Recapping An Ep For a Friend...

I believe I've mentioned to you before, my dear readers, that a good friend of mine, David, has introduced me to this fantastic television series called Game Of Thrones. I also believe I have mentioned that he does some really entertaining recaps of each episode adding in his own views of the ep based on his knowledge of the book series the show based on. He's gotten quite a following on his blog because of these recap, too!

Unfortunately, it turns out that David does actually have a life beyond these recaps and wasn't able to write the one for this week. Luckily, I found out about this major travesty before he went and did something foolish like kill the recaps entirely!! I offered my meager writing services for this week and he agreed.  He went over my work and after some minor re-tooling, put it up as the official recap for this week!!

If you're a Game Of Thrones fan, check it out! Actually, check it out anyway, and let me know what you think of it!

Thoughts On... 3D Movie Remakes

In a previous post, I talked about my stance on movie remakes. Basically, I'm open to the idea of remakes. A modern take on a film can reveal deeper themes in the movie's story. I can't count how many times I've re-watched films and come across concepts that the filmmakers simply didn't address. And there are some remakes that have been nothing less of Godsends to the original story. And then there's the latest crop of re-makes. You know the ones I'm talking about; the remakes or re-releases of movies solely to show them in 3D.

Honestly, I think they are a waste of time, money, and effort. Take the re-release of Titanic, for example. There have been NO changes to the story, NO additional scenes. No changes at all. The ONLY difference is that it's now in 3D. I know that Hollywood is always on a quest for money, but this is much more blatant than usual. I have never been a proponent of 3D. There is really no benefit to the plot of a movie to 3D. In fact, it could lead to a drop in the quality of stories since it would be easier to rely on 3D's immersive nature to make the plot more compelling as opposed to writing in a more compelling manner. Admittedly, that would take awhile and would require the widespread acceptance of 3D for ALL films released, which might not ever happen.

But my biggest issue with 3D is that studios are trying to force directors to use it. The most noteworthy of which was when the studios started putting pressure on Christopher Nolan to shoot his third, and final, Batman film in 3D, which he flatly refused to do. In his statement to the press, Nolan said that filming in 3D should be one of the tools available to a filmmaker for making films and not something that is forced upon filmmakers. Frankly, I completely agree. What about you, my dear readers, what do you think about the latest 3D movie releases?

Thoughts On... My Television Programming

It will come as no surprise to you, but I spend a lot of time watching TV. Frequently, my programming choices come into debate for one reason or another. The most recent debate was a resurgence of a debate that I've been having since the late 90s. It started when I told a friend at college that I was an X-Files fan. As soon I finished saying the words, my friend scoffs at me and says, "You're just watching because of the hot redhead!" He immediately regretted that statement since I reacted by starting a 20 minute diatribe on the ACTUAL reasons why I watched The X-Files.

Recently, my sister asked if there was ever a show I watched that I didn't like but kept watching because of a hot woman in the show. For some reason, my sister couldn't believe or accept my response: I have never watched a show solely because of an attractive female.

When I pick tv shows, it's always about stories. Either I like the story (or elements of the story) of the show, or I like the characters of the show which makes me interested in their story, or I like the way the actors IN the show choose or tell stories. I may have a particular type of story that usually attracts my attention, but it is NEVER about the attractiveness of the people in the show. For crying out loud, I have over, WAY OVER 30 Gigabytes of porn that I can watch where the actresses will take their clothes off with no censorship, or clever shifting movement of the camera to conceal them. Why would I watch a show to see a hot actress that I won't really see all that much of?

Not to mention the fact that Hollywood pretty much RUNS on attractive people. There are very few working actors or actresses that are NOT attractive to some demographic of our population. So, practically EVERYONE on tv is hot. So, if all the people on tv are hot, why would it matter that there are hot women on a given tv show? They are EVERYWHERE!

Now, I do admit that having attractive women on a show is a bonus, especially given my relationship status, but that's all it's ever been, a bonus. Icing on the cake. Eye candy. But nothing else. As soon as I lose interest in a show, I stop watching it. Period. What about you, my dear readers? Do you continue to watch shows because of some hottie??

Top 5... Music Moments In Movies

There's no denying that I love movies. What you may not know is that I also have a deep, abiding passion for music. Some of the greatest movie moments were enhanced a thousandfold by the music accompanying them. Who can forget that moment in Back To The Future when the music swells up and then you hear that one line from Earth Angel just before George kisses Lorraine?? It's moment's like that which simply become nothing less than EPIC! Now I have listed my Top 5 Music Moments in Movies. BTTF is excluded because it's my favorite movie of all time and as such is in a class by itself. Other rules include: it has to be a live action movie (animated movies are too easy). It has to involve the main characters in the movie, so it can't just be your favorite song overlayed on a montage. If you can, it has to be part of the story line, but at the very least it has to have some of the main cast members involved somehow. Are we clear on the rules?? GOOD. Here now is my Top 5 Music Moments in Movies:

 #5) From "Get Over it" - Love Will Keep Us Together
Starting us off is the intro bit to a cute little film called "Get Over It". Have you ever had your heart broken? Have you looked around while heartbroken and see that the WHOLE WORLD is in love but you? This is kind of the epitome of that...


  

Personally, I think the Marching band was a little over the top, but I completely agree with Ben Foster's reaction at the end. If you haven't seen it, check the movie out. It's a really cool way to spend 90 min.

#4) From "500 Days Of Summer" - You Make My Dreams Come True 

This clip is at the complete OPPOSITE end of the spectrum. This scene happens just after our hero, a nice, but neurotic guy (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt), hooks up with his girl for the first time. 

Yes, ladies, this is how we see the world the morning after. (The song changes depending on your guy's preference, but everything else is dead on.)

#3) From "Ray" - Mess Around

This clip is from Jamie Foxx's tour de force "Ray". At this point in the career of Ray Charles, his producers are trying to get Ray out of his standard practice of copying everyone else's style and working on developing his own. One of his producers comes up with an intriguing method.


I loved the look on Ray's face when the producer says that he wrote it. If you haven't seen this movie, go watch it... RIGHT NOW!

#2) From "Shine" - Flight Of The Bumblebee

My number two entry (and it was close) is from the biopic for the piano player David Helfgott. A prodigy pianist who had a nervous breakdown and was never quite the same again. In this particular scene, he had been away from playing piano for awhile (his landlord locked the piano in his rooms) and had been haunting a diner close to the assisted living apartments where he was living. A waitress at the diner took kindly to him, but the owner of the joint was a bit of an ass. But Helfgott wouldn't be held down!



Talk about the epitome of a "SCREW YOU" to the owner!! This scene is the beginning of the upturn of Helfgott's life. The movie itself is a masterpiece and I STRONGLY recommend it to anyone who wants to see Geoffrey Rush in a NON Hector Barbossa role. I must warn you it is a heavy movie.

#1) From "Crossroads" - Guitar Duel

No, this is not the Britney Spears movie, go smack yourself in the face HARD, SEVERAL TIMES for even THINKING that I would deign to watch that... film. No, this is from the 1980s blues classic Crossroads, with Ralph Macchio and Joe Seneca. This is the final part of the film, where they finally make it back to the crossroads where Willie Brown made his deal with the devil and where he tries to get him to break the contract. WARNING: This is the END of the film, so if you haven't seen it, this is a spoiler. But enjoy it anyway!!



WOW, right? Talk about some fantastic guitar playing!! The tall, white guy is Steve Vai, a phenomenal guitarist. If I'm correct, I believe he wrote most of the guitar duel music. And in case you're wondering, Ralph Macchio wasn't playing the guitar, it was Ry Cooder, legendary blues guitarist, playing off screen. Again, this is a movie I STRONGLY recommend to anyone who is a blues fan. It's not an Oscar calibur film, but it's an amazingly good time.

And there you have it, my dear readers, my Top 5 Music Moments in Movies. What are YOURS?? Sound off in the comments below!

Things I Miss About Having A Girlfriend...

Last week was an interesting week for me. Mostly because it was the first week where my job search really paid off. I had two interviews that week, which is a record for me so far. The other reason it was an interesting week is because on the way back from the interview I had in Acton, a very strange thing happened. A car that was driving next to me on the highway started beeping it's horn to get my attention, when I looked a girl had rolled down the window and lifted her shirt, displaying her rather impressive chest! To be completely honest, it was a shocking event, but also completely awesome!

It did get me thinking about a great many things regarding women and my relationships with them. Funnily enough, it wasn't anything bad, just stuff I miss. Granted, I haven't had many girlfriends and the ones I did have were wildly different, but they all had certain key qualities that resonated with me. I miss those qualities, which brings us to the point of this post.

For some bizarre reason, it's considered unmanly to admit to actually liking women. I have no idea why since the point of heterosexual males is to get women. I've never really understood that, but whatever. Here I am, acting all unmanly and saying that I miss having a girlfriend. Don't get me wrong the day-to-day realities of a relationship are difficult at times, but there are certain things that I liked having while I was with a girl.


For example, I miss:

-- the way kissing her erased all the problems in the world and reminded me that the two of us were the only things that mattered.

-- the joy I felt in knowing she cared enough to worry about my happiness.

-- the scent of her in my bed reminding me of her while she was away.

-- the coolness she would try to display when she was worried about my opinion on something important to her.

-- the rush I got every time I did something to make her happy.

-- the look on her face when I tell her I love her.

-- the way she whispered my name in the night.

-- the thrill I got when I came home and she was there.

-- the unconscious gestures of possession she made when other women paid undue attention to me.

-- the hidden signs of approval I got from other guys when they saw me with her.

-- the warmth of her in my arms.


Please remember, these things are not tied to any one particular girlfriend, but to all of them. They are the small items that when they connect in my head, and my heart, tell me that I'm in a real, solid relationship. Tell me, my dear readers, what are the things that make a relationship real for you?

Life Notes: An Explanation...

In a previous post, I told you, my dear readers, that I had been laid off. After that, my posting dropped severely. There were a few posts here and there, but I had for all intents and purposes, stopped posting.

Life went downhill for me after that. I spent the next few weeks updating my resume, filing for unemployment and trying to survive. I lost internet access which lost me the ability to post on here on a regular basis, as well as overly complicating my job search since I had to hunt down places that offered free wi-fi with the speeds necessary to allow the job hunt sites to work properly.

Then there was the fight with the Unemployment office to get my benefits started. Turns out my previous employer owed me money which held up my benefits for much longer than normal. The irony of that still gets me. I was owed money which prevented me from getting the money I was owed. Got to love bureaucracy. Since then I've been tap dancing on a river of shit... One misstep and I lose everything: car, apt, phone, everything.

Thanks to my friends, I've managed to stave off the ever encroaching depression that seems to be endemic to my situation. Thanks to my sister, I once again have internet access at home and can post on here again. So, my dear readers, if you're so inclined, keep an eye out on this blog again. I will be posting more frequently again. I hope to get back to the double digits for posting in the month of April and to continue that as I move forward from here. And now, on to my next post. 

Kowabunga, Dude! Chill out!!

I know it's been a long while since I've posted on here and in a future post, I'll explain why. In the meantime, I want to write about an article I just read on IGN.

Awhile ago, there was talk of creating a movie franchise based off of the Uncharted video game series. The director attached to the movie at the time released the info that he was planning on seriously re-vamping the storyline. It would change so much that the only resemblance to the games it was supposed to be "based on" is the title of the movie. Fans went ballistic and caused so much pressure that the director dropped the project and the studio financing the Uncharted film re-thought their approach to the movie.

A few days ago, it looked like the same thing was about to start again, when Michael Bay released the info that he was taking a different angle on his latest project, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie reboot. His angle: that the turtles were... wait for it.... ALIENS! And once again, the fans went ballistic!! However, instead of caving to the pressure, Michael Bay stayed true to form and exploded back to the fans with a resounding message:

CHILL THE F*** OUT!!!

From his point of view, the move to make the Turtles aliens works to correct some of the MAJOR story problems the concept of TMNT had from the get go. Any self respecting fan of TMNT (like myself) must admit that the story has its flaws.

Now, Bay is a fantastic movie maker, I love at least 75% of the films he's made. He's also a serious money maker for the Hollywood movie moguls. So, I can safely say that he knows what he's doing when making movies. And if he's trying to tell the TMNT story in a more plausible, realistic way, I say let him run with it! His expertise warrants at least some consideration and pause before trashing an idea that is so early in the creative process of the movie that it may not even make it into the final film. But, it is an interesting concept. Especially with what was said at the end. With the Turtles being aliens, you get to have MORE TURTLES!! You could have an entire PLANET of Turtles! And to be completely honest, is a provocative idea.

But what gets me is a deeper issue. People keep talking about how there are no new ideas in Hollywood. That the movie industry is all about "everything old is new again". Well, look at what happens when a director tries to introduce a new idea!! He gets lambasted by people who have no clue how that idea is going to present itself on screen!

I, myself, have been guilty of this:

When I heard that Tom Cruise was going to be cast as Lestat in "Interview With The Vampire", I was horrified. WRONG! Tom Cruise was a fantastic Lestat. In fact, he's the best one I've seen on film and I wish he would reprise the role.

When I heard that Heath Ledger was cast to play the Joker, I thought it was the end of Christopher Nolan's run on Batman. WRONG!!! Ledger brought an entirely new life and power to that role to the point that even people who hate the character loved the performance.

But the fact of the matter is, filmmakers know their craft, and really should be left to create movies as they see fit. There are tons of examples in movie history of great films being destroyed when the filmmakers were forced by either the studios or the fans to second guess or even remake their films. This is a travesty to the art of film-making and an insult to the creators themselves.

In the end, I agree with Bay's statement. We all need to chill out and let the man work. If you don't like the film, DON'T WATCH IT!!