Stranger Than Fiction

Will Ferrell's dramatic abilities are not exactly impressive. Despite a general critical attitude of mild acceptance of the inevitable fact that the actor can pull off a character that doesn't fit into the SNL worldview (one which Ferrell has arguably been integral in creating), essentially the performance was not the breakthrough some may have imagined. Ferrell's Harold Crick was seething on the verge of a breakdown from the start, and not intentionally. Those beady eyes of his, like a shark's, scanning the murkiness around him, ready to attack any and every comic opportunity, in the end gave him away. Ferrell didn't leave his improvisational genius at the arthouse doorstep on this one, nearly cracking after each successive straightman (honestly, isn't everyone a straightman when appearing with Will Ferrell?) offered up a tasty bit of comic set-up, only to cringe as his line-reading super-ego kicked in. "Talladega Nights" was sillier, stupider, and a lot easier to digest, but man, did it have a vitality and energy that Stranger Than Fiction could never rival. Only one scene breathed with any kind of life. Harold and Ana sit in the bus while the camera follows, um, actually it was hard to tell because the hinge in the big, two-part city bus keeps doing its thing. Eyelines are skewed, the camera gets confused, and it's as if Fellini stopped in as guest director for the afternoon. It's really fun.

Ana, as a character, is the worst kind of scriptwriting shortcut. Boy meets girl, boy must get over individual problem to get girl, boy gets girl. I don't want to call it insensitivity, but I wouldn't want to be a woman watching this film. She isn't even given a chance to decide whether she likes him. It's written in. If, as most of its champions will argue, the essence of the film is the simple love story, then it's a pretty one-sided story. The story is about Harold Crick, and all the other characters, including Ana, are foils, incapable of individuality. Perhaps director Marc Forster's take on contemporary fiction is exactly this. Sometimes singularity must be re-examined in the name of a more complex, humanistic story.

I think that's what left me wanting more from Stranger Than Fiction. The love story left me unsatisfied, it just felt a little too easy, and the concept of the story within the story didn't really point any fingers or take any particular stance. I can really only speculate as to Forster's take on fiction as a theme.

Little Miss Sunshine Was Stupid

This was a boring short-cut of a movie that front-loaded its story with a few nasty issues, dicked around for the entire second act with only one good scene where Steve Carell's Frank gets spotted buying porno magazines, and by the finale, completely blew apart any kind of intelligent resolutions that could have been made. Meanwhile this family unfairly has every bit of script-trickery bad luck thrown at them. The kid finds out he's color blind or something and can't get into the army (Oh kid, your dreams are shot down? That happens all the time, to every kid, once a week. I remember a particular Jimmy Page and Robert Plant reunion my dad wouldn't let me go to when I was 13. Devastating). How does this justify an ending? All other issues are left untouched other than to insinuate that wallowing in your own misery is somehow essential in life. Another determinist piece of garbage that's only bringing us down as humans.

But I had to say something, because the asshole responsible for this thing just won an Oscar. But here's proof that these people need to get out of Hollywood before the whole place implodes on itself. This was said of the writer's nomination:

"To write this script, Michael Arndt [Little Miss Sunshine] had to quit his job as personal assistant to Matthew Broderick."

Let's Raise the Money

For this

And I thought MY language was questionable...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/18/books/18newb.html

History Doesn't Repeat Itself, But It Rhymes...

Despite a question as to the extent of the actual Iranian involvement in the arming of insurgent forces in Iraq, the executive branch has made a proclamation, and his word stands. Executive power now rests not only in administrative and military affairs, but in foreign relations as well. As it should. Doesn't it make sense that the word of one man should hold that much power? Why should UN investigations, Iranian justification, or diplomatic proceedings have any bearing here?

Two things get me about this issue. For one, the executive branch is on the verge of igniting another conflict that may have even less to do with the War on Terror. There's a War on something, obviously. We're like a kid at recess saying, "Alright, I know you guys are playing a joke, just tell me what it is." For two, try this one on. Questionable Arms Sales, Foreign Insurgencies, Iran. Weird, I know.

Old Fuckers

"By the time Ms. Binford got around to describing a safe sexual act involving Saran Wrap, a woman shouted, 'Enough, already!'"

amazing

-mike

Some Kid's Dictionary

I thought this was a good image to ponder. -Mike

New Contributors!! See, it's not so hard...

Greetings From Down The Hall! 


Oh, hi there! My name is Tom, but around here they call me Tommy Dynamite! Actually no, they don't, but that would totally be my wrestling moniker. Anyway, here's the deal, i've had this idea in my head for a while that i've wanted to start a blog...Mike beat me to this idea. Now i'm certainly not going to copy my dear friend/roommate Mike here and start my own, so i figure I could just be a regular contributor. This is only if permisson is granted of course but i'm quite charming so how can he resist :) You'll have to cut me some slack here at first. My writing the past few years has mostly consisted of structureless lyrics and half-assed (yet A worthy!) community college papers. What you can expect is my take on the sports, music, politics, movies, tv shows, pop culture etc. Don't take anything too seriously though. I'll try and keep things rather lighthearted which is probably a good thing considering how uptight and pretentious movie reviewers can be (kidding Mike!). Talk soon! 



Thoughts by Tom.

Like most of the world I was deeply saddened to hear the news of the passing of Anna Nicole Smith. Not because of her death of course, but for the fact that the death of this dumb, vapid, and worthless faux celebrity has seemingly "captured the nation", as they say. Actually, I can't just get mad at America, there are a few other nations (i'm looking at you Britain) who are just as at fault. In fact, a German t.v. station reportedly spent over 500,000 dollars just for poorly shot footage, from about a mile away, of paramedics attempting to resuscitate this fat bitch. I guess i'm not suprised at all the attention this is getting but it's still frustrating to see this garbage get so much coverage, especially considering our country's current state of affairs. This is one of those things where I could just go on and on but then I suppose I would be just as guilty as those i'm ranting about. There really are more important matters to worry myself about anyway,  like who i'm gonna vote for 600 plus days from now.

I've been busy recording with the band, but here's a little story that I was thinking about...


A New Treasure.

In the early days of the phonograph, before the turn of the century and after Prussia was no longer a kingdom, there was a rich young Duke in a place called Brandenburg. His recent acquisition of a beautiful Italian bride was overshadowed in his eyes only by the acquisition of an American phonograph. It was a prototype, and had travelled a long distance to its present place in the Duke's drawing room. His bride was named Mariella, and had travelled a long distance from a tiny town in southern Italy called Matera. Her ambivalence toward the phonograph could only be overshadowed by her ambivalence toward her new husband.

The Duke's inability to soften Mariella's heart became known throughout the province. His interest in the phonograph was passionate, though, and it became a part of his days. He recorded interviews with friends, family, servants, even Mariella, and it was as if his curiosity could never be satisfied. During an interview with his mother, she gently suggested he somehow use the phonograph to make his wife happy. The Duke decided to take his treasure to Matera, in order to bring back to the girl some piece of her beloved homeland. Upon reaching the small town, his entourage was forced to camp in a nearby pasture while the Duke looked for a guide. Pulling a cart-load of firewood on the outskirts of the village, the Duke found a girl who strangely resembled Mariella, and convinced her in halting Italian to help find a suitable interview subject. An elderly matriarch was found, and back in cold Brandenburg, upon hearing the scratchy recording, Mariella's tears had never fallen in such desperate sadness.

The Ghost in Apartment Three

I awoke to the stove making strange noises. I thought it was the refrigerator, but soon realized it was in fact the stove. When I plugged in my amp I noticed an awful buzzing noise at steady intervals, much like the stove, though I didn't make the connection until later. Before the repair shop I contemplated phoning an ex-lover who knows about electronics, but I decided against it. Some hours later I realized the connection. It seems I have a ghost.


It went like this:
Ghost in apt 3

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