Review: Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire

Brilliant. Poignant. Powerful. Fun.

I thought this film was very well done, very timely and beautiful in it’s harshness.

It’s the return of Neorealism.

Neorealism is characterized by a general atmosphere of authenticity. Andre Bazin, a French film theorist and critic, argued that neorealism portrays: truth, naturalness, authenticity, and is a cinema of duration.

It has a definite social context in India, a sense of immideiacy, it’s political commentary on India (and America in a good way, we love that), it’s authentic and has a documentary feel and used ‘Hollywood’ unkowns. It’s the return of Neorealism and it was done brilliantly!

Neorealism in cinema began at the end of WWII as a blow-back to the Classic Hollywood cinema and reflected the darker sentiment of the times in Europe. Slumdog Millionaire is an excellent look at the times in India, the grow of the country and the coming of age of it’s people through the growth of the films three main characters.

The film is disturbingly real at times, blatant and unforgiving in it’s imagery. But it is this same grit and harsh reality that the beauty of the film comes from. It is moving and heartfelt and still manages to leave us happy and fulfilled.

You are on the edge of your seat at times, but Love triumphs against the odds.

It is very much worthy for best picture.

Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Slow. Simple. Warm.

Those are the three words I would use to describe this film.

I thought it was a beautiful film. Very simple, it unfolds very gradually with very little surprise. I was not blow away, or moved to tears but I thought it was well done and heartfelt. Brad Pitt did a good job but I felt like Cate Blanchett over acted a bit. She is a powerful actress but her performances to me didn't come off as realistic.

I reccommend the film to anyone seeking a feel good movie and likes a slow pace.

John McCain

Like I said before, I think John McCain is a good person. I truly beleive he means well.

I liked him a lot more before he backed down on his torture bill. As the ONLY person in the US Senate who had actually been held and tortured I expected him to stand his ground and get real change made. Instead he backed down to all of the Bush/Cheney administration demands and nothing changed. That was a chance to show real leadership and in my mind he didn't.

Fast forward to today and the crisis gripping the nation and John McCain again is not showing leadership or insight.

Giving a press conference suspending his campaign? Is this a joke?

First of all we are a little over a month away from the elections so 'suspending' your campaign doesn't sound wise.

Second SUSPENDING YOUR CAMPAIGN IS NOT POSSIBLE!

You can't turn off the media. You can't step out of it.

Then...

Why would you want to do that anyway?

You campaign to win? Right? What other purpose does it serve? Why then would 'suspend' something that is set up to win you the presidential office?

"So I can go to Washington and focus on the Fiancial Crisis"

The Economy has never been McCains strong suit, and this ECONOMIC CRISIS is not going anywhere any time soon. This does not bode well for McCain. We need a president who has a strong understanding of the economy and the Economy has never been McCains strong suit.

Music: The Faint

I recently discovered this band by sheer chance, and I love their music!

They have a great sound. It's very neo-80's. Electro clash with extra electro.

They have great lyrics, excellent beats and melodies. I look forward to more of there music.

We Get Seduced!

The Decline of America

The decline of America can be seen in the following shows:

I love New York
I love Money
The Real World
America's Got Talent <---- people actually watch this????
anything with Flava Flav
MTV

it's really sad

Deal or No Deal

I am getting so sock of this show.

The only reason this show, and other lame gameshows are doing so well right now is because people need the money!

Lakeview Terrace

Samuel L. Jackson plays an angry black man...

Again.

I feel like every movie I have ever seen him in he plays the same character.

The Angry black man who is pissed off and yells a lot. The only thing that seems to change is his dialogue.

Entourage 5

Not really digging it.

At first I could not buy Adrian Grenier as big star. And now since he never really rose up, and his acting has never gotten good, I really can't buy it.

I like Kevin Dillon, he's a cool guy. But his character is not making sense to me. They put him in situations that make him look so old. In the newest episode there is a part where he is posing with like ten other models and it is GLARINGLY obvious that his is like 15-20 years older then all of them. No amount of makeup can hide this.

Turtle was always repulsive to me. I can know that there are actual weasly type people like him out there so he fills a nitch or something, but I can't stand him. Jerry Farrar who plays him is also the so baby-ish and anoying it's too much.

Kevin Connelly can't tuck in his shirts because then he looks as short as he really is.

Jeremy Piven is Ari Gold only without the wit, and more of the attitude and sense of entitlement. Piven is by far one of the most 'evil' people I have ever come across.

I think the show peaked at season three. Season four was bad. I worked on that season in the production office. I can tell you first hand the whole season was an excuse for the writers (who phoned the whole season in) to go to Cannes. None of them would be able to ever go otherwise...

The show had so much potential but I don't think they are giving it the creative attention, they are getting lazy and I think it means the end of the show

Immigration

1) Immigration

Immigration is a major issue that MUST be dealt with in the very near future.

Let's pretend that America is an all you can eat buffet. You pay your fee and you get a plate. The fee covers the food. There is plenty of food and it’s good. Then people start to sneak in the back door. They grab a plate and help themselves, not paying the fee. They bring other people in and they don’t pay either. Soon the restaurant is not a pleasant. The lines are longer and the food quality begins to decline. Some of these people are caught. They say they will wash dishes to pay for their food. Soon the dishwashers are out of a job because of all the people working off there food. But the food has never gotten better. Many people can’t afford to order off the menu so they are stuck in long lines, paying there fee (even though some aren’t) and getting bad service and food.

The food is American schools, hospitals, and social services. The fee is your taxes.

Immigration is a contentious issue. But it is actually very simple.

America is not capable of handling everyone that wants to come here. It would be great if it could, but it can’t. The more people that come the more strained America gets. A weak America will not be able to help anyone.

America needs to:

1) Do a full accounting of who is here.
2) Stop people from coming here illegally
3) End the reasons they come (free services)
4) Determine who goes immediately and forever –i.e. violent criminals
5) Determine who will never be eligible for citizenship --petty criminals
6) Determine who can be put on a path to citizenship, if there is a fine associated.
7) Create a powerful efficient temporary worker program.

It is unfair to the people who followed the laws and took the legal path to citizenship, to just grant citizenship to people who did not.

America has laws. Laws must be followed and enforced or society will break down and decline. It’s time to enforce the laws on the books. This is not about race or anything other than laws, money and the economy.

I know it seems harsh, but tough times call for tough measures. I further believe that it is time to alter the ‘Birth-right Citizenship’. Citizenship should no longer be granted to the children of illegal immigrants. Citizenship should on be granted to legal immigrants children. This falls under #3.

The argument that enforcing immigration laws will break apart families is unfounded. The children follow the parents, it’s very simple.

The immigration issue is closely linked to the crisis in healthcare, the problems with schools and the economy woes. You cannot address those issues without addressing immigration and immigrants.

Again, I know it can comes off as harsh. But there is no such thing as a free lunch. Because if there is, someone else’s lunch suffers. If America can’t help itself and get it’s house in order it will not be in a position to help others.

Change is in the air...

A little change will do you good... Change we shall have.

I have learned a lot these last couple years. I tend to lean left, because the environment is at the top of my list.

I was a Hillary fan, but I can get onto the Barack bandwagon. I like his message. He has aligned himself with and won the support prominent leaders, thinkers and powers. His lack of experience means he is learning and is open to new ideas, new thinking; and this is what America needs.

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks"

With no disrespect, John McCain is an old dog. A good and loyal one, but he ain't learning no new tricks if you follow me...

America is on the precipice. The future is uncertain. Luckily this is the greatest country in the world, with the most versatile economy in the world. America is ready for a leader with a vision, a leader of the future, a person the world will rally behind. I can't see John McCain as that person.

Sarah Palin worries me a bit. She has dirty oil on her hands, and is very much an unknown quantity with unknown agenda. Personally I can see her opening up ANWR for drilling and deciding that the bridges to nowhere are back on the table. I think she is the result of advisors, stratagizors, and polling. He chose his running mate after only meeting her once. She is an attempt to inject life and some kind of enthusiasm into the McCain campaign. People should be weary of her agenda, her energy policies, and her lack of experience. While she has "used the veto pen" and "has Executive experience" there is huge difference between running a 7/11 and a 'Super-Wal-mart'. It's better to know the power players of 'Wal-mart', deal with them, know there style how they do business, than it is to not know or have met them but know what it's like run a tiny company.

I think John McCain is a good guy. He has a great story and is a real war hero. But I don't think he is what America needs right now.

America needs vibrancy. It needs charisma. It needs change. America needs to show the world that it is moving forward.

Going Green

Going Green

‘Going green’ is a term that gets thrown around a lot these days. Many people don’t really know what it means.

Or worse many people think they know but are wrong.

Or worse still they don’t care.

Being green more than driving a Pirus, shopping at Whole Foods, or putting out your recycling for the bums.

Going Green is about waking up the environment; seeing it as the living breathing organism that it is. The environment gives us life and learning how to lessen your impact upon it in a macro and micro way for the betterment of everyone, every living thing is what “Going Green” means. Going green means taking our environmental impact to nill and then restoring the parts that have been lost; creating green spaces where ever possible. It means moving into an era where clean renewable energy and renewable products are the only consumed in use.

Saving energy helps but it is not enough. Carpooling, turning off lights, and buying organic is a good start, but it will not be enough. It’s time that America lead the worlds green revolution. Going Green locally is a good start but it won’t get us to the finish. It is time for America to engage with the rest of the world and help other countries with there Green revolutions. It is far easier to reduce the pollution in developing countries than it is at home or in Europe, so it is best if we do so.

Pollution is a global terror. It kills millions, costs billions and leaves irreparable damage in it’s wake. Pollution knows no border and is a friend to no one. If your business pollutes or harms the environment your business hurts has no future.

In 19th century London a famous Economist was quoted as stating that “at current population projections, and current growth rates and the number horses and buggies London will be buried in manure in 50 years!” What he failed to see was that human innovation always steps up. Shorty after that, the car came along, then the subway, and today you would be hard pressed to find any manure in London at all.

The point is: The world is not ending. Global Warming is not going to kill us all.

But…

That does not mean the threat doesn’t exist.

It means that it is time for the innovators the to get to work. It is time to remake the world and rid it of all the pollution / manure!

Movie Review: The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight

Incredible. Amazing. Disturbing. Powerful...

This is one of the best movies I have seen in a VERY long time.

It was also the most emotionally draining movie I have seen in a VERY long time. The film takes you up and down and keeps you on the edge of your seat and and struggling to keep up for the full 2.5 hours. It is so well written and so well executed that time stops, the adrenaline takes over and you never quite know where this is going. Christopher Nolan is my new screenwriting idol.

Every performance was very good. I was skeptical about the buzz around Heath Ledger's 'Oscar worthy performance'. I thought it's all just hype and people are only saying that because he passed away and it's just a ploy by Warner Bros. Marketing department... But as I watched him, I was disturbed, as was intended and I actually agree. It really was an Oscar worthy performance. Watching him, and knowing he is no longer alive certainly makes his performance more powerful, but I think I would have still been moved even if he was still alive.

The story is exceptional. This movie is the new standard for the Superhero movie. The bar has just been raised. They take classic Batman characters and situations and modernize them. They make it feel so real and so relevent that the plot and themes really hit home. Go see it. Then go see Tropic Thunder to clear your emotional pallet!!

9.5 out of 10

Movie Review: Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunder

Loved it.

Ben Stiller returns to directing for the first time (I believe) since Zoolander (also one of my favorite films).

Tropic Thunder is very funny, mildly demented, a little crude, but totally fun. The story unfolds nicely and keep you laughing and totally entertained from start to finish. Everyone does a great job.

The stand out performance is Tom Cruise! He was hysterical! If they gave out Oscars for Comedy Tom would be nominated for this movie. I loved that they don’t even advertise him as being in the movie (smart) and then he delivers the best performance in the movie.

I definitely recommend this film, especially if you like Ben Stiller style (dark and slap-sticky) comedy.
9 out of 10

Show Biz Idiots

Show Biz Idiots

Add Shia LaDoof to the list of Show Biz idiots.

I was a big fan of him. He is a good actor and had so much promise. But I have no respect for people that drink and drive. I have even less respect for people that drink and drive and then put hundreds (if not thoudsands) of people out of work. Production for Transformers 2 was halted because of Shia’s idiocracy. The selfishness, shamelessness and total immaturity of people that have the world at there finger tips is incredible to me.

I sincerely hope Shia does not develop ‘Paris Hilton syndrome’. That’s when you get a sense of entitlement and feelings like you are above the law, followed by elevated drug and alcohol use. Soon you become totally worthless to society.
It kills me to see young people that have so much and see so little. Why they don’t see the need to give back to a world that has given them so much. How come they can’t see that they are (were) role models for people and that they uniquely have the power to make the world a better place.

It kills me to watch them do the exact opposite.

It kills me to see the decline of America in the faces and actions of the Paris Hiltons, Shia LeBoufs, and Kardashians…
Can somebody please turn it off?

Conflict of Interest

Conflict of Interest
You cannot at once be for ‘Off Shore Drilling’ and slowing Climate Change.
You cannot be for moving away from oil and spending billions for FIND and drill for it.
You cannot simultaneously prepare for and prevent war.
You can’t be moving away from oil and be searching for more.
It is possible to have a Green, Oil Free, Energy Independent economy.
It’s insane to believe Obama is to blame for high oil prices.
It’s well established Dick Cheney met with big Oil in 2001 when America created it’s new energy policy that lowered the MPG of cars and discouraged conservation.
Raising the MPG by 2 in 2001 would have saved more than double the oil in ANWR.
America can lead the world.
The world needs to go green; before it goes dead.
The world has 6 billion people, and will have 9 billion by 2025. That’s a lot of carbon emissions from just there breathing.
Green technology is the future.
Black technology (coal, oil) is the past.
We can’t dwell in the past.
We must move into the future.
If we had started moving into the future in 2001 (not the past) I would easily have $200 extra dollars a month (gas savings) in my pocket.
I want an electric car that I can charge from the Solar Panels on my roof.
I don’t want to spend money on oil anymore.
Even if it is from the US.
Why does McCain want me to keep spending money on oil?
I would rather spend my money on me.
America should be the future, not the past.
America should be looking for renewable energy, not polluting energy.
You can’t be for a better world, cleaner air and enviornments, higher quality of life and drilling for more oil. It’s a conflict of interest.
Demand a better world, demand that America lead the way.

Review: The Dark Knight

Incredible. Amazing. Disturbing. Powerful...

This is one of the best movies I have seen in a VERY long time.

It was also the most emotionally draining movie I have seen in a VERY long time. The film takes you up and down and keeps you on the edge of your seat and and struggling to keep up for the full 2.5 hours. It is so well written and so well executed that time stops, the adrenaline takes over and you never quite know where this is going. Christopher Nolan is my new screenwriting idol.

Every performance was very good. I was skeptical about the buzz around Heath Ledger's 'Oscar worthy performance'. I thought it's all just hype and people are only saying that because he passed away and it's just a ploy by Warner Bros. Marketing department... But as I watched him, I was disturbed, as was intended and I actually agree. It really was an oscar worthy performance. Watching him, and knowing he is no longer alive certainly makes his performance more powerful, but I think I would have still been moved even if he was still alive.

The story is exceptional. This movie is the new standard for the Superhero movie. The bar has just been raised.

They take classic Batman characters and situations and modernize them. They make it feel so real and so relevent that the plot and themes really hit home.

Go see it. Then go see Tropic Thunder to clear your emotional pallet!!

Movie Review: Get Smart

Movie Review: Get Smart

Your classic summer film. Advertised and hyped like crazy. Full of stars, big action sequences, and funny one liners.

Parts of the film felt forced to me. I felt there was too much reliance on gag humor, but that’s how the original series was so…
I thought it was fun, but I also felt it was weak in a few ways. The story wasn’t that great, but it wasn’t bad either. The twists were predicable and I knew how the film would end half way through it.

Anne Hathaway did well; not great or particularly exciting. Steve Carell was fun, he was a perfect match for the character and gave the lines well. Nothing struck me as great about any of the other performances.

I give it a 6.5 out of 10.

Movie Review: Wanted

Movie Review: Wanted

Fast. Fun. Furious. Over the top.

I liked it but I thought it was a bit over blown at times. It basically works in the context of the story, but it left me with a feeling of ‘wow that was out of control’.

Angelina Jolie gave a great performance. She was definitely in her element in this film. Everyone else had a pretty solid performance as well.

The film has fun twists and will keep you entertained. I recommend it.

I give it 8 out of 10.

Drilling

Oil

Oil is a dirty business.

It always has been, and always will be. People are killed drilling it. People are killed fighting over it. Environments are killed when it’s refined, when it spills and especially when it’s burned.

It is widely known that there are alternatives for almost every use for oil. Cars can run on electricity, hydrogen, water and even sunlight. Starbucks is developing ‘plastic’ cups made from corn, that are biodegradable. Heating can come from wind power. So with so many alternatives for oil on the table why are we still using it?

Politics mostly. Money follows closely. Greed and power are not far behind. Remember how oil is a dirty business; well it’s dealings are just as dirty as it’s spills and stains.
Did you know a solar array about 40 miles in diameter could power our entire power grid?

America could have been halfway or possibly totally cured of it’s addiction to oil today had actions been taken in 2000. But we cannot go back. We must move forward. America cannot drill it’s way out of it’s oil addiction/problem any more than alcohol can cure the alcoholic. So why is there even a debate about drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge?

Politics mostly. Money follows closely. Greed and power are not far behind.

The arguments for drilling there are:

1. It will lower the Price of oil
2. It will lessen our dependence on foreign oil.
3. It won’t effect the wildlife or enviornment
4. There are 10 billion barrels of oil that are a boon for the economy

A closer look at the facts reveals the truth:

The Energy Information Administration does not feel ANWR will affect the global price of oil when past behaviors of the oil market are considered. "The opening of ANWR is projected to have its largest oil price reduction impacts as follows: a reduction in low-sulfur, light crude oil prices of $0.41 per barrel (2006 dollars) in 2026 for the low oil resource case, $0.75 per barrel in 2025 for the mean oil resource case, and $1.44 per barrel in 2027 for the high oil resource case, relative to the reference case."
"Assuming that world oil markets continue to work as they do today, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) could neutralize any potential price impact of ANWR oil production by reducing its oil exports by an equal amount."

In conclusion; it will NOT lower the price of oil anytime soon, and when it does (if it does) it will at most be $1.44 a barrel which translates to pennies per gallon. Literally no more than 7 cents!!!

So will it lessen our dependence on foreign oil? Not anytime soon. And if they drilled in ANWR the oil would be sold on the oil market to the highest bidder. The oil is not just given to the US government or citizens to solve it’s oil woes. The oil is owned by the company that drilled for it. They will sell it much the same way a foreign oil company does.

Let’s pretend you have a field you raise cattle on. Then an oil company wants to drill on it. They say they only need a tiny patch. You say ‘okay’. Once they get the okay, they say ‘well we’ll need to build a road to the drill site. So they build a road that cuts your field in half, scaring the cattle and disrupting their migration route; even occasionally hitting a few. Then when they are shipping the oil away from the ‘small drill site’ it spills and contaminates the only watering hole on the field. The oil company promises to clean it up, but in the mean time you cattle have nowhere to get water, many of the cattle die and get sick or leave your field. You want to stop the oil company but you can’t, you want them to clean up the mess, but they won’t. Now you have nothing, the land you leased them is ruined. So now they want to build a pipeline that will officially divide the land and alter the landscape… The cattle and most other animals are gone and it will cost more to restore it (if you can) than the oil coming out of it is worth. So what can you do? Nothing. The only thing you can do is not let it happen.

When oil companies tell you there will be no impact, or that drilling will be clean, it’s a lie. There is no such thing as a clean drilling and shipping process. Spills continue to happen to this day. Not even six months ago there was a spill in the San Francisco bay. There was a large oil spill in Prudhoe Bay in 2006. Tar still washes up on the shores of Santa Barbara from the oil rigs off it’s coast. The oil rigs off the coast of Santa Barbara were promised and contracted to be removed once the project was done. That was over ten years ago and they are all still there. The cost of removing them rivals the amount of money the oil they produced. Why should we believe Alaska will be treated differently? The actions of the oil companies speak louder than their words, and there actions show destruction and messes everywhere.

The oil companies try and tell us that this oil will be a boon to our economy. They say that 10 billion barrels is enough money to balance our budget and bring thousands of jobs. But again, the jobs will go to the lowest bidder, and the money will go to the oil company. They do not drill out of the goodness of their hearts to help working class Americans. They drill for money. They get over 70% of the profits from drilling the oil leaving ‘America’ with an expensive mess and a small stipend that won’t do anything for the economy.

It will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to drill in ANWR. If we put that money into clean energy. If we focused on the solutions we could be 70% off of oil in ten years; before a drop of ANWR oil hits the market.

The bottom line is WE DON’T NEED IT.

Oil is the problem, NOT the solution!

Clean, renewable (already existing) energies are the solution. Lets put our time money and energy into them. That will create millions of new jobs, be a huge boon to our economy and put America once again at the forefront of the technology and moral world stage.

Don’t be fooled by the million dollar publicity campaigns of big oil. Don’t buy into the lies.

The Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge is one of America’s greatest treasures and a special place on the Earth.

Let’s keep it that way.

Review: The Chronicles of Nariana: Prince Caspian

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

By the time it was over, I liked it. I am a huge fan of the series and I think it is the perfect book to film series. I would like to see it a more refined and concerted effort in the films… where is Peter Jackson when you need him? But over all I thought it pulled through well.

I thought it was slow to start and awkward in the beginning. The set up for Prince Caspian was weak and unsubstantial. I would have liked to see his past and place established much cleaner, mainly the importance of the relationship with his ‘half dwarf’ professor shown firmly.

I also thought the re-introduction of the kids was also weak and sloppy. The set up that brought them to Nariana was cheesy it could have been much more graceful, not so childish. After that I thought there were only a few clunky plot points before I began to enjoy the story.

The film is beautiful. There are a few sequences that I really enjoyed. Tilda Swinton as the White Witch was definitely the highlight of the film for me. There are a few artistic choices I thought were bad, some of the creatures were very poorly done but other parts I really liked. I saw some Lord of the Rings sets mixed in there for sure.

I thought the guy who played Caspian did very good. The evil Uncle did pretty good also, but I thought that the girl who played Lucy was the only one of the kids to give a genuine performance.

The film flowed well once it got going and was over all enjoyable.