The Number 23

The Number 23 is an ok film.
I won't even bother reposting the editorial comment from Amazon, because they slammed it pretty hard.
I found the film interesting. Sure, it could have been done a whole lot better, but it was alright.

Was Carrey a convincing schizophrenic murderer?
Yes and no.
I think people are so used to him being funny, that any role outside of the norm for him is looked at with an eye of total disbelief.
I think people would rather he be funny.
I thought he did ok. Not totally convincing, but believable to a point.

It's an interesting concept though.
Carrey plays Walter Sparrow who becomes obsessed with the number 23 after his wife gives him a book for his birthday.
Unbeknown to the both of them, this is the actual suicide/confessional of Sparrow from 13 years previous when he killed his lover and then attempted to commit suicide.
It was a failed attempt leaving him brain damaged, but his confessional was found by the police with names changed, so police and doctors did not realize it was the actual confession for killing his girlfriend.
A doctor at the mental health institution reads the confessional, and he then becomes obsessed with the number 23, but publishes the book under an assumed name.
Then Walter's wife finds it, gives it to him, he reads it and slowly starts piecing the numbers together until he becomes manically obsessed with the number all over again, and ultimately remembering his nasty deed.

It was an alright film, interesting to watch the numbers add up.

Re-animator

Re-Animator from 1985, is a classic, classic horror movie.
What should have been frightening, turned out to be a major laugh fest.

Stuart Gordon's adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's Herbert West: Re-Animator puts a Night of the Living Dead spin on the classic Frankenstein story. Jeffrey Combs furrows his brow and bugs his eyes as the preternaturally intense Herbert West, a maverick medical student whose gory, gooey experiments cause bloody corpses and body parts to jerk to life. Bruce Abbot is the studious roommate drawn into his extracurricular experiments, which soon involve the dean's daughter (the frequently naked Barbara Crampton) and the college's cadaverous, calculating star professor (David Gale), who literally loses his head over a battle for West's discovery. In this world, that's only a minor setback. Charged with sick gallows humor and a ghoulish gallery of undead beasties, Re-Animator, like Evil Dead II, is one of the most inspired and inventive--and funniest--horror films of the 1980s. Combs, Abbot, and Gale reunite for the almost-as-entertaining sequel Bride of Re-Animator. --Sean Axmaker

The boys and I just finished watching it, I hadn't watched it in about 10 years or so, but it was damn good fun to watch again.
We love gross horror films here, and this one has plenty of gore to keep you gurgling the vomit back from coming out of your mouth.
It has every thing a classic horror film of days gone by should have.
Gratuitous sex, bouncing boobies, blood, gore and a sinister plot.

Jeffrey Combs as Herbert West, is fabulously sinister and twisted just as I recall him from 1985's first viewing of the movie.
I admit to loving him in this role, and even have a sort of geeky crush on the killer and re-animating doctor.
I love his eyebrows and pursed lips.

Second X-Files movie is coming.

Word is out that a second X-Files movie is moving towards production.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The "X-Files" film sequel is heating up.

Co-star David Duchovny indicated Saturday during the Television Critics Association press tour that the film, which has been the subject of speculation for the past few years, is one step closer to becoming a reality.

This is totally cool. X-Files was one of my absolute favorite shows.
I still watch in re-runs, have a few episodes on tape, and the first movie.
Will Gillian Anderson be in it too?
Yeuss!

Duchovny also reiterated past remarks that he and "X-Files" co-star Gillian Anderson "are on board" the follow-up to the 1998 film and the series that ran on Fox from 1993 to 2002.

Duchovny was at TCA promoting his upcoming Showtime comedy series "Californication," which debuts August 13.

Pan's Labyrinth

Pan's Labyrinth synopis:

Following a bloody civil war, young Ofelia enters a world of unimaginable cruelty when she moves in with her new stepfather, a tyrannical military officer. Armed with only her imagination, Ofelia discovers a mysterious labyrinth and meets a faun who sets her on a path to saving herself and her ailing mother. But soon, the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur, and before Ofelia can turn back, she finds herself at the center of a ferocious battle between good and evil.

The movie is in Spanish with English subtitles, but you get so engrossed in what is going on on the screen, reading and watching blends seamlessly together and makes you totally immersed in the story of Ofelia.

Ofelia and her mother are driven to live with her mother's new husband at his military outpost, and her mother is not doing very well in her pregnancy with her new husband's baby.
Ofelia is terrified of her new stepfather and with good reason, he is a very cruel leader.
There is a rebellion going on and he is determined to stop it by any means necessary.

Ofelia explores the grounds of her new home after she sees a fairy who leads her into the labyrinth, and down some winding stairs where she meets faun who is convinced she is the long lost spirit of the underground king's daughter who had run away many years ago and died.
The faun gives her three tasks to complete before the moon turns full in order to prove she is indeed the long lost princess.

Her tasks are not easy to do for such a small girl, but she does them because life at home is getting increasingly worse with her stepfather capturing and torturing, and eventually killing rebellion soldiers.
Her mother is also getting worse and worse as the time of the child birth draws near.
Ofelia is given a special thing to place under her mother's bed to improve her health and that of the baby boy she carries.

The blood of an innocent must be spilled in order for her to return to her true home in the underground, but will she be able to complete this task?

This is a gloriously beautiful movie.
The effects blend in so well, you start thinking they are real yourself.
This is not a children's fairytale by any means.
It is dark and cruel, there are several very violent scenes of war and torture, so keep this in mind if you have children and you plan to watch it.
I would not recommend it for anyone under age 13, but it is a stunning piece of film and is heavily recommended by myself and my teenage sons whom I was sure would hate it.

They loved this story.

Miss NJ, Amy Polumbo releases the photos.

This is an update to this entry where someone was trying to blackmail her into relinquishing her crown.

Amy Polumbo spoke on the Today show this morning and decided to reveal the photos herself.
The photos were being used in an attempt to blackmail her, and give up her crown and title as Miss. New Jersey.

Miss New Jersey released about a dozen embarrassing photographs of her partying and drinking exclusively to TODAY on Thursday. The blonde beauty queen claims the images were sent to pageant officials in an effort to force her to give up her crown.

“I feel sick to my stomach. I really do,” Amy Polumbo told host Matt Lauer. “You know, they’re not that bad, but they were meant to be private. And it is making me feel very vulnerable that the entire country has to see them now because of this situation.”

The photos really aren’t that bad, by contemporary standards, but they aren’t necessarily good for the 22-year-old theater major’s public image, either.
One shows a smiling Polumbo with a man she identified as her boyfriend, his open mouth over her left breast. Polumbo is fully clothed in the photo, which appeared to be snapped at a nightclub.

“This was meant to be private,” Polumbo said.

The pageant committee is going to be making their decision today on whether or not she keeps her crown.

The photos are in the extended entry, and not one of them is worthy of blackmail or having her crown stripped away in my opinion.

The Story Never Ends �

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

As his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry approaches, 15-year-old Harry Potter is in full-blown adolescence, complete with regular outbursts of rage, a nearly debilitating crush, and the blooming of a powerful sense of rebellion. It's been yet another infuriating and boring summer with the despicable Dursleys, this time with minimal contact from our hero's non-Muggle friends from school. Harry is feeling especially edgy at the lack of news from the magic world, wondering when the freshly revived evil Lord Voldemort will strike. Returning to Hogwarts will be a relief--or will it?

We just got home from seeing this, myself and my two teenage sons, who have been HP fans since the first book. It was very enjoyable. I have loved the darkness of the last few films. Not to say the first ones with all the bright colors sucked, but I do love how dark they are.

Fans of the books will no doubt watch HP and the OOTP, and say 'oh! so much from the book is missing!'
Yes, a lot of scenes are cut out, but I'm hopeful that the DVD when released, will have some deleted or extended scenes.
Certain scenes have been changed entirely from my recollection of the book, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do, to squeeze a book of that size down to 2 hours and 18 minutes.

There are no surprises in the film, readers already know what's going on and about to happen, but it is done superbly.
I am always amazed at the CGI in the HP films because the stuff looks so real like you could just reach out and touch it.
The 'battle scenes' are full of stunning effects. I love the way they all look, the actors really get into their roles and portray the magic so well, like they are really casting spells.

It was nice to see that the scene between Harry and Severus, where Snape is trying to teach Harry mind control, was not cut out.
It gave Harry that little bit of info on Snape's relationship with James Potter that Harry needed to know.
The memory scenes are beautiful as they have always been, and I love seeing the pictures that come to life when they are looked at.

The theater was mostly empty, I blame that on the official movie posters (above) where the date says July 13, 2007.
I have a feeling there are a lot of people who don't know that opening day was changed to today.
We had some obnoxious tween girls in the row in front of us, all giggling and talking loudly as their HP crushes came on screen, and after the movie when I used the restroom, they just had to be in there talking about which girl character they would want to be so they could be the girlfriends of their fave boy characters.
Tween girls are annoying.
I really hope I wasn't like that at that age.
I wanted to go to the restroom sink and spray them all with water to shut them the hell up, mostly because they talked through the whole movie, but also because they sounded like stupid little fan girls.

Over all, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is an excellent movie.
Gorgeous to look at, great sound and visual effects, and fairly faithful to the book.
Go see it if you are a fan of the books and films, you won't be disappointed.

Passions on Direct TV only, sucks.

NBC canceled the soap Passions, it's last episode will air on broadcast tv on September 16th.
Fans tried so hard to save the show, and they did save it, but now Passions will only be available on Direct TV starting September 17th 2007.

For fans like me, this sucks.
I do not have Direct TV, and have no plans on getting it.
It costs too much.
Yes I know the site says it's only $29.99 per month, but my local Direct TV people make you go through a credit check and also pay for a years worth of service in advance.
That means I cannot afford to get Direct TV, and I will never see my fave show again.

I have been watching the show since the very first episode, it really is my fave daytime soap.
It's querky and odd, it has magic and spells, and demons and witches. It's like no other soap.
There's the usual sex and murder stories like all soaps, but it has all that extra stuff that just makes it so much fun to watch.

I'm very disappointed in NBC. They want the Today show to run for an extra hour every day. It's already 3 hours long and the last hour, is dull and boring, it sucks.
Instead of removing some other show, they decided to dump Passions.
Get rid of Rachel Ray, her show sucks.

It's just super sad that I will never get to see the show again.
There will be no on line episodes like NBC currently does.
At 9pm every night, NBC posts the full days episode on line.
Direct TV will not be doing that.
I can only hope that some super devoted fan sets up a website and records and posts the episodes for those of us who cannot afford to get Direct TV.

Atheist Universe

I received a copy of Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism, from a dear friend, and I immediately started reading it.
I love to have books like this on hand for when I am attacked in my own home by the various religious groups that proselytize on my street during these summer months.
I also just really like expanding my knowledge of the subject.

Being an atheist isn't an easy thing to be in this country, and I live in the deep south, the bible belt, so I am in the minority here.
Atheists are the most despised and untrusted group of people in the United States.
We are considered more untrustworthy than even Muslims.
We are told we are evil, we are unpatriotic, we lack morals and ethics, and we are overall, just very, very, bad people.

Atheist Universe written by David Mills, is an excellent book. It kept me turning the pages, laughing, nodding my head in agreement, and easily understanding all that was written within it's pages.

Book description:
Clear, concise, and persuasive, Atheist Universe details exactly why God is unnecessary to explain the universe and life's diversity, organization, and beauty. The author thoroughly rebuts every argument that claims to "prove" God's existence — arguments based on logic, common sense, philosophy, ethics, history and science.

Atheist Universe avoids the esoteric language used by philosophers and presents its scientific evidence in simple lay terms, making it a richly entertaining and easy-to-read introduction to atheism. A comprehensive primer, it addresses all the historical and scientific questions, including: Is there proof that God does not exist? What evidence is there of Jesus' resurrection? Can creation science reconcile scripture with the latest scientific discoveries?

Atheist Universe also answers ethical issues such as: What is the meaning of life without God? It's a spellbinding inquiry that ultimately arrives at a controversial and well-documented conclusion.

Important Questions Answered in This Book:

* What, precisely, is atheism, and why is it misunderstood so thoroughly?

* If God is a myth, then did the universe appear from nothing?

* Does the meticulous clockwork of planetary motion result from mindless random forces?

* Do atheists believe that human beings evolved through blind accident from lifeless matter?

* Do the splendor and intricacy of life on Earth reveal evidence of intelligent design by a supernatural Creator?

* Can atheists prove that God does not exist?

* What about Creation Science, and the popular new movement to reconcile Scripture and science?

* Have recent scientific discoveries pointed to God’s governance of the cosmos?

* Did Albert Einstein believe in God?

* Does the fact that energy cannot be destroyed lend credibility to a belief in eternal life?

* Without God, can there be a valid system of ethics or an objective "right" and "wrong"?

* Does religion encourage moral conduct and civilized behavior? Is the Golden Rule really such a bad idea?

* What is the meaning of life without God?

* When we die, are we simply dead like dogs?

* Did atheists suffer a trauma in childhood that warped them into blasphemous rebellion?

* Because of ubiquitous injustice on Earth, is an afterlife required to redress the imbalance, where evil is ultimately punished and virtue rewarded?

* Is atheism just another crackpot religion?

* What’s the harm in a person’s private spirituality? Does humanity have everything to gain, and nothing to lose, through belief in God (even if He’s only imaginary)?

* Apart from the Bible, is there secular historical evidence of Jesus’ miracles and resurrection?

* How do atheists explain "near death" experiences and medical miracles which amaze even skeptical doctors?

* Why should a tiny minority of atheists be able to force their opinions on everyone else by banning prayer in public schools?

* Since "there are no atheists in foxholes," have famous nonbelievers recanted on their deathbeds?

* Did Old and New Testament prophecies correctly predict events which actually unfolded during our own lifetimes?

* What about the Shroud of Turin and the discovery of wood fragments from Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat in Turkey?

* Does the Law of Entropy (or the "running down" of the universe) contradict evolutionary theory, which asserts that Nature’s complexity is increasing?

* Is there absolute proof that man evolved from a lower form of life?

* Even if you believe that all life evolved from a single cell, how could complex cellular life originate without a Creator?

* Is atheism a totally negative philosophy, leading only to cynicism and despair?

* Does communism’s past embrace of atheism prove that atheism is an evil and failed philosophy?

* Was America really founded upon Christian principles by Christian believers?

* What is the true, behind-the-scenes relationship between politics and religion in 21st-century America?

The books is also chock full of quotes from some of the world's most famous scholars and their thoughts on religion.
I'd definitely suggest it as mandatory reading for any doubters out there, for anyone who just wants to know what an atheist really is instead of just assuming that a lack of religion is indicative of a lack of morals and ethics.
The answers it provides to the questions above, are thorough and easy to understand.

1-18-08

The official teaser trailer for the yet untitled film by JJ Abrams, is now on line at Apple.
This is the speculated Godzilla or Voltron movie I've previously posted about.
There are some new rumors that it is a ctulhu like monster.
This trailer is so much better quality than the sneaky hidden camera ones taken at theaters when people went to see Transformers.

1-18-08

Say it ain't so Dave.

Dave Mustaine of Megadeath, did an interview for a very conservative magazine recently, where he discussed his very conservative views.

Dave Mustaine really hates the United Nations.
He feels the group is "a blot on the face of humanity," part of a "mire of hypocrisy, bribes, kickbacks, and corruption."
He also says, "The U.N. is where our so-called allies undermine us, and we pay 22 percent of the tab to host our enemies here at home."

On the bands new album, Untitled Abominations, the rampant conservatism of Mustaine's lyrics is evident in such songs as Amerikhastan, which is a pro-Israel song.

And now, Dave is a born again Christian, some songs on the album are A Tout Le Monde and Never Walk Alone: A Call To Arms, and they are being called "touching paeans to his faith."

The American Spectator, the very conservative magazine he did this interview for, has latched onto him because he agrees with their view, not because they like him.
They will use him to try and bring the so-called undesirable people (hard rock fans) into the conservative fold.

James Hetfield a terrorist? nah...LOL

UK Yahoo is reporting that James Hetfield had a hard time entering the UK to play at Wembley Stadium for Live Earth and questioned by airport officials.

The star was barred entry to Luton airport on Thursday and questioned by staff who were concerned about his appearance. Fears that Hetfield might be involved in terrorism were apparently founded on his "Taliban-like beard", according to The Times. He was allowed to leave the airport after a brief interrogation, when he persuaded officials that he was a rock star.

Poor James.
He's not a terrorist, he's a fucking rock star!
Maybe he should shave the beard though.
It's not really "him" anyway.
I liked his chops much better.

*UPDATE*
London's The Times had originally posted the news story, but now a rep for Hetfield says it's untrue.

Usmagazine.com reports that the rep said, "It's false. It's not true." We should have smelled this one from a mile away.

Walk it out, now walk it out.

Gwen Verdon and '60s Bob Fosse choreography, moves to "Walk it Out"
It's an actual clip from the late 1960's of 3 women dancing to a performance choreographed by Bob Fosse.
The music totally matches up with the choreography. This is brilliant.
I don't know who thought to put this together, but it's so freaking cool.

And here's the original;

Hat tip Perez Hilton

Ghost Rider 2007

We just got done watching Ghost Rider.
This movie is awesome!

Plot summary and possible spoilers:

Nicolas Cage as motorcyclist Johnny Blaze, who transforms into a skull-faced angel of vengeance to battle the forces of evil. Though perhaps a bit too mature for the role, Cage brings a degree of humor to the outrageous proceedings; he's well matched by the Easy Rider himself Peter Fonda, amusingly cast as Mephistopheles, the demon with whom Blaze strikes a bargain to save his father, and in turn, causes his transformation into Ghost Rider. Wes Bentley is also fine as Blackheart, the rebellious offspring of Mephistopheles, and Blazes' chief opponent in the film. They're joined by a solid supporting cast which includes Donal Logue, Eva Mendes, and Sam Elliott, but their participation and a relentless barrage of CGI effects can't hide the fact that the story itself, though largely faithful to its comic origins, is rife with clichéd characterizations and glum B-movie dialogue. Fans of the venerable title may cry foul over this adaptation (as they did over helmer Mark Steven Johnson's previous comic-to-movie feature, Daredevil), but less stringent viewers may enjoy the fiery visuals and Cage's typically quirky performance. --Paul Gaita

While I agree with Gaita on some points, I think Cage did a fine job in the role.
He is much too old for this role, but he played it well.
Yes the dialogue was rather B movie, but it was an enjoyable film.
It won't win any awards, well maybe for the CGI effects, but it's a good fun movie for everyone.
There's no bad language, no sex, no over the top gore or blood for that matter.

I loved seeing Peter Fonda as Mephistopheles.
When I imagine the horned one, I do not picture him as being played by someone who has always been so "gentle" in my opinion, but Fonda was cool, slick, he fit.

Eva Mendes was bland. I guess that's why in every scene her boobs were popping out of her shirt or dess.
She just didn't show or have any emotions. In a few scenes, her eyes seemed to be wandering off set looking at something, perhaps a director giving hand signals? Who knows, but she was really dull.

Now, Wes Bentley who played Blackheart, did a fine job. He looked evil, sounded evil, kinda sexy.
In American Beauty, Bentley was the oddly calm teen next door, who sold pot and helped transform Lester and Jane into the people they wanted to be.
In Ghost Rider, he is loud and creepy, the CGI effects to his character were very cool.

Over all, the film is very enjoyable, and because it had no bad language or sex or gore, I'd say it's appropriate for a slightly younger crowd as well as adults for a fun night of movie watching.

Miss New Jersey is being blackmailed.

E! Online.

Mis New Jersey is being blackmailed by someone who claims they have pictures of her from years ago that would tarnish her crown.

Polumbo said that she received copies of between six and a dozen photos which she and her attorney would only describe as not revealing in the mail on June 25, accompanied by a letter threatening to publish them unless she relinquished her crown to first runner-up Ronica Licciardello.

This is all so silly in my opinion.
Intead of the pageants being based on talent and skills, what they want to do with their lives, any pictures they may have had taken at any time in their young lives, scandalous or not, people are trying to ruin these women's lives.
It's so ridiculous to me.
Is being crowned so much of a big deal that people have to blackmail others to win?
I am gonna bet that the blackmailer is somehow tied to the runner up, Ronica Licciardello.
All I can think is that she's somehow related to some mobster type, and he wants her to win at any cost. (This is a joke people, lighten up)
It will be interesting to see how this story ends up and who the blackmailer is.
You can watch her press conference below.

More info on possible Cloverfield movie.

There are currently two rumors about it now.
One, that it is a new Godzilla because of the noise you can hear and the reporter in the news clip says that reports of a roaring noise can be heard, and two, that it is a Voltron movie.

There are two websites now. One with just a picture on it, 1-18-08.
And then Cloverfieldmovie.com with absolutely nothing on it.

I'll be watching both sites to see what comes of them.

Gears of War has been destroyed.

The boys copy of Gears Of War won't work anymore.
I have no idea why. The xbox360, just says it's reading over and over again.
It will not load the game.
So guess what I get to buy next week?
Again.
Yup, GoW.

The game is really that good. If it wasn't, there is no way I'd be purchasing it for the 2nd time.
I even started getting really good at it.

Cloverfield.

Here's what we know.

Cloverfield, which recently unleashed a bizarre kickass trailer in front of Transformers. Here's what we know so far: The film is due out on January 18, 2008, it's produced by J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot (Lost, Alias), Paramount Pictures is distributing, and it's apparently a monster movie shot from the POV of handheld video cameras. After viewing said trailer, our own Scott Weinberg said it looks like "The Blair Witch Project meets the Godzilla remake." Well, now, AICN say they know who's directing Cloverfield (or whatever the hell it's called): Matt Reeves. Who? Well, believe it or not, but Reeves was an executive producer and writer on the TV show Felicity, and he also helped the Mark Wahlberg flick The Yards and Under Siege 2. His only big-screen directing gig to date was on The Pallbearer, which he also co-wrote.

Keep in mind that Cloverfield is not the title of this movie; I believe it's the top secret name they're using right now to hide the real title, if there is one. AICN also claims that Drew Godard (Lost, Alias, Buffy) penned the script, and that the featured monster is something called The Parasite. With all the Lost folks involved, some fans speculated that Cloverfield could be a companion piece of sorts to the show. Personally, I'm in the camp that thinks this is a totally new flick -- I just can't understand all this secrecy. What do they have to hide? Is all this hush hush just a plot to drum up internet buzz for the project, or is there another reason why no one will talk about it? Regardless, I think a monster movie told from the POV of folks running around with video cameras has the potential of being a really fun ride, so long as the damn camera doesn't shake repeatedly and give me a headache. We already know there will be a host of major Star Trek XI announcements later this month at ComicCon, so look for more Cloverfield info to be revealed at that time.

And here's what it looks like.

Micheal Moore wants you to watch Sicko.

I am posting this until someone tells me to take it down.
Right now, I am so very angry at our health care system I could scream.

I know Moore often exaggerates shit, but come the fuck on people, wake up!
We are killing our own citizens with this privatized medical insurance bullshit.
If you can't pay, you die in the US.
In other countries, you just don't pay.
You live.

After battling with my insurance company for 5 years and being denied again and again, I am so fucking angry that somewhere else, they would have just cared for me.
I wouldn't have lost my ability to work at a job. I wouldn't be disabled.
Do you know what that is like? Do you?

I'm sick to my stomach after watching this and I hope you feel sick too.
But don't go to a US hospital, they only care if you can pay.

The Story Never Ends �