Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, and Natalie Maines. Do you know who these three women are? They are the members of the best selling female country group in the USA. The Dixie Chicks. And they are the subject of the documentary Shut Up And Sing (R). The film charts the Chicks from 2003 to 2006 and their heyday in 2003 to their drop in sales and popularity in 2006 to the release of their new album in 2006. The Chicks were doing a concert in London in 2003 on the eve of the start of the Iraq war when lead singer Natalie Maines made a small statement that turned into a firestorm. What Maines said, "we're ashamed that Bush is from Texas," turned the Chicks into pariahs and caused cities in the US to destroy and trash their cds. Should celebrities, singers, entertainers speak their minds or enter into the realm of politics? Can Toby Keith show a picture of Maines with Saddam Hussein and not get one negative comment while Maines makes one comment and receive a death threat? These are but a couple of questions the movie ponders as we see the impact on the band as a result of Maines's statement.
One man in the movie espouses that he is all for free speech but it shouldn't be done on foreign soil if it is against the US. Isn't that contrary to free speech? And Maines's comment was not against the US and it wasn't even that inflammatory but it was turned into a media event.
The movie is set against the music of the Chicks and it follows them as they deal with the aftermath and subsequent healing. The movie also touches on the beginnings of the band. Maines is not the original lead singer and the two sisters, Maguire and Robison, have been in the band since the beginning. It's an enlightening and emotional film with some very candid moments. At times Maines comes across as rigid and seemingly unaware that actions have consequences but it's a tribute to the three women that they stick together through very thick and extremely thin.
One other interesting part of this film is knowing how far the situation in Iraq has devolved since 2003 when Bush's approval ratings were high and people were certain that the war would be over quickly. As one person in the film says to the Chicks as they prepare for an interview, "it (the war) could be over tomorrow." Also it is now in vogue to criticize Bush and the war in song. Many artists have done so since Maines's outburst including Green Day, The Rolling Stones, and Neil Young.
As the film comes to an end we see them just finishing and promoting the album that they released this year, "Taking The Long Way." We also see that it is possible for a family and the human spirit to overcome adversity and hatred. Taking is by far one of the best albums of the year and it hit #1 on the Country Album chart, as well as the Top Albums chart, without any airplay. The album was recently recognized as such with multiple grammy nominations. It's a no holds barred documentary worth seeing if you are a Dixie Chicks fan and feel free to wear your shirt with the letters F.U.T.K.
bags of popcorn (out of 5): 3.75
paul
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Friday, December 08, 2006
holiday humor
*Holiday Eating Tips*
1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.
2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!
3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.
4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk orwhole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.
5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?
6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.
7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.
8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?
9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.
10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips;
Start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.
1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.
2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!
3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.
4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk orwhole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.
5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?
6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.
7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.
8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?
9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.
10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips;
Start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.
movie minute
Civilization Now: Mel Gibson is back and just as ambitious as ever. In his film Apocalypto (R), Gibson depicts the Mayan civilization as a world imploding and destined to start over. Ok, first of all, I really don't know much about the Mayan civilization so it would have been nice to have some sort of historical background or set up; a point of reference to guide me as the film started. Having said that, I find it hard to believe that the Mayans had the phrase "he's f****d" as part of their lingo.
In the film, a Mayan tribe is invaded (I'm guessing by other Mayans) and the hostages are taken off to be offered as sacrifices to the Gods. Supposedly the sacrifice scene is a political allegory about sending Americans off to Iraq for no reason. One Mayan, however, escapes. This would be Jaguar Paw, and yes, that is really his name. Jaguar Paw has a pregnant wife and son back at the camp that was invaded. Before he was captured he made sure they were hidden from the invaders. Now it's a race to get back to them before it's too late.
The first part of the film is very drawn out and on the verge of boring. The second half is quite exciting. While it has got to be one of the longest foot races ever filmed and mother nature's role in the film is clever, the action keeps going to keep one interested. While the second act is hopping, it should be noted that there are some scenes extremely gratuitous gore. Whatever happened to leaving things to our imagination?
The movie was filmed in Veracruz and it is in the Mayan language of Yucatec. Don't be scared off because of the subtitles, believe me you'll have no trouble keeping up. I did read one article in which one woman in a preview screening raised her hand and questioned the bloodletting of one of the tribesmen who is killed. It just so happened there was a doctor in the audience and he said that what is portrayed on screen is accurate. Gibson has obviously done some homework and is quite a talented director and this film surprised me by how good it was. It is long and it is drawn out, especially in the first half, but it's a better film than his Passion film. I almost didn't get to see the end. Right at the last 15mins of the film, the movie stopped suddenly (right at one of the big payoff scenes) and the emergency lights in the theater came on. The 20 of us, including me, who were in the theater were offered free movie passes. Thankfully there was another showing of the film that had already started. Several of us went in to the other showing and it was not too far off from where the first movie had stopped.
Apocalypto has been getting good reviews (from what I've read so far) and I have to agree. He may be a ranting and raving drunk (ouch) in real life but he sure knows how to direct a film.
Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 3.25
possible Oscar noms
Best Director
peace,
paul
In the film, a Mayan tribe is invaded (I'm guessing by other Mayans) and the hostages are taken off to be offered as sacrifices to the Gods. Supposedly the sacrifice scene is a political allegory about sending Americans off to Iraq for no reason. One Mayan, however, escapes. This would be Jaguar Paw, and yes, that is really his name. Jaguar Paw has a pregnant wife and son back at the camp that was invaded. Before he was captured he made sure they were hidden from the invaders. Now it's a race to get back to them before it's too late.
The first part of the film is very drawn out and on the verge of boring. The second half is quite exciting. While it has got to be one of the longest foot races ever filmed and mother nature's role in the film is clever, the action keeps going to keep one interested. While the second act is hopping, it should be noted that there are some scenes extremely gratuitous gore. Whatever happened to leaving things to our imagination?
The movie was filmed in Veracruz and it is in the Mayan language of Yucatec. Don't be scared off because of the subtitles, believe me you'll have no trouble keeping up. I did read one article in which one woman in a preview screening raised her hand and questioned the bloodletting of one of the tribesmen who is killed. It just so happened there was a doctor in the audience and he said that what is portrayed on screen is accurate. Gibson has obviously done some homework and is quite a talented director and this film surprised me by how good it was. It is long and it is drawn out, especially in the first half, but it's a better film than his Passion film. I almost didn't get to see the end. Right at the last 15mins of the film, the movie stopped suddenly (right at one of the big payoff scenes) and the emergency lights in the theater came on. The 20 of us, including me, who were in the theater were offered free movie passes. Thankfully there was another showing of the film that had already started. Several of us went in to the other showing and it was not too far off from where the first movie had stopped.
Apocalypto has been getting good reviews (from what I've read so far) and I have to agree. He may be a ranting and raving drunk (ouch) in real life but he sure knows how to direct a film.
Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 3.25
possible Oscar noms
Best Director
peace,
paul
movie minute
Blood Bauble: In Edward Zwick's (The Last Samurai, Legends Of The Fall) new film, Blood Diamond (R), Leonardo DiCaprio plays a tough diamond smuggler who gets wind of a diamond that is hidden and will stop at nothing to find it. Rounding out the main cast is Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly. Hounsou plays Solomon, a father who is desperately searching for his family and then realizes his son has been kidnapped by rebels who want to recruit him. Connelly plays Maddy who is a tenacious journalist determined to expose the illegal diamond trade. Lest you think this is fiction, it's not. Before the Kimberley process was signed by 40 different nations, conflict diamonds were rearing their heads into the stores of mainstream jewelers. Diamonds were sold for ammunition or drugs. Even today, there are still conflict (blood) diamonds so it's imperative for people to make sure that the diamonds they are buying are legit.
The film isn't great and it takes a long time to get where it's so obvious it's going. And there are too many scenes in which villages or people are shot at. Ok, I get it, it's a violent country. The standout here is, of course, Hounsou. He gives a terrific performance of a man who is willing to part with the diamond he found in order to get his family back. Connelly, too, is really good. I'm not an expert on accents and I cannot do them but it seemed like DiCaprio's accent kept coming and going. Why not just speak American? It was distracting and I don't think he's a great actor to begin with.
One other bone I have to pick with this movie is the writing; some of it is just downright unbelievable. I want to know how much the writers got paid and how long it took them to come up with lines such as, "In America it's bling-bling, in Africa it's bling-bang." Ooh, that's so hot and clever. I have to use that! DiCaprio's character actually utters that line at one pont (it's also featured in the trailer) and there are some other less than inspiring lines in the movie.
There's a lot of violence and it seems like a meandering mess for the first 35mins but it's worth it to see Hounsou's performance.
Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 2.75
possible Oscar noms
Best Supporting Actor: Djimon Hounsou
paul
The film isn't great and it takes a long time to get where it's so obvious it's going. And there are too many scenes in which villages or people are shot at. Ok, I get it, it's a violent country. The standout here is, of course, Hounsou. He gives a terrific performance of a man who is willing to part with the diamond he found in order to get his family back. Connelly, too, is really good. I'm not an expert on accents and I cannot do them but it seemed like DiCaprio's accent kept coming and going. Why not just speak American? It was distracting and I don't think he's a great actor to begin with.
One other bone I have to pick with this movie is the writing; some of it is just downright unbelievable. I want to know how much the writers got paid and how long it took them to come up with lines such as, "In America it's bling-bling, in Africa it's bling-bang." Ooh, that's so hot and clever. I have to use that! DiCaprio's character actually utters that line at one pont (it's also featured in the trailer) and there are some other less than inspiring lines in the movie.
There's a lot of violence and it seems like a meandering mess for the first 35mins but it's worth it to see Hounsou's performance.
Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 2.75
possible Oscar noms
Best Supporting Actor: Djimon Hounsou
paul
Thursday, December 07, 2006
winner of the week
Ninety-nine passengers bound from Washington to Dallas/Fort Worth made an unscheduled stop on to Nashville on Monday thanks to the antics of one of the passengers. The American Airlines plane made an emergency stop at the Nashville International Airport because of the smell of matches being struck. The woman who struck the matches admitted that she had done so when questioned by the FBI. The woman, who lives near Dallas, struck the matches to cover body odor. It seems she has a medical condition. It is legal to bring up to four books of paper matches but, of course, not legal to strike them. She was not charged but was also not allowed back on the airplane.
peace,
paul
peace,
paul
Monday, December 04, 2006
Here's a website to visit. As we head into the Christmas season, our troops overseas need to be reminded how important they are and how we haven't forgotten them. Now, with the help of Xerox, you can send a card to the troops. It's not possible to choose which soldier gets the card but it is a nice sentiment. I've sent several already. The website is www.letssaythanks.com
paul
paul
weekly post from December 3, 2006
Hello friends & loved ones,
Another week has passed and taken us to the first weekend of the last month of the year. Pretty soon we will be writing the number 7 in the date section of our checks. It's so hard to believe as it seems like just yesterday I was trying to remember to write 6 instead of 5.
Jim and I went for a nice hike yesterday with some people from church and we're thinking of trying to do it every other weekend (which is how often the man who organized the group wants to do it). It felt really good and we were both invigorated. In other news, I've worked my last Sunday (which was last Sunday). I recently got a schedule change in which I will work Mon-Fri instead of Sun-Thur. I don't particularly relish the thought of working Friday nights but it will be splendid having Sunday nights off. It still feels like a dream.
Right now we are just chilling in front of the tube after a full day of church and, for Jim, a remembrance service (with 300 people). The sun was out today and it was so radiant that it was a bit shocking. Of course, now we are being threatened with snow; snow which the midwest and Canada has already been socked with. Or maybe it's different snow.
As you settle into your Sunday night just remember that I pray and think of you each day. I hope that as the Christmas/Hannukah season gets closer, you are able to call up patience, tolerance and kindness. Pray for each other as I pray for you.
paul
Another week has passed and taken us to the first weekend of the last month of the year. Pretty soon we will be writing the number 7 in the date section of our checks. It's so hard to believe as it seems like just yesterday I was trying to remember to write 6 instead of 5.
Jim and I went for a nice hike yesterday with some people from church and we're thinking of trying to do it every other weekend (which is how often the man who organized the group wants to do it). It felt really good and we were both invigorated. In other news, I've worked my last Sunday (which was last Sunday). I recently got a schedule change in which I will work Mon-Fri instead of Sun-Thur. I don't particularly relish the thought of working Friday nights but it will be splendid having Sunday nights off. It still feels like a dream.
Right now we are just chilling in front of the tube after a full day of church and, for Jim, a remembrance service (with 300 people). The sun was out today and it was so radiant that it was a bit shocking. Of course, now we are being threatened with snow; snow which the midwest and Canada has already been socked with. Or maybe it's different snow.
As you settle into your Sunday night just remember that I pray and think of you each day. I hope that as the Christmas/Hannukah season gets closer, you are able to call up patience, tolerance and kindness. Pray for each other as I pray for you.
paul
weekly post from November 25, 2006
Hello friends & loved ones,
Another Thanksgiving is behind us and now the big "C" looms straight ahead. I hope each of you enjoyed the holiday and didn't eat too terribly much and were able to take time to realize how many blessings and gifts each of you has. It's always weird for me working on holidays; I don't automatically have them off. I stopped at Wegman's on my way home from work on Thursday morning and the cashier wished me a Happy Thanksgiving. My brain took a moment to process what she had said before I could reciprocate the well wishing. My brain didn't immediately register that it was a holiday.
We finally got our new bird feeders up and the new pole. The other feeders and pole were destroyed earlier this year by a black bear. We'll have to be diligent in making sure the new feeders don't get destroyed. We'll probably bring the feeders in at night once hibernation is over. Of course the weather has been so mild that we may have start doing that tonight. Do bears hibernate even if it's mild?
It's been a relaxing morning as both Jim and I decided to treat ourselves to a Sunday off. The weather is close to 60 and the sun is shining. Two years ago today as we were coming back from Massachusetts we were in a car accident. A young woman (lesbian from what we could ascertain and seeing her interaction with the woman who picked her up). The woman was passing us and hydroplaned and hit us causing us to lose control and hit the guardrail. Thankfully everyone was ok. Things could change in the blink of an eye so cherish each moment.
paul
Another Thanksgiving is behind us and now the big "C" looms straight ahead. I hope each of you enjoyed the holiday and didn't eat too terribly much and were able to take time to realize how many blessings and gifts each of you has. It's always weird for me working on holidays; I don't automatically have them off. I stopped at Wegman's on my way home from work on Thursday morning and the cashier wished me a Happy Thanksgiving. My brain took a moment to process what she had said before I could reciprocate the well wishing. My brain didn't immediately register that it was a holiday.
We finally got our new bird feeders up and the new pole. The other feeders and pole were destroyed earlier this year by a black bear. We'll have to be diligent in making sure the new feeders don't get destroyed. We'll probably bring the feeders in at night once hibernation is over. Of course the weather has been so mild that we may have start doing that tonight. Do bears hibernate even if it's mild?
It's been a relaxing morning as both Jim and I decided to treat ourselves to a Sunday off. The weather is close to 60 and the sun is shining. Two years ago today as we were coming back from Massachusetts we were in a car accident. A young woman (lesbian from what we could ascertain and seeing her interaction with the woman who picked her up). The woman was passing us and hydroplaned and hit us causing us to lose control and hit the guardrail. Thankfully everyone was ok. Things could change in the blink of an eye so cherish each moment.
paul
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix will start using a new machine by Christmas that has some people up in arms. The backscatter, as it's called, has been around for a while but is now being used as a new tool in the fight on terror. This is what one may look like after going through the machine. This is obviously a picture of the back and the machine will allow screeners to see bombs or other threats while blurring the naughty parts. If one has body image issues, they can still get the traditional pat down. The machinery has also been tested at London's Heathrow Airport. Is that a weapon in your pocket or are you just happy to see me? Indeed.
paul
dvd of the week
My spouse and I just watched Superman Returns (out on DVD this week) starring Brandon Routh as the new man of steel. The film returns Superman to earth and back into the heart of Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) who is newly engaged to Richard White (James Marsden from the X-Men movies) who happens to be the nephew of Perry White, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet. Lane also has a son, it should be noted, who also figures into the equation. Seems evil Lex Luthor is up to no good (surprise, surprise) and has a way to make a new world using crystals and kryptonite. The film is surprisingly good and moves along briskly. It also has Parker Posey and Eva Marie Saint-cool. The director is Bryan Singer (X-Men, The Usual Suspects) reinvigorates the franchise of the hero with the red "S" and does it deftly. Leave it to a gay guy to do so. The film is action packed and leaves the franchise wide open with the words of Jor-El echoing in our ears: "The son becomes the father and the father becomes the son." And this review is for anyone who may think I'm a film snob. I'm really really not.
peace,
paul
peace,
paul
Saturday, December 02, 2006
movie minute
Story of the Birth: If you know the story of the birth of Jesus, this film won't hold many surprises for you, if any at all. Keisha Castle-Hughes plays Mary, the young virgin who is visited by an angel to tell her she will deliver a son who will save his people. A son for all people; from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs, or something like that. The film, The Nativity Story (PG), follows her as she shares her pregnancy with Elizabeth, played here by the wonderful and ubiquitous Shohreh Aghdashloo to her travels to Bethlehem with her new husband Joseph and the subsequent deliverance of the above mentioned son. Throw in the witty three wise men and some evil men, one in particular named Herod, and you've got yourself an epic. Or so it would seem. This film, which is based on the writings in Luke and Matthew, is surprisingly ho-hum; especially the first 35mins. I did know the story, more or less, so that may have had something to do with it or maybe it was because Hughes plays Mary as slightly more alive than a zombie. Actually I think a zombie does show more life. Hughes was so exciting and moving in the terrific film Whale Rider, so why is she so catatonic here? Catherine Hardwicke (director of Thirteen) must have had Hughes direct herself. One nice surprise here is actor Oscar Isaac. His Joseph is a winsome, touching and tortured man. At first he cannot accept that he did not sire the baby and he must deal with how that will look but, ultimately, his honor and love for Mary lead him down the path of family man.
It's not a terrible film and it holds the attention much more than The DaVinci Code did earlier this year but for a film about a bible story one would think it would be much more captivating.
Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 2.5
possible Oscar noms
Best Actress
Best Director
Best Original Screenplay (or would that be Adapted?????)
paul
It's not a terrible film and it holds the attention much more than The DaVinci Code did earlier this year but for a film about a bible story one would think it would be much more captivating.
Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 2.5
possible Oscar noms
Best Actress
Best Director
Best Original Screenplay (or would that be Adapted?????)
paul
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
quote of the week
From Jim Hall, Director of the Boise, Idaho parks dept. after he fired two temporary employees after they took a midnight jaunt (1.5 miles) to a fast food drive thru while riding two Zambonis (top speed 5mph) from the city's ice skating rink: "I don't think they understood the seriousness of it." Oh really?!? They didn't think that taking two vehicles, each worth $75,000, to a fast food restaurant was serious? Next time they can take a ride down on their tractors from the farm.
paul
paul
wicked wreath
This is a picture of a wreath that was hung by a resident in a Colorado subdivision in Pagosa Springs. Bob Kearns, president of the Loma Linda Homeowners Assn, said that some residents had complained and that some residents thought it was a "symbol of Satan." Kearns ordered the homeowners committee to require the homeowner, Lisa Jensen, to remove the wreath. When the committee refused, Kearns fired all five members. Kearns threatened to fine Jensen $25 a day for as long as the wreath is up. Apparently it was viewed as an anti-war wreath. Peace and goodwill toward men, indeed!!! The subdivision's rules say "no signs, billboards, or advertising is permitted without the consent of the architectural control committee."
The follow-up to this is that the homeowners association has decided that the wreath does not pose a threat to our national security and will let Jensen keep the wreath up. Merry Christmas. Next up: Santa is a threat because he looks like a member of al-Qaeda.
paul
Saturday, November 25, 2006
movie minute
Consider It Not: Christopher Guest's (A Mighty Wind) new movie, For Your Consideration (PG13), is a film within a film in which the stars of the Jewish drama, Home For Purim, are chugging along on the independent film when one of the stars is alerted to an internet posting that has talk of an Oscar nomination. Catherine O'Hara plays Marilyn Hack, the dying matriarch in the film Purim and she is the one cited by a tv personality as a possible Oscar contender. Once that gets out then other cast members are mentioned as possible nominees. What happens to the film and the actors after Hollywood gets a hold of them is a makeover in which the director's vision and the actors' priorities are lost. The usual Guest players are in the film: Fred Willard, Parker Posey, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Eugene Levy, and Jane Lynch who is hysterical as the hostess of an entertainment newsmagazine. The standout, however, is O'Hara and kudos to the makeup department for making her look botoxed after she is Hollywoodized. The film does not have the comedic punch and cleverness of Best In Show and Waiting For Guffman but there are a few laugh-out-loud moments. It's not a terrible film just not Guest at his best.
Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 2.5
paul
Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 2.5
paul
movie minute
Nation Of Choice: Another "important message" movie yet this one is quite up to par. Fast Food Nation (R) is a movie which is meant to show how shady, unsavory and cutthroat the fast food business really is. The movie is fiction but is loosely adapted from the book of the same name by Eric Schlosser (he was also a producer and writer on the film) which is actually a non-fiction book detailing the beginning and rise of fast food and how its made and the impact it has had on the country. The movie follows Raul (Wilmer Valderrama,the fey sounding Fez from That 70's Show) and Sylvia (the wonderful Catalina Sandino Moreno from Maria Full Of Grace) as they cross the border from Mexico and end up in Colorado and find jobs in a meat packing plant. Valderrama does his best laconic macho man impersonation complete with cowboy hat.
Don Anderson (Greg Kinnear) is a marketing manager at Mickey's (a not so veiled swipe at McDonald's) who is sent to Colorado to investigate the meat packing plant after too much feces is found in the meat used at the restaurant. More than a few jokes are made in reference to this which would be funny if it wasn't so gross.
Amber (Ashley Johnson from Growing Pains) plays Amber, a high school student who works at a Mickey's. The three stories are flimsily woven together and I kept thinking I was watching three separate movies. There were several scenes that were too long and one very disturbing scene at the meat packing plant; I'll never look at a cow the same way again. If there is a standout in this film, it would be Bobby Cannavale (Will & Grace) who steams up the screen as the lothario boss at the meat packing plant and plows his way through the pretty girls at the plant, including Sylvia. Nation is way too preachy and just didn't resonate with me. Stick with the book: It's an insightful, incisive and quite an eye-opening look at the fast food industry, how it got started and how it won't stop. The book is wayyyy better.
Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 1.5
paul
Don Anderson (Greg Kinnear) is a marketing manager at Mickey's (a not so veiled swipe at McDonald's) who is sent to Colorado to investigate the meat packing plant after too much feces is found in the meat used at the restaurant. More than a few jokes are made in reference to this which would be funny if it wasn't so gross.
Amber (Ashley Johnson from Growing Pains) plays Amber, a high school student who works at a Mickey's. The three stories are flimsily woven together and I kept thinking I was watching three separate movies. There were several scenes that were too long and one very disturbing scene at the meat packing plant; I'll never look at a cow the same way again. If there is a standout in this film, it would be Bobby Cannavale (Will & Grace) who steams up the screen as the lothario boss at the meat packing plant and plows his way through the pretty girls at the plant, including Sylvia. Nation is way too preachy and just didn't resonate with me. Stick with the book: It's an insightful, incisive and quite an eye-opening look at the fast food industry, how it got started and how it won't stop. The book is wayyyy better.
Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 1.5
paul
In sickness and in war: According to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, over 700 service members were discharged from service by the Pentagon because of homosexuality. Last June it was learned that the Pentagon still classified homosexuality as a mental disorder; they reclassified it in July. Now it is listed with other "defects" including dyslexsia, obesity, bedwetting, stammering or stuttering, sleepwalking, repeated infections of VD, fear of flying, and allergies to uniforms. Are we living in the middle ages? Even the American Psychiatric Association stopped classifying homosexuality as a disorder back in the 70's. We're 3 1/2 years into a war that is not stopping, our troops are continuing to die and be maimed and there's talk of sending more troops overseas. The Pentagon really cannot afford to turn anyone away regardless of which way they swing. The days of don't ask, don't tell are seriously outdated and ineffective.
paul
paul
Friday, November 24, 2006
quote of the week
As stated by Essence County Sheriff Armando Fontoura in response to a body found in the lake at the Weequahic Park which is very notorious for its history of dead bodies being found: "The park is an oasis. It's a great place for jogging. We just need to figure out how to keep people from dumping bodies in it." Good luck with that!!!!
paul
paul
The Race For The Big 'O' '06: Part I
This is the time of year I scramble to see all of the movies that are generating Oscar buzz or could generate Oscar buzz. Many are predictable (Helen Mirren in The Queen; Forrest Whitaker in The Last King Of Scotland). Others aren't so easy to predict (who, if anyone, will get an acting nod in Bobby?). This becomes somewhat of an obsession to me as I strive to see all of the movies that could get an Oscar nod in one of the big categories. I have until February 25 which is the date of the show. The nominations come out in January.
I know people say that the Academy Awards are just a political self-congratulatory orgy of Hollywood and, while I don't disagree, I also think that it is more than that. Most everything today has some politics behind it or in it. I don't always agree with the Academy's choice of winner; sometimes I get downright angry when the Academy gets it glaringly wrong (witness last year's win of Reese Witherspoon over Felicity Huffman; I'm still talking about it to anyone who'll listen). The Academy does still get it right, so right, sometimes. I continue with my optimism that as more and more young, daring, enlightened actors/actresses/writers/directors infiltrate the "boys club of the Academy" (as it's been known since they started handing out the awards) the Academy will get it right more and more and award people based on talent more than politics or mainstream acceptance.
The difficult part for me living in Rochester is coming to terms each year that Rochester is not considered a big city. Many independent and smaller movies that are not shown at the mainstream theaters will not open here until they've played in a bigger city for a number of weeks (opening in select theaters, indeed). Los Angeles, NYC, and Philadelphia are just a few of these select cities. I'm still waiting for the movie Little Children which was supposed to open on October 13. All the information I have on this movie is that it is "coming soon" to only one of the area theaters.
It's not always a given which movies will garner a nod in a major category and there is always at least one surprise. So it's no surprise that some of the movies that could get a nomination are no longer playing at the theaters and I'm anxiously awaiting their arrival on DVD (Sherrybaby and Hollywoodland are two such examples). I can only hope that they arrive before 2/25.
So each year I plug along at the movies and then await the announcement of the nominations to see how far ahead/behind of the game I am. And I always brighten when the subject comes up and, believe me, not many people are willing to discuss movies/Oscars with as much fervor as myself. I take it where I can get it.
Now if I could just figure out which dress to wear while watching the show (kidding!).
peace,
paul
I know people say that the Academy Awards are just a political self-congratulatory orgy of Hollywood and, while I don't disagree, I also think that it is more than that. Most everything today has some politics behind it or in it. I don't always agree with the Academy's choice of winner; sometimes I get downright angry when the Academy gets it glaringly wrong (witness last year's win of Reese Witherspoon over Felicity Huffman; I'm still talking about it to anyone who'll listen). The Academy does still get it right, so right, sometimes. I continue with my optimism that as more and more young, daring, enlightened actors/actresses/writers/directors infiltrate the "boys club of the Academy" (as it's been known since they started handing out the awards) the Academy will get it right more and more and award people based on talent more than politics or mainstream acceptance.
The difficult part for me living in Rochester is coming to terms each year that Rochester is not considered a big city. Many independent and smaller movies that are not shown at the mainstream theaters will not open here until they've played in a bigger city for a number of weeks (opening in select theaters, indeed). Los Angeles, NYC, and Philadelphia are just a few of these select cities. I'm still waiting for the movie Little Children which was supposed to open on October 13. All the information I have on this movie is that it is "coming soon" to only one of the area theaters.
It's not always a given which movies will garner a nod in a major category and there is always at least one surprise. So it's no surprise that some of the movies that could get a nomination are no longer playing at the theaters and I'm anxiously awaiting their arrival on DVD (Sherrybaby and Hollywoodland are two such examples). I can only hope that they arrive before 2/25.
So each year I plug along at the movies and then await the announcement of the nominations to see how far ahead/behind of the game I am. And I always brighten when the subject comes up and, believe me, not many people are willing to discuss movies/Oscars with as much fervor as myself. I take it where I can get it.
Now if I could just figure out which dress to wear while watching the show (kidding!).
peace,
paul
movie minute
Bobby Boy: A history lesson-Emilio Estevez, director of the "new" Grand Hotel-like movie Bobby (R), was only 6 years old on the fateful day that Robert F. Kennedy was shot. I was not even born and my parents did not even know each other. Had Kennedy not been shot, chances are very good that Kennedy would either be at the beginning of his second term or been beaten after serving only one term. I liked this movie but then I'm a sucker for historical movies in which actual news footage is shown (not gratuitously) depicting the history that the movie's story is telling. Bobby shows different characters at the Ambassador hotel on the day of the California Primary on June 4, 1968. Senator Kennedy is shown in newsreel footage but all of the other characters are fictitious and their stories unfold around the primary.
The film is chockablock full of A- & B stars such as Lindsay Lohan, Demi Moore, Freddy Rodriguez, William H. Macy, Emilio Estevez, Helen Hunt, Sharon Stone, Martin Sheen, Elijah Wood, Nick Cannon, Shia LeBeouf, Ashton Kutcher, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Fishburne, Heather Graham, and Harry Belafonte to name a few. And each of them has their "moment" as I call it. It's hard to pick a standout in this film although Demi Moore, as an aging and boozy lounge singer, certainly has arguably the meatiest role.
The shooter of Kennedy was Sirhan B. Sirhan, a 24-year-old Palestinian. He shot Kennedy because of Kennedy's support for Israel during the Six-Day War. What's interesting is there is no record of Kennedy supporting Israel during this period. What's more, Sirhan admitted in court that he shot Kennedy but later recanted and sought a new trial in 1998. A point of reference: Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated only two months prior to Kennedy's shooting. Why was it so easy to assassinate someone in the U.S. back then? (rhetorical question)
It's obvious that Estevez did his homework and it shows in the directing while the writing is mediocre. Some of the scenes were shot at the real Ambassador hotel. Sadly, the hotel was demolished during filming. Martin Sheen, Estevez's father, at the request of the Kennedy family, was instrumental in getting the hotel demolished so a school could be built. Small world, indeed. The best parts of the film are of Kennedy himself; those scenes really resonated with me. The highlight of the film is by far Kennedy's speech that plays at the close of the film. As he talks about violence and how it degrades our country and affects everyone around us, we see first hand in the film that he was right. This man, who lived in the shadow of his older brother for a long time, was a speaker who was filled with compassion and was open and challenging.
One problem I had with this film is the Ashton Kutcher sequence. Kutcher plays a hippie who hooks gives acid to two campaign workers; the resulting "high" scene in the hotel room is bizarre and seemingly out of place. The other problems with this film are its soap opera-y feel and the fact that the lives of these people don't connect enough with what's happening outside of the hotel. The moments in which Kennedy is shown or referenced are the best and most resounding. The shot of Moore after Kennedy is shot is one of the most visceral reactions of the characters to the news. A movie about a man who signified change for a country tired of war, tired of lies, tired of being held down and ready for a big change (sound familiar) certainly came out at the right time. Bobby is not a documentary or a biography yet it does depict a "once and future King" who was handsome, adulated, kindhearted and bold was taken from us the American people and we'll never know how different and how much more we could have been had he risen to the top.
Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 4
possible Oscar nominations:
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Original Screenplay
paul
The film is chockablock full of A- & B stars such as Lindsay Lohan, Demi Moore, Freddy Rodriguez, William H. Macy, Emilio Estevez, Helen Hunt, Sharon Stone, Martin Sheen, Elijah Wood, Nick Cannon, Shia LeBeouf, Ashton Kutcher, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Fishburne, Heather Graham, and Harry Belafonte to name a few. And each of them has their "moment" as I call it. It's hard to pick a standout in this film although Demi Moore, as an aging and boozy lounge singer, certainly has arguably the meatiest role.
The shooter of Kennedy was Sirhan B. Sirhan, a 24-year-old Palestinian. He shot Kennedy because of Kennedy's support for Israel during the Six-Day War. What's interesting is there is no record of Kennedy supporting Israel during this period. What's more, Sirhan admitted in court that he shot Kennedy but later recanted and sought a new trial in 1998. A point of reference: Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated only two months prior to Kennedy's shooting. Why was it so easy to assassinate someone in the U.S. back then? (rhetorical question)
It's obvious that Estevez did his homework and it shows in the directing while the writing is mediocre. Some of the scenes were shot at the real Ambassador hotel. Sadly, the hotel was demolished during filming. Martin Sheen, Estevez's father, at the request of the Kennedy family, was instrumental in getting the hotel demolished so a school could be built. Small world, indeed. The best parts of the film are of Kennedy himself; those scenes really resonated with me. The highlight of the film is by far Kennedy's speech that plays at the close of the film. As he talks about violence and how it degrades our country and affects everyone around us, we see first hand in the film that he was right. This man, who lived in the shadow of his older brother for a long time, was a speaker who was filled with compassion and was open and challenging.
One problem I had with this film is the Ashton Kutcher sequence. Kutcher plays a hippie who hooks gives acid to two campaign workers; the resulting "high" scene in the hotel room is bizarre and seemingly out of place. The other problems with this film are its soap opera-y feel and the fact that the lives of these people don't connect enough with what's happening outside of the hotel. The moments in which Kennedy is shown or referenced are the best and most resounding. The shot of Moore after Kennedy is shot is one of the most visceral reactions of the characters to the news. A movie about a man who signified change for a country tired of war, tired of lies, tired of being held down and ready for a big change (sound familiar) certainly came out at the right time. Bobby is not a documentary or a biography yet it does depict a "once and future King" who was handsome, adulated, kindhearted and bold was taken from us the American people and we'll never know how different and how much more we could have been had he risen to the top.
Bags of popcorn (out of 5): 4
possible Oscar nominations:
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Original Screenplay
paul
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
update
In a previous post, I wrote about the upcoming OJ Simpson book. Rupert Murdoch & Fox News Corp have decided not to publish the book or air the special. Good news but OJ has already collected more than 3million dollars in advance of the book. Maybe the Brown/Goldman family will see some of that or maybe even his own children.
paul
paul
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