Some things can never be taken from us.

Music, passion, rhythm, love, belief, faith, hunger, desire, hope, ideas, trust, determination, drive, will, persistence, valor, chivalry, freedom, heart, dedication, desperation, integrity, vision, principle, courage, character, loyalty, curiosity, dreams, wonder, convictions, amazement, joy.

They cannot be taken away. Only we can give it up; surrender it on our own accord.

Andy Dufresne: That’s the beauty of music. They can’t get that from you… there are places in this world that aren’t made out of stone. That there’s something inside… that they can’t get to, that they can’t touch. That’s yours.

Red: What’re you talking about?

Andy Dufresne: Hope.

What cannot be taken away from you today?

Eragon – Christopher Paolini
Northern Lights – Philip Pullman
Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz
Emma – Jane Austen (Clueless)
Shawshank Redemption – Stephen King

Q: Why does everyone frikkin LOVE Shawshank Redemption? Isn’t it just this?.. man goes to jail. man meets man. Man breaks out of jail. Man goes to other man’s treasure. freedom.
- Amy Yeahaey

A: Hey Amy, Blogasaurus here for all your Shawshank needs. Your movie summary is quite concise and on point- you pretty much nailed it. But to answer your question, the proof is not in the pudding but in the details. Here is a quick list explaining America’s love affair with Shawshank Redemption:

• Morgan Freeman can narrate movies like a motherf@#*&ing riot
• One badass soundtrack- personally, this dino can’t help but bust out a foxtrot when he hears it
• The whole redemption, salvation, hope-in-bad-times theme makes people feel good about the crappy lives they lead
• It made people feel smart and philosophical because they “got it”/were hand-fed a thinly-veiled metaphor for life—a story that really “made them think”
• BONUS: it wasn’t some pain in the ass book you had to read like, oh I don’t know… Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption

I’m not sure exactly how many films I’ve seen in my lifetime.

It is probably over a thousand, the list below barely scratches the surface of all the films I’ve seen and it was surprisingly easy to come up with. Rather than systematically list films by era or genre I got my brother’s girlfriend Dawn to call out any films she could think of.

I thought of this idea about five minutes before I began typing and Dawn rattled off films as they came to her while I typed out brief verdicts for each one. I initially intended to create a system for rating but found it too restrictive so I just wrote a brief instinctual verdict for each one.

I have included a link to Rotten Tomatoes and the score of each film, I haven’t seen some of these movies in a very long time…

NOTE: The percentages at the end are not my scores but the percentage of positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

1. Men in Black (1997) – meh (91% – seriously?!)
2. Fight Club (1999) – brilliant (80%)
3. Unforgiven (1992) – immense (96%)
4. Shaun of the Dead (2004) – decent (gets worse every time I watch it)
5. Memento (2001) – pretty good (93%)
6. The Departed (2006) – good (92%)
7. Aliens (1986) – the best sequel ever made (100%)
8. Reservoir Dogs (1992) – great characters and dialogue (95%)
9. American Beauty (1999) – uplifting, brilliant (the stupid bag scene apart) (89%)
10. Goodfellas (1990) – excellent (96%)
11. Predator (1987) – one of Arnie’s best (76%)
12. 12 Angry Men (1957) – captivating (100%)
13. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) – meh (78%)
14. Shawshank Redemption (1994) – really, really good (88%)
15. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) – better than I expected (90%)
16. Sin City (2005) – flashy trash (78%)
17. Toy Story 2 (1999) – yep, it’s good (100%)
18. Bambi (1942) – I remember it being good (much to the amusement of Dawn and Sean, many gay jokes followed) (89%)
19. Final Destination (2000) -guff (30%)
20. Edward Scissorhands (1990) – pretentious crap (90%)
21. Stranger than Fiction (2006) – Surprisingly good (72%)
22. Shallow Grave (1995) – okay (71%)
23. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1996) – facepalm (49%)
24. Man on Fire (2004) – underwhelming (39%)
25. Ocean’s Eleven (2001) – meh (81%)
26. 28 Days Later (2003) – meh (88%)
27. Casino Royale (2006) – surprisingly really good (94%)
28. Psycho (1960) – I was expecting it to be better (98%)
29. The Flintstones (1994) – Jesus wept (18%)
30. Aladdin (1992) – good (92%)
31. Jackass: The Movie (2002) – hard to class as a film really, hit and miss(48%)
32. E.T (1982) – good (98%)
33. Independence Day (1996) – a glorified B movie (61%)
34. Titanic (1997)  – Good (81%)
35. Ring (2002) – fairly decent (71%)
36. Pulp Fiction (1994) – Tarantino’s best film by a long way (97%)
37. Hot Fuzz (2007) – fun (90%)
38. Monty Python: Holy Grail (1975) – classic (94%)
39. Good Will Hunting (1997) – good (97%)
40. Heat (1995) – pretty good, not great (89%)
41. Zodiac (2007) – boring (87%)
42. Little Mermaid (1989) – decent (90%)
43. Ghost (1987) – crap (80%)
44. Dirty Dancing (1987) – utter shit – that women like this film makes me wonder if they actually deserve equal rights (67%)
45. The Terminator (1984) – the best Terminator (100%)
46. Bean (1998) – a test of mental endurance, awful (41%)
47. The Mask (1994) – rubbish (76%)
48. Frailty (2002) – ridiculous (74%)
49. The Day After Tomorrow (2004) – shite
50. Donnie Darko (2001) – overrated pish (84%)
51. Apollo 13 (1995)– crap (96%)
52. Deep Impact (1998)– more crap (46%)
53. Volcano (1997) – even more crap (40%)
54. I know what you did last summer (1997)– yet more crap (36%)
55. The Matrix (1999) – first half decent rest shite (86%)
56. Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (2002)– boring (96%)
57. Addams Family Values (1994) – some good moments (74%)
58. Nightmare before Christmas (1993) – overrated, largely guff (97%)
59. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983) – (see earlier blog) (75%)
60. Three Men and a Baby (1987) – sickening  (78%)
61. Transformers: The Movie (1986) – decent (haven’t seen it in 10 years) (50%)
62. Cruel Intentions (1999) – trash (47%)
63. Lock Stock and Two Smoking barrels (1998) – good if a little overrated (71%)
64. Clerks II (2006) – absolutely fucking diabolical (62%, seriously what the fuck?)
65. Baby’s Day Out (1994) – horrific (23%)
66. Home Alone 2 (1992) – decent (17% – that seems harsh!)
67. Liar Liar (1997) – pretty bad (84%)
68. Babe (1995) – Jesus wept (98%)
69. The Simpsons Movie (2007) – unfunny crap from a show that is a pale shadow of what it used to be (90%)
70. Mr Nanny (1993) – a holocaust of a film (7%)
71. The Thing (1980) – really tense, really good (80%)
72. Blair Witch Project (1999) – doing something different doesn’t make it good (85%)
73. Run Lola Run (1999) – see above (92%)
74. The Santa Clause (1994) – crap (Dawn: “What’s the film with Tim Allen dressed as Santa Claus?”) (79%)
75. Silence of the Lambs (1990) – they really should have just stopped at this one, a fine film (96%)
76. Matilda (1996) – another crap Dahl adaptation (89%)
77. A Bridge too Far (1977) – the quintessential war movie (67%)
78. Rocky V (1990) – laughable (21%)
79. The Sting (1973) – really good (91%)
80. The Sword in the Stone (1963) – good (73%)
81. The Witches (1990) – crap (100%, what the fuck?)
82. Starship Troopers (1997) – entertaining trash (60%)
83. Love Actually(2003)  – hated it (63%)
84. White men can’t jump (1992) – I liked it despite itself (78%)
85. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1999)– a pointless sequel (48%)
86. A Bug’s Life (1998) – meh (91%)
87. Hollow man (2000)– hollow is an appropriate adjective (but I like Bacon’s character) (27%)
88. Jaws (1975) – good but overrated (100%)
89. Jerry Maguire (1996)– oh Christ (84%)
90. Dawn of the Dead (1978)– awesome (95%)
91. Drop Dead Fred (1991)– mindless crap (still haunted by my little sister’s repeat viewing of this monstrosity) (9%)
92. Braveheart (1995) – good (it’s a movie, not a history lesson) (76%)
93. Saw II (2005) – crap (35%)
94. Mouse Hunt (1997)– hated it (really wanted the mouse to die) (44%)
95. The Mummy (1999)– didn’t like it (54%)
96. George of the Jungle (1997)– crap (53%)
97. Leon (1994) – ludicrous garbage (74%)
98. Death becomes her (1993)– had its moments (56%)
99. Meet Joe Black (1998) – meh (49%)
100. Dog Soldiers (2002) – entertaining (79%)
101. Cool Hand Luke (1967) – the best film ever (100%)

Yahoo Movies reported: After Tom Cruise dropped out of the title role in an action thriller originally called “Edwin A. Salt,” he was replaced by Angelina Jolie. The script was rewritten — including changing the character’s name to “Evelyn” — and next July you’ll get to see Angelina proving she can lead a movie as well as any man in “Salt.”

That is awesome. I love that Angelina took over a role written for a man. I also like it when good actors are cast color blind, like when Morgan Freeman was cast as Red in The Shawshank Redemption, even though the part called for a red-headed white man. And he kicked that role’s ass, so hopefully Angelina can do the same!

“Don’t Come Around Here No More”

November 4th, 2009

It’s been a while (since, you know, the show’s pilot) since I’ve visited Cougar Town from a critical perspective, as the show has largely stood to serve as background for my Modern Family review writing. There are worse fates for a series, of course, such as not watching them at all, but with Cougar Town I feel as if there’s a definite need to say something about a show that’s been unfairly maligned in some respects and quite fairly attacked in others.

There were moments in the first six episodes of the show that it became the show that some critics and viewers make it out to be, an overacted farce of an insufferable woman dating a younger man. But what I liked about the show was that it was never just that show, never just a show about that particular phenomenon. Instead, the show was about a woman dealing with a lousy ex-husband who remains in her life, an overly critical best friend, a dependent co-worker, a sarcastic son, an antagonistic neighbour, etc. And what makes me stick with the show is that for all of Courteney Cox’s overacting (which is truly bad at points) is that, by and large, I like those character. I like Bill Lawrence’s writing style, I like the dynamic between the different characters (Bobby remaining friends with Ellie’s husband, for example), and I think there’s an engaging show here.

And to be honest, I thought “Don’t Come Around Here No More” brought it out. With Jules’ boyfriend out of the picture, the show becomes a show about a “cul-de-sac crew” rather than about simply Jules’ character, and even elements of the episode which in theory should have amplified Jules’ worst qualities connected for me. It’s still not a perfect series, but this half-hour was a lot of fun and I’m not going to pretend my Modern Family review wasn’t later because of it.

It makes sense that this episode would move away from Jules’ insanity, considering that last week we got rid of poor, poor Josh. The idea of giving Jules a younger boyfriend wasn’t a terrible one, but their break-up was the sort of protracted affair that just didn’t work in practice. Cox was too prone to diving into Jules’ neuroses with abandon, and the entire thing just didn’t work. Here, however, the show makes Jules’ very aware of one of her neuroses (her inability to remain alone) to the point where she purposefully attempts to curb that behaviour. As a result, the character is more toned down, and the episode is better for it. Even when we get the montage (which the show has put to good use in the past) of her time alone, which I thought would have the character losing her mind, it’s more frustrating than crazy, and the only over-acting is a justified reaction to a crocodile. I was fully expecting it to be a total mess, but it ended up being pretty enjoyable. The episode synopsis claims that the episode is actually about Jules going on a date with an older man, but rather than being the point of the episode it pretty much is just a brief aside before focusing on more interesting things.

The episode is also helped by having quite a few fun elements for the men, who have really been holding down the fort on the show even as Jules has been particularly all over the place. The episode had a chance to go into a really annoying place by turning Jules’ sex dream about Grayson into an ongoing sense of tension, but her neighbourly overshare makes it a quick little note before the episode goes for something a bit more subtle. The show has slowly been wearing down Grayson to become part of the group, and I thought the troubadouring and the Rudy viewing were both examples of why I like both Josh Hopkins and this character. He is willing to criticize Jules where others aren’t, and I like what he adds to the show – plus, let’s face it, “Comfortable in my Sexuality” was kind of catchy.

The episode also succeeded in making Jules’ decision to break the bet into something more than a crazy and wacky journey. She breaks it not through slapstick attempts to avoid doing so but by accepting that people need her, or that people want to talk to her, or that she needs people too. The episode has no greater moral than the importance of having a group of people around you, and in the process the show demonstrated it has the same feeling about its ensemble. I genuinely love this cast on paper, and they’re doing some fine work both with broad comedy (Dan Byrd playing both the pumpkin explosion and the awkward flirting with gusto) and with more emotional stuff (like the always great Brian Van Holt helping bring Ellie and Andy back together). It’s just an enjoyable cast, and when an episode feels designed to work with them the show clicks.

It’s still not perfect, some jokes falling flat here and there and Busy Phillipps’ wonderful performance never quite making me care about Laurie as I may about other characters, but I am charmed by this show’s universe. It will be interesting to see if the show returns to Jules’ younger lovers in earnest, or her love life in general, but this episode demonstrates that Lawrence and Co. see as much as we do that the show is more engaging as an ensemble piece than as “Cox Gone Wild.”

Cultural Observations

• This is the moment where I have to admit that I’ve never watched The Shawshank Redemption or the final 2/3 of Rudy. *Ducks*
• It’s interesting to see that the show has been retaining more of the Modern Family lead-in than one might have anticipated: it doesn’t seem as if the show would be entirely compatible especially considering how divisive Cox’s character has been, but it’s been holding well since it got its full season order.
• While we’re here, in case you didn’t hear, Scrubs (in its new format) will debut its 9th season on December 1st, at which point Bill Lawrence will officially have taken over ABC. It’s not clear if ABC’s stroke of luck with non-Hank comedies this season will extend to his other show, but I hope it does for both it and Better Off Ted (which arrives December 8th for its second season).

Andy Dufresne knew how knowing one’s Place would impact one’s Development.

“I understand you’re a man who knows how to get things,” he tells Red.

Andy was a keen observer of his environment, a skill that helped him make prison life more bearable, and to achieve his goals.  Had he focused on himself, his woes, his unjust imprisonment, he might not have made the alliances that he made, he would not have gotten the opportunity to apply his skills, he would not have gotten his library, his records, his opportunity to make a difference with his fellow cons, and, ultimately, his opportunity to escape.

Lohminger, an organization that has identified business competencies to help focus one’s development, calls this being “Organizational Savvy,” a combination  ”Organizational Agility” and “Political Savvy.”   Someone who exhibits “Organizational Agility” knows how to get things done both through formal channels and the informal network.    A politically savvy individual is able to anticipate where land mines and obstacles will be, and plans his/her approach accordingly.  Both individuals are highly aware of their Place, and are identifying what they need to do to move beyond that place.

Even with these skills, it takes some time.  For Andy Dufresne, it took two years until his first chance came.  And a few decades until he would culminate his efforts to reach his goal —  Zihuatanejo.

In the movie The Shawshank Redemption, a prisoner named Brooks Hadlin is granted freedom by the parole board of Shawshank Prison.  Later that day Brooks threatens to slit the throat of a fellow inmate, tearfully explaining, “It’s the only way they’ll let me stay.”  His friends are baffled by this, and simply can’t imagine why anyone would rather remain in prison when given the opportunity to live in freedom.  Finally, Red (an inmate played by Morgan Freeman) says this:

“The man’s been in here fifty years.  Fifty years!  This is all he knows. . He’s institutionalized.  I’m telling you, these walls are funny.  First you hate ‘em.  Then you get used to ‘em.  After a while you get to where you depend on ‘em.  That’s institutionalized.”

Sure enough, a few weeks after Brooks is released into the freedom of the outside world, he writes a startling letter to his former inmate friends:

“I have trouble sleeping at night… I wake up scared… Maybe I should get me a gun and rob the Foodway so they’d send me home.  I don’t like it here. I’m tired of being afraid all the time.  I’ve decided not to stay.”

Brooks takes his own life.

He couldn’t cope with freedom.

It was too frightening.

The story of the Exodus depicts the same phenomenon.  When the Israelites are set free from 400 years of oppressive slavery in Egypt, they gladly leave for a better country while rejoicing that their days of bondage are over.  It seems like that’s when the credits should have rolled.  It didn’t take long, however, before they started complaining about the uncertainty their newly found freedom involved.  They had to live each day by faith, so they began longing to return to Egypt, where they were controlled, and everything was decided for them.  Eventually, Moses proclaims the Law, also known as The 10 Commandments.  Ah, finely, the climax of the story, where everything gets straightened out.

Nope.  In fact, the text tells us that at that point, the people began to “indulge in pagan revelry.”

Why?

Because law enslaves.

The apostle Paul encountered this problem in his ministry in Galatia, as seen in these verses from his epistle to them:

“Some so-called Christians there… sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus.  They wanted to enslave us. . . But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. . . Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law.  We were kept in protective custody so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. . . The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith.  And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. . . So Christ has truly set us free.  Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” (NLT)

The law is good.  I believe that.  It reveals our sinfulness and gives us insight into the character of God.  I am grateful for it.  But it is not what Jesus preached toward the prostitutes, drunkards, gluttons, and thieves of his day.  Jesus did say “Do not think I have come to abolish the law.”  But keep in mind that he would not have had to say that unless it appeared to people that He was trying to do so.

I wonder sometimes, if we have become “institutionalized” by the law-driven nature of many churches.

A young guy in our community once reprimanded me rather strongly because of three things: I quoted author Rob Bell in a positive light in a sermon, I attended a local event that featured Tony Campolo as the keynote speaker, and I mentioned that I once read a book by Brian McLaren.  When I asked why he felt such a strong need to confront me about this, he looked me in the eye and said: “Those men are not Christians.”

Somewhat stunned by his statement, I asked him how he could be so confident about judging the spiritual destinies of these men whom he didn’t know and whose works he admittedly had never read.   He responded, “Well, maybe saying they aren’t Christians isn’t the best way to say it.  However, they are definitely false teachers, wolves in sheep’s clothing, and workers of iniquity.”

I care very deeply for the amazing flock God has given me.  I strongly desire to point them to Jesus and not to lead them astray.  So as I was still trying to figure out in my own mind what would lead this young man to feel that I was indeed leading my church astray, he said these words: “The most important thing to be preached is the Law.”

And that’s when the scene from Shawshank reeled in my mind.

I grieve for this young man.  I’ve been where he is now.  His addiction to the letter of the law has enslaved him to the desire to always be right.  And as a consequence he is unable to extend grace to other believers who differ with him.  Believe me, I struggle with this too.  Its a fierce idol in many pastor’s hearts.  But telling people to be better and telling them what books they should stay away from and labeling theologically flawed Christians as workers of iniquity is no way for a pastor to live.  Tim Keller notes that this was the condition of the “scoffer” in the book of Proverbs.

But the Gospel of free grace leads to compassion and humility toward sinners everywhere, not arrogance and condemnation of those sinners out there.

The puzzling thing is, I am by no means a staunch advocate of Bell, Campolo, or McLaren.  I recognize that they have said things I not only disagree with, but which make me uncomfortable.  By the same token, I also recognize that I often say things that make me uncomfortable, and are just plan wrong.  I am simply in no position to denounce these men as false teachers or workers of iniquity.  In fact, I am grateful for their writings, for they challenge me to think rather than tell me what to think (the latter of which actually keeps us from having to think).

Flannery O’Connor once said that some people avoid Jesus by avoiding sin.  It’s true.

The law provides a tremendous amount of protection.  It protects us from having to think.  It protects us from having to make decisions that might turn out to be unwise.  Steve Brown says that the best day of his life was the day he realized that his job as a pastor was not to tell people how to live, or to diligently strive to keep people from sinning.  He writes this:

So I became a teacher of “radical” grace.  After I realized what I was supposed to do and after I had gotten over the initial shock, I thought, Cool! I’m supposed to tell God’s people that he isn’t mad at them and that his love isn’t measured by how much they can earn it.  I thought, Is this a great job, or what? People will love me!

Wrong, wrong, wrong!

I started getting the criticism. They said that I was a hawker of “cheap grace” (if it weren’t cheap, I couldn’t afford it); that I didn’t care about holiness and sanctification (I care deeply); and that I was encouraging sin (sin doesn’t need encouragement) and would have to answer to a holy God. They said that I had compromised; that I had failed in presenting the “whole counsel of God”; and that I had betrayed God, country, motherhood and the flag.  I almost stopped and would have if God had not told me to do it. He was a lot bigger, scarier and far more intimidating than the critics. I figured that I could choose to offend him or them.  That’s a no-brainer.

But the criticism still bothered me. Why did people get so angry at the message that God wasn’t angry at them? What was so offensive about the doctrine of grace to people who said they believed it? Why did people become so unloving when I told them that God loved them?”

He goes on to explain that grace is simply too offensive to some people.  Law provides a much more controlled environment for protecting people from the sinful world out there.  The tragedy is, it can never protect them from the most destructive sin in the universe: their own hearts.

A friend once told this story from her own life:

“As a parent of young children, I certainly understand the desire to protect our children from danger and from evil influences. But the thing I am completely unable to shelter them from is the sin in their own hearts, as well as the evil example set for them by their parents and siblings. I witnessed my own 3 month old daughter as she let out numerous screams in order to have her older sister be scolded. She smiled broadly and repeatedly when her sister was reprimanded. Again, she was 3 months old! She had barely been out of our home and certainly had not been taught this behavior; it was from her own dark heart. It’s tempting to blame our children’s sin (and our own) on what some call “an increasingly sinful society” (but remember, earth’s 2nd generation included a murderer, and the 10th generation was so wicked that God destroyed all but one family), but if we’re honest, we sin because we ourselves are sinners. How do we protect our eyes, ears and minds from ourselves?”

The answer is simply this: Only by the freedom of grace, available to all who embrace the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Martin Luther, whose view of God’s free grace to sinners was labeled scandalous, said these words:

“There are some who have no understanding to hear the truth of freedom. . . These people you must resist, do the very opposite, and offend them boldly lest by their impious views they drag many with them into error. For the sake of liberty of the faith do other things which they regarded as the greatest of sins… use your freedom constantly and consistently in the sight of and despite the tyrants and stubborn so that they may learn that they are impious, that their law and works are of no avail for righteousness, and that they had no right to set them up.”

Brennan Manning sums it up accurately: “The Gospel of grace continues to scandalize.”

Preach this, and you will be in danger of being labeled imbalanced, afraid to “take a stand,” and perhaps on a slippery slope towards a post-modern view of salvation, or even universalism.

But fail to preach it, and you will be in danger of leading people into the slavish prison of law, and thus not protecting them from their own heart.

ஒரிஜினல் லிஸ்ட் இங்கே. பாஸ்டன் பாலாவுக்கு நன்றி!

சைரனோ டி பெர்கராக், Cyrano de Bergerac – எட்மண்ட் ரோஸ்டாண்ட் எழுதிய புத்தகம். வெகு நாட்களுக்கு முன் படித்த நாடகம், கதை மட்டுமே மங்கலாக நினைவிருக்கிறது. ஹோசே ஃபெர்ரர் நடித்து ஒரு முறை, ஜெரார்ட் டிபார்டியூ நடித்து ஒரு முறை வந்திருக்கிறது. இரண்டையும் கமல் குறிப்பிடுகிறார், இரண்டையும் நான் பார்த்ததில்லை.

ஸ்பார்டகஸ், Spartacus – ஹோவர்ட் ஃபாஸ்ட் எழுதிய நாவல். ஸ்டான்லி குப்ரிக் இயக்கி கிர்க் டக்ளஸ் நடித்த புகழ் பெற்ற படம். என் கண்ணில் சுமாரான படம்தான். நாவல் படித்ததில்லை.

எ க்ளாக்வொர்க் ஆரஞ்ச், A Clockwork Orange – அந்தோனி பர்ஜஸ் எழுதிய நாவல். படித்ததில்லை. ஸ்டான்லி குப்ரிக் இயக்கி மால்கம் மக்டொவல் நடித்தது. பிரமாதமான படம். குப்ரிக் கலக்கிவிட்டார்.

லாஸ்ட் டெம்ப்டேஷன் ஆஃப் க்ரைஸ்ட், Last Temptation of Christ – நிகோலாய் கசான்ட்சாகிஸ் எழுதிய நாவல். மார்டின் ஸ்கொர்ஸஸி இயக்கி இருக்கிறார். பார்த்ததுமில்லை, படித்ததுமில்லை.

பீயிங் தேர், Being There – ஜெர்சி கொசின்ஸ்கி எழுதிய நாவல். ஹால் ஆஷ்பி இயக்கி பீட்டர் செல்லர்ஸ் நடித்தது. படித்ததில்லை, ஆனால் படம் பார்த்திருக்கிறேன். சுமாரான படம்.

ட்ரெய்ன்ஸ்பாட்டிங், Trainspotting – இர்வின் வெல்ஷ் எழுதிய நாவல். ஸ்லம்டாக் மில்லியனர் புகழ் டான்னி பாயில் இயக்கியது. பார்த்ததுமில்லை, படித்ததுமில்லை, கேள்விப்பட்டதும் இல்லை.

பர்ஃப்யூம், Perfume – யாரோ பாட்ரிக் சுஸ்கிண்ட் எழுதியதாம். டாம் டைக்வர் இயக்கியதாம். பார்த்ததுமில்லை, படித்ததுமில்லை, கேள்விப்பட்டதும் இல்லை.

சிட்டி சிட்டி பாங் பாங், Chitti Chitti Bang Bang – ஜேம்ஸ் பாண்ட் புகழ் இயன் ஃப்ளெமிங் எழுதிய சிறுவர்களுக்கான புத்தகம். டிக் வான் டைக் நடித்தது. படம் சிறுவர் சிறுமிகளுக்கு பிடிக்கும். நாவல் படித்ததில்லை.

க்யூரியஸ் கேஸ் ஆஃப் பெஞ்சமின் பட்டன், Curious Case of Benjamin Button – ஸ்காட் ஃபிட்ஸ்ஜெரால்ட் எழுதிய சிறுகதை. ப்ராட் பிட் நடித்து டேவிட் ஃபிஞ்சர் இயக்கியது. இந்த வருஷ ஆஸ்கார் போட்டியில் ஸ்லம்டாக் மில்லியனருக்கு பெரும் போட்டியாக இருந்தது. படித்ததில்லை, இன்னும் பார்க்கவும் இல்லை.

ஃபாரஸ்ட் கம்ப், Forrest Gump – வின்ஸ்டன் க்ரூம் எழுதியது. டாம் ஹாங்க்ஸ் நடித்து ராபர்ட் ஜெமகிஸ் இயக்கியது. சராசரிக்கு மேலான படம். பல ஆஸ்கார் விருதுகளை வென்றது. ஆனால் அந்த சமயத்தில் வந்த பல்ப் ஃபிக்ஷன், ஷாஷான்க் ரிடம்ப்ஷன் ஆகியவை இதை விட சிறந்த படங்கள். புத்தகம் படித்ததில்லை.

மாரத்தான் மான், Marathon Man- வில்லியம் கோல்ட்மான் எழுதிய நாவல். டஸ்டின் ஹாஃப்மன், லாரன்ஸ் ஒலிவியர் நடித்து ஜான் ஷ்லேசிங்கர் இயக்கியது. பார்த்ததுமில்லை, படித்ததுமில்லை.

மாஜிக், Magic – இதுவும் வில்லியம் கோல்ட்மான் எழுதிய நாவல். அந்தோனி ஹாப்கின்ஸ் நடித்து ரிச்சர்ட் அட்டன்பரோ இயக்கியது. பார்த்ததுமில்லை, படித்ததுமில்லை, கேள்விப்பட்டதும் இல்லை.

டிராகுலா, Dracula – ப்ராம் ஸ்டோகர் எழுதிய நாவல். கமல் ஃப்ரான்சிஸ் ஃபோர்ட் கொப்போலா இயக்கிய படத்தை சொல்கிறார். நான் பார்த்திருப்பது பழைய பேலா லுகோசி நடித்த படம்தான். லுகொசி ஒரு eerie உணர்வை நன்றாக கொண்டு வருவார். நாவல் சுமார்தான், ஆனால் ஒரு genre-இன் பிரதிநிதி.

காட்ஃபாதர், Godfather – மரியோ பூசோ எழுதியது. அல் பசினோ, மார்லன் பிராண்டோ நடித்து ஃப்ரான்சிஸ் ஃபோர்ட் கொப்போலா இயக்கிய மிக அருமையான படம். நல்ல நாவலும் கூட.

கமல் கொஞ்சம் esoteric படங்களை விரும்புவார் போல தெரிகிறது. எனக்கு மிகவும் பிடித்த, மிக அற்புதமான நாவலும், அருமையான படமும் ஆன To Kill a Mockingbird-ஐ விட்டுவிட்டாரே!

கமலின் லிஸ்டில் காட்ஃபாதர் மட்டுமே நல்ல புத்தகம், மற்றும் நல்ல படம் – என்னைப் பொறுத்த வரையில். நான் படித்திருக்கும் புத்தகமும் அது ஒன்றுதான். கமல் சொல்லி இருக்கும் படங்களில் நான் பாதிக்கு மேல் பார்த்ததில்லை. பார்த்த வரையில் காட்ஃபாதர் மற்றும் எ க்ளாக்வொர்க் ஆரஞ்ச் மட்டுமே பார்க்க வேண்டிய படம். ஆனால் அவர் சொல்லி இருக்கும் படங்களில் பல பிரபலமான படங்கள் – ஸ்பார்டகஸ், ஃபாரஸ்ட் கம்ப், பெஞ்சமின் பட்டன், சிட்டி சிட்டி பாங் பாங் – இருக்கின்றன. பார்த்திருப்பீர்கள். படித்திருப்பீர்கள். நீங்கள் கமலின் தேர்வுகளைப் பற்றி என்ன நினைக்கிறீர்கள்?

தொடர்புடைய பதிவுகள்
கமல் சிபாரிசுகள் – சிறந்த திரைக்கதைகள் உள்ள தமிழ் படங்கள்

This is excellent news and if it is true I couldn’t be happier. Rumor has it that the main man, Lobo, may be played, or at least voiced by the one and only Clancy Brown.

Mania.com says it has spoken with a source close to the production about how the DC Comics intergalactic bounty hunter will be brought to life in the Guy Ritchie-directed movie.

“Ultimately regardless of whether you do it all CG or its a guy in a suit, with CG, you’ll still end up doing a lot of CG animation,” the source told the site. “So do you need a celebrity? Do you need a name or do you just get someone who is good and who’s gonna nail it?”

According to the source “a name that’s come up frequently in meetings [to play Lobo] is Clancy Brown.”

Brown was of course The Kurgan in Highlander,but he also starred in The Shawshank Redemption, Pathfinder, Starship Troopers, ER, and Carnivale. He will next be seen in the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street.

He has also done lots of voice work for animate shows – Lex Luthor in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Justice League, Superman, and The Batman (where he also voiced Mister Freeze). He has also lent his voice to numerous other animated projects, including SpongeBob SquarePants (as Mr. Krabs), The Spectacular Spider-Man, Wolverine and the X-Men (as Mister Sinister), Avatar: The Last Airbender (as Long Feng), Gargoyles and is supposedly voicing The Goon in the animated film.

I really hope this turns out to be true as he has a great voice that is perfect for Lobo. Mind you it could work out if they go the Hellboy way he could have a full bodysuit kind of thing.

What do you think of the possible casting? Now if they could only make it an 18.

Source: IGN

Girls, while essentially trading in the same circles and lyrical themes that many of their peers are, somehow rise above a lot of the commotion and obligatory static that the lo-fi scene thrives around. They’re potted in some rich artistic soil; not to say that bandleader Christopher Owens’ experiences as a childhood member of the abusive Children of God cult were positive, but these shift-in-your-seat discomforts always seem to make for some fascinating musical perspectives. As is often the case, the artist dies to be normal, and at the same time, they cherish that very dying. For artists like Owens, some even make their living by exhuming their closeted horrors and wallowing amongst them for our listening pleasure.

Though it would seem a ripe target for skewering, Owens doesn’t go for the throat of all the unspeakable difficulties he no doubt encountered in his young life. He seems a pretty genuine fellow, choosing instead to embrace the unique opportunities and places with which he has been presented. He speaks candidly about his life, romance, music, and heroes, some of it still stunted around middle school and trying furiously to catch up on all the teenage misadventures he missed while admiring and imitating the leather jackets from afar. Thus, in some sense, his compulsorily skewed worldview and love of unlikely favorites (like Michael Jackson’s Dangerous and Beyonce’s first disc from I Am…Sasha Fierce) make him all the more believable as an artist.

The few scraps of secular music he was able to steal away as a child had a profound effect on his musical sentiments, as did the chord progressions he aped while busking covers of the Everly Brothers and the Fleetwoods. His style as a guitarist, in fact, is basically a fusion of those late 50s pop favorites and the energy and attitude of the punk aesthetic he pursued so ruthlessly in his early 20s. Take his favoring of the major-to-minor fourth chord shift at the end of a phrase (“Lust For Life,” “Laura,” “Hellhole Ratrace”): it’s a page torn right from the 60s pop playbook all the way up to Radiohead’s “Creep.” That there are decades’ worth of missed music behind him is clearly of some significance; it should, for this reason, perhaps be less surprising that his songwriting seems so uniquely and sparingly seasoned.

Girls’ “Laura.” from Album.

Most of Owens’ lyrics have all the depth of a Neil Sedaka Collection, and perhaps it’s only due to his affected delivery, but his vocals still retain the warmth of jagged emotion: “reach out and touch me / I’m right here / and I don’t want to fight anymore / I really want to be your friend forever / friends forever (“Laura”).” Aside from the relentlessly catchy single “Lust For Life,” the seven minute heartbreak crooner “Hellhole Ratrace”  is probably the most feted track on Album. Owens sways his way plaintively enough through a few washed-out choruses before Girls turn the fuzz firehose loose and and the rest of the track becomes an extended “Hey Jude”-type coda, but the track’s repetition doesn’t seem worth the length, ultimately. “Morning Light” thrashes out an intro that sounds a whole lot like a cheap parody of Sonic Youth’s “Mote,” but it thankfully ends up being a late-breaking success with a fantastic guitar line as its pulsing impetus.

Elsewhere, Girls wholeheartedly succeed on the aforementioned “Lust For Life” and “Laura,” but also on the weepy “Ghostmouth,” the glittering acoustic intro of “Goddamn,” and the roaring quarter-mile anthem “Big Bad Mean Motherfucker.” “Curls” quietly revisits one of Owens’ earlier band attempts, actually; his former band went by the same name. Girls as a moniker, in fact, was a snap decision, chosen mostly because it rhymed with Curls. As the better part of its substance was a continuation of the same vein of songwriting (only without Owens’ now-ex-girlfriend), perhaps it only seemed civil.

So, does all this against-the-odds ascendancy add up to the crown jewel of the lo-fi scene this year? You be the judge, but the verdict is in on one thing: the ultimate crossover album? Get real. Certain critics would have you subscribe to the stunted belief that Girls have an instant sleeper classic; they’re calling Shawshank Redemption on the many Forrest Gumps released alongside Album in 2009. The obvious truth, however, is that it’s still a lo-fi album in a world where bands like Nickelback move millions of records and sell out the biggest venue any given city can muster up. Girls may have cracked the Billboard 200, but they certainly can’t have any delusions about sales, for one thing.

Under its own umbrella, then? Fair enough – if only within the year they’re being reviewed, Girls are simply overmatched, especially in the indie scene. And yet, this was all on the wavier; there have been some tremendous records released this year, and the only reason they’re not all stacking higher on Decade Best lists is because the critics don’t have the benefit of hindsight. Girls made a pretty good record, but they’re simply bringing too little innovation to the table to be a truly competitive musical force. Judge it on its own merits, some might say, but at the end of the day, it’s all a matter of what you’d rather listen to, and for a few tracks here, Album ain’t it.

- JB

Change. Change. Change. And no we are not talking about the seasons. It’s all about business. Let’s take the latest strategy by Wal-Mart, which let me remind you is the largest retailer in the world. Yes, that is as in on the planet. It appears DVD’s may be making their last stand. And the safe money is on the same result had by Custard.

With sales down some 13.5% this year, in favor of low-cost rental services and digital downloads, Wal-Mart is cleaning up its aisles. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal written by Nat Worden, the mega-retailer, which accounts for nearly a third of all DVD sales, is “devoting more shelf space to top-selling products and cutting back on ‘items that linger.’” That is DVD’s.

By the way, while DVD sales were falling, digital sales by Amazon.com and Apple Inc.’s iTunes rose 21%. That is change. So how has your market changed? Have your customers expectations changed? Are you sure you know exactly what they want today, how they want to acquire it, and if you are delivering the experience they desire? If you find the thought at least intriguing, might I recommend you visit www.newtrixnow.com and consider beginning a dialogue with us. And if you’re not quite ready, heck sign up for our monthly newsletter “Marketing Muscle,” follow the Newtrix blog, catch up on the latest news especially for the emerging enterprise, and browse other continuously changing content we hope you find unique, focused and maybe even enlightening.

Speaking of change did you know that social media is now used to communicate more frequently than email. While email utilization is up 21% bringing the total number of users to 276 million across the US, European countries, Australia and Brazil, the number of users on social-networking sites is up 31% to 301 million people. And just so you don’t think change is just for new products, services and technology let me pass on this phenomenal cultural shift for the oldest service we all will ultimately purchase – burial. Well, not exactly it seems that service is falling out of favor as people across the US, some 35%, now chose cremation. In several states that number is as high as 65%. The lesson – no business is safe from change. As Red said to Andy in my favorite movie “Shawshank Redemption,” “Get Busy Living (that is changing) or Get Busy Dying.”

Redeemed through the healing power of a balanced relationship, Jerry stares at the empty tomb of his old personality, mourning the death of his old self. He doubles the bedsheets in half, as if to bury the cozy womblike retreat of his bed in a coffin. He has conquered his old life and fulfilled his father’s dream. He then moves to the window, ready to become a member of the outside world.

Jerry stands at the window with his arms raised in a Christlike image, looking out into the world that he is now a part of. He has risen from the darkness of his old personality and conquered the paralysis of unemployment. Removal from the house has made him more able to feel and love.

I am nearing seeing one thousand five hundred different movies in my life. I’m at 1495 and will review the last few films until I reach the milestone of 1500. The first on the list The Escapist. A little gem of an Irish Film.

Year: 2008

Writer: Rupert Hyatt & Daniel Hardy

Director: Rupert Hyatt

Cast: Brian Cox (from X2, Bourne Supremacy, Adaptation, The Ringer), Joseph Fiennes (Running with Scissors, Shakespeare in Love, Enemy at the Gates), Seu Jorge (City of God, Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou), Dominic Cooper (The Duchess, Mamma Mia!, The History Boys)

Opening Shot: Medium Shot of Brian Cox. It’s lit from above. It cuts between this and black for the first 30 secs. Cox is looking down, rather forlorn.

Let me put you in the right mood to watch The Escapist. It takes place in a prison and is about a few of the prisoners’ attempted escape. It will immediately draw comparisons with Shawshank Redemption, but Shawskank it is not. We’re dropped into what we find out is the escape attempt. Jospeh Fiennes’ Lenny Drake waits ready to swing a pipe to dig through a shower drain with Seu Jorge’s Viv Batista and Liam Cunningham’s Brodie. The mood is tense based on the music and the handheld camera shots. We’re then thrown into the prison where Brian Cox’s Frank Perry, Damian Lewis’s Rizza, Lenny, Viv, Brodie, along with others all have certain roles and relationships with each other that change when the new prisoners arrive. The new prisoner we focus on is Dominic Cooper’s Lacey who becomes Frank’s cellmate after his cellmate dies. The basic plot is that Frank Perry must escape from his life sentence because he has just found out that his little girl has fallen deathly ill.

Every so often the mostly static shots of the prison give way to the handheld suspense of the breakout. This keeps up the pace and makes the ending so much better. Some of you who see it may be able to call the ending outright but I went along with the yarns of the story and was pleasantly surprised. The ending, without giving anything away (except by drawing attention to it), works on its own and makes the movie better like a good ending should. Even without the ending the movie would be enjoyable. The acting is pretty solid. It’s well shot and the cinematography adds to the differing parallel plots. The time period is very pastiche. There is no way to tell the time period because of the lack of windows in the prison.

Grade: B-

Do I like violence or did Quentin Tarantino made me to?

How could a film make you HAPPY? Happy, not in the sense that you have laughed yourself for the jokes in the movie, identified with the characters or anything, blown away by the mindnumbing special effects. Happy in the true sense of the emotion. The state or level of emotion where you cannot apply reason to figure out what made you happy!

As far as I remember, there were only 2 films in my life.. I have seen till date, that made me this happy. After finished watching them, I could not talk. I could not express. I was just mesmerized about the content and the expression these films presented. It was like sitting on a knoll and feeling the gentle breeze blowing past you. The small hairs on your hands swaying with them and you overlooking a pleasant sight, thinking about nothing. Your left-brain has gone blank and your right brain is the only thing operating and you are just in that moment alone. You are living in the moment. Great feeling!

The films being, The Shawshank Redemption and The Man from Earth.

With each of these films was a different and highly wonderful experience of mine, that made me feel that there is a great power in Cinema and their projected images. As with some of the experiences in life, this feeling could not be told. It could only be understood better if one has experienced it first hand.

Today, after watching Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, I got a similar feeling of Happiness.  Though not as powerful as the two past incidents, I was still HAPPY. Man, how could he make such a movie!!! Enough must have been discussed by critics and on the forums about the movie. And I am still in that state of awe and happiness that I cannot dissect what in the movie has been so great! I only could say that, it was

A movie made by a TRUE movie-lover for the lovers of Cinema.

I will take a bow to him. Sheer genious.

Cinema has a mesmerizing power and it is wonderful to get lost in the paradise of movies.

NOTE:

This was about the unexplainable Happiness experienced after watching movies. If I have to think about the reasons of loving a film, then beyond any doubt, and the people who know would also vouch for it.. It has to be The Lord of the Rings. I wanted to  write a separate post for this EPIC motion picture. Only can say at this point that, am so damn happy that Peter Jackson made those 3 films. Felt it as an insult to not include LOTR name when writing a post about Movies. Hence this Note

This past Sunday [September 27, 2009], at 10:00 PM Eastern [02:00 UTC], I was back on Mystic Politics for Part II of my exploration into The Dark [k]Night and the crazy synchronicity surrounding it. Downloads of the show are available at the host’s site on blogtalk radio [FIXED]. {*1} You can also use the below player:

For those not in the Chat Room, you missed out on Stygian Port (aka ViolatoR), talking about anal sex and harassing people making friends. I’d like to thank those “familiar faces” who made it and participated, notably: DazOotz, Deciph, Karin8, JackC, Lamarv, Matshanley, Mudpuppy97, StompingEvil, and ViolatoR.

Hope I didn’t forget anyone. Do note, to the right of these exact words, there is presently a poll taking place in regards to wordpress’s new rating/voting feature. So far, “I like puppy dogs and kitty cats” is out in the lead. Not sure exactly what the proper course of action pending such a result would be.

We got into ChristIan Ba’al’s mutliple roles and penchant for being cast as one suffering from split personalities. Safe to assume there’s a good reason for that. The Prestige poster reminds us, “Are You Watching Closely?” Lest we forget, there was Ba’al’s infamous insane rant against the lightman on the set of Terminator.

Not mentioned [durning the show] was Bale’s first role at twelve years old in Empire of the Sun. Let’s see, you’ve got a young boy trained in ballet, being directed by [alleged] “dirty old man” Steven Spielberg. I think [forces behind] South Park gave us a pretty good hint as to what may have happened to the young “Christian.”

For those who missed my prior blogs, here’s the Disney rim job and the Disney facial. But, I’ve already summed up Disney in one pic. Thanks to a comment from Deciph, I was reminded of our ballerina’s role in another gender bending story:

I guess the Dark Knight dropped enough hints as to why the Joker thought Bruce Wayne was practically “begging for it.” While that may not qualify as a justifiable rape defense, you can at least see why the Clown thought the “familiar place” would appreciate his acquaintance and why Batman might “see fireworks” as a result.

I’ve already written about Bill Kaulitz, the lead singer from Tokio Hotel and lesbian agenda poster boy before [hm, this trend of "hipsters" respelling words incorrectly is surely part and parcel of the dubming down agenda]. Hence, I wanted to find a new picture to add here, and found a “good” one of the young man lady [right].

I also found the above [left] image from a series showing a bunch of fans, future whores mindless bimbettes [¿useless eaters?] greeting him outside his hotel. There are so many levels of wrong with that picture, but flashing your titties to a gay boy, that is the definition of insanity [as someone was kind enough to remind us]. Speaking of Bill Willhemina, here’s his her adhoc rendition of “It’s Raining Men.”

Hallelujah! Lastly, the series was taken/posted by a mysterious voyeur, and the last of them is revelatory gold. “Fuck You, Pervert,” or the German equivalent, is my guess at the words leaving the top hole of the young lady hapless whore in the middle of all the little girls around her [and their mothers feeders/trinket-providers]. I’d recommend she stay out of Transylvania, as her inability to see her own reflection in the mirror, might lead to someone driving a wooden stake through her, um, “heart.” Rats, this means by next time I vacation on the Greek Isles, the average German girl will be just as stupid and worthless as an American one. {*2}

Depending on how far back you wanna trace the blame game for the agenda, I’m sure part of it could be assigned to another homosexual poster-boy of his time, “dOCTOr” Alfred Kinsey. Indubitably, as the revelatory Time cover makes clear, the man was promoted well beyond the length of his feeble reach. Though Kinsey may have spoken highly of me, I just cannot return the favor.

Heck, the center image makes clear, that even back then [1956], subtlety escaped the average moron. “You Need to Suck Dick, Shiksa” is the implied title of that record [yes, released as an LP]. Oy veh, Doctor Murray, oy veh! [¿O-V?] As for Liam, does playing Kinsey, being Batman’s, ahem, “mentor” [¿WTF?] and also “crossing swords” with a flamboyant gay man in Rob Roy qualify him too?

As said back in my initial write-up, the movie, under the layers of brain-fucking, drops more than enough hints as to who won and what really happened. All you/we have to do is decipher them. The Joker may riddle, but at least, he is not lying.

When the “good guys” stoop to such levels [as Gordon and Batman], than all is lost. Per my interpretation, that was the point of the movie. Some credit for the “pop culture” addition to the above image, goes to an unrecalled voice in the chatroom.

Aside from the scene reminding us buildings don’t fall unless all detonations go off [¿hm, like in a "money bomb"?], and the promo poster, I had forgotten the above [left] shot. Someone really wanted us the popcorn munchers to remember 9/11 and why “they” need “them” [as V for Vendetta reMinded us and them].

Beyond thermite, dancing Israelis, TV fakery, mini-nukes, short-sales, insurance scams, Zionist comptrollers, missing trillions, and the resulting “truth” movement, there was a lot more to the ritual involved on 9/11 than most are willing to contemplate. I don’t know why the “face” on the right syncs with the face on the left, but the portal meme is with us, and whenever one is opened, logic suggests it’s a two-way door.

If there was nothing to it, I doubt someone would have taken the time to create a fake face in the smoke [other side of the building] to confound the public mind.

For those who’ve been following my blog, you know I care little for a “real” [new] 911 Investigation, and see little point in such, for that will, at most, produce nothing other than a few sacrificial scapegoats for the fire, and just placate the same masses who missed the entire point of this movie. Far more pressing to me, is that people “wake up” to the hell they are putting themselves in.

We played an Elvis song during the show, and now another comes to mind, from a song appropriately entitled, “New Amsterdam” [i.e., "New York"]: “The transparent people who live on the other side, living a life that is almost like suicide.”

This is the world Batman/Wayne wants us peasants to live in. What an asshole! If he wasn’t such a little whore, this Rebel would fuck him too. If such thoughts sound extreme/insane to you, then perhaps, this song [played during show] is about me: “Here I am on the far side of crazy. Here I am the mortal enemy of man.”

Another undeniable truth spoken by Ledger’s Joker was regarding how people will accept all sorts of madness and unsanity, as long as it “goes according to plan.” Oh, the horrors we have tolerated [such as above], and we are tolerating [Darfur, Palestine, Iraq, Sri Lanka, et al] on schedule. The death toll of 911 was but a hiccup in comparison, yet “unplanned“ [publicly] … hence, “everyone lost their mind.”

The conversation between Dent and Rachel, subtly put in as party banter, was a veritable “goldmine” of truth. Surely, the words were lost on the average viewer:

Rachel: “Harvey Dent, scourge of the underworld. Scared stiff by the trust fund brigage.”

Harvey: “You cannot leave me alone with these people.”

Rachel: “The whole mob’s after you and you’re worried about these guys?”

Harvey: “Yea. Compared to this, the mob doesn’t scare me.”

The really sick fucks aren’t walking among us or hiding in imaginary vans, wating to pounce on us. They attend lavish parties, occasionally appear on LifeStyles of The Rich and Famous, and laugh at the fools who “brand” themselves with their names. Kubrick obviously knew that. Hm, “Harvey” was the name of a famous rabbit.

One important fact time and chaos prevented me from sharing during the show, was a little find about Janus, aka Two-Face, aka Obamanaton. Janus was the patron deity of beginnings and endings, and also “of openings and closings, of entrances and exits, and hence the god of the door or gate that opened both ways.” In other words, of stargates.

Unfortunately, aside from discussing the notion of a “star” as representative of an anus, I didn’t have enough time to get into the stargate concept; that beyond the anus as a place to put one’s cock in [per society's indoctrinated ponyographic mores]. The stargate topic is a veritable show unto itself. Come to think of it, whenever some Hollywood mogul tells a young [and soon to be naked] actor/actress, “Baby I’m gonna make you a star,” technically, they aren’t “lying.” {*3}

We got into Atlantean Time’s excellent well of related syncs, Heath Ledger and the Five Points of Rennes le Chateau. Shame he’s not writing anymore. In consideration of the Burning Ring, the above pictures remind me, that in countries that didn’t undergo the bullshit [and degrading] feminist movement, women learned to wield their power subtly; letting their man serve as the “facade” of power. Hm, the red dress makes me wonder if that was implied for the Matrix’s Merovingian?

Much has been made of the demon/devil sculpted at the Renes Le Chateaux. But for me, that guy is far less scary than the Whore from Hell and the creepy blond-haired Demon Spawn she’s holding. Come to think of it, the proximity of the two above sculptures at the Chateaux is giving me a whole Damien/Rosemary’s Baby vibe.

All aboard Bus 22! Or, not. May have to expand on “death becomes her” one day. Coincidentally [whatever the fuck that means], a Catch 22 is a metaphor for a “no-win situation,” and the name of Joseph Heller’s famous novel. For some reason, I had been under the [false] impression, he also wrote of the horrors of Dresden in Slaughterhouse-Five [a la the star].

The idea of a knife/sword being representative of a phallus goes back quite a ways in Hollywood. Per the pictures below, so does the gay agenda. Oh, how obvious!

Unfortunately [depending on perspective], didn’t have time to get more into the gay agenda, for which I had created the below image from Entourage for the show. Afterwards, I was reminded there was an episode where Drama and Turtle, per the script, accidentally “crossed swords,” while sharing some whore between them.

Didn’t have enough time to get into the “x-box” either, suffice to say that you will see one in just about every major studio movie made of the [at least] last 20 years. Nor, did I get into the victim-to-be “selecting” the burning/flaming red wig.

For those curious as to my “emergenpy,” both the snake and the frog lived to hop/crawl another day. Per my neighbors, the next day they got up, to find the frog parked right in front of their door, as if to express his gratitude for saving him.

The kitten which made a surprise guest appearance is the latest addition to the Rebel family. His name is Perseus and he’s got a “fuck-all kick-ass” personality. Named him after the Perseids Meteor Shower, which me and friends were out watching, when this scrawny little guy [roughly 4/5 weeks old], walked out to the middle of nowhere to greet us. He and the dog started playing together and in unison, my friends remarked, “You know this means you have to keep him.” Of course. Note to any Medusae intent on paying me a visit: you are fucked!

Yea, I did use a couple of Bible quotes. There is much wisdom contained in the book, but it’s like deciphering movies, you have to look past bullshit aimed at the Eucharist-munching masses. Speaking of same, I find a well of endless humor that they use the Bible to describe homosexuality as an abomination [¡!], while quoting the version dedicated to one of the biggest poofers ever, King James. {*4}

I have to apologize. After last week’s show, I had about an hour of material left over. Prior to this week’s show, I expanded on some areas and added about two hours of material to it. Next time I do a show [no, there won't be a Dark Knight III interview], I’ll have a better idea of the handwritten note to hour ratio.

Also didn’t have time to get into the two lunatics below, but I really love the first image, so have to share it. Worth noting, the sis informed me that Pluto [i.e, the "planet" according to people with a few brain cells left in their head, and "something else" per those whose head is filled with nothing but shite], is moving to Capricorn this year [the "when" debatable], a place it hasn’t incidentally been since 1776.

On the night after the show, I’m up at my bar, and for some god-damn reason, a few people are asking me about my blog. “Not a good intro week,” I’m cursing, as the front page article was the one where I spoke of “fucking Jehovah up the ass.”

Anyway, one guy wanted to “talk” about movies, and I was grimacing [internally], cause I’ve learned that when most people say “talk” they mean, “they talk, and you listen,” and usually go off on tirades about politics and other matters I couldn’t give two shits about. This guy insisted on talking about the many layers of Shawshank Redemption and I played along, until it [the below scene] exploded in my skull:

So, Morgan, aka God, aka Lucifer, just happened to go by the name of “Red?” Oh, man! Sometimes, (a) even with this world’s parabolically rising level of ignorance, I should have some faith in my fellow man, and (b) I too need to stop talking long enough to listen. A “river of shit!” The “other side!” Oh, as another very famous carpenter, Karen, once crooned, “We’ve only just begun.”

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*1: Now, that Mercury is out of retrogade and all my computers are working, should perspiration and inspiration ever meet, I may combine the two shows, normalize and trim-out the dead NSA air, upload somewhere, and attach here [right here]. Gods/Planets be willing, of course. [LB]

*2: A Fräulein was always worth a shag back in the days. But then again, my German readers might guess it’s been a few years since. I should make an image that reads: Tokio Hotel: “Whores check in, but they don’t check out.” [LB]

*3: For those who missed the Karl Rove pic, here it is. After the show, Violator reminded me that in Team America, World Police, when the producer invites the young actor/star inside his limo, he responds: “I’m supposed to get in your car and let you put your finger inside me.” For more info on the Stargate in the [new] Atlantis, follow the white-rabbit [but, only if your heart is pure]. [LB]

*4: Yes, King James wo so fabulous, that he was often referred to as “Queen James,” openly. His first “love” was his little cousin. Heck, even the sickening homage to his solar predecessor, the female queen (Elizabeth), strongly hinted at it. Yes, the “sun shone out of his behind.” [LB]

The full review of Stephen King’s Under the Dome is now available.

Ok, heres the rest of the list:

5. GOOD WILL HUNTING- I guess what really stood out for me is this is the first Matt Damon movie I ever saw and I didn’t think it would be possible for him to top it. The script is perfect in every way. I hate Ben Affleck, but this is the only movie where I think he does a great job. The incredibly underrated Casey Affleck is in it, and while it is a small role, he is perfect as one of Will’s best friends. Robin Williams as a serious actor catches everybody off guard, but he pulls it off without a hitch. BEST MOMENT- This is easy, its the bar scene when Will undermines the Harvard student and goes off on a tangent, eventually getting Skylar attention. This is followed by the infamous- Do you like apples? Well I got her number, how do you like THEM apples.

4. ROCKY- Most sports movies copy the formula that Rocky puts out there. It is the 100 percent definition of the underdog story. The training montages, the story line, the great performance by Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed, the phenomenal action, Rocky has it all. While Rocky 4 has the best villain, Rocky 3 has the drama of Mickey dying, Rocky 2 has arguably the best fight action, Rocky is the best movie of all of them. BEST MOMENT- The end where the announcer is saying who won, but Rocky doesn’t care one bit if he won or lost, all he cares about is Adrian. I just love the fact that the fight is not even important to the plot of the movie, if you don’t watch closely you won’t even realize that Rocky loses. 

3. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION- While it has become a big joke that Morgan Freeman narrates every movie he is in, I can’t imagine this movie without his voice guiding you throughout. Life in prison is as hard as it can get, and the story proves that. Tim Robbins’ Andy goes through hell at first, yet once he makes his deal with Haddley and the Warden, he is able to carve out his own spot. Yet there’s more to prison then just getting by. It is the hope that one day you will be able to get out, and if you do get out, if you can handle life afterwards (which Brooks couldn’t). For such a long movie, it’s rewatchability factor is high, and the ending is just flat out perfect. BEST MOMENT- When the Warden is in his office, cops all over the place, and he goes into the safe to only find Andy’s Bible, with the words he once told Andy written inside- You were right, salvation does lay within. 

2. ALMOST FAMOUS- I love music, especially classic rock. The tale of a teenager being able to follow one of his favorite bands around the country and live the life of a rock star is just fun to see. The soundtrack is amazing. The acting, especially Billy Crudup’s Russell, makes you believe the story. Plus, in this movie, I basically fell in love with Kate Hudson. Honestly, how could a teenage actor be able to handle acting alongside Kate Hudson, that makes his performance even more impressive. The movie is also based off director Cameron Crowe’s real life experience following the Allman Brothers. BEST MOMENT- No, its not them singing Tiny Dancer, but Russell being on acid at some random kids house in Topeka, with William somehow trying to keep him in control. And of course, the- I am a Golden Gold- line. 

1. GOODFELLAS- First off, The Godfather is the typical answer for what is the best gangster movie and maybe best movie of all time. I don’t believe that for a second. Where I feel the Godfather lacks, Goodfellas delivers. Its more modernized and high pace. The violence is better. The perks of being a gangster is glorified to the point where you could ask yourself, why shouldn’t I do this? I think the best part of the movie is the fact that it focuses on somebody who is considered an outsider. Liotta’s Henry Hill is half Italian, half Irish. He is a worker, somebody who the boss depends on to be an earner. De Niro, Liotta, Pesci (who is flat out amazing), Sorvino, Bracco are all just the best depictions of gangsters put into a movie. BEST MOMENT- It is impossible to pick one. I could go with the scene with Spider, or the infamous How am I funny? part, or when Tommy is about to be made, or even when Henry just pistol whips Karen’s neighbor. But the best part is when Jimmy kills off every link to Lufhansa and while they show it, Derek and the Dominoes’s Layla plays in the background. Just an absolute perfect scene. Here it is (fast forward to 2:30)

It’s a commonly asked question I know. My three faves in no particular order would be “Shawshank Redemption, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Crash.

Other Strong Contenders include Good Will Hunting, Amelie, The Closet, The Castle and for an action flick I am going to throw in The Fugative.The best date movie of all time has to be “The Notebook.” Guys I actually cried watching that, did you?s

What are your favorites? Comments and discussion please.  Tommorow I am going to do the three worst movies so think about that one too.

Eastern State Penitentiary and Alcatraz Island are two of the most influential and notorious prisons, and have a fair amount of movies associated with them. But the best prison dramas are not about the escape per se but about the idea of freedom.

The Shawshank Redemption is a great movie about justice prevailing in the end, albeit karmic justice not legal relief. The Defiant Ones speaks of learning about true freedom, the ability to transcend prejudices and beliefs, and act in the common good.

Our ability to be free is what defines being human. When our liberty is denied, how do we remain human? Do we rediscover humanity, the hopes of Eastern State, or do we become hardened to love and life?

Fall brings with it some time off as I transition between the familiar job and the great Southern unknown. Smile, be polite, and try to keep thine house in order. Then get busy living or get busy dying.