There Will Be Boredom...

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...

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!

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!

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!

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...

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...

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!?!?!?!?

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:

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...

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.