Logging
Labor day movie round up
Film in theater: The Grandmaster
DVDs: The Other Guys, Logan's Run, Smokey and the Bandit, The Raid Redeption
The Grandmaster was a disappointment. Was hoping to be washed over and relaxed on a hot afternoon by Won Kar Wai images. Was actually surprised by how lame the slow motion shots looked. Seemed like he was adjusting to shooting a new format or something. Maybe going digital for the first time? I honestly don't know, nor do even care enough to research it. Story telling was bad. How is it possible to have Tony Leung, Zi Zhang, and Won Kar Wai and make a lousy movie? Goes to show how hard movie making is.
The Other Guys was laugh out loud funny in parts and yet I still fell asleep. My theory is the plot sucks and they blow their comedy wad in the first half of the movie and don't set anything up and so the third act becomes total absurdity.
The Raid Redemption, however, embraces absurdity and is a vehicle for kick-ass action sequences. I thought it was a pretty awesome in the way old Jet Li or Van Damme movies were awesome.
Smokey and the Bandit is a lot of fun and I appreciate it more now than when I was younger. I'm not an instinctive fan of the "Southern" as Tarantino puts it, but Jackie Gleason is a delight and damn, Burt and Sally Field had some real chemistry going there. I still prefer White Lighting.
Logan's Run...eh...would like to see the Nic Refn remake if that ever happens.
Monday, September 02, 2013
Sunday, September 01, 2013
More on Syria
Listening to the radio makes me think we need to import Tywin Lannister to help us deal with the situation. Seriously. The foreign policy world is like Game of Thrones right now, except there is no throne.
Now, Obama is going to wait on Congress to vote to attack. Some general thoughts:
1. Are we democracy is best for Arab societies? The Germany, Japan, and South Korean models have not, thus far, proven to work in Iraq. And it is presently failing in Egypt. The cases of Germany and Japan might be unique to the historical moment and countries who were utterly defeated in war. No such situation exists in the Arab world.
2. We've done limited missile strikes in the past and it isn't clear they work to our long term benefit. They almost always provoke a reaction from the other side and do not deal with the underlying problem.
3. Why is there a rush to punish Assad over his chemical weapons? Punishment could apply in a year, just as easily as next week.
4. Why are we not better off letting two enemies hostile to the United States fight - and presumably weaken - one another?
5. We know the Syrian rebels have no preferable government to replace the Assad regime and over 50% of their fighters are Al Queda-like groups. Why would we pursue any policy to assist them?
6. Will "punishing" Assad with limited missile strikes really deter other countries from pursuing such weapons?
7. Why are we reacting to the 1,400 dead from the chemical weapons and not the other 80-90,000 who have died from "legitimate" fighting?
8. Aren't we glad Israel blew up the Syrian nuclear reactor right now?
9. How do we know missile strikes will not prolong the conflict? If we have a dog in the fight, why not support that dog and help them win decisively. It seems like the missile strikes would serve the purpose of "evening" the playing field and thus prolonging the conflict.
10. Why is the United States concerned with acting "consistently" in the lawless world of foreign policy? Even if we didn't punish Assad for chemical weapon usage, we could still punish other countries for usage in the future. Clearly, there are no international norms or governing body who has sway. There are institutions which can occasionally assist in creating an international consensus, but such consensus is almost always rooted in aligned political interests of the moment. Just look at the breakdown of international consensus in the following conflicts:
a. Iran-Iraq War. Chemical weapons used. No international intervention.
b. Gulf War 1. International intervention because Kuwait was invaded (could be viewed as aftermath of Iran-Iraq war). No intervention when Saddam used chemical weapons against Kurds.
c. Gulf War 2. No international consensus. US-Brit coalition intervention. Saddam overthrown. No evidence of weapons, but could be considered later punishment from prior use.
d. Libya intervention. International consensus for invasion. No illegal weapons involved.
e. Egyptian coup. No international intervention. No illegal weapons used.
f. Syria intervention. No international intervention. Chemical weapons used. US may intervene on own.
There is no consistency whatsoever, from any of the parties involved.
Listening to the radio makes me think we need to import Tywin Lannister to help us deal with the situation. Seriously. The foreign policy world is like Game of Thrones right now, except there is no throne.
Now, Obama is going to wait on Congress to vote to attack. Some general thoughts:
1. Are we democracy is best for Arab societies? The Germany, Japan, and South Korean models have not, thus far, proven to work in Iraq. And it is presently failing in Egypt. The cases of Germany and Japan might be unique to the historical moment and countries who were utterly defeated in war. No such situation exists in the Arab world.
2. We've done limited missile strikes in the past and it isn't clear they work to our long term benefit. They almost always provoke a reaction from the other side and do not deal with the underlying problem.
3. Why is there a rush to punish Assad over his chemical weapons? Punishment could apply in a year, just as easily as next week.
4. Why are we not better off letting two enemies hostile to the United States fight - and presumably weaken - one another?
5. We know the Syrian rebels have no preferable government to replace the Assad regime and over 50% of their fighters are Al Queda-like groups. Why would we pursue any policy to assist them?
6. Will "punishing" Assad with limited missile strikes really deter other countries from pursuing such weapons?
7. Why are we reacting to the 1,400 dead from the chemical weapons and not the other 80-90,000 who have died from "legitimate" fighting?
8. Aren't we glad Israel blew up the Syrian nuclear reactor right now?
9. How do we know missile strikes will not prolong the conflict? If we have a dog in the fight, why not support that dog and help them win decisively. It seems like the missile strikes would serve the purpose of "evening" the playing field and thus prolonging the conflict.
10. Why is the United States concerned with acting "consistently" in the lawless world of foreign policy? Even if we didn't punish Assad for chemical weapon usage, we could still punish other countries for usage in the future. Clearly, there are no international norms or governing body who has sway. There are institutions which can occasionally assist in creating an international consensus, but such consensus is almost always rooted in aligned political interests of the moment. Just look at the breakdown of international consensus in the following conflicts:
a. Iran-Iraq War. Chemical weapons used. No international intervention.
b. Gulf War 1. International intervention because Kuwait was invaded (could be viewed as aftermath of Iran-Iraq war). No intervention when Saddam used chemical weapons against Kurds.
c. Gulf War 2. No international consensus. US-Brit coalition intervention. Saddam overthrown. No evidence of weapons, but could be considered later punishment from prior use.
d. Libya intervention. International consensus for invasion. No illegal weapons involved.
e. Egyptian coup. No international intervention. No illegal weapons used.
f. Syria intervention. No international intervention. Chemical weapons used. US may intervene on own.
There is no consistency whatsoever, from any of the parties involved.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Syria
From what I can tell, it looks like we are going to attack Syria in a "limited" missile strike kind of way. Bill Clinton was a fan of such strikes. They cost us nothing at home. It is "war" without really being war. Of course, the people on the other end of such strikes don't feel this way. They feel angry and bitter and resentful and plot their revenge. But this doesn't matter for the US election cycle and our politicians are creatures of this cycle.
And I'm not sure the alternative to Assad is preferable. Are we? I understand the logic of punishing for the use of chemical weapons. But are we supposed to be the world police?
From what I can tell, it looks like we are going to attack Syria in a "limited" missile strike kind of way. Bill Clinton was a fan of such strikes. They cost us nothing at home. It is "war" without really being war. Of course, the people on the other end of such strikes don't feel this way. They feel angry and bitter and resentful and plot their revenge. But this doesn't matter for the US election cycle and our politicians are creatures of this cycle.
And I'm not sure the alternative to Assad is preferable. Are we? I understand the logic of punishing for the use of chemical weapons. But are we supposed to be the world police?
Friday, August 30, 2013
Best Restaurant In Town
Chengdu Taste is my new favorite restaurant when factoring in taste, affordability, variety, and volume. I could eat here every night. Order $35 worth of food and it will serve two people for lunch and dinner, ie four meals.
The drawbacks are location (Alhambra, although pretty easy to get there and park, just the distance), bad service (partly because they are always super busy), and the questionable healthy quality of the food. It is very tough to get a table. They don't take reservations. There will always be a line. I order takeout to get around this. A smart thing to do is call ahead before you leave and place your order or go at a non-peak time.
When I think of my favorite dishes in LA, these things come to mind:
Father's Office Burger
The turkey sandwich w/ the works at Bay Cities
Chicken parm at Dan Tana
Steak plate at Tender Greens with spinach salad
Hainan chicken rice at Savoy Kitchen
2x2x2 Salt's Cure breakfast
Langers #19
Hard Asada tacos at Tacos Por Favor
Spicy Pork at Soot Bull Jeep
English breakfast at Ye Old Kings Head
And now, the fish boiled in red chili sauce at Chengdu Taste.
If Chengdu Taste only had this one signature dish, I'd go there just like Father's Office or Hainan Chicken. But here's the thing: the menu has literally 10-15 other dishes I really want to try.
The toothpick mutton is great. The dam dam mien is great. Kung Pao chicken is okay. Here's my point: there are a few restaurants around town I love, but they don't have a signature dish. I love Cora's. I love Little Doms. I love Larchmont Wine and Cheese. I love Joe's in venice. And none of these places I love for one single dish...Chengdu Taste is like having an all-around restaurant you love with an awesome signature dish. I will note, I don't think anyone considers this particular dish the signature dish -- just me.
Anyhow, I'm sure there are fine dining establishments, etc that are better objectively, but when I talk about food, I'm talking about places normal people actually go. The steak at the Palm was great, but what kind of insane person would eat there more than once or twice a year. Not just because of the cost, but the indulgence. You'd have to be 250 lbs.
Chengdu Taste is my new favorite restaurant when factoring in taste, affordability, variety, and volume. I could eat here every night. Order $35 worth of food and it will serve two people for lunch and dinner, ie four meals.
The drawbacks are location (Alhambra, although pretty easy to get there and park, just the distance), bad service (partly because they are always super busy), and the questionable healthy quality of the food. It is very tough to get a table. They don't take reservations. There will always be a line. I order takeout to get around this. A smart thing to do is call ahead before you leave and place your order or go at a non-peak time.
When I think of my favorite dishes in LA, these things come to mind:
Father's Office Burger
The turkey sandwich w/ the works at Bay Cities
Chicken parm at Dan Tana
Steak plate at Tender Greens with spinach salad
Hainan chicken rice at Savoy Kitchen
2x2x2 Salt's Cure breakfast
Langers #19
Hard Asada tacos at Tacos Por Favor
Spicy Pork at Soot Bull Jeep
English breakfast at Ye Old Kings Head
And now, the fish boiled in red chili sauce at Chengdu Taste.
If Chengdu Taste only had this one signature dish, I'd go there just like Father's Office or Hainan Chicken. But here's the thing: the menu has literally 10-15 other dishes I really want to try.
The toothpick mutton is great. The dam dam mien is great. Kung Pao chicken is okay. Here's my point: there are a few restaurants around town I love, but they don't have a signature dish. I love Cora's. I love Little Doms. I love Larchmont Wine and Cheese. I love Joe's in venice. And none of these places I love for one single dish...Chengdu Taste is like having an all-around restaurant you love with an awesome signature dish. I will note, I don't think anyone considers this particular dish the signature dish -- just me.
Anyhow, I'm sure there are fine dining establishments, etc that are better objectively, but when I talk about food, I'm talking about places normal people actually go. The steak at the Palm was great, but what kind of insane person would eat there more than once or twice a year. Not just because of the cost, but the indulgence. You'd have to be 250 lbs.
Nothing to Worry About Here
Facebook announces new privacy rules.
Orwell might was a bit wrong. It isn't Big Brother who is watching -- it is going to be Big Data Corporations. And you're insane if you don't think police departments are watching people on Facebook. I would if I were them.
It astounds me the degree to which I've accepted all of this tracking. I realize the entire contents of my blog and email could be read. I realize my cell phone can now be tracked wherever I go. I'm not a criminal, so I'm not worried about getting arrested, but I'm a thinking, opinionated person and all thinking, opinionated people should be afraid because tyrants of all kinds - government, business, whoever - all hate hate hate thinking opinionated people.
Facebook announces new privacy rules.
Facebook plans to start using your profile photo as part of its photo feature that suggests that people “tag” you in photos.
Facebook uses facial recognition software to suggest these tags when photos are uploaded to the service.In layman's terms: every photo of you taken and uploaded to Facebook will be tagged and potentially tracked.
Orwell might was a bit wrong. It isn't Big Brother who is watching -- it is going to be Big Data Corporations. And you're insane if you don't think police departments are watching people on Facebook. I would if I were them.
It astounds me the degree to which I've accepted all of this tracking. I realize the entire contents of my blog and email could be read. I realize my cell phone can now be tracked wherever I go. I'm not a criminal, so I'm not worried about getting arrested, but I'm a thinking, opinionated person and all thinking, opinionated people should be afraid because tyrants of all kinds - government, business, whoever - all hate hate hate thinking opinionated people.
Logging
Film: Kick Ass
If you take for a premise that superheroes and comic books are meaningful, I can see the delight this movie might offer. If you see comic books and superheroes for what they are: juvenile pastimes for guys who can't get laid, this movie is maddening in a way other super hero movies are not. Here's why: it is a well executed deconstruction of comic book movies. The very act of deconstruction presupposes a universe where comic books are of fundamental importance. What a horrible world view.
Perhaps if I saw this movie at a different moment, I could enjoy it more. Part of me feels guilty in a way for not being able to enjoy it, since it certainly is well executed. But if you can like a movie for having its heart in the right place despite the flaws, the converse also must be true, you can hate a movie when its heart is in the wrong place, even if well executed. This is the accusation I would throw at Kick Ass: the heart of the film is in the wrong place. It is derivative of other derivations -- of comic books, of Luc Besson, of John Woo, of Quentin Tarantino -- its violence is mindnumbing and meant to be comic. It delights in torture and having an 11-year old girl running around murdering people. The characters draw their value from being watched and popular as opposed to being good. Within the film, the characters choose to be good -- not because good has some sort of value or meaning unto itself -- but rather, because good is what people will root for and watch. The same logic is why women film film sex tapes.
I suppose all these same type of cricitisms could be leveled againt Tarantino, particularly in the Kill Bill movies. And maybe if I were 35 years old when Reservoir Dogs came out, I have felt a similar way. I dunno. We live in strange times. But I can't help but think after watching this film: what happened to the movies? Why have we allowed this great American art form to be hijacked by the nerds?
Film: Kick Ass
If you take for a premise that superheroes and comic books are meaningful, I can see the delight this movie might offer. If you see comic books and superheroes for what they are: juvenile pastimes for guys who can't get laid, this movie is maddening in a way other super hero movies are not. Here's why: it is a well executed deconstruction of comic book movies. The very act of deconstruction presupposes a universe where comic books are of fundamental importance. What a horrible world view.
Perhaps if I saw this movie at a different moment, I could enjoy it more. Part of me feels guilty in a way for not being able to enjoy it, since it certainly is well executed. But if you can like a movie for having its heart in the right place despite the flaws, the converse also must be true, you can hate a movie when its heart is in the wrong place, even if well executed. This is the accusation I would throw at Kick Ass: the heart of the film is in the wrong place. It is derivative of other derivations -- of comic books, of Luc Besson, of John Woo, of Quentin Tarantino -- its violence is mindnumbing and meant to be comic. It delights in torture and having an 11-year old girl running around murdering people. The characters draw their value from being watched and popular as opposed to being good. Within the film, the characters choose to be good -- not because good has some sort of value or meaning unto itself -- but rather, because good is what people will root for and watch. The same logic is why women film film sex tapes.
I suppose all these same type of cricitisms could be leveled againt Tarantino, particularly in the Kill Bill movies. And maybe if I were 35 years old when Reservoir Dogs came out, I have felt a similar way. I dunno. We live in strange times. But I can't help but think after watching this film: what happened to the movies? Why have we allowed this great American art form to be hijacked by the nerds?
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Cinema Begets Cinema
Friedkin on the movies.
Friedkin on the movies.
Finally, he offered a piece of advice to aspiring filmmakers. “If you are in a cinema school, leave immediately! Nobody can teach you how to do cinema. It’s something you learn by doing and seeing. Cinema begets cinema.”His points make a lot more sense than Lucas and Spielberg, if you ask me.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
The Great Shift
Fewer and fewer Americans are working. Money quote:
1. Is Office Space one of the most prescient movies of the last 20 years? Office Space captured the absurdity of what the workplace had become for most working Americans -- how so much of our workforce was mostly doing nonsense or managing nonsense. When the financial crisis hit, all the corporations got rid of all the dead wood and didn't replace them. This is why corporate profits are doing fine, but fewer people are working.
2. Americans should be more upset at our political system for not even recognizing this issue. To hear the politicians say it, unemployment is going down. Absurd. We need to be re-thinking how American life is going to be different for the next 50 years, how healthcare cannot be directly tied to employment, how retirement is going to be funded, how Americans can work less and still earn an honest living (since there is less work to go around), how education costs and healthcare costs can be curtailed.
I had a random idea the other day regarding healthcare. Why not create an insurance system that more accurately is "insurance," ie for catastrophic issues? Basically, all healthcare costs under $5000 a year become of the over-the-counter variety, pay as you go type of thing?
De-couple health insurance from employment. Make sure the savings go toward wages and not into corporate profits.
Everyone can buy "catastrophic coverage" for their family and it covers everything over $5000. If you make below a certain wage, you qualify for discounted catastrophic coverage and perhaps the government has some free clinics for all other under-$5000 issues. Sort of like food stamps.
I imagine this system would be a lot cheaper than our present system. Over the counter stuff would be cheaper and driven by market competition. People would be more incentivized to stay healthy as it might save on the out-of-pocket expenses. Health insurance would only be used rarely, in the true cases of horrible accidents, diseases, and other really awful, costly stuff that only happens rarely.
Just an idea.
Fewer and fewer Americans are working. Money quote:
Yes, the unemployment rate has fallen. But almost the entire reason it has fallen is the drop in the number of people in the labor force — either working or actively looking.A couple of things:
1. Is Office Space one of the most prescient movies of the last 20 years? Office Space captured the absurdity of what the workplace had become for most working Americans -- how so much of our workforce was mostly doing nonsense or managing nonsense. When the financial crisis hit, all the corporations got rid of all the dead wood and didn't replace them. This is why corporate profits are doing fine, but fewer people are working.
2. Americans should be more upset at our political system for not even recognizing this issue. To hear the politicians say it, unemployment is going down. Absurd. We need to be re-thinking how American life is going to be different for the next 50 years, how healthcare cannot be directly tied to employment, how retirement is going to be funded, how Americans can work less and still earn an honest living (since there is less work to go around), how education costs and healthcare costs can be curtailed.
I had a random idea the other day regarding healthcare. Why not create an insurance system that more accurately is "insurance," ie for catastrophic issues? Basically, all healthcare costs under $5000 a year become of the over-the-counter variety, pay as you go type of thing?
De-couple health insurance from employment. Make sure the savings go toward wages and not into corporate profits.
Everyone can buy "catastrophic coverage" for their family and it covers everything over $5000. If you make below a certain wage, you qualify for discounted catastrophic coverage and perhaps the government has some free clinics for all other under-$5000 issues. Sort of like food stamps.
I imagine this system would be a lot cheaper than our present system. Over the counter stuff would be cheaper and driven by market competition. People would be more incentivized to stay healthy as it might save on the out-of-pocket expenses. Health insurance would only be used rarely, in the true cases of horrible accidents, diseases, and other really awful, costly stuff that only happens rarely.
Just an idea.
Gut Feeling
Psychiatric woes might be able to be solved by targeting the digestive system.
Very interesting.
Psychiatric woes might be able to be solved by targeting the digestive system.
Very interesting.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Ouch
Affirmative action failure.
Affirmative action failure.
But the Times story conveys a subtler point as well: Racial preferences are not just ill advised, they are positively sadistic. Only the preening self-regard of University of California administrators and faculty is served by such an admissions travesty. Preference practitioners are willing to set their “beneficiaries” up to fail and to subject them to possible emotional distress, simply so that the preference dispensers can look out upon their “diverse” realm and know that they are morally superior to the rest of society.
Thoughts on Breaking Bad and Rewatchability
I watched last nights episode while the lady fell asleep. I agreed to re-watch with her tonight, but couldn't sit through it. Clearly, Breaking Bad's final season is going well so far and everyone is putting it up there as "one of the best shows of all time" or certainly one of the "best final seasons of all time," etc, etc.
In contrast, I can re-watch any Game of Thrones from any season multiple times with joy. So what is the difference?
For one, there are future mysteries embedded within the Game of Thrones story -- hints at major movements and things to come -- on a much larger scale than Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad -- we know what is going to happen -- Walt is going down -- and we're just waiting to see how. Also, Game of Thrones has more up and downs. Moments of great triumph and great failure and surprise. Some characters we initially despised, we later start to like. With Breaking Bad there is only one movement: down.
I watched last nights episode while the lady fell asleep. I agreed to re-watch with her tonight, but couldn't sit through it. Clearly, Breaking Bad's final season is going well so far and everyone is putting it up there as "one of the best shows of all time" or certainly one of the "best final seasons of all time," etc, etc.
In contrast, I can re-watch any Game of Thrones from any season multiple times with joy. So what is the difference?
For one, there are future mysteries embedded within the Game of Thrones story -- hints at major movements and things to come -- on a much larger scale than Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad -- we know what is going to happen -- Walt is going down -- and we're just waiting to see how. Also, Game of Thrones has more up and downs. Moments of great triumph and great failure and surprise. Some characters we initially despised, we later start to like. With Breaking Bad there is only one movement: down.
Not An Insane Theory
Hitler was an obsessed beta male for four years with a Jewish girl. Is this what the holocaust was really about?
Hitler was an obsessed beta male for four years with a Jewish girl. Is this what the holocaust was really about?
Monday, August 26, 2013
Logging
Film: The Keep
Wow. A true disaster of a movie. At the Cinefamily, people were laughing at the film. Yet, people still applauded at the end. Strange. Maybe the 3.5 hour cut makes more sense, but I somehow doubt the experience would be more enjoyable. The 1.5 hour cut doesn't make a whole ton of sense. I think I would defend every other Mann film, but this one was a sure misstep. Still a pretty damn good batting average.
Film: The Keep
Wow. A true disaster of a movie. At the Cinefamily, people were laughing at the film. Yet, people still applauded at the end. Strange. Maybe the 3.5 hour cut makes more sense, but I somehow doubt the experience would be more enjoyable. The 1.5 hour cut doesn't make a whole ton of sense. I think I would defend every other Mann film, but this one was a sure misstep. Still a pretty damn good batting average.
Friday, August 23, 2013
My History Lesson
I don't fully regret supporting the Iraq War, given what we knew at the time, but there was one point about which I made a huge miscalculation: the situation in the Middle East could not be any worse.
Egypt is now in flames and the Coptic churches are being attacked.
The lesson is - especially when it comes to the Middle East - things can always get worse. And a horrible state of affairs that lead to 9/11 (yes, I still believe it was a regional and religious thing, not just the discreet issue of Al Queda) seemed to have gotten to such a bad place, I figured in some ways, the Iraq War would work as a reshuffling of the deck to a more optimal outcome for America and the world. I would be wary of such thinking again.
I don't fully regret supporting the Iraq War, given what we knew at the time, but there was one point about which I made a huge miscalculation: the situation in the Middle East could not be any worse.
Egypt is now in flames and the Coptic churches are being attacked.
The lesson is - especially when it comes to the Middle East - things can always get worse. And a horrible state of affairs that lead to 9/11 (yes, I still believe it was a regional and religious thing, not just the discreet issue of Al Queda) seemed to have gotten to such a bad place, I figured in some ways, the Iraq War would work as a reshuffling of the deck to a more optimal outcome for America and the world. I would be wary of such thinking again.
Logging
Film: The Secret In Their Eyes
I loved this movie. While watching the first half, I realized I was clearing space amongst my top 10 films of all time. Could this really be up there? Was I really watching a film better than Zodiac? Better than Memories of Murder? By the end, I'm not quite sure whether it ascends to all-time levels, but the film is easily the best movie I've seen all year and I can only remember No Country For Old Men - of recent films - affecting me more on first viewing.
The film has the greatest long take shot I can remember -- considerably better than the memorable long take from Children of Men and the far less impressive long take from Atonement. And the end...I wish I wasn't looking for a surprise...and I didn't find it deeply emotionally satisfying, but it was certainly unique and made the film about something.
Brilliant. I read the filmmaker directs American television. I look forward to seeing his other, earlier films.
Film: The Secret In Their Eyes
I loved this movie. While watching the first half, I realized I was clearing space amongst my top 10 films of all time. Could this really be up there? Was I really watching a film better than Zodiac? Better than Memories of Murder? By the end, I'm not quite sure whether it ascends to all-time levels, but the film is easily the best movie I've seen all year and I can only remember No Country For Old Men - of recent films - affecting me more on first viewing.
The film has the greatest long take shot I can remember -- considerably better than the memorable long take from Children of Men and the far less impressive long take from Atonement. And the end...I wish I wasn't looking for a surprise...and I didn't find it deeply emotionally satisfying, but it was certainly unique and made the film about something.
Brilliant. I read the filmmaker directs American television. I look forward to seeing his other, earlier films.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
A Bit Sad
When I was at USC in 2003-2006, Matt Leinhart was on top of the world. Now, he's a twitter joke.
Sports are rough, particularly at the end. Another sad story: Iverson "retires."
When I was at USC in 2003-2006, Matt Leinhart was on top of the world. Now, he's a twitter joke.
Sports are rough, particularly at the end. Another sad story: Iverson "retires."
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Muslim Brotherhood
Are the decedents and partners of the Nazis.
Before Tony Blankley died, he was incredulous we did not support Mubarak better in Egypt. The guy was our ally and kept the peace with Israel. More and more it is looking like he was right.
Are the decedents and partners of the Nazis.
Before Tony Blankley died, he was incredulous we did not support Mubarak better in Egypt. The guy was our ally and kept the peace with Israel. More and more it is looking like he was right.
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