Beneath The Outer Shell

it's been a while since i have blogged about politics.  this entry may qualify as a politically charged blog, but we'll see.  i just watched the VP debate and i have to say it was the worst moderated debate i've ever seen.  Biden was such a obnoxious laughing fool, i even cringed whenever he started to smile.  he was allowed to interrupt at any time and was allowed more time in the long run.  rude doesn't even begin to describe Biden.  complete dumbass on all counts.

i recently reconnected with some old friends...and what do you know...they are liberals.  i don't get it.  i am ALWAYS in the minority when it comes to politics.  i have no friends on my side.  i try to make friends based on character, but maybe i should start by pre-judging them based on their political stance. once again, i'm in a room where someone thinks Bill Maher is an accurate account of the news.  i'm in a room where people are terrified of Global Warming (even though they changed the name to "Climate Change").  i'm in a room where people think the Constitution should be "re-written" because it "no longer applies" in todays American life.  basically...i'm in a room with MORONS!

i wish i could meet some of those people who hate politics so much that they support Ron Paul, or, back in the day, Ross Perot.  not my favorites, but when i met someone who supported one of those, i felt i could somewhat relate.  my friends really think that politics matter today.  i don't.  depending on which channel you watch, you will receive skewed news and commentary.  yes Fox news is conservative, but CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS are all skewed to the left.  it's overtly obvious at any time.  watch CNN for one political story, then hurry and change to Fox...and you'll hear completely different versions of the story.  this is a fact.  i can't stand to be in the same room with people who honestly think their politics are correct.  check out this fact:
BOTH SIDES ARE MANIPULATING YOU.
YOU ARE BEING DUPED AT ALL TIMES.

do you want higher taxes and bigger government? = vote for Obama
or
do you want lower taxes and smaller government? = vote for Romney

regardless, i can't afford to be liberal!  can you?


Edit:  if you just don't give a flip, don't vote at all.  i'm not.  it's already in the books.  Obama has won and i don't need an election to prove that.  it is literally a waste of time to engage in politics.  i'm tired of caring.  i'm tired of fighting.  i'm tired of being alone.

my brother is a genius.  he predicts everything and most of the time, he's correct.  not only does he predict the ending to a movie, but he does so quite early in the movie.  yes, earlier than you and i.  his claim to fame in my book is when he predicted the story and ending to Shutter Island after just seeing the trailer!  it was the first time we had seen a preview for Shutter Island and he already had it figured out.  he does this all the time.  it's amazing.

now i have jumped on board with bold predictions of my own.  aside from predicting Miami would beat Oklahoma in the NBA Finals last year (i predicted it during the preseason), i tried my best to one-up my brother.  and i think i may have matched him.  after seeing Inglorious Basterds, my brother and i asked ourselves what type of movie will Tarantino do next?  i quickly predicted Tarantino's next movie would be a western.  not that big of a deal if you look at what Tarantino does...he puts his mark on different film genres.  aside from sci-fi and film noire, they're aren't that many genres Tarantino hasn't attempted.  well, Tarantino is about to release his next movie on Christmas Day...it's a "western", that takes place in the south...so he's technically calling it a "southern".  but hey, i was correct.  my brother was impressed.  score.

now my brother is back with some very interesting predictions about the next James Bond film, Skyfall.  a quick background story here - starting when i was in elementary school, our father got us interested in James Bond, Alien, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The French Connection, Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock, and much more.  plus, on another note, the only music my parents listened to were The Beatles.  i couldn't have chosen a better set of influences.  as a result my brother and i know every James Bond movie backwards and forwards...my brother even knows who sings each theme song (WTF?) now my brother doesn't search the net for spoilers, plot details, or basic information about a film he hasn't seen.  based on the trailer for Skyfall, my brother has predicted that M will be outed as James Bond's mother and that Bond's father will be revealed as well (possibly related to Javier Bardem's character).  talk about a ballsy prediction...but it would make sense.  Bond is said to be an orphan and the film series sure could use some more background information on the lead character.

i already told him that if he's correct...i'll vomit on him...then congratulate him appropriately.

these are some movies i saw a ways back.  i'll make this simple since none of these films are "great".

Total Recall is a bad remake.  Colin Farrell is the new Schwarzenegger in this science fiction disaster.  the orignal wasn't all that bad, but i do remember thinking there was major plot hole.  something didn't fit right, but i don't have the energy to try and understand it anymore.  now, the remake tries to be the same movie and attempts to outdo the original with incomprehensible action scenes.  this is a pet peeve of mine.  if you have action and fight scenes, you must allow to audience to understand what is exactly going on.  these days, too many movies show the hero with some advanced karate-kung fu-street fighting-Jason Bourne abilities...and you can't tell who is winning until the overly predictable fight is over.  the good guy wins, or the enemy gets away.  such a waste of time for the director and the audience.  now back to the film.  the film is too dark.  not as in bleak, but as in literally too dark to see all of the detail.  i imagine this is done to cover up shoddy CGI.  in comparison, the original is fantastic.  the Total Recall remake stinks.  don't ever watch it, even if you're bored.  stay away at all costs.

The Campaign is a really funny movie with Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis as opposing candidates vying to be elected to North Carolina's 14th District.  i saw this one on a movie hop, as usual, and i didn't think it would be very good.  it was a long shot.  i only liked Will Ferrell in Elf and have developed a strong dislike of his films and characters.  however, The Campaign is a brutal R-rated comedy without shame.  i found myself laughing out loud in the theatre for the first time in a LONG time.  i do realize what is funny and am amused by intelligent humor, but to actually laugh aloud in public is a rarity for me.  the only drawback in the entire movie are the intermittent scenes of serious dialogue.  one minute your laughing at raunchy humor, then the very next minute you are jilted back into serious mode.  it's a strange combination and i never got used to it.  my recommendation is to watch it if it's on TV, maybe go with Netflix...or if you really like the actors, see it.

The Bourne Legacy, in my world, is a two part film.  the first part works...the second part comes at you so quickly that you almost forget that the first part was actually really good.  i was stoked to see this one and the first 45 minutes were really cool and quite interesting.  there was no clear plot in the first half, but for me it didn't matter.  i knew the plot was coming.  i knew it involved some kind of drug...pills which are kept in what appears to be a used breath mint tin container.  the big problem with the movie is the character played by Rachel Weisz.  she's a doctor that gets mixed up with Aaron Cross (played by Jeremy Renner) and his march forward to understand how the government is using him.  Rachel Weisz is at her worst.  for what seems to be an eternity, she freaks out and screams her lines.  granted, she has been through a lot, but it's as if she is talking to herself.  there is no real connection or repor with Renner.  Rachel Weisz completely destroys the film and it's even embarrassing to watch.  i recommend the first 45 minutes, then just push fast forward and watch the final 15 minutes to clear things up.  just cover your ears whenever Weisz speaks.

Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master is a different type of film.  in fact, it's his most ambitious work to date.  as the director of Magnolia, There will be Blood, Boogie Nights, and Punch Drunk Love, Anderson attempts something more personal for the audience to enjoy.  it's about an alcoholic and torn WWII veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) who meets "The Master" (Philip Seymour Hoffman). The Master is said to be preaching the origin of Scientology (yes, L. Ron Hubbard).  "The Master" wants this war veteran to be a member of his group, called "The Cause", which is just another way looking at life and it's obstacles.  it's a spiritual coming of age story that mixes amateur existentialism with basic Scientology.  sounds like a good movie?  well, i kept getting distracted watching this one.  both the editing and the way the story was told just didn't work for me.  the pacing was way off.   i'll be honest...i didn't understand exactly what i had seen when the credits began to roll.  a second viewing would do wonders, but the problem is i have no urge or desire to see it again.  maybe one day.  some may hate me for this, but i say skip it and watch one of Andersons other films.

edit:  the main reason i was excited to see The Master was because Jonny Greenwood (lead guitarist of Radiohead) wrote the entire musical score.  on Anderson's last movie, There will be Blood, Greenwood also did the score.  both films excel tremendously in this category...however only There will be Blood is the one not to be missed.

Drive is a great film.  i loved it from the start.  it's an effective art film, and also happens to tell a simple yet beautiful story.  Ryan Gosling plays the lead part.  he's a "driver" as he says.  as the title goes, he drives the getaway car at night, and is a stunt driver during the day.  his life is pretty simple when it boils down to it.  he doesn't always have to speed to get away from the cops, but instead fools them on the same roads he knows backwards and forwards.  this is a really cool film.  the lead character has little  emotion and a lack of depth...but the rest of the cast shines as individuals with actual emotion.  the plot evolves when the driver ends up stepping into the life of a young woman and her child.  he feels responsible for them and does what it takes to keep them safe.  this is one of my favorite films from the past few years.  i highly recommend.

Trust is a disturbing movie. with that being said, i feel allowed to continue without hesitation. Trust is about a 14 year old who gets involved with the wrong person she meets online. if there is ever a film that promotes justice towards pedophilia, this is the one. we see complete manipulation of a young girl and the fallout that comes afterwards. the movie is relentless with the subject matter and it doesn't dance around the issue, but instead takes it on head first. it's rather an uncomfortable movie as it deals with victim's family attempt at restoring to a normal life. i feel like i have given enough information about the film, or at least enough to allow you to figure out the rest. i can't imagine seeing this movie again, but it will reassure your beliefs in the pursuit of justice towards these child predators.

Margaret is a nice change of pace film dealing with a tragedy and those who feel or shouldn't feel responsible for it. Anna Paquin (from True Blood) stars as a student who may or may not have been partially to blame for a tragic bus accident in which someone was killed. the movie allows YOU to decide if the main character was partially to blame. the driver of the bus (Mark Ruffalo) is also under pressure trying to assure his innocence in the incident. we follow "Margaret" through her tragic meltdowns of guilt to her pursuit in getting the driver to at least admit he was in the wrong. it was an enjoyable film and easy to watch. i recommend it.

The Descendants stars George Clooney as a wealthy descendant of a white land owning Hawaii family.  in fact Clooney's character is one of the first white land owning descendants in Hawaii.  his life is troubling, for one reason, because his wife is in a coma after a boating accident.  to top off all matters, he must decide whether or not to sell some prime real estate on Kauai, turning acres of beach side beauty into condos and attracting inevitable tourists.  in the middle of all this, he finds out there is a secret his wife was keeping from him and the family.  the film looks at the family, legal, and financial responsibilities of the main character.  the film weighs all of the issues equally and invites the audience to care on numerous levels.  it's one of Clooney's better performances, but overall...unless you are a George Clooney fan, i'm not sure i can recommend it.

Martha Marcy May Marlene is an interesting film about the brain washing that goes on in a cult, and the difficulty of life outside the cult.  the name of the movie relates to the various names the cult members go by, as well as her real name (Martha).  Elizabeth Olson plays the lead and she does so quite effectively.  what i found most interesting, is the difficulty Martha has finding a purpose in the real life living with her sister.  when you are part of cult, you feel like someone important, someone that people need around.  the film almost makes the cult seem like the valid way of life when compared to family "reality".  the film goes back and forth between life in the cult, and life afterwards.  it's such an honest look at both options, you may find it odd that your views have become loose.  for this reason, i would have to recommend it.

 

these are 2 more films i learned about from Roger Ebert's best of 2011 list. interestingly enough, both films are about another planet in the sky. one is a disaster flick and the other is science fiction, (i guess).   i can't help but think, what are the chances of 2 films coming out in the same year about a new planet close to Earth?  the 2 films are vastly different, but still i find it very strange.

Melancholia is a Lars Von Trier film. if you don't know, he is Danish and has done films such as Dancer in the Dark (starring Bjork), Antichrist (starring Willem Dafoe), and well...hmmm...not sure if the average person would have seen any other film by him.  i've only seen a handful of his movies.  Lars Von Trier films are quite unique however. he mixes art, emotion, and realism all in one. he makes you feel as if you were in the film, alongside the characters. the only other director who has done that effectively is Stanley Kubrick. also, Lars Von Trier films do win LOTS of awards. check out his Wiki page here.   Melancholia is the second film in Trier's "Depression Trilogy".  the first film in the trilogy is Antichrist, which is a disturbing film with strong scenes of fear and violence.  the 3rd film in the Depression Trilogy has yet to be made.  if you are wondering if i am ever going to get to the review of Melancholia, here ya go.  the film revolves around the idea that there is a large planet (much larger than Earth) hurling towards Earth.  some experts say the planet will come close, but not hit Earth...others disagree.  some say the impact is inevitable and it will destroy Earth completely.  can anything be done?  well, Bruce Willis isn't around to land on the planet and blow it up.  so sad.  the film is cut into 2 parts.  the first part is about a wedding with Kirsten Dunst.  that's it, no mention of the large planet...just a wedding where there is a LOT of drama.  i'm not sure if anyone in the first part of the film actually get along with anyone else.  everyone's fighting with each other.  everyone despises each other and it gets old very quickly.  my friend Sean called the movie "tiresome"...and he's oh so correct.  the second part of the film focuses more on the potential disaster.  Kiefer Sutherland has a small part in the movie, as his character is convinced that the planet will narrowly miss Earth.  he thinks everyone is worried for nothing.  the film's second part is better than the first, but not by much.  for a lack of better words, the film is just plain boring.  the payoff at the end isn't even worth it.  i suggest skipping this one AND Antichrist.  maybe i just don't like Lars Von Trier films.  i've tried, but it hasn't happened yet.

the second film is Another Earth.  this is a fun independent film about a new planet which has been discovered very close to ours.  apparently it was "hiding" behind the sun...and now it hovers in the sky. it looks a lot like Earth...perhaps too much.  they even call the new planet Earth 2.  the story revolves around a grad student who has too much to drink one night, and while looking at the planet in the night sky slams into a car.  people are killed, and she's at fault.  she spends time in prison and the movie starts when she gets out.  Brit Marling stars as the main character and is brilliant.  she also helped write and produce the movie.  the film doesn't rely on special effects, but rather good performances.  the plot involves the lead character trying to find the sole survivor of the car she slammed into.  she finds him, but finds it difficult to admit she was the one at fault.  also in the story, there is a national essay contest...and the winner gets to travel to Earth 2.  the film doesn't go as far as you are hoping, but it's an independent film...so what do you expect.  the payoff at the end is done well and worth the time investment.  i thoroughly enjoyed the movie and thought it was rather brilliant.  i recommend it.

every once in a while i realize that i haven't seen any worthwhile movies in a long time.  a few weeks ago, i googled Roger Ebert's best movies of 2011.  i hadn't heard of most of them, and i hadn't seen any of the top 20 he wrote about.  time to get busy, i thought to myself.

it's been a long time since my last post. over 2 years ago i stopped writing because my blog was irritating to a few friends. i made some posts that basically pissed off a few people. maybe they had a point. however, i hate to say i am no longer friends with those people. sad because all it is...is just a blog with personal opinions. i even have a disclaimer on the front page of this blog (to the right). these "friends" took it too personally. they had me thinking i should censor my own blog, just to appeal them. well, censor no more. i am going to write what i feel like and when i feel like it. just because you disagree with my politics, doesn't mean you should abandon our friendship all together.  hey, WWJD?

my life has changed dramatically since my last post. i've moved a few more times, had a few more jobs...the usual, if you know me. i'm currently on a movie binge. i found a new website that allows you to stream just about any movie you can think of. it's quick, it's free, it's legal, and it's fun to have at your disposal. the website is www.1channel.ch

i'm glad to be back, and i'm glad you're here.