OK. So a few minutes ago I was trying to get through the Friday afternoon doldrums by posting this interesting story about virgin shark birth. Trying to make the day go by faster, because I can’t wait for tomorrow’s Red River Shootout which I am confident Texas is going to emerge victorious from, when I come across this:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/10/10/magic.radio.ap/index.html
I don’t know who these guys are, Chris Baker and Langdon Perry, but I’m guessing that they aren’t that interested in making a donation for a little event we’re having here in Austin on Sunday October 19th called AIDSWalkAustin08. Yeah, a bunch of us gullible morons that actually believe and care that thousands of our fellow citizens are living and dying from HIV and AIDS related illness and that’s not mentioning the millions more across the world. Bunch of fakers they are, just like Magic.
Ugh. I don’t listen to conservative radio show hosts or any other form of talk radio outside of the occasional sports show, but I’m sure this is probably not that far removed from their typical conversations in between calling Senator Obama a terrorist and having flashbacks to the 1990s trying to blame the current economic crisis all on President Clinton. This news is just breaking so I’m not sure how much of an impact it’s going to have, if at all. I came across it on SI.com and so maybe it’s only the sports and celebrity aspect that’s getting it any real publicity out of it, but if it comes to people protesting and pleading with the radio station to fire Perry & Langdon I say no way. Instead make these guys spend a week volunteering at a Hospice program. I’m sure Minneapolis has a fine one and they’ll find out what a faker really looks like.
I can still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I saw the news come in about Magic Johnson in 1991. I was at home working on a plaster of Paris model of The Alamo for my Texas History class. It was this gargantuan project that took up the entire kitchen table and as I watched Magic’s press conference I knew then and right there that I would never forget that day. I had already been familiar with the Ryan White story but like a lot of people in the country at the time it felt like this was the first person we actually knew who had this disease. It was something we could no longer just pretend like it was a fringe cause who only affected people we didn’t know or didn’t care about.
And while HIV may have cut Magic’s NBA career short he has managed in the 17 years since then to become an incredible role model for young people throughout the country based on what he has done off the court including numerous foundations and charities to raise money for HIV/AIDS awareness and research. He also started Magic Johnson Theaters, a movie theater chain that has focused on bringing entertainment and jobs to inner-city areas that were lacking in both. On top of all of that Magic Johnson never took pity on himself or tried to blame anyone else but himself for the actions and mistakes he made that put him in the position of being at risk for this disease. Which brings me back to Chris Baker and Langdon Perry, Who the hell are you? Who the hell are you to accuse and defame someone like Magic Johnson while offending anyone with common decency? Fuck you assholes! Let’s go plug a good cause.
For more information on AIDSWalkAustin08, just head on over to the website:
http://www.asaustin.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AW08_findteamwalker
We’re trying to raise $175,000 for local HIV/AIDS welfare, treatment and prevention programs. Right now the tally sits at over $67,000 so we have some work to do. I hope that if you can give some, whatever little bit, that you can. And come out for the walk if you can as well. It is a good cause despite what knuckle-draggers on the radio say.
Friday, October 10, 2008
No Baby Daddy for this Shark
Take a gander at this story.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/10/shark.virgin.birth.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
I don’t know why but that story is freaking me out. As fascinating as it is there’s something scary about it too. Sharks are such complex and intriguing animals. They have been around since the pre-historic times and have not had to evolve much to survive. The constant “top of the food chain” in the ocean that scientists have studied whether or not things in their DNA would be helpful in curing disease and pro-longing life in humans.
It’s not just sharks though, what if other types of animals begins to adapt to asexual reproduction: Birds, rodents, reptiles, monkeys? Hell, if monkeys can do it then it’s only a short step away from humans being able to do it as well. That sure blows cloning out of the water. I guess it would be most likely in any of these scenarios that the females of the species would be the first to adapt to asexual reproduction, but eventually males would have to be able to adapt or perish. Maybe that’s what is freaking me out. Imagine that; Mother earth no longer needing anymore fathers. Mother and father become one. Does this mean the end of masculine traits in all species? Or does a hybrid of both feminine and masculine occur. It’s wild.
Of course this is all assuming we don’t just blow-up the entire world with nuclear weapons or destroy the planet with pollution and the man-made acceleration of global warming first. Just a thought.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/10/shark.virgin.birth.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
I don’t know why but that story is freaking me out. As fascinating as it is there’s something scary about it too. Sharks are such complex and intriguing animals. They have been around since the pre-historic times and have not had to evolve much to survive. The constant “top of the food chain” in the ocean that scientists have studied whether or not things in their DNA would be helpful in curing disease and pro-longing life in humans.
It’s not just sharks though, what if other types of animals begins to adapt to asexual reproduction: Birds, rodents, reptiles, monkeys? Hell, if monkeys can do it then it’s only a short step away from humans being able to do it as well. That sure blows cloning out of the water. I guess it would be most likely in any of these scenarios that the females of the species would be the first to adapt to asexual reproduction, but eventually males would have to be able to adapt or perish. Maybe that’s what is freaking me out. Imagine that; Mother earth no longer needing anymore fathers. Mother and father become one. Does this mean the end of masculine traits in all species? Or does a hybrid of both feminine and masculine occur. It’s wild.
Of course this is all assuming we don’t just blow-up the entire world with nuclear weapons or destroy the planet with pollution and the man-made acceleration of global warming first. Just a thought.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Neewalloh Film Fest (Week One)
In keeping with my tradition of ripping-off other blogs or websites, I am going to celebrate the month of October and it's month ending holiday Halloween by trying to watch a horror movie every single day of the month. This is exactly what http://www.aintitcool.com contributor Qunit has been doing since June and he's changed his format for this month to watch Horror movies exclusively. And like Quint I am going to try and watch movies that haven't seen before or at least films that I haven't watched in a very long time. I'm already 7 days into the month so I'll try to update by the week or at least every few days.
October 1st – One Missed Call (2008)
Another American remake of a techno-paranoia thriller from Japan this film stars Shannon Sossamon and Ed Burns trying to track down the cause of serial killings that have been afflicting their friends and family members. All of the killings have been foreshadowed by the victim receiving a phone call from themselves, all of which are from a future date and time and with a message leaving clues to the victims impending death. The premise is rather hokey, even by Japanese horror film remakes and this Americanized version plays very straight and dull. The death sequences are flat and they are not able to squeeze out even an ounce of suspense. I fell asleep during the climax of the film, only to awake and catch the ridiculous ending. I would "miss" this film as much as I would want to miss a phone call foretelling my own death.
October 2nd – The Invisible (2007)
A supernatural thriller from David Goyer who penned the Blade franchise as well as Batman Begins is also a remake of a Swedish film about a smart and successful young man, Nick Powell, who is about to graduate high school when gets attacked and beaten very badly by a female classmate of his and her juvenile delinquent friends. Nick awakens as an invisible being unable to speak or communicate with the world around him. Initially Nick believes he is a ghost and that he has died but later comes to realize that he is still alive and tries desperately to help the authorities find his body before it's too late. Unfortunately Nick doesn't come off as a very interesting character that you are rooting for him to survive. There is some good stuff with a subplot involving Annie, the classmate who initiated the attack on Nick, but it's not quite enough to elevate this from being a little too mopey and schmaltzy.
October 3rd – Fingerprints (2006)
Probably only notable for being the feature film debut of ex-Laguna Beach star Kristin Cavallari, which isn't saying much. The premise is about a family who has moved to a small Texas town after the patriarch has taken on a major construction job dealing with the town's railroad line. One of the family's daughters has just been released from rehab and as soon as she gets into the town learns of a horrible tragedy that occurred 50 years before when a school bus full of children were killed as their bus was hit by a train while crossing the railroad tracks. There is now an legend that has been created around the incident where the town's people believe that the ghost of the dead children still haunt the railroad tracks and will save any vehicle that is in danger. I didn't think I could muster even that much to describe this terrible film. Incredibly wooden acting? Check. Complete lack of suspense? Check.
October 4th – Voodoo Moon (2005)
Starring Eric Mabius, best known for his current gig on television's Ugly Betty but here playing a character not too far removed from his turn in The Crow: Salvation as he plays a man obsessed with destroying an evil spirit that unleashed a mass murder spree that wiped out his entire small hometown in Tennessee, including watching his own parents slaughtered. Only Mabius's Cole and his sister played by Charisma Carpenter survived and got out alive. Since then has dedicated his life to studying different ways to fight the evil spirit with everything from exorcism to voodoo. Eventually, Cole and his sister along with several people whom Cole has saved over the years get together back to face off with this evil spirit for a final showdown. John Amos and Jeffrey Combs are two of those people from Cole's past who provide some decent comedic relief moments. There are some good elements here in this made for Sci-Fi Channel film, but given the television limitations it doesn't get fleshed out as well as it could be.
October 5th – Clive Barker's Nightbreed (1990)
Having not seen this film in many, many years I was happy to rediscover this creepy and creative flick about a man who has been terrorized by nightmares his entire life about a world of monsters called Midian. Filmmaker David Cronenberg co-stars here as a manipulative psychotherapist who gives very good creepiness. The plot is ambitious but ultimately falls short of its intentions. Otherwise it's still very entertaining for the visual palate alone, with many fantastic creature designs. I'd love to see Clive Barker's extended director's cut which fleshes out the mythology even more, that is if he's ever able to get it released.
October 6th - The Monster Squad (1987)
Last year I immediately picked up this when it came out on DVD to celebrate it's twentieth anniversary but I had not gotten around to watching it again so I finally popped it in and was taken right back to what a nice, big sugary-sweet bowl of giddy childhood horror loving fun it is. It's funny to watch now and realize that overall it's a pretty tame film, horror-wise, but that the language alone would never make it into any of overly P.C. junk that kids are fed. Instead they get more violence, without any of the humor or an authenticity of innocence that this movie has to offer.
October 7th - The Ruins (2008)
When this film adaptation of the Scott Smith novel came out this past April I went opening weekend to catch it as it was my birthday and I was eagerly awaiting the film because I enjoyed the book quite a lot. It was a smart, scary and interesting read. Unfortunately the screening I attended that night did not go as planned. The film stock had some major damage, so after we attempted twice to get through the first ten minutes it was not working. We got rain checks from the theatre, but I never ended up seeing it on the big screen. Even more unfortunate was finally catching it on DVD where there far too many character/plot changes, all for the worse, from the novel. But even more so the tone and themes that made the book so rich and suspenseful were turned into a predictably schlocky and hokey slasher flick. The casting didn't help either, especially with Jonathan Tucker, who I particularly loathe in anything I see him in, ever since he was the weak link in Sofia Coppola's "The Virgin Suicides" back in 2000.
All movies of course are available on DVD. So head on over to Netflix if you want to start your very own Neewalloh Film Fest. This next week hopefully we'll get to some better product. Some of the titles I hope to catch include: The Tommyknockers, Drive Thru, Lifeforce, Troll/Troll 2, Hello Marylou: Prom Night II, Student Bodies, The Hand, Shadow Puppets, The Strangers, Dead and Buried, Night of the Demons, Five Across the Eyes, Something Wicked this Way Comes, Otis, The Host.
October 1st – One Missed Call (2008)
Another American remake of a techno-paranoia thriller from Japan this film stars Shannon Sossamon and Ed Burns trying to track down the cause of serial killings that have been afflicting their friends and family members. All of the killings have been foreshadowed by the victim receiving a phone call from themselves, all of which are from a future date and time and with a message leaving clues to the victims impending death. The premise is rather hokey, even by Japanese horror film remakes and this Americanized version plays very straight and dull. The death sequences are flat and they are not able to squeeze out even an ounce of suspense. I fell asleep during the climax of the film, only to awake and catch the ridiculous ending. I would "miss" this film as much as I would want to miss a phone call foretelling my own death.
October 2nd – The Invisible (2007)
A supernatural thriller from David Goyer who penned the Blade franchise as well as Batman Begins is also a remake of a Swedish film about a smart and successful young man, Nick Powell, who is about to graduate high school when gets attacked and beaten very badly by a female classmate of his and her juvenile delinquent friends. Nick awakens as an invisible being unable to speak or communicate with the world around him. Initially Nick believes he is a ghost and that he has died but later comes to realize that he is still alive and tries desperately to help the authorities find his body before it's too late. Unfortunately Nick doesn't come off as a very interesting character that you are rooting for him to survive. There is some good stuff with a subplot involving Annie, the classmate who initiated the attack on Nick, but it's not quite enough to elevate this from being a little too mopey and schmaltzy.
October 3rd – Fingerprints (2006)
Probably only notable for being the feature film debut of ex-Laguna Beach star Kristin Cavallari, which isn't saying much. The premise is about a family who has moved to a small Texas town after the patriarch has taken on a major construction job dealing with the town's railroad line. One of the family's daughters has just been released from rehab and as soon as she gets into the town learns of a horrible tragedy that occurred 50 years before when a school bus full of children were killed as their bus was hit by a train while crossing the railroad tracks. There is now an legend that has been created around the incident where the town's people believe that the ghost of the dead children still haunt the railroad tracks and will save any vehicle that is in danger. I didn't think I could muster even that much to describe this terrible film. Incredibly wooden acting? Check. Complete lack of suspense? Check.
October 4th – Voodoo Moon (2005)
Starring Eric Mabius, best known for his current gig on television's Ugly Betty but here playing a character not too far removed from his turn in The Crow: Salvation as he plays a man obsessed with destroying an evil spirit that unleashed a mass murder spree that wiped out his entire small hometown in Tennessee, including watching his own parents slaughtered. Only Mabius's Cole and his sister played by Charisma Carpenter survived and got out alive. Since then has dedicated his life to studying different ways to fight the evil spirit with everything from exorcism to voodoo. Eventually, Cole and his sister along with several people whom Cole has saved over the years get together back to face off with this evil spirit for a final showdown. John Amos and Jeffrey Combs are two of those people from Cole's past who provide some decent comedic relief moments. There are some good elements here in this made for Sci-Fi Channel film, but given the television limitations it doesn't get fleshed out as well as it could be.
October 5th – Clive Barker's Nightbreed (1990)
Having not seen this film in many, many years I was happy to rediscover this creepy and creative flick about a man who has been terrorized by nightmares his entire life about a world of monsters called Midian. Filmmaker David Cronenberg co-stars here as a manipulative psychotherapist who gives very good creepiness. The plot is ambitious but ultimately falls short of its intentions. Otherwise it's still very entertaining for the visual palate alone, with many fantastic creature designs. I'd love to see Clive Barker's extended director's cut which fleshes out the mythology even more, that is if he's ever able to get it released.
October 6th - The Monster Squad (1987)
Last year I immediately picked up this when it came out on DVD to celebrate it's twentieth anniversary but I had not gotten around to watching it again so I finally popped it in and was taken right back to what a nice, big sugary-sweet bowl of giddy childhood horror loving fun it is. It's funny to watch now and realize that overall it's a pretty tame film, horror-wise, but that the language alone would never make it into any of overly P.C. junk that kids are fed. Instead they get more violence, without any of the humor or an authenticity of innocence that this movie has to offer.
October 7th - The Ruins (2008)
When this film adaptation of the Scott Smith novel came out this past April I went opening weekend to catch it as it was my birthday and I was eagerly awaiting the film because I enjoyed the book quite a lot. It was a smart, scary and interesting read. Unfortunately the screening I attended that night did not go as planned. The film stock had some major damage, so after we attempted twice to get through the first ten minutes it was not working. We got rain checks from the theatre, but I never ended up seeing it on the big screen. Even more unfortunate was finally catching it on DVD where there far too many character/plot changes, all for the worse, from the novel. But even more so the tone and themes that made the book so rich and suspenseful were turned into a predictably schlocky and hokey slasher flick. The casting didn't help either, especially with Jonathan Tucker, who I particularly loathe in anything I see him in, ever since he was the weak link in Sofia Coppola's "The Virgin Suicides" back in 2000.
All movies of course are available on DVD. So head on over to Netflix if you want to start your very own Neewalloh Film Fest. This next week hopefully we'll get to some better product. Some of the titles I hope to catch include: The Tommyknockers, Drive Thru, Lifeforce, Troll/Troll 2, Hello Marylou: Prom Night II, Student Bodies, The Hand, Shadow Puppets, The Strangers, Dead and Buried, Night of the Demons, Five Across the Eyes, Something Wicked this Way Comes, Otis, The Host.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
A plea to Lorne Michaels
I give Saturday Night Live a free pass more often than probably anything else. But I have to say I don't understand what Lorne Michaels is doing right now. Sure Tina Fey's two appearances as VP Nominee Sarah Palin have been great but otherwise the new season has started off rather weak and stale. And how often can Tina be trumped out to do Palin? Hopefully it will become a moot point come Nov. 4th and we can all just forget about the Dan Quayle of the new century.
After seven years, Amy Poehler is moving on, which it was definitely time for her to do and she'll be fine with a sitcom on NBC set for mid-season and more roles in features to come as well. That leaves Kristen Wiig as the senior female cast member and she's undoubtedly the star now, she easily outshines the male cast members, which there are too many of. I would whittle the cast down to Wiig, Jason Sudekis, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, Fred Armisen and the newest female cast member Casey Wilson because we haven't seen enough of her yet to know whether she's in for the long haul. Even so I'd recommend looking for at least one more new female cast member and Fred Armisen only gets a reprieve due to the fact that he's playing Obama right now, but if they can find someone else who can do a better Obama then by all means bring them on and let Armisen go as well. One other recommendation I would make to Lorne Michaels would be for him to get Adam Sandler to host. Now I haven't been the biggest fan of his recent movies, but I love his earlier films and grew-up on his SNL days. I don't understand why the biggest star to ever come out of SNL has not returned to host the show. I'm not aware of there being any rift between Sandler and Michaels but whatever it is get through it because Sandler hosting SNL would be a huge event. Sandler has a big movie coming out this Christmas season, Bedtime Stories, that would be a perfect time.
These are just suggestions I make out of love. I'll be watching this Saturday, as I always do, when the lovely Anne Hathaway host with musical guests The Killers.
Post Script : Still reeling from the death of Paul Newman I just have to pass on this fantastic article from NY Times columnist Maureen Dowd about the legend.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/opinion/01dowd.html?_r=1&em&oref=slogin
After seven years, Amy Poehler is moving on, which it was definitely time for her to do and she'll be fine with a sitcom on NBC set for mid-season and more roles in features to come as well. That leaves Kristen Wiig as the senior female cast member and she's undoubtedly the star now, she easily outshines the male cast members, which there are too many of. I would whittle the cast down to Wiig, Jason Sudekis, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, Fred Armisen and the newest female cast member Casey Wilson because we haven't seen enough of her yet to know whether she's in for the long haul. Even so I'd recommend looking for at least one more new female cast member and Fred Armisen only gets a reprieve due to the fact that he's playing Obama right now, but if they can find someone else who can do a better Obama then by all means bring them on and let Armisen go as well. One other recommendation I would make to Lorne Michaels would be for him to get Adam Sandler to host. Now I haven't been the biggest fan of his recent movies, but I love his earlier films and grew-up on his SNL days. I don't understand why the biggest star to ever come out of SNL has not returned to host the show. I'm not aware of there being any rift between Sandler and Michaels but whatever it is get through it because Sandler hosting SNL would be a huge event. Sandler has a big movie coming out this Christmas season, Bedtime Stories, that would be a perfect time.
These are just suggestions I make out of love. I'll be watching this Saturday, as I always do, when the lovely Anne Hathaway host with musical guests The Killers.
Post Script : Still reeling from the death of Paul Newman I just have to pass on this fantastic article from NY Times columnist Maureen Dowd about the legend.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/opinion/01dowd.html?_r=1&em&oref=slogin
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