Outta Bubblegum

Mitchell and Webb:2 videos

2010-03-13T19:14:00.000-06:00

also, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df-uemc-e3w

Armstrong and Miller

2010-03-13T19:11:00.002-06:00

axe cop

2010-03-13T19:11:00.001-06:00

comics as imagined by a 5 year old.
"Malachai Nicolle is a five year old kid from Washington who loves Dinosaurs, Ben 10, video games of all kinds, and anything involving bad people getting destroyed."

Lost

2010-03-13T19:07:00.002-06:00

Lost spoilers/questions/theories/ramblings
Some of this is out of date now that lost is going all good vs.evil, but i wrote/compiled this recently.

3-2-10

First I want to say i wont see the show tonight so don't respond until Wednesday afternoon to tonight's show!!! also, sorry for grammatical errors: i'm writing this real fast before the show tongiht.

my favorite thing about Lost is it's riddles and clues that people can ponder in between shows. that and the references to art, philosophy, religion, myths, etc. There is a ton of info on the books http://abc.go.com/watch/clip/lost/SH006723620000/167277/160559
referenced in Lost at http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Literary_works. My favorite is Watchmen, as i've mentioned before. http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Watchmen

I like the season promo pic with 'The Last Supper' as 'The Lost Supper' on an airplane wing. Although the number of figures is off by one, I like how Locke is posed in Jesus's place, with Sayid in Judas's place.

Where is home for the Smoke Monster/Man in Black/Flocke? Who has he lost/who was he before the island? How has Jacob been keeping MIB there against his will?

MIB tells Jacob "it's always the same: they come, they fight." Rose doesn't seem to fit in this mold.

Sayid said he deserved to die, then the spring took a long time to heal his wound/bring him back from death. water was muddy. ben had said "dead is dead" on the island, so why the zombie Sayid? He is not the MIB, so what happened to him? Miles (who talks to the dead) seems particularly perturbed.

In the flashes for Season 6 we see the Losties as if they never crashed and the island has been in the ocean since some time after Dharma Initiative and after the statue was destroyed. Things are different. Christians body was lost by Oceanic, Rose helps Jack calm down, Boone is without Shannon on the plane, Locke is engaged and closer to his father, Hurley is lucky w/o being cursed, Jack gets 1 bottle of alcohol on the plane, Jack's appendix was out (his mother claimed it has been out since Jack was young) and Jack was no longer in row 23 (now he's in 24). Have the numbers changed? Much like Charlotte knew as she was dying that they should go to the well, Juliet knew "It worked." Perhaps what worked isn't immediate and the losties who we see on the island in the present will someday be living the flashes we are seeing. The other options being either an alternate reality (which the writers are telling people not to call it) or time branched into 2 realities at a certain point because "whatever happened happened," and thus it had to happen on one time line.

It is interesting that David (Jack's son) played the same song on the piano as Daniel did before Eloise told him to focus on science.

Ben claimed there are many lists (plural); perhaps the lists change. Earlier in the series we are told by the others that Jack and Kate aren't on the list. *edit MIB doesn't deny Sawyers guess that "Shepard" in the cave stands for Jack*. "Shepard" in the cave/on the wheel could stand for Aaron, Jack's grandpa who we saw claiming he would escape one day and no one would know where he went, or even Jack's mom. All of the mirrored places shown in the lighthouse correspond to where Jacob touched the Losties (Sawyer's parents' funeral and the Kwon's wedding), but we see Jack's house, as opposed to the hospital where Jacob handed him a candy bar. The lighthouse wheel had some different numbers than those in the cave, but this could mean that Lewis stands for another Lewis on the island when Charlotte was young.

Jacob claims that someone is coming. Ater MIB sawthe blonde kid in the jungle, I'd be tempted to think Aaron was coming. However, Jacob also said "they are coming" to MIB, implying a group, perhaps Widmore's army. We have heard before that a "war is coming." Eloise said the island "isn't finished" with Desmond, so he could be coming to the island as well, perhaps with Widmore. The 108 degree mark that Jacob had told Hurley to turn the lighthouse wheel too (although he obviously meant for Jack to smash the mirrors) corresponds to the name Wallace. We know that after Michael and Walt came back to the U.S., they didn't tell anyone who they were. Perhaps Walt's name is different.

I just watched Jacob's Ladder, a movie themed around coming to terms with your life and letting go of it. The character Jacob calls out "help me" from a hospital bed, much as either Jacob or MIB said "help me" to John in the cabin. Also, Jacob's Ladder has a lot in common with the story "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge," which was referenced in Lost (Locke is shown holding the book). The rest of this paragraph is a spoiler for "Jacob's Ladder" and "Owl Creek"!!!!!!!! In both "jacob's Ladder" and "owl creek" the whole story is imagined, and in the end we are back to the beginning. Could the flashes indeed be the continuation of a reality in which the island dosn't exist?

Do we trust Jacob? Is Jacob testing his replacements like Willy Wonka tested the factory tour winners? Is it all a game as suggested? black vs. white teams? Is Jacob trying to prove that humankind is not only violent, but compassionate? What Jacob has been doing has rules, just like Ben and Widmore have rules.

Awesome Lost chess promo:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RecTEQ7BNg8

An unlikely theory: is Jacob Death, making MIB judge the dying? I think that what Lost is doing is centered around life and death, despite specific claims of the creators of Lost that the continuing characters are not dead.

Ancient Egypt plays a big role in the history of the island. The island's exit is in Tunisia, which isn't right next to Egypt or anything, but close enough for speculation. The biblical Jacob spent his last years in Egypt. Jacob's (multilingual, island Jacob that is) reputation could be the basis for the Ancient Egyptian creation of Anubis (Jackal= Jacob) and the smoke monster could be Ammit, devourer of souls in ancient egyptian lore. This has been an ongoing theory for a long time on Lost, but the most recent episode shows that Jacob was in possesion of weighing scales, like in the Anubis legend. This is what Anubis used to weigh the heart of the dead against a feather to see if they would live forever. We do see all the characters being tested on the show. The temple wall picture (below) shows that at least the early island inhabitants interpreted Jacob as Anubis, however close they were to what he really was doing.

After a fan followed a clue to "use letters backward from end" in a magazine, we know for sure the statue is of Tawaret, Ancient Egyptian goddess of childbirth and fertility.

Someone suggested Richard Alpert (RA) could be Ra, reborn every night (he doesn't age). Also, it probably doesn't have significance, but i love that Locke's vertical scar makes his eye stylized like the eye of Horus/Ra.

Is the reason no one else should raise Claire's baby because it would make her crazy? Was Malkin the psychic a fake like he told Echo? Was Malkin bribed into getting Claire on that plane, like a deleted scene would have had him claim. Did his daughter really die?

What are the whispers? The translations are online (http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Whispers), as are the translations of the Japanese.

When Richard had young Locke choose from objects this was said to be based on the Dalai Lama. The new Dalai Lama should be able to select, if he truly is the reincarnated Lama, the object that has already belonged to him.

If the MIB can no longer take another form besides Locke's, why can he still change to smoke? Why is he acting like Locke when he says, "don't tell me what i can't do!" We know MIB has Locke's memories, but is Locke still in there somewhere or is he a tabula rasa?

Why did they test Sayid with electricity? How did this show he was claimed?

How come the smoke monster was smart enough to hurt the man in the protective ash by knocking rocks from the ceiling, but is kept out by the Dharma fence, which Kate easily climbed a tree to get over? Why does ash keep him at bay? Is this ash from the volcano on the island or just any ash?

Why was llana hurt when Jacob came to her?

Who drops the food near the hatch?

Why did Richard say he watched 'them' die when Sun asked about Jin.

Why was Sun left in the present?

Is Sun's father involved with Widmore?

How did the Black Rock get so far inland?

Why kill Nadia? to test Sayid? to manipulate him?

What's up with the poison gas that Faraday contained? jim jones party island?

What happened to Ben's childhood friend Annie, who made the wooden dolls?

Juliet supposedly looked like someone Ben knew. his mom? her in the past? who knows? they also said she looked like Jack's ex-wife and i don't think so.

How was Richard in chains? really or figuratively?

Who made the equation to find the island?

Why did Eloise leave the island? This must be when Widmore became the leader, since Eloise was the leader.

Why do Adam and Eve have one black rock and one white. Who are they?

Is Boone's former nanny Theresa connected to Faraday's ex Theresa who is in the coma?

Why is Walt special? Why is Hurley special? We at least know Miles grew up on the island.

Ben lies and said he was born on the island. If this matters somehow, it might indicate Aaron's importance. We know that Juliet delivered a baby in the 70s on the island, so the problem with childbirth may be new, perhaps after the fertility statue was destroyed. or maybe just the radiation from the bomb (hence quarantine signs).

Why did the bird say Hurley's name in the jungle? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcHaa6PbKsw

we know the MIB can take other forms, but how can he change? Is it related to the properties of the island? What is he doing when he flashed white light- reading minds?

And finally, what of the numbers? We see them now on the cave wall, but what exactly makes them so important?

Lostpedia also says "According to the 1975 orientation film in the Sri Lanka Video, the Valenzetti Equation "predicts the exact number of years and months until humanity extinguishes itself." During the video, Alvar Hanso also states that the radio transmitter on the Island, will "broadcast the core numerical values of the Valenzetti Equation." The numbers, 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42, are explained in the Sri Lanka Video, as the numerical values to the core environmental and human factors of the Valenzetti Equation. Alvar Hanso also states in the video that the purpose of the DHARMA Initiative is to change the numerical values of any one of the core factors in the equation in order to give humanity a chance to survive by, effectively, changing doomsday. However, Thomas Mittelwerk reveals that as of 2006, they have failed to change the values through manipulating the environment, as the equation continues to arrive at the same six numbers."

Early Michael Emerson Prison Training Video

2010-03-13T19:04:00.003-06:00

Here's Johnny

2010-03-13T19:04:00.002-06:00

The Shining Cockoo clock

2010-03-13T19:01:00.000-06:00

NES cartridge music

Otter Keyboard!

2010-03-13T18:50:00.000-06:00

Glenn Beck accuses you

2010-03-13T18:48:00.001-06:00

Glenn Beck accuses you. Well, through Facebook.

2 Cool Art Videos

2009-10-15T12:37:00.002-05:00

and
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/video/video.php?v=161093195161&ref=mf

Teacher warned for homophobic slurs in class

2009-10-14T20:17:00.000-05:00

http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/2009/10/13/80301805/index.xml

cat poo coffee

2009-10-04T22:05:00.000-05:00

world's most expensive coffee...and it's made from cat poo

kakapo

2009-10-03T19:55:00.000-05:00

stephen fry follows in the footsteps of douglas adams

Dr. Katz Videos

2009-10-03T14:06:00.000-05:00

Mitch Hedberg

Emo Phillips

Indoor or Outdoor Cats?

2009-10-03T13:59:00.004-05:00

I just commented on a friend's status and thought i'd repost here.
Sometimes when i take my cat for walks i get remarks that really piss me off. A lot of people like to voice some critique of the cats' harnesses along the lines of "hey, bummer, let the little guys be free."

It's a tough choice. i very much understand letting them be free, but i'd most likely be shortening the cat's life, while hoping it's improving the quality of that life.

That said, I prefer to take them outside myself on a long harness allowing lots of freedom (but i'm lucky cuz my cats don't mind the harnesses). i also have a big balcony that they like to go out on when i'm too busy to take them out.

i get a lot of shit for not letting them be 'free' but i consider them better off. they wont get lost and add to the feral cat population, injured, eat antifreeze or toxic plants, they wont get hit by cars or shut in sheds, they wont get in fights, they wont kill other creatures like dwindling bird populations, they wont get stuck in bad weather which will make them sick, they wont be exposed to fleas or diseases, they wont be prey, no humans will mess with them (did you see that poor kitty who survived with an arrow shot through its head? people can be messed up or the one that was ducttaped and left that wayup ), and most of all we (humans) designed the city environment which they are not used to so we should aid them by helping take care of them in it.

Also, no one ever yells at dog owners. Hey, man, let the doggies be free.

here's a link to the cat who was almost killed with an arrow. only look at the article if you think you can handle it. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/02/wayward-cat-limps-home-wi_n_275861.html

Polanski Taken Into Custody

2009-09-27T10:44:00.001-05:00

http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/09/27/roman-polanski-taken-into-custody-in-switzerland/

Somewhere In A Parallel World

2009-09-26T22:27:00.000-05:00

~~My Ideal Film~~

When deciding what my ideal (impossible) movie would be , I had to narrow down my options and cut out Godard or Jeunet and anyone dead, really.

I came up with the following list in just a few minutes. What I noticed immediately afterwards was that it was mostly white people and for a long time mostly men. I thought about this for awhile and about who I may have left out; eventually, I just decided that what follows is my list to share with all of you…the way it is. I have to be honest that these are my favorite actors and movie makers. Were this movie to be made YES there would be plenty more parts and new talent to make the movie less disgustingly white, but for now these are just the actors that really have made a mark on me. I’m ashamed, but feel free to suggest anyone I may be leaving out.
I would especially be looking for actors that can do good physical humor like tripping or walking into walls. Today’s Chaplin?

Peter Greenaway -director (Backup Julie Taymor- as long as she doesn’t invite Bono onto the set)
*interesting note: Greenaway made a film version of The Tempest and Taymor is as well.

Charlie Kaufman, Lars Von Trier, Hal Hartley-writers

David Lynch-creative consultant for character development (quirks and personality details, suggestions) and person in charge of promotional art

Terry Gilliam- closing credits (we know he’d film a half hour if it was the opening!)

Stop-motion/claymation- Jan Svankmajer
Julie Taymor? Set design? Puppets, mime, choreography?

Actors-simon peg, nick frost, dylan moran, tom waits, emma thompson, patrick stewart, ian mckellan, thomas lennon, cedric Yarbrough, parker posey, jane lynch, forest whitaker, anthony hopkins, george clooney, roberto benini, warren beatty, dustin hoffman, crispin glover, isabella rosselini, carol cane, ricky gervais, Michael caine, sean connery, charlize theron, james urbaniak, natassja kinski, fred Willard, john cleese, Maggie gyllenhaal, david spader, daniel day lewis, nick swardson, and derek jacobi (thanks lydia!)

Alfred Molina, Naomi watts, Edward Norton, Jennifer Coolidge, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Johnny Depp are other possibilities, but not needed. Maybe brad pitt, but only cause he acted well in Fight Club, 12 Monkeys, Snatch, Burn After Reading (and Growing Pains)

Soundtrack- TBA based on story ( I don’t have time to go into that anyway!)

More "Diablo" Cody Bashing

2009-09-26T12:49:00.002-05:00

"diablo" cody needs to stop writing her contrived rubbish. i wish my husband told her not to write back when they were in English class- the world might've been spared the horrible dialogue and the Sonic Youth bashing. she is trying way too hard to be hip...and she's not. she's all hype. Teenagers beware: you do no need to say things like "You give me such a wettie" or "you are SO jello (jealous)."

Ode to Spot

2009-07-25T08:39:00.001-05:00

Weinermobile crashes into home

2009-07-18T11:28:00.003-05:00

Thanks kat
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090718/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_wienermobile_wreck_5

new argento film trailer

2009-07-06T12:21:00.001-05:00

terminator actually on lsd

2009-07-06T12:06:00.004-05:00

Man runs naked through casino, claiming to be a terminator
what's with all the nudity lately? naked office workers, naked man on plane, naked guy in casino? soon we will all be naked.

also, robert mcnamara is dead and there are lots of people dead in china :(

Palin resigns as Alaska Fucker-upper

2009-07-03T16:19:00.001-05:00

Palin resigns

She gives birth in a portapotty and drops the baby in waste?

2009-07-02T17:28:00.003-05:00

I still don't believe this. via cnn.
"After exiting the portable toilet in Long Wharf Park in Cambridge, Candy Vigneri got a cigarette from a construction worker and sat at a picnic table, police Lt. Wayne Bromwell said.

As she sat, a male passer-by approached the toilet but Vigneri warned him, "Don't go in there, I just had a baby there," police said."

New Ruling In India Decriminalizes Homosexuality

2009-07-02T13:39:00.001-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/03/world/asia/03india.html

The Maxx

2009-07-01T22:18:00.004-05:00

The Maxx, not the hangout on Saved By The Bell, but the animated MTV series from '95 based on Keith's comic of the same name, is now partially available through mtv.com, and the rest is on youtube sans one episode.
anyway, if you haven't seen it you should. i used to fall asleep to it and have pretty crazy dreams.
i'm hoping it will be available on dvd soon.

passenger took off his clothes...

2009-07-01T22:15:00.002-05:00

Man gets naked on plane

Whack-a-Kitty

2009-06-07T17:11:00.000-05:00

Simian Robber In Fond du Lac?

2009-05-23T13:40:00.002-05:00

My home town: http://www.wtop.com/?nid=456&sid=1680641

Proud Theater

2009-05-18T20:52:00.000-05:00

Proud Theater this weekend.

If you haven't seen this yet...

2009-05-07T20:31:00.000-05:00

Walk over Chicago On Clear Skywalk

2009-05-01T17:54:00.002-05:00

The Sears Tower is opening a new attraction in June: the glass-bottomed skywalk.

Maru is back...with a box

2009-04-24T20:21:00.001-05:00

Michel Gondry will sketch you for a little cash

2009-04-20T15:19:00.002-05:00

uh, so eternal sunshine/be kind rewind director michel gondry has a website where he is selling various things, like his toilet paper designs, and sketches of fans sent in via email. kinda interesting for a director. http://www.michelgondry.com

john oliver talks to teabaggers

2009-04-19T13:12:00.003-05:00

this segment on the daily show is not perfect if you wanna discuss what the taxes go toward, but just let go and enjoy how funny his arguments are.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

M - Th 11p / 10c

Tea Party Tyranny

thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Economic Crisis

Political Humor

Von Trier's New Film

2009-04-14T12:09:00.001-05:00

Another woman centered film...I'm curious about the characters.

Lars von Trier's Antichrist - Official Trailer from Zentropa on Vimeo.

Isabella Rossellini

2009-04-09T10:18:00.003-05:00

"so i wont get screwed by a bear" and more on Sundance:
http://www.sundancechannel.com/greenporno

she even mentions the angler fish

Vermont Marriage Bill Overturned

2009-04-07T14:20:00.001-05:00

Vermont victory for LGBT rights

Also, vote today

Anglerfish reproduction

2009-04-07T14:01:00.004-05:00

photo:anglerfish.net
In lieu of continually seeking the vast abyss for a female, [the male] has evolved into a permanent parasitic mate. When a young, free-swimming male angler encounters a female, he latches onto her with his sharp teeth. Over time, the male physically fuses with the female, connecting to her skin and bloodstream and losing his eyes and all his internal organs except the testes. A female will carry six or more males on her body.-national geographic
This extreme sexual dimorphism ensures that, when the female is ready to spawn, she has a mate immediately available.-wikipedia

Monsters Vs. Aliens= Terrible

2009-03-29T21:28:00.003-05:00

i love 3d, b movies, monsters, aliens, and giant women.
i love stephen colbert, and i like seth rogen and paul rudd and raine wilson.
but i hate Monsters Vs. Aliens.
horrible plot, horrible comic relief, horrible jokes.

i just kept watching out of a need to finish what i started.

video of the week!

2009-03-24T18:06:00.000-05:00

Colbert Vs. NASA

2009-03-24T15:37:00.002-05:00

Colbert won the NASA contest. Now it is up to NASA whether they will use the name

Gilliam/Ledger Music Video Coming Soon

2009-03-16T11:34:00.001-05:00

Apparently, Heath Ledger directed a video for Modest Mouse, featuring animation by Terry Gilliam. I'm interested in seeing this.

Pet Store Accidentally Shipped Dead Body

2009-03-14T00:42:00.001-05:00

Pet store shipped dead body instead of fish

Stupidest FOX idea

2009-03-12T12:34:00.003-05:00

Ok. So Fox wants to remove the special feaures from rental DVDs in order to encourage people to buy DVDs. Here's a link about it. Of course, the special features will be fairly easily found online.
This is even more stupid to me than Scarlet Johansson's casting as the Black Widow in Iron Man II because the special features allow the people working on the film (props, makeup, costume, sound) to get some recognition, and also for director's who have to make cuts for the studio a chance to show extended scenes.

LA Teachers take over school board meeting

2009-03-12T10:14:00.000-05:00

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Rallies-Planned-in-Respose-to-Possible-LAUSD-Layoffs.html

Eco Questions

2009-03-09T10:40:00.002-05:00

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026821.300-dumb-ecoquestions-you-were-afraid-to-ask.html?page=1
should you charge a laptop all the time or letting it wear down?
all kinds of interesting questions.

Animated Kafka Story

2009-03-08T20:41:00.002-05:00

A Country Doctor in 3 parts:
Thanks Stuart!

Miss Piggy Sings Peaches' Fuck The Pain Away

2009-03-08T20:40:00.001-05:00

Film Festival

2009-03-08T13:45:00.002-05:00

http://www.wifilmfest.org/ has tickets on sale for april's filmfest.
Also, get your Peaches tickets at the Majestic before they sell out!

Watchmen review w/ Spoilers!

2009-03-07T20:23:00.028-06:00

B+
First, let me say the guy a few rows behind me kept laughing EVERYTIME Dr. Manhattan was naked.

Before going to the theater I had a migraine and wanted to stop for drinks. We decided to go to Tutto Pasta right before, where we had the free bread with our meal. If you haven’t been there, you should know that they serve the bread with sides of olive oil and vinegar, which mixed for me and lee into a big yellow and black smiley face -no kidding- before merging into different Rorschach blots with every dip.

We stayed at the restaurant a bit too long, and missed the first 15 minutes of the 2 hour and 40 minute long Watchmen, although I have heard that the first few minutes is a montage of the history of the parallel world, some of the most exciting parts of the movie.

I really enjoyed Night Owl’s likeness to the character. Rorschach was the best portrayal of this movie. When first reading the novel I encountered Rorschach’s narrative and was worried the novel would be too right-wing for me; based on Moore’s reputation among my friends I kept reading, and realized the novel was conscious of his attitudes, and was willing to show us his inner secrets, the condemnation of his peers, and his growth as a character. In the film, Rorschach shows surprising feats of heroism and we can empathize with the hardships of his life. The scene in which he looks up at the security camera with the cold look of a killer was chilling to me as I sat in my theater seat. Jackie deserves an award for this role!

I feel that some of the things in the movie could have been shorter in favor of adding other things. There were little changes in the movie, such as (spoiler alert)!!! when Rorschach first becomes Rorschach: the punishment to the kidnapper changes, but besides these little changes the ending of the film is what I would consider a major change; many reviews I have read have stated that the ending is a necessary or “little” alteration. However, I disagree. To me the ending of the graphic novel was exceptional, because it worked on many levels. I say many levels because the first second my brain took in the ending of (spoiler alert) a fake super squid alien I thought to myself, “this is a joke.” Did Alan Moore get tired of Watchmen and just tell Dave Gibbons to illustrate a completely strange ending to the series? I was made to really, really think. I did not understand the ending until Watchmen touched upon the role of the Comedian and his discovery of the “The Day The Earth Stood Still” modeled warning. When I understood that the ending was part of the bigger picture of the series, and it was a joke that was even too grandiose for the Comedian…a sci-fi B movie plot imposed upon New York, I understood how only this could provide a permanent peace for Earth. The squid was a completion of many of the themes of the story. The absurdity of such an alien was exactly what the Comedian could not comprehend and no one would expect. So for Snyder, in his relative infancy as a director to make a movie so supposedly faithful to the novel with its exacted background of the Gunga Diner, newspaper stand, and graffiti, to change the entire ending is to create a movie which is not faithful to the original. Furthermore, the ending complicates our perspective of the characters, making Dr. Manhattan more of a hero and forced into it, and the Comedian pretty uncharacteristically upset.

This is not to say that I did not enjoy the film, while chowing down on my popcorn, while escaping my reality; however, I think that another director, such as Terry Gilliam, who had the approval of Alan Moore, would have made changes that were more revolutionary and more interesting. The changes that Snyder makes in Watchmen, albeit mostly due to the writers of the script, are not necessary, nor do they add to the film (except the bloody inkblot in the snow). I appreciate Snyder’s almost panel by panel recreation of the comic, but I feel as though creating a movie from the series could be an opportunity to not only give fans of Watchmen a chance to see the world portrayed on the big screen. Besides this realism, the format could also have allowed for some innovative experimentation with the characters. Snyder, while trying to stay real to the format of the comic, seemed to invest all that he could into the first half hour of the movie, only to not follow up with any more information on Rorschach (would non-Watchmen readers identify his earlier cameos?), Hollis’ death, or the psychiatrist (true, this may be in the director’s cut). I find it funny that this movie was not released for so long, and this time was not used to edit any loose ends.

The music was a little off to me. it kinda worked, but seemed distracting or like it didn't match the action at times. Especially, the music when Dr. Manhattan was on screen: it got old after awhile. Also, the fight scenes were too matrixy with the slowed down/sped up shit. I look forward to seeing Tales Of The Black Freighter on DVD.

I think that I will look to any movie that does not blatantly offend me, as an opportunity to let go and be entertained by the hard work of the actors and special effects crew. Yay relaxation time for my 9 bucks. This is why I will give Watchmen a good review. Thank you Snyder for not completely butchering Watchmen. I did not like 300, and neither did Alan Moore, who found it misrepresentative of early history and "sublimely stupid". Yet, that has more to do with Miller. That said, I am pleased that Snyder kept the details of the Watchmen world intact, that he did not make the action sequences too over the top (although I will definitely say here that the prison sequence, fire sequence, and Rorshach arrest sequence were unnecessarily dr…aw…n ou…t). Yet, I feel the change to the ending was completely unnecessary, and the time to explain the original ending could have been made up both during the long pauses of Dr. Manhattan’s narration, and the inane comic relief of the fire ejaculation from the owl ship (one thing that did not translate well from the novel).

Did I mention that Jackie Earle Haley was great?

I do not know how to discuss Laurie’s character. She is not a great character in the graphic novel, nor is she ‘eye candy’ as a commentator on Slash Film recently suggested. She had a greater purpose through her relationship with Dr. Manhattan that I shall not delve into here. Yet, she is one of the only main characters that is female. One of the reasons I liked Watchmen when I first read it was that Laurie was shown as real, not just boobs and boots. Her pain and confusion were eminent in Gibbons’ portrayal of her face. Sure, she was clad in sexy garb, but she was not only interesting because of her femininity, so much as because she straddled the line between super hero and any-woman, someone who was pushed into her line of work by her mother, but titillated by the adventure. That said she is a difficult character to portray. Although we learn more about her by the end of the film, for most of the story we see her as a partner to either Dr. Manhattan or Nite Owl. The actress who portrayed her was flexible and agile, but just did not make me care very much about Laurie as a character. Snyder’s slowed down special effects fighting did not make me enjoy her parts on screen any more.

Another one of the main problems I had with the Watchmen film was the personresponsible for the Comedian’s death. His character is not how I would have pictured him, and there was foreshadowing in the movie that I felt ruined the suspense. And would the Comedian have cared the same way about the new ending?
I will also say here that I think that the “New Frontiersmen “ should have been mentioned earlier, however I did miss the first 15 minutes, so perhaps this was the case.
David Lynch has said that he thinks movies should be seen in a theater and not paused or rewound, but experienced the way the director intended. I disagree, knowing that sometimes people have to take breaks or deal with emergencies. At least we have the remote to rewind or see what we missed. With Watchmen, Alan Moore did not think the graphic novel would translate well to the screen. Gibbons felt differently, saying at least on DVD viewers could pause and rewind. I agree that the original comic format is the best way to view the novel, and to investigate the intricasies of the Watchmen world. Yet, I feel Moore might have been a bit ornery in his statement, because the movie is still fun. I do feel, though, that Moore's sentiments were echoed in the hollow ending of Snyder's film.

Just because Watchmen is set in a parallel universe to our own does not mean that the threat of Armageddon posed to them is not relevant to us. We should ask ourselves what we think of the end of this movie/novel. Whose hands would you rather be in of all of the main characters? None of them are perfect heroes: we see their faults, but the significance of the story is the ambiguity of the ending, and the complicated nature of the story. Watchmen presents us with many perspectives, but leaves us to ponder the fate of the world. We need to ask ourselves: What do we take away from Watchmen? Mayhaps it is here that the “little” change to the ending matters. What would you do, even in the face of Armageddon?

Dr. Who artifact

2009-03-07T15:19:00.001-06:00

Dalek (Dr. Who prop) discovered unexpectedly

sleeping dog runs into...(suspense)

2009-03-07T15:18:00.000-06:00

Jim jarmusch's new flick

2009-03-06T10:36:00.000-06:00

Video of the week!

2009-03-02T13:28:00.001-06:00

Landlord Mistake

2009-03-01T09:54:00.004-06:00

So a landlord sent a worker to the wrong building...and cleared out the wrong apartment, throwing away all of the guys stuff.

I have so many things that I keep for sentimental reasons and my paperwork and there's the cat. I just can't imagine.

Slumdog Rumor

2009-02-26T19:36:00.001-06:00

/film heard a rumor that some of the stars of Slumdog Millionaire might be on the real Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (for charity).

Watchmen stuntwork/teasers

2009-02-24T13:33:00.001-06:00

Clip 18 of these Watchmen film teasers is pretty interesting: they set a stuntman on fire.

The Mysterious Voyage of Jasper Morello

2009-02-21T22:57:00.001-06:00

A dark short film:

A rat on a cat on a dog?

2009-02-21T18:35:00.000-06:00

Last Week's Office: Cat licking

2009-02-20T15:57:00.001-06:00

string dance

2009-02-19T23:14:00.001-06:00

choose your own adventure movie

2009-02-19T09:43:00.000-06:00

A choose your own adventure zombie movie

& My 100th Post Is Completely Immature

2009-02-15T14:41:00.000-06:00

Simpsons New Opening

2009-02-14T23:20:00.000-06:00

Check out me article on Dane101

2009-02-12T11:47:00.002-06:00

I made a list of free activities in Madison. you can read it here: http://www.dane101.com/adventure/2009/02/10/free_activities_in_madison

Reborn

2009-02-11T13:43:00.003-06:00

Anagrams of my name include: Rena Sablis, Silas Abner, Lane Ribsas, Basil Snare, and Lars Sabine
also: balsa resin, brass alien

Rena Sablis:
The name Rena comes from several different origins

One path traces it to a Hebrew word, which may be variously translated as “melody,” “song” “shout” or “joy.” [1]

Another path traces it to the Latin word “renacer,” which means “to be reborn.” [2] Through the Latin origin, Rena may be said to be a variation of the name Renee.

Yet another source credits the name to northwestern Africa, where it meant “despised, disregarded or refused.” The reason parents might choose this unhappy appellation is to confuse the evil spirits: to make them think that the child was not worth their mischief. [3]

Sablis: cookies of egg yolk and lemon

Sex Dolls video from Reuters

2009-02-11T10:19:00.002-06:00

Video Of The Week

2009-02-09T13:08:00.002-06:00

There's no video embedding for this video of the week from The State...just go to this url:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpuUemDBz-8
$240 dollars worth of pudding. Aw yeah!

A Gondry, Carax, and Joon-Ho directed film

2009-02-06T20:00:00.002-06:00

Tokyo! to hit select US theaters in March. View the trailer here.

Herzog and Lynch's My Son

2009-02-06T19:00:00.004-06:00

My Son is being directed by Werner Herzog with David Lynch as a producer.

The cast includes Michael Shannon, Udo Kier, Grace Zabriskie, Willem Defoe and Chloe Sevigny

Hawking On Palestine/Israel and Global Warming

2009-02-04T00:08:00.002-06:00

Thanks to Pauly.
I love the intro/outro music

Cheney Dunk Tank- The Onion

2009-02-03T23:55:00.001-06:00

Cheney Dunk Tank raises $800 billion dollars for nation

Autoworkers killed in Venezuela

2009-02-03T23:03:00.004-06:00

Laid off Mitsubishi autoworkers were occupying a plant in Venezuela when 2 workers were killed and one injured. The following video caught some of what happened between the police and workers:

Immortal Jellyfish

2009-02-03T22:44:00.001-06:00

"...when starvation, physical damage, or other crises arise, "instead of sure death, [Turritopsis] transforms all of its existing cells into a younger state," said study author Maria Pia Miglietta, a researcher at Pennsylvania State University.

The jellyfish turns itself into a bloblike cyst, which then develops into a polyp colony, essentially the first stage in jellyfish life.

The jellyfish's cells are often completely transformed in the process. Muscle cells can become nerve cells or even sperm or eggs."
More Here

Invasive Species and Shakespeare

2009-02-03T14:56:00.001-06:00

I thought this was interesting:
"Because of his loyal and devoted following we owe the presence of the extremely successful European Starling, indirectly, to William Shakespeare. In the 1890's, "The American Acclimatization Society" had the goal of establishing in the United States every species of bird mentioned in the works of the immortal Bard of Avon. Unfortunately, in Henry IV, Hotspur proclaimed, "Nay, I'll have a starling shall be taught to speak nothing but 'Mortimer'...." North American birds and people have been suffering ever since.

The society was able to realize its goal and did in fact introduce into the United States all of the birds mentioned in the works of Shakespeare. The vast majority of species did not make it with a notable exception. Starting with only a few pairs of European starlings released in New York's Central Park, the starling became the Acclimatization Society?s biggest success. All the European Starlings in North America descended from 100 birds released in New York's Central Park in the early 1890s."

the Immaculate Conception Of Little Dizzle

2009-02-02T23:55:00.001-06:00

I'm wondering if this film will be good:
The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle trailer

Chrisitan Bale Outburst

2009-02-02T20:21:00.003-06:00

Not to link to this site too much, but i was shocked to hear a very spoiled Christian Bale freaking out on the set of Terminator Salvation. First his family calls the cops on him and now this.
I am a fan of a lot of his movies, but I guess he's a bit of an asshole.

short film Pushkin

2009-02-02T12:22:00.002-06:00

As you may or may not know I have a cat named Pushkin. I usually love him more than anything, but sometimes he drives me crazy (usually when I'm trying to sleep).

This short film about a woman who loses her cat Pushkin made me laugh:
<a href="http://www.joost.com/33hein6/t/Pushkin">Pushkin</a>

Porn "Penetrates" Super Bowl

2009-02-02T10:20:00.003-06:00

A clip from a porno interupted the Comcast broadcasted Super Bowl in Arizonia.
(thanks for the link reem)

Kitty

2009-01-31T13:33:00.001-06:00

Too Many Names

2009-01-29T11:48:00.002-06:00

Mondays are meshed with Tuesdays
and the week with the whole year.
Time cannot be cut
with your weary scissors,
and all the names of the day
are washed out by the waters of night.

No one can claim the name of Pedro,
nobody is Rosa or Maria,
all of us are dust or sand,
all of us are rain under rain.
They have spoken to me of Venezuelas,
of Chiles and of Paraguays;
I have no idea what they are saying.
I know only the skin of the earth
and I know it is without a name.

When I lived amongst the roots
they pleased me more than flowers did,
and when I spoke to a stone
it rang like a bell.

It is so long, the spring
which goes on all winter.
Time lost its shoes.
A year is four centuries.

When I sleep every night,
what am I called or not called?
And when I wake, who am I
if I was not while I slept?

This means to say that scarcely
have we landed into life
than we come as if new-born;
let us not fill our mouths
with so many faltering names,
with so many sad formallities,
with so many pompous letters,
with so much of yours and mine,
with so much of signing of papers.

I have a mind to confuse things,
unite them, bring them to birth,
mix them up, undress them,
until the light of the world
has the oneness of the ocean,
a generous, vast wholeness,
a crepitant fragrance.
~Neruda (translated by

Zombies Ahead

2009-01-28T18:53:00.001-06:00

Hackers warn of "Zombies Ahead" on Texas road sign.

NO Wrestlemania for rourke

2009-01-27T13:38:00.004-06:00

apparently rourke decided against wrestlemania

Protests In Iceland

2009-01-27T13:29:00.006-06:00

Iceland's Government collapses after demonstrations

Video Of The Week

2009-01-27T13:19:00.001-06:00

Hell Kat recently posted this video, and I was shocked to think there may be people who have not seen this wonderful video yet. Behold, Ninja Cat:

For those of you who miss the old polaroids

2009-01-24T21:43:00.002-06:00

Company to pick up where Polaroid left off with instant film

As we say goodbye to W.

2009-01-19T12:26:00.003-06:00

I do hate W. and I think he's stupid, but I often think that the jokes/bumper stickers/radio programs/tshirts, etc. about his stupidity get in the way of other real criticisms that should be made about the presidency. It's not just Bush that wreaks havoc on the environment, declares war, and keeps us in debt. He's part of a bigger picture of empire and capiltalism, and we shouldn't get too excited about Obama and this supposed "change" that is coming to America. We need to remain critical and active during Obama's presidency as well. We need to create the movement for real change.

That said, I'm happy that this is W's last day and I think it is a good day to laugh at the inane things W. has said over the last 2 terms. There are the classic quotes, which you can read here.

And here is a very crazy goodbye W. said to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy at his final G-8 Summit.
Wow.

"And they have no disregard for human life." --George W. Bush, on the brutality of Afghan fighters, Washington, D.C., July 15, 2008

video showing how alike FG and TCCOBB are

2009-01-19T10:16:00.001-06:00

The Curious Case of Forrest Gump - watch more funny videos

diablo

2009-01-16T20:25:00.003-06:00

I have been curious about diablo cody, since learning that she had high school English with my husband. I wanted to like her, I wanted to be inspired by her, like someone Lee grew up with is now making well-received art.
it's not just that i hate that she's renamed herself diablo. no, diablo cody is overrated and i wish i had the opportunities she is being handed right now so that i could write something good. I thought Juno was OK, but I found parts of the script really annoying and I thought it was trying too hard to be hip. Dissing Sonic youth as just noise may or may not be how Cody really feels, but I'm sure it had an effect on Juno's viewers. I was glad that the film got some press for the Moldy Peaches, and I like Michael Cera and orange tic tacs, but Cody dissapointed me.
I just watched the Showtime free first episode of The United States Of Tara. Annoying and stupid. Good soundtrack (Kills and Eels), but horribly annoying. Wow. The writing was so bad (i.e. explaining the multiple personality situation through forced dialogue as if we hadn't figured it out).
I hear she is doing a Taming Of The Shrew film and will be acting on the new 90210. ugh.

Hudson plane landing

2009-01-16T09:14:00.003-06:00

I am glad that everyone survived the plane landing in the Hudson, but i'm sick of it being reported as "news" that "God answered their prayers." How come no one is like "God crashed our plane"?

America VS. Andromeda Galaxy

2009-01-15T10:39:00.000-06:00

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Little Victories - America's Galaxy Is Big

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

Dead Like Me

2009-01-14T11:50:00.002-06:00

If you like the short lived series Dead Like Me sign this petition to Showtime to bring it back for a third season.
Now's a good time, since the straight to dvd movie is done filming and will be released soon.

Synecdoche/Slumdog

2009-01-11T22:03:00.002-06:00

First of all, way to go Slumdog Millionaire! 4 golden globes.

Also, I just need to say that I loved Synecdoche, New York. It was so very wonderful and inspiring to me at my most uninspired.

When I heard about the plot I wasn't sure how the film would work, but Kaufmanmade it all work.

If you go to see it at the Orpheum dress warm 'cause it's cold in there.

Army uses video games at mall to recruit

2009-01-07T18:08:00.006-06:00

The Army Experience Center turning recruitment into a video game at a PA mall
or

The Virtual Army Experience Combat Simulator

Painted Cats

2009-01-07T15:27:00.002-06:00

I once found a book of painted cats for a friend. I later read it was supposed to be fake, but i don't care either way. Check out these cool/scary/weird Painted Cats if you're looking for some distraction from the horrible events in Gaza.

New Romero Zombie Film

2009-01-06T10:16:00.002-06:00

2008

2008-12-31T16:01:00.002-06:00

Where were you when 2008 began?
Who were you with?
home sick. lee came home from the high noon at midnight to kiss me.
Where will you be when 2008 ends? I will be either alone with lee at our place
or a block away at Mickey’s
or with Ashe if she’s up for hanging out.

Who will you be with when 2008 ends? Could be ashe or daniella or shabelles, but definitely Lee
Did you keep your new years resolution of 2008? Don’t remember
Do you have a new years resolution for 2009? I need to get in shape. I never exercise ‘cause my head ALWAYS hurts, but I’m just going to go ahead and get a gym membership. At least I can go swimming then.

Did you fall in love in 2008? yes
If yes, with who? My kitty (I got him around new year’s) and Muntadar al-Zeidi for throwing his shoes at Bush

If yes, do they know? Oh yes.

Are you still in love with them? More than ever
Do you regret it? no
Did you breakup with anyone in 2008? no
Did you make any new friends in 2008? Who? I got closer to friends I already had, like daniella, jacob, ashe, and reem.

Did you travel outside of the US in 2008? No. I’ve never left the US. My biggest trip ever has been to Alaska, and that wasn’t this year. One of these years I’ll do some traveling.

How many different states did you travel to in 2008? I achieved many altered states my taking drugs and lying in a sensory deprivation chamber.

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2008? Yes, my mother-in-law
Did you miss anybody in the past year? yes
What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2008?
I’m going to assume the survey maker wants a movie from 2008.

I think Persepolis was released earlier.

I enjoyed having another dose of x-files, but I wouldn’t call that film great.

I enjoyed Dark Night, Hulk, Iron man, Pineapple Express, In Bruges, Milk, Slumdog Millionaire, Burn after reading, and zombie strippers,
and I really liked WALL-E and Be Kind Rewind. I loved the visuals in The Fall, but was a bit let down with the movie overall- not to say I didn’t like it. Frost Nixon was good. Hancock was an alright time waster. Not the best, but kinda surprising.

I was disappointed in Blindness, My Blueberry Nights, Indiana Jones, and Stoploss, although Indian Jones was still fun. I liked the gore in Diary of the dead, but thought it wasn’t Romero’s best. Zach and Miri Make A Porno was funny, but the ending just sorta dragged on and was predictable.

Get Smart sucked. Twilight sucked. Step Brothers sucked. I hear the Forrest-gumpness of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button also sucks, but I have yet to see it: it supposedly has some good shots and a good premise, but overlooks the racism of the south in the early part of the 20th century.

I still haven’t seen the Chicago 10 or Let The Right One In or Vicky Christina Barcelona or W or Funny Games or Doubt or Che or Last Chance Harvey.
I REALLY REALLY want to see Synedoche, New York!!!

I will never watch the Sex and the City movie.

Favorite? I guess if I had to choose, I would say Wall-E, but I still expect good things from Synedoche, and I think that Milk has done a lot for motivating LGBTQ activists, as well as getting a lot more people to learn about Milk himself.

What was your favorite song from 2008? Uh….i haven’t heard much new stuff. Definitely not that Lady Gaga person: she scared the shit outta me.

Did you have a favorite concert in 2008? The Kills
What was your proudest moment of 2008? When lee wrote me a really cool poem
What was your most embarrassing moment of 2008? I had a lot of embarrassing car trouble/stuck in the snow moments.

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2008 and change something? Interviews
What are your plans for 2009? Watching movies, reading, spending time with the kitty and lee, losing weight, getting a fucking job already, making more arts and crafts, staying in more and just doing things I like, instead of trying to make friends, seeing a doctor about the bump on my arm to make sure it’s not a problem, getting help with my migraines, cooking more, learning how to bake good bread, staying sane, taking a vacation to see my nephew, and go tubing down a river.

Don't Talk Through the Movie!

2008-12-27T20:16:00.003-06:00

Man shot when his family talked too much during The Curiously Shitty Benjamin Button.
More here

Land of the lost

2008-12-22T14:52:00.002-06:00

remake with Will Ferrell?!?!?!?

Nothing can be as bad as step brothers, i suppose