Go Inside My Mind
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Monday, July 03, 2006
Click
I got to see this at a private screening last night and it was a really good movie. Sandler has been off the mark with his last few movies, but this one definitely has the feel of some of his classics. The plot is very simple. Time is always running out in his (Sandlers) life and he wants a better way to control it. He's given a remote which can do just that. Conflict arises when the remote starts learning about what he skips and automatically does this. They were very creative with the remotes features, including a funny commentary track and even a "Making of" (though, it's not very pleasant for him nor us).
The movie has a lot of funny moments that are reminiscent of Sandler's past, but overall I'd say most of the comedy is at a more "mature" level. Sandler's grown up and you can tell that throughout. His ragey side does come out here and there, and it gets pretty hilarious at times. The film also has some drama in it, which leads to some real sentimental and despairing scenes (I almost cried twice)
The casting was great. Kate Beckinsale plays his wife perfectly, and she looks beautiful throughout the movie. His kids are also really cute as well, and not "Dakota Fanning annoying". Henry Winkler (aka The Fonze) plays one of the best father roles I've seen in a while. One thng I really appreciated was the aging process with these actors. They did an incredible job with makeup to make them look older. In line with this is the futuristic world that is portrayed. A lot of which, seems straight from a Spielberg film (A.I., Minority Report). That's something I did not expect from a Sandler movie.
Overall, this is a good movie. It has more depth than previous Sandler movies and if you're like me you'll be walking out the theatre with greater appreciation of your own life. In some ways this film feels like a remake of "It's a Wonderful Life". It's not the same story, but some elements are the same, and that's not a bad thing at all. When I first saw the trailer I thought it looked a lot like Bruce Almighty, which isn't surprising since it's written by the same people. Between the two I liked this one a lot more. This is also a really great date movie, so go see it.
*** posted by psychobabbler @ 5:38 PM
Saturday, March 18, 2006
V for Vendetta
I saw it in IMAX. A very good film, that had potential to be great. It felt very much like Orwell's 1984, except the lighting and cameras made it feel too new. I would've like a better filter to make the world look more "future vintage" (you probably won't get this oxy-moron). Natalie Portman was sexy, and her British accent and acting overall were very good (except her crying, which felt too forced). As for "V", the mask kept making me laugh, but as the movie wants us to know, he is more than just a mask, he is an idea.
The film does lack action. Throughout the picture we are flooded with messages and images of a government that has overstepped it's boundaries. Although this is the (near) future, it all seems relevant to today. By today's standards V would be considered a terrorist, but because this is comic based he is a rebellious hero who is doing this for justice. There is very little in common in the style department between the Matrix and this movie. One cool fight scene towards the end, used what I'm calling "blade-time" which was similiar to bullet-time, leaving a path wherever his knife went. Like characters in the Matrix, V speaks in riddles and breaks things down philosophically.
Overall a very good effort for the new director, and a well written script by the Wachowski bros. I wanted a bit more from it though, maybe more character development and a darker (grittier) atmosphere. We're thrown right into the world, and then thrown back out of it. The ending felt a little stretched, but was very exciting to watch.
*** posted by psychobabbler @ 4:54 AM
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Rang De Basanti
Few films that have come out in the last 5 years have moved me like this film has. It is an Indian movie that is getting a lot of critical acclaim and currently has an 8.6 rating on IMDB. It begins with an english filmmaker who wants to make a film about India's revolutionaries. She is the granddaughter of an English soldier who wrote about these rebellious leaders in his diary. Her dream to make this film was ruined when her boss cancelled the project. She was very determined though, so she still went to India by herself.
This film is not about her though, it is about India, both past and present. It's about the youth of India and their future, the troubled government, and it's about their culture. You feel every aspect of India's beautiful culture shine in this movie. The acting in this movie is incredible, I can't say enough about it. It does so many things right from a filmaking perspective. The unique editing, and cuts between the past and present were flawless. The soundtrack was a little off in some places, but were great for most of the scenes. I don't want to give too much away but this is one that I want everyone to see till the end. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and if you're like me, it will touch your soul. A modern masterpiece.
**** posted by psychobabbler @ 4:07 AM
Sunday, February 12, 2006
It's one helluva town!
So I got a new camera (yay!). It's a Canon Powershot A610, which I spent hours deciding on whether to buy it or not (see last post). I finally got to go out into my city and take some shots. There's tons of features on this camera to play around with and for the most part I had no clue what to use while on the go. I truly have a love affair with my city if you can't already tell. Enjoy!
Ooo I want that one..No wait..Yes okay I'll get it...Aw man, I changed my mind
Fuck! Why am I always so indecisive. When I'm purchasing a product I spent hours (maybe weeks is a better time frame) trying to figure out the perfect choice. I often think I'm satisfied only to find out later that I regretted what I bought. My damn brain can't seem content on anything. I guess it's because I have been economically challenged (a.k.a. Po) my whole life. My mom has made miracles out of her income and I learned to manage my money as carefully as possible from her. I think my on again off again OCD has taken this to a whole new level though. I fringe at thought of people making snap/impulse decisions on purchases, Ahhhh!. I swear I become an expert on a product line when I'm buyng one from it, I'm awesome that way (self-esteem raised +5 points). I think i'm going to let my funeral arrangements (coffin choices, which urn, which cryogenic center, etc..) to be made by someone else because I'd be pissed in heaven if I made the wrong choice. "Awww man, look at me. That grain of wood doesn't go well with that suit"CAVEAT EMPTORRR posted by psychobabbler @ 4:46 AM
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Doom - Unrated Edition
Horrible Movie.
It's like a Uwe Boll flick with a higher budget. I haven't seen the original version so I don't know the differences between the original and the unrated version, but this one had lots of swearing, some nudity, and some graphic shit (like this dude pulling off his own ear). Anyways, It didn't keep me interested whatsoever. I can't even consider it a movie, but more of a live action video game, but even then it's boring as all hell. Not much to say about The Rock's acting job. It wasn't that demanding of a role (talk a sentence here and there, do a little yelling, etc..) Just avoid this, and watch something like Alien, which is similiar in theme but like a million times better.
*1/2 posted by psychobabbler @ 5:00 AM
Monday, February 06, 2006
Smooth Operator
I've been feeling stressed for the last few months. Not quite sure what the problem is. I dunno, I just get really frustated without any real reason for it. I think I take things too seriously when I really should be enjoying life. Everything feels like it's happening at once yet there's not much going on in my life, what's up with that feeling? Ahhh. I think it's time for a major change in my life. I should move to iceland and join a cult where people worship moose and make daily sacrifices with their imaginary second born children.I think I'm a part time OCD'er. I mean most of the time I don't give a shit about order or cleanliness, but then sometimes I snap and I start realizing all this dirt around me and go on this crazed cleanup. When i'm like this I feel like a depraved coke addict who's just lost their next hit somewhere inside a baby powder factory.
So, maybe im frustrated because I don't know which direction to go with my future career. My whole life I felt like I was on cruise control. I was confident in my ability to succeed. I'm still confident in my intelligence but I just don't which path to apply it to. I'm currently in the general masters program for Psychology, but I took this course last semester on animals and I totally want to focus on that. I wonder if it'll limit me and if I'd be able to make a good/long lasting career out of that. Oh me Oh my. I wish I had wealthy relatives so I could be one of those adults who just lives off of inheritance (like Hugh Grant in About a Boy). I am the protypical guy for inheritance money. All I want to do is do nothing. Get me? posted by psychobabbler @ 6:09 AM
Saturday, February 04, 2006
New Look
I said I was back but really I wasn't. I don't feel motivated to make posts here so I decided to change everything completely. I just got a new digital camera, the Canon A610 and it's pretty damn awesome. I will try and post more including pictures in the future. posted by psychobabbler @ 5:12 AMWednesday, January 11, 2006
Creative Vision:M (geek post)
This player is so hot. It basically has the best screen available and lots more features than its competitors. It recently won "Best in Show" at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).The best user interface I've seen
Album Art mode, allows you to navigate via album art. My favorite feature.
262,000 colors on screen, compared to 65,000 on ipods. The difference is crystal.
Specs
Capacity: 30GB hard drive
Size: 104 x 62 x 18.6mm
Weight: 163g
LCD: 2.5" LCD @ 320 x 240 Color Display
262,144 colours
Songs: 15,000 WMAs/ 1,000hrs (at 64kbps)
7,500 MP3/ 500hrs (at 128kbps)
Video: 120 hrs (MPEG4 videos) 1
Photos: Tens of thousands of Photos
Audio Battery Life: Up to 14 hrs playtime (MP3, 128kbps, 4mins/ song)
Up to 8 hrs playtime (WMA, 64kbps, 4mins/ song)
Up to 14 hrs FM playtime
Video Battery Life: Up to 4 hrs video playtime
Supported Audio formats: MP3, WMA (inc MS PD DRM), WAV
Support Video formats: DivX™ 4 & 55, XviD5, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4-SP, WMV9, Motion-JPEG
Supported Photo formats: JPEG, BMP6, GIF6, TIFF6
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: up to 97dB
FM & FM recording: 32 preset stations
EQ settings: 8 presets & custom 5 band EQ setting
USB: 2.0
Organiser: Calendar, Contact, Task list
Power Charging: Charges via Power Adapter (2.5hrs only) or PC thru USB (6hrs)
TV Out: Yes
Photo with Music: Yes
Voice Recording: Yes
Removable Disk Storage: Yes
Album Art: Slideshow, Thumbnail, Zoom, Pan
Connectivity: Docking connector (USB2.0 with Sync Adapter)
Stereo headphone out with Wired Remote Support
Composite AV Out (NTSC and PAL)
Built-in Microphone
http://creative.com/products/mp3/
Sunday, January 08, 2006
I'm back!
Yeah, I doubt anyone who used to read my blog still does, but I'm back. Forgive me for abandoning this blog for those months. School and everything else took over my life. I'm not done yet but I will definitely make more time to writing. I'm currently looking for a new digital camera (4-5MP range) and I have no idea which one I should get. I like the Kodak V550 (or V530) and I might buy it.Last year I watched a total of 309 movies (a lot eh?). This year I want to watch 400. I have no idea why I am challenging myself to do this, but hell, I really enjoy watching movies. I will hopefully be adding a new entry every day with a short (or long) review of the movie I've seen. I already need to catch up on this!
So yeah, that's about it for now. I'll be going to everyones blogs again and saying hello. I hope everyone is still around in the blog world. I got lazy with this blog template and just used one of the default ones. One day I'll customize it. I needed a change from the dark one I had. This one is quite bright.
Cheers! (sheesh that sounded British) posted by psychobabbler @ 5:39 AM
Friday, December 23, 2005
Munich
I just got home from seeing this chilling movie that portrayed the tragic incident at the 1972 olympics in Munich, and the events that resulted because of it. If you don't know what happened in 1972, basically 11 israeli atheletes were held hostage in their hotel room by Palestinian terrorists. They were eventually all killed. This film shows this in great detail throughout the movie, first as it is happening in real time and later through the nightmares and visions from the main character.
**Possible spoilers (I'll try not to though)**
The bulk of this movie was dedicated to a man who does not exist. He is the leader of a group of people who don't exist. This is what the Israeli government wants him to believe and the rest of the world too. The government has names and pictures of the terrorists and it is his job to hunt them down and kill them. One by one. This role is played excellently by Eric Bana who shows strength, yet has a good emotional side as well (his wife calls him a "sentimentalist"). The rest of his crew is quite a mixed bunch. We have Daniel Craig, who I loved in Layer Cake, but whose role here should have been bigger. His blonde hair and blue eyes makes him look like a cowboy more than a jew.
This team is to have no contact with the Israeli governement. They have virtually unlimited funds left in a bank for them and basically must use their intuition and think like a terrorist to find those responsible. This is no easy task. You can't trust anyone, and you can't give them too much information. Throughout the movie this really sets in as there are a few incidences of betrayal leaving the team pretty paranoid.
The direction was very good for the most part with a few parts that dragged on too long. This film felt real. The use of handheld cameras like that found in Saving Private Ryan made some scenes gritty and raw feeling. There is a lot of graphic scenes in this movie which really took me by surprise. Spielgberg doesn't hide much. While watching the movie you almost want to take sides with Israel but there are counter-balancing scenes (like the one with a PLO police who just wants a home) that even it out a bit. Overall the sum is much better than its parts and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Acting was great all around, and the actors were cast well (esp. Mathieu Amalric). The dialogue throughout is very reminiscent of what is still going on today. The score by John Williams, though subtle, was pretty haunting at times. In addodyion, I liked a lot of the photography in the movie. There were also some really great reflection shots used, taking advantage of rear view mirrors, tinted windows, etc...
Although I think they could've cut about 20 minutes from the movie, by the end I was not bored, nor exhausted from the 2hrs and 44m I sat there. The movie made me tense at the end, and its last image was one I expected, yet I'm unsure right now if it should've been put there or not. Definitely one of the better films I've seen this year and it may even get some Oscar Noms. Go see it.
****
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Finally I also saw some new trailers at the movie:
-Apocalypto: Mel Gibson film dealing with Mayans and some end of the world scenario. It looks pretty epic, but also very strange
-MI:3: Looks cool I guess, action packed trailer of course. Noticed Laurence Fishburne in there which is awesome.
-American Dreamz: From the director of About a Boy and In Good Company. This is one funny looking movie. Basically there's a preseident thats pretty much portraying Bush, and then theres an American Idol type show with a middle eastern contestant. I won't say anymore, but it looks like it'll be controversial.
Firewall: Harrison Ford brings it as usual but it feels the same as other movies.
-Inside Man: Directed by Spike Lee and starring Clive Owen, Denzel Washington and Jodie Foster. Oh Man this looks pretty great. There's definitely going to be some twists in this one and I won't say much about it. posted by psychobabbler @ 9:23 PM
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire
I just got home from watching the fourth installment of the Harry Potter series on IMAX and it was one hell of an experience. From beggining to end the movie never lets up and keeps you interested the whole way. I'd say it's the best one out of the four so far. The films themselves have been getting darker and darker and this one certainly doesn't dissapoint. All the actors and the character they play have matured so nicely and this movie shows a lot of that transformation. They aren't just innocent little children anymore, but coming of age adolescents discovering themselves and the opposite sex.
I must say the direction and photography in this movie was excellent. There are shots that you'd think came from the best cinematographers. I won't give away any of the story but I will say there was a great deal of excitement throughout accompanied by a lot of humour. One thing that may dissapoint some, was the absence of Gary Oldman. His voice was there but he "appeared" in a different form. It was hard at first to actually rate this against the other three, since I love them all, but as far as depth goes this one is the deepest I've felt into the world of Harry Potter and for that I rate this one best so far. Go see this epic movie, and try to view it in an IMAX theatre if you can.
****
PS: I haven't read the books (one day I will) so I cannot say whether they ruined it with respect to that. I've jsut finished reading the forums at IMDB and other places and people say that they are missing some good stuff found in the book. Those who have read the book might be dissapointed at these differences but I find this happens often when a story changes mediums. To me, it's best not to look at the movie as a direct page to screen translation but just as an adaptation of the story. There's only so much you can fit into those 2 1/2 hrs. posted by psychobabbler @ 3:18 AM
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Pirates
So was it two days ago that was the International pirate talking day?. Yeah that's pretty much the dumbest thing ever. Matt Good's album came out yesterday and I'll have to wait for my signed copy to come. The first disc of the album was leaked about a week before the album came out and many people got to listen to it. This is of course a common occurence. In all the vast amounts of internet communities I have been a part of, there hasn't been one that wasn't involved in some sort of piracy.I don't really know why I'm writing this. I can't say i've had a perfect slate in that area but I do try and support artists. Sometimes I just think about how bad it's gotten and how worse it will get. With broadband internet spreading to the masses newly released movies (and some that haven't come out yet) are just hours away from personal home viewing. It's even worse with music. The dumb thing is when people complain about the quality of a music album yet they're stealing it. Perhaps if these artists actually got some money they could put it into better equipment and such.
The government really doesn't have a clue how to deal with this problem. With internet Privacy acts and other simliar laws they can't really stop the large population from stealing music. Programs like Napster, Yahoo! Unlimited and even itunes (blah) have made it reasonable for consumers to get their music and for artists to get paid. I'm sure some sort of progress is being made but billions are being lost every week. Billions.
Any software, music, movie, video game that you ever wanted is out there right now for free. Some require you to make an effort to look for them, others are considerably easier. If I had it my way I'd get rid of:
MIRC
DC++
Soulseek
Kazaa
Winmx
Limewire
Oink
All torrent sites
and so much others...
Users for the most part don't feel much guilt for what they steal. It's mostly due to the fact that the punishments are not severe enough, nor real enough for them to actually stop. I'm not here to judge you for stealing things (like I said my hands aren't the cleanest either). The whole internet should just be eliminated. It's hurt our society so much more than it helps. I know it brings the world together but man does it ever separate us from the real world too. It's one hell of a paradox. Anyways it's 3am and I just wrote this because I had nothing better to write about. School's a bitch right now.
Later
posted by psychobabbler @ 3:36 AM
Saturday, September 17, 2005
The "N" word
Black man1: Hey niggaBlack man 2: What's up my nigga
Yeah what am I thinking writing this entry eh? Well I'm from the hood as most of you know. That hood being Brooklyn, NY. I am surrounded by black people. I'm probably one of the only non-blacks on my block. Since I was young I've heard them call each other the N word in a multitude of ways. I grew up with them and in a way I "acted black" too. I have used the word nigga amongst them and they didn't find anything wrong with it. That's the problem though, some activists say hey it's a good thing that they turned something so negative into a positive. Did they really? my answer is no. By saying it they've accepted what others have labeled them as. It's not positive at all. From the day they're born their parents teach them about white people and how hard it is to be black. They grow up with a major chip on their shoulder and it doesn't get easier.
Never have I seen a race take something offensive that was used by their enemies as if it were a good thing. I know they removed the "er" from the end and added an "a" instead but those letters mean nothing compared to the self defeat of using the term to begin with. You don't see Jewish people going around saying "Hey check out my cool swastika tatoo" Can you imagine if they did? or Chinese people going around calling eachother "Chinks"
The problem is only getting worse because the excessive use of that word in our media (movies, music, television, and internet) takes us away from it's origin and it's becoming more and more accepted into our vocabulary. I'm not talking about just blacks either, i'm talking about everyone. Sure it's still a little taboo, but in less than 5 years it'll proabably be used without any guilt whatsoever. Rappers who become poplular among white populations such as Kanye West say the N word a lot in their music (see: "Crack Music"). This will only have an adverse effect for blacks and they've had a hard time for much too long. As much as some think it's a positive use, this will backfire.
A final thing to think about: This society is still fucked up. It was only 40 years ago that we had separate water fountains, restaurants, and everything else for whites and blacks. FORTY YEARS. Do you have any idea how short of a time that is? I mean fuck, we think we're all nice and good now and think all that racist stuff was a long time ago. Well it aint and it's still prominent today in different forms. Our society needs major reform yet no one gives a shit about their own countries anymore. I will use whatever powers I have, whether it be as a Psychologist, a Sociologist or film director to help progress our community. Open your minds. posted by psychobabbler @ 1:49 AM
Thursday, September 15, 2005
OHHHHHHHHH NO'S!
So this was a popup I received the other day and I found the wording to be funny. Now I know Bush is a pretty bad president but maybe people are taking it too far when they start blaming him for naturally occuring phenomena. I'm also getting word that the court case for Tsunami victims Vs. Kim Jong-il is fast appoaching and let us not forget the day when Hitler started those forest fires (Smokey the Bear was fucking pissed). Now that i'm writing all this saracastic stuff I'm kind of getting jealous. I mean, you really know you've made it when someone blames you for a natural distater. Hell I'd even take a hurricane named after me. I don't remember there being a "Hurricane Michael", because I certainly don't remember me yelling and bragging to everyone saying Hey Hey LOOK AT ME IM A HURRICANE!!, which I obviously would've have done at the time. Since it seems like they're at the letter O right now, I guess i'll have to wait till next year. posted by psychobabbler @ 1:41 PM