What's John watching?

State and Main: While not as tightly coupled as some of the other stories about writing stories that I've blogged about, this movie certainly follows that vein. However, unlike Joe's (Philip Seymour Hoffman) main character, he does get a second chance, affirming small-town life and entertaining all at once.

I knew I recognized the director's name... Mamet. (Cue the Richard Dawson voice) IMDB says! Glengarry Glen Ross, written by David Mamet. Man, I love that movie. Then there's The Untouchables, Wag the Dog, Ronin: his hand touched them all. Huh.

But back to this movie. It was fast and witty. Walt (William H. Macy) was horribly funny; to the point that I hope I never have to direct a movie. The focus, and the sincerity, that that man could fire off in any direction, at a moment's notice... *shudder* Like I said, horribly funny, and something I could never drum up. Ha! Actually, now that I think about it, sincerity might give you the wrong impression, and I can't capture it any better than Walt himself:

It's not a lie. It's a gift for fiction.

¶ 11:01:00 p.m. (0) comments

Raising Arizona: Well... How'd I miss this gem? 1987! Holy cow! No wonder William Forsythe looks so young; a few years 'til he plays a great Al Capone. And Holly Hunter? You'd swear she hadn't spent a day outta that desert. Man, what a talent!

This has to be the longest introduction I've ever seen; and I was so enthralled, it shocked me when it finally came. Those beautiful words, spoken with that simple accent... The dichotomy left me in a stupor.

Every scene went completely overboard, and I was still laughing long after we hit water. The camera angles were great: Let's see Gale (John Goodman) and Evelle (William Forsythe) screaming from the front of the car; now the back; now covered in electric blue paint. Priceless.

And Hi's (Nicolas Cage) dreams were fantastic! Especially the introduction of The Lone Rider of the Apocalypse (Randall "Tex" Cobb). That was something out of a Stephen King short. :-)

Finally, the characters were so rich. Nathan "Watch yer butt!" Arizona (Trey Wilson) was awesome! I couldn't believe that monologue in front of the Feds and cops; the guy was on fire. And that phone call to the store was hilarious. Then there's Hi. Right from the get-go you were feelin' the guy; he was real. And when he talked of his nature, you believed him. "Yup, Hi, I know; you've tried to walk the line... You just weren't bein' true to your nature." I tell ya, not since The Dude have I been so taken with Coen characters. ¶ 11:00:00 p.m. (0) comments

Still Standing: Flirt buddies, eh? Those lil' elves, workin' their buns off to make us feel like we're still in the game. Pfft! Was I ever in the game? Slow on the uptake's an expression. ¶ 9:25:00 p.m. (0) comments

Yes, Dear: So that's what Kevin McDonald is up to these days. Man, Kids in the Hall was great. Was that show anything outside Canada? Brain Candy? Anyone? ¶ 9:18:00 p.m. (0) comments

Babylon 5 - Season 4: Episode 4: Falling Toward Apotheosis: Apotheosis: 1 : elevation to divine status. [Merriam-Webster] I hadn't even heard of the word before today. Boy, that Vorlon planet-killer reminds me of the Death Star. And that battle between the new Vorlon ambassador and Kosh? Great stuff. They captured the human inferiority perfectly... Their PPGs might as well have been BB guns. I also liked the broadcasts throughout the show; it really brought the horror home. ¶ 12:04:00 a.m. (0) comments

Babylon 5 - Season 4: Episode 3: The Summoning: The story continues... I loved Zack's line; something along the lines of, "Hold your fire until my command. We risk injuring Garibaldi, and that'll just make him mad." ¶ 10:26:00 p.m. (0) comments

Babylon 5 - Season 4: Episode 2: Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi?: First, I was sure that use of whatever was incorrect; however, according to Merriam-Webster, whatever: 2: WHAT 1a(1) -- used to express astonishment or perplexity whatever do you mean by that?

I stand corrected. An excellent episode, by the way. It scares me, how I can understand Mollari. His faults are terrible, but no less understandable for it. And then there's G'Kar: we should all strive to be more like him. Their relationship is just one example of why I love this show. ¶ 5:41:00 p.m. (0) comments

Babylon 5 - Season 4: Episode 1: The Hour of the Wolf: Well, it's finally arrived: the best season, according to many. What I missed out on the first time around. And this episode was a very auspicious beginning.

The crackling of Morden's irradiated flesh was unnerving; his incessant picking at it was almost too much to bear. It reminded me of that disgusting scene in Goldmember. *shudder*

The dialogue between Londo and Vir was great. I have a feeling this season will end badly for Vir, but I sure am getting a kick out of him while he's alive. ¶ 4:29:00 p.m. (0) comments

Under the Tuscan Sun: Italy is beautiful. My wife and I have talked about moving there... to live, when we haven't even been there. Much like the leap that Frances (Diane Lane) took in this movie. It's a heartfelt, happy movie - no question - and I really enjoyed it. It didn't follow the typical romantic river that runs through Hollywood these days, to good effect. A good choice to honour St. Valentine. Happy Valentine's Day! May we all take a leap in our lives. ¶ 11:27:00 p.m. (0) comments

The Lord of the Rings (1978): Well, googling this movie looks time-consuming, so I'll stop for a moment and type my thoughts while they're untainted. Since this was my first viewing, my first thought was, "Now I have an inkling of how the unsuspecting hordes felt at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring." :-) I was expecting another hour of material, despite knowing the capacity of VHS tapes. In my suspended search for the movie's animation technique, I did learn that there was supposed to be a second movie. I have to say, it's a pity Bakshi didn't get to make it.

Speaking of rotoscoping, I thought it worked quite well in this movie. The Black Riders were especially impressive. The scene where the four hobbits are hiding beside the road was very good (and reminiscent, given the order I watched them in, of Jackson's take). My favourite part was the rider's crippled shuffle; it really added something to the horror of him... Similar to Jackson's earthworms and such.

And then there was the scene at the ford: it was much better than Jackson's take, in my mind. I was amazed that Bakshi spent so much time there, given his ambitious project, but it was so good. The power of the riders, even from a distance, was so terrifying, something that Jackson didn't match. Jackson nailed it in the first few scenes with the riders, but by the time they were washed away at the Ford of Loudwater, they didn't hold the same fear over us.

By the same token, this movie went downhill from there. Moria was abysmal; I don't even want to speak of it. Galadriel's mirror was another disappointment, although what can compete with Jackson's vision of the "Dark Queen?"

I did like the breaking of the fellowship, however. That was another high point. For whatever reason, Jackson decided to set aside Aragorn's indecision. This movie captured Tolkien's material well. Boromir, too, was excellent; taking seven (or eight?) arrows before he fell. :-) It was the little things that made me smile... Oh, like "For the Shire!" Obviously, on the whole, Jackson's scene was far superior, but by including moments like that one between Frodo and Boromir, Bakshi's work has won a place in my heart. ¶ 3:57:00 p.m. (1) comments

The Apprentice: This was my favourite episode to date. I loved the concept, and the way it played out (even if I was so uncomfortable at times I had to pace). Troy was awesome! He's rambled in the past, but all his instincts turned up roses this time around.

I think Omarosa made a mistake taking Heidi to the boardroom. Based on performance, it should've been Kwame. He was better than Jessie - he knew when to shut up and let someone else take over - but he still flopped. Maybe she still feels bad about the thumping the girls gave the boys early on; spare them the boardroom for another week.

Update: Saturday, February 14: I can't leave this show without saying that it had one of the funniest TV moments in recent memory: I loved Trump's reaction to Omarosa's "compliment." "That might be the worst compliment I've ever heard! That was horrible!" ¶ 10:21:00 p.m. (0) comments

The Hobbit (1977): *laugh* You know, there's something very John Denver about these cartoons. :-) That's not a bad thing; I really like the music, actually. It sure shows its age, though.

This one followed the story more closely than The Return of the King (1980). In fact, Beorn's absence is the only disparity that comes to mind. Unfortunate, seeing as I always liked him.

I really liked the animal animation. There was something very Princess Mononoke about the Lord of the Eagles. Smaug too. He was one of my favourite parts. They missed such an opportunity with his belly - it could've been so bejeweled - but his voice and movements were great. Very feline. ¶ 10:54:00 p.m. (0) comments

The Return of the King (1980): That's right, folks: 1980. My boss, a huge Tolkien fan himself, loaned me his copy. And I gotta say, I really enjoyed it. I know it probably has a lot to do with timing (i.e., I've seen Peter Jackson's version a couple of times now [1, 2]), but still, this animated ditty has something to offer all Tolkien fans.

Ditty's appropriate, actually, because the original music in this movie is one of the best - if not the best - part. I'll agree with my boss here, Where There's a Whip, There's a Way is one kick-ass orc song! :-) But there are many good ones. The lyrics are excellent, and they create the perfect mood. Something not to be forgotten in all this Jackson fanfare is the huge role that songs play in Tolkien's works. I understand why Jackson didn't go that route, but it makes this movie their perfect complement.

Similarly, since its scope is limited, it can really tackle the ring material in the book. I loved the way they put us right in Frodo's nightmares when he and Sam are resting on Gorgoroth. The whole bloody journey just dragged until you couldn't help but feel for the poor guy.

I found the death of the Lord of the Nazgûl a bit disappointing (Éowyn was pure Japanimation, eh?), but, overall, I really liked this movie. Oh, and who can forget Casey Kasem as Merry! I laughed out loud the first time he spoke. :-) ¶ 6:16:00 p.m. (0) comments

Jann Arden: Live at the NAC: We saw Jann at the National Arts Centre on Sunday night, but I couldn't decide if it was what I was watching or listening to... Not right away, anyway.

Jann's always a show... She's funny and open... really open. Over-sharing, I believe it's been coined? Anyway, Sunday was no exception. Stump the Band made another appearance; that's where Jann just starts singing any song that comes into her head, or asks the band to give her a chord, beat, etc., and it goes from there. Chaos, in other words. This one was the best I've seen (I guess this was my fourth time seeing her): I don't know what country song Maury was playing, but it was great; and then Russ ended the segment with Highway To Hell... Yeah, that was the highlight of the night.

A close second was when Jann got to the keyboardist (I don't remember his name... Some help here?) in her Introduce the Band segment. She told us he used to be a porn stand-in, and that we might have seen him in such masterpieces as In and Out of Africa, Beaver-ly Hills Cop, and - wait for it - Yank My Doodle, it's a Dandy. :-D

Good times. ¶ 5:40:00 p.m. (0) comments

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark: My wife got me The Adventures of Indiana Jones for Christmas. It was a complete, and pleasant, surprise. I've loved Indy (Harrison Ford)... Well, since his movies came to TV, I guess, since I didn't get out to the cinema much as a kid. Now that I think about it, I loved that Atari game too, although I never came close to beating it.

You know what struck me, seeing the movie this time around? The number of similarities to the Star Wars trilogy. Many poignant notes reminded me of what I guess is Luke and Leia's theme, are something like that; Williams couldn't help but cross-pollinate, given the proximity of the two projects (by my way of thinking).

Then there are the images: some of the shots on the island, near the end of the movie, could be Tatooine. I half expected a jawa's oo-te-de! to startle Indy into firing that rocket launcher. A shot in the German submarine smacked of the Death Star's guts. And you have to admit, Marion's (Karen Allen) shots from the German plane sure looked a lot like Leia's oh-so-memorable shots from Jabba's barge.

Not that I'm complaining. I just thought it was neat. I really like this story. I don't remember his other adventures as well, to be honest, but something tells me this one's the best. We'll see. ¶ 11:52:00 p.m. (0) comments

The Russia House: I'm sure my mom could write reams on the shortcomings and missed opportunities in this script; she's a huge fan of the book, and, I was going to say, of all le Carré's books, but I don't think that's true. The only one I've read, The Tailor of Panama (yes, after I watched the movie... I never claimed to be literate), didn't impress her, as I recall. That aside, I can't discount the points that Connery's casting garners; the woman simply adores him.

My opinion? Well, bearing in mind my ignorance of the available material, I thought the script was brilliant. Introduce the characters in a rude monologue, wrap them up in a sincere one. Connery was his brilliant (there's that word again, but come on, the man is brilliant) self. Pfeiffer was excellent; at no point did I doubt her nationality.

My one compliant was the soundtrack. I loved the jazz, but the other, far more prominent, stuff (if you can't say anything nice...) was out of place at the best of times, down right distracting at the worst... I could barely hear the conversation in the bell tower at one point!

But really, that's minor in the face of such smart work. And the best part? They played the key scenes again from Barley's (Connery) perspective for all those who missed it the first time. Perfect for slow sods like yours truly. :-)

Oh, and for those who care, I watched this in the evening. No rest (or snow days) for the wicked witnesses! ¶ 9:46:00 p.m. (0) comments

The Apprentice: I've noticed something about this show: it seems overly scripted, and that surprises me. It doesn't feel like a Mark Burnett show. Survivor had many things going for it; spontaneity among them, in my opinion. Yes, there were always themes, but tribal council was still a guessing game. This show's highs and lows are in-your-face; it really annoys me at times.

I did like the last ten minutes, however. It just goes to show how you have to think on your feet in the business world. Yes, Kristi did have a good plan going into the boardroom - let Heidi and Omarosa sink their ships, wait for Trump to address her - but it's obviously not the best choice in all circumstances. Me, I wouldn't have been able to switch gears and speak up convincingly. I would've hunkered down, just like her. That final statement from the boardroom was interesting: she didn't speak up in defense, so it was obviously all true. Ouch!

At the same time, I have to give Heidi and Omarosa some credit; especially Omarosa. She was calm, precise and sharp; a scalpel! And Heidi - dirty and obnoxious throughout the show - had just the right words. Strange. More overt editing, no doubt. Oh well, the ending did entertain me, so I'll tune in next week. ¶ 10:26:00 p.m. (0) comments

Super Bowl Ads: Seein' as I didn't get 'em, up here in the great, white north. Pepsi's Purple Haze and IBM's Shake Up the World are my favourites so far. I liked Mitsubishi's idea too: get consumers to the Web site.

O.K., just watched the FedEx one; definitely an honourable mention. ¶ 12:18:00 a.m. (0) comments

Oprah: This taped show was about the human body. (It's called Inside the Human Body, oddly enough.) You can read all about it, so I'll just mention my favourite moments:

1. Stay young by having 200 orgasms a year! (That's four a week, folks!) Yes sir, Dr. Oz!
2. According to Dr. Ornish, our natural state is to be happy and at peace, until we disturb it. Until we disturb it. I like that. I like being in control. I think I'll use the word shalom to help me meditate. It's a Hebrew word that, according to Rev. Sandy Winter, means the kind of peace that is meshed with God's justice, the kind of peace that makes our life whole and full - shalom means wholeness.

¶ 8:52:00 p.m. (0) comments

Sabrina (1954): I'm more than a little embarrassed to admit that I didn't know of this Bogie and Audrey classic. I was pleasantly surprised when my wife picked it off the shelf.

The pace of older movies is just great. The camera lingers on Sabrina's (Audrey Hepburn) face time and time again, and each time she says so much with a look, the slant of her lips. God, she's gorgeous. And the movie allows for that, requires that. There's an importance to setting things up, patiently building for that great line. The punches, the glass... it's more than just great moments; there's a symmetry in so much of it.

The camera angles are great too. That scene where Linus (Humphrey Bogart) is telling David (William Holden) about what he plans to do with Sabrina that day is just brilliant; his face is distorted through the swaying, plastic hammock, just like the meaning of his words.

Then there's Mr. Larrabee (Walter Hampden); what a hoot! That scene where Linus opens his closet door to find his father standing among his clothes, smoking away. "I thought you were your mother," he says. :-) Great stuff. I loved it. Probably means I should stay away from the 1995 remake. ¶ 6:07:00 p.m. (0) comments