Future Poltergeist

I'm still trying to figure out exactly what I'm doing with this movie project. Mostly trying to figure out what to write about the movie on this here blog. Are they really reviews? Should I worry about spoiling the movie or should I assume that the reader has seen it? Should I list the movies in advance so others can follow along? Does the FP Gal deserve a medal for putting up with this each week? (Probably yes.)

Yesterday, the FP Gal and I went down to Austin to celebrate some family events. We went to a combination 80th birthday/40th anniversary party. There was a very good turnout and we got to see large sections of my Dad's side of the family. And my hundreds of cousins once removed (or maybe second cousins, I get them confused). It was lots of fun. Some of the highlights (from my personal vantage point): Every year we give my Grandma a gag gift. We usually find the ugliest last minute animal or toy. My favorite was a remote controlled snake. Another good one was a pinata and hockey stick to break it open with. This year was a stuffed animal tarantula puppet. She loved it. We also discussed a new reality show called Adventures of a Narcoleptic Grandmother. Every week we'd drug Grandma's coffee and she'd wake up in a new location. She'd have to figure out where she was and how to get home. Hilarty would ensue. Another highlight was being able to spend some ti...

And for the Friday cat picture. They look very close here. 

This is the prize winning costume. Upon reflection, I look pregnant. 

A week from tomorrow the FP Gal and I take off for...somewhere. You see, my office takes Halloween very seriously. The week leading up to the big day is filled with activities and decorating. Last year we had a pumpkin themed bingo game, an office wide scavenger hunt and prizes for decorations and best costume. Picture a couple talking late one night in September. Imagine that they're discussing Halloween costumes and brainstorming. Me: I could be...the Morton Salt Girl, maybe? FP Gal: I can make that happen. A trip to a couple of thrift stores and a hardware store for yellow spray paint and we had our custome. Secrecy was kept. The day came and I dressed up. The ladies in the apartment office assured me that my wig was on straight. Careful driving kept me from being pulled over on the way to work. And voila! Voted funniest costume. The prize was a pair of airline tickets. After some thought, I decided that something special was called for. So I asked the FP Gal if I ...

Another good movie. A very talented (and deep) cast makes this well written movie work well. The story involves the death of a marine at Guantanamo. The actions that led to this aren't really in doubt, in fact they're shown in the opening scene. The questions that the attorneys wrestle with have to do with who issued the orders that led to the death. Which is also revealed to the audience. This isn't a whodunnit as much as a how will they catch 'em. The most memorable moment is undoubtedly Jack Nicholson's 'You want the truth?' speech. The idea behind this movie is the unhinged military man who has nothing but contempt for the civilians that he protects. This seems to be a common Hollywood figure. I wonder how common they really are though? Watching this post 9/11, the thing that really stood out for me is the question of how legalised of an approach to war can a nation have and still effectivly fight an asymetrical opponent. It'd be nice to see a balan...

Basketball players are the least attractive of the major sports. (The FP Gal wants me to mention that Michael Jordan is the exception.)

I've been meaning to talk Purple for awhile. Most offseasons have found the Vikings with money to spend but no desire to part with it. Big name free agents have gone to other teams and we've relied on the draft. With an ownership change in the works, this year looked like the same old thing. And then a week before free agency, word came that Randy Moss was on the move. I've talked about him here . Free agency opened and the Vikes went out and got one of the top players on their wish list: Pat Williams . Hopes are that he'll anchor the defensive line and help against the run. Next up was Fred Smoot , regarded as one of the best cornerbacks available. With last years pick up of Antoine Winfield, that gave them their best pair of corners since...I don't know when. At least the best pair in the Metrodome era. But they weren't done yet! Next up was former Packer, Darren Sharper . He's lost a step maybe, but he's still an improvment. To fill the...

So, how did my theories work out? I only went 22-10 over the first round and 8-8 for the second round. Three of my final four teams are still alive and I've got a shot at winning my pool. That's better than most years have been for me. My theory about fewer upsets sure sounded good when I was writing it but fully half of the sweet sixteen field had to beat higher ranked teams to get there. Oh well!

This is the high point of the sports calendar. I thought I'd share some thoughts from a casual college basketball fan. I don't follow basketball throughout the year. A few Gophers games, but that's about it. I couldn't tell you if the rankings throughout the year are fair or not. But following sports for many years teaches you some things about how the sports world works. 1) The 'storylines to watch' rarely work the way we think they will. If you're hearing about a potential matchup of teams that have a history, it probably won't happen. Duke and NC as a final four game this year is the one that jumped out at me. The greatest rivalry in this sport playing for a spot in the championship game? Great story, but unlikely. 2) Trying to pick the big upset is satisfying, but costly. For instance, every year a 12 seed beats a 5 seed. Picking that right gets you an early point. Pick it wrong and miss the upset that actually does happen and you lose ...

The Best Picture winner and I have trouble imagining a better one. This is truly a great picture, though at times difficult to watch. Mom, if you're reading this, you may want to skp this flick. The acting is top notch. Morgan Freeman won his long deserved Oscar with this film. Clint Eastwood is masterful and Hilary Swank is simply incredible. The story is well told and has the impact of daisy-cutter. A kleenex salesman would have cleaned up. ***Spoiler Alert*** And I'm not kidding. If you mean to see this movie don't read any further. I'm serious. Ok? The movie is interesting in a triumph of human nature kind of way. The first two acts are very good and in a lesser movie would have been enough. Swank plays a woman who wants to be a boxer. She's come from the trailer courts and hopes that boxing will give her an oppurtunity to make something of her life. She wants Eastwood to be her manager because she thinks he can make her the best. He refuses, not...

This is a very good movie about a man who thinks the world has no place for him any longer. Al Pacino is a retired Lt Col who was blinded by an accident with a grenade. He decides to spend one last weekend of pleasures and then blow his brains out. To do this, he takes advantage of a prep school student who's been hired to watch him over Thanksgiving break. The student, Chris O'Donnell (the 'O' stands for "Ohmigod, I'm out of my league"), spends the first half of the movie being cowed by any and every person that he speaks to. And he also has a problem at school. He doesn't know if he should tell the headmaster which students pulled a prank on his new Jaguar. The blend of world weariness and youthful idealism blend well as both of them help each other out. Pacino's acting is very good and he won an Oscar because of it. The tango scene is a masterpiece and he sells being blind very well. O'Donnell fills space and probably says all of th...

Here's Roxane with her hundreds of toes. 

The FP Gal went out of town this weekend so I've had the house to myself. It's been a nice bit of time and space. A chance to unwind and kick back. So what did I do? Well, firstly, and despite jokes to the contrary, there were no strippers involved. Only one striped cat. Friday night after work, braved the slippery roads and high winds and hit the video store and a footlong from Subway. Nothing but craziness for me. Home to the cats and the couch. Much yelling about feeding time (this was kind of a theme the whole weekend). Watched the third of the Matrix movies to finish the trilogy. It was disappointing. The special effects were nice but the story was meaninglessly convuluted and the ending falls flat. (Spoiler.) Neo negotiates a peace with the machines in exchange for tackling the out of control Agent Smith. This occurs as the machines are set to wipe out the last tribe of free humans. The machines all stop in their tracks and the humans cheer. "War is ove...

while watching old reruns of America's Funniest Videos. The cat videos should always win. We now return to your regular blogging.

This was a better year for the Oscars than 1990 was. Links for this year's movies: Bugsy JFK Beauty and the Beas t Silence of the Lambs Prince of Tides 'Silence' was clearly the best of this group and clearly deserved the Best Picture it got. I suppose I'd rank 'JFK' next with 'Beauty' and 'Tides' to follow. 'Bugsy' is pretty pedestrian in comparison. Both Warren Beaty and Barbara Streisand are in what can only be described as vanity roles. Nick Nolte is able to save 'Tides' but 'Bugsy' is beyond even Ben Kingsley's abilities. 'Beauty' was the first animated film to be nominated, in part because of the computer graphics added to it. Today it doesn't look as good, but the music and story still hold. 'JFK' was very well put together, but should be demerited for it's loaded conclusions. Altogether, not a bad set of movies.

This is a movie about a South Carolina family. And about the southern way of dealing with pain. Nick Nolte plays a man whose life is falling apart and he doesn't know how to put it back together. Upon hearing that his sister has tried to commit suicide, he flys to New York to help give her shrink some background to help her out. Let me split this review into two different pieces. Nick Nolte is very good in this movie. The story he tells is compelling and convincing. At times his anger is almost over the top but not quite too much. But any slight acting sins are made up for in his confession scene. His quiet admission of shame is probably what earned this movie a Best Picture nominee. Two other good pieces of this film are the performance of George Carlin as the sister's concerned neighbor and the musical score. Carlin pulls together a quiet supporting role that helps painting the picture without a hint of 'Hey, Look at ME' that some other comedians bring to the...

Spring training games have finally begun. Here's a picture from Arizona last spring. Beautiful ballpark and a wonderful trip.  

Cat blogging is something of a Friday tradition. Here's Calypso looking mysterious. 

I try to start my morning with a quick visit to James Lileks and this morning's post is a good demonstration as to why. Give it a read.

This is my moth fighting garb. Before the FP Gal saved me. 

One of the pleasures of this project is being able to persuade (force) the FP Gal to see some movies that she hasn't already seen. This is one of them. This becomes an excellent way to judge how these movies have held up over time. This was one of these. Actual FP Gal quote, "It was good. Not as scary as I expected it to be. But if you're afraid of moths, terrifying." That last part refers to me and a certain phobia of mine. One of her duties is to protect me from moth home invasion. Back to the movie, this picture really establishes just how amazing Anthony Hopkins is. Hannibal Lecter is one of the creepiest villians in movie history. Stylish, ghoulish and completely in control of every situation he's in. Jodi Foster is a very good foil for his work. Together they make this movie work. Solid storytelling helps too. And a pair of night goggels. (The FP Gal gasped.) I also think this movie launched the facsination with forensic science. The CSI show...