Okay, so a few days ago I wrote up this long thing that was not necessarily a movie review. I did talk about a couple of movies and an actor from one of the movies but I did not really talk about the movies, so as promised here are a my movie reviews for GOING THE DISTANCE and MACHETE. I know you all out there on the world wide web are just so excited you can hardly stand it. The great thing about this review is that I went and saw both these movies back to back at the dollar movies so if you are reading this there is a good chance that both of these movie will be or already are out to rent, so you can read this and go right out and watch it and tell me what you think.
I'm going to jump right in with GOING THE DISTANCE, I think it's only far since I have seen the movie twice already that I jump all over this one first. THE WHO: Drew Barrymoore, Justin Long, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate, and Jim Gaffigan. There actually are a few other minor characters that have really great small roles throughout the movie and when you see some of them you will realize that you have seen them before.
THE WHAT: Justin Long and Drew Barrymoore's characters meet in a bar after hard days for each of them, have a one night stand, hit it off and begin dating. But there is a catch. Drew's character lives in California and is just interning for the summer and is about to move back. They fall for each other hard and begin a long distance relationship.
Let me just start off by saying that I love this movie. Now in full disclosure anybody that really knows me, knows that this movie is almost right up my alley. An adult romantic comedy, that is super funny but has these moments of great heart mixed in. When I say adult romantic comedy that is exactly what I mean. This movie is not for kids believe me, not to say that it is bad or just super vulgar, but it is just vulgar enough and all the material in the film is made for adults that have been in relationships.
One of the things that I liked most about this movie was the fact that it switch from the comedic moments to the serious ones very effortlessly. And there are enough of both of them throughout the movie to make you really feel like this story is about real people. I feel like the movie really does play true to life, because I feel like that is what life is. All of these great moments of laughter and mixed in are moments of seriousness and sadness. Justin Long's character and his two best friends played by Charlie Day or Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Jason Sudeikis of Saturday Night Live are pitch perfect in the movie. I love it so much because I feel during most of their conversations in the movie, it could have been me and my friends sitting around talking. So much so that in one scene in the movie they are at a diner talking about a "Fuck-it List" and I thought I was having deja vu, because me and my friends have had the exact same on
And then there are those moments in the movie that are meant to be serious and heartfelt and that is exactly how they feel. It has long been rumored that Long and Barrymoore have been in a relationship in real life, and after seeing this movie all I can say is that the rumors are true. These two play so well off each other that you just want them to be dating in real life. They both have such incredible timing together they really are what drives the movie. And when there relationship begins to sink because of the distance that they are apart from each other you really do feel for these two. Anybody out there that has ever been in a long distance relationship will enjoy the shit out of this movie, because you will feel nostalgic while watching it.
The thing that I perhaps like most about the movie is the fact that they didn't really jump right to that cookie cutter ending that we all know and some of us love so much. It really puts its heart out on the line and it forces these main characters to make some really tough decisions. And let me just tell you that the awkward phone sex scene and seeing Drew Barrymoore getting dragged out of a bar screaming, "Suck my dick!!" is worth the price of admission alone. So everybody, anybody run out and check this movie out.
MACHETE, also a great movie but for some many different reasons. THE WHO: Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, Michelle Rodriguez, Cheech Marin, Lindsay Lohan, and Don Johnson. Let me just say that this cast delivers and in spades. Robert Rodriguez is the director and let me just tell you that I think that Rodriguez is a genius.
For those of you out there that don't know how this movie came about let me tell you. A few years back a movie by the name of GRINDHOUSE came out and it was totally under appreciated because quiet frankly, people don't know shit about movies. GRINDHOUSE was a double feature that played the Robert Rodriguez movie PLANET TERROR, and then it played Quentin Tarrentino's DEATH PROOF. Both of these movies are awesome and when put together wow. So before the movies and in the intermission they made these fake trailers to play and one of the best trailers what that of MACHETE. So good in fact that Rodriguez decided to go ahead and script a movie.
Now there is a basic story here, but to tell you the truth I'm not even going to bore you with it. All you need to know is that this movie is 100% pure BAD ASS. Danny Trejo plays the title character of MACHETE, and he basically for and hour and forty minutes just goes around kicking the shit out of people slicing people up and sometimes cutting off their heads with a machete, and yeah he bangs every hot chick in the movie. At one point making time to have a three way in the pool. None of the sex scenes are graphic, but the way people get killed are and it is awesome.
This movie never at all takes itself too seriously and really that is the beauty of the whole thing. It knows what it is suppose to be and that is exactly what it is. The crazy thing about it is that this movie dare I say out EXPENDABLES the EXPENDABLES. Having seen both movies now I can with out a doubt say that I like this movie better.
Everyone is this movie is great from start to finish, but if there is one reason that you need to go see this movie then go see it for Robert De Niro. Quiet possibly like you have never seen him before, and believe me he completely owns every scene that he is in. So if you don't have anything pressing to do this weekend and you don't want to see any of the newer movies that are out in the box offices, I highly recommend these two.
Until next time my friends, don't start nothin', won't be nothin'
Friday, October 15, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
DISTANCE
Hey there folks it's me again, your friendly neighborhood black guy's point of view. I know that a few posts ago I told all of you (the two people that actually read this.) that from now on this blog would be strictly dedicated to movie reviews. Well I'm here to tell you that I lied. Well kind of, this isn't exactly going to be a movie review, but this blog comes in light of the fact that I went to the movies yesterday and saw a double feature. Which was awesome if I do say so myself. The movies that I went and saw were, MACHETE and for the second time, GOING THE DISTANCE. Now tomorrow I will be doing a review of both of these movies for those of you that care, and since there are both at the dollar movies it won't be to hard to go see them, and even if you don't I'm sure they will be at the red box or out to rent soon enough.
Now back to why we are all here. I want to talk about DISTANCE. It was in the middle of watching this movie that I enjoyed the shit out of for the second time, when this thing just popped in my head and it just wouldn't get out. And it had to deal with the distance that we all build up in our lives.
Before I start I'm going to take a quick sidebar (here he goes again right.) Justin Long is not at all one of my favorite actors, or up and coming actors for that matter. He doesn't even really make it in my top ten to tell you the truth.
UP and COMERS ahead of LONG
1. Joesph Gordon-Levitt -see BRICK
2. Carrey Mulligan -see AN EDUCATION
3. Jesse Eisenberg -see ADVENTURELAND
4. Chloe Grace Mortez -see KICK-ASS
5. Andrew Garfield -see SOCIAL NETWORK, he's the new Peter Parker
6. Emma Stone -see ZOMBIELAND
7. Kristen Stewart -see ANYTHING BUT TWILIGHT
8. Tom Hardy -see ROCKINROLLA or INCEPTION
9. Ellen Page -see HARD CANDY please
10. Blake Lively -I can't believe she's on this list, but she has proven she has some chops
38. Justin Long -see blink and you miss it in ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO
But in recent years this guy has been given some of the best little great moment lines in a movie and it is beyond me how it keeps happening. I mean I really do like this guy, and I'm not saying that these lines are wasted on him, because I don't think that at all, but the lines he has been giving in these certain movies just happens to be some of my favorite lines to date. That alone is why this guy remains on my radar, well I guess that and that fact that he his pretty good. I know right about know you're thinking, "Brandon, what are these lines you speak of?" Well let me tell you.
From ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO, my often time used, "You better shut your mouth before I fuck it." Pretty much a genius line in every way shape or form.
From that horseshit of a movie that I really can't stand HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU, at the end of the movie the lovely Ginnifer Goodwin and him are having their moment that brings it all together, but earlier in the movie he told her that she was the rule not the exception. so she says after he kisses her, "I'm the exception" and he very smoothly whispers to her, "You are my exception."
Lastly in GOING THE DISTANCE, in the "moment" at the end of the movie, he meets up with Drew Barrymoore's character, and says, "I have a question." "I don't know what your situation is right now but...I miss you." to which her character replies, "That's not a question." and he looks at her intensely and says, "Yes, it is." I mean I don't know what is going on here, but the kid is just getting these genius lines, and I'm kind of falling in love with him because of it.
So, now that I've taken up so much of your time with that ridiculous little sidebar let me get back to the point of this whole thing. That point that I would be talking about would be DISTANCE. So I'm sitting here watching this movie which I feel is phenomenal by the way, for the second time the real weight of this movie begins to hit me. But not just the weight of the movie, just the weight of this whole idea of distance.
It seems to me to be this thing that is always there in all of our lives, but we really do take it all for granted I think. I mean I know that I am just 25 years old and I haven't lived through half as much as some people, but I feel a lot wiser than my years. I feel like I have an old soul to tell you the truth. And this thing with the distance is something that I guess has kind of been bothering me for some time now.
When we are kids we know that there is absolutely a distance between us and our parents. It is unmistakable, but as we get older that distance begins to shrink somewhat. More so in some people child to parent relationship than others. Take me for instance, My father and I are really have always been miles apart in distance, and it wasn't until I was in college and got cut from the baseball team that I realized that, that distance was a lot closer than I realized. And now as I continue to grow and live my life I can almost feel the distance between us widening as I feel more and more that I am not living the life that he always wanted for me and I feel like a disappointment to him. So I guess I am just realizing that with me and him I am always going to have to work on this distance thing, because is seems to always be changing.
But that isn't the only thing that I am talking about. We all seem to have these relationships and the the older we grow the closer some of these distances get while others seem to get farther away. I don't for the life of me know how it happens. I mean one day you wake up and somebody you've known your whole life can feel like they are a continent away from you, and it almost seems like an insurmountable amount of distance to overcome. And some of us just live but a few miles away from each other but we might as well live on a completely different planet. I don't know how it happens, but believe me it does. it's a sad thing to see or be a part of. And maybe it's a part of the human condition, we just sit there idly while these distances overcome us, and change the people that we are. It's not a good thing, and it doesn't have to be like this.
I think we all should work hard to make sure that these distances don't overcome us, that they don't stunt or change the people that we were always meant to be. I don't really if anybody out there really understands what I have been trying to say, but you know what, I said it.
So until next time, Don't start nothin', won't be nothin'
Now back to why we are all here. I want to talk about DISTANCE. It was in the middle of watching this movie that I enjoyed the shit out of for the second time, when this thing just popped in my head and it just wouldn't get out. And it had to deal with the distance that we all build up in our lives.
Before I start I'm going to take a quick sidebar (here he goes again right.) Justin Long is not at all one of my favorite actors, or up and coming actors for that matter. He doesn't even really make it in my top ten to tell you the truth.
UP and COMERS ahead of LONG
1. Joesph Gordon-Levitt -see BRICK
2. Carrey Mulligan -see AN EDUCATION
3. Jesse Eisenberg -see ADVENTURELAND
4. Chloe Grace Mortez -see KICK-ASS
5. Andrew Garfield -see SOCIAL NETWORK, he's the new Peter Parker
6. Emma Stone -see ZOMBIELAND
7. Kristen Stewart -see ANYTHING BUT TWILIGHT
8. Tom Hardy -see ROCKINROLLA or INCEPTION
9. Ellen Page -see HARD CANDY please
10. Blake Lively -I can't believe she's on this list, but she has proven she has some chops
38. Justin Long -see blink and you miss it in ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO
But in recent years this guy has been given some of the best little great moment lines in a movie and it is beyond me how it keeps happening. I mean I really do like this guy, and I'm not saying that these lines are wasted on him, because I don't think that at all, but the lines he has been giving in these certain movies just happens to be some of my favorite lines to date. That alone is why this guy remains on my radar, well I guess that and that fact that he his pretty good. I know right about know you're thinking, "Brandon, what are these lines you speak of?" Well let me tell you.
From ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO, my often time used, "You better shut your mouth before I fuck it." Pretty much a genius line in every way shape or form.
From that horseshit of a movie that I really can't stand HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU, at the end of the movie the lovely Ginnifer Goodwin and him are having their moment that brings it all together, but earlier in the movie he told her that she was the rule not the exception. so she says after he kisses her, "I'm the exception" and he very smoothly whispers to her, "You are my exception."
Lastly in GOING THE DISTANCE, in the "moment" at the end of the movie, he meets up with Drew Barrymoore's character, and says, "I have a question." "I don't know what your situation is right now but...I miss you." to which her character replies, "That's not a question." and he looks at her intensely and says, "Yes, it is." I mean I don't know what is going on here, but the kid is just getting these genius lines, and I'm kind of falling in love with him because of it.
So, now that I've taken up so much of your time with that ridiculous little sidebar let me get back to the point of this whole thing. That point that I would be talking about would be DISTANCE. So I'm sitting here watching this movie which I feel is phenomenal by the way, for the second time the real weight of this movie begins to hit me. But not just the weight of the movie, just the weight of this whole idea of distance.
It seems to me to be this thing that is always there in all of our lives, but we really do take it all for granted I think. I mean I know that I am just 25 years old and I haven't lived through half as much as some people, but I feel a lot wiser than my years. I feel like I have an old soul to tell you the truth. And this thing with the distance is something that I guess has kind of been bothering me for some time now.
When we are kids we know that there is absolutely a distance between us and our parents. It is unmistakable, but as we get older that distance begins to shrink somewhat. More so in some people child to parent relationship than others. Take me for instance, My father and I are really have always been miles apart in distance, and it wasn't until I was in college and got cut from the baseball team that I realized that, that distance was a lot closer than I realized. And now as I continue to grow and live my life I can almost feel the distance between us widening as I feel more and more that I am not living the life that he always wanted for me and I feel like a disappointment to him. So I guess I am just realizing that with me and him I am always going to have to work on this distance thing, because is seems to always be changing.
But that isn't the only thing that I am talking about. We all seem to have these relationships and the the older we grow the closer some of these distances get while others seem to get farther away. I don't for the life of me know how it happens. I mean one day you wake up and somebody you've known your whole life can feel like they are a continent away from you, and it almost seems like an insurmountable amount of distance to overcome. And some of us just live but a few miles away from each other but we might as well live on a completely different planet. I don't know how it happens, but believe me it does. it's a sad thing to see or be a part of. And maybe it's a part of the human condition, we just sit there idly while these distances overcome us, and change the people that we are. It's not a good thing, and it doesn't have to be like this.
I think we all should work hard to make sure that these distances don't overcome us, that they don't stunt or change the people that we were always meant to be. I don't really if anybody out there really understands what I have been trying to say, but you know what, I said it.
So until next time, Don't start nothin', won't be nothin'
Monday, October 11, 2010
CATFISH
Today on my wonderful blog I will be reviewing a little movie by the name of CATFISH. I already know that most of you out there have no earthly idea what movie this is. And all I can say is that is good, because maybe after reading this you just might say, "Hey I want to see that movie, and wow this guy knows a thing or two about movies I think I'll come here for all my movie reviews, and I'll tell my friends to come here." But hey that might just be wishful thinking. So let's get started.
CATFISH probably won't be familiar with too many of you out there because it is what we in the biz call an "indie". Now an "indie" for those of you that don't know is an independent film. Which to say is a movie made for very little money and not by a major studio. Often times it is bankrolled by the person or persons who wrote and directed it. They are then shown at any number of film festivals with the intent of being picked up by a major studio that later distributes it on a wide scale. So there is you're first lesson on film wither you wanted it or not.
So now that that's out of the way lets get to why we are all here, CATFISH. The Who: You will not know a single person in this movie, believe me. The only way that it might be possible know any of these people is if by some chance you are related to them. The What: So right off the bat I was so excited to see this movie when I saw the preview. Because the movie plays out like a thriller of some sorts, and you never really quite know if this thing is a movie that is about to have an incredible twist or if it actually is a documentary. I think I'll do my best not to ruin that little surprise for you.
So the movie starts out with a photographer, is brother and friend who are both filmmakers. The photographer's name is Nev or Dev, really it's irrelevant. Apparently he photographs things and maybe they are posted on his facebook or something, but by some happenstance a 8 year old by the name of Abby sees this photograph, becomes facebook friends with him and then paints that picture and sends it to him. Then he and Abby and her family embark on this friendship that Nev's brother and friend have to film. After a few paintings are sent to him, Nev sees that Abby has an older sister Megan just about his age, and through facebook, they really hit it off. They are facebooking back and forth smiley faces at the end of there sentences, uploading different pictures of each other back and forth, and finally they talk of the phone. It is facebook official they are basically in love, and who can blame them this can't miss right? They are so into each other that they actually plan a trip where Megan will come to New York and stay with him, but it just doesn't happen.
Now here comes the twist. Nev, his brother, and his friend are all going to Colorado to film some ballet and they tell Megan and her family that they should come and meet up with them because it's fairly close to where they live with is in Michigan if I'm not mistaken. Now while they are up in the hotel in Colorado facebooking each other Megan says that she records music with her mother sometimes. So Nev tells her to send him some and she does. The only problem is that they soon find out that it is not really them singing these songs. Instead they are just uploading them off of the Internet.
Now her comes the real funny part, You meet somebody on facebook and surprise surprise they don't end up being who they say they are. The reactions on these guys faces when they finally put all this stuff together, and then go to Michigan to call Megan out on her shit is worth the price of admission alone. The third act of this movie is just outstanding. It is sad, and funny all at the same time, and it really does kind of put you right on the edge of your seat wondering what exactly is going to happen next.
Now let me just say right off here and now that CATFISH is not going to be for everybody, hell it might not be for most people. But if you are like me and you love love love independent film then this movie will be right up your alley. For those other people out there that really are more comfortable with the mainstream stuff, I'm pretty sure that there is a little movie by the name of LIFE AS WE KNOW IT that opened this weekend. And I'm pretty sure that it will be filled with a neurotic every woman Kathrine Heigel, and I'm sure she will have twenty or so wardrobe changes with her tits jumping out of most of them. And of course there will be a predictable cookie cutter happy ending at the end of it all. But for those of you that like to step out on the edge and see something different, something that you haven't quite seen before then I tell you CATFISH is that movie, and you won't leave disappointed.
So until next time my friends...... Don't start nothin', won't be nothin'
CATFISH probably won't be familiar with too many of you out there because it is what we in the biz call an "indie". Now an "indie" for those of you that don't know is an independent film. Which to say is a movie made for very little money and not by a major studio. Often times it is bankrolled by the person or persons who wrote and directed it. They are then shown at any number of film festivals with the intent of being picked up by a major studio that later distributes it on a wide scale. So there is you're first lesson on film wither you wanted it or not.
So now that that's out of the way lets get to why we are all here, CATFISH. The Who: You will not know a single person in this movie, believe me. The only way that it might be possible know any of these people is if by some chance you are related to them. The What: So right off the bat I was so excited to see this movie when I saw the preview. Because the movie plays out like a thriller of some sorts, and you never really quite know if this thing is a movie that is about to have an incredible twist or if it actually is a documentary. I think I'll do my best not to ruin that little surprise for you.
So the movie starts out with a photographer, is brother and friend who are both filmmakers. The photographer's name is Nev or Dev, really it's irrelevant. Apparently he photographs things and maybe they are posted on his facebook or something, but by some happenstance a 8 year old by the name of Abby sees this photograph, becomes facebook friends with him and then paints that picture and sends it to him. Then he and Abby and her family embark on this friendship that Nev's brother and friend have to film. After a few paintings are sent to him, Nev sees that Abby has an older sister Megan just about his age, and through facebook, they really hit it off. They are facebooking back and forth smiley faces at the end of there sentences, uploading different pictures of each other back and forth, and finally they talk of the phone. It is facebook official they are basically in love, and who can blame them this can't miss right? They are so into each other that they actually plan a trip where Megan will come to New York and stay with him, but it just doesn't happen.
Now here comes the twist. Nev, his brother, and his friend are all going to Colorado to film some ballet and they tell Megan and her family that they should come and meet up with them because it's fairly close to where they live with is in Michigan if I'm not mistaken. Now while they are up in the hotel in Colorado facebooking each other Megan says that she records music with her mother sometimes. So Nev tells her to send him some and she does. The only problem is that they soon find out that it is not really them singing these songs. Instead they are just uploading them off of the Internet.
Now her comes the real funny part, You meet somebody on facebook and surprise surprise they don't end up being who they say they are. The reactions on these guys faces when they finally put all this stuff together, and then go to Michigan to call Megan out on her shit is worth the price of admission alone. The third act of this movie is just outstanding. It is sad, and funny all at the same time, and it really does kind of put you right on the edge of your seat wondering what exactly is going to happen next.
Now let me just say right off here and now that CATFISH is not going to be for everybody, hell it might not be for most people. But if you are like me and you love love love independent film then this movie will be right up your alley. For those other people out there that really are more comfortable with the mainstream stuff, I'm pretty sure that there is a little movie by the name of LIFE AS WE KNOW IT that opened this weekend. And I'm pretty sure that it will be filled with a neurotic every woman Kathrine Heigel, and I'm sure she will have twenty or so wardrobe changes with her tits jumping out of most of them. And of course there will be a predictable cookie cutter happy ending at the end of it all. But for those of you that like to step out on the edge and see something different, something that you haven't quite seen before then I tell you CATFISH is that movie, and you won't leave disappointed.
So until next time my friends...... Don't start nothin', won't be nothin'
Monday, October 4, 2010
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Hi guys, it's ponder here again. I know it's been a while, but I'm back, and after a long weekend of drinking in Texas and a great sooner win I figured it was time to give you all what you want. More of me spouting out my views on everything that I know you all care about. So I'm going to throw a little change up here tonight. I will now use my blog as a movie review site as well as the other things I like to put on here. So for all over you that don't know if you really want to see a movie, and you can't quite trust the mainstream outlets for reviews, come to me and let mr. goodbar (just a name I got from pleasuring women) tell you if you want to see it or not.
Today I will be reviewing THE SOCIAL NETWORK. Yes folks I am reviewing the facebook movie. For those of you that don't know this, I think that facebook is somewhat ridiculous, and I say that because people become so obsessed with it that they neglect things in their real life. And people really believe that this computer interaction is the same as the real thing. But that is the society that we are living in. A society where people would rather search the Internet to find somebody that to actually go out and find somebody. But I guess life is better on facebook, you actually get to be the start of your own reality tv show. With all of this said, I will just go ahead and review this. And then when I'm done, I will post this on FACEBOOK, conundrum I know.
So let me just give you a little rundown of the movie before I get into. the WHO: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, and new to the party Armie Hammer. the WHAT: a genius in college gets dumped horribly, and does what all other great geniuses do... creates a social network that will revolutionize the entire world just to stick it back in her face. And along the way there are girls, parties, and lawsuits.
Okay so right of the bat, I guess I should say that this movie is masterfully directed by one David Fincher. I mean the guy is pretty much a god when it comes to cinema as far as I'm concerned. The movie looks effortlessly gorgeous but really what else is new. I mean I was amazed to find out that Armie Hammer who plays twins in the movie was just one person. This guy is going to be around for a while, he definitely has that movie star look about him. David Fincher does such a great job showing this film throw the eyes of three separate groups and yet the movie moves through effortlessly and never really bogs down for a single second.
After seeing this movie for the first time someone asked me what I thought about it and the word that came to mind was tragic. They asked me if I thought the movie was bad because I used that word, but it's not at all. I thought that the movie was tragic because for me at the heart of it, it is about this guy or rather kid, because when he started this whole facebook revolution he was just a sophomore in college. A kid who is a genius and has changed the world we live in today essentially, but he did it at the cost of all or what personal relationships that he had. But who knows, maybe that is was true genius is. To be a genius you have to be willing to walk alone sometimes.
So who exactly owns this movie? That's easy, Jesse Eisenberg is slowly but surely becoming a star. His smart ass, fast talking turn as Mark Zuckerberg the creator of facebook is fantastic. He has all the wittiness to let you know that he is the smartest guy in the room and you have no problem realizing that this guy did create facebook. And even though he is rough around the edges and is a complete asshole for most of the movie and he never lets up believe me. You do at the end of the movie feel somewhat sorry for this guy who has been so consumed with this thing that he has given up his personal relationships. Also great in this movie is Andrew Garfield who I for one can't wait to see him in NEVER LET ME GO or even more mainstream to watch his turn as Peter Parker in the up in coming SPIDERMAN remake. In this he plays the best friend to Jesse Eisenberg's character. The guy who helped upstart facebook, and was for the most part Zuckerberg's only friend, and the guy who eventually gets cut out of facebook and ends up suing his best friend. Also fantastic is Justin Timberlake, who plays Sean Parker, the founder of napster, who creates the divided between Eisenberg and Garfield's characters which ultimately leads to the collapse of their friendship and the lawsuit. This might be the best acting of Timberlakes young acting career. He is great, coming in as this fast talking slick guy who comes in and gets Zuckerberg hooked on anything that he spews out of his mouth. Timberlake was perfect for this character and he plays it to perfection.
My final verdict on this movie is an 8. It gets a hard 8 from me, I think that it might be a little higher but I suffered from the fact that everybody in the world has said that this is the greatest movie of the fall. And believe me it was great but it is kind of hard to live up to all the expectations that everybody has put out there for it. I think that this movie is a very relevant movie that everyone should go see. Especially since this our entire world is dominated by facebook. So go see it asap, and let me know what you think.
Next time I will be reviewing an independent movie by the name of CATFISH. Until then, Don't start nothin' won't be nothin'
Today I will be reviewing THE SOCIAL NETWORK. Yes folks I am reviewing the facebook movie. For those of you that don't know this, I think that facebook is somewhat ridiculous, and I say that because people become so obsessed with it that they neglect things in their real life. And people really believe that this computer interaction is the same as the real thing. But that is the society that we are living in. A society where people would rather search the Internet to find somebody that to actually go out and find somebody. But I guess life is better on facebook, you actually get to be the start of your own reality tv show. With all of this said, I will just go ahead and review this. And then when I'm done, I will post this on FACEBOOK, conundrum I know.
So let me just give you a little rundown of the movie before I get into. the WHO: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, and new to the party Armie Hammer. the WHAT: a genius in college gets dumped horribly, and does what all other great geniuses do... creates a social network that will revolutionize the entire world just to stick it back in her face. And along the way there are girls, parties, and lawsuits.
Okay so right of the bat, I guess I should say that this movie is masterfully directed by one David Fincher. I mean the guy is pretty much a god when it comes to cinema as far as I'm concerned. The movie looks effortlessly gorgeous but really what else is new. I mean I was amazed to find out that Armie Hammer who plays twins in the movie was just one person. This guy is going to be around for a while, he definitely has that movie star look about him. David Fincher does such a great job showing this film throw the eyes of three separate groups and yet the movie moves through effortlessly and never really bogs down for a single second.
After seeing this movie for the first time someone asked me what I thought about it and the word that came to mind was tragic. They asked me if I thought the movie was bad because I used that word, but it's not at all. I thought that the movie was tragic because for me at the heart of it, it is about this guy or rather kid, because when he started this whole facebook revolution he was just a sophomore in college. A kid who is a genius and has changed the world we live in today essentially, but he did it at the cost of all or what personal relationships that he had. But who knows, maybe that is was true genius is. To be a genius you have to be willing to walk alone sometimes.
So who exactly owns this movie? That's easy, Jesse Eisenberg is slowly but surely becoming a star. His smart ass, fast talking turn as Mark Zuckerberg the creator of facebook is fantastic. He has all the wittiness to let you know that he is the smartest guy in the room and you have no problem realizing that this guy did create facebook. And even though he is rough around the edges and is a complete asshole for most of the movie and he never lets up believe me. You do at the end of the movie feel somewhat sorry for this guy who has been so consumed with this thing that he has given up his personal relationships. Also great in this movie is Andrew Garfield who I for one can't wait to see him in NEVER LET ME GO or even more mainstream to watch his turn as Peter Parker in the up in coming SPIDERMAN remake. In this he plays the best friend to Jesse Eisenberg's character. The guy who helped upstart facebook, and was for the most part Zuckerberg's only friend, and the guy who eventually gets cut out of facebook and ends up suing his best friend. Also fantastic is Justin Timberlake, who plays Sean Parker, the founder of napster, who creates the divided between Eisenberg and Garfield's characters which ultimately leads to the collapse of their friendship and the lawsuit. This might be the best acting of Timberlakes young acting career. He is great, coming in as this fast talking slick guy who comes in and gets Zuckerberg hooked on anything that he spews out of his mouth. Timberlake was perfect for this character and he plays it to perfection.
My final verdict on this movie is an 8. It gets a hard 8 from me, I think that it might be a little higher but I suffered from the fact that everybody in the world has said that this is the greatest movie of the fall. And believe me it was great but it is kind of hard to live up to all the expectations that everybody has put out there for it. I think that this movie is a very relevant movie that everyone should go see. Especially since this our entire world is dominated by facebook. So go see it asap, and let me know what you think.
Next time I will be reviewing an independent movie by the name of CATFISH. Until then, Don't start nothin' won't be nothin'
Saturday, July 24, 2010
ONE-LINERS
Hello out there, if there really is anyone out there. Or am I just typing into my own infinite abyss? Maybe, sometimes it feels that way. You know like there really is no ending to anything that is going on around us. Just an infinite free fall into life. It's like three thirty in the morning right now and i take it that when I am done writing this little diddy it will probably be about four in the morning. When do I sleep you ask? Well a infamous man once told me that I could sleep when I'm dead, and I guess over the years I have become a firm believer in that statement.
So why are we here tonight? What is it that I want to talk about this time? There are so many things that have happened to me over the past month but in particular I want to talk about one-liners. I feel like it is necessary for my own personal manhood that at least once in my life I be able to spit out a really great one-liner to somebody. I know that sounds completely ridiculous but this is the type of shit that I think about.
Like on my trip to Chicago that I just took my good friend Mr. Hagedorn dropped a brilliant one-liner to a very annoying drunk guy that wanted to show him some bullshit picture of who really knows what. But as the guy continued to force this picture upon Mr. Hagedorn he simply responded with a, "Listen Asshole, I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't want to see your picture." Or something to this effect, the thing about it is that it was brilliant. I need that, well I guess I don't really need it, but I want it and very bad all of the sudden.
I guess my want for this to happen just stems from the fact that I am such a nice guy. And really who doesn't walk all over the nice guy? I'm here to tell you not that many people. So for once I'd like to be bad ass, I mean I am pretty bad ass, but like bonafide bad ass you know, like Bruce Willis in Die Hard bad ass, or Clint Eastwood in anything bad ass.
The funny thing about this whole entry is that I already kind of know what I want to say, given the opportunity of course. I just want to really get is some body's shit, like all up in it after a fight or whatever and I want them to feel it to know that I was there and to be so pissed off about it that they can't see straight, so pissed off in fact that they tell me that I'm gonna pay for this and everything else, and that I'm dead or that I'm gonna die, just so I can look back at him and say,
"Yeah I know, someday." Pretty pathetic I know, but I love it. If you've read this congratulations you have just gotten a wonderful insight into one thing that might pop into my head at any given moment, so you are very welcome.
So why are we here tonight? What is it that I want to talk about this time? There are so many things that have happened to me over the past month but in particular I want to talk about one-liners. I feel like it is necessary for my own personal manhood that at least once in my life I be able to spit out a really great one-liner to somebody. I know that sounds completely ridiculous but this is the type of shit that I think about.
Like on my trip to Chicago that I just took my good friend Mr. Hagedorn dropped a brilliant one-liner to a very annoying drunk guy that wanted to show him some bullshit picture of who really knows what. But as the guy continued to force this picture upon Mr. Hagedorn he simply responded with a, "Listen Asshole, I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't want to see your picture." Or something to this effect, the thing about it is that it was brilliant. I need that, well I guess I don't really need it, but I want it and very bad all of the sudden.
I guess my want for this to happen just stems from the fact that I am such a nice guy. And really who doesn't walk all over the nice guy? I'm here to tell you not that many people. So for once I'd like to be bad ass, I mean I am pretty bad ass, but like bonafide bad ass you know, like Bruce Willis in Die Hard bad ass, or Clint Eastwood in anything bad ass.
The funny thing about this whole entry is that I already kind of know what I want to say, given the opportunity of course. I just want to really get is some body's shit, like all up in it after a fight or whatever and I want them to feel it to know that I was there and to be so pissed off about it that they can't see straight, so pissed off in fact that they tell me that I'm gonna pay for this and everything else, and that I'm dead or that I'm gonna die, just so I can look back at him and say,
"Yeah I know, someday." Pretty pathetic I know, but I love it. If you've read this congratulations you have just gotten a wonderful insight into one thing that might pop into my head at any given moment, so you are very welcome.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
60 feet 6 inches
Well folks, I'm back after quite a bit of time off. I feel like I have really been slacking and I know that there are oh so many of you out there that just really need to hear about all the many wonderful things going on in my life so I'm sorry for the hiatus. With that said I think I might change the pace a little bit with this one. I mean yes, my sister is still bat shit crazy, and yes she just got done working everyday for two straight weeks(longest weeks of my life)but I think I will cover all of that stuff on another day. Today I feel like talking about one of great loves of my life, I feel like talking baseball.
There are so many different reasons why I love baseball. Almost too many to count, I can go on obnoxiously about baseball for hours upon hours believe me. Some of you out there have already ended up in the cross hairs of one of these rants that I sometimes go on, and for that all I can say is, You're Welcome!
Now as I was saying, there are so many things that I love about baseball, but the thing that I love the most, the thing that I miss more than anything, the thing that I can feel deep down inside of me that comes up every year around this time and won't leave until sometime in October. The thing that I love most about baseball is 60 feet and 6 inches. You might be thinking what is this 60 feet 6 inches you speak of? Well the best way that I could describe it is that quite honestly it is the distance that turns boys into men. It's the distance where games are won and lost, where careers are made or broken, it's the distance between death and immortality.
You may at this point be think what in the world is wrong with this guy, is he delusional, how can that be all of those things? You may not understand it, but it is, it is most certainly all of those things and then some. For those of you that still don't know what 60 feet 6 inches is, it's the distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate on a baseball field. To me it's home, it's Mt. Everest, it's the greatest place on earth. I spent many a days out on a ball field, 60 feet 6 inches away, some of the best days and the most heart breaking days of my life.
Now to really understand what I'm talking about you have to understand what baseball is. Some people think it's just a game, that it's something for boys to do in the summer. Some people know it's our national pass time but they really don't think much more than that. To the people that have been goodly enough to be touched by this sport know that it is so much more. It becomes so much more than a game, it changes who you are inside, it becomes a certain way of life, it becomes a religion of sorts, where people pray to the god of first pitch strikes, and the god of the hanging curve ball. When I was a wee lad of 18 years a coach told me that sooner or later you'll find that there are those in this world that have played baseball, really played baseball and then there is everybody else. Now at the time I didn't have any idea what that meant, and when he said it I just kind of smirked and shrugged it off, but as I've grown up I know that he his absolutely right.
Now baseball is the ultimate team sport. There is no shot clock or game clock or time limit, as long as the weather is good and there is no lightning, you play until the game is over. And you're gonna fail more than you're gonna succeed. It doesn't just test you physically, it test you mentally on every imaginable level. I was at one point a pretty good baseball player, nothing special in particular though I worked hard, tried to set a good example, and showed up everyday. And once I got to the level where my little bit of talent and my hard work couldn't exactly cut the mustard anymore I had to give it up. It left a sour taste in my mouth but I guess it always does, when things end. They always seem to end too soon, weather you play for 15 years or 40.
Now that I've given you that little in site into my baseball, let me tell you exactly what 60 feet 6 inches means to me. I am an average guy, and on a good day I can be said to be kind of funny and somewhat awkwardly charming, but that's on a very good day. I was always a good student in school, not because I was just the smartest person in the room, but because I had this thing were I just wanted to know more about everything than anybody else, so I worked really hard to try and do that and in doing so school became something that I was good at. All of that is great. There is nothing wrong with any of it, but on the baseball field I was something totally different. On that pitcher's mound 60 feet 6 inches away from home plate I was a king. I was larger than life and I knew exactly what I was put on this earth for. To throw strikes and help my team win.
There's a feeling you get when you're up on that mound, when you're staring down the opposing team's batters and you know, I mean you absolutely know that on this given day they can't touch you. There is no greater feeling in the world. To know that you're team is depending on you and that you are going to be able to come through for them. And when it's gone, when it's all over all you want is it back. 60 feet 6 inches is where it all begins. You stare down the opposing batter, and you quietly tell him what you are about the throw before you throw it, and it doesn't matter because he can't touch it. You stand on that mound and you sing to yourself, to keep yourself in the rhythm of the game. You talk to yourself when you walk the nine hole. And people think that you are halfway crazy, and the beauty of it is that you are.
60 feet 6 inches can seem like five miles away when you are three outs away from closing out a big game. When you are 100 pitches into the game and your whole body feels like it's about to break down, and you dig down deep for that last out. You and your catch both know you got nothing left but you dig down anyway and find something, anything, and when you get that last out you feel like you can do anything, because you've pushed yourself further than you ever thought possible and you came out on the other side. 60 feet 6 inches, where most of the defining moments of my life have come.
There are so many different reasons why I love baseball. Almost too many to count, I can go on obnoxiously about baseball for hours upon hours believe me. Some of you out there have already ended up in the cross hairs of one of these rants that I sometimes go on, and for that all I can say is, You're Welcome!
Now as I was saying, there are so many things that I love about baseball, but the thing that I love the most, the thing that I miss more than anything, the thing that I can feel deep down inside of me that comes up every year around this time and won't leave until sometime in October. The thing that I love most about baseball is 60 feet and 6 inches. You might be thinking what is this 60 feet 6 inches you speak of? Well the best way that I could describe it is that quite honestly it is the distance that turns boys into men. It's the distance where games are won and lost, where careers are made or broken, it's the distance between death and immortality.
You may at this point be think what in the world is wrong with this guy, is he delusional, how can that be all of those things? You may not understand it, but it is, it is most certainly all of those things and then some. For those of you that still don't know what 60 feet 6 inches is, it's the distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate on a baseball field. To me it's home, it's Mt. Everest, it's the greatest place on earth. I spent many a days out on a ball field, 60 feet 6 inches away, some of the best days and the most heart breaking days of my life.
Now to really understand what I'm talking about you have to understand what baseball is. Some people think it's just a game, that it's something for boys to do in the summer. Some people know it's our national pass time but they really don't think much more than that. To the people that have been goodly enough to be touched by this sport know that it is so much more. It becomes so much more than a game, it changes who you are inside, it becomes a certain way of life, it becomes a religion of sorts, where people pray to the god of first pitch strikes, and the god of the hanging curve ball. When I was a wee lad of 18 years a coach told me that sooner or later you'll find that there are those in this world that have played baseball, really played baseball and then there is everybody else. Now at the time I didn't have any idea what that meant, and when he said it I just kind of smirked and shrugged it off, but as I've grown up I know that he his absolutely right.
Now baseball is the ultimate team sport. There is no shot clock or game clock or time limit, as long as the weather is good and there is no lightning, you play until the game is over. And you're gonna fail more than you're gonna succeed. It doesn't just test you physically, it test you mentally on every imaginable level. I was at one point a pretty good baseball player, nothing special in particular though I worked hard, tried to set a good example, and showed up everyday. And once I got to the level where my little bit of talent and my hard work couldn't exactly cut the mustard anymore I had to give it up. It left a sour taste in my mouth but I guess it always does, when things end. They always seem to end too soon, weather you play for 15 years or 40.
Now that I've given you that little in site into my baseball, let me tell you exactly what 60 feet 6 inches means to me. I am an average guy, and on a good day I can be said to be kind of funny and somewhat awkwardly charming, but that's on a very good day. I was always a good student in school, not because I was just the smartest person in the room, but because I had this thing were I just wanted to know more about everything than anybody else, so I worked really hard to try and do that and in doing so school became something that I was good at. All of that is great. There is nothing wrong with any of it, but on the baseball field I was something totally different. On that pitcher's mound 60 feet 6 inches away from home plate I was a king. I was larger than life and I knew exactly what I was put on this earth for. To throw strikes and help my team win.
There's a feeling you get when you're up on that mound, when you're staring down the opposing team's batters and you know, I mean you absolutely know that on this given day they can't touch you. There is no greater feeling in the world. To know that you're team is depending on you and that you are going to be able to come through for them. And when it's gone, when it's all over all you want is it back. 60 feet 6 inches is where it all begins. You stare down the opposing batter, and you quietly tell him what you are about the throw before you throw it, and it doesn't matter because he can't touch it. You stand on that mound and you sing to yourself, to keep yourself in the rhythm of the game. You talk to yourself when you walk the nine hole. And people think that you are halfway crazy, and the beauty of it is that you are.
60 feet 6 inches can seem like five miles away when you are three outs away from closing out a big game. When you are 100 pitches into the game and your whole body feels like it's about to break down, and you dig down deep for that last out. You and your catch both know you got nothing left but you dig down anyway and find something, anything, and when you get that last out you feel like you can do anything, because you've pushed yourself further than you ever thought possible and you came out on the other side. 60 feet 6 inches, where most of the defining moments of my life have come.
Friday, May 21, 2010
the journey
It's been a while since I have wrote anything on here. For those few of you that actually do read this and somewhat enjoy it I would like to say that I am sorry for that. I just really haven't felt too inspired lately. The last few days I've talked to some friends on the phone and it has made me miss home more than I could have ever realized. And it also made me realize that when I moved, it was the abrupt and almost what seemed like it was out of nowhere, even though it really wasn't.
The last week or so when I wake up I feel different. I don't really know how to explain it besides the fact that I just really don't feel like myself. But really I don't know that last time I have felt like myself. I came out here on the journey to prove something to myself, and although I have just been out here a few months it kind of feels like by trying to prove one thing, I have proven the complete opposite. I almost felt like this was some sort of hero's journey. I know that that sounds really stupid and to be honest borderline insane, but that is the way that I felt about it. I felt as if it was the journey that I had to take at this particular point in my life and that by doing so it is going to make all the difference in my life. Now the hard part about this whole thing is that when i started off I was picturing the journey more a kin to that of Luke Skywalker, when in reality I am leaning more on the side of Anakin, and that is not a good thing, enough though some might beg to differ.
Now this whole thing is making me think about something a professor once talked about in class. He said no one is happy until the end is known. And I've been thinking about that statement a lot lately. Not to say that I am so unhappy because that is just not the case. I just really want to know what my end is, but I guess we all do. I miss my friends and family everyday. I once read a book and there was a quote at that end of it, it said something like never tell anybody anything, or you'll miss everyone. Never has that statement been more true than right now. Because I miss everyone like crazy, but I guess I must continue this journey weather I turn out to be the one that restores the force or I fall prey to the dark side, I'm in it now and hopefully I can make to best of this and not end up with my tail tucked between my legs back where I started.
I don't for the life of my even know why I wrote this post, it seems to be just another random blog, but I guess my intentions where to tell the ones that matter to me that I love and miss them, and that they are always with me.
The last week or so when I wake up I feel different. I don't really know how to explain it besides the fact that I just really don't feel like myself. But really I don't know that last time I have felt like myself. I came out here on the journey to prove something to myself, and although I have just been out here a few months it kind of feels like by trying to prove one thing, I have proven the complete opposite. I almost felt like this was some sort of hero's journey. I know that that sounds really stupid and to be honest borderline insane, but that is the way that I felt about it. I felt as if it was the journey that I had to take at this particular point in my life and that by doing so it is going to make all the difference in my life. Now the hard part about this whole thing is that when i started off I was picturing the journey more a kin to that of Luke Skywalker, when in reality I am leaning more on the side of Anakin, and that is not a good thing, enough though some might beg to differ.
Now this whole thing is making me think about something a professor once talked about in class. He said no one is happy until the end is known. And I've been thinking about that statement a lot lately. Not to say that I am so unhappy because that is just not the case. I just really want to know what my end is, but I guess we all do. I miss my friends and family everyday. I once read a book and there was a quote at that end of it, it said something like never tell anybody anything, or you'll miss everyone. Never has that statement been more true than right now. Because I miss everyone like crazy, but I guess I must continue this journey weather I turn out to be the one that restores the force or I fall prey to the dark side, I'm in it now and hopefully I can make to best of this and not end up with my tail tucked between my legs back where I started.
I don't for the life of my even know why I wrote this post, it seems to be just another random blog, but I guess my intentions where to tell the ones that matter to me that I love and miss them, and that they are always with me.
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