Sloth love Chunk!

Spent a few hours basking in nostalgia last night with an old favourite.

For the record, Goonies does not stand up to my very fond childhood memories, but I think this is more of a reflection of my lost youthful innocence than any real shortcoming of the film.  Keeping in mind that I was 6 years old when the film was originally released, the paper thin plot and lack luster performances by has been child stars were the things dreams were made of.  As an adult I see right through this things, and can't help but be dissapointed.  In my youth all that mattered was the whole idea that they found a pirate ship.  Legendary.

While I doubt I will enjoy future viewings, I am hoping it will capture my daughters imagination the way it once did mine.

I have a Squirrel...

I have a squirrel...
In my mommy's hatbox...
Under my bed...
In the corner of my room...
In my house...
With trees all around.
And all the animals...
And all the people passing by...
Would never know...
That in the corner of my room...
Under my bed...
In my mommy's hatbox...
I have a dead squirrel.

Adapted from I Have a Turtle by Kathy Bing.  Whitman publishing company circa 1968.

So I finished the Hunger Games Trilogy...

Having now read all 3 books I can honestly say I feel ripped off.  Without giving anything away, here's my 2 cents:

Book one started out pretty good, and while I had some issues with some of the content, ultimately I enjoyed it.  However I still maintain the deep connection between this concept and Stephen King's short story: The Running Man.  Original material this is not!

Book Two felt weak in comparison.  With no other real plans for the characters, the author dumps them back into the arena, despite the fact that the mythos she has created states they should be immune to this.  And the surprise twist at the end feels like a mistake.  It totally eliminates any sense of suspense.

Book Three is the worst of the trilogy.  It honestly feels like a totally different series, rushed to the point that many of the plot points don't make sense.  I draw very strong parallels to the 3rd Matrix movie.  Interesting concept, horrible execution.

Sadly now I need to see the movie to see if Hollywood can fix this trilogy.

RELEASE THE KRACKEN!

After a long and not so grueling day of rehearsal, I decided to treat myself to a guilty pleasure.
I love going to the movies.  Always have.  Always will.  But it was fairly late in life (mid twenties-ish) that I discovered that I really enjoy going to movies alone.  Apparently this is something that a significant portion of the people I know don't like to do.  Regardless, and for whatever reason, be it ultimate seat selection, or the absolute lack of  debate on what film to see, this is something I enjoy.  Throw in the fact that my lovely wife hates going to the movies, and our daughter is still too young to form an opinion on the matter, and you have a perfect guilty pleasure. 
  Tonight's offering was a bit of a disappointment.  Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, and Ralph Fienes in Wrath of The Titans.  Granted I was aware going in that this film was not going to win any awards of any kind, ever.  A sequel to an entertaining summer block buster from a few years back, both are modeled on much older films, one of which was a staple of my youth.  I think it's safe to say that  everyone of my generation with a television saw Clash of The Titans at least once.  I have fond memories of the campy clay-mation monsters, the pseudo Greek mythology, and of course who could forget : "RELEASE THE KRACKEN!" It is still a recognizable catch phrase to many of us.
I will also take a moment to admit that I am a big Greek Mythology Geek.  Ever since I picked up a copy of Heroes & Monsters of Greek Myth in Grade 3 and read it cover to cover - all 110 pages (not bad for 7 year old kid)  I have been hooked.  Hooked enough that while obtaining my University Degree, I also undertook a double minor, one half of which was in History, with a special focus on Classical Studies, with several courses devoted to Mythology.  But enough about that!
This latest installment fails on alot of levels for me.  The killer for me is the total lack of inspiration. While the original was fun with its depiction of a myth right out of a story book and interesting deoictions of Calabash, Medusa, Pegasus, and the Kracken as plasticene movie monsters, this new movie gives the fantastical creatures very little screen time.  To me Mythology is all about making the Fantastical come to life, and this movie misses the point.  You have a Chimera, a terrible looking Minotaur, some interesting demons of Tartarus, and Cronus Lord of the Titans - father of Zeus.  With the incredible work people are doing with computer graphics these days, most of these just seem tired and un-inspired.  Kudos for their work on the Cyclops however, they looked pretty damn good!
Ultimately, I think the real failing of the film was in its depiction of the end of the era of the Gods. The humanization of all of these larger than life mythic personalities was not a route I would have chosen.  So much time was spent on the relationships between Perseus and his Father Zeus, and between all of the other featured omnipotent beings, none of which is reflected in the actual mythology, one has to wonder where they got their source material...and who approved the script!  LAME!
I could bash the cinematography while I'm at it, but I dont think this film deserves any more of my time.  Oh well, bottom line, if you want Greek Mythology done right don't see this movie, instead, go play God of War 3 on the PS3.  It looks better, its story is a more  accurate to the mythology, and it is guarenteed to keep you entertained, unlike Wrath of the Titans.

Hunger Games...still on the fence

I just finished reading the first book of the Hunger Games trilogy, and thought I should take a moment to share my thoughts. 
Now, admittedly this is a piece of contemporary young adult fiction.  It is not Dickens or one of the Bronte sisters by any stretch of the imagination.  While these days I am more often drawn to the work of authors like, Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, or Christopher Moore, I do on occasion delve into the teen format for some lighter fare.  Harry Potter, Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson, The Eregon Series, The Immortal Nicholas Flemmel, all have proven to be decent reads over the years.
Suzanne Colin's Hunger Games leaves an odd taste in my mouth.  The story itself is a a thinly veiled clone of the Richard Bachmann (Stephen King) short story The Running Man, which most will remember more for the, barely connected in content, movie featuring Arnold Swartzenegger.  This is really a teen retelling of the movie version, but with a female protagonist, and a more fleshed out back story of why the gladiatorial games take place.
My issue with the novel stems from the fact that it is trying to be youth fiction.  ADD 5-10 years to any of the characters and it would still be an interesting story, but the level of detachment and violence that it suggests that these teenagers are capable of doesn't sit real well with me.  In the other young adult fiction I have read and enjoyed, actions have consequences.  Hunger games goes a step beyond that and basicially says "it doesn't matter how you treat the people around you, as long as you survive".  With this detachment from the social mores that our sociery promotes so clearly evident from such an early point in the novel, its really hard to develop any kind of attachment to the protagonist.  She basically comes across as an ice cold teen version of John Rambo, killing anyone who gets in her way in her attempt to protect her young sister. 
I am hoping the remaining books in the series flesh out the characters a little more, and maybe even gets into the history of the post apocalypse America setting.
In the books defense, I will say that I was relieved that there were no vampires...

I think I broke my blog...

Obviously it has been a while since I have had a chance to update this little experiment of mine.
Life gets busy.
I think we can all appreciate and understand this sentiment, but to be honest, it sounds really false and dishonest to me right now.
A more truthful sentiment would be that I have been working an incredible amount of ridiculous hours recently as part of my latest project.
But that's enough about that.
So yes, the blog has been neglected, but not nearly as much as some way more important factors in my life.  The first obviously being my Family.  I have seen my beautiful daughter exactly one day out of the last 21.  And that sucks.  These are important, formative hours of her young life, and I'm not around. It breaks my heart.  Ultimately it is important to remember that the whole reason behind all of these long hours at work is to better provide for her and to give her an even better head start in life than the one I was lucky enough to receive.  Even with this in mind, it is really hard to miss all of this time, even though we are sleeping under the same roof.
Oh well,
Hopefully next week I can get a portion of my life back...

Moneyball is right on the money.

When I first decided to write a blog,  I figured a big part of the content would be made up of book, video game, and movie reviews.  So far I have yet to touch on a single movie, which seems odd to me considering how much I love that particular art form.  Regardless, here goes nothing, my first movie review.

Sat down tonight with a rental copy of Moneyball because I wanted to see what all the hype is about. After all it got  6 Oscar nods including Best Picture, Best Actor - Brad Pitt, and Best Supporting Actor - Jonah Hill.

I should start this by admitting that I am a HUGE Brad Pitt fan.  I like him in everything I have ever seen him in and honestly think he can do no wrong.  Yes, I even liked him in Meet Joe Black, and Seven Years in Tibet. Early work, recent work,  I love it all.  The dude just exudes a  suave charm and charisma.  He can't help it, he's Brad Pitt.

Needless to say, Pitt is very good as the never say never General Manager of the down and out Oakland A's.  There is enough back story, and a dynamic  relationship with his young daughter, that you get a pretty vivid picture of what its like to be in his shoes.

The story is not one that I knew alot about.  I am a guy, therefore I like sports, and thus movies about sports, but I don't follow baseball closely enough to know the back story surrounding the events depicted in the film.  What's great about this movie is that doesn't matter.

They have focused so much time and effort on the human relationships that the meat of the picture,  all the stats and standings, take a back seat to the characters. 

Speaking of characters, kudos to Jonah Hill, for his portrayal of the clubs Assistant General Manager.  It is the first serious role I have seen him tackle, and he gets a nod of approval.  He may just be a contender for the Oscar.

Overall, I enjoyed the film, but I have a hard time seeing it take the Oscar for best picture.

I would like to see Pitt take home best actor, but it's a pretty tough field, especially with George Clooney in the running.