Friday, May 20, 2005
This is progress?
I'm sure you've heard the expression "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Yesterday I experienced the ups and downs of this saying as I went to see the latest Star Wars film. You would think I would "remember the past" and recall how incredibly lame Episodes I and II were, but I somehow convinced myself this one would be different. Maybe it was the overwhelmingly positive critical reaction as seen over at Rotten Tomatoes. Whatever the reason, I went.
The bottom line is this is not a good movie. Yeah, it's better than I or II, but as this review from The New Yorker keenly notes, "only in the same way that dying from natural causes is preferable to crucifixion." The film's chief weakness is, like the first two, horrible acting. The script is no prize either, but I feel the acting is the greater tragedy. Several serious scenes caused the audience to erupt with derisive laughter. At one point (and I don't consider this a spoiler) Darth Vader wrenches his new body from the operating table looking like Frankenstein's monster before looking upward and bellowing "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" It was hilariously retarded.
It's not 100% lame but every cool moment seemed to immediately lead to a stupid one. There's a nasty CGI bad guy named General Grievous but he inexplicably coughs and chokes throughout the story. The Sith Lord has a really cool voice but his facial expressions are ridiculous. There are flashes of actual political commentary concerning war and the corruption of absolute power but the delivery is so absurd you simply cannot take it seriously.
Rather than elaborate further, I will give you the happy ending to this story. I saw the film at the Clearview Cinemas at 62nd & 1st. The print was scratched and discolored in several places, there were occasional sound "warping" moments and the projection actually began in the wrong aspect ratio and stopped completely during the credits. For a brand-new film, this was unacceptable. I informed the management (after waiting for twenty minutes) and received a free re-admission ticket for my troubles. That greatly improved my mood for the rest of the day.
(Speaking of mood, I saw the dermatologist yesterday and she gave me an ointment that is working wonders on my various "inflammations." It's a little goopy, but less than a day later I can see some dramatic improvement. She also definitively said that this is not cancer.)
So what did I learn yesterday? On the one hand, I foolishly ignored past evidence and assumed Episode III would be cool. On the other, I got a free ticket because I complained about the picture, something I learned from my past experience in movie theaters. All in all I'd say I broke even, but when do I start winning?
つづく... (Click here to read more)
The bottom line is this is not a good movie. Yeah, it's better than I or II, but as this review from The New Yorker keenly notes, "only in the same way that dying from natural causes is preferable to crucifixion." The film's chief weakness is, like the first two, horrible acting. The script is no prize either, but I feel the acting is the greater tragedy. Several serious scenes caused the audience to erupt with derisive laughter. At one point (and I don't consider this a spoiler) Darth Vader wrenches his new body from the operating table looking like Frankenstein's monster before looking upward and bellowing "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" It was hilariously retarded.
It's not 100% lame but every cool moment seemed to immediately lead to a stupid one. There's a nasty CGI bad guy named General Grievous but he inexplicably coughs and chokes throughout the story. The Sith Lord has a really cool voice but his facial expressions are ridiculous. There are flashes of actual political commentary concerning war and the corruption of absolute power but the delivery is so absurd you simply cannot take it seriously.
Rather than elaborate further, I will give you the happy ending to this story. I saw the film at the Clearview Cinemas at 62nd & 1st. The print was scratched and discolored in several places, there were occasional sound "warping" moments and the projection actually began in the wrong aspect ratio and stopped completely during the credits. For a brand-new film, this was unacceptable. I informed the management (after waiting for twenty minutes) and received a free re-admission ticket for my troubles. That greatly improved my mood for the rest of the day.
(Speaking of mood, I saw the dermatologist yesterday and she gave me an ointment that is working wonders on my various "inflammations." It's a little goopy, but less than a day later I can see some dramatic improvement. She also definitively said that this is not cancer.)
So what did I learn yesterday? On the one hand, I foolishly ignored past evidence and assumed Episode III would be cool. On the other, I got a free ticket because I complained about the picture, something I learned from my past experience in movie theaters. All in all I'd say I broke even, but when do I start winning?
つづく... (Click here to read more)
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
The Burden of Awareness
Not in a very good mood today. I learned little from my trip to the doctor, other than the fact that I now owe him $350. I have to get some tests run tomorrow. One of them involves collecting all of my urine today, the other two involve my blood. All three will no doubt involve a serious impact on my bank account.
What's the answer? Medicaid! I spent a few hours sitting in Bellevue waiting to apply. It felt worse than going to the DMV. I have no idea what the answer is yet, as I need to submit more information before my application is formally "accepted." Once that happens, it still may take four to six weeks before I get an answer.
In the meantime I've had plenty of time to reflect on society's woes which are larger than my own. I watched The Corporation yesterday and it was awesome in a depressing sort of way, as I feel like I can't do a single thing to act towards changing the problems that the film highlights. On a different but equally frustrating note, I laughed and felt sad when I read this week's edition of This Modern World. It's a very funny cartoon but in reality that's a very serious problem threatening the basic intelligence of millions of real children. I've had a hard enough time dealing with the fact that I grew up with the softball version of American history:
つづく... (Click here to read more)
What's the answer? Medicaid! I spent a few hours sitting in Bellevue waiting to apply. It felt worse than going to the DMV. I have no idea what the answer is yet, as I need to submit more information before my application is formally "accepted." Once that happens, it still may take four to six weeks before I get an answer.
In the meantime I've had plenty of time to reflect on society's woes which are larger than my own. I watched The Corporation yesterday and it was awesome in a depressing sort of way, as I feel like I can't do a single thing to act towards changing the problems that the film highlights. On a different but equally frustrating note, I laughed and felt sad when I read this week's edition of This Modern World. It's a very funny cartoon but in reality that's a very serious problem threatening the basic intelligence of millions of real children. I've had a hard enough time dealing with the fact that I grew up with the softball version of American history:
Columbus, Puritans and Democracy, good!Can you imagine the impact on children who grow up learning intelligent design and then try to incorporate that nonsense into the real world? Why bother teaching science at all if the backbone of that education is grounded in pure myth? In thirty years, will two hydrogens and a oxygen make water because of chemical bonding or because Poseidon willed it to be so?
Monarchy, Communism and Fire BAD!
つづく... (Click here to read more)
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Rolling!
w00t! The Yanks won again and this time Tino hit two homers! They've won eight in a row to even their record at 19-19. Sure, .500 isn't great, but at least this will stop all those whiny reports that the Yanks are "too old."
Not much happened to me today. I ate my first falafel tonight, and I drank my first "cherry juice." I'm assuming cherry juice tastes like cherries because I've never eaten them. Then again, apple juice doesn't exactly taste like apples.
Tomorrow I go to the doctor and hopefully begin to uncover what the hell is wrong with me. My entire state of mind is riding on this.
つづく... (Click here to read more)
Not much happened to me today. I ate my first falafel tonight, and I drank my first "cherry juice." I'm assuming cherry juice tastes like cherries because I've never eaten them. Then again, apple juice doesn't exactly taste like apples.
Tomorrow I go to the doctor and hopefully begin to uncover what the hell is wrong with me. My entire state of mind is riding on this.
つづく... (Click here to read more)
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