It was a creepy, artfully directed video for a local instrumental surf punk band called The Amino Acids.
I am not a punk fan, but I do dig their sound. And their aesthetic.
Tags:
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sunday Night Video: The Amino Acids - Fear the Future
A few months back, I was flicking around the dial late one night when I came across something strange on MyNetworkTV. I didn't know what it was when I first saw it, and it was only after putting in the url that followed it that I finally understood.
It was a creepy, artfully directed video for a local instrumental surf punk band called The Amino Acids.
I am not a punk fan, but I do dig their sound. And their aesthetic.
It was a creepy, artfully directed video for a local instrumental surf punk band called The Amino Acids.
I am not a punk fan, but I do dig their sound. And their aesthetic.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Take a hike!
This story got lots of publicity this week in Australia.
Somehow I think they will work this out, eventually. Also, because it got all of this coverage, the message was sent to others about just what might happen if you didn't behave on the school bus.
A NORTHERN TERRITORY man has been making his five-year-old son walk two-and-a-half hours to school every day, after he was kicked off the school bus.While it is dangerous to pick up stories like this from the press, if we take it at face value, I gotta admire the nature of the punishment. It identifies the reason why bus travel is valuable and makes the child think about that for days. That said, while, in theory, that all looked good, the result wasn't too great:
When Jack Burt confessed that he'd been banned for five days for hitting the bus driver in the head with an apple core, dad Sam thought he should learn the hard way. He and Jack last week were getting up at 5.10am for the dusty 13km-hike from the Darwin rural area of Herbert, all the way to Humpty Doo.
Mr Burt also took the wheels off Jack's bike so he couldn't be tempted to ride to school.
But in the battle of wills between tall and short, the smart money's on Jack.Jack is impressive for a 5 year old. This is an interesting contest.
"Shame it didn't work," Mr Burt told the Northern Territory News.
"He got back on the bus Monday, and within three stops he was in trouble again. I couldn't believe it.
"I don't understand - he's good at school, he gets awards all the time."
However, a breakthrough might be in sight.
When Jack this week said he didn't mind walking - because it made him strong for fighting - he was told if he started fighting he might have to walk home in the afternoons too.
Jack's eyes got a little teary. He said he might not get home before dark.
Mr Burt told him not to worry - they'd leave the key out for him.
Somehow I think they will work this out, eventually. Also, because it got all of this coverage, the message was sent to others about just what might happen if you didn't behave on the school bus.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Week 29: Pageant of the Transmundane
In the real world this week, Rick Astley was part of one of the greatest Rickrolls of all time. What can I bring you that can top that? Oh, you'll see.
This week's winner is weird in a sexual way, and as a warning, I am going to just say that this entry is likely not safe for work, despite the fact that it is just a drawing (you will likely get a warning from Blogger when you visit the site it is on, so that may have been warning enough).
Of course, saying the winning entry is just a drawing is really selling it short, because it is bizarre.
A few weeks back, I had discovered a blog called Awesomeness for Awesome's Sake, and it won the Transmundanity award back then. That blog has an associated blog that is more image-oriented at Blogger called Bride of Awesomeness. It was at that blog that I saw this week's winning entry.
There are times when I just throw you, my readers, into the deep end and watch you just take something in for the merit of the surprise. I am not going to do that this time. Instead, I am going to slowly dip you into the waters and build up to exactly what you are about to see, because as I slowly add details to this, I believe there is going to be a moment when a line is crossed, and to me, I would love to know at what point that line between weird and "Holy shit, that's totally fucked up" got crossed for you.
Let's head into the water from the shallow end, shall we?
The caption was simple: This is what's wrong with the internet?
It features two vaguely human feminine forms. You will understand why I use the term vaguely in a minute.
They both feature faces that are similar to the style of modern Disney storytelling animation.
They both have tails like horses and four arms.
This makes sense for one of the figures, because they happen to take on a form that is roughly that of a centaur.
The other figure is a semi-clothed humanoid and just happens to have oh, 9 breasts.
The feminine centaur has a not-so-well kept secret... they have a penis.
And 8 more after that.
And six breasts.
And each of them has a penis.
And all nine of those various phalli are climaxing at the same time.
And you remember I did mention there was another female character involved.
Yeah... take it all in at once.
Conceptually, it seems like something a 15-year old geeky guy would come up with. But the scary thought is, there might actually be someone out there who is looking for a multimammaried, multipenised, centaur/fantasy based illustrated porn collection with that Disney touch, and this fulfills their every want and dream. This is pure Rule 34 stuff. I mean, when they mention ultra porn on Futurama, that image is what I am going to see.
Now for the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award image this week, I thought I would perhaps cleanse the palate a little bit with something a little more tasteful by posting something that is tangentially related to both The Simpsons and Greek Mythology. Hopefully this will act as a balm for your sense of decency after seeing that.
Congratulations again go out to Mr. Canacorn, who has pulled off quite a feat... two wins in the span of a month. Of course, it was at two different blogs, but we're not holding that against him (except in the Triple Crown that is). Here is your web badge.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogosphere to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
This week's winner is weird in a sexual way, and as a warning, I am going to just say that this entry is likely not safe for work, despite the fact that it is just a drawing (you will likely get a warning from Blogger when you visit the site it is on, so that may have been warning enough).
Of course, saying the winning entry is just a drawing is really selling it short, because it is bizarre.
A few weeks back, I had discovered a blog called Awesomeness for Awesome's Sake, and it won the Transmundanity award back then. That blog has an associated blog that is more image-oriented at Blogger called Bride of Awesomeness. It was at that blog that I saw this week's winning entry.
There are times when I just throw you, my readers, into the deep end and watch you just take something in for the merit of the surprise. I am not going to do that this time. Instead, I am going to slowly dip you into the waters and build up to exactly what you are about to see, because as I slowly add details to this, I believe there is going to be a moment when a line is crossed, and to me, I would love to know at what point that line between weird and "Holy shit, that's totally fucked up" got crossed for you.
Let's head into the water from the shallow end, shall we?
The caption was simple: This is what's wrong with the internet?
It features two vaguely human feminine forms. You will understand why I use the term vaguely in a minute.
They both feature faces that are similar to the style of modern Disney storytelling animation.
They both have tails like horses and four arms.
This makes sense for one of the figures, because they happen to take on a form that is roughly that of a centaur.
The other figure is a semi-clothed humanoid and just happens to have oh, 9 breasts.
The feminine centaur has a not-so-well kept secret... they have a penis.
And 8 more after that.
And six breasts.
And each of them has a penis.
And all nine of those various phalli are climaxing at the same time.
And you remember I did mention there was another female character involved.
Yeah... take it all in at once.
Conceptually, it seems like something a 15-year old geeky guy would come up with. But the scary thought is, there might actually be someone out there who is looking for a multimammaried, multipenised, centaur/fantasy based illustrated porn collection with that Disney touch, and this fulfills their every want and dream. This is pure Rule 34 stuff. I mean, when they mention ultra porn on Futurama, that image is what I am going to see.
Now for the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award image this week, I thought I would perhaps cleanse the palate a little bit with something a little more tasteful by posting something that is tangentially related to both The Simpsons and Greek Mythology. Hopefully this will act as a balm for your sense of decency after seeing that.
Congratulations again go out to Mr. Canacorn, who has pulled off quite a feat... two wins in the span of a month. Of course, it was at two different blogs, but we're not holding that against him (except in the Triple Crown that is). Here is your web badge.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogosphere to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
Tags:
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Friday Favorites: A Katamari Thanksgiving
I had this early edition of Friday Favorites planned a couple weeks back to take advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday, but it seems that its timing was perfect given my current malaise. Luckily, it is a happy, colorful entry, so I don't feel too bad reposting it.
--
Since today is the American Thanksgiving, I thought that today would probably be the best day to discuss a game that glorifies the values of excess. Of course I am talking about Katamari Damacy, a fantasy for the tryptophan-soaked mind. If you visit the site with the sound on, well, be prepared to have that little tune permanently etched into your brain, and if you've played it, this could happen to you!
And while it is a very Japanese game (watch the intro for the surreal proof), it also does have some very telling American values in it as well. For most of you, it is a holiday, so I am going to spin you a little scenario.
Think about your job, and your managers... the kind of people who see you are making headway pushing your pile of responsibilities and tasks, and out of spite, drunkenness or laziness they delegate more and more things for you to do around the office while expecting you to keep up the pace, and then when you fail, they try to put the onus on you rather than taking the blame for themselves. That is part of the philosophy of Katamari Damacy in a nutshell, but unlike most work situations, well, you do have the feeling that you did well if you bested your performance from a previous try, and that is saying something.
Of course, since the person doling out the insults and scorn upon the young Prince is his father, the King of All Cosmos, there are also familial parallels to some of the conflicts that people throughout the United States are likely having in kitchens and dining rooms across the country, and like the original Japanese version of the game, alcohol is likely involved. Naturally, as we grow up, we get over many of the issues that face us, usually through acceptance or success, but there are always those lingering doubts, and I am sure the Prince is going to be left with some of his own.
But down to its very core, it is about one little strange man succeeding at a herculean task... because no matter how big the task, that little Prince can keep chugging along, pushing his ball to a mammoth size without ceasing. His performance should put Sisyphus to shame. That is the kind of inspiration story that anyone could root for(even if they don't like the game).
OK, I think WAY too much about things... I accept that.
And, I don't know who this insurance company/ad firm think they are fooling when they say they took no inspiration from Katamari Damacy. Really.
--
Since today is the American Thanksgiving, I thought that today would probably be the best day to discuss a game that glorifies the values of excess. Of course I am talking about Katamari Damacy, a fantasy for the tryptophan-soaked mind. If you visit the site with the sound on, well, be prepared to have that little tune permanently etched into your brain, and if you've played it, this could happen to you!And while it is a very Japanese game (watch the intro for the surreal proof), it also does have some very telling American values in it as well. For most of you, it is a holiday, so I am going to spin you a little scenario.
Think about your job, and your managers... the kind of people who see you are making headway pushing your pile of responsibilities and tasks, and out of spite, drunkenness or laziness they delegate more and more things for you to do around the office while expecting you to keep up the pace, and then when you fail, they try to put the onus on you rather than taking the blame for themselves. That is part of the philosophy of Katamari Damacy in a nutshell, but unlike most work situations, well, you do have the feeling that you did well if you bested your performance from a previous try, and that is saying something.
Of course, since the person doling out the insults and scorn upon the young Prince is his father, the King of All Cosmos, there are also familial parallels to some of the conflicts that people throughout the United States are likely having in kitchens and dining rooms across the country, and like the original Japanese version of the game, alcohol is likely involved. Naturally, as we grow up, we get over many of the issues that face us, usually through acceptance or success, but there are always those lingering doubts, and I am sure the Prince is going to be left with some of his own.
But down to its very core, it is about one little strange man succeeding at a herculean task... because no matter how big the task, that little Prince can keep chugging along, pushing his ball to a mammoth size without ceasing. His performance should put Sisyphus to shame. That is the kind of inspiration story that anyone could root for(even if they don't like the game).
OK, I think WAY too much about things... I accept that.
And, I don't know who this insurance company/ad firm think they are fooling when they say they took no inspiration from Katamari Damacy. Really.
Tags:
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Adding some style to the wiki on Google Code
Based on user feedback, we added a few highly requested features to the project hosting wiki on Google Code.
To improve navigation from one wiki page to another, we added side navigation across wiki pages (e.g doctype docs). You can add a 'Wiki sidebar' by specifying the wiki file that describes your side navigation in the Administration tab under Wiki settings.
<wiki:toc max_depth="1" />Finally, to improve the style of your wiki pages we have added some html support. For more information on what html is supported, take a look at the documentation.
As always, we look forward to your feedback.
I'm Not Really In the Mood to Blog Today
I just got some really bad news about my dog from the vet, (the words days and weeks were brought up for life expectancy), so I don't think I will really be up to blogging anything new this week.
Monday, November 24, 2008
A Few Things that Bother Me about The Goonies Now
I was just watching The Goonies the other day, and I suddenly had a few "Wait, what?" moments. Naturally, this is pure spoiler material if you haven't seen the movie in the past 23 years, but really, if you were going to see it, you likely would have by this point so, let's get on with the nitpicking.
1. Since the Walshes hired a housekeeper, why would their mother be so upset about a few chip crumbs on a table (I know it was part of a red herring joke involving the busted privates of the miniature David statue on the same table, but in the context, it does not make sense.
2. If everyone knows that basically they are going to have to move soon, why hadn't anyone started packing before that day? I know denial is a huge thing and all, but still, I think it is rather strange that no work had been done in the houses we see in the movie.
2a. The Rube Goldberg device that opens the gate... if the packing wasn't done, you'd think that they would have at least had the decency to tell one of their kids to break that down. It is totally unnecessary and would likely make moving boxes and furniture out of the house a lot more difficult.
3. At the end of the movie, I am now trying to figure out exactly how that little bag of jewels saves the entire Goon Docks. Forgive my ignorance about how eminent domain works in the United States, but I have no idea how the addition of jewels into the financial coffers of the Walshes could derail the entire project (as I don't believe that the jewels in hand would be able to save each of the homes of the Goonies involved, let alone 50 or so houses as mentioned by Troy). Can anyone explain this to me?
4. I know they cut the octopus scene out, you know they cut the octopus scene out... why didn't they just cut the mention of said animal out of the dialogue at the end of the movie. Really... it isn't that hard to do.
These are just the things that occur to me off the top of my head... I am sure there are many more flaws that I didn't see as a kid that are glaringly obvious now as an adult. GAH... sometimes I hate my brain.
1. Since the Walshes hired a housekeeper, why would their mother be so upset about a few chip crumbs on a table (I know it was part of a red herring joke involving the busted privates of the miniature David statue on the same table, but in the context, it does not make sense.
2. If everyone knows that basically they are going to have to move soon, why hadn't anyone started packing before that day? I know denial is a huge thing and all, but still, I think it is rather strange that no work had been done in the houses we see in the movie.
2a. The Rube Goldberg device that opens the gate... if the packing wasn't done, you'd think that they would have at least had the decency to tell one of their kids to break that down. It is totally unnecessary and would likely make moving boxes and furniture out of the house a lot more difficult.
3. At the end of the movie, I am now trying to figure out exactly how that little bag of jewels saves the entire Goon Docks. Forgive my ignorance about how eminent domain works in the United States, but I have no idea how the addition of jewels into the financial coffers of the Walshes could derail the entire project (as I don't believe that the jewels in hand would be able to save each of the homes of the Goonies involved, let alone 50 or so houses as mentioned by Troy). Can anyone explain this to me?
4. I know they cut the octopus scene out, you know they cut the octopus scene out... why didn't they just cut the mention of said animal out of the dialogue at the end of the movie. Really... it isn't that hard to do.
These are just the things that occur to me off the top of my head... I am sure there are many more flaws that I didn't see as a kid that are glaringly obvious now as an adult. GAH... sometimes I hate my brain.
Tags:
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Sunday Night Video: The Kevin Bacon Movie Club
I remember those commercials from the late 1980's and into the 1990's which advertised buying a collection of movies one VHS tape at a time. There was a James Bond collection, a Clint Eastwood collection, a John Wayne collection and a whole host of television shows available in this format.
But with the rise of the internet and of the DVD format, those movie clubs sort of faded away into obscurity... until I saw this recent ad at Funny or Die for the Kevin Bacon Movie Club.
You have to give him this: Kevin Bacon can certainly take the piss out of himself.
But with the rise of the internet and of the DVD format, those movie clubs sort of faded away into obscurity... until I saw this recent ad at Funny or Die for the Kevin Bacon Movie Club.
You have to give him this: Kevin Bacon can certainly take the piss out of himself.
Tags:
Friday, November 21, 2008
Week 28: Pageant of the Transmundane
Before I begin this week's ceremony, I just have to note that I saw a former VP candidate giving an interview following one of those stupid Turkey Pardoning PR events that are so popular... and they were just yakking away while workers at the farm get on with the business of slaughtering turkeys right behind said person on camera, so my sense of what is truly bizarre has been matched and raised this week. It was another one of those Gary Busey sniffing cocaine off a dog moments.
Nevertheless, I am confident that this week's winning entry could likely go the distance with all but the most outlandish of this award's previous winners.
Last Saturday, Hilly of Snackie's World posted an entry entitled Speechless Saturday (AKA "Wow") and that is a very good description of my reaction to seeing it. It was one of those items that is immediately shortlisted for Transmundanity, no matter what day of the week I see it.
I will admit that I wasn't fully prepared to see what this post had to offer... namely an unusual dancing man getting his groove on to a song which, while appropriate for said activity, still makes the whole event strange and unforgettable. I am giving you an ample butt crack warning for this week's winning entry however.
And after seeing the video, I think you will agree that this time out, I needed to go above and beyond the call of duty. So I went with an image from that time Homer thought he saw an alien in the woods and Mulder and Scully from the X-Files showed up to investigate.
Mulder: [Scully has set Homer on a treadmill] Wait a minute, Scully. What's the point of this test?
Scully: No point. I just figured he could stand to lose some weight.
Mulder: [Seeing the movement of Homer's belly] His jigglin is almost hypnotic.
Scully: Yes! It's like a lava lamp!
If that doesn't get right down to what this week's winning entry has to offer, I don't know what I am doing with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Awards anymore.
Congrats to Hilly for allowing me to relive that classic Simpsons moment.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogosphere to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
Nevertheless, I am confident that this week's winning entry could likely go the distance with all but the most outlandish of this award's previous winners.
Last Saturday, Hilly of Snackie's World posted an entry entitled Speechless Saturday (AKA "Wow") and that is a very good description of my reaction to seeing it. It was one of those items that is immediately shortlisted for Transmundanity, no matter what day of the week I see it.
I will admit that I wasn't fully prepared to see what this post had to offer... namely an unusual dancing man getting his groove on to a song which, while appropriate for said activity, still makes the whole event strange and unforgettable. I am giving you an ample butt crack warning for this week's winning entry however.
And after seeing the video, I think you will agree that this time out, I needed to go above and beyond the call of duty. So I went with an image from that time Homer thought he saw an alien in the woods and Mulder and Scully from the X-Files showed up to investigate.
Mulder: [Scully has set Homer on a treadmill] Wait a minute, Scully. What's the point of this test?
Scully: No point. I just figured he could stand to lose some weight.
Mulder: [Seeing the movement of Homer's belly] His jigglin is almost hypnotic.
Scully: Yes! It's like a lava lamp!
If that doesn't get right down to what this week's winning entry has to offer, I don't know what I am doing with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Awards anymore.
Congrats to Hilly for allowing me to relive that classic Simpsons moment.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogosphere to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
Tags:
Friday Favorites: Every Commentary Track tells a Story
With the Friday Favorites column, I've basically posted some of my most popular earlier entries, but this week, I thought I would make a departure from that route and instead post an entry which wasn't particularly popular when I posted it back in July of 2006 regarding a particular DVD commentary track. I thought it was a decent entry, but at the time, no one really seemed to dig it. Maybe time has been kind to it.
And just a heads-up, the next Friday Favorite will be posted on Thursday because of Thanksgiving holiday.
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One of the best features that has come about because of the DVD is the commentary track, allowing film fans and cinema freaks alike to get information about a film scene by scene by the people involved in its production. Of course, like the movies they are supporting, sometimes they are sublime, sometimes they are ok and sometimes they are commentary tracks of the damned.
And then there are those audio tracks that take a bad movie and catapult it into cultish goodness. I have found one of those rare movie/commentary connections my friends.
You see, about 2 years ago, I bought a package that included two movies, one was the excellent Office Space, and the other was a movie which while it did make me laugh when I first saw it, after subsequent viewings, it became clear that it was just too stupid for me to take seriously, despite a Big Lebowski connection.
That movie was Dude, Where's My Car.
I put off watching it for a long time, and when that sad, slow Saturday came when it was its turn, I thought, why not turn the commentary on... I mean, there has to be a laugh or two in that. That was an understatement.
I think the thing it sort of reminds me of is the beginning and ending of Strange Brew with a lot of Wayne's World thrown in. Ashton Kutcher, Seann William Scott and Danny Leiner were just in a room, having fun talking about this little crappy movie, and between references to shibby, strippers and stunts (basically all the things you would expect from those three people together talking about the project) there were also discussions of the gay subtext of the movie and hollywood standards about marijuana(which was supposed to be a much more prominent feature of the film). There is references in the commentary that someone was out getting some beer, so it is safe to assume that the three parties involved were at least a little inebriated as they talked about the movie, which makes the whole affair that much more entertaining.
If it wasn't for the commentary, this film would be a sad little footnote to the much more cohesive Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Let's be clear, I was totally sober when I watched the movie with the audio commentary on, and now, I can't watch it without it. If it came out at the theatre with that audio commentary, I think it could have turned into a good midnight-type movie.
I am sure some of you also have found one of those movies where the commentary track takes an otherwise mediocre or bad movie and turns it into pure gold, and I wonder if there are other flicks I should check out simply because of the commentary track.
And just a heads-up, the next Friday Favorite will be posted on Thursday because of Thanksgiving holiday.
--
One of the best features that has come about because of the DVD is the commentary track, allowing film fans and cinema freaks alike to get information about a film scene by scene by the people involved in its production. Of course, like the movies they are supporting, sometimes they are sublime, sometimes they are ok and sometimes they are commentary tracks of the damned.
And then there are those audio tracks that take a bad movie and catapult it into cultish goodness. I have found one of those rare movie/commentary connections my friends.
You see, about 2 years ago, I bought a package that included two movies, one was the excellent Office Space, and the other was a movie which while it did make me laugh when I first saw it, after subsequent viewings, it became clear that it was just too stupid for me to take seriously, despite a Big Lebowski connection.
That movie was Dude, Where's My Car.
I put off watching it for a long time, and when that sad, slow Saturday came when it was its turn, I thought, why not turn the commentary on... I mean, there has to be a laugh or two in that. That was an understatement.
I think the thing it sort of reminds me of is the beginning and ending of Strange Brew with a lot of Wayne's World thrown in. Ashton Kutcher, Seann William Scott and Danny Leiner were just in a room, having fun talking about this little crappy movie, and between references to shibby, strippers and stunts (basically all the things you would expect from those three people together talking about the project) there were also discussions of the gay subtext of the movie and hollywood standards about marijuana(which was supposed to be a much more prominent feature of the film). There is references in the commentary that someone was out getting some beer, so it is safe to assume that the three parties involved were at least a little inebriated as they talked about the movie, which makes the whole affair that much more entertaining.
If it wasn't for the commentary, this film would be a sad little footnote to the much more cohesive Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Let's be clear, I was totally sober when I watched the movie with the audio commentary on, and now, I can't watch it without it. If it came out at the theatre with that audio commentary, I think it could have turned into a good midnight-type movie.
I am sure some of you also have found one of those movies where the commentary track takes an otherwise mediocre or bad movie and turns it into pure gold, and I wonder if there are other flicks I should check out simply because of the commentary track.
Tags:
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Clean Water
Here is something that might interest US readers out there. Virgin Money is donating money to Project Clean Water just for visiting their website. Cheap charity to get the kids clicking. For me, just by posting this here they donate another $50 -- so being cheap I figured why not.
Who didn't see this coming?
Tom Cruise laughable in ‘Valkyrie’
Was there anyone outside of the Tom Cruise fan club and the Church of Scientology who thought that he could somehow pull of playing that role?
It was a horrible idea from its conception. Does anyone take Tom Cruise seriously as a dramatic actor anymore? After his whole meltdown (because, let's call what happened on Oprah and The Today Show what it is), he entered that nebulous region of celebrity that people like Gary Busey inhabit... the land of crazy, which basically just sucks the credibility out of their entire career. Because you have to admit that when you see that Gary Busey is attached to a project now, it doesn't matter how good all the other factors could be, you know it is going to reek.
However, Busey did figure out one thing before he slid headfirst into total Hollywood lunacy: weird works in comedy. I never fully suspend disbelief when watching him in a drama, but if he shows up in a comedy, there is usually a little bit of gold to be had, because his quirks work with the kind of characters he is usually called on to play in those movies. This is a lesson Tom Cruise should learn.
When Tropic Thunder came out, critics were very generous in their praise of Cruise in his comedic cameo... and I think that maybe he should consider moving in that direction of lighter work. I don't think that will happen because quite frankly, he seems like one of the most humorless people around who would likely just wreck whatever project he was involved with (his post-production manoeuvring on the Mission: Impossible movies is legendary now). I don't think his ego would allow him to play into the ever-increasing perception that everything he does can be twisted into something humorous, and that is his problem. He can't turn into the skid and take on his prickly reputation with a little bit of self-deprecating humor.
I have to quote the genius of Samuraifrog here... he nailed my feeling about both Cruise and Valkyrie perfectly (although a little more profanely).
I couldn't have said it better myself.
Was there anyone outside of the Tom Cruise fan club and the Church of Scientology who thought that he could somehow pull of playing that role?
It was a horrible idea from its conception. Does anyone take Tom Cruise seriously as a dramatic actor anymore? After his whole meltdown (because, let's call what happened on Oprah and The Today Show what it is), he entered that nebulous region of celebrity that people like Gary Busey inhabit... the land of crazy, which basically just sucks the credibility out of their entire career. Because you have to admit that when you see that Gary Busey is attached to a project now, it doesn't matter how good all the other factors could be, you know it is going to reek.
However, Busey did figure out one thing before he slid headfirst into total Hollywood lunacy: weird works in comedy. I never fully suspend disbelief when watching him in a drama, but if he shows up in a comedy, there is usually a little bit of gold to be had, because his quirks work with the kind of characters he is usually called on to play in those movies. This is a lesson Tom Cruise should learn.
When Tropic Thunder came out, critics were very generous in their praise of Cruise in his comedic cameo... and I think that maybe he should consider moving in that direction of lighter work. I don't think that will happen because quite frankly, he seems like one of the most humorless people around who would likely just wreck whatever project he was involved with (his post-production manoeuvring on the Mission: Impossible movies is legendary now). I don't think his ego would allow him to play into the ever-increasing perception that everything he does can be twisted into something humorous, and that is his problem. He can't turn into the skid and take on his prickly reputation with a little bit of self-deprecating humor.
I have to quote the genius of Samuraifrog here... he nailed my feeling about both Cruise and Valkyrie perfectly (although a little more profanely).
Bryan Singer needs to get shot in the face. A movie based on a fascinating true story, with an exceptional cast of actors in a very serious, classy production... starring Tom Cruise. The trailer looks so good, and then Tom Cruise comes into it, doing those four mannerisms he has. Fuck, Singer, really? I mean, I know you're overrated as hell and you've never made anything that was really all that good, but are you kidding me? Tom Cruise as a Nazi? That's not stunt casting, that's stupidity? How many times is Cruise going to fail at proving his point (that he's God, creator of all) before even the dumbest of directors (Singer) realizes they shouldn't work with him anymore? This would look so good if it weren't for Cruise being in it. It's like buying a beautiful Dusenberg in perfect condition and then taking a dump on it. It just makes me so fucking angry.
I couldn't have said it better myself.
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Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Patton Oswalt on Death Bed
I was having a discussion with Semaj over at his blog, and a particular Patton Oswalt joke came up, and in looking for it on Youtube, I happened to find this gem. He is discussing a 1977 movie that was never released at the theatres and had just come out on DVD called Death Bed: The Bed that Eats.
I knew that Patton was punching up scripts for Pixar, but I wasn't aware that he was working in screenplays of his own as well, so there really does seem to be an element of truth to the comedy.
Part of me really wants to see Death Bed: The Bed that Eats now too... and from looking up the movie on the IMDB, a lot of other people saw it because he ripped it a new one too.
I knew that Patton was punching up scripts for Pixar, but I wasn't aware that he was working in screenplays of his own as well, so there really does seem to be an element of truth to the comedy.
Part of me really wants to see Death Bed: The Bed that Eats now too... and from looking up the movie on the IMDB, a lot of other people saw it because he ripped it a new one too.
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In Dreams
This is something a lot of people reading this are going to hate me for, but here goes: despite having a number of crippling fears in real life and generated by fictionalized mass entertainment, I don't have memorable nightmares. At all.
For instance, I had a dream last night that featured me running through a dilapidated old mansion filled with giant evil spider/crab/face hugger-type creatures, which were intent on taking over the world.
What was my reaction to all this?
I ended up chasing them around and bashing them with a shovel. And I had some real zeal for it too. From my fading memory of the dream, it felt oddly satisfying hearing that thud and clang. It was just so Bruce Campbell.
Was I watching scary movies last night or playing Half Life or a variation therein?
No.
I was playing We Love Katamari and James Bond:Everything or Nothing. Those aren't scary games.
And some of you may be saying "But Matt, you were writing about vampires and zombies yesterday, so of course you had that weird dream?" (OK, none of you are saying that, but I needed a segue going into the end of this post). I could think about zombies and vampires for days and I would never dream about them. Well, there was that one dream that took place during World War II when a lot of Nazi zombies came out of a lake and then the Allies just shot them all with machine guns, blew them up with mortars, ran them over with tanks and burned them with flame throwers...
...come to think of it, I have geektastic dreams, with the elements of nightmares, but with a wonderful twist that makes them awesome to me. I can't speak for the rest of you out there, and I am sure some of you who hate me for writing about dreams.... or for the lack of nightmares.
For instance, I had a dream last night that featured me running through a dilapidated old mansion filled with giant evil spider/crab/face hugger-type creatures, which were intent on taking over the world.
What was my reaction to all this?
I ended up chasing them around and bashing them with a shovel. And I had some real zeal for it too. From my fading memory of the dream, it felt oddly satisfying hearing that thud and clang. It was just so Bruce Campbell.
Was I watching scary movies last night or playing Half Life or a variation therein?
No.
I was playing We Love Katamari and James Bond:Everything or Nothing. Those aren't scary games.
And some of you may be saying "But Matt, you were writing about vampires and zombies yesterday, so of course you had that weird dream?" (OK, none of you are saying that, but I needed a segue going into the end of this post). I could think about zombies and vampires for days and I would never dream about them. Well, there was that one dream that took place during World War II when a lot of Nazi zombies came out of a lake and then the Allies just shot them all with machine guns, blew them up with mortars, ran them over with tanks and burned them with flame throwers...
...come to think of it, I have geektastic dreams, with the elements of nightmares, but with a wonderful twist that makes them awesome to me. I can't speak for the rest of you out there, and I am sure some of you who hate me for writing about dreams.... or for the lack of nightmares.
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Tuesday, November 18, 2008
A few thoughts
- I've been thinking about this for a while now: there is discrimination amongst how the living view the undead. Think about it: vampires and zombies are both members of the undead, but the perception is that vampires are sexy and zombies are not (though they are cool, no one is saying they aren't). They both feed off of humans, but one group is seen as romantic, tragic and hip (despite the fact that they have been known to rip out a few throats) while the other is grey and ubiquitous and all-consuming. I mean, if a female vampire and a female zombie both said "I want you inside me" to a guy, I am sure the reaction would be completely different between those situations. In my mind, they are all just undead creatures that must be destroyed for the good of humanity. This line of thought also makes me realize that no one really wants to have sex with Frankenstein's monster, or the mummy either.
- Is Lookin' Boy by Hot Stylez featuring Yung Joc the only video BET shows now... because I swear that if BET is showing a music video when I flip by, it is that video. I don't know how it is possible really as it is only a 4 minute video, but somehow that is how it seems to be working out.
- I stumbled across this picture today, and I thought it was one of the most awesome things I've seen this year. It is on the Wizard Universe site, so click on the image to see it full size.
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Monday, November 17, 2008
Did we really need to know this?
I was just looking through the headlines at Aceshowbiz, and I noticed there was a story about Ashlee Simpson reportedly being in labor.
I remember a time (and I am sure you do too) when we had to wait for a celebrity to have had their baby and in most cases named it before we found out about it. And that's the way I liked it.
And then Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie started having kids and the media just had to be on top of that. They had to know everything that was going on with them, forcing them to go to Africa, and even then, there was more than one occasion when there were stories that Jolie was in labor, which were quickly denied.
But I ask you, my readers, do any of us really need to know if a celebrity is currently in the process of having their child.
I mean, unless Ashlee Simpson went into labor while giving an interview, or her water broke during a press conference or while she was filming a scene for a movie or television, I don't think it should be entertainment news. Because if this kind of thing doesn't stop, we will eventually start seeing breaking stories discussing the real-time conception of these children... and frankly the only time we should see that sort of thing is if someone steals the tape or it is accidentally *ahem* leaked.
To the media at large: let celebrities have their babies in peace at least. People can wait to find out the particulars at a later time. No one is going to die if they have to wait 2 days to read about a birth.
I remember a time (and I am sure you do too) when we had to wait for a celebrity to have had their baby and in most cases named it before we found out about it. And that's the way I liked it.
And then Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie started having kids and the media just had to be on top of that. They had to know everything that was going on with them, forcing them to go to Africa, and even then, there was more than one occasion when there were stories that Jolie was in labor, which were quickly denied.
But I ask you, my readers, do any of us really need to know if a celebrity is currently in the process of having their child.
I mean, unless Ashlee Simpson went into labor while giving an interview, or her water broke during a press conference or while she was filming a scene for a movie or television, I don't think it should be entertainment news. Because if this kind of thing doesn't stop, we will eventually start seeing breaking stories discussing the real-time conception of these children... and frankly the only time we should see that sort of thing is if someone steals the tape or it is accidentally *ahem* leaked.
To the media at large: let celebrities have their babies in peace at least. People can wait to find out the particulars at a later time. No one is going to die if they have to wait 2 days to read about a birth.
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Google Developer Days 2008 have come to an end
We've concluded Google Developer Days 2008, a set of one-day developer events. They started in Yokohama, Japan on June 10 and ended in Tel Aviv, Israel on November 2. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about products such as Android, Chrome, OpenSocial, and App Engine and interacted with Google developers in hands-on code labs.
We posted the presentations and photos; hopefully they'll continue to be a useful resource for you. Thanks for making these such great events!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Sunday Night Video: Two Tribes
Megan did a meme in which she detailed the most embarrassing song she ever personally owned.
Her choice was Two Tribes by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, which reminded of the iconic video that went with that song, and I mentioned that to her in the comments section... remarking that as I remembered it, I was able to place a number of different combatants into the ring within the video. Megan suggested I write a post about that, but I don't think this is exactly what she had in mind.
She was embarrassed to own it, but in the UK, it was one of the top 30 selling singles of all time... so it had to be popular with someone.
Her choice was Two Tribes by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, which reminded of the iconic video that went with that song, and I mentioned that to her in the comments section... remarking that as I remembered it, I was able to place a number of different combatants into the ring within the video. Megan suggested I write a post about that, but I don't think this is exactly what she had in mind.
She was embarrassed to own it, but in the UK, it was one of the top 30 selling singles of all time... so it had to be popular with someone.
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Friday, November 14, 2008
Week 27: Pageant of the Transmundane
Live from wherever I am, it is the Transmundanity Awards, featuring Siobhan Fallon, Melanie Hutsell and Julia Sweeney. Wait, I took a wrong turn at 1994 in New York.
Once again this week's winner was recommended by Maven (who has been on a little bit of a hot streak when it comes to finding the bizarre and sending it to me through Stumbleupon)
Sometimes the transmundane is truly mind boggling or expanding, sometimes it is awe-inspiring, sometimes it transcends your expectations of the world....
...and sometimes it is all about how goofy people are sometimes.
Case in point, this week's winning entry, which hails from The MAC Chronicles, has to do with a set of pictures from a particular wedding that redefines the term trashy.
I've seen themed weddings before... but honestly, pimps and hoes just somehow makes all those Star Trek/Wars/Lord of the Rings/LARP weddings seem downright normal.
I know that in fact, this wedding might be part of a cultural ritual for a particular nomadic group in Europe, but that doesn't mean I still can't find what emerged strange and worth gawking at.
For a trashy wedding, I have to go with some white trash accompaniment for Homer, in the pleasing visage of Cletus, who had just got done with the feudin' and the fussin' at a parenting class (something that I think I am safe in assuming that the parents of both the bride and the groom from the winning entry has ever been associated with).
Congrats Marcy on your win.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogosphere to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
Once again this week's winner was recommended by Maven (who has been on a little bit of a hot streak when it comes to finding the bizarre and sending it to me through Stumbleupon)
Sometimes the transmundane is truly mind boggling or expanding, sometimes it is awe-inspiring, sometimes it transcends your expectations of the world....
...and sometimes it is all about how goofy people are sometimes.
Case in point, this week's winning entry, which hails from The MAC Chronicles, has to do with a set of pictures from a particular wedding that redefines the term trashy.
I've seen themed weddings before... but honestly, pimps and hoes just somehow makes all those Star Trek/Wars/Lord of the Rings/LARP weddings seem downright normal.
I know that in fact, this wedding might be part of a cultural ritual for a particular nomadic group in Europe, but that doesn't mean I still can't find what emerged strange and worth gawking at.
For a trashy wedding, I have to go with some white trash accompaniment for Homer, in the pleasing visage of Cletus, who had just got done with the feudin' and the fussin' at a parenting class (something that I think I am safe in assuming that the parents of both the bride and the groom from the winning entry has ever been associated with).
Congrats Marcy on your win.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogosphere to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
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A Toast to Code Jam 2008
Cheers to the 100 Code Jammers who made it to the Code Jam finals in Mountain View today! We hope you enjoyed the competition as much as we enjoyed seeing you type furiously, solve ridiculously challenging puzzles, and meet other programming pros. Speaking of pros, a team that included past Code Jam winners used their 20% time to create a new platform that allowed everyone to program in the language of their choice. It was, as you know, a long road to the last round of Code Jam. More than 11,000 of you participated in online rounds, 500 semi-finalists reached the regional stage and 100 finalists from 23 different countries competed this morning. We're pleased to finally announce the day's results: Tiancheng Lou of China took home the $10,000 Grand Prize. Zeyuan Zhu from China won second place, Bruce Merry from United Kingdom came in third and cash prizes went to the other finalists.Congrats to all and see you at the next Jam!
More iPhone apps for parents
I have posted before on iPhone apps for parents. There are some newcomers that seem interesting [HT: TAUW].
This one is a baby monitor. Put your iPhone in the same room as your baby and it calls you when the baby cries. If you want to be irresponsible, you could even leave the house and go down the street. It is less than $1.
Another one allows nappy behaviour data collection if you are in to that sort of thing.
Then there is JirboMatch which is a simple matching game. My 4 year old loves this.
Here is a link to many others.
Another one allows nappy behaviour data collection if you are in to that sort of thing.
Then there is JirboMatch which is a simple matching game. My 4 year old loves this.
Here is a link to many others.
Are rewards good?
One of the big push-backs I get on some of the stuff in Parentonomics is the idea of rewarding kids for good behaviour. A set of objections are to materialistic stuff. One psychologist argued that it is better to reward kids with hugs and love than special treats or toys. I presume that he also means that we should withhold hugs and love if they don't behave. That implication sounds cruel to me but I am no psychologist.
Following up from the post the other day on paying kids for good behaviour, another psychologist appears to be disputing the whole idea of rewards and punishments, regardless of their form. Alfie Kohn writes:
Apparently, the alternative is just to talk about it. But his prime example is this:
Following up from the post the other day on paying kids for good behaviour, another psychologist appears to be disputing the whole idea of rewards and punishments, regardless of their form. Alfie Kohn writes:
Rewards and punishments are not opposites; they are two sides of the same coin and that coin doesn’t buy very much. The one thing you can get by dangling a goody in front of children if they do what you want is the same thing you can get by threatening to make them suffer if they don’t do what you want. What you get is temporary compliance, but it comes at a very steep cost.Basically, he argues that you stuff things up for the long term by using rewards in the short-term. This strikes me as somewhat extreme although I have to agree that the goal isn't to rely on these things forever.
Apparently, the alternative is just to talk about it. But his prime example is this:
In “Unconditional Parenting,” I give an example about when my daughter, Abigail, was in preschool. It took her forever to get ready in the morning. I was nagging her, and I didn’t like that and she didn’t like that. My response wasn’t to threaten her with a consequence, nor did I offer her a reward for speeding up. I’m not house-training a puppy; I’m raising a child.
Instead I waited until we were both in good moods and not in the middle of rushing to get somewhere and I invited her to imitate what I sound like in the morning when I am nagging her to get ready. She turned out to be a devastatingly gifted impersonator. Then I asked her what she saw as the reason for the problem every morning and what she thought might be the solution. She said, “I take a lot of time getting dressed so maybe I should just wear my clothes to bed.” She did exactly that for several years.
Hold on a minute. She went to bed in clothes rather than avoid, I'm guessing a discussion. How is that a solution? That is precisely the sort of behaviour that clear and explicit rewards and punishments might get as an unintended consequence. My eldest daughter similarly had an issue of getting ready quickly. We gave her a reward for timely dressing and she, in fact, proposed sleeping in her clothes. We said no. The point is to get dressed quickly. Not to get dressed slowly the night before.
As usual all this depends on the child. If talking works, then good for you. But if not, then there are more tools in parent's arsenal.
Improving the issue tracker for larger projects
When we created the issue tracker for Project hosting on Google Code our goal was to keep things simple. We had found that most issue trackers include too many fields and options that aren't applicable to a given issue. As a result, we intentionally did not implement issue relationships like is-blocked-on and is-duplicate-of. For most of the projects that we host, simply adding a comment that mentions the other issue is enough information to get the job done.
Now we host more large projects, and some projects that started small with us have grown large. So, starting today, we are offering a formal 'Blocked on' field. And, when you close an issue as 'Duplicate', you can merge it into the original issue. For more information, take a look at our issue tracker documentation.
For projects that regularly triage issues, you can now pick where to go after you have finished updating an issue.
We hope that these changes help make the issue tracker as easy to use on larger projects as it is for smaller ones.
As always, we look forward to your feedback.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Friday Favorites: Culture Kills Reviews the James Bond Title Tracks (includes Quantum of Solace)
With the renewal of attention in the James Bond franchise with the upcoming release of Quantum of Solace, and the large number of lists being created surrounding its release, I thought that since I am also a Bond enthusiast, I would write about something that interests me the most: the title tracks. I've had some bad experiences with them while others have really shone.
I have to warn you all, this is probably the longest post I've ever written, and I may still do edits to it as time goes on (and since this is the second time I've posted this, well, I think I kept my word about that). And on that note, let's start at the beginning, shall we?
The original James Bond Theme from Dr. No by the Monty Norman Orchestra: It is one of the most recognizable pieces of music in cinematic history, it sort of invented how a spy instrumental track should sound, and it did have quite an impact on how the rest of the title tracks would play out. There have been a few variations over the years with some of the renditions going a bit tacky during the Moore years, but the modern interpretation of this iconic piece of music is still fabulous.
From Russia With Love by Matt Monro: This is a slow song performed crooner-style with accompanying music which is evocative of the subject matter. While it isn't even close to being my favorite Bond song or the best out there, it fits well with the movie, and I have to cut it some slack for being the second one out there, as well as being very contemporary.
Goldfinger performed by Shirley Bassey: Shirley Bassey is the queen of the James Bond title track having performed three of them, and her first effort was probably both the best and most widely-known of these performances. And with the Goldfinger theme the bar had been raised rather high, much like the movie had raised the bar for the Bond franchise. It is bombastic and theatrical, and really sets the stage for the movie that is to follow. A great theme for a great Bond movie, and one that set a high standard for themes to come.
Thunderball performed by Tom Jones: The simplest way I can put this is it sounds like Tom Jones trying to match Shirley Bassey... and that is difficult to say the least. Not the best, not by a long shot, and it looks very weak sandwiched between Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice
You Only Live Twice performed by Nancy Sinatra: Probably better known as the source of one of the major samples for the Robbie Williams song Millennium, this is probably the one that is most evocative of the movie's larger setting, Japan, as it does have a real East meet West vibe to it. The playing of what is largely an "Asian" theme with electric guitars make this one a winner all the way. A lush production all around and a real high point for the series, which is especially fitting as the lyrics of the song are basically just 8 lines.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service by the John Barry Orchestra: While this isn't my favorite Bond movie, I do love this instrumental track... in fact, in many ways I prefer this to the James Bond theme, and it is immeasurably better to the accompanying track for the movie by Louis Armstrong, "We Have All the Time in the World". A very strong instrumental indeed and very memorable.
Diamonds are Forever performed by Shirley Bassey: With the return of Sean Connery, we were also treated to another title song performed by Shirley Bassey. While not as bombastic as Goldfinger, Bassey manages to add a greater sensuality to the song that may not have been there on the page. The song also helped move the franchise into the 1970's musically, as there are elements present in this song which would resurface later in the Roger Moore-era movies.
Live and Let Die by Paul McCartney and Wings: This was one of the first big departures for Bond title tracks as it was totally rock... a new style of music for a new style of Bond, as this was the first Roger Moore film of the series. It had a great cinematic adventure sound with some a little bit of a Carribbean breakdown in the middle, which was matching with the movie it accompanied. It was a very good start for this new era of Bond. Without hyperbole, it is perhaps one of the greatest Bond theme songs ever, and the multiple times it has been covered over the years support that statement.
The Man with the Golden Gun performed by Lulu: Responding to the rock gauntlet laid down by Wings(I never thought I would ever write a sentence like that), we were treated to this sinister sounding though kitschy rendition of a title track by Lulu. While the lyrics are a little wanting, I can't fault Lulu for that. While not a great Bond song, it is a decent intro song so you have a heads-up on the villain of this particular picture, though it pales when compared to Goldfinger, the previous villain-based theme.
Nobody Does it Better performed by Carly Simon for The Spy Who Loved Me: It is a typical 1970's bond song that is well-performed though a somewhat melodramatic, and the backing track is at times a little distracting. I also have this weird memory from Late Night with Conan O'Brien attached to this song that sort of wrecks it for me, but I still stand by my review. It doesn't make me think of Bond first, which is a problem, one which would plague themes throughout the later Moore era.
Moonraker performed by Shirley Bassey: The weakest of the Shirley Bassey Bond songs, it still stands above the song that preceded and came after it. With Shirley Bassey, you know you are getting a good performance, but the song craft doesn't do her talents justice, and as I learned from a recent post from Samuraifrog, she didn't really think of the song as hers as she was called in late in the process to sing it, so that may also be one of the reasons why it is the weakest of her performances.
For Your Eyes Only performed by Sheena Easton: The Bond movie this song accompanies was a more serious turn for the Moore films, and the track carries some of the same gravity, setting the proper mood for this much darker film. It is a good fit all in all but it does show its age, and again, it pales in comparison to the song it came after. It also continues the trend started by Nobody Does it Better of not immediately sounding like a traditional Bond theme, a trend which became central to the theme which followed it.
All Time High performed by Rita Coolidge for Octopussy: Now this one, this one is a train wreck. While No One Does it Better and For Your Eyes Only were a little sappy, this song is full on dripping wet in melodrama and sickly sweet sentiment. It is probably the worst Bond song of this era (if not all time), and the theme song for the movie that followed Octopussy really shows how just bad this tune really is. I can't believe the producers thought that this one would be a good idea. And this is the bad thing, there is still one Bond song that matches or even exceeds the crapitude of this one.
View To a Kill by Duran Duran: Now this is a Bond song I can really get behind. Duran Duran was at the height of their popularity at the time and the track reached the top of the charts in both the US and UK and listening to it now, it still holds up as a high-quality song 20 years later, a track that while slightly departing from the tradition still manages to keep at its heart the power of the franchise. Personally, I think the song is better than the movie it accompanies, as it was the final movie in the Moore era.
The Living Daylights by A-Ha: At first I didn't like this track, but the more I heard it, the more I could see its merits and enjoy it for what it is... a solid Bond track and a good introduction for Timothy Dalton. It also follows the more electronic sound that Duran Duran introduced with a View to a Kill. Of course, it was this track that also signalled the move towards longer Bond title tracks, as this one clocks in at over 4 minutes, and to my knowledge the tracks that followed this have never fallen under this symbolic mark.
License to Kill by Gladys Knight: This track sounds much like a lot of the movie tracks that were being produced in the late 1980's-early 90's... it has its charms, but in the end it does feel a little empty. Knight does perform the track well, but it just feels way too overindulgent, especially in light of how serious Dalton played Bond... it just doesn't fit. But I do admire the quality of the production despite my other objections.
Goldeneye performed by Tina Turner: This should have been a slamdunk, awesome Bond song... but the pieces just didn't come together too well. I mean, you have a great performer like Tina Turner singing a song written by Bono and the Edge... it had everything going for it, but the end result was hugely disappointing. I was expecting the rebirth of the Shirley Bassey style, but it just didn't materialize. Of course, members of U2 were also responsible for some of the music in Mission: Impossible which was also disappointing, so I should probably judge this theme with lowered expectations.
Tomorrow Never Dies by Sheryl Crow: A sensual and dark song that, while being a decent song, doesn't really connect to the Bond tradition, and part of me questions the use of Sheryl Crow as their are other artists that could have made this song work for the movie. It wasn't a good fit. I imagine that is the Lalo Schiffren inspired Portishead had tackled it, this would have been a classic, but as it stands, it just doesn't inspire me. After I posted this, a commenter mentioned that K.D. Lang was first up to bat doing the theme song, and hers is the superior product, but that is not all I've discovered. Both Pulp and a group named Swan Lee had a shot at crafting the title song as well.
The World is Not Enough by Garbage: To me, this is a very traditional Bond theme, and in a way, a throwback to the excesses of the Shirley Bassey performances. It is a good fusion, and this is what Goldeneye should have been but wasn't. It was probably the best theme of the Brosnan era, though that may not be saying much, especially given the questionable quality of the other songs of this era.
Die Another Day by Madonna: Ugh. This is the moment when I knew that those behind the Bond title tracks had really lost their way. If I could disown a Bond song the way I have disowned the movie Never Say Never Again from my own internal Bond canon, this would be that song. It is an electro-techno mess that makes me sad every time I think of it, and I stand behind John Barry's attack on Madonna and the Razzie nomination for this song, because to me at least, this is arguably the worst Bond song ever... and that is saying something.
You Know My Name by Chris Cornell for Casino Royale: When I first wrote this list, I was negative-neutral to this song, but with time, I've come to appreciate this song as a Bond theme, especially the opening riff. While it isn't my favorite Bond theme, it is certainly worthy of some praise in retrospect, though I don't know if the fact that the movie is so good actually helped change my opinion of the theme song. Perhaps it did.
Another Way to Die by Jack White and Alicia Keys for Quantum of Solace: There are a lot of people out there who,after hearing this title track, have been quick to judge this as the worst Bond song ever. Frankly, those people are wrong on so many levels (especially since they seem to have forgotten Die Another Day and All Time High). Bond themes are supposed to be big and bombastic, and Jack White and Alicia Keys understood this going in and they did something which I think should set the standards. As soon as I started listening to it, literally four seconds into it, I knew it was a James Bond theme. It builds upon the musical legacy laid down in the late 1960's and early 70's themes, especially On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Live and Let Die. But it isn't perfect, as there is one glaring weakness: Jack White's singing. If it was the Jack White/Alicia Keys orchestration with just Alicia Keys taking the lead in terms of vocals (and without White, her vocals could be more subtle, as she wouldn't be trying to harmonize with him, which is the weakest part of her own performance), I would be prepared to say that this was the greatest Bond song since Live and Let Die, but despite my reservations, this theme song largely blows the rest of the Bond tunes from the last quarter century out of the water.
Now when I first wrote this post back in 2006, I ended it with the following thought:
After hearing the new Bond theme and hearing a Saint Etienne attempt at one, I have to admit that I was wrong. Another Way to Die is the musical reboot the Bond movies needed to match the Daniel Craig era, and I for one couldn't be happier with the direction the themes may end up going in.
I also think a post I wrote in December 2007 is relevant to this discussion, as it features a number of alternate title theme songs, which I feel really rounds out this discussion, as it presents a wider musical spectrum for some of the eras and some different directions the franchise may have gone in musically.
I have to warn you all, this is probably the longest post I've ever written, and I may still do edits to it as time goes on (and since this is the second time I've posted this, well, I think I kept my word about that). And on that note, let's start at the beginning, shall we?
The original James Bond Theme from Dr. No by the Monty Norman Orchestra: It is one of the most recognizable pieces of music in cinematic history, it sort of invented how a spy instrumental track should sound, and it did have quite an impact on how the rest of the title tracks would play out. There have been a few variations over the years with some of the renditions going a bit tacky during the Moore years, but the modern interpretation of this iconic piece of music is still fabulous.
From Russia With Love by Matt Monro: This is a slow song performed crooner-style with accompanying music which is evocative of the subject matter. While it isn't even close to being my favorite Bond song or the best out there, it fits well with the movie, and I have to cut it some slack for being the second one out there, as well as being very contemporary.
Goldfinger performed by Shirley Bassey: Shirley Bassey is the queen of the James Bond title track having performed three of them, and her first effort was probably both the best and most widely-known of these performances. And with the Goldfinger theme the bar had been raised rather high, much like the movie had raised the bar for the Bond franchise. It is bombastic and theatrical, and really sets the stage for the movie that is to follow. A great theme for a great Bond movie, and one that set a high standard for themes to come.
Thunderball performed by Tom Jones: The simplest way I can put this is it sounds like Tom Jones trying to match Shirley Bassey... and that is difficult to say the least. Not the best, not by a long shot, and it looks very weak sandwiched between Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice
You Only Live Twice performed by Nancy Sinatra: Probably better known as the source of one of the major samples for the Robbie Williams song Millennium, this is probably the one that is most evocative of the movie's larger setting, Japan, as it does have a real East meet West vibe to it. The playing of what is largely an "Asian" theme with electric guitars make this one a winner all the way. A lush production all around and a real high point for the series, which is especially fitting as the lyrics of the song are basically just 8 lines.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service by the John Barry Orchestra: While this isn't my favorite Bond movie, I do love this instrumental track... in fact, in many ways I prefer this to the James Bond theme, and it is immeasurably better to the accompanying track for the movie by Louis Armstrong, "We Have All the Time in the World". A very strong instrumental indeed and very memorable.
Diamonds are Forever performed by Shirley Bassey: With the return of Sean Connery, we were also treated to another title song performed by Shirley Bassey. While not as bombastic as Goldfinger, Bassey manages to add a greater sensuality to the song that may not have been there on the page. The song also helped move the franchise into the 1970's musically, as there are elements present in this song which would resurface later in the Roger Moore-era movies.
Live and Let Die by Paul McCartney and Wings: This was one of the first big departures for Bond title tracks as it was totally rock... a new style of music for a new style of Bond, as this was the first Roger Moore film of the series. It had a great cinematic adventure sound with some a little bit of a Carribbean breakdown in the middle, which was matching with the movie it accompanied. It was a very good start for this new era of Bond. Without hyperbole, it is perhaps one of the greatest Bond theme songs ever, and the multiple times it has been covered over the years support that statement.
The Man with the Golden Gun performed by Lulu: Responding to the rock gauntlet laid down by Wings(I never thought I would ever write a sentence like that), we were treated to this sinister sounding though kitschy rendition of a title track by Lulu. While the lyrics are a little wanting, I can't fault Lulu for that. While not a great Bond song, it is a decent intro song so you have a heads-up on the villain of this particular picture, though it pales when compared to Goldfinger, the previous villain-based theme.
Nobody Does it Better performed by Carly Simon for The Spy Who Loved Me: It is a typical 1970's bond song that is well-performed though a somewhat melodramatic, and the backing track is at times a little distracting. I also have this weird memory from Late Night with Conan O'Brien attached to this song that sort of wrecks it for me, but I still stand by my review. It doesn't make me think of Bond first, which is a problem, one which would plague themes throughout the later Moore era.
Moonraker performed by Shirley Bassey: The weakest of the Shirley Bassey Bond songs, it still stands above the song that preceded and came after it. With Shirley Bassey, you know you are getting a good performance, but the song craft doesn't do her talents justice, and as I learned from a recent post from Samuraifrog, she didn't really think of the song as hers as she was called in late in the process to sing it, so that may also be one of the reasons why it is the weakest of her performances.
For Your Eyes Only performed by Sheena Easton: The Bond movie this song accompanies was a more serious turn for the Moore films, and the track carries some of the same gravity, setting the proper mood for this much darker film. It is a good fit all in all but it does show its age, and again, it pales in comparison to the song it came after. It also continues the trend started by Nobody Does it Better of not immediately sounding like a traditional Bond theme, a trend which became central to the theme which followed it.
All Time High performed by Rita Coolidge for Octopussy: Now this one, this one is a train wreck. While No One Does it Better and For Your Eyes Only were a little sappy, this song is full on dripping wet in melodrama and sickly sweet sentiment. It is probably the worst Bond song of this era (if not all time), and the theme song for the movie that followed Octopussy really shows how just bad this tune really is. I can't believe the producers thought that this one would be a good idea. And this is the bad thing, there is still one Bond song that matches or even exceeds the crapitude of this one.
View To a Kill by Duran Duran: Now this is a Bond song I can really get behind. Duran Duran was at the height of their popularity at the time and the track reached the top of the charts in both the US and UK and listening to it now, it still holds up as a high-quality song 20 years later, a track that while slightly departing from the tradition still manages to keep at its heart the power of the franchise. Personally, I think the song is better than the movie it accompanies, as it was the final movie in the Moore era.
The Living Daylights by A-Ha: At first I didn't like this track, but the more I heard it, the more I could see its merits and enjoy it for what it is... a solid Bond track and a good introduction for Timothy Dalton. It also follows the more electronic sound that Duran Duran introduced with a View to a Kill. Of course, it was this track that also signalled the move towards longer Bond title tracks, as this one clocks in at over 4 minutes, and to my knowledge the tracks that followed this have never fallen under this symbolic mark.
License to Kill by Gladys Knight: This track sounds much like a lot of the movie tracks that were being produced in the late 1980's-early 90's... it has its charms, but in the end it does feel a little empty. Knight does perform the track well, but it just feels way too overindulgent, especially in light of how serious Dalton played Bond... it just doesn't fit. But I do admire the quality of the production despite my other objections.
Goldeneye performed by Tina Turner: This should have been a slamdunk, awesome Bond song... but the pieces just didn't come together too well. I mean, you have a great performer like Tina Turner singing a song written by Bono and the Edge... it had everything going for it, but the end result was hugely disappointing. I was expecting the rebirth of the Shirley Bassey style, but it just didn't materialize. Of course, members of U2 were also responsible for some of the music in Mission: Impossible which was also disappointing, so I should probably judge this theme with lowered expectations.
Tomorrow Never Dies by Sheryl Crow: A sensual and dark song that, while being a decent song, doesn't really connect to the Bond tradition, and part of me questions the use of Sheryl Crow as their are other artists that could have made this song work for the movie. It wasn't a good fit. I imagine that is the Lalo Schiffren inspired Portishead had tackled it, this would have been a classic, but as it stands, it just doesn't inspire me. After I posted this, a commenter mentioned that K.D. Lang was first up to bat doing the theme song, and hers is the superior product, but that is not all I've discovered. Both Pulp and a group named Swan Lee had a shot at crafting the title song as well.
The World is Not Enough by Garbage: To me, this is a very traditional Bond theme, and in a way, a throwback to the excesses of the Shirley Bassey performances. It is a good fusion, and this is what Goldeneye should have been but wasn't. It was probably the best theme of the Brosnan era, though that may not be saying much, especially given the questionable quality of the other songs of this era.
Die Another Day by Madonna: Ugh. This is the moment when I knew that those behind the Bond title tracks had really lost their way. If I could disown a Bond song the way I have disowned the movie Never Say Never Again from my own internal Bond canon, this would be that song. It is an electro-techno mess that makes me sad every time I think of it, and I stand behind John Barry's attack on Madonna and the Razzie nomination for this song, because to me at least, this is arguably the worst Bond song ever... and that is saying something.
You Know My Name by Chris Cornell for Casino Royale: When I first wrote this list, I was negative-neutral to this song, but with time, I've come to appreciate this song as a Bond theme, especially the opening riff. While it isn't my favorite Bond theme, it is certainly worthy of some praise in retrospect, though I don't know if the fact that the movie is so good actually helped change my opinion of the theme song. Perhaps it did.
Another Way to Die by Jack White and Alicia Keys for Quantum of Solace: There are a lot of people out there who,after hearing this title track, have been quick to judge this as the worst Bond song ever. Frankly, those people are wrong on so many levels (especially since they seem to have forgotten Die Another Day and All Time High). Bond themes are supposed to be big and bombastic, and Jack White and Alicia Keys understood this going in and they did something which I think should set the standards. As soon as I started listening to it, literally four seconds into it, I knew it was a James Bond theme. It builds upon the musical legacy laid down in the late 1960's and early 70's themes, especially On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Live and Let Die. But it isn't perfect, as there is one glaring weakness: Jack White's singing. If it was the Jack White/Alicia Keys orchestration with just Alicia Keys taking the lead in terms of vocals (and without White, her vocals could be more subtle, as she wouldn't be trying to harmonize with him, which is the weakest part of her own performance), I would be prepared to say that this was the greatest Bond song since Live and Let Die, but despite my reservations, this theme song largely blows the rest of the Bond tunes from the last quarter century out of the water.
Now when I first wrote this post back in 2006, I ended it with the following thought:
I think it is time for the producers of the Bond franchise, while they are reinventing the character with an origin story to get back to that wonderfully coy 1960's vibe their original title tracks gave their movies. There are lots of artists out there who can do that if you give them a chance... I am talking about groups like Broadcast, Stereolab, Saint Etienne, Death By Chocolate or they can hire some hot Brazilian group that knows how its supposed to sound, or some downtempo post-trip hop group that eat, drinks and smokes the 1960's sound. It really isn't that difficult. I know they are trying to stay hip, but they still have to stay true to the roots of what made the series great.
After hearing the new Bond theme and hearing a Saint Etienne attempt at one, I have to admit that I was wrong. Another Way to Die is the musical reboot the Bond movies needed to match the Daniel Craig era, and I for one couldn't be happier with the direction the themes may end up going in.
I also think a post I wrote in December 2007 is relevant to this discussion, as it features a number of alternate title theme songs, which I feel really rounds out this discussion, as it presents a wider musical spectrum for some of the eras and some different directions the franchise may have gone in musically.
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Getting cooperation
From the NYC Mom's Blog: [HT: NYT's Motherlode] in reaction to her kids' constant bickering:
The alternative to this is 'joint punishment.'
The next day I decided to try a new tactic. I told them that whichever one of them bugged me the least all day, didn't tattle and didn't bother the other one, would get fifty cents. But, if neither one of them bugged me or fought or tattled on each other, they would each get a dollar. I explained how they would have to work together to not bug each other, and to mediate disagreements by themselves. What followed was the most peaceful day I can remember in a long time! There was zero bickering, none! They each got their dollar and I told them the same deal would be on for the next day. And the next. And the next. Principles, schminciples. $14 a week is a cheap price to pay for peace and quiet.Basically, this is the Prisoners' Dilemma in reverse; also known as the "moral hazard in teams" problem. The idea is that to get a team (in this case children) to do something, you reward the team. Of course, what is interesting is that as well as the collective bonus, there was a fall-back. The fall-back is the hard one to monitor but thanks to the broader incentive she didn't seem to get there.
The alternative to this is 'joint punishment.'
Home movies
David Pogue today wonders why we spend so much time keeping home movies.
But one e-mail response stopped me cold:
“What makes you think you’ll have any grandchildren with the time and inclination to sit through more than a few minutes of your home videos?
“The movies an uncle shot of me and my siblings a few decades ago were projected for about 30 minutes a decade ago, and have not been looked at again by anybody.
“Home movies require a captive audience, for long periods. How many hours could you bestow on your children right now? How many hours would you expect them to sit still for them? And unlike photographs, home movies can’t really be dipped into, flipped through.
“I’m not against home movies. I just question whether the people amassing them at great length have much idea of what they require of the people in them, or who inherit them.
Good point. For years I spent time collecting our movies and putting them on to DVD. Now they just stay uncatalogued on the computer.
Pogue lists lots of reasons for this behaviour but he misses one that for us has proved important: benchmarking. Whenever we want to understand the behaviour or milestones of one of our younger children, we go to the video of the older one at the same age. Then we can work out if they are behind or ahead. Of course, from that perspective, one might ask: "then what?" The answer: then nothing. But at least we have answered the question: "why keep the movies?"
Interestingly, it turns out that we often find out just how similar our three kids are. In particular, their voices at the same age are virtually identical. Accent, expression, everything. I guess that might change as they grow but if we close our eyes it would be hard to tell which child was speaking.
Express Checkout: Slater, West and Retirement
- Well, as fellow pop culture blogger Jeremy Barker put it in a comment, "Turns out you didn't not watch hard enough". I had taken a vow to not watch My Own Worst Enemy on NBC on the off chance it would actually help the fledgling spy drama take off after my disastrous support of two previous occupants of the Monday 10PM slot. However, despite my best efforts to avoid the show so I didn't whammy it, it still failed... colossally. In fact, according to a few sources I've read, My Own Worst Enemy got worse ratings than both Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Journeyman, two shows that were also cancelled after occupying that slot (which has replaced CBS's dreaded Tuesday at 10 for the distinction of being where new shows are scheduled to die). At least I saved myself some heartbreak.
- Kanye West, who has a reputation when it comes to award shows especially when he doesn't win, has done an about face and declared that he didn't deserve to win the Ultimate Urban award at the recent MTV Europe Music Awards over Lil Wayne and he has accused that the show is fixed (handing out awards to people who are actually present rather than on merit. Given some of Kanye's previous outbursts, it might be easy to dismiss his claim, but I do remember a particular comic moment from the 2001 MTV Movie awards involving a parody of "Don't Tell Me" by Madonna featuring Kirsten Dunst and Jimmy Fallon which included the following line: "if you show up, you'll probably win".... so maybe he is actually on to something.
- What is it with all these youngish celebrities deciding they are going to retire all of a sudden. I mean, there is Joaquin Phoenix, Angelina Jolie, Lupe Fiasco and a few others who have just decided out of the blue to announce that they would soon be retiring. I know that young celebrities announce their retirement sporadically, and for the most part, they rarely stick to it (Jay Z comes to mind), but I just think it is weird that there is this convergence of announcements at the moment. Do they know something I don't?
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Wednesday, November 12, 2008
An Open Letter to Stephen Baldwin
Mr. Baldwin, I know you've had quite a life, full of ups and downs... we all get that. But that being said, do you find it necessary to continue bringing the crazy... you were a well-known party boy, with a few scrapes with the law.
And when you became a born-again Christian after 9/11 (though I had always thought it was because you went to rehab) and brought your same level of Baldwin-based arrogance to that, I sighed and shook my head, but soon realized that you were and will always be the second banana in that acting family, so I wouldn't encounter you or your work as much as your more famous, though equally as outspoken for better or worse, brother Alec.
Then you said you wanted to box Barack Obama and called him a cultural terrorist, and you made not so subtle insinuations that you believed that he may in fact be the Anti-Christ on the radio... you know, the kind of thing that makes most sane people smell batshit.
Now there is a story about you getting a tattoo of the Hannah Montana initials on your back as part of a deal with Miley Cyrus, but seriously dude, I know you are desperate for quality acting work these days, but getting a tattoo so you can guest star on a Disney show is really desperate.
And the less we say about your claim that you would move to Canada if Barack Obama was elected the better (because we all know that Canada just so conservative and anti-Obama).
Of course, your brother said the same thing about his plans if Bush was re-elected, and all that ended up happening with him was an embarrassing phone call to his daughter and a costarring role on an NBC sitcom with the best Sarah Palin impersonator out there... so maybe your life in Nyack, New York will continue, and unfortunately, that likely means I am going to have to see you far more often. So can I ask you to do just one thing for me?
Can you dial back the crazy a bit? I want to enjoy your earlier work, and well, if you keep having these public outbursts, well, I am not going to be able to continue doing so. You'll be consigned to the same dumpster in my mind as Tom Cruise after his Oprah/Today Show escapades. I am sure a lot of other people would likely follow suit.
And when you became a born-again Christian after 9/11 (though I had always thought it was because you went to rehab) and brought your same level of Baldwin-based arrogance to that, I sighed and shook my head, but soon realized that you were and will always be the second banana in that acting family, so I wouldn't encounter you or your work as much as your more famous, though equally as outspoken for better or worse, brother Alec.
Then you said you wanted to box Barack Obama and called him a cultural terrorist, and you made not so subtle insinuations that you believed that he may in fact be the Anti-Christ on the radio... you know, the kind of thing that makes most sane people smell batshit.
Now there is a story about you getting a tattoo of the Hannah Montana initials on your back as part of a deal with Miley Cyrus, but seriously dude, I know you are desperate for quality acting work these days, but getting a tattoo so you can guest star on a Disney show is really desperate.
And the less we say about your claim that you would move to Canada if Barack Obama was elected the better (because we all know that Canada just so conservative and anti-Obama).
Of course, your brother said the same thing about his plans if Bush was re-elected, and all that ended up happening with him was an embarrassing phone call to his daughter and a costarring role on an NBC sitcom with the best Sarah Palin impersonator out there... so maybe your life in Nyack, New York will continue, and unfortunately, that likely means I am going to have to see you far more often. So can I ask you to do just one thing for me?
Can you dial back the crazy a bit? I want to enjoy your earlier work, and well, if you keep having these public outbursts, well, I am not going to be able to continue doing so. You'll be consigned to the same dumpster in my mind as Tom Cruise after his Oprah/Today Show escapades. I am sure a lot of other people would likely follow suit.
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Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Will Smith to Destroy The Karate Kid with his kid
We all knew that a remake of The Karate Kid was inevitable because of Hollywood's current fixation with remaking and rebooting everything.
And even though I didn't like the idea, I was able to accept that fact.
However, I started to read about the direction the movie is going in, and I have to say, it is amazing how fast fell below my lowered expectations in a spectacular fashion. Why do I say that? Well, Will Smith is producing the movie, and he has decided that his son, Jaden, is going to star in the movie.
I am going to stop for a second here and compare the two leads here:
Ralph Macchio was a 23-year old actor playing a 16-year old who had some decent dramatic work behind him before he did the movie.
Jaden Smith is 10.
Now, I remember the last time I saw a movie where a child had learned virtuous command of hand-to-hand combat skills, I was less than impressed. Of course, that could have much to do with the writing in those awful 3 Ninjas movies, but really, I am not into seeing kids on screen performing martial arts. Seeing a swarthy former New Jerseyite fighting for his life and reputation against a bunch of proto-Aryan, blond-haired, blue eyed Californian punks, all trained by a deranged Vietnam vet... well, that, that is worth watching... especially given the fact that the young East Coaster is being trained by someone who formerly played the fool. It is corny, but for the mid-80's, it totally worked.
And I don't really see any of that happening with this Smith based production. I don't see anyone filling Pat Morita's shoes... and I can't imagine them filming whoever their Mr. Miyagi-type character is working a 10-year old kid to the bone to train them in a thinking-outside-the-box sort of way. Not to mention the fact that filming in Beijing was already mentioned. I mean, what is that about? I mean China, really. Especially considering that Karate is a Japanese word.
All in all, I am expecting the new iteration of The Karate Kid to royally suck... almost as bad as The Next Karate Kid... what were you thinking Hilary Swank?
And even though I didn't like the idea, I was able to accept that fact.
However, I started to read about the direction the movie is going in, and I have to say, it is amazing how fast fell below my lowered expectations in a spectacular fashion. Why do I say that? Well, Will Smith is producing the movie, and he has decided that his son, Jaden, is going to star in the movie.
I am going to stop for a second here and compare the two leads here:
Ralph Macchio was a 23-year old actor playing a 16-year old who had some decent dramatic work behind him before he did the movie.
Jaden Smith is 10.
Now, I remember the last time I saw a movie where a child had learned virtuous command of hand-to-hand combat skills, I was less than impressed. Of course, that could have much to do with the writing in those awful 3 Ninjas movies, but really, I am not into seeing kids on screen performing martial arts. Seeing a swarthy former New Jerseyite fighting for his life and reputation against a bunch of proto-Aryan, blond-haired, blue eyed Californian punks, all trained by a deranged Vietnam vet... well, that, that is worth watching... especially given the fact that the young East Coaster is being trained by someone who formerly played the fool. It is corny, but for the mid-80's, it totally worked.
And I don't really see any of that happening with this Smith based production. I don't see anyone filling Pat Morita's shoes... and I can't imagine them filming whoever their Mr. Miyagi-type character is working a 10-year old kid to the bone to train them in a thinking-outside-the-box sort of way. Not to mention the fact that filming in Beijing was already mentioned. I mean, what is that about? I mean China, really. Especially considering that Karate is a Japanese word.
All in all, I am expecting the new iteration of The Karate Kid to royally suck... almost as bad as The Next Karate Kid... what were you thinking Hilary Swank?
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