Watched Miami Vice Thursday. The story leaves much to desire but Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx are perfect in their roles. As an added bonus, Michael Mann is at the helm and he's great at filming gunplay (anyone watch Heat?). He doesn't disappoint here.
Scoop is Woody Allen's latest creation and after reaching a creative high with "Match Point", he digs back to the depths of his recently bad comic creations like "Hollywood Ending" and "Anything Else". Scoop does have some entertaining lines to laugh about but Allen's usual schtick gets old pretty quickly. Scarlett Johansson doesn't have her beauty to fall back on like she did in "Match Point" and instead her character seems to be parodying Allen at times. And Hugh Jackman adds nothing to his character as the romantic lead and possible Tarot Card Killer.
Mark your calendar! The Wizard, another one of those '80s movies I grew up on, is coming out on DVD August 22. Follow 3 kids as they journey from Utah to Los Angeles to a video game competition. Starring Fred Savage and Christian Slater.
7/30/2006
7/23/2006
7/22/2006
I'm trying to get myself psyched for my niece's birthday, but it's hard to when that sun is already up and it already seems like 100 degrees at 10 am. Kelli's birthday isn't actually until next Friday but...no, I don't know why they didn't have the party next Saturday. All I know is, I'm pretty much headed back to work...the party's at a park in Sunnyvale, not too far away.
Waiting for this party to get started, I'm watching VH1's World Series of Pop Culture on the Tivo, my guilty pleasure at the moment and the best new show of the summer (stop, that's not saying much). I was trying to think who would be a part of my team if I ever became a part of the show. Within the family, David would probably be best. He's a much more active cinephile than I'll ever be, with his DVD collection pushing 3 full bookshelves. And the key is he's older than me. He was more recognizant of the '80s, which is the oldest the questions seem to be. That would probably count out my friends, most of whom are strong within the categories, but I would seem equal to them and to form a team, you need people who will compensate for your weaknesses. So when I need old people, I'll just look to work since you know, all those people I work with are old. Whoops, I mean older...yeah. Jennifer's the best pick, especially with the music. Steve and JaSondra are good too, but sorry Mitch, no sports questions nor anything during the time when radio was king.
Waiting for this party to get started, I'm watching VH1's World Series of Pop Culture on the Tivo, my guilty pleasure at the moment and the best new show of the summer (stop, that's not saying much). I was trying to think who would be a part of my team if I ever became a part of the show. Within the family, David would probably be best. He's a much more active cinephile than I'll ever be, with his DVD collection pushing 3 full bookshelves. And the key is he's older than me. He was more recognizant of the '80s, which is the oldest the questions seem to be. That would probably count out my friends, most of whom are strong within the categories, but I would seem equal to them and to form a team, you need people who will compensate for your weaknesses. So when I need old people, I'll just look to work since you know, all those people I work with are old. Whoops, I mean older...yeah. Jennifer's the best pick, especially with the music. Steve and JaSondra are good too, but sorry Mitch, no sports questions nor anything during the time when radio was king.
7/20/2006
Watched My Super Ex-Girlfriend tonite. It suffers from some cheesy dialogue but otherwise comes out funnier than most movies that have come out of the chute. It's a fun satire to watch, especially after watching the mildly dull Superman Returns. While Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson are the stars, the real shiner is Anna Faris, who sheds the dumb roles she's been getting lately. One criticism would be the lack of Rainn Wilson and Wanda Sykes, who are funny with their limited roles.
Other movies in theatres:
No story. Tired act. Keira Knightley dressed as a man? These are not the aspects we've come to expect out of a Pirates of the Caribbean movie but that's where we are and it is horrible. Superman Returns is entertaining yet underwheming. These characters are no match for those from the Christopher Reeve era. In contrast, the strength of the Devil Wears Prada comes from its characters, most especially the ones played by Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci. Anne Hathaway? Ehh, but it's still a strong movie. The Da Vinci Code is a great mystery/treasure hunt as long as you haven't read the book. Those of you that did read the book may still like it but will most likely be disappointed. M:i:III is just one long Alias episode, and not even a good Alias episode. X-Men III? Don't get me started on how bad this crap was.
Just to get through the Netflix films, I'll steal Siskel & Ebert's thumbs up and thumbs down.
Two thumbs up: Transamerica, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Dreamer, Prime, Syriana
Mixed: A Good Woman, Two for the Money, The New World, The Producers, The Family Stone, Pride and Prejudice, Shopgirl
Two thumbs down: Date Movie, Firewall, Rumor Has It, An Unfinished Life
Other movies in theatres:
No story. Tired act. Keira Knightley dressed as a man? These are not the aspects we've come to expect out of a Pirates of the Caribbean movie but that's where we are and it is horrible. Superman Returns is entertaining yet underwheming. These characters are no match for those from the Christopher Reeve era. In contrast, the strength of the Devil Wears Prada comes from its characters, most especially the ones played by Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci. Anne Hathaway? Ehh, but it's still a strong movie. The Da Vinci Code is a great mystery/treasure hunt as long as you haven't read the book. Those of you that did read the book may still like it but will most likely be disappointed. M:i:III is just one long Alias episode, and not even a good Alias episode. X-Men III? Don't get me started on how bad this crap was.
Just to get through the Netflix films, I'll steal Siskel & Ebert's thumbs up and thumbs down.
Two thumbs up: Transamerica, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Dreamer, Prime, Syriana
Mixed: A Good Woman, Two for the Money, The New World, The Producers, The Family Stone, Pride and Prejudice, Shopgirl
Two thumbs down: Date Movie, Firewall, Rumor Has It, An Unfinished Life
7/17/2006
Hey you K-Fed haters out there...now beat the crap out of him.
http://www.dragongamez.com/kfed.htm
Let's go O's! Baltimore beat Oakland 5-3, probably disappointing Leslie, but she's stressed out as it is so she may not care as much.
Man, it's been hot lately. The poor thermometer in the sidebar read 102 today. Last week, I escaped the heat by heading to Sacto (but it followed). This week, my shade was in the form of the cabinets and TV's I was moving out of my grandparents' house. Yeah, not too fun. Before my mom left for Japan and the Philippines, she told my grandmother she wanted one of the cabinets we were moving, and she obliged. I honestly have no idea what she wants with it. It took 3 people to move it (so it ain't going upstairs) and the garage is full. Might as well break it and blame it on an accident.
Stopped by Shoreline today to buy the tix for Comedy Jam with Russell Peters, Carlos Mencia, Gabriel Iglesias, Ralphie May, Bill Burr, and others. On the way, there was a line of fire trucks looking over a dry hill. No water pouring...just a lot of staring. Then I looked at what they were "protecting". It was one of the Google buildings.
Got free tix for Miami Vice for next Thursday. So that's next on the big list. I'll catch up on the short movie reviews soon. Seems there are 20 to write about.
Correction: My Super Ex-Girlfriend will be next up this Thursday.
http://www.dragongamez.com/kfed.htm
Let's go O's! Baltimore beat Oakland 5-3, probably disappointing Leslie, but she's stressed out as it is so she may not care as much.
Man, it's been hot lately. The poor thermometer in the sidebar read 102 today. Last week, I escaped the heat by heading to Sacto (but it followed). This week, my shade was in the form of the cabinets and TV's I was moving out of my grandparents' house. Yeah, not too fun. Before my mom left for Japan and the Philippines, she told my grandmother she wanted one of the cabinets we were moving, and she obliged. I honestly have no idea what she wants with it. It took 3 people to move it (so it ain't going upstairs) and the garage is full. Might as well break it and blame it on an accident.
Stopped by Shoreline today to buy the tix for Comedy Jam with Russell Peters, Carlos Mencia, Gabriel Iglesias, Ralphie May, Bill Burr, and others. On the way, there was a line of fire trucks looking over a dry hill. No water pouring...just a lot of staring. Then I looked at what they were "protecting". It was one of the Google buildings.
Got free tix for Miami Vice for next Thursday. So that's next on the big list. I'll catch up on the short movie reviews soon. Seems there are 20 to write about.
Correction: My Super Ex-Girlfriend will be next up this Thursday.
7/16/2006
Okay, so Al Gore didn't invent the Internet. But I'm pretty sure at the very least he understood how it worked. Contrast this to Ted Stevens, the Senate President Pro Tempore (3rd in line in the presidential line of succession) and in charge of the committee overseeing net commerce. Apparently, the Internet is a series of tubes.
Transcipt courtesy of Wired
There's one company now you can sign up and you can get a movie delivered to your house daily by delivery service. Okay. And currently it comes to your house, it gets put in the mail box when you get home and you change your order but you pay for that, right.
But this service is now going to go through the internet and what you do is you just go to a place on the internet and you order your movie and guess what you can order ten of them delivered to you and the delivery charge is free.
Ten of them streaming across that internet and what happens to your own personal internet?
I just the other day got, an internet was sent by my staff at 10 o'clock in the morning on Friday and I just got it yesterday. Why?
Because it got tangled up with all these things going on the internet commercially.
So you want to talk about the consumer? Let's talk about you and me. We use this internet to communicate and we aren't using it for commercial purposes.
We aren't earning anything by going on that internet. Now I'm not saying you have to or you want to discriminate against those people.
The regulatory approach is wrong. Your approach is regulatory in the sense that it says "No one can charge anyone for massively invading this world of the internet". No, I'm not finished. I want people to understand my position, I'm not going to take a lot of time.
They want to deliver vast amounts of information over the internet. And again, the internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a truck.
It's a series of tubes.
And if you don't understand those tubes can be filled and if they are filled, when you put your message in, it gets in line and its going to be delayed by anyone that puts into that tube enormous amounts of material, enormous amounts of material.
Now we have a separate Department of Defense internet now, did you know that?
Do you know why?
Because they have to have theirs delivered immediately. They can't afford getting delayed by other people.
Now I think these people are arguing whether they should be able to dump all that stuff on the internet ought to consider if they should develop a system themselves.
Maybe there is a place for a commercial net but it's not using what consumers use every day.
It's not using the messaging service that is essential to small businesses, to our operation of families.
The whole concept is that we should not go into this until someone shows that there is something that has been done that really is a violation of net neutrality that hits you and me.
Transcipt courtesy of Wired
There's one company now you can sign up and you can get a movie delivered to your house daily by delivery service. Okay. And currently it comes to your house, it gets put in the mail box when you get home and you change your order but you pay for that, right.
But this service is now going to go through the internet and what you do is you just go to a place on the internet and you order your movie and guess what you can order ten of them delivered to you and the delivery charge is free.
Ten of them streaming across that internet and what happens to your own personal internet?
I just the other day got, an internet was sent by my staff at 10 o'clock in the morning on Friday and I just got it yesterday. Why?
Because it got tangled up with all these things going on the internet commercially.
So you want to talk about the consumer? Let's talk about you and me. We use this internet to communicate and we aren't using it for commercial purposes.
We aren't earning anything by going on that internet. Now I'm not saying you have to or you want to discriminate against those people.
The regulatory approach is wrong. Your approach is regulatory in the sense that it says "No one can charge anyone for massively invading this world of the internet". No, I'm not finished. I want people to understand my position, I'm not going to take a lot of time.
They want to deliver vast amounts of information over the internet. And again, the internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a truck.
It's a series of tubes.
And if you don't understand those tubes can be filled and if they are filled, when you put your message in, it gets in line and its going to be delayed by anyone that puts into that tube enormous amounts of material, enormous amounts of material.
Now we have a separate Department of Defense internet now, did you know that?
Do you know why?
Because they have to have theirs delivered immediately. They can't afford getting delayed by other people.
Now I think these people are arguing whether they should be able to dump all that stuff on the internet ought to consider if they should develop a system themselves.
Maybe there is a place for a commercial net but it's not using what consumers use every day.
It's not using the messaging service that is essential to small businesses, to our operation of families.
The whole concept is that we should not go into this until someone shows that there is something that has been done that really is a violation of net neutrality that hits you and me.
7/09/2006
My 10 day, 1,100 mile journey began Friday, June 30. The night before, I watched The Devil Wears Prada. With the exception of Simon Baker's character and the fact that Anne Hathaway's character is still pretty dumb in the end, the film is pretty strong with great performances by Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci. Maybe too accurate as well. Nancy was naming designers for me before they were announced on screen.
It was a bittersweet day as we had a goodbye lunch for my former office neighbor who was laid off. She's unhappy to go but she knew something was coming and she found a job right away so best of luck to her. I left work that night early to head over to the Mountain Winery to see Fiona Apple in concert. Painfully shy in public, Fiona obviously was having a little fun out there after admitting to having a crying fit the night before. But like she was at Coldplay a few months ago, she had trouble hitting some of her notes, the result of a busy tour schedule with this being her third Bay Area visit since last November. Nevertheless, it's always a good time with Fiona singing.
(Total so far: about 80 miles)
The next day was my Grandpa's 80th birthday. All of his kids were there including the ones from Los Angeles and Philadelphia. The preparation was intense as I had to get up early to pick up stuff with my aunt. It also involved two round trips to Morgan Hill. All in all, a very fun time. My cousin started a new job in San Mateo at Smith Barney this week so congrats. And he just graduated a month ago. Later that night, I headed up to see Superman Returns at the Metreon in IMAX 3D. Watching it in Imax is good enough but the 3D underwhelmed me. Maybe my eyes are defective. As for the movie, it's a bit underwhelming but it still entertains. Brandon Routh doesn't have the charisma Christopher Reeve had and Kate Bosworth seems to be invincible since she suffers no injuries throughout the film.
(Total so far: about 250 miles)
Sunday and Monday were mellow days. I was still reeling from the fact that Brazil had lost in the World Cup. How could they??? And to France??? It almost defied logic. Had dinner with my aunt and the family on Sunday, visited Burlingame and Millbrae on Monday and played poker with the guys on Monday night. We finished up the poker and food at 3 am and I started on my way back on Capitol when I see this car behind me following me. It's followed me for at least 2 miles...what gives? I'm getting close to home, passing Safeway. Usually, I'd turn left at Branham but instead I went straight. Still following. Cut through Hayes School. Still following. Going through the neighborhood on my way home. Finally, I turn left and he keeps going straight. How weird I thought. I pull in and get out only to see the car coming from the other way! So I pretty much ran inside and could only wonder what they did to my car. (Luckily, nothing but some random ppl did TP the house down the street. Wasn't me...honest :)
(Total so far: about 375 miles)
Tuesday was Independence Day. We're going to recapture the cities and blow the aliens out of the sky. Oh wait, that's the movie. In real life, my sister and I went to my brother's house in Pacifica to start a bonfire on the beach. My sister really wanted fireworks and so we obliged. Man was that a mistake. All around us, people obviously came prepared, shooting off cannons into the air while we had dinky ones that went up 5 feet into the air. But watching everyone else's was cool but we stayed kinda late and I was one of the lucky few to have work the next day. Wanting to get home quickly but well aware the cops prolly had an increased presence for the holiday, I tried to stick in the 70s. There were times the speedometer ran into the 90s but I dialed it back when I realized it. On one of those few times, a car cut me off going 100+. Having the road rage I have, I tried to follow him, but I noticed a car moving just as fast following behind. It was a CHP car without its siren lights on. The guy going 100 exited and so did the CHP car. Don't know what happened next but hopefully he got one fat ticket.
(Total so far: about 500 miles)
The next 3 days consisted of work, work, work. Ok, about one day was actual work but I did have to show up for all 3 days. I came back to realize ppl are just dropping dead. 4 co-workers had family members die in the past week and another found out her neighbor passed on.
Hey, would it sound better if I were named Phil? (I don't think so.)
Friday night, went to the city to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. And I did something I rarely do. I fell asleep during the movie. Oh my was this boring. So they spent 150 minutes looking for a key and a chest??? You could tell they were saving their best stuff for the final installment and all this stuff was fluff. Absolutely no point whatsoever. Even the beauty of Keira Knightley couldn't keep me from falling asleep. I made it through and got back at around 2 am.
(Total so far: about 750 miles)
Wake up! I don't wanna to. It's 6:30 and shut up. But no. I promised to see the guys in Sacto for a little rafting and BBQ madness. So there I was in the driver's seat yet again. Had to pick up Datman and Alex, two ppl who believe 80 mph is not fast enough. I'm usually a good driver but in front of these two, I was for some reason not at my best. I didn't yield to a guy U-turning (all the ppl I saw were turning left and this one guy decides to make a U) but the worst was running over a concrete parking divider. But hey, even with rattled nerves, they're still alive. Though if you hear the story from them, you would have thought I nearly killed them at every turn. The rafting was okay. We got through it much quicker than last time and it wasn't as uncomfortable. That would come later that night. With temperatures reaching 100 during the day, Hai's apartment was just as hot all through the night. The fan and limited A/C didn't help. After getting about 4 hours of sleep the night before, I consider it lucky to get the 5 hours I did. I would find out the next morning that it was too lucky. Apparently, I snore pretty loudly. After staying in hotel rooms and friends' houses, I've never been told that before. The only snoring stories I hear about involve my dad or brother, who are notorious for their snoring. But me??? No way. It's the truth though and now I have to live with it. Good thing I sleep right through it ;)
Thanks Hai and Claire for hosting this weekend.
Now I'm back, awaiting to go back to work tomorrow. This week is actually pretty busy. Packages to update and whatnot. So pretty soon, I'll go snore...I mean sleep.
(Total miles: 1100)
It was a bittersweet day as we had a goodbye lunch for my former office neighbor who was laid off. She's unhappy to go but she knew something was coming and she found a job right away so best of luck to her. I left work that night early to head over to the Mountain Winery to see Fiona Apple in concert. Painfully shy in public, Fiona obviously was having a little fun out there after admitting to having a crying fit the night before. But like she was at Coldplay a few months ago, she had trouble hitting some of her notes, the result of a busy tour schedule with this being her third Bay Area visit since last November. Nevertheless, it's always a good time with Fiona singing.
(Total so far: about 80 miles)
The next day was my Grandpa's 80th birthday. All of his kids were there including the ones from Los Angeles and Philadelphia. The preparation was intense as I had to get up early to pick up stuff with my aunt. It also involved two round trips to Morgan Hill. All in all, a very fun time. My cousin started a new job in San Mateo at Smith Barney this week so congrats. And he just graduated a month ago. Later that night, I headed up to see Superman Returns at the Metreon in IMAX 3D. Watching it in Imax is good enough but the 3D underwhelmed me. Maybe my eyes are defective. As for the movie, it's a bit underwhelming but it still entertains. Brandon Routh doesn't have the charisma Christopher Reeve had and Kate Bosworth seems to be invincible since she suffers no injuries throughout the film.
(Total so far: about 250 miles)
Sunday and Monday were mellow days. I was still reeling from the fact that Brazil had lost in the World Cup. How could they??? And to France??? It almost defied logic. Had dinner with my aunt and the family on Sunday, visited Burlingame and Millbrae on Monday and played poker with the guys on Monday night. We finished up the poker and food at 3 am and I started on my way back on Capitol when I see this car behind me following me. It's followed me for at least 2 miles...what gives? I'm getting close to home, passing Safeway. Usually, I'd turn left at Branham but instead I went straight. Still following. Cut through Hayes School. Still following. Going through the neighborhood on my way home. Finally, I turn left and he keeps going straight. How weird I thought. I pull in and get out only to see the car coming from the other way! So I pretty much ran inside and could only wonder what they did to my car. (Luckily, nothing but some random ppl did TP the house down the street. Wasn't me...honest :)
(Total so far: about 375 miles)
Tuesday was Independence Day. We're going to recapture the cities and blow the aliens out of the sky. Oh wait, that's the movie. In real life, my sister and I went to my brother's house in Pacifica to start a bonfire on the beach. My sister really wanted fireworks and so we obliged. Man was that a mistake. All around us, people obviously came prepared, shooting off cannons into the air while we had dinky ones that went up 5 feet into the air. But watching everyone else's was cool but we stayed kinda late and I was one of the lucky few to have work the next day. Wanting to get home quickly but well aware the cops prolly had an increased presence for the holiday, I tried to stick in the 70s. There were times the speedometer ran into the 90s but I dialed it back when I realized it. On one of those few times, a car cut me off going 100+. Having the road rage I have, I tried to follow him, but I noticed a car moving just as fast following behind. It was a CHP car without its siren lights on. The guy going 100 exited and so did the CHP car. Don't know what happened next but hopefully he got one fat ticket.
(Total so far: about 500 miles)
The next 3 days consisted of work, work, work. Ok, about one day was actual work but I did have to show up for all 3 days. I came back to realize ppl are just dropping dead. 4 co-workers had family members die in the past week and another found out her neighbor passed on.
Hey, would it sound better if I were named Phil? (I don't think so.)
Friday night, went to the city to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. And I did something I rarely do. I fell asleep during the movie. Oh my was this boring. So they spent 150 minutes looking for a key and a chest??? You could tell they were saving their best stuff for the final installment and all this stuff was fluff. Absolutely no point whatsoever. Even the beauty of Keira Knightley couldn't keep me from falling asleep. I made it through and got back at around 2 am.
(Total so far: about 750 miles)
Wake up! I don't wanna to. It's 6:30 and shut up. But no. I promised to see the guys in Sacto for a little rafting and BBQ madness. So there I was in the driver's seat yet again. Had to pick up Datman and Alex, two ppl who believe 80 mph is not fast enough. I'm usually a good driver but in front of these two, I was for some reason not at my best. I didn't yield to a guy U-turning (all the ppl I saw were turning left and this one guy decides to make a U) but the worst was running over a concrete parking divider. But hey, even with rattled nerves, they're still alive. Though if you hear the story from them, you would have thought I nearly killed them at every turn. The rafting was okay. We got through it much quicker than last time and it wasn't as uncomfortable. That would come later that night. With temperatures reaching 100 during the day, Hai's apartment was just as hot all through the night. The fan and limited A/C didn't help. After getting about 4 hours of sleep the night before, I consider it lucky to get the 5 hours I did. I would find out the next morning that it was too lucky. Apparently, I snore pretty loudly. After staying in hotel rooms and friends' houses, I've never been told that before. The only snoring stories I hear about involve my dad or brother, who are notorious for their snoring. But me??? No way. It's the truth though and now I have to live with it. Good thing I sleep right through it ;)
Thanks Hai and Claire for hosting this weekend.
Now I'm back, awaiting to go back to work tomorrow. This week is actually pretty busy. Packages to update and whatnot. So pretty soon, I'll go snore...I mean sleep.
(Total miles: 1100)
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