The Prodigal Blogger

Greetings and salutations dear readers. My life has been one crazy ride in the last 3 weeks as the end of the semester draws near. Since we last spoke much has happened.

Arsenal's season sadly came to an end as they were eliminated from the Champions League in humiliating fashion in a 4-0 loss to Liverpool. In the same week, they melted down in the Premeirship and came up short for yet another year, losing to Manchester United to seal the deal just a few days ago. Although this season ended in bitter disappointment, Eduardo will be back next year and I will never stop believing that the Gunners are the finest football club on earth.

I've been rather remiss in checking out movies to comment on, and since The Band's Visit, there have been precious few films to catch my fancy. I am quite interested in Blindsight, and may visit the cinema this weekend for a viewing.

Madison has suddenly come alive with the nice weather, and I've done my best to get outside and catch some sun. My profile photo more or less does my skin justice... I usually blend in with white walls with my translucent, Conan O'Brien-style skin.

Summer lets the world know that I in fact have two skin colors, pasty and lobster. Amazing, I know.














I haven't been totally useless though when it comes to popular media. I've been on a reading kick recently, which has sadly become a dying pastime. I'd like to give you a pair of recommendations for classic books that you may have never read. First up is Ender's Game, the classic story of a Messiah archetype penned by the legendary Orson Scott Card. Ender's Game tells the story of Ender Wiggin, a brilliant child who has been commissioned with the perfectly reasonable task of saving the world from imminent annihilation. Card weaves an intricate tale with plain and understandable language, and the story itself has influenced nearly every Sci-Fi film, TV show, or book to come after it. Indeed, video games as a whole have taken significant inspiration from the work of Card in creating protagonists for hundreds of games over the past two decades. This book is a classic, and if you missed it for any reason, I highly recommend you take 6 hours or so to give this one a read. The other book I have for you is Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. Stephenson is a one-of-a-kind fiction writer, whose style you can appreciate after just a few pages. His novel Snow Crash is a landmark book that provides most of the inspiration for The Matrix as well as many other films from the futuristic thriller genre. The book is full of delightful irony, with Stephenson going so far as to name his lead character Hiro Protagonist. This book is a fair amount longer and will take about 20 hours to finish, but the wild ride for your imagination is more than worth it.

I've got a few bits of humor to leave you with in parting.

Please don't do this on my blog... hahaha. [Comic from XKCD]

Also, check out this video (SFW) for how to ruin your surprise birthday party.

/end

Blu3

Return of the Jedi... Or Blogger.

Hello dear readers. Yes, yes, I have been absent for approximately 12 days which makes me a sad excuse for a blogger. As any college student can attest to, that is what Midterm season brings. Fortunately this means there is much to discuss.

First of all, Arsenal are in a dreadful rough patch at the moment and cannot seem to pull out a victory in the Premiership. This is fairly depressing considering they have essentially had the League on lockdown for about the last 6 weeks. Their most recent draw came against Middlesbrough, a struggling team with little in the way of talent or coaching. It was not Arsenal's day on the pitch as they were barely able to pull out a draw with Kolo Toure's late strike in the 85th minute. I fully agree with the boss, Arsene Wenger, who put it very bluntly: "...a draw is not good enough."

In basketball news, March Madness has descended upon us, and it is indeed the greatest month of the year. The Wisconsin Badgers won the Regular Season Big 10 Championship outright and then cruised their way to a Big 10 Tournament Championship and the #3 seed in the Midwest region. Clearly they were cheated out of a #2 seed in favor of the Duke Blue Devils, but what do I know? Seth Davis agreed with me, calling it "a crime," live on national TV during the seed announcements. Indeed Mr. Davis it was a crime. At least we've got some good matchups. I know it's not terribly likely, but I've got the good old Badgers heading to the Final 4. Of course the rest of my Final 4 teams are a bit more plausible with UNC, Texas, and Xavier. I simply do not see anyone taking down UNC, they are so athletic and consistent almost to the degree of professionals. I have them winning it all, but at the very least be on the lookout for them to do some major damage and go deep into the tournament.

If you're interested in top seed play, look for UNC, Tennessee, Memphis, and Texas to win big. For unexpected losses look for Duke, UCLA, Georgetown, and Kansas to lose earlier than you think. If you're always a fan of underdogs, look for South Alabama, Clemson, Davidson, Temple, and Baylor to make some moves. I included Clemson at a number 5 seed because I foresee them taking down Kansas, which would indeed be an upset.

Of course I haven't gone all this time without seeing some films. I purchased a few new Blu-rays from Amazon along with a copy of Super Smash Bros. Brawl (more on that in a moment). First up is the instant classic, No Country for Old Men. For those of you that have not seen this film, I insist that you view it at your earliest convenience. Joel and Ethan Coen are in top form in this film, adapting the work of Cormac McCarthy into a transcendent screenplay and directing a film with absolutely impeccable pacing. Not a single scene is wasted, with Roger Ebert using the apt description of "...flawlessly constructed." The script is magnificent, the characters are memorable and the cinematography is immersive. This is your 2008 Winner for Best Picture, a deserving film that, in my opinion, is the best winner of the honor since American Beauty in 1999. I could go on for many paragraphs about the challenging symbolism, the thought provoking themes, or the vast quantity of enduring lines of dialog, but I will simply leave you with a few parting words. No Country for Old Men is a perfect example of film as art; the only fitting words I can use to label this film are as follows: "poignant, provocative, visual poetry."

After all of my reviews, I realize that I appear to be a bit of a film snob. I frequently do not even consider films that are not likely to be mentioned come award season. So, allow me then to express my nerdier, and slightly less snobbish side in my review of Appleseed: Ex Machina. If you aren't a fan of anime or John Woo, this film is NOT for you. I recommend that you skip it because you will not be able to overlook its glaring shortcomings as a film. The film comes from the Appleseed manga created by the Japanese mastermind Shirow Masamune. Masamune is an enigmatic character, something like a reclusive Dr. Suess. Shirow Masamune itself is a pen name, and his real name is known by very few (Ota Masanori). He works from a small studio by himself in Kobe, Japan and does all of his own drawing and writing. Readers may be slightly more familiar with his most famous work, Ghost in the Shell.


Ghost is one of the most famous animes ever made, and it is probably the most widely known to western audiences. Appleseed is essentially Masamune's masterwork; it has been a lifelong project that he started back in the mid 1980s and has never been finished. I have a bit of a soft spot for Appleseed because the series has really stayed with me over the years and happens to strike a bit of a chord with me. Now then, onto the film. Appleseed: Ex Machina is the second major film adaptation of the Appleseed manga. Director Shinji Aramaki is something of a visionary, always excited to push the boundaries of what is possible with animation technology. Aramaki-san got together with legendary action film producer John Woo to form a unique hybrid anime/action film designed to appeal to both western and eastern audiences.

Woo's signature style really shines through at just about every turn, with elaborate gun ballets, slow motion action sequences, tremendous explosions, and gritty action occupying a majority of the screen time. If you are an anime fan and truly enjoy John Woo's style of outrageous action, this film is your bread and butter. I for one felt that it was completely mindblowing. The positive aspects of the film are technical animation, sound FX, cinematography, film editing, and special FX. As you can probably tell, there are many missing pieces that truly keep this film from being enjoyed by a wider audience. Its lackluster story, poor facial animation, mediocre character voicing, and underwhelming soundtrack will likely put off most people.

To illustrate, I'd like to suggest that you construct a Venn diagram of two groups of people. Group A are those that love anime and Group B are those that love action movies, John Woo style. If you do not find yourself in the region of overlap, this movie will likely not appeal to you. This is because a significant portion of the film is in an anime style, focusing on character interactions and emotions. Since these portions are not done particularly well, the film will not appeal to anime enthusiasts who have come to expect deep and intricate character exploration. By the same token, it will also not appeal to western audiences because the anime elements are prevalent and indeed disrupt the flow of the action. In the end, I found the film to be a flawed thrill-ride even though I know I'm in the minority.

Finally, I'd like to express my opinion regarding Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Now then, I am not a Nintendo fanboy, nor am I partial to fighting games as a genre. So... this game is off to a great start. What I can say is that, as a party game, Brawl is a masterpiece. The local multiplayer is unmatched and will bring you many hours of fun and entertainment. The single player is above average and fairly entertaining. For a Wii game, the graphics are pretty solid, but it looks just a slight bit better than the previous game in the series, Melee. At its core, the gameplay is incredibly solid. Its deep and balanced and provides a very fair separation based on skill. If your friend is better than you, he will win. There is no way you can flail on buttons and miraculously defeat another, more skilled player. The sound is superb and likely the best part of the game. As far as longevity goes, as long as you have friends that play games, Brawl will have a place on your shelf.

This is not all there is to be said about this game, however. Brawl promises online multiplayer, which, technically, it delivers. Yet the system is so broken and ridiculous that it can hardly be considered a feature. The games are filled to the brim with lag, you still must use "Wii friend codes," you cannot form a lobby of friends, you cannot have a continuous party and play multiple games, and you have no opportunity to meet new online friends. Other shortcomings include lack of voice chat, a joke of a message system, and the inability to play with the same players again if you felt that a given match was competitive and enjoyable. Compared with even a decent Xbox Live title, this game is a miserable failure. The other new feature, Subspace Emissary should be called something more like "Substandard Rubbish-ary." It fails in quite an epic way at creating a cohesive and enjoyable single player experience. The story is terribly convoluted and really lacks any compelling content. Instead, I simply find myself playing Classic mode to work on my moves. Too many websites/magazines are overlooking these glaring flaws and slapping this game with a 9.5 or higher. I simply do not agree, and if pressed, would hand Brawl a respectable 8.5/10. The gameplay is stellar, but design simply must count for something when handing out a score.

Let me know what you think, I'd like to see what other people have to say.
Cheers.

Blu3

The Longest Week

Hello readers. It has indeed been a long week. I certainly wish I could post more than once a week, but my schedule does not afford me that luxury at the moment. Now then, onto business.

The Academy Awards have come and gone, but I'm still watching movies... getting ready for next year I suppose. First up was Michael Clayton, starring George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, and Tilda Swinton. This tightly scripted thriller delivers brilliant dialog and character acting on a silver platter. For me, Clooney alternates between a master of his craft and an annoying version of himself. To be frank, George Clooney is a rather arrogant man with a big mouth and a penchant for expressing his "political genius" about issues he's not even mildly qualified to comment on. In Ocean's 11 for example, he just plays a slightly less irritating version of himself. But, in films like Syriana, and indeed Michael Clayton, he becomes the character he is playing. This unique quality is achieved by only the finest actors, so I still must tip my hat to Mr. Clooney. Yet the film isn't really about him per se. The script is written so that at the very least, Clooney, Wilkinson, Swinton, and Pollack are all deep and interesting characters with something to say. Clayton stands out amongst the rest of the Best Picture Nominees as the only taught thriller that will truly keep your heart pounding. While I'm talking about awards, Swinton absolutely did not deserve her award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She was hardly in the film, and appeared on screen for less than 20 minutes. Her character was indeed interesting, but she said and did very little. Hardly a performance worthy of such a high honor. On a final note, the last few minutes were immensely rewarding, and if it doesn't brighten your day, I don't know what will.

I also checked out Con Air and Crimson Tide in their Blu-ray debut. Con Air is probably the best dude-movie ever with its cliche one-liners, ridiculous fight scenes, stock characters, and massive explosions. The film is a veritable star parade, featuring Nicholas Cage, Steve Buscemi, John Cusack, Dave Chapelle, and John Malkovich. The story is fairly simple- Cage is an army ranger in the wrong place at the wrong time. He's sent to prison for an accidental crime. On his way to freedom, his plane is hijacked by a ruthless criminal (Malkovich). Of course, Cage decides to save the day and leave a wake of dead bodies and destruction behind him. Many critics described Con Air as "big, dumb fun" and I wholeheartedly agree. This film certainly didn't win any awards, but it embodies one of the reasons people like films in the first place- entertainment. If you are good at suspending disbelief and reveling in its silliness, Con Air is a blast (haha, see what I did there? Blast. Like, explosion. No? Fine, whatever, I tried.)

Crimson Tide was made just after the Cold War ended and the threat of Soviet Russia was still fresh in our minds. Gene Hackman plays the old and bitter captain of a Nuclear Submarine and Denzel Washington plays his XO. When a partial transmission to fire their weapons comes in, Hackman wants to fire and Washington wants to wait for the rest of the message. The film basically is set up as a metaphorical boxing ring, with Hackman and Washington duking it out. These two giants of cinema squeeze every ounce of intensity out of the script and make it well worth repeat viewings.

Just before posting, I had the opportunity to watch The Last King of Scotland. I've seen bits and pieces of this movie, but I've never had a chance to really sit down and absorb it. Forest Whitaker stars as Idi Amin, the ruthless, cruel, and criminally insane "president" of Uganda in the 1970's. James McAvoy plays the presidential physician, and gives us a unique perspective into Amin's madness. Whitaker gives the performance of a lifetime, and McAvoy, speaking in his native Scottish accent, sounds smooth, natural, and legitimately frightened for his life. This film does have a number of minor flaws, but it's certainly worth watching for the characters, especially if you're not familiar with the story of Idi Amin. Amin was responsible for between 300,000 and 500,000 deaths, and his criminal regime is partially to blame for the continuing violence in the region. A word of warning however- this film is not for the faint of heart. I've seen plenty of violence in my day, but a few of the images and scenes were extremely graphic and made me squirm.

I write mainly my thoughts and opinions about pop culture, life, or society. This is not intended to be a journal about my personal life, but tonight I can't resist. I'd like to give a quick shout out to a good friend who invites me to her parties even though I don't drink and many consider me to be a bit on the antisocial side. I appreciate it... Cheers to you.

Oh, and one more thing. Please keep Eduardo in your thoughts and prayers, even if you aren't an Arsenal fan. He is going to be out for 9 months or more after suffering one of the most horrific football injuries I've ever seen. Eduardo is a fine athlete and a very classy footballer, and I do sincerely hope that he makes a speedy recovery.

I'm out.

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Odds and Ends

Today I was finally able to see Atonement, the only film nominated for Best Picture that I somehow missed. An compelling mix of drama, romance, and war genres, Atonement tells a very tight and indeed very tragic tale. On a warm summer day in 1935, young Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) is feeling especially imaginative. Robbie Turner (James McCavoy) and Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightly) are in love, and young Briony steps in to accuse Robbie of a crime he did not commit. This false accusation dramatically changes all three lives forever. The film is indeed sorrowful and stunning, with jaw-dropping cinematography. The imagery is quite extraordinary, especially one 5 minute sequence set on the beaches at Dunkirk. This stellar scene is able to encompass the entire spectrum of the human condition in a single, sweeping shot. I also quite enjoyed the performances by McCavoy and Ronan. Ronan does indeed deserve a nod for Best Supporting Actress, but does not deserve to win. More on that in a moment.

Although this film was exceptionally well done, and indeed one of the finest pictures of the last year, it did not quite have the magic for me that some of the other top films did. I was moved certainly, but it did not really absorb me into its story. The ending really played out like a quality film, but a fairly lengthy sequence in the 3rd act is very misleading, and I mean that in the worst way possible. It is not a clever twist or thoughtful device to mislead the audience, it is an ill-conceived chapter that makes the ending less than epic. It is still a very fine film and should not be missed.

I also just picked up Professor Layton and the Curious Village for the Nintendo DS. I must say that my shiny white DS Lite has been sitting in a drawer for about a year now due to the lack of intriguing titles. That has all changed now that I am absolutely addicted to this game. The concept in a nutshell is that you are a bit of a Sherlock Holmes type of character (the Professor) but each and every way you turn, there is a new puzzle to solve. As you move about the village trying to solve a mystery, residents will give you puzzles, the Professor will randomly challenge you (you play his assistant), and each and every new situation requires you to solve some sort of devious brain teaser. This game is a true delight. The puzzles are challenging and fun, and it provides you with an excellent opportunity to exercise your mind while following a lighthearted, yet completely immersive narrative. I highly recommend this game if you enjoy puzzles, riddles, or quality DS games.

Arsenal drew Birmingham today, 2-2. The big news of the match however was a horrific tackle just 3 minutes in that lead to a devastating injury to Eduardo. The Croatian striker has broken both bones in his lower leg and is out for at least the rest of 2008. Rumors are already beginning to circulate that this could indeed be a career ending injury. As a football fan and an avid Arsenal supporter, I would sincerely like to extend my best wishes to such a fine footballer. Manchester United made the day even worse by clobbering Newcastle United 5-1 and drawing 3 points closer to Arsenal in the race for the Premiership. Hopefully, Arsenal can rally together and bounce back from such a dreadful day.

On a more positive note, I finally feel like I'm qualified to make some Oscar Predictions. I'm doing this just about 16 hours prior to the ceremony because I simply had to watch Atonement to give a fair opinion. Please note that I have abstained from a few categories in which I am not qualified to pick winners.

Actor in a Leading Role- Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Actor in a Supporting Role- Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Actress in a Leading Role- Ellen Page, Juno
Actress in a Supporting Role- Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Animated Feature Film- Ratatouille
Art Direction- Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Cinematography- Atonement
Costume Design- Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Directing- Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
Film Editing- The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Music (Original Score)- Atonement
Sound Editing- Transformers
Sound Mixing- Transformers
Visual Effects- Transformers
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)- The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Writing (Original Screenplay)- Juno

Best Picture-
No Country for Old Men

I guess we'll know in just a few hours how I did.
I'm out.

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Bounced / Death of a Format

Good day, readers.

Arsenal was devastated today in the 5th Round of the FA Cup when they were handed a stunning 4-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester United. The enormous pile of injuries clearly took their toll today, as Arsenal was able to field just 14 players. Arsenal was missing several key players, including superstar striker Emmanuel Adebayor. In addition, Manuel Almunia, Tomas Rosicky, Bacary Sagna, and Gael Clichy were not able to play, crippling Arsenal's defensive capabilities. ManU quickly took advantage of the Gunners' defensive weakness, putting the game on ice with two goals in the first 20 minutes of play. The supporters had it right though as they sang "we'll be back to win the League!" as time expired. The Gunners hold fast to a 5 point lead in the Premiership, and they are still alive and well in the UEFA Champions League.

On a more positive note, the UW Men's Basketball team bounced back this week after being defeated by Purdue for the 2nd time this season. The Badgers posted a pair of solid wins this week over 13th ranked Indiana and the much improved Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Badgers look to finish strong after an impressive 21-4 start. The only game that should really give the Badgers much trouble is Michigan St. on 28 February. Looking on the bright side, we are playing at home, and it is exceedingly rare for us to lose games at the Kohl Center.

Finally, to any folks who have followed the HD movie format war, it is finally over. This week, Netflix and Wal-Mart both announced plans to stop supporting HD DVD, and reports are now coming out of Japan that Toshiba is stopping production of its HD DVD players. Reuters is responsible for the Toshiba report, so the source is indeed credible.

As such, HD DVDs are awfully cheap, and I was able to pick up several on Amazon at $15 a go. I was able to view two of my recently acquired films this week: Shaun of the Dead and The Pianist.

Shaun of the Dead became an instant cult classic in 2004 under the brilliant directing by Edgar Wright and witty performances by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The trio of Brits created Shaun to be a spoof of George A. Romero's landmark horror film, Dawn of the Dead. The film does just about everything it needs to do to be effective: it has a wry script filled with sarcastic characters and it never, ever takes itself too seriously. The film purposely includes all the standard bits and pieces of a generic horror/action movie, only it is hilariously funny and incredibly well crafted. I highly recommend this film along with Wright/Pegg/Frost's follow up effort, Hot Fuzz. Hot Fuzz is essentially built off the same idea as Shaun, only it spoofs generic cop action films such as Bad Boys II and Point Break. It is infinitely funnier and higher quality than the rubbish it pokes fun at.

On a more serious note, The Pianist is a moving and emotional tour de force. If you are not moved to the point of tears while watching this film, you have no soul. Adrien Brody turns in a performance for which mere words can do no justice. Indeed, the Academy did well by awarding him the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2002. Brody plays Wladyslaw Szpilman, the famous Polish composer on whose memoirs the film is based. The film opens with Szpliman at the height of his career as a talented pianist who plays for a popular Polish radio station. The film quickly moves on through the occupation of Poland by the Germans in World War II, and we spend the next 90 minutes or so watching the incredible true story of his survival in the Warsaw ghetto. The end is immensely rewarding as we see his triumphant restoration to prominence. The film can be considered nothing other than essential viewing. Saving Private Ryan is the definitive film on the brutality of the German war machine, Schindler's List is the definitive film on the over-arching idea of genocide and the obliteration of the Jews as a people, and The Pianist takes the idea of Schindler's List and focuses it down to a single person, providing the most intimate and truly human perspective of what it was like to be persecuted in such a way. Indeed, the film begs to be seen because after all, history means nothing if we do not learn from our mistakes.

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5 Points Clear / Crazy Essay

I still don't have enough time to make posts, so I'm going to have to make things brief...

Manchester City gave Arsenal a beautiful gift by defeating Manchester United at home in a 2-1 decision. The Blues defeated their crosstown rivals in both the home and away fixtures for the first time since 1970.

At Emirates Stadium, Philippe Senderos and Emmanuel Adebayor sent Arsenal five points clear of Manchester United with a convincing victory over a solid Blackburn side who have been consistently near the top of the Premiership in the 2007/08 campaign. In what may be eventually seen as a turning point for the entire season, Senderos headed home a beautiful cross by Cesc Fabregas in just the 4th minute of play. This slim margin held all the way to the 2nd minute of stoppage in the second half, when Adebayor added to his already impressive pile of goals with a powerful strike from the six yard box and gave the Gunners a 2-0 result. Adebayor is now tied for 1st place in the Premiership with 19 goals and holds this honor alongside the sensational Cristiano Ronaldo.

On a personal note, I found an essay that relates Calvin and Hobbes, the classic Bill Watterson comic strip that ran from 1985-1995, and Fight Club, the absolute masterpiece of a film from 1999.

This essay suggests that Fight Club contains the adult versions of Calvin (The Narrarator/ "Jack"), Hobbes (Tyler Durden), Suzie Derkins (Marla Singer), and others. It is a fascinating arguement, I encourage you to check it out.

Bed time.

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Top of the Table / Portal

Today I am a happy man. Arsenal has finally taken back the top spot in the Premiership with a solid win over Manchester City. Emmanuel Adebayor has exploded onto the scene this year as not only one of the finest strikers in the Premier League, but one of the finest footballers the world over. Adebayor brings deft moves, lightning speed, and raw power and strength to the Gunners in a way no other player does. His incredible consistency and focus has really aided Arsenal in their 2007/08 Premier League campaign.


Adebayor added two more goals yesterday, one in the 9th minute and another in the 88th to bring his goal total to 11 in the last 8 games. Eduardo scored on a pass from Adebayor in the 26th minute as well, meaning the Togolese striker had a hand in all 3 of Arsenal's goals. Arsenal played fairly tight at the back as well, holding the stellar Manchester City offense to just a single goal. A 3-1 result put Arsenal in position to take back the top spot from Manchester United. Just a few hours later, ManU drew against Tottenham 1-1 and Arsenal reclaimed their position at the top of the table.

I'd like to take a moment to comment on Portal, part of Half Life 2: The Orange Box (360, PS3, PC). Portal equips you with a portal gun (such an unexpected name, right?) that can create what is essentially a wormhole from one location to another. The catch is that you may only shoot the gun at solid surfaces. As you can imagine, a top notch game development team like Valve can work wonders by throwing very devious puzzles at you. I cannot express just how impressive and innovative this game is, it is one of the finest games in ages. These are my first impressions, I'll post my full review soon.

My apologies for the infrequency of posts recently, I have been rather ill. Apparently University Health Services is filled with inept medical professionals and I have quite simply never seen such disreputable health care. Anti-shout out to you, UHS.

I'm out.

Blu3

Australian Open Finale / There Will Be Blood

Before I begin, I'd like to make a quick announcement that I've posted my Assassin's Creed review just a few minutes ago.

The Australian Open came to a close today as Novak Djokovic pulled off an impressive victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Djokovic, a heavy favorite, dropped the first set, but then cruised to three straight to win the match. I really like Djokovic and wish him continued success.

Ordinarily I wouldn't talk too much about golf, but Tiger Woods just posted one of the most dominant performances of his career, winning the Buick Open by 8 strokes. There is some significant buzz as to whether or not he can win a calendar Grand Slam this year. I for one fully believe in Tiger's ability, especially his rock solid mental toughness. Best of luck, Tiger.

Arsenal got back in action yesterday, and achieved a solid 3-0 result against Newcastle United in FA Cup 4th round play. Emmanuel Adebayor continues to impress me as one of Arsenal's finest players in many years. He scored twice, in the 50th and 84th minutes to give Arsenal a 2-0 lead. Cesc Fabregas took an excellent free kick in the 88th minute which was headed into the goal by Newcastle's own Nicky Butt (what an unfortunate surname...).

Finally, I'd like to make a comment on There Will Be Blood. This film is so extraordinary that it made me wish to see it a second time straightaway after my first viewing. I was absolutely glued to the screen for the full 2 hours and 38 minutes. Daniel Day-Lewis gives one of the greatest performances of the modern film era, he is nothing short of transcendent. Day-Lewis simply must win the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role, the other nominees do not even come close. Paul Dano also plays his part with exceptional skill and looks poised to be part of the next generation of great actors. This movie is so powerful and overwhelming that it is destined to stay with you long after you watch it. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Cheers.

Blu3

Australian Open / Arsenal

The last few days have been just phenomenal at the Australian Open. Andy Roddick was upset by 29th seeded Phillipp Kohlschreiber of Germany in a marathon 5 setter. The match was absolutely sensational and some of the best tennis I have ever seen. The winner/unforced error spread was roughly +100 and each player had over 30 aces. Roddick lost after an absurd psychological meltdown in which he accused the head line judge of having a "second grade education" and being "a complete idiot."

World number 1 Roger Federer was tested today by Janko Tipsarevic, an unseeded player from Serbia-Montenegro. The match was a grueling 5 set match which Federer barely survived. Lleyton Hewitt, Australia's golden boy, also survived a difficult 5 setter, prevailing over Marcos Baghdatis. James Blake is the only American man left in the tournament, moving into the 4th round by defeating Sebastian Grosjean, the spirited Frenchman.

In the women's draw, Justine Henin, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Jelena Jankovic earned the first four positions in the quarterfinals. Sharapova looks especially dominant, not dropping a set in the entire tournament.

Arsenal had a delightful match against Fulham, with Emmanuel Adebayor scoring twice and Tomas Rosicky scoring late for a 3-0 thrashing at Craven Cottage. Adebayor scored in the 19th minute on a high cross made from the baseline by Gael Clichy. Adebayor scored a second goal in the 37th minute on another header, this time off a ball played by Alexander Hleb. Arsenal went into the intermission with a comfortable lead and came out in the second half with a bounce in their step. The final goal of the match came on a superb pass from Eduardo to a streaking Rosicky who thundered home a volley just 9 minutes from the end of the match.

Unfortunately, both Chelsea and Manchester United both obtained 3 points in their respective matches and ManU was able to maintain its "lead" over Arsenal in the premiership (wins tiebreaker...) with 54 points. Arsenal can look forward to in a fairly mediocre opponent, Newcastle, on the 29th while ManU play a disciplined Portsmouth squad in their next match on the 30th. Go Gunners!

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Pan's Labyrinth

In the wee hours of the morning, I decided to give Pan's Labyrinth a spin. I had not seen this movie all the way through, and I certainly had never seen it in HD. The Blu-ray does an outstanding job of conveying the different color motifs as the palettes change radically between the different settings in the film. The HD transfer was excellent overall and I have no serious complaints. The film itself is visually stunning and well acted. Captain Vidal makes for just about the most evil villain in recent memory and Ivana Baquero gives a particularly good performance as the young and imaginative Ofelia.

The Wisconsin Men's Basketball team beat Iowa yesterday, which is more good news. After the Broncos disappointing season, I need some sports victories. The win consolidated the Badgers #25 ranking and will hopefully allow them to move somewhere up near #20. And today, Arsenal produced a convincing FA Cup win over Burnley, 2-0. Youngster Nicklas Bendtner scored his first goal in several games, while Eduardo continues to prove his worth as an all-star striker by scoring his sixth goal in the last four matches. Go Gunners!

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