A few movie reviews

Queen of Light took her bow
And then she turned to go,
The Prince of Peace embraced the gloom
And walked the night alone.

Oh, dance in the dark of night,
Sing to the morn-ing light.
The dark Lord rides in force tonight
And time will tell us all.

Led Zeppelin - Battle of Evermore

I've been meaning to write this for ages, but I wanted to wait till I got around to seeing The Last King of Scotland, which took me a while. So yeah, this is late as fuck. So be it. Here are my thoughts on some of the more critically acclaimed of last year's movies.

The Departed - so by now probably everyone's seen this one, and if you haven't, it's a Scorcese gangster pic based off a pre-existing Hong Kong movie titled Infernal Affairs. The movie was solid, even if Martin pretty much goes scene-for-scene with Infernal Affairs. The only differences really being the ending (and i preferred the original version to be honest) and the fact that at thirty minutes longer, Scorcese's characters are given a much greater (and much needed) depth. The real strength of the movie, though, are the actors. Nicholson, as always, steals every scene he's in. Mark Wahlberg is Mark Wahlberg (he won't steal the show but you know you're gonna get a decent job out of him). But the two main stars of the movie are Matt Damon and DiCaprio. Now I can't say I'm really a fan of either, but both delivered superb performances. Scorcese always seems to manage to get the best out of his actors. The Departed was strange for Scorcese in that it had wide commercial appeal, and ended up winning him the elusive best picture Oscar. Now, this was by no means Scorcese's best work (Gangs of New York, Taxi Driver, Casino and Goodfellas were all better, thought I did like it better than the extremely overrated Raging Bull), but it was time the man got acknowledged for his contribution to cinema. Hopefully, The Departed will lead fans to watch Scorcese's older films.

Blood diamond - Blood Diamond is an action/drama set in Africa starring DiCaprio, Djimon Houssou, and Jennifer Connelly. While Hounsou turns in an excellent performance and Connelly is quite attractive throughout the film, DiCaprio steals the show. I have to admit, I was impressed. Now as much as Titanic did for Leo's career, it also hurt him. It caused many (me included) into pigeon-holing him as a no-talent hack that was getting by solely on his looks (like the majority of female actresses in Hollywood). But with The Departed and Blood Diamond, DiCaprio proved his acting chops, andhe should have won the best actor Oscar (which he was nominated for). The movie itself was slightly above average. The problem for me was that going in I expected something more akin to the excellent Hotel Rwanda. And while the movie does lightly touch upon the socio-economic problems plaguing Africa, it is first and foremost an action flick. The end of the movie even features one of the msot cliched Hollywood endings. Don't get me wrong, the movie was quite good, just perhaps not what I was expecting. A little more Die Hard than I thought it would be. All-in-all, though, definitely worth a look.

Babel - without a doubt one of the most disappointing movies for me. The movie, about how we are all interconnected, ultimately fails cause, ironically, it's just too damn disconnected. It was trying to be a less-subtle version of Crash. The problem here is that the reason Crash was so powerful is that it didn't try to have any pretenses. You came in knowing Crash was about racial tensions and that's exactly what it delivered. Babel tried the more subtle route, which just doesn't work in this case. And if you thought some of the situations in Crash were slightly improbable, what about the circumstances in Babel? And really, did the movie actually show how we were all interconnected? If we did, I missed it. All that happened in the end was that the poor minorities got screwed over while everything worked out fine for the Americans. What the hell is that? The low-point of the movie was probably Cate Blanchett's character. She just wasn't very likable. And the Moroccan family, which had the most interesting of the four arcs, were not given enough air-time. And cal me old-fashioned, but I kinda would've liked to know what happened to everyone in the end instead of just having an abrupt ending. Babel tried to be a worldwide version of Crash, but Crash worked precisely because it was set in LA. Babel was a great attempt at a movie, but in the end it must be considered a failure.

The Last King of Scotland - The movie is a fictional-historical movie about a Scottish doctor in the regime of Idi Amin. I wanted to see the movie to catch Forest Whitaker's performance that I have heard so much of. I still can't believe that he went from Species 2 to wining best actor. How improbably is that shit?? He does do a truly epic performance though, and though I would have personally given the award to DiCaprio, it's hard to argue with Whitaker receiving it. The movie is good, if nothing too exciting. I mean, it's a historical drama. It is what it is. But Whitaker himself will keep you attentive and have you eagerly awaiting his next scene.

Children of Men - A sci-fi flick set in the post-apocalyptic future where man has ceased to be able to give birth. The movie is based off a the novel by PD James and has immediately moved to the top of my reading list. Directed by Alfonse Cuaron, the director of Y Tu Mama Tambien, the movie is beautiful in it's dark portrayal of the future. Though one can look at the movie in many lights, it is hard to ignore it's damning of humanity. Put pure and simple, this is not a happy movie. It will NOT lift your spirits. It's severely depressing. But it truly is an excellent film, which didn't receive the credit it deserves likely due to it being classified as "sci-fi". But the directing, the acting, the cinematography, and the art direction ensure that this is a movie that is sure to become more popular by word of mouth. Just an excellent, well-done movie that will both entertain you and make you question everything. An excellent cast featuring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, and the always excellent Michael Caine do enough to drive the movie forward without stealing from the overall message of the film. I have no idea how a movie as good as this went this far under the radar. Check it out, but be warned you may need a couple beers after it.

Pan's Layrinth - And if Children of Men wasn't depressing enough for you, watch Pan's Labyrinth. It's hard to explain the exact plot fo the movie. It is set during the Spansih civil war of, I believe, the 1940s, and the foreign import is, quite simply, the best movie of 2006 that I've seen so far. It's both tragic and up-lifting at the same time. It contains a fantasy world to distract the mind, and a distinct anti-war message to bring one back to reality. Guillermo del Toro directs and does a masterful job. The script and story are excellent (though I'm sure much is lost in translation), and the special effects are something to behold. The various creatures throughout the movie are amazingly complex and detailed, and some are sure to creep you out. A movie that is brutal and raw... and just beautiful. Del Toro holds back nothing, and the movie will touch you. One of the most enjoyable movie experiences I've had in a while, though you will likely need a few pitchers of beer to feel better after seeing it. How Pan's Labyrinth failed to win best picture is beyond me.

Portland and the Great Northwest

Green Douglas firs where the waters cut through,
Down her wild mountains and canyons she flew.
Canadian Northwest to the ocean so blue,
It’s roll on, Columbia, roll on.
Roll on, Columbia, roll on. Roll on, Columbia, roll on
Your power is turning our darkness to dawn,
So roll on, Columbia, roll on

Woody Guthrie - Roll on Columbia

So I've been in the Portland area for a little over two weeks now. And seriously, how did no one ever fucking tell me about up here?? This place is sweet. I love it here. I know what you're thinking, "motherfuckin Portland??" Yeah man, mother-fuckin Portland.
Now obviously, the Northwest is NOT for everyone. It's hippie central. You know all those long-haired, outcast, stoner kids from high school that liked artsy movies and classic rock? Well, they all moved to Portland. Preppy has no place here. The sweatshirt is the normal going out attire. Now the rain and dreariness may take some getting used to, but it's not like that all the time. The Northwest has probably been unfairly labeled in that regard. And when it is sunny, it's absolutely gorgeous. Besides, without the rain the area wouldn't have all the green.
Driving out of the airport, the green-ness was the first thing that struck me. Pines as far as the eye could see. And as I passed by the numerous lakes and rivers, and saw the silhouette's of Mt. Hood and Mt. Saint Helens on the horizon, the natural beauty of the place astounded me. As much as I love Philly, you just do not get this on on the east coast. The true beauty of Portland didn't hit me until I went for a hike up Hamilton Mountain last weekend. Hiking up the mountain, I got a glorious glimpse of the Columbia River and its valley. I couldn't help but utter 'holy shit' under my breath as I saw beacon rock in the distance, looking like nothing more than a pebble. The views just made me realize the vastness and splendor that is nature. Though I felt like an ant standing a top the mountain, it was also strangely invigorating. It made me feel alive. It's hard to explain. Go climb a mountain and you'll understand. And seeing the Lewis and Clark markers about every 50 feet as I drove down the highway, I had to wonder if those two explorers didn't mutter 'holy shit' under their own breaths as they tried to absorb the unspoiled grandeur that Portland must have been back then.
What surprised me the most was that I was not alone on the mountain. And as I passed people on my ascent, people would routinely say "hi" and smile. Wait... people happy to be outdoors? And they were being nice to random strangers?? Where the hell was I??!! The outdoor lifestyle of the area is infectious. Seeing everyone else outside makes you want to go out too. Going out the next day, when it was drizzling, I figured I'd be alone in the shadow of Mt. Hood. But damn was I surprised when the trails and parking lots were still packed. I'm sure many of the people were tourists, but still, that is the pull of Portland; you just have to go outside here. Not doing so would be a total waste.
Aside from the outdoors and nature, they love their alcohol up here. Tons of micro-breweries and wineries. This is my heaven. Where else can you go to a movie theater, get a ticket for only 3 bucks, and have a pint while you watch your piece of nouveau-cinema? And after the movie you can walk a block and have some Vietnamese food (they have a TON of Asian restaurants here for some reason). Just amazing. I'm sure I sound like a travel guide by now, but this place is the hidden treasure of America. California gets all the hype, but go a little north and you'll find a hidden paradise. A place for the outdoor, beer-loving soul in us all. Where going on a hike, then grabbing a beer at the bar is a normal Saturday. I have never said this about any place outside of Philly (not even Houston, where I live now), but I could actually see myself living in the Portland area. Trees, trails, micro-brews, and nice, environmentally conscious citizens. Good times. Truly a hidden gem in the United States.

The Connery List

Winter is here again oh lord,
Havent been home in a year or more
I hope she holds on a little longer

Sent a letter on a long summer day
Made of silver, not of clay
Ive been runnin down this dusty road

Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin
I dont know where Ill be tomorrow
Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin

Journey - Wheel in the Sky

So anything with Sean Connery is immediately 10 times better. I'm pretty sure it's scientifically proven. If you're flipping channels and you come across something with Connery, you ll stop and watch. The man is just frickin sweet. There's just something about him that oozes awesomeness. And there are many other people/places/things that just make anything they come into contact with better. Hence, I give you, in no particular order, my Connery List:

Bacon/Melted Cheese - put them on ANYTHING and it suddenly tastes better. They are the god's of toppings

Steve Buscemi - he always seem to play some weird, quirky character in some weird, quirky movie. By far my favorite actor. He makes any movie he's in watchable

Strippers - hot, naked girls that dance for money. Kind of like a dream A dream on your lap

Explosions - how much better would Garden State have been if they threw in a couple random explosion scenes?

Jessica Alba - her hotness is just on another level. I watched Into the Blue just cause she was in it. The movie was god- awful, but basically served as a one-and-a-half hour audition for her nipples. I'd watch it again right now

Salsa - the ultimate of condiments. You can place it on anything you'd normally put ketchup on, and it'll be an upgrade. There's so many varieties of salsa you'll never get tired of it. Plus you can eat it with chips. Ketchup and chips? I don't fuckin think so

Superpowers - I want a superpower. So do you. Don't lie

Mr. T - who doesn't love Mr. T? Between his catch phrases and his roles as Clubber Lang and BA Baracus, the dude is an indelible part of American culture. Who else could walk around with a mo-hawk and wearing gold chains in this day and age? Only Mr. T, that's who (well, maybe Connery too)

Beer -beer just makes everything better. Drink enough and even the dullest situation becomes enjoyable. Now you may be saying to yourself, "what about hard liquors and wine?" Well, hard shit has a tendency to get people too drunk too fast, while beer gives one a more controlled state of drunkeness. Not to mention the hangover's hard stuff can cause. Wine, unlke beer, will put you to sleep and leave you with a splitting headache in the morning. "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to prosper." Know who said that? Mother f'ing Ben Franklin! That's who

Sports on TV - whether you're at a shitty bar or a shitty party, if there's a game on TV you have something to watch and something to get people interacting. With no sports on TV, well, I probably would've gone insane a long time ago. Sports never get old, and you never have to worry about repeats

Will Ferrell - plain and simple the man is consistently hilarious. His SNL DVD's are fantastic, and they may not even be his best skits. From his movies to his celebrity jeopardy sketches to his various interviews on Conan, the dude makes life amusing for us all. Show me the man who doesn't like Will Ferrell, and I'll show you the man who has no sense of humor

Boobs - look, I've sat through two hours of utter crap just to see a boob (the nudity warning in 13 Ghosts is greatly misleading). I've ordered crap off the internet just cause I thought there might be a sweet topless scene in it (side note: don't bother watching Laurel Canyon, trust me on this). Guys enjoy boobs. They (along with beer) can make even the ugliest girl reasonably attractive. Clearly they're God's gift to man (although also possibly God's curse to man...)

Puppies - you have to be soulless not enjoy a puppy. They do crazy shit, have a ton of energy, and just have a zest for life. If you don't like puppies you are an awful human being

Vampires/Werewolves/Zombies - put any assortment of the three in any movie/book, and I'll watch/read it. Then you have something like Underworld with werewolves fighting vampires. Just a work of pure genius. Now in the third movie if they have them both fighting an army of zombies, it will possibly be the best movie ever made

Conan O'Brien - after Ferell, possibly the funniest man alive. His show is fantastic. The sketches and bits are unlike anything else on TV. He's stupid and self-deprecating, but there's something about him that makes you realize you're watching a comedic genius perform. So excited for him to take over the Tonight Show

Philly - it's my home. the city rocks at life. Any movie or TV show set in Philly is that much better. LA, NYC and Boston have been done to death. And yes, I am extremely biased.... and damn proud of it

Football - America lives for football. Plain and simple

Beaches - sand, sun, hot people (generally speaking), water, aquatic life. Good times

Those little umbrellas you find in drinks - they just make my day

YouTube - finally, a place where you can find all that useless crap you've always been looking for. I have literally spent hours doing nothing on YouTube. Fantastic

Hot Showers/Jacuzzis - hot water is relaxing. I want a Scarface-type jacuzzi. That way I can soak and watch TV at the same time

Almost made the list, but just missed out:

Clint Eastwood - he would've been on here if it wasn't for the fact that he's turned into a pussy. Bridges of Madison County? Seriously? C'mon Clint. That hurt me

Mini-skirts/bikinis - they'd be awesome except for the fact that fat girls wear them too. There is no crime greater against the male eye

Hot girls - clearly the biggest omission from the list. Now, when a bunch of guys are out by themselves, nothing is better than a little eye candy. But when you go out with your girlfriend and there's a lot of hot girls, that's just a recipe for trouble. Guys will inevitably start staring (it's not our fault!), and they will inevitably get caught in the act. They will then inevitably not get any action that night

Jennifer Love Hewitt - shit, even I won't watch the Ghost Whisperer

The Sun - sunburns suck

What am I missing?

Why I was cheering against the Spurs

Check it, since 1516 MINDS attacked and overseen
Now crawl amidst the ruins of this empty dream
Wit their borders and boots on top of us
Pullin' knobs on the floor of their toxic metropolis
But how you gonna get what you need ta get?
Tha gut eaters, blood drenched get offensive like Tet
Tha fifth sun sets get back reclaim
Tha spirit of Cuahtemoc alive an untamed
Now face tha funk now blastin' out ya speaker, on tha one Maya, Mexica
That vulture came ta try and steal ya name
But now you got a gun, yeah this is for the people of the sun

Rage Against the Machine - People of the Sun

When both the Spurs and the Suns won their first round series, leading to this match-up, I was super excited for it. It would pit two of the best teams in the NBA going against each other. And for the most part, I was not disappointed. The majority of games were close and played at a high-level. The series featured two MVP caliber players in Steve Nash and Tim Duncan, and several all-star level players (Marion, Stoudamire, Barbosa, Ginobili, and Parker). It featured a contrast in styles (Phoenix's high octane offense vs. San Antonio's defense-first, half-court offense), and two excellent coaches in Gregg Popovich and Mike D'Antoni. Both teams are among my favorites to watch play, and I truly had no vested interest in who won the series. That being said, when the series started I had to support the Suns. Now this was nothing against the Spurs, it was just that I had to support Nash. He's my boy. The man is a joy to watch. He plays the point the way it was meant to be. He's unselfish to a fault, but he'll take over the game if he needs too. And this season he has gained a fire and competitive intensity that wasn't there before. This man honestly cares about every game he plays. And really that's what we want of our athletes. Steve Nash makes me happy to be an NBA fan and he truly is good for the league and how it will be played in the future. So I had to root for him to win a title. Throw in the fact that a large majority of the Spurs team has already won at least one title, and the Suns had to be my pick.
Now I love the Spurs team. It all starts with Tim Duncan, arguably the greatest power forward to ever play the game (and is there really that strong of an argument against him?) Duncan has always been vastly under-appreciated. He's wildly consistent, fundamentally sound, an excellent defender, and he makes his teammates better. What more can you ask for from a player? And unfairly, you always seem to see Duncan criticized in the media for being so stoic. What a load of bullshit. The man goes out there and plays the game like it was meant to be played. He plays hard and he plays to win. He doesn't talk a lot of shit... so what? You always hear the media clamoring for an athlete who performs at a high level without bringing unneeded controversy into the organization. Well that is Tim Duncan! He's the ideal basketball player both on and off the court. And then they lambaste him just cause they can't get a good bulletin board quote out of him? What a crock. Yeah, he may not show the on-court passion of a KG or an Iverson, but I assure you that Duncan cares. He leads more with his play than his words. You don't win three titles by not giving a shit. And I'll take Duncan over KG or AI any day of the week.
After Duncan, there's a lot I like with the rest of the Spurs team. You gotta love the passion and energy of Ginobili and Oberto (it must be noted that I love Argentinian basketball players; they play tough and actually know how to play on a team). Parker's speed and finishing ability make him a joy to watch. And I've been a Finley fan since his Dallas days, and would actually love to see him finally win a title. So I liked the Spurs, I really did. But something weird happened as the series went on. I slowly realized that I was starting to detest the Spurs.
Now I have to admit that the media likely influenced me somewhat, but a lot of it was just a build-up of annoying things. As much as I love Manu and Duncan, they have a nasty propensity to be absolutely shocked whenever they are charged with a foul. Seriously, cut that shit out. It's juvenile and embarrassing. You're both better than that. Be men and accept the consequences of your actions. Continuing with Ginobili, him and Oberto seem to have brought the soccer stalwart of 'flopping' into the league. That shit needs to be cut out before it plagues the NBA. It is one of the things that pisses me off the most about soccer and is a stain on any sport it is a part of. Have some dignity and just play the game right. Then that brings me to Tony Parker. Frankly, he has Eva Longoria and I don't. This pisses me off. He's a pro-athlete and has that accent. How the fuck is that fair? Screw him. Then throw in the random cheap shots that Bowen commits on a daily basis, and it becomes quite easy to hate the Spurs. Yeah, Raja Bell and others do the same crap. Hell, Stockton and Miller built their career's on 'cheap' behavior. But no one seemed to be as infuriating and blatant as Bowen. Obviously, though, the tipping point for me was the Robert Horry foul.
Horry completely laid Nash out. And while he did get suspended two games, Amare and Boris Diaw both got suspended for game five. Neither of those two should ever have been suspended. They didn't throw a punch and all they were doing was standing up for their teammate. Yeah, it's really the league's fault and not the Spurs that both of them got suspended, but what, am I gonna be pissed at the league? I need someone to transfer my blame to and I picked the Spurs. And I'm sure I'm not alone. For a team this talented and with this much class, the Spurs need to cut their whining and flopping out. And Horry and Bowen need to severely curtail their cheapness. It's getting retarded. It's no longer fun to cheer for the Spurs now. They've turned into the bad guy. And not a cool bad guy like Scarface or Magneto. They're more like the Emperor from the original Star Wars. A bastard who was too powerful and used dirty -ass tactics to get to the top. No one liked the emperor. He was just a dick. And he is what the Spurs are morphing into.
It's a shame the Suns aren't moving on (although I guess once I started supporting them that should've been a foregone conclusion). The series was destroyed with one cheap hit. No way the Suns lose that game at home if Amare and Diaw are still in. I'm not saying the Spurs don't deserve to be in the finals, they still would have played a game 7. But the Suns did get screwed. Mostly, I feel bad for Nash. Who knows how much longer he's got playing at a level like this. With his tenacity and never-say-die attitude he deserves a title. Well, maybe next year Nash and the Suns will have a chance without getting screwed over. And maybe by then I'll get back to liking the Spurs again.

Spidey 3

I will be king
And you
You will be queen
Though nothing will
Drive them away
We can beat them
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
Just for one day

And you
You can be mean
And I
I'll drink all the time
'Cause we're lovers
And that is a fact
Yes we're lovers
And that is that

Though nothing
Will keep us together
We could steal time
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
For ever and ever
What d'you say

David Bowie - Heroes

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!

So I finally saw Spiderman 3. And you know what? I really enjoyed the movie. Some of the fastest 2 and a half hours I've ever spent in a theater. Okay, now let me expand on this. The fight scenes in the movie were dazzling and the special effects were just jaw dropping. The movie probably had some of the best visuals I have ever seen, if not the best. From the creation of the Sandman, to the Spiderman-Green Goblin aerial battle, to the Sandman-Spiderman subterranean battle, all were incredible in their own-right. Wonderfully choreographed, and planned to the every detail. The fight scenes themselves were worth the price of admission.
The fight scenes, though, were the only saving grace of the movie. Good thing there were a ton of them. The plot and script were sub-par. I loved the whole black-spiderman angle, but the random torso shots of Tobey Maguire walking down the street and the whole jazz club scene were highly unnecessary. And the poto devices used in the movie were just a little too convenient. Harry losing his memory for a bit, that random sand truck parked in New York City. Why the hell would a random truck full of sand just be fucking sitting there?? And was it ever really satisfactorily explained why Mary Jane broke-up with Peter just cause Harry threatened her? That part made no sense (more on that break-up in a bit). And the foreshadowing of Harry's death was stupid. As soon as he said "I'd die for my friends" you knew he was gone. But why foreshadow it? Why not have his death be a surprise? And what's with the Sandman? One minute he doesn't want to be bad, then he's throwing around innocent people like they're stuffed animals, the next moment he's repentant again? And what about Spiderman getting beat half-to-death then miraculously getting back to his feet in condition to fight? Seriously? As an audience, do we really look that stupid? C'mon Raimi, give us more respect than that.
To be fair, certain parts of the move were actually good. The whole break-up was, in my opinion, well done. I was pissed off at MJ for being a cheating whore, but the awkwardness shared between the two was well-written and realistic in the "lack-of-communication" sense (even if the restaurant scene played out like something out of a cartoon). The events leading up to their eventual split are distinctly shown (I especially love the scene at the parade thing where the whole crowd is cheering for Spiderman and Stacy to kiss and a little boy yells out "Spiderman, no!", funny shit) and there were many scenes where I just wanted to yell at both Spiderman and MJ and be like "what the fuck is wrong with both of you??" And that's the way it should be.
The contrast between the good and bad Harry was also impeccably done. The division between his two sides is created through an excellent use of make-up, facial expressions, and lighting. Overall, the Harry Osborn character was well portrayed. The ultimate failing of the movie, though, may have been its villains. If we've learned one thing from super hero movies it's that the hero itself doesn't matter. It's all about the villain. Willem Dafoe And Alfred Molina in the first two Spiderman movies respectively, Ian McKellan and Brian Cox in X-Men 1 and 2 respectively, Kevin Spacey in the new Superman, even Hackman in the original Superman. You NEED a good bad guy. This is another reason X-3 was such a tremendous piece of douche: there was NO discernible bad guy that viewers could point to. In Spiderman 3 we have one bad bad-guy (Venom/Eddie Brock), one bad-guy that redeems himself at the end (Sandman) and one bad-guy who is really good (Green Goblin/Harry Osborn). So Sandman and Green Goblin, at times in the movie, are both good? Well who the hell are we supposed to cheer for/against then? That leaves Venom for us to cheer against. I liked the Venom character. The CGI or whatever used to create him was straight fucking awesome. My problem with Venom, though, might have been the casting. Topher Grace is a good actor (he does a real good job in Traffic). But the thing is, whenever I saw him on screen, all I could think was "hey, it's Eric from That 70's Show!" Does he need to be typecast? Certainly not. There are many roles he can pull-off. But the sinister Venom is simply not one of them. In all honesty, Venom may have been the most difficult role to cast in the movie. And though Topher was not totally awful, he just wasn't a very believable Venom. Why not get some muscle-bound dick? Or at least someone who is more believable as an ass-hole. And yeah, I can't really think of anyone right now either. But isn't that the casting director's job?
The thing with Spiderman 3 is that though it may have been the darkest of the movies, it was also by-far the most cartoon-y of the three movies. There were people switching sides, random mutations and super hero team-ups. And after the first two movies, people were not expecting a switch to a cartoonish version of Spiderman, complete with comedic scenes (which, for the most part, were not really that amusing). My plan going into the movie was to enter with low expectations, and the movie ended up being much better than I thought it would be. But if people entered the theater expecting a certain level of writing and plot development akin to the first two movies, I can understand why they would be disappointed. Spiderman 3 is clearly the weakest of the three movies. But if you can ignore the plot-holes, the failed character improvement, the inconsistencies, and the random absurdities of the movie, at least you will get some of the best fight scenes to ever grace the screen. And for me, all I really wanted out of the movie was Spiderman and Venom duking it out amongst the office buildings of Manhattan. And in that regard, at least, Spiderman 3 did not disappoint.

Freedom Writers and some thoughts on watching movies

Dusk is dawn is day
Where did it go?
I've been laughing
Fast and slow
Moving in a still frame
Howling at the moon
Morning found me laughing
Up and down, down
Low low low
Night suits me fine
And morning suits me fine
I've been so happy
Way up high, high
In between
Down below
Low low low

REM - Low

So usually when you're on a plane and they have an in-flight movie, its some piece of crap that you couldn't care less about. You might watch it, but it still sucks. Flying from Portland to Philly last weekend, I watched Because I said So, some sort of awful mother-daughter chick flick. The only redeemable part of the movie was Mandy Moore, and even then, she would've had to do a lesbian scene with Jessica Biel to make the thing bearable. So flying back on Sunday, I didn't expect much. Looking in Continental's magazine, I saw that the movie being shown would be Freedom Writers, one of those "inspirational" movies featuring Hillary Swank. I remember when this thing came out a few months ago, and it didn't seem to grab my interest. But hell, I had a few hours to kill, so I figured it was worth a watch. And, well.... I loved it.
Freedom Writers is a movie about inner city kids beating the odds; in a similar vain to Stand and Deliver or Coach Carter. And though both of those movies were entertaining, there was something about Freedom Writers that was different. The movie managed to actually move me (honestly, not an easy task). Now, maybe this was due to my egregious lack of sleep, the fact that I had no Ipod on a six hour trip, or perhaps because I was flying back from a graduation ceremony (which always do me in) and was an emotional shell of myself. Or maybe Freedom Writers really was an awesome, touching movie. I really don't know. If anyone else has seen this movie and has an opinion, do let me know. For my money, though, I'm gonna say it was pretty damned good.
The thing about movies is that they're often only as good as our expectations. Pretty much everyone I know had high expectations for X-Men 3, and everyone I know was disappointed with the result. But disregarding the previous two movies, if X -3 is seen expecting absolutely nothing, would it really have been that bad? It certainly does not belong in the same class as Battlefield Earth or Freddy Got Fingered (two of the single WORST movies ever made). But the fact is that there were high expectations for X-3 and they certainly were not met. I had no expectations for Freedom Writers, and perhaps this made the movie much more enjoyable. People built Wedding Crashers up for me so much, I was ultimately disappointed. On the other side, people built down Troy for me and I watched The 40 Year-Old Virgin expecting nothing, and was pleasantly surprised with both movies. The last movie I can think of that actually lived up to all the hype for me was Little Miss Sunshine. Before that...
In the end, how much we truly enjoy a movie will be based upon what we expect of that movie going in. Expect a lot, and more often than not you'll leave the movie disappointed. Go in expecting nothing, and you might find that you enjoy yourself a lot more. Granted, this is easier said than done (especially if you're a movie snob like me). And when you're spending up to $10 a movie sometimes, you probably should have rather high expectations. But going into a movie is similar to many experiences you will have in life. Expect little, and you will probably be happy. Expect a lot and most likely you will not get what you want. Ultimately, everything truly is relative. I plan to put this to the test whenever I see Spiderman 3. Evidently I'm the only person under 25 in the country yet to see this movie, and all I have heard from anyone I talk to are negative reviews. So I'm taking a new approach going into Spiderman 3. I'm gonna enter the theater not expecting much. Maybe this will make it as good as Feedom Writers.
Side note: I probably WILL be disappointed by Spiderman 3. I mean, it's motherfucking Spiderman 3! Of course I have high expectations, regardless of what I've heard. It's hard to get past natural biases, especially when these biases pertain to something as important to me as super-heroes. Once I see the movie, and decide its fate myself, rest assured there will be a post about it. Till then, go watch Freedom Writers so I can figure out if it's good or if I was just completely out of it.

The only way to fly

now the time has come to leave you
one more time now let me kiss you
close your eyes and i'll be on my way
dream about the days to come
when i won't have to leave alone
about the times that i won't have to say....

oh kiss me and smile for me
tell me that you'll wait for me
hold me like you'll never let me
cause i'm leavin on a jet plane
don't know when i'll be back again
oh babe i hate to go 

Peter, Paul and Mary - Leaving on a Jet Plane

So i got to fly first class yesterday. And let me just say, it is TOTALLY FUCKING WORTH IT. Everything you've ever thought about first class is true. There's leg room, arm room, and, of course, free liquor. Yes... free liquor!! Flying first class is just awesome. You board first, you disembark first. You get real food. And all I could think of while I ws flying was the Seinfeld episode where Jerry is eating an ice cream sundae in first class while Elaine toils in economy. And sure enough, what did I get for dessert? That's right...an ice cream sundae! (note: it was actually a pretty crappy sundae, just ice cream with Hershey's syrup, but it was the fact that I actually got a sundae that mattered.) But though all the perks and the pampering are pretty fucking sweet, they're not what makes flying first class so amazing. What makes first class so damned sweet is the false sense of superiority you are given over pretty much everyone else flying on the plane.
This is a great feeling. Whether we admit it or not, we all love the feeling of entitlement. And there is nothing quite like being in first class. We enter the plane, sit in our comfortable seats, and are given a cup of water. As we sip our ice cold drink, we sit calmly as the economy passengers stagger in, eye-fucking our water, green with envy at our ginormous, cusihoned seats. We watch them as a lion watches a herd of buffalo walking towards a watering hole, only we know that the hole has run dry.
Are we better than these people, simply because we're not packed like sardines? Hell no. Richer? Maybe. Or perhaps just lucky for once, like me. But regardless, as we sit in comfort while others sit cramped and sweaty, we cannot help but feel a little smug. Feel like maybe, just maybe, we had finally made it. Had finally become somebody. It's a feeling of utter contentment. And boy what a feeling it is. I'm sure I sound conceited, and stuck-up, and just like all the rich, preppy fuckers that pissed me off for four years of college; but for once, I say fuck it. I'm entitled to feeling better than everyone else for once. Everyone is. If I ever have enough money, I will have no qualms about flying first class all the time. It really made a long day's journey not too shabby. And as my luggage came out first, and I picked it up and walked away while all the other chumps stood impatiently waiting for their bags, I couldn't help but crack a smug, little smile.

Back on the real coast

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an off hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun
Pink Floyd - Time

Yeah, I haven't posted anything in a long time. Well I've been busy. So screw you. Anyways, I've been back on the east coast, and let me just say, this coast kicks major ass. The weather sucks half the time and the people are asses, but I'll be damned if ain't home. After being out off the east coast for the last few months, the main difference I had to get used to on my return was the time zone. It's not enough to affect my sleep. But it is enough to affect my TV watching. Specifically my sports watching.
Growing up there were certain constants. Football on Sunday started at 1. Other weeknight sports didn't start till 7. I had grown fond of this schedule. You roll out of bed on Sunday, eat some breakfast, bitch about having to wait for football (which only adds to the anticipation) and then, magically, football appears at 1 o'clock. On weeknights, you had time to get home, eat some dinner, and relax with whoever was playing that night. But now I'm living in central time. This is like frickin bizarro world. Football at noon, east coast games starting at 6. What is that? Both zones, though, have their distinct sports viewing benefits and disadvantages.
Starting with the central. Games start earlier. You get to watch games and actually go to bed at a reasonable time. This was especially noticeable during basketball season when most of the teams I actually wanted to watch played out west and often had late starting times. Having to work in the morning, I would've been screwed had I lived on the east coast. But being in the central allowed me to watch a game and actually get some sleep as well. But my problem with the central is that games just start too early sometimes. If I wanna go for a run or soemething after work, chances are I might miss the start of the game. And that's just not cool.
On to eastern time. Watching sports late into the night was a way of life for me. Monday Night Football, extra-inning baseball games, overtime NHL playoff games. When these were on, you knew it was gonna be a late night. Going into school the next day, seeing others blurry-eyed and falling asleep at their desks, you knew who, like you, had stayed up to watch the game last night. You were united by your fanaticism. You'd acknowledge each other with a "man I'm fuckin tired today," or a "fuckin great game last night." The usual reply was just a nod and a 'yup.' But that said it all.
Fans suffer on the east coast. Sports is akin to religion. Hell, maybe even bigger than religion. I know more about Iverson and Jeter than I'll ever care to know about Jesus. And staying up to an un-godly hour to watch sports, when you really should be asleep, is a way of life in the eastern corridor (we like to think we're just tougher than the rest of the country for this and many other reasons, and frankly, it's true, we really are just tougher). But central time is growing on me. I enjoy sleep. So I'm torn. There's something magical about staying up till 1 to watch your favorite team. But there's also something completely rational about watching the game and getting to sleep. I'm still deciding which one i prefer. But for now, there really is nowhere like home. And anyways, I've never been one for rationality.