Friday, March 31, 2006

movie minute

Basic premise: 14 years ago, a "little" movie called Basic Instinct was released and immediately after the movie came out the talk of a sequel began. Cut to 2006 and Sharon Stone is back as Catherine Trammell, the bisexual, psychopath, in Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction. When we last saw Trammell she was having heterosexual sex and we saw her hand reaching for an ice pick. This time Trammell, living in Britain (why? did the US throw her out?), seeks therapy from psychologist Dr. Michael Glass (David Morrissey) after he does a forensics analysis on her when she is accused of murder. Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, the people around Dr. Glass start dying and he soon finds that he is having one hell of a mind game played on him. Stone is at her over the top best in the role that shot her to stardom 14 years ago. I have to say though that whatever the writers got paid for this movie, it wasn't enough. It's truly just top-notch. The chair I'm sitting in is soaked; that's how much sarcasm I'm dripping with. In one scene, a paralyzed passenger (in a car) says to Stone's character, "Guess what? I can't move." She replies, "Yeah, well, you don't have to we're in a car." Really? I was sure it was an airplane and by the way, in that scene, no one, not even one of the Bodine brothers, could be driving over 100mph around curves and corners and get off with their heads lolling around and their eyes closed. In another wonderfully written scene, Stone's character tells the cops that she's certain the guy was breathing before the car went over the bridge because, "he was making me come." Give those writers a raise. And coming in the year 2020, we'll have Basic Instinct 3: Trammell's Target in which Trammell becomes obsessed with the resident playboy at the nursing home she resides in. Soon the females who show the least bit of interest in said playboy start dying. Get your tickets now.

The other movie I went to see was the comedy, and I use that term loosely, Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector. Larry, aka Dan Whitney, is a stand up comic and I went into this movie having never seen his tv show or comedy routine. The only thing I knew about him was his catchphrase which is, "Git-R-Done." I have no idea what that means; it must be a Southern redneck thing; that only sounds redundant. I can say that because I'm from the South and I've seen Northern rednecks. Larry must solve the mystery of several cases of food poisoning at some of the city's swankiest restaurants. Larry makes more than several gay jokes at the expense of his boss (who doesn't seem to be gay in the movie) and it made me wonder if maybe the real Larry was trying to cover something up about his own personal life. Whatever. And also Larry (the real one or the movie one) being a health inspector is about as believable as me being a neurosurgeon. And I laughed out loud only once but I can't remember what it was that was funny. In fact, I can't remember if I even really saw the movie.

Both movies are fun for escapism but once you leave the theatre, you'll forget what you had been there for (maybe).

peace out,

paul

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

A Muslim couple in New Delhi were forced to split and have to wait 100 days before they can remarry. Why? Because the husband divorced the woman in his sleep. I've heard of sleepwalking and eating in your sleep but this is ridiculous. The man said the word "talaq" (divorce) three times while sleeping. Islamic leaders heard the case and forced the man and wife to split; they have three children. Under Islamic law it's apparently known as "triple talaq" and constitutes a divorce. The couple have refused to heed the order and now a family counseling center has the case. According to an Islamic scholar the law does not apply to someone acting under compulsion or in a state of intoxication (according to the scholar sleep constitutes intoxication). If only divorce were that simple, in any culture. Oh, honey, was I talking in my sleep again? Just make sure it gets on tape for proof.

paul

tick tock.......

A photo of our national debt clock and as of last week the total was more than 8 trillion dollars. The bottom number is an average of how much each family owed as their share. The clock was erected in 1989 and was the idea of Seymour Durst. The clock began to slow as the millennium approached and since the clock was not designed to run backwards, it faced a mechanical problem. With the debt showing 5.7 trillion dollars, a curtain was placed over the clock (red, white, and blue of course). The clock was uncovered in 2002 as a result of a surge in spending and the new total was 6.1 trillion dollars. A new clock, which can run backwards, was put up in 2004, however, it is expected that in just a couple of years the numbers will be so great that there will be no more room. Happy spending indeed.

paul

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Weekly post from March 24, 2006: The "I can't wait but I'm psyched" issue

Hello friends & loved ones,

It's still been a bit cold this past week but Spring is definitely in the air. The grass is growing, the birds are singing and the days are getting lighter earlier. Soon we'll be putting our winter jackets away, rolling down the windows in the car, and wearing shorts and no shoes.

It's difficult coming up with a profound topic every week so I thought I would reflect on something a bit lighthearted. Last weekend we had a country-western dance complete with a live caller who taught line dancing and square dancing. The dance was a fund raiser to raise money for our new church building which we will hopefully be moving into later this year. I helped dj the event with another guy who had some technical expertise; I have none. The music was mostly country music and my biggest worry was not relearning how to use a mixer or my rusty bantering skills on the mic but hoping I had every song that was requested; I didn't. The last time I dj'd was at the college radio station at Elmira College more than 10 years ago. My enjoyment of music has always been present; I remember hearing certain songs on the radio growing up and bopping my head to them from the backseat of the car. When I moved to NY in at the start of high school, I used to follow the weekly top 40 radio show (Billboard, of course) religiously. With money I earned while working I would buy an album here an album there (cassettes back in those days) and soon I had a small collection. I went off to college and left the cassettes behind. From there I worked at the radio station and then began accumulating a new collection; this time in the form of cds. When the opportunity to help dj at the dance came up, I begged my spouse to let me help out. I had a blast djaying at the dance and Jim has assured the other guy and me that we can dj the anniversary celebration for our church later this year. One of the highlights was the impressed look on some people's faces that my collection was so eclectic. I'm totally psyched (I didn't say I can't wait which irritates my spouse because it sounds like I'm wishing my life away) for this event. I've reconnected with my passion of music and it feels so good. What or who have you reconnected with lately? Now my biggest worry for the anniversary celebration is what I'm going to lug all of those cds in.

Friday, March 24, 2006

All furred up and nowhere to go

Found in the South Pacific, a new crustacean which scientists have named Kiwa Hirsuta. The crustacean is so distinct that a new family and genus was created for it. It was actually found last year 900 miles South of Easter Island. The white animal is 15 centimeters long and the pincers are covered with "sinuous hair-like strands." New ocean species are discovered every year but rarely does one get a new family. Kiwa is from Kiwaida who, in Polynesian mythology, is the goddess of crustaceans. I personally think it looks like a stuffed toy animal.

paul

movie minute

Step Inside

Spike Lee's new movie, Inside Man, is tightly directed and sharply written. It stars Denzel Washington as detective hostage negotiator, Keith Frazier. Frazier is faced with a situation involving a bank robbery with hostages. Ok, I really want to see a movie with Denzel Washington NOT playing a cop or detective or gumshoe of any kind. How about Denzel as a garbage collector or a doorman; anything but someone connected to the police department. Having said that, Washington does a wonderful job as the detective trying to anticipate the next move of the bank robbers. Clive Owen plays Dalton Russell, the leader of the bank robbery and he's not your typical bank robber. He's smart, cool, and clever and very succinct. Jodie Foster completes the main cast as Madeliene White who is brought into the situation by the founder of the bank because he fears something may be stolen from the bank that would be detrimental to him if it got out. Christopher Plummer is Arthur Case, the founder, and Plummer is on the verge of becoming the "he is in everything" actor. When it becomes clear that the bank robbers aren't just after money, Frazier has to find out what they are after and how to stop them. One thing about this movie is the real-life depiction of the police officers. There are many scenes in which they harass and beat first and then ask questions later all the while assuming that everyone is guilty until proven innocent. And there is one disturbing scene in which a Sikh has his turban withheld until he answers some questions.

All of the lead actors are terrific in their roles and Owen's Russell was the one I was rooting for throughout the movie. This is because all of the officers, including Detective Frazier, were slow-witted and very hypocritical. One not so good thing; Owen spends much of the movie with his sexy mug covered by a mask and sunglasses. This is a smart film and Lee definitely does not disappoint. One of the best scenes is the scene with Owen and Foster (their only one together) in which Foster's character White tells Russell what she's after.

A bit violent yet definitely one of Lee's best.

paul

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Word of the week

This week's word is brought to you by the medical world. Hypnosedation is the combining of hypnosis and, instead of general anesthesia, the use of local anesthesia for a wide variety of surgeries. Originally used in 1845 in India, hypnosis is believed to cause patients fewer side effects than general anesthesia and a quicker recovery time. At the Hospital of Liege in Belgium, more than 5,000 surgeries have been done using hypnosedation. The procedure, even used for children, has the hypnotherapist right in the operating room to monitor the patient and help focus the mind if it drifts. I don't know if I would be keen on that. If I'm going to have surgery I want to be knocked out and then some.

peace out,

paul

So, Isaac Hayes, the voice of the wise and suave Chef on South Park, has quit the show because of an episode that features Scientology. Apparently Hayes, who is a Scientologist, was offended by the episode and cited his reason for leaving as "intolerance and bigotry toward religious beliefs of others." What about all of the episodes that were offensive to Jews, Catholics, Muslims and just about every other group out there? Maybe Hayes should practice what he preaches a little more often.


In other news, Japan has a 5 foot, 2 inch robot called RI-Man (see photo above) who will be good news for the granny set. The robot has been designed to care for Japan's elderly. The acronym stands for Robot Interacting with Human and weighs 220 pounds. It can carry up to 77 pounds and has 320 pressure sensors. It can also recognize 8 different smells, including urine and can pinpoint sound. It's not quite ready for use by consumers, however, because it needs some brainpower. No word yet on whether the wizard will supply a heart.

peace out,

paul

Underground Dwellers

I decided to check out the new sadistic-filled reality show Unan1mous (yes, that's actually how the title is written with the #1 in the middle). Nine unsuspecting contestants are lured to an underground bunker with no windows, no sense of day or night and apparently no food. There may be a hidden refrigerator somewhere but I didn't see anyone eating anything (drinking something, yes) not that they would have an appetite with the situation they are in. They must come to a unanimous decision as to who will receive the 1.5 million dollar prize. It's not completely unanimous since people cannot vote for themselves. As a mysterious, robotic voice urges the players to go to the inner circle and vote, a container with 9 spheres comes up from under the table. Actually they look more like mini bowling balls that come apart and enable the players to turn a dial until they reach the name of the person they want to vote for. In the first episode the first vote is cast and, surprise surprise, it's not unanimous. The one who did get the most votes: The truck driver dad with a family to support. The contestants HAD to include a gay man and a black gospel minister who spews hate with eerie ease. "God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve," she preaches to the gay man. "Oh, that's a good one. Did you come up with that on your own?" Actually if the preacher spent more time reading the Bible and less time applying for reality game shows, she might realize that what she is claming the Bible says is inaccurate.

The vote is overseen by a geeky looking Seth Green wannabe on a video screen. He actually makes Seth Green look handsome. When he reads the votes and it's revealed that it's not unanimous, another container comes up from under the table. This time it's envelopes that reveal dirty "not so little" secrets about each player. 3 secrets are read aloud and the players must decide which secret is the worst. That player is then out of the competition BUT must still cast a vote as to who wins the money (harsh indeed). You are no longer able to win the money but you still have to have a hand in awarding it to someone else. As for the secrets; one player spent time in a mental hospital, one player has been detained by police for carrying live ammunition (no mention of a weapon, however) and one player filed bankruptcy even though they had a combined income of $100,000 (not a typo on the zeros). The player who filed bankruptcy is none other than the gospel preacher. God's gotta love that, sister!

There's another twist: If a player leaves the bunker, a chunk of cash is deducted from the till. Also every second that the players disagree during a vote the amount in the till goes down like the ticking seconds of a clock.


This show is creepy and is more volatile than Big Brother. One player, a professional poker player (that's the job I want) says he is "happy with who he is and doing what he does." Then why the hell is he in an underground bunker with a bunch of idiotic people? The only answer is that he wants a bigger gamble in life.

peace out,

paul

Blazing Britain

Ab Fab, Little Britain, and now Footballers' Wives. Billed as the British Desperate Housewives, Wives follows the lives and lies of the female half of the players of Earls Park Football (or, as we Americans call it, soccer). Creepy nurses who make out with their comatose patients, hermaphrodite babies, poodles ground up and served for dinner, cheating, lying, manipulation and more all come into play on this raunchy soap. None of the characters are likable and all deserve what they get, however, this is the best sleazy soap since Melrose Place. And wife Tanya makes Melrose's Amanda Woodward look like Mother Teresa. Tanya is a coke-snorting, lying-blackmailer, sexually insatiable, man-stealing bitch that is easy to love to hate. The show started in Britain in 2002 and I have to say I like the way Britain airs it shows better than we do here. In the course of nine months, we get to see between 22 and 26 episodes of a show and during some of those months there may only be one or two new episodes. In Britain, a show will air a handful of episodes one year, with hardly a break in between eps, and then start the new season (or series as the Brits call them) the next year. For example, series 1 of Footballers' aired in early 2002 and then series 2 began in early 2003. I just watched series 1 and 2 and series 3 is currently airing on BBC America. Series 4 and 5 have already aired in Britain. On the DVDs of the show there is even a slang dictionary so one can tell their bollocks from the sod and not confuse welly with wanker. This is one truly guilty pleasure.

peace out,

paul

Monday, March 20, 2006

Yesterday marked the three year anniversary of the current war in Iraq. Honestly, I don't know how Bush and his cronies can say we are making progress; only about 10 hours of electricity each day, not even half of the people have clean drinking water, and, depending on how you look at things, a civil war has erupted between the Shiites and the Sunnis. The Shiites were tortured and killed under the reign of Saddam and now both groups are finding and killing each other. Comparisons to Vietnam may abound and, whether one agrees or not, one must admit it is a disaster.

paul

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Can you feel the love in this pic? A rare picture of our cats, Perry & Casper, actually looking innocent.
A photo of me longing for a butterfly to land on me.

Friday, March 17, 2006



Another pic of the butterfly conservatory.


A picture of a butterfly at the Butterfly Conservatory. Jim and I tried in vain to get a picture of a butterfly landing on me. Several did land on me but for literally only a split second. One woman was moving around with several butterflies clinging to her. It must have been her perfume. I knew I should have worn my Frou Frou Fruity Essence.

The pretty flowers among my Jimmy's beauty.


A picture of me wishing I had that flower in my hair (haha).


A photo of the statue at the greenhouse.


Another pic of the greenhouse


A picture of the greenhouse in Niagara Falls. Jim wanted to see the flowers and they are quite impressive.


Jim and I recently went to Niagara Falls for a night away and we stayed at the Marriott Falls View. This is a picture of the falls from our room. After walking a few miles to find a drugstore and some wine, we enjoyed a nice hot and relaxing time in the jacuzzi which the room was furnished with.

Movie Minute

V for Vendetta, not to be confused with the title of a Sue Grafton book, is the new movie written by the Wachowski brothers of The Matrix movies fame. It stars a futuristic terrorist named V who wears a Guy Fawkes mask. Fawkes, you may or may not know, attempted to blow up the Parliament building in 1605 but was thwarted before he could execute his plan. Hugo Weaving, again of The Matrix movies, plays V who is a defender of justice against a corrupt government with a high chancellor who wields his power to create fear and compliance among his people. Natalie Portman plays Evey, a plucky assistant whom V recruits to help him fight the corrupt cabinet in England. This is one of Portman's best roles to date and she does an incredible job. Her role includes a scene in which her head is shaved; Portman literally had her head shaved on camera. Lots of controversy surrounds this film mainly because V kills high members of the cabinet and the movie fingers the government as the perpetrator of deadly virus outbreaks and criminal activity. The movie also courted controversy when a scene was filmed in which London's subway was bombed, mere weeks before the actual bombing. A scary case of life imitating art. I really enjoyed this movie and it got me pumped for summer's bang-em-shoot-em-up season. I did keep wanting the expression on V's mask to change to mimic what his character was feeling at the time but that's just me. The movie also features the best and longest use of free flowing alliteration that I've ever heard. The movie is based on the graphic novel by David Lloyd and the movie too is very graphic. John Hurt (The Elephant Man) plays the tyrannical high chancellor who gives our fear causing President a run for his money.

Another movie you may want to check out if you are into fun teen movies is She's The Man. Inspired by Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, my favorite Shakespeare comedy, She's The Man follows Viola (Amanda Bynes, What A Girl Wants and Big Fat Liar) as she pretends to be her twin brother Sebastian as he gallavants across Europe with his band. Much romantic confusion ensues and Viola is out to prove that she can play soccer on a boys team just as well as her male counterparts. I know there are men out there (myself included) who aren't deep-voiced and real macho acting, however, I found myself thinking that Bynes was miscast and I didn't think she acted quite male enough as Sebastian. I did chuckle a few times during the film but no out loud laughs. This might be a better movie on video but if you like the teen set then this is the movie for you. By the way, the funniest part is the scene in which Bynes (as Sebastian) gets hit in the nether region by a soccer ball. If you've seen this in the trailer then you've seen the highlight of the film.

peace out,

paul

Living In The Real World

I heard about the new reality show on FX called Black White and thought it sounded interesting. One black family and one white family get to experience how the other race lives firsthand by becoming that race. The white family becomes black and vice versa. The makeup is pretty amazing and so far the characters have not been inadvertently found out. I say that because the white daughter has already come "out" to her poetry group, all of whom are black. So far I've only watched the second episode (I missed the first one) and found it very intriguing. There are some truly compelling moments in the show and it gives insight into the general misconceptions and assumptions we make about other races and they about the white race. In the second episode it seemed as if the two teen children had more understanding and more acceptance than the parents; that's both good and bad for reasons that should be obvious. I think I'll definitely give it at least one more look. Doesn't sound like your cup of tea? This got me thinking about other reality shows on right now and there is really something on for everyone. Below is just a sample of some of the shows and believe me there are plenty more than what I've got listed. Some even have monetary prizes.

Want to see the world but can't afford it? Check out The Amazing Race. Prize: $1,000,000

For the backyard buddy who wants to rough it in an exotic jungle with no food, no fire and no shelter, or at least pretend: Check out Survivor. Prize: $1,000,000 (although all contestants get some monetary prize. The longer you survive, the higher the prize.)

Want to help pick the next big thing in music? Let your fingers do the voting with American Idol. Prize: A record contract.

Not into music but idolize Thomas Edison? Then check out American Inventor. This show, developed by tart-tongued American Idol judge Simon Cowell, lets viewers judge the invention they think is the most practical, not to mention the most marketable. Cowell does not appear but the show has its own panel of judges. Some of the inventions are a cockroach racetrack (handy in the South no doubt), a portable fan for your hot dogs (the four-legged variety), and a suit carrier in which one can do number 1. Prize: $1,000,000 and a product launch with bragging rights to be called the best thing since sliced bread.

For those who enjoy looking at young girls who do splits, jump, and cheer there is Cheerleader Nation. Nation follows the Kentucky Dunbar High School cheerleading team from tryouts to their competition at the UCA National Championships. Prize: No money but they either win or lose at the championships.

For the kleenex clutchers who enjoy human interest stories with lots of sobbing and sap there's Miracle Workers. I prefer to call this show Extreme Makeover but with humans instead of homes. Each week features two stories of people with overwhelming medical problems but who don't have the overwhelming bank account. The show features a cardiovascular surgeon, a cardiac surgeon and, of course, a crack team of nurses.

Want to keep those pesky kids in line? There's Supernanny which features British import Jo Frost whose "practical, no-nonsense style" will keep those kids seen and not heard. Seriously, Frost has been a nanny for more than 16years and is even a best-selling author of "Supernanny:How To Get The Best From Your Children." Then there's Nanny 911 which is loosely based on the tv show Little Angels, yet another thing British. This team of four nannies, each with a specialty such as proper etiquette and temper tantrum control, helps families and children deal with the pressures of child rearing. One of the nannies even served the British Royal Family. And one family on Nanny 911 inspired a spin-off, Marriage 911, when it was determined they were too much for the nanny to handle. Prize: No monetary prize but you can claim to have the best kid on the block. Added bonus: Your child will speak with a British accent and can be their own show-and-tell at school.

For those of you who want to change your life but want to see what it will be like first there's 30 Days. Hosted by Morgan Spurlock, the guy from the "anti McDonald's movie" Super Size Me, Days features such episodes as a mom, concerned about her college daughter's drinking, switching places with her daughter to hopefully get through to her. Also featured is an episode in which a homophobe red-stater takes on a gay roommate, joins a gay sports team and attends a gay friendly church and sees how it is to live as a minority in San Francisco's Castro district. Of course each story details 30 days. Prize: No monetary prize but hopefully lives will change for the better and each person gains more empathy.

For the Olympic skater lover there's Skating With Celebrities. A panel of judges reigns over professional skaters and minor celebrities as the public votes for their fave.

For the dance lover, Dancing With The Stars. Again a panel of judges and professional dancers dance with minor celebrities as, again, America votes for their fave.

I could go on and on. And for those of you who want to make your own reality, turn the tv off and live life.

peace out,

paul

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

The Rock Rolls

The game is simple: Paper covers rock, rock smashes scissors, and scissors cut paper. The Southwest Florida Regional finals of the rock-paper-scissors contest was held last week and a 34-year-old server at an oyster bar won the contest. He put out rock and the only other remaining contestant put out scissors. Needless to say, she was "crushed." The Florida contest had 29 competitors. Now the winner, Jason Wood, heads to colorful Las Vegas to compete for the grand prize of $50,000. Yes, you read that right, $50,000. Over 300 people from all around the country will compete at the Luxor Resort Hotel and Casino on April 9 in the tournament. And I thought it was just a children's game.

peace out,

paul

Monday, March 13, 2006

Passing

Maureen Stapleton has passed away, at the age of 80, of chronic pulmonary disease. A longtime smoker, Stapleton (who was not related to Jean Stapleton) suffered from numerous phobias such as fear of airplanes and elevators, Stapleton was nominated for Best Supporting Actress a total of four times. She finally won in 1981 for her role as writer-anarchist Emma Goldman in the film Reds. Goldman, an American journalist who was left-wing, went to Russia to cover the Bolshevik Revolution. I had always thought that Maureen Stapleton and Jean Stapleton, who played Edith Bunker on All In The Family, were sisters. According to IMDB.com, Jean is not related to Maureen. Interesting. One really does learn something new everyday.


peace out,

paul

Oscar Only Once More

This is the last time I'll write about this year's Oscar show. I just want to comment that despite the fact this year's show was overall the most disappointing (in terms of who won the major awards) since the year 2000, I'll still watch and I'll still enjoy. Why? Because it is the Oscars and I truly enjoy movies and the predictions are half the fun.

I recently read a Stephen King article about this year's Oscar show and he asked, "Was Crash the best picture of the year?" He said it wasn't and I agree. While I don't agree with him on which picture was the Best Picture, I do agree that Crash was an important picture. As far as the best picture goes, I truly believe that of the five nominess, Munich was the best movie of the year 2005. Munich tells of the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic games and the subsequent assassination of the Palestinian terrorists responsible. It also shows why the war in the Middle East has continued unabated. It's a gripping and important film that everyone should watch. Yes, liberties were taken and some of the things in the film are speculated. However, it goes a long way to showing why peace is so hard to achieve in one of the most polarized areas of the world.

I've heard the theory that Brokeback Mountain did not win Best Picture because it wasn't nominated for Film Editing and a certain portion of the academy does not vote for movies that are not nominated in that category. While that may or may not be true, a lack of a nod in film editing is not the only reason Brokeback didn't win. First off the last time a film that wasn't nominated for Film Editing won Best Picture was back in 1980 when Ordinary People took home the prize. Every other year since then the Best Picture has been in the Film Editing category. Having said that, I think, arguably, the biggest reason Brokeback didn't get the top prize is because of the content. It's about two cowboys who have a decades long sexual relationship. Most of the 6 thousand some odd academy members are older, white men; many of whom are probably stuffy and conservative. That seems to be a paradox considering the field they represent. One sidenote to Brokeback is that it has been billed as groundbreaking; that's not true. There have been other films that deal with the gay theme with high profile actors. Most notably is the film Making Love, a 1980 film that starred Harry Hamilin, Michael Ontkean, Kate Jackson, and Academy Award winner Wendy Hiller. Brokeback is only groundbreaking in that it deals with ranch hands out in the west in the 1960's-1980's. Before this film, Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal were not popular and commanding actors. It remains to be seen if they continue in their high profile status.

Felicity Huffman actually had a double whammy in terms of her missing out on her award. I've said this before and I'll say it again: I truly believe that Felicity Huffman gave the best female performance of the five who were nominated. Reese would be a not too close second. The movie Transamerica was so little known that even some of the gay people I know was not aware of it before it came out. And some of them are movie buffs. The second strike is the fact that Huffman plays a male-to-female pr-op transgender and shows her "appendage." It seems to me if the academy really was more liberal and not as older white male that Huffman would probably have walked away with the prize. She certainly deserved it.

Well, as I said, I'll keep watching the Oscars because when the academy gets it right, it's pure gold; actually, it's britannium or copper (the Oscars aren't pure gold). Above I said that this year's show was overall the most disappointing since 2000. Let me tell you how the winners would have stacked up if I had been in charge. Julia Roberts would still have won her award. Instead of Best Actor Russell Crowe for Gladiator, Ed Harris would have won for Pollock. Albert Finney would have won Best Supporting Actor for Erin Brockovich instead of Benecio Del Toro for Traffic. And Julie Walters would have won Best Supporting Actress for Billy Elliott instead of Marcia Gay Harden for Pollock. And the big prize would not have gone to Gladiator but to the Steven Soderbergh directed Erin Brockovich instead. I think it would have been really exciting and cool to have director Steven Soderbergh win for both of his films that year. He DID win Best Director for Traffic.

peace out,

paul

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

word of the week

Compassion fatigue. This is what the city of Houston is feeling right about now with an estimated 150,000 Katrina evacuees living in the Texas city. The evacuees are putting a burden on the city's health care system, schools, and adding to the city's already high crime rate. In the last six months, since the hurricane, 33 of the evacuees have either been victim or perpetrator in the city's 189 murders. No matter what people may think of mayor Bill White, he's certainly been generous in opening the city up to people who still need a place to stay. At this point, however, graffiti such as F*** New Orleans is showing up on walls. Also the evacuees are begin taunted with by the city's residents. It also didn't help when some leaders of New Orleans said that the hardworking evacuees could return to the Big Easy. In other words, ok, Houston, you keep the people we don't want.

And speaking of Katrina, the leaked videotape from August 2005 that shows Bush being briefed on the potential disaster of Katrina must make Bush want to just put his head in his hands. After the hurricane, he was on the news shows saying that no one anticipated the breaching of the levees. This videotape proves that he at least knew the potential was there. What a mess!

peace out,

paul

settled dust

Ok, I've gotten over the disappointment of the Oscars. While I agree with the men who won acting Oscars, I'm very much in disagreement with the women. Amy Adams and Felicity Huffman were robbed. But why? First off, Felicity Huffman's role in Transamerica may have been too risky, too daring for the Academy. What's more, the film was not widely seen and the role was not flashy either. As for Adams, her role in Junebug was THE most refreshing of all 5 supporting actresses. Again the film was not popular and therefore probably not widely seen. Have YOU heard of Junebug? As my friend Francine said, "It was a popularity contest this year." While that is not always true, it was very much so this year; unfortunately. As far as the major awards went this year there really weren't any surprises. I did keep hoping for a best actress upset though. I did correctly predict that Crash would win best pic but I'm sure there were more than a few people who were surprised when it took the big prize. Many people were probably hankering for a Brokeback win. Having said that, it's not too early to start looking for potential nominees for next year's show. Keep an eye out for brilliant and stand out performances and superb movies. Let me know if you see one!!!

peace out,

paul

Monday, March 06, 2006

results

I must be getting old. I couldn't finish watching the big show last night so I recorded the rest of it. I just finished watching the last award and of the rest of them I got sound editing, foreign language, actor, actress, adapted and original screenplay, director, and picture correct. The ones I didn't guess correctly are original song, film editing, and cinematography (I thought for sure Brokeback would get it). That brings the total correct to 17 and 7 incorrect. Out of 24 awards, that's only about a 70%. Oh well, I did my best.

By the way, I know Reese Witherspoon won but I will never stop believing that Felicity Huffman gave the best performance and really should have won the award. And all four acting winners were first time nominees. The last time that happened was 1961 when Maximillian Schell, Sophia Loren, George Chakiris, and Rita Moreno won the awards.

peace out,

paul

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Damn, I thought for sure Walk The Line would win for sound mixing. Now I'm up to 9-4. And by now they have to have shown just about every clip of every movie ever released by Hollywood. Ugh!!!
I predicted costume design correctly but got original score wrong. Who knew the bare bones score for Brokeback Mountain would win? Well, I'm sure some people knew. Anyway, that brings me to 9-3
10 down and 14 to go. I'm 8-2. I've gotten another one wrong, documentary short. I did get supporting actress, makeup, and documentary feature correct. I thought Charlize Theron had a terrible looking dress on. And Jennifer Lopez's dress looked like puke green. Sorry, but it's true.
6 awards down, 18 to go. So far I'm 5-1. I got live action short film wrong but did get animated short and costume design correct.

Thus far

3 down and only 21 more to go. So far I've gotten the first three awards correct in terms of predicting who will win. The animated feature, visual effects and supporting actor winners were who I predicted would win. However, those first three were not really surprises. Dolly Parton is so skinny. At 60 years old she looks like a toothpick. Jim commented that she looks like a cartoon character and there's something wrong with her lips. Jim says it's collagen. She still does look good for 60 though.

paul

Saturday, March 04, 2006

weekly post March 3, 2006

The "what to give up, what to give up" edition

Disclaimer: Parts of the following email are not original thoughts or ideas. Instead they were taken from other sources(my spouse). In other words, not all of what I'm writing is mine!

Hello my friends & loved ones,

I felt I should add that bit at the top since the book world is being turned on its head again. First came the James Frey debacle as it was discovered that his book should have been labeled fiction instead of non-fiction. Now comes news that Dan Brown, author of "The DaVinci Code", all but plagiarized the book "The Holy Blood, and The Holy Grail" while he was writing "DaVinci. "

Lent is upon us and I don't know what your childhood was like during this time but I don't remember ever really giving anything up or my family focusing on it. My mom and dad were only semi-religious. Someone at work asked me what I was going to give up for Lent this year and I really had to think about that. Then I heard Jim's Ash Wednesday sermon and....voila! The past!!! Big applause now. Everyone give up the past. Come on now. What? But isn't the past supposed to be dead? Well, duh! However, many of us, myself included, continue to walk around with the past squarely on our shoulders. The past hurts, the past insults, the past behaviors. Jim likened this to pulling over on the side of the road, picking up a dead woodchuck, making a necklace out of it, putting it around our necks and wearing it. Meanwhile, as the woodchuck continues to rot, we complain about the smell of it. Why don't we just take it off and chuck (sorry) it? What's the difference between doing that and chucking the past? Throw away the past insults of, 'you're not good enough,' 'you're not worthy,' 'you'll never amount to anything,' 'you'll never be loved.' Throw all of those things away and live the now, live the present. The past is just like that rotting woodchuck: Dead. We can't bring the past back (unless we can resurrect H.G. Wells and get him to build a time machine for us). We are worthy, we are loved, and we are good enough. I'm reminded of that character from Saturday Night Live, Stuart Smalley. At the end of his segment he used to turn to a mirror and chant to himself, "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me." We may have laughed at this (I did) but sometimes we need to remind ourselves of that otherwise the past may stink up our lives.

Until next week: Remember, you are good enough, you are smart enough, and doggone it, people like you.


peace out,

paul

weekly post from Feb. 25, 2006

Hello friends and loved ones,

Well I'm back after a hiatus last week. This past week has seemed to drag and today Jim and I did nothing all day long. We were going to have dinner with our pet nanny, however, at the time she was going to pick us up we got a brief snow squall and it looked like driving was going to be treacherous. It's always fun getting together with her, especially after we've gone on vacation because we get to watch her expressions as she receives her gifts.

Some of you may know that my new favorite show is American Idol. I really do like this show (although I'm wondering if they could possibly drag out the results show any longer? Oh! My! Gosh!!!!!! It's borders on torturous). Anyway, there's something to be said for going after a dream the way many of these singers are. It's not hard to tell the ones who enjoy what they are doing, who are talented, and who deserve to have their shot at something big. I don't think every finalist has their whole heart and soul in what they are doing and they may be better doing something else for which they have a bigger talent. I think we should all go after what we want instead of sitting around kicking ourselves and saying, 'Why didn't I do that? If only I had done this....' It would be terrible if we knew we had a gift or talent and did nothing about it. We don't want to be sitting around singing our "should have," "could have," "would have." Let's experience life and discover those things we have a gift for. I'm a firm believer that each person around us has at least one thing they are excellent at and can do great things with. I actually believe there is more than one thing, however, I'm not greedy. Ask yourself next time you are alone with yourself, "What am I really good at?"

I haven't felt compelled to blog this week and that's because I've literally been poring over the past winners of all of the critic's awards. I'm almost ready to put my picks of who will win Oscars out there and I'll be posting them this week. The big show is next Sunday and I'll be there front and center watching with (sometimes) bated breath. The one thing I have to say about predicting the winners of the little gold man is this: There are little tricks to use to make a good prediction, however, there is no sure fire way to be sure each prediction is correct. Short of asking all 6,500 members of the Academy who they are voting for, that is. Anyway, if you have a prediction (not who you want to win but who you think will win) feel free to let me know and I'll tell you if I agree. This is the only awards show that I truly enjoy watching and the only one I watch every year. I know, I know, many people don't like the Oscars and many times they get it wrong but in the past few years they've gotten it right more times than not. No awards show is perfect and no one is ever going to agree with every pick but that's what makes our country so great. Freedom to choose! Oh, I'm starting to get all patriotic; where did that come from?


peace out,

paul

Friday, March 03, 2006

Recommending a remake? Who me?

No one can say I don't like remakes. The following proves that. The best remake of 2006 (so far) is the remake of a thriller released in 1979; that's pre-Jason and before Freddy. The movie is When A Stranger Calls and Carol Kane starred in the original as a babysitter who receives threatening phone calls. The caller almost always starts with, "Have you checked the children?" Ultimately, with the help of police, Kane's character, Jill Johnson, discovers where the calls are coming from: from a surprising location. The children are found to have been murdered and the killer is locked up in the loony bin. The killer then escapes and the rest of the movie follows Charles Durning's private investigator and his tracking of the killer. Durning is hired by the father of the children and for the next 40-45 mins the movie plods along and becomes quite boring at times. Years later, after Kane's character marries and has her own children, she receives a call one night while she's out with her husband. The caller asks, "Have you checked the children?" The ensuing showdown is a bit creepy and fulfilling. The only problem is that no reason is ever given for the killer's penchant for harassing teenage babysitters and killing children.

In the remake, relative newcomer Camilla Belle fills Kane's shoes as Jill Johnson. This time the film opens with the discovery of the murdered children while the tormenting phone calls play over the opening credits. It's an eerie touch having the crime scene right next to a carnival; everyone going about their fun with no idea of what's going on in the house right next to them. The rest of the movie features Belle's Jill Johnson babysitting and then she begins receiving the same threatening phone calls. Thankfully, the "have you checked the children" is only used once or twice; it threatened to become a joke in the original. The remake does deviate quite a bit from the original and the stage is set for a game of cat and mouse between Jill and the anonymous caller. All of the changes are good and enhance the story considering it is set in the present. Of course the big twist is where the calls originate from and if you've seen the original you won't be surprised. The suspense is well done though and considering how few characters there are and that most of the action takes place inside of the house, the movie moves along briskly. This could have been a terrible remake considering the technology of the telephones these days, however, the uses of the many features of the telephone are cleverly and believably played; we're really not all connected (not always anyway). The size of the house, which is astronomical, is also effectively used and there are of course a number of cliches; naturally. The dark, windy, and stormy night is just one of the many devices used. Another one is the fake out; the music plays progressively louder trying to make us think a scare is coming. And then there's the fake out's brother, the non-killer scare. We get a jolt or a surprise but it's not the killer. One of the main reasons I liked this remake, and really think it improves upon the original, is because Belle's character is not stupid. And when push comes to shove, she really fights back and isn't feeble about it. That could be a testament to the director, Simon West. West, probably most famous for directing Lara Croft:Tomb Raider, has crafted a smart (but not genius) thriller that really surpasses the original. A bonus is the fact that there is no gore and of course, like the original, there is no explanation as to why the killer does what he does. Only the intimation that in today's world, sometimes there is no explanation. Or something like that.

The top two

The last two awards of the evening and here we go with who I think will win and who should win. Before I start, I'd like to point out that this is the first time since 1981 that all 5 Best Picture and Best Director nominees line up exactly.

Best Director: George Clooney for Good Night, And Good Luck (1st nom), Paul Haggis for Crash (1st nom), Ang Lee for Brokeback Mountain (2nd nom), Bennett Miller for Capote (1st nom), and Steven Spielberg for Munich (6th nom, 2 previous wins).

All five directors did an incredible job, however, Ang Lee took a sparsely written story with very little dialogue and turned it into a movie that ALL kinds of audiences are embracing, despite the fact that it features to non-straight characters. I didn't call them both gay since I'm not sure they are both gay. Gyllenhaal's character may be gay, however, Ledger's character seemed to be more bisexual.

WILL WIN-Ang Lee
SHOULD WIN-Ang Lee


Best Picture: Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Crash, Good Night, And Good Luck, and Munich. All five films were powerful and movie events (even if no one saw them). That last bit was a joke since none of these films were blockbusters in terms of ticket sales. I don't think Brokeback is the best film of all five and in terms of longevity, Crash has the most. It was released in May of 2005 and is still being talked about nearly a year later. The film I think really deserves to win is Spielberg's film. This film was the most powerful and probably the most polarizing and controversial.

WILL WIN-Crash
SHOULD WIN-Munich


peace out,

paul

The Main Races

Only two more days to go until the Oscars and here are my picks for the big ones of who will win and who should win.

Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman (1st nom), Terrence Howard (1st nom), Heath Ledger (1st nom), Joaquin Phoenix (2nd nom), and David Strathairn (1st nom).

All five of these performances were strong and rightfully nominated, however, when it comes to the big prize only one will win. Ledger and Howard portrayed fictional characters and delivered outstanding performances. Strathairn, Phoenix, and Hoffman all played real characters and did the men they played justice. Phoenix does his own singing but Hoffman is the one who really showed people what he can do.

WILL WIN-Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote
SHOULD WIN-Philip Seymour Hoffman

Actress: Judi Dench (5th nom, 1 previous win), Felicity Huffman (1st nom), Keira Knightley (1st nom), Charlize Theron (2nd nom, 1 previous win), Reese Witherspoon (1st nom).

Dench and Theron have both won before and neither will win this time because their performances weren't as strong as they've given in the past. Knightley is in the "I'm just honored to be nominated" category and has the least chances of winning. Huffman deglamorized herself (Oscar loves that in this category) and really took a chance on her role as a transgender male-to-female and hit it out of the park. Witherspoon did do her own singing, however, the movie was more about Johnny Cash as opposed to the June Carter story. This is the one category I hope I'm wrong about in terms of who will win. Last year the Academy gave the award to Hilary Swank for Million Dollar Baby instead of Annette Bening for her tour de force performance in Being Julia. This year they can make up for it.

WILL WIN-Reese Witherspoon for Walk The Line
SHOULD WIN-Felicity Huffman for Transamerica

Supporting Actor: George Clooney (1st nom), Matt Dillon (1st nom), Paul Giamatti (1st nom), Jake Gyllenhaal (1st nom), and William Hurt (4th nom, 1 previous win). Let's start with who won't win: Hurt and Gyllenhaal both gave good performances but neither is strong enough to warrant a win and Hurt was only on screen for 10mins. Dillon delivered probably one of his best performances to date but it was in an ensemble piece. Giamatti really deserves this win because he was passed over for a nom in Sideways and American Splendor. Unfortunately, he gave stronger performances in both of those films. This is Clooney's award who actually put on the weight and showed people that he really can act.

WILL WIN-George Clooney for Syriana
SHOULD WIN-George Clooney


Supporting Actress: This is the category that is probably the least predictable. Who the hell knows who will win this award. One can guess but if you look at the nominees and winners in this category throughout the years, some of the winners make one go, "Huh?" So here we go.

Amy Adams (1st nom), Catherine Keener (2nd nom), Frances McDormand (4th nom, 1 previous win), Rachel Weisz (1st nom), and Michelle Williams (1st nom).

Williams and Keener gave good performances but I didn't feel that they were really strong and standout; just good enough to be noticed. McDormand's performance was stronger but not her best and the film was underwhelming. Weisz gave a standout performance and though her character died, she is prevalent throughout the film. Adams gave the freshest performance and literally lit up each scene she was in.

WILL WIN-Rachel Weisz for The Constant Gardener
SHOULD WIN-Amy Adams for Junebug


Adapted Screenplay:

WILL WIN-Brokeback Mountain
SHOULD WIN-Brokeback Mountain


Original Screenplay:

WILL WIN-Crash
SHOULD WIN
-Crash


peace out,

paul

Thursday, March 02, 2006

All The 'Others'

Here's a list of the rest of the best that will win (my predictions) and should win:

Visual Effects:

WILL WIN-King Kong
SHOULD WIN-King Kong

Makeup:

WILL WIN-The Chronicles Of Narnia
SHOULD WIN-The Chronicles Of Narnia

Art Direction:

WILL WIN-Memoirs Of A Geisha
SHOULD WIN-Memoirs Of A Geisha

Original Score:

WILL WIN-Memoirs Of A Geisha
SHOULD WIN-Munich

Original Song:

WILL WIN-Travelin' Thru
SHOULD WIN-Travelin' Thru

Live Action Short Film:

WILL WIN-Our Time Is Up
SHOULD WIN-Our Time Is Up

Animated Short:

WILL WIN-The Moon and The Son
SHOULD WIN-9

Animated Feature:

WILL WIN-Wallace & Gromit
SHOULD WIN-Wallace & Gromit

Sound Editing:

WILL WIN-King Kong
SHOULD WIN-Memoirs Of A Geisha

Sound Mixing:

WILL WIN-Walk The Line
SHOULD WIN-Walk The Line

Film Editing:

WILL WIN-Munich
SHOULD WIN-The Constant Gardener

Cinematography:

WILL WIN-Brokeback Mountain
SHOULD WIN-Brokeback Mountain

Foreign Language Film:

WILL WIN-Tsotsi
SHOULD WIN-Paradise Now

Documentary Feature:

WILL WIN-March Of The Penguins
SHOULD WIN-Murderball

Documentary Short:

WILL WIN-The Mushroom Club
SHOULD WIN-God Sleeps In Rwanda

Costume Design:

WILL WIN-Memoirs Of A Geisha
SHOULD WIN-Memoirs Of A Geisha

Which direction did the shoes go?

Now you can get a pair of shoes that feature ankle support. A U.S. artist has designed a brand of shoes called Brincos (Spanish for jump). The shoes also feature a compass and, on the insole, a map of routes from Tijuana to San Diego (the perfect crossing the border gift). The shoes are made in China, given out free in Tijuana and can be purchased in San Diego for ONLY $125. The creator of the shoes is Judi Werthein. Happy Walking!


peace out,

paul

Real Recommendations

Here are some things I recommend. These aren't necessarily new releases but things I've heard or read recently that I really liked.

Song: "What If" by Nichole Nordeman. This is the quintessential how- do- we- know -Jesus- exists-if-we-can't-see-him song for the 2000's. The song is from her Brave CD and once you get past the lite FM sound of the song and focus on the lyrics, the theme of 'just because we can't see it doesn't mean it's not there' really hits you.

Book: CS Lewis's The Screwtape Letters. Letters written from one evil spirit to another and the finer points of tempting a "patient" (or mankind) with the darker side. It's well written and will make you think.

CD: More Life by a christian group called Newsong. Bouncy songs, ballads that aren't syrupy and listening to the title song, you'd have to be dead to not wanna jump up and down.

TV: The Amazing Race: It's hard to believe this show is on its ninth season, however, it doesn't lack for adventure and excitement. The bickering is as nasty as ever. This show is a good reason not to go on vacation with your best friend, spouse, etc......

peace out,

paul