Another week, another stolen idea from a friend (next week will be an original. srsly.). Basically, the idea here is to compile a list consisting only of under appreciated items that I personally enjoy. Credit for this ingenious idea goes to Postsecret.com and Neil Pasricha, the creator of the blog, which I will link towards the bottom. So without any further ado, here goes my list:
1.) High Fives
2.) Sunroofs
3.) Pastafarianism
4.) Cracking your back over a chair in school
5.) Fanny packs
6.) Fresh packs of gum
7.) Fridays
8.) Coloring
9.) Aimless drives to nowhere
10.) Toilet seat covers
11.) Mountaintop experiences
12.) Driving dangerously fast while listening to The Killers.
13.) The Criterion Collection
14.) Eyepatches
15.) Warm showers
16.) Old school Playstation games
17.) Studio Ghibli
18.) PIMPIN
19.) Lotion that dissolves really fast and doesn’t leave that gross greasy feeling
20.) Afternoon naps
21.) Family Guy pajamas
22.) Mall Santas
23.) Halloween
24.) Special getaway zones that only you (and the people you choose to tell) know about
25.) A good classical symphony
26.) Driving
27.) Netflix Instant
28.) Large ass-indents you leave while getting up off furniture after sitting there for a long time
29.) The cold side of the pillow
30.) Sitting in the back of the classroom and mentally picking off all the annoying kids
31.) Being thanked
32.) People who realize that ‘The Village’ is actually a great film
33.) Finally peeing after holding it in for a very long time
34.) Rushing through a door before it closes
35.) Looking at old photographs and experiencing that amazing nostalgic feeling
36.) Blankets big enough to fit more than one person
37.) Tracking shots
38.) Overwhelmingly buttery popcorn
39.) Asian people
40.) Stanley Kubrick films
41.) Gus Van Sant films
42.) Orson Welles films
43.) Ingmar Berg – alright, I’ll stop
44.) Campfires
45.) Redoing high fives after you miss the first time
46.) Realizing you still have the ability to surprise yourself
47.) Wawa milkshakes
48.) Unbelievably short people
49.) Learning math you’re actually going to use when you get older
50.) Not having to pay for yourself when you go somewhere
51.) Correcting a mistake
52.) Planet Earth (the tv series)
53.) fmylife.com
54.) Elliott Smith
55.) Having any kind of wildlife, typically a deer, walking around in your backyard
57.) Horror films as art
58.) Eating the insides of oreos and leaving the cookie parts
59.) Spongebob Squarepants
60.) Long walks
61.) Bubble wrap
62.) Mooching off other people for their food
63.) The freshly cut grass smell
64.) Slappin’ da bass
65.) When you return to a hotel room and the bed sheets have already been changed and the room all cleaned up
66.) Sledding
67.) Mt. Dew
68.) Potter Puppet Pals
69.) Dr. Seuss books
70.) Exciting rides at amusement parks
71.) Rare instances of the film adaptation of a book actually being better
72.) Philosophy
73.) Christoph Waltz in ‘Inglourious Basterds’
74.) Old fashioned typewriters
75.) HUNGRY MOTHER!!1
76.) Writing on steamy or foggy windows
77.) New Years
78.) Words that make your lips tingle when you say them
79.) The Cat Diaries
80.) Improv
81.) The feeling and texture of Play-Doh
82.) The Muppets
83.) Drive thrus
84.) That smooth, post-shave way your skin feels
85.) Scrubs
86.) Liking a song or band before it reaches stardom
87.) Pleasant surprises
88.) Making your own food
89.) Comfy socks
90.) Learning how to play an instrument
91.) Bike rides
92.) Flea Markets
93.) The Vampire Chronicles
94.) Jacuzzis
95.) Mission trips
96.) The Nostalgia Critic
97.) Board Games
98.) Watching snow falling outside, while you’re nice and warm indoors.
99.) Returning home after being gone for a while
100.) The fact that I could actually come up with a list of 100 things in my life I’m genuinely happy to have.
http://1000awesomethings.com/ [For all the things I may have missed.]
Friday, April 30, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
3-Dizzle
Let’s face it, movies will always be evolving. The art of filmmaking is not unlike the human race, in that it will continue to move forward, for better or worse. One of the more recent developments is the use of 3D in theatrical films. The goal of 3D is to make the viewing experience that much more immersive for the viewer. Whether it does its job well or not is in the eye of the beholder. So, let’s have it out now: 3D – stroke of genius, or useless distraction?
To further explore this newest of marketing gimmicks, we have to go all the way back to the beginning. What most people don’t seem to realize is that 3D has been around longer than a majority of the audience of any given film which uses it. It actually appeared first in the early 1980s, appearing mostly in the third installments of then popular horror franchises, if only for the namesake (Jaws 3D!, Friday the 13th 3D!!, Amityville 3D!!! omgsauce!!!1) It then shortly died off for a long while, since improvement was obviously needed. However, the trend had recently resurfaced and is now in popular demand.
Now-a-days, most films that end up in 3D are shot like that during principle photography. Typically, those ones are either animated films or use CGI heavy environments, such as Avatar and Alice in Wonderland. However, sometimes a studio will decide they want 3D added in post-production, as to increase revenue. The final result usually isn’t as good-looking as the ones originally intended for 3D.
Much like a well-known actor whose been spending most of their career as a benchwarmer and has only recently achieved stardom, it seems that 3D has finally found a welcome home in mainstream cinema. Only time will tell if it lasts. But for now, the least it can do is provide for some awesome photo opportunities.
To further explore this newest of marketing gimmicks, we have to go all the way back to the beginning. What most people don’t seem to realize is that 3D has been around longer than a majority of the audience of any given film which uses it. It actually appeared first in the early 1980s, appearing mostly in the third installments of then popular horror franchises, if only for the namesake (Jaws 3D!, Friday the 13th 3D!!, Amityville 3D!!! omgsauce!!!1) It then shortly died off for a long while, since improvement was obviously needed. However, the trend had recently resurfaced and is now in popular demand.
Now-a-days, most films that end up in 3D are shot like that during principle photography. Typically, those ones are either animated films or use CGI heavy environments, such as Avatar and Alice in Wonderland. However, sometimes a studio will decide they want 3D added in post-production, as to increase revenue. The final result usually isn’t as good-looking as the ones originally intended for 3D.
Much like a well-known actor whose been spending most of their career as a benchwarmer and has only recently achieved stardom, it seems that 3D has finally found a welcome home in mainstream cinema. Only time will tell if it lasts. But for now, the least it can do is provide for some awesome photo opportunities.
Friday, April 16, 2010
I dunt geddit
Due to a complete lack of inspiration and having nothing terribly interesting to write about this week, here’s a list of things, be they ideas, objects, or groups of people that I just don’t undershtand. So, without further ado, here they are.
People who are proud of being illiterate
Now, I can understand why some people don’t like to read, even if I disagree. But the attitudes of people who are actually proud of that just baffles me. Like whenever you look at someone’s Facebook or Myspace, and under the Books section, it says something like “naw man, fuck dose book! I don’t fuckin read. I’m too bizee playing World uh’ Warcraft!” Classy.
Teenagers who are all like “Fuck the police!”
Let me get this straight: you’re an 18 year old pot head, whose older brother was arrested last year for coke dealing, you’re a straight-D student in school, plan on becoming a male stripper when you get older, and you somehow think you have more value to society than a cop? Uh huh.
Men named Richard who choose to be called Dick.
“Hello, my name is Richard. But please, call me Dick.”
“Why hello there, Dick. My name is Christian, but you can call me Scrotie McBooger Balls.”
Juggalos
You know, the rabid fans of the group Insane Clown Posse. First off, if you’re going to start a multinational gang affiliation, why would you base it off of a musical group? And if you’re going to base it on a musical group, WHY for the love of His Noodley Appendage would you base it on the dumbest, most bullshit white-trash musical group ever? If the two guys who invented ICP are revealing some great truth about the world, then Elliot Smith is a prophet sent by God (not that he wasn’t already).
Sitcoms on T.V. that still use live studio audiences
While this is a more of a subjective complaint, I personally feel that if any show greenlit within the past couple of years still uses a laugh track, then the producers obviously don’t have a whole lot of faith in their product (**COUGH** Disney Channel **COUGH**). It shows a total lack of confidence, which is never a good sign. Oh, and just an interesting fact, but since they reuse the same laughing effects as they did in the 50s and 60s, most of the people who you hear on the laugh track are probably dead by now. Weird.
People who join like a million groups on Facebook
Is it really necessary to have 1,028 pages on your profile that say all the same three things? Guys always mistreat you, you don’t like sluts, you think all those innuendo sounding groups are funny. I fucking get it already. Stop spamming my news feed.
Referring to something as “Good but overrated” and the people who actually think it makes any damn sense
“Hey, did you see The Hurt Locker”
“Yeah, but it shouldn’t have won Best Picture at the Oscars. It was good, but way overrated.”
*facepalm*
It makes NO SENSE. How the shit can you call a film you consider worthwhile to be overrated? Why does it distress you so much if a film you LIKED is getting praise? Why not join in? Why be miserable about something that struck all the right chords with you getting hailed by others? Why? WHY? >:(
People who are proud of being illiterate
Now, I can understand why some people don’t like to read, even if I disagree. But the attitudes of people who are actually proud of that just baffles me. Like whenever you look at someone’s Facebook or Myspace, and under the Books section, it says something like “naw man, fuck dose book! I don’t fuckin read. I’m too bizee playing World uh’ Warcraft!” Classy.
Teenagers who are all like “Fuck the police!”
Let me get this straight: you’re an 18 year old pot head, whose older brother was arrested last year for coke dealing, you’re a straight-D student in school, plan on becoming a male stripper when you get older, and you somehow think you have more value to society than a cop? Uh huh.
Men named Richard who choose to be called Dick.
“Hello, my name is Richard. But please, call me Dick.”
“Why hello there, Dick. My name is Christian, but you can call me Scrotie McBooger Balls.”
Juggalos
You know, the rabid fans of the group Insane Clown Posse. First off, if you’re going to start a multinational gang affiliation, why would you base it off of a musical group? And if you’re going to base it on a musical group, WHY for the love of His Noodley Appendage would you base it on the dumbest, most bullshit white-trash musical group ever? If the two guys who invented ICP are revealing some great truth about the world, then Elliot Smith is a prophet sent by God (not that he wasn’t already).
Sitcoms on T.V. that still use live studio audiences
While this is a more of a subjective complaint, I personally feel that if any show greenlit within the past couple of years still uses a laugh track, then the producers obviously don’t have a whole lot of faith in their product (**COUGH** Disney Channel **COUGH**). It shows a total lack of confidence, which is never a good sign. Oh, and just an interesting fact, but since they reuse the same laughing effects as they did in the 50s and 60s, most of the people who you hear on the laugh track are probably dead by now. Weird.
People who join like a million groups on Facebook
Is it really necessary to have 1,028 pages on your profile that say all the same three things? Guys always mistreat you, you don’t like sluts, you think all those innuendo sounding groups are funny. I fucking get it already. Stop spamming my news feed.
Referring to something as “Good but overrated” and the people who actually think it makes any damn sense
“Hey, did you see The Hurt Locker”
“Yeah, but it shouldn’t have won Best Picture at the Oscars. It was good, but way overrated.”
*facepalm*
It makes NO SENSE. How the shit can you call a film you consider worthwhile to be overrated? Why does it distress you so much if a film you LIKED is getting praise? Why not join in? Why be miserable about something that struck all the right chords with you getting hailed by others? Why? WHY? >:(
Friday, April 9, 2010
2010 Filmz (Part One)
Alright, alright. I know what you’re thinking. But this is just for a transitional period more than anything else. The next one won’t be about films. Pinky promise.
Anywho, I figure that a good way to get back into the blogging mood would be to revert back to my filmic roots and go through all the 2010 new releases I’ve seen so far and offer up brief comments on them.
The Wolfman (Joe Johnston)
After spending what might as well have been an eternity in development hell, it’s somewhat understandable that the final cut of this film plays a little bit bipolar, to say the least. Reflecting the radically different influences in direction it had on its way to completion, it has the look and feel of a gothic period romance, random bursts of Burtonesque dark humor, and the ultra excessive splatterfest gore of a mid-1970s exploitation flick. I’d like to say that all of these unrelated tonal shifts add up to a one-of-a-kind whole, but I’d be lying. Although if you can get past some jarring changes in mood, it somehow manages to work amazingly well in all the areas that count the most. All in all, it probably could [and should] have been better, but still reasonably entertaining.
Alight, brief disclaimer here: for all like 3 people I’ve made aware of this blogs resurfacing, if you haven’t seen Shutter Island yet, skip this next part. This is one of those films that is damn near impossible to critique without discussing the ending. Not giving it away, just discussing it, as in making reference to it. Problematically, it’s not a terribly original or shocking of a reveal, so if you don’t heed my warning and stop here, you’ll probably figure it out.
Shutter Island (Martin Scorsese)
But yeah, Shutter Island is fantastic. I’ve always found director Martin Scorsese to be at his best when he branches off from his preferred comfort zone of gangster flicks (The Last Temptation of Christ > Goodfellas, yo), and Shutter Island is as versatile as it gets. Even with the films final outcome and resolution oddly coming off as trite and commonplace, it probably matters the least upon first viewing. The most important thing about it is watching classic director Martin Scorsese shed new light on the “Haunted House” horror staple. Given all that, this film is easily one of the most successful fusions of both psychological and old school horror in quite some time. And the sooner you accept that Scorsese isn’t interested in blowing your mind with screenplay structure gymnastics, the easier you’ll appreciate him blowing your mind with everything else. True, those looking for profound depth won’t find it, because Shutter Island ultimately wants to freak you the hell out and look damn good doing it. In that respect, it succeeds mightily.
Alice in Wonderland (Tim Burton)
Superlative-wise, this film is for Tim Burton what Avatar was for James Cameron; a few dozen [metaphorical] baby steps in a more technological direction for said filmmaker. What separates this from the likes of James Cameron's latest output is that Avatar still had what made Cameron popular in the first place appearing in more than just fragments. On paper, the same could be said for Alice in Wonderland, with all the frequent Burton collaborators on board. Unfortunately, with regards to a few instances of Burton leaving his mark on familiar elements from the original Disney film, there isn’t much here that couldn’t have been done similarly by anybody else who knows how to use CGI. Basically, Alice falls into the same camp as The Wolfman; a hodge-podge of elements that work and ones that feel oddly out of place. Only this time, it’s much more difficult to pinpoint the exact concepts that do and don’t work, since this film is coming from someone who knows how to handle material like this in a way that would satisfy both himself and the people he's working under. All in all, it was an interesting disappointment, although it’s reasonable to assume that Disney is more to blame for the major shortcomings than Burton is.
w00t.
Anywho, I figure that a good way to get back into the blogging mood would be to revert back to my filmic roots and go through all the 2010 new releases I’ve seen so far and offer up brief comments on them.
The Wolfman (Joe Johnston)
After spending what might as well have been an eternity in development hell, it’s somewhat understandable that the final cut of this film plays a little bit bipolar, to say the least. Reflecting the radically different influences in direction it had on its way to completion, it has the look and feel of a gothic period romance, random bursts of Burtonesque dark humor, and the ultra excessive splatterfest gore of a mid-1970s exploitation flick. I’d like to say that all of these unrelated tonal shifts add up to a one-of-a-kind whole, but I’d be lying. Although if you can get past some jarring changes in mood, it somehow manages to work amazingly well in all the areas that count the most. All in all, it probably could [and should] have been better, but still reasonably entertaining.
Alight, brief disclaimer here: for all like 3 people I’ve made aware of this blogs resurfacing, if you haven’t seen Shutter Island yet, skip this next part. This is one of those films that is damn near impossible to critique without discussing the ending. Not giving it away, just discussing it, as in making reference to it. Problematically, it’s not a terribly original or shocking of a reveal, so if you don’t heed my warning and stop here, you’ll probably figure it out.
Shutter Island (Martin Scorsese)
But yeah, Shutter Island is fantastic. I’ve always found director Martin Scorsese to be at his best when he branches off from his preferred comfort zone of gangster flicks (The Last Temptation of Christ > Goodfellas, yo), and Shutter Island is as versatile as it gets. Even with the films final outcome and resolution oddly coming off as trite and commonplace, it probably matters the least upon first viewing. The most important thing about it is watching classic director Martin Scorsese shed new light on the “Haunted House” horror staple. Given all that, this film is easily one of the most successful fusions of both psychological and old school horror in quite some time. And the sooner you accept that Scorsese isn’t interested in blowing your mind with screenplay structure gymnastics, the easier you’ll appreciate him blowing your mind with everything else. True, those looking for profound depth won’t find it, because Shutter Island ultimately wants to freak you the hell out and look damn good doing it. In that respect, it succeeds mightily.
Alice in Wonderland (Tim Burton)
Superlative-wise, this film is for Tim Burton what Avatar was for James Cameron; a few dozen [metaphorical] baby steps in a more technological direction for said filmmaker. What separates this from the likes of James Cameron's latest output is that Avatar still had what made Cameron popular in the first place appearing in more than just fragments. On paper, the same could be said for Alice in Wonderland, with all the frequent Burton collaborators on board. Unfortunately, with regards to a few instances of Burton leaving his mark on familiar elements from the original Disney film, there isn’t much here that couldn’t have been done similarly by anybody else who knows how to use CGI. Basically, Alice falls into the same camp as The Wolfman; a hodge-podge of elements that work and ones that feel oddly out of place. Only this time, it’s much more difficult to pinpoint the exact concepts that do and don’t work, since this film is coming from someone who knows how to handle material like this in a way that would satisfy both himself and the people he's working under. All in all, it was an interesting disappointment, although it’s reasonable to assume that Disney is more to blame for the major shortcomings than Burton is.
w00t.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Holidays inspired by pasta, being thankful, and other shenanigans
So I’m totally jacking this idea from my friends [admittedly superior] blog, but Easter isn’t the only major holiday that falls on today. Pastover has a home here as well. Pastover is a mock holiday invented by a man named Bobby Henderson. Henderson protested the teaching of intelligent design in a Kansas school by creating arguably the most elaborate and just downright hilarious instances of irreligion, like, ever. Pastover is his variation on Easter and Passover. On this day, Pastafarians are encouraged to eat unholy amounts of pasta, pass an eye-patch around, and say what they are thankful for. Me and my friend Brittany have already done this with each other, but I felt like sharing with the rest of the world. So, here goes;
- Being part of a very tightly knit, if disorganized circle of friends.
- The nice weather we’ve been having lately (I call it “perfect sunroof weather” :p)
- Having good friends who actually appreciate me.
- My older sister being home from college.
- Slowly but surely cracking down on all the prom-related expenses and preparations.
- Becoming a more confident individual over the years.
- Getting accepted into Millersville.
- The prospects of graduation being only 2 months away.
- Good grades.
- Having my driver’s license for about half a year and not having gotten into any serious troubles, if any at all.
- Getting substantially less awful at playing the guitar.
- Having enough free time to actually be able to read a book for funsies.
Do I wish some things in my life were different? Yeah. But it feels like for every one aspect of my life I’d like to change, there are three better ones that I’m ashamed to admit I take for granted. Who doesn’t have those? But I’m totally feeling a change of pace is underway. Hopefully for the better.
RAmen.
- Being part of a very tightly knit, if disorganized circle of friends.
- The nice weather we’ve been having lately (I call it “perfect sunroof weather” :p)
- Having good friends who actually appreciate me.
- My older sister being home from college.
- Slowly but surely cracking down on all the prom-related expenses and preparations.
- Becoming a more confident individual over the years.
- Getting accepted into Millersville.
- The prospects of graduation being only 2 months away.
- Good grades.
- Having my driver’s license for about half a year and not having gotten into any serious troubles, if any at all.
- Getting substantially less awful at playing the guitar.
- Having enough free time to actually be able to read a book for funsies.
Do I wish some things in my life were different? Yeah. But it feels like for every one aspect of my life I’d like to change, there are three better ones that I’m ashamed to admit I take for granted. Who doesn’t have those? But I’m totally feeling a change of pace is underway. Hopefully for the better.
RAmen.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Welcome Back
After a school-year long hiatus, I have finally opted to restore me olde blog. I just figured that with my heading off to college soon for, uhh, some sort of media & communications like field, I should have a go at a related subject, and give myself some practice, as to improve on my writing abilities.
Although the former life of this blog was devoted to film related articles and nothing more, this time I have decided to expand on the subjects occupying space here. Yes, there will be occasional filmic discussions, but for the most part I’d like to cover a wider range of general talking points.
So, armed with some fresh ideas, the confidence that this would prepare me for college, and the encouragement of a friend, I have decided to resurrect this blog, once again. Let’s see how it goes.
Although the former life of this blog was devoted to film related articles and nothing more, this time I have decided to expand on the subjects occupying space here. Yes, there will be occasional filmic discussions, but for the most part I’d like to cover a wider range of general talking points.
So, armed with some fresh ideas, the confidence that this would prepare me for college, and the encouragement of a friend, I have decided to resurrect this blog, once again. Let’s see how it goes.
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