The Oscar After Party 2009

Well, that does it for another Academy Awards extravaganza. This year's show looked absolutely outstanding and had some of the best production values in recent memory. Hugh Jackman was an elegant and graceful host, the men were dressed in their finest tuxedos, and the women looked wonderful. Since I'm rather caught up in the moment right now, I would like to offer 8 things I loved and 8 things I hated.

Loved

1. Heath Ledger winning the Oscar for best Supporting Actor. His family's speech brought the entire house to tears. Beautiful stuff.
2. Hugh Jackman as one of the best hosts in years.
3. Danny Boyle's lovely speech and gracious behavior throughout the night.

4. Freida Pinto.
5. The recognition for Slumdog Millionaire, a truly brilliant film. Nearly every aspect of the film was recognized, and I am overjoyed that it won Best Picture. With a total of 8 Oscars, I hope America is ready to see what all the fuss is about.
6. Man on Wire won the award for Best Documentary (Long Form). It was a brilliant show.
7. Most of the young actors from Slumdog Millionaire on stage at the end of the night. It was a touching moment to see all those happy faces.
8. Anne Hathaway's dress... it was a stunner.

Hated

1. How much Kate Winslet loves herself. Simply unbelievable. This woman stole the award from Anne Hathaway who was far better in Rachel Getting Married and then congratulated herself like she was the best thing since sliced bread. Get over yourself.
2. Meryl Streep's quote when graciously complimented on being nominated for 15 Oscars. She turned to the person next to her and said "it's still not enough." Wow. You just lost my respect forever. Way to pull a Kate Winslet.
3. Will Smith wearing the cross of the Church of Scientology. Good job, Will. Now I find you creepy and sad.
4. Sean Penn.
5. Sean Penn's speech. This man is unquestionably the worst person in Hollywood since Michael Moore. He abuses his position of social prominence to talk about issues that he knows nothing about. No, people will not "be ashamed" of thinking differently than you. What an insufferable idiot.
6. Sean Penn winning the Oscar that Mickey Rourke should have won. There is absolutely NO QUESTION about this one, Mickey deserved this award almost as much as Heath deserved his. This was an incredible miscalculation on the part of the Academy.
7. Gus Van Sant. This guy looked snarky and bitter the entire night. Way not to be a gracious loser, loser.

8. Let the Right One In did not get nominated for best Foreign Language Film.

Well, there you have it. Congratulations to this year's fine films, especially Slumdog Millionaire.

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Best of 2008

It's been so long that I hardly have an excuse. What can I say, college is hard. At any rate, I felt compelled to at least summarize the wonderful year that was 2008, and I'm even late at doing that.

Best Album

Narrow Stairs by Death Cab for Cutie

Did you expect any other? I'm a die hard Death Cab fan and their new album is eclectic, thrilling, and beautifully done. The impeccable lyrics of front man Ben Gibbard have never been better.

Runner-up

Gossip in the Grain by Ray LaMontagne

LaMontagne has been one of the most brilliant solo acts in recent memory. His smoky, raspy voice and clever lyrics are distinctive and worth listening to. I would classify him as a folk singer, but don't let that discourage you- his subdued and poignant songs are excellent indeed.

Best Game

Fallout 3 by Bethesda Softworks

This game has not gotten nearly enough love on end of the year lists. There is no other game that I spent over 50+ hours on and simply could not wait to come back for more. The epic scope of The Wasteland, the tight gameplay, and the superb writing make Fallout 3 my choice for game of the year.

Runner-up

Grand Theft Auto IV by Rockstar North

Nico Bellic is a sublime protagonist who understands the consequences of living in the criminal underworld of New York City. Over the course of the game, you will face real consequences and you will invest an amazing amount of emotion into the characters. Your choices have such and impact that it will make you pause and consider what you've done many times. No game has ever told a story this grand and this engrossing, period.

Best TV Show

Entourage on HBO

The characters are loveable, the plot is memorable, and Jeremy Piven is the best actor on television without question. This show is fantastically entertaining week in and week out, and the writing is sharp and witty. The laughs keep on coming, and the dramatic impact achieved in just under 30 minutes is simply unmatched.

Runner-up

How I Met Your Mother on CBS

I can make very much the same argument here. The writing is consistently top notch and the characters are unique, deep, and wonderfully entertaining. Neil Patrick Harris steals the show almost every week as Barney Stinson, the loveable cad. His character is only bested by Jeremy Piven's Ari Gold. I was almost certain that this show would be cancelled, but please, make it worth the gamble by CBS in keeping this show on the air, and tune in on Monday evening.

Best 10 Films

I know far more about film than any other medium, so my list is naturally quite a bit longer. I saw many, many films this year, and here are my ten favorites.

10. Kung Fu Panda, United States

Dreamworks finally made a film that approaches the level of Disney-Pixar films. I had a great time with this movie and I sincerely believe that this is the best work of Jack Black's career. The voice acting is terrific and the animation is first rate. This is comedy done right.

9. Iron Man, United States

This is a film everyone knows about. Robert Downey Jr. is stellar as Tony Stark, the brilliant scientist/engineer who makes a suit of armor and fights evil. True to the comic and wonderfully paced by director Jon Favreau. Witty banter between Downey Jr. and Gwynyth Paltrow, loud and crazy action set pieces, and the best FX money can buy combine to make Iron Man a film that was one of the most entertaining trips to the theater this year.

8. Happy-Go-Lucky, United Kingdom

Quite a lovely film indeed. Sally Hawkins stars as Poppy, a primary school teacher who is an eternal optimist. There is a striking lack of scenes where Hawkins isn't smiling, making a joke, or being a bubbly bunch of fun. This is a slice-of-life comedy with some ups and downs and a few scenes of genuine sadness. If you don't walk out of this one with a smile on your face, well, perhaps you've lost your sense of humor.

7. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, Romania

Shot like a documentary with hand held cameras and filmed in long, unbroken takes. This is a story about a girl who needs an abortion on the black market in Romania, circa 1987. Gabita, played by Laura Vasiliu, is essentially helpless, a scared little girl with a big problem to solve. Otilia, played by Anamaria Marinca, is the friend who helps her get help from a black market doctor named Bebe, who is played masterfully by Vlad Ivanov. Marinca experiences so many emotions and plays her part so convincingly that it is impossible not to cry, to feel fear, to smile, to be angry, and to hear your heart pounding at the thrilling climax of the film. Incredibly gritty and not for the faint of heart, I highly recommend this powerful film.

6. The Band's Visit, Israel

A subtle tale of a band of men who travel from Egypt to play music at a museum opening in a major Israeli city. After taking the wrong bus, they end up in a small village in the middle of nowhere. The characters laugh, find love, cry, and one fights as hard as he can to stave off the pain of a troubled past. A film that is both delightfully funny and bitterly sad, I believe that there is something for everyone to enjoy in this quiet and beautiful story.

5. The Dark Knight, United States

But of course this was coming. Christopher Nolan's magnum opus is easily one of the greatest films of the year. Christian Bale turns in an intricate performance as Batman while Heath Ledger gives the performance of a lifetime as the tormented and tragic Joker. Witty, sharp, brutal, grand, and impeccably paced, The Dark Knight transcends the genre of comic book films and takes its rightful place as one of the finest crime thrillers of the last decade.

4. Tell No One, France

I caught this at just the end of the year even though it was released in Q1 2008. While Hollywood makes thrillers with big name stars, insane explosions and FX, and just enough realism to keep your interest, this film from France steals the show with its portrayal of characters that are all to real. The chase scenes are brilliantly set up and the scene where Francois Cluzet tries to meet his wife in a park is one of the best of the year. A story of a man whose wife is murdered and 8 years later receives emails that can only be from her. He tries to figure out what is going on while being chased from the police and accused of several crimes that he did not commit. My heart was pounding for most of the film and I can assure you that this is a spellbinding thrillride.

3. Slumdog Millionaire, United Kingdom

The latest project by Danny Boyle uses unknown actors to tell a story that is so grim and yet so heartwarming that you will leave the theater and immediately want to go see it again. The story of Jamal Malik, an impoverished slumdog, as he goes on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? so his soul mate can find him again. After he is accused of cheating, he tells his life story of growing up in the slums to the inquisitive police detective assigned to his case. You simply must see this film, it is one of the best stories ever told.

2. Let The Right One In, Sweden

Like it's listmate, this film is also shot in long takes. Set in a secluded Swedish village and featuring disturbing and emotional performances from its cast, this is one film you cannot afford to miss. A roller coaster ride of being in abject terror and feeling all warm and fuzzy inside observing a lovely friendship, this film will absolutely stay with you long after you've left your seat. A story of a young boy who is bullied at school finally finding a friend who may or may not be a vampire. The film that people should be talking about instead of that rubbish called Twilight.

1. WALL-E, United States

I can feel it this year... WALL-E is going to be the first animated film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. One of the greatest science fiction stories ever told focuses on a robot and his adventures on an earth left in shambles and then in the final frontier of space. Oh, and did I mention that it's a wonderful love story too? The scene where WALL-E and Eve frolic and playfully dance outside of the ship is the best of the year indeed. Quite simply, there was not a better film made this year than WALL-E. If you haven't seen it yet, please do so.

So there it is... my favorites of 2008. Here's to hoping I can keep posting content in 2009.

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A Big Red Dude, a Few Games, and The Cookie Blog

Good morrow dear readers, I have much to say. First of all, I've started a new blog with several of my good friends that is entirely focused on cookies. The work is primarily done by resident food connoisseur Scott, but I'm planning to do quite a bit of guest posting. For now, head on over to A Lot of Cookies for a few posts on some delicious chocolate chip cookies from a local bakery.


Last Friday I was able to attend a showing of Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Essentially the film provides incredible fan service to Hellboy fans everywhere with a superb recreation of the dark humor from the comic. The story is fantastic, well written, and fast paced. The characters are immensely charming and provide great entertainment. Guillermo del Toro, the visionary director behind Pan's Labyrinth, uses the film as a giant playground for his imagination, with the Troll market scene standing out as one of the most novel sequences put to film since that vibrant saloon on Tatooine where we became acquainted with Luke, Han, and Obi Wan. I very much enjoyed this film with its droll humor and sarcastic tone. Ron Perlman has a sharp wit and a great presence on screen as the charismatic lead character. The supporting cast is nearly as good and really makes the film come together as something special. I highly recommend Hellboy II, especially if you like superhero movies, comic books, or just anything nerdy in general. Check it out.

I've also finished a few games that I'd like to comment on. After finishing Metal Gear Solid 4, I feel that I need to revise my initial impressions. While the plot is fairly interesting, the cutscenes just became too much to bear. I finished the game in 21 hours, and all joking aside, the cutscenes comprised at least 15 hours of that time. The gameplay is very tight, but not good enough to justify the insanely long and gratuitous cutscenes. Unless you are a huge Metal Gear fan, I would imagine that you will not enjoy this game very much. The story is incredibly confusing and absurd, and really is not worth following unless you've been following along for years.

Just to give you some perspective on how massive the story truly is, I'd like to describe the Metal Gear Solid Encyclopedia. A week or so after release, this enormous game add on appeared on the PSN. The Metal Gear Solid Encyclopedia is essentially Wikipedia for MGS. It is a 73 MB download comprised of mostly text. Do you have any idea how much raw information that is? I spent 3 hours reading article after article and made it through maybe 5% of the content. The time investment required to understand the story is simply mindblowing, so if you're looking for some quick, passive entertainment, this is not the right game. After finishing MGS4 and having some time to reflect on it, I'd give it a respectable 8.0/10. I would however, not recommend that you not play it if you're not already familiar with the world of Metal Gear and Hideo Kojima's outrageous eccentricities.

I also played Battlefield: Bad Company for the Xbox 360. The guys at DICE are very talented indeed, making some of the best multiplayer shooters out there, with the Battlfield series earning millions of fans worldwide. It's for good reason too- Battlefield features a very hectic and thrilling multiplayer mode. The explosions and effects of the brand new Frostbite engine are superb and make the game feel incredibly immersive. Unfortunately, there are a few drawbacks to the game. First of all, the game sets out to be funny while at the same time throwing players into an intense war zone. The humor really brings you out of the experience- you are supposed to be engaged in a pulse-pounding thrillride while all of your supporting players crack juvnile jokes? I think not. In addition, the single player campaign has a weak and rather mediocre story. I found it to be aggressively average and was not particularly impressed. The game as a whole also has a slightly poor aiming and control scheme. It's very difficult to say how exactly this feels, but if you play BF:BC side by side with Call of Duty 4 or Halo 3, you will know what I mean. These AAA shooters just have tighter gameplay and smoother aiming. I'm also very critical of the damage system. It takes an incredible amount of direct hits to kill someone and the damage is not at all realistic. By my count, it takes roughly 5 headshots to kill someone with a full machine gun. This is simply unacceptable. This game does not claim to be Halo, which acknowledges that players have thick armor and shields. I am somehow supposed to believe that a .45 caliber machine gun round to the bare skull of an ordinary man from 3 meters does almost nothing? Please. If you are looking for a good millitary shooter, just play Call of Duty 4 instead. I give BF:BC a 7.0/10.


Finally, I'll give a quick review of Unreal Tournament III. UT is the king of classic 90's twitch shooters, offering incredibly fast paced gameplay. The gore level is way over the top, with most weapons causing other players to explode into chunks of meat. If you don't like incredibly fast paced, twitchy, and violent gameplay, this game is not for you. If you're into Quake, Unreal, or TimeSplitters, this game is for you. UT III is the pinnacle of twitch gameplay, and I've been having a great time with this game. Not only are multiplayer matches fun, but bot AI is amazing. The programmers that worked on the AI should all be given raises for their incredible AI. The medium level bots are good, but the higher level bots really are something to behold. I highly recommend this game and give it an 8.5/10.

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Some Indie Films and a Bit about Spain

Greetings dear readers, it has been some time since we've had a chat. For the most part, I've been either working or up north in Door County where, tragically, we have no internet. I know what you are thinking, and no, I don't know how I made it either. At any rate, I have returned.

Euro 2008 finished with an epic 1-0 match with Spain defeating Germany. Fernando "El Nino" Torres scored for Spain in the 33rd minute with a superb individual effort. He finished with poise and class after a 40 yard run on the ball- it was simply sensational. Spain was finally able banish their curse and succeed in the late rounds of a major tournament after years of repeated failure. For their part, Germany did not play a very classy match, with several intentional fouls and all around poor play. Spain indeed deserved to win the match, with outstanding play by Casillas, Torres, Fabregas, and Ramos. I tip my hat to the Spanish squad for a memorable Euro 2008 campaign.

Spain had a bit more luck with their athletes after Rafa Nadal won the Wimbledon Final over Roger Federer. I believe I've said before that I've just watched "the finest match ever" but I must say that this one tops them all. The match lasted for 4 Hours and 48 Minutes, the longest Wimbledon Final ever. Nadal triumphed as the sun was setting and the light was fading just seconds past 9:15 PM. The final score of 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 is just a testament to how close in skill these two players are. The match consisted of one amazing shot after another, with each man looking nigh superhuman at several key moments. After the match, both players were pure class, congratulating one another, exchanging hugs, and behaving like true gentlemen. Federer was gracious in defeat, praising Nadal's outstanding play and shot making, while Nadal was utterly humble in his victory, freely admitting that Federer was a great champion and a master of his craft. I give credit to both of these men for their grace, class, passion, and fierce competitive spirit. In the words of John McEnroe, "If this doesn't get people excited about our great sport, I don't know what will."

I've also been to the movies quite a few times over the past few weeks. I saw WALL-E on opening day at the UltraScreen at about 10:00 PM. Thankfully we avoided all the kiddies and had a pretty good crowd. The film was so brilliant that I was back in the same theater just after noon on the very next day for a repeat viewing. There is not too much to say about WALL-E because you already know what's coming. Pixar has a reputation for making high quality films, and they have never really faltered. Just as with previous films, the animation is at the top of its class. The first bit of the film is set on Earth far in the future, when it has become overrun with garbage. The animation in this bit of the film is simply mindblowing, with thousands upon thousands of objects all flawlessly rendered and detailed. I simply do not know how the animators at Pixar were able to pull this off, but they have never ceased to amaze me. The film is very short on dialog, but again, Pixar is simply masterful at saying a lot without... saying a lot. The story is top notch, the characters are loveable and endearing, the animation is stellar, and WALL-E is one of the top 3 films of the year period. If you haven't seen it, I encourage you to do so at your earliest convenience.


Timur Bekmambetov, the visionary director behind Night Watch and Day Watch, has finally directed his first English language film, Wanted. American audiences who are not into indie films (Night/Day Watch are really out there and completely in Russian) will finally get a taste of Bekmambetov's unique imagination in a wide release film. James McAvoy gives a believable and compelling performance as mild mannered Wesley Gibson. Wesley leads a rather pitiful existence with a girlfriend that cheats on him with his best friend, a low-level job, and a boss that repeatedly emasculates him. Oh, and he's broke. And he sufferes from debilitating anxiety. Essentially, his life sucks. Suddenly, Angelina Jolie (codename "Fox") breaks into the scene with her massive lips flappin' in the wind and tells Wesley that he is the to succeed his recently deceased father in The Fraternity, a secret group of assassins who maintain order in the world by killing people. (Ironic much?) It's hard to talk much about the rest of the film without spoiling the plot, so I won't. If you enjoy lots of insane action, car chases, gun play, knife battles, and gratuitous gore, this movie is for you. If not, you may wish to pass. This was the perfect summer film and is easily entertaining enough to be worth your $9.

Next up is Jellyfish, a little known film from Israel. The film is a whimsical slice-of-life affair, following the lives of three women in present day Israel. Although there is little to criticize about the quality of the film and the depth of the characters, this film does not make a whole lot of sesne. Perhaps I'll understand it better if I watch it a few more times, but after Claire and I left the theater, we essentially stared at one another dumbfounded. Either we clearly missed something crucial or this film is flat out hard to understand. If you're interested in an offbeat comedy about rather ordinary people, check this one out. Then send me a message and explain what was going on.

Finally, I just got out of Mongol a few hours ago and it's fresh in my mind. Mongol chronicles the rise of Genghis Khan, the legendary Mongolian emperor who ruled over the largest contiguous empire in human history. Covering an area of 33 million km (^2), the Mongolian Empire was home to over 100 million people. Just to put those numbers in perspective, that is 22% of the total landmass on earth and approximately 30% of the world population.

Mongol is a deep and engaging look at the early life of Genghis Khan and provides a fascinating backstory for one of history's greatest rulers. The film itself is wonderfully shot, with excellent camera work and cinematography. Mongol is an epic unlike any other, putting many recent Hollywood blockbusters to shame. The film is as historically accurate as it possibly can be (there is little writting information about the life of the great Khan) and it is still an thrilling story. This is a testament to how extraordinary man Genghis Khan truly was. Although the film is in Mongolian, I highly recommend this excellent historical epic.

"42 is The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything. "

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Solid Snake, Movie Films, and Euro 2008 Part I

Good day readers. I've been away from the blog for a few weeks being home and then getting back to work. The good news is that there is much to speak of. I've got early impressions of the biggest PS3 release of the year, three movie reviews, and a quick summary of Euro 2008 coming up after the break.

Solid Snake is one of the most legendary game warriors of all time. For 21 years, Snake has been an unstoppable force of nature, and his latest adventure is no exception. Indeed, Hideo Kojima has put every ounce of his creative talents into making Metal Gear Solid 4, and the result is nothing short of extraordinary. This is Kojima's magnum opus, the culmination of his career. MGS4 is the finest game in the series, summarizing the story of the series so far, wrapping up every loose end that has come about over the years, and providing a fantastic story all on its own. Snake participates in a battle of titans, fighting with his twin brother, (also a supersoldier) Liquid Ocelot, throughout the game. Although it starts slowly and features at least as many minutes of cutscene as gameplay, MGS4 has an engaging narrative that will suck you in. More importantly, the fantastic gameplay in between the cutscenes is polished, refined, and supremely entertaining. The game is a technical masterpiece as well, with the best graphics of any game I've ever seen and a fantastic sweeping soundtrack. The character voicing, physics, and particle effects are also very tight and well done. I'm about 15 hours through and truly enjoying every minute. I will get back to you with a full review sometime soon, but at the moment I'd have to hit it with a 9.5/10.

I like to be positive in my posts overall, so I'll give you my most negative movie review first. Against my better judgment, I went with a group of friends to see The Happening, M. Night Shyamalan's latest film. His first wide release (third film overall), The Sixth Sense, is widely regarded as one of the finest Horror films of the 1990's. I thoroughly enjoyed that film, but I consider it the pinnacle of his career. Since 1999, his level of creativity and the quality of his films has plummeted. The Happening is a new low for Shyamalan, and that's saying something after 2006's ridiculous trifle, Lady in the Water. The Happening does have an intriguing opening and is quite compelling for about 20 minutes. At that point, the audience can figure out what's happening (haha... get it?). This, mind you, is at least 30 minutes before the characters in the film even have a clue. If Shyamalan is trying to make a thriller or be mysterious, he fails miserably by giving away the secret right away. Since my hope is that this review will convince you not to see this load of rubbish, I'm going to give away the secret. It's the plants. Yes, plants have decided that humans are bad for the planet, so they release a neurotoxin that causes anybody who breathes it in to become disoriented and then kill themselves. I wish I was making this up.
AHHHHHH! There are TREES in this picture! We're all going to go insane and kill ourselves! ...What?

There is no twist, no surprise to speak of, the phenomenon just randomly stops after a brief period of time. Now then, the concept of the film is hokey and implausible, but the actors really could have saved it and made it into a passable film. Actors have a job to do, and that is to convince us that what they are experiencing is real. Mark Wahlberg may have given the worst performance of his career, with lines so deadpan and lame that they caused me to laugh many times when I am sure that the lines were not intended to be funny. Wahlberg is usually quite talented, so this lack of effort can only be explained by one thing: he didn't believe in the script nor did he find it remotely believable. It's almost as if before every line he went "Really? That's what I'm honestly supposed to say?" His performance is just depressingly terrible. John Leguizamo and Zooey Deschanel don't fare any better, each turning in laughable and weak performances. Again, both of these actors have really done good stuff, but the fact that they are just so pathetic is really a testament to how terrible this story is. I encourage you to avoid this pile of manure on the yard that is cinema and save your $9 for... um... pretty much anything else.

Hey... those are bushes. ZOMG RUN AWAY FROM THE BUSHES!

The Incredible Hulk doesn't make for a very interesting review to be quite honest. The film is miles better than Ang Lee's worthless adaptation of the Hulk from 2003, but that isn't saying too much since it was so bad. After seeing this film, it makes me wonder why on earth Marvel Studios released Iron Man before The Incredible Hulk rather than afterward. Compared to Iron Man, Hulk is kind of a letdown, with much weaker sense of wit and less compelling characters. However, aside from Iron Man, Hulk is the best superhero movie since 2005's Batman Begins. At its core, Hulk is a loud, boisterous, in your face action affair. Edward Norton is excellent as the Hulk, but that is no surprise considering his immense talent. Liv Tyler is appropriately emotional/whiny and William Hurt is appropriately cold. My main complaint about Hulk regards the final scene. It is supposed to be an epic showdown between the Hulk and the Abomination; however it truly will test your patience as it far overstays its welcome. It lasts for a good 30 minutes, and I checked my watch far too many times before it finally ended. Also, Tim Roth turns in a terrible performance and makes an unconvincing villain. He was not entertaining in the slightest, delivering flat and lifeless dialog. I feel like they could have picked so many different actors that would have fit the part much better. Overall, it is a solid film that will entertain fans of the comics, but it has little crossover appeal to those that do not ordinarily appreciate films from the superhero genre.

Finally, I am able to praise a lovely film from Italy, Mio fratello e figlio unico (My Brother is an Only Child). A legendary success in its native country, I was finally able to see it during a limited release at the local Sundance Theater. The movie tells the tale of Accio, the outcast of his small family, joining the Fascist party in Italy circa 1960. Meanwhile his older and more charming brother, Manrico, becomes active in the local Communist party. The two brothers grow up together in a time of great change and political instability. They follow different ideologies and slowly but surely grow apart. Accio ends up always being in his brother's shadow, being disliked by his family, and falling in love with his brother's girlfriend. Set in a small Italian town, My Brother is an Only Child is a delightful story of love, family, politics, and society. It provides a fresh and distinctly non-American perspective on the way society and the government should work while keeping it personal with characters that are deep, likable, and very well written. If you have the chance, do check this one out. And don't be the least bit surprised if this is nominated for Best Foreign Film at the next Academy Awards.

Euro 2008 has been nothing short of extraordinary, with epic finishes and some amazing football all around. The Netherlands look absolutely masterful in their three wins over very capable and solid teams. They dismantled France, Italy, and Romania with little difficulty. Edwin van der Sar, Robin van Persie, Ruud Van Nistlerooy, and Arjen Robben have played stunning football and just make their mastery of the game look effortless.

Italy came back however to snatch a spot in the final 8 by defeating France 2-0. The French were simply not able to put any offense together for the tournament and did not play their best football. They were unable to advance out of the "group of death" as it was called, with only Italy and The Netherlands advancing out of group C. In Group A action, the Turks pulled off one of the greatest Euro comebacks of all-time, scoring twice in the final three minutes to overcome a 2-1 deficit. Nihat Kahveci was Turkey's hero of the day, scoring the final two goals in the 87th and 89th minute. Portugal looked quite well in winning group A, resting all of its star players before their quarterfinal showdown with the Germans. Germany and Croatia advanced from Group B in rather unremarkable fashion. Both sides simply got the job done and played smart to move forward in the tournament. Neither team looks especially dangerous, but we shall see in just a few short days. Michael Ballack did have a brilliant goal in Germany's fixture with Austria, scoring on a free kick from nearly 30 meters. The final group D matches are to be played tomorrow, with Spain already having clinched a spot and Russia and Sweden battling it out for the right to play The Netherlands. Spain has maintained their impeccable form so far, but will they hold tradition and perform poorly in the knockout stages after a superb start? This type of performance is all too familiar from the Spanish, who look fantastic out on the pitch early in the tournament but then quickly lose form in the late stages of play. I wish to see a Spain vs. Netherlands semi-final, so hopefully Villa, Fabregas, Torres, and Silva can carry the team to victory over the perpetually dangerous Italians. There is much more football to be played, tune in to all the games on ESPN Classic, ESPN 2, and ESPN 360 online.

I'm out.

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Odds and Ends

Hello readers, it's been too long. My semester is nearly over, and it is time to blog again. Indeed, a few topics require discussion. First of all, I finished Grand Theft Auto IV. After spending about 35 hours with the game, I can stand by my 9.5 score. A few problems still exist, but don't let that stop you from experiencing one of the most engrossing stories in entertainment, period. GTA IV had a $100 million budget, and it really shows. The story is truly outstanding all the way through and subtle details like car and body physics are impeccable. It just goes to show that when you make a quality title, people will buy it. Take-Two announced earnings of over $500 million in the first week, breaking the all time entertainment record previously held by Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. The game sold over 5.9 million copies in its first week, with 3.3 million units being moved on the 360 and 2.6 million units sold for the PS3. Hats off to the folks at Rockstar North and Rockstar NYC for making one of the finest games in years.

In other news, I caught a showing of The Counterfeiters, the 2007 Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Film. It tells the tale of a group of counterfeiters, led by the legendary Salomon Sorowitsch. This group of brilliant Jewish prisoners orchestrated the largest counterfeiting operation in history, perfectly replicating the British pound and the American dollar, and funding the Nazi war effort for several months during World War II. Although the film tells a fictionalized story, Sorowitsch is a very likable character his story is poignant and moving. The film is mildly depressing, but it gives a good message and a stern reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust. I highly recommend this Austrian tour de force.

I also went to Iron Man and had a good chance to geek out and enjoy a sweet superhero movie. I am constantly skeptical of superhero films after being disappointed by the last two Spiderman disaster- ... *cough*... films. Indeed there is very little I can criticize about this film, as John Favreau does a wonderful job of making Iron Man into a charming character while appealing to hardcore comic book fans with outstanding action set pieces. Iron Man is a film with broad appeal and is a perfect summer movie to enjoy with some friends. I must join the bandwagon and tip my hat to Robert Downey Jr. for an immensely entertaining performance as Tony Stark. His snarky humor and sharp wit make the film so much more enjoyable than what it would have been in the hands of a less skilled actor.

Finally, I'll leave you with this, considering I did almost the EXACT SAME THING on the day of my prom:


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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

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The Band's Visit / Final 4

As you can probably tell by the title of this post, the Final 4 is set. For the first time in history, all 4 #1 seeds will face off in the Final 4.

Indeed this was a year of great parody in college basketball, so this is quite unexpected. Memphis was absolutely dominant over Texas in what easily became the biggest surprise of the Elite 8. We all know that Stephan Curry is an inhuman shooter and that Davidson can play as well as any team in the country, so the fact that they played Kansas closely all night was no surprise. What was surprising though was the fact that they wasted the last 16.8 seconds and showed an uncharacteristic lapse in judgment to ultimately lose the game by 2. I picked UNC as my champion and I still feel strongly that they will win in a championship game matchup against UCLA. As March Madness winds to a close, I tip my hat to the Wisconsin Badgers for an excellent season and Stephan Curry for the single most outstanding performance by a player I have ever seen.

Now then, I'd like to speak a moment about The Band's Visit (Bikur Ha-Tizmoret). This is a truly delightful film with a genuine message. Written and directed by Eran Kolirin (Israel), The Band's Visit tells a simple tale of a group of Arab musicians. Hailing from Egypt, The Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra has been invited to play at the opening of a cultural center in Petah Tikva, Israel (a major center of culture). Due to a miscommunication, the band mistakenly arrives in Beit Hatikva (a fictional village far out in the desert) on the last bus of the day and is left no choice but to stay a night in this quiet, rural village. The film deftly avoids the obvious conflicts between Arabs and Jews and instead develops into a quiet, poignant, snapshot-of-life comedy. The characters and conversations are well developed and heartfelt. Indeed, just like real life, sometimes you will laugh and sometimes you will cry. Both the people from the village and the members of the band have much to say. Expressing a wide range of human emotion, the beauty of music, and the pain that resides in every one of us, this beautiful film is not one to be missed.


I highly recommend The Band's Visit; it is the first truly great film of 2008. If you'd like further proof, head on over to Rotten Tomatoes and take a look at this film's summary page. Any film that scores over 80% is fairly remarkable, but with a score of 98%, The Band's Visit is truly something special.

Cheers.

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

Akira Remake FTL

I just caught the latest edition of Extra Life Radio, and I received a bit of news that lowered my spirits. Warner Brothers is remaking Akira, and it is set to release in 2009. Apparently, some two-bit nobody is slated to direct one of the finest and most widely celebrated anime films of all time. Leonardo DiCaprio is set to act in the starring role as Kaneda and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is to play opposite DiCaprio as Tetsuo. The fact that these two actors are immensely talented is the only thing allowing me to retain any semblance of hope that this film will be any good.

Akira is one of the greatest animes ever, period. It is a landmark title that truly brought anime to a western audience for the first time in 1988. At the time, the animation, art design, writing, and story were all incredibly revolutionary and really pushed the envelope of what people thought was possible for animation as an art form. Inspiring other classics like Ghost in the Shell, Akira deserves to remain untouched by some big name studio just looking to cash in off of such a storied and beloved franchise.

At one point in the early 1990s, Sony scrapped the picture after the budget projections rose to over $435 million. This is no surprise considering the original film is comprised of 2,212 shots, 160,000 individual pictures, and 327 unique colors. All of these figures were simply mindblowing in terms of their scale. To think how those numbers would translate to a live action film is quite amazing. The film easily portrays some of the most awesome destruction in all of cinema. The entire city of Neo-Tokyo is fully destroyed two separate times, and the second destruction sequence takes place over the last 20 minutes or so of the film. The amount of money that would need to be spent on setting this up is simply extraordinary. It's also worth mentioning that Tetsuo racks up an enormous body count, easily surpassing Neo from The Matrix trilogy. Thats right, the main villain in Akira lays waste to more people in 124 minutes than Neo does in the entire Matrix trilogy.

To be clear, I would have much less of a problem with this if Katsuhiro Otomo was involved with the project and was given creative control of the film. Sadly, it has been stated that in no way will he be involved with this production, and that is indeed quite tragic. Please WB, don't destroy a franchise that I love... I beg of you.

/end rant

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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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Academy Awards Summary

For those who did not watch the 80th annual Academy Awards, it was a fine show. Several inspired acceptance speeches, a refreshing lack of the usual Hollywood snobbery and arrogance, and a host who wasn't half bad. Jon Stewart returned for a second time and said just enough to add a bit of humor while not overstaying his welcome and becoming irritating. Without further adieu, I present to you the winners list. (* indicates correct prediction, x indicates incorrect prediction, - means abstained from selecting)

Actor in a Supporting Role- Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men (*)
Visual Effects- The Golden Compass (x)
Animated Feature Film- Ratatouille (*)
Short Film (Live Action)- Lez Mozart des Pickpockets (-)
Short Film (Animated)- Peter and the Wolf (-)
Costume Design- Elizabeth: The Golden Age (x)
Makeup- La Vie en Rose (x)
Actress in a Supporting Role- Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton (x)
Documentary Short- Freeheld (-)
Documentary Feature- Taxi to the Dark Side (-)
Art Direction- Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (*)
Music (Score)- Atonement (*)
Sound Mixing- The Bourne Ultimatum (x)
Music (Song)- Once (-)
Foreign Language Film- The Counterfeiters (-)
Film Editing- The Bourne Ultimatum (x)
Actor in a Leading Role- Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood (*)
Cinematography- There Will Be Blood (x)
Actress in a Leading Role- Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose (x)
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)- No Country for Old Men (*)
Writing (Original Screenplay)- Juno (*)
Directing- No Country for Old Men (x)
Best Picture- No Country for Old Men (*)

Diablo Cody's improbable victory for Original Screenplay (Juno) was a delightful surprise (my solitary impressive pick), but Ellen Page's snub for Best Actress in a Leading Role made the win bittersweet. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly came up completely empty which was, in my opinion, the biggest crime of the show. This French film was a true masterpiece and it deserved at least one honor in acknowledgment of its brilliance. The award for Cinematography should have certainly gone to Atonement, but There Will Be Blood was indeed deserving. I was quite proud of Javier Bardem and Daniel Day-Lewis and their awards were absolutely deserved. No Country for Old Men won several top honors and took home a total of 4 awards- the most of any film at the show. The Coen brothers' masterful adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel indeed got some much needed attention on this fine evening. Cheers to all the great films honored.

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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.

Blu3

Movies, Elections, and more

Today I had the privilege to visit the Sundance Cinemas. This high class theater has only 2 locations, one in the fine city of Madison, and the other in San Francisco. As soon as you walk in, you go to the box office and select where you are going to sit on a touch screen computer. You pay something in the neighborhood of $4 in royalty charges, but hey, you pay a premium price for a premium movie-going experience. The Sundance Cinemas also offers snacks and goodies to keep you happy during your viewing of whatever independent/foreign/art-house film you have chosen to see. One would expect of course to see things like popcorn and Raisinets, but no, you have a broad selection of imported beers, fine wines, scones, and several other French-sounding pastries. This is high class, people.

So, I walked into the theater and sat in my chair, which was only slightly less relaxing than a La-Z-Boy. Now then, the film. I went to see Le Scaphandre et le papillon, more commonly known as The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. The film is based off the memoirs of one Jean-Dominique Bauby, the charming and vibrant editor of ELLE magazine. Bauby, who held one of the most prestigious positions in the fashion industry during the early 1990's, suffered a massive stroke on 8 December 1995 at the age of 42. The stroke debilitated his brain stem and left him with a rare condition known as "locked-in syndrome" in which a patient is fully aware of the outside world, but has little or no way of communicating their thoughts or feelings. Bauby was left with only the ability to blink his left eye, and he used a system devised by his speech therapist to dictate an entire book. Through a painstaking process of watching the therapist speak the alphabet and blinking to stop her, he was able to slowly form words and sentences. Using this system, Bauby spoke about his life, and indeed life in general in a truly poetic and engaging manner. In just over 200,000 blinks, Bauby created on of the most moving stories to be found in contemporary literature. The part of Bauby is played to perfection by Mathieu Almaric, who turns in yet another extraordinary performance in a leading role. 2007 was absolutely packed with extraordinary individual efforts, from Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood to Brad Pitt in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford; indeed Mathieu Almaric certainly deserves to be mentioned in any discussion of superb performances from the past year. I cannot think of a single complaint to write about this film. It is an emotional roller coaster ride, taking the viewer through pain, depression, joy, happiness, helplessness, frustration, anger, and finally, triumph. The story is tightly crafted and expertly paced, with not a single scene botched or wasted. If you truly watch this movie with all of your being, and carefully ponder what it has to say, it may slightly alter your outlook on life. This story is a moving tale of the triumph and persistence of the human spirit, and it should not be missed.

In politics, Barack Obama continued his undefeated run, winning the great state of Wisconsin and adding 74 delegates to his total. It looks like Hillary's "eh, it's just Wisconsin" approach to campaigning here really turned out well for her... Of course, John McCain won the Republican primary, but that was kind of a foregone conclusion considering Ron Paul will never get enough votes from moderates, and Mike Huckabee is too religious to gain widespread support. I for one am a proud Christian, and I think Mike Huckabee is a great man. But, mainstream religion of any kind is no longer chic in the United States, and its not cool to try to put God back into the Constitution. I mean, the founding fathers weren't all devout Christians or anything. Right, totally. Regardless, there are not enough traditional Conservatives to get Huckabee in office, so at this point, McCain's neo-Conservative rubbish has pushed my favor into the Obama camp. I suppose I thought I'd never say this, but Obama for President in 2008, baby.

On a side note, I'd like to say that this will be my last post about HD DVD. Toshiba officially announced that they are stopping all production of HD DVD players. Paramount and Universal pulled out of the HD DVD camp, with Universal already proclaiming its commitment to Blu-ray.

It's okay HD DVD, you had a good run, but Blu-ray just fought a better fight.

Cheers.

Blu3