Well, with one year of blogging under my belt, I figured it was time to take a look at the appearance of things around here.
I've started with a new header. I believe I may have some tweaking to do, but I'm quite pleased with how it turned out! If I can get access to a real photo editing program, I should be able to improve the quality of the background image. Let me know what you think. Also, you rebels who use a browser other than IE, let me know if you see any problems with regard to formatting, layout, etc.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Hurricane Phi? Psi? Pi?
From Slashdot:
Annually, the National Hurricane Center prepares for 21 named storms in the Atlantic Basin (one for each letter of the alphabet minus q, u, x, y, and z). Hurricane Rita is the 17th named storm for the 2005 season. The 22nd named storm will be dubbed "Hurricane Alpha" -- #23 will be Beta, then Gamma, Delta, and so on through the Greek alphabet.
The article linked below has more interesting information about the history of naming hurricanes. I found it particularly interesting that women's names were used for all storms until 1979 when the feminist movement succeeded in persuading the World Meteorological Organization that men can be "stormy" too. Strangely, none of the feminists who raised the protest were named Queenie, Uma, Xena, Yolanda, or Zoey -- hmmm.
[more]
Films Recently Watched:
Wimbledon (2004) dir. by Richard Loncraine
Better than expected. The story was predictable and rife with clichés, but I really liked some of the camerawork, colors, and visual effects in this.
Spellbound (1945) dir. by Alfred Hitchcock
Whale Rider (2002) dir. by Niki Caro
Annually, the National Hurricane Center prepares for 21 named storms in the Atlantic Basin (one for each letter of the alphabet minus q, u, x, y, and z). Hurricane Rita is the 17th named storm for the 2005 season. The 22nd named storm will be dubbed "Hurricane Alpha" -- #23 will be Beta, then Gamma, Delta, and so on through the Greek alphabet.
The article linked below has more interesting information about the history of naming hurricanes. I found it particularly interesting that women's names were used for all storms until 1979 when the feminist movement succeeded in persuading the World Meteorological Organization that men can be "stormy" too. Strangely, none of the feminists who raised the protest were named Queenie, Uma, Xena, Yolanda, or Zoey -- hmmm.
[more]
Films Recently Watched:
Wimbledon (2004) dir. by Richard Loncraine
Better than expected. The story was predictable and rife with clichés, but I really liked some of the camerawork, colors, and visual effects in this.
Spellbound (1945) dir. by Alfred Hitchcock
Whale Rider (2002) dir. by Niki Caro
Friday, September 16, 2005
One Year Blogiversary!
Or, perhaps I should say, happy anniversary of the day on which this blog was created.
This blog began one year ago this evening at a computer lab of the School of Theology of Anderson University.
Special thanks to Pat Hannon who practically forced me to set this thing up despite my objections. I wasn't sure if I'd have anything to say. Well, one-hundred-and-eleven (twelve now) posts later, depending on your definition of "anything," I may or may not have, but I've enjoyed the journey so far and I hope you have too.
Thanks also to anybody whose read my little space on the web here, and moreso to anybody who has left a comment.
Here's hoping for another year. Keep the comments coming!
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Robert Wise (1914-2005)
Robert Wise directed well-known films such as The Sound of Music, West Side Story (for which he was awarded the Best Director Oscar on both) also, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Haunting (1963), and The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Before sitting in the director's chair, he spent his time in the editing room working on several important films including a little picture called, Citizen Kane, for which he received a nomination by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science for Best Film Editing.
He also received AFI's Life Achievement Award in 1998.
Robert Wise was born September 10, 1914 in nearby Winchester, Indiana. Today, in Los Angeles, California, he died.
Films Recently Watched:
In America (2002) dir. by Jim Sheridan
Saved! (2004) dir. by Brian Dannelly
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) dir. by Richard Fleischer
Dr. Zhivago (1965) dir. by David Lean
Man, David Lean sure loves trains! This film was almost too big for it's britches. I usually love an epic film, but this one may have been a little too "epic." I'm certain that this is one where multiple viewings increases appreciation, but at around 3 hours and 20 minutes, this one isn't likely to be "appreciated" by me, again, anytime soon.
Winged Migration (2001) dir. by Jacques Perrin
This was one of those, "if you liked March of the Penguins, you'll love..." recommendations. Visually stunning, but Penguins had a better story.
Sahara (1943) dir. by Zoltan Korda
Once again, this isn't the new film that released in theaters back in April and on DVD just a couple weeks ago. This is a Humphrey Bogart, WWII film in which Bogart's character, Joe Gunn leads a group of nine men to hold off an entire battalion of enemy troops. He just needs a miracle to do it.
The Village (2004) dir. by M. Night Shyamalin
National Treasure (2004) dir. by Jon Turteltaub
Sideways (2004) dir. by Alexander Payne
Shattered Glass (2003) dir. by Billy Ray
This one was unknown to me until a friend recommended it. It tells the story (based on true events) of Stephen Glass, an up and coming reporter for The New Republic magazine whose charisma and imagination vastly outweighed his better judgement. You may remember some news stories about how he fabricated entire stories and printed them as fact, which is generally considered a no-no for journalists (though, if you read and believe my own wife's recent comment, I do the same here!). More recently, similar stories have surfaced about Jayson Blair of The New York Times and Jack Kelley of USA Today. The film is almost hard to watch as you see this kid's world on the verge of completely unravelling. I was particularly impressed with Peter Sarsgaard in this. His understated performance of editor Chuck Lane was perfect for the feel of the film. I couldn't help but to be distracted by Hayden Christensen's performance as Stephen Glass. A couple of times, he goes all 'dark side,' and, for me, it was difficult to remove him from the Star Wars universe.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) dir. by Sergio Leone
This completes the "Dollars Trilogy" for me consisting of the films, A Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More and this one. All of them star Clint Eastwood as "the man with no name." All, in my opinion pale in comparison, but definitely lead up to Leone's masterpiece and this blog's namesake:
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) dir. by Sergio Leone
My favorite western, and definitely in my top 5 all-time. Leone actually demanded the ability to act from his actors and here, they deliver in spades. So much of the story is told simply by powerful stares between characters. Frank is the ultimate villain here and his reveal has got to be among the best ever. The pacing is definately slow at times, but is perfect for the narrative. The Morricone score also adds depth to this amazing film. Anybody who's never seen it and wants to, let me know, and I'll make sure you do!
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Joe Ranft (1960-2005)
Pixar story man dead at 45
Joe Ranft, probably best known for his voice-work as Heimlich, the caterpillar, in A Bug's Life, died yesterday in an automobile accident.
Joe also provided voices for Jacques, the cleaner shrimp in Finding Nemo, and Wheezy, the singing squeak-toy from Toy Story 2.
But Joe's true passion was the story. He received an Oscar nomination for his contribution to the writing of Pixar's first feature-length film, Toy Story. He also received several other awards and nominations for his writing.
I remember watching the special features on the DVD for A Bug's Life where they tell the story of how when Joe recorded the voice track for the character Heimlich, it was meant to be a scratch/temporary track until they could find an actor to re-record the part for the finished film. Well, they never found an actor who could improve on Joe's perfect Bavarian accent for the hungry, hungry, Heimlich, so when you watch A Bug's Life (which I plan to do soon), every time you're laughing at that big fat caterpillar, that's Joe.
UPDATE (09/12/05)
Films Recently Watched (in memory):
A Bug's Life (1998) dir. by John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton. In memory of Joe Ranft, co-writer.
This is a genuinely good film, not just for the kids. The story is top notch, though, admittedly, the basic premise is lifted from Seven Samurai and, more recently, The Three Amigos. The dialogue is witty, the animation is perfect, great voice acting.
Toy Story (1995) dir. by John Lasseter. In memory of Joe Ranft, Head of Story.
This groundbreaking film is celebrating it's 10th Anniversary this year. In so doing, Pixar has released a new DVD edition about which I've been hearing amazing things. Now, you may or may not know my policy about what is commonly referred to as "double dipping" (i.e. purchasing the same film more than once on the same format), but, generally, I'm agin' it. This is no exception, I'm afraid, though rest assured, I am not opposed to receiving gifts that would otherwise be considered double dipping. Anyway, I just watched my standard version of Toy Story, but enjoyed it none the less. Make no mistake; Story is king at Pixar and Joe Ranft was the King of Story. He will be missed.
Monday, August 15, 2005
Weekend Getaway!
Christy and I were able to get away this weekend. We dropped Hannah off at my Mom and Dad's on Friday and spent the weekend in downtown Indianapolis. We took in a couple of shows, ate at a couple of nice restaurants, did some shopping, slept in, relaxed. It was really nice to get away for a couple of days with just the two of us!
Films Recently Watched:
Open Water (2003) dir. by Chris Kentis
A well-done suspense film, but also an amazing story of the potential to succeed in independant filmmaking.
From IMDB Trivia:
This movie was financed by director Chris Kentis and his wife, producer Laura Lau, both avid scuba divers. The movie cost $130,000 to make and was later bought by Lion's Gate for $2.5 million after its screening at Sundance.
Not too shabby!
Great Expectations (1946) dir. by David Lean
My Jr. High literature class got to watch this after reading the Charles Dickens novel, but didn't know (or care) who David Lean was at that time. Now, if someone had allowed the courtesy of mentioning to me that a young Obi Wan Kenobi was playing the role of Herbert Pocket, I might have paid more attention, though, strangely, he looks nothing like Ewan McGregor. Hmmm. Anyway, I'm trying to work through the David Lean catalog. Up next: Dr. Zhivago, Passage to India, maybe The Bridge on the River Kwai.
March of the Penguins (2005) dir. by Luc Jacquet
This is currently in theaters. Christy and I saw it while we were in Indianapolis.
A really sweet National Geographic documentary about Emperor Penguins in Antarctica. An amazing story of family, life over death, but above all things, it's a story about...love. Good for just about any age, young or old.
Before this film, we saw the trailer for Tim Burtons' Corpse Bride. I am really stoked to see this now. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a similar Tim Burton creation and is one of my absolute favorites, so I'm anxious to see another one in this tradition. Releases September 23rd!
Films Recently Watched:
Open Water (2003) dir. by Chris Kentis
A well-done suspense film, but also an amazing story of the potential to succeed in independant filmmaking.
From IMDB Trivia:
This movie was financed by director Chris Kentis and his wife, producer Laura Lau, both avid scuba divers. The movie cost $130,000 to make and was later bought by Lion's Gate for $2.5 million after its screening at Sundance.
Not too shabby!
Great Expectations (1946) dir. by David Lean
My Jr. High literature class got to watch this after reading the Charles Dickens novel, but didn't know (or care) who David Lean was at that time. Now, if someone had allowed the courtesy of mentioning to me that a young Obi Wan Kenobi was playing the role of Herbert Pocket, I might have paid more attention, though, strangely, he looks nothing like Ewan McGregor. Hmmm. Anyway, I'm trying to work through the David Lean catalog. Up next: Dr. Zhivago, Passage to India, maybe The Bridge on the River Kwai.
March of the Penguins (2005) dir. by Luc Jacquet
This is currently in theaters. Christy and I saw it while we were in Indianapolis.
A really sweet National Geographic documentary about Emperor Penguins in Antarctica. An amazing story of family, life over death, but above all things, it's a story about...love. Good for just about any age, young or old.
Before this film, we saw the trailer for Tim Burtons' Corpse Bride. I am really stoked to see this now. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a similar Tim Burton creation and is one of my absolute favorites, so I'm anxious to see another one in this tradition. Releases September 23rd!
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Weekend, etc.
Sunday, we went to a baseball game. Christy's work was giving away tickets to the Indianapolis Indians game at Victory Field. I've been to Victory Field a few times and it's always a treat. Of Triple-A clubs, they must have one of the nicest home fields.
It was hot, but not as bad as it has been and the rain held off other than a few refreshing sprinkles. We rooted, rooted, rooted for the home team and the Indians won, beating the Toledo Mud Hens 6-1, sweeping the three-game series with Toledo. That's right, "Mud Hens."
I was a little worried about heading downtown with the Brickyard 400 happening same day, but traffic wasn't a problem coming or going.
[Click on any picture for a larger version]
We got back into Anderson early enough that we decided to go to a park in our downtown area. They've got an area with water fountains that people can run through and play in. Hannah quickly made friends with a girl about her size who enjoyed sticking her whole head and face directly in the path of the fountains. Now, Hannah still screams "bloody murder" when I dump water over her head in the bath to rinse out the shampoo, but some stranger makes it look like fun and suddenly she'll take it right in the face from a high-pressure nozzle like a circus clown! Go figure.
Monday, Hannah's daycare had a cookout/pitch-in at a local park. It was nice to get to meet a few of the parents of Hannah's playmates.
Films Recently Watched:
Just a general note about my "Films Recently Watched" entries. Forgive me for not doing the standard reviews on these films I watch with a plot synopsis, etc. It isn't always just a case of being lazy. There are at least two films in this post alone (The Sullivans and Brief Encounter) where virtually any explanation of the plot would lessen the impact of watching the film versus going in knowing nothing about the story. Other times, yeah, I'm just lazy, so waddaya gonna do 'bout it?
Bambi (1942) dir. by David Hand. Produced by Walt Disney.
Born Yesterday (1950) dir. by George Cukor
I speculated that Judy Holliday, who plays the leading female role in this film probably should have gotten a 4th place finish at the Oscars in 1951. Well, she was good, but I still don't think she deserved the Oscar. Judy Holliday was spot on in her role as the dumb blonde in this picture, but Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd. would have easily gotten my vote.
1941 (1979) dir. by Steven Spielberg
Several funny gags, to be sure, but generally, a misstep for Spielberg.
Predator (1987) dir. by John McTiernan
The Sullivans (1944) dir. by Lloyd Bacon
If you've never seen this and don't know the story on which this film is based, I recommend that you just watch it with no knowledge about the story going in. I think it would have played better for me that way. It's a very sweet story, and a true one at that.
Fantasia (1940) dir. by James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe, Norman Ferguson, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen. Produced by Walt Disney
Escanaba in da Moonlight (2001) dir. by Jeff Daniels
This was highly recommended to me by my tween-aged Nephews, Tyler and Anderson. As soon as I picked up the DVD at the library, I turned it over and noticed the rating: "PG-13 -- For Uncultured Humor." I guess I should have known what I was in for. Very odd. Sorry boys, this one won't be making my top 250. Original music by Alto Reed, and yet, not a saxophone to be heard; I kid you not.
Brief Encounter (1945) dir. by David Lean
What a simply wonderful piece of filmmaking! These "romance" films don't always connect with me, but this one did. The two David Lean films with which I was familiar going into this one were Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge on the River Kwai. Brief Encounter is far from these two epic adventure films, but mesmerizing, none the less. Stunning!
An appropriate quote that came up recently on my Google Personalized Home Page; "Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired." --Robert Frost
Friday Night Lights (2004) dir. by Peter Berg
What was up with the camera constantly zooming in and out during this film? The hand-held camerawork just didn't work for me. The movie was OK. Give me Hoosiers anyday, though. It has more heart.
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) dir. by Michael Moore
I'm happy to live in a country where a film like this can be made (and distributed).
The Lost Weekend (1945) dir. by Billy Wilder
Another "Best Picture" winner. Only about 40 left to go!
It was hot, but not as bad as it has been and the rain held off other than a few refreshing sprinkles. We rooted, rooted, rooted for the home team and the Indians won, beating the Toledo Mud Hens 6-1, sweeping the three-game series with Toledo. That's right, "Mud Hens."
I was a little worried about heading downtown with the Brickyard 400 happening same day, but traffic wasn't a problem coming or going.
[Click on any picture for a larger version]
We got back into Anderson early enough that we decided to go to a park in our downtown area. They've got an area with water fountains that people can run through and play in. Hannah quickly made friends with a girl about her size who enjoyed sticking her whole head and face directly in the path of the fountains. Now, Hannah still screams "bloody murder" when I dump water over her head in the bath to rinse out the shampoo, but some stranger makes it look like fun and suddenly she'll take it right in the face from a high-pressure nozzle like a circus clown! Go figure.
Monday, Hannah's daycare had a cookout/pitch-in at a local park. It was nice to get to meet a few of the parents of Hannah's playmates.
Films Recently Watched:
Just a general note about my "Films Recently Watched" entries. Forgive me for not doing the standard reviews on these films I watch with a plot synopsis, etc. It isn't always just a case of being lazy. There are at least two films in this post alone (The Sullivans and Brief Encounter) where virtually any explanation of the plot would lessen the impact of watching the film versus going in knowing nothing about the story. Other times, yeah, I'm just lazy, so waddaya gonna do 'bout it?
Bambi (1942) dir. by David Hand. Produced by Walt Disney.
Born Yesterday (1950) dir. by George Cukor
I speculated that Judy Holliday, who plays the leading female role in this film probably should have gotten a 4th place finish at the Oscars in 1951. Well, she was good, but I still don't think she deserved the Oscar. Judy Holliday was spot on in her role as the dumb blonde in this picture, but Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd. would have easily gotten my vote.
1941 (1979) dir. by Steven Spielberg
Several funny gags, to be sure, but generally, a misstep for Spielberg.
Predator (1987) dir. by John McTiernan
The Sullivans (1944) dir. by Lloyd Bacon
If you've never seen this and don't know the story on which this film is based, I recommend that you just watch it with no knowledge about the story going in. I think it would have played better for me that way. It's a very sweet story, and a true one at that.
Fantasia (1940) dir. by James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe, Norman Ferguson, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen. Produced by Walt Disney
Escanaba in da Moonlight (2001) dir. by Jeff Daniels
This was highly recommended to me by my tween-aged Nephews, Tyler and Anderson. As soon as I picked up the DVD at the library, I turned it over and noticed the rating: "PG-13 -- For Uncultured Humor." I guess I should have known what I was in for. Very odd. Sorry boys, this one won't be making my top 250. Original music by Alto Reed, and yet, not a saxophone to be heard; I kid you not.
Brief Encounter (1945) dir. by David Lean
What a simply wonderful piece of filmmaking! These "romance" films don't always connect with me, but this one did. The two David Lean films with which I was familiar going into this one were Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge on the River Kwai. Brief Encounter is far from these two epic adventure films, but mesmerizing, none the less. Stunning!
An appropriate quote that came up recently on my Google Personalized Home Page; "Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired." --Robert Frost
Friday Night Lights (2004) dir. by Peter Berg
What was up with the camera constantly zooming in and out during this film? The hand-held camerawork just didn't work for me. The movie was OK. Give me Hoosiers anyday, though. It has more heart.
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) dir. by Michael Moore
I'm happy to live in a country where a film like this can be made (and distributed).
The Lost Weekend (1945) dir. by Billy Wilder
Another "Best Picture" winner. Only about 40 left to go!
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
IMPS - The Relentless: Chapter 1
I got a surprise in the mail Saturday.
As I mentioned before, one of Christy's relatives is involved with the guys that made the Star Wars fan film, Troops. They're making what will eventually be a feature-length film, I.M.P.S. The Relentless, but they're releasing it in small pieces (these guys all have full-time jobs, besides devoting lots of their "spare" time to this project).
They released the trailer back in March and released the first chapter back in May.
So why am I waiting to tell you about it until now? Good question.
I tried several times to download it, but couldn't.
I could download it at work, but couldn't play it there. I downloaded and installed the correct DivX player at home (which was the problem at work), but had some trouble downloading the actual film over my dial-up connection there (it's a 200MB+ file).
All that to say, Nathan was kind enough to mail me a DVD copy of the first chapter and trailer!
So now that I've seen it, I'm happy to report to you that it is really good! This is not your average (or even above-average) fan film.
This has a really high production value throughout, and these aren't just a bunch of tight shots on actors either, they've created a world for these ships and characters and they allow the viewer to see it! There is a lot of detail here that could have easily been left out. The ships are believable inside and out and these aren't just all the same ships that we've seen in the Star Wars films. They have created new ideas and expanded on what we've seen before. I was especially fond of the TIE docking stations and the landing gear on the Corellian freighter. Very nice.
Believable sound effects that, again, expand on the Star Wars universe, but still fit the part. I even heard a "Wilhelm" scream in there! Very nice work, fellas!
More on the plus side, there was original music composed for this production. More on that HERE. The CG elements they use blend in nicely with the real sets and actors. Editing, mixing, all quite good.
With a narrator speaking over the first several scenes, I started to worry that the entire thing would be like that, but once you get to the dialogue, there are several genuinely funny moments, some spoken, some not.
I'm anxious to see in what direction this film is going to go next, though I'm a little worried that they're actually going to make me care about some of these troops that were always so easy to hate from Lucas' films.
Other that that, the only downside that I can think of is that I am probably now on every government terrorist watch list between here and California! Besides getting a package in the mail that says "Special Imperial Agent," now, with all this terrorist nonsense happening over in London accompanied by headlines like MURDER AT STOCKWELL, BAD DAY AT STOCKWELL STATION, and STOCKWELL RAIDS, well, I'm pretty sure that I'm being monitored by the F.B.I., C.I.A., etc.
May the Force be with me -- and also with you!
As I mentioned before, one of Christy's relatives is involved with the guys that made the Star Wars fan film, Troops. They're making what will eventually be a feature-length film, I.M.P.S. The Relentless, but they're releasing it in small pieces (these guys all have full-time jobs, besides devoting lots of their "spare" time to this project).
They released the trailer back in March and released the first chapter back in May.
So why am I waiting to tell you about it until now? Good question.
I tried several times to download it, but couldn't.
I could download it at work, but couldn't play it there. I downloaded and installed the correct DivX player at home (which was the problem at work), but had some trouble downloading the actual film over my dial-up connection there (it's a 200MB+ file).
All that to say, Nathan was kind enough to mail me a DVD copy of the first chapter and trailer!
So now that I've seen it, I'm happy to report to you that it is really good! This is not your average (or even above-average) fan film.
This has a really high production value throughout, and these aren't just a bunch of tight shots on actors either, they've created a world for these ships and characters and they allow the viewer to see it! There is a lot of detail here that could have easily been left out. The ships are believable inside and out and these aren't just all the same ships that we've seen in the Star Wars films. They have created new ideas and expanded on what we've seen before. I was especially fond of the TIE docking stations and the landing gear on the Corellian freighter. Very nice.
Believable sound effects that, again, expand on the Star Wars universe, but still fit the part. I even heard a "Wilhelm" scream in there! Very nice work, fellas!
More on the plus side, there was original music composed for this production. More on that HERE. The CG elements they use blend in nicely with the real sets and actors. Editing, mixing, all quite good.
With a narrator speaking over the first several scenes, I started to worry that the entire thing would be like that, but once you get to the dialogue, there are several genuinely funny moments, some spoken, some not.
I'm anxious to see in what direction this film is going to go next, though I'm a little worried that they're actually going to make me care about some of these troops that were always so easy to hate from Lucas' films.
Other that that, the only downside that I can think of is that I am probably now on every government terrorist watch list between here and California! Besides getting a package in the mail that says "Special Imperial Agent," now, with all this terrorist nonsense happening over in London accompanied by headlines like MURDER AT STOCKWELL, BAD DAY AT STOCKWELL STATION, and STOCKWELL RAIDS, well, I'm pretty sure that I'm being monitored by the F.B.I., C.I.A., etc.
May the Force be with me -- and also with you!
Thursday, July 28, 2005
County Fair
We went to the Madison County Fair last week. The clouds were threatening rain, but we decided to go and hope for the best. The "best" was that we got some food and managed to find a picnic table under a tent at which to sit before the rain started pouring.
Corn Dogs, Hot Dogs, Pork Chop Sandwiches, curly fries, Corn on the cob, strawberry shortcake, cotton candy; oh, and I think that Christy and Hannah may have eaten something, too, though it's hard to be sure.
So, when the time came to go get the strawberry shortcake, I asked, "How many?" The reply from Christy, "Three." Simple enough, right? So I dashed out in a moderate rain and got three strawberry shortcakes with the works and brought them back in a box lid. Christy's eyes got wide and she says, "I meant three spoons!" -- Oops. To be fair, there was some mention before I left to retrieve the strawberry shortcake about spoons, and it may have been in close proximity to my question, "How many?" but I didn't believe that there was any reason to ask how many spoons to get. Anyway, Christy and Hannah shared one (one shortcake, not one spoon, wiseguy), and while I still maintain that I could have polished off the other two myself, Christy encouraged me to find somebody else to give the "extra" one to. There was a family sitting at our table that had two teen-ish boys who happily took the "extra" one and shared it amongst themselves.
Once the rain quit, Christy and Hannah still had time to go on one ride. "The Bear Affair" appeared to be one of the only rides that we thought Hannah could handle with seats that weren't drenched from the heavy rain.
Here's a picture:
Even besides the food and the ride, Hannah made out pretty well. The boys who got the "extra" strawberry shortcake had won a stuffed clownfish at a carnival game that they decided to give to Hannah. Also, out of theclear blue cloudy gray sky, some girl came up to Hannah and asked her if she wanted a a goldfish.
Introducing: Hannah's first pet: "Jaws"
Perhaps, you'll be happy to know that over a week later, Jaws is still alive and -- um -- swimming! We have gotten several suggestions about how to "accidentally" kill a goldfish. Some people are just sick! Though, if anybody has any suggestions on how to "accidentally" kill a cat, send them my way! (Note to self: Send e-mail to Haloscan to prepare them for the deluge of comments I'm about to recieve on this post.)
If we ever take a vacation, we might need to take up the services of this local boy who has been advertising his new pet sitting business (this struck me as funny -- he seems to be going after a very niche market):
Films Recently Watched:
Double Feature:
The Next Karate Kid (1994) dir. by Christopher Cain
Million Dollar Baby (2004) dir. by Clint Eastwood
Well, I was going to do this clever "compare & contrast" segment about Million Dollar Baby and The Next Karate Kid, but apart from the obvious fighting sports theme and the presence of Hilary Swank, there are few comparisons to be made, just lots of contrast.
Really though, Million Dollar Baby packed such a punch (so to speak) that I couldn't bring myself to be "clever" about it.
If you haven't seen Million Dollar Baby, I highly recommend it.
Fellow HTF member, Haggai, says this:
Time after time, scene after scene, Clint knows what we want, and then he makes us wait for it, and then he hits us with it at precisely the right moment.
That's a good summation of Eastwood's skill as a director.
I, Robot (2004) dir. by Alex Proyas
The Final Countdown (1980) dir. by Don Taylor
An interesting fantasy concept: A modern-day aircraft carrier encounters an electrical storm which throws the ship and its crew back in time to December 6, 1941, just hours before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Do they take action and prevent the events of that fateful day, or by their inaction, hopefully avoid the Grandfather Paradox? Though, I would have liked to have seen more discussion of "what if" scenarios, starring Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen, this is a decent sci-fi/fantasy/war film.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) dir. by Alfred Hitchcock
No, this isn't the latest Hollywood summer blockbuster. This is completely unrelated to the new Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie action flick, though the premise of the 2005 film is much closer to your typical Hitchcock film than the 1941 film is. Hitchcock's Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a straight-ahead screwball comedy starring the original "screwball" herself, Carole Lombard. No murder, no mystery, no "wrong man," no trains.
The Flight of the Phoenix (1965) dir. by Robert Altman
Again, of the older (1965) and newer (2004) versions of this film, the older is clearly the better film. Good performances by Jimmy Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Ernest Borgnine and several other cast members. Though the basic plot in both films plays out very similarly, Altman uses several quieter moments for character development that is unfortunately absent from the 2004 re-make. I enjoyed the 1965 version better even though I saw the newer version first and, thus, was not surprised by the "twist" while watching the older version.
Sunset Blvd. (1950) dir. by Billy Wilder
It's astonishing that this film and All About Eve were released the same year. I've never seen the academy award winning performance by Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday, but I know now that I must. If it is honestly better than Bette Davis and Anne Baxter in All About Eve and Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd., it simply must be an amazing performance! More probably though, the vote in this category was split three ways and the likely 4th place finisher ended up winning! (Update: I did find "Born Yesterday" at the library, but haven't watched it yet. Stay Tuned!)
Empire of the Sun (1987) dir. by Steven Spielberg
This is one that you can watch over and over and see new things every time.
Perhaps I didn't state it clearly enough here from my first viewing: "Watch this film!" It is most definitely worth your time.
Again, I will refer you to the thread at the Home Theater Forum, EMPIRE OF THE SUN -- Steven Spielberg's Overlooked, Misunderstood Masterwork.
The following is a quote from Ernest Rister, the gentleman who began the discussion at HTF:
It is said that there are two types of media -- lean-forward media and lean-back media. Lean-forward media asks you to particiapte, to do your own work, to sort things out. Lean back media does all the work for you, the film acts upon you, as opposed to you injecting yourself into the film. Raiders of the Lost Ark is a lean-back movie. E.T. is a lean-back movie. Jaws is a lean-back movie. Even The Color Purple is a lean-back film.
Empire of the Sun is a lean-forward film, but because Spielberg had created so many masterful films in the classic Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Capra, John Ford, and Walt Disney mold, this is what people expected from him. Empire of the Sun was something completely new from Steven Spielberg - a film that worked on multiple levels of reality, with one informing the other. Audiences and critics did not know what to make of it.
The French Connection (1971) dir. by William Friedkin
Check off another AMPAS "Best Picture" winner for me. The French Connection also won for leading actor (Gene Hackman), director, film editing, and adapted screenplay.
Taking on the drug culture head-on; dirty cops; the large-scale car chase; these elements may have been progressive at the time, but have since become such an integral part of American films that they appear clichéd looking back now. Of course, that isn't the fault of the original, but it definitely shows its age.
Corn Dogs, Hot Dogs, Pork Chop Sandwiches, curly fries, Corn on the cob, strawberry shortcake, cotton candy; oh, and I think that Christy and Hannah may have eaten something, too, though it's hard to be sure.
So, when the time came to go get the strawberry shortcake, I asked, "How many?" The reply from Christy, "Three." Simple enough, right? So I dashed out in a moderate rain and got three strawberry shortcakes with the works and brought them back in a box lid. Christy's eyes got wide and she says, "I meant three spoons!" -- Oops. To be fair, there was some mention before I left to retrieve the strawberry shortcake about spoons, and it may have been in close proximity to my question, "How many?" but I didn't believe that there was any reason to ask how many spoons to get. Anyway, Christy and Hannah shared one (one shortcake, not one spoon, wiseguy), and while I still maintain that I could have polished off the other two myself, Christy encouraged me to find somebody else to give the "extra" one to. There was a family sitting at our table that had two teen-ish boys who happily took the "extra" one and shared it amongst themselves.
Once the rain quit, Christy and Hannah still had time to go on one ride. "The Bear Affair" appeared to be one of the only rides that we thought Hannah could handle with seats that weren't drenched from the heavy rain.
Here's a picture:
Even besides the food and the ride, Hannah made out pretty well. The boys who got the "extra" strawberry shortcake had won a stuffed clownfish at a carnival game that they decided to give to Hannah. Also, out of the
Introducing: Hannah's first pet: "Jaws"
Perhaps, you'll be happy to know that over a week later, Jaws is still alive and -- um -- swimming! We have gotten several suggestions about how to "accidentally" kill a goldfish. Some people are just sick! Though, if anybody has any suggestions on how to "accidentally" kill a cat, send them my way! (Note to self: Send e-mail to Haloscan to prepare them for the deluge of comments I'm about to recieve on this post.)
If we ever take a vacation, we might need to take up the services of this local boy who has been advertising his new pet sitting business (this struck me as funny -- he seems to be going after a very niche market):
Films Recently Watched:
Double Feature:
The Next Karate Kid (1994) dir. by Christopher Cain
Million Dollar Baby (2004) dir. by Clint Eastwood
Well, I was going to do this clever "compare & contrast" segment about Million Dollar Baby and The Next Karate Kid, but apart from the obvious fighting sports theme and the presence of Hilary Swank, there are few comparisons to be made, just lots of contrast.
Really though, Million Dollar Baby packed such a punch (so to speak) that I couldn't bring myself to be "clever" about it.
If you haven't seen Million Dollar Baby, I highly recommend it.
Fellow HTF member, Haggai, says this:
Time after time, scene after scene, Clint knows what we want, and then he makes us wait for it, and then he hits us with it at precisely the right moment.
That's a good summation of Eastwood's skill as a director.
I, Robot (2004) dir. by Alex Proyas
The Final Countdown (1980) dir. by Don Taylor
An interesting fantasy concept: A modern-day aircraft carrier encounters an electrical storm which throws the ship and its crew back in time to December 6, 1941, just hours before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Do they take action and prevent the events of that fateful day, or by their inaction, hopefully avoid the Grandfather Paradox? Though, I would have liked to have seen more discussion of "what if" scenarios, starring Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen, this is a decent sci-fi/fantasy/war film.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) dir. by Alfred Hitchcock
No, this isn't the latest Hollywood summer blockbuster. This is completely unrelated to the new Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie action flick, though the premise of the 2005 film is much closer to your typical Hitchcock film than the 1941 film is. Hitchcock's Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a straight-ahead screwball comedy starring the original "screwball" herself, Carole Lombard. No murder, no mystery, no "wrong man," no trains.
The Flight of the Phoenix (1965) dir. by Robert Altman
Again, of the older (1965) and newer (2004) versions of this film, the older is clearly the better film. Good performances by Jimmy Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Ernest Borgnine and several other cast members. Though the basic plot in both films plays out very similarly, Altman uses several quieter moments for character development that is unfortunately absent from the 2004 re-make. I enjoyed the 1965 version better even though I saw the newer version first and, thus, was not surprised by the "twist" while watching the older version.
Sunset Blvd. (1950) dir. by Billy Wilder
It's astonishing that this film and All About Eve were released the same year. I've never seen the academy award winning performance by Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday, but I know now that I must. If it is honestly better than Bette Davis and Anne Baxter in All About Eve and Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd., it simply must be an amazing performance! More probably though, the vote in this category was split three ways and the likely 4th place finisher ended up winning! (Update: I did find "Born Yesterday" at the library, but haven't watched it yet. Stay Tuned!)
Empire of the Sun (1987) dir. by Steven Spielberg
This is one that you can watch over and over and see new things every time.
Perhaps I didn't state it clearly enough here from my first viewing: "Watch this film!" It is most definitely worth your time.
Again, I will refer you to the thread at the Home Theater Forum, EMPIRE OF THE SUN -- Steven Spielberg's Overlooked, Misunderstood Masterwork.
The following is a quote from Ernest Rister, the gentleman who began the discussion at HTF:
It is said that there are two types of media -- lean-forward media and lean-back media. Lean-forward media asks you to particiapte, to do your own work, to sort things out. Lean back media does all the work for you, the film acts upon you, as opposed to you injecting yourself into the film. Raiders of the Lost Ark is a lean-back movie. E.T. is a lean-back movie. Jaws is a lean-back movie. Even The Color Purple is a lean-back film.
Empire of the Sun is a lean-forward film, but because Spielberg had created so many masterful films in the classic Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Capra, John Ford, and Walt Disney mold, this is what people expected from him. Empire of the Sun was something completely new from Steven Spielberg - a film that worked on multiple levels of reality, with one informing the other. Audiences and critics did not know what to make of it.
The French Connection (1971) dir. by William Friedkin
Check off another AMPAS "Best Picture" winner for me. The French Connection also won for leading actor (Gene Hackman), director, film editing, and adapted screenplay.
Taking on the drug culture head-on; dirty cops; the large-scale car chase; these elements may have been progressive at the time, but have since become such an integral part of American films that they appear clichéd looking back now. Of course, that isn't the fault of the original, but it definitely shows its age.
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