Long Time, No Post

So, obviously since I haven't posted since May, I've been a little busy. Lots of stuff going on including me getting promoted, the death of Kris's Corolla in a sad-but-true accident, and Kris getting a new job - in computers no less!

So, here's a quickie update . . . I got promoted to manager in June, which was exciting because I now work full time and make over $10 an hour for the first time in my life! (And there was much rejoicing . . . yay.) Kris got into a moderately bad car accident the day before he left to meet me in Omaha (suckage), but because the car was paid off, he got a hefty insurance payout. He bought a moderately priced car, which left us enough money to pay off some bills and buy a few fun toys. We now have a 42" flat screen TV and I finally have a laptop (Aww . . . I love you Lappy!)! Proof positive that good can come from bad. And, finally, the most exciting news . . . Kris is no longer a mechanic. He is now a IT guy for a bank! Instead of slaving away in a hot bay, he now gets to spend 12 hours a day (3-4 days a week) watching a bank of computers. Sounds boring to me, but he loves it.

The reason I decided to pick this blog up again is that there is a TON of new stuff geared for geeks coming out and I am very excited!

Thanks to a generous gift of a Red Lobster gift card, we got to go out on a cute lil' married date tonight and we saw Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs . . . which was awesome. So many funny jokes, especially if you are a geek/nerd. If it seems like little kid fare, think again. Even though it's animated and technically made for little kids, I felt like it really appealed to adults, and mostly to those who suffered being made fun of for being different throughout their childhood, adolescence, and probably early adulthood. Go see it and go see it in 3D, the flying food makes the extra $3.50 worth it!

Among the flurry of trailers before the movie was the Fathom Event sponsored encore of Rifftrax presents Plan Nine From Outer Space! For those not in the know, Rifftrax is the brainchild of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" alums Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett. It's basically the same concept as "MST3K" (making fun of movies), but applied to a wide variety that include cult classics, big blockbusters, and new releases (Twilight, for example). You can download the audio tracks of the riffs and begin them simultaneously with the film. Ed Wood's iconic and reviled Plan Nine From Outer Space is torn to pieces for the delight of theater audiences on October 8th, 2009 at 7:30 PM in participating theaters all over this great nation. Click here for more info and/or to snap up your tickets. (We already got ours!)


Among the many new TV series premiering this fall (and the return of our favorites . . . "Big Bang Theory", we're looking in your direction!), my personal favorite is "Glee". A shy Spanish teacher attempts to resuscitate the once-great glee club, while dealing with his own personal problems. Will Schuester, tired of the favoritism placed on the lucrative McKinley High cheerleading squad (the Cheerios) coached by Sue Sylvester (the always hilarious Jane Lynch), decides to recruit students into "glee" and return as regionals champs. He finds that the kids attracted to the glee club are (of course) the school's social misfits . . . an overachieving fame-crazed brainy girl with an awesome voice but horrible social skills, a shy, stuttering punk/goth girl, a divaesque plus-size chick with a powerhouse voice, a wheelchair bound nebbish guy who can sing and rock the guitar, a stereotypically gay kid who has a choirboy voice, and the typical dumb jock with a deep side.


The music is amazing (a mix of show tunes, Top 40 hits, and classics) and the performers are extremely talented. There are a lot of funny moments (high school football team dancing to "Single Ladies" during a game, anyone?) and if you you're a drama/musical fan, you'll love this show. While it has it's fair share of stereotyped characters and situations, the show does try to use them in original ways (think "Popular" and The Breakfast Club). "Glee" is on Wednesday nights on Fox at 9:00 PM.




A show I just discovered (thank you, Netflix Instant) that probably everyone else knows about is "The IT Crowd". For those of you, who like me, are slow on the uptake, "The IT Crowd" is the BBC series about the disgruntled IT Department at mega-conglomerate Reynholm Industries. Roy (Chris O'Dowd) and Moss (Richard Ayoade) are the poor, put-upon peons of the company. Forced to work in the dank basement of the otherwise slick, modern office building, they are joined by Jen (Katherine Parkinson), their new manager, who knows nothing about computers. She decides to be their go-between, and hopes to make them more "normal". An added bonus is the appearance of Noel Fielding (of "Mighty Boosh" fame) as the up-and-comer turned Gothic prodigal son, Richmond Avenal. British humor combined with nerdiness makes an awesomely quirky and addicting show that every geek, nerd, and dork should check out.

Entertaining My Inner Child

We went to see Star Trek this weekend and during the trailers, Kris leaned over to me and said, "It's like they're replaying my childhood!" Many of the Summer blockbusters do have a familiar ring . . . Terminator, Transformers, Star Trek, Land of the Lost, etc. All they need now is a live action "Masters of the Universe" flick (which I'm sure is probably in the works even as I type this) and we'll be transported back to the awesomeness of the early 80s!

This brings up the question, however, where is the orginality in movies? Why are there so many remakes . . . from horror flicks to retro throwbacks? I hear the disdain from my friends when yet another shoddy rehash of a horror movie pops up on the Coming Attractions and I myself am guilty of rolling my eyes and exclaiming, "Why can't someone come up with an original idea?" The thing is, though, many of our beloved childhood/adolescent films have been inspired by previous ideas. My favorite Disney films come from children's literature and fairy tales. The "Transformers" cartoon series (the originator of the Transformers films) is actually a Japanese cartoon from the 70s that Americans appropriated for their own use (ditto "Sailor Moon").

It's not so much the originality that should be called into question, but the quality. Filmmakers should be examining the original film and saying, "Is my version going to be as good as the original? What do I have to bring to the table? Will the newer version resonate like the original did?" Instead of slapping together a poorly written script, casting a few big(ish) name actors to draw in crowds, and loading the film with CGI special effects, shouldn't they be concentrating on the things that made the first film, TV show, or book so memorable and effective?

For instance, the reason why Watchmen was so effective, in my opinion, was because the filmmakers genuinely sought to honor the spirit, message, and appearance of the comic book. Now, that's not to say there weren't flaws (the over-abundant visuals of Dr. Manhattan and the ridiculous and unrealistic sex scene between Nite Owl and Silk Spectre II, just to name two), but the heart and soul of the original source was there. The parts were carefully cast (with the exception of Malin Akerman) and the story, for the most part was intact. I know die-hard Watchmen comic fans might not agree, but I felt that the separation 0f The Black Freighter as its own entity and the exclusion of the Ozymandias-created giant squid made the film more accessible to those who had not previously read the book and subsequently made more Watchmen fans. The film was a good example of how filmmakers can take an idea from another medium and adapt it for the screen without losing what made the original great.

Don't Look Now . . . Good Advice?

Don't Look Now (1973)

Directed by Nicolas Roeg

Starring Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie

So, apparently you can feel meh about Don't Look Now. It seems like the kind of movie that arty film buffs think you should like, but it doesn't quite deliver.

After the accidental drowning death of their young daughter, Christine, John and Laura Baxter travel to Venice for a "working vacation" as John restores an old Venetian church. While there, Laura meets two sisters who claim they see Christine's presence trying to contact the couple. Laura becomes obsessed with finding out more, but John is skeptical. In the periphery, a serial killer is murdering young women all around Venice. John repeatedly sees a small figure in a red raincoat who reminds him of his deceased daughter. As he pursues the figure, he begins to question his wife's sanity and that of his own.

The cinematography is beautiful in that ethereal 70s way (a la The Omen and Rosemary's Baby), especially the opening scene. Roeg juxtaposes the two Baxter children playing outside with the interior scene of their parents working on individual projects and chatting. He plays with motifs throughout the movie, including the color red, breaking glass, and doubles. The film was shot on location in Venice, which means the backdrop is gorgeous and mood enhancing. There's a slow buildup of suspense that you don't find in many modern movies. All of the elements are there for a wonderful thriller, but the true scare never comes.

The film's flaws overshadow it's good points. There's an unneeded, ridiculously long sex scene (the director's reasoning was to balance out the constant bickering between husband and wife through the rest of the movie, but I'm not buying it). The buildup of suspense is far too slow and never reaches a climax. The ultimate flaw, however, is the ending. It's bizarre (and not in a good way) and it leaves you with an unfinished, unsatisfying "huh?" feeling.

I think this is a great experience for film students, but it's definitely not for mainstream horror fans. For those that want to know the ending without watching the movie, check out Bravo's "100 Scariest Horror Movie Moments" (Don't Look Now is 22) and watch classic horror films like The Omen, Rosemary's Baby, and The Wicker Man instead.