tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-163431642024-03-07T03:08:01.042-06:00WEST WORDAnders Bergstrom's blog on Words, Films, and MusicAndershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-35512920359039908902007-02-24T20:26:00.000-06:002007-02-24T21:13:57.450-06:00<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I'm going to interrupt my long in gestation top ten list to post my predictions and a few comments on tomorow nights 79th Annual Academy Awards. Please bear with me. I just have to throw in my two cents.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Motion Picture of the Year</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Little Miss Sunshine</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Departed</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Children of Men</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">In all fairness, it could go to either </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Departed</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Little Miss Sunshine</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">, or </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Babel</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">. It's too close to call with certainty, but in the spirit of such silly predictions I will make a choice.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: Helen Mirren, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Queen</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: Helen Mirren, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Queen</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: Ivana Baquero, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Pan's Labyrinth</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Really this is Mirren's category, and one of the few awards that the Academy will get right. Her performance was astounding. Sometimes I wonder why the Academy still gives out awards based on gender. I guess it's so you can give out more awards. Silly, naive me.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: Forest Whitaker, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Last King of Scotland</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: Leonardo Dicaprio, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Blood Diamond</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: Sascha Baron Cohen, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Borat: Cultural Learning's of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">From what I hear Whitaker is great, but it's hardly a "Leading Role." Leo was nominated for the wrong film, though he was great in both. And Sascha Baron Cohen gave one of the greatest comedic peformances of all time. Peter Sellers would be proud.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: Eddie Murphy, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Dreamgirls</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: Djimon Honsou, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Blood Diamond</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: Jack Nicholson, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Departed</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Regardless of no Best Pic nod, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Dreamgirls </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">will rake in the awards and Murphy will get this one (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Norbit</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> aside, the Academy loves sentimental favourites). Djimon Honsou was great, though his was arguably a co-lead with Leo in the film. And as good as Wahlberg was, Jack was the real firecracker in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Departed</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: Jennifer Hudson, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Dreamgirls</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: Rinko Kikuchi, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Babel</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: Maribel Verdu, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Pan's Labyrinth</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">See the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Dreamgirls </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">comment above. Kikuchi was by far the best part of a film that I really don't feel worked at all, so that's saying something.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Achievement in Direction</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: Martin Scorsese, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Departed</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: Martin Scorsese, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Departed</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: Darren Aronofsky, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Fountain</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">This is Marty's year. Finally. Though if he doesn't win he is in good company (Kubrick, Hitchcock, Welles).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Pan's Labyrinth</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Queen</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Fountain</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">As good as </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Pan's Labyrinth </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">is, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Queen </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">is a remarkable work of speculative fiction (which is good to keep in mind when we criticise </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">United 93</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> for being speculative).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Published or Produced</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Departed</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Children of Men</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Casino Royale</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Departed</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> is great, don't get me wrong, but </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Children of Men</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> is a fantastic revisioning of P. D. James' novel. And </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Casino Royale</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> sucessfully adapts Fleming's novel for the 21st century, while staying true to the source material.</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Achievement in Cinematography</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Children of Men</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Children of Men<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Fountain<br /></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Achievement in Editing</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Departed</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Departed</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Prestige</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Achievement in Art Direction</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Dreamgirls</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Pan's Labyrinth</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">A Scanner Darkly</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Achievement in Costume Design</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Dreamgirls</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Curse of the Golden Flower</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Prestige</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Babel</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Pan's Labyrinth</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Fountain</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: something from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Dreamgirls</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: "Our Town," </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Cars</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: "You Know My Name," </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Casino Royale</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Achievement in Makeup</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Pan's Labyrinth</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Pan's Labyrinth</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Queen</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Achievement in Sound</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Dreamgirls</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Flags of Our Fathers</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Children of Men</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Achievement in Sound Editing</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Letters from Iwo Jima</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Letters from Iwo Jima</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Children of Men</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Achievement in Visual Effects</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Children of Men</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Animated Feature Film of the Year</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Happy Feet</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Cars</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">A Scanner Darkly</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Foreing Language Film of the Year</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Pan's Labyrinth</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Should Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Pan's Labyrinth</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Missing: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Letters From Iwo Jima</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> (ineligible though)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Documentary, Features</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">An Inconvenient Truth</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Documentary, Short Subjects</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Recycled Life</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Short Film, Animated</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Danish Poet</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Best Short Film, Live Action</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Who Will Win: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Eramos pocos</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;"></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-32185814683531458462007-02-06T09:18:00.000-06:002007-02-06T09:23:14.655-06:00<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I recommend checking out </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.myspace.com/arcadefireofficial"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Arcade Fire</span>'s official myspace page</a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> to check out their latest post from the upcoming album <span style="font-style: italic;">Neon Bible</span>, "Keep The Car Running." I think they might have done it again. <span style="font-size:85%;">(Album out on March 6th.)</span><br /></span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-23602854241749811742007-02-04T14:31:00.000-06:002008-12-12T16:24:45.798-06:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsajeSsKFS1RzkPwRtizLYky4zZak6wszm9zdnkLCtP-2_iFo3mfspa0j8TWWdwj9tAixBTr9TfvBb5V5AcOfYot-QP7eifyA06JpX0N4MapXwDprOpywKXz9FCme9s5OOicSk5Q/s1600-h/a_scanner_darkly.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsajeSsKFS1RzkPwRtizLYky4zZak6wszm9zdnkLCtP-2_iFo3mfspa0j8TWWdwj9tAixBTr9TfvBb5V5AcOfYot-QP7eifyA06JpX0N4MapXwDprOpywKXz9FCme9s5OOicSk5Q/s320/a_scanner_darkly.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5027779600733466370" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">8. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">A Scanner Darkly</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /></span><span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Dir. Richard Linklater</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">100 min; R</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Linklater's </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Waking Life</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> was a fascinating experiment of a film -- a series of vignettes about life and dreams shot on digital film and then animated over top. The result was a psychedelic, dreamlike film. And though it was interesting, the film (purposely) was not unified in visual style or narrative. If you were wondering what it would be like to take that style and apply it to a story in an effective manner, wonder no longer: </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A Scanner Darkly</span> </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">is such a work. Based on a novel by Phillip K. Dick (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep<span style="font-style: italic;">?</span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">), this film is a fascinating examination of identity, drugs, and a society that is frighteningly not too dissimilar to our own (a theme which comes up in more than one film on my list). Keanu Reeves is suprisingly effective in the film, playing his own "stoner" image </span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">to tragic results. The first time I watched the film in the summer I enjoyed it a lot though I wasn't sure it would end up a favourite; a second viewing in the fall confirmed in my mind that it was a bold visionary statement. This film ranks among Linklater's best films (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Before Sunset</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Dazed & Confused</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">) and while it is ostensibly science fiction, it also revisits the themes of human relationship and identity that seem to be Linklater's -- and Dick's -- interest.</span><br /></span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-35391509245305613302007-02-01T10:35:00.000-06:002008-12-12T16:24:45.986-06:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1jHuC5e9VuH8ZAuEN1IhL5rj-1agpVmsPiruXQroPUeMY4tw9j9l6Crcr7OMfLBNyXs4YEEACjNsOJQT4K06xDFmJedNiqH1qSkNWg35IuzvhGW1_Pm8iD4Irzyx-bK03bSEAA/s1600-h/the_prestige.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1jHuC5e9VuH8ZAuEN1IhL5rj-1agpVmsPiruXQroPUeMY4tw9j9l6Crcr7OMfLBNyXs4YEEACjNsOJQT4K06xDFmJedNiqH1qSkNWg35IuzvhGW1_Pm8iD4Irzyx-bK03bSEAA/s320/the_prestige.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026606636574994162" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >9. </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Prestige</span></span><br /><br />Dir. Christopher Nolan<br />128 min; PG-13<br /><br />Christopher Nolan's follow-up to <span style="font-style: italic;">Batman Begins</span> was one of my most anticipated films of the year. It had, what in my mind was, a fantastic cast: Jackman, Bale, Scarlett, Oscar-winner Michael Caine, David Bowie, and even Andy Serkis. The novel was great source material and Nolan's past projects left nothing but anticipation for what he was going to do next. Even with all my expectations, and knowledge of the source material, Nolan managed to surprise me. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Prestige</span></span> - which refers to the final stage of the three parts to a magician's act - in that respect is a filmed magic trick. We are the audience of the magician - Nolan. While some have compared this film to <span style="font-style: italic;">The Illusionist</span>, the similarities end after the subject matter. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Prestige</span> is more elaborate in its set up and in the payoff. It's not a fairy tale or love story. It's a carefully constructed piece of entertainment, like a good detective story or murder mystery. And while some have complained that the film is too emotionless and calculating, I feel that those elements work well to give the film its unique feel. In the end, it's a fantastic piece of craftsmanship and definitely one of my favourite films of the year.<br /></span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-35431322485825897912007-01-29T17:58:00.000-06:002008-12-12T16:24:46.166-06:00<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ANDERS' TOP TEN FILMS OF 2006<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">2006 ended up being a good year for films. It seems that the good films continually get pushed back until the very end of the year, and many don't open in Saskatoon until after the new year has started (e.g. <span style="font-style: italic;">Pan's Labyrinth</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Letters from Iwo Jima</span>). With that in mind, this list is the best of what I've seen over the past year of films that had their theatrical release listed as 2006 in North America. That means that it is limted to films that played in Saskatoon or Victoria, and that I got around to seeing.<br /><br />It was a year for originality. Last year we saw some really good franchise films, but this year only one franchise film made my list (and it is a fairly radical revisioning of the franchise at that). A couple of franchise films -- <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest</span></span> and <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mission: Impossible 3</span></span> -- almost made the list, but I'm going to give honourable mention here for improving on the films that came before them and offering some of the best thrills of the summer. Other franchise films left me cold -- or seething: <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Superman Returns</span></span> failed to impress and <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">X-Men: The Last Stand</span></span> made me glad to see the franchise end.<br /><br />That said, my top ten this year is dominated by original films, adaptations, and personal projects that all were the best film going experiences of the year. With the intro out of the way, here's number ten.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth</span></span>)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvA_PDu5e1usGhe2o_WCVdHt7-iBHxkKcXVmsOkp1YerJAfuK7NkG1sS0ZDBMMKZts2ONmFaMoL8W0cvhCpgE91PAh2p_u6apW5laGOdHe7piW8iFoWMOG2VKmnl0b6r0WZZ0WCQ/s1600-h/pan's_labyrinth.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvA_PDu5e1usGhe2o_WCVdHt7-iBHxkKcXVmsOkp1YerJAfuK7NkG1sS0ZDBMMKZts2ONmFaMoL8W0cvhCpgE91PAh2p_u6apW5laGOdHe7piW8iFoWMOG2VKmnl0b6r0WZZ0WCQ/s320/pan's_labyrinth.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026028061530549986" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Dir. Guillermo del Toro<br />112 min; R<br /><br />Del Toro presents here a fairy tale for grown ups: a dark moral fable set during the Spanish Civil War, in which a young girl (Ofelia) faces the challenges of a faerie world and the horrors of fascist Spain. Del Toro is best known for his imaginative horror/fantasy comic book films (<span style="font-style: italic;">Hellboy</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Blade II</span>) which I love, but here he creates a moving and challenging film that dazzled me with its creative vision and moved me with its compelling characters. <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Pan's Labyrinth</span> only made it to Saskatoon in the last week of January, so I only recently saw it, but it stands up with the best films of 2006 and was justly rewarded with six Oscar nominations as well. Definitely worth catching, though not for children.<br /><br /><br /></span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-13285550463682923662007-01-29T17:53:00.000-06:002007-01-29T17:57:30.172-06:00<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Wow. It's been ages since I've posted. I don't have the desire to blog as much as I used to, but inspired by </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://goldnboyman.blogspot.com">Aren</a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">'s and </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://luccawithcheese.blogspot.com">Luke</a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">'s year end TOP TEN lists, I feel like sharing mine. So, those of you who used to check this blog and still do occasionally, there should be some content in the next few weeks.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Also, I'm going to be playing around with the cosmetics of the blog, so bear with me as I fumble my way through that. I'd like for this blog to be a place where I can post my movie reviews, music discoveries, and general thoughts on culture and art -- and for people to comment back. In the months since I stopped regularly posting, it seems that blogger has improved as a venue for commenting and dialogue, so that's encouraging. I hope to hear your comments as I begin to post again.</span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-8436975840655899982006-08-28T16:09:00.000-06:002006-08-28T16:12:16.006-06:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/124/1995/1600/modern_times.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/124/1995/320/modern_times.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Just a heads up that they're </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://music.aol.com/songs/new_releases_full_cds">streaming the new Bob Dylan album</a><span style="font-family:arial;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Modern Times</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" > </span><span style="font-family:arial;">over at AOL Music. </span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-62063751716794851282006-08-23T18:38:00.000-06:002006-08-23T18:49:41.579-06:00<span style="font-family: arial;">Here goes Sean Penn again, following in his </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;">Mystic River</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> mode. Translation: taking an otherwise really good-looking film and ruining it with his "realistic acting" and a laughable accent. Check out the trailer for </span><a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/allthekingsmen/"><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;">All the King's Men</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;">.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: arial;">No joke, Penn's accent reminds me of Bob Odenkirk's southern right-wing Senator Tankerbell from HBO's </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;">Mr. Show with Bob and David</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. Of course, Penn wouldn't</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> get the joke. He had his sense of humour removed during a fund-raiser for Iraqi Hurricane victims.</span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-1155864850748450522006-08-17T18:21:00.000-06:002006-08-17T19:34:15.700-06:00<span style="font-family: arial;"></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Fall movie season is finally upon us. Common wisdom holds that summer is full of big, dumb films that are meant to appeal to the lowest common denominator and that with fall comes the serious Oscar contenders and critical favourites. People who know me also know that I sometimes like those big summer films as much as the fall ones, but this year has really disappointed and lived up to the stereotypes of summer dreck. Only a handful of pictures really satisfied me (<span style="font-style: italic;">Pirates of the Caribbean 2<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">, </span></span>M:I-3, A Scanner Darkly</span>) and many of the one's I was looking forward to were trainwrecks or at least mildly disappointing (<span style="font-style: italic;">Superman Returns, X3, Nacho Libre</span>). The fall however brings great promise with lots of interesting premises, great directors and great actors/actresses getting into the game. Here's a few of the one's I'm looking forward to each month, and until then I'm going to go see <span style="font-style: italic;">Snakes on a Plane</span> and at least get intentional laughs out of a big dumb movie.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">September</span> seems to be the month of "true crime" thrillers based in Hollywood. <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/focus_features/hollywoodland/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hollywoodland</span></a> </span>looks at the mysterious death of George Reeves (Ben Affleck), while <a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/theblackdahlia/"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Black Dahlia</span></span></a> is directed by Brian DePalma and has a screenplay from the writer of <span style="font-style: italic;">L.A. Confidential</span> that explores the famous "Black Dahlia" murder.<br /><br />But it's not all murder in September; <a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/dreamworks/thelastkiss/"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Last Kiss</span></span></a> sees Zach Braff return to drama-comedy for young adults in this film penned by Paul Haggis. And Beatles buffs like myself will want to see the documentary <a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/theusvsjohnlennon/"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The U. S. Vs. John Lennon</span></a> which explores how Lennon's politics were opposed by the United States government in the late-Seventies, reminiscent of the book <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1860745229/sr=8-2/qid=1155862810/ref=sr_1_2/702-5794340-4590429?ie=UTF8&s=gateway"><span style="font-style: italic;">John Lennon and the FBI Files</span></a>.<br /><br />For more esoteric fare, there's this uniquely animated action thriller starring the new Bond, Daniel Craig, called <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/renaissance/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Renaissance</span></a>. Or check out director Michel Gondry (<span style="font-style: italic;">Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</span>) in <a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/warner_independent_pictures/thescienceofsleep/"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Science of Sleep</span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span></span>October is when the big directors start dropping their films. In her follow up to <span style="font-style: italic;">Lost in Translation</span>, Sofia Coppola takes us back to eighteenth-century France with <a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/marieantoinette/"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Marie Antoinette</span></a> starring Kirsten Dunst. Martin Scorsese, who is always exciting, tackles this remake of the Hong Kong film <span style="font-style: italic;">Infernal Affairs</span> called <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/thedeparted/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Departed</span></a> starring Scorsese's new go to guy Leonardo DiCaprio along with Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, and Matt Damon. What a cast! This is probably one of my most anticpated films of the year along with Christopher Nolan's <a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/touchstone/theprestige/"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Prestige</span></a>, which I've commented on before. This cast is equally crazy with Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, and Scarlett Johansson. Which film will end up thrilling? Let's hope both.<br /><br />Clint Eastwood directs and Steven Spielberg produces what is likely one of the sure fire Oscar contenders, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Flags of Our Fathers</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>. Eastwood's story of the Battle of Iwo Jima is the first of a two part project which then looks at the Japanese side later in another film, titled either <span style="font-style: italic;">Letters from IwoJima </span>or <span style="font-style: italic;">Red Sun, Black Sand</span> (I've heard both titles thrown about). Pretty ambitious project, but not really doubting it will be good with those two names attached.<br /><br />Curtis Hanson (<span style="font-style: italic;">L.A. Confidential</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Wonder Boys</span>) brings us a poker film starring Eric Bana called <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Lucky You</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>and the director of <span style="font-style: italic;">Amores Perros </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">21 Grams</span>, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, gives us </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0327944/"></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount_vantage/babel/"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Babel</span></span></a></span> starring Brad Pitt.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />November</span> contains a good mix of comedy, drama, Oscar contenders and action flicks. We start laughing with the brilliant satirist Sascha Baron Cohen (<span style="font-style: italic;">Ali G</span>) in <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/borat/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan</span></a></span>. If you haven't seen Borat yet and been inundated with your friends quoting him, stay away from me and my brothers in November. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny </span>should also be a good laugh, as Jack Black and Kyle Gass bring the greatest band in the world to the big screen. And then Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, and Dustin Hoffman star in </span><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/strangerthanfiction/"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Stranger Than Fiction</span></a> <span style="font-family: arial;">from the director of <span style="font-style: italic;">Finding Neverland</span> in a plot worthy of Charlie Kaufman.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/agoodyear/trailerb/">A Good Year</a> </span></span>reunites Russell Crowe with Ridley Scott in this story of a London businessman in Provence. Also in November, Richard Linklater releases his second film of the year (the first being <span style="font-style: italic;">A Scanner Darkly</span>), </span><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/fastfoodnation/"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Fast Food Nation</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> in the adaptation of the non-fiction bestseller. Then Christopher Guest and company bring us another mockumentary</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> For Your Consideration</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span> and this time also starring the brilliant Ricky Gervais (BBC's <span style="font-style: italic;">The Office</span>).<br /><br />The big blockbuster of the month is the revival of the James Bond franchise with <a style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/casinoroyale/">Casino Royale</a><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></span>, which I am feeling enthusiastic about. Daniel Craig's James Bond looks to take the character in a new direction, while still feeling like Ian Flemming's classic character. Also, Darren Aronofsky (<span style="font-style: italic;">Requim for a Dream</span>) finally gets to release his long in gestation sci-fi epic <a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/thefountain/"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Fountain</span></a>. It looks great.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">December</span> has a mix of films as well, including the seasonal films like Catherine Hardwicke (<span style="font-style: italic;">thirteen</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Lords of Dogtown</span>) directing the <span style="font-style: italic;">Whale Rider </span>star Keisha Castle-Hughes as Mary the mother of Jesus in <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/newline/thenativitystory/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Nativity Story</span></a></span></span>. The guy who last brought the Bible to the cineplex has instead turned his attention to the story of the ancient Mayan culture in Mel Gibson's <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/touchstone/apocalypto/"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Apocalypto</span></a>.<br /><br />Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney reteam for <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Good German </span>which I know very little about, but the fact that those two are involved is enough to make me interested. And director Edward Zwick (<span style="font-style: italic;">The Last Samurai</span>) directs Leo and Djimon Honsou in <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Blood Diamond</span>.<br /><br />Will Smith tries his dramatic chops again as a single father in <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/thepursuitofhappyness/">The Pursuit of Happyness</a></span> which looks pretty good to me. And Jamie Foxx tries to do for Beyonce what <span style="font-style: italic;">Ray </span>did for him in the musical drama <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/dreamworks/dreamgirls/">Dreamgirls</a></span>.<br /><br /></span>Finally on Christmas day we get Clive Owen starring in Alfonso Cuaron's new film <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/childrenofmen/">The Children of Men</a></span></span> which gives us a fascinating apocolyptic future where people are unable to conceive children. We also have Oscar bait starring Ewan McGregor, Renee Zellweger, and Emily Watson in the biopic about the <span style="font-style: italic;">Peter Rabbit </span>author, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Miss Potter</span>.</span><br /><br />It should be a good fall with that line up. At least it will keep me busy, and probably therefore blogging as well. Get your Oscar predictions ready, because it's going to be a good fall for movies.</span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-1155432149417563662006-08-12T19:02:00.000-06:002006-08-12T19:23:51.856-06:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/1600/return_to_cookie_mountain.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/200/return_to_cookie_mountain.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >TV On The Radio</span><span style="font-family:arial;">'s new album, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >Return to Cookie Mountain</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> is among the best new albums I've heard so far in 2006.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I had the opportunity to see them last fall in Seattle when they opened for Franz Ferdinand. They were good, but this new studio album is a big step forward. This is a big sounding experimental rock album, full of layers, distortion, and atmosphere - but not obtusely so, like so many of indie rock bands. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The band's arrangement with a major label (this is their Interscope debut), has also afforded them the opportunity to have David Bowie provide backing vocals on "Province"; but the song holds its own, the rock legend's vocals merely providing the icing on the cake.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">If there is one song that defines this album it is "Wolf Like Me," the first single and fifth track off the album. It's sonically dense and engaging with a barrage of noise, but it's also a straight up, hard rocking single that should be seeing more radio play than it has been getting. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Definitely check out TV On The Radio, it's a great late summer album to put on when you're tired of dancing your feet off, but still want to rock out a little bit before the end.</span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-1155095352797159052006-08-08T21:41:00.000-06:002006-08-08T21:49:12.816-06:00<span style="font-family:arial;">This (long overdue) post is in response to my good buddy Luke's concerns about one of my favourite food products </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://luccawithcheese.blogspot.com/2006/08/deliciousnutritious.html">here</a><span style="font-family:arial;">.<br /><br />Now, I haven't seen the ad in question, but the fact is that when one claims that Nutella is "FREAKING CHOCOLATE," that is inaccurate. Nutella is a HAZELNUT spread that contains cocoa as one of the ingredients. In fact, cocoa is fourth on the list of ingredients. The jar that I'm looking at says it contains 106 roasted hazelnuts, 1 3/4 cups of skim milk...and "a hint of delicious cocoa."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/1600/Nutella.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/320/Nutella.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Mmm...<br /><br />According to<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutella#Ingredients"> Wikipedia</a> (which granted may not be a perfect source), Nutella isn't chocolate but an Italian confection called <span style="font-style: italic;">gianduja</span> made by blending chocolate and hazelnut paste. And apparently cocoa makes up only 7.4 % of the mixture. Hard pressed to call it "chocolate."<br /><br />Ok, now I'm having a wee bit of fun with Luke here in my "defense" of Nutella, but I would imagine that my prime concern with giving Nutella to a child EVERYDAY wouldn't be that it has cocoa (or chocolate) in it, but rather that the most abundant ingredient in Nutella is...sugar. But so are many peanut butters and cereals in the same camp.<br /><br />But then again, I eat Nutella nearly everyday and I can attest to my own good health and slim size, so maybe the ad isn't lying...<br /></span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-1153343961459269572006-07-19T15:07:00.000-06:002006-07-19T17:41:33.483-06:00<span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">What I'm currently listening to:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Shoegazer Mix AKA A Short History of the Genre, 1990 - 2005 (Thanks to <a href="http://knkisser.blogspot.com/2006/07/shoegazer-mix.html">Kwaya Na Kisser</a> via <a href="http://www.opuszine.com/">Opuszine</a>)</span><br /><br />Galaxie 500, "Here She Comes Now"<br />Ride, "Vapour Trail"<br />My Bloody Valentine, "Come In Alone"<br />Swervedriver, "Rave down"<br />Drop Nineteens, "Delaware"<br />Catherine Wheel, "I Want to Touch You"<br />The Lilys, "Claire Hates Me"<br />Slowdive, "Some Velvet Morning"<br />The Boo Radleys, "Lazarus"<br />The Verve, "Weeping Willow"<br />Brian Jonestown Massacre, "Jennifer"<br />Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Shade of Blue"<br />Autolux, "Turnstyle Blues"<br />Engineers, "Let's Just See"<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">The CDs currently piled on my desk as I work on my Master's Essay:</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Editors - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >The Back Room</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Elbow - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Cast of Thousands<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Goldfrapp - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Supernature</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The Libertines - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >s/t</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">U2 - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Zooropa</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">U2 - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Pop</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">U2 - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Boy</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The Stone Roses - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >s/t<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">She Wants Revenge - <span style="font-style: italic;">s/t</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Sufjan Stevens - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Illinois</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Gnarls Barkley - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >St. Elsewhere</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Arctic Monkeys - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Elbow - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Leaders of the Free World</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Bob Dylan - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Blonde on Blonde</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Bob Dylan - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Highway 61 Revisted</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Jeff Buckley - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Grace</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The Jesus and Mary Chain - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Psychocandy</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Joy Division - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Substance</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">U2 - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >October</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Madonna - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Ray of Light</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The Smiths - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >The Queen Is Dead</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Pulp - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Different Class</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">LCD Soundsystem - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >s/t</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Jacksonville City Nights</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Kanye West - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Late Registration</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Sigur Ros - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Takk...</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The Smiths - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Meat Is Murder</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The Strokes - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >First Impressions of Earth</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Jets Overhead - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Bridges</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Bloc Party - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Silent Alarm</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Joy Division - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Closer</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Joy Division - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Unknown Pleasures</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The Organ - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Grab That Gun</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Franz Ferdinand - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >You Could Have It So Much Better</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Depeche Mode - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Violater</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The Darkness - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >One Way Ticket To Hell...And Back</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Metric - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Live It Out</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Metric - </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Old World Underground</span></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-1152894294527848212006-07-14T10:24:00.000-06:002006-07-14T10:24:54.543-06:00<a href="http://www.jacksonpollock.org/"><span style="font-family: arial;">For my artist friends.</span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">This is just so much fun, and beautiful.</span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-1152860104408794592006-07-14T00:47:00.000-06:002006-07-14T00:55:04.433-06:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/1600/The_Prestige.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/320/The_Prestige.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I finally got around to seeing </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> last night. After a summer of disappointing films it was nice to have a film that was nothing but fun from beginning to end. By far the best movie of the summer thus far. Really, there aren't too many films this summer that I was dying to see anyway, at least compared to summers past.<br /><br />Speaking of films that I'm dying to see, here's the trailer for what may be my most anticipated film of the year. Christopher Nolan. Hugh Jackman. Christian Bale. Michael Caine. AND Scarlett Johansson. Based on a book that I read and really enjoyed, <a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/touchstone/theprestige/">here is <span style="font-style: italic;">The Prestige</span></a>.<br /></span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-1151520856613082852006-06-28T12:23:00.000-06:002006-06-28T12:54:16.740-06:00<span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Am I Predisposed to Not Like the new Superman film?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/1600/389px-Superman.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/200/389px-Superman.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>NOTE: I have not yet seen the film and this is just based on what I've seen and read, and what I, as a long time comic book fan, would like to see in a Superman film.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> If Singer's film delivers, I will happily eat my words and admit I was wrong.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">I'm getting the impression from some that people might think I'm against <span style="font-style: italic;">Superman Returns</span> without going to see it. This is not entirely true. Oh, of course I'm going to see it, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it (like Luke said on his blog, it's gotta be better than <span style="font-style: italic;">X-Men: The Last Stand</span>, right?).<br /><br />I'm not even saying I think it's going to be a bad movie. It's just that from everything I've read and seen, Singer's vision of Superman is not what I would do if I was making the film. I just don't think that making this a psuedo-sequel to the first two Chris Reeve films is a good idea. Why handicap yourself and tie yourself to continuity that way. Especially a continuity that, nostalgia aside, had some pretty stupid elements to it that took away from the epic feel of Superman (e.g. Otis, turning back time, amnesia kisses, levitation beams?). I think that the series could have used a fresh start like Christopher Nolan did with the Batman films. Though, I guess I would keep John Williams iconic Superman theme. That I'll give Singer. Good idea.<br /><br />Heck, if I was going to make a Superman film with a $250 million dollar budget, I'd go back to Byrne's 1986 <span style="font-style: italic;">Man of Steel</span> mini-series and use that as a basis for a screenplay with a few modifications. Here's what I'd put in the film. A Luthor who is a legitimit threat -- a billionaire scientist with the tech to actually take on Superman, and whom the world trusts and loves, and who's lust for power and glory makes Supes a rival. A love triangle for Superman and Lois -- involving Luthor no less; I know this was done on <span style="font-style: italic;">Lois & Clark</span> but it worked. Not killing off Pa Kent, as the love of his adopted parents is what helps keep Clark grounded in the human world. Those are just a few things that I would work into a film.<br /><br />As for casting, I cast a Superman who's a bit older than Brandon Routh. Superman can't look like a kid. We already have a young, inexperienced hero -- his name is Spider-man. Routh's age wouldn't be a problem, but <span style="font-style: italic;">if </span> we're to believe that this is the Superman from the first two films who's been away for 5 years shouldn't he be like in his mid-thirties at least? That said, I do like the idea of casting a non-movie star in the role. I really can't see any of today's Hollywood elite as Superman, and then he brings no baggage to the role (I'll give Singer this, Routh makes me much happier than Burton's ill-concieved idea of casting Nicholas Cage in the role).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/1600/ed_harris.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/320/ed_harris.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>As for supporting cast, I'm looking forward to seeing what Kevin Spacey does with the role; I hope he takes Luthor and really goes with it, because the last thing I want to see is a Luthor in the vein of most of Spacey's roles; you know, the self-righteous, soft spoken guy who's just so smug. I want a Luthor with a bit of kick to him. I was thinking, "who would I cast?" and I came up with what I think would be a really interesting bit of casting: Ed Harris! Just think, he's got the aggressive, intelligent, determined thing going for him. He can play great villians, and we're used to seeing him bald anyway so that wouldn't be a distraction for people (like Spacey's egghead is). I think Ed Harris as Luthor would kick ass!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/1600/evangelline_lilly.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/200/evangelline_lilly.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Now for the most important casting decision: Lois Lane. I'm sorry, I don't know if I'll be able to buy Kate Bosworth as a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. Lois has to be not just beautiful, but someone who you believe could track down a story, who could win the heart of the most powerful men on earth through her energy and aggression. I always thought that Terri Hatcher was the best Lois in any of the live action incarnations. She was easily the best part about the <span style="font-style: italic;">Lois & Clark</span> show. But her time has passed, and she's now known to most as one of those Wisteria Lane women. Why not go after another TV actress, an up and coming starlet who I think would do a good job playing both a gutsy and beautiful Lois Lane. Why not Evangeline Lilly from <span style="font-style: italic;">LOST</span>? I think she would do a fine job. What do you think?<br /><br />With the right casting and the budget that Singer had, I'm positive we could have a definitive take on the Superman myth. But we have what we have, and I guess I'm going to have to see it for myself this week.<br /></span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-1151453787970366212006-06-27T18:00:00.000-06:002006-06-27T18:16:27.993-06:00<span style="font-family: arial;">Well, I'm almost half way done my essay at the moment, and it seems to be coming together alright (I don't feel like I'm stretching my material at all).</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: arial;">I recieved an invitation from my friend Ryan Fisher to attend </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;">Superman Returns</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. I'm still not sold, as the reviews come pouring in. I'm very skeptical of how marrying the new film to the old films will work. I have a feeling it will be awkward. The fact is that the Superman comics are much more interesting than the old films (for example, why have Luthor be a crook who has to come into possession of his fortune. He's much more interesting in the comics as a multi-billionaire whom the public thinks is a good guy). I guess I'll know for sure how I feel on Thursday night.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: arial;">That said, here's a film that I'm sold on from the beginning. This looks good. Real good.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: arial;">Forget Superman. </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/spider-man_3/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">SPIDER-MAN RETURNS!!!</span></a>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-1151348228269067612006-06-26T12:16:00.000-06:002006-06-26T12:59:43.973-06:00<span style="font-family:arial;">Well, it's been a week now since The Loss. And it's been ages and ages since I posted anything on this blog. And I'm working on the final essay for the final class of my MA program. Victoria has been HOT lately! In excess of 30</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >°</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> and wonderfully sunny. I spent most of Saturday at the beach reading and getting a nice tan/burn. Of course, beach weather interfers with one's concentration when you're trying to get a paper done for Wednesday. The papers not due until Friday, but I'll be back in Saskatoon on Thursday morning so I figured I might want to get it done before then.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />...</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">A few thoughts on the Oilers. Now it was a glorious--and more importantly UNEXPECTED--ride to the Stanley Cup , which makes the ending that much more sad. Why? Well, given the state of things, you never know when they're going to be able to repeat that again. In the "new NHL," basically every team is competitive and could make a similar run if the stars align properly. It's both the hope and the frusteration of any fan hoping to see their team make regular runs at the silver. You have to enjoy it when it happens.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">So with that said, I'm getting over it. Really.<br /><br />However, Edmonton Oilers fans can now move on to the fact that our "Conn Smythe candidate" defenseman, <a href="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=169528&hubname=nhl">Chris Pronger, has requested a trade from Edmonton for "personal family considerations."</a> Translation: his wife doesn't like Edmonton and would like to move out east. Harsh blow: lose the cup, now possibly lose your franchise player?<br /><br />Things are not nearly a dismal as it might seem though. Pronger has just finished the first year of a 5 yr, $ 6.25 million a year deal with the Oilers. He's just come off a Playoff MVP quality post-season run. He's arguably one of the best defenseman in the league. So what's that hope I'm talking about? <a href="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=169649&hubname=nhl">The hope is that Pronger is a huge bargaining chip for Oilers GM Kevin Lowe </a>(and that story says that the calls are already pouring in). Lowe, known for being one of the shrewdest GMs in the league, knows this and this makes the next week fairly exciting for the prospects of making the team strong.<br /><br />Of course player Free Agency begins on July 1st, and Lowe is going to want to re-sign a few of the key players that are UFAs this summer; prime among those I would imagine are Pisani and Roloson. Of course, the signing of Roloson and what happens among other teams on July 1st is going to make a big difference in the decision that Lowe makes.<br /><br />Firstly, if Roloson doesn't re-sign with the Oilers, filling the space between the pipes is going to be Lowe's first concern. Barring that, Lowe's concern is going to be getting fair market value for Pronger. Now, Pronger wants to move out east, so those are the teams to be looking at for this deal. The reports are that Toronto is interested in Pronger, and the offer of Kaberle and Steen has been thrown out there. Now, Kaberle would be ok for shoring up the defense of the Oil, but neither of these guys are really on the level of Pronger (I'd be more interested in McKabe). For me, the more interesting move would be to make a deal with Ottawa. Both of Ottawa's star defensemen are UFAs this summer, and if Ottawa fails to sign Chara and Redden, they could be very interested in Pronger. I think that if this happens that Havlat/Heatley/or Spezza and a defensemen like Phillips could be a good option for Edmonton.<br /><br />The next week or so should be very interesting for a lot of teams.<br /><br />...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/1600/mia_pulp_fiction.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/320/mia_pulp_fiction.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Last night I re-watched Quentin Tarantino's <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Pulp Fiction</span> with a couple of friends and it just reiterated how great a film it is in my mind.<br /><br />It's such a cliche to say such a thing, but the film honestly just cracks with energy, despite the fact that it's a two-and-a-half-hour film that is very dialogue heavy. But Tarantino makes the most of this with his outstanding cast. Just about ever actor is perfect for their role, and brings so much to their portrayals.<br /><br />Take Uma Thurman's Mia Wallace (above). Not only does she handle the QT's dialogue in a way that never seems forced or contrived, but she brings all the little things to the role that make it memorable. The tension between Mia and Vincent throughout the entire chapter is apparent, just in the way she moves her eyes, or drags on her cigarette. It's no wonder QT brought her back as The Bride in <span style="font-style: italic;">Kill Bill</span>.<br /></span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-1149177746090438712006-06-01T10:00:00.000-06:002006-06-01T10:02:26.116-06:00<span style="font-family: arial;">Apologies for the long time between posts.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: arial;">Anyway, anyone who was dissapointed/enraged by </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">X-Men: The Last Stand</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>should check out this hilarious webcomic: </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://homepage.mac.com/merussell/iblog/B835531044/C1162162177/E20060526014930/index.html">"X-Facts! The 'X-Men' comics vs. 'X-Men: The Last Stand.'"</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> Hilarious!</span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-1147633521941870792006-05-14T13:01:00.000-06:002006-05-14T13:11:20.823-06:00<span style="font-family:arial;">Oh wow! Anton! Aren! Everyone! </span><span style="font-family:arial;">I've been wanting to see this for ages and now here it is. Any Star Wars fans should make sure they watch this! YouTube can be an amazing power for good!<br /><br />Presenting, the Biggs-Luke Anchorhead scene that many claim was in the film with some prints in the original 1977 release of <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Wars</span>.<br /><br /></span><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/srf68SEuyJM"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/srf68SEuyJM" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></object><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">(Thanks to </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://filmchatblog.blogspot.com/2006/05/star-wars-deleted-scene-more-biggs-koo.html">Peter Chattaway</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> for noticing this first.)</span></span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-1147505831025026912006-05-13T01:20:00.000-06:002006-05-13T01:37:11.043-06:00<span style="font-family:arial;">The Oilers won! What a fantastic game. I was ecstatic. Being down 3-1 in the middle of the third and then coming back to win 6-3 is a wild game. A great performance by all the Oilers. Be sure to check out the highlight reel to see Samsonov's crazy goal coming out of the penalty box, picking up a huge bounce and stealing it away from Toskala to tuck it into the empty net.<br /><br />Of course one of the great things about living on the west coast here is that games finish up relatively early, allowing one to do other things with one's evening. I was in the mood to celebrate, but everyone was either out of town or not doing anything. What does that mean I'm likely to do? Hey, it's summer movie season! I'm going to the theatre.<br /><br />---<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/1600/poseidon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/320/poseidon.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>When you watch a movie and a character has to hold their breath underwater, do you ever catch yourself holding your breath along with them? Well, then <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Poseidon</span> </span>might not be the best movie for you.<br /><br />Based on the novel and the 1972 disaster flick <span style="font-style: italic;">The Poseidon Adventure</span>, starring Gene Hackmen and Shelley Winters, Wolfgang Peterson's new film is a solid summer film. The cast performs admirably for what is expected of them, but there is the slight case of knowing who is going to live at the end and who will die (Hint: Lucky Larry may not be so lucky).<br /><br />But overall, while it's nothing profound, <span style="font-style: italic;">Poseidon</span> is better than the original film and doesn't outstay its welcome. Peterson spends less than 20 minutes setting up the characters and situation before we are plunged (pun intended) into non-stop thrills and suspense, as our group of heroes attempt to find their way out of the doomed ocean liner that has been flipped on its back (as Dreyfus's character Nelson points out, "these ships aren't built to stay afloat upside down"). The movie's runtime is a brisk 99 min: short for this genre. But it's just enough to enjoy the heroics and special effects, which are impressive given that the <span style="font-style: italic;">Poseidon</span> was created entirely in CGI. Everything is convincing and suitably impressive.<br /><br />Sure the film falls into cliches at times (one particular sequence I like to call "the <span style="font-style: italic;">Armageddon </span>moment" could be seen a mile away, and <span style="font-style: italic;">of course</span> the loner gambler (Josh Lucas) is going to fall for the single mom and her precocious son). And really, some people in the audience may not be interested in seeing such large scale destruction for mere entertainment. But if you're looking for a good suspense action movie that's something different from superheroes or spies this summer, <span style="font-style: italic;">Poseidon</span> isn't a bad choice.<br /></span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-1147225008831704552006-05-09T19:36:00.000-06:002006-05-09T19:36:48.846-06:00<span style="font-family: arial;">One last post for today. </span><a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=10453&type=mov"><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;">HALO 3 TRAILER!!!</span></a>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-1147218377402807292006-05-09T17:36:00.000-06:002006-05-09T17:46:17.440-06:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/1600/Faith2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/320/Faith2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">It's no secret that I love dogs. Dog stories are one of those things that can make me all sentimental (ok, I guess I can be a sentimental person over a lot of things...).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Anyway, you all need to check out this crazy story about "Faith, the bipedal dog" who walks about on her two hind legs because she doesn't have front legs. It's amazing. I didn't believe it </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKyhOJccIuA&search=faith%20dog">until I saw this video</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> (care of YouTube and Montel Williams). Wow. Amazing what a creature can do when it's necessary for survival.</span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-1147196305823278212006-05-09T11:24:00.000-06:002006-05-09T11:38:25.916-06:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/1600/stephen_colbert.1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/320/stephen_colbert.1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1187672,00.html">Guess who's on the TIME 100 list this year</a><span style="font-family:arial;">? The man who had the guts to</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.salon.com/ent/video_dog/politics/2006/04/30/colbert_press/index.html"> do his bit right infront of the President</a><span style="font-family:arial;">. The guy who gives us not the facts, but truthiness. That's right: Stephen Colbert. </span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-1146758382197269232006-05-04T09:41:00.000-06:002006-05-04T09:59:42.446-06:00<span style="font-family:arial;">As they say in Star Wars land, "This will be a day long rememebered."</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Basically all the old school Star Wars fans can just shut up with the complaints and allegations that Lucas has been trying to bury the original Star Wars films and replace them with his what-they-see-as-inferior versions. Well, we can all cheer and celebrate the love, as the Ewoks once sang and will sing once again! </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.starwars.com/episode-iv/release/video/news20060503.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Original Theatrical versions of the Star Wars Trilogy are coming out on DVD this September!</span></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/1600/swars.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3291/446/320/swars.0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh, and what would an Anders blog post be without a couple of movie trailer links.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/supermanreturns/trailer2/">The new <span style="font-style: italic;">Superman Returns</span> trailer is up</a>. It makes me more curious than the last ones, but I still have reservations. But who am I kidding? I'll still be seeing it.<br /><br /><a href="http://movies.aol.com/movie-exclusive-casino-royale-james-bond">And even more exciting is the trailer for <span style="font-style: italic;">Casino Royale</span></a>, and it looks like Bond is going to kick some serious ass in his twenty-first film. Sure Daniel Craig is no Connery, but I think he'll pull this one off nicely. And speaking of nicely, that's how Eva Green is going to do as Bond girl Vesper Lynd. Very nicely.<br /></span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16343164.post-1145220847649543642006-04-16T14:34:00.000-06:002006-04-16T14:54:43.866-06:00<span style="font-family:arial;">To everyone out there, I wish you a happy Easter.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Unfortunately, most of my Easter afternoon is going to be taken up with finishing (as much as possible of) my last essay of the semester before I fly out of here tomorrow night.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I like to write my essays to music; with iTunes I make big multi-hour playlists so that I can just work and not worry about changing songs or searching for things. Here's the song of the day for all out there in blog land.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It's been around for a while, but Scissor Sisters cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" is fantastic. Hopefully you enjoy it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"<a href="http://web.uvic.ca/%7Eandersjb/Scissor%20Sisters%20-%20Comfortably%20Numb..mp3">Comfortably Numb</a>" - Scissor Sisters</span>Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11777596892044678413noreply@blogger.com4