Graffiti 12

On the way to work. I think this is suppose to be a Cat Jason. Weird.

'The Parking Lot Movie' A Recommendation

I watched this movie today on Netflix instant. It spoke to me. I won't review it, I'll just say you should watch it. After watching this it made me wish I went to UVA and had worked at this parking lot.

Definitely see it.

Graffiti 11

(the text you can see in the upper right)
"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."- 1st Corinthians 13:11

Happy Solstice.

The Waltz

Last week Rick investigated dance and sexuality. For you Harold fans, this was our first game.

'Scream 4' A Review

Sidney's back in Woodsboro promoting her new self help book. Surprise! Murder! The formula is the same as the previous movies but whats interesting is how Scream 4 plays with and comments on that formula and movies in general. I won't go into details with the plot and honestly that wasn't what held my interest. What was interesting was how meta the movie was. Probably the most meta movie I've ever seen. When I say meta I mean something that refers to itself as what it is. A movie referring to itself as a movie, a play referring it to itself as a play, etc.

The interesting parts of this film are the parts where you see Wes Craven struggling with his own franchise. Within the movie we see Craven struggling with making his movie new and fresh. See him struggling to the next logical progression in his movies given the technological and societal advances that have been made in the last ten years. Maybe I'm giving him more credit than he deserves but there are a couple of great ideas hidden in this film.

(spoilers)
The idea that the logical progression of a slasher movie nut would be to film all their kills and cut a movie from the footage and release it on the Internet. Imagine that movie. The idea of a movie nut streaming his entire experience from a camera headset straight to the Internet. The killers desire to orchestrate a series of murders, frame someone, and then become famous from them. What does that say about fame?

The movie was good just for nostalgic sake. It was nice to see Neve, Courtney, and David again. There were a lot of fun 'Easter eggs', some cool false turns, and a decent pay off. What was really cool were some of the ideas about the series in general. What is horror. How does this fit in. What is the next step. The logical progression.

If you're a movie buff or a horror fan. See it.

Graffiti 10

A word to the wise is sufficient.

Apollo 18

I saw this trailer last night...it was the most terrifying thing I'd seen in a long time. I don't know if it translates as well on the small screen. It freaks me out because they're so cramped and making the setting the 60's with the technology we had back then. They're dead in the water.

Street Talk 2

Last night I was walking off some steam around my neighborhood. I passed a group of friends dropping someone off.

Guy#1: Oh I forgot the basket.
Girl: I want a hug!
Me: (walking by)
Guy#2: Hey man. What would you rather have a fruit basket or a hug?
Me: (passing, mimes hug)
Guy#1: You're a sweetheart man! (Guy#2 hugs girl)
Girl: (after me) Thank you!
Me: (exiting, thumbs up)

Steve's Guide To Starting Over

Subtitle: First Attempt

1. Take A Deep Breath.

2. Sleep.

3. Eat.

4. Don't Beat Yourself Up.

5. Don't Drink Today.

47 days isn't a lot. It was a lot for me. I was proud of it and I got thirsty and I gave in. I know people are disappointed in me and I'm disappointed in myself. I let myself down and I'm guessing I let others down. Addiction isn't a slam dunk, it's not something you can walk away from easily. To someone who doesn't know it, it's difficult to explain. I'm sorry, but hey, I'm not doing this for you. I've heard people say slip-ups are expected. Well...this is my one.

Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, start all over again.

Day 2

Panang Curry: Thai Wild Ginger

Went to Thai Wild Ginger with Katie O'Brien before Rick rehearsal yesterday. Food was great, convo was great. Chicken was juicy, additives were green and red pepper. Curry was thick but not too thick. The rice was in the shape of a star. Not a lot of peanut flavor, not a lot of spice, it kinda struck me as safe. Would I go again?

Maybe.

Middle Age Comeback

Jamison and I played with Craig. So fun and sweaty.

Towards the beginning we did this Rifle Drill scene.

Graffiti 9

Cash is obsolete.

"Money often costs too much."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Stupid Train Conversations

Landlord#1: Yeah he's had it listed for 6 months.
Landlord#2: What's it at?
Landlord#1: 1.2, the bank might foreclose and sell it at 990.
Landlord#2: A steal.
Landlord#1: Yeah. I've tried to talk some friends into going into it with me cause I don't have that kind of stake, but no ones really interested.
Landlord#2: When did he last rent it?
Landlord#1: Eight months ago or so. It was this family, you know(scoff), squatters.
Landlord#2: The worst, it's like they know the system and always play it.
Landlord#1: Yeah it was a woman with some kids, took him 7 months to get them out, only paying first months rent.
Landlord#2: They always use the kids not to pay rent. I told my recent renters "look this isn't a charity case, your rents due on the first. Period."
Landlord#1: Yeah such scamers. My father has some stories.
Landlord#2: Yeah mine too. My grandfather had this one woman, single mom, who said to him "Is there anything we could do?"
Landlord#1: Humorous.
Landlord#2: He said "Hey I'm 94. That hasn't worked in years." It took him 5 months to kick her out.
Me: Woof.
Landlord#1: I'm sorry?
Me: Nothing. I was just thinking how glad I was neither of you are my landlord.
Landlord#2: ...
Me: This is my stop. Sorry, I have a real job, not one I inherited from my Dad. Hope your weekend is full of kicking poor children out of your numerous properties.
(exit)

'Source Code' A Review

Source Code is a Sci-Fi thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan, the film opens with Gyllenhaal waking up to discover he's on a train he has no memory of boarding. 8 minutes later the train explodes. Gyllenhaal comes to again, this time in some sort of cockpit talking to a government official. As the story unfolds we find out that the government has created a technology called 'source code' that takes a dead persons brain and can recreate the last 8 minutes they lived over and over again. The train is bombed and that's in the past but Gyllenhaal can go back and relive the last 8 minutes of one of the passengers lives in order to discover who the bomber was. After the train bombing the terrorist threatens to set off a dirty bomb in downtown Chicago. Gyllenhaal's mission is to prevent this from happening. This plot device propels the movie forward and injects an urgency to the story. It's reminiscent of 'Groundhogs Day' and 'Deja Vu.'

Monaghan is a friend to the person Gyllenhaal inhabits and is the first person he sees as he begins the 8 minutes. The chemistry between them develops slowly but surely. Monaghan does a great turn recreating the same 8 minutes with slight variations, as well as reacting honestly to situations in which Gyllenhaal acts untoward. She plays an unspoken history between the characters which Gyllenhaal has no knowledge of. Gyllenhaal as well does a great job of carrying the movie, never over the top, at times frustrated, at times desperate, but always honest and caring. He becomes increasingly frustrated as the government officials repeatedly send him back with no information as to his current situation, he's never let out of the cockpit. Jeffery Wright and Vera Farmiga do good turns as the morally ambiguous government people. And we eventually see some emotional cracks in Farmiga's steely facade. Wright comes across like a modern day mad scientist, with accompanying tan crutch which I'm sure he requested from wardrobe.

The meat of the film is kind of hidden. It appears as if it's simply solving the crime, finding the bomber, but the film is really an investigation into what 'source code' actually is. After reliving the same moment over and over Gyllenhaal becomes convinced, partly because of his growing affection for Monaghan, that he can change the past. After the bomber is found he requests to be sent back again to save the train riders even though he's told it'll make no difference.

(spoilers)

He goes back a final time and is successful. There's a theory that there are many worlds parallel to our own. Every choice we make spawns a different alternate world where one choice was made. Gyllenhaal discovers this is what source code is. A device that creates access to parallel worlds where the past can be changed. What if this happened. What if this choice was made. This idea is at the center of 'Source Code', what makes it great. There is a Gyllenhaal character that has succeeded his mission and there is a Gyllenhaal character that hasn't even started it.

This is the first good science fiction movie of the year. An interesting premise with fascinating implications, bolstered by honest acting with chemistry. It also has some great comic relief.

See it.

Panang Curry: P.S. Bangkok

Went to P.S. Bangkok before the Den Mother show yesterday. The curry was great. The taste was deep and rich, although could have been a little more spicy. It was a relatively simple composition chicken, basil, and curry. But the curry had diced peanuts in it which really thickened the sauce and brought in a nice texture. The chicken itself was excellent and there was plenty of it. There is a complimentary dessert for anyone who purchases an entree. It's baked sweet potato in a type of syrup. The taste and temperature were kind of odd but none the less interesting. It's always nice to get something free. Would I go to P.S. Bangkok again?

Most Definitely.

Disclaimer: If you go to P.S. Bangkok be warned, they put ketsup in their Pad Thai. Word to the wise.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

There's some plants growing outside of work. It makes me think of spring and this poem.

"Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leafs a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay."
-Robert Frost