I had some other plans for a blog post today but my mind has been turned in a different direction after this shooting in Arizona. I don't really know what to say. I'm going to avoid rushing to judgment about the motive behind the shooting. It's easy to say that it was political because it happened at a political event and the main targets appeared to be public servants. We do not know for certain yet if in fact differing political opinions are the cause.
We're hearing a lot about the congresswoman and judge who were shot during the incident. It appears that they were the main targets of the shooter. I'd like to point out that there was also a 9 year old girl who was killed in the horrific event. If the shooting was political, why was she shot? 9 year old's can't vote. They have no say in politics.
Regardless of whether it is politically motivated or not, I wonder if this event will change how conservative political pundits speak their minds. I can't help but remember a certain internet post (I believe it was on Facebook) where Sarah Palin used images of crosshairs to represent "targets" for the Republican party in the most recent election. There are a lot of very unintelligent people in this country. I repeat, a lot. I'm not singling out any single political party here either. It goes both ways. I understand the point she was trying to make, but using crosshairs to make a point is not a good idea when the vast majority of Palin's constituents are very interested in weapons. Especially since conservatives tend to have lower education rates than democrats.
I don't know anything about the shooter besides that he is white and born in 1988. That is all that has been released at this time. Assuming that this shooting was politically motivated, I'm curious how the pundits will spin their descriptions of him. Will they call him a terrorist? If he were brown they most certainly would but will they considering he is white? I doubt it. For some reason white people never seem to be terrorists when they commit heinous acts. I am glad that the suspect was caught though. I don't like shooters that take their own lives because they are cowards. What's that old phrase? If you can't do the time, don't do the crime? I think that's it.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
What a fascinating story
We live in a very cynical world. Rightfully so. It seems that every time we see someone do something good, there is a "but" included and it turns out to be a bad situation. For the first time in a long while I think we've found a truly heartwarming story of triumph and overcoming adversity.
Meet Ted Williams. No, not the former Red Sox great that is currently on ice. The homeless man from Columbus, OH that was panhandling on the side of the road with a sign that said he had the God given gift of a great voice. Take a look at this video below...
When this video got started I thought it was going to be just another group of people taking advantage of a less fortunate man. Boy was I wrong. Mr. Williams not only has one of the most amazing radio voices I've ever heard (and I work in the business) but he is also the most humble and appreciative man I've seen. You can hear the honesty in his voice when he's telling the story of his life. You can't fake the way his voice starts to break up a bit when he talks about his past of drug and alcohol abuse.
The video was posted on January 3rd and it's already had over 6 million hits on youtube. That's an incredible statistic. The buzz surrounding this man is also incredible. Since he became an internet sensation he's been offered many different jobs including positions with the Cleveland Cavaliers, ESPN, an Ohio based credit union and the NFL among many others.
This morning he was a guest on The Early Show on CBS. Take a look, but I'm warning you that you might cry a little.
Amazing. He is so grateful for the opportunities that have been so rapidly given to him because of his original video appearance. Like I said at the beginning of this post, we live in a cynical world. I can't help but wonder if this is going to be for real and if he will continue to stay clean. I used to talk to some of the panhandlers when I lived near D.C. One man openly admitted to me that he makes about $50,000 a year and has an apartment. He stands on the side of the road because he doesn't want to get a real job. He also said he tells passerby's that he is a Vietnam vet because it gets him more sympathy even though he never spent a day in the military. Needless to say, these people might not be as forthcoming with us as we might think they are.
Not to abuse an old cliche, but I think with Ted Williams that he is as honest as the day is long. I believe that he will succeed. When the interviewers begin to talk to him about the success he switches it over to how happy he is that he'll be able to see his mother and share some of the excitement with her. She's 92 years old and he had prayed that she would once again see him as a prospering member of society instead of a homeless former drug addict. Once again, that's not the kind of thing you can fake.
There might be a lesson here. Like the creator of the first video, take a minute to talk to someone. It doesn't have to be a homeless man on the street but it could be a co-worker that you don't often have any interaction with. You never know what that little conversation could mean to that person. If this reporter never stopped to talk to Ted Williams, he'd still be standing on the side of the road begging for dough. All it took was a few minutes. I think we could all spare that.
Meet Ted Williams. No, not the former Red Sox great that is currently on ice. The homeless man from Columbus, OH that was panhandling on the side of the road with a sign that said he had the God given gift of a great voice. Take a look at this video below...
When this video got started I thought it was going to be just another group of people taking advantage of a less fortunate man. Boy was I wrong. Mr. Williams not only has one of the most amazing radio voices I've ever heard (and I work in the business) but he is also the most humble and appreciative man I've seen. You can hear the honesty in his voice when he's telling the story of his life. You can't fake the way his voice starts to break up a bit when he talks about his past of drug and alcohol abuse.
The video was posted on January 3rd and it's already had over 6 million hits on youtube. That's an incredible statistic. The buzz surrounding this man is also incredible. Since he became an internet sensation he's been offered many different jobs including positions with the Cleveland Cavaliers, ESPN, an Ohio based credit union and the NFL among many others.
This morning he was a guest on The Early Show on CBS. Take a look, but I'm warning you that you might cry a little.
Amazing. He is so grateful for the opportunities that have been so rapidly given to him because of his original video appearance. Like I said at the beginning of this post, we live in a cynical world. I can't help but wonder if this is going to be for real and if he will continue to stay clean. I used to talk to some of the panhandlers when I lived near D.C. One man openly admitted to me that he makes about $50,000 a year and has an apartment. He stands on the side of the road because he doesn't want to get a real job. He also said he tells passerby's that he is a Vietnam vet because it gets him more sympathy even though he never spent a day in the military. Needless to say, these people might not be as forthcoming with us as we might think they are.
Not to abuse an old cliche, but I think with Ted Williams that he is as honest as the day is long. I believe that he will succeed. When the interviewers begin to talk to him about the success he switches it over to how happy he is that he'll be able to see his mother and share some of the excitement with her. She's 92 years old and he had prayed that she would once again see him as a prospering member of society instead of a homeless former drug addict. Once again, that's not the kind of thing you can fake.
There might be a lesson here. Like the creator of the first video, take a minute to talk to someone. It doesn't have to be a homeless man on the street but it could be a co-worker that you don't often have any interaction with. You never know what that little conversation could mean to that person. If this reporter never stopped to talk to Ted Williams, he'd still be standing on the side of the road begging for dough. All it took was a few minutes. I think we could all spare that.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
I know i'm a few days behind on this but here it is. My 10 favorite movies of 2010. I call it "my favorite" movies because I don't think they're necessarily the "best" movies the year had to offer. These were the 10 that gave me the most enjoyment.
This list is in no particular order...
This list is in no particular order...
I'm a little partial to this movie because it takes place right down the road from where I grew up. I remember it happening when I was in middle/high school and I also remember being very inspired by the story of Micky Ward. Most people watching this film won't notice this, but they really nailed the attitudes and personalities of people from Lowell, MA in the mid 90's. From the hair to the filthy language, I felt like I was watching a movie about my friends and family. It will be a real shame if Christian Bale doesn't win an award for his performance.
20 years ago no one would have thought that an animated film could be looked at as one of the best movies of the year. Disney/Pixar have turned that world upside down. As you start watching this movie you almost forget that it is animated. It's an extremely well done film that appeals to all ages and walks of life.
I'm a big fan of the Potter franchise. The first 6 movies in the series were clearly made for the people that didn't read the books. Readers found them slightly disappointing because there were a lot of things left out. Part 1 of the final installment was the complete opposite. They left everything in to make sure that the series goes out with a bang. This movie won't get a lot of critical attention simply because it's a "Harry Potter" film but it was a wonderful experience.
Is this a great movie? Not at all. But it is funny as hell and sometimes a good laugh is all you're looking for.
One of the reasons I had to wait to post my favorite movies list was that I needed to see this one first. I knew from what I had read, and heard, that I would love it. I was right. You've probably heard about this film because of two reasons. I've heard a lot of people have had issues with the arm cutting scene. I found myself rooting for him to cut it off. You know it's going to happen and there is so much build up and intensity that when the time comes you almost want to stand up and cheer for him. I think this is a must see.
Much like 127 Hours, Buried focuses primarily on one character. The big difference is that in Buried there is only one character. There is only one setting for that matter. Ryan Reynolds finds himself buried alive in a coffin. You never see another person although you do hear their voices through a phone that was left with him. I found this movie to be brilliant because, even in the limited confines of a coffin, the director was able to create everything a "normal" movie would have. There was action, suspense and drama. Even in the moments of complete darkness I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat.
By far one of the most creative movies I've ever seen. If you have ever wondered what it would be like to be in a comic book, this is the movie for you. Or is it a graphic novel? Either way, this is a super fun film.
I tried so hard to hate this movie. It's a movie about the creation of a fad that will be obsolete and irrelevant within the next 5-10 years. It's a movie about a guy that stole every single one of his ideas from someone/something else and made billions of dollars doing so. All of my personal feelings aside, it was definitely one of the best movies of the year. The fact that the writer and director were able to make the creation of a website interesting is pretty fascinating.
When this movie came out, there was a lot of talk about it's Oscar potential. That quickly died down when it never really connected with the masses. Robert Duvall and Bill Murray were fantastic and the story was brilliant. I see just about every movie that I can in hopes of finding one this this.
I wish I could get inside the brain of Christopher Nolan. I wonder how he was able to come up with everything that went into this film. It's mind blowing. When you watch this movie (and you should) make sure that you can really focus on it. It's a little confusing. I'll admit that after 2 viewings I'm still a little lost on certain things.I had to add a couple of honorable mentions to my list.
It seems that there are two kinds of 3D movies. There are the great stories that try to be 3D but fail and there are the visual masterpieces that fail to bring in a great story. Tron: Legacy is the later. To say I was blown away by the visual experience of this film is putting it lightly. That being said, the story was a little weak. I still think it's worth seeing but only if you can see it in a 3D IMAX theater. Much like avatar, there's almost no use seeing it on a TV or in a regular theater.
This one got a lot of heat from those that read the book but it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I had at the theater all year. 90% of the time I go to the movies I'm looking for an escape. A chance to relax and be entertained. This movie is just that. You don't have to think too much about it. Percy Jackson, a bucket of popcorn and a soda makes for a great evening.
How many times have you watched a movie that was supposed to be about real life and thought, "that's not like real life at all?" Even though most of us probably can't relate to having two lesbian parents, I don't think I've ever seen a movie that captures real life the way that this one did. It has a very natural feel.Monday, January 3, 2011
New Year's Resolutions or Failures?
It's January 3rd and by now you've probably already had the chance to break at least one of your New Year's resolutions. This year I've noticed a lot of people saying that they don't make any resolutions. They say they don't make them because they don't like the idea of setting themselves up for failure. It's true. Most people do not end up following through with their resolutions. Personally, I've decided to give up alcohol until the spring recreational football season starts up (with my upcoming 30th birthday as an exception).
Maybe the solution isn't to stop making resolutions but instead to make more attainable ones. How many times have you vowed to fit into those jeans from high school? How many times have you vowed to quit smoking? These things, while not impossible, are not easy. They take a lot of effort and in the daily grind of life they can take a back seat to other more important things like paying for gas or finding a job.
Here are some ideas for resolutions that might be a little easier to hold up and they can still help improve your life.
1) Be Healthier: I know this one is vague but when you set a massive weight loss goal, it's easy to become discouraged and want to give up. Start small with some simple healthier eating habits. Give up the cheetos and maybe try some rice cakes. Coincidentally, I've found these amazing cheesy rice cakes that taste just like cheetos but have nowhere near the calories. Some healthier eating habits and some simple daily exercise (like going for a walk) can really improve your life.
2) Spend More Time With Friends/Loved Ones: Sounds so simple that you might not even think it is necessary. It definitely is. Speaking for myself, I just spent the last week of my vacation by myself at my house relaxing. While it was nice to recharge, It was also very lonely. This doesn't need to cost you a lot of money either. Have a game night once in a while or get together to watch the Ravens.
3) Don't Make Unrealistic Goals: Sure, I'd love to run a 4 minute mile but it's not going to happen. I can get through a mile in about 10 minutes (don't laugh). I decided that I'd like to get that down to 9 minutes by the end of the year. I'll be very happy if I reach it and there's always the possibility that I could knock my time down a little more. When you make a goal that is unrealistic, the chances of you accomplishing it are very slim. For example, instead of saying you're going to quit smoking, try saying you're going to cut back from 20 cigarettes a day to 15. Once you've been able to hit that mark you'll be able to take the next step down to 12.
4) Relax: We are a very stressed out group of people. We're upset about everything under the sun but how much of that stress is in our control? Very little. We can't do anything about that idiot on the road that hasn't figured out how to merge yet so why let it bother us? Sit back, take a breath and try to smile. It's simple, attainable and it will make your real life stresses much easier to handle.
Maybe the solution isn't to stop making resolutions but instead to make more attainable ones. How many times have you vowed to fit into those jeans from high school? How many times have you vowed to quit smoking? These things, while not impossible, are not easy. They take a lot of effort and in the daily grind of life they can take a back seat to other more important things like paying for gas or finding a job.
Here are some ideas for resolutions that might be a little easier to hold up and they can still help improve your life.
1) Be Healthier: I know this one is vague but when you set a massive weight loss goal, it's easy to become discouraged and want to give up. Start small with some simple healthier eating habits. Give up the cheetos and maybe try some rice cakes. Coincidentally, I've found these amazing cheesy rice cakes that taste just like cheetos but have nowhere near the calories. Some healthier eating habits and some simple daily exercise (like going for a walk) can really improve your life.
2) Spend More Time With Friends/Loved Ones: Sounds so simple that you might not even think it is necessary. It definitely is. Speaking for myself, I just spent the last week of my vacation by myself at my house relaxing. While it was nice to recharge, It was also very lonely. This doesn't need to cost you a lot of money either. Have a game night once in a while or get together to watch the Ravens.
3) Don't Make Unrealistic Goals: Sure, I'd love to run a 4 minute mile but it's not going to happen. I can get through a mile in about 10 minutes (don't laugh). I decided that I'd like to get that down to 9 minutes by the end of the year. I'll be very happy if I reach it and there's always the possibility that I could knock my time down a little more. When you make a goal that is unrealistic, the chances of you accomplishing it are very slim. For example, instead of saying you're going to quit smoking, try saying you're going to cut back from 20 cigarettes a day to 15. Once you've been able to hit that mark you'll be able to take the next step down to 12.
4) Relax: We are a very stressed out group of people. We're upset about everything under the sun but how much of that stress is in our control? Very little. We can't do anything about that idiot on the road that hasn't figured out how to merge yet so why let it bother us? Sit back, take a breath and try to smile. It's simple, attainable and it will make your real life stresses much easier to handle.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Welcome To The New Year
As I sat at my house on New Year's Eve watching hours and hours of House on USA, I came to a few realizations.
1) I still don't like NYE. I've tried over the last few years to get into the celebrations, but it never works out the way I expect it to. Admittedly, I didn't have much planned for this year. That didn't stop my simple plans from being canceled and/or ruined. I don't need a big extravagant party to celebrate the new year. I'm perfectly happy with spending the night with a few friends. I just don't like spending it alone. The last time I actually enjoyed my NYE was on 12/31/05. That year I had some friends and co-workers over my place. There was a keg, music, jello shots and an open door policy. Otherwise known as all of the necessary ingredients for a successful party. Everyone had a good time and they all asked that I do it again the following year. Unfortunately, the few stains that were left on the carpet from the jello shots were enough for my roommate/landlord to tell me I wasn't allowed to throw parties anymore.
2) If all of your friends are in committed relationships, you have no friends. I'm almost 30 years old. That means that all of my peers are looking to get married no matter what the cost. In fact, the vast majority of my friends are in serious relationships, engaged or married. Once that relationship becomes the most important thing in their lives, they stop living life as an "I" and it becomes a "We." That's all fine and good for them but it leaves the single folk out in the cold. When I was trying to set up plans for NYE I heard a lot of, "We're going to her parent's house," or, "We're visiting with his friends." Things like that. No one ever seemed very excited about the plans but they had to suck it up for their partner. This paragraph sounds a little catty. I understand that. I'm very happy for my friends who have appeared to find significant others. I just think it sucks that people like me get left in the dust.
3) It's hard to make friends after college. I've been living in Baltimore for about 2 1/2 years now and sometimes I feel just as lonely as I did on the first day I moved here. A lot of that could be in relation to theory #2. I've made some good acquaintances but they never seem to be around when I really need them. Now, I'm not talking about "needing them" to post bail for me or "needing them" to donate a kidney for me. I'm just talking about "needing them" to have a beer and watch a football game with me. New Year's Day is one of the busiest days of college football with some big bowl games. I called or texted just about every guy I knew was potentially available and every single one of them said no. Maybe they had more important things to do, or maybe I just don't have as good of friends as I thought. They're all good people and I'm positive they weren't declining my invitation because they didn't want to hang with me. That doesn't change the fact that it was a lousy situation.
(side note: My dad ran into a similar problem recently. He won 4 tickets, tailgate passes and food vouchers for the final Patriots game of the season. Every "friend" of his he asked declined with most of them saying it would be too cold for them. Free tickets to an NFL game valued at nearly $1,000 and it was too cold? I wish I could have been there for my dad to go to that game. Unfortunately that's the negative part of living a few hundred miles away from my family.)
4) House is a great show. I've never watched the show from the beginning of a season to the end before. I always just catch episodes here and there. I enjoy them but there's generally a little back story involved with each one that I can't exactly follow along with. The marathon on NYE was a season in order. At least I think it was. I was pretty pleased with my experience.
Had I stayed up to watch the ball drop I would probably have a few more observations for you. I passed out around 10:15. I think the last time I was awake at midnight on NYE was that wonderful party in 2005. Maybe next year.
1) I still don't like NYE. I've tried over the last few years to get into the celebrations, but it never works out the way I expect it to. Admittedly, I didn't have much planned for this year. That didn't stop my simple plans from being canceled and/or ruined. I don't need a big extravagant party to celebrate the new year. I'm perfectly happy with spending the night with a few friends. I just don't like spending it alone. The last time I actually enjoyed my NYE was on 12/31/05. That year I had some friends and co-workers over my place. There was a keg, music, jello shots and an open door policy. Otherwise known as all of the necessary ingredients for a successful party. Everyone had a good time and they all asked that I do it again the following year. Unfortunately, the few stains that were left on the carpet from the jello shots were enough for my roommate/landlord to tell me I wasn't allowed to throw parties anymore.
2) If all of your friends are in committed relationships, you have no friends. I'm almost 30 years old. That means that all of my peers are looking to get married no matter what the cost. In fact, the vast majority of my friends are in serious relationships, engaged or married. Once that relationship becomes the most important thing in their lives, they stop living life as an "I" and it becomes a "We." That's all fine and good for them but it leaves the single folk out in the cold. When I was trying to set up plans for NYE I heard a lot of, "We're going to her parent's house," or, "We're visiting with his friends." Things like that. No one ever seemed very excited about the plans but they had to suck it up for their partner. This paragraph sounds a little catty. I understand that. I'm very happy for my friends who have appeared to find significant others. I just think it sucks that people like me get left in the dust.
3) It's hard to make friends after college. I've been living in Baltimore for about 2 1/2 years now and sometimes I feel just as lonely as I did on the first day I moved here. A lot of that could be in relation to theory #2. I've made some good acquaintances but they never seem to be around when I really need them. Now, I'm not talking about "needing them" to post bail for me or "needing them" to donate a kidney for me. I'm just talking about "needing them" to have a beer and watch a football game with me. New Year's Day is one of the busiest days of college football with some big bowl games. I called or texted just about every guy I knew was potentially available and every single one of them said no. Maybe they had more important things to do, or maybe I just don't have as good of friends as I thought. They're all good people and I'm positive they weren't declining my invitation because they didn't want to hang with me. That doesn't change the fact that it was a lousy situation.
(side note: My dad ran into a similar problem recently. He won 4 tickets, tailgate passes and food vouchers for the final Patriots game of the season. Every "friend" of his he asked declined with most of them saying it would be too cold for them. Free tickets to an NFL game valued at nearly $1,000 and it was too cold? I wish I could have been there for my dad to go to that game. Unfortunately that's the negative part of living a few hundred miles away from my family.)
4) House is a great show. I've never watched the show from the beginning of a season to the end before. I always just catch episodes here and there. I enjoy them but there's generally a little back story involved with each one that I can't exactly follow along with. The marathon on NYE was a season in order. At least I think it was. I was pretty pleased with my experience.
Had I stayed up to watch the ball drop I would probably have a few more observations for you. I passed out around 10:15. I think the last time I was awake at midnight on NYE was that wonderful party in 2005. Maybe next year.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Hereafter
I started wondering earlier today if my lack of posts on this blog is a direct result of a lack of ideas or if I'm just not that interesting. I'm hoping it's the lack of ideas. I'd like to think that there are some good thoughts that roam through my head from time to time. Maybe it's pure laziness. Now that I think about it, laziness seems more like a viable option.
I get to see a lot of movies for my job. Apparently I'm a member of the press so I get all of the invites that real movie reviewers get. I'm not complaining. It's actually my favorite perk that comes along with my job. I love going to the movies but I certainly wouldn't go anywhere near as often as I do now if I actually had to pay for all of them. There's something powerful about sitting back with a bag of popcorn and leaving reality for a couple of hours.
I do run into a lot of actual movie critics and I like to get into conversations about films with them. Discussions like what they do and don't like about movies are usually the hot topic. Generally, I find that we never agree but sometimes the stars align and we can enjoy the same films. There's one critic in particular that I really respect. She has an amazing knowledge of movies. My one major complaint with her is that I think she has lost sight of what people are looking for when they go to the theaters.
She will often say things to me like, "I didn't like it but I think it's right up your alley." At first I wasn't sure if that was an insult. Basically saying she thinks I'm a simple person and I don't care about the art in movies. I should be offended by that right? I am to an extent but not fully. I think I know what she means. I find enjoyment in some of the movies that she would find to be dumb. She would rant and rave about The American with George Clooney saying how brilliantly done it was where I would say that The Expendables was the best movie of the summer. OK, I wouldn't say that exactly but it's a movie that proves my point.
The American was boring and very uneventful. Not the kind of movie that the vast majority of people want to see when they spend $10 at the theater. When I went to see it, I fell asleep for a few minutes. My friend actually leaned over at one point to tell me that she was bored and she had to wake me up just to say it. That's how boring it was. Most Americans felt the same way as it did horribly at the box office yet most critics gave it phenomenal reviews.
Now The Expendables was a poorly written filled with horrible acting but it kept me glued to my seat for the entire 90 minutes. It was pure fluff and entertainment. Even Sylvester Stallone said that was what he was going for. He wanted to make a movie that was a throwback to the old style of the 80's action flick. I think he achieved superbly and so did the public. It was #1 at the box office for, I think, 3 weeks in a row. The movie critics did not agree. It did not garner very good reviews and some critics even said that they felt their intelligence was insulted by it. I think those critics have been insulting our intelligence for years.
Commercial success does not always prove that a movie is good (ie the Twilight series) but a good review doesn't either. Critics don't seem to understand that we just want to be entertained. We don't care that the director used a different kind of lens for the first 30 minutes of the movie then switched over to show a different shade of light. We want to escape our lives. We want to laugh, cry, ooohhh and ahhhh at the screen. Sometimes we want to think but it's more likely that we don't.
That rant brings me to the point of this posting. I went to see the new movie from Clint Eastwood starring Matt Damon. I had been under the impression that Clint Eastwood just couldn't miss. He was behind movies like Million Dollar Baby, Mystic River and Gran Torino. All really great films and some with Oscar winning performances. This movie breaks that trend. The opening sequence of Hereafter is amazing. I had goosebumps and was absolutely riveted for the first 10 minutes or so. I thought Eastwood really put together a great intro but unfortunately he blew his wad too early and the rest of the movie was a bit of a let down.
It follows the lives of 3 different people and their struggle with what comes when you die. The first person you meet is a woman that has a near death experience in a giant tidal wave during the intense opening sequence. The second is a young boy in England who loses his twin brother in an accident. Then comes Matt Damon who is a psychic who can supposedly speak to the dead but looks at this as more of a curse than a gift. At first you're drawn in because each character has a very intriguing story. Then as the movie progressed, I started to get more and more impatient as I tried to figure out how he would tie them all together. I'm not going to give anything away but the payoff isn't worth the wait. It has some very interesting moments but overall it comes across as being disjointed. Almost like it was thrown together at the last minute. That theory is very possible considering no one even knew it was coming out until about a month ago. Whenever I spend a good amount of time asking myself the question, "Why do I care about this" I think the movie has missed something.
Do I think it was a bad movie? No. Do I think you need to rush out to the theater and see it this weekend? Absolutely not. Wait until it hits DVD. You could even wait until it hits basic cable in 3 years. I don't think you're going to miss anything.
I get to see a lot of movies for my job. Apparently I'm a member of the press so I get all of the invites that real movie reviewers get. I'm not complaining. It's actually my favorite perk that comes along with my job. I love going to the movies but I certainly wouldn't go anywhere near as often as I do now if I actually had to pay for all of them. There's something powerful about sitting back with a bag of popcorn and leaving reality for a couple of hours.
I do run into a lot of actual movie critics and I like to get into conversations about films with them. Discussions like what they do and don't like about movies are usually the hot topic. Generally, I find that we never agree but sometimes the stars align and we can enjoy the same films. There's one critic in particular that I really respect. She has an amazing knowledge of movies. My one major complaint with her is that I think she has lost sight of what people are looking for when they go to the theaters.
She will often say things to me like, "I didn't like it but I think it's right up your alley." At first I wasn't sure if that was an insult. Basically saying she thinks I'm a simple person and I don't care about the art in movies. I should be offended by that right? I am to an extent but not fully. I think I know what she means. I find enjoyment in some of the movies that she would find to be dumb. She would rant and rave about The American with George Clooney saying how brilliantly done it was where I would say that The Expendables was the best movie of the summer. OK, I wouldn't say that exactly but it's a movie that proves my point.
The American was boring and very uneventful. Not the kind of movie that the vast majority of people want to see when they spend $10 at the theater. When I went to see it, I fell asleep for a few minutes. My friend actually leaned over at one point to tell me that she was bored and she had to wake me up just to say it. That's how boring it was. Most Americans felt the same way as it did horribly at the box office yet most critics gave it phenomenal reviews.
Now The Expendables was a poorly written filled with horrible acting but it kept me glued to my seat for the entire 90 minutes. It was pure fluff and entertainment. Even Sylvester Stallone said that was what he was going for. He wanted to make a movie that was a throwback to the old style of the 80's action flick. I think he achieved superbly and so did the public. It was #1 at the box office for, I think, 3 weeks in a row. The movie critics did not agree. It did not garner very good reviews and some critics even said that they felt their intelligence was insulted by it. I think those critics have been insulting our intelligence for years.
Commercial success does not always prove that a movie is good (ie the Twilight series) but a good review doesn't either. Critics don't seem to understand that we just want to be entertained. We don't care that the director used a different kind of lens for the first 30 minutes of the movie then switched over to show a different shade of light. We want to escape our lives. We want to laugh, cry, ooohhh and ahhhh at the screen. Sometimes we want to think but it's more likely that we don't.
That rant brings me to the point of this posting. I went to see the new movie from Clint Eastwood starring Matt Damon. I had been under the impression that Clint Eastwood just couldn't miss. He was behind movies like Million Dollar Baby, Mystic River and Gran Torino. All really great films and some with Oscar winning performances. This movie breaks that trend. The opening sequence of Hereafter is amazing. I had goosebumps and was absolutely riveted for the first 10 minutes or so. I thought Eastwood really put together a great intro but unfortunately he blew his wad too early and the rest of the movie was a bit of a let down.
It follows the lives of 3 different people and their struggle with what comes when you die. The first person you meet is a woman that has a near death experience in a giant tidal wave during the intense opening sequence. The second is a young boy in England who loses his twin brother in an accident. Then comes Matt Damon who is a psychic who can supposedly speak to the dead but looks at this as more of a curse than a gift. At first you're drawn in because each character has a very intriguing story. Then as the movie progressed, I started to get more and more impatient as I tried to figure out how he would tie them all together. I'm not going to give anything away but the payoff isn't worth the wait. It has some very interesting moments but overall it comes across as being disjointed. Almost like it was thrown together at the last minute. That theory is very possible considering no one even knew it was coming out until about a month ago. Whenever I spend a good amount of time asking myself the question, "Why do I care about this" I think the movie has missed something.
Do I think it was a bad movie? No. Do I think you need to rush out to the theater and see it this weekend? Absolutely not. Wait until it hits DVD. You could even wait until it hits basic cable in 3 years. I don't think you're going to miss anything.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Facebook Backlash?
When I first heard that there was going to be a Facebook movie, I cringed and said to a friend, "I'd rather watch 30 A-Team remakes than see a movie about Facebook." To me, the creation of Facebook is a non story. The site is absolutely a great networking tool. There's no question about that. But is there really a story behind a site that was created entirely off of ideas stolen from other people (except the like button of course)? I'm not taking some self-righteous stance here and saying I would never use Facebook. I was late to the Facebook party but I still signed up and I've been able to get in touch with some great people that I lost touch with as well as people that I had hoped I would never see again. It's a great way to share my life with friends and also to kill some time. That being said, Facebook is not by any means an original idea and that's why I questioned the decision to make a movie based on it. Why should I care about some over privileged kids that stole other people's ideas and made billions of dollars? The answer to that question is I shouldn't and I don't, however, the movie was fantastic. It was put together in such a way that the monotony of the real story didn't seem quite as boring.
I've taken heat from some that don't agree with me when I say that Facebook isn't as revolutionary as many believe it to be. There are a few scenes from the movie that help prove my point. At the very opening of the film you hear Zuckerberg mention that unlike other schools, Harvard doesn't offer an online Facebook for its students. He even took the name from an already available service. Side note...when I was a freshman in college (1999) we were all given books with head shots of our classmates that we all called "The Facebook." That was 5 years before Zuckerberg's creation. Another example is when the Winklevoss twins are sharing their idea with Zuckerberg he asks how it would be different from Friendster or Myspace. Their answer? It would be exclusive. They wanted to create a site based off of Myspace but make it only available to Harvard users. Exclusivity is not synonymous with originality. Other instances in the film include the moments when Zuckerberg "thought" to add relationship status and photo galleries to the site. Both of these options were already available on Myspace before Z had what he felt were brilliant ideas.
Someone reading this might think that I'm a huge Myspace supporter. That's not true. In fact, I deleted my account around the same time that I signed up for Facebook. Even at that point, I hadn't been active on Myspace in quite some time.
Though much of Facebook was stolen from other ideas, it did change the game a little bit. Where Facebook succeeded was in its design. It took the disaster of images and videos that were on Myspace and simplified it immensely to make a much easier networking experience. When you log in, you're not instantly bombarded with a song or some ridiculous video that was posted in your comments. I also really enjoy the mutual friends section when you look at someone's profile. I have found many old friends simply because we had mutual friends on Facebook.
While movie critics across the board have been praising the film, the tech bloggers seem to have all teamed up to support the real Zuckerberg (Try THIS ARTICLE or THIS ONE as examples). Many say that it doesn't show Zuckerberg the way he truly is. That could be true. I've never met or spoken with the man so I can't comment on that. The people that have will clearly know that better. They have also complained that the film doesn't accurately show anything about social networking. There are two reasons for this.
1) The movie is about the creation and subsequent law suits stemming from Z's theft of the ideas. Not about using Facebook.
2) A 2 hour movie about people using Facebook would be the most boring thing to ever hit the big screen.
While we like to think what we're doing on Facebook is important (and to us, it is) it's actually not interesting in real life at all. Posting that you're heading to the grocery store could be important information to your friends, or burglars waiting to rob your house, but it's not important to the other 499,999,985 people that are on Facebook and thus, not important to the rest of the world.
I've taken heat from some that don't agree with me when I say that Facebook isn't as revolutionary as many believe it to be. There are a few scenes from the movie that help prove my point. At the very opening of the film you hear Zuckerberg mention that unlike other schools, Harvard doesn't offer an online Facebook for its students. He even took the name from an already available service. Side note...when I was a freshman in college (1999) we were all given books with head shots of our classmates that we all called "The Facebook." That was 5 years before Zuckerberg's creation. Another example is when the Winklevoss twins are sharing their idea with Zuckerberg he asks how it would be different from Friendster or Myspace. Their answer? It would be exclusive. They wanted to create a site based off of Myspace but make it only available to Harvard users. Exclusivity is not synonymous with originality. Other instances in the film include the moments when Zuckerberg "thought" to add relationship status and photo galleries to the site. Both of these options were already available on Myspace before Z had what he felt were brilliant ideas.
Someone reading this might think that I'm a huge Myspace supporter. That's not true. In fact, I deleted my account around the same time that I signed up for Facebook. Even at that point, I hadn't been active on Myspace in quite some time.
Though much of Facebook was stolen from other ideas, it did change the game a little bit. Where Facebook succeeded was in its design. It took the disaster of images and videos that were on Myspace and simplified it immensely to make a much easier networking experience. When you log in, you're not instantly bombarded with a song or some ridiculous video that was posted in your comments. I also really enjoy the mutual friends section when you look at someone's profile. I have found many old friends simply because we had mutual friends on Facebook.
While movie critics across the board have been praising the film, the tech bloggers seem to have all teamed up to support the real Zuckerberg (Try THIS ARTICLE or THIS ONE as examples). Many say that it doesn't show Zuckerberg the way he truly is. That could be true. I've never met or spoken with the man so I can't comment on that. The people that have will clearly know that better. They have also complained that the film doesn't accurately show anything about social networking. There are two reasons for this.
1) The movie is about the creation and subsequent law suits stemming from Z's theft of the ideas. Not about using Facebook.
2) A 2 hour movie about people using Facebook would be the most boring thing to ever hit the big screen.
While we like to think what we're doing on Facebook is important (and to us, it is) it's actually not interesting in real life at all. Posting that you're heading to the grocery store could be important information to your friends, or burglars waiting to rob your house, but it's not important to the other 499,999,985 people that are on Facebook and thus, not important to the rest of the world.
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