. Up to this point we really haven't seen how much damage Lesner can take, we know he can take a punch fairly well as Mir was able to land quite a few and also a knee or two, but Carwin is super-heavy-handed and deadly accurate with his punches that come in severe form. If you take a look at Carwins victory over Mir he was able to push Mir up against the cage and basically land some nasty right hands from a short distance that hurt Mir, but his uppercuts that came from under Mir's arm protection a few moments later are what put Mir on the mat and Carwin finished the fight from there. It was quite impressive to say the least. Carwin also stopped Gabriel Gonzaga with a nasty punch that has him on Queer Street in a blink of the eye, but even more impressive was Carwin's ability to neutralize a submission hold from a great Jiu-Jitsu artist like Gonzaga.

At this point though we have not seen either opponents chin really put to the test, Carwin has been able to plow through his last few fights without going into late rounds and so his cardio could be questionable, but then again so is Brock's, who began gassing out in the later rounds against Heath Herring, who was able to at least go the distance. Lesner is still the bigger man overall and therefore is likely to wear down faster, but quite frankly I don't see this fight going to the second round. Carwin has various places that I feel he can defeat Lesner, mostly leg locks or ankle locks if the fight goes to the ground and he could just as well land a few bombs that could stun Lesner enough to end it that way as well. Lesner's only hope is being able to do what he did to Mir and that is to get him on his back and ground and pound while controlling one of the arms enough that Carwin is unable to defend himself.

Either way, it's gonna be an explosive evening and probably one to remember.

Why I dislike the Pittsburgh Steelers...

2009-02-02T22:36:00.000-08:00

When people ask me what my favorite NFL team is, my response if rather simple: whoever is playing the Steelers that week.

I often get asked about my lack of loyalty to the Pittsburgh Steelers since I was born and raised in the Burgh and more importantly, I am a huge supporter and longtime fan of the real sports team in this town...The Pittsburgh Penguins.

So why exactly DO I dislike the Steelers?

Let me be very clear in my answer so I don't muddy the issue. When I say that I dislike the Steelers what I am referring to is the current Pittsburgh Steelers, not the good ole' days of the 1970's team that was the best NFL team ever assembled, no I am talking about the recent era of the team.

Many of my gripes about the Steelers is not exclusive to them as well, in fact I am sure it pertains to many NFL players and teams, but I have to live in Pittsburgh where I hear about it all the time, things like their arrogance, cocky attitudes, trash talk, and of course their drug addictions, drug-selling, and other things that role models should not do. Again, this pertains to many athletes, but is one of the many reasons why I prefer to watch a sport like Hockey where this is nowhere near as much a problem. Take for example the fact that NFL players get more fines than any other sport, they celebrate every single time they make any sort of play, and then trash talk to the media...it's a tired parade. You don't see Sidney Crosby celebrate every time he passes the puck? I was watching highlights of the Lynn Swann catch from the superbowl many years ago and it was interesting how after he made one of the most amazing catches in all of football history he simply took the ball and handed it to the referee. Nowadays guys celebrate as if they won the entire game. It's really beyond rediculous.

Back to the Steelers...

Another upsetting aspect of living in Pittsburgh with this sports team is the unfair media coverage that happens in which the news stations cover more unrelated Steeler talk year round and have total disregard not only for the other sports that are happening in the city, but other important news stories. Why don't they cover some of the good and charitable things that some of the Steeler players do instead of only cover their poor behavior with things like speeding tickets, drug dealing, and Big Ben and his hurt finger?

Now I know that the media coverage has little to do with the Steelers fault, but either way it over-satures the issue and takes things beyond the gag-factor.

Arrogance...

Most people are well-aware by now of many of the Steeler players and their off-field arrogance and personalities, the biggest is that of Big Ben, who will barely talk to fans or sign things for them. I often wonder how him and his ego can even fit into that helmet each week. If you are a sports player (Big Ben included) you have every obligation in the world to treat your fans like royalty. They are the ones paying your salary so that you can live the 'good life' with million dollar homes, exotic cars, and all that glitters, so if you don't have the decency to say 'hello' to fans or sign your name a few thousand times a year, then you are in the wrong business. If anything that sports player should be honored that someone wants their signature, but people like Big Ben have had their entire life given to them and have lost perspective on the meaningful things in life and it's a shame that a role model like that shows such poor taste.

I am sure this is the case with many sports figures, but it seems like the NFL is overloaded with more egos and money-hungry players.

One reason that I have always respected NHL players and especially Pittsburgh Penguin players is that they love playing in this city and really have respect towards their fans. There are numerous accounts of Penguin players who took pay cuts just to remain in Pittsburgh simply because they loved the fans and the team. Not only that, but they show true appreciation for their fans and are humble when around them. NHL players are classy and NFL players in general (especially many of the Pittsburgh Steelers) are anything but classy.

Ok, my final reason(s) for not liking the Steelers has mainly to do with the fans and not the team. Most Steeler fans like the Steelers because they were born here and feel obligated to like this team. I understand that this is the hometown, but people can root for any team that they choose. Just because I live in Pennsylvania does not mean that I am going to root for teams from Philadelphia. People are more tolerate of border-crossing when it comes to College Football when people can root for out-of-state teams. I prefer to like a particular team because of the DNA of the team with it's players. I root for the Green Bay Packers because they had Brett Favre who I always thought was a good player and had respect for him, when he went to the New York Jets this past season I still rooted for the Packers, but also rooted for Favre, despite not really liking the Jets all that much. I suppose if he had played there long enough I could become a convert.

Pittsburgh Steeler fans assume that everyone loves this team and thinks that you are less than them if you choose to root for someone else. I think the majority of the people who go to the games only really love it because they are so drunk that they could be watching just about anything. Maybe fans are more attracted to the spirit of their fandom rather than the sport itself, I know many people who root for the Steelers, but couldn't even name 2 players on the team. Perhaps it's just a tradition, but I prefer free thought where I can choose to love any team that I want without feeling obligated to love a team out of sheer tradition.

Eh, enough about the Steelers already, they won the Superbowl and the only positive thing about that is that for the next week the people of this city will be a little nicer than usual. Then it'll all go back to the same ole thing.

The Slump of the Penguins...

2009-01-06T00:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, so everyone who is watching the Pittsburgh Penguins these days is obviously a bit frustrated watching a team that last year made it to the finals now barely able to score a goal. They are in a huge slump! They are not winning at home, not scoring goals, and their power play is pathetic.

So what happened?

Well, many people will point fingers here and there, but I'd like to offer at least my thoughts on the matter:

1. Leadership.
This is a very young team with young leaders and it's easy to lead a team when things are going well, but when things go bad, this is when true leaders emerge. This is a team that is slowly defining itself and it's key players.

2. Chemistry.
The team has seen a wide variety of changes over the past year with players going elsewhere and new lines being formed. The team is changing up the lines and determining who plays well with who.

3. Injuries.
On top of players being gone from the team due to trades, they are also facing many injuries, which they were able to overcome last season, but this year it's challenging with a whole new team DNA.

In order for the Penguins to get the ship turned around there are several things that must happen. Malkin and Crosby need to play on separate lines and also be the leaders of those lines, which means they need to start scoring goals. The Pens also need depth right now to help contribute as guys like Satan, Fedetenko, Staal, and Sykora are also producing less than what should be expected. Also import is the contribution from third and fourth string guys like Kennedy and Talbot, but their production should only come as a bonus to what the top lines are doing. The entire team needs to learn to stop passing so much and just shoot the puck! This is perhaps the most frustrating part of watching this team as they try and make fancy plays and end up losing the puck. They just need to keep firing from the point and look for rebounds, which being me to yet another point, which is having guys in front of the net. This is where most of the action is and we never have enough guys in front who can be screening shots, looking for rebounds, or frustrating the defensemen.

My Bucket List:

2008-12-28T01:12:00.001-08:00

Here are a few things that I would like to accomplish in 2009....

1. Go skiing at least once.
2. Go ice skating at least once.
3. Jump out of an airplane.
4. Climb or hike something taller than a house.
5. Spend significant amount of time in a hot tub.
6. Go to at least one opera.
7. Go to at least one musical.
8. Go to at least one symphony.
9. Go Salsa dancing.
10. Make several new friends.
11. Eat more meals with friends.
12. Try and get in shape.
13. Play ping pong and destroy one person at it.
14. Play roller hockey.
15. Go to as many Penguin games as possible.
16. Stargaze.
17. Buy a car.
18. Save more money than ever before.
19. Save someones life.
20. Make someone laugh until they collapse.
21. Show someone how to do something that I know.
22. Spend more time with family and less working.
23. Give more compliments.
24. Drive an exotic vehicle.
25. Travel.
26. Read a great book.
27. Watch as many movies as I can.
28. Write at least one song.
29. Play my guitar more.
30. Make an impact on someone.

The Laundry Trifecta...

2008-12-28T00:58:00.000-08:00

Many people who know me well know that I have a deep love for doing laundry. I can't really explain why this is, but I do and I have decided to just embrace this fact. Anyway, not only do I enjoy laundry, but I also have experimented with just about every combination of detergent, softener, and bleach method that exists in the humble attempt to figure out the best way to wash clothes effectively.

Here is the absolute winning combination:

Detergent: Tide Total Care (Renewing Rain HE)
Softener: Snuggle (Blue Sparkle)
Bleach: Clorox 2X Color Booster/Stain Figher (Lavender HE)

These three products together are by far the most effective, efficient, and ultimate way to get your clothes clean, fresh, and restored. It only makes sense to use great products when clothes cost so much.

I will also note that there are a few other products that work really well, the first is if you are concerned about your budget since the Tide is a bit pricy, you can also go with Purex (HE) and it costs about 1/4 the amount, plus it's concentrated, so a little goes a long way. Also recommended is anything from Tide really works well, except never use powders. I also like the new Downy Softener, which works well with the Tide, but the smell of the Snuggle is far superior and lasts much longer. The Clorox 2X comes in a non-lavender scent, which works well, but I really prefer the lavender.

The best place to buy these products for price is Wal-mart/Sams Club as they have the most for the least, Target carries them, but are usually a bit more unless you find them on sale.

Pixar Ratings:

2008-11-22T21:52:00.001-08:00

Thought I would share my personal ratings for Pixar's catalogue of films...

Toy Story (1995) B
A Bug's Life (1998) B-
Toy Story 2 (1999) B+
Monster's Inc (2001) B-
Finding Nemo (2003) B+
The Incredibles (2004) B-
Cars (2006) B+
Ratatouille (2007) A-
Wall-E (2008) A

Pixar seems to be getting even better with their productions, the latest film Wall-E had all the right ingredients that Pixar films are now known for: wit, charm, groundbreaking digital work, great characters, fun story, etc etc, but Wall-E goes a step beyond that with a mature and deep story and underlying themes that makes this not just a kids film. I think most Pixar films can be enjoyed by all ages, but this one in particular contains some pretty deep moments and that goes even further than it's obvious eco-friendly push. While I think that the consitentsy in quality that this studio puts out is mind-boggling, there is no doubt that their shining moment thus far is a dutiful and romantic little robot named Wall-E.

So long Butch...

2008-09-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

On Friday the world lost perhaps one of the greatest actors of all time in Paul Newman. While he will probably be best remembered for his role of Butch Cassidy, he also graced us with his presence in many other classics like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Hud, Exodus, The Sting, The Hustler, The Color of Money, and of course Cool Hand Luke.

Perhaps one of his greater more recent roles was in 2002's Road to Perdition, which demonstrated just how great of an actor he was even in his later years. At age 83 it's fair to say that he lived a long and prosperous life and his legend will live on for future generations of film lovers.

The Mighty Bucs.

2008-09-22T00:58:00.000-07:00

This summer I actually went to my first complete Pittsburgh Pirates game at PNC park. I have been incredibly out-of-touch with baseball, which has been intentional ever since they went on strike many years ago. I don't follow baseball nor do I care to as long as things are still the way they are with rediculous salaries, egos, and juiced up players who lie under oath.

Anyway...

I got to see the Bucs actually win in a 15-8 victory over the Dodgers, which is quite a miracle considering how bad of a team the Pirates truly are and have been. While the score looks impressive it was still a disappointing game despite a win. Disappointing? Yes, how could a team this bad play in one of the most amazing fields ever built? It's not really disappointing, it's embarrassing, shameful, and downright despicable. PNC park is a gorgeous ballfield that harkens back to a day and age when baseball thrived and coursed through the veins of any American. And yet, today we get players that don't really care that much, collect their insanely undeserved paycheck, and yet people still watch these bums play. It's embarrassing to see a team this bad and while they may have won this particular game a field this good deserves a team that is also good, or at least one that is trying to rebuild. The Pirates are simply a recruiting station for the rest of the league it seems.

I couldn't believe just how out of touch I have been and this year the Pirates will tie the record for the longest consecutive losing season....for shame. I saw several t-shirts that day that even mocked just how bad the pirates are, the two that I recall were something like:

"I am used to disappoint....I'm a Pirates fan"

"The Pittsburgh Pirates: Rebuilding since 1993"

Our Pittsburgh Pirates are so bad that they are not only a laughing stock to the entire league, but to fans...it's that bad. We are actually 'proud' of just how bad we are! I guess in the many years since I followed the sport nothing really has changed and it doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon either. In the meantime, I'll watch the only REAL team that Pittsburgh has, THE PENS!

How the West was Awesome.

2008-09-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

People rave all over the place about how good High Definition Video looks, and they are right, but they also overlook just how great true film has always looked, especially in certain formats like 70mm, CinemaScope, Cinerama, etc etc. One recent great example is the release of HOW THE WEST WAS WON on Blu-ray, it's available in a 2-disc set that contains the film in both theatrical versions, including SmileBoxed, which you can see the screen captures here and you can click on the images to see them blown up.

Blu-ray Update.

2008-09-10T23:44:00.000-07:00

After spending a large part of the Summer scaling back my DVD collection and making gradual shifts over to Blu-ray, my current collection consists now of 82 Blu-ray discs, they are:

300 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY APOCALYPTO THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD BATMAN BEGINS BEHIND ENEMY LINES BLACK HAWK DOWN BLACK RAIN BLADE RUNNER BONNIE AND CLYDEBRAM STOKERS DRACULA THE BRAVE ONE CARS CJ7 A CLOCKWORK ORANGECLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND CRIMSON TIDE THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW THE DEPARTED THE DIE HARD QUADRILOGY DIRTY HARRYDOOMSDAY THE DOORS EDWARD SCISSORHANDS EYES WIDE SHUT THE FALL THE FANTASTIC FOUR THE FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER THE FIFTH ELEMENT FIRST BLOOD FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM FROM HELL FULL METAL JACKET GALAPOGOSGANGES THE GETAWAY GOODFELLAS HALLOWEEN HART'S WAR HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS KINGDOM OF HEAVEN LONESOME DOVE THE LOST BOYSMICHAEL CLAYTON MEN IN BLACK NATURAL BORN KILLERS NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS NIM'S ISLAND NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN OLDBOY ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOS NEST PAN'S LABYRINTH THE PATRIOT PATTONPEARL HARBOR THE PERFECT STORM POINT BREAK PLANET EARTH THE PUNISHER QUEEN ROCK MONTREAL RATATOUILLE THE ROCK ROOM WITH A VIEW THE SHINING STARGATE STEP INTO LIQUID SUNSHINE TERMINATOR 2U-571 THE USUAL SUSPECTS V FOR VENDETTA WILD CHINA X-MEN THE LAST STAND
Plus 3 operas:

SWAN LAKE
LA BOHEME
CELIA & BRYN

While all of these titles are certainly superior to their DVD counterpart in terms of picture and sound quality, there are a few gems here that are worth noting as they are essential titles to own if you are looking to make the most of your home theater system. Those titles are as follows:

PATTON -perhaps one of the best restorations thus far, read previous thread on it.
NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS -even an animated feature is meant to look and sound this awesome.
LA BOHEME - if you are into opera, this disc is a must.
V FOR VENDETTA - superb color, detail, and depth.
BATMAN BEGINS - demonstrates just how great Blu-ray is capable of showing detail, even when it's dark.
PLANET EARTH - what a terrific series, the sound isn't quite as good as it could be, but the picture is stunning.
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN - insanely overlooked epic that arrives here in it's directors cut version and it not only looks and sounds awesome, but is a more competent film.
HART'S WAR - a film worthy of discover and this Blu-ray is the way to go!
FROM HELL - still underrated thriller with Johnny Depp, this Blu-ray will put any DVD to shame.

My poor blog....

2008-08-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

I just can't seem to find the time or rather 'desire' these days to blog. I was doing so well for so long, but lately I just don't know what to say.

Things happening these days:

1. I'm getting pumped about the NHL season.
2. I'm looking forward to cooler weather, watching some football, and wearing long-sleeve items.
3. Excited about new friends and hanging out with them!

One of the most beautiful films, ever.

2008-08-02T23:41:00.000-07:00

If you are like me and you are tired of the onslaught of mindless films that Hollywood has been recylcling over and over again over the past few years, then maybe it's time for a change. Often times it only takes a truly great film to recharge your hope again in cinema and what better way than a beautiful film like David Finch's 1980 film THE ELEPHANT MAN. Most people will quickly write this film off as just a bio on the true story of John Merrick AKA The Elephant Man, who was stricken with a most unfortunate disease and was paraded around like a circus freak for years, then from the help of a great doctor (played wonderfully by Anthony Hopkins) he was taken into good care where he finally became treated as a human being.

The film was shot in 1979/1980 under the careful care of director David Lynch, who is typically known for making more obscure artsy films, but for anyone who doubts his ability to make straight-forward films that involve human emotion and depth, look no further than this film, which he truly put everyone on the line. This is by far a no-holds-barred examination into the human condition and perhaps one of the finest examples of such ever pressed into celluloid. It's tactful, honest, compassionate, heartfelt, deep, and profound.

Perhaps the greatest decision that Lynch would make was getting cinematographer Freddie Francis to lens this film, which happens to be one of the last 35mm films to be released in true Black and White (SCHINDLER'S LIST was not shot in B&W, it was converted in post-production) and also using Panavision lenses, which give the film an amazing characteristic all on it's own with Francis opting for a high contrast style that harkens back to the glory days of cinema when deep focus B&W films were common. Francis would later go on to work on some other magnificient films with Martin Scorsese and also work with Lynch again, his 1999 collaboration put forth another great film simply titled THE STRAIGHT STORY and is another must-see.

The casting is also quite excellent with Hopkin's in prime form and John Hurt (who plays Merrick) is simply stunning (it took 7 hours alone for him to get into makeup for the part). Anne Bancroft also co-stars giving the film its credibility with highly talented actors and actresses to pull off the legitimacy of the film and its content. Material of this nature needs to be handled with great care and the acting is essential to making it all work, here it is mastered.

So the next time you're uncertain about which film to put on your Netflix cue after scrolling throught the uninteresting latest releases, put this film on your list and thank me later!

THE DARK KNIGHT...

2008-07-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

I won't go into too much detail, but I am sad to report that the latest Batman film, THE DARK KNIGHT, was a huge letdown for me personally. Here is why:

1. The style of this film is inconsistent with that of BATMAN BEGINS and looks too modern, which doesn't keep the consistent look of Gotham City, which was always a city that appeared like it was set in the 1920's, yet had the technology of the future or at least modern day. Instead the film clearly looks like it takes place in Chicago and the use of Hong Kong in the film takes us out of the fictional world of Batman and into a modern day mess.

2. There are many things that are trying to be accomplished in this film, the creation of Two-Face/Harvey Dent and the introduction of The Joker, plus Rachel and her feelings towards Dent and Bruce Wayne, then the screen time to develop Commissioner Gordon and even with 2.5 hours the film just seems exhausted to get it all done. By the end it's almost like a Batman Soap Opera with more dialogue in this film than BATMAN BEGINS times two. It just comes across sloppy and the overall character development is weak.

The best part of the film though has to be Ledger's incredible performance that is both sad, tragic, and yet amazing. Sad because here we finally see Ledger at his best and tragic because we all know this is his final contribution to cinema. If anything his performance alone merits a second viewing of the film despite it's problems.

Penguins: Revised.

2008-07-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

No more than 24-hours after my griping about the Pens need for wingers they sign 2 from the Islanders: Satan and Fedotenko, which are no match for losing Hossa AND Malone, but will be a great addition as they will surely up their game playing on a one-year contract with Crosby and Malkin.

The Penguins also secured a 7-year deal with Marc-Andre, which is excellent news, but we also should be looking for a backup goalie after losing Conklin to Detroit along with Hossa. Laraque also signed with Montreal, which is not a huge loss as he was our enforcer, but Eric Godard should fill those shoes well.

It's gonna be an interesting year with a roster change like this!

Attn: Pittsburgh Pens....I can play....sign me!

2008-07-02T23:28:00.001-07:00

Over the past few weeks and days the Pittsburgh Penguins organization has been in an absolute frenzy. The obvious reason is that nearly half of the team was eligible for Free Agency and while the Pens knew that the roster would change next year, few people knew just how much.

Gone are Hossa, Malone, Ruutu, Roberts, Hall, Conklin and perhaps a few more as well.

The only good news thus far is that Malkin has been given a 5-year extension and they were able to keep Pascal Dupuis, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite players. We also snagged a 6-year suprising deal with D-man Brooks Orpik who is a strong defender with tons of hitting power. Pens also added to their grinder-line by signing Calgary's Eric Godard, which is a nice touch to keep our physical game under tap, but we need offense!

While these might be good things it doesn't change one VERY important fact: the roster is thin! We need wingers and we need em bad! Crosby and Malkin are in desperate need of sniper players in order to excel at their playmaking game, we need players like Patrick Elias from New Jersey or Chicago's Martin Havlat, or perhaps Tamba Bay's Martin St. Louis.

Now that we have tons of money (since we lost a huge chuck of players) it would only make sense that we seek after some wingers and a right-handed defender. I was really hoping we might be able to snag free agents Wade Redden or Brian Campbell.

There are even talks about the Pens getting Jaromir Jagr or Markus Nasland, which I think that perhaps Naslund would be a nice addition just for the experience that he brings, but Jagr is too close to the end of his career and has an awkward history with Penguin fans.

So the "core" of the Penguins are in tact, which is a great thing, but we do need some fresh players to get the right combination if we want to make it to playoffs again next year.

Right now the lines are looking short:
Crosby, Dupuis and WHO?
Malkin, Sykora and WHO?
Staal, Talbot and WHO?
Godard ????
Will Laraque stay?

Do they still make em like they used to?

2008-07-02T17:47:00.000-07:00

I recently had a conversation with someone about the quality of movies these days and to a degree had to agree with their comment, "they don't make good movies anymore". After thinking about this I had to agree that the frequency of good film-making is probably at a all-time low, but there are still good movies being made, problem is that you now have to seek them out. I decided to make things easy my listing a few of the truly great films over the past 5 years (2003-2008). These are not films that I think are "the best" necessarily, but perhaps a few that may have slipped through the cracks, while others were highly successful in critical and commercial circles.

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (2005) Directors Cut ONLY!
MUNICH (2005)
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (2007)
MICHAEL CLAYTON (2007)
MASTER AND COMMANDER (2003)
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007)
SUNSHINE (2007)
THE DEPARTED (2006)
CHILDREN OF MEN (2006)
HALF NELSON (2006)
BRICK (2005)
THE ILLUSIONIST (2006)
V FOR VENDETTA (2005)
THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND (2006)
THE FOUNTAIN (2006)
BREACH (2007)
APOCALYPTO (2006)
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (2005)
EASTERN PROMISES (2007)
CINDERELLA MAN (2005)
COLLATERAL (2004)
THE GRIZZLY MAN (2005)
THE FOG OF WAR (2003)
THE MAGDALENE SISTERS (2003)
SECONDHAND LIONS (2003)
THE BRAVE ONE (2007)
FREEDOM WRITERS (2007)

A Dying Art: The Music Video

2008-06-21T23:37:00.000-07:00

My all-time favorite music videos in no particular order:

"Linger" - The Cranberries
Great send-up to the French New Wave and filmmakers like Jean-Luc Godard and most specifically the film ALPHAVILLE, which is one of my all-time favorite Science Fiction films.

"The Universal" - Blur
Awesome homage to the late, great Stanley Kubrick with obvious references to 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. Awesome song that really makes me happy.

"I'm Afraid of Americans" - David Bowie and Trent Reznor
Super concept that involves two highly creative individuals that both understand the power of images with the right musical vibe. Has some interesting post-9/11 impletations.

"Home" - Depeche Mode
Highly unseen, underrated, underappreciated music video from a band that has endured over the last 3 decades despite people in America not really knowing what this band has been doing, but their popularity has never declined elsewhere in the world.

"Around the World" - Daft Punk
A must-see music video that is both creative and poignant at the same time, just phenominally directed.

"Devil's Haircut" - Beck
Another send-up video to a seldom talked about film these days - MIDNIGHT COWBOY. Beck is just great.

"All is Full of Love" - Bjork
Amazing music video that is superbly clever and emboddies the whole 'can artifical intelligence love', which has been a topic often seen in films, note that the robots look like the ones in I, ROBOT.

"Running" - No Doubt
Great collage-piece that really sums up the relationship of this band with it's own members, fans, and a snap shot of their challenges.

"Sabotage" - Beastie Boys
A very obvious choice here, but this song never gets old and the video is just great!

"33" - The Smashing Pumpkins
Shot entirely with a still camera and then rapidly pieced together with every frame comprising of hundred and thousands of stills in order to create a jerky one-of-a-kind music video.

"Sledgehammer" - Peter Gabriel
Just a highly creative music video that came out in a time when music videos were at the peak of their popularity, but were starting to decline in their originality.

DVD vs. HD: raising the bar.

2008-06-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

Often when people overhear me talk about how inferior DVD is or how limiting DVD is they are typically surprised. That is, most people still feel that DVD offers the most stunning picture and sound quality available at home. However, this is starting to quickly change as more and more people are 1. buying HDTV's and 2. obtaining HD programming. Both of which quickly lead people down a path that demonstrates to them just how good HD can look, but with that comes a new bar. Once that bar is raised, DVD by comparison, doesn't hold up. It just can't. DVD is limited to just standard definition with MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 technologies only able to up to 720X 576. In comparison, HD programming and or HD-DVD/Blu-ray can do 1920X1080, which means that the lines of resolution are doubled. Not only can DVD not handle the resolution, but the compression needed to fit the movie onto a DVD is a great factor in the poorer picture as well. A DVD, even a dual layered DVD is under 10GB of space, whereas a Blu-ray disc currently comes in a 25GB and 50GB size. This means that the video and audio can be uncompressed, typically you will see the audio say something like 5.1 uncompressed PCM audio on a Blu-ray disc. This enables high resolution audio, plus great picture quality and STILL have room for supplements without jeopardizing performance, at least to a certain degree.

It won't be long with more people having HD programming before DVD will begin to seem like VHS quality by comparison, this doesn't mean that it will go away, just think VHS lasted over 20 years even when a superior format like the 12" laserdisc was around in conjunction.

Got the Blu(es)...

2008-06-13T21:34:00.000-07:00

After the demise of the Pittsburgh Penguins I figured I must jump-start this blog a bit with other information. Recently acquiring a Sony Playstation 3 I have been able to enjoy the full benefits of the HD format known as Blu-ray, which I must say it's making me reconsider my entire DVD collection, which is or was nearly 1200 strong. Since obtaining several Blu-ray discs I have decided to scale back my DVD collection and make some trades bring my Blu-ray collection to 35 discs as of right now, they are:

300
BLACK HAWK DOWN
BRAM STOKERS DRACULA
BONNIE AND CLYDE
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
BLADE RUNNER
THE SHINING
EYES WIDE SHUT
APOCALYPTO
GOODFELLAS
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
FULL METAL JACKET
PEARL HARBOR
THE BRAVE ONE
EDWARD SCISSORHANDS
GALAPOGOS
OLD BOY
FROM HELL
V FOR VENDETTA
STEP INTO LIQUID
FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX
FANTASTIC FOUR
X-MEN: THE LAST STAND
A ROOM WITH A VIEW
TERMINATOR 2
PATTON
CARS
RATATOUILLE
SUNSHINE
THE PUNISHER
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
QUEEN ROCK MONTREAL
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS

Needless to say these are all superior in some way to their DVD beginnings, but some really stand out. The Kubrick discs are definitely superior to the DVD and remastered DVD's that were issued years ago, in fact they are the best that I've seen those films and that includes seeing them in theatrical representations and restortions over the years. 2001 finally has the color that it deserves, but EYES WIDE SHUT also has a few scenes (in particular the city shots) that are just jaw-dropping. Equally impressive though is the restortion on PATTON, which on top of being a masterpiece of filmmaking, also makes for one of the early demo discs on what Blu-ray can offer to a restored film and when it's done correctly, the results are stunning. PATTON was shot in 70mm in a process called Dimension-150 and the Blu-ray definitely shows how spectacular the cinematography was on that film.

One can only hope that this great trend continues and more people hop onto the Blu-ray train. That however can be tricky as it's taken quite awhile for everyone to convert to DVD and while DVD just turned 11 years old it would seem that no one wants to jump ship just yet. But that doesn't mean that DVD is dead. Since you can view DVD's on a Blu-ray player it would seem (especially since it upscales) that it will also improve your DVD quality and certain titles will take quite some time to finally arrive on Blu-ray to begin with. For movie purists, enthusiasts, collectors, and videophiles though this is just the type of fresh air that was needed, espcially since DVD was never meant to be the final word in home video. In fact it was only meant to get people on the disc format, but was always limited in some way. DVD could never handle the storage space to accomodate the best that home video has to offer. Blu-ray takes DVD to the cleaners by offering full 1080p presentation of movies in true High Definition, plus takes the audio to a whole new level as well with formats like Dolby Digital TrueHD 5.1 and DTS-HD Losslesss audio, which finally gives full uncompressed surround sound in ways that you can enjoy at home with the proper receiver via HDMI.

If you are interested in getting into the Blu-ray format there are a few key titles that won't disappoint, the first film that really delivers in all performance aspects is FROM HELL, which is featured in 7.1 DTS-HD lossless audio and is phenomenal, plus the 1080p picture is stunning with great depth and clarity for a film that is very dark with loads of contrast and color. Plus, it's a truly good film that often gets overlooked as just another retelling of Jack the Ripper.

Another great title would be the BLADE RUNNER 5-disc Blu-ray set that gives all 5 versions of the film including the Final Cut, the theatrical cut, the international cut, the directors cut, and the workprint. All 5 look stunning, but it's great to see the variety of versions of this film, plus there are tons of extras on the other 2 discs and since this film is one of the most imitated Science Fiction of the last 30 years, it only seems appropriate to give it all the attention that this classic deserves and hopefully find a new audience to acknowledge it's genius.

Other stunning discs for picture are of course the Pixar films, which look sublime and finally show what digital animation can look like when there is no generation loss between production and process.

Maybe Penguins can fly afterall - Crush Flyers.

2008-05-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been nothing short of amazing in their post-season performance and while there were a few bumps along the way, they still have managed to put up a 12-2 record going into the final round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They are also riding on a 16-game home winning streak at this point and it looks like there is little stopping them at this point. This is a team that is beaming with confidence. Not only are they playing well, but they are having fun doing it, which can be seen on faces like Marc-Andre Fleury after winning game 5 with a shutout against the Philadelphia Flyers and ending that series on a high note.

So what's next?

Well, the Pens will have a nice little vacation here as they wait to see the outcome of the Dallas and Detroit series, which heads back to Dallas tonight for game 6. If Detroit wins that series than they will have home ice advantage, but if Dallas wins than the Penguins will have the home ice, which based on the way that they are playing sounds like the preferred choice. Either team will certainly be a test for the youthful Pens.

Marian Hoss has 21 points in the playoffs with Crosby and Malkin right behind with 19 points, but the whole team is contributing in helpful ways. Fleury has been amazing with a 1.6 goals against average as well.

It's gonna be fun!

March of the Penguins...

2008-05-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

Well, it does not look like it's going to take too long before we have this years 2008 Stanley Cup Champion and the final series is closely approaching, but no team is a guarantee at this point. However, the odds are looking VERY likely that it will be Pittsburgh Vs. Detroit. Tonight Detroit won it's 3rd game against a frustrated Dallas team, while the Penguins won their first two against Philly. There have only been 2 teams in the history of the NHL to come back from a 0-3 deficit, so it's doubtful that Dallas will move on. Pittsburgh can't let up either at this point as they have won their first two games with a score of 4-2, but Philadelphia isn't going to lay down for the Penguin express to flatten them out. Especially now that the next two games are IN Philly. Yet, if you have watched the first two games of the series you would also know that Pittsburgh has dominated Philly. Now you might have a difference of opinion here because looking at the score it wasn't a huge blowout, but Pittsburgh has really played well in all of the key areas to have Philly on their heels.

The first thing that has been impressive about Pittsburgh is their defense and goaltending combined. Not only are the defensive players (minus Ryan Whitney) playing well, but the offensive players are also playing good defense. The neutral zone has been highly controlled by Pittsburgh wingers and centers and this gives them the forwarding power to create open chances and goals to be scored.

The second thing that is really clicking for Pittsburgh is the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th lines. Not only are the top players playing well, but ALL of the team is playing well (minus Ryan Whitney again). Max Talbot scored the game winner in game 2 after coming off a injury, which elevated the teams spirits and brought them their 2nd win of the series. This is certainly a difficult thing for ANY team to handle when the opposing team has weapons on all of their lines, which is what Pittsburgh has. However, so does Detroit, which is why that matchup will be a real tester for both teams.

I am really excited for Pittsburgh and Detroit and I think it will be a great series regardless because both teams are similar in many ways. Starting with the goaltending, both teams have competent goalies who are playing at their best right now. I think that in many ways Chris Osgood as the advantage for his experience, but Fleury seems to have more confidence overall right now.

Defensively both teams are great, but the one thing that Detroit has again in it's favor is experience that players like Chris Chelios and Nick Lidstom bring to the game. This could also serve as a negative because with age comes a certain amount of sluggishness that Pittsburgh's blazing forwards could capitalize on. Many of these guys (of Detroit) have won Cups before, this brings about a marginally less amount of determination when compared to a young rookie or sophomore from Pittsburgh who is dreaming of Cups in their sleep. I think that the determination factor lies in Pittsburghs court at this point.

The other challenge facing Pittsburgh is that IF faced against Detroit that Detroit will have home ice advantage meaning that the Pens will need to win at least ONE game in Hockeytown. The Pens have managed to play at a whole new level thus far in the playoffs though and won both games in Ottawa and one game in New York, but the series against Philadelphia will speak volumes about how they can handle a tough team in their home town.

Detroit has tons of firepower, which the Penguins could probably match, but in order for that to happen the Penguins will need to up their game in many areas. If you watch the way that Detroit plays hockey that force the other team to play their style of hockey. Detroit is always or at least always seems to be in control of the puck and the momentum of the game. In game 3 against Dallas it wasn't more than a few seconds after Dallas got a goal and started to shift the fans excitement that Detroit squashed those woooo's with booooo's by quickly going down the ice and scoring. Detroit has TOP NOTCH passing and they win faceoffs, which is something that the young Penguin team struggles at and is more spotty with.

Here is my list of the key things that Pittsburgh needs to do in order to win the cup (given that they beat Philadelphia)....

1. Frustrate the Red Wing.
Detroit is a team that is used to being in control and controlling the pace of the game, the best thing that the Penguins could do is shut down the Red Wings in all areas of the ice and dictate the control of the game.

2. Utlize their 3nd and 4th lines.
Playoffs are where the stars become superstars, this is where guys like Talbot, Ruutu, Laraque, Staal, etc are in need. Their lines need to be productive in this series.

3. Capitalize on the powerplays.
The Penguins have been an excellent job on their penalty killing, but Detroit is tough when they have that man advantage, so Pittsburgh will need to stay disciplined with the penalty calls and when they get their man advantage chances they need to keep the pressure on Detroit.

4. Keep Fleury confident.
Up until this point Marc-Andre Fleury has played exciting and incredible hockey, he has saved the Penguins quite a few times from some botched plays, but Detroit will smell blood early if there are any signs of fatigue in the young Fleury, so they need to keep Fleury rested and also keep the shots on him to a minimum, this means blocking shots, hitting guys, and chipping the puck loose at every chance they can get. Sergei Gonchar needs to lead his defensive lines to the point where they are playing smart defensive hockey and enabling the power forwards to move up ice and have scoring chances.

5. Give Malkin the puck.
Crosby and Hossa are easy targets with their fast and agile moves, but Malkin is one of the key players as he comes up big when he has the puck and can completely dominate the other team when he gets chances. He is dangerous every time he has the puck and the Pens need to allow him to take shot after shot.

Ride the Tide...

2008-05-08T22:54:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but I love washing clothes. There are few things that I truly love when it comes to 'chores', but washing clothes ranks very high, probably next to vacuuming, which is another thing that I deeply love to do. Yes, I am strange.

Now folding clothes...that's another matter, but washing and drying clothes is fun for me. So I thought I would put out some recommendations for what to use since it's hard to find places online that list anything with regards to laundry, at least none that I can find which are not heavily advertised, of course each manufacturer is going to say that their product is the best...right?

Ok, so here goes:

Since I am using an Amana Front Loader (he) washing machine, everything pertains to that, but I think the results would be the same for conventional washers, although I must say that the front-loader is the way to go, it uses less energy, less water, and is better on your clothes. Since people spend money on clothes I think it only makes sense to take care of them so they last awhile.

Best detergent: Tide

You can get this is all sizes and shapes and with a variety of scents, but there is a reason why Tide costs as much as it does....it works. You can get Tide that has no dyes and perfumes as well, which I recommend for towels and bed sheets. Tide all the way, although if you want a cheaper alternative go with Purex. Never use powders, only liquids.

Best detergent for dark clothes: Woolite Dark Laundry

The problem with washing dark clothes is fading, especially jeans and t-shirts, but Woolite has introduced this amazing product that works fantastic. I highly recommend this for denim!

Best detergent for colors: Woolite All Colors

Most people are afraid to wash vibrant colors, but Woolite All Colors is great for those loads that have tons of colors, especially when washing a load of reds. I prefer to wash red by itself and then wash all other colors together.

Best detergent (concentrate): Method (he)

Method comes in a tiny little bottle, but packs a huge punch and is perfect for people who don't have tons of space and also do small loads such as college students, singles, or even couples.

Best bleach: Clorox 2 (for colors)

This comes in a variety of scents, but is a must-use as it's one of the few bleaches out there that you can use 100% with colors and without any issues of bleeding.

Best fabric softner: Ultra Purex Soft (rainflower mist)

While it might cost less than the rest this one is the best with only Snuggle being a close second. Purex gives just the right amount of scent without causes your clothes to get stiff or over-powered with scent.

Best fabric softner sheets: Snuggle Blue Sparkle/ Arm & Hammer Essentials (Tie)

Both of these are excellent the Snuggle is preferrable if you want just a mild smell to your clothes, whereas the Arm & Hammer is far more potent, so it's a matter of preference. You might want to use the Arm & Hammer for heavier loads or heavier materials like towels or jeans, although I NEVER recommend putting jeans in the dryer.

Only 4 remain...

2008-05-06T07:32:00.000-07:00

There were quite a few surprises this year in the 2nd round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, I don't think many people expected Dallas to roll over San Jose like they did, although they did let the Sharks come back a bit after going up 3-0 in the series, but after a multi-overtime win in game 6 the Stars advanced. The other surprise was Philadelphia beating out Montreal, who towards the end of the season was looking like they had their eyes on the Cup, but Flyer goalie Martin Biron crushed those dreams early.

I was not surprised by Detroit annihilating Colorado, but to be fair, half of the Avalanche team was hurt, so it was a massacre. Pittsburgh let The Rangers take one game out of their series, but there was no way that the Rangers were any match for the young guns of Pittsburgh. That means this:

Pittsburgh VS. Philadelphia

Dallas VS. Detroit

So here's my prediction:

Pittsburgh and Philly are rivals and this series is going to test both teams dramatically. I am a little nervous though because Pittsburgh has some serious firepower, but Biron has been strong and withstood the Montreal attack quite well. However, so has Marc-Andre Fleury. If Pittsburgh is going to win the series they need to have an answer to RJ Umberger, who is originally from Pittsburgh, he has been hot in the playoffs. The Pens also need to capitalize on their power play opportunities and maintain their strong penalty killing that they have thus far. The other thing that they need to do is maintain the lead, especially if they have a 2-goal lead. This has always been a dangerous thing for them as they begin to let off on the throttle once they think that they have clinched the game. The outcome of a hockey game can be won or loss in a matter of seconds, every second counts, and more importantly, no lead is secure. The Pens need to constantly be aggressive on the attack and with their abilities, this should not be a problem. Other keys to their success in this series will be their second and third tier players making contributions, which I think is what enabled them to surpass the Rangers, players like Ruutu, Staal, and Roberts. All three of these players can dynamically change the pace of the game with their attitude and presence. Marian Hossa has also been stepping up to the plate lately and getting great chances, as is Evgeni Malkin, who has been getting lots of shots on goal. I'm thinking this series is going to challenge the young faces of Pittsburgh in many ways, probably going to 6 games, but with a Penguin win!

Detroit and Dallas is going to be a serious gunsling of a series, but that doesn't mean lots of goals as both Chris Osgood and Marty Turco have been excellence thus far, but I don't think that Detroit has been challenged that much so far, certainly not to the extent that Dallas can put forth, which might mean that this series bounces back and ultimately rests upon the goaltenders ability to keep pucks out! Turco saw 60 shots agains the Sharks in their final game and only allowed 1 goal! That's impressive against the highly gifted San Jose forwards. Keep in mind that Dallas also sent the Ducks home early, which was a huge shock for last years Cup winners to go home after one series. It wasn't even close though, Dallas destroyed them. Dallas could be the wild card in this entire playoff year as everyone has doubted them and thought they would go home by now, but this Dallas team is tough, they not only have good goaltending, but their offense is superb with Brad Richards, Mike Ribeiro, and Brendan Morrow leading the way, but other guys like Ott have stepped up as well, plus they have Sergei Zubov back in defense and he is making an impact for this team! I'm going to say Dallas in 7!

There Will Be Boredom...

2008-04-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

I love artsy movies just as much as I love senseless movies at times, which is why I feel that I can give just about ANY movie a chance. I desperately wanted to love P.T. Anderson's latest film THERE WILL BE BLOOD, especially after all the rave reviews and accolades. I also wanted to love it for 2 other reasons: 1. for Anderson to redeem himself from his previous film PUNCH DRUNK LOVE, which I thought was an absolute disaster and 2. Daniel Day-Lewis. I don't blame Daniel Day Lewis though for this films failure, I blame Anderson.

Now, here's the thing...I can tolerate a flawed and sprawling film, in fact Michael Cimino's HEAVEN'S GATE is one of my all-time favorite films and it runs a meandering 3 1/2 hours. Now the first 45-minutes or so of THERE WILL BE BLOOD is pretty interesting despite some lack of clarity here and there, but I kept waiting for some explanation, which never really comes. There are several awkward moments and the film never really seems to pull itself together, then out of nowhere the film starts to spiral out of control as if it was so unfocused that it just doesn't know what to do with itself. Like PUNCH DRUNK LOVE, the film becomes more annoying than it does interesting as the viewer is left in a state of boredom to the point where you aren't sure whether to look at your watch continuously or just turn the thing off. It's that bad!

Again, I wanted to love this film and I appreciate the style that Anderson has with his camera moves and his admiration of other filmmakers, who he tries to emulate in his films like Kubrick, Scorsese, and Max Ophuls. However, thsoe filmmakers all know how to make uninteresting moments still seem interesting and engaging, Anderson does not. He picks a novel by Sinclair in this case where he tries to apply some artisty that never pans out well, in fact the film is far too long, far too unfocused, and far too uninteresting to really reap any benefit at all, it's amazing that critics loved this film, but it's even more amazing that the casual viewer could tolerate it at all! That's an accomplishment.

Soon to be 4...

2008-04-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like playoff hockey...nothing. It is without a doubt the most intense and riveting time in the NHL year and unlike other sports it's demanding for weeks on end as the quest for Lord Stanley's Cup is on the line. Soon 4 teams will be left and looking at the current series it's hard not to think that it will look like this:

Dallas Vs. Detroit

Pittsburgh Vs. Philadelpha

Right now Pittsburgh is up 3-0 over The New York Rangers as is Dallas over the San Jose Sharks and same with Detroit and Colorado. I am not shocked with Detroit beating the Avalanche, but I am superbly surprised with Dallas just dominating San Jose and I am equally impressed with the way that my beloved Pittsburgh Penguins are anihilating the Rangers. So here's the skinny...

Pittsburgh Vs. New York

Pittsburgh is just dominating every aspect of the game, but most importantly their penalty killing is TOP NOTCH right now and they are doing everything they can to keep the puck away from Fleury. However, if the Pens are ready for the Cup they need to do a few more things right, including maintaining a strong 2nd period presence and they also need to keep moving forward when they have a 2 goal lead. They also need their entire team to step it up, which some of them are, but guys like Ryan Whitney are just playing terrible! He needs to be benched for a game or two as he is not producing defensively or offensively right now. The fact that the Pens have scored 5 goals in 2 different games against Henrik Lundqvist is just astonishing and shows the type of firepower the team has!

Philadelpha Vs. Montreal

I really expected Montreal to bowl over Philly, but the Flyers figured out something that the Bruins started to figure out late in their series, which is the weakness of the Canadian defense and also the glove hand of rookie Carey Price. But that doesn't mean that this series is over as it's only a 2-1 lead right now for Philly. The goaltending of Martin Biron has been stellar for the Flyers, but Montreal has explosive power and they have been ringing the goal pipe alot lately, it's really a series that will depend heavily on each teams goaltending and how many goals they can get by without running out of steam. I look for Montreal to make this series a bit longer than the others, so look for this series to go all 7!

Dallas Vs. San Jose

San Jose is getting it's goose cooked for sure in this series, mainly because of Dallas' ability to move the puck and constantly go towards the net. This is a team that is not afraid to crash the net and turn every opportunity into a scoring one. They also have the entire team constributing, but guys like Morrow, Ribeiro, and Richards are all staying hot too! San Jose has the firepower, but they just seem unorganized right now and like the series against Calgary they are giving the other team too much room to work with!

Colorado Vs. Detroit

Colorado is just not match for Detroits offensive prowess and tight defense, plus Osgood is truly playing well and with Colorado not 100% in this series it's unlikely that they'll win the next 4 straight, if not impossible. Detroit is the likely candidate to get to the final Cup series, but they need to stay healthy and Osgood needs to stay confident.

Join, or Die!

2008-04-24T20:30:00.000-07:00

HBO's mini-series on JOHN ADAMS in a single word was just 'awesome'! The fact that they actually spent adequate money to produce this, plus cast great actors and really make this a unique story that embodies much of Adams life is just astonishing that truly makes History interesting and educational. I also found it quite interesting that two of the key figures in the signing of the Declaration of Independence (John Adams and Thomas Jefferson) not only died exactly 50 years after the signing, but they also happened to die ON July 4th, which is the precise date in history 50-years later in 1826....what are the odds?

So what makes this mini-series so great?

Well, first is the fact that it's not treated like a documentary NOR does it try to squeeze a large chunk of history into 7 parts. Rather the treatment of John Adams life is done so through his perspective on the major events in history, yet at the same time the series has gaps in time that are paced in a slower manner rather than attempt to do several history lessons in 8 or 9 hours. By doing so we are taking through pivotal moments in American History through the lens of one of the most important keystone figures in all of that - Adams. Most people are unaware of the link that he provides to Jefferson, Madison, Washington, Franklin, and just about every-other important figure of that era, plus he is uniquely linked to the Boston Tea Party, Boston Massacre, Signing of the Declaration of Independence (he convinced Jefferson to write it), The Constitution, and was also highly responsible for treaties between France and England. There is no doubt that Adams was largely responsible for carving out the initial framework from which we [Americans] still stand today.

There was also a price to all of this, which the series also brings forth in the emotion that is conjured up over years and years of Adams life as he was away from his wife and kids, there is a passionate scene in which Abigail Adams reconvenes with her husband in France after MANY years apart, it is in this scene that they look at each other with some distance as if they were looking at each other for the first time, then moments later as Adams is showing his wife the many rooms of the house he lives in there is a non-verbal communication happening here as the two are in many ways falling in love again, they are re-connecting a lost tie. Moments later Adams is returning to American soil for the first time in many years with Abigail and all of his kids are waiting for him, though they are now adults and he looks at them and realizes in this single moment that time has escaped him and that he has sacrificed MUCH for America and the price was his family and not seeing them grow up before his eyes.

Towards the end of the series there is yet another great moment that some may overlook. Adams and Thomas Jefferson were quite close in the early days of the Nation and eventually were President and Vice-President together, although they quickly had a falling out after the first term, which lead to a bit of rivalry and semi-hatred of one another. Their opposing beliefs became apparent and they went their separate ways. However, late in years Adams and Jefferson begin to write to one another again and they end up forgiving and forgetting their past and re-establish a close connection via letters. This is truly a great moment in this series as both men choose to let their opposing views rest to the side, while they accept friendship through their encouragement to one another through letters, this all happens once Abigail passes away and Adams begins to seek comfort through the letters of Jefferson, who is without a doubt the only man who understood Adams fully.

Unlike many mini-series this one has some amazing depth and scope, yet at the same time chooses very carefully on what it wants to focus on and really encapsulates the complexity of John Adams, while at the same time painting a very vivid picture of an early Nation being formed and the pains of that process. The production value here is very key as makeup and constume are top-notch considering we end up seeing about 85 years of history altogether. The casting is superb with Paul Giamatti as John Adams and Laura Linney as his wife, plus David Morse plays an exceptional George Washington. All of the casting is top-notch here! The other key factor was getting a cinematographer who understood how to capture not only history being re-created, but also the feel, the look, the emotions....Tak Fujimoto, who has lensed other important films and his most notable being the modern classic SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. His work here is astonishing and sets this mini-series apart from the crowd. Together with all of these factors this is easily one of the best mini-series EVERY produced.

And then there were 8!

2008-04-23T12:01:00.001-07:00

Here are my updated NHL playoff predictions with the remaining 8 teams and their matchups...

Montreal Vs. Philadelphia

Montreal seemed to have a harder time with Boston than I or perhaps anyone expected, but they managed to pull through, I don't think that they will have as hard of time with Philly though and should win this series in 6. They key for Montreal is to keep playing tight defense and as long as Carey Price keeps stopping shots like he has been in net, they should be fine, their offense is doing well and they have a large range of guys who can score.

Pittsburgh Vs. New York Rangers

Both Pittsburgh and NYR have had decent rest after their first series wins, so that may be a huge factor, I think that the Pens will greatly benefit from the rest and have their lineup in full tact to take on a team that they had some struggles with during the regular season. The Rangers are also looking like they are healthy and productive with guys like Gomez, Avery, Straka, and Jagr all producing well for them, so it will certainly be a tough matchup for the Pens, especially as the Rangers have one of the best goalies in the league: Henrik Lundquist. But that doesn't mean that they can't be stopped either and with Fleury playing well and guys like Hossa finally getting some confidence look for the Pens to clinch in 6.

Detroit Vs. Colorado

Detroit and Colorado both struggled in their first round matchups, way more than anyone though. Detroit pulled out all the stops though towards the end with Nashville as they replaced Hasek with Osgood in net and that proved to be just the ticket they needed to stop Nashville, the same will go true for this series as well. Colorado looked to their veteran players to win their series against Minnesota, but don't think that those 'old guys' will save them from a well-oiled matchine like the Red Wings. Detroit in 5.

San Jose Vs. Dallas

San Jose barely made it to this round after going to a game 7 with Calgary and that series was brutal! It was a super-aggressive matchup, but the Sharks found their way after going down early in the series and recovered to win out the series. Dallas utterly detroyed last years defending Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks and sent them home earlier than anyone could have guessed, but Dallas was a strong team all year round and had the momentum going their way. They were producing offensively with guys like Morrow, Ribeiro and Ott, which helped keep the pressure off a very solid Marty Turco in net. This series will certainly be a tough one for both teams, so look for this to go all 7, but San Jose will inevitable win out.

If these predictions hold true, then the next series looks like this:

Pittsburgh Vs. Montreal

San Jose Vs. Detroit

THEY LIVE: It's coming true!

2008-04-20T06:54:00.000-07:00

In 1988 John Carpenter released his truly great Science Fiction Thriller/Political Black Comedy THEY LIVE, which brought to light the issues of a declining economy set against a backdrop of consumerism as people are being 'controlled' by those in power (AKA Ruling Class), yet the twist here is that these powers are actually aliens who are trying to take over, the point here is that we have become alienated by ...aliens via subliminal advertising in order to keep us stressed out, underworked, starved, desperate, etc etc. By doing so, control is available to those who are in power.

The world that Carpenter painted back in 1988 was a commentary on the Reagan era, but many of those things are horrifically coming true...

How does government control it's people? One way is to keep 'the people' stressed, fearful, overworked, underpaid, and hopeless. You see by doing so people are less likely to make a fuss if they are too tired and too busy to do anything about it. [We] are just trying to make ends meat and do our part to contribute to society in general...right? Yet in doing so, we are being controlled. The role of Government is to justly 'govern' people, not control them.

So unlike THEY LIVE where there was a fear of not having a job, now Americans have more than one job as they need to work secondary jobs in order to make a decent living for their families, who they seldom see because they are constantly working and when they are not working, they are too tired to do anything else. People are also afraid. Afraid of rising gas prices, afraid that their social security will not be there when they finally get to retired, or even afraid of silly things that the media pushes in our face in order to make us concerned, like the weather.

So if we are tired and afraid, plus being stressed we are prone to more symptoms of ailment, which brings me to my next point in the matter, which is control by way of medication. Since we our overworked and stressed out we develop issues with our bodies and there seems to be a direct correlation in the past 5-10 years with the increase in medications to cure or help with this vast array of newfound ailments, like Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). So now we are overworked, overpaid, stressed out, worried, and now....medicated. Great!

Well, at least we have hope...hope in Christ. Well guess what ...the Government is trying to control that too by taking it out of our schools and society in order to have a distinct separation between Church and State, even though our country was founded by men and women of faith who desperately desired and fought so that we may have these freedoms and most importantly a country that trusts and relies in God.

SkyMall Genius...

2008-04-18T22:51:00.000-07:00

As I was referring to the SkyMall in my previous post I realized I may have made a mistake, especially after eyeing up one of their new products....

It's an iPod dock/Toilet paper dispenser. How brilliant! It wasn't really that long ago that I realized that these two things SHOULD go together, but someone beat me to the punch. I mean, why take your iPod into the bathroom with you and just listen to it from there, you need a DOCK to play it instead. I mean listening to your iPod while on the pot, shall we call it iPot, is rather cumbersome, but if there was an actually docking station inside the bathroom, wait no...that would take up space...the only solution is to turn the dispenser into a dock...yep...that'll do it! GENIUS! What's next...putting the lyrics of your favorite songs on the paper?

Not Sold in Stores...

2008-04-18T22:39:00.000-07:00

A thought occurred to me recently as I saw some items at an overpriced store called Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Personally I would like to know what could possibly be beyond beds and baths, but I suppose they'll keep it a secret. One secret though that this amazing score has been able to figure out though is how to sell things on TV. Not just ANYTHING on TV, but those things on TV that specifically and explicitly say "Not Sold In Stores". Ok. I get it...exclusive. I understand that on TV they are trying to get you to buy from them and by telling you that it's not in stores that you feel compelled and obligated to purchase it from the TV. I've noticed a huge trend with these things too, they are all things that you normally would never actually buy, but they make it sound so good! Kind of like that junk you see in the Skymall magazines when you are flying and all of a sudden you just HAVE to have a suitcase that comes with wheels that could fit on a lawnmower.

So what's up with these AS SEEN ON TV items? I heard that there are actually stores (dedicated stores that is) to selling this merchandise (see: junk). I think that they should come up with a better marketing scheme, like "Never Seen on TV". That makes it sound way cooler! Or how about something like "Never Seen By Human Eyes". That really sounds enticing and it's a lie just like the whole ...not sold in stores, yet it actually IS sold in stores and not only is it sold in stores, but it's cheaper (no shipping charges) and it's a got a big ole' BRIGHT RED STICKER ON IT THAT SAYS THAT IT WAS SEEN ON TV!!!!!

Why do people buy Bose!?!?!?!?

2008-04-17T22:40:00.000-07:00

Since the advent of DVD back in 1997/1998 people have been redefining what their Home Theater experience can be like, and now with Plasma TV sets and other 40+ inch viewing stations it would seem that people can have a realistic theater-like experience within their homes, especially with a 5.1 surround sound system. Unfortunately the name 'Bose' is the first thing that the average consumer thinks about when they start thinking in 5.1 terms. The name Bose has been around for years, long before the days of multi-channel, back when a "stereo" or "hifi" system was king. Which by the way, for some purists, it's still the king and I have to agree to some degree when it comes to music playback, but for movies it's a different story and deserves to be in a seperate discussion.

Let me be crystal clear though about one thing, Bose does have a place for some people. Bose systems are for the type of consumer who doesn't really want to think for themself or to some extent really get involved with their home theater, rather they just want something that is convenient, compact, and delivers decent quality, but more than anything the name will 'impress' their friends too! Wow, what a deal! Although they are overpaying for quality that is subpar in reality.

However, for those who are hobbyist and believe that their home theater system is something that can be tinkered with and upgraded upon, or modified, then alternative routes do exist. Not only that, but going an alternative direction enables the consumer to have options down the road, whereas with Bose you are locked into their system and are unable to modify or upgrade down the line. For example, if you get the all-in-one Bose system you are unable to really utilize other equipment into the mix.

The better route to take (and again this is for those who are not looking for something compact and easy-to-use) would be to buy a receiver, which is the brains of the operation. Pioneer makes really good ones and can be picked up for about $200-$300 depending on which model and the amount of features that the consumer wants. After that, it's really a matter of preference, but the next step comes the actual speakers, which there are tons of companies out there, the one I really love is PSB speakers, which are made in Canada and a decent 5.1 system from them will cost about $1000. Thus far you have spent about $1500 and will need to add some cables as well, which should be budgetted around $200 in total. Then you will need a player if you do not already have one, which again there are tons of companies and with Blu-ray now available it might not be a bad idea to either pickup a Playstation 3, which gives you a DVD/Blu-ray player PLUS gaming capabilities. Otherwise just get a DVD player and my recommended brands would be Pioneer, Toshiba, Samsung, or JVC. Of course these ideas are all middle of the road and if you are looking for a high-end system then I would recommend Pioneer Elite or Denon products.

The reason people buy Bose is because the market is oversaturated with Bose products and people believe that there are NO other options available, when actually quite the opposite is, it just requires some testing and research, but that takes time and time is valuable these days.

Now here is a real system:

This is the Gryphon System, which you are looking at about half a million dollars in equipment. The Gryphon speakers without the amps and other equipment range around $250,000. This is one of the best systems you could ever dream about. Now this is a real system and those teeny tiny Bose cubes would crush under the dB pressure from these!

NHL Playoff Prediction Update:

2008-04-16T19:49:00.001-07:00

Well, looks like one of my predictions came true and if any of them were to come true, this is the one that I wanted the most: The Pens in 4! Woohoo! Who would have thought that the Pens could stop last years ever-so-solid Sens? Well, let's just say that the Penguins are twice the team they were last year and The Senators are half the team with too many of their main guys hurt, while the Pens were hurt most of the season, they still found ways to win games and were able to evoke sweet revenge on the team that gives them trouble more often than not, Ottawa.

As far as the other games are concerned there have been several surprises, including Dallas coming out and winning the first two of the series, but it looks like the Ducks are finding their groove again, but it might be too late! The most impressive part of this series has been Marty Turco in goal for Dallas as well as the chemistry of Ribeiro and Morrow.

Nashville is also shocking me with their man-handling of Detroit and that series could really go anyway at this point, it might even see 7 games!

New Jersey and New York Rangers is also going back and forth a bit, but it looks like the Rangers will win the series as they are able to score more than the Devils.

Minnesota and Colorado has been another interesting series as the Wild are really looking sharp and playing well against a highly experienced Avalanche team, but I give Colorodo the advantage as long as Jose Theodore can stay sharp!

Calgary and San Jose has really been a huge upset as Calgary is really rattling the Shark cage and won the first game of the series, but San Jose is always in for a good fight and won in the remaining seconds of their last game, so this series could go all 7!

Montreal and Boston is no shocker at all as Montreal seems to be the best team in the East aside from the Pens. The goaltending by Price has been amazing and this is one team that the Penguins might have difficutly with.

Washington and Philly is going back and forth and I am really surprised to see Philly shutting down Alex Ovechkin like they are, but with Mike Richards healthy, it wouldn't be a shock to see the Flyers come back and win out the series.

STAY TUNED!

NHL 2008: Playoff Predictions...

2008-04-10T14:19:00.001-07:00

This year's playoffs is going to be awesome! It's already intense and we are just a few games into the first round of the playoffs. So here are the first round matchups with my commentary:

East -

Montreal Vs. Boston

Boston has some serious injury problems right now and are playing rather shaky, while Montreal is on FIRE! They have their rookie goalie (Price) playing out of his mind and their offense is pouring it on strong. I'd say Montreal will win in 5.

New Jersey Vs. New York Rangers

Two teams I really don't care for either way, but the Rangers have been surprisingly playing better towards the end of the season, especially guys like Sean Avery. New Jersey is always a wild card with Brodeur in net and if Elias can pour on the offense, then it might be a long series, so I'm going to say NJ in 7.

Pittsburgh Vs. Ottawa

Talk about sweet revenge! Pittsburgh is playing the best all year with their entire team back in the action and looking strong, the key to success here will be having Gary Roberts back in the lineup, plus Malkin, Crosby, Hossa, Sykora and Malone all playing strong it's hard NOT to think that they will win in the East, Ottawa has too many injuries and an unstable netminder situation, Pittsburgh in 4!

Washington Vs. Philadelphia

Both teams were almost NOT in the playoffs just a few weeks prior to the opening round. Washington was out and Philly was on their way out of playoff contention, but they both ended up here and now it looks like Washington is turning up the heat big time with Huet in goal and Ovechkin putting pucks in the net every game, it's hard not to like them in this matchup against a struggling Philly defense. Washington in 6.

West -

Detroit Vs. Nashville

It's hard not to think that Detroit is going to win this series after having the year that they did in the regular season. Key to their success will be keeping Hasek healthy in net. Nashville is looking sharp too with Arnott and Dumont playing solid offense. Ultimately it will probably be a closer series than anticipated, but Detroit in 6 is my pick.

Anaheim Vs. Dallas

This is going to be an awesome series for sure as the 2007 Stanley Cup winners face up against a tough Dallas team. Having Selanne back in the action is definitely going to put experience in the Ducks corner again, but Dallas looks hungry this year. I'm going with Anaheim in 6.

San Jose Vs. Calgary

This is the wild card of the bunch as San Jose is coming off an imaculate year with Nabokov playing well and winning 46 games this year, Joe Thorton is also red hot, but Calgary is a tough and agressive team when they want to be and as long as the 'Kipper' stays red hot between the pipes, Calgary could make this a much longer series for the Sharks than they expected, but San Jose will probably get things under control and finish off the series in 7.

Minnesota Vs. Colorado

Experience will probably prove again here as Forsberg and Sakic should be able to lead the Avalanche over the Wild in this series, however, much of that will depend on Jose Theodore's netminding, but look for the Avalanche to crash in 5.

Why so Blu: the Real Story Why Blu-ray beat HD-DVD...

2008-03-31T18:59:00.000-07:00

Most of the debate these past few months have been over the rivalry between two HD formats known as Blu-ray and HD-DVD, then after nearly 2 years of battling each other for a hold of the market and offering superior quality to the long-standing DVD format, Blu-ray finally put the fork into all of HD-DVD's dreams.

Experts will analyze this situation and offer numbers about many factors including how how Sony made the wise choice of including a Blu-ray player standard inside ALL of their PS3 machines, whereas HD-DVD was only an optional upgrade for the Xbox systems from Microsoft. Others will analyze the various studio supporters for the two formats and draw comparisons from that or from the vendors, but I think the answer comes down to something more basic....color & phonetics.

Blu-ray won because it's blue. What?

Blue is typically a color that is more appealing to the eye and is often used to convey a calmness and appeal factor versus red, which is a much stronger and bolder color by nature. Red was the color of choice for HD-DVD and their packaging. It only makes sense that Blu-ray chose blue, but the packaging of their media helped play a vital part of the win.

The other is simple phonetics. Try saying "H-Dee-Dee-Vee-Dee" a couple times over and over. It's exhausting. "Blooo Ray" on the other hand rolls out naturally and feels more expressive, it also sounds different. HD-DVD no doubt explains what it is...it's a DVD, but with HD capabilities, which is essentially what both formats are in the short of it, but people need to know that they are upgrading to something 'better' than a DVD and a "Blu-ray" sounds different, where HD-DVD still sounds similar.

So that's it...Blu-ray inevitably won because it's easier to say and looks better from an aesthetically pleasing marketing perspective. Crazy eh?

Both Blu-ray and HD-DVD delivered nearly the same thing, but the fact that neither were cross-compatible made it a tricky sale for many, but the fact that HD-DVD players and Blu-ray players can upscale current DVD movies is a huge bonus. Now that Blu-ray is the clear victor and the studio support is quickly moving that direction we will certainly see a drop in price over the next year on the hardware and software and look forward to exciting titles being released!

Having a bad day????

2008-03-28T22:24:00.001-07:00

Just watch this compilation of scenes from the remake THE WICKER MAN starring Nicolas Cage....

The Foreign Correspondant...

2008-03-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

I've decided to write up a list of 10 Foreign films that should be on everyones must-see list, but tried to stay away from the obvious choices. I'll also try and pick a different country for each selection, and they are:

10. Luis Bunuel's THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE (1977) - I love the description I read for this film: a dizzying game of sexual politics punctuated by a terror that harkens back to Bunuel's brilliant surrealistic beginnings. What's interesting here (not sure how many other films have done this or tried to do this), but the lead female character changes back and forth between different lead actresses throughout the film representing different characteristics of the female persona. France

9. Sergei Eisenstein's IVAN THE TERRIBLE PARTS I and II (1946) - gutsy film that dares to bash the Stalinist politics right under the governments noses in sub verse and complex filmmaking, but yet at the same time it's pretty obvious too. It's no wonder the film was banned for well over a decade. Russia

8. Seijun Sezuki's YOUTH OF THE BEAST (1963) - if you thought Scorsese was a good gangster-genre filmmaker, think again. Sezuki made several great ones including this one and it's flat out brilliant in just about every way imaginable, plus a glorious color palette that will have you drooling. Japan

7. Kadar and Klos' THE SHOP ON MAIN STREET (1965) - perhaps one of the most surprisingly tragic if all films that only echoes the oppression felt during the time in Czechoslovakia. The camera work and editing is first rate and way ahead of it's time. Czech

6. John Schlesingers' BILLY LIAR (1963) - I just love this film and it's one of the most beautifully shot scope films in B&W, plus it's a dark comedy too, making that even a more rare occurance, but this film is a real hoot! Britain

5. I AM CUBA (1964) - brilliant b&w photography and hand-held camera shots with long takes set this film apart as one of a kind, but the beauty of this stylistic film only help narrate the 4 vignettes that help to explain the situation of a devastated and unreformed Cuba. Cuba

4. Ingmar Bergman's THE SILENCE (1963) - this gorgeous film is often grouped together with 2 other films to complete the trilogy: WINTER LIGHT and THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY, but this film stands out amongst the bunch as one of the most beautifully shot films ever with some ingenious camera work by long-time collaborated Sven Nykvist and this film easily helped influence Stanley Kubrick 17 years later with THE SHINING. Interesting how even the titles are nearly the same too. Sweden

3. Wong Kar-wai's IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (2000) - is perhaps one of the most gorgeous films shot in the past 10 years and just dazzles in beauty that it's hard to not keep recommending this film. Hong Kong

2. Peter Weir's PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK (1975) - odd and haunting this strange story about a bunch of schoolgirls who go missing at the mysterious rocks quickly turns into a suspenseful adventure that is hard to forget about and the music and sound truly make this a unique experience. Australia

1. Pasolini's THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW (1963) - interesting Italian portrayal of the last days of Christ and certainly one of the better interpretations on celluloid. Italy

Let's Go Pens!

2008-03-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

NHL playoffs are just around the corner and this year has been an exciting one on several fronts. With the new scoring style the divisions and conferences are super-tight meaning that even up to the playoffs teams are battling game after game. It's very easy with a string of wins or loses to go from the top to the bottom and that makes hockey one of the most exciting sports to watch end to end. The Pens have also played well this season despite some incredible obstacles: injuries galore. Fleury, Roberts, Crosby, etc etc. have all been injured for long periods of time, but that didn't stop The Pens from playing well mainly due to some important key players: Ty Conklin, Evgeni Malkin, and Ryan Malone. These three players have really stepped up in important ways during the injury prone season to lead the Penguins to the playoffs this year! Woohoo. I've had the joy of being able to attend 7 games this year and have seen more wins than loses including perhaps one of the best games i've ever seen live against the Flyers in which the Pens won 7-1 and just dominated them from whistle to whistle. There have been some other surprises this year besides Ryan Malone and Petr Sykora having incredible seasons and that is the aquisition of 2 players during a trade that have been huge assets to this team already, they are defensemen Hal Gill and forward Pascal Dupuis who have contributing some major offense and defense to this team, although Marian Hossa was a big bonus for The Pens too, even though they lost a few decent players.

So it looks like they are ready to rumble in the playoffs and have a strong, young team to do so, but I thought I would add my few cents as to what needs to happen for them to win the cup this year:

1. Crosby needs to be back and healthy.
2. Fleury needs help with rebounds and defense needs to keep the shots minimal.
3. Passing needs to be fluid and consistent.
4. Malkin needs to step up like he has even when Crosby is back.
5. Hossa and Crosby will need to find quick chemistry together.
6. The minor players need to step up as well: Kennedy, Ruutu, Taffe, Talbot.
7. Need offensive power from d-line as well: Whitney, Letang, Gonchar.
8. Powerplay needs to be hot hot hot.
9. No unecessary penalties, keep aggressive play, but play smart.
10. Team needs to be healthy and rested when possible.

I have a hard time seeing the Pens winning this year there is some seriously strong contention in the West with teams like San Jose and Detroit playing CRAZY this year.

Farewell Arthur C. Clarke...

2008-03-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

Science Fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke, who 40 years ago would make history with Stanley Kubrick on 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, dies at the ripe age of 90. His story The Sentinel would be transformed into one of the greatest Science Fiction films ever made and together with Kubrick would pull no punches with a Science Fiction film like no-other. A film that is incredibly deep in it's thematic elements, but also poses some of the biggest philosophical questions that very few books or films manage to do. Clark also helmed some other important Science Fiction works and his ability to write complex works in deep Scientific realms certainly translated differently in screen adaptation with Kubrick being the only one to really master the material in a serious way.

It's also interesting that just recently Universal HD played 2001 and it looked AMAZING! Of course, the Blu-ray release of the film is incredible as well and if you ever have a chance of seeing this film in HD, do it without a second thought, but ultimately the film is required to be seen during EVERYONE's life, preferably on film, 35mm will do, although the film was shot in 70mm, so if you get a chance to see a restored 70mm screening of the film, invite everyone you know too! I've seen this film about 200 times and in a wide variety of formats, but it was with my most recent viewing of the film that I really began to appreciate the simplicity of the films surface and how much the film does with little. Now this is not to say that there is not a ton of production, sets, props, acting, etc going on, but rather just how patient and reserved the film is. It pulls you in and desperately wants the audience to be a part of the story. In doing so, the film breaks many of the standard conventions of narrative and film-making and would break rules in many other ways as well, making it one of the most innovative films of all time, this coupled with Clarke's imagination and depth and you have an instant classic that has only appreciated in value over the past 40 years making it one of the greatest Science Fiction stories and films ever produced.

Clarke will certainly be remembered as one of the great Science Fiction writers of the 20th century, but anyone who has seen 2001, owes a great deal of thanks for his incredible vision as the world of film is clearly a bit better because of this film.

a film like no other: Fritz Lang's Metropolis

2008-03-14T22:53:00.000-07:00

It's astonishing to think that there were very few Science Fiction films made prior to World War II, but it's even more astonishing after seeing the visionary genius of Fritz Lang's 1927 METROPOLIS and how daring, bold, and pioneering the film truly was and still is. It has been imitated ever since and nearly ever Science Fiction film owes some degree of respect towards this film. The film is about a future in which there are only two societies: the thinkers and the workers. The only problem is that they are co-dependent upon each other as the thinkers are not really sure 'how' things work while the works are able to make things work, but have no vision to see them through, they just DO the work. So the two must work together, but the crux of the film really takes shape when one of the thinkers decided to venture into the workers area to see what their life is like and is appalled at their bot-like behaviors.

Of course the film runs much deeper than this as this is just the surface story that is happening, but there is much more woven into the fabric of this cinematic masterpiece and it's revolutionary style, form, and production. Amazingly enough the film holds up incredibly well even after 80+ years and is a MUST SEE for any serious Science Fiction fan. I am reminded recently of this film as there seems to be (especially with the recent 2 terms of Mr. Bush) a certain move towards 2 social statuses (lower and upper AKA "haves" and "have-nots"), but even more specific we have the workers and those who are in control of the workers, not necessarily the 'thinkers', but rather the ones with power, typically political power brought on primarily by who you know and how much money you have. What is more frustrating is that the 'workers' outnumber the 'thinkers', but are unorganized and are kept in their position by way of custom. When people are overworked and living in fear, it's hard to become organized and day-to-day mundane-ness seems at least comforting as opposed to putting effort into getting organized and making a difference for the better, having a voice. Maybe we can hope for a 'thinker' to step into our world and see what it's like....just maybe.

...is Road House the greatest film ever made?

2008-03-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have had the absolute joy of seeing 1989's Road House starring none other than Patrick Swayze, you already know the answer. I decided to look up the plot summary to this in-depth film, but was surprised to see just a simple sentence: A tough bouncer is hired to tame a dirty bar. How on earth could THAT be the plot? I mean, what about the deep character development? What about the layers of profound meaning? I mean, Patrick Swayze does not do bad movies, only classics, so there has GOT to be more to this film than just a bar bouncer and the trouble that ensues...could there?

Turns out the entire film is actually a metaphor for life in general and the characters are semi-based on Greek Mythology with some Biblical references as well. Check out just a taste of the films dialogue and see if you can immediately see the connection to Shakespeare....

Wade Garrett: "This place has a sign hangin' over the urinal that says, "Don't eat the big white mint".

The film also offers some amazing, deep, profound insights to life as well...

Dalton: "All you have to do is follow three simple rules. One, never underestimate your opponent. Expect the unexpected. Two, take it outside. Never start anything inside the bar unless it's absolutely necessary. And three, be nice. "

Lines like this it's tragic that the film couldn't have been released at a time when Laurence Olivier could have read those lines of potent prose. Although Swayze shines through in his astounding performance as he acts tough through the entire film, occasionally tells his face to be tough as well, and shoots out snappy dialogue like a fully automatic BB gun.

The film is also very psychological bringing about the inner being of a man and offers opportunities throughout for any man to let out his Tim Taylor-inspired grunts, which can of course act as a mediator of social interaction with females. This movie can also single-handedly serve the male ego in significant ways as this movie offers the quintessential qualities of any macho-laded adventure. If that's not enough, they did make a sequel!!

One of my favorite clips...EVER!

2008-03-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

Mustache...

2008-03-11T15:31:00.001-07:00

10 of the worst films ever pressed into celluloid: or 20 hours I wish I had back in my life...

2008-03-08T22:54:00.000-08:00

This list does not contain movies that are just poorly made, as in cheap student films or low-budget productions that at least have an excuse, rather this is a list of big-budget films that wasted money as if it were water. These are productions that were actually 'approved' for the public and it's amazing that someone actually released these torture-tests to the general public without at least a warning of some sorts, like ...this film is rated "C" for coma, which is likely how you will find yourself after viewing.

10. The Patriot - I really wanted to like Mel Gibson's American Revolution War film, but it didn't take long before the authenticity of the film was jeopardized by a ludicrous plot and the direction and inconsistency of this film. It's amazing that it goes over the heads of thinking adults. This is evident in a crucial scene involving a church full of innocent people who are torched to death, but unfortunately the scene is inserted into the film for such a brief moment that we don't even have the ability to care about the people involved as it's treated with about as much emotion as a chunk of granite. Of course leave it to renegade Mel to beat those Brits yet again with his sharp-shooter sons.

9. The Ladykillers (remake) - Joel & Ethan Coen, as well as Tom Hanks, really should have spent their time doing another project rather than 'try' to modernize The Ladykillers, which they pretty much desecrated to no end and instead made a film that's as embarrassing to watch as I am sure it is to have credited to your name, this film could have single-handedly ended the careers of all involved, for some, it's a good thing it didn't.

8. Planet of the Apes (remake) - I like Mark Wahlberg and I also like Tim Burton, but what on earth were they thinking with this one? There are some films that shouldn't even be considered as potential remake material and the 1968 film is one of them, it's a Science Fiction great that can't be outdone, so why bother trying to make it over again? Wahlberg is lucky that his run of remakes didn't ruin his career when he made 3 films in 4 years that were remakes and all were failures to some degree, although The Italian Job was the most tolerable.

7. Minority Report - This film is so laughable that's it's hard to imagine that Steven Spielberg made it, but he sure did. Although there is nothing original about the concept and it's basically a conglomeration of other good science fiction films, however, the cut & paste method that Spielberg tries to do here just flops. Let's just put it this way... the future is so advanced and technology is so good, yet for some reason people mistake billboards for real people. Enough said.

6. The Pianist - Despite being exiled from America, director Roman Polanski still manages to make very good films, this isn't one of them, although it's dressed up to look like one. I wanted to love this film and there were parts that I enjoyed, mostly the music, but for the most part it was merely a drawn out, unrealistic, and predictable train wreck that seemed void of emotion, just like Adrien Brody's face most of the time. The casting was probably one of the worst in a long time and didn't help matters, fortunately I know that Polanski is a good filmmaker and he can always redeem himself. Instead of seeing this film, watch The Black Book from director Paul Verhoeven.

5. The Truth About Charlie (remake of Charade) - Oh the humanity! One of my beloved favorites showed up in this concoction with yet again Mark Wahlberg. What is he thinking? Well, fortunately there are two things that are true. 1. Hardly anyone saw this film and 2. Most people didn't see the connection to Charade from 1963 since the title changed. If you want to see a real film check out Charade instead starring the always awesome Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.

4. A Beautiful Mind - I know that many were fooled by this film, but not I. In fact I was one of the few who actually stood up after the movie was over in the theater and was booing. Yes, booing. Many were clapping, but I was in shock that people actually enjoyed this farce of a film. Now here's how it works. You see, Ron Howard (you remember him from Happy Days right?) well, you see he tries to be a real filmmaker and he has certainly had some luck (Apollo 13 to name one of them), but every once in awhile he needs to fake his talent and the way he does that is with a sweeping music score to cover up sections of his films that are void of emotion, sense, logic, or rationality. The ending of this film is so cliched, dull, and insanely annoying that I was just appalled when I actually saw people hailing this movie with clapping. I mean, I see many good films that other people really enjoy, but they don't clap at the end. Why were they clapping in this one? They were fooled! The music at the end of the film actually makes it seem like the joke of a film that you've just spent 2 hours watching was worth it. Then again the entire film plays with the viewers emotions just as much as it does with it's characters and ultimately trivializes the life of John Nash.

3. Million Dollar Baby - I love Clint Eastwood! Always have. But I think his directing days are numbered and a film like this is evidence of just that. Instead of wasting your time with this wannabee artsy boxing movie with political and socially skewed layers, check out Cinderella Man starring Russell Crowe. I personally love the scene where Eastwood just walks right into a so-called hospital and pulls the plug on Miss Swank without a soul noticing.

2. Psycho (remake) - Just utter nonsense here as director Gus van Sant decided to make money on re-shooting Alfred Hitchcock's classic film. I say re-shoot because that's precisely what he did, he just re-shot the exact same film just inserted different actors, so that begs the question...what's the point? My thoughts exactly.

1. A.I. Artificial Intelligence - Stanley Kubrick did not make very many films over his incredibly long career. Much of that is because when he did make a film, he poured his heart and soul into that film and when it was done, it was a masterful work of cinema. His projects sometimes took years to make, but you knew when it was released that you were indeed seeing something special. Unfortunately he didn't live long enough to make a film he had always wanted to, A.I. The torch was then handed down to crowd-pleaser Steven Spielberg who has always had success (mostly commercial, not critical) in the Science Fiction genre and he seemed like the person to handle this work. Well, think again. What ultimately happens though is that Spielberg is trapped about 30-minutes into the film with a story and plot that he just doesn't know what to do with it, so rather than head into a logical direction, the film meanders on for what seems an eternity as it goes goofy to crazy to just all-out silly by the time the 2 1/2 hours are finally over. It's hard to believe that Spielberg could make a boring film, but this one is surely that as it's evident that he is trying to make something that is beyond him, it's not his forte and rather than acknowledge that this deep, logical, emotional theme needs to be handled with craft that a master like Kubrick could do, we end up with Spielberg train wrecking it without a care in the world for the viewer.

Great Simpsons Clip...

2008-03-07T22:07:00.000-08:00

Discuss....

Ice: the color of Heaven...

2008-03-06T22:07:00.000-08:00

I've decided my dream vacation....well, at least one place that I would really want to go before I die, The Ice Hotel. Each year a new Ice Hotel is constructed in Sweden during certain parts of the year there is enough ice and snow that a Hotel can be constructed and a team of artists come to help design the new look for the Hotel as it changes every year, there was a documentary on the Ice Hotel a few years ago on one of the HD channels that was really awesome.

www.icehotel.com

So why would anyone in their right minds want to go there? Well for me I really love the cold weather and ice. Everyone complains about snow and ice, but that's when it's an inconvenience, not made into a luxury as with this. The only time something feels cold is when we are not used to it, once you acclimate yourself to a certain area, then it seems normal. I love the way ice looks with all sorts of light coming through it, there are all different blues and hues and interesting shades that you don't always see together. Each room is carved and there are many artists who carve unique designs to give the Hotel it's amazing and creative look.

No Country for Old Men...

2008-03-06T21:04:00.000-08:00

Finally got around to seeing this film on the big-screen and the wait was well worth it as the latest film from Joel and Ethan Coen was just brilliant. I have seen all of their work and for the most part always look forward to seeing their films, with a few exceptions like the remake of THE LADYKILLERS, which was beyond awful and INTOLERABLE CRUELTY, which is about as ironic as a horrible movie can have.

Anyway, enough about those two poor outings because if faith ever needed to be restored in Joel and Ethan, this is it. I can honestly say that it has been a long, long time since I have been to a movie where I was engaged from the first frame to the last, but this was it. Not only that, but I was totally absorbed into this film, which is a rare treat these days and I might even go on record as saying that this is probably the most mature film to come out of Hollywood in about 5 years. Simply put, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is definitely worth the praise that it has been getting.

Now like the other films of Joel and Ethan, this is not a movie everyone will like, or even understand, but I was hooked right away into the world it created. Unlike any of their films before, this one carries a heavy load and would be similar to some of their darker and more serious work like BLOOD SIMPLE, MILLERS CROSSING, and THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE, all of which are brilliant in their own right, yet their latest entry goes above and beyond in many ways. This is clearly a film made by competent filmmakers who are hitting their stride again and they are taking no prisoners as this film gets right to the point in the first few moments and never lets go until the very end. I can only hope this is a taste of what is yet to come from the Bros.

With the exception of some of David Cronenberg's work of late (i.e. EASTERN PROMISES and A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE) this movie has some of the most graphic violence in many years, but it's valuable to the plot and character development and the Coen's know how to work with it in a respectful, realistic, and important way. Our story quickly picks up as a hunter (Josh Brolin in a superb understated role) stumbles across a drug deal gone bad in 1980 somewhere out in the deserts of the Rio Grande. Bodies are shot up everywhere and there is a stash of 2 million dollars left for him to 'have'. Well, this drug money needs a home, so why not make off with it? Well, money like that doesn't just disappear without some retribution and before too long people are after him. He is no square though, he knows the reality of the situation and understands full-well what type of danger he is in, so he packs up his wife and off he goes in an attempt to thwart the attempts on his life. One dangerous man though is quick to follow though, as this professional assassin (Javier Bardim) doesn't have a sense of humor about the situation and will kill anyone or anything in his path.

Tommy Lee Jones (in one of his best performances in years) plays a nearly retired sheriff who is good as solving cases, but he is torn with the way that things are going in the world as he starts to see new patterns of horrible events, his father and grandfather were also lawmen and his heart is in it, but his mind is telling him that things are not like they used to be in the 'good ole days' when people respected one another. Sure, there was killing, but it made sense, these days it doesn't seem to have a rhyme or reason to it.

Now unlike so many cliched films, what sets this one truly above and beyond is that the characters of this film do not intersect one another in obvious ways, the story lines naturally progress and come together in very interesting, unique, realistic, and profound ways that only true masters like Joel and Ethan could pull together in a way that would still be eventful and equally entertaining.

To say I loved this film would be an understatement. I simply identified with the film and the feelings of the characters in a profound way, especially since it was set in a certain era, which actually made me think back to my grandparents and how I was raised where things were just different. People acted a different way and you treated people like they were people, but in this day and age, everyone keeps to themselves. Although the one realization that the film makes is that there will always be dangerous people doing dangerous things, and that we need good people to always protect and to make right those wrongs, there needs to be someone to uphold justice in this world.

Listen of the Day: Of Montreal

2008-03-05T23:05:00.001-08:00

Wow, came across this really great release from a band called Of Montreal and their 2007 entitled Hissing Fauna, Are you the Destroyer? It's bizarre, but infectious at the same time.

10 Movies for Easter...

2008-03-05T22:42:00.000-08:00

Here are just a few great movies to visit or revisit during the Easter season...

10. The Greatest Story Ever Told
9. The Robe
8. The Ten Commandments
7. King of Kings
6. Jesus Christ Superstar
5. The Last Temptation of Christ
4. Ben-Hur
3. Jesus of Nazareth
2. The Passion of the Christ
1. The Gospel According to St. Matthew

It's interesting that my favorite of these films is 1964's The Gospel According to St. Matthew directed by Italian filmmaker Pier Palo Pasolini and here he actually uses a majority of the text from Matthew.

a Blography...

2008-03-04T11:11:00.001-08:00

Today it occurred to me what the purpose of my blog is or will be. I've attempted to sum up what a blog is to several people, but for me I want my blog to essentially be me. Me that is, in pictures and paragraphs. What does that mean? Well, i've concluded that there are very very few people in the world who know me. Know me very well, know my interests, my likes, my dislikes, my hobbies, etc etc. So this blog will serve as not only 'things about me', but will serve as my biography written in real time, thus a blography. Unlike most biographies that are written about who a person was in the past and chronicling that into the present day (or present day that the biography is written) this blog will chronicle in real time my life as I choose to let it be known as a window for people to peer into the things that make me ...me.

Most people know that I love movies, which is the first layer into my life. However, very few know which movies I love, which movies I dislike, what makes a good movie in my opinion, or better yet...why love a certain movie. So, in some respects this blog will attempt to take away a few layers into the depths of my being and archive them in such a way that others can view and interact with.

So without further ado, keep reading.

The Critical Critic...

2008-03-02T22:54:00.001-08:00

The age old question: What makes art good?

Who determines what is art and what is not, or what is good and what is bad? Can't EVERYONE have an opinion? Can't anyone be a critic? Well, I feel a certain way about these things, the first is that everyone CAN have an opinion, but the validity of their opinion might be skewed. I'll use wine as my illustration.

If someone is a wine connoisseur and has been all over the world tasting wines in all different places, ages, and devotes much of their life to the taste of wine, would you value their opinion of wine more or less than a person who is giving their impression after their first taste of wine? Now, that person may taste wine for the first time and hate it. Fine. Maybe they got a bad bottle, brand, or maybe they just don't like the taste. However, because they have not tasted others or have a broad enough spectrum of wines, their viewpoint is limited with how they judge or critique that wine, so therefore they are probably not necessarily able to articulate what they do or don't like about it other than they know that they didn't like it. This is fine as well. However, that doesn't answer the other question, which is WHY. Critics of all kind need to be able to express WHY they do or don't like something, which is put into the context of their experiences and helps others understand their stance in the matter.

Now back to film...

Film is just the same, most people do not watch movies with the same lens as I do. They simply watch them to be 'entertained'. However, film is a lost art form. It is something that seldom people want to think about afterwards or have in-depth conversations over. The film medium has been reduced to just a quick entertainment fix. But can't our intellect be challenged and worked too and can't that be just as much fun? Some of the best films i've seen have led to awesome discussions afterwards and it's THOSE discussions that made the film all the more valuable in my eyes. One example is after a screening of a newly restored 35mm print of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and having a great discussion with a group of students over the films relevance, influence, and the central themes that the film manages to tie together in unique and deep ways. I agree that movies like this are NOT meant to be enjoyed by everyone, nor do I want to always watch movies that are intellectually stimulating, but I do firmly believe that a good critic and a fair critic is the one who is willing to experience as much as they can in order to be put their subject into a larger perspective.

So what makes a particular piece of art good? or bad? I suppose lots of things. What some people thing is great, others might think is garbage. However, a true critic goes beyond just the surface of the piece. They look at it from a historical perspective, they look at it through the eyes of the artist and gain a sense of how it makes them feel, does it evoke emotion? I could easily go into any art gallery and quickly walk up and down the halls and quickly point out which ones I prefer, which ones I would want on MY walls at home, but I couldn't tell you much about each one. I don't know the history of them, I don't know the style or the level of involvement with certain pieces, which inhibits my ability to fairly judge, I am simply going by my initial impression and reaction. Does that make my opinion wrong about it? No. Just limited again.

It's not a matter of right or wrong....can opinions be wrong? Yes. In my opinion the world is round, well technically it's not fully round, so factually I am wrong, it's more oval-like. In my opinion the MONA LISA is just Ok, well that's my limited opinion because truthfully I have never seen the MONA LISA up close and personal, but have only seen pictures in books, so that doesn't really qualify, which means I can't accurately comment on it. FULL METAL JACKET is the best war movie ever made! Really? Well, it might be my opinion that it's my favorite movie or favorite war movie, but to know if it's the best you need to see many war movies in order to know how it compares to the others before stamping it with a 'best ever' seal.

Anyone can have an opinion, not everyone can be a critic, at least not a good one.

Then again, that's just my opinion.

Masterful Cinematography...

2008-02-29T00:03:00.000-08:00

Americans are seldom treated these days to movies that are just flat-out beautiful. Instead Hollywood has decided to suck all of the color out of film stocks these days as if it were a reflection of life in general - gray. However, for those willing to expand their horizons and check out films outside of the mainstream, you will be amazed. Here is a great screen capture from Wong Kar-wai's IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE.

Although you don't have to read subtitles to enjoy such lush camera work, check out Todd Haynes beautiful melodrama send up to Douglas Sirk in FAR FROM HEAVEN (2002), starring Julianne Moore and Dennis Quaid.

Natasha's 21st Birthday...

2008-02-28T23:11:00.001-08:00

Here is a picture of us at our joint Birthday party from February 8th, it was a great time, GO PENS!!!

Steely Dan: Aja

2008-02-28T22:46:00.001-08:00

If you've come along this far in life and have NOT heard or for that matter do NOT own Steely Dan's legendary album Aja in some medium or another, do yourself a huge favor and just break down and buy this in some form, preferable CD for now. Although if you want to download from iTunes or something similar, fine, just do it.

Now why do I make such a fuss over this album? Well, simply put this could be one of the most perfect albums ever made and a landmark record in many aspects, especially one of the most amazingly produced albums ever and you won't find a tighter, more creative, more energetic, vibrant, and all-out Jazz rock fusion album out there that even compares to just how brilliant, masterful, articulate, and downright genius as this. The work here between Donald Fagan and Walter Becker is just magnificent. This is an album you can spin non-stop and never get tired of it's brilliance or it's seemingly playful nature, yet below that mellowness is some intricate and complex writing in both lyric and melody alike. I am not really a big fan of Steely Dan in general and perhaps some of that is due to the fact that I can't get into their other material after being completely blown away by this album, everything else pales in comparison.

3:10 to YUMA - The Remake...

2008-02-27T22:32:00.000-08:00

Two actors that I really enjoy are Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, but 3:10 To Yuma (the remake) unfortunately cannot be saved by either talent. I wanted to like this film, I really did, in fact I not only had high hopes, but I was certain that I would love it. So where did it go wrong? Well, despite being beautifully shot and set against a great Western backdrop the unfortunate demise of this film was flat-out silliness. Yes, I said it ...silliness. The characters in this film do things that just don't make sense. I can take a bit of this and I don't mind needing a crane to suspend my disbelief, but there is nothing more annoying than characters doing things that are just nonsense. Then the film becomes highly predictable and while it tries to parallel the original 1957 film, the ending twists it up a bit and makes sense overall, but by this point in time I was just disappointed and really couldn't care for any of the characters left in the film. I think character development was severely lacking quite a bit, although that does seem to be a lost art in Hollywood these days, but this film tries to blur the lines of good and bad a bit too much and no one wants to watch a film without someone to root for, regardless of whether they are good or bad, we need to know who we want on our side. So, alas 3:10 to Yuma, I won't be taking that train anytime soon. 5/10

Listen(s) of the Day

2008-02-27T22:22:00.000-08:00

Today I spun two discs that are about as diverse as they get, yet they both share one thing in common and that is how addictive they both are. The first is the amazing soundtrack to Darren Arronofsky's THE FOUNTAIN, which is composed by Clint Mansell and is as beautiful as it is haunting. It's probably one of my most spun soundtracks with the exception of perhaps Philip Glass' THE HOURS. What I like about both of these soundtracks though is that they have a common motif, which is revisited throughout, and that makes sense as the narratives of their respective films have a theme that is coming full circle. THE HOURS of course is set during 3 different eras (1920's, 1950's, and modern day) whereas THE FOUNTAIN poses the question of what a narrative would be like if it spanned over 1000 years of time.

The second listen for today is none other than one of the all-time greatest if not THE greatest Jazz albums, Miles Davis KIND OF BLUE. What struck me about this album in my most recent listen, although i've certainly listened to this album a billion times, is that it's one of the few albums that you can listen to over and over to on repeat mode and really never get tired or uninterested in it. It can be listened to very intently or it can serve as just background noise as if you were in a true Jazz club. You can analyze it note-by-note and with the most critical ears and yet you can also allow it to lazily rest on your ears and the rawness and emotion of this album never wears off, it's just that good. No wait, it's sublime. It's the blueprint or gold standard of what any Jazz album should be and is the first album anyone who is new to Jazz should put on their list. Although, they will have a hard time finding one better as they plunge into the genre, but what a great start!

Listen of the Day

2008-02-26T01:48:00.000-08:00

Caribou's recent album Andorra combines 60's harmonies with modern electronic happiness and it's refreshing to see a band that can pull it off well.

Hilarious Movie Trailer Spoof...

2008-02-25T05:28:00.000-08:00

I found this video online a few years ago and applaud the kids that made this spoof trailer, which is obviously low-budget, but that's what makes it so great. Awesome choice of music, which is exactly what makes it funny because horrible movies think that they can attract people with a trailer that involves good music set to misleading footage.

Listen of the Day

2008-02-25T04:02:00.000-08:00

Decided to listen to one of my favorite recordings, Mozart's Requiem, which is simply beautiful in surround sound.

Film Vault: Underseen, Underappreciated & Unheard of

2008-02-25T00:59:00.000-08:00

This months film vault consists of 10 films that are likely to have not been seen by the general public or have been long-forgotten, yet are worthy of being seen if not revisited, and they are:

1. STATE OF GRACE (1990) - overshadowed by a huge gangster year STATE OF GRACE fell backseat to several other pictures that year including GOODFELLAS, THE GODFATHER III, THE GRIFTERS, THE KRAYS, and MILLERS CROSSING. However, STATE OF GRACE starring Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, and Ed Harris is a superb film that deals with the Irish Mafia and the challenges of being a cop mixed up with the 'old neighborhood'.

2. THE RULING CLASS (1972) - all I have to say is Peter O' Toole plays a man who thinks he is Jesus one moment and then Jack the Ripper the next in this British social satire/dark comedy/musical.

3. THE NAKED KISS (1964) - amazingly dark and brilliant pulp drama directed by Sam Fuller in a way that very few can. A story of redemption, discovery, and revenge with one scene in particular that you just have to see to believe!

4. WOLFEN (1981) - brutal animal attacks lead a NY cop on a trail after a werewolf in this suspenseful enviro-film.

5. FALLING DOWN (1993) - most people recall this film, but it's definitely one to revisit as it has aged well as Michael Douglas plays a man who breaks down one L.A. afternoon and takes his bad day out on a few innocent bystanders.

6. DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS (2002) - a group of Catholic boys plan a heist to turn their comic-book alter-egos into real life local legends, oh and Jodie Foster is Nunzilla.

7. THE DESPERATE HOURS (1990) - had this film arrived a year later it might be a whole different story as Anthony Hopkins was on the verge of superstardom after his role of Hannibal Lecter was unleashed, yet this remake of the Humphrey Bogart picture is worth your time just the same.

8. ROB ROY (1995) - it's still amazing to me how many people have yet to see this film, yet have seen BRAVEHEART multiple times, perhaps the two are just too similar, but this film about the highlanders of Scotland is highly memorable and the sword duel between Liam Neeson and Tim Roth is just awesome.

9. THE DUELISTS (1977) - speaking of dueling swordsman this film centers around such and is one of Ridley Scott's lesser known films, yet demonstrates the early talents of what would later becomes one of todays finest filmmakers.

10. GATES OF HEAVEN (1980) - I had to get at least one documentary into the mix here and what better than one involving a pet cemetery and eccentric pet lovers discussing their affection for their deceased pets, it's like watching a train wreck - you just can't look away.

Ratatouille & Pixar...

2008-02-24T05:10:00.000-08:00

After finally getting around to seeing Ratatouille I decided to give my ratings to the catalog of Pixar films since ranking them in order is nearly impossible...

I usually don't like star ratings, but in this case I'll make an exception.

A BUGS LIFE **1/2
TOY STORY ***
TOY STORY 2 ***1/2
MONSTERS INC. **1/2
FINDING NEMO ***1/2
THE INCREDIBLES **
CARS ***1/2
RATATOUILLE ***1/2

American Gangster

2008-02-24T02:33:00.000-08:00

Finally got around to seeing Ridley Scott's AMERICAN GANGSTER starring Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington and like most of Scott's films...I liked it. In some respects it went against the more conventional gangster-genre style in that it wasn't centered around action and pointless violence. Instead the film was about the rise & fall of a very smart gang leader who oddly enough never indulged in the drug life that he controlled. It's based on a true story set in the early 1970's. While the film was one of the better films I have seen recently it does not quite compare though with either of David Cronenberg's memorable gangster films: A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE and EASTERN PROMISES. Both star Viggo Mortensen and demonstrate his incredible acting chops to go from a Irish mafia man to a Russian bodyguard. Just incredible. I'd give AMERICAN GANGSTER 7/10.

First Post

2008-02-24T01:23:00.000-08:00

There is something about the first post that makes it difficult. Perhaps it is like writing a new book and you can't seem to get those first few sentences down on paper. Staring at the blank page waiting for the black ink to interfere with the ghostly page and then when it happens it can sometimes seem to just work and other times it seems as though that ink should have never come close to that snowy page. So what do I say? What words to I write and express on this blog to begin with? I don't really know, nor have I really thought much about it. Perhaps it is similar to a line from the film ONE HOUR PHOTO:

"And if these pictures have anything important to say to future generations, it's this: I was here. I existed. I was young, I was happy and someone cared enough about me in this world...to take my picture."

One really interesting moment in the film comes from when the Robin Williams character states that no one ever takes a picture of something that they want to forget. I suppose that a blog is a simple time capsule that shows that someone did exist and that they write down things that they want to share and perhaps want others to read, or at least hope to. Well, I suppose I want that to.