"Brick" Review

I bought the film back in August of 2006.

And I took it to work with me tonight, and after I watched it, I asked myself one question:

WHY did it take me SO long to watch this film?

The film is enjoyable because people talk in ways that "real" people don't talk. The dialogue is written very differently from how normal people talk, and that just adds to the appeal. When Humphrey Bogart talks in "The Maltese Falcon" - it's not typical, he's got this vibe about him, and his vernacular reflects it. Jack Nicholson in "Chinatown" is another perfect example. It's the way they carry themselves, that adds so much tot he character, and the way they talk is just anther reflection of their attitude and demeanor. Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is another one of those characters, he just happens to live in the modern day. And his "film noir" style dialogue is converted into hip modern dialogue, that is spoken with pure and true film noir diaglogue. It's very well done.

Wow, wow, wow. What a good film. I was hooked after the first ten minutes. It's not a typical indie film, that requires 30 minutes of set-up and explanation of characters and situations you don't care about. After the first minute, you're involved in the story and you're following the journey that Brendan is going on. You learn as he learns, you evaluate people as he does. You try to connect the dots, and when you think you know what's going on, you've got no real idea.

The cinematography is amazing, the shots are so well put together and composed. I loved the look of the film. It had a really grainy feel to it, and I loved how it felt to watch. I also enjoyed the use of color in this film. One group is specifically defined by the color white, while another group of people is specificaly designated to the black color. Then, we have Brendan, who is commonly wears grey throughout the film. A perfect metaphorical representation of how Brendan constantly walks the thin line between good and bad in the film, all in the name of love. Brendan is trying to solve the murder of a the girl he loves, and not only does he learn a lot about her, and the people she fell involved with - he also learns his own personal limits.

And just like typical drama-detective films, it's not over when you think its over, and Brendan has an amazing final scene - with the "true" killer - where you get the sense that he's smarter than we have ever thought. Which, thinking back, I shouldn't have underestimated him. He figures out a good amount of things throughout the film, and I should have seen him putting everything together.

Like I said, the most appealing part of the film is the fact that people talk in ways that are so atypical that it draws you into the film, from the first sequence. I highly recommend it, and I hope you don't wait as long as I did to watch it. Like "The Maltese Falcon" and "Chinatown", "Brick" is not a film I could watch regularly, but I imagine that every year, or two, I will break it out and want to watch it. It's definitely a film that I would watch with anyone who hasn't seen it, just to watch them and see their reactions.

"2 Days in Paris" Review

"It always fascinated me how people go from loving you madly to nothing at all, nothing. It hurts so much. When I feel someone is going to leave me, I have a tendency to break up first before I get to hear the whole thing."

The films is definitely an art film. There's really not a plot to follow, it's more an observation of two characters. It was a little slower than I was hoping for, but it really does make a lot of good observations on romance and relationships, and our past.

For me, the easiest part to relate to was Jack (Adam Goldberg). Throughout the film, as they spend two days in Paris - after some time in Venice, before going back to New York - they come into contact with a number of Marion's Ex-Boyfriends. Jack doesn't do well with meeting her exes, specifically since he doesn't speak French, and doesn't understand exactly how they are hitting on Marion. Jealousy and Insecurities mount up throughout the film, and causes Jack and Marion to realize that after two years, they really don't know each other.

I didn't really care for Marion's parents. I didn't really think they were that important to the overall story. And Marion's Sister goes from being rude and demeaning towards Jack, only to later be extremely nice and friendly to him. It seemed like an odd contradiction, with no explanation - unless I missed something...?

It wasn't the best film I'd ever seen, but it invoked thoughts and memories in my mind - which I suppose is one of the true tests of good cinema. If you're looking for something different, and not typical - this is good film to fulfill that requirement. I can't say its a good "date movie", but something that can be watched by the single, those with a serious significant other, and those who just want to observe "art cinema".

"Music and Lyrics" Review

So, last night at work I popped "Music and Lyrics" into my laptop and watched it.

It was exactly what I expected it to be. I wasn't let down, and I didn't get anything that I didn't expect. It followed the very common Romantic Comedy Storyline, and it worked just fine. It wasn't anything new, but it didn't feel like the same old "crap" either.

I actually liked Drew Barrymore. So often she plays the ditzy hot-girl with no self-esteem who doesn't think she deserves the guy she wants, then somehow gets him. That's NOT how she plays this character, and it was a wonderful surprise to see her in the flick. She actually plays a woman who has some serious mental instability issues, and she portrayed them well. She's not psycho, or anything, she's just got some stuff that she doesn't like to mentally deal with, and it effects her. I thought she did a really good job with the character and her mannerisms.

Hugh Grant was Hugh. It wasn't my favorite flick of his. He's done so many more interesting characters, and I honestly was never sold on this character. It almost seemed bi-polar to me. In one scene, he's be lamenting about how he was just doing these things for the money, and how he needed to try to get famous again. Then in the next scene, he was acting as if he was fine with being a washed-up ex-pop star. There never seemed to be a consistency to his character. I would blame it more on the script and the director than Hugh. He does have some good moments with Barrymore, and their interactions are a lot of fun to watch.

As I previously said, the story follows a typical formula. It's nothing new, it's nothing different, but its still enjoyable to watch. While the film begins with Alex's (Hugh Grant) need to write a duet for him and a current pop teen idol, where it focus on his inability to write the song, until along comes Sophie (Barrymore) - who is supposed to water his plants. It's not long before they are writing the song. After they finish it, the film shifts to Sophie and her personal problems, where Alex now feels invested enough to attempt to help her through some personal drama. Eventually they fight. And eventually it all works out.

FORMULA. But, worth an hour and half. Especially if you've got someone special to watch it with.

So tonight, I brought "2 Days in Paris" with me to work, and once the Pacers game is over (I'm listening to it on the radio), then I'll put it in and watch it tonight.

I stopped by the post office today, to return "The Nines" and "Music and Lyrics". So, hopefully in the next few days I'll get "Once" and "August Rush" in the next few days.

Currently, I'm watching the IUPUI/Oral Roberts game on Game Cast. At 9:00pm, I'll have the Butler game on Game Cast. It's a BIG night for small Indiana Colleges hoping to guarantee an NCAA Tourney Bid...

"Vantage Point" Talk

I had a really fun afternoon/evening over at Troy and Emily's place. We played a bunch of Wii, and we watched the end of the NASCAR race. We also watched my DOMINATING performance today CRASH and BURN when Jeff Gordon wrecked with FOUR laps to go!!! ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyways, it was a lot of fun and I appreciate them inviting me over. I also got to hang out with Zach and Jenny, which is always a fun time. Despite Mario Party 8 CHEATING in Zach's favor, it was still a great time and the banter was fun.

Later tonight, I ended up at Phil's theatre to watch "Vantage Point". The flick was alright. I enjoyed the story-telling aspect of it. I honestly think it must have been stolen from indie-art-house flick, but it worked well. The multiple points of view seemed to work well, and they honestly constructed it in somewhat of a "Lost" type manner. At the end of each POV, it's going one of those "Holy Cow!" moments, but only the character sees it, we (the audience) do not, not until later. So, there's lots of times when you're like, "WHAT did they see???" But, you have to wait to get your answers.

I can understand why most people in the general public won't like this film. It's not traditional, and you do watch the same assassination seven different times from different aspects. Anyone who enjoys the "art" of film and film-making should enjoy this film more than most, for its artistic accomplishments.

I can't say that I was completely surprised by the twists they threw in. Some of them were interesting, but others you could sense coming.

I also took my friend Amanda to see "Juno" last night, and it was still good the second time around. However, we saw it at the new AMC theatre, which is all in digital. And honestly, there are some films - and "Juno" is one of them for me - that I don't think I want (or need) to see in digital. "Juno" is an art-house film. I kind of feel that I should watch a gritty/grainy print to put me in the right mood to view the film. Maybe I'm just weird...

"Definitely, Maybe"

"From the Makers of 'Notting Hill' and 'Love Actually'".
Honestly, that's all it took to get me interested in the film.
Ryan Reynolds was a bonus.
"A second look at the past, will give him a second chance at the future" was also a pretty wicked tagline, that sparked some more interest.

Then, I found the trailer for "Definitely, Maybe" and now I CAN NOT WAIT to see this flick. It looks awesome, and now I'll just have to arrange a date for myself for Valentine's Day.



CLICK HERE to check out the trailer in High-Def.
Add in that the film is directed (and written) by the Adam Brooks, who also wrote and directed "The Invisible Circus", which was a movie I REALLY enjoyed a few years back (despite one or two things in the story, overall I thought it was a pretty well made and well acted film). And because it looks like he's made a really awesome film, I will forgive him for being the screenwriter on "Bridget Jones 2". Hey, every screenwriter needs to get paid, right? I don't blame him, look at Brian Helgeland ("L.A. Confidential" and "The Postman" both in 1997 - Won an Oscar for writing, at the same time his other movie was being considered one of the worst things ever put on film...).

Alright, time to start taking applications for my downtown dinner and "Definitely, Maybe" date on Valentine's Day...

I'll be Partying with Wyld Mongoose for a Long Time

Over the past couple of weeks, these are the films I've been watching:
"Love Actually", "St. Elmo's Fire", "The Breakfast Club", "About Last Night..."

Yesterday morning, when I woke up, I laid in bed for a long time. The menu for "Love Actually" was on the TV, and I hit play. And while the movie was playing, I wasn't really paying attention. I was more taking a survey of my life, and wondering why I had been in such a funk for so long. Obviously, the demise of my marriage and my divorce was the number one thing, but that's been so long ago, I couldn't figure out what was causing all these feelings. I wasn't the happy person I once considered myself. Granted, I often put on outward appearances, and it wasn't like I was suicidally depressed, or anything, but I wasn't "happy".

Then, I started putting some pieces together.
I had not completed a script since 2003, when I wrote "Reunion". I've started a few, and I have three notebooks full of ideas for various scripts. I spent an extended period of time in Boston, working on "Wake Up in the Breakdown" with Jason. Which, just turned out to be an exercising of demons, as my exploration into the two main characters helped me come to terms with my very new (at the time) divorce. Honestly, I liked the story and the idea, but it hit a point where I didn't have a way to get my characters from Point A to Point B, and that's when I realized that in learning about the characters, I learned about myself, my flaws, and what I did wrong in my relationship. Granted, it was too little too late and even the good character development couldn't save things.

I hadn't directed a movie since 2003. "Reunion" was the last film that I directed, and I poured so much of myself into the project that I was physically and mentally drained when the project was over. Sadly, it was during this time, and my obsessive-compulsive nature towards the project that my marriage began to suffer. So, on top of the physically challenges of working long days and filming long days, on top of constantly having to evolve certain parts of the story, based on exterior problems with cast - I was facing a situation where I was neglecting someone important to me, and causing the rift between us. I'm a passionate person, and I don't know how to make film any other way, but I believe this fallout from making "Reunion" was never really fixed.

I hadn't produced a film since 2005, when I produced "Crazy About You" for Jason and Zach - through our company. This was the most difficult, as it dealt with one of our biggest casts, and probably most professional collection of people. But, this only added more and more stress to the project. Due to the fallout from "Reunion" (between us), Kristen had decided that she wanted nothing to do with "Crazy About You". She was pretty much fed up with my filmmaking, didn't like the late night and long hours that it took, and really hated how much of my time and life was dedicated to seeing a movie through to completion. It was a rough time, and got even rougher after filming was complete. The post-production on the project was almost non-existent. And one of the hardest thing I ever had to do as a Producer was demand that a partner of mine, a friend of mine, and the director/editor of the film give me all of the footage. I was then burdened with the task of cutting the film myself. Which, Kristen would refuse to come into the office when I was editing, because she wanted nothing to do with my filmmaking. And I felt the urgency to get the film cut together and shown to our cast and crew, who REALLY put in a lot of time and effort into the project. In my mind, my reputation was on the line, so I was constantly in my office cutting the film, every chance I got. The break-up happened, the divorce happened, and then I finally finished the film in August. Probably six months after I got the footage.

To this day, "Crazy About You" has not been finished. We shot most of the film over three years ago, with some scenes added to the shooting later.

The hardest thing was the basic break-up of GemInI Films, post-"Crazy About You". Production on that movie took a lot out of all four of us. Chris decided to dedicate himself to his band. Zach was working two jobs and had no free time. And Jason moved to Boston. All of those factors made it impossible to make films together, and I always said that I only wanted to make films with those people - with my close friends. How naive of a statement was that?

I hope I've done an acceptable job of painting this picture for you: The Art of Filmmaking left a SOUR TASTE in my mouth. But, as I laid in bed yesterday, I thought over all of this and I finally came to the conclusion that its been my lack of filmmaking - since the divorce - that has taken away from my positive mental attitude. It's what I want to do. I feel good when I do it. And even now, as I write this blog, I get excited about the next year of devoting myself to one project.

So, after a long look at my life, I made the decision that I wanted to begin seriously working on a new script. Matt and I were working together last night, and it posed the PERFECT opportunity.

Let me give you a little history with Matt: In the Fall of 2005, a group of kids from Butler University began shooting a movie at my theatre. We would let them come in at night, and shoot scenes - because the film was set in a movie theatre. So, we let them use all over the building and I got to know the director and some of the cast and crew. This was the first film for most of them, and since I had made so many, they sometimes would ask for some advice. At the time, Matt was just an actor in the film. And after they wrapped up production, I was shocked a few weeks later when Matt was hired at my theatre. He started out as just an employee, but over time has become a fellow manager with me. Matt attends IUPUI and is getting his English degree, and will be attending gradute school in Michigan in the fall, to work on his Fiction Literature BA. Basically, Matt wants to be an author, and he's always been talking about wanting to make another film, and writer more scripts, etc...

So, I walked into the office last night, and I looked Matt in the eyes and said, "I want you and I to sit in here all night and create a storyline for a script that we can write together." His eyes got big, asked me if I was serious, and then it began. I told him, I want to make a film about friends with an ensemble cast of four males and three females. I want to make something like "St. Elmo's Fire" for the modern generation. Films like that don't exist anymore, films about a bunch of friends, and how they help and hurt each other. It's that lost vibe from 80s Brat Pack films.

After an hour, that idea was completely scrapped, and we had the seed for what will be become "The Band Film". Currently, we are referring to it as "The Road to the Top" - but we have both agreed that name will soon change.

In five hours, we got our basic Act I, Act II, and Act III plot points down. We understand the three stages of the film, and what moves us from I to II and from II to III. We've developed the personalities of the four main band members. Started working on their history, and on their relationships. We've addressed the struggles and roadblocks that are going to come into play through the project. We've got our climax and our falling action almost perfect mapped out - to bring out what we think will be an extremely emotional segment of the film, and the resulting downward spiral will be an interesting way to end the film.

For five hours of work, I think we accomplished A LOT. And it didn't stop there, as I was driving home from work - Matt called, with more ideas. I miss that. I miss having those late night conversations that Jason Maier and I used to have all the time when we were kicking about story ideas and plots. I was awake until after 3am, writing in my notebook. Writing the biography of the band, and organizing all of the events that we have in place so far.

I felt productive. I felt good. It's not going to be a boring, character driven lament-over-lost-love, like "Reunion" was. It's got meat to it, and it can only bulk up even more. New ideas will pour in, we will make changes. We will add things, and remove others. It's going to be a very productive next couple of weeks, and Matt and I both plan on working on this as much as we can. We're organizing our schedules so that we can find time to work together. Matt's girlfriend is going to South Dakota for the entire month of February - and Matt plans on hanging out at my place every few minute he has while she's gone. We're hoping that by March we'll be on our way to starting the first lines of dialogue in the first draft of the script.

I am so happy to be working with someone who really has a passion and desire to write, and wants to complete a script. It's going to be great energy for us to bounce off of each other, and it's going to help us create an amazing project.

We're also both blessed to know a good number of people in various bands. This is going to help us in creating our fake band, by getting people who we think will have good screen presence, and the ability to also play instruments - creating a believable "fake" band. This is also going to make my return to directing a feature film, something I've longed to do since "Reunion" wrapped. Luckily for me, Matt knows some people who are very interested in editing - meaning I won't have to be the editor on this film. Now, anyone who knows me knows I'll be spending a lot of time with the editor, and explaining in great detail the things I am going to want for each scene. But, Matt and I both agreed that having someone else edit, and add their own eye to the story would be a great thing. It's something that has ALWAYS been lacking in a GemInI Film. Matt and I know of a potential investor. It's someone we both know that has made it known to us that they would be interested in reading any script we know about, and would consider putting some financial backing towards an indie film. Matt and I have never really taken this person too seriously, and never taken a project to him. But, we've both agreed that our project might be the right one to take his way. It's a long shot, but it never hurts to ask. Finally, I'm going to have to look for some more people to help produce this. By the time we actually go into production, Matt will be living in Michigan, and this is NOT a project I am going to produce on my own. Two to three other people will eventually need to be found to help out on this project. It's going to be pretty big at times, and we're going to need a lot more people helping out in more leadership roles than on any other project. That's kind of how GemInI Films has always worked, we've always tried to get a little bit bigger with each project we've done. I think we bit off too much on "Crazy About You" and didn't have the right people helping us to make sure it went as smooth as it could. We won't make that mistake again.

So, I've made you read all this history and though process.
Do you want to know what the film is about?
Here's a short synopsis:

The film follows a garage band who goes by the name of Wyld Mongoose. It's made up for members, who spend their days drifting through their "real" jobs, while eagerly waiting for 5pm, when they can head to band practice together. Steve, the lead singer, is a partier and major womanizer. Jimmy, the guitarist, is Steve's best friend and they party hard together. Despite Tara, Jimmy's girlfriend, Jimmy is constantly having an affair. Paul, the bass player, is married to Chrissy and has a child, and is the guy who is responsible for bringing the band together. The band practices in his garage. Finally, there is Keith - the drummer - who is an Uber-Drum-Dork, and lacks all social skills with women, because all he can ever talk about is the drums and music. He's not a retard, and he tries to talk to them, but they never can relate to him and his passion. Keith always carries drum sticks in his hands.

The film follows this little band, as they begin to play shows, and start to do well in a local Battle of the Bands. As they move on, and get noticed more, an indie record producer named Vic Stein meets with the band, and wants to sign them. However, from the moment they sign with Vic, he does everything in his power to change the band, and mold them into the band he thinks will be most profitable - This starts when he renames the band to Speedometer (we've got a GREAT idea for the band logo, I can't wait to have someone design it for us!). He sees their talent, but doesn't like their sound or their look. He attempts to get Keith kicked out of the band because of his eccentric-ness, but Paul does not allow this. Vic often attempts to exercise his domineering control over the band, and often tells them "...anyone one of you can be replaced, if you don't do what I tell you to do." Act II deals with the struggle of the band, as they attempt to hold onto their own identity and their love for music, while they learn the pressures that are put on bands who are attempting to make it big. Steve becomes the biggest sell-out, and is very influenced by Vic. Steve's desire to be a Rock God propels him to begin clashing with other members of the band, who just want to hold on to their identity. Act II ends with a massive tragedy that hits the band.

Act III begins the falling action of the film, and deals with the consequences of the tragedy. How the band gets through it, and the things that they all learn about themselves throughout the process of attempting to make a name for their band, which really wasn't even their band anymore. As the tragedy has long-lasting effects, it eventually rips and tears the band apart, while they all begin attempting to discover why they ever wanted to play music in the first place.

Then, we have an amazing final scene mapped out. And I can't wait to write, but more than that, I can't wait to film it, then I can't wait to cut it together and get the reactions from the first people who watch the film. I really think its a great way to end this story.

So, over the next few weeks and months, if you see me wandering around with a black notebook, or see me writing in the notebook, or if I happen to be sitting somewhere with my laptop and I'm typing away - you'll now know what I'm working on, and what I am going to pour my heart and soul into for the next year, or more, of my life. I very much look forward to getting back into filmmaking and writing, and creating... The journey starts right here, right now. I'll see you when it's over. And I hope you'll see the film.

"Juno"

It's late, so I'm just going to make this quick for now: I saw "Juno" last night, and I LOVED IT!!!

Ellen Page is AMAZING, and Juno's attitude in the film is GREAT. I love her cynical and sarcastic nature, but she's never condescending. She's an awesome fictional chick.

GO SEE THE MOVIE! I'm think about going to see it again tomorrow, that's how much I enjoyed it.

Saw Some "Treasure"

Phil and I woke up early this morning to run to Wal-Mart and buy a bunch of stuff we still needed for the Christmas Party. When we finished that, we headed to the NEW AMC Castleton Theatre (which will NEVER replace Castleton Arts) to see what the new theatre was like, and to catch "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" in DIGITAL!!!

I was over playing poker WAY TOO LATE at Troy's last night, and had no chance of catching a screening last night, but this film was HIGH on my priority list this year, and probably #1 at Christmas.

First, the theatre LOOKS beautful! Nice high lobby ceiling, some nice comfortable couches and chairs in one part of the lobby. Down the hallways they have some nice murals of various directors - showing the director on a set, giving his name and the name of the movie. Scorsese, Spieldberg, and Lee are the three I remember off the top of my head. The concession stand has BEAUTIFUL digital marquees - but, they aren't new, Landmark has had the exact same ones since they opened. But, it still looks better than regular concession marquees. I was disappointed that they don't offer pizzas - like Greenwood - since I hadn't had lunch, and was looking for something to eat at the theatre that would fill me up.

The presentation was very good. Nice LARGE screen. PERFECT picture. The digital sure does look amazing. The only problem with the presentation was the SEVEN trailers before the film (including "Speed Racer", which doesn't look as good as I thought it would, but I do still want to see it...), followed by a 7 or 8 minute short CARTOON starring Goofy!!! Before THIS FILM!?!?!? Seriously? Put that in front of another animated movie, or a true kids film. But, as an adult, don't ruin "National Treasure" for me with a long cartoon. It was a good and funny cartoon, I laughed a lot, but I would have preferred to watch it at home, when I was watching other animated shorts with Goofy in them! Anyways, the start time was 12:00pm, it was 12:25pm before The Disney Logo actually hit the screen to signify the start of the film.

The chairs SUCK. That's really the only true complaint I have about the theatre. It was SO UNCOMFORTABLE!!! It felt like I was sitting on a board the entire time, I constantly found myself shifting and trying to get comfortable. It never happened. I hope after this busy holiday season, and lots of people coming in, that they might lose some of their stiffness and become a little more enjoyable to sit in. Granted, I'll probably only go there and pay their fee for movies that I really want to see in Digital. Why pay for it, when I can still see it other places for free? But, there will be some things that I have to see in Digital. Just like there are some movies that I have to own on HD-DVD.

When we went to the theatre, I told Phil this: "I just don't want it to suck. I can handle it not being as good as the original, I just don't want the film to be complete crap."

It's not as good as the original.
But, it's NOT crap either.
So, I was pleasantly surprised with the film.
I laughed a lot. I still enjoy Riley and his side-kick comments.
The story is a little weak, but not really bad. It's just not as big and built up as the original one was. There's not as many clues and mysteries to solve. And there's not as much of a sense of danger as in the original. I LOVE Ed Harris and the character he plays. He fits in well, but at times did just remind me of playing a Sean Bean clone. While his intentions and motivations are different, he pursues Nic Cage and follows him very much the same. There's really no big plot twist in this one, not that there really was one in the first film, but when they get to the bottom of the pit and convince Sean Bean and his men that they need to go to Boston, that was kind of a good "pull the wool over their eyes" moment. Not one of those this time. It's much more simple, and much more "straight-lined" in their pursuit of things.

Bruce Greenwood plays the President! (You STILL haven't watched "Nowhere Man", have you??? SHAME ON YOU!!! What is your problem???) I wish he was in more of the film, but I enjoyed what he did. It's funny, I've loved this dude since 1994, and it seems like every couple of months I am mentioning his name in something new (and, then mentioning "Nowhere Man" which IS AVAILABLE ON DVD!!!). I'm very, very glad to see him getting this much work. He deserves it.

They left it open for a sequel. I recently read where Nic Cage wants to take the next film (if they make one), but I don't know if the "opening" they left in the film would actually take him to where he said he wanted to go. Either way, IF/WHEN the make the third one, I'll be interested to watch it too.

TSO This Year

Amazing.
Probably more amazing than last year.
It's obviously fresher in my mind, but I do think they made some serious improvements.

The first hour and a half was the same as last year - music-wise. They went through the story from "Christmas Eve and Other Stories", which the entire album is a story about an Angel coming down to earth on Christmas Eve and visiting different places, and observing people and how they spend their holiday. The black gentleman who was the narrator (I don't know if it was the same one as last year) was AMAZING. The guy from last year was too, and they might be the same person.

I liked the set up of the lights better this year. It's hard to explain, in a way the vertical pillars had lights attached to them that came down diagonally and sort of resembled Tree branches. The over head light contraption was very similar to last year's in that it was (I think) 10 separate square light fixtures that moved basically 270-degrees in every direction.

The pyrotechnics were VERY increased from last year. Including much more fireworks during the regular show, and some pretty huge burst of flames that I could feel the heat from in me seat. And in addition to the rising stage in the middle of the audience, they also had a rising platform that had three "torches" on it, that they used. This year, the rising platform for the performers was directly in front of our seats (we were three rows up off the floor, directly in front of the stage) so we got to see the guitarist and violinist up close - following their rising stage performance, they continued playing their instruments as they walked up and down the aisles at Conseco - it was AWESOME. They would stop here and there to put on an extra display. The rising stage was also used by the lead singer in "Queen of the Winter Night" - which it is AMAZING what she can make her voice do.

This year they had dueling guitarists. Which was pretty cool. And luckily, they still did the dueling pianos, at one point including "Greensleeves" (which I don't know if Vince Guaraldi wrote or not, but I do know he has played the song on a Peanuts album) and the room (once again) ERUPTED (myself more than anyone) when they broke out with "Linus and Lucy" and used it as a segue into their Finale Medley. Amazing, amazing.

There were lasers.

There was snow.

It was amazing. It's a show that I am sad only happens once a year, here in town. I would go much more often, if I could. It AMAZES me what these people do with their hands, and the music that is made on their instruments. The way these guys play their guitars, and the way they blend guitars, strings, pianos, etc... all together to make these amazing sounds, just blows my mind. And then you couple that with their AMAZING visual light shows at the concert - it's just phenomenal.

I was able to track down a couple of videos on YouTube. This first one is cool because it begins with "Linus and Lucy" and then allows you to hear the different songs they strung together for their finale. it ROCKED!!! ENJOY:



This video is REALLY GOOD to show you the overhead lights, and how they moved:



This video gives you a good look at the "snow" coming down, as well as the video curtains that were on each side of the stage and going across the top:



Finally, this video just gives you a good overall feeling for how the stage looked, and all of the different lights that were used.



The best place to learn more about TSO is THEIR PAGE ON WIKIPEDIA.

Has It Really Been Six Years?

September 11th, 2001.
It's like the JFK moment of my generation.
I still remember the day very well.
Now, it's six years later. It's weird to think about.

Last summer, after I watched "World Trade Center", I wrote a long blog about the day.

You can READ IT HERE.

Light a candle tonight.

"Shoot 'Em Up" Talk

The flick is AWESOME.
It's NOT GOOD, but it is AWESOME.
There's only one way it would have been better:

If Justin Rachal, Jason Maier, Dave Maier, and Michael Maier were in the auditorium with me. Because I would LOVE to have heard their laughs at how outrageous and ridiculous this entire film was. WOW!

It knocked off "Crank" as the most insane film that I have seen in a long time. GREAT! I doubt I'll ever watch it again - unless its with one of those aforementioned individuals.

Go see it, with the guys - because you'll laugh your tail off. It doesn't really appeal to chicks, I don't think?

The New "Halloween"

As its own film, I liked Rob Zombie's "Halloween".

What's the same?
Michael Myers.
Killing.
Family.
Mental Institution.
Character names.
And the same basic storyline and structure.

What's different?
EVERYTHING ELSE.

On it's own, without taking into account the original, this is a well made film with a good story. Rob Zombie does an amazing job telling the story and has really good camera work with his DP.

Overall, I still love the original - and this is not as good of an overall film.

Will I own it? Sure.
Will I watch it again? Sure.
Is it freaky and generally scarier than the original? Yes.

Zombie's version attempts to justify the Michael Myers character. It's the one thing that I DO NOT like about this film. The original opens with Michael and him killing. It's a beautiful shot that doesn't cut (due to some good editing, a la "Rope"). This version spends the first 20 minutes of the film giving you the back story to Michael Myers and explains the circumstances that lead him to become the killer he is. I don't like this. It removes all of the mystery behind this character. And if the new Dr. Loomis was any good, he could connect the dots and realize he's a troubled kids from a screwed up family and life.

In the original, Michael parents arrive at home wearing a nice suit and a pretty dress. He came from a good family - and pure evil turned him into the killer he was. Instead, Zombie felt that he needed to justify the means that created Michael Myers. While it involves some good scenes, and amazing acting, it ruins the overall mystique of the character.

Aside from that fact, it is troublesome to watch the decline of this child. It's brutal and wicked how we watch him break down on screen.

This carries over into the adult Michael Myers. Zombie trades the long exposition of developing young Michael, by removing the majority of the character development between Laurie and her friends, and he almost completely removes the "stalker" aspect of the original film - which happened during the thirty minutes of character development. Once we see Laurie, it's not long before she's babysitting. And it's not long before people start to die - in many graphic ways.

While it follows the original jist, and even borrows some original dialogue, it's unique enough.

The flick is worth watching, but if you love the original as much as I do - it's going to be difficult for you to give this version proper credit. It is a poor remake, but it is not a bad film. It's very much more action packed and modern than the original. It's got some very suspenseful scenes. For what it was, I really enjoyed it.

Question for people after they've seen it: WHAT time period does this film take place?

We all decided that it was modern, but done up very retro - to the point that we almost believe it was in the past. Thoughts?

"Order of the Phoenix" Talk

First, if you go see the flick, there is a chance you'll see THIS PREVIEW.
Sadly, it's NOT what I wanted it to be. For a quick few seconds, I almost thought I was watching a preview for "Bill & Ted 3" - which would have ROCKED MY WORLD. And made me wonder how I didn't already know about it. Anyways, the preview is funny, but I wish my dreams were coming true, instead of that other film.

Film Five.
It's like every other "Harry Potter" film, and exactly what I expected: A mysterious story, mention of "He Who Shall Not Be Named" throughout, and finally some quick action at the end, and a short resolution. It's a formula, and it works for them, and the films are enjoyable.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of the book series, I've never read one page of any book, and I'm not getting in line for the July 21st release of the FINAL book. I'm just a fan of the films. I've got a number of friends who fill me in on the missing storylines and characters, and I feel like I've got a fairly good Harry Potter knowledge, for someone who has never touched the books.

I'm a fan of the films, and the visuals, and how the stories translate to the big screen. I saw the first one to see what the hype was about, and I like it. And I've continued to like them as the series has gone on. I don't find them boring, or dumb, and while this film was NOT as much fun as "Transformers", it was still exactly what I wanted, what I looked for, and what I expected. So, I can't say there was anything bad about the story, or the film.

Although, I'll be honest that the opening of the film wasn't a good taste, at first. While it looked cinematically beautiful, some of the editing, quick cutting, and hand-held camera work didn't feel like it fit into the Harry Potter Film Universe, it annoyed me much in the same away as Alfanso Cuaron's "Prisoner of Azkaban" film felt, with the contastant "Iris Close/Iris Open" to transition between scenes - I REALLY disliked that part of the film, despite it being an enjoyable storyline, the editing of the film makes it the hardest of them all to watch. Chris Columbus did an amazing job with the first two films, both style-wise and visually, that I don't think the last three have been up the bar he set. With that said, "The Order of the Phoenix" was EXACTLY what I expected and wanted, and I enjoyed it.

I hope you do too.

On a completely unrelated note, it looks like Warner Brothers is copying themselves with the "Superman" sequel being titled "Man of Steel" - it's the EXACT SAME concept they went with for the Batman sequel being called "The Dark Knight". The sequels are just being titled with the character's nicknames. Clever one WB, very clever.

So, in "The Order of the Phoenix", there are many exterior shots of London at the beginning and the end. Toss in Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson, and WHAT MOVIE do you think I am in the mood to watch when I get home? Yep, I popped in "Love Actually". Big surprise?

UPDATE: My former boss, Helene, gets a mention in THIS ARTICLE from Indy Star. It's always fun to see the names of people I know. Maybe I will have to check this out in IMAX sometime.

"Pirates 3" Review

Um... I don't think I watched the same film that Phil and Justin told me was good. The film that Justin gave 4 out of 5 stars...?

Well, my first problem was going to see the film at Clearwater. The seats there are good for about 90 minutes, then they SUCK. It's hard to believe that back in the "Good Old Days" (when Dave Maier was my manager) that I used to watch HUNDREDS of films at that theatre. I don't know how I survived... Oh yeah, I was young and dumb and didn't know what comfortable theatre seats really were.

Anyways. Can a film be any more filled with pointless crap? Within the past two weeks I've watched the first two films to get my mind refreshed. They both run around 2 hours and 20 minutes. Then comes this film, which runs about 3 hours. The sad part is that there is only about 100 minutes of good story. There was SO MUCH POINTLESS CRAP thrown into this movie that makes it drag on and on and on and on, etc...

Next, I'm SO BORED with the betrayal after betrayal after betrayal. I'm going to betray you, because you've betrayed me, and you are betraying me again, and so now I'm going to team up with my enemy, but y real goal is to betray them, but then after that I am going to betray you, but wait, you've betrayed me two more times since I began betraying this betrayer. It's RIDICULOUS!!! I'm tired of it. Move on, and get a better plot device. JEEZ!!!

And I haven't hated the "falling action" of a story since "Return of the King". I was seriously wondering IF THE FILM WOULD EVER END!!! Drag on, drag on, drag on, leave it open for five more sequels, drag on, drag on, drag on... BLAH. GET OVER!!!

If I wasn't in a packed auditorium, I probably would have fallen asleep. Sadly, with so many people so close around me, I can't lay my head down and sleep - I wish I would have.

The action scenes were fun to watch. Keira was great to look at. Jack was overly annoying. Keith Richards' cameo was entertaining. Chow Yun-Fat was held back from being truly awesome - like EVERY OTHER MOVIE HE IS IN. Seriously, I can't think of another actor that get screwed over more. It would be like putting Vin Deisel in a movie, making him looks awesome, then having DJ Qualls beat him up. WHAT!?!?!? Seriously, one day I hope someone actually gives him a good role.

Oh, and I was disappointed I didn't get to see the teaser trailer for "National Treasure 2". Justin described it to me today, and it sounded really cool. I can't find it on the 'net yet. (EDIT: The trailer is available at Yahoo! Movies and it looks REALLY COOL!!!)

I'm sure this film is going to a billion dollars this weekend (I'm exaggerating). And I'm sure lots of people are going to disagree with me. I know both Justin and Phil told me today that they liked it. So, I'm sure Jason will too - since we never ever agree on films. I did get to see the "Transformers" trailer again, so that made me happy - that's the next film I am DYING to see. I am SO PUMPED UP for that film!!!

"Spider-Man 3" Quickly

Best action of the three films.
An okay storyline.
Worst acting of the three films.

"Spider-Man 3" suffers from "Titanic"-Syndrome. BLOCKS. 10 minutes of action. 10 minutes of horrible drama. 15 minutes of action. 15 minutes of bad acting. There is no flow to the film, and there is no connection between the scenes. I'd love to watch a version of the film with all of the bad acting edited out. It would be like an hour long awesome action film.

They really tried to do too much. And while that aspect was annoying, it really wasn't the worst part of the film. The acting was just BAD, HORRIBLE.

Honestly, what was I thinking about during this film???

"I can't wait to see 'The Dark Knight', because I know Nolan knows how to blend action and drama and make a good film..."

Overall grade: B. (The amazing action sequences saved the film for me.)

"The Invisible" Talk

I'm not going to include any "spoilers" in this review, I might write another one after this weekend, and talk about specific things in the film.

What I am going to say is that I was disappointed.

Now, let me preface that by saying this: I did like the movie. I didn't love it, and I didn't think it was great. But, I did not hate the flick.

But, the flick IS NOT what the previews make it out to be. It IS NOT a mystery/thriller like I was expecting. And honestly, not a whole lot happens in the film. The entire story (and the ORIGINAL plot) is revealed in the trailer. It is OBVIOUS that they cut out an entire part of the storyline, as it is missing from the film, and nothing seems to happen.

There is no mystery, like the trailer eludes to.

From the beginning, you know what happens.

Then, they have characters make decisions that are so out of character that they don't make any sense for the storyline - but are needed. It's all in an effort to force the story to go somewhere.

And sadly, this film has the longest, most drawn-out ending since "Return of the King" it NEVER feels like its going to end. Slow, slow, slow, blah, blah, blah... I couldn't sit still.

Also, there were numerous times that lyrical music was used, instead of a score, and I thought it was horrible. It was like having 5 montages in a film. It really didn't work for me.

So, did I really like this film, like I thought I did at the beginning of this post?

Maybe I don't.

I can't think of too many positives about it. But, when it was over, I don't remember thinking it was a waste of my time (although I was thinking, "Thank God! It's FINALLY over!!!").

Hmmmm... I'm warning you: It IS NOT like the preview makes you think it is. It's not. So, don't expect that. I hope you enjoy it more than I apparently did.

"TMNT" Quick

Yes, it's been a LONG night.
And I just got home.
But, I also just watched "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" tonight!!!
Yep, ONE WEEK EARLY!!!

It's pretty good.
I give it a "B+".
I'll write more tomorrow.
I had to take a nap before the film (that's what happens when you start movies at 2am), but I'm still dead tired. So, check back later for a detailed description of my thoughts on the film.

Good night.

True to My Word

For those who thought I wasn't serious, here's the picture of the Colts Super Bowl Tattoo. Time to get ready to head to the Dome...

"The Key"

Two filmmaking friends of mine have teamed up for a film titled "The Key" and they sure put together a fine piece of indie work. The script was written by Steve "Papaw" Pyatte, while it was directed by Jim Dougherty. Papaw also does some more acting in the film, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. A while back I was sent the linnk to the trailer for the film, and I'll be honest - I was NOT impressed by the trailer. It caused a minor rift between Papaw and I, he took my comments a little harsher than intended, but we eventually got it all straightened out. I'm glad to say that the final film is much better than the trailer had me thinking it was going to be. I suggest everyone take a look at it, and then you might want to visit the sites I link to following the video, to learn more about these two guys.



Frankenstein 1931 Films.
Indie Sunts.

There's nothing I care about coming out this weekend, so I doubt I'll be going to any screenings tonight - which is cool, because I've actually got two other indie DVDs at home that I need to burn copies of and watch. One is a documentary. I've previously written a review on the film "Luke's Father and the Sled" - which I really enjoyed - and the guys who made the film provided me with a make-of documentary, which also shows them at the Lake County Film Festival. While at this film festival, they were introduced to a film called "Grodmin" and I've borrowed the DVD of it - because it's suppose to have the most twisted ending to any indie film ever made. And that's not just coming from my friends - that's coming from the internet. I've actually spoken to the director via emails, and he's going to send me the final version of the DVD when it is finished. For now, I have a copy (which I'm going to copy) of the festival version of the film. It turns out that they've come into some more money, and are remastering the film, for a final DVD release. I'm really in the mood to watch some indie film (although, I'm more in the mood to kick out somemore episodes of "24" tonight) so, maybe at some point I can get those watched and talk about them...

"Catch and Release"

Sunday was a busy day.
After getting home from Chicago, I watched the Iowa basketball team lose, watched a disc of "24" Season Three, watched the Pacers lose to the Pistons, then went out to catch a movie by myself.

I've been wanting to see "Catch and Release" for a good amount of time. I first heard about last summer, when Kevin Smith blogged about working on the film. Then, they screened it at Vulgarthon last year, and it got some good reviews. Finally, the trailer actually made it look like a good flick. These days, if I don't see something before it comes out - thanks to my awesome friends - then I generally never go to see it. I'm not a fan of watching films in crowded theatres - "Inland Empire" at the Music Box was NERVE-WRECKING, but I survived. Anyways, I was afraid if I didn't force myself to see the flick this weekend, then I never would. Finally, I convinced myself that on a cold Sunday night, the theatre would probably be close to empty. And I was right. Two couples, a single lady, and myself populated the theatre.

The film is pretty good. It takes some turns that I didn't expect from this type of genre, and it stayed away from most stereotypical plot devices that I did expect. So, it was a pleasant surprise on many levels. The dialogue was pretty good, and fairly funny. The story worked in a slow revealing type of fashion, however a couple of events felt a little too rushed. With a run time a little over 2 hours, it was odd for a flick to feel like it was forcing things to happen. But, a lot does happen in the film.

It was my kind of film. Now, it didn't hit on my same emotional level as "The Last Kiss" did, but it didn't need to. It still opened my mind, and forced me to think about and address things in my own life.

First, it reminded me that in love, we don't always get what we want. No matter how close we come, it can always be taken away. Also, when we have feelings for someone, more often than not, they do not return those feelings - which only hurts the heart. Love is an interesting thing, and the things we do for love, and because of love, might not always yield the greatest results. It shows how difficult it is to move on with your life. And I know I related to that - I'm still stuck at the apex of a hill, wanting to go forward and get as far away from this hill as I can, but then I think about the trip up the hill - and how much I enjoyed it. And it makes me want to go back down the hill, and climb it again - even though the hill just wants me long gone. Moving on is tough - well, at least for me. I can only hope that one day, someone comes along who helps me down the hill, and onto the next one. Because, I've lived. I've learned. And the next hill is going to be much easier, and more fun.

Second, it reminded me that life has to change. It's evolution. It's life. It's constantly moving and changing. People make decisions, and no matter how close of friends you are, they make the choices that are best for them. Things change. People change. It all changes. And to sit around and think that your perfect life, with friends, family, and everything else is always going to be around is a facade. It's a mirage. Life, overall, is a let down. And the highs are always ruined by the lows.

Third, it has confirmed in my mind that I don't mind kids. I think I'm not a fan of babies - but like a four year old, I think we would rock out together. The kid in the film is awesome. And while I've spent a good deal of my life living in fear of having a son, I think it would be a wicked good time. Someone who would want to hang out with me (because I'd be THE MORE WICKED COOL father) and someone to play with - because let's be honest, I'm still a kid at heart. Throwing the football. Playing catch. Shooting hockey pucks in the driveway. I can't do those things, if I don't mentally grow up and prepare myself for it. And now, I think I want it to happen. I'm still scared out of my mind about it - but I also see it as a lot of fun.

I guess I'm just finally hitting that point. I've lived a good and fun life. I've done a lot of things. And there's a natural progression to achieve. A place to arrive at. And begin 50 when my kids are in high school is NOT something I'm interested in. I want to be there for every sporting event, play, musical, whatever they decide to do with their lives.

Interesting how a flick about relationships and a kid can make you re-evaluate your entire life.

And after the film, while driving home, I was thinking about everything I've been writing about - and some things that I didn't write about - and I thought about my "promise" to Heidi, that I'll write a new script. And I think I've got the basis and beginnings of a new storyline, that I hope to develop. It's rough. It's going to need a lot of thought, love, and work - but I think in few weeks time, if I give it some serious time - I might be working on the next script. I don't know how I'm going to make it - I don't know who is going to help. I don't know how I'm going to come up with all of the money to pay my actors, but I'm going to start with the script. And I'm going to see what kinds of reactions I get.

Because, Heidi reminded me of one thing: I love to tell stories. With words. And with pictures. So, I should keep doing what I love...

Intrepid, eh?

I often refer you my readers over to Peddie's Blog. And today, while reading it for myself, I noticed something "new" to me - I don't know how long he's done this, but I just noticed it today.

Peddie has given nicknames to most of the bloggers that has links to. There's "The Random Blogger", "The Sports Blogger", "The Baking Blogger", "The Weekend Blogger", etc...

Then, there's what he calls me: "Shane White - The Intrepid Blogger".

Now, I consider myself a very intelligent person, but I will admit when I have to look into something. Aside from knowing the automobile, I wasn't completely sure what "intrepid" meant, so I looked it up. And here's the definition I found (www.m-w.com):

"Characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance."

Again, I came across a word I wasn't 100% sure of the meaning. So, I looked up "fortitude":

"Strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage."

This statement is so true, in many ways that most of you don't know about. But, if you stick with reading this blog, in the future - you will understand.

I think I am going to have to take this as a compliment, I don't know if it was meant to be - but it's an interesting way to look at myself, and one that I wouldn't have done without having to look into the meaning of these words.

Peddie, if I ever get word "Intrepid" tattooed on my body - I want you to know it's going to be a direct result of you putting the word (and definition) into my mind.

I guess I'm just taken back by learning the definition. It's probably the only positive adjective anyone has ever used to describe me...

I was supposed to go check out "Smokin' Aces" tonight - a flick I've been pumped about all week. But, my buddies decided to watch "Epic Movie" first (a flick I have NO desire to see), and were going to be starting "Smokin' Aces" too late for me. Doesn't this suck? "Back in the day" I wouldn't care how late I had to stay up to watch a movie I wanted to see - but now, 8am comes REALLY EARLY!!! But, to have my nights and weekends off - I'm willing to deal with it. So, I'm going to be in Chicago all weekend - maybe I'll try to catch it while I'm there - if there's time.

The other film I really want to see this coming week is "Catch and Release". I hope to catch it soon. Here's the trailer:

The Spot

The Spot is the new bar that has replaced P.S. O'Rourke's.

My first statement is a tough one: Everything that I never got out of O'Rourke's, I can get out of The Spot. I love Sloan and Flea to death, they are some important people in my life. But, they didn't want a sport bar - and I kind of always did. The Spot is very much a sports bar.

The Spot is very much a hybrid. It still feels like O'Rourke's, it still feels like home. It still feels like the bar that I have so many wonderful memories from. O'Rourke's is where I met Kristen. O'Rourke's is where I filmed a lot of scenes from various films of mine. O'Rourke's was were I was guaranteed to have a friend at. Sloan and Flea didn't care about having a hugely popular bar, they wanted a place for themselves and their friends to hang out, and they treated the regulars better than I've ever seen people treated. P.S. O'Rourke's was a Speakeasy, a Watering Hole, and place for friends to sit around and just talk. On the weekends, they made their money with live bands - which Sloan never really cared for, but needed the added revenue on the weekends. But, no matter what time of day, or what day, Sloan or Flea would be there, and the waitresses treated us like no one else ever did. It was a special place, and always will be - I've got so many wonderful memories from there.

But, it's in the past. It's gone. I can't have it again. But, the other day, when we learned The Spot had opened, my friends and I found time to go there and check it out. That time turned out to be tonight. And tonight, I learned something wonderful: A former waitress, Jamie, and her husband - along with two of their friends - are the new owners of the bar. And they have done an AMAZING job with the place.

It's brighter. It's not so dark anymore. There's a sports theme, with various mid-west team banners hanging all over the place. There are HD Plasma TVs all over the upstairs, and four HD projection screen TVs on the main level. There is even a private room with it's own HD TV. The biggest improvement is the bathrooms, which have been completely redone. They look nothing like before, and are BEYOND amazing!

As I was leaving the bathroom, it happened:

"SHANE!!!"

I was told that Jamie left before I got there, so I wasn't expecting it. But, it turns out that she was just sitting at the bar. She ran up and gave me a hung, and I spent the next 45 minutes talking to her and her husband and finding out all the details about how she/they got from the closing of O'Rourke's to opening the building as their own. It was an interesting story - and I am REALLY proud of Jamie. If you read this regularly, you know one of my life-long ambitions is to own my own sports bar. So, this will be the next best thing. Jamie introduced me to the entire staff, and introduced them to me. They are all really cool, and very much like the "family" that was lost when O'Rourke's closed. Also, one of the former waitresses (and former love of my life) is supposed to come back and start working there. So, it will be awesome to see her again.

They have removed a lot of the couches. Most of downstairs is all tables and chairs. They have done a lot of tile-work on the downstairs, as well as added the big screens. Upstairs has lots of brand new leather love seats, which are very comfortable. Tonight, the NFL Network was re-airing the Colts/Patriots game - in condensed format - so we watched that and talked about the game and the Super Bowl. There is a chance that we are going to end up having our Super Bowl Party at The Spot. We talked to Jamie about it, and she made some suggestions to us. So, we're going to see how everyone feels.

It's so cool. It's still got the vibe of O'Rourke's, but with a different feel. Jamie told me she felt the same way I did when the bar closed - that she was missing a part of her life - and that was part of her motivation to buy the building and get the place re-opened, but make it a little more hip and appealing than Sloan and Flea. So, it's a nifty hybrid. It's got the old vibe for people like me, combined with the new appealing sports bar theme.

I finally have somewhere that I feel comfortable going again. It feels like home again already.

I highly recommend it, if you're looking for a cool place in Castleton - and if you actually like sports.

"Primevil" SUCKS

Yeah, F.Y.I. - IT SUCKS!!! DO NOT SEE IT.

I thought "Lake Placid" was bad.
I thought "Anaconda" was bad.

Those two films are OSCAR-WORTHY compared to this.

I saw it for one reason: Dominic Purcell. He had his moments, but it was NOT worth sitting through. Orlando Jones has two good one-liners. And there is ONE "surprise" that I didn't see coming. Other than that, BAD, BAD, BAD. And I'm NOT being my typical critical self. I went in with NO expectations, and wish that I wouldn't have wasted my time.

I hadn't hung out with Justin and Phil since Christmas, so that was another reason I went. We had lots of laughs, but it was still a HORRIBLE flick.

Probably the WORST FILM I've seen in 2007. Granted, it's the ONLY film I've seen in 2007 - but that's BESIDES the point. At the end of the year, I'll guarantee it's in my BOTTOM FIVE.

Don't waste you time, you will regret it...

Inland Empire

Sibley and I have made plans to attend a special screening of "Inland Empire" (Official Site) in Chicago on the weekend of the 27th. David Lynch is distributing the film himself, and according to the website, he's going to be at the screening that night.

It's going to be an awesome trip, but it got better when my buddy Heidi found out I was coming into town, and sent me this, in an email:

"I'm totally down for it. At the very least, though, we TOTALLY have to hang out. So let's keep in touch about it. You can't come to my city and not hang out with me - that would be illegal."

It's always nice to have someone act like they actually WANT to hang out with you. As cool as the weekend was going to be, it's looking like it's going to be even more fun than I hoped for.

I'm REALLY getting excited about the trip. I LOVE Road Trips, hence my East Coast drive. We're spending the night in Chi-Town, so it should turn into a really fun 48 hours. I'm hoping to some more road trips this summer. I'm trying to talk Zach into hitting Rondeau in Canada again. I have a feeling that multiple Weekend-Get-A-Aways are in store for 2007. Maybe some more to go back to Chicago?

Also, related to Sibley, is THIS ARTICLE from the Indy Star. Sibley is supposed to be in charge of the IMAX, when it opens. CONGRATS, bro. You know I'll be hitting you up for IMAX tickets, right???

2006: A Year in Shane

So, here it is: 2007.
And with that, I've taken some time today to think back over the past 365 Days - the year that was 2006. It was interesting. Lots of ups. Lots of downs. Lots of stuff happened. And I'm taking the time to list (with some pictures) some of the Top Threes of 2006, in various categories. So, here's a recap of 2006 - from Shane's eyes and mind.

Top Three Places I Visited in 2006

1. The Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center in New York City.

One of the last places I got to visit this year, but also one of the best. A place I'd been dreaming about seeing for so long, and thanks to Letha and Jason, I finally got to see it. It sure was amazing.

2. The Pier at Santa Monica, at Sunset.

The family trip to Los Angeles back in March was an amazing trip, filled with lots of fun times, but the night we spent in Santa Monica, and saw the sun set over the ocean was just beautiful.

3. The Campground at Rondeau State Park in Canada.

Zach's Bachelor Party took Zach, Jason Romberg, and myself into the heart of Canada to spend four days in the woods. Camping is always an awesome time, and since we haven't made a trip to Brown County in a couple of years, this was an awesome time. Three guys in the woods, talking about life under the stars. It was such a great trip.

Top Three Films I Saw in 2006

1. "The Last Kiss"
Probably the best film about relationships I've seen in a long time. So many different perspectives and concepts of love and relationships, you're sure to identify with one of them. Perfect flick.

2. "The Prestige"
Probably the best storytelling of any film I've ever seen. Non-linear editing results in so many questions before answers, and allows three different time lines to intertwine with each other. This film also has THE BEST ENDING of any film since 1999 - PERIOD.

3. "Thank You For Smoking"
Just a flat-out hilarious film, that is wonderfully written and acted. Yes, some scenes are a little outlandish, but overall I think it's a wonderfully fun time, and Aaron Eckhart does an amazing job.

Top Three Albums I Bought in 2006

1. "Commit This to Memory" by The Motion City Soundtrack.
2. "Let Love In" by The Goo Goo Dolls.
3. "How to Save a Life" by The Fray.

All great rockin' albums, which I still constantly listen to.

Top Three Singles Released in 2006

1. "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol (from "Eyes Open")
2. "Lips of an Angel" by Hinder (from "Extreme Behavior")
3. "Feel the Silence" by The Goo Goo Dolls (from "Let Love In")

Top Three Concerts I Went to in 2006

1. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra
2. Pearl Jam
3. The Goo Goo Dolls

Top Three Sports Moments in 2006

1. Reggie Miller's Jersey being retired.
2. The Eastsiders Basketball Team winning the ISSA Class B Championship.
3. Big Al Harrington returning to the Indiana Pacers.

Top Three T.V. Shows I Watched in 2006

1. "Lost"
2. "Prison Break"
3. "How I Met Your Mother"

Three Biggest Surprises of 2006

1. The Divorce.
Yeah, this one takes the cake. One year ago today - I never would have seen it coming. I knew we were having problems, but I honestly believe some separation and time apart would help us figure out our feelings for each other. I guess she figured out her feelings - which wasn't a good thing for me, and it was a pretty big shocker when I got the paperwork in the mail.
2. Jason Moving.
When Jason and I were into film together, the guy told me he didn't think he would ever move to Los Angeles, because he didn't want to leave his family and friends in Indianapolis. So, when he was presented with the opportunity to move to Boston, I was first surprised that he was thinking about it - and more surprised with his final decision. I can still remember the night he told Annette and I that he was going to stay here in Indy, and turn the job down. It wasn't more than two hours later I was hanging out with him, when he told me he was going to take the job. I quickly went from "happy Jason was staying" to "bummed Jason was leaving". Another surprise to my life in 2006.
3. Dad Goes to Iraq.
I never would have imagined, until I was told, that my Dad would be going to Iraq. He's not exactly a 20-year-old infantryman. So, the government sending him over to Iraq to do some work was Out of Left Field, in my opinion. Luckily, he went and made it home safe - but it was still kind of a surprise to find out he was going.

I'm hoping for a good 2007.
I've got some life plans in order, and hope they work out.
I'm holding off on going back to school - so that I can spend the next few months getting my living arrangements worked out (finding an apartment downtown) and getting a new job. I plan to start talking to a counselor at IUPUI in the next few weeks, so that they can start setting me up and enrolling me in the classes I want to take in the fall. This will also give me a chance to save some money and start applying for financial aid.

I've only made one resolution for 2007.
And I think I'll be able to keep it. I've already started on it, and I think I can keep up with it. My resolution for 2007 is to get myself into better shape (which includes losing some weight). I've been riding 10 Miles a Day on the bike for five days a week, for the past three weeks - so I just need to keep that up. I've been lifting free weights and just need to continue doing that as well. Finally, no more soda. Juice, Water, Gatorade, Powerade, anything but soda. By the Spring, I want to be regularly running the canal downtown (hopefully living close enough to jog to the canal, and then jog the whole thing).

Well, 2006 sure changed my life.
Lots of ups.
Lots of downs.
Lots of good times.
Lots of lonely nights.

Somehow, I have a feeling 2007 is going to be a lot of the same...

...but I guess that's life.

I'll see you again in 365 Days, with another list. I hope you all have a WONDERFUL 2007.

Co-Existance: God and Evolution

DISCLAIMER:
Okay, here's the deal. My theory basically only works when combined with itself. You won't be able to attempt to apply it to your own theories - because it requires basically all of its own parts to function. It's also based on a NON-LIBERAL interpretation of some Biblical passages. You may, or may not agree - but I ask that you don't try to assimilate your own theories to disprove mine. PLEASE feel free to explain and discuss you rown theories - I would LOVE to hear them! But, I just ask that you understand ALL THIS IS - IS A THEORY, and I'm not trying to sell anyone on it - or disprove anyone else's theories or thoughts. Finally - Peddie, this is for you!

The important aspect to my theory is the following:
God knows no time. Time is irrelevant to God. A minute is like an hour, and so forth.

It is believed that Moses wrote the Book of Gensis. Where the creation of the world/universe/Earth, etc... is recorded. So, during one of Moses' and God's "Hang Times" - God talked to Moses and told him what to write in Gensis. And God probably explained this to him:

"Moses, between you and me, I did not create the world in six days, but to make things easier for humans to understand, we are just going to call each period of time - one day."

Thus, the SIX DAYS were created, when in actuality, these "six days" spanned 4.5 Billion Years. (give a take a couple of million, we'll get into that soon...)

So, YES - Scientists are right with their "age" of the Earth. I'm afraid too many narrow-minded religious people aren't willing to take into account that each "day" that was written about, might not have been an actually 24-hour period, but instead a simplified way for God to talk to us. Otherwise, the Bible would read like this:

"On the first Billion Years, God created Light and Darkness. On the second billion years, God created Water. Etc..." (Obviously a PARAphrased version...) A "day" just probably seemed easier in vernacular.

So, here it goes:
"Day One" - A Billion Years.

"Day Two" - Another Billion. Up to Two Billion Years Old. A billion years sounds like just enough time for Vaalbara to seperate (starting 3.2 Billion Years ago) and form the modern continets, over another billion years - because God told it to.

"Day Three" add a Billion Years. Now, we're up to Three Billion.

"Day Four" add another Billion. Up to Four Billion.

"Day Five" - God creates "Creatures" NOT "animals", "Creatures".

So, after Four Billion Years of the Planet Earth existing (which felt like four days to God), he finally put some life on the planet. Now, if the world is 4.57 Billion Years Old, we are now looking at 570,000,000, Years ago.

Scientist believe Dinosaurs arrived on the planet 230,000,000 Years ago. Obviously, there is a minor flaw in someone's math. Perhaps the Scientists are a few hundred million years late with the arrival of the dinosaurs, or a few hundred million years over the life of the Earth, or perhaps God stayed up late one "day" and it was a little longer than One Billion Years. I can only imagine who long it took himt o perfect the stars... So many solar systems... Maybe he took a little extra time to create another planet of lifeforms? And that caused one of his "days" to run a little longer...???

"Day Six" should have started in 3995B.C. (I'll cover that in a second). Meaning, "Day Five" was actually 569,996,005 Years Long (give or take).

569,996,005 Years is PLENTY of time for dinosaurs to rule the earth, while other smaller creatures lived on Earth also.

Now, if Scientists are right about the "catastrophic event" which ended the dinosaurs existence 65,000,000 years ago - then that would give 64,996,005 Years between the End of Dinosaurs are God creating "man". PLENTY of time for the atmosphere to settle down, become breathable again. Plenty of time for the smaller creatures on Earth to continue to reporoduce, and adapt to their various living conditions.

And here is where I may lose some people's faith: 64,996,005 Years is enough time for God to evolve SOME Monkeys into semi-homo-sapien form.

Let's look at it this way: Out of EVERY creature on the planet only two of them share the same number of chromosomes (46, 23 from each parent) Humans and Monkeys. It's a little bit of a coincidence, don't you think? Environmental Adaptation, over millions upon millions of years could have led to a group of primates eventually adapting and evolving into a very human-like being. Perhaps, the "Iceman" was one of these pre-homo-sapiens, who was potentially part primate, and not fully developed as a thinking human being???

So, where do Evolution and Creationism cross paths? I honestly believe the answer is a simple one:

Genesis 4:16.

"And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden."


And what happened in the Land of Nod? Cain is said to have created the cityof Enoch, and fathered seven children. Who lived in the Land of Nod? And how was Cain able to father children?


Living in the Land of Nod, were the semi-homo-sapiens, who "evolved" or "adapted" from primates. Cain had children. These children were hybrids. And over the next few thousand years, they helped mankind shape its self as an extremely diverse group of people - with thousands upon thousands of variations that make each person unique. Heck, if all of these people lived in the Middle-East, it's very probable that these "hybrids" are actually responsible for the way "White People" look???


So, my long and short answer: Evolution Happened - BECAUSE God WANTED it to, SO THAT when Cain killed his brother, he would have a community for Cain to end up at. God planned evolution to take place, so that it would "catch up" with his human creations, at the exact moment that he wanted it to happen.


The Earth is as old as the scientists say.
Evolution happened, similar to how scientists believed.
God ALLOWED all of this to take place - because it ALL was part of his PLAN.


Oh, and my final arguement towards the "mating" between Cain and a semi-homo-sapien is the following:

Cheers!!!

This is a picture of me with the original Bull and Finch logo - the name of the bar BEFORE the TV series.

Jason and I just spent a couple of hours there and it was a really good time!

Long blogs coming tomorrow...

Ice Skating!

I'm in the middle of skating at Wollman Rink inside of Central Park! I LOVE the ice! There is a wicked cool skater chick doing wicked cool skating tricks in the middle, she rocks! This is awesome!!!

Serendipity 3

We've finished dinner at Serendipity 3 - now Jason and Letha are sharing a frozen hot chocolate (don't ask me?).

Next, off to Central Park for ice skating!

Manhattan Island

A shot looking back in on New York City, taken from the observation deck of The Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island - its a breaktaking view.

Islands

On the ferry, heading towards the Statue of Liberty, and then on to Ellis Island.

The Show

The Nederlander.
Rent.
I saw it.
It was amazing.
More later.

The Reason for the Trip

So, this picture shows the entire reason for the trip. The tree at Rockefeller. It is too surreal to be here seeing all the holiday stuff. The trip is already worth it - and we've got soo much more to do over the next two days. Next, dinner at the Hard Rock!

Watched "The Fountain"

So, I knew it was the last night for "The Fountain" at my buddies Phil and Justin's theatre. So, with the night off - I knew I needed to check it out before I didn't have a chance.



First off, the SPOILER-FREE parts...
It's different.
It's not what I expected from Darren Aronofsky.
There was no "hip-hop editing" involved in this film.
It REALLY shows how he has matured as a filmmaker, and can tell an amazing story.
This IS his BEST film - to date.

What I know I liked: The UBER-non-linear editing. Not only were there three timelines being edited together - they were being edited together out of order. Giving you questions before answers - and giving you ideas before you found out the truth. Granted, I was able to figure out about 90% of the film - and the 10% I didn't figure out, I don't know if I was supposed to.


The film is really an AMAZING love story. The story of a man who spends 1,000 years trying to fullfil his love to a woman. His passion. His determination. His obsessiveness. Hugh Jackman is AWESOME. PERFECT. WONDERFUL. If there was EVER a question about his acting (which there WAS NOT after "The Prestige") this film proves he's an amazingly capable actor on so many levels.

Jason refuses to think about how Dougray Scott would have been as Wolverine - and now I refuse to think about how Brad Pitt would have been in this film. Because Hugh is BEYOND perfect. Rachel Weisz does a pretty good job, but her character is pretty limited, and I could potentially see other talented females playing this same part. Not to downplay how good she was, but it wasn't overly amazing, but her roles is nowhere near as big as Hugh's.

The story is plain and simple. Find the Foutain of Youth, hidden by God and protected by the Mayan Empire. Use this knowledge to bring Spain into power, over the church. Fast-forward 500 years to the "present" when our Main Man and his Lady are living in the present, however she has a brain tumor which is slowly killing her. Tom does extensive tests on Primates and is close to discovering a way to save her, although the cure helps with health - it does not reduce brain tumors in primates. Izzi is writing a book - which very much resembles their life 500 years ago, and before she can finish it, she asks Tom to write the final chapter.

Fast forward to another 500 Years in the future, when Tom is traveling through space - fulfilling a destiny and a promise he made to Izzi - based on a conversation they had regarding the spirituality of the Mayans and how they viewed death.

Simple, right? At times it's a little confsuing, but eventually gives you the clues you need to come up with your own answers to the questions that are posed.

The film is an AMAZING new look at Sci-Fi filmmaking. I VERY MUCH compare it to "Donnie Darko". And now, I'll move on to MY theories about the film...

SPOILERS below the picture!!!


So, here's my honest theory.
I don't believe there are actually three timelines going on.
I believe that these characters are in "The Present" and that's IT. PERIOD.
Izzi is obsessed with the Mayan Empire and their philosphies on life and death. Mostly on death now, as she knows her "end" is coming soon. She becomes obsessed with the idea of death being the birth of life. The concept the Mayans used to explain the birth of the world, how one man gave up his life and the world grew from him.

Izzi is a VERY good author, and has written the majority of her book. However, she does not know how to finish it. She lies this burden on Tom. She writes a very good and very vivid book - and when Tom reads it, he places himself and Izzi into the story.

Post Izzi's death - Tom attempts to write the Final Chapter, which is when he hallucinates the visions of the future. His obsession with his wife leads to his visions of the future and fulfilling the promise to her - that he would save her. Knowing that she is dead, the only way to fulfill the promise to save her, is to bond her body with a tree, and carry that tree into a nebula - allowing her to be "reborn".

This IS NOT REAL. It takes place in Tom's head. This is why the Future and the Past are connected in the final sequence of the film - because it's Izzi's story in Tom's head merged with his hallucinations for the future - at which point his brain causes them to collide. This is why "Present Day Tom" is not involved in the sequence - because it happening inside of his head, as he attempts to fulfill his promise of saving Izzi.

While the names "Isabel" and "Izzi" are VERY similar, and are meant to imply that they are the same person - I DO NOT believe that they are.

Also, in support of my theory: Tom and Izzi NEVER discuss their past together. They make NO MENTION of spending 500 years together. Present Day Tom doesn't EVER do ANYTHING that even hints at the fact that he's well over 500 Years Old. I DO NOT believe the past ever "happened". I can only believe that Tom visualizes it all in his head, from the story Izzi has written.

The only time there is any mention of time passing is when Future Tom is looking at the tattoos on his arms and claims "It was you that kept me company through all these years..." And since we know he didn't "start" tattooing himself until after Izzi's death - then again, he can only be reffering to the Present to the Future - disregarding the Past Tom.

I have to stand by my theory.
"The Present" is the ONLY reality.
"The Past" is in Tom's head, based on Izzi's book.
"The Future" is a hallucination inside Tom's head, as he attempts to deal with the lose of the love of his life, and his brain's attempt at fulfilling his promise to "save" Izzi. Because, in the end - his final attempt to save her life, came from an idea SHE gave him, in the "present".

The film is about LOVE and OBSESSION.
Izzi is obsessed with the Mayan Empire and their philosophies on death, and rebirth.
Tom is obsessed with saving Izzi's life.
And they have a love that transcends time and space. Figuratively and Metaphorically.

That's my theory.