Republican Braces up for (Unannounced) Presidential Bid

Let me start by saying I hate this man. His views on religion in government and abortion make him pretty high on my get-this-guy-away-from-my-government list. However, I always think in terms of issues and not people (or party affiliation which seems to be increasinly irrelevent as the partys merge into one amorphous blob to underrepresent America). The issue is stem cell research. The view Herr President has taking is not only ridiculous but also reveals his inablitiy to seperate his fear of what his flawed mind does not understand from what is good for the country. A majority of Americans favor stem cell research, between 60 and 85% depending on the poll and how it is worded. The Governator in California already bailed on Herr President on the issue, pushing through a huge funding initiative. So did Nancy Reagan, wife of the last great Republican president (I know some of you are groaning right now, but its what I beleive, and that's not what this article is about - by the way, I'm sure President Reagan would have supported stem cell research. He liked science.)

The newest refugee from the Bush camp is none other than religious right darling, Bill Frist. Frist, a former physician, said the measure to expand funding and the lines of cells eligible, which has already passed the republica-controlled house, would have his support in the senate. Arlen Spector, the bill's sponsor said "I know that the president will listen to what Sen. Frist has had to say, I'm not saying he is going to agree with it but ... I think may bring us all together on this issue." Frist's change of heart also brought praise from Democrats. Harry Reid, Senate Democratic leader, stated "It is a decision that will bring hope to millions of Americans," adding "I know there's still a long ways to go with the legislation, but a large step has been taken by the majority leader today ... and I admire the majority leader for doing it."

So what the heck is going on here? Well, past the obvious point that Herr President's stance is completely absurd, anti-intellectual, and spits in the face of the scientific comunity, Frist is simply moving back toward center. He knows his views on abortion will give the religious right enough to smile over, and he is trying to woo a few more centrists. Whether it will work remains to be seen, pro-life and pro-stem cell research is a shaky policy at best, but not nearly as dire as The Christian Defense Coalition makes it out to be, vowing that Frist will not have their endorsement if he votes for the bill. I myself could never vote for him, but their seems to be fewer and fewer Republicans that I could. Whoever Frist runs against in the primary, you can be sure that his 'flip-flop' on the issue will come up, but at least his political urges have lead him to support something that this country can really use. Sometimes, the reasons are irrelevent, as long as the right thing gets done.

Twins Turn the Corner on Playoff Run

You heard it here first, last night represents the turning point in the toughest season in the last five years for the MINNESOTA TWINS. The Twinkies, who have battled injuries and immature infielders all year long, bested the evil empire last night on the arms of Johan Santana and Torii Hunter, 7-3. Santana, last year's unamious AL Cy Young Award Winner, scattered seven hits over seven shut out innings, striking out five. Minnesota has been struggling for runs the last several games so when Derek Jeter rounded third in an attempt to tie the game at one in the third, it felt like it might be another devasting loss to the Yankees. But Torii Hunter threw him out at the plate, and the Twins held on till they put three more runs on the board in the the seventh.

The Twins offense has anemic this year, so scoring seven runs off the Yankees, who I consider their arch rival (I know the White Sox are their division rival but they usually split or beat the Sox, they ALWAYS lose to the Yankees) has to mean the time is now! The Twins are 11 games back from the White Sox but only a half game back on the Athletics in the Wild Card race. I don't know if they'll catch the Sox ... but they do have a ton of games coming up against them so... but I think the wild card is easily with in their reach. Pitching has been solid over the last month, Mauer is really showing the promise that was promised and Stewart has been on base every fricking inning as usual. Last night also featured big contributions for Hunter and Jacque Jones. If Jobu can wake the bats up for the final push, it's in the bag. Look for big contributions from recent pick up Bret Boone, who has a lot to prove... oh and maybe a trade in the next four days to bring another bat to the Twin Cities. Maybe a real third basemen. We'll see.

But you heard it here first.

Chocolate Same Amount of Sweetness as Original Product

Let me start with two disclaimers. 1. I hate Hollywood remakes. I think one of the least original things that someone can do in movieville is remake a movie that has already been made. 2. I love Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It was probably on my list of favorite movies till I was like 16 ... meaing it holds a very special place in my heart (as does the original veruca but more on that later). That being said I thought the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY was a fun, enjoyable night at the movies, one during which I laughed a lot and smile even more.

Johnny Depp is 'really weird' as he states during the movie, but he's great. He sparkles on the screen. The other (not surprising) thing sparkling in this film is the art direction. Everything looks great - the colors, the images, the costumes, the strange machines, everything. Fine performances are turned in by the entire ensemble including Helena BOnham Carter (with really bad teeth) as Charlie's mother and CHrostopher Lee (with really good teeth) as Wonka's dentist father.

So why did I leave disappointed? What did I want out of the movie?

I think I wanted a reason for the movie to exist. I was fairly happy with the original. Now I have been told that this movie is supposed to be more true to the book... Here is my issue, nothing very essential to the story was added. THe lengthening of the story before and after the trip to the factory (i.e. charlie's family) just serves to lengthen the time away from what makes the story interesting. CHarlie is by far the dullest character in the movie (and the original and the book). THat is part of the cenceit - he is a normal good kid who gets rewarded. That however, does not make for very intersting cinema. THe original movie dealt with this by a) getting to the factory as soon as possible and ending the story there b) adding a scene where charlie does something 'bad' - the floating to the fan scene and c) making there some question about whether charlie was going to steal info for slugworth. The new movie fails in all those areas, CHarlie is by far duller than the orginal charlie, and that's really hard. Don't get me wring, I'm not saying this is the fault of the actor, who is really quite sweet and cute - but the character its self is flawed. It has no arc. It goes no where. He is left unchanged by his experiences in the whole movie. And if that's not a recipe for disaster I don't know what is.

Another difference is the music. Now I must make anoth admission: I hate Danny Elfman. I think all his music sounds the same and if I never hear the soundtrack to nightmare before christmas again I will die a happy man. But WILLIE WONKA is a musical. CHARLIE is not. the only singing in the new movie is done by the oompa loompas (and animatronic puppets at the entrance of the factory). I enjoyed each one of the oompa songs individualy, but they did not have the same effecct on the movie as in the original, where they feel like one song which is continually reprised. Everyone remembers the oompa lumpas, everyone can sing there little song...remember their warnings. That's not true in this one.

Then there is the matter of Veruca Salt. Now most young boys develop a sort of crush on her (leading inevitably to years of dating girls you could never possibly please). SHe has the best song in the original film, and best way of getting her ticket. Anyway, she is basically a non-entity in the new movie, being completly outdone by Violet, the over competitive gum chewing daughter of a pagaent queen. Oh and she is a black belt in karate. So what will that lead the boys to date in the future? Only time well tell, but she was definitely the best of the kids. RIP Veruca.

Overall I recommend this movie to people who can't get enough candy, people who love Tim Burton, or Johnny Depp, and people just curious to see another movie about WIllie WOnka: B-

Don't Pick on the Kid in the Wheelchair, He Might Kick Your Ass!

Only a few years ago I issues one of my infamous dismissive blanket statements, something along the line of "all documentries are boring." The Spellbound happened, and Hands on a Hard Body, and Super Size Me, and Farenheight 9/11, and I must admit now I find myself anxiously awaiting the next wave of documentries to be unleashed by festivals each year.

MURDERBALL won the audience award and the special jury prize in the documentry category at Sundance this year, and its easy to see why. Wheelchair Rugby is a balls to wall exciting sport - every participant, by virtue of being able to play, is an amazing and movie story themselves, and the 'plot,' which follows the US Team from the world championships in 2002 to the Paralympics in 2004 in Athens benefits from falling out in a surprisingly traditional 3 act structure. The movie even has a great villian, in ex US star now Team Canada coach Joe Soares, whose arrogance and drive to win (even at the expense of his family's happiness) is gut-wrenching.

On the forces of good side, MURDERBALL gives us Austin resident Chris Zuppan (who looks a lot like a bad ass version of my good friend Jeremy), a man who fell asleep in the back of a truck at age 17 and woke up flung 45 feet into the air into a canal where he hung onto a tree for 13 hours till someone found him... yeah, wow. He is the captain of Team USA both on the court and off, as we see him visit a rehab center and introduce new qudrapelegics to the game and inspire them to see their lives are not over. Another moving moment (yeah, I cried) is when Zuppan is reunited with his high-school friend, the man who drove the truck (drunk and not even knowing his best friend was in the back).

This movie kicks ass. It's funny (lines such as 'we don't want a hug, we want to win'), it's moving, it's exciting, and it's inspiring. You owe it to yourself to see this film, and to take others to see it as well. Rick's Rating: A -

TNT takes us INTO THE WEST one last time

So may usual opinion on TV is that if it's on... I probably don't want to watch it. Many of you know I lived 4 consecutive years without cable, and thus no television, so moving in with Erin a few years ago brought me into a whole new world of reality garbage, docudramas and ... well Fox news. Not that Erin watches Fox news, certainly not, just that it was on ... and the way TV can be used to manipulate stupid people... it all disgusts me. Even seemingly innocent shows such as American Idol manipulate people into buying cds attending concerts of so-called 'stars' who are only stars because they are on TV.

In the past two years I have really come to appreciate sports TV, I find it an easy area of common bonding that I may do with my fellow human (i.e. we can't all agree on who should be running this country, but we can agree that the Chicago Cubs will never be able to win the world series). And it was in my quest to be in the know with the NBA playoffs that I became aware of TNT's summer blockbuster mini-series INTO THE WEST. Now truth be told, my initial reasons for watching were pretty self centered: I have a screenplay on the backburner about an Indian Chief ... so I thought I should check it out.

Well, 10 hours later I tempted to call INTO THE WEST the best television mini-series since V. Each episode has pulled me in tighter, as it plows across (so far) 50 years of US history told from a very balanced view. Characters come in and out of the story, have children who grow up before our eyes, and are exchanged for older actor versions of themselves. It is the kind of story that could only be told this way... over 6 2 hour episodes. I think I have finally found a purpose for TV. Certainly this is the draw of a shows like 24 (which I still have never seen) and I must admit I got adicted to the new Sci-Fi channel version of Battlestar Galactica. You can take as long to tell a story as you need, and you can do the kind of character development that many movies lack... and you can dialogue. And you don't have to have an explosion or a fight scene every 10 minutes.

Anyway, the final episode of INTO THE WEST debuts tonight on TNT... if you haven't caught the first 5 I'm sure you'll be completely lost but TNT may re run them and certainly a DVD is due in the future - check it out.

As Much Fun as a Barrel of Lemurs

Ya'll probably saw MADAGASCAR already but being as I'm well over the target marketing age group for this Dreamworks ANimation delight, I just saw it last night. Truth be told Erin and I had tried on several occassions to find a small child to accompany us to the film, but, well, instead saw it on a weeknight with 10 other people 10 weeks after it opened. I have a soft spot in my heart for cartoons, as I used to take my little sister to get away from the family on several holiday occasions, I must admit, but I think anyone would love this movie.

MADAGASCAR follows a group of NY City Park animals who, much to their own surprise, get sent back to the wild. The lead animals, voiced by Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and David Schwimmer are all fun in their own personality quirk ways, but the movie is completely stolen by two sets on supporting characters: the Penguins, who hijack to the ship to get to Antartica, only to find its too cold, and the Lemurs who rule the island the animals end up on. The Lemur King, voiced by "Ali G" star Sacha Cohen steals every scene he is in, despite the valiant efforts of Cedric the Entertainer (as I would call it, the Lemur Prime Minister). My God they were funny.

I don't want to ruin any of the surprises or the brilliant sci-fi parody/reference moments that are obviously in there for the adults, so I'll just say, see this movie. If it closes this week, as I fully expect, rent it, buy it on DVD whatever. This is the first cartoon with out the Pixar label attached that really made the CGI lovable and cute (Shrek is not cute, it's funny but not cute). I recommend MADAGASCAR for kids, adults who think like kids, laughs and bringing out the animal instinct in all of us to Go Wild! Rick Rating: A -

I Love Being a White Christian Male

It's so nice that I will have yet another representative of my people on the Supreme Court of the Unites States of America (assuming Judge John Roberts Jr. will be confirmed). There was all this speculation leading up to the Bush's announcement that Herr President would replace O'Connor, the first woman ever nominated to the Supreme Court, with another woman. Laura Bush seemed to think that was a good idea. In fact, 8 out of 10 people polled recently thought replacing O'Connor with another woman was a good idea. It seemed like such a good idea that yesterday every news station in America seemed to think that Bush was about to do just that, reporting the Judge Edith Clement of Louisiana as the heir apparent. Bush then laid all those suspicions to rest and nominated a 50 year old white male.

Well, thank god for that! The last thing we need on the court is another uppity woman helping to make decisions that affect women. I mean come on! We put a black up there (of course he does his best to vote with the white men), and we're doing our best to represent octengenarians and baby boomers both, what more do these people want? The supreme court was proposed, developed and perfect by white men. White men have sat on it for nigh on 200 years and they's brought us such diverse success as Plessy vs Ferguson AND Brown vs the Board of Education.

In the days to come both the democrats and the republicans will tell us how we should feel about Judge Roberts, a man with a 2 year history on the district court of appeals, who was nominated twice before for the same job but never received a vote, and whose most famous case so far seems to be upholding an arrest of a 12 year old girl for eating a french fry in a subway station. Certainly the rightys will say he's a fine example of american justice. Certainly the leftys will say he's going to send america back twenty years in its development as a progressive nation. For now let's just applaud what we know for certain, he's a bona fide WHITE CHRISTIAN MALE with a TRADITIONAL FAMILY. Well done, Herr President, well done. Long live the ascendent ones. Long live the majority. Long live the Reich.

Is Depp a Greenlighter? Pink Floyd fans hope he Shines On

According to a recent interview with comingsoon.net, Johnny Depp told a reporter that he is interested in making a movie about original Pink Floyd lead singer/guitarist/songwriter/founder Syd Barrett. This could be great news for Pink Floyd fans as every thing Depp seems to touch these days turns gold. Of course, Depp specifically said he wanted to make a movie about a rock and roller, and he thought that Syd would be a good choice.

For those with pre-Dark Side impaired knowledge of Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett was the primary force in the evolution of the influential band from R+B cover band to pyschadelic darlings of the underground. He wrote or co-wrote all but one song on their debut album, The Piper At the Gates of Dawn, as well as their first three singles. In many people's eyes, he was Pink Floyd (he named the band after two relatively obscure bluesmen, crafted their image, and designed their first album cover). Syd's quick breakdown after the success of the Floyd is legendary in England. He would stand on stage playing the same chord for 40 minutes, give interviews where he just stared into the camera ("with eyes like black holes in the sky" as Waters put it in the the 1975 song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"), or not show up at all. Certainly Syd's routine of constant hallucinogenic drug use did not help the matter, but mostly he was crumbling under the pressures of being "the next projected sound of 1967" as the record compnay was pushing.

By the time Pink Floyd was recording their second album, David Gilmour had been recruited (to play and sing when Syd didn't feel like it) and Roger Waters was writing a majority of the songs (or co-writing). One day, on the way to a gig, they decided not to pick Syd up, and that was it. He was pushed out of the band he had created. He does appear in several places on A Saucerful of Secrets, but more importantly his legacy would haunt Pink Floyd for years serving as the inspiration for the album Wish You Were Here, the character of Pink in the Wall, the song Brain Damage/Eclipse from Dark Side and countless others. He recorded two solo albums in 1969/70 with the help of all the the Floyds but has basically disappeared since, living alone in his boyhood town of Cambridge with his mother.

Syd's story is tragic, and worthy of being told. The current buzz amongst Pink Floyd fans is the Depp would be great (and that Richard Gere should play an older Waters). Myself, well, Syd has a strong place in my heart ... I honestly don't know if he would want a movie made about him. He has tried to distance himself from his past for the last 35 years, frightened almost by his legacy. According to a recent (last 10 years) radio interview with his brother-in-law, he is doing well and does not like to talk about 'his band.'

Of course, I'd also like to write a movie about Syd Barrett, as I've said to Erin on several occasions, so I'm a bit biased.

Sometimes, Pain can be very Funny, Ha Ha

I ventured out into the realm of the REALLY Independent Film world this weekend and caught FUNNY HA HA - a movie made in 2002 on like nothing, which has been making its way around festivals for the last 3 years and is finally receiving 'major' release through the wonderful Landmark Theatres (amongst others). It is raw, it is directionless and it is painful... in short, it is everything I love about independent film and a movie that deserves every single dollar it scrapes up (which I suspect will not be too much).

The movie follows Marnie, a recent college grad, as she negotiates the wonderful world of being a jobless and single adult. That's right, it's everyone's 23rd year caught on film, in all it's excruciating glory. Think the answering machine sequence with Nikki in SWINGERS, and then take that social ineptitude and fill a whole movie with it. The film is heavily influenced by SLACKER, but with a far more cohesive storyline. It draws heavily from the moodiness of Todd Solondz (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness) but with less actual thought.

It is, without a doubt, FUNNY. I laughed very loudly, many of the times it was out of discomfort from the characters complete lack of tact or ability to communicate with eachother. The ending is, and I will warn you outright so you are non disappointed, very sudden and unresolved. Like SLACKER it feels as if they either ran out of a) money or b) ideas and just stopped shooting. It needed just about 1 more minute of dialogue to make its point (even if its point was the unresolvability of her life - that still needed to be shown - think the end of KICKING AND SCREAMING - will he go to Prague?) I recommend this movie for feeling sorry for yourself (atleast you're better off than these characters) , and getting off your ass to do some creative work of your own. B+


Incidentally, I took part in another cultural phenomenon over the weekend as well, as I watched my wife read the entirety of the new Harry Potter book in one day. She says it's good. I don't read books so I cannot venture an opinion. But I am anxiously awaiting the fourth movie this fall.

Here's a Superhero to Root For - A Hollywod Exec With Own Idea

Given that one out of every three big budget movies this year seems to be based on a comic book, and there are some 20 films currently in production with comic book roots and that even questionable successes such as Hellboy (which only turned a profit on DVD sales) seem to warrant sequels ... I am invoking a CALL TO ARMS!

The call is two-fold -

1) to the hollywood exec - open your eyes. We just went through 19 weeks of the box office not living up to the prior year's totals... ya ever think that hey maybe its the fact that you are making crap movies? A movie should lift us out of our world and take us on a journey - something unpredictable which makes us think or atleast experience the new and vivid. There is nothing more predictable that the average superhero pic a) normal person b) encounters either supernatural or psychological turmail that c) turns them into something more powerful than a normal person. They then d) learn how to use their powers, e) face conflict as to whether they really want to live a life different from everyone else, f) and finally realize that they are the only one who defeat the evil, which they do, but g) leave the door open for a sequel either by allowing the villian to live or meeting another villian right before the end of a movie. COME ON!!! tell a story we don't already know. THere must be a hundred scripts sitting on your desk with more interesting characters (and less cgi)

2) to the movie goer - stop going to these films! Just because something is declared a blockbuster doesn't mean that it is and you should go to see it. The more these films break even on DVD sales the more they will continue to be made. The next time you look to see a film, don't go on the recommendation of a friend that said Superhero 4 was 'pretty good,' read the fricking reveiws and head out to an Art House and see a solid independent film. If you want a recommendation for this weekend, see the excellent KONTROLL, a Hungarian thriller about ticket checkers on the subway in pursuit of a mysterious killer. Great flick, it's a definite A -. If you want to see a hollywood film, see the thoroughly satisfying MR. AND MRS. SMITH - which is far better than any of the previews made me believe it would be.

Bewitched with Hollywood Remakes

So I saw the Will Ferrell/Nicole Kidman remake of BEWITCHED, and I have to say, I was reasonably surprised. Now, I did go in with exceedingly low expectations, and that always helps, but I was glad to see a more intelligent take on the idea of a remake. For those of you who seem to miss the ten minutes before other movies, i.e. trailers and commercials and who have been living under a rock, the concept is this: Will Ferrell plays a former A list actor who has fallen to the C list after several bombs (somewhat like Ben Affleck) and agrees to 'star' in a new television reamke of the old Bewitched series. Because he doesn't want to be upstaged, he convinces them to hire a nobody to play the witch, and stumbles upon a real witch (Nicole Kidman) who he hires immediately. The set up works well and the performances are sparkling - you can't help but feel sorry for Will the whole time, he tries so hard to make the show about his character, and he tries to impress his new co-star. Kidman, of course, makes you absolutely fall for her whenever she wants (somethig I've been victim to since To Die For). The whole problem with the movie lies in the third act, which involves the inievitable break up and get back together of the on-screen couple. Its fine, its just really cliche and the first 70 % of the movie deserved more. Another issue is the appearance of characters from original series and whether or not they are real witches (and thus were in the fifties) or if they are being imagined by the new series actors (and thus they are both going crazy). WHen an important plot point is dependent on one of these late arrivals (Uncle Arthur) it all but destroys the momentum of the movie. It really would be far more meaniful if Will Ferrell's characters had been able to come to some of the same conclusions on his own with out any Deus Ex Machina. My final complaint is the abandonment of the minor characters - the subplot with Michael Caine (Kidman's warlock father) and Shirley MacClain (Another real witch that just happens to be playing the witch aunt in the new series) is never resolved. And the most interesting minor characters, Kidman's neighbor and Ferrell's agent (Kristin Chenoweth and Jason Schwartzman) completely disappear in the third act? Are there twenty minuies of this movie somewhere on the cutting floor, or was it just really sloppy writing? We'll wait till the DVD comes out to be sure, but till then, I recommend this movie for laughs, dates, and Kidman oogling. And for Michael Caine fanatics (Though he's been a bit of a whore lately, popping up in every movie that seems to be released). I give it a solid B.

Reasons not to Blog

I seriously never intended to blog. I just meant to respond to someone else's blog and somehow I ended up starting one of my own. But this isn't bad because I am currently writing a screenplay about someone who wants to be a writer and wastes a lot of time blogging. I figure this will be research a bit. As long as I don't waste too much time. Hmmm...

Here as far as I can think of, the reasons I've held to now as to why I did not want to become a blogger.

1) Its arrogant to think anyone should care about my opinion enough to read my daily thoughts
2) Its an incredible waste of time that could be better used writing somehting for real
3) it encourages poor typing habits - such as the its in the last two sentences
4) You never know when the government is going to find something to use against you
5) You never know when your friends/family are going to find something to use against you
6) Is there really that much to talk about that you must have some many people blogging all over the world?
7) I used to make fun of people who had blogs ... whoops
8) Its terrible when some entity pays you for your time and you end up fiddling around on the internet instead of working on what they are paying you to do
9) I once posted on a blog and lots of people made fun of my comments and I was very hurt, but I really do think the Dark Crystal is as good as the Star Wars films
10) I already spend enough time checking my ebay and seeing how many people have read my listamania lists on Amazon.

So there it is. I was think though to really make this blog worth while, I will definitely have to write about more than my personal life. So look for some in-depth music and movie opinions to come when I start this for real on Monday. Have a good weekend.