So in case you didn't notice, I'm not a active here as I used to be. And considering that I wasn't terribly active to begin with, well yeah, let's just say that I've been neglectful. But I have taken my lazy habits to another domain, the wonderful world of Wordpress. I'll leave a link towards the bottom so you can check me out while I procrastinate on another web format.
http://criticismsandmisdemeanors.wordpress.com/
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Gran Torino (2008; Clint Eastwood)
Walt Kowalski is not a happy camper. Recently widowed and dealing with uncaring family, this racist old Vietnam vet is not living an envied life. He has to deal with his overbearing (all growed up) son and his family, while those pesky Asian immigrants are moving in next door. But throughout the course of the film, our antihero learns to love. I.e. a more updated variation on the old timer with regrets he played in Unforgiven.
When I first saw this film during its run in theaters, my initial reaction was intermittent lulz and muted indifference. Revisiting it years later, I am happy to report that I liked it much more. Granted, it’s still one of the weaker entries in Eastwood’s filmography, and the things that I didn’t like about it then still bother me now. First off, some of the most over-the-top and awful excuses for gangsters I've seen in any film. They're hardly as threatening as they are annoying. Also troublesome is Walt's immediate family, and how rather than coming off as neglectful and uncaring (which is surely what this film was going for), they were just stria hgt-up assholes. Maybe Walt was onto something by choosing not to connect with them.
But this recent viewing did more to clear some things up than retread what made me dislike it in the first place. One thing that was very difficult to accept before was how accepting the Asian family was of Walt’s racist attitude, as he continues to act like a crotchy old bastard even when he befriends them. I never quite understood how they could find his racist mannerisms charming, but watching it again, I realized this: they don’t. Despite having a new circle of friends, Walt isn’t about to change who he is entirely, and the family accepts that and chooses to go along with Walt’s mannerisms and put up with him.
As I said earlier, this film is not in the upper tier of Eastwood's filmography, but it is still quite good. I certainly like it more now than I did when it first came out, warts and all.
When I first saw this film during its run in theaters, my initial reaction was intermittent lulz and muted indifference. Revisiting it years later, I am happy to report that I liked it much more. Granted, it’s still one of the weaker entries in Eastwood’s filmography, and the things that I didn’t like about it then still bother me now. First off, some of the most over-the-top and awful excuses for gangsters I've seen in any film. They're hardly as threatening as they are annoying. Also troublesome is Walt's immediate family, and how rather than coming off as neglectful and uncaring (which is surely what this film was going for), they were just stria hgt-up assholes. Maybe Walt was onto something by choosing not to connect with them.
But this recent viewing did more to clear some things up than retread what made me dislike it in the first place. One thing that was very difficult to accept before was how accepting the Asian family was of Walt’s racist attitude, as he continues to act like a crotchy old bastard even when he befriends them. I never quite understood how they could find his racist mannerisms charming, but watching it again, I realized this: they don’t. Despite having a new circle of friends, Walt isn’t about to change who he is entirely, and the family accepts that and chooses to go along with Walt’s mannerisms and put up with him.
As I said earlier, this film is not in the upper tier of Eastwood's filmography, but it is still quite good. I certainly like it more now than I did when it first came out, warts and all.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Happy New Year
Okay, I know I’m a little late here, but I’ve been occupied with filling my (soon to be over) Christmas break with as much social and material time with friends and whatnot as possible.
Now, I’m fully aware that it’s customary for people to make resolutions they plan to keep, but to be perfectly honest, I never held much stakes in New Year’s resolutions. Not because I think they’re useless or it’s a bad idea in general. Quite the contrary, I actually think that these kinds of resolutions are a fine way of keeping everyone in balance. The reason I choose not to make any for myself is because I’ve never been that good at either making or keeping them.
Of course, there are things I still hope for in 2011. I would very much like to hold onto old friendships, especially the ones I’ve managed to hold onto up until this point. And I want to get a better hold on what I want to do with my life, just like any normal person who finds themselves in my same position would want. Plus an addition few other miscellaneous, albeit smaller and far less significant resolutions, such as expanding my filmic knowledge and making this blog more official.
So, until then my fellow non-readers, go forth and wreck havoc on the world.
Peace.
Now, I’m fully aware that it’s customary for people to make resolutions they plan to keep, but to be perfectly honest, I never held much stakes in New Year’s resolutions. Not because I think they’re useless or it’s a bad idea in general. Quite the contrary, I actually think that these kinds of resolutions are a fine way of keeping everyone in balance. The reason I choose not to make any for myself is because I’ve never been that good at either making or keeping them.
Of course, there are things I still hope for in 2011. I would very much like to hold onto old friendships, especially the ones I’ve managed to hold onto up until this point. And I want to get a better hold on what I want to do with my life, just like any normal person who finds themselves in my same position would want. Plus an addition few other miscellaneous, albeit smaller and far less significant resolutions, such as expanding my filmic knowledge and making this blog more official.
So, until then my fellow non-readers, go forth and wreck havoc on the world.
Peace.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Off Topic "Top 5" of 2010
A collection of my favorite (non film related) events and happenings from this past year.
5. Beach Vacation – The immediate family and me in our yearly trip down to Long Beach Island, NJ.
4. Senior Prom – Again, self explanatory. Had a good time with some close friends, got all dressed up and danced a bunch. T’was a night to remember fer shur.
3. High School Graduation - Fairly self explanatory.
2. Church trip down to North Carolina – Traveled out of state to spend a week in Cherokee, NC with a youth group from my church.
1. College – Not any one specific even or incident. Just my entire college experience so far. It’s been pretty rad.
In spite of these five listed items, 2010 as a whole has been pretty so-so for me. Stay tuned for my New Years ramblings and possible list of resolutions.
5. Beach Vacation – The immediate family and me in our yearly trip down to Long Beach Island, NJ.
4. Senior Prom – Again, self explanatory. Had a good time with some close friends, got all dressed up and danced a bunch. T’was a night to remember fer shur.
3. High School Graduation - Fairly self explanatory.
2. Church trip down to North Carolina – Traveled out of state to spend a week in Cherokee, NC with a youth group from my church.
1. College – Not any one specific even or incident. Just my entire college experience so far. It’s been pretty rad.
In spite of these five listed items, 2010 as a whole has been pretty so-so for me. Stay tuned for my New Years ramblings and possible list of resolutions.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Weekly Watch
Thought I’d give this new series a try. It basically keeps track of all the films I watched in the past week or so, and then I do small writeups of each, with a 1-4 star rating scale for funsies. Hopefully this’ll be inspiring enough for me to do some more feature length pieces.
Grizzly Man – One of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen. An absolutely captivating portrait of a man who clearly wasn’t all “there” per say. Despite not much happening in the way of plot or story, it was one of the most dramatic and intense experiences watching a film I’ve had in a long time. Much better than I was expecting and easily my favorite film from Werner Herzog, feature or documentary. ****
Love and Death – One of the most ambitious films from Woody Allen I’ve seen yet, and also one of the funniest. ***
True Grit – Pretty much it was everything I hoped it would be, and even much more at times. A wonderfully crafted film that’s just as cinematically satisfying as it is entertaining on a purely superficial level. It goes without saying that the cinematography was stunning and the entire cast did well, with the clear standout being Hailee Steinfeld in the lead role. Barring a regrettably anticlimactic finale and a general lack of catharsis, this was one hell of a film. ****
Rio Bravo – Stunningly average western flick on all fronts, without any interesting characters or unique plot devices to lead from point A to B. An inoffensive enough piece of hackwork that had its moments, but didn’t do much for me overall. One thing I did love, though, was the liberal use of the term “dude.” How unbelievably anachronistic. **1/2
We'll see how long this one lasts.
Grizzly Man – One of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen. An absolutely captivating portrait of a man who clearly wasn’t all “there” per say. Despite not much happening in the way of plot or story, it was one of the most dramatic and intense experiences watching a film I’ve had in a long time. Much better than I was expecting and easily my favorite film from Werner Herzog, feature or documentary. ****
Love and Death – One of the most ambitious films from Woody Allen I’ve seen yet, and also one of the funniest. ***
True Grit – Pretty much it was everything I hoped it would be, and even much more at times. A wonderfully crafted film that’s just as cinematically satisfying as it is entertaining on a purely superficial level. It goes without saying that the cinematography was stunning and the entire cast did well, with the clear standout being Hailee Steinfeld in the lead role. Barring a regrettably anticlimactic finale and a general lack of catharsis, this was one hell of a film. ****
Rio Bravo – Stunningly average western flick on all fronts, without any interesting characters or unique plot devices to lead from point A to B. An inoffensive enough piece of hackwork that had its moments, but didn’t do much for me overall. One thing I did love, though, was the liberal use of the term “dude.” How unbelievably anachronistic. **1/2
We'll see how long this one lasts.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Lorne the Super Jew
Let the record show that I did not write this. It's just a fun little story written by another...let's call him "Renty" for now. Anyway, I noticed how sad and empty my blog has been looking lately, so I thought I'd drop by and share this. Be warned that there are a few in-jokes stashed in there so if you don't "get" something, it's not you. Enjoy!
Part I
Lorne the Super Jew was big.
He was fast.
He could leap tall buildings in a single bound and have motzah ball soup ready on the way back down.
Lorne the Super Jew was loved and revered by all the people of Toronto, and rightfully so, for Lorne the Super Jew was a kind man.
A virtuous man.
And most importantly, a sexy man.
In fact, Lorne the Super Jew was wanted by every hot female in Ontario. He soon the attentions of a Miss Cheesecake, who proceeded to court him and she became his queen soon after, leaving Toronto in a state of prosperity and bliss.
This is when the sidekick dead-ced-dead comes in. Mr. DCD was a kind man.
A scrupulous man.
He was also an even sexier man (though that may be my own bias).
How in the world could Lorne the Super Jew compete?
But Lorne the Super Jew soon discovered that DCD was not to be feared.
Instead, he busied himself acquiring an even more vast fortune, buying out every bank in Canada and the world over (and yes, even Serbia) before owning the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
With great power, comes great responsibility (and no, I am not plagiarising).
And it was DCD’s suggestion to give the Oscar this year to Natalie Portman for her wonderful performance in Black Swan (despite not having seen the film himself).
And so Lorne agreed, and it was done, and every Portman fanboy around the world creamed himself to a sticky death.
Part II
Lorne the Super Jew was sweet.
Lorne the Super Jew was awesome.
Lorne the Super Jew was the stuff of legend.
It was rumoured that he could run around the world in three minutes and seduce even the most bitter woman in half that time (and yes, even convert her).
It was also rumoured that he was responsible for the disappearance of Mel Gibson. This angered McFlyin, who believed every word of said rumour, and who had never heard of Mad Max, only What Women Want.
An inquiry was sent forth and it was ruled that Mr. Gibson must have hidden himself away where he could go ahead with his drunk tirades where not even the crows could hear him.
It was decided that not only would a search of the world not be worth it, it would also be more expensive, much like the pointless search for Osama bin Laden.
Part III
Lorne the Super Jew was intelligent.
Lorne the Super Jew was clever!
Lorne the Super Jew was a PATRIOT!
When it came time to defend his country against the wicked Gibson-ites (some very disturbing people not really worth a description here), he led them away by promising them gold and jewels...without detailing the amount of karats first.
And that is where our story ends, ladies and gentlemen.
I could go on and on and on about the glorious Lorne the Super Jew, but if there’s one thing that Lorne the Super Jew is known for...it is his great humility.
THE END
Part I
Lorne the Super Jew was big.
He was fast.
He could leap tall buildings in a single bound and have motzah ball soup ready on the way back down.
Lorne the Super Jew was loved and revered by all the people of Toronto, and rightfully so, for Lorne the Super Jew was a kind man.
A virtuous man.
And most importantly, a sexy man.
In fact, Lorne the Super Jew was wanted by every hot female in Ontario. He soon the attentions of a Miss Cheesecake, who proceeded to court him and she became his queen soon after, leaving Toronto in a state of prosperity and bliss.
This is when the sidekick dead-ced-dead comes in. Mr. DCD was a kind man.
A scrupulous man.
He was also an even sexier man (though that may be my own bias).
How in the world could Lorne the Super Jew compete?
But Lorne the Super Jew soon discovered that DCD was not to be feared.
Instead, he busied himself acquiring an even more vast fortune, buying out every bank in Canada and the world over (and yes, even Serbia) before owning the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
With great power, comes great responsibility (and no, I am not plagiarising).
And it was DCD’s suggestion to give the Oscar this year to Natalie Portman for her wonderful performance in Black Swan (despite not having seen the film himself).
And so Lorne agreed, and it was done, and every Portman fanboy around the world creamed himself to a sticky death.
Part II
Lorne the Super Jew was sweet.
Lorne the Super Jew was awesome.
Lorne the Super Jew was the stuff of legend.
It was rumoured that he could run around the world in three minutes and seduce even the most bitter woman in half that time (and yes, even convert her).
It was also rumoured that he was responsible for the disappearance of Mel Gibson. This angered McFlyin, who believed every word of said rumour, and who had never heard of Mad Max, only What Women Want.
An inquiry was sent forth and it was ruled that Mr. Gibson must have hidden himself away where he could go ahead with his drunk tirades where not even the crows could hear him.
It was decided that not only would a search of the world not be worth it, it would also be more expensive, much like the pointless search for Osama bin Laden.
Part III
Lorne the Super Jew was intelligent.
Lorne the Super Jew was clever!
Lorne the Super Jew was a PATRIOT!
When it came time to defend his country against the wicked Gibson-ites (some very disturbing people not really worth a description here), he led them away by promising them gold and jewels...without detailing the amount of karats first.
And that is where our story ends, ladies and gentlemen.
I could go on and on and on about the glorious Lorne the Super Jew, but if there’s one thing that Lorne the Super Jew is known for...it is his great humility.
THE END
Thursday, November 25, 2010
What I'm thankful for
Oh yeah, time to get sentimental this Thanksgiving.
- Being with my family, however asshole-ish they may be.
- Getting into a good school.
- Making lots of new friends at college
- Keeping in touch with a few of my old friends from high school.
- Being able to sleep in as late as I want to, without having to worry about alarms going off, or being late for classes.
- Good health (corny as hell for sure, but something you just have to mention)
- My puppy, Bailey.
- 50% off Criterion DVD sales
- Netflix Instant watch
- Thanksgiving feasts. Mmmmmmmmmm –
That’s all for now.
- Being with my family, however asshole-ish they may be.
- Getting into a good school.
- Making lots of new friends at college
- Keeping in touch with a few of my old friends from high school.
- Being able to sleep in as late as I want to, without having to worry about alarms going off, or being late for classes.
- Good health (corny as hell for sure, but something you just have to mention)
- My puppy, Bailey.
- 50% off Criterion DVD sales
- Netflix Instant watch
- Thanksgiving feasts. Mmmmmmmmmm –
That’s all for now.
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