Quick Thought

Just a quick thought on Justin Bieber. People should stop hating him and just start getting excited for the Behind the Music/E: True Hollywood Story/Lifetime Movie train wreck that has got to already be in the works. I personally have my viewing party planned for 2015.

52 Things I am Thankful For

I think there is some unwritten (or written on someone's blog) rule that you most post a list of stuff you are thankful for at the end of November. Here is mine

1. Soup-There are few things more comforting than soup.
2. Skiing-It makes the dreary winter months not only bearable, but rad.
3. The Bayou's Gumbo- This could fall under soup, but its also a nice way to say I love The Bayou.
4. Brooks Brothers- The epitome of men's fashion. I never feel better than when I don my Brooks Brothers camel hair top coat and smart BB suit. Thanks for making me feel timeless.
5. The Beatles- I have waxed poetically about them before, nuff said.
6. Hats-There is a rarer feeling in the world than the one of sophistication that accompanies a well worn hat.
7. Perfect Shaves-When you press the sharp steel of a straight razor to your neck and with the up most skill remove the offending whiskers, that have have been softened by soap applied by a 100% pure badger hair brush, apply Witch Hazel, Pinaud Clubman Bay Rum and talcum powder you have started your morning in the best fashion possible.
8. Bicycles-They get me from point A to point B and let me enjoy the commute to work.
9. Naps-Be they 20 minute "power naps" or a long Sunday afternoon nap in front of a baseball game life would suck with out them.
10. Salt Lake City After a Storm- Salt Lake has an eerie silence fall upon it after a snowstorm that is accompanied by an strange glow from the light caught in limb between the fresh snow and the castover sky. After a rainstorm the city smells fresh and renewed.
11. Sturdy Children- Maggie likes to force me to play with children. I am gripped with fear that I will break them, so when then they are built tough and stout with plenty of baby chub to protect them from my clumsiness it is comforting.
12. Snow Days- Getting sent home from work, eating soup, and watching Netflix Instant Cue is wonderful.
13. Fiber- Picture a world with out. Its not pretty.
14. Yoga- Specifically, that Maggie does it, and that she has given up on getting me to practice it.
15. Hot Dogs- Really, all link sausages could fit here(that's what she said), and do not get Freudian on me.
16. Este Pizza- My ritual of going to Este grabbing a slice and a cold beverage of my choice on Friday's afternoon gives the end of the week a higher purpose.
17. Martin Scorsese- I could watch his films with out dialogue, and be entranced.
18. AMC's Sunday Night- Breaking Bad, Mad Men and The Walking Dead make Work Week Eve a little be easier to swallow.
19. Mad Men- It gets it's own because it is just that DAMN good.
20. Cartoons that are Funnier to Adults-This includes Family Guy, South Park and The Simpsons which are cartoons geared towards specifically for adults, but it also includes Phineas and Ferb, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Rocky and Bullwinkle and Underdog cartoons built for kids yet funnier for adults.
20. The Ducks in Fairmont Park- I like walking over and feeding them the heels from my bread loaves.
21. National Parks- One of the greatest acts of our socialist government. The stealing of land from private sector development and redistributing it so everyone could enjoy it; thanks comrad Roosevelt.
22. John Stewart-He gives me hope for humanity.
23. Well Made Boots- I like my boots to be comfortable, warm and sturdy. Rockport you do the job nicely.
24. People Who Make me Glad I am Not Them- Shadenfreude. People who seem vapid and dumb enough that no matter how depressed I get I can read their blog, look at their favorite TV show, or anything else my pretentious self looks down upon and mutter "There, but for the grace of God go I."*
25. Smart Phones- They have changed the way I stand in line, go to the bathroom and stand in line for the bathroom.
26. English Isles-My Anglophile is a source of great joy.
27. St. Patrick's Day- It is my favorite holiday and the accompanying feast is my favorite meal of the entire year. Sorry Thanksgiving.
28. The Oscars- I like award shows and being the movie buff that I am this is my favorite. Also, throwing a party with food to match the Best Picture Nominees is both a feat and a challenge.
29. Cheese- I hated picnics till I found out you were the perfect picnic food.
30. Twilight Concert Series- This has nothing to do with the abominable books. It is a free concert series Salt Lake City puts on every year. It is one of the highlights of my summer.
31. That the 10 Year Reunion is Over- That was a lot of work.
32. BBQs- This needs no explanation.
33. Sports Talk- Talking about sports is one of the best conversations you can have.
34. Cooking- It is not just survival, it is art you eat.
35. My Camera- Other than cooking this is the only art form that does not require me to draw. I like that.
36. The Internet- Wow, my job would be dull with out it.
37. Government- Yeah, what of it? Why don't you go teabag about it?
38. Taxes- Now I'm just provoking.
39. Liberal Mormons- It is not an oxymoron, it is just rare.
40. Ernest Hemingway- Having read him and being able to list him as my favorite author gives me a +1 Pretension Factor.
41. Nalgene Bottles- Good for Earth and good for you (unless you got the ones that cause cancer).
42. Our Apartment- Excellent landlords, nice use of space and plenty of personality.
43. Dogs- I just like 'em.
44. Chuck Klosterman- As a wise Keller once said "Reading him separates us from the animals."
45. Thank You Notes- I am glad I was brought up knowing how to write and when to write an appropriate note.
46. Toys R Us- I still like Legos.
47. Cuff links- They give me a touch of class.
48. Interesting Friends- I can think of nothing worse in life than being surrounded by boring people. Thankfully, I am not.
49. People Who Call Me for Advice- It doesn't matter what it is about. I just like being considered an authority on stuff.
50. NPR- Yeah, I'm as nerdy as it gets.
51. Smells- I love when I find something that maintains it's smell years later and can instantly send me back to where that smell is from. My dad's knife sheath, a coat from my Grandmother's house or butterscotch and Old Spice that can all tie me back to someone I no longer see, but can't forget.
52. Movies I Have to Watch While Maggie is Gone- The Big Lebowski, Superbad and Citizen Kane she is just not a fan.


*I often refer to these people as the "There But For Grace of God Go I Society".

Thanksgiving Films

I was recently reading one of my favorite blogs and the writer lamented the lack of good Thanksgiving movies. She then wrote about how The Road has filled her Thanksgiving film void I have had this same dilemma and over the years found a few films that I enjoy at Thanksgiving.*

*Please note I adhere to a strict Christmas movie watching policy. This is to ensure that Thanksgiving is not totally overrun by Christmas. "No Christmas film may be watched until the night of Thanksgiving when the desserts have been eaten. Christmas films may be watched up to and through New Year's Day, but not beyond. There is an exception for Christmas films to watched on a single day during the month of July if it is in conjunction with a Christmas in July themed celebration."

An American Tale



This is one of my favorite childhood films. It tells the story of an immigrant family coming to America in search of a better life. I have always thought of Thanksgiving as the day we celebrate our own pilgrimage to America. An American Tale captures this spirit, plus leaves you singing about the lack of felines in America for days.

Pieces of April



Pieces of April is a little known indie film about a family's black sheep hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Katie Holms gives such a superb performance you forgive her for what ever she was thinking marrying Tom Cruise. Oliver Platt (who is one of those actors that should be in everything) and Patricia Clarkson both fulfill their life calling of being among THE FINEST SUPPORTING ACTORS IN THE WORLD. If you have not watched it I highly recommend adding it your November festivities.

Trains, Planes and Automobiles



A great road movie with Steve Martin and John Candy. If you have ever endured a terrible Thanksgiving travel mishap (usually involving flying US Airways. I once spent a night in Phoenix for no earthly reason) this movie will resonate. It is not cerebral, but it is a classic.

Nobody's Fool



This is the perfect melding of legendary actor given an excellent story, sharp dialogue and genuine human emotion. Resulting in Newman's final Oscar nomination. In Nobody's Fool Paul Newman's son and grandson will be visiting for Thanksgiving allowing Newman a shot at redemption. If you have not seen this before I highly recommend it.

Hannah and Her Sisters



I am a big Woody Allen fan, so it should be no surprise to see Hannah and Her Sisters listed here. Hannah and Her Sisters is a film bookended with Thanksgiving dinners and spans the entire year between. The film is about family dysfunction, neuroses (Aren't all Woody Allen films?), and the never ending search for happiness. It is one of Allen's stronger movies and would be required watching for anyone wanting to better understand Allen's films.

Alice's Restaurant



The movie is not that great. It is based on an amazing Arlo Guthrie song about people going to Alice's for Thanksgiving dinner, throwing out garbage, getting arrested for littering and thus avoiding Viet Nam. The movie could have been amazing, but it is not. I include it because you should listen to the song on Turkey Day, and maybe watch the film if you have nothing better to do.

Dutch



This movie was written by John Hughes (Breakfast Club, 16 Candles) and stars Ed O'Neil (Married with Children, Modern Family). It, like many Thanksgiving films, is a road story about Ed O'Neil trying to impress his girlfriend's son by picking him up from boarding school and driving him home for Thanksgiving. As you might have guessed they don't get along making up the bulk of the weak story. I liked it as a kid, Ed O'Neil is genuinely fun to watch in most anything and if you are involved with step parents or parents dating this film may resonate more with you than it does with me, but I liked it as a kid so it made the list.

Remember the Titans**



Because Thanksgiving is also about football. Remember the Titans also could be seen as two groups of different people coming together much the same way the Pilgrims and the Native Americans did, but that may be a stretch.

**I had originally written about Rudy, but the the Irish beat the living hell out of my Utes so they get no love on my blog for at least a week.

My Mini-Don Draper Experience

Last Thursday was my birthday. I got older and I am now old enough that this bothers me. I work 4 days a week 10 hours a day so Thursday is my Friday. I had a ton to do that, but I had dreams of leaving work early enough to go watch a movie by myself. I spent most of the morning working on an article for an Environmental Journal on carbon sequestration (I was also submitting this as a paper for a class), but at around 2:30 I was done. Not with the work I had to do, but with being in my office, so I made my escape.

For those of you who are not Mad Men fans you will likely not understand this, but I pulled a Don Draper. I sneaked out of the office to see an art house film in the middle of the day. I put on my black fedora and walked around downtown SLC for a while. I stopped in one of my favorite stores Misc. and was dismayed that she had no men's clothing that day. I then went to Jitterbug on 3rd South and may have bought a pair or two of vintage cuff links, may have. I then stepped into The Copper Onion and sat and the bar and had a drink(bitters and soda with an orange slice and a muddled cherry...I felt so inclined plus it resembled an Old Fashioned) before my show began.

I then sat in the back of an empty theater and watched Howl. The James Franco biography of Allen Ginsberg. The film itself was excellent, despite it's clumsy editing and disjointed story line, the animated sequences that illustrate Ginsberg's opus work would be compelling cinema on their own. It also had Jon Hamm in it which if you are pulling a "Draper" makes anything better.

There is something I love about seeing movies alone. It frees you from thinking about anything other than yourself and the celluloid. Seeing a movie like Howl that asks much of it's audience's imagination in total silence takes a movie to an even greater cerebral place. You allow yourself to become immersed in both the words written of a poem that shifted a generation and the artistic license that a filmmaker a generation removed attached to that work. There is a moment of magic that occures when the lights dim in a theater and images begin to flash on screen where the anticipation builds as you are about to enter a place you've never been before and will be able to escape your daily confines for 90 minutes (or 3 hours if its Kevin Costner and you may go back to back at work if its The Postman). Feeling that while you should be at work is even better.

That night was followed by dinner with friends at Moki's in Taylorsville and staying up till the wee small hours of the morning finishing my article (I'll let you know if it gets published, but I got a 97 on the paper).

Teen Wolf

I took a sick day. This may not seem remarkable to you, but this very rarely happens. I have on occasion taken a half day after coming in and getting some work done, but last week it was necessary to take an entire day. We were spending the weekend at a cabin with friends that have a small child, and I wanted to be healthy enough to go and not infect the "wee one" (I know, I'm a saint).

This resulted in my watching Sick Day Movies. I still don't sleep much when I am sick, so I was able to watch a lot of movies. I watched some of my normal sick day "go to films" like Superbad and The Big Lebowski (Apatow and the Coens are a standard), but then I went to my Netflix Instant Cue.

My Netflix Instant Cue is loaded with high brow arty crap that wouldn't play in the sticks. There are German films set in the post war era, Fredrico Fellini surrealism, independent documentaries (there is one there I can't wait to watch on the font Helvitica...no I'm not kidding), independent films that don't have Joseph Gordon Leavitt or Ellen Page in them and other movies that my mind would need to have less congestion surrounding it to be able to enjoy. So, I watched Teen Wolf.

Teen Wolf might be the greatest film ever, if we are judging solely on how a society would react to a strange phenomenon (Werner Herzog should be taking notes from Rob Daniel; the guy who directed Teen Wolf, Beethoven's 2nd and Home Alone 4 ) For those of you born under a rock or after 1988, Teen Wolf is the story of teenager Scott Howard (Michael J. Fox) who is on a terrible high school basketball team (The Beavers), who along with having the normal problems associated with puberty is also a werewolf. What makes this movie so grand is not the plot, but the realism the film casts on this conceit. In nearly every story the werewolf is seen as an outcast loner and is thus shunned by his peers. However, Teen Wolf the werewolf is nearly universally accepted. He has to do little more than score a single basket to be universally loved. This is what would actually happen to high school student if he was suddenly turned into a canine that could dunk. Being a teenager was all about being able to separate yourself from the pack and finding your own identity. Some people could do this easily by being rich, pretty, talented, tall or funny. Others had to struggle to find their niche in the adolescent ecosystem. Being a wolfman automatically makes you unique and special in the way that all teenagers are seeking.


In Teen Wolf Scott Howard is not a nerd who gains uber acceptance through magic; Scott Howard was a perfectly average teenager, readily accepted by most of his peers. His only real snub comes from the stuck up Pamela Wells (Lorie Griffith) and her boyfriend who goes to another school and appears to be 28 years old. It is not the ultimate rise to popularity from the depths of loserdom, but a bump in notoriety. Pamela Wells doesn't fall for him, but she is intrigued enough to play fetch with him in a dressing room. Scott ultimately realizes that he has to find out the time of person he wants to be, and not let one aspect become who he is.

This is what we all have to do. The person we seek out to be at 17 is not likely to be the same person we are at 23. In high school our personalities were still developing and not fully formed. I was known for being political, I still am, but I don't think its the overriding characteristic of my personality. Its why I enjoy some people now more than I enjoyed them in high school. The singular overriding characteristic has given way to a complex web of personality (in most cases, some people are as bland as they ever were/ and bore me even on Facebook). Scott Howard's wolf is still a part of him, but he moves toward becoming a more complete person.

Other Things that Make Teen Wolf Great

-Chubs, that fat guy plays basketball.
-Stiles'(Jerry Levine) t-shirts and his attempt to channel Judd Nelson and Ferris Bueller simultaneously.
-This might be on the short of list of 80's Films Geared Towards Men.
-Spiderman stole the line "with great power comes great responsibility from this movie." Harold Howard says it to Scott.
-It is just nice to see a werewolf that surfs on top of van instead of listening to Dashboard Confessional and being moody.
-The party scene really makes me lament how tame we were in high school.
-Also, this film shows genetics as the cause of Werewolfism and not a contagious disease. This has to be the more likely cause of Werewolfism.
-How much of this was inspired by an excess of cold medication?

15 Thought Evoking Movies

Recently there was a facebook tag rolling around that asked you name 15 movies that meant something to you. You were not supposed to think about it for very long, just type them as fast as you can. I did this, and was really pissed at the list afterward. There where glaring omissions and the inclusions were so weird that the list could have been as bad as the VH1 and Rolling Stone lists(and that pretty bad Rolling Stone left American Pie off of their 500 Greatest Songs list which basically just discounts their entire list). I think what I disliked most about it was the "don't think about it" aspect of the list. That's why so many movies suck, we are not supposed to think about them. I like to think, I like to think about movies. I really enjoy movies that make think about the world differently, or just cause me to become totally immersed in the story. Going to the movies is arguably my favorite thing to do. I love the feeling of the lights going down and the communal experience that is about to take place. I also really enjoy going by myself this ,of course, is one of the things that makes me a total freak. In that vain I am redoing my list of 15 movies, and putting a lot of thought into it.

1-The Lion in Winter: This movie's amazing dialogue, imagine Aaron Sorkin meeting Quentin Tarentino meeting William Shakespeare dialogue. Katherine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole give career performances in the lead roles(O'Toole was robbed of an Oscar by Rex Harrison. Harrison won for My Fair Lady, give me a freaking break). Timothy Dalton and Anthony Hopkins give strong supporting performances. This is a movie that was ahead of its time in terms of theme and pacing.
2-Lawrence of Arabia: Peter O'Toole is far and away my favorite actor and his work will feature prominently in this list. Lawrence is a movie that everyone should see. You will find no better use scenery in storytelling. O'Toole's T.E. Lawrence is one of the finest performances ever caught on celluloid.
3-L.A. Confidential: This movie works on so many levels its hard to describe. The captivating detective story, the complex relationships between people and the imagery of what lurks beneath the surface of all that glimmers. The ensemble cast is simply amazing. The symbolism in this film is nuanced enough that you can re watch it over again and always find something new(pay attention Guy Pearce's glasses when he wears them and when he doesn't).
4-Pulp Fiction: One of the first movies that I watched over and over again, trying to understand what was going on. Its a tapestry whose characters are deep and layered. Its dialogue is crisp and clean. Its soundtrack alone is reason to watch this film. It also two Hollywood icons giving two of their finest performances John Travolta ashit-man Vincent Vega and Bruce Willis as the aged boxer Butch.
5-The Ruling Class: One of the funniest films I have ever seen, and I am one of the very few who have ever seen it. Peter O'Toole plays an English Lord who is convinced he is God, he goes around telling everyone to love one another and preaches peace. This of course means he is a total whack job. This film is an inspired satire of the British class system, and religion. My favorite line is when a women asks O'Toole how he came to know he was God he replies "I realized when I was praying, that I was talking to myself." Highly recommend this film to anyone who loves a smart comedy.
6-The Great Dictator: This showcases the many reasons I love Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin plays Hynkel the dictator of Tomania who bears a striking resemblance to a certain German world leader of the 1930s. Chaplin(who wrote, starred and directed) crafted a magical satire of The Third Reich that infuriated some, scared others and kept thousands in stitches. Its humor as social commentary at its best.
7-The Departed: I love Martin Scorsese. When Maggie and I first moved to Salt Lake I was unemployed, and waiting to start the Police Academy. I watched this movie almost everyday and sometimes twice a day. This made me go a little crazy, but it also made me dissect it(a common symptom of growing crazy is dissecting Mark Wahlberg movies). The themes of identity and fatherhood play heavily in this crime drama. I love the performances and dynamic use of angles and shadows to set the mood of the story.
8-The Godfather(and part II): I really shouldn't even have to list this, its obvious this is one of the most perfect films ever made.
9- Match Point: Woody Allen's comedies are some of my favorite shut in day movies. This drama however had me completely captivated from opening till close. The telling of hard work vs chance make for an intriguing tale that keeps you involved.
10- Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang: Not many people saw this noir comedy, and that's the real crime. Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer both make this movie one of the funniest send ups of Hollywood I have ever seen.
11-The Sword and the Stone: King Arthur was one of my favorite childhood games, in large part because of this film. The Aurthur legends are filled with rich storytelling, drama, and idealism. The animated classic is perfect to watch when young and realize none of us know if we have a king inside of us. As you grow older it connects you with how heavy life can feel, as young Arthur first w deals with weight and responsibility of being monarch so must we all wear the crown of our adulthood.
12-Ratatouille: I love to cook. This movie about reaching for dreams and finding the art inside yourself made it my favorite Pixar immediately. Ratatouille not only teaches us about reaching beyond our grasp, it highlights the art of food and challenges us to find beauty in strange places. The fact their was no verbal communication between the two principals of the movie only add to the depth of involvement we feel watching this "not just" for kids movie.
13-A Christmas Story: This is the only movie that broke my Christmas Movie Time Line Law(Thanksgiving night through New Years Day). Every child(and me to this day) has something they want for Christmas that at some point the are completely convinced they are never going to have. You begin to ponder what life on the 26th will be like with out that special gift, and its a depressing world. Then the magic of finding that gift early in the dark hours of Christmas morning give you the kind of rush you can only have at Christmas.
14-Bowling for Columbine: This movie is a truly amazing piece of cinema. I feel bad for people who think they know what it is, but have never seen it and thus have no clue. Michael Moore asks the question "what makes us America so violent?" This movie is not anti-gun as Fox Noise would have you believe. In fact Moore makes the point very clearly that guns are not the problem. That lots of countries have guns, but are less violent than America. He delves into everything that was blamed for the Columbine attacks, the music of Marylin Manson, violent video games and movies, to guns themselves. He notes that the morning before the shooting the two students went to their bowling class, and asks if we blame all of these other things why not bowling. To anyone with pre-conceived ideas about what this movie is I say see it first, then think, then judge.
15-Star Wars: I watched this and Indiana Jones almost exclusively for several years of my life, and can still answer most of life's questions be referring to Star Wars
15-Indiana Jones: My list I can have two number 15s if I want. He's the reason I love wearing hats, and that I am terrified of snakes.

There are many more that could be on this list. As soon as I post this 15 more will spring to mind.

Movies to Make You Get Off the Couch

I have been trying hard to get in better shape lately. Its hard because watching TV and eating pure garbage is much more fun, and easier. The way I combat this is by watching movies that make me want to get up off of my ever growing posterior and go the gym. In the spirit of making us all healthier I share these works of film motivation.

Sports Century Montage

Around the turn of the millennium ESPN did a countdown of the greatest sports icons of the 20th century. As part of that countdown the created this montage of the greatest moments of sports. I loved watching and it was one of the first things I ever looked for on YouTube. If you don't love sports this montage shows you why you should. It encapsulates all of the drama and the importance that sport brought to a century. It reminds us of the moments when Jesse Owens and Joe Lewis had two halves of our divided United States cheering together. It shows us Jackie Robinson taking the field even before Rosa Parks took her seat. It shows us the Olympic hockey team creating a miracle on ice, Joe Dimaggio, Muhammed Ali, John McEnroe and Michael Jordan. If you watch only one of my suggested motivational clips this is the one to watch, if does not motivate you to work out it will at a minimum make you cheer.

SportsCentuary -Simply Great.

Rocky IV

I could have easily selected any of the Rocky Series for this article, but Rocky IV has the best training montage in my opinion. I know there is no Mickey, and no raw egg eating, but there is a big Russian and lots of snow. Watching Rocky climb a mountain in knee deep snow, after doing pull ups in a Siberian barn contrasted by Dolph Lundgrin (Ivan Drago) working out in the sterile environment of the Soviet Union's training compound all set to John Cafferty's inspiring anthem "Heats On Fire" just motivates the crap out of me. If you are a man and you watch this and you don't feel like pulling an ox-cart of Russian peasants up a mountain or at a minimum going for a brisk run in the park, check downstairs something might be missing.

ROCKY IV-Training Montage

Hoosiers

This film about a small town Indiana basketball team taking on impossible odds to compete for the state championship, plus Gene Hackman receiving a second chance on life reminds all of us who are former athletes(or just were once in better shape) that we can get a second chance on our own lives. Besides warming your heart this movie should motivate you to go run some ladders on your nearest basketball court.

Hoosiers- Brings a tear to your eye

Any Given Sunday

This is a very complex movie. I think its one of Oliver Stone's better films, and one that gets little recognition. It shows a much more raw unsavory side of pro football, but also humanizes superstars. It shows that football is sport of gladiators who actually do love their team and the game they play.

Everyone who views this film will be able to find a piece of themselves in one of the members of the fictional Miami Sharks football team. It might be the young unknown becoming superstar played by Jamie Fox that reminds those of just starting out that we don't know everything, and that we are building on what those who came before us have already created. It might be LL CoolJ's running back who reminds us of the risks we no longer take, Lawernce Taylor's linebacker who is proving his worth, or Dennis Quaid who just wants take his team down the field.

Al Pacino plays the head coach of this team out of control. He is a drunk that nobody loves, but who has a deep passion for the game of football some where in his messed up life. This is one of my favorite Pacino roles and his speech at the end should awaken all of us to "...fight for those inches around us..." by going to the gym. Warning this is Pacino and Oliver Stone so its a little(a lot) crude.

Any Given Sunday-Pacino's great speech(this section is not super crude, but does have a naughty word or two)

Rudy

For all of us who had to work hard for something we were not meant to have, Rudy is the movie for us. If you have not seen this movie there is a spot in your heart that has been reserved for watching a hobbit trying to play for Notre Dame(of course lately Frodo could may have helped the O-Line or at the least given the QB the ring so he could hide). If watching Rudy does not fire you up to go run under a set of stadium bleachers and relive your own dreams of glory, almost nothing will.

Rudy- A tribute video to movie about Rudy...its okay

Gran Torino

I decided to brush off some of my Pine View High School newspaper skills and write a review of a film we saw last weekend in St George. I am a huge Clint Eastwood fan and so I dragged my wife and mother to see Clint's latest movie Gran Torino.

To fully appreciate Gran Torino one must realize that this may be the third time Clint has saved the western. I know what you are saying, "I thought this was a movie about an old guy not wanting people on his lawn in Michigan." On the surface it is, but deeper this film is really a western set in the current day.

I say that this is the third time we have seen Eastwood revive the western because at its heart Gran Torino is a western. The very name Gran Torino, although referring to a classic car in this case, could easily fall in line with film titles like Rio Bravo. This movie could well have been made as a Sergio Leone western. If you had substituted the Hmong gang for a pack of Mexican Bandits or renegade Apaches, made Walt Kowalski (Eastwood's character) a civil war veteran haunted by his past and having a hard time adapting to the current world he now lives in the story line would make an excellent cowboy movie.

In the 1970’s when the western was lagging in popularity, it was Eastwood who rode to the rescue wi th the film The Outlaw Josie Wales. In the early 90’s when critics had declared the western dead Clint gave us Unforgiven. Recently Brokeback Mountain accomplished what no film had done before. It reshaped what an audience sees when they look at a cinematic cowboy. It deconstructed our classic idea of film cowboys that in large part was shaped by actors and directors like Eastwood.

Gran Torino reminds me of westerns and revives the Hollywood tough guy. Eastwood's Walt Kowalski is Bill Munny (Unforgiven) or Josey Wales (The Outlaw Josey Wales). He is a character pushed beyond his limits in a world he no longer knows. He may not be likable or do the right thing, but he will destory those who cross him or someone he cares about. Justice will be served. Gran Torino reminds us of those western movie heroes.

Holiday Film Fest!

One of my favorite things about the holiday season is Christmas movies. For your contemplation I am going to post some of my favorites. I promise that there is an update coming on all of the many wonderful things Maggie and I have been up to including Cracking Nuts, Aquabats, DJ Lance Rock, and our many other adventures.

Christmas In Connecticut

This is a 1945 classic comedy about a Martha Stewart (Barbara Stanwyck) of the 1940s. It is one my essentials that I do not currently have in my collection. It can be a little difficult to find as I experienced this past weekend, but it is sure worth the effort, or you could just make it easy on yourself and go to Amazon.Com.

Christmas Vacation

This is usually the first film I watch over the holiday season. I am a huge fan of Chevy Chase and think that his classic dry delivery and excellent timing lead to Christmas classic that reminds of how frustrating the holidays can be for all of us, but still reminding us that it could be worse, we could be the Griswolds.

The Ref

A Christmas Movie for those that hate Christmas. I do not hate Christmas in fact I was part of movement to celebrate it twice a month when I was in high school. This movie is about thief, played by Rescue Me's Dennis Leary, who takes a dysfunctional family hostage. Kevin Spacey has some fantastic lines, along with a great supporting cast (Christine Baranksky, and Judy Davis). This film is another one that you have to be in the right cynical mindset to enjoy, and leave the kiddies in their beds when you watch this yule-tide treat.

Its a Wonderful Life

What can I write about a film that not only works as a great Christmas message, one that we should carry with us all the year round. None of us know what impact we have on others, and how much we all depend on one another. This movie isn't as much about George Baily as it is about the rest of Bedford Falls, and our communities that each of us is vital. What would the town have been if there were no Donna Reed or George Baily Sr. or Mr. Potter(well not Mr. Potter)?

A Christmas Story

I still remember my Red Rider BB Gun Christmas, and I still have both of my eyes!

Holiday Inn

This is my Christmas Eve tradition. After dinner I watch Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby try to out sing, dance and woo Marjorie Reynolds the whole year round ending with Bing singing White Christmas for the very first time. I then head for Midnight Mass. This movie did every thing right, and for those of you who are fans of the film White Christmas I recommend Holiday Inn. I am not a huge fan of White Christmas. I feel that White Christmas did little more than add color and Danny Kaye to a maxed out version of Holiday Inn as an excuse to reuse Irving Berlin's classic song.


The Muppet's Christmas Carol

I am a huge Michael Caine fan! I also will argue till the bitter end that he was far and away the best Ebenezer Scrooge ever! He may not have been in the same serious style of Christmas Carol that George C. Scott was or even Albert Finney, but is spot on and the man is playing opposite of elaborate sock puppets! Give the man a Best Actor Oscar already. (Please note that Michael Caine is my second favorite British actor coming behind Peter O'Toole; who would also be an excellent Scrooge given the chance.)

Mickey's Christmas Carol

As good as Michael Caine was, Scrooge McDuck was literally born to play that role. Plus this may be the only Tiny Tim that doesn't annoy me, and then make me feel guilty for being annoyed.

West Wing: In Excelsis Deo

I know this isn't movie, and I really could list every West Wing Christmas episode (the one where Josh can't hear the music*sniff*). This one however takes the fruit cake for superb writing and making me feel the Christmas spirit. The story of Toby and the homeless soldier, and Mrs. Landingham missing her boys at the holidays(I am getting a little fuhklept thinking about it...talk amongst yourselves I will give you a topic a Mistletoe is neither a Missile or a toe...discuss.)

It's Charlie Brown Christmas

I have always loved this movie from the time I was a kid. I now really love the Vince Guaraldi west coast jazz soundtrack. This was a landmark animated feature. Before this time children were never used as actual voice actors in a cartoon. At that time rock and roll was used in most kids productions (picture School House Rock) that tended to turn off adults from watching cartoons. This production used a jazz piano as its main soundtrack, and from the very beginning drew in both children and adults alike, much of which is credited to its innovative soundtrack.

This is not a complete list there are many other films that I consider essential to the holidays Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas, The Christmas Toy, that episode of MASH where Radar O'Reiley gets Winchester's toboggan hat sent to him from his mother; Winchester has given all that expensive stuff to the orphanage(fuhklept again), How the Grinch Stole Christmas(Boris Karloff is amazing) Elf, The Weird Claymation Ones, and many many others. If you have suggestions please let me know, and enjoy your egg nogg.

Errands

Today neither of us had to work. It has turned into a running errands day. We went to pick up the last pieces of Colt's POST uniform (we have only been waiting on them for about 3 weeks now). I was really peeved. The store has the worst customer service! I kept plotting ways to get the man working there fired. He ignored us for the first half an hour we were there. I would have been satisfied with a "I'll be right with you let me just finish up with this customer." Alas, we got completely ignored. I was happy I brought a book with me yet another young adult novel indulgence. We stopped by my school so Colt could give me my first blogging lesson. Next we are on our way to Harmon's. We are going to pick up some groceries for tomorrow night. We are having our new friends Kayle and Brian over to dinner Colt is cooking catfish and jambalaya. I know it will be delicious he is quite the chef! Our plans are to watch the movie C.S.A.: Confederate States of America it is a mockumentary of American history as if the the south had won the civil war. Being the geeks we are we wanted to serve some southern style cooking. Other than errands our plans for the day include a nap (hopefully), perhaps a run in the park, and maybe if we get wild a dollar movie!

Colt victorious with his duty belt and PT shorts after a month long battle with UWI