Showing how much of a loser I am, these were my Oscar predix. Getting half right is about average but getting 70% right means you're an expert. Two years ago, I was 14 for 24. Last year, I was 15 for 24. I probably won't get even close to that this year. It should be updated in the course of events during the ceremony with winners.
I actually beat last year's total by 1 again going 16 for 24. I really did not expect a Lord of the Rings sweep, hoping to think that Academy voters would show mercy on the other films but I'm afraid not.
Winners are in bold. Correct predictions will be boldly italicized, and incorrect predictions will be just italicized with descriptions on why I think things happened as they did.
Best Picture:
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Best Director:
Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Best Actor:
Sean Penn, Mystic River
Bill Murray, Lost in Translation
Yes, Penn gave a fine performance and I have no complaints about this win but Murray seemed to have deserved it so much more over a performance Penn can do sleepwalking nowadays.
Best Actress:
Charlize Theron, Monster
Best Supporting Actor:
Tim Robbins, Mystic River
Best Supporting Actress:
Renee Zellweger, Cold Mountain
Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson
Mystic River, Brian Helgeland
The magic of LOTR is what's on screen, not on what was written. Do you remember anything of what was said?
Best Original Screenplay:
Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola
Best Animated Feature:
Finding Nemo
Best Animated Short Film:
Harvie Krumpet
Destino
Never watched any of them, so it was a total guess.
Best Art Direction:
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Best Cinematography:
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Seabiscuit
The Academy showed its liking of action films in this category, opting for the sea-faring M&C rather than the natural beauty of Seabiscuit.
Best Costume:
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
M&C's costumes were far superior than anything LOTR offered, especially when you consider most of LOTR's characters were computer-generated, eliminating the need for costumes. Yet, LOTR took things by storm anyway.
Best Documentary Feature:
The Fog of War
Capturing the Friedmans
The Fog of War deals with a fascinating subject in Robert McNamara, who helped shape America's foreign policy during the Vietnam War and I wasn't surprised that it won, though Capturing the Friedmans dealt with more interesting subject matter.
Best Documentary Short Subject:
Chernobyl Heart
Best Editing:
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
City of God
I'm sorry, any film more than 3 hours should not win a best editing award. That should be a rule of thumb.
Best Foreign Film:
The Barabarian Invasions
Best Live Action Short Film:
Two Soldiers
Die Rote Jacke (The Red Jacket)
Again, didn't watch any of these so it was also a total guess.
Best Make-up:
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Best Original Score:
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Howard Shore
Best Original Song:
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, "Into the West" by Fran Walsh, Howard Shore, and Annie Lennox
Best Sound:
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Best Sound Editing:
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Best Visual Effects:
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2/29/2004
2/28/2004
The Passion of the Christ
It's been mentioned many times before, but as a Simpsons fan, I'll mention it again. An episode of the animated series featured a guest starring Mel Gibson remaking "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" with Jimmy Stewart. With the help of Homer, Stewart's poignant ending in Congress turned into a violent shoot-em-up with Gibson in the Stewart role killing everyone in the chamber, a decision that had audiences fleeing shouting it was the worst movie ever. In "The Passion of the Christ", all that violence is squarely focused on one character, one Jesus of Nazareth played by Jim Caviezel. The Pharisees, shocked and outraged by Jesus' blasphemous sayings, force upon the Roman governor Pilate to crucify Jesus, something he reluctantly agrees to in order to prevent any major bloodshed in the province. What follows is a graphic portrayal of the last hours of Jesus, complete with floggings all over his body and the torture he endures as he carries his cross to his eventual crucifixion. All of this occurs while his mother Mary (Maia Morgenstern) and sister Mary Magdalene (Monica Bellucci) weep from a distance.
This graphic bloodshed of Jesus director Gibson has given us seems both justified and excessive. The movie culls powerful images throughout in documenting the last hours of Jesus, a truthful rendition based on the Gospels with most of it that will be remembered for a long time. Yet at its base, Gibson has given us the basic shoot-em-up, only this time, there are no guns, just clubs and a cross. Gibson's narrow-mindedness to focus solely on Jesus' physical punishment loses the film's motivation as a film to teach, with not much opportunity at all to back up the violence when he clearly had a chance to more fully explain the inner thoughts of all the characters involved. Instead, only Pilate and his wife get this complex treatment of the inner struggle of the decision made. While probably pushing but not crossing the anti-semitic line, the film doesn't treat the Jews in a fairly positive light either, with most all pushing for his death, yelling when they needed to and spitting when they had the chance. Visually you get your money's worth but enlightened? You are not. 2.5 stars
It's been mentioned many times before, but as a Simpsons fan, I'll mention it again. An episode of the animated series featured a guest starring Mel Gibson remaking "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" with Jimmy Stewart. With the help of Homer, Stewart's poignant ending in Congress turned into a violent shoot-em-up with Gibson in the Stewart role killing everyone in the chamber, a decision that had audiences fleeing shouting it was the worst movie ever. In "The Passion of the Christ", all that violence is squarely focused on one character, one Jesus of Nazareth played by Jim Caviezel. The Pharisees, shocked and outraged by Jesus' blasphemous sayings, force upon the Roman governor Pilate to crucify Jesus, something he reluctantly agrees to in order to prevent any major bloodshed in the province. What follows is a graphic portrayal of the last hours of Jesus, complete with floggings all over his body and the torture he endures as he carries his cross to his eventual crucifixion. All of this occurs while his mother Mary (Maia Morgenstern) and sister Mary Magdalene (Monica Bellucci) weep from a distance.
This graphic bloodshed of Jesus director Gibson has given us seems both justified and excessive. The movie culls powerful images throughout in documenting the last hours of Jesus, a truthful rendition based on the Gospels with most of it that will be remembered for a long time. Yet at its base, Gibson has given us the basic shoot-em-up, only this time, there are no guns, just clubs and a cross. Gibson's narrow-mindedness to focus solely on Jesus' physical punishment loses the film's motivation as a film to teach, with not much opportunity at all to back up the violence when he clearly had a chance to more fully explain the inner thoughts of all the characters involved. Instead, only Pilate and his wife get this complex treatment of the inner struggle of the decision made. While probably pushing but not crossing the anti-semitic line, the film doesn't treat the Jews in a fairly positive light either, with most all pushing for his death, yelling when they needed to and spitting when they had the chance. Visually you get your money's worth but enlightened? You are not. 2.5 stars
50 First Dates
This romantic comedy reunites Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler in the search for more money. Sandler here plays Henry Roth, a vet working at the zoo who's guilty of many one-night stands with tourists visiting Hawaii. Rule #1 is never to fall for a native, which he does when he sees Lucy (Barrymore) having breakfast in a cafe. They hit it off but when they meet the next day, Lucy has no idea who he is. Lucy can't keep any short-term memories after a car accident. Henry can't imagine a life without her and works hard to win her love one day at a time. It used to be that her father and brother kept the truth from her by recreating the day of the accident through an elaborate scheme involving that day's newspaper and a bunch of white paint. Eventually, Lucy finds out the truth in one day and decides to leave them all and stay at a hospital which specializes with people in her condition. Can Henry convince his true love to love back?
There's a certain sweetness when it comes to watching Barrymore and Sandler work on-screen. So while they've got the romance part down, this whole memory concept isn't as smart nor as funny as Bill Murray made it become in Groundhog Day (I know, what can?). Sandler comedies usually have you rolling on the floor laughing but no such scenes exist here. Sure, it's amusing but not haha funny. Without Sandler being his funny self, the supporting cast gets the weight put on to accomplish this, but they drop the ball badly, led by Rob Schneider who is forced to do most of the gross-out comedy with mixed results. Instead, we must look to Barrymore for the sunshine of the film with Sandler taking his cues from her and making us believe they really are falling for each other. 2.5 stars
This romantic comedy reunites Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler in the search for more money. Sandler here plays Henry Roth, a vet working at the zoo who's guilty of many one-night stands with tourists visiting Hawaii. Rule #1 is never to fall for a native, which he does when he sees Lucy (Barrymore) having breakfast in a cafe. They hit it off but when they meet the next day, Lucy has no idea who he is. Lucy can't keep any short-term memories after a car accident. Henry can't imagine a life without her and works hard to win her love one day at a time. It used to be that her father and brother kept the truth from her by recreating the day of the accident through an elaborate scheme involving that day's newspaper and a bunch of white paint. Eventually, Lucy finds out the truth in one day and decides to leave them all and stay at a hospital which specializes with people in her condition. Can Henry convince his true love to love back?
There's a certain sweetness when it comes to watching Barrymore and Sandler work on-screen. So while they've got the romance part down, this whole memory concept isn't as smart nor as funny as Bill Murray made it become in Groundhog Day (I know, what can?). Sandler comedies usually have you rolling on the floor laughing but no such scenes exist here. Sure, it's amusing but not haha funny. Without Sandler being his funny self, the supporting cast gets the weight put on to accomplish this, but they drop the ball badly, led by Rob Schneider who is forced to do most of the gross-out comedy with mixed results. Instead, we must look to Barrymore for the sunshine of the film with Sandler taking his cues from her and making us believe they really are falling for each other. 2.5 stars
Miracle
1980 was a tenuous time in America. President Carter was losing the country and his own job to outside pressures. Energy was in short supply and the economy was weakening. But most importantly, the Soviet Union was continuing to show its dominance. This time, it was through their hockey team. The 1980 Winter Olympics were being held in Lake Placid, N.Y. and Team USA needed a strong showing. To do this, officials bring in a college coach named Herb Brooks from Minnesota, wonderfully played by Kurt Russell. But instead of recruiting the best and brightest from America's teams, Brooks chooses to follow the Soviet Union's example and creates a team of players who are quick and can work hard. It's tough going as these players are growing wary of what Brooks demands of them but soon the message is abundantly clear, especially after two key losses on the way to a semifinal match against the hated Soviet Union team.
This is easily the best movie released so far this year. Movies are meant to be about the personalities they put forth onto the screen and here, a colorful group is offered from all walks of life and showcases the magic created on its way toward an improbable gold medal. It's too bad there were too many people they could've focused on that by the end of the film, you're unlikely to remember the majority of the players on the team. Instead, it's just Herb Brooks and everyone else. Russell alone really makes the film go and they've done a great job in getting straight to the hockey instead of boring us with pointless stories like three Mighty Ducks films have done. Do you believe in miracles? I do. After watching this film, I really do. 3.5 stars
1980 was a tenuous time in America. President Carter was losing the country and his own job to outside pressures. Energy was in short supply and the economy was weakening. But most importantly, the Soviet Union was continuing to show its dominance. This time, it was through their hockey team. The 1980 Winter Olympics were being held in Lake Placid, N.Y. and Team USA needed a strong showing. To do this, officials bring in a college coach named Herb Brooks from Minnesota, wonderfully played by Kurt Russell. But instead of recruiting the best and brightest from America's teams, Brooks chooses to follow the Soviet Union's example and creates a team of players who are quick and can work hard. It's tough going as these players are growing wary of what Brooks demands of them but soon the message is abundantly clear, especially after two key losses on the way to a semifinal match against the hated Soviet Union team.
This is easily the best movie released so far this year. Movies are meant to be about the personalities they put forth onto the screen and here, a colorful group is offered from all walks of life and showcases the magic created on its way toward an improbable gold medal. It's too bad there were too many people they could've focused on that by the end of the film, you're unlikely to remember the majority of the players on the team. Instead, it's just Herb Brooks and everyone else. Russell alone really makes the film go and they've done a great job in getting straight to the hockey instead of boring us with pointless stories like three Mighty Ducks films have done. Do you believe in miracles? I do. After watching this film, I really do. 3.5 stars
2/26/2004
So yesterday it was raining like a, well, you know. I might as well have been carrying a bucket to school since not only was I drenched, my backpack was collecting water. That just sucked. Plus, later in the day I had to finish my paper, not a pleasant thing to do. I'd been working on it off and on for the past few days, but yesterday seemed like the perfect day to do it since it was due today. I started at 10 at night and finished up at 4. It's the first time I'd written a paper in like two years. The rust really got to me. I had to dust off that old MLA book I bought my freshman year. What I was writing was the easy stuff; a budget analysis of the San Jose Redevelopment Agency and the effect an ERAF shift has on the agency, should Governor Schwarzenegger (I still can't get used to writing that) have his way in the budget.
I set my alarm clock and went to sleep once I was done. 8:00 class you see.
Woke up. It's 12:00. Something's not right. There was a power outage in Berkeley during the big storm so I had to set my alarm clock again. In my caffeine-induced, half-asleep state I was in at 4 in the morning, I neglected to notice I set my alarm for 6:30 pm instead of am. Silly me. So I hurry to math.
In an episode of Head of the Class, Charlie needs to pass a course in macroeconomics in order to renew his teaching credential. The teacher hurriedly begins to explain the parts of GDP (which equals consumption + investment + government spending + net exports, yet the teacher neglected the exports part). Then she hears her watch beep, erases the board before everyone is done copying, and wishes them good luck on the final the next day. A fellow adult next to Charlie asks whether he got all that. To which Charlie yells yes. Then the adult asks what did it all mean and Charlie said he didn't know but at least he copied it all.
In math, the professor is explaining the proof of Cauchy's Theorem on a disk. He's quickly going through this mumbo-jumbo, gets variables out of thin air, draws clueless figures, mentions the film 12 Monkeys for some odd reason, finishes up, looks at his watch and quickly leaves, leaving the students dazed and still copying. My friend next to me asks whether I understood all that, to which I could only reply, no, but at least I got it all down.
I set my alarm clock and went to sleep once I was done. 8:00 class you see.
Woke up. It's 12:00. Something's not right. There was a power outage in Berkeley during the big storm so I had to set my alarm clock again. In my caffeine-induced, half-asleep state I was in at 4 in the morning, I neglected to notice I set my alarm for 6:30 pm instead of am. Silly me. So I hurry to math.
In an episode of Head of the Class, Charlie needs to pass a course in macroeconomics in order to renew his teaching credential. The teacher hurriedly begins to explain the parts of GDP (which equals consumption + investment + government spending + net exports, yet the teacher neglected the exports part). Then she hears her watch beep, erases the board before everyone is done copying, and wishes them good luck on the final the next day. A fellow adult next to Charlie asks whether he got all that. To which Charlie yells yes. Then the adult asks what did it all mean and Charlie said he didn't know but at least he copied it all.
In math, the professor is explaining the proof of Cauchy's Theorem on a disk. He's quickly going through this mumbo-jumbo, gets variables out of thin air, draws clueless figures, mentions the film 12 Monkeys for some odd reason, finishes up, looks at his watch and quickly leaves, leaving the students dazed and still copying. My friend next to me asks whether I understood all that, to which I could only reply, no, but at least I got it all down.
2/24/2004
Two articles caught my eye while reading the paper today.
The first is a sick story about vandals breaking into a portable classroom in Palo Alto and, among other things, killing a hamster named Marshmallow. If they cut off his head, it would've been like that headless parrot in "Dumb and Dumber". Instead it was "butchered" and its remains would be buried today.
Two other rodents were not harmed, which raises the question: what enemies did young Marshmallow have? Was there a message being sent when they spared these two?
The second is funny by itself. Ever wonder how junk email is filtered? Usually, the program searches for obscene words and automatically deletes the message. But what if your name was obscene? The article documents the problems Craig Cockburn has in sending email. Please, it's pronounced Coburn, but a dumb computer algorithm doesn't know that.
I know my name isn't obscene, so that's no reason to bounce my email to you back to me.
The first is a sick story about vandals breaking into a portable classroom in Palo Alto and, among other things, killing a hamster named Marshmallow. If they cut off his head, it would've been like that headless parrot in "Dumb and Dumber". Instead it was "butchered" and its remains would be buried today.
Two other rodents were not harmed, which raises the question: what enemies did young Marshmallow have? Was there a message being sent when they spared these two?
The second is funny by itself. Ever wonder how junk email is filtered? Usually, the program searches for obscene words and automatically deletes the message. But what if your name was obscene? The article documents the problems Craig Cockburn has in sending email. Please, it's pronounced Coburn, but a dumb computer algorithm doesn't know that.
I know my name isn't obscene, so that's no reason to bounce my email to you back to me.
2/20/2004
Remember that scene in Minority Report when Tom Cruise has just switched out his eyes and is making his way toward the refrigerator only to reach for sour milk and a rotten sandwich? That's exactly what I did this morning.
Well, not the eyes part but the rest of it is applicable.
After three hours of sleep working on a project, the alarm clock for once woke me up, but I felt drowsy yet hungry. I switched beds in the apartment and this one's a tad higher so when I stumbled out of bed, I literally fell to the floor, hitting my head on the table. Surprisingly, while it hurt, it was no help in waking me up. I made my way to the kitchen where I had cereal. It was dark but I didn't want to turn on the light. The refrigerator light was enough. I poured in the milk and started eating and yuck. The milk had turned sour. Turning on the light, I found chunks in my cereal bowl. Not the best of things to wake up to. Reflecting upon it, the milk box did say February 9. I just didn't recognize.
So what did I have instead? A zinger. What the heck's a zinger? It's a wannabe Twinkie except they have ingeniously put frosting on top. I guess that makes it last half as long as a regular Twinkie but get charged the same inflated price.
Well, not the eyes part but the rest of it is applicable.
After three hours of sleep working on a project, the alarm clock for once woke me up, but I felt drowsy yet hungry. I switched beds in the apartment and this one's a tad higher so when I stumbled out of bed, I literally fell to the floor, hitting my head on the table. Surprisingly, while it hurt, it was no help in waking me up. I made my way to the kitchen where I had cereal. It was dark but I didn't want to turn on the light. The refrigerator light was enough. I poured in the milk and started eating and yuck. The milk had turned sour. Turning on the light, I found chunks in my cereal bowl. Not the best of things to wake up to. Reflecting upon it, the milk box did say February 9. I just didn't recognize.
So what did I have instead? A zinger. What the heck's a zinger? It's a wannabe Twinkie except they have ingeniously put frosting on top. I guess that makes it last half as long as a regular Twinkie but get charged the same inflated price.
Eurotrip
After the euphoria from watching "City of God", things hit bottom while watching Eurotrip. 4 relative unknowns, the most famous being Michelle Trachtenberg from Harriet the Spy and the last season of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, explore Europe in search of Scott's (Scott Mechlowicz) penpal and future love, Mieke (Jessica Bohrs), after his former girlfriend (a cameo by Kristin Kreuk) breaks off the relationship to be with a rocker (a cameo by Matt Damon). Along for the ride are twins Jenny (Trachtenberg) and Jamie (Travis Wester) and Scott's best friend Cooper (Jacob West). With 4 high school graduates running around Europe, only hijinks could ensue. And so they do as their adventures go through London, Paris, Amsterdam, Slovakia, Germany and finally Vatican City.
Yes, the ads do say it's from the producers of Old School and Road Trip but you know what? It's half as funny as Road Trip and half as smart as Old School. Sure, there are laughs to be had in the film. Matt Damon's song is hilarious. The soccer hooligans, led by Vinnie Jones, are wild and crazy especially when they're driving on the wrong side of the road. But most of the comedic material otherwise borders on bad taste. The all-male nude beach was gross. Various gags don't go far enough, making you wonder why they did them with so much effort just to get a cheap laugh when they could have had a knee-slapper with a bit more controversy. And don't get me started on all the screw-ups and goings on at the Vatican. But most importantly, with the exception of just a few laugh-out-loud scenes, the film that should be consistently funny suffers from long periods of silence as the filmmakers stuff as many breasts they can get on-screen. I'm not complaining about that last part, but after all, I came for a comedy, which for this film, is merely an average one. 2 stars
After the euphoria from watching "City of God", things hit bottom while watching Eurotrip. 4 relative unknowns, the most famous being Michelle Trachtenberg from Harriet the Spy and the last season of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, explore Europe in search of Scott's (Scott Mechlowicz) penpal and future love, Mieke (Jessica Bohrs), after his former girlfriend (a cameo by Kristin Kreuk) breaks off the relationship to be with a rocker (a cameo by Matt Damon). Along for the ride are twins Jenny (Trachtenberg) and Jamie (Travis Wester) and Scott's best friend Cooper (Jacob West). With 4 high school graduates running around Europe, only hijinks could ensue. And so they do as their adventures go through London, Paris, Amsterdam, Slovakia, Germany and finally Vatican City.
Yes, the ads do say it's from the producers of Old School and Road Trip but you know what? It's half as funny as Road Trip and half as smart as Old School. Sure, there are laughs to be had in the film. Matt Damon's song is hilarious. The soccer hooligans, led by Vinnie Jones, are wild and crazy especially when they're driving on the wrong side of the road. But most of the comedic material otherwise borders on bad taste. The all-male nude beach was gross. Various gags don't go far enough, making you wonder why they did them with so much effort just to get a cheap laugh when they could have had a knee-slapper with a bit more controversy. And don't get me started on all the screw-ups and goings on at the Vatican. But most importantly, with the exception of just a few laugh-out-loud scenes, the film that should be consistently funny suffers from long periods of silence as the filmmakers stuff as many breasts they can get on-screen. I'm not complaining about that last part, but after all, I came for a comedy, which for this film, is merely an average one. 2 stars
2/19/2004
City of God
At last year's Oscars, much ink was spilled about the Academy not giving "City of God" a foreign film nod. Recognization however would come one year later with 4 Academy Award nominations, including best director for Fernando Meirelles. So I finally got a chance to see it last weekend and I was amazed.
Set in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, we follow the events happening around Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) growing up. His brother Shaggy (Johnathan Haggensen) is part of the Tender Trio, a gangster group which holds up gas trucks and other things. After a bloody hotel robbery and Shaggy flees the slum life, ultimately killed, we fast forward to Rocket's teenage life. His tastes have grown to include photography, drugs and women, especially Angelica (Alice Braga), seemingly the only love in his life. But the slums have grown up too, maybe too quickly. Cocaine is the name of the game in the slums and two rival gangs are battling for domination led by Carrot (Matheus Nachtergaele) and Lil' Ze (Firmino da Hora). When the peacemaker, Benny (Phelipe Haagensen), is shot dead, all hell breaks loose with kids given guns to join the fight and Rocket caught in the middle, documenting the whole thing with his camera for the newspaper.
This is a sight to see, simply because it is unrelenting. Unrelenting by the quick pace of action. Unrelenting in the level of cold-blooded gunplay seen by people who could be considered toddlers. And unrelenting in the level of heart it portrays. It plays itself off as a very true film. Even in a sea of violence, personalities stand out like Rocket's and Benny's that show good people can come out of this town fearless of the brutal leaders that control it. Meirelles does his best in documenting this trueness with some gritty camerawork and scenes that, like a gun firing, shoot at you at bullet speeds and hits with its huge impact. 4 stars
At last year's Oscars, much ink was spilled about the Academy not giving "City of God" a foreign film nod. Recognization however would come one year later with 4 Academy Award nominations, including best director for Fernando Meirelles. So I finally got a chance to see it last weekend and I was amazed.
Set in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, we follow the events happening around Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) growing up. His brother Shaggy (Johnathan Haggensen) is part of the Tender Trio, a gangster group which holds up gas trucks and other things. After a bloody hotel robbery and Shaggy flees the slum life, ultimately killed, we fast forward to Rocket's teenage life. His tastes have grown to include photography, drugs and women, especially Angelica (Alice Braga), seemingly the only love in his life. But the slums have grown up too, maybe too quickly. Cocaine is the name of the game in the slums and two rival gangs are battling for domination led by Carrot (Matheus Nachtergaele) and Lil' Ze (Firmino da Hora). When the peacemaker, Benny (Phelipe Haagensen), is shot dead, all hell breaks loose with kids given guns to join the fight and Rocket caught in the middle, documenting the whole thing with his camera for the newspaper.
This is a sight to see, simply because it is unrelenting. Unrelenting by the quick pace of action. Unrelenting in the level of cold-blooded gunplay seen by people who could be considered toddlers. And unrelenting in the level of heart it portrays. It plays itself off as a very true film. Even in a sea of violence, personalities stand out like Rocket's and Benny's that show good people can come out of this town fearless of the brutal leaders that control it. Meirelles does his best in documenting this trueness with some gritty camerawork and scenes that, like a gun firing, shoot at you at bullet speeds and hits with its huge impact. 4 stars
2/18/2004
So there I was today at the bus stop, still waiting for a bus that just doesn't want to show up. Yet who does? Newly christened celebrity William Hung. Flanked by a camera crew, which I later find out to be Access Hollywood, Hung walks around, head held high, gave me a nod and went on his way. "No regrets" he said on that day in front of the American Idol panel after performing She Bangs with a monotone voice and arms flailing. Well, good for him. Let him enjoy his 15 minutes of fame. But you know what, this needs to stop. Sure, I laughed when I first saw it. I even saw it live and in person once. Now, whenever I hear it or something about it, I cringe. It could be him. It could be my dad humming the tune. It could be teenage girls performing it on campus with better voices. Something about it screams this is demeaning. This is mean. This is utterly embarrassing. Will this really be what he'll be known for forever? While I'm talking about Hung, it could also apply to Ricky Martin too. I mean really, wasn't there something in the song that screamed embarrassing while going solo has rendered him a one-hit wonder?
Yet this little phenomenon continues indefinitely. Hung continues to perform, tonite at a volleyball match, and I will go on covering my ears and changing the channel.
Yet this little phenomenon continues indefinitely. Hung continues to perform, tonite at a volleyball match, and I will go on covering my ears and changing the channel.
2/13/2004
Some funny goings on down in San Jose involving a big rig hitting a restaurant. It was a Vietnamese restaurant on Story Road. At about 1 am on Thursday morning, a big rig swerved to avoid a Mercedes and hit the restaurant. No major injuries were reported but what was funny was the owner.
A structural engineer came out to survey the scene and concluded that the building would not collapse. Upon hearing that, the owner was reportedly adamant on opening for business that morning. Apparently, he did not mind that one side of his restaurant was literally gone with a cement truck occupying most of the eating area. People have to eat you know. True, and on the bright side, people eating could see the kitchen and the street. It took a lot of talking from San Jose police on scene to convince him to at least close for the day.
A structural engineer came out to survey the scene and concluded that the building would not collapse. Upon hearing that, the owner was reportedly adamant on opening for business that morning. Apparently, he did not mind that one side of his restaurant was literally gone with a cement truck occupying most of the eating area. People have to eat you know. True, and on the bright side, people eating could see the kitchen and the street. It took a lot of talking from San Jose police on scene to convince him to at least close for the day.
2/10/2004
No disrespect to you smokers out there, but you stink. I'm speaking literally. You could stink in other ways as well. Luckily, I know very few smokers, and I don't see them on a regular basis. Today at math, always an enlightening and awakening subject, I show up 5 minutes early yet still there are only single seats left and none around the people I know. It's homework day, I understand. So I venture to the other side of the room, a dark corner near the door. Right around the time lecture would start, a brooding Asian guy with a heavy coat on (70 degrees outside, probably 150 degrees inside the non-air conditioned Evans rooms, and he's wearing a jacket??) sat down in the seat next to me. And you know what? He stunk, big time. The smell of 1,000 stale cigarettes was just overwhelming. It's like he lived in the smoking section of a restaurant. Some homeless people smelled better than him. There were times during lecture, a fascinating study of proofs and whatnot, when I just wanted to push the guy out the door, but I guess that would look kinda weird. By the mid-time break, he left the room. And with it, fresh "Evans" air came in to replace the stench. Okay, it's not that fresh, but it was an improvement.
After 10 minutes, he came back. Smoke still leaving his mouth as he walked in. And there he sat down. A new foul smell to endure for another 40 minutes. I know it's hard to quit, but can we agree to abstain from smoking during the school day? Non-smokers I know would rejoice. Currently, UC Berkeley has a rule saying smokers must stay 20 feet away from buildings when they smoke. That's a joke. Especially when cigarettes can be discarded in that sand pit thing just a few feet from the door. I guess the only thing that may balance this out is having a drunkard sit next to me as well. Hell, I should try it, that way some of this complex stuff might actually make some sense.
After 10 minutes, he came back. Smoke still leaving his mouth as he walked in. And there he sat down. A new foul smell to endure for another 40 minutes. I know it's hard to quit, but can we agree to abstain from smoking during the school day? Non-smokers I know would rejoice. Currently, UC Berkeley has a rule saying smokers must stay 20 feet away from buildings when they smoke. That's a joke. Especially when cigarettes can be discarded in that sand pit thing just a few feet from the door. I guess the only thing that may balance this out is having a drunkard sit next to me as well. Hell, I should try it, that way some of this complex stuff might actually make some sense.
2/09/2004
In America
After the death of their son Frankie, parents Johnny (Paddy Considine) and Sarah (Samantha Morton) along with their kids Christy and Ariel (Sarah and Emma Bolger) move from Ireland to New York City. It’s tough-going for the Irish family as they move into a place filled with drug addicts and the parents struggle to find work; Johnny an aspiring actor and Sarah, a teacher turned waitress. It takes time to assimilate the American culture, but step-by-step, they do. Halloween arrives and in the search for tricks and treats, Christy and Ariel encounter Mateo (Djimon Honsou), described thus far as simply the man who screams. Instead, they find a very nice man and along with Sarah, welcome him with open arms. Complications arrive though as Sarah becomes pregnant and Mateo falls ill to a disease that has everyone in the family mature and consider themselves truly Americans.
This is one of the most delightful and moving pictures you’ll see all year. Even while it has the makes of a true and emotional immigrant experience, events occur in the film that seems to border on fairytale and fantasy. Bad things eventually turn out to be good. Risks taken eventually have rewards in the end. This is especially true for the children, who are allowed to introduce themselves wherever they go, wander the rundown apartment building alone, and walk across the street to the ice cream parlor while the parents have some alone time. If I were the head of a newly immigrated family, I wouldn’t let my children out of my sight until I knew it was safe, which it obviously wasn’t in this case. That being said, the innocence of youth is something that truly isn’t to be denied and I was in awe to see things in their point of view, whether through their eyes or through Christy’s camcorder.
As the head of the family, Considine is great at mastering the delicate balance of being happy with his family while trying to hide the frustration he obviously has with trying to get a part in a Broadway play and dealing with the loss of his son Frankie. Morton, who works wonders with whatever film she acts in, shows off in this as well with her short hair and long looks. And it’s really nice to see Honsou play something different than a stereotypical African man. It’s refreshing to see aspects of this character combine with the emotion he lets out in the middle of the film to create someone entirely new. Finally, there are the children, who for the most part are just adorable and understand their environment years ahead of when they should. At first, they want to be just like everyone else, but by the end, Ariel recognizes things are gravely different and doesn’t like it and Christy tells her father to not “little girl” her. Individuals coming from different places make for an interesting and fulfilling experience, whether from the different ages of the Sullivan family or the different countries people come from only to meet in Manhattan. 3.5 stars
After the death of their son Frankie, parents Johnny (Paddy Considine) and Sarah (Samantha Morton) along with their kids Christy and Ariel (Sarah and Emma Bolger) move from Ireland to New York City. It’s tough-going for the Irish family as they move into a place filled with drug addicts and the parents struggle to find work; Johnny an aspiring actor and Sarah, a teacher turned waitress. It takes time to assimilate the American culture, but step-by-step, they do. Halloween arrives and in the search for tricks and treats, Christy and Ariel encounter Mateo (Djimon Honsou), described thus far as simply the man who screams. Instead, they find a very nice man and along with Sarah, welcome him with open arms. Complications arrive though as Sarah becomes pregnant and Mateo falls ill to a disease that has everyone in the family mature and consider themselves truly Americans.
This is one of the most delightful and moving pictures you’ll see all year. Even while it has the makes of a true and emotional immigrant experience, events occur in the film that seems to border on fairytale and fantasy. Bad things eventually turn out to be good. Risks taken eventually have rewards in the end. This is especially true for the children, who are allowed to introduce themselves wherever they go, wander the rundown apartment building alone, and walk across the street to the ice cream parlor while the parents have some alone time. If I were the head of a newly immigrated family, I wouldn’t let my children out of my sight until I knew it was safe, which it obviously wasn’t in this case. That being said, the innocence of youth is something that truly isn’t to be denied and I was in awe to see things in their point of view, whether through their eyes or through Christy’s camcorder.
As the head of the family, Considine is great at mastering the delicate balance of being happy with his family while trying to hide the frustration he obviously has with trying to get a part in a Broadway play and dealing with the loss of his son Frankie. Morton, who works wonders with whatever film she acts in, shows off in this as well with her short hair and long looks. And it’s really nice to see Honsou play something different than a stereotypical African man. It’s refreshing to see aspects of this character combine with the emotion he lets out in the middle of the film to create someone entirely new. Finally, there are the children, who for the most part are just adorable and understand their environment years ahead of when they should. At first, they want to be just like everyone else, but by the end, Ariel recognizes things are gravely different and doesn’t like it and Christy tells her father to not “little girl” her. Individuals coming from different places make for an interesting and fulfilling experience, whether from the different ages of the Sullivan family or the different countries people come from only to meet in Manhattan. 3.5 stars
Whale Rider
Every Cal bonfire rally, the Cal haka is performed. Filled with loud chants and meant to put fear into their upcoming opponent (Stanfurd), we were told it came from the Maori tribe in New Zealand, who did the haka before going into the battle. These New Zealanders are placed front and center in “Whale Rider”, a film about a young girl who wishes to become tribal leader even though her traditions frown upon a woman doing so. Keisha Castle-Hughes plays the role of the girl, Pai, whose mother died at birth along with her twin brother. Her father would be next in line to be tribal leader, but he has no interest in it and has left the country, where he has pursued his artistic talents and married a German woman. Pai feels she would be a very strong leader but her grandfather still sees her as just a girl. Even so, she doesn’t give up and tries to learn the tribe’s ways, hoping she can put them to use later on.
Castle-Hughes is an empowering figure; an innocent girl standing up for what she believed was right in a place where females are already at a disadvantage. Her performance is made even more extraordinary by the fact that she was only twelve when she made the film. And all the while, writer and director Niki Caro, based on the book by Witi Ihimaera, makes sure to keep things as authentic as possible by showcasing the Maori traditions. But in doing so, the movie faces a dilemma. If tradition holds that only males can become chiefs, as grandpa insists, how can Pai succeed? Just like her, she does so in her own way. 3 stars
Every Cal bonfire rally, the Cal haka is performed. Filled with loud chants and meant to put fear into their upcoming opponent (Stanfurd), we were told it came from the Maori tribe in New Zealand, who did the haka before going into the battle. These New Zealanders are placed front and center in “Whale Rider”, a film about a young girl who wishes to become tribal leader even though her traditions frown upon a woman doing so. Keisha Castle-Hughes plays the role of the girl, Pai, whose mother died at birth along with her twin brother. Her father would be next in line to be tribal leader, but he has no interest in it and has left the country, where he has pursued his artistic talents and married a German woman. Pai feels she would be a very strong leader but her grandfather still sees her as just a girl. Even so, she doesn’t give up and tries to learn the tribe’s ways, hoping she can put them to use later on.
Castle-Hughes is an empowering figure; an innocent girl standing up for what she believed was right in a place where females are already at a disadvantage. Her performance is made even more extraordinary by the fact that she was only twelve when she made the film. And all the while, writer and director Niki Caro, based on the book by Witi Ihimaera, makes sure to keep things as authentic as possible by showcasing the Maori traditions. But in doing so, the movie faces a dilemma. If tradition holds that only males can become chiefs, as grandpa insists, how can Pai succeed? Just like her, she does so in her own way. 3 stars
Something's Gotta Give
So here is the tangled web we weave. Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson) is dating Marin (Amanda Peet), someone way younger than he is. Staying at her mother’s home in the Hamptons, they believe they have the house to themselves, but alas, mom Erica (Diane Keaton) has come up to write a new play along with her sister (Frances McDormand). In the course of events, Harry gets a heart attack and is treated by Dr. Julian Mercer (Keanu Reeves). Julian prescribes some home time for Harry, leaving him and Erica all alone. All the while, Julian begins to date Erica. After a week of solitude and Marin breaking it off with Harry, he and Erica hit it off. When he gets better, he goes back to his old tricks of dating, infuriating Erica, leading her to furiously write a new play based on him. As stress and pain get the better of Harry, only time will tell if and when he gets back together with Erica.
It’s the most clichéd trick of romantic comedies. Two people so wrong for each other go ahead and fall for each other anyway. The outcome was never in doubt here but the way they got there is a bit different. Keaton and Nicholson give dazzling performances, showing off their acting experience in a film that would leave much to be desired had it been trusted in any other couple. Writer and director Nancy Meyers flirts with disaster with all the extra people cast to complicate things for the two, but she manages to make it work with some good dialogue, wonderful laughs, and some good chemistry between the main couple. The one character I have a problem with is Julian, who makes some questionable decisions throughout the film that only serves to confound. Otherwise, it’s a romantic comedy that serves up its material magnificently on both fronts, romantically and comedically. 3 stars
So here is the tangled web we weave. Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson) is dating Marin (Amanda Peet), someone way younger than he is. Staying at her mother’s home in the Hamptons, they believe they have the house to themselves, but alas, mom Erica (Diane Keaton) has come up to write a new play along with her sister (Frances McDormand). In the course of events, Harry gets a heart attack and is treated by Dr. Julian Mercer (Keanu Reeves). Julian prescribes some home time for Harry, leaving him and Erica all alone. All the while, Julian begins to date Erica. After a week of solitude and Marin breaking it off with Harry, he and Erica hit it off. When he gets better, he goes back to his old tricks of dating, infuriating Erica, leading her to furiously write a new play based on him. As stress and pain get the better of Harry, only time will tell if and when he gets back together with Erica.
It’s the most clichéd trick of romantic comedies. Two people so wrong for each other go ahead and fall for each other anyway. The outcome was never in doubt here but the way they got there is a bit different. Keaton and Nicholson give dazzling performances, showing off their acting experience in a film that would leave much to be desired had it been trusted in any other couple. Writer and director Nancy Meyers flirts with disaster with all the extra people cast to complicate things for the two, but she manages to make it work with some good dialogue, wonderful laughs, and some good chemistry between the main couple. The one character I have a problem with is Julian, who makes some questionable decisions throughout the film that only serves to confound. Otherwise, it’s a romantic comedy that serves up its material magnificently on both fronts, romantically and comedically. 3 stars
Monster
Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron) only wanted to be loved. Since she couldn't, she improvised. She was the victim of child abuse. She was shunned at school because of her not-so-pretty looks. She became a prostitute to meet other men, hoping for a connection but it didn't work. Down on her luck and alone, she heads into a bar where she gets friendly with a fellow lonely figure in Selby (Christina Ricci). Estranged from her father and living with a family friend, Selby reaches out to Aileen and they bond, first at the bar and then at a roller skating rink. All that pent-up sexual frustration ends with a passionate kiss and soon enough, Selby runs away with her. During this, Aileen continues her "job" as a prostitute but when one john tries to take advantage of her, she shoots and kills him. After robbing him and taking his car, and after failing to get a legitimate job, she figures this is how she'll support herself. Aileen and Selby move around together but it's only a matter of time until the chasing police catch up.
The book on Theron throughout her career has been that she's the beautiful actress playing average roles in average to great movies, showing off her assets in most of them. In this film however, her transformation isn't just skin deep. She gives a particularly powerful performance (and very realistic too if you watch the documentary also being released) as the serial killer Wuornos. She shows a cold heart with a gun, an emotional openness with Selby, and, in light of things occurring in the movie, a borderline comedic job interview. It's also one of the few times when Theron is bigger than the movie, itself an average adventure which degenerates to killing and running from the law. Ricci's little story doesn't get the full treatment, even with a lot invested so far, and it serves more as a distraction than a viable plotline. The dialogue is filled with one word responses and not so insightful lines. But one look into the eyes of Theron in the film will have you hooked on her performance. 2.5 stars
Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron) only wanted to be loved. Since she couldn't, she improvised. She was the victim of child abuse. She was shunned at school because of her not-so-pretty looks. She became a prostitute to meet other men, hoping for a connection but it didn't work. Down on her luck and alone, she heads into a bar where she gets friendly with a fellow lonely figure in Selby (Christina Ricci). Estranged from her father and living with a family friend, Selby reaches out to Aileen and they bond, first at the bar and then at a roller skating rink. All that pent-up sexual frustration ends with a passionate kiss and soon enough, Selby runs away with her. During this, Aileen continues her "job" as a prostitute but when one john tries to take advantage of her, she shoots and kills him. After robbing him and taking his car, and after failing to get a legitimate job, she figures this is how she'll support herself. Aileen and Selby move around together but it's only a matter of time until the chasing police catch up.
The book on Theron throughout her career has been that she's the beautiful actress playing average roles in average to great movies, showing off her assets in most of them. In this film however, her transformation isn't just skin deep. She gives a particularly powerful performance (and very realistic too if you watch the documentary also being released) as the serial killer Wuornos. She shows a cold heart with a gun, an emotional openness with Selby, and, in light of things occurring in the movie, a borderline comedic job interview. It's also one of the few times when Theron is bigger than the movie, itself an average adventure which degenerates to killing and running from the law. Ricci's little story doesn't get the full treatment, even with a lot invested so far, and it serves more as a distraction than a viable plotline. The dialogue is filled with one word responses and not so insightful lines. But one look into the eyes of Theron in the film will have you hooked on her performance. 2.5 stars
A staggering 496 films have been released in 2003 and of the 75 I've watched, these are the top 10 of the year.
1. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - A triumphant end to one of the best trilogies ever made.
2. City of God - Gritty realism in the slums of Rio.
3. Finding Nemo - All you can ever hope for in an action adventure with the added bonus of great animation.
4. Lost in Translation - Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson masterfully show off their acting chops as they discover Japan with both hilarity and romanticism.
5. In America - The immigrant experience has never been so moving as this was.
6. Seabiscuit - Great performances from a great director document the grand horse named Seabiscuit.
7. Bend it Like Beckham - This soccer crowd-pleaser gives us both entertainment and lessons to learn in life.
8. Big Fish - Tim Burton's imagination runs wild with fantastic results.
9. Elephant - The most thought-provoking film of the year sets the stage for a discussion of how school shootings occur in the most innocent of places.
10. The Last Samurai - Love him or hate him, Tom Cruise turns in a decent performance as a Civil War soldier but Ken Watanabe's role as Katsumoto is the star of the show.
Of the films I have seen, these are the 10 best films of the year according to a composite ranking from 228 critics compiled by moviecitynews.com.
1. Lost in Translation
2. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
3. Mystic River
4. Finding Nemo
5. In America
6. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
7. 21 Grams
8. Kill Bill: Volume 1
9. City of God
10. Cold Mountain
Armed with the same list, these are the 5 best films I haven't seen yet.
1. American Splendor
2. Capturing the Friedmans
3. The Station Agent
4. House of Sand and Fog
5. The Fog of War
1. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - A triumphant end to one of the best trilogies ever made.
2. City of God - Gritty realism in the slums of Rio.
3. Finding Nemo - All you can ever hope for in an action adventure with the added bonus of great animation.
4. Lost in Translation - Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson masterfully show off their acting chops as they discover Japan with both hilarity and romanticism.
5. In America - The immigrant experience has never been so moving as this was.
6. Seabiscuit - Great performances from a great director document the grand horse named Seabiscuit.
7. Bend it Like Beckham - This soccer crowd-pleaser gives us both entertainment and lessons to learn in life.
8. Big Fish - Tim Burton's imagination runs wild with fantastic results.
9. Elephant - The most thought-provoking film of the year sets the stage for a discussion of how school shootings occur in the most innocent of places.
10. The Last Samurai - Love him or hate him, Tom Cruise turns in a decent performance as a Civil War soldier but Ken Watanabe's role as Katsumoto is the star of the show.
Of the films I have seen, these are the 10 best films of the year according to a composite ranking from 228 critics compiled by moviecitynews.com.
1. Lost in Translation
2. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
3. Mystic River
4. Finding Nemo
5. In America
6. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
7. 21 Grams
8. Kill Bill: Volume 1
9. City of God
10. Cold Mountain
Armed with the same list, these are the 5 best films I haven't seen yet.
1. American Splendor
2. Capturing the Friedmans
3. The Station Agent
4. House of Sand and Fog
5. The Fog of War
2/06/2004
To those of you searching for Tara Dakides information, you can catch her on the Late Show Monday where she will talk about the ordeal. Also appearing as a guest that night will be Dr. Phil. In the meantime, you can check the Letterman newsgroup for still shots of the incident but you can't see much. She was going down a 40-foot ramp, without a helmet apparently, and landed on the ground instead of the ramp. She was rushed to the hospital where Dave spent some time. He canceled Thursday's show with Drew Barrymore (rescheduled for Tuesday) and Fountains of Wayne (rescheduling not known) as guests and postponed the late Thursday night taping of Friday night's show to, well, Friday night, as the CBS web site says Hilary Swank and Todd Barry will be guests as scheduled.
The musical guest for February 6 was not piano prodigy Chloe Pang; instead it was Nellie McKay.
Why is this info here? There have been more hits in the last couple of days on this site compared to the week before that.
The musical guest for February 6 was not piano prodigy Chloe Pang; instead it was Nellie McKay.
Why is this info here? There have been more hits in the last couple of days on this site compared to the week before that.
2/02/2004
It was Super Bowl Sunday yesterday, football for the uninformed, and there I was at my brother's house watching. He's got one of those HDTV dealies and you know what? It really does seem like you're watching through a window. Too bad you could tell when CBS switched from the analog cameras to the digital ones and back again. It got really annoying.
The game itself started out to be a yawner. No scoring. Missed field goals. Not even a turnover. In this case, the commercials are supposed to wake you up and give you something to laugh about but no. Pretty much all of them were lame. Nothing revolutionary like the Apple one. No memorable figures like those Bud frogs and even Reebok's Terry Tate. Instead, we get Mike Ditka hawking medicine. And the disturbing image of two old folks in a bathtub with the odd voiceover informing us that yes, a man like this one can have an erection for hours. Ewww. Wasn't Bob Dole and Viagra bad enough?
There were some good ones. 7UP comes to mind. And the one with Homer was good too. But most sought out to offend and well, if you like those cheap laughs, whatever.
The halftime show was ho-hum. The last time MTV did a show, they had Aerosmith, Britney, NSync, Nelly, and Mary J. Blige seemingly all singing in unison, which kinda worked. Then it was U2, experiencing a revival that year. Then last year, it was Shania Twain, Sting and No Doubt. Not the most popular of singers, but good. Then we get to this year. Yuck. Janet Jackson. She's old and hasn't released an album in years. P Diddy and Nelly. P Diddy likes to do TV and fashion, not music anymore. Nelly sang that it was Hot in Herre even though it was awfully cold over there and everyone was sick of the song. Kid Rock? Next. Then Justin Timberlake goes up on stage and strips Janet Jackson. Okay, he pulled off half of her top. Justin attributes it to a "wardrobe malfunction". That's damn funny. I'm sure everyone has had a wardrobe malfunction sometimes.
Prior to the show, they had a commercial where actors and actresses repeat the phrase "Choose to Vote". I thought it was funny that the next image we see was of Jessica Simpson saying "Choose to Party!" I'm sure she said something else, but that's what I thought she said.
As for the game, it seems we were watching a repeat of the Super Bowl two years ago. Back then, Ricky Proehl scored the game-tying touchdown until the Patriots led by Tom Brady rushed downfield to set up a 48-yard field goal made by Adam Vinatieri to win the game. Yesterday, Ricky Proehl scored the game-tying touchdown until the Patriots led by Tom Brady rushed downfield to set up a 41-yard field goal made by Adam Vinatieri to win the game.
The game itself started out to be a yawner. No scoring. Missed field goals. Not even a turnover. In this case, the commercials are supposed to wake you up and give you something to laugh about but no. Pretty much all of them were lame. Nothing revolutionary like the Apple one. No memorable figures like those Bud frogs and even Reebok's Terry Tate. Instead, we get Mike Ditka hawking medicine. And the disturbing image of two old folks in a bathtub with the odd voiceover informing us that yes, a man like this one can have an erection for hours. Ewww. Wasn't Bob Dole and Viagra bad enough?
There were some good ones. 7UP comes to mind. And the one with Homer was good too. But most sought out to offend and well, if you like those cheap laughs, whatever.
The halftime show was ho-hum. The last time MTV did a show, they had Aerosmith, Britney, NSync, Nelly, and Mary J. Blige seemingly all singing in unison, which kinda worked. Then it was U2, experiencing a revival that year. Then last year, it was Shania Twain, Sting and No Doubt. Not the most popular of singers, but good. Then we get to this year. Yuck. Janet Jackson. She's old and hasn't released an album in years. P Diddy and Nelly. P Diddy likes to do TV and fashion, not music anymore. Nelly sang that it was Hot in Herre even though it was awfully cold over there and everyone was sick of the song. Kid Rock? Next. Then Justin Timberlake goes up on stage and strips Janet Jackson. Okay, he pulled off half of her top. Justin attributes it to a "wardrobe malfunction". That's damn funny. I'm sure everyone has had a wardrobe malfunction sometimes.
Prior to the show, they had a commercial where actors and actresses repeat the phrase "Choose to Vote". I thought it was funny that the next image we see was of Jessica Simpson saying "Choose to Party!" I'm sure she said something else, but that's what I thought she said.
As for the game, it seems we were watching a repeat of the Super Bowl two years ago. Back then, Ricky Proehl scored the game-tying touchdown until the Patriots led by Tom Brady rushed downfield to set up a 48-yard field goal made by Adam Vinatieri to win the game. Yesterday, Ricky Proehl scored the game-tying touchdown until the Patriots led by Tom Brady rushed downfield to set up a 41-yard field goal made by Adam Vinatieri to win the game.
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