MINI REVIEW: The Island

Watched this on my first day off from work. Wow. I didn't know you could make a 2 and half hour Noxema commercial into an action movie, but by golly they did. What a literal piece of shit this pile of dung is. This movie confirmed everything about Michael Bay I was afraid of. He can't tell a story. He can make it look smooth and polished all he wants, but its still a turd floating in the bowl. There are a few decent action sequences, but the story is done dude. Seen it. I was going to mention Gattaca, but that would be doing that film a disservice. Oh you know what this is my blog, and I can say what I want. THIS MOVIE EATS ASS!!!! I did get through it after stopping a few times to measure the grass in my yard, and on a moronic level it's entertaining on some level. But after the credits rolled, I felt so empty. Director Bay made The Rock which I walked out on, and Asteroids: The Movie, which I never saw, and the one movie he made I actually liked was Bad Boys 2 because it was so over the top, I couldn't help but like it. This is steaming folks. I stood in line with Scarlet Johansen once in LA and she said more dialog there than in this entire film. She is beautiful, but give her something to do besides say "Run" and my favorite, "Come on we gotta get out of here". (Ok I admit I think that line is in my film, "Seventy-8." ) Avoid "The Island" at all costs.

Novus Ortus

The blogging lately has been tough to keep up with. After my last posting I came down with the Flu. Luckily I was already on the antibiotics from a sinus infection, so the fix was quick. During that sick period I was given an opportunity to advance my career forward as an editor. I never really saw myself as an editor to be honest. I am somewhat self taught in non-linear editing. When I graduated school the old way of editing from machine to machine was pretty much gone. So as I entered the workforce I had to learn this new thing called The Avid. Now what is the Avid you ask? It's an editing system, but a non-linear one. In school we used one of these things in my last semester, after the previous semesters of learning the old linear way with both film and video. Now, I have been editing ever since I was 13 and figured out how to do it with two VCR's tied together. But it was always so time consuming and frustrating once you finished something that you couldn't go back and re-edit a new idea you had. So I stuck with writing, cause you could always use the word processor to change your ideas quickly. Then I answered a job in the paper for a position as a graphic designer for a company called Marketing Management Inc. (MMI) Graphic design was part of my major, and they liked my portfolio. They took me on a tour of the building and told me they were beginning a video/multimedia department. Bingo. They had even bought an Avid and had a commercial produced on it that in all honesty was lame. I told them I would take the position but that I wanted that Avid. I wrote a whole new script and shot a bunch of new footage and learned the Avid inside and out. And it was on that commercial that for the first time I actually enjoyed the process of editing. In fact I loved it. It was a new way for me to communicate a story without words. I was hooked. Sure I went upstairs and designed when there was nothing to cut, but I couldn't wait to get back down there and slice something up into a story.

MMI is where I met pretty much everything that's in my life today. I met my beautiful fiance, Amy there. I met all these amazing artists including Kevin Flach, a guy who taught me things I use every day in my job. I brought my college buddy, Shawn Kelly in to start the internet division of MMI. I even designed the logo and came up with the name Immotion Studios for our multimedia department. We were young and determined to make a splash in the DFW area. We had all the talent and all the resources of MMI. But more than anything we had the support of The Pease family who owned MMI and Herb Pease Sr. was a guy who built the business from the trunk of his car door to door. I admired that to no end. I could only hope to be as successful as he was. As time wore on in the late 90's to 2000, things were pretty good. We had new bosses, and we even separated into two groups. One Internet and one Multimedia. Then we got a new boss, then another, and another. It was getting ridiculous. And after a while I was starting to realize that maybe I was in a rut creatively and so I decided to turn back to art. I finished a short film that Shawn and I had never finished in college. Then this awesome thing happened. Final Cut Pro. Changed my life. Now I could edit at home and cheaply. I started making short films again and editing them at home after hours. I premiered them at work and on the internet. I was in a zone cranking these little comedies out. Then the bottom fell out.

9/11. I walked into work after just finishing a new short film, and saw the crowd around the TV near my edit suite. That one morning really changed the course of everyone's lives in my department. Management panicked and begin laying off people. But then there was a ray of hope. My shorts began to generate some heat around the office as I started selling a compilation of them to raise some money for 9/11. This all got back to Herb Pease Sr. and he asked me how can you make money on these things and I said well you really can't unless you make a feature film. And from that a little script called Seventy-8 was born. I think maybe Herb saw some of himself in me as I did of myself in him. As Seventy-8 grew closer I began to get more and more involved with Amy and my life was taking a turn both emotionally and creatively. It was a rollercoster of emotions. Then just before Seventy-8 was about to roll, MMI layed off even more people. And Kevin was among them. I was fucking pissed. I was told by my now 8th boss that I was seen as the future and that Kevin was not. How nice. Now I was very conflicted at this point. I mean I was so enamored with Sr. for trusting me with this film, but I was also angry that they would let Kevin go. If they only knew what he could do and accomplish. Sure I was the 'golden boy' at the moment, but I wasn't the glue guy. When I helped Kevin take his things out to his car I felt as if my heart was ripped out of my chest. I was clearly divided but dedicated to making this movie. Kevin even told me to forget about it and go make my dream. It hurt but I marched on.

After the movie was shot I moved back to my day job and juggled editing a feature film and commercials quite nicely. Now that Kevin was gone I worked with this amazing lady named Lesha. We bonded quickly and established a great one-two punch. We did great for over a year, then Lesha left for greener pastures. When she left I felt totally alone. Who would sell my services now? As the move kept rolling along, we finished. Did the festival thing and all that. And again I settled back into my job as a video producer/editor. Then Marija came into the fold and at first I was skeptical of her I must say. I was real fond of Lesh and I didn't know if she could pick up where she left off. I was wrong. She fit in great and after a few shaky first projects we worked great together. Then Shawn left for a new place and then Amy left. And the way she was treated by boss number whatever was evil and uncalled for. I took it very personally and it felt even worse than Kevin leaving. But I was happy for Amy, and we soon got engaged over the holidays.

Then at the beginning of this year we got another new boss and were dislocated from Creative Services to be a team of two. Which was fine really. But I have to say I was skeptical of where we were headed for the future and really tired of re-explaining what we do again. We had a great year for just two people, but I don't think anyone really sat down and saw that. I could be wrong, but we made money. I am and always will be 100 percent dedicated to where I work. But the halls of MMI were getting lonely. Herb Sr. was rarely around anymore and it just seemed cold to me. The energy was gone, and it was starting to affect my spirits. Then I got a call and opportunity knocked for me at a new place called VNR1 Communications in Arlington. It is a chance for me to find myself again and to again work with others like Kevin that do and think like I do. For the past 2 years its been me in a room talking to myself. Sure I discovered new things and all that but I was missing the communication with others in my field. My learning was beginning to become stunted. VNR has asked me to come in and teach them new things and also learn from them. I'm excited and looking forward to working with new people and sharing new ideas. Something I've lacked for several years now.

I am now no longer with MMI, but the parting was good, and the hope is I can continue to work with them on a contract basis with several clients. I will continue my business with Herb on the film "Seventy-8" to its completion. I have no hard feelings toward MMI, and I left with a sense of sadness and a sense of wonder of where my future lies. I owe much of my life to MMI, and will always be greatful and sad that things could not have turned out better than they did.

RIP: Uncle Owen

In the obscure yet important deaths this week, I saw that Phil Brown who played Uncle Owen from the original Star Wars died. Here is his bio: In all Phil Brown did more than 65 films and Television shows, but for me and for all of you, he'll always be UNCLE OWEN, who died a long time ago in a galaxy far far away, today the actor died far closer to home. Rest In Peace Phil Brown.

The Mavs get shoplifted by K-Mart...Streak over at 13...

Well we were both way too sick last night to watch the game. I think between us we coughed up a midget. K-Mart was too much to handle, and the Mavs looked like a totally different team. They looked tired and lazy and had no energy. As a result the streak ends at 13. Thanks Norm for jinxing it. The Spurs won again with Tim Duncan even though he has the Flu. So now the Mavs have dropped below the Spurs. I think New York will lay over for us on Monday. So hopefully we can get back up there. Amy wants to go eat pancakes, I feel like a semi-truck just hit me after all the coughing. I'll have to do something nice for Amy on valentines Day, cause I'm a real asshole when I'm sick. I haven't slept more than 4 hours for the past 4 nights. Very edgy indeed.

Mavs Rolling...

Block Party
Originally uploaded by genzod.

How good is this team now? Some say the best in the NBA. Charles Barkley and other NBA so-called experts are changing their tune about them. At the beginning of the season I was confused. I mean I knew they were a good team, but I had no idea Coach Avery could get this kind of performance out them. Wow. Last night Amy and I went to the game and watched the Mavs crush Shaq and his Heatlets by 36. One point shy of the blow out of the top team record wise Pistons a few months ago. Last nights performance was a thing of sheer beauty. It was like ballet for Hoops fans. This team is deeper than any other team and is a game and a half behind The Pistons. They have left the Spurs behind, and now it may be early, but this team is hungry for a title, and it looks as though Avery will stop at nothing to get there. Barring any late season injuries, I'd take this team over any team in the NBA right now. Tonight they try for 14 straight over the Nuggets. Norm on the Ticket radio show predicts 20. I don't know about that, but if they do, WOW.

Mongoloid of the Month

Mongoloidism (the story went) is a defect in which the child of caucasoid parents atavistically expresses the traits of a previous, less advanced stage of human evolution—the mongoloid stage. The mongoloid child, as a throwback to a more primitive type of human, is mentally deficient.

Does that sound like some of the people that work at Wal-Mart to you? Let me tell you a little story that I am not too proud of myself to disclose, but I feel like I need a place to rant about these "things" that work at my local Wal-Marts. First off, I had a very important meeting to get to on Tuesday morning. I got in my truck and it was dead. Poor Amy had to come pick me up and let me use her car. So we get home, that evening and take the battery out of my truck and head to the great land known as White Settlement. My reasoning for going there was we had two stops to make and that one was the closet. Yes there are hillbillies there, and other assortments of the living dead, but having had luck there before, I was sure it would be fine. I mean Amy was born in White Settlement. ( I may need to do some more investigating there...) Keep in mind that we are both dog sick. I am hacking up all sorts of goodness and my temper is short. Also I am attempting to get back home by 7:30 for the Mavs ass whipping of the LA Laker. I mean Lakers. (Another story.)

So we go in, and as usual there is no one to help you in automotive. Then this scraggly Flo-esque chick with no teeth to speak of emerges from the depths of Wal-Marts corridors. Amy had already looked up the number and it had an F next to the number. There were several next to it with he correct number but not an F in the number. So we ask Wal Mart mongoloid employee number one. Frustrated that she actually has to help us she shifts her toothless carcass over to us and we ask her about the F being in the number. And she replies, "It don't make no difference, it's the same battery." We say, are you sure, cause it says in this book here that it is the F270, not the 270. She says again, "it don't make no difference." So we decide to trust the Mongoloid, and we get the battery. Now, I have been told that with the proliferation of computers that many Mongoloids actually own them now. You would think after about a dozen times or two the grammar checker would tell the Mongoloid that "It don't make no difference" is incorrect. But again we trust the Mongoloid. So we get home, eat our Wendys that was right next to the Wal-Mart and the game has just begun. How perfect I had thought. We got our errands run and are now eating right before tip-off. Perfect. Amy, having serious doubts of the Mongoloid's advice goes in the garage and puts the new battery in. I follow her and she tells me that the contacts will not reach. Never trust the Mongoloid. So we put the Tivo on pause and proceed to go to the Hulen Wal-Mart.

Now mind you this Wal-Mart is less Mongoloidish, and was Amy's first suggestion to begin with. Since Amy is usually right, I felt good that we could resolve the earlier issue. We walk into automotive with the battery and there is a line with two people in it. We are the 3rd. We check the racks and notice again they do not have this battery. I tell Amy, well maybe we should ask this Wal-Mart guy in automotive to see if they have any in the back. So we wait, And we wait. As we are waiting, I start looking at the Wal Mart employee and begin to notice some Mongoloid-esqe features, Large forehead, popping eyes, etc. but I keep my hopes up that he is just a normal run of the mill fat-ass. The first in line leave and then this European couple all dressed in PINK jumpsuits cut in front of us and make the newly anoited Mongoloid leave his post to go open a car stereo case on the next aisle. he then proceeds to take them in front of us and takes out a car stereo book and slowly turns page after page at a pace so slow that only a Mongoloid would need. Now normally I would blow this off if the Mongoloid had turned to me and said excuse me I'll be with you in just a moment. But there was nothing. Not even eye contact or anything whatsoever.

Amy turns to me and asks me if I want to go. Having not slept much the night before due to illness and coughing strongly I agreed. However something in me at that moment took over. I grabbed the battery and bumped into the Euro-trash pink duo on the way out and turned to the Mongoloid and said, "I'm sick of dealing with Mongoloids and Hillbillies like you." We then proceeded to walk out and get in the car. At this point we were pissed. I pondered the thought if Wal-Mart still sold guns. But that passed. The game was way past half-time. It then dawned on us that there was only one other alternative. Wal-Mart on McCart. The Ultimate Mongoloid Megaplex. It was time for war.

We arrive at the Wal-Mart #3 and go to automotive. Already the mood is dark as a huge truck sits with lightslooming in the parking lot as if they were waiting for a drop off of some type. We go in and there is no one there. Automotive has closed. We go to the battery rack, and we find that mine is not there. Amy panics and goes afoot in the jungle to find help. I do find a more expensive version of my battery. I have had enough. I decide to go for it and get this one. We double check it and it looks good. We go to check out and there is no one there to check us out in Auto. So Amy goes back into the jungle of incompetence and is told that we need to speak with Jamal and quickly leaves Amy. Are we to take some cardboard and yarn and make a big foghorn and say "JAMAL to AUTO"? Amy goes out to the Garage and finds Jamal cleaning up. He tells us that Auto is closed and he can't help us today. But that if we like we can go all the WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY to the front of the store to Customer service and that they can exchange the battery. Dodging other Mongs, we get up there and AGAIN someone cuts in line in front of us. I was livid and ready to slap some bitches silly at this point. We get up there and the lady says this: "you have to ring that up in Automotive and they closed right now" We stared at her and didn't say a word. We told her Jamal told us to come here, and for some reason she rang it up without a problem. Amazing. In actuality, we could have gone in the back and taken the battery off the shelf and drove away without apying a dime. I don't think Jamal would have cared really as when we left he was having a little domestic dispute with the Mrs Jamal. So we got home, game is in the forth, and yes the battery worked and yes the Laker was defeated. So that was a silver lining to the Horror of the Mongoloids.

If the Mongoloid could read this, I am sorry for calling you that. That was not a cool thing to do. However in retrospect, do not trust The Mongoloid...

RIP: Akira Ifukube

The voice of Godzilla, and the heralded Japanese composer Akira Ifukube, passed on at age 91. He was the man who gave strength and darkness to one of the greatest cinema icons in history, and his death signals the end to an era of incredible men; Tomoyuki Tanaka, Ishiro Honda, Tsurubaya, and now Ifukube.
Rest in piece sir, you deserve it.

Blogging is still cool

Went with Marija today to a really cool presentatin about blogging for business. The guy that gave the presentation is named Brian Oberkirch with weblogswork.com. We learned a bunch of new shit that I hope we can utilze for some clients and for ourself. Learned a bunch of new tools for blogging. Check out Brian's blog HERE

Vote for my Poster!!!

Hello everyone,

You may or may not remember that last year I entered a poster design contest thru Sony Pictures for the movie "Resident Evil 2". I made the top 5 last year but lost in the voting, and this year the Sony movie "Silent Hill" had another contest, so I entered that, and have made it again to the semi-finals. So I need EVERYONE's vote to help me win! If I win I promise we'll have a big party with the prize loot! So go down below and vote for my poster!!! You can vote again the next day too!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR ME

DVD Mini Reviews

Watched a few DVD's over the holidays. Here are some Quickie reviews of a few:

GRIZZLY MAN: Genius. I loved this movie. If I had a top ten list of 2005, this would be right up there. Great documentary by a master filmaker that is getting better with age. Its not Fitzcarldo, but same themes. Only this time its fact not fiction. A Truly wonderful documentary.

2046: Wong Kar-wei. What more I there to say. I reviewed this back in the summer. My thoughts have not changed at all. Remarkable. My favorite film of 05. Kar-wei will you marry me?

DOMINION: PREQUEL TO THE EXORCIST: I saw Renny Harlin's Exorcist: The beginning and gagged. This film is a redemption of sorts. Totally different film, and a vastly improved one at that. This is a character piece that has pyschological horror. Not blood and guts. The special effects are laughable, but if you can get beyond that and look at the story and characters, you will have a good time and as always writer/director Paul Schrader gives you something to think about after you watch the movie. I wish I had his resume!

SKY HIGH: A lot of people told me how good and fun this was. Maybe I was in a bad mood. It just kind of sat there. Liked the concept, but I've seen it before when it was called Volcano High. Cool scenes and a good kid movie, just didn't entertain the comic geek in me enough.

PALINDROMES: Good old Todd Solendz tells the story of a runaway girl played by several different actresses. Not only that but they are all different ages and races as well. This movie kind of won me over after a while for some reason. Its got its usual Soledz awkwardness, but enough good moments to recommend it to the other freaks out there.

MYSTERIOUS SKIN: Greg Akari tries to creep you out again with another wonderful tale of homo-erotic teenage fun. This movie gave me the creeps, and not in a good way. I think I've moved past this kind of film in my life. I understand what he wanted to say, but it didn't mean much to me. It was better than Fantastic 4 if you have to choose...

UNDEAD: Great Zombie flick form Australia. Check out the documentary on the DVD of the making. The directors really put everything they had into this thing.

DEMON SEED: Wonderful Julie Christie exploitation. Guy builds a super computer in his basement that ends up raping his girlfriend and impregnating her. They must destroy the evil computer before he is able to birth the Demon Seed!!!! Classic. By he way the computer looks like one of the labyryth puzzle boxes in Hellraiser. Gives new meaning to cybersex. But this was made way before that term was even a reality. Check it for fun.

INSIDE DEEP THROAT: disappointing documentary that misses the mark about the impact on government policy that the little classic XXX ditty Deep Throat had. Didn't go deep enough for me. But that's my hangup.

REVIEW: Firefly/Serenity

Well I didn't know much about Firefly when the movie Serenity came out. But I was intrigued that a show that never really made it one season could get a feature film made about it. There must be something good about it right? So I wanted to see the series before I watched the movie, Serenity. So I did. I watched the entire DVD box set of Firefly, then went right into Serenity. So how is Firelfy you ask. Not bad is the answer, and at times it was downright fucking cool. This is the show that Star Trek used to be. Its a show Star Trek should be. This is the Magnificent Seven in space. (They even haul cattle on board!)It's about the lower class in the future. The people who bust there ass and have to break a few laws to survive in a so-called perfect world. The cast is pretty good, you have the captain kirk/han solo lead captain. He's not perfect, and he kills people occasionally. The other crew people are all castaways from one place or another. They all have opinions and most of them don't give a shit about the others. That was the kind of refreshing part of the tv show. The plots are not mindblowing but they are fun and it's really the characters that make this show fly above the other trite. The one thing that bothered me most (and this may be attributed to the fact i watched them all in a row) was that in almost every episode a crew person almost dies, then pulls through at the end. That was kinda cool a few times, but it got really repetitve after a while. As the series moved on, the crew formed a really good bond and working relationship. I was sad to see things end rather abruptly, thankfully creator Joss Wheaton was given a second chance and a budget to continue the crew of Firefly with Serenity a feature film version of the show that picks right up where the show left off sort off.

In Serenity the stakes are of course a bit higher, and they have to actually pull a Star Trek and kill off a few key crew people. I liked the movie's fast pace and pretty interesting plot. A race of people called Reavers are killing every human in space and their creators may be the government themselves. As the government tries to cover up their secret they discover that long hunted crew member River who has special abilities knows the secret and hire a bounty hunter to kill her and the ship, Serenity. Lots of action, and a good solid sci-fi plot make this a welcome sci-fi film. Although I can't see really getting the most from it without knowing the tv series pretty well. Recomended if you like good sci-fi.

Happy New Year!

Going to grab a bite to eat with Amy. Got sick last night after a junk food infusion. Hope 06 is better! Hopefully later I can blog about the aborted proposal incident, wacky family moments over the holidays, and our front row seats at the Flyers game. Peace out, and happy new year!

Howard's last "free" Show

Sad day. Today is the last time you can hear Howard Stern on free radio. I've been a loyal listener for about 15 years now. To me Howard's show is not about T & A like most people think its all about. Its the early moments in the show, the real parts, and the people on the show. Most other shows are all clones are too fake to me. This is the show that picked me up during long commutes to college. And no matter how bad my life or day was going, Howard was always there to give me a pick me up of offbeat, obscure, and bad taste humor. (The best kind) I have even contributed to the show by sending him early George Takei tapes to the show that they use daily. I will be ready for the Sirius move on Jan. 9th, but paying for the new TV show is a bit too much for my bank account right now.

A quick funny story about Howard before I go. One time I was driving to class for a test and I was seriously stressed out about it. He was doing a bit about something and at that point traffic had come to a halt on I-30. I think it was when Billy West was a semi-regular on the show and I was laughing so hard that I forgot I was in traffic or even going to take a test. I looked over to my left and there were angry traffic people everywhere all pissed and upset. Then a guy pulled up next to me and was laughing as hard as I was. Looking back on that, I think that's what Howard is all about. When times are tough it's great to laugh, and Howard does that better than anyone on the air. "Shu, Shu Retarded Flu." "Oh my"

REVIEW: Gus Van Sant's Last Days

I watched director Gus Van Sant's latest film Last Days about Kurt Cobain's final hours. And I was warned by Jason not to watch it, but I did anyway cause I like Van Sant's stuff. Recently Van Sant has started making art films again and although I hated "Gerry" I loved "Elephant". "Last Days" is another matter. I had seen it on a few peoples best of the year lists as a misunderstood masterpiece. So I gave in and checked it out. Jason was right. It just sits there. It does nothing. For me at least. Whatever Cobain's genius was, it's not found here that's for sure. The movie sucks. Whoever thinks this is a masterpiece is smoking too much of whatever Van Sant is smoking in downtown Portland, Oregon. Now don't get me wrong I love Van Sant. I even kinda like his shot for shot remake of Pyscho, but its time to reel it in Gus. For real. Your style is cool, but your storytelling is tedious and a "beating" to get through at the moment. I know what he's trying to do, but he can do it better.

Amy at age 3...

Amy was making fun of me last night for vlogging and being self important. Here is some footage of Amy as a little girl in 1978. I put some of her favorite music behind it. Play the Quicktime movie down below.

Farah White in Femme Fatales Magazine

Farah White from my movie, "Seventy-8" is in the latest issue of Femme Fatales on newstands now. She talks about her new TV Pilot with Sly Stallone and "Seventy-8". Go Farah!

REVIEW: King Kong '05

The first movie my folks ever took me to see was King Kong with Jeff "The Dude" Bridges. So in 2005 I took my parents to see King Kong 2005. It was a real special night with my folks and Amy in tow. I was preparred to be wowed like the kid I was in 1976.
Peter Jackson hit a home run with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Can he do it again. Not really. I'm not comparing the two movies by any means. But its hard to live up to that last feat. Hopefully that won't haunt his career. I really wish he had made Lovely Bones first. A more Heavenly Creatures movie first before getting back into Lucasville antics.
The movie is really more of a loving tribute to the original 30's Kong. And I liked that, but I think it was too thick in places for me. I never felt like I was watching a solid movie about a monster. And anyone who knows me, knows I love a good monster movie. I had the same problem with this movie that I had with Godzilla:Final Wars this year. These are tribute films, not straight forward films. They don't take the subject matter seriously. Which shocked me considering how much love Jackson puts into his films. Sure Kong is great and is fully realized, but I always felt Jackson winking to me from behind the green screen. It was a fun ride like Jurassic Park, but nothing more for me. I'm about to re-watch Godzilla Final Wars this week, so maybe my reaction will change on a 2nd viewing. I will say this, the ending on top of the Empire State building is one of the most beautifully shot and put together pieces of film in a long while. Worth the price just for that scene alone.

Welcome to Vlogging... (click here to play)

Click on the Title above the pic to play the Vlog!

A Tale of Two Teams...

Man when i first wrote about the Mavs being out of control and the Rockets improving into a championship team I could not have been more wrong. The Mavs are impressive on any given evening and the Rockets are downright awful this year. Here is what happened: The Mavericks are winning games in the he fourth quarter. They used to build huge leads then lose them in the 4th, that's all different. Dirk is a MVP this year no doubt. Forget those two Lakers games. Those were odd flukes. Devin Harris is coming of age as an NBA star before our eyes. He is averaging double digits every night and dishing some serious assists to Jason Terry, Dirk, and Damp. And then there is that questionable off season pickup of Diop. No more questions. For whatever reason he sat on the bench in Cleveland for the last three seasons is beyond me. He is almost the leading shot blocker in the league this year! And Josh and Marquis are improving daily. This team is scary good folks. I guess I was so upset at the loss of Finley, I neglected to really take a hard look at this team. Stack has only played two games this year, but it didn't even matter. They are tied with the Spurs for first place in the West and 2 overall in the NBA. We beat #1 Detroit by 30 and have beat the Spurs one out of two times as well. Damp is even starting to play well as of late. Did I say this team is on its way? Congrats to Avery Johnson for making me a Mavs fan with out my beloved Fin. This is a team by every definition.



Now on to my Rockets... Oh God what a friggin mess. They got off to a decent start, then McGrady went down with a back injury. (Shades of the Orlando Magic anyone?) The Rockets could not win a game with McGrady. Then he comes back and wins 6 straight. Alston goes down, then Jon berry, then Mutumbo, then the final blow, Yao. This team probably won't make the playoffs this year. I saw Jeff Van Gundy pull a Marky mark from Boogie Nights the other night and just stare at the floor for a good 3 minutes. That Mike James trade was a big mistake. Maybe Skip to ma Lou will prove me wrong, but this team has no chemistry unless McGrady and Yao are out there together. Props to Moochie Norris and my favorite new Rocket, Luther Head for trying to keep hope alive. Stromile Swift had a good night tonight against the Hornets but missed a buzzer beater for the win. Otherwise he has been distant and too relaxed for a Van Gundy team. It';s a mess. I still think once Yao gets back and Jon Barry and a few others that they can do what they did last season and turn that ship around before the playoffs. However watching them tonight and last night, they have no confidence. McGrady looks like he's in Orlando again, and the bench of injuries looks like a Men's Warehouse ad for the NBA. Sad, but I will keep the hope alive for my Rockets.

We Got Bling!

Amy and I are officially engaged!!!!!!!

DVD Review: The Assassination of Richard Nixon

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while, but I've been busy at work with all these commercial spots at the day gig. Did get a chance to see some flicks yesterday though. Checked out this Russian horror film called The Night Watch which Lions Gate will put out in US sometime next year. I thought it was average yet interesting riff on things I have seen in the genre before. But my biggest surprise was how good this Sean Penn indie flick called "The Assassination of Richard Nixon" was. With shades of Taxi Driver being one of the reasons I was really drawn into it was, I really dug this movie. The ending is maybe a bit overdoing it, but this 90 minute portrait of how one can lose their mind by leading the American Dream was very compelling to me. Penn plays Sam a recently divorced man with 3 kids. His wife played by Naomi Watts has moved on as Sam tries to become a 'normal' sap by learning how to become a salesman at a office furniture store. Life starts to takes turn for the worse as Sam tries to patch up his relationship with Watts. He begins to watch all the countries discontent on TV in Vietnam, The Black Panthers, and other civil rights movements. He even tries to join the Black Panthers in a scene that I will remember forever when Penn tries to convince the panthers to add Whites to the membership and that they should consider calling themselves The Zebras! LOL.

This film paints a sad portrait of how people living in America sometimes end up in the waste basket even when they have good intentions. It's a really sad portrait of how someone can fall between the cracks and lose their mind. The title of this film refers to Sam's last ditch effort to be noticed by someone, anyone for that matter. Sam wants to be remembered for something in his life and if the assassination of a president is what it takes, then in his mind he will be remembered for making a difference. Great film rent it on DVD soon as you can.

Superman Returns Site Update

Head over to the official website for Superman Returns and see all the cool updates. Click here

Battlestar Galactica

Is anyone but me watching this show? It continues to improve from season to season. I finally watched the 2nd season finale on the old Tivo today, and wow what a cliffhanger for next year. If you are not watching this show yet, you should. The writing is strong. And don't judge it based on memories of the old show. Its so far removed from that train wreck of cheese now. It's quite an epic, and again is a great example of how to use the medium of TV to tell a huge epic storyline. Pick up the first season on DVD and hopefully the second won't be far behind.

DVD Review: Phantasm Quadrilogy Box Set

This really isn't much of a review since this just arrived yesterday from the UK, but I wanted to just write a few things about how fucking cool it is. Phantasm was one of those movies that I originally missed out on somehow. Luckily in 1988, Writer/Director Don Coscarelli got the chance to come out with Phantasm II, and at that point I was a full fledged horror maniac. I was curious that there was a sequel coming out to a movie I had only heard of, but it was really kind of difficult to find on video at the time. My best friend, Joel told me that Phantasm was one of his favorite horror movies, and that me of all people needed to see it. Now. So we tracked a copy down and sure enough I was a "Phan". Sure it was low budget and the acting was cheesy, but there was something utterly unique about it. The sci-fi elements intrigued me. The mix of Sci-Fi and horror is always tricky, but somehow this odd mix of the two worked. And I think it had more of an effect on Joel because he saw it at the same age as the main character. So we went to see the sequel, and it was very much different in that it had a budget this time out and was really a fun movie, if not perfect. I loved how it ended with a cliffhanger like the original and although it got crushed at the box office, they did make 2 more sequels, all of which are in this set from Anchor Bay UK. And a bonus disc with a feature length documentary and all sorts of goodies.

Phantasm II and III have never been available in this country on DVD. So its very cool to finally see them in widescreen for the first time and all four films are anamorphic widescreen transfers, and all have 5.1 and DTS soundtracks. I watched the feature length documentary Phantasmagoria last night and it's great. The other docs on the Bonus disc are great too. I want to sit down and watch all four films together. When that will ever happen I don't really know. Looking back its a real shame that more horror fimmakers don't take a cue from Phantasm and make something unique again. Use you heads!!! Don Coscarelli created a whole new universe with these four films. It was recently reported that New Line had bought the Phantasm rights to make this huge Lord of t Rings style horror trilogy out of it. But Don Coscarelli says this has since fallen apart, and he may be left to make P5 himself. And you know what that's fine by me if it prevents another remake from being made.

Now, you can only get this in England. And there are only a limited number of the Sphere sets available. No word on a US release, but if you have a multi-region DVD player with PAL you can play these just fine. In fact you can pick one up at CompUSA for 60 bux. I have the Philips 642 and it plays every format out there except for Blu-Ray. Back to Phantasm, the sphere set is fucking cool when you hold it in your hands. The inside package design leaves a bit to be desired as far as how the discs set in there. Click here for a more extensive review at the Phantasm website.

Also as a side note, I love the Tall Man character. I quote him all the time. In fact one time in Arlington at a horror convention Joel and I went to meet Angus Scrimm aka the Tall Man, and he was the nicest guy ever. We talked for over an hour it seemed about everything but horror. He was one of the nicest actors I've ever met. But on screen he freaks me the fuck out. Have I used the f word enough today? Fuck it, its my blog! Watching the Phantasm films again made me remember why I liked horror in the first place. It's Imaginative, its fun, its a ride, its an experience like no other. I picked this set up at Amazon.uk. They have several different versions to choose from, but if your a true Phan pick up that wicked sphere set. It's the best box set since the Alien Quad set came out.

"You think that when you die you go to heaven...You come to us."
-The Tall Man

Grandpa, and the Return to the Fortress...

Well, way back many years ago, I went out to my Grandfathers farm to be with my Grandfather and write stories. In fact the last thing I wrote out there was a story called "Seventy-8". I had hoped to return there a little over a year ago to write something new. The Farm has always been my place of refuge. My Fortress of Solitude if you will. My Zen place. However, the week before my trip to the Farm a year or so ago, my Grandfather fell very ill and was in the hospital for almost a year. It became apparent that he could no longer stay out in the country by himself. He now resides here in Ft. Worth with my aunt and cousin and is doing really great at the young age of 91. My father takes him out to the farm almost weekly, however I'm always working now and I'm never available to go during the work week.



Well this Sunday I returned to the fortress. And I just had to stop and write about how great it was to be back out on the farm. My grandfather, my Dad, and my Aunt Sandy all drove out to Lipan and rebuilt the water well house. My Grandfather built it about 20 years ago. In fact I still remember him building it. But time has worn it down and it needed an over haul and we rebuilt in a day. My grandfather sat back and watched us for 6 hours as we rebuilt the entire thing. He even helped out by telling us where all the different sizes of wood were stored in the barn. Amazing that he can remember all that stuff. He even knew where to fin d all the tools, and whenever we asked him where something was, he took us right to it. I hope I'm that sharp at 91. He even went into the house to call his girlfriends after lunch. Big pimpin' he is still.



But more than anything this trip gave me a chance to go back to the farm and have three generations of Clapp's work on building something that perhaps will outlast all of us. It was a really great feeling to again be with my Dad and Grandpa on the farm. I felt so at ease and peaceful out there. I had no worries about the deadlines I am facing today at work. It's amazing how being out there washes away every worry you have. Wow. However, like clock work my allergies are in full swing today at work. That's my only problem of going out there is the next day I suffer. Oh well. And speaking of that, I took some pictures of the well house we built for it, but I won't be able to post those until later this evening. I also made a point to take some photos of my Grandpa that I think came out really nice. I'll post some of those as well. It was odd to see my grandpa's house rather barren inside. My Aunt has been cleaning it out recently. It feels so emotionally cold in there. But I guess all good things, well you know the rest. I really must go to the Fortress more often... and Grandpas are friggin' cool.

Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting

Saturday night was a big night. A big night if you're a Mavericks fan that is. As I've said before, I don't know who this new mavs team is yet. They don't have a real identity yet, since Captain Michael Finley and Don Nelson moved on. Finley signs with the Spurs, and Don Nelson is on the beach somewhere in Hawaii counting his millions. Well Saturday night myself and two car loads of Amy's family (many who are Spurs fans) drove the AAC to watch the Mavs take on the Spurs. This was Finley's first game against the Mavs as a Spur, and not only was it a sad night for me as a Finley fan, but it also turned out to be not the end of an era but the beginning of a new one. In case you missed it, The Mavs dominated the world champs and beat em by almost twenty. Finley received a standing ovation from the crowd, then it was down to business. Dirk was on. Josh was on. Stack sat. They were up most of the game. Then Tony Parker got red hot for the Spurs. I was losing faith quickly.

Then when things were looking to turn nasty as a 20 point lead went down to 10, Devin Harris entered the game. He was the rookie heir to Nash last year, but had a troublesome rookie season. Mind you Devin's career high was 17 I think. He scored 20 in the fourth quarter, and finished with 22 total. He dished, He slashed, he drove, and he looked incredible. The whole arena saddened by the presence of Fin in black was floored by Devin. I got to see Devin in several summer games before his rookie year started and I was sold. (See picture of my Amy with Devin and Marquis below) I knew he had something special, but last year he made mistake after mistake on the floor and didn't get much playing time as a result. Saturday night should change that. Finley was bad. He played 30 minutes or more and had a pathetic 2 points. I felt as if I was watching the epilogue to a story I began following 8 years ago. Going to the game I was sure of three things, 1. Finley would go off for 40 or more, 2. The Spurs would destroy all signs of life left in the Dallas team, and 3. I would be devastated leaving the game. Well none of that happened. In fact I'm glad it didn't. True I will always be a Finley supporter, but that team is officially gone. Devin and Dirk proved me wrong and I hope they continue to do so. That was a fun game and one I'll always remember as being the beginning of something new. Go Mavs! Check out Amy and Devin.... We are fans of the Devinist.

Season On.

Time to play ball...

On the Train again...

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Originally uploaded by genzod.

Took the train to Dallas tonight from Funky town to see the final pre-season game for the Mavs. We played the Pistons and had some fun as the Mavs took over in the 4th quarter. Mavs look good, yet kind of sloopy. Really do miss Nash and Finley though. The Mavs store had a Finley section where everything was 50 percent off. Sad. Got home about midnight, the train ride was smooth, except for some punk kids running loose. The picture above is of Amy hiding on the train and if you look close, you can see me taking the picture in the reflection.

The new NBA Dress Code

I'm not going to say much about my feelings on the NBA's new dress code. This picture pretty much sums up my feelings for it.

Review: Shopgirl

Got the chance to see an early screening of the new Steve Martin/Claire Danes movie, Shopgirl last night. Shopgirl is the story of a young lady who works in L.A. at a Saks 5th Ave store at the glove counter who lives an empty existence until she meets two completely different men in her life. The first is Jeremy played perfectly by Jason Schwartzman as the crazy slacker who's into designing fonts and guitar amps. Then there is Ray played by Steve Martin as a rich millionaire who may have the charm and money but has problems with commitment. Who wins her heart is the plot line more or less.

Shopgirl is based on Steve Martin's novella of the same name. Martin also wrote the screenplay for the film which at times sets up certain plot elements only to leave them hanging in favor of some cheap laughs. However I really enjoyed this movie. People will make the easy comparisons to Lost in Translation in its female point of view, but that would be doing it a disservice really. Shopgirl is a very meditative film on being single and lonely. Much like Martin did from the male perspective in the much loved classic, The Lonely Guy, Martin explores this angle from the female side with much more maturity and grace. At points the film is very operatic on a very simple level. And I really liked that a lot. These characters don't have much in life, and what little things they do have are filmed in a very simple style but are supplemented with a great score by Barrington Pheloung. Director Anand Tucker shoots the movie in a very simple but elegant style. Much like Michael Mann's Collateral I thought this film did a great job of capturing the feel of LA. Claire Danes gives a subtle and is probably her very best performance. Schwartzman is great and turns in another wonderful quirky performance and gets the majority of the laughs in this movie. Martin at first looks kind of uncomfortable in his role, but soon turns things around into a nice performance worthy of note. I'd rather see him do things like this than his Pink Panther remake coming out. (that movie makes me nervous) I would recommend Shopgirl. I didn't know what to expect going in, but I was pleasantly surprised coming out of the screening.