Deathly Hallows

Spoiler Alert

The last movie and final movie is over and it was thoroughly satisfying. The movie enhanced the books. Once again a great story and good acting rise above cinematic gimmicks (I saw the 2D version, more on that later). The child actors have certainly grown, but the surrounding giants allow the film and series to excel.

In the final film, several performances stood out. They were helped by their excellent situations, but they took it to the next level. Ralph Fiennes as Tom Riddle was great. The steady deterioration due to parts of his soul being obliterated was done quite well. The quick transitions from pompous triumph to shocked vulnerability were excellent. Matthew Lewis played Neville Longbottom to a T. Limping to his defiant speech and then ignorantly and boldly challenging Voldemort was a highlight of the film. Helena Bonham Carter playing Hermione Granger using a polyjuice potion to play Bellatrix Lestrange was very convincing. Just like part 1, I enjoy watching actors play characters pretending to be other characters. Those 3 exceeded expectations. The others certainly did well and my high standards were met.

3D Rant
I realize that 3D allows you to charge extra to attend a movie, but it typically adds very little to the actual movie (unless it is a low budget 80s monster flick). There were several spots that I am sure would look fun in 3D (e.g. the Gringott's Mine Train). The real travesty to me was that the 2D experience was affected by this. Several times I could tell that rather than the background being out of focus, it was actually doubled up like a 3D film would look without glasses. Unacceptable.

Intermission
Grand films might just need a break. This is not a new idea at all. Movies such as Ben Hur and Lawrence of Arabia had intermissions. Why? Because they were really long. But also because they were a single idea and could not be split up. The Deathly Hallows was split in two at its most logical point, but the story really works as a whole. The drama and setup in part one is entirely unfulfilling. The action of part two really makes little sense without part one. The other epic conclusion this century was 3.5 hours in theaters and 5 hours on extended DVD, yet The Return of the King only makes sense in that context. It could have been split after the battle of Minas Tirith. It makes logical sense but not emotional sense. The ups and downs of a movie need to be there. Separate them by 8 months and you lose all of the buildup that works in the ending of the film. I suggest that the best way to watch both films is to watch part one, take an hour break for food, and then watch part two. As soon as the DVD comes out, I think it will make both parts of this film that much better. The Deathly Hallows as a whole might just be the best movie in the series.

2000s - Movies

I figured I should join in on the best of the decade talk. I have read lots of lists and seen some consensus, but everyone seems to have their individual flair. I decided to go with a different criteria than the rest, so my list will not be filled with critically acclaimed artsy films. I am basing this list upon nothing less than "Rewatchability". I have seen lots of films that were good this decade, but it turns out that I don't want to watch a lot of them over and over again. I also notably left out some recent movies because I frankly don't know yet if I will want to watch them over and over again. So I made the following list counting down the films that I have watched countless times and that I think I will continue to watch in the decades to come.

10. Gladiator This movie is known for its action sequences, but the famous monologue that screams righteous defiance is the pivotal point in the film. "My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next." The cheap political pandering that Commodus tries is still a tactic used today. The movie is probably short on historical accuracy, but comes up big in its defining moments.

9. Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers I will admit that I own the super-extended version of the series. All 13 hours of it. But what do I want to watch over and over again? The Battle of Helms Deep. The main ideas that it conveys are that you can "Lay Down and Give Up or Fight for what You Hold Dear" and that "There are No Neutral Parties because all are affected". Like its predecessor, the cgi balrog scenes are great to watch. Gimli and Legolas baiting each other during battles successfully lightens the mood. The scene with the Uruk-Hai smashing their shields in front of Helms Deep is the most memorable point in the film.

8. National Treasure For History Channel nerds, this movie had enough truth in it to make it enjoyable. Everyone loves a good treasure hunt as well and this movie delivered. Its just a fun film to get in to. I am sure that the historical sites have had to beef up security because of tourists wanting to see the 'secret passageways' and such. Nicolas Cage plays his stereotypical self, but for once it may actually be called for.

7. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl This is a film that caught people of guard with its strong characters that defied convention. It is way too much fun and humorous for a swashbuckling tale. The film also defined Johnny Depp. His quirky self keeps reappearing in other films such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland. It will be interesting to see if he can escape the typecasting. The film's successors tried to remake the magic, but the original is by far the best. "I think we've all arrived at a very special place. Spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically."

6. Harry Potter Yup, I am one of these people. I have read all of the books. I have seen all of the movies multiple times. For some reason these are comfort movies for me. I do not think that they are Oscar worthy; but when nothing else comes to mind, I will watch any one of them. My favorite so far is The Prisoner of Azkaban and its time travel sequence. Like almost all instances, the books are better. The later ones are so long that they cut out many key things in the films. If you need more of the backstory, read the originals.

5. Elf This over the top bowl of sillyness is always good for a laugh. The notable quotes are abundant and the fact that it does not take itself too seriously adds to the humor. If you have a chance, check out the soundtrack as well. Faizon Love's scenes as the Gimbel's manager are probably my favorite. Who can forget: "Buddy the elf, What's your favorite color"

4. Night at the Museum Another nod to us supposed smart people. The humor is slapstick and is frankly my style. Mickey Rooney (Andy Hardy movies) and Dick Van Dyke (tons of stuff, with Diagnosis Murder being the most recent) are old favorites of mine and they play their part well. The scenes of Ben Stiller and Dexter, the capuchin monkey, slapping each other are great. Octavius and Jedediah are greatness together. Like many fell good movies, it has a great dance scene at the end. This light-hearted fun is a great way to unwind.

3. Oceans Eleven The movie Maverick said it best: "there is no more deeply satisfying religious experience... than cheatin' on a cheater." This series epitomizes that phrase while being quite humorous. The movie leaves out details on purpose until the end and then it seems so obvious and so doable when in reality it is not. The second film got all artsy and such a key point was left out so early, it was infuriating. The third film was better and included the famous line: "Willie Bank: This town might have changed, but not me. I know people highly invested in my survival, and they are people who really know how to hurt in ways you can't even imagine. Danny Ocean: Well, I know all the guys that you'd hire to come after me, and they like me better than you." These films get better with each viewing. Why is that? Well, now that you know the entire story, you can search for all of the connecting pieces that were purposefully left out. In this way, watching things happen in chronological order is fun vs. the order that they actually tell you. This series is also about the legitimization of Matt Damon. He moves from bumbling novice to running the show in the three films. His bumbling youngster routine has hopefully been left behind for good.

2. Ratatouille This is a very close 2nd for me. Pixar created a lot of quality in the decade. Their films as ranked by me are Up, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., The Incredibles, Wall-E, and Cars. But the creme de la creme for me is this film. The writing is superb, the delivery is well timed and not forced. The animation is more than good enough. This is my comfort film. I can go to bed with a smile on my face after watching it. I love Skinner's line: "Let us toast your non-idiocy." Peter O'Toole's delivery of the best line is magnificent: "But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so."

1. The Bourne Identity I debated about putting this here, but in the end I had to. I am fairly certain I have seen this movie more than any other during the past decade. I know that I saw it 4 times in theaters. This film came out right after I studied in Europe. I was at both the Zurich and North Paris train stations right before I saw the film. I knew the climate over there right after 9/11. This movie resonated. I still enjoy the tale and find myself enjoying the sequels more and more. Marie Kreutz's cynical line: "Nobody does the right thing." is probably a view held by more people than will admit it. I love how this was a throwback film. I say that because after The Matrix came out in 99, everyone went to the super-stylish computerized fights. Next came Mission Impossible 2, The latest Bond films, X-Men, and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Now compare those to the action sequences in this film. They suddenly felt both raw and plausible. It reminded me somewhat of the film Bullitt. The sequels were good, but it took time for me to warm up to them. The Supremacy seems better with every passing year. The Ultimatum seemed a little over the top, but then again it was more about closure. The uniqueness and timing of the Identity hold up. By far my film of the 2000s.

Quit Fooling Yourself

I am tired of being saturated with overly hyped meaningless statistics. At least, I am 63.78% sure that I am. The film industry has been getting away it for years and this chicanery cannot go on. The is one of the few industries that publicly denies that inflation exists. The only inflation that they are aware of involves either bicycle tires or their own track record of success.

The only statistic that is publicly acknowledged is Gross Revenue, or how much money they took in. Now it is one thing to report a statistic such as this, but it is another thing to flaunt it. This film had the largest opening for a non-action film debuting on a second Thursday in July since 1974! I am sorry, but that is really disingenuous.

The business world does not fawn over Gross Revenue numbers like this. They use calculations like Net Profit and Return on Investment (Money you make / Money you spent). And guess what, companies don't break all time records every three weeks!

Another example is baseball. Aside from the sport's recent spotty numbers, they have not inflated their statistics. For instance, what if baseball did what the film industry does and multiply home runs by average price of admission? This year (2009) the average ticket price to a Yankees game is $72.97. The year before (2008) the average price was only $41.40. So Alex Rodriguez's 35 home runs last year would equal 1449. This year's 19 home runs equals 1386. So by the movie theater logic, he is 1 home run away from besting last year's rousing success. I don't think so. Let's go back to $5 dollar seats in 1961 and look at Roger Maris's amazing 61 home runs. Wait no, that only equals 305. ARod is almost 5 times better than Maris this year according to the industry.

So, what is the solution?
A simple acknowledgment of total ticket sales . Now there is once again a problem with this because the population has grown, but not near as much as prices have. Or maybe we can use a percentage of the total census that saw the movie. So in 2009, 17.5% of the population saw that movie. So for example, so far this year, roughly 47 million Americans have seen Transformers 2. Impressive. Current figures put the number of people in the country at 307 million. So Transformers 2 sold tickets to 15.33% of Americans. Now there is a statistic I can buy.

Let's put this in perspective a little. In 1993, Jurassic Park came out. So far, Transformers 2 has sold $30 million more than the Crichton classic. But wait, ticket prices were different back then. Jurassic Park sold more than 86.2 million tickets in America. In 1993, the estimated population was around 258 million people. Jurassic Park sold tickets to 33.41% of Americans.

So while Transformers 2 has grossed more than Jurassic Park did, Jurassic Park attracted twice as much of the population to the theater.

So if we unwind, all of the inflation gobbledygook, we are left with the following list of movies that were 'huge' in my conscious lifetime. And whether you liked the movies or not, you can remember that these movies were huge events out there.

1. Titanic-1997
2. Jurassic Park-1993
3. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace-1999
4. Forrest Gump-1994
5. The Lion King-1994
6. The Dark Knight-2008

Come on Hollywood, let's be realistic.

That's So 2003

Today the media got all hyped up and was ready to lynch someone who dared offend them. They posted their 'questions they would have asked' and demanded answers. And today, Alex Rodriguez gave a bunch of answers. Answers that in my opinion are plausible and a demeanor that seemed believable. He claims that he stopped taking something 6 years ago.

If this press conference was held 6 years ago, 500% more fans would care and 5000% more average joes would care. The fact of the matter is that I, like most people, am over it. I have other things to worry about right now (job, savings, a house, grad school, work...). I may have given an impassioned response in the past, but not these days. I think a lot of people have reached this point. Let's move on.

Back when ARod quit using banned substances...

50 Cent and Evanescence had successful debut albums with Outkast's Hey Ya being the most downloaded song of the year.

The Lord of the Rings movies finally closed, Pirates of the Caribbean came out, 2 Matrix films hit the theaters, and Finding Nemo defined a 12 step program for sharks.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl over the Oakland Raiders... yes the very same joke of a team that we have today.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected Governor of California.

I was in college that year.

I wasn't even engaged to be married until the end of that year...

Caring about juiced players is sooo 2003.

Thoughts from Panera Bread

Free WiFi is awesome. It allows you to get out of the house and do the exact same thing as always, but with scenery. Panera Bread has given me the opportunity today and I am grateful. Obviously I am a little busy these days if I am posting from here, so let me throw some quick shots out today.

Sports
I am about footballed out right now. Being in Dallas, the Cowboys occupy 75% of the airwaves this time of year at a minimum. This team has done its best to take my little interest and step on it. The high school feuds that exist or are trumped up by the talking heads have me wishing for sports talk in place of the tabloid gossip.

The Ranger's off season so far has been non-dramatic which makes me somewhat happy. We sold on the down tick with Gerald Laird. His five tool player status along with his experience merits more than a high school kid and a slow to mature AA player. I don't think the return was horrid, but it was underwhelming. So far they have yet to sign a blockbuster player. Thank Goodness! Kerry Wood and his permanent spot on the disabled list went for over 10 million a year. Thankfully we are not weighing down our future with such contracts. I don't care how good you are (Teixeira, CC, etc.), 6+ year contracts are nuts in this league. It guaranteed... results are anything but. I for one would love to see contracts have a consistent base league-wide based on experience and then having significant bonuses tied to performance. 55 home runs one year brings in 8 million extra, the slump the next year to 21 homers only brings in 2 million. How much drama could we eliminate with such a system. How much easier to keep franchise players that build a fan base. Most likely it is too simple to actually happen.

Church
I have a structural engineer teaching our Young Marrieds class at church this quarter. This bodes well for both my excitement and my comprehension. I have a subtle feeling that some us may have to be translators if he gets too technical, but I bet his lessons won't be hard to understand.

Cinema
Once again the holidays are here and movies that technical have not been released are being considered for yearly honors. Just sad. I wish they would have awards that require 100 million in sales to get be eligible. No more artsy films that are only released in 17 theaters. I am not saying that all of these films stink, but at least talk about films that people have heard of. Using my new eligibility rules from above, here are the best films of the year based upon the buzz generated by the common man:


Roundhouse to the Oscars
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Wall-E
Get Smart
Kung Fu Panda
Indiana Jones
High School Musical 3

Not the list that you will see anywhere near the Academy Awards, but certainly the list of movies that I have been hearing about.

New Laptop
I got a new laptop about a week ago. I am so pumped. The last computer purchase that I made was before I started college in the summer of 2000. I went with an Asus that I got off of NewEgg. It has an Intel Core2Duo P8600 processor, 4 Gigs of RAM, a 320 Gig Hard Drive, and a huge 1 Gig NVidia GeForce 9650 GT graphics card. The best games from my old system look like an Atari on an HD TV. Oh, and I got this since I started grad school this fall...

Heard While Making This Post
Weezer - Possibilities
The Calling - Wherever You Will Go
Jimmy Eat World - Sweetness

The Lighter Side

It is time for a post on the lighter side of things. I have noticed that Baseball has slipped to #2 on my topics list, so today I am going to help it and other topics get more recognition.

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It's Hot Stove Season in Baseball Land
Oh boy am I excited. Possible blockbuster deals and team upgrades make this time of year a fun time to keep up with the great game. Being in Texas, I don't see many of the big names coming here. I would love to trade Salty for a pitcher. Greinke appears to be a possibility that I would go for. Any trade must be for a promising pitcher. We don't need anything else right now.

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The Best Stadium?
Today on the lovely Ticket, the broadcasters boldly predicted that the new Dallas Cowboys stadium was so expensive, so luxurious, and so innovating that it would be the best sports stadium for at least 10 years. They justify this position by claiming that Jerry Jones is more ambitious and has more money to spend than anyone else.

I am going to boldly take the opposite side of this argument. I think it will be less than 5 years (probably 3) before some new stadium takes over the title. I can't count how many new stadiums were hailed as the best ever and would never be topped, all have since been dethroned. I guarantee that this one will be topped and saying otherwise is not a wise stance to take.

Now don't get me wrong, I think that it will be a great place for many years to see a game. But the best? I tend to think it will be outdone by someone and in the not-so-distant future.

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How To Cut In Line
Check out this article on the best ways to cut in line. A quick look:

researchers have tried to unpick the psychology of the queue, though most work has focused on reducing consumer frustration. However, one classic study found that New Yorkers were more likely to react to people who cut in front of them in a subway queue than behind.

Yankee fans only care about who is in front of them (Red Sox), they never see it coming from behind (Rays).

A cheap shot and off topic... you bet. Thoroughly satisfying... definitely.

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A Smart Choice
I rented Get Smart the other night and it exceeded my expectations. It had plenty of witty comedy, but kept from being downright silly. I give it a solid 4 out of 5.

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Too Long?
People often complain about the length of the Baseball season. 162 games is a long season. But now that both Hockey and Basketball have started up, I suggest that they feel longer. Baseball goes roughly from March through October, or about 8 months. Basketball and Hockey go from roughly November through June, or about 8 months. The difference to me is that at least in baseball, my team is playing every day or two, not every three to four. All of the down time combined with the length of the playoffs make the 'Winter' sports drag on and on.

I think that we might need to take the schedules down a notch, but let's apply it to several sports.

Scatter Shooting

• I am re-reading a book that was once a college assignment. Because of the nature of required reading, I gave it the minimal amount of attention. I am really enjoying the second and more thoughtful look at Milton Friedman's Free to Choose. Friedman is a Nobel Prize winner for economics and applies his theories to just about everything in this book. The political implications are especially striking. This book was written in the late 1970's, but it quite relevant in its discussion of oil prices and other trends that seem to be affecting us again. Some of the quotes that struck me so far are:

  We have shifted from a expectation of equality of opportunity to the expectation of equality of results

  Experience shows that that once government undertakes an activity, it is seldom terminated.

  Major wars aside, government spending from 1800 to 1929 did not exceed about 12 percent of the national income. Two-thirds of that was spent by state and local governments, mostly for schools and roads. As late as 1928, federal government spending amounted to about 3 percent of the national income.

  (Today the federal government spend 6 times that, about 18% of national income)

  Sincerity is a much overrated virtue.

  (In other words, being convinced that something is correct does not make it so)

  We refer to ourselves as a free private enterprise society, as a capitalist society. Yet in terms of the ownership of corporate enterprise, we are about 46% socialist... The federal government is entitled to 46 cents out of every dollar... The federal government therefore owns 46% of every corporation.

  (This was using the 1979 high tax rate. Change the # to the current standards. It is quite a thought.)


• Fred Thompson's speech last night at the Republican National Convention reminded me of why I liked him so much during the primary race. No, he is not the most polished public speaker. He does however have a keen sense of how to break apart the issues in a way that is easily understandable. He knows how to refute the other side in a clear concise way. He is very good on policy, just not flashy enough.


• I recently watched Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The 1977 Spielberg film that shows aliens and such. One of the biggest questions was how well the graphics would hold up. For the vast majority of the movie they did a very good job. The aliens at the end felt somewhat more like claymation than a modern movie would present them, but that was my only main complaint. Richard Dreyfuss does a great job of playing a lunatic. His ability to play that role sometimes scares me. Is he really acting? I was surprised at the novelty of the film. In recent years we had the film Signs. A lot of the ways in which they show you alien interaction were just copied from Close Encounters I think. They were very similar. Communicating with colored tones... ok. I guess that is one way we could do it. I would give it a 3 out of 5. Some of the crazy scenes went on a bit long for me.


• Our small group at church is reading Everyday Christianity by Grumpy Smith this quarter. So far it seems like an enjoyable read. Since I go to church with his daughter Miranda, it is even more fun to laugh at his stories. His ordinary man approach looks promising.


• Preseason College Poll - Is there anything more worthless?

2-Fer - Hollywood Edition

My wife and I watched two movies this weekend that had previously skipped under our radar. When you get an active Blockbuster subscription, you run out of mainstream movies fast. The following two we watched and enjoyed.

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Dan in Real Life
3.5 / 5

This film is billed as a comedy. I think of it more as a drama. I ended up feeling sorry for the guy rather than laughing at him most of the time, but this isn't a horrible thing. The best part of of the film is its realism. The in Real Life part of the title isn't just there to add length. This film is pulled off in such a way that makes me believe that this is a family that I actually know or can see myself knowing. This doesn't feel like a typical Hollywood attempt at being down to earth, it actually is.

I would highly recommend going into this film without reading the promo bits about it. They give away too much of the plot. The movie starts a bit slow, but as the the movie progresses you can see how it fits into place. This movie also is exciting in that comedian Steve Carell breaks out of his typical comedy routine and resists the urge to be goofy. Of course he can't leave his dancing ability at the door, but his other usual tricks are nowhere to be found.

This film is rated PG 13 for what I would call one main awkward scene where his brother give him advice. I think the general mood elevates this movie to a more mature level as well. Don't let the pancake DVD cover art scare you off.

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August Rush
2 / 5

This is the story of a young boy who uses his music to find his parents. I enjoyed the music or soundtrack of this film more than any other part of it. The songs were well thought out. Unfortunately the plot line was far too predictable for me. I found that after maybe 20 minutes that I had the whole thing scoped out fairly well, and I was right. The main undertone of the movie was that there is music and creativity everywhere just waiting for people in tune with life to hear and release it.

The acting in this film varied from person to person. Freddy Highmore did a fairly good job considering his age. The little choir girl tore it up. Robin Williams never ceases to amaze me with his ability to be freaky. This movie was rated PG but pushed that boundary in my opinion. The main relationship was pushing it as well as scenes involving Robin Williams. Those made me question its soft rating. The movie ends in a utopian climax of music and family.

Amazing Grace

Rating: 4 out of 5

Two things really make this movie worth seeing, the original story and the supporting cast. Being in the Bible Belt, this movie was advertised as a film about the Christian song Amazing Grace. This movie was different than what I expected. It was a movie about the English slave trade and how William Wilberforce fought to end it. I did not time it this way, but it was an excellent film to consider on Martin Luther King Jr. day.

The story itself has many great struggles in it. The struggle of looking the other way for economic prosperity or doing the right thing. The struggles of the late 1700s about whether the people's voice could be heard in government. The amount of loyalty and integrity that you keep throughout your life. This movie is rated PG but I was frankly surprised by that rating afterwards. It does not just tackle the issue of slavery, but it shows you the cruel reality that many people chose to ignore. They even use the N word (although it is obviously given a very negative tone). The shear force of the true story elevates this movie immediately into high regard in my book. This is a history story that I have never heard until now, and it is one that more people should hear.

The supporting cast on this movie was superb. The main actor Ioan Gruffudd (somehow pronounced YAn Griffith) probably wasn't as appealing to me because of how he had be true to Wilberforce. The ones that really stuck out to me were Albert Finney (John Newton), Benedict Cumberbatch (William Pitt), and Michael Gambon (Lord Fox). If you are familiar with the Harry Potter movies, Gambon has been portraying Dumbledore and is quite an excellent speaker. A side item that I noticed was how well the film broke people down from their public selves to their real true inner core. One way that it accomplished that was by constantly showing how different people looked when they were not wearing the fashionable wigs from the period.


The main detractor for me on this film was the way in which they told the story. The first half of the movie is constantly moving back and forth from the present(1797) to years prior. Everyone looks relatively the same so at certain points you are confused at whether or not you are watching a memory. Overall, the historical story and superb acting win out on this movie.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

This film has been trashed by more than its fair share of critics of late. But you just can not deny that it is fun to watch. If you liked the first film, you will definitely like the second. I had the pleasure of viewing this with my family on Christmas afternoon and it was a great way to end the day.

Just like its predecessor, this film is rooted in history. I put that in italics because it of course pads the truth for the sake of the plot. However, as a guy who loves history, I think that they do quite a good job of drawing people into the field. This (like the DaVinci Code) has lit a fire in people who would otherwise be bored by the subject. The history is accurate enough for my take.

As for the constant conspiracy theories and the like, put me down in the not buying it category. Its either that or the don't care enough about it to worry category. I just don't buy that there are vast hidden conspiracies out there all the time. I know I know, that is what they want me to believe. But I figure that I have enough to worry about without having to worry about what I don't know.

A big plus to me in the film was the character of Riley Poole, played by Justin Bartha. The humor that he constantly added to the film was much needed and provided the main (if not only) humor in the film. Without his character, this movie would not flow well.

Nearly everyone is raving about the must-see portion of the movie... the Goofy short. Disney pulled a Pixar on us and showed a 5-10 minute short film that was quite witty and unexpected. I was quite impressed at how well the animators and writers developed the skit. It was very true to the Goofy namesake, and it was very good.

There were 2 downsides to this movie, and only 1 was correctable. First, the ending was a bit slow paced after such a roller coaster ride of a film. It just did not seem to have the bite that the rest of the script had. The quest for historical significance has been overplayed in many films before (i.e. Troy) and I just didn't buy it. Next, and this is my pet peeve, the security of high international installations was way too easy to bypass. The Buckingham Palace, White House, and Mount Vernon scenes were laughable in that respect. They movies always feature a hacker who can bypass any security. As a computer person, I know that this is not the case. If you are in the oval office and getting into the president's desk (below), the secret service will stop you faster than anything. I can guarantee that.



Overall this movie was fun to watch, not at all realistic, and a great way to relax at the theater. I would definitely recommend it.

Shawshank

Nearly everyone that I know who has seen The Shawshank Redemption has considered it a good movie. Well it seems that 2 guys in New Jersey escaped using the same method. They hung a poster over the hole that they carved out. From the AP article

They hung photographs of bikini-clad women to hide the holes in the walls.
According to police, Blunt, who is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 210 pounds, squeezed into Espinosa's cell through an approximately 16- to 18-inch hole.
The two inmates wiggled through another 18-inch hole in the outer wall. From a roof landing, the two men "took a running jump or they were standing and they jumped approximately 15 feet out and about 30 feet down," Romankow said.
Then they jumped a razor-wire fence onto a New Jersey transit railroad bed to freedom

The best part for me is that they taunted the guards by saying:

"Thank you officer -------- for the tools needed, you're a real pal, Happy Holidays," the note read, with a smiley face drawn next to it.

I guess this means that they won't be showing that movie in the prison anymore...

Initial Movie List

My wife was asked in church on Sunday what my favorite movie was. She answered quite respectably and I in turn started to wonder myself. Therefore I started writing a list and what do you know, it became quite large. So for the first round of my debate I present my list in chronological order. Obviously since I am semi-young this will be slanted towards movies in my era. No explanations at this point, just a straight listing. Also, feel free to let me know which ones I left out. It is hard not to skip ones with such a large list. In case you are counting, this is my top 100 (and yes I had to cut some).

• 1934 - The Thin Man


• 1938 - The Adventures of Robin Hood


• 1938+ - Charlie Chan with Sidney Toler


• 1939 - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington


• 1942 - Casablanca


• 1946 - It's a Wonderful Life


• 1947 - The Bishop's Wife


• 1951 - Strangers on a Train


• 1952 - High Noon


• 1953 - Roman Holiday


• 1956 - The Searchers


• 1957 - The Bridge on the River Kwai


• 1958 - The Sign of Zorro


• 1959 - North by Northwest


• 1960 - The Alamo


• 1960 - The Magnificent Seven


• 1961 - The Guns of Navarone


• 1962 - Lawrence of Arabia


• 1962 - To Kill a Mockingbird


• 1963 - Charade


• 1963 - From Russia With Love


• 1963 - The Great Escape


• 1965 - Shenandoah


• 1966 - The Professionals


• 1975 - Monty Python and the Holy Grail


• 1977 - Star Wars


• 1981 - Chariots of Fire


• 1981 - Raiders of the Lost Ark


• 1983 - Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi


• 1985 - Back to the Future


• 1986 - An American Tail


• 1987 - The Untouchables


• 1989 - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade


• 1990 - Home Alone


• 1990 - The Hunt for Red October


• 1992 - Aladdin


• 1992 - The Last of the Mohicans


• 1993 - Groundhog Day


• 1993 - Jurassic Park


• 1993 - The Fugitive


• 1993 - The Sandlot


• 1993 - Tombstone


• 1994 - Clearn and Present Danger


• 1994 - Maverick


• 1994 - The Lion King


• 1994 - The Shawshank Redemption


• 1995 - Apollo 13


• 1995 - Braveheart


• 1995 - Crimson Tide


• 1995 - GoldenEye


• 1995 - Toy Story


• 1996 - The Rock


• 1997 - Air Force One


• 1997 - Contact


• 1997 - Men in Black


• 1998 - Saving Private Ryan


• 1998 - The Negotiator


• 1999 - Galaxy Quest


• 1999 - Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace


• 1999 - The Green Mile


• 1999 - The Matrix


• 1999 - The Mummy


• 2000 - Cast Away


• 2000 - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon


• 2000 - Gladiator


• 2001 - Enemy at the Gates


• 2001 - Monsters Inc.


• 2001 - Ocean's Eleven


• 2001 - Rat Race


• 2001 - Shrek


• 2001 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring


• 2001 - The Score


• 2002 - Catch Me If You Can


• 2002 - Spider Man


• 2002 - Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones


• 2002 - The Bourne Identity


• 2002 - The Count of Monte Cristo


• 2002 - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers


• 2002 - The Rookie


• 2002 - We Were Soldiers


• 2003 - Finding Nemo


• 2003 - Open Range


• 2003 - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl


• 2003 - Secondhand Lions


• 2003 - The Italian Job


• 2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King


• 2004 - Hidalgo


• 2004 - National Treasure


• 2004 - The Incredibles


• 2004 - The Passion of the Christ


• 2004 - The Polar Express


• 2005 - Batman Begins


• 2005 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire


• 2005 - King Kong


• 2005 - Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith


• 2005 - The Greatest Game Ever Played


• 2005 - The Legend of Zorro


• 2006 - Night at the Museum


• 2006 - The Prestige

The Glory Road

. : Politics : .

I watched a pretty good movie the other night and it got me thinking on a lot of things. I saw Glory Road by Disney. It is a story about the first NCAA basketball team that actively used African-American players in the 60s. One of the things that seemed very foreign to me was the racial hatred portrayed in the movie. The bad looks, the vicious words, the beatings, the KKK blood threats. It all seemed like something out of a horror movie to me. I couldn't help but think how far we have come since that time. I am sure that there are racial problems today, and I see them. But the widespread hate and violence just is not there anymore.

Now several of you are wondering where I am going with this and so here I go...

Let me first apologize in advance to anyone offended by these statements. I am not in any of these situations, but I can see parallels.

The recent struggle in the Middle East between Hezbollah and Israel have really brought to the surface deep rooted hatred. I see people cheering death, I see countrywide struggles over seemingly small things, and I see many many people blinded by their prejudice on both sides of the argument. Many people ask today for Peace in the Middle East, but almost every single one asks with a sly grin of sarcasm. When I was watching Glory Road, I saw an ugly past, but I also saw a better present. I saw a bad situation that I don't think anyone thought would change, but that has changed for the better. So I offer this positive trend as an example of hope to those who think that there will always be constant bickering and war in Holy Land.

Let me know if you don't see these as slight parallels and I will reconsider, but the situations have many of the same undertones.

Movie Review

. : Special : .

The Greatest Game Ever Played - 4.5/5

I can't even begin to describe how much I enjoyed this film. And for all of you non-golfers out there, my wife enjoyed it too. This is the story of a non-elite normal boy being given the opportunity of a lifetime and proving his worth. As much as this is a movie about golf, it is equally a movie about class status or a caste system that I frankly take for granted these days. For instance, I am going to play golf in two days and pay about 20 dollars for green fees and a cart. This simple public course was non existent in the early 1900s and portrayed as even forbidden.

The movie did an excellent job of displaying the mental side of golf, which non golfers rarely see and which haunts pros and amateurs alike. The old style clubs were fun to see. I am sure that the courses were easier back then and shorter as well, but with the equipment that they had, it was certainly a challenge.

This movie really showcased sportsmanship in several of the players and the opposite in many others. I was very impressed with the main character, Francis Ouimet, and even more impressed that they didn't 'fluff' up his character too much for the movie. The opponent, if you could call him that, was Harry Vardon. I loved his non-flamboyant style combined with his competitive tactics.

I would highly recommend this movie to anyone.