ABOUT A BOY

Dan's Top 10 Albums of 2011

2012-01-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

Too indie to be mainstream. Too mainstream for hipsters. This tweener list kinda reminds me of my high school days -- when I was too Korean for my white friends, and too white for my Korean friends. I guess what I'm trying to say is: EFF Lady Gaga.

10

The Strokes

Angles

The Strokes finally got back together after what -- 5, 6 years? -- and did anyone care? Well, I did. Each member of the band kept busy during the hiatus and did their own projects, solo and whatnot, and it clearly shows because they bring some of that work into this album. Though, don't get me wrong, this is very much a Strokes album -- it still has that classic New York post-punk sound, albeit with some new/old dressings on the side, in the form of 80's influences.

I've been out around this town

everybody's been singing the same song for ten years

9

The Weeknd

Echoes of Silence

I haven't listened to much R&B since the 90's, so I'm no expert on the genre. But this doesn't sound like Boyz II Men. This sounds dirty, with a druggy atmosphere. And I like that...?

and you reply

"I like the thrill

nothing's gonna make me feel this real"

8

Bon Iver

Bon Iver

(you're going to see this sentence a lot in this list) Not quite an instant-classic the previous album was. It sounds different than For Emma, but damn, this is beautiful music. And I even like the closing track, you haters!

and at once I knew I was not magnificent

high above the highway isle

jagged vacance, thick with ice

but I could see for miles, miles, miles

7

M83

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

As a child of the 80's, I approve this album.

the night city grows

look and see her eyes, they glow

6

Say Hi

Um, Uh Oh

2 years have passed since the last album, and I still have a hard time trying to describe his music. All I can say is, I like it and I want more. Keep on truckin' Eric Elbogen. And say hi to your mother for me, okay?

I'mma tryin' hard to get up but he made it to my heart

so I cannot make it back from the dark, dark, dark

5

The Drums

Portamento

Not quite an instant-classic the previous album was, yet I'm not sure why. Their sound is mostly the same, the lyrics seem to be a little better, but I just didn't fall in love with this one like I did with their debut. It's still better than LMFAO.

I want to buy you something

but I don't have any money

4

The Antlers

Burst Apart

Not quite an instant-classic the previous album was (I swear this is the last time), but not for lack of effort. It's only because Hospice was just that good -- sadly, they probably won't ever top it. But that's okay, guys. This is a great album. And I like that they moved on from Hospice and are treading in a warmer soundscape. I don't think people can handle another heart-wrenching album like that.

you can't keep running out

kicking yourself off the bed

kicking yourself in the head

because you're kicking me too

3

Cults

Cults

Upbeat 60's sound, catchy melodies, sugary vocals, with dark, depressing, and cynical lyrics. Perfect match, right?

I knew right then that she'd been abducted

I knew right then that I would be taking her heart

2

The Roots

Undun

Confession: I love concept albums. I've wondered if these guys are fans of Gaspar Noé because this album seems to be influenced by the structure and themes of his films, IRREVERSIBLE and ENTER THE VOID. Somehow, it wouldn't surprise me. How did Jimmy Fallon (of all people) get these guys?

they told me that the ends won't justify the means

they told me at the end, don't justify the dreams

that I've had since a child

maybe I'll throw in the towel

make my, make my departure from the world

1

Thrice

Major / Minor

Oh look, Thrice made it on to my top 10 list. I am Jack's complete lack of surprise. Well it's only their best album since Vheissu, so I didn't really have much of a choice. No dud track in sight, with some of the best lyrics Dustin has ever written. He's writing songs I wish I could've done. GOD, WILL YOU GIVE ME SOME TALENTS?!

I felt white and black reverse

and the lifting of a curse from my heart

then like one receiving sight

I beheld a brilliant light in the dark

Saul / Paul

2011-10-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

“The gospel of justifying faith means that while Christians are, in themselves still sinful and sinning, yet in Christ, in God’s sight, they are accepted and righteous. So we can say that we are more wicked than we ever dared believe, but more loved and accepted in Christ than we ever dared hope — at the very same time." - Tim Keller

I was always one of the righteous
Never lived outside of the lines
Kept a close watch on the whitewash
Disguising the dead bones inside
Disguising the dead bones inside

I was always one of the good ones
Keeping tabs on everyone else
Sure that I was one of the chosen
But I was a child of hell
But I was a child of hell

But You buried me in the bright light
Yeah You held my eyes to the sun
'Till I could see that
I was worse than I ever feared I could be but somehow
I was loved more than I ever dared to believe
Because of You

I was always one of the blameless
Or at least that's what I believed
Never thought I could have been blinded
'Till I could no longer see
'Till I could no longer see

But You buried me in the bright light
Yeah You held my eyes to the sun
'Till I could see that
I was worse than I ever feared I could be but somehow
I was loved more than I ever dared to believe
You showed me
I was worse than I ever feared I could be but somehow
I was loved more than I ever dared to believe
Because of You

Comic Hipster

2011-05-07T08:29:00.000-07:00

a group of teenage boys talking at the end of the screening of THOR (great movie BTW):

"It was supposed to be Green Arrow!" (referring to the post-credits scene)

I don't mean to be a know-it-all, but you leave me no choice. Green Arrow is a DC character. You just watched a Marvel movie. What you meant was Hawkeye, who will be a member of the Avengers in the upcoming film. L2GEEK, noobs.

/breathe

Dan's Top 10 Films of 2010

2011-02-27T09:28:00.000-08:00

2010 was not a great year for cinema. The funny thing is -- due to various factors like Netflix, SXSW, the Internets, and a wife that can keep up with my movie-watching -- I saw more films in 2010 than any other year of my life. But let's face the facts. Hollywood is in a creative rut right now. The studios only want to make remakes, sequels, superhero movies, and TV adaptations. Everything is PG-13. And you know what? They're not all to blame. Majority of it falls on the mainstream audience -- they tell the studios time and time again that they're only interested in crap. Just look at the top 10 box office list. There's only one original film (INCEPTION) in it.

This is just a long way of explaining why there are only four American films on my list, with the rest filled out by movies from Korea, Japan, Australia, Argentina, and France. What you won't find here is overrated Oscar-bait. *coughTHEKING'SSPEECHcough*

10. BLACK SWAN

"I just want to be perfect."

The quest for artistic perfection is a trying process, to say the least. According to Darren Aronofsky, it could also make you go insane. Not the most original thought, but damn is it executed well or what? Natalie, I knew you had it in you. Still doesn't erase all the terrible memories of the prequels, though...

9. 127 HOURS

"This rock... this rock has been waiting for me my entire life."

How does a movie about a guy pinned under a rock for five days not bore me? Oh, it was directed by Danny Boyle? Nevermind then. James Franco rightfully deserved an Oscar nomination for what he pulled off here. (And should have won!)

8. THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES

"If you keep going over your past, you're going to end up with a thousand pasts and no future."

First of four (!) films from 2009 that made it on to this list. It's just more evidence to back up my statement about 2010 not being so great. This flick from Argentina (land of the OMGWTFBBQ) won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2009, and deservedly so. The scene in the soccer -- I'm sorry, futbol -- stadium alone makes this movie worth watching.

7. THE LOVED ONES

"You've got 10 seconds to go or Daddy's gonna nail it to the chair."

One of my highlights of SXSW was catching this unexpected Australian gem with the midnight Austin crowd. A horror flick that actually entertains. How can this still be unreleased here?!

6. CASTAWAY ON THE MOON

"It's poop!"

Do you know the single worst way to describe a film to someone? Use the word "magical". It's the WORST. So naturally that's the word I want to use for this movie. See it before the horrible American remake comes out.

5. THE SOCIAL NETWORK

"Did I adequately answer your condescending question?"

Someone described this as "CITIZEN KANE for the Internet era" and I more or less agree. Most of us will never know just how much of the movie was true and how much was made up. But I'm pretty sure no one can talk the way Aaron Sorkin writes their dialogue. Except maybe Sorkin himself. Is it the best movie about an asshole, ever? Well, it's certainly better than FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF.

4. ENTER THE VOID

"When is this acid gonna be hitting me?"

This ain't fun times at the movies. But it never is with Gaspar Noé. This is pure cinema. Do you want to know what it feels like to be on acid? Do you want to get your eyeballs fucked, literally? Do you want to see the best opening credits of 2010, if not ever? Enter the void.

3. CONFESSIONS

"This is my revenge."

No one makes movies quite like Asians, especially the Japanese. CONFESSIONS is a psychological thriller about a schoolteacher that wants revenge on the students responsible for her daughter's murder. (Why do you hate kids, Japan?) This film won the Japanese equivalent of the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Editing. And it was #1 in the box office for four straight weeks in Japan. It wasn't even nominated for Best Foreign Film here at the Oscars. Japan 1, USA 0.

2. SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD

"You're pretentious, this club sucks, I have beef. Let's do it."

It's a shame that this movie failed so hard at the box office. #5 on its opening weekend? I weep for humanity. But seriously, this is why we get crappy movies. Once in a blue moon an awesome film will come out, actually backed by a studio with a solid marketing push, and no one shows up. (Except the Chos). Edgar Wright, you deserve better. Hell, Universal deserves better.

1. FISH STORY

"I am a champion of justice."

Can punk rock save the world? Of course it can. Part comedy, part thriller, part action, part music doc... and 100% amazing. Japan 2, USA 0.

Dan's Top 10 Albums of 2010

2011-01-24T17:00:00.000-08:00

I didn't get to listen to that much new music in 2010, as I'm shifting my focus on to movies more and more. So this could be my last music list... but probably not. (Do you know how long it takes to write these? Longer than you think.) Maybe I can just keep shrinking the list as I listen to less music and become less hip(ster). (Look forward to my top 5 list next year.)

Things you won't find on this list: Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Wiz Khalifa, and dubstep. Sorry, kids.

10

Kanye West

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

I'm not a big fan of Kanye. He's an arrogant asshole and a douchebag, yet I can't deny the guy's talents. I may not agree with what he says, but he makes it all sound oh-so-good.

"reality is catchin' up with me
takin' my inner child, I'm fighting for it, custody
with these responsibilities that they entrusted me
as I look down at my diamond-encrusted piece"

9

Fitz & the Tantrums

Pickin' Up the Pieces

I've always loved the classic Motown sound from the 60's and the 70's. Too bad no one makes music like that anymore. Oh, wait.

"one is for the money
two is for the greed
and three times that I told you
you're the one I just don't need"

8

Vampire Weekend

Contra

Sophomore slump. Those two words would terrify any artist or band fortunate enough to have a successful debut album. But these guys marched on and recorded a follow-up that expands on the sounds and influences that were hinted at in their self-titled debut. No slumping to be found here.

"when I was 17, I had wrists like steel and I felt complete
and now my body fades behind a brass charade and I'm obsolete"

7

S. Carey

All We Grow

Filled with beautiful and haunting arrangements, this album will make you want to take a walk in a forest and enjoy the natural beauty preserved within. Until you get mauled by a bear.

"if you doubt that I'll be there
don't despair
don't you dare"

6

Guster

Easy Wonderful

If you ever wanted to discover the secret to making a great pop-rock record, you may want to ask the guys from Guster, who have been doing it for over 15 years. Well-crafted and (very) easy to listen to, there's absolutely nothing on here that will offend or challenge you. Unless you're offended by Jesus. And Mary.

"I wanna wake you from your dream
I wanna know just who you're talking to when you're singing in your sleep
I wanna find out what it means
do you love me?"

5

The Morning Benders

Big Echo

The band clearly had one thing on their mind while they were making this album: Phil Spector. I love Phil Spector, not as a person, but as a producer. So I approve of this. A lot.

"I put no one else above us
we'll still be best friends when all turns to dust"

4

Arcade Fire

The Suburbs

It's no "Funeral", but then what is? That was probably the best album of the decade. I'll take a pretty good Arcade Fire album over a great Kanye album any day of the week. It's just that the theme of "the suburbs" isn't fresh or interesting to me at this point. Still, it's a solid record from one of the best bands in the world.

"I was only a child then
feeling barely alive when I heard a song from a speaker of a passing car
praying to a dying star, the memories fading
I can almost remember singing"

3

Jeremy Messersmith

The Reluctant Graveyard

Holy crap, Jeremy. Who are you and where have you been? This guy would have been my biggest discovery of 2010, if it weren't for the guys at #1.

"and I feel like I'm some kind of Frankenstein
waiting for a shock to bring me back to life
but I don't want to spend my time
waiting for lightning to strike"

2

Hellogoodbye

Would It Kill You?

This album asks life's important questions: Would it kill you to let it go? Would it kill you to accept the good, the bad, and the ugly stuff in life? Would it kill you to get married and live an awesome life together? Would it kill you to listen to this and admit that you like it?

"you have spent your better years bored with me
sat about waiting for eventually
which I can't wait to see"

1

The Drums

The Drums

Do you like the Beach Boys? (Who doesn't? Put your hand down, Chris Tucker.) How about Joy Division? Do the words "New York post-punk" make your heart skip a beat? If you answered "yes" to all those, then kindly go find a bridge to jump off of. No wait, I WAS KIDDING. This album is perfect for you, COME BACK! I'M ONE OF YOU!

"if you fall asleep down by the water
baby I'll carry you, all the way home"

Matthew 7:1

2010-10-25T15:42:00.000-07:00

I was about to go on a (non)drunken tirade on the whole Mel Gibson cameo fiasco on THE HANGOVER 2, then read this editorial by Matt Zoller Seitz.

Now I have nothing to say.

True Colors

2010-06-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

I'm apparently a working man now, which would explain why there hasn't been a new post since March. (The fact that I didn't have anything to write about isn't important.) So what urgent news brought me out of my two-month-hiatus? The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico? The giant sinkhole in Guatemala? Legendary college basketball coach John Wooden's passing? The Lakers' dominant win over the Celtics in game 1 of the NBA Finals?

How about Donald Glover campaigning for the role of SPIDER-MAN?

If you don't know who Donald Glover is, you're obviously not a fan of COMMUNITY. And you probably haven't seen or even heard of the comedy gem that is MYSTERY TEAM. That's okay. No one's perfect.

The news of Glover wanting to audition for the role of Peter Parker is a hot topic among film geeks right now. Why? Well, the issue isn't the fact that Glover is not that well known. COMMUNITY is a great show, but it doesn't have the big audience that it deserves. MYSTERY TEAM never played in more than 4 screens in the theaters. You read that right. That's a single 4. But you know what, Tobey wasn't a big star either when he was cast in the first SPIDER-MAN.

No, the issue is, as you can see by the picture above, Glover's skin color. Aren't we past this by now? This shit was old when Michael Clarke Duncan played the Kingpin in 2003's DAREDEVIL. Is there a rule that superheroes have to be white? (Except when they're supposed to be black, like BLADE?) Why can't Peter Parker be black? Would his story change in any way because of his skin color? He's supposed to be from Queens, NY. Has anyone seen the demographics of Queens? Is it because you'd have to change other characters like Mary Jane into black characters? She can stay white, ya know. Interracial relationships do exist, believe it or not. And before you say it: there are plenty of black nerds out there.

And all of this wouldn't even matter when he's SPIDER-MAN, because he wears a friggin' mask.

Look, I'm not saying Peter Parker has to be black. He could be white or brown or pink, as long as you find the right actor for the role. All I'm saying is, don't just dismiss a talented guy like Donald Glover because of his skin color. Let the guy try out, for Peter Parker's sake.

Although, now that I think more about this race thing... hmm... hear me out here:

Peter Parker is a science nerd. He's raised by older relatives. His uncle gets killed in a robbery. He gets beat up by jocks. He's always late.

Peter Parker is Asian. All you would have to do is drop the last two letters from his name.

SXSW Recap - Day 6

2010-03-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

This was our last full day here. Unfortunately, I was feeling very sick (while Dij was feeling better), so we didn't get to do much. We also didn't want to be too tired for the drive back the next day.

It started with some good ol' Texas BBQ at Franklin.

Yummay.

Then we went to see our final screening of the festival, at the Paramount.

GET LOW

synopsis: Spun in the Southern storytelling tradition, GET LOW is about the mysterious 1930s Tennessee hermit who famously threw his own rollicking funeral party... while he was still alive.

mini-review: An old man throws a party before he dies. It's a simple story, but well told. The old man is carrying a dark secret from his past, which you know will be addressed by the end of the film. Since the whole story is heading towards that last monologue by Robert Duvall (which he knocks out of the park), everything that happens before is a character study. Bill Murray and Sissy Spacek turn in fine performances, but this whole movie hinges on Duvall. I will be shocked if he's not nominated for an Oscar next year. It's a good, small film.

things learned at the Q&A:

Bill Murray is hilarious, but we already knew that. The fact was just reinforced ten-fold when we saw him in person. He was making people laugh just by standing, or slightly changing his facial expression. He had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand.
The budget for the film was $7 million. It looked great for that amount, especially with that cast.
This was Aaron Schneider's first full-length film. He won an Academy Award for Best Live-Action Short Film in 2004.
Robert Duvall was the first choice for the role of Felix Bush.
Honestly, we didn't pay too much attention to what was being said, because we were too busy laughing at Bill Murray. He's just too funny. At one point, he gave a thumb-up to a guy that claimed to know the identity of the culprit from a certain scene (which wasn't explained in the movie itself), and it was absolutely perfect.

director Aaron Schneider, Bill Murray

Ending the festival with Bill Murray is probably the best thing we could've asked for. Can't wait for next year. We may go back to Austin sooner, perhaps for Fantastic Fest in September. We'll see.

SXSW Recap - Day 5

2010-03-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

This was probably the worst day, movie-wise, at the festival. It didn't help that I woke up with a wicked sore throat and a runny nose, probably from standing out in the rain the previous night.

We went out for the screening of...

LE DONK & SCOR-ZAY-ZEE

We got to Alamo Lamar around 4:00, for the showing at 4:45. We were told the show was sold out. Keep in mind that, by this point, they were letting the badge holders into shows on average 15-20 minutes prior to the show's start. We were there 45 minutes before it was supposed to start and it was sold out?

We went back to the hotel to kill some time, then came back to Lamar for the screening of...

BARRY MONDAY

This was also sold out. Typical. The volunteers were gracious enough to remind us that there were plenty of seats at another screening, which had just started. We said what the hell and went to see...

PASSENGER PIGEONS

synopsis: Set among the coalfields of Eastern Kentucky, PASSENGER PIGEONS is a story about dealing with loss and an ambiguous future in the dark hills of Appalachia. The film quietly interweaves four separate story lines over the course of a weekend as the town copes with the death of a local miner.

mini-review: Meh. There isn't much of a story, so the movie is a character piece. The problem is, none of the characters are very interesting. The characters aren't connected in any way, other than the miner's death, and they never interact with each other. So what's the point? The actors were pretty good, I guess. Not the worst movie we saw at the festival. Oh no, that would come next.

We got out of PASSENGER PIGEONS at 8:20. The movie we wanted to see next was set to show at midnight, so we had a lot of time in between. Looking at the schedule, there were only two options, and one of them was watching RED WHITE & BLUE again. Dij wouldn't like that. So we went with the other choice.

TRASH HUMPERS

synopsis: A film unearthed from the buried landscape of the American nightmare, TRASH HUMPERS follows a small group of elderly 'Peeping Toms' through the shadows and margins of an unfamiliar world. Crudely documented by the participants themselves, we follow the debased and shocking actions of a group of true sociopaths, the likes of which have never been seen before. Inhabiting a world of broken dreams and beyond the limits of morality, they crash against a torn and frayed America. Bordering on an ode to vandalism, it is a new type of horror - palpable and raw.

mini-review: Worst film I've ever seen. Absolutely wasted an hour and a half of our lives. It makes JACKASS look like CITIZEN KANE in comparison. Wanna know what Dij said afterwards? "I would rather see ENTER THE VOID again." James, we don't need to have another Worst Movie Night. I've found my champ, and you can't beat this.

We were feeling pretty crummy by this point. We were sick, and we were pissed off. We ran out of the theater and got in line for...

THE LOVED ONES

synopsis: Brent, a 17-year-old student grieving after the recent loss of his father, politely declines an invitation to the end of year school dance from Lola, the quietest girl in school. Devastated by the rejection, Lola and her overly protective father kidnap Brent and force him to endure a macabre prom night of their own creation.

mini-review: Oh thank you, Jesus! Thank you Sean Byrne, for saving us from a shitty day of movies. You, and the rest of Australia, rock. Other than KICK-ASS, this was the most entertaining audience experience at the festival. People cheered, gasped, groaned, and winced throughout. Doesn't hurt that the movie is really, really good. I don't think this has US distribution yet, and that's a shame. This would be a great film to see with a group of friends.

All in all, not a total abomination of a day. I'll try to block out the majority of it.

SXSW Recap - Day 4

2010-03-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

We spent the better part of the day on South Congress, south of downtown, littered with vintage shops, restaurants, and food stands.

Cool place.

Our first screening for the day at was 9:30PM, which was for the world premiere of...

MACGRUBER

synopsis: Only one American hero has earned the rank of Green Beret, Navy SEAL and Army Ranger. Just one operative has been awarded 16 Purple Hearts, 3 Congressional Medals of Honor and 7 Presidential Medals of Bravery. And only one guy is man enough to still sport a mullet.

mini-review: I'm gonna come out and say I'm a big fan of the MacGruber skits on SNL. Yeah, they're two decades late on parodying MacGyver. I don't care. Will Forte makes me laugh every single time he plays the character. He knows how to sell it. That said, my expectations weren't very high for the movie. Let's face the facts, movies based on SNL skits haven't fared too well since WAYNE'S WORLD. But the combination of Forte, Jorma Taccone's direction, a solid supporting cast (Kristen Wiig, Val Kilmer, Ryan Phillipe) and a heaping dose of lunacy and vulgarity aid in making the movie a lot better than it should have been. Or maybe I'm just biased.

We couldn't stay for the Q&A because we had to run to Alamo Ritz to stand in line for...

ENTER THE VOID

synopsis: Oscar and his sister Linda are recent arrivals in Tokyo. Oscar's a small-time drug dealer and Linda works as a nightclub stripper. One night, Oscar is caught up in a police bust and shot. As he lies dying, his spirit, faithful to the promise he made his sister that he would never abandon her, refuses to leave the world of the living. It wanders through the city, his visions growing evermore distorted, evermore nightmarish. Past, present and future merge in a hallucinatory maelstrom.

mini-review: HOLY. SHIT. Best movie of the festival. Notice I didn't say "favorite," but "best." This isn't a "fun" movie. You will not be entertained. It will test your patience and endurance. You will be appalled at the amount of nudity and graphic sex scenes. You will say "what the fuck just happened" after it ends. You will probably hate this movie, like Dij did. That's too bad.

There was no Q&A for this. DAMMIT.

SXSW Recap - Day 3

2010-03-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

We were pretty tired from getting in late the previous night, so instead of going to a panel called

A Conversation with Michel Gondry,

we slept in. Regrettable, but we couldn't help it.

We had some time before the first movie screening, so we decided to eat at Frank, a place famous for their hot dogs. Unfortunately, this was a Sunday, and they only serve brunch on Sundays. So no wieners. Still, the food was good. I had chicken and waffles and Dij had the equivalent of a Denny's Grand Slam breakfast. Oh, and there was a DJ playing music near our table.

After that, it was time for...

THE TAQWACORES

synopsis: When a Pakistani-Muslim engineering student moves into a house with punk Muslims of all stripes in Buffalo, New York, his ideologies are challenged to the core.

mini review: Muslim punks. Yeah, you read that right. It's an interesting subject, and the movie handled it quite well. I was a little lost on all the non-English words (I want to say "Muslim" words, but I thought that might be offensive... I dunno) that were thrown about by the characters, though. I did like its message of challenging your faith and ideologies, and that's something we can all adhere to, no matter what religion we fall into. Solid flick, but I don't see it getting a wide release in theaters.

producer Nahal Ameri, Nicholas Riley (Harun), Dominic Rains (Jehangir), Bobby Naderi (Yusef), director Eyad Zahra

(There's wasn't anything too interesting at the Q&A.)

Then we headed over to Lamar for the screening of...

RED WHITE & BLUE

synopsis: Erica spends her nights trawling that bars and beds of Austin. Emotionally withdrawn, sleeping with multiple men is just what she does... until she meets the older and mysterious Nate, who claims to have an "honorable discharge" from Iraq. Despite his air of danger, Nate's the only guy who doesn't just seem to want to get her into bed, and the two form a hesitant bond. But one of Erica's casual sexual encounters, Franki -- a young, hot-headed wannabe rock star trying to make it big -- is about to return dramatically into her life...

mini-review: Very, very dark. (And still not the darkest movie we saw at the festival... that would come on day 4.) It starts and ends exactly at the right places, and doesn't waste a single scene. And it gives you just enough information about the three main characters -- not too much, not too little -- that's perfect for the story it's telling. And the ending is more than a little heartbreaking. This movie reminded me a lot of SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE, in its tone and characters. Make of that what you will.

Marc Senter (Franki), Amanda Fuller (Erica), Noah Taylor (Nate), producer Bob Portal, director Simon Rumley, moderator Tim League (also executive producer of the movie)

things learned at the Q&A:

Director Simon Rumley is English, and spent the summer of 2009 living at executive producer Tim League's house in Austin, while shooting the movie. They had previously met at another film festival.
Noah Taylor, who plays Nate, is Australian. He had a dialect coach from University of Texas, and frequently listened to a famous radio personality in Austin (forgot his name) in preparation for the role. I think he pulled off the southern drawl quite well, since I didn't have a clue that he was from another country until the Q&A.
Marc Senter, who plays Franki, actually played the guitar for the band scenes in the movie. The band practiced for weeks so they can play and sound authentic. I believe he also said that he wrote the song that's in the movie.

I'm not writing anything about the story, because it's better to know little as possible before seeing the movie, if you're able to. Dij wasn't a fan. She was actually a little shookup after the movie, so instead of going to the screening of SERBIAN FILM (another really dark movie, supposedly) like we had planned, we called it a night.

SXSW Recap - Day 2

2010-03-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

We started this day by attending a panel called...

Directing the Dead: Genre Directors Spill Their Guts

I was very excited until they told us (about 15 minutes before the start of the panel) that for unforeseen circumstances, Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth were not able to make it. They were to be replaced by Robert Rodriguez and Neil Marshall. Still exciting, but I really wanted to see and hear Tarantino.

The panel itself was really good. Most of the talk was centered on the horror genre, although several non-horror films were mentioned at key points. Scott Weinberg (the moderator), from the website Cinematical, was pretty funny and moved the conversation along at a nice pace, covering a wide range of topics, including the MPAA, remakes, and 3D.

Robert Rodriguez, Ruben Fleischer

My favorite panelist was Robert Rodriguez, as he had the most interesting things to say (being the most experienced out of that group), and he was clearly the crowd favorite as well. I was also impressed with Ti West, as I have not seen any of his work, but his comments were illuminating in regards to what it's like to be a very low-budget filmmaker at around my age. And I have to mention Matt Reeves, who is currently working on the remake of LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (called LET ME IN). The first time I heard news of the remake, I wrote it off as a quick cash-in to the current vampire craze birthed by the dreadful TWILIGHT movies. But after hearing what he had to say, his approach to the remake (going more into the novel it's based on, and basing part of it on his own childhood), and his reasons on making it in the first place (not for money, but for his love of the story), I'm now sold.

After that, we headed to the screening of...

MICMACS

synopsis: The latest film from Jean-Pierre Jeunet is a magical tale of underdogs battling callous industrial giants with imagination and fantasy reminiscent of Buster Keaton.

mini-review: So very Jeunet. If you liked AMELIE and DELICATESSEN, chances are you'll enjoy the new film from the quirky French director. Handmade gadgets, Rube Goldberg-like reveals of cause-and-effect, color filters, Dominique Pinon... all in a circus version of Paris, as only Jeunet can make it. I loved it, Dij loved it even more.

moderator Harry Knowles (from Aintitcool.com), Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Jeunet's translator

things learned at the Q&A:

"Micmacs" is a made-up word, and Jeunet equated it to the English word "shenanigan."
What's with the posters of MICMACS that are seen in various scenes throughout the movie? Jeunet said something like, "it doesn't make sense, does it? It's crazy." Then he laughed.
He's sick of makings movies in Paris, and said he would like to shoot in America, perhaps in a city like New York or San Francisco. When someone in the audience shouted out "Austin!", he replied, "yes yes, Austin."
He reads at a pace of a book per day. His next film will most likely be an adaptation, not his own story. He did the same after AMELIE, making A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT, which is a novel.
He wanted to make this movie in 3D, but couldn't because he was already deep in the process of shooting.

After that was the screening of CYRUS, but we decided to go across town to the Alamo Drafthouse Lamar for a "super secret" screening of something. Our curiosity had won over. Plus we wanted to experience the Drafthouse, which is considered to be one of the best theaters in the country.

The screening turned out to be...

THE PEOPLE VS. GEORGE LUCAS

synopsis: A no-holds-barred cultural examination of the conflicted dynamic between George Lucas and his fans over the past three decades.

mini-review: This was a small letdown for few reasons. One, they already had a screening of this movie earlier in the day. Why were they giving another screening so soon? Two, this was the "super secret?" Three, the movie itself was well-made, but didn't cover any new ground that any serious STAR WARS fan wasn't aware of. This could've been good and informative maybe 5 or 6 years ago. Dij dozed off several times (she's not a fan). So it's not really for fans, and not really for the non-fans either. Bust.

SXSW Recap - Day 1

2010-03-15T08:45:00.001-07:00

We are finally here. After 22 hours of driving, straight from Santa Ana, we have arrived. And we are in love. With Austin, of course. It reminds me a little of San Francisco, but not as dirty. And people are super friendly here. If you don't hear from us for another week, that's because we decided to stay and live here.

After getting our badges and booklets, we headed to the Paramount Theater for the opening night screening of KICK-ASS. We got there around 4PM, and there was already a line forming for the 7PM show.

Luckily, the theater seats about 1200 people, so we got in with no problems. Before the movie began, the moderator introduced Matthew Vaughn, the director. He thanked the audience for coming out, and pointed out the cast members that were present: Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Red Mist), and Clark Duke (Marty).

KICK-ASS

So how was the movie? I don't think it's a stretch to say that it truly lives up to its title. It's a great adaptation of the comic book, which is sort of a riff on WATCHMEN (real people with no superpowers dressing up in costumes and fighting crime), but with more fun added to the mix.

Matthew Vaughn continues to impress me, now fully showing off his action skills with several audience-pleasing set pieces (usually involving Hit-Girl, who steals the show whenever she's on the screen). The actors are great across the board, but I have to give a special shout-out to Nicolas Cage for his take on Adam West. It's glorious. And like I said before, Chloe Moretz's Hit-Girl steals the show. She'll be the character that everyone will be talking about as they leave the theater.

Any complaints? Hmm, I thought it was odd that Vaughn used two pieces of music from 28 DAYS LATER and SUNSHINE for a couple of scenes. I'm not against using music from other movies (Tarantino does it all the time), but those movies aren't that old so it was a little jarring to hear them. This was supposed to be the final print, but that made it almost seem like a workprint.

All in all, it's a very entertaining comic book movie. You just have to remember it's rated R for a reason.

After the credits rolled, the director and the cast came out to do a Q&A.

moderator, John Romita, Jr. (comic artist), Mark Millar (comic creator), Matthew Vaughn, Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Clark Duke

Some things that we learned at the Q&A:

Vaughn had just completed the final print only a week ago. We were the first audience to see this print.
Comic creator Mark Millar based the story (loosely) on his own childhood, when he and his friends would dress up and train to be superheroes. They weren't crazy enough to actually go out and try, though.
Vaughn said that it was actually pretty easy to cast Hit-Girl, because Chloe Moretz was the second girl they met for the part. It was much more difficult for him to find the actor for Kick-Ass.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse hit himself in the head with a nunchaku while filming a scene.
Nicolas Cage's impression of Adam West was his idea, and he started doing it without telling Vaughn about it beforehand. Vaughn was obviously okay with it, since it's in the movie.

We wanted to catch another movie afterwards, but we were too exhausted from the long drive. We will need to rest up for Day 2.

2010 Oscar Picks

2010-03-05T13:33:00.000-08:00

The Oscars will unfold this Sunday, so I thought it'd be interesting to share my picks (should win) and predictions (will win) for some of the bigger awards (no, I'm not doing Best Costume or Best Makeup). Then on Monday I can see how right or wrong I was.

note: After writing out the list, I realized I really haven't seen as many movies as I thought I did. I think it's because I watch most movies on DVD, and only catch the movies I'm really excited about at the theater. So I'll be checking out PRECIOUS, THE BLIND SIDE, THE LAST STATION, CRAZY HEART, and all those documentaries and foreign flicks on DVD soon enough.

Best Picture

nominees: AVATAR, THE BLIND SIDE, DISTRICT 9, AN EDUCATION, THE HURT LOCKER, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE, A SERIOUS MAN, UP, UP IN THE AIR

thoughts: The Academy decided to expand the amount of nominees for this category from 5 to 10, starting this year, and I'm all for it. I don't think it'll ultimately affect the eventual winner, but it's a nice way to give some recognition to good movies that may have been overlooked had the nominees stayed at 5.

should win: INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS. My favorite movie of 2009, and overall I think is the best out of this list.

will win: AVATAR. I know, I know... it kills me too. But look at the facts -- the Academy showed a lot of love to Cameron the last time he made a feature film (so did the audience), and I see history repeating itself here. A SERIOUS MAN is too Jewish. An animated film has yet to win this category so UP is out. AN EDUCATION doesn't have much of a buzz except for the actors. Similar to UP IN THE AIR. And no matter how much I love DISTRICT 9, I know it doesn't have a chance in hell of winning. THE BLIND SIDE doesn't either, although I didn't think CRASH would win few years ago and look how that turned out (and both feature Sandra Bullock... hmm). So the real race is between AVATAR, THE HURT LOCKER, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, and PRECIOUS: DO I REALLY HAVE TO WRITE OUT THAT SUBTITLE. Out of those, the most "Oscar"-like film is PRECIOUS. But I have a feeling the Academy will give the award to FERNGULLY 3D: WAR OF THE GIANT SMURFS. (smurves?)

Best Actor

nominees: Jeff Bridges in CRAZY HEART, George Clooney in UP IN THE AIR, Colin Firth in A SINGLE MAN, Morgan Freeman in INVICTUS, Jeremy Renner in THE HURT LOCKER

thoughts: Where is Sam Rockwell for MOON? Or Tom Hardy for BRONSON? Or Tahar Rahim for A PROPHET?

should win: Jeremy Renner, but that's because I haven't seen CRAZY HEART yet. If I had, I would probably pick...

will win: Jeff Bridges. According to all the experts, this is his award to lose. Clooney is playing himself. Freeman is nominated for being in a Clint Eastwood film.

Best Supporting Actor

nominees: Matt Damon in INVICTUS, Woody Harrelson in THE MESSENGER, Christopher Plummer in THE LAST STATION, Stanley Tucci in THE LOVELY BONES, Christoph Waltz in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

thoughts: I've only seen one film on this list. Guess which.

should win: Christoph Waltz

will win: Christoph Waltz. No one else has a chance. Maybe Stanley Tucci.

Best Actress

nominees: Sandra Bullock in THE BLIND SIDE, Helen Mirren in THE LAST STATION, Carey Mulligan in AN EDUCATION, Gabourey Sidibe in PRECIOUS, Meryl Streep in JULIE & JULIA

thoughts: Streep gets nominated every. single. year. For not so great movies. I'll start caring when she's in a great one. (ADAPTATION was too long ago.)

should win: Carey Mulligan, because she's in the only movie I saw on here.

will win: Sandra Bullock. It's a tough call because I haven't seen these movies. It's either her or Sidibe. For leading roles, it usually goes to the veteran, not the newcomer (that's usually in the supporting roles).

Best Supporting Actress

nominees: Penelope Cruz in NINE, Vera Farmiga in UP IN THE AIR, Maggie Gyllenhaal in CRAZY HEART, Anna Kendrick in UP IN THE AIR, Mo'Nique in PRECIOUS

thoughts: Only saw UP IN THE AIR.

should win: Vera Farmiga. What do you mean that wasn't really her ass in that scene?!

will win: Mo'Nique. She and Christoph Waltz have their trophy stands already set and polished, ready for that little gold statue.

Best Animated Feature

nominees: CORALINE, FANTASTIC MR. FOX, THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, THE SECRET OF KELLS, UP

thoughts: The real surprise here is THE SECRET OF KELLS, which I knew nothing about until the nominees were announced. It looks great, but I won't be able to see it until it comes out on DVD.

should win: FANTASTIC MR. FOX

will win: UP, which is also nominated for Best Picture. It can't be nominated for Best Picture and not win Best Animated Film, right? I mean, that wouldn't make any sense!

Best Director

nominees: James Cameron for AVATAR, Kathryn Bigelow for THE HURT LOCKER, Quentin Tarantino for INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, Lee Daniels for PRECIOUS, Jason Reitman for UP IN THE AIR

thoughts: Good list, except I would replace Reitman with the Coen brothers for A SERIOUS MAN.

should win: Quentin Tarantino. I'm usually in the "Best Director should go to the director of the Best Picture" camp. My Best Picture is INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, so logically Tarantino should win here. That said, I definitely wouldn't mind if Bigelow gets it.

will win: Kathryn Bigelow. No woman has ever won this award, and I think the Academy will take this opportunity to make history by giving it to her. However, we all know how much they love Cameron, so I won't even bat an eye if he ends up winning. I'll just let out the world's loudest sigh.

Best Documentary Feature

nominees: BURMA VJ, THE COVE, FOOD INC., THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA: DANIEL ELLSBERG AND THE PENTAGON PAPERS, WHICH WAY HOME

thoughts: Only caught two of these -- THE COVE, and FOOD INC.

should win: THE COVE

will win: I'm not really sure... so let's just go with THE COVE.

Best Foreign Film

nominees: AJAMI (Israel), THE MILK OF SORROW (Peru), A PROPHET (France), THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES (Argentina), THE WHITE RIBBON (Germany)

thoughts: Where's Asia? Nothing from Korea, Japan, China, Thailand... guess the Academy didn't like THIRST or MOTHER.

should win: A PROPHET. It's like De Niro's section from THE GODFATHER PART 2, done by the French. Or a much more realistic version of SCARFACE.

will win: THE WHITE RIBBON. That's what my guts say anyway. But this is usually a hard category to predict. (No one expected DEPARTURES to win last year.)

Best Visual Effects

nominees: AVATAR, DISTRICT 9, STAR TREK

should win: AVATAR. I feel like this is the one award that it actually deserves. All that money has to count for something, right? But I really like DISTRICT 9 going up against the big budget blockbusters here.

will win: AVATAR

Best Adapted Screenplay

nominees: DISTRICT 9, AN EDUCATION, IN THE LOOP, PRECIOUS, UP IN THE AIR

should win: IN THE LOOP. Gotta love the Brits for their awesome dialogue.

will win: Either PRECIOUS or UP IN THE AIR. Yawn.

Best Original Screenplay

nominees: THE HURT LOCKER, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, THE MESSENGER, A SERIOUS MAN, UP

thoughts: Where's AVATAR? Oh right, this is Best Original Screenplay.

should win: INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

will win: INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS. This is the one award to Tarantino that the academy is comfortable with.

Stream of "Big Echo" by The Morning Benders

2010-03-02T15:06:00.000-08:00

Favorite Movies of 2009

2010-02-16T11:27:00.000-08:00

Let's just skip the part where I talk about how late this list is, and get straight to it. The list contains two family films, two sci-fi flicks, one based on a graphic novel, and five ohletsgetonwithit.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10. A SERIOUS MAN

I went from hating this film to liking it to kinda loving it in the span of a week. I couldn't stand most of the characters and some of the scenes were excruciating to sit through (not because of the content, but because it just really sucks to be Larry Gopnik), but the more I think about the movie, the more it grows on me. And man, that ending. If you couldn't stand the ending to NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, this one will give you an aneurysm.

9. WORLD'S GREATEST DAD

Out of all the different genres and sub-genres of movies out there, I think black comedies are the ones that divide audiences the most. It takes a very special type of person (i.e. sociopaths) to appreciate the subtle, underlying beauty of a good black comedy, which usually results in box office failure. So when one cracks through the system, it's cause for celebration for weirdos like myself. Today I celebrate you, Robin Williams, for showing me that you still got it in you. What "it?" Oh you know, the willingness to actually read the script and be in a good movie, that "it."

8. THE BROTHERS BLOOM

Rian Johnson: "What's a sophomore slump?"

Richard Kelly: "It's when the second effort of a person, say a film director, fails to live up to the standards of their first effort."

Rian Johnson: "Who are you?"

Everyone: "Oh snap!"

7. THE HURT LOCKER

"Intense" is the first and last word that comes to mind in regards to this film. I love that it's unlike other war movies, and doesn't succumb to the standard trappings of action movies either. It's gritty, it's unpredictable, and it's expertly put-together. If Kathryn Bigelow doesn't get the Best Director Oscar over James Cameron (her ex-husband!), I'll be crushed.

6. UP

Best Pixar movie since THE INCREDIBLES. If you're not verklempt by the first 10 minutes of the movie, you're probably a zombie.

5. MOON

They don't make 'em like this anymore. With around 5 million dollars, Duncan Jones showed what can be done without a Hollywood budget -- a smart film without alienating the audience. It feels like it was made in the 70's, and that's a good thing. Who woulda thunk that David Bowie's son would turn out to be such a talented director? Okay, he's only made one film so I'll wait until I see his next one before I sound like an idiot in hindsight (see: Richard Kelly). And how good is Sam Rockwell? It's a travesty that he wasn't even nominated for the Best Actor Oscar.

4. FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Best Wes Anderson film since RUSHMORE. Yes, it's that good. I was expecting the worst when I heard about the animators complaining about Anderson's directing methods, but everything in this film works. The stop-motion animation, the voices, the music, the characters, and even the adjustments made to the story to fit Anderson's vision (yet another boy with father issues)... they all work. He needs to make more of these. Someone give him more children's books!

3. DISTRICT 9

There's brainy sci-fi, and then there's action sci-fi. This falls somewhere in the middle. And with a 30 million dollar budget, it absolutely trounces AVATAR in every category except 3D. Can you picture the faces of the idiots at Microsoft that cancelled the Halo movie after they saw this? Bring on DISTRICT 10, Neill!

2. WATCHMEN

I still can't believe this exists. And that it's good. Yes, I know it has flaws. What movie doesn't? Yes, I know it's not like other comic book movies. That's the point. People who were expecting another SPIDER-MAN or another X-MEN got what they deserved. Do a little research before you shell out your money on movies you know nothing about. The rest of us pretentious assholes with elitist attitudes will enjoy this small victory over typically dumb Hollywood movies. That said, I miss the squid.

1. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

Possibly the best Tarantino film so far. I have to give it some more viewings before I officially declare it, though. I love every single frame of this movie. I love Christoph Waltz, who will hopefully walk away with a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. I love the giant face. I love Hitler's death. I love the game they play in the pub. I love Brad Pitt's butchery of the Italian language. I love that this movie basically does what THE HURT LOCKER does without bombs but with dialogue. I love the final line of the movie. I love you Quentin, see you in SXSW.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Best Black Comedy (after WORLD'S GREATEST DAD): OBSERVE AND REPORT

Best Dramedy: UP IN THE AIR

Best Documentary: THE COVE

Best Vampire Flick: THIRST

Best Movie That Deserves a Sequel: ZOMBIELAND

Best Movie to Replace SAW On Every Halloween: TRICK 'R TREAT

Best Surprisingly Good Movie: TAKEN

Best Cameo: ZOMBIELAND (I won't disclose who it is for those that haven't seen it.)

Best Montage: UP

Best Use of Music/Song: Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me" in RUDO Y CURSI

Best Comeback: Sam Raimi for his return to horror with DRAG ME TO HELL

Best Use of Foul Language: IN THE LOOP

Best Quote: "Difficult, difficult, lemon difficult." from IN THE LOOP

Favorite Albums of 2009 (part 2)

2010-01-18T10:13:00.000-08:00

This list contains albums that I liked but not as much as the ones on the top 10.

THE RUNNER-UPS

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion

Beirut - March of the Zapotec and Realpeople Holland

The Bird and the Bee - Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future

The Boy Least Likely to - The Law of the Playground

Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career

De Rosa - Prevention

The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

Dusty Rhodes and the River Band - Palace and Stage

Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (gasp)

Julian Casablancas - Phrazes For the Young

Loney, Dear - Dear John

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Silversun Pickups - Swoon

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down - Know Better Learn Faster

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Best Opening Track: "Arming Eritrea" (from the album Travels With Myself and Another) by Future of the Left

Best Closing Track:: "Epilogue" (from the album Hospice) by The Antlers

Most Disappointing Album: Raditude by Weezer

Best Cover/Tribute Album: Weezer: The 8-bit Album by Various Artists

Best Remix/Mash-up Album: The Ocarina of Rhyme by Team Teamwork

Best Soundtrack For a Crappy Movie That I'll Never See: New Moon by Various Sellouts

Best Christian Album: Church Music by David Crowder Band

Best Music Video: "Strawberry Swing" by Coldplay, directed by Shynola

Favorite Albums of 2009 (part 1)

2010-01-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

It took a little longer than I expected (as always), but I've finally finished putting together this list. I don't even know why I put so much time and work into this. Will my future kids ever read this to see if their dad ever listened to cool music? (the likely answer: No, but if they did, they would conclude that the music I liked is "old" and "boring.")

So after much listening, contemplating, deliberating (with myself), and rearranging, here it is. The top 10 consists of one Scottish band, one Canadian band, several American bands, and one female artist. Wow, a girl finally made it to my list. I don't even know me anymore.

Because the post is quite long, I've split it into two parts. The first part will be the top 10 albums, with the second part containing the runner-ups and special categories.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Japandroids

Post-Nothing

Why It's On the List: They're a two piece band that plays garage rock. Before you start picturing the White Stripes, try harder. Because of their repetitive melodies and simple three chord structures, I would say they're more like a techno band with guitar and drums. You're probably cringing right now, so give it a listen before you venture further.

Sample of Lyrical Brilliance: "we run the gauntlet / let's get to France / so we can French kiss some French girls"

Atlas Sound

Logos

Why It's On the List: Not the best album to mosh to. Nor dance to. Just sit back on your comfy couch, put on your headphones, and say goodnight. Yes, you can fall asleep listening to this. No, I mean that in a good way.

Sample of Lyrical Brilliance: "forget the things you've left behind / through looking back you may go blind"

Throw Me the Statue

Creaturesque

Why It's On the List: Look at that band name. Sound familiar? (Hint: it's from one of the good Indiana Jones films.) Oh, you wanted to know what they sound like? That's what your ears are for, dummy.

Sample of Lyrical Brilliance: "I run, but I can't outrun / each tug just pulls me deep / Is this how I go? / Is this where I sleep?"

Emmy the Great

First Love

Why It's On the List: Her name is Emmy, and she's great at what she does, which is writing biting, yet clever lyrics for her "anti-folk" songs. Oh, and she sings pretty damn well.

Sample of Lyrical Brilliance: "and you and me are still but the scenery moves / well why would it stop just 'cause suddenly there's one where there used to be two"

Thrice

Beggars

Why It's On the List: The best Christian band that doesn't go by that label. Dustin's lyrics are sharp as always, and the band is quietly growing and nurturing their signature sound with each project. With that said, there are few tracks on here that I don't really care for (i.e. "Doublespeak"), so the album as a whole wasn't as great as I was expecting. Still, it's good enough to be #6 on my list.

Sample of Lyrical Brilliance: "thought I must be dead or dreaming / when my captain still battered, betrayed / pulled me up, laid me over the beam he clung to / breathed his last and sank under the waves / your body is a bridge across an endless sea"

Say Hi

Oohs & Aahs

Why It's On the List: "Noise pop?" "Post-pop?" I don't care what it's called, all I know is that I love it. It's also very refreshing to hear an album with songs that sound different from one another. Variety is the spice of life. Or something. One negative -- I liked it better when he called himself Say Hi to Your Mom.

Sample of Lyrical Brilliance: "my girl oh well sometimes it just don't add up / she says she's here but I know she isn't / and she talks a lot and I doze out, it works out pretty fine / she's got the looks and I've got the time"

Quiet Company

Everyone You Love Will Be Happy Soon

Why It's On the List: I didn't know about these guys until Texas kept harping on and on about them, so when it boils down to it, he's responsible for why the album is on here. I don't think I'm so much in love with them like he is, but yeah, the band is great. The album doesn't have any weak songs, nor any filler. It's a very strong piano-driven power pop record with well-written and thought-out lyrics about... life. That could sound incredibly simple or complicated, depending on who you are. Sorta like the band.

Sample of Lyrical Brilliance: "and I came across the desert / trying to make life a metaphor / but there was no one to share my wisdom / so I moved along"

Brand New

Daisy

Why It's On the List: The followup to The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (my favorite album from 2007) sounds like a natural progression -- angry, bitter, and filled with utter despair. Did Jesse give up on God? Is the band done? Does anyone other than me care? (Eff you guys.)

Sample of Lyrical Brilliance: "I'm a mountain that has been moved / I'm a fugitive that has no legs to run / I'm a preacher with no pulpit / spewing a sermon that goes on and on and on and on..."

Glasvegas

Glasvegas

Why It's On the List: Phil Spector, eat your heart out. Fantastic album, from the first track to the last. And how awesome is that Scottish accent? William Wallace would be proud (if he were into rock music).

Sample of Lyrical Brilliance: "liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, pants on fire"

The Antlers

Hospice

Why It's On the List: Devastatingly, despairingly, bleakly, dejectedly, depressingly, miserably, heartbreakingly sad. Life sucks. But it can inspire some brilliant songs.

Sample of Lyrical Brilliance: "there was glass inside my feet and raining down from the ceiling / it opened up the scars that had just finished healing / it tore apart the canyon running down your femur / I thought that it was beautiful, it made me a believer"

Almost At the End of 2009

2009-12-21T10:34:00.000-08:00

It's almost Christmas, which means it's almost New Year's, which means everybody and their mom putting up end-of-year lists. Of course I can't miss out on that, so my annual lists for movies and music should be up soon, perhaps in a week or so. I'm still trying to get through some movies left on the must see list (located to the rightside of this blog) before I finalize the top 10.

One interesting little twist to the end of 2009 is that, since it's the end of the decade, the Internet is filling up with best-of-the-decade lists as well. I would love to get in on that. I really would. But the thought of it makes my brain hurt. I can't even remember what I liked in 2005, let alone the whole decade. So no decade list from me. Cue the smallest violin in the world.

Saw AVATAR over the weekend, in 3D, but not in IMAX. I was impressed with the visuals, I mean, it cost over $200 million (reportedly, the rumors say it's actually lot more than that) so it better be damn good to look at. The 3D was used well, not in a over-the-top-bullet-coming-straight-at-you sort of way, but in a more subtle fashion, giving the things on the screen more depth and dimension. The story is cliché and predictable. The characters aren't very interesting, especially the main guy, Jake Sully, who was very bland, but I think that may have been intentional. The movie has been described as DANCES WITH WOLVES in space, and it's kinda accurate. Diana said it's like FERNGULLY; I haven't seen it so I can't say I agree with her, but she's probably right. So when you take away the visuals and the 3D technology behind the movie, what's left? In my opinion, not much. I think in about 5 years when other filmmakers catch up on the technology and 3D becomes more widely used, AVATAR won't be remembered too fondly.

Mr. Cameron, please start hiring writers. I know you're a perfectionist and you like to be in control of everything (believe me, I can relate), but maybe you should think about getting some talented writers (they're out there, I think) to put all of your awesome ideas into something... less cliché, less predictable, less cringe-worthy ("I'm the king of the world", really?)... I mean I'm still trying to wrap my head around how Kyle Reese is John Connor's father (time travel plots do that to me, generally). You're a visual artist and your attention to detail is admirable, so please keep that going behind the director's chair, and let the writers do their job. Thank you.

Sincerely,

- jaded film geek wishing he had a fraction of your talent

Movie Night #27

2009-11-25T22:53:00.000-08:00

Synopsis: Thanks to his starring role on a hit TV show, Bolt the pooch has become a household name. But Bolt has bought into his own heroic image, now believing that he really possesses the super-canine powers of his fictional TV series. When he's accidentally shipped from Hollywood to New York City, he must rely on the help from his two newfound friends -- an abandoned cat named Mittens and a TV-addicted hamster named Rhino -- as he embarks on a cross-country quest to get back to his owner, Penny. (from Blockbuster.com)
Bolt? Really? It's actually really, really good. Surprisingly good. It's not as awesome as the next movie, but it's very entertaining.
Next movie? Read on.
Synopsis: Carl Fredricksen is a 78-year-old balloon salesman. His entire life, Carl has longed to wander the wilds of South America. Then, one day, the irascible senior citizen shocks his neighbors by tying thousands of balloons to his home and finally taking flight. But Carl isn't alone on his once-in-a-lifetime journey, because stowed away on his front porch is an excitable eight-year-old wilderness explorer named Russell. Later, as the house touches on the world's second largest continent, Carl and his unlikely traveling companion steps outside to discover that not only is their new front lawn considerably larger, but that the predators therein are much more ferocious than anything they ever faced back home. (from Blockbuster.com)
I see a pattern here. They're both animated, and they're both about characters going on a journey, both physical and emotional? No, they both have talking dogs.
When: 11/28, first movie starts at 7:00PM.

You Teach Me and I'll Teach You

2009-11-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

word of the day:

milque⋅toast

[milk-tohst]

–noun (sometimes initial capital letter)

a very timid, unassertive, spineless person, esp. one who is easily dominated or intimidated: a milquetoast who's afraid to ask for a raise.

You know how I know you're a milquetoast? You listen to Bright Eyes.

...

From last night:

Di: (while playing Bejeweled) "When you're playing Bejeweled... do you ever hear the Pokemon song in your head?"

Dan: "What?"

Di: "Forget it..."

Dan: "No, what did you say? Hear what?"

Di: "The Pokemon song."

Dan: "No... Do you?"

Di: "Yeah..."

Dan: "Why?!"

Di: "... Because I want to be the very best."

So she's been obsessed with Bejeweled on Facebook for several weeks now. I try to keep up, but she destroys me with a new high score on a regular basis. I'm not really into puzzle games, but there's something very addicting about this one. Maybe it's the 1 minute limit? Perhaps it's the excitement of getting a higher score than your friends? Whatever it is, it's working. As long as it stays free.

You know how I know you're a milquetoast? You listen to Bright Eyes while playing Bejeweled.

she just can't sustain the pressure where it's placed, she caves

Raditude

2009-11-03T11:09:00.000-08:00

I just witnessed --- nay, feasted my eyes on -- no, basked in the glory of cinematic ~~abortion~~ genius that is TORQUE, and I'm sort of speechless.

(10 minutes later)

So... I've finally regained all five senses and my brain seems to be functioning (if barely).

TORQUE could very well be the best worst movie ever made. It's an 84 minute music video directed by Michael Bay's retarded cousin, and edited by that guy's little brother who has ADD. It has two chicks fighting in the majestic martial arts style known as motorcycle-fu. Ice Cube has two facial expressions in the movie: scowl, and scowl harder. He's also the best actor in it. The movie is so over the top, it gives Jason Statham aneurysms.

I love it. And I hate it.

No words can do it justice. Witness it for yourself.

so make a move, 'cause I ain't got all night

Sudden Crave For Ramen

2009-10-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

Hmm... why does this song sound so familiar?

Wait a minute...

YOU RAPED MY CHILDHOOD, SNSD!

Quick, I need something to un-depress me!

Ahh, that's better.

I'm Jack Bauer

2009-10-27T10:03:00.000-07:00

How do they get away with this stuff? I love you Japan, but you had me at "hentai."

...

Diana and I bought Disneyland passes on a whim, with no planning whatsoever.* We've gone three times in three weeks, all on weekdays. It was packed EVERY SINGLE TIME. Don't you people have stuff to do? Like work? Or taking care of your kids?**

We still haven't been to California Adventure though.

...

It's absolutely hilarious that on the same day that Diana received a very significant raise in her salary, I lost my job. Granted, it was a long time coming and I wasn't surprised at all. They told me they would contact me if they had something available at a different location. Now I can fully concentrate on my studies.

Right after I beat Diana's score in Bejeweled.

*That's the way we seem to operate 95% of the time.
**Yes, I'm impervious to hypocrisy.

oh I'm so clever, I'm so clever, I'm so clever

Don't Mess With Demons

2009-10-16T22:45:00.001-07:00

The strangest little thing happened tonight, right after we got home from watching PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (great movie, BTW).

While Diana was turning on the A/C and closing the windows (it gets hot up here on the 4th floor) in the living room, I went in to our bedroom -- turned on the lights, closed the patio door, then took off my glasses and laid it on top of the dresser. That's when I realized that my MP3 player was on. Its display screen was brightly lit, like it had just been turned on (the screen goes black after awhile to save battery life, even if the music is still playing). The thing is, it's pretty difficult to turn the player on and off. It doesn't use a button, it has this sliding thing on its side that you have to hold down for about 3 seconds to power it on or off. So there's almost no way it could've accidentally turned on by itself, even if something were to hit it.

I guess it doesn't sound too scary now that I've typed it out, but I gotta say, Diana FREAKED OUT when I told her, especially because we had just watched a movie about this sort of thing.

Now she's going to watch PETER PAN on DVD to clear up her head before she tries to fall asleep.

I think I'll join her.

"Rise from your grave!"

2009-10-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

trag⋅e⋅dy [traj-i-dee] Show IPA

–noun, plural -dies.

1.	a dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically that of a great person destined through a flaw of character or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate or society, to downfall or destruction.

2.	the branch of the drama that is concerned with this form of composition.

3.	the art and theory of writing and producing tragedies.

4.	any literary composition, as a novel, dealing with a somber theme carried to a tragic conclusion.

5.	the tragic element of drama, of literature generally, or of life.

6.	what's happened to this blog, once a magnificent creature bursting with life, fun anecdotes about movies, music, and pop culture, now consisting of posts about movie nights and Youtube clips.

I've been meaning to resurrect this puppy for several months now, yet I had no work to show for it. Until now, bitches.

"Oh how clever. He complains about Youtube clips then immediately posts another one." You think that's clever? It's called "he's out of ideas."

Wait, where was I? I really need to get this ADD thing sorted out. If I would just remember to write this down or get it tattooed to remind my... OOH LOOK A KITTEH!

To quote Andy's future wife (sorry Sharon): "Oops I did it again."

I'm really getting sidetracked here. What the hell was I going to write about? Think, dammit. Stop getting high off dried mangoes (ZOMG DELISH) and think!

...

How can I ever write a screenplay when I can't even write a single coherent post on my pathetic blog?

...

My all-sugar diet isn't going so well. It's going straight to my medulla oblongata.

...

Okay, let's start nice and easy. Let's get updated on what's happened since my last significant and meaningful post. Baby steps.

(fell asleep going through old posts; I think I got to October of 2008 before my eyelids gave up)

Screw the old stuff, let's just talk about what's been happening lately.

marriage: Got tied to ball and chains back in August. Sorry, ladies. Actually, I think the guys were more upset. Pictures are up on Facebook because putting them on here is just ~~redundant~~ ~~hard~~ redundant.

job: My hours at HP (which were already low to begin with) got severely cut sometime in the summer due to number of reasons. Coincidentally, they all sound like "recession." I've been looking for another job, but in case you haven't heard - "recession." So I've decided to study and get myself certified by Microsoft (MCDST) so my resume would look a little less crappy.

school: Because the wedding was so close to the start of the fall semester, I missed the first week of school, and wasn't able to add the classes I wanted. So in bitter defeat, ~~I've been playing WoW~~ I've decided to study and get myself certified by Microsoft (MCDST) so my resume would look a little less crappy. Whoa, was that a glitch in the matrix?

church: Roy is leaving because ha hates us. Can't really blame him. Not everyone appreciates BATTLESTAR GALACTICA like he does. (except me) All joshing aside, I appreciate everything he's done for our EM and wish him luck in grad school and his future endeavors. I hope the new pastor isn't a cylon.

fantasy basketball: New season is about to begin pretty soon, and we just had our rookie/trash draft last night. I didn't pick up anyone I really wanted, and my team is still looking mildly horrendous. As long as I can beat David, I won't cry myself to sleep.

That'll do for now. I gotta keep my (two) readers wanting more. Let's hope my next real post isn't in 2010.

we move like swing sets

Movie Night #26

2009-10-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

Synopsis: As the Korean peninsula falls into the hands of Japanese imperialists and countless Koreans seek refuge in the vast wilderness of Manchuria, a determined thief, a coldblooded hitman, and a mysterious bounty hunter all vie for an elusive map that could lead them to buried treasure from the Qing Dynasty. (from fandango.com)
What happened to Movie Night #25? That was last month. What, were you not invited?
A Korean western? Really? I guess Americans should stop making martial arts flicks, then.*
When: 10/10, 8:30PM.

*They really should, actually. Did you know that there's a remake of THE KARATE KID in the works? And it's called KUNG FU KID, stars Jackie Chan in the Mr. Miyagi role (renamed Mr. Han) and Will Smith's little boy as the titular (lol) kid? Kill me now.

Movie Night #24

2009-07-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

Synopsis: Shortly after his best friend, Dr. Andrew Bagby, was slain by jealous ex-girlfriend Shirley Turner, filmmaker Kurt Kuenne was shocked to learn that Turner was pregnant with Bagby's unborn child. Hoping to create a film that would serve as both a memorial to Bagby and an introduction to the father the boy would never know, Kuenne quickly began production on a film celebrating the life of his late friend. Traveling across the entire continental United States, Kuenne made it his personal mission to interview everyone who had ever known his best friend so their memories would be captured on camera before they faded. (from Blockbuster.com)
Is this a documentary? Well technically it is, but it's hard for me to call it that because it's basically a homemade movie and it wasn't intended for theatrical distribution. Furthermore, it doesn't have the most objective view as the filmmaker is the subject's best friend. Still, if I had to give it a genre, it would fall under documentary.
Sounds like it would be a sentimental weep-fest. You have no idea what you're talking about. This is one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. Don't miss it.

Synopsis: Set in 2027, when no child has been born for 18 years and science is at a loss to explain the reason, African and East European societies collapse and their dwindling populations migrate to England and other wealthy nations. In a climate of nationalistic violence, a London peace activist turned bureaucrat Theo Faron, joins forces with his revolutionary ex-wife Julian in order to save mankind by protecting a woman who has mysteriously become pregnant. (from imdb.com)
What, another movie? Since this the last movie night I'll be having for a while, I decided to show off one of my favorite movies in BLU-RAY. Plus, I couldn't end on a documentary. I mean, come on.
When: 7/25, first movie starts at 7:30PM.

Debilitatingly Nervous

2009-06-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

Calm down, Dij.

New INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS Trailer

2009-06-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

Glourious.

Zombieland

2009-06-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

It looks like the game LEFT4DEAD, done as a comedy. Looks funny, but can it top SHAUN OF THE DEAD?

E3 2009: The Last Guardian

2009-06-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

The third and final game from the Ico trilogy. It's going to be the best game ever.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

NBA Finals Game 3:
What happened to Kobe after the awesome 1st half? 5 out of 10 from the charity stripe? Missed jumpers down the stretch? Turning the ball over trying to break the double team, then fumbling the pass from Gasol? At least help the man up, Kobe. He's your teammmate for Pau's sake.

Still, I did want Orlando to win this game because I want a competitive series. I didn't want no boring sweep. They can't shoot that well every game... can they?

Hurt Feelings

2009-06-04T15:46:00.000-07:00

I got hurt feelings, I got hurt feelings
I’m not gonna wear a ladies’ wetsuit, I’m a man!
I got hurt feelings, I got hurt feelings
Get me a small man’s wetsuit, please

random thoughts:

Why do joggers feel the need to acknowledge each other with a nod or a wave as they pass by? Is it like a mutual respect thing? "Yo, you like to run too? So awesome. [nod]" Yesterday, a man gave me a thumbs-up as he ran by me on Bastanchury. That's a little overboard, no?
Done with school until August. Work maybe one week every month. So much free time. Yet the days go by so damn fast. I get nothing done. When will you begin?
The wedding's less than 3 months away. Stressed? Hardly. Nervous? Not really. Cold feet? Not yet.
Lakers over Magic in 6. Dwight will have couple of monster games. Will Jameer coming back make a difference? Sure, but not enough. Lamar better show up.
This year's E3 is looking great so far. Metal Gear on the 360? Final Fantasy XIV (that's 14) is announced before XIII (that's 13) is even released? The next masterpiece from Fumito Ueda? Uncharted 2 looking amazing? Good stuff.
CHILDREN OF MEN is out on Blu-ray. Need it.
"He's not your fairytale." Ouch.

Movie Night #23

2009-05-12T14:24:00.001-07:00

Synopsis: Patrick Kenzie, a private investigator from working-class Boston takes on a case involving a kidnapped girl. The girl's aunt begs Patrick to take the case because he has connections to criminal Boston that the police do not. He agrees and along with his partner, Angie Gennaro, they uncover a web of corruption that threatens the relationship between the two. (from Blockbuster.com)
Sounds like a typical cop/detective movie. What's so special about it? Casey Affleck, for one. Ben's baby brother had a great year in 2007 when he had this movie, OCEAN'S 13, and THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD come out. (He was nominated for an Oscar for that last movie, but lost to Javier Bardem for NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.) He's become one of my favorite actors recently, and he gives a great performance here.
Anything else? Yeah, how about Ben Affleck's direction? Who knew he could direct?! Frankly, and you'll probably agree with me, I'd rather see him do more directing than acting, if he can make more films as good as this one (his debut).
When: 5/16, 8:00PM

Movie Night #22

2009-04-29T11:40:00.001-07:00

Synopsis: A man being pursued by a murderer stumbles into a mysterious lab and accidentally travels back in time. A naked girl in the midst of the forest. A cloaked stranger with his face covered in bandages. A disquieting mansion on the top of a hill. All of them pieces of an unpredictable jigsaw puzzle where terror, drama and suspense will lead to an unthinkable sort of crime. Who's the murderer? Who's the victim? (from tributemovies.com)
Another horror movie? No, despite the poster with the masked man holding a pair of scissors, this movie isn't scary. Although it has characteristics of a thriller, it's more about the time travel aspects, more like a modern sci-fi story. Think BACK TO THE FUTURE, minus the comedy. (It does have some funny moments though.)
A naked girl? Awkward... OMG bewbs?! Grow up, a nipple sighting won't kill ya.
When: 5/2, 8:00PM

Movie Night #21

2009-04-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

Synopsis: Down and out, with only straight-to-DVD titles under his belt and a recent job lost out to fellow has-been Steven Segal, the aging action star Jean-Claude Van Damme returns to Belgium a broken man fresh from losing a custody case for his daughter in Hollywood. Upon his arrival, the bad news continues with a disastrous ATM encounter that leads him into the bank and straight into a robbery situation, for which he's about to be blamed. Soon, crowds grow outside on the street, with the cops quick to point the finger at him and his fans cheering for his release. (from Blockbuster.com)
This can't be good. That's what I thought when I first heard about it. Sometime after, few clips of the movie were released online, which were surprisingly funny and piqued my interest. Then I read all the glowing reviews after its screenings at festivals and I knew I had to see it.
So, is it any good? It is. I liked it A LOT. It's funny, it's sad, it's well-crafted, and Van Damme shows that he can actually act! Who woulda thunk it? Seriously though, don't knock it 'till you've seen it.
When: 4/18, 7:00PM

Movie Night #20

2009-03-31T21:49:00.000-07:00

Synopsis: Accused of cheating and desperate to prove his innocence, an eighteen-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai reflects back on his tumultuous life while competing to win 20 million rupees on India's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. (from Blockbuster.com) All for LOVE. (from Dan)
Is it as good as they say it is? No, it can't cure cancer. But it made the top of my 2008 list, so it's not too shabby.
When: 4/4, 7:00PM

Japanese Spider-Man

2009-03-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

That theme song is fantastic. You can view more here.

Movie Night #19

2009-03-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

Synopsis: Oskar is a young boy who can't seem to shake off the local bullies, but all of that begins to change when a new neighbor moves in next door. After striking up an innocent friendship with his eccentric next-door neighbor, Oskar realizes that she is the vampire responsible for the recent rash of deaths around town. Despite the danger, however, Oskar's friendship with the girl ultimately takes precedence over his fear of her. (from Blockbuster.com)
OMG, this looks so scary! I hate horror movies! I don't really consider this a horror film; although it is about a vampire and has elements of horror, it's more of a drama about childhood and friendship. And it's approximately 297 times better than TWILIGHT.
How can you say that when you haven't even seen it? You don't need to eat poop to know what it tastes like.
When: 3/14, 7:00PM

Movie Night #18

2009-02-25T21:46:00.000-08:00

Synopsis: The skies are darkening, and the outlook for planet Earth is grim. Though the encroaching darkness at first seems unstoppable, scientists have concocted one desperate last-ditch plan to buy the human race a temporary reprieve from the grim future that looms just past the horizon. A crew of eight men and women has been given a nuclear device designed to literally reignite the sun and sent hurdling through infinity on the most crucial space mission ever attempted. Suddenly, as the crew loses radio contact with mission control, everything begins to fall apart. Now, in the darkest reaches of the galaxy, the men and women who may hold the key to ultimate survival find themselves not only struggling for their lives, but their sanity as well. (from Blockbuster.com)
Is it on Blu-Ray? Yes. Yes it is.
When: This Saturday (2/28) at 7:00PM.

Favorite Movies of 2008

2009-02-17T12:47:00.000-08:00

We're already two months into 2009?! At least I'm getting this list in before the Oscars. Cut the small talk, let's get this started.

10. FUNNY GAMES
written and directed by Michael Haneke

This is a shot-by-shot remake of the original, which was also directed by Haneke. Since they're nearly identical, I don't think I'll ever be watching the original. This is not a movie you can watch over and over again, unless you're a masochist. With that said, why is it on the list? Well, because frankly, it's brilliant. Haneke uses the film to criticize the thriller/horror genre(s), and I particularly liked the way he manipulates the audience while doing so. This is unlike any other movies out there. That could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on who you are.

9. WALTZ WITH BASHIR
written and directed by Ari Folman

Why is this not nominated for a Best Animated Film Oscar? Finally, a true adult animated film gets made and it gets overlooked for more CGI kiddie flicks. At least it got the Best Foreign Film nomination. If you haven't seen this and you're skeptical, let me just say this: it's a masterpiece. The use of animation for this story is perfect. When was the last time you saw a documentary that didn't make you fall asleep?

8. THE CHASER
directed by Hong-jin Na
written by Won-Chan Hong, Shinho Lee, Hong-jin Na

With a story loosely based on actual events that happened in Korea, this little movie puts a great twist on the serial killer genre. What's the twist, you ask? You really want me to spoil that for ya? Okay, all I'm going to say is that it doesn't waste too much time hiding the killer's face and identity. Still curious? Catch the original before it gets remade with Leonardo DiCaprio. I'm not kidding.

7. SON OF RAMBOW
written and directed by Garth Jennings

This was a big hit at my last movie night, and deservedly so. The story is great, the characters are likable, and the 80's soundtrack is awesome. What's not to like? I expect big things from Will Poulter, the boy who played Lee Carter.

6. IRON MAN
directed by Jon Favreau
written by Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway

2008 was a sad year for many reasons, and one of those was the loss of Heath Ledger, who gave the best Joker performance to date. But look on the bright side, we still have Robert Downey Jr., who is the definitive Tony Stark. I hope this doesn't jinx him. How about a sequel to KISS KISS BANG BANG, Robert?

5. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
directed by Tomas Alfredson
written by John Ajvide Lindqvist, based on his own novel

Two words: beautifully tragic. All you TWILIGHT fans: if you want to see a REAL vampire movie with romance, please put the books down, take off the Edward t-shirts, and go check out this film. The pool scene alone is worth the price of admission.

4. THE WRESTLER
directed by Darren Aronofsky
written by Robert D. Siegel

I have newfound respect for Darren Aronofsky after watching this film. It's such a simple story, yet told so skillfully. This movie will depress you. I'm going to be very surprised if Mickey Rourke doesn't get an Oscar for this.

3. KUNG FU PANDA
directed by Mark Osborne & John Stevenson
written by Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger, story by Ethan Reiff & Cyrus Voris

Every year, there is a movie that places high on my list that people are confused about. In 2007, it was SUPERBAD at #5. For 2006, it was NACHO LIBRE, again at #5. And in 2005, it was SKY HIGH at #3. What do they all have in common? They're comedies. Comedy is subjective, people. And every year, there's at least one comedy that I just connect with, that I unabashedly love, like it was made just for me. In 2008, it was this movie, a CGI flick about a panda that wants to learn kung fuuuuuuuuuuuUUuuUuUUUUUuuu. Most people are sick of Jack Black and his shtick, but I ain't. Especially in animated form. Keep 'em coming, Jack!

2. THE DARK KNIGHT
directed by Christopher Nolan
written by Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer

I don't think anyone would be shocked that this is on the list, although some may be surprised that it's not #1. Well, it was close. This was my #1 until December, when I saw...

1. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
directed by Danny Boyle & Loveleen Tandan (co-director: India)
written by Simon Beaufoy, based on the novel by Vikas Swarup

I'm not a shameless romantic like Johny, but I do enjoy romantic movies when they're well done. After being bombarded with movies with depressing stories and bleak and dour themes in 2008 and 2007, it was refreshing to see something filled with heart and hope. Sure it's a fairytale, but it's a well-made fairytale. A Dickensian story on an Indian setting. I loved it.

Here are some assorted "awards" for other 2008 movies that deserve recognition.

best cinematography: THE FALL
most badass scene: Tai Lung's escape from prison in KUNG FU PANDA
hardest to sit through: (tie) TOWELHEAD & FUNNY GAMES
best movie made for TV: BOY A
best use of midgets: IN BRUGES
most violent: RAMBO
best horror film: THE RUINS
best Brad Pitt performance: as Chad Feldheimer in BURN AFTER READING
best movie that flopped at the box office: SPEED RACER
best movie with Rain: I'M A CYBORG, BUT THAT'S OK
best special fx: BENJAMIN BUTTON
best use of "Paper Planes" by MIA: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
best movie by David Gordon Green: SNOW ANGELS
best line: "You just got killed by a Daewoo Lanos, motherfucker!" (from PINEAPPLE EXPRESS)
proof that Ben Stiller needs to direct more movies: TROPIC THUNDER
best 90's soundtrack: THE WACKNESS
~~best~~ only western: APPALOOSA
best Norwegian film: REPRISE

2009 Academy Award Nominees

2009-01-22T10:26:00.000-08:00

These were just announced this morning. Let's go through them, shall we?

Best Actor:
Richard Jenkins - THE VISITOR
Frank Langella - FROST/NIXON
Sean Penn - MILK
Brad Pitt - THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Mickey Rourke - THE WRESTLER

Mickey Rourke is a lock for this. Now don't forget about SIN CITY 2, Mr. Rourke.

Best Supporting Actor:
Josh Brolin - MILK
Robert Downey Jr. - TROPIC THUNDER
Philip Seymour Hoffman - DOUBT
Heath Ledger - THE DARK KNIGHT
Michael Shannon - REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Heath deserves it the most, and I'm 99% sure he'll get it. That said, how AWESOME would it be if Robert Downey Jr. won? Imagine the acceptance speech! (in character!)

Best Actress:
Anne Hathaway - RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
Angelina Jolie - CHANGELING
Melissa Leo - FROZEN RIVER
Meryl Streep - DOUBT
Kate Winslet - THE READER

Sadly, I've yet to see any of those movies. But even without seeing her performance, I can safely say Meryl Streep should win; she's the best actress alive right now. Though I hear Kate gets buck nekkid a whole lot in THE READER, so maybe she'll win. I'm joshin' of course. Ahem.

Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams - DOUBT
Penelope Cruz - VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Viola Davis - DOUBT
Taraji P. Henson - THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Marisa Tomei - THE WRESTLER

Although she was great, Marisa already has an Oscar so I'm guessing it goes to... Viola Davis. I've heard very good things about her in DOUBT.

Best Documentary Feature:
THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON)
ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD
THE GARDEN
MAN ON WIRE
TROUBLE THE WATER

In a just world, WALTZ WITH BASHIR would be on that list. MAN ON WIRE will win.

Best Animated Feature Film:
BOLT
KUNG FU PANDA
WALL-E

I prefer KUNG FU PANDA (of course), but WALL-E will win. Oh, and BASHIR should be on here also.

Best Foreign Language Film:
THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX - Germany
THE CLASS - France
DEPARTURES - Japan
REVANCHE - Austria
WALTZ WITH BASHIR - Israel

I've only seen BASHIR, and I still know it'll win.

Best Art Direction:
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE DUCHESS
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

BENJAMIN BUTTON should take this.

Best Cinematography:
CHANGELING - Tom Stern
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON - Claudio Miranda
THE DARK KNIGHT - Wally Pfister
THE READER - Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - Anthony Dod Mantle

Roger Deakins was robbed last year. But how do you have two cinematographers? I'm going with Claudio Miranda. Even if you don't like BENJAMIN BUTTON, you can't look past its technical brilliance.

Best Editing:
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON - Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
THE DARK KNIGHT - Lee Smith
FROST/NIXON - Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
MILK - Elliot Graham
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - Chris Dickens

SLUMDOG!

Best Makeup:
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON - Greg Cannom
THE DARK KNIGHT - John Caglione Jr. and Connor O'Sullivan
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY - Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Hmm, this one is tough. They were all great -- HELLBOY is the most obvious (just for the Troll Market sequence alone), but I was most impressed with the work on BENJAMIN BUTTON, and I can't dismiss how the Joker and Two-Face looked in THE DARK KNIGHT either... I'm going with my gut: BENJAMIN BUTTON.

Best Visual Effects:
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON - Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
THE DARK KNIGHT - Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
IRON MAN - John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Again, a tough category. Again, it goes to BENJAMIN BUTTON.

Best Original Score:
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON - Alexandre Desplat
DEFIANCE - James Newton Howard
MILK - Danny Elfman
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - A.R. Rahman
WALL-E - Thomas Newman

Where the frack is THE DARK KNIGHT?! SLUMGDOG, then.

Best Original Song:
"Down to Earth" - WALL-E
"Jai Ho" - SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
"O Saya" - SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Where the frack is THE WRESTLER?! You got snubbed, Mr. Springsteen. One of the SLUMGDOG's, then. Probably "Jai Ho". Although I have a strange feeling it'll go to WALL-E.

Best Adapted Screenplay:
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON - Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
DOUBT - John Patrick Shanley
FROST/NIXON - Peter Morgan
THE READER - David Hare
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - Simon Beaufoy

SLUMDOG!

Best Original Screenplay:
FROZEN RIVER - Courtney Hunt
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY - Mike Leigh
IN BRUGES - Martin McDonagh
MILK - Dustin Lance Black
WALL-E - Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter

IN BRUGES!

Best Director:
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON - David Fincher
FROST/NIXON - Ron Howard
MILK - Gus Van Sant
THE READER - Stephen Daldry
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - Danny Boyle

I'm pulling for oh Danny Boy, although I wouldn't mind Fincher winning.

Best Picture:
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
FROST/NIXON
MILK
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Replace THE READER with THE DARK KNIGHT and I would be very, very happy. Yes, I would take Christian Bale's annoying Bat-voice over Kate Winslet's buba anyday. I still would have gone with SLUMDOG, though.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't think there will be many surprises at the Oscars this year. SLUMDOG should win big, BENJAMIN BUTTON will take most of the technical awards, and the acting Oscars will probably go to the favorites. I am bummed about THE DARK KNIGHT and Christopher Nolan being snubbed for Best Picture and Best Director, respectively, and THE WRESTLER not getting much love (not even for Best Original Song? Really?!). So much for THE DARK KNIGHT transcending the superhero genre and opening doors for comic book adaptations to be taken more seriously... I guess THE WATCHMEN is our last hope.

Favorite Albums of 2008

2008-12-25T01:24:00.000-08:00

10. SUN KIL MOON
April

"I'm staring up into the sky / While all the raining is pouring down / I'm reaching out for your help / But evil beings hold me backwards"

9. OKKERVIL RIVER
The Stand Ins

"And see how that light you love now just won't shine / There might just be another star / That's high and far in some other sky"

8. DETEKTIVBYRÅN
E18 + Wermland

7. FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS
Flight of the Conchords

"I'm gonna juice the mutha ucka / He's gonna wake up in a smoothie"

6. BON IVER
For Emma, Forever Ago

"Someday my pain / Someday my pain will mark you / Harness your blame / Harness your blame and walk through"

5. VAMPIRE WEEKEND
Vampire Weekend

"The lobster's claw is sharp as knives / Evil feasts on human lives / The Holy Roman Empire roots for you"

4. BLACK KIDS
Partie Traumatic

"Word's on the streets and it's on the news / I'm not gonna teach him how to dance with you / He's got two left feet and he bites my moves / I'm not gonna teach him how to dance, dance, dance, dance!"

3. ELBOW
The Seldom Seen Kid

"There's a hole in my neighborhood down which of late I cannot help but fall"

2. LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION
Falling Off the Lavender Bridge

"Tell her, I give up / He's won / And I have lost all my humanity"

1. THRICE
The Alchemy Index, Vols. III & IV: Air & Earth

"Won't you look at your wings? / They're coming undone / They're splitting at the seams / Steer clear of the sun / For once won't you listen to me?"

honorable mentions:
COLD WAR KIDS - Loyalty to Loyalty
THE COOL KIDS - The Bake Sale
FLEET FOXES - Fleet Foxes
THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS - The Age of the Understatement
SHEARWATER - Rook
SIGUR RóS - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
SIMON VIKLUND - Bionic Commando Rearmed: The Soundtrack
WEEZER - Weezer (The Red Album)

Movie Night #17

2008-12-23T09:16:00.000-08:00

Synopsis: As the summer sun shines down on England in the early 1980s, two boys who couldn't be more different are brought together by a mutual love of cinema and a desire to emulate their favorite action movie icon.
There's no "w" in "Rambo"! They're kids, man. Give them a break.
Is it as good as BILLY ELLIOT? Dunno, I've never seen that one.
(gasp) Sorry.
When: 10:00PM, this Saturday.

Movie Night #16

2008-12-07T10:35:00.000-08:00

"16? When did you have #15?"

That was back in January, when I showed the whole Bourne trilogy back to back to back. It was magnificent.

This time, we're going with the biggest movie of 2008.

Synopsis: With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman has been making headway against local crime... until a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker unleashes a fresh reign of chaos across Gotham City. To stop this devious new menace — Batman's most personal and vicious enemy yet — he will have to use every high-tech weapon in his arsenal and confront everything he believes.
Dude, I've already seen this 4 times. So why not a 5th? Especially in glorious Blu-ray?
When: This Saturday (12/13) at 7:00PM.

2008 Spike Video Game Awards Promos by Jack Black

2008-12-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

I laughed. I cried. I crapped my pants.

More Mario Kart Goodness

2008-12-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

Rémi Gaillard, ladies and getlemen.

Mario Kart Love Song

2008-12-01T18:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, he taped yarn to his face.

Do I ever do any writing on here anymore? Well, I do have some end-of-the-year lists coming up, but I may get lazy and just post pictures.

Pulp Fortress

2008-11-29T12:13:00.000-08:00

Bike Hero

2008-11-19T09:47:00.000-08:00

Holy bejesus, this made my day.

About Last Night...

2008-11-06T11:58:00.001-08:00

So Obama's the new president, which is awesome. You know what's awesomer? Last night's episode of South Park.

http://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/207897/

Mark Wahlberg Talks to Andy Samberg

2008-10-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

Sequel to Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals.

The Digital Pirates of Dark Water: Ep. 1: Release Me

2008-10-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

PG Porn - Nailing Your Wife

2008-10-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

I can't get enough of Nathan Fillion. Why isn't he a movie star yet?

Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals

2008-10-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

EVO 2004

2008-10-06T09:38:00.001-07:00

Here's the legendary fight between Daigo (Ken) and Justin Wong (Chun-Li) in Street Fighter 3: Third Strike. And I do mean legendary.

(Don't) Vote

2008-10-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

"I used to have 5 friends."

It's a little longer than necessary, but it gets the point across. Don't vote. Wait, what?

Register to vote!

R.I.P. Mr. Newman

2008-09-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

"Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand."

I was in jr high the first time I saw one of your movies. I was watching TV on a late Saturday afternoon. I was flipping through channels when a young Tom Cruise in an Elvis haircut playing pool caught my eye. The Color of Money. Then you entered the scene as "Fast Eddie Felson" and proceeded to own Mr. Scientology for the rest of the movie. I was blown away. Who is this old fart with piercing blue eyes? And where can I see more of him?

(Then my A.D.D. kicked in.)

It wasn't until 2002 that I saw you again, in Road to Perdition as Tom Hanks's mob boss. You didn't disappoint. You had gotten older, but somehow gotten even more badass.

Flash forward to summer of 2008. Thanks to the magic of Blockbuster Online, I was finally catching up on old classics. The Godfather. On the Waterfront. Papillon. Then I got to two of yours. Harper. Cool Hand Luke. Your character in Harper was a smartass detective with a mouth. Of course I loved it. And I had heard so much about Cool Hand Luke that I was afraid my expectations were too high. They weren't. The egg-eating scene that ends with the shot of you in the crucifix position just killed me. I have a stupid grin on my face right now as I'm thinking about it.

I still haven't seen your other classics like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Sting. (I know, how can I call myself a film geek? I hang my head in shame.) But I see it now. Mr. Newman, you're the Man. There probably will never be another actor like you, and that's okay because we can always catch you on TV, DVDs, and in our memories. Thank you for the movies you made, and thank you for your generous contributions to charities. (Your salad dressings have contributed more than $200 million. My goodness.)

You'll be missed by this wannabe film geek.

p.s. Crap, I totally forgot that you were in The Hudsucker Proxy. I love that movie! You rule!

Nonononononononono

2008-09-25T02:13:00.000-07:00

Obama vs. McCain

2008-09-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

Fuck You, Miss Daisy

2008-09-16T13:10:00.000-07:00

J. Smith

2008-09-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

Oh No You Didn't

2008-09-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

I can't get this song out of my head. "You ain't got a prayer, you owe meeeEEE~~"

No Heroics trailer

2008-08-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

Looks promising, doesn't it? It's British, so I'm gonna have to wait 'til it hits DVD to watch it. Or be a bad little boy and download it through a torrent. Choices, choices.

The Art of Relaxating

2008-08-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

That's a clip about a character from Gentleman Broncos, directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre). And yes, that's Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords, funniest thing on TV right now after Venture Bros. The movie will come out sometime in 2009.

Boo Boo

2008-08-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

This is one of the best commercials I've ever seen. Warning: If you're offended by OMG BEWBS, skip the first 24 seconds.

I've registered for 4 classes for the fall semester at FJC, so I'm officially a fulltime student again. If my calculations are correct, I should be done with G.E. requirements by the end of this academic year and (hopefully) be able to transfer out. Exciting.

Luckily I was eligible for the fee waiver so tuition was free, but how am I going to get books? Still looking for a job...

This Must Be a New Record

2008-07-29T14:14:00.000-07:00

I was driving in Irvine when the earthquake hit. All I could think at the time was "OMG my frakking car is finally dying." I only found out later through Di that it was indeed an earthquake. All I could think now is "OMG my frakking car isn't dead yet."

Why was I in Irvine? Well it was my first day at the new job as a product tester. Here's how it went:

8:30 Started paperwork, including 2 forms on harassment.
9:00 Finished paperwork. Started 2 online safety tests.
9:10 Finished online safety tests.
9:15 Began training under Emilio, a cholo from Santa Ana.*
9:16 Heard multiple F-bombs and homophobic statements, mostly hurled towards the guy working behind us named Bruce.
10:30 Went on break. Listened to music in the car while wondering what the hell did I get myself into.
10:45 Ended break. Resumed training under Emilio.
11:15 Emilio inserts an unmarked SD card into one of the 27 Playstation 3s he has at his station and goes on to show me some porn he found on the card, which was inside a returned digital camera.**
11:30 Began lunch break. Called up Di and met up with her for lunch at a nearby In-N-Out. Proceeded to vent about my awesome new job.
12:30 Got back to the office and spoke to the HR guy that hired me. He accepted my resignation but told me to wait a bit since I had to sign some papers before leaving.
12:50 Toby*** finally comes back with a "resignation" form. Signed, shook his hand, and got the hell out of there.

*I'm kidding about Santa Ana. I don't really know where he's from. Yeah, I'm being a douche.

**People, please remember to delete your personal data if you return any electronic items, such as computers, digital cameras, and game consoles. You don't want your homemade porn to show up on the internets, do ya?

***Not his real name.

The Chemical Brothers - Midnight Madness

2008-07-25T00:36:00.000-07:00

Amazing.

I still have their Dig Your Own Hole CD (which I purchased in my high school years) somewhere around here. Man, I'm cool.*

*Pfft.

The Dark Knight Review

2008-07-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

The Good:

the villains -- Heath Ledger's Joker is and will be the definitive version from here on out. (Sorry, Jack.) The Joker here is unpredictable, ruthless, and terrifying. And Two-Face, well he's not really a villain until the end of the movie, but his "fall" is basically the whole thematic story of The Dark Knight, and he was used very well in the film.
the supporting cast -- Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine... all fantastic.
the pencil trick
Joker's exit from the hospital
nods to The Long Halloween and The Killing Joke
the score
the scenes shot on IMAX. So glorious.
the drama -- critics are saying that this is more like a crime film, which just happens to have a superhero. It's hard to disagree.
the Batman imposters

The Bad:

Christian Bale's Batman voice -- I understand the purpose of it, and I didn't mind it that much in the first movie (probably because he didn't talk as much), but it was pretty distracting in this one. It's too forced, and sometimes I couldn't make out what he was saying.
still not much of Batman being a detective. Sure, there was that one scene of him getting fingerprints off a bullet. I guess one scene is better than none...
Nolan still can't shoot action scenes. I heard he doesn't use a second unit, he shoots everything himself. With all due respect Mr. Nolan, maybe that should change...
Cillian Murphy being wasted on a useless cameo as the Scarecrow.

The Ugly:

Two-Face's... face.
Maggie Gyllenhaal. I keed, I keed.
the wait for the next sequel -- Where do you go from here? How is Nolan going to top this? Is it even possible? It'll be impossible to use the Joker again, unless they hire another actor (with some big brass balls) to replace Ledger.

Awesome movie. It's my favorite of the year so far. And the icing on the cake was seeing the Watchmen trailer on that gigantic IMAX screen.

PoP Goes the Gyllenhaal

2008-07-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

Sigur Rós in a game trailer? Brilliant.

The cell-shading graphics? Magnificent.

Evoking memories of Ico? Excellent.

Who's That Pokemon?

2008-07-14T01:04:00.000-07:00

More clips? Why not.

I can't stop pressing "replay".

WTS Spartan Armor and Weapons Made of Epic Materials

2008-07-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

Nothing much to post about these days other than awesome(ly bad) Youtube clips, such as this. Hoping to land a job soon 'cause the bank account is running drier than a burnt bush. That doesn't even make sense.

Best. Reviews. Ever.

2008-07-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

BLADE trilogy: What the hell does he know about taxes?

TERMINATOR trilogy: He's kinda "drawn" between them.

GRAND THEFT AUTO 4: It's such good weather outside.

10,000 BC: Love story / a little bit of action.

The Golden TV spots

2008-07-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

Are Pablo and I the only ones excited for this movie? Your loss, suckers.

Holy Shit It's ONG BAK 2

2008-06-18T00:13:00.000-07:00

...and it looks like it has nothing to do with the story of the original. Except elephants. No wait, that was TOM YUM GOONG, which should have been called ONG BAK 1.5 in hindsight. Now I'm confusing myself.

WoWoW

2008-06-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

Internet Commenters

2008-06-03T01:04:00.000-07:00

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

The Good, the Bad, and the Weird

2008-05-29T03:16:00.000-07:00

From the director of A BITTERSWEET LIFE.

Pork and Beans

2008-05-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

I'm 5 days late, but whatever. Great video.

Got back from Korea on Monday. Our flight from Tokyo to LA was delayed 3 hours. Had a lovely time at the airport getting a 3 hour massage from a half Japanese cellist.* I don't think I can finish my "days in Korea" posts since I didn't have access to a computer for the second week and you know... that thing... with my memory?

What was I talking about? Oh right, second week in Korea. General summary: Jejudo ain't all that, Seoul is damn crowded, subways are good for listening to music while people-watching, and the Blue House (Korea's version of the White House) is guarded by the worst** security in the world -- cops on rollerblades. I actually saw one stumble and nearly fall as he was patrolling. The Korean President is so dead.

All in all, it was a nice trip. Highlights were spending time with my family and relatives, all the good food, and spending time with Grace's father. What a character. I pray I'll never have to meet him ever again.

*Not.

**By worst, I mean best.

Days 5-8 in Korea

2008-05-16T01:44:00.000-07:00

Day 5 (Tuesday)

Because of the rainy weather, we went to Hampyeong (instead of Yeosu) for the 2008 World Butterfly & Insect Expo. I wish I was kidding. The less said about this, the better.

Day 6 (Wednesday)

Started the day back in Daejeon. Mom wanted to go to Gyeongju, a city on the eastside of the country. It was apparently the ancient capital of the Silla Dynasty (one of the big three, but not a Celtic), thousands of years ago. Tourists love it.

We departed at 9:00AM and it took us about 3 hours to get there. We visited:

Gyeongju National Museum (mostly old, rusted jewelry and weapons on display),

Daereungwon (bunch of huge tombs clustered together),

and Bulguksa Temple.

Actually for the temple: we didn't get to go in, we only got to the entrance because my mom was too tired and cranky at that point (you have to climb a big hill to get to it). So we just took a picture at the entrance and left. Good times.

After the history lessons, we went down to Busan (another 2 hours) to meet up with my stepdad's old friend. More meat was consumed. Stayed at a motel there overnight.

Day 7 (Thursday)

Came back to Daejeon. Took 3 hours. One thing I like about Korea are the reststops. They have really clean restrooms*, pretty good food and snacks**, and pretty much anything else you'd need while traveling.

I decided I've done enough traveling for now and will be resting the next few days before I meet up with Grace on Sunday for the second half of my trip.

Day 8 (Friday)

That would be today. All I've been doing is eating, sleeping, PC'ing, and TV'ing***. On shuffle. Tomorrow should be the same.

*I mean REALLY clean. There's usually a janitor (always women, on my experience) working her ass off while guys nonchantly urinate on to stalls behind her. There are no paper towels, the restrooms usually have multiple hand dryers, which keep trash to a minimum.

**Goguma (sweet potato), jwipo (seasoned dried filefish), tteokbokki (cylinder-shaped rice cake)... the list goes on. All of my favorites from childhood. MMM.

***There are lots of shows that center around celebrities here. Usually talkshows and gameshows, and they're all I watch. I'm not sure why (maybe my repressed fobbiness), but I find these shows funnier and more hilarious than anything on American TV. I mean really, I have tears because I'm laughing so hard, on a daily basis.

Days 2-4 in Korea

2008-05-11T21:42:00.000-07:00

DAY 2

Woke up at 6:00AM. Had light breakfast and headed out to Daecheong Dam, which my stepdad kept referring to as "Hooba Ddem" (Hoover Dam). Wasn't too impressed, but walked around and took some pictures anyway.

Afterwards, my parents took me to some famous pork BBQ place about an hour away in the middle of nowhere in the countryside. I thought it was good, but they kept saying how bad the food had become and they'll never come back again.

Then we went over to my aunt's place in Daejeon. She owns a towel factory right next to her house, which she runs with her husband. For dinner she BBQ'd pork (more?!) for us. I conked out right after, which was about 7:00PM.

DAY 3

Woke up around 2:00AM. Checked email, went back to sleep.

Woke up around 6:30AM. My mom was up, and she made some weird pizza toast concoction for breakfast. Normally I wouldn't eat it, but I had to because it was her cooking. Plus I was really hungry.

The whole family went out to Sang Dang Presbyterian Church, which my aunt attends. The church was massive, probably the size of GKC or Sarang back in Fullerton. We attended the 3rd service of the day at 11:30. It was fully in Korean of course, so I barely understood what was going on. Something about obeying your mother. Zzz. Actually it was pretty cool listening to the Mother's Day sermon sitting next to my mom.

After service we took off to a sashimi restaurant. I'm not the biggest fan of sashimi but I ate the most out of everyone there. Something about being in this country is making me eat as much as Kobayashi.

Then headed back to my aunt's place, but we went the long way around to let the food digest. Ended up going to this recreated landmark filled with old-style houses and buildings from ancient Korean history. I forgot what it was called, but it was fascinating. There was even an art museum inside, with 3 exhibits focusing on the theme of the country. Outside of the area I had a hotdog (which is actually a corndog) and yeot from a seedy vendor. Fantastic.

Finally got back to my aunt's, where everyone napped. At 7:00PM we went back out and had seafood kalgooksu (noodles). Delicious. Said farewell (for now) to my aunt and her family and came back home to Mom's.

DAY 4

Woke up a little before 6:00AM to get ready for our mini-trip to see my other aunt in Gangjin, which is way south near the ocean. It took about 4 hours. She lives in the boonies with her American husband, who's in retirement. My uncle who lives in Gwangju was already there to meet us. My aunt made us bulgogi (beef) with homegrown sangchu (lettuce). Man, I'm eating way too much. After some talk and lots of eating, my uncle had to leave since he had a meeting to attend.

We'll be staying here over tonight, and leave for Yeosu tomorrow.

Day 1 in Korea

2008-05-09T16:22:00.001-07:00

More like "Day 1 in airplanes" amirite?

Spent 11 hours and a half on the first flight from LAX to Narita, Japan. Sat in the middle sandwiched between a Japanese businessman and a Korean student. Didn't speak much. Sat through NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS, DAN IN REAL LIFE, 27 DRESSES, and DAN IN REAL LIFE (they played it again, to provoke me to do horrible things to them, like singing "bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb-a bomb" a la Ben Stiller in MEET THE PARENTS). Fortunately for them, I was too tired at that point to even care.

Spent about an hour at the Narita airport looking around and killing time, waiting for our next flight. That airport is so much nicer than LAX... why is ours so ghetto?

Spent 3 hours on the flight from Narita to Incheon, Korea. That airport is even nicer than the one in Narita. When did Koreans get so fancy? My parents were there to greet me, so we shared a little dramatic moment. I parted ways with Grace, whom I will be reuniting with next week.

Spent another 3 hours on the car ride from Incheon to Daejeon, where my parents live. We got a little lost along the way, even though they had a brand new GPS system that had been purchased just 2 days ago. "We don't know how to use this thing, we're analog people in a digital world."

They live in one of those tall aparment structures, on the 11th floor. Even though it's small inside, I'm just thankful they have a normal bathroom with a toilet and shower intact, and also a computer (which I'm blogging from).

I'm hoping I can update this thing with some pictures later on. When I asked my mom if she had a camera, she pulled out a relic that somehow resembled a Canon. "I can't live like this Mom. I am a 21st century digital boy. I don't know how to live but I've got a lot of toys."

I'm off to see my aunt (Mom's youngest sister) who lives in the same city. 'Til next time.

Colbert vs. Rain

2008-05-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Big Red Machine

2008-05-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

Big, scary dude from TOM YUM GOONG and FEARLESS as a big, timid dude that turns into Hulk's red brother whenever he eats spicy papaya salad, joined by a little girl that can probably kick Matt Serra's ass. I'm sold.

Oh, and he kicks a guy through a plane. Really, I'm sold.

Meet the Scout

2008-04-21T07:38:00.000-07:00

Mario Theme by Wine Bottles

2008-04-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

Amazing.

Virtuosity

2008-04-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

I haven't been watching a lot of TV lately, so I forgot how funny The Daily Show (and The Colbert Report) is.

Trailer - Glory at Sea

2008-04-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

Make Me a Muxtape

2008-03-30T22:38:00.000-07:00

Muxtape is like a mixtape, but with MP3s. And on the internet. Why hasn't anyone thought of this before?

http://danielcho.muxtape.com/

I made that in about 15 minutes. Not too much thought or planning went into it, which isn't very me, but hey, I gotta keep you on your toes. I plan to keep it updated (i.e. change the ~~mix~~ mux) fairly often (who knows what that means).

Dead Fantasy part 2

2008-03-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

Part 1 is here.

MMovie part 1

2008-03-17T09:24:00.000-07:00