Tropic Thunder is the Movie of the Summer
July 31, 2008 | 0 Comments
Tonight I was able to catch an “advanced showing” of Tropic Thunder. I’m going to preface this by saying that while I think Robert Downey Jr. is one of the best actors working in the business I don’t really care much for Ben Stiller and Jack Black. Though for some reason I have been very excited about this film for a long time. After seeing the film, I now have a new appreciation for Ben Stiller.
Tropic Thunder opens August 15th, but I saw it tonight. Ha!
Tropic Thunder, in case you don’t know, is a film about a group of actors making a Vietnam war movie based on a Vietnam war book. The director, feeling pressure from the studio, decided to rig up cameras in the jungle and drop the actors in it — to get a realistic effect. Instead, the actors find themselves in a very real fight (not to sound corny) for their survival. I don’t want to give away too many plot points because, well, the movie is worth seeing and I don’t want to spoil it at all.
As I said above, Robert Downey Jr. is one of the best actors in Hollywood. In this movie he’s “a dude playing a dude playing another dude” in that he’s playing Australian Kirk Lazarus who’s playing the part of Sgt. Osiris. The catch is that blonde hair, blue eyed Lazarus undergoes a “controversial skin pigmentation treatment” to literally become the African American Osiris. This results in a tour de hilarity that I haven’t seen in a very long time. Downey Jr.’s character never breaks character (follow that?) and really steals the entire show.
The one thing I have never liked much about Ben Stiller is that he is pretty much the same character in all of his movies. That’s not to say he isn’t funny, but he’s pretty much the same guy. In Tropic Thunder Stiller plays washed up action star Tugg Speedman, the leader of the rag-tag group of soldiers actor and for the first time I didn’t see Greg Focker. Interestingly enough Stiller also produced, directed, and wrote the film. So yeah, new light for Ben Stiller.
The movie is pretty much non-stop laughs mixed with a nice amount of “holy crap did they just do that!?” moments which well earn the films ‘R’ raiting. There are also a few surprising co-stars that are just as hilarious as the stars. I don’t want to give anything away, but look for great performances by Matthew McConaughey, Tobey Maguire and Tom freaking Cruise (who, like Downey Jr. is also one of the best actors out there despite him being absolutely crazy).
I would highly recommend Tropic Thunder once it comes out August 15th. Hell, I might even go see it again. I’d say it was even better than The Dark Knight It was that good.
My Celebrity Playlist
July 23, 2008 | 0 Comments
I’m not an actual celebrity; I don’t even have a Wikipedia page. But after reading Alton Brown’s Celebrity Playlist I got to thinking that if I were some kind of celebrity and Apple did happen to come calling, what would I put on my list? I spent the last month (yes it’s been exactly one month since I started this post) compiling a list of ten songs from my library of nearly 7,000. Behold, in stunning blog glory, my celebrity playlist:
- Song: The Load Out/Stay
Artist: Jackson Browne
Album: Running on EmptyThe song of life on the road and wanting to continue playing after the show is over. I really like the lyrics and how the song shifts into Stay by the Four Seasons. Too bad it’s not available on iTunes.
- Song: The Wino and I Know
Artist: Jimmy Buffett
Album: Living and Dying in 3/4 TimeMy celebrity playlist would not be complete without something from Buffett. I’ve been a Parrothead for at lest a decade and while I celebrate the entire catalog, a playlist calls for a specific song. The Wino and I Know has been my favorite song by Jimmy Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band since the moment I heard the first riff. It’s got fun lyrics, a killer bridge, and a sound that just draws you in. How can you possibly go wrong?
- Song: The Skies Won’t Fall
Artist: Foundation
Album: FoundationFoundation is a solo project by Ann Beretta frontman, Rob Huddleston. While Ann Beretta is upbeat and at times hard core, Foundation is soft and acoustic. It’s really hard to pick one song from the only Foundation album in existence (2001’s self-titled debut) but The Skies Won’t Fall is just as good as any. The song showcases the bands smooth sound that just demands to be repeated over and over again. According to Foundation’s MySpace page a new album is in the works which is very cool news!
- Song: Where the Streets Have No Name
Artist: U2
Album: Joshua TreeIf there is a song that speaks of more hope I don’t know about it. Someday we’ll find the place where we can take shelter from the poison rain. No matter what crap we go through, there is always hope for something better. For me, it’s where the streets have no name. Bono captures that ultimate hope in this wonderful song.
- Song: When Your Mind’s Made Up
Artist: Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
Album: Music From the Motion Picture ‘Once’I’ve talked about Once before. The movie is incredible mainly because the music is so good. The song that is brought up every time the movie is mentioned, the one that won them the Oscar, is Falling Slowly. In my opinion, which is what makes up everything I write here, that’s not the best song in the movie/soundtrack. When Your Mind’s Made Up is nothing but pure passion and emotion on the part of Glen Hansard that’s translated to the listener. In the film, Glen and Marketa have finally saved up enough money to record. This song grabs the attention of the sound guy and shows the world (and themselves) that they really have something to be proud of. They’ve made it; they’ve done what it takes to chase their dreams. What’s happened in the past doesn’t matter and what will happen in the future is irrelevant. All that matters at that moment is the music.
- Song: Blinded by the Light
Artist: Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
Album: The Roaring SilenceOriginally written and released by Bruce Springsteen but made popular by Manfred Mann, this song has some of the most intense lyrics ever written. Written about Springsteen’s early career, it’s like a crazy trip through dive bars in Jersey complete with very strange characters and situations.
- Song: Move Away and Shine (In a Dream)
Artist: Tim DeLaughter (The Polyphonic Spree)
Album: ‘Thumbsucker’ Original SoundtrackI’m pretty sure The Polyphonic Spree is a cult. I remember seeing them on Conan years ago dancing around in their colored robes playing instruments and hitting beach balls in the air. That’s pretty cultish. Though, just because they are a cult doesn’t mean they can’t make really, really good music. Like another song on this list (that’s what they call a teaser) it’s impossible to listen to anything The Polyphonic Spree does without being put into a good mood (which might be how they get people to join their cult). This song was, more or less, the theme song for a little indie flick that I couldn’t tell you about if I tried. The song, however, is much more memorable. Don’t be afraid to break your comfort zone, get out there and shine. How can you not like that?
- Song: Call Me, Call Me
Artist: 菅野よう子 (The Seatbelts)
Album: BlueIn case you didn’t know, I’m a geek. I dig the internets, video games, and yes, some anime. One such work that I am especially fond of is Cowboy Bebop. It’s a short, 26 episode series about a group of bounty hunters who are forever broke in the year 2071. Call Me, Call Me plays during the climax of the series and wraps up one of the main characters story lines. It’s such a happy and sad moment that is heightened by the emotion in the song. One of the few songs The Seatbelts do that are in English, Call Me, Call Me is about looking for someone long ago lost, and hoping that they’re alright; something all of us can relate to.
- Song: Along for the Ride
Artist: Mates of State
Album: All DayMates of State is an interesting band. It consists of a husband and wife who play the drums and keyboard respectively. Needless to say this produces a very unique sound. They’ve been featured, of all things, in an AT&T commercial and in a prior post here. The first time I heard Along for the Ride was at a concert on Election Night 2004 in Tallahassee. They played the song with fellow touring group Bishop Allen. Like most of their music, it’s a fun, upbeat, song that is hard not to like.
- Song: Walk of Life
Artist: Dire Straits
Album: Brothers in ArmsIt’s pretty impossible to hear this song and not be put into a good mood. I rediscovered this song after watching Space Camp with some friends a while back. I regret forgetting about it in the first place. It is now my ringtone and every time I get a phone call my coworkers start humming. It’s one of the most contagious songs out there. Good thing it’s a pretty good one.
There you have it, my ‘celebrity’ playlist. Like something here? Don’t like something here? Just want to argue about it? Let me know in the comments below.
Wanted: A Review
June 29, 2008 | 0 Comments
Last night I saw Wanted. Going in, I only knew what was shown in the trailer; basically that the movie was going have high action and a moderate disregard for the rules of physics. Moments before the movie started I learned that the whole thing was originally created as a graphic novel. Based on these things I figured I was in for a good time.
Wanted follows a group of high-end, specialized assassins known as The Fraternity. Each assassin has a particular specialty: knives, fists, guns, and the ability to “curve” bullets. Wesley Gibson, an “account manager” with an anxiety disorder, quickly finds out that he is the son of a member of The Fraternity who is killed in the opening scene. Wesley’s tasked with killing his fathers murderer, a rogue member of The Fraternity. From here the film kicks into high gear with wild chase scenes which include Angelina Jolie driving a car with her feet while lying across the hood and shooting at a van. Did I mention the moderate disregard for physics?
Despite twists that can been seen a mile away, the movie is actually very good and written incredibly well. The films writing, especially the Wesley Gibson narration, felt like something Chuck Palahniuk would put together. This is actually pretty surprising considering the writing team’s previous credits feature the likes of 2 Fast 2 Furious. Even more impressive is that the film is directed by a Timur Bekmambetov, a Russian director who prior to Wanted had not made a single American film. Somehow these rag-tag elements came together and manufactured a quality action flick that stands out from the typical summer-time popcorn movie. Needless to say I enjoyed it and recommend it to any interested.
Chinese Food, Twitter, and a Porno?
May 30, 2008 | 0 Comments
I was picking up dinner from the local Chinese take-out and I came to a realization. Every single Chinese take-out place is exactly the same. I’m sure if you think about it, you can picture it: There is a counter about five feet high with the cashier behind it. Above the counter is a menu with the same square pictures of food you see everywhere, some of which you have to wonder if they are actually served there. There are usually three cheep black tables which no one ever eats at. You know what I’m talking about. Don’t get me wrong, I love Chinese take-out and the delicious food it provides, but it just seems very odd that every single one of the face of the western world is identical. It’s mind boggling actually.
Over the last few days I have decided, despite my better judgement, to give Twitter a try. After reading Nick’s breakdown of the service I figured it might be worth a spin. After all, communicating with people is a good thing. Though after a few days of use I have really only come to one conclusion: whoever invested in this service should be really disappointed.
According to the CrunchBase, Twitter has $5.4 million dollars of investment capital running the show and 17 employees. The question I have, is with all the money and people how can the service be down almost as often as it’s up? Sure, they show a cute little graphic to say their sorry for the downtime, but what’s the point? It has been a nice means of communicating with some people through the @reply and direct message feature and by syncing with Facebook for general status updates. Though the system seems to pick and choose which updates are actually shown to me, which kind of defeats the purpose. I can see how it’d be pretty easy to become addicted to Twitter, as many people are, but it’s hard to keep using it with all the issues. I’ll continue to use Twitter and give it the benefit of the doubt. Surely they are in the middle of some sort of upgrade, or something. I mean, with all the money they have, these issues are just a sign of growth, right?
Zack and Miri Make a Porno is the upcoming movie from the very talented and funny Kevin Smith. I had heard about the movie a while back and finally, last night (or really this morning) the teaser trailer was released. It looks pretty funny, and seems to be about exactly what the title implies. But what caught my eye is the design of the website. It seems the cork board idea is spreading, or hitting the big time, or… something, I don’t know. Be warned, the trailer is intended for audiences of 18 and over and is completely uncensored. If you’re over 18 head over and check it out and just remember where you saw the design first. 
Summertime… and the living’s easy!
May 27, 2008 | 0 Comments
Yesterday was Memorial Day and while it’s a day where we take time out to remember those who have given their life in service of this country, it also is a day that signifies the start of summer — unofficially of course. When I was in school Memorial Day meant that school was already out and the three month vacation had begun. Now it means that the summer mission trip season is getting ready to hit full steam. This summer I’m mixing in a nice bit of personal vacation as well, which will be nice.
The first such vacation took place during the holiday weekend. It started with a screening of Indiana Jones: The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which was awesome. Our idiot water moved about a slow as a elephant who was glued to the ground and caused us to get to the theater right at showtime — which meant seats so close to the screen you couldn’t see the whole thing at once. Despite that fact, the movie was a lot of fun and well worth anyones money.
From there it was off to Atlanta for two baseball games featuring the Braves take on the Diamondbacks. The DBacks took the first but the Memorial Day game was all Braves. It was great. I’ll be going back for July 4th to see the Braves go head to head with the Astros. Nothing quite says Memorial Day weekend like Braves baseball and Indiana Jones!
On another note, since updating the design here my little blog has been featured at the illustrious CSS Drive design gallery as well as We Love WP, which showcases WordPress designs. It’s pretty cool to be showcased on the same sites I use for inspiration.
Also, as noted in the comments section on my last post, I am going to try and rework the original Corked into a public release and put it out under Creative Commons licensing. Things are about to get really busy, so I can’t say exactly when, but it is on my to-do list.
You know how in grade school when you were taught the hamburger method of writing, where the top bun was an intro paragraph, the meat was your descriptive paragraphs, and the bottom bun was your conclusion? Well, consider this hamburger bottom bun-less because I got nothing.