The review that had to happen.
Pirates of the Carribbean 3: At World's End hit theaters this last Friday and, as obliged as we are, we subjected ourselves to two hours and forty-five minutes of CGI-enhanced, salt-water-induced, hamly-acted, Summer popcorn cinema mayhem. Yes, it was all that, and what did I have to show for it?
Meh.
If you really care about the movie, you'd read on, but that's basically what it all came down to. Sure, the acting was great. Johnny Depp continues to flex his character acting muscles in a starring role, Geoffrey Rush steals ever scene, and Bill Nighy emotes impossibly through a Digital Domain mask of tentacled fury. Alone, these three actors could carry a movie all by themselves, the fact that all three are in the movie at the same time makes for some intriguing scenes, but it exemplifies how inflated the franchise has become. The first one was a gem that had me pleasantly surprised, the second was a lesser film, but the novelty of Davy Jones saved it from being a terrible movie, this last one, really has a lot to explain for itself.
Take the character of Will Turner, played decently by Orlando Bloom. Forget for a second that Mr. Bloom has yet to become a tremendous box-office draw, he's a young actor, with promise, but what is he known for most? Playing a small supporting role as Legolas the elf? Will Turner in the first film was a young man looking for love and to prove himself as an adventurer, what we have in this film is a regression from the Skywalker complex of the whiny local boy makes good, and when he's supposed to shine the brightest, he fizzles. A very weak characterization, for sure.
The second offense comes from Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann, the newly elected Pirate King (from out of left field). At the same time we're supposed to believe she's an incredibly intelligent and adventurous young lady, she is manipulated, assaulted, and relegated to Braveheart-type theatrics that come off more annoying than inspiring. Keira is struggling to find decent movie roles to stretch her tough-girl shtick to new heights and the failure of the screenwriters to recognize what motivates her to become and adventurer. In the end they leave her land-locked, pining, and swordless, is that forward-thinking?
Regardless of that disappointment, the biggest crime is in a plot with loopholes, quadruple-crosses, rescues gone awry, hostage trades made on a whim, and a cast and running time big enough for two movies. It's a summer event, and sitting in the theater with your eyes pasted to a screen packed with action should be fulfilling, but somehow, it isn't. It may be that there's no true heart, no true passion behind the lens, but my theory is that there were too many balls in the air for the movie to end with satisfying cohesion. The imagery is great, their attempts at mythology are admirable, but when the great Black Pearl comes around for that final broadside...
It just happens to miss.
Overall Score: 2 out of 5 stars.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Wild West
UPDATE: Now Kobe's asking to be traded for sure. Goodbye, Lakers. You better get something good in return, but something tells me you'll screw this one up as well.
-----------------------------------
While this travesty of an NBA playoffs continue, I just wanted to point out that the latest basketball news to be making its way around the sportscasters is the drama of the Los Angeles Lakers. After a dismal showing in the first round a noticeably frustrated Kobe Bryant threw down with a very pointed challenge at the front office that changes needed to be made, and soon. What were the possibilities that such a line of questioning would come back during the NBA semis and rear its ugly head?
Very good, since now Kobe is throwing out the possibility that Jerry West (the Logo, as some people call him) should be at the helm for the franchise. What makes this even more dramatic is that Mr. Bryant supposedly has even thrown his name about in the ring as a trade possibility if they don't bring back Mr. West as General Manager.
Hogwash! Anyone the Lakers could deal for Kobe Bryant would be a downgrade in my opinion. Even now that Kobe is backpedaling on the seemingly accurate statements, I think the team would be even more crippled than before. Trading Kobe for another superstar and some additional parts might work, but whatever you get in return could never be compelling basketball theater and isn't that what Hollywood is all about?
At this point, is he untradeable though? Not likely, I don't think. If he were to demand it, I'm sure the organization would have no problem shipping him elsewhere, but I believe it would be at great cost. If you look at the supporting cast, who do you have to build around? Lamar Odom, Kwame Brown? Sure, injuries have slowed the promise of an overachieving season, but seeing Kobe lob countless alley-oops at Amare Stoudemire during the All-Star game really showed me the kind of big man Kobe's looking for. Someone who's not afraid to be aggressive. Someone who's not afraid of taking it to the rack. Is that Lamar or Kwame? Hardly.
At any rate, what it really shows is how "exciting" these NBA playoffs really are when a team who isn't even participating in an ongoing series still manages to make headlines.
More to come...
-----------------------------------
While this travesty of an NBA playoffs continue, I just wanted to point out that the latest basketball news to be making its way around the sportscasters is the drama of the Los Angeles Lakers. After a dismal showing in the first round a noticeably frustrated Kobe Bryant threw down with a very pointed challenge at the front office that changes needed to be made, and soon. What were the possibilities that such a line of questioning would come back during the NBA semis and rear its ugly head?
Very good, since now Kobe is throwing out the possibility that Jerry West (the Logo, as some people call him) should be at the helm for the franchise. What makes this even more dramatic is that Mr. Bryant supposedly has even thrown his name about in the ring as a trade possibility if they don't bring back Mr. West as General Manager.
Hogwash! Anyone the Lakers could deal for Kobe Bryant would be a downgrade in my opinion. Even now that Kobe is backpedaling on the seemingly accurate statements, I think the team would be even more crippled than before. Trading Kobe for another superstar and some additional parts might work, but whatever you get in return could never be compelling basketball theater and isn't that what Hollywood is all about?
At this point, is he untradeable though? Not likely, I don't think. If he were to demand it, I'm sure the organization would have no problem shipping him elsewhere, but I believe it would be at great cost. If you look at the supporting cast, who do you have to build around? Lamar Odom, Kwame Brown? Sure, injuries have slowed the promise of an overachieving season, but seeing Kobe lob countless alley-oops at Amare Stoudemire during the All-Star game really showed me the kind of big man Kobe's looking for. Someone who's not afraid to be aggressive. Someone who's not afraid of taking it to the rack. Is that Lamar or Kwame? Hardly.
At any rate, what it really shows is how "exciting" these NBA playoffs really are when a team who isn't even participating in an ongoing series still manages to make headlines.
More to come...
Friday, May 25, 2007
The Legend Continues
After a cumulative 54 hours and change, I've waded through the latest epic Legend of Zelda title, Twilight Princess. Having been only the third game of the series that I've ever finished (I've played the old NES versions, but never owned them, fancy that) I'm pretty used to the puzzling sword and sorcery adventure, but I wasn't at all prepared for how in-depth and puzzling this semi-next-generation game would be.
From that first moment I popped in the disc and the opening music kicked in, I figured I was in for a fun ride. Like most of the latest adventures, Link starts off with nothing but the clothes on your back and through a crisis of circumstances, proceeds on an adventure he couldn't have imagined. There are the requisite thrills and chills, but most fun of all are the quests, puzzles, side-quests, battles, and rewards seeded throughout the land of Hyrule, which is quite enormous this time around. So enormous is this land, It would probably take me another 5 to 10 hours to complete this game 100%.
Here's what I loved about it:
You have NPC's with personality and extreme detail, foliage that breathes, weapons that excite, supporting characters that emote, and most of all, it's just fun!
If you haven't played through it yet, or are still sitting on whether or not to buy the darn game, go out and do it. You won't regret it for one single moment.
From that first moment I popped in the disc and the opening music kicked in, I figured I was in for a fun ride. Like most of the latest adventures, Link starts off with nothing but the clothes on your back and through a crisis of circumstances, proceeds on an adventure he couldn't have imagined. There are the requisite thrills and chills, but most fun of all are the quests, puzzles, side-quests, battles, and rewards seeded throughout the land of Hyrule, which is quite enormous this time around. So enormous is this land, It would probably take me another 5 to 10 hours to complete this game 100%.
Here's what I loved about it:
- Old school puzzles that aren't blatantly obvious.
- Link's fighting mechanics.
- Enormously challenging dungeons.
- Clever AI in all enemy characters.
- Character Design
- A complex final boss battle.
- Constant reward.
You have NPC's with personality and extreme detail, foliage that breathes, weapons that excite, supporting characters that emote, and most of all, it's just fun!
If you haven't played through it yet, or are still sitting on whether or not to buy the darn game, go out and do it. You won't regret it for one single moment.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Summer Movie Mayhem - Week 2
The sequel will never die as the franchise film continues to dominate.
I offer this review of Shrek 3 with much commentary as it really spoke to me about the state of 3-dimensional animated features in Hollywood. Myself, I'm a fan of most animated features, being that they tend to capture the imagination of most everyone watching, but I'm not a fan of the slipshod and slapdash cut-and-paste films that have become more popular as of late. Toy Story really showed that you could craft a successful movie with the power of computers at your disposal, but unfortunately, Pixar's big-screen debut also is responsible for films like Doogal and Hoodwinked . What the heck?
To the point, Shrek was a step in a different direction for a CGI flick and that's why the first movie was such a success. Dreamworks and Jeffrey Katzenberg took the standard fairy-tale formula and the story of a cranky ogre and used it as the backdrop for cinematic satire. Yes, perhaps Katzenberg used it as an excuse to skewer his former employers, but the film was funny and whip-smart with a gag. Shrek 2 followed this same formula to lesser results and that film was serviceable enough to warrant another sequel, but something tells me that the franchise is starting to bloat with greed.
Don't get me wrong, Shrek 3 was entertaining and enjoyable and it really is a lot to ask of a film to live up to that which started out fresh and unique. With all the money in the world at their disposal, the folks at PDI/Dreamworks failed to live up to most everyone's expectations. Let me count the ways.
We're used to the familiar characters by now, but in the last film, Prince Charming and Puss-in-Boots were excellent additions to an already charming cast, but the new characters this time around? We have an under-used Merlin, a whiny and nondescript once and future King Arthur, and the gaggle of pretty generic looking fairy tale princesses you know as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Rapunzel. Right, that's compelling.
The plot was a little retread, Prince Charming seeks to take over the throne which is "rightfully his" and reclaim his glory. Yay, exciting.
The animation is too generic. Seriously, How many times do I have to watch the same walk cycle applied over every character on two legs. I admit that the technical wizardry of animating so many different characters is a feat in itself, but they could have made some of the humans walk with a bit more character.
And finally, the inspiration. I've already gone over this with Bill, but this film really lacked what made the first two films superior: character. As I said before, Puss-in-Boots really stole the show in the last film, and the supporting cast characterizations are quite strong, but I submit that there's hundreds more character in the look of Pixar's the Incredibles. It is amazing that PDI/Dreamworks would go to such lengths to establish realism for the humans as a contrast to the fantasy that surrounds them, but it makes for less compelling characters. Perhaps that's why Fiona is more appealing as an ogre than as a human.
I'll give the film this. The voice acting is great, the overall sheen of the film's look speaks volumes, and the animation is quite good, but from a series which should be upping the ante with every installment, it disappoints. I liked it, but didn't love it.
Overall Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars.
I offer this review of Shrek 3 with much commentary as it really spoke to me about the state of 3-dimensional animated features in Hollywood. Myself, I'm a fan of most animated features, being that they tend to capture the imagination of most everyone watching, but I'm not a fan of the slipshod and slapdash cut-and-paste films that have become more popular as of late. Toy Story really showed that you could craft a successful movie with the power of computers at your disposal, but unfortunately, Pixar's big-screen debut also is responsible for films like Doogal and Hoodwinked . What the heck?
To the point, Shrek was a step in a different direction for a CGI flick and that's why the first movie was such a success. Dreamworks and Jeffrey Katzenberg took the standard fairy-tale formula and the story of a cranky ogre and used it as the backdrop for cinematic satire. Yes, perhaps Katzenberg used it as an excuse to skewer his former employers, but the film was funny and whip-smart with a gag. Shrek 2 followed this same formula to lesser results and that film was serviceable enough to warrant another sequel, but something tells me that the franchise is starting to bloat with greed.
Don't get me wrong, Shrek 3 was entertaining and enjoyable and it really is a lot to ask of a film to live up to that which started out fresh and unique. With all the money in the world at their disposal, the folks at PDI/Dreamworks failed to live up to most everyone's expectations. Let me count the ways.
We're used to the familiar characters by now, but in the last film, Prince Charming and Puss-in-Boots were excellent additions to an already charming cast, but the new characters this time around? We have an under-used Merlin, a whiny and nondescript once and future King Arthur, and the gaggle of pretty generic looking fairy tale princesses you know as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Rapunzel. Right, that's compelling.
The plot was a little retread, Prince Charming seeks to take over the throne which is "rightfully his" and reclaim his glory. Yay, exciting.
The animation is too generic. Seriously, How many times do I have to watch the same walk cycle applied over every character on two legs. I admit that the technical wizardry of animating so many different characters is a feat in itself, but they could have made some of the humans walk with a bit more character.
And finally, the inspiration. I've already gone over this with Bill, but this film really lacked what made the first two films superior: character. As I said before, Puss-in-Boots really stole the show in the last film, and the supporting cast characterizations are quite strong, but I submit that there's hundreds more character in the look of Pixar's the Incredibles. It is amazing that PDI/Dreamworks would go to such lengths to establish realism for the humans as a contrast to the fantasy that surrounds them, but it makes for less compelling characters. Perhaps that's why Fiona is more appealing as an ogre than as a human.
I'll give the film this. The voice acting is great, the overall sheen of the film's look speaks volumes, and the animation is quite good, but from a series which should be upping the ante with every installment, it disappoints. I liked it, but didn't love it.
Overall Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
What's Your LCS?
OK.
I've been collecting comics for a good deal of time now. It all started a long time ago when my grandparents would supply me with issues of old comic books, one of which I remember being a Curt Swan drawn Superman comic from ages past, which is pretty amazing, but lost interest somewhere around junior high and didn't really start to become interested again until close to the end of my high school career.
Flash forward through a college life infested with Marguerite-assisted trips to Heroes in downtown Palo Alto, later followed by short treks up El Camino Real to the first location of Lee's Comics and eventually combo trips for In-N-Out and Lee's second permanent location off of Rengstorff Avenue and the 101. I come home from up North a bit more learned about the retail establishments surrounding me and suddenly, I'm looking at each comic book store in a new light. For instance, I realized that the Local Comic Shop (LCS) of my youth, Comics Unlimited, really isn't my cup of tea. I remember rapid sell-outs, "interesting" customer service, and quite frankly, the stereotypical Superhero Shop many people most likely expect from watching the Simpsons. I found myself seeking out more and finding a terribly friendly retailer manning the shelves at Dark Star Comics (now closed). Dark Star was another creature altogether. About twice the size of Comics Unlimited, the store was more diversified, with a decided bent on the gaming and RPG-targeted customer. Fun.
What a delight it was to me, then, when the guy running the shelves at Dark star struck out on his own when the store shut down and opened the now-defunct Black Lion comics. I found excellent customer service, a pull list a mile long, and a nice stop whenever I came back home. Unfortunately, when I moved out I lost my contact with the store and had to again cut back on the purchases.
Where are we today, hmmmm? Today my LCS is the friendly and well-established Comic Bug in Manhattan Beach. It's taken me some time to warm up to the place, since I'm not much of a talker to begin with, but what gets me the most is how enthusiastic they are about promoting themselves and the medium. There have been signings aplenty, and the store is consistently seeing plenty of customers. It's great as a local shop, but then there's always the Destination locations. Oh yes, the Destinations:
Part the First: Golden Apple Comics on Melrose. Golden Apple is one of the oldest stores in Los Angeles and perhaps the most famous. This store is very high on the men in tights set and currently boasts a life-size Silver Surfer, no doubt a tie-in to the Fantastic Four sequel. It's large, bright, and the staff are very knowledgeable.
Part the Second: The Secret Headquarters in Silver Lake. SHQ is one of my favorite stops because it's so atypical. The diversity of books there is amazing for the small-ish size of the store, but what's most promising is their devotion to popular and comic art. Nowhere else can you find a Moebius sketchbook alongside the latest Marvel or DC Hardcover.
Part the Third: Meltdown Comics on Sunset. Quite possibly the largest comic book store I've seen in Los Angeles. The number of collectibles is awe-inspiring and the events they have are always intriguing. What makes me come back here has to be the awesome art shows they have on display in the gallery and you can find lots of artsy and independent books here all the time, which is a definite plus.
My favorite one has to be Meltdown. While SHQ has shown itself to be a bit more friendly to first-time visitors so far and presents itself very much more like a neighborhood shop, Melt is a place to discover so much more than just comics. This is the place where I found my first Blacksad. This is the place where I first heard of Scott Morse. Most of all, this is the place where I started to pick up more and more Kubricks. The vinyl has since faded away a bit, but I keep coming back.
And yes, I have these places to blame for the countless longboxes flooding my hallways.
As always, I am a complete nerd.
I've been collecting comics for a good deal of time now. It all started a long time ago when my grandparents would supply me with issues of old comic books, one of which I remember being a Curt Swan drawn Superman comic from ages past, which is pretty amazing, but lost interest somewhere around junior high and didn't really start to become interested again until close to the end of my high school career.
Flash forward through a college life infested with Marguerite-assisted trips to Heroes in downtown Palo Alto, later followed by short treks up El Camino Real to the first location of Lee's Comics and eventually combo trips for In-N-Out and Lee's second permanent location off of Rengstorff Avenue and the 101. I come home from up North a bit more learned about the retail establishments surrounding me and suddenly, I'm looking at each comic book store in a new light. For instance, I realized that the Local Comic Shop (LCS) of my youth, Comics Unlimited, really isn't my cup of tea. I remember rapid sell-outs, "interesting" customer service, and quite frankly, the stereotypical Superhero Shop many people most likely expect from watching the Simpsons. I found myself seeking out more and finding a terribly friendly retailer manning the shelves at Dark Star Comics (now closed). Dark Star was another creature altogether. About twice the size of Comics Unlimited, the store was more diversified, with a decided bent on the gaming and RPG-targeted customer. Fun.
What a delight it was to me, then, when the guy running the shelves at Dark star struck out on his own when the store shut down and opened the now-defunct Black Lion comics. I found excellent customer service, a pull list a mile long, and a nice stop whenever I came back home. Unfortunately, when I moved out I lost my contact with the store and had to again cut back on the purchases.
Where are we today, hmmmm? Today my LCS is the friendly and well-established Comic Bug in Manhattan Beach. It's taken me some time to warm up to the place, since I'm not much of a talker to begin with, but what gets me the most is how enthusiastic they are about promoting themselves and the medium. There have been signings aplenty, and the store is consistently seeing plenty of customers. It's great as a local shop, but then there's always the Destination locations. Oh yes, the Destinations:
Part the First: Golden Apple Comics on Melrose. Golden Apple is one of the oldest stores in Los Angeles and perhaps the most famous. This store is very high on the men in tights set and currently boasts a life-size Silver Surfer, no doubt a tie-in to the Fantastic Four sequel. It's large, bright, and the staff are very knowledgeable.
Part the Second: The Secret Headquarters in Silver Lake. SHQ is one of my favorite stops because it's so atypical. The diversity of books there is amazing for the small-ish size of the store, but what's most promising is their devotion to popular and comic art. Nowhere else can you find a Moebius sketchbook alongside the latest Marvel or DC Hardcover.
Part the Third: Meltdown Comics on Sunset. Quite possibly the largest comic book store I've seen in Los Angeles. The number of collectibles is awe-inspiring and the events they have are always intriguing. What makes me come back here has to be the awesome art shows they have on display in the gallery and you can find lots of artsy and independent books here all the time, which is a definite plus.
My favorite one has to be Meltdown. While SHQ has shown itself to be a bit more friendly to first-time visitors so far and presents itself very much more like a neighborhood shop, Melt is a place to discover so much more than just comics. This is the place where I found my first Blacksad. This is the place where I first heard of Scott Morse. Most of all, this is the place where I started to pick up more and more Kubricks. The vinyl has since faded away a bit, but I keep coming back.
And yes, I have these places to blame for the countless longboxes flooding my hallways.
As always, I am a complete nerd.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Lit Crit
One of the more interesting facts about living in a big city are the publicity events and tours that are more available to you. This is especially more relevant when you receive numerous newsletters from retail outlets, bookstores, record stores, bands, online retailers, and whatever else you're interested in.
For instance, this past Monday a few of us headed out to Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena to check out an appearance by the most popular American author Chuck Palahniuk in celebration of his latest novel, Rant. If you're not familiar with his work, you'd know him most from the movie adapted from his novel, Fight Club. The plan was for him to sign a few books, say a few words, and perhaps even sign some more books as time permitted.
We figured there'd be no way we could arrive early enough to score a spot in line, or a cushy seat for the talk, so we showed up with the intention of picking up some books and hear him speak. Turns out our predictions were right as there were plenty more people there far more interested in Mr. Palahniuk than ourselves. It was an eclectic crowd to say the least.
Mr. Palahniuk took a short break and proceeded to take a few questions, look for answers to trivia questions, and even read a couple of unpublished "tour-exclusive" short stories titled "Cold Call" and "Love Nest." While very interesting, I'd characterize them as quite typical of his work - I'll get back to that in a second. What struck me the most was how intense his followers were in their lines of questioning, devotion to the obscure and provocative, and most of all, their youth. Quite interesting from my perspective.
Let me step back for a second here. The content of his stories is very much like his audience, obscure, provocative, blahblahblah. Often, Mr. Palahniuk litters his prose with graphic anecdotes and half-truths close enough for them to be urban parables. Well, parables closing in on platitudes. As critical as I am of his audience and some of his writing, I think he's a fascinating author whose hard-headed addiction to transgressional fiction and satire are quite inspiring. Truly, reading many of his stories can be quite shocking, which eventually lead to further discussion over dinner about the themes in his work and the truth behind sarcasm and satire. Let's take a look at a few of his themes:
Reading deeper into each of these books touches on a recurring theme within his work: identity-crises framed by the bizarrely grotesque and borderline offensive. Even though the books tend toward the obscene and mysterious, I think there is good reason. There's a hint of subversiveness that's appealing - a giant middle finger if you will - which is so apparent that the author himself even mentioned he'd love to have one of his books be the center of controversy for its violent imagery since he couldn't recall such a fervor about books in recent history.
Listening to him proselytize a bit did drive the point home that literature is dying slowly. I admire the talent and raw-ness of his work, but there's something to be said of his passion for the art of it. Each time I saw one of his fans yearning for attention, I wondered how many of them really tried to read his books for the subtext versus how many were more turned on by the provocation.
So we left early, during the "lightning-round" of trivia and the gangly arms of men dressed in wedding gowns, hungry. His words inspire me to keep working at crafting more than just a "clever story." Perhaps it will show its face one day either here or somewhere else.
We'll see.
For instance, this past Monday a few of us headed out to Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena to check out an appearance by the most popular American author Chuck Palahniuk in celebration of his latest novel, Rant. If you're not familiar with his work, you'd know him most from the movie adapted from his novel, Fight Club. The plan was for him to sign a few books, say a few words, and perhaps even sign some more books as time permitted.
We figured there'd be no way we could arrive early enough to score a spot in line, or a cushy seat for the talk, so we showed up with the intention of picking up some books and hear him speak. Turns out our predictions were right as there were plenty more people there far more interested in Mr. Palahniuk than ourselves. It was an eclectic crowd to say the least.
Mr. Palahniuk took a short break and proceeded to take a few questions, look for answers to trivia questions, and even read a couple of unpublished "tour-exclusive" short stories titled "Cold Call" and "Love Nest." While very interesting, I'd characterize them as quite typical of his work - I'll get back to that in a second. What struck me the most was how intense his followers were in their lines of questioning, devotion to the obscure and provocative, and most of all, their youth. Quite interesting from my perspective.
Let me step back for a second here. The content of his stories is very much like his audience, obscure, provocative, blahblahblah. Often, Mr. Palahniuk litters his prose with graphic anecdotes and half-truths close enough for them to be urban parables. Well, parables closing in on platitudes. As critical as I am of his audience and some of his writing, I think he's a fascinating author whose hard-headed addiction to transgressional fiction and satire are quite inspiring. Truly, reading many of his stories can be quite shocking, which eventually lead to further discussion over dinner about the themes in his work and the truth behind sarcasm and satire. Let's take a look at a few of his themes:
Choke: A young man pretends performs a series of choking cons in crowded restaurants to take advantage of strangers.
Invisible Monsters: A former model has to come to terms with horrible disfigurement.
Lullaby: Two people join together and search for an elusive book of spells containing a horrid secret.
Survivor: The last living member of a suicide cult is transformed into a paragon of commercialism and suffers from newfound fame.
Invisible Monsters: A former model has to come to terms with horrible disfigurement.
Lullaby: Two people join together and search for an elusive book of spells containing a horrid secret.
Survivor: The last living member of a suicide cult is transformed into a paragon of commercialism and suffers from newfound fame.
Reading deeper into each of these books touches on a recurring theme within his work: identity-crises framed by the bizarrely grotesque and borderline offensive. Even though the books tend toward the obscene and mysterious, I think there is good reason. There's a hint of subversiveness that's appealing - a giant middle finger if you will - which is so apparent that the author himself even mentioned he'd love to have one of his books be the center of controversy for its violent imagery since he couldn't recall such a fervor about books in recent history.
Listening to him proselytize a bit did drive the point home that literature is dying slowly. I admire the talent and raw-ness of his work, but there's something to be said of his passion for the art of it. Each time I saw one of his fans yearning for attention, I wondered how many of them really tried to read his books for the subtext versus how many were more turned on by the provocation.
So we left early, during the "lightning-round" of trivia and the gangly arms of men dressed in wedding gowns, hungry. His words inspire me to keep working at crafting more than just a "clever story." Perhaps it will show its face one day either here or somewhere else.
We'll see.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Header
A short program note. Thank you Mr. Bill Franz for providing me with a new header image for the blog. Most awesome, Mr. Franz.
Summer Movie Mayhem - Week 1
It feels like decades since I've seen a movie this big in theaters. Granted, 300 in IMAX format doesn't count because it's not quite Summer yet, but there really will be no movie bigger this season than Spider-Man 3. The hype-machine has been in full-throttle mode the last few weeks for anyone in Los Angeles cannot walk down a street, drive down the freeway, turn on the television, or even open their own refrigerator without seeing an ad or promotion for this film. It's been marketed as big, reviewed as huge, and now we've seen the film, and I can use yet another appropriate adjective: enormous.
Three villains, two romantic interests, two photographers vying for one job, a $250 million budget, a $151 million opening weekend, and record-breaking IMAX revenue make this one gigantic. Some critics feel the inclusion of three villains - James Franco as the new Green Goblin, Thomas Haden Church as the Sandman, and Topher Grace as the fan-favorite Venom - bloats the screenplay beyond budgeted proportions. Given the amount of storylines and actors director Sam Raimi has to juggle this time around, the criticism is not unfounded as the 2 and a half hour running-time really left a few of my fellow theater-goers squirming in their seats.
Personally, I didn't care.
The full cast returns, yet again, for the third episode in the franchise. Will it be the final time? Box office returns say, "no" but the mind tends to wander. Can they really pull together for a fourth time after the pre-release controversy both stars created with their comments ( Toby Maguire saying he's vaguely interested in a fourth and Kirsten Dunst claiming a sequel would be nothing without the full cast and director)? With the performances they give on-screen, I really wish they do come back. Maguire displays some really unique acting chops this time around, having to portray his original Peter Parker along with the newly symbiote ensconced black suited Spider-Man. There was some talk of heresy over the Saturday Night Fever homage midway through the flick, but I loved how comfortable Maguire seemed in the role of cocky bastard. Yes, the haircut is disturbingly emo, yes some people consider the dance moves as wildly inappropriate, but yet again...
I didn't care.
Ms. Dunst, on the other hand, displays a vulnerability that has been inherent since the first film on her sleeve. Her Mary-Jane has been critically lambasted, ignored by her boyfriend, and fired from her job, and you really see the desperation in her eyes when she comes looking to Peter for help. Only when she falls back into the arms of a care-free newly amnesiac Harry Osborn do you see her crack under the pressure. You'd also think the same would happen once she's kidnapped and attacked by the supervillain combo team of Sandman and Venom and you'd also think she'd be more critical of Peter when he tries to liken her falling star to his rising star, but in my opinion, the movie might crumble under such fallacies. Or maybe the relationship is a fallacy in itself. Am I reading too much into all that?
Whatever the case is, their relationship felt real. They looked hurt on-screen when they should be looking hurt, and most of all, they looked most endangered when their hearts are broken. It really helped to drive home Peter's willingness to break himself down and take out his anger on others by using the symbiote costume, as in the last two movies, it is his devotion and love for her that motivates him. It is also raw emotion and power that drives the newest and latest addition to this piece, Venom. Appearing for too few moments within the last act, Topher Grace plays Eddie Brock as a slimy paparazzi type with interesting moral fiber. He's very convincing in his hatred for Peter and his ambition. Where he fails the most perhaps, is in his inability to fill out a Venom suit designed for someone who was initially drawn as twice the size of Spider-Man.
But what of the movie, how was it as a whole? Let's see, the action was awesome, the effects were enthralling, the acting raised the tension to new limits, and the villains were incredible. On the down-side, the movie felt long in parts, there was not enough development of both Sandman and Venom, and I felt it was missing... something. Even with these flaws, I was still engrossed in the majesty and romance. Perhaps my expectations of it all were lowered by early mixed reviews? Perhaps I'm a blind follower of all things Spider-Man?
I didn't care.
I still love Spidey.
Overall Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Three villains, two romantic interests, two photographers vying for one job, a $250 million budget, a $151 million opening weekend, and record-breaking IMAX revenue make this one gigantic. Some critics feel the inclusion of three villains - James Franco as the new Green Goblin, Thomas Haden Church as the Sandman, and Topher Grace as the fan-favorite Venom - bloats the screenplay beyond budgeted proportions. Given the amount of storylines and actors director Sam Raimi has to juggle this time around, the criticism is not unfounded as the 2 and a half hour running-time really left a few of my fellow theater-goers squirming in their seats.
Personally, I didn't care.
The full cast returns, yet again, for the third episode in the franchise. Will it be the final time? Box office returns say, "no" but the mind tends to wander. Can they really pull together for a fourth time after the pre-release controversy both stars created with their comments ( Toby Maguire saying he's vaguely interested in a fourth and Kirsten Dunst claiming a sequel would be nothing without the full cast and director)? With the performances they give on-screen, I really wish they do come back. Maguire displays some really unique acting chops this time around, having to portray his original Peter Parker along with the newly symbiote ensconced black suited Spider-Man. There was some talk of heresy over the Saturday Night Fever homage midway through the flick, but I loved how comfortable Maguire seemed in the role of cocky bastard. Yes, the haircut is disturbingly emo, yes some people consider the dance moves as wildly inappropriate, but yet again...
I didn't care.
Ms. Dunst, on the other hand, displays a vulnerability that has been inherent since the first film on her sleeve. Her Mary-Jane has been critically lambasted, ignored by her boyfriend, and fired from her job, and you really see the desperation in her eyes when she comes looking to Peter for help. Only when she falls back into the arms of a care-free newly amnesiac Harry Osborn do you see her crack under the pressure. You'd also think the same would happen once she's kidnapped and attacked by the supervillain combo team of Sandman and Venom and you'd also think she'd be more critical of Peter when he tries to liken her falling star to his rising star, but in my opinion, the movie might crumble under such fallacies. Or maybe the relationship is a fallacy in itself. Am I reading too much into all that?
Whatever the case is, their relationship felt real. They looked hurt on-screen when they should be looking hurt, and most of all, they looked most endangered when their hearts are broken. It really helped to drive home Peter's willingness to break himself down and take out his anger on others by using the symbiote costume, as in the last two movies, it is his devotion and love for her that motivates him. It is also raw emotion and power that drives the newest and latest addition to this piece, Venom. Appearing for too few moments within the last act, Topher Grace plays Eddie Brock as a slimy paparazzi type with interesting moral fiber. He's very convincing in his hatred for Peter and his ambition. Where he fails the most perhaps, is in his inability to fill out a Venom suit designed for someone who was initially drawn as twice the size of Spider-Man.
But what of the movie, how was it as a whole? Let's see, the action was awesome, the effects were enthralling, the acting raised the tension to new limits, and the villains were incredible. On the down-side, the movie felt long in parts, there was not enough development of both Sandman and Venom, and I felt it was missing... something. Even with these flaws, I was still engrossed in the majesty and romance. Perhaps my expectations of it all were lowered by early mixed reviews? Perhaps I'm a blind follower of all things Spider-Man?
I didn't care.
I still love Spidey.
Overall Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
La Tequila del Mayo
This year's annual Cinco de Mayo party went a little differently than the past few. We had a few more people, a little less food, a lot more tequila, and perhaps a shorter duration. All that doesn't lead to less fun though, but it's still interesting to see how a few small changes can effect planning in a few ways.
So there we were, Saturday morning, afternoon, and early evening (and some of Friday evening actually) throwing everything together before people got there. With a short interlude between cooking, cleaning, and decorating (more later), Grace and attempted to make the apartment presentable before the arrival of our guests. Luckily, I think that part was mostly successful.
Thankfully, everyone arrived promptly and hungry. A main goal for myself this year was to cut down on a stuffed fridge of leftovers that tends to plague us for weeks. Not that I don't enjoy Mexican food, but just that it can be a bit overwhelming. I tried a new recipe, some different ingredients, and some different techniques, and for the most part, it seemed to work out. What we're left with now is a healthy portion of meats left over and not too many sides, always a good thing if you ask me.
What's good about Cinco, is that it can also be educational. Not educational in the sense of learning about what Cinco is all about (although Bill's got the straight story), but personally in learning recipes and especially about Tequila. I learned that Partida is an evil brand that everyone liked for it's extremely subtle flavor and scent, Don Julio is especially fruity and deep, Casa Noble is a rich brand with a dark strawberry flavor, and Cazadores still stands as the best emerging mainstream brand yet.
My favorite part though, has to be just sharing the fun and the food with everyone. I love getting my family recipes out there and paying homage to my heritage in a way that I can only do so often and remembering where all of this knowledge came from in the first place.
It also helps when a few luchador masks are involved as well.
All pictures of said event can be found in my flickr photo set. Solid times.
So there we were, Saturday morning, afternoon, and early evening (and some of Friday evening actually) throwing everything together before people got there. With a short interlude between cooking, cleaning, and decorating (more later), Grace and attempted to make the apartment presentable before the arrival of our guests. Luckily, I think that part was mostly successful.
Thankfully, everyone arrived promptly and hungry. A main goal for myself this year was to cut down on a stuffed fridge of leftovers that tends to plague us for weeks. Not that I don't enjoy Mexican food, but just that it can be a bit overwhelming. I tried a new recipe, some different ingredients, and some different techniques, and for the most part, it seemed to work out. What we're left with now is a healthy portion of meats left over and not too many sides, always a good thing if you ask me.
What's good about Cinco, is that it can also be educational. Not educational in the sense of learning about what Cinco is all about (although Bill's got the straight story), but personally in learning recipes and especially about Tequila. I learned that Partida is an evil brand that everyone liked for it's extremely subtle flavor and scent, Don Julio is especially fruity and deep, Casa Noble is a rich brand with a dark strawberry flavor, and Cazadores still stands as the best emerging mainstream brand yet.
My favorite part though, has to be just sharing the fun and the food with everyone. I love getting my family recipes out there and paying homage to my heritage in a way that I can only do so often and remembering where all of this knowledge came from in the first place.
It also helps when a few luchador masks are involved as well.
All pictures of said event can be found in my flickr photo set. Solid times.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Supermarket Sweet
There's a new sheriff in town and his name is Whole Foods.
Usually, the weekly routine is thus: Whoever's week it is too cook picks out a menu (at least two dinners for the week), compiles a list of goods, and then decides when and where to buy groceries. Trader Joe's, being the flavor of the week is usually where, but when we saw that there was a Whole Foods opening up nearby, it's perch at the top of our list became tenuous.
Having actually been there now, it's been dethroned.
Aside from it being a little more steeply priced than TJ's, Whole Foods is a revelation of organic goodness. The variety of everything they have there is astounding. Whatever your heart desires, you can probably find it at Whole Foods. The clincher for me was seeing freshly made tortillas sitting on a shelf in the bakery section. They were impeccably light, doughy, and soft, but it remains to be seen whether they can match the truly handmade sort you can find elsewhere.
My favorite part of the store has to be its devotion to local foods and produce. My second favorite part are the food stations littered about the outskirts of the store. It's often said that the healthiest way to shop at a supermarket is to stick to the outer regions of the store (produce, dairy, and deli), but the wine/tapas bar, churrascaria, and asian counters have to be seen to be believed. I've already been there for lunch and dinner and I have to admit that I am hooked.
One minor quibble is the price point. It's no Bristol Farms, but it's no Trader Joe's either. Granted, when buying a higher quality loaf of bread, you expect to pay more, but it's a great wallet emptier if you're not careful. Otherwise, I could spend hour upon hour just perusing the aisles.
Usually, the weekly routine is thus: Whoever's week it is too cook picks out a menu (at least two dinners for the week), compiles a list of goods, and then decides when and where to buy groceries. Trader Joe's, being the flavor of the week is usually where, but when we saw that there was a Whole Foods opening up nearby, it's perch at the top of our list became tenuous.
Having actually been there now, it's been dethroned.
Aside from it being a little more steeply priced than TJ's, Whole Foods is a revelation of organic goodness. The variety of everything they have there is astounding. Whatever your heart desires, you can probably find it at Whole Foods. The clincher for me was seeing freshly made tortillas sitting on a shelf in the bakery section. They were impeccably light, doughy, and soft, but it remains to be seen whether they can match the truly handmade sort you can find elsewhere.
My favorite part of the store has to be its devotion to local foods and produce. My second favorite part are the food stations littered about the outskirts of the store. It's often said that the healthiest way to shop at a supermarket is to stick to the outer regions of the store (produce, dairy, and deli), but the wine/tapas bar, churrascaria, and asian counters have to be seen to be believed. I've already been there for lunch and dinner and I have to admit that I am hooked.
One minor quibble is the price point. It's no Bristol Farms, but it's no Trader Joe's either. Granted, when buying a higher quality loaf of bread, you expect to pay more, but it's a great wallet emptier if you're not careful. Otherwise, I could spend hour upon hour just perusing the aisles.
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