It was a very good year…

Danvers Explodes

Check out a video of the ink plant explosion in Danvers, MA last month. My cousin shot the video and my cousin provided the music.

 

Randy Brock Update

State Auditor Randy Brock had his election victory reversed in a recount. He went from winning by 137 votes to coming up 102 votes short. I can’t say I’m surprised by the results, but I am a little deflated. My inside sources were present for multiple days of the recount in Chittenden County, the biggest County in the State. She says Brock was leading handily while she was there.

The Dwinell Political Report sums up the sadness:

“Many would say that he may have been the best auditor the state has
ever had. He immediately transformed the office from a political hack and
hit squad under his two Democrat processors to a professional team. The
Democrat team in twelve tries never once submitted the audit of state
government within the legal framework, 0 for 12. Brock of course was 2
for 2, on time.”

Missed Opportunity

Vermont had the choice between a can-do moderate and a radical do-nothing. As they often do, Vermonters picked the wrong one.

 

FU for Smoking

Characters in movies have been smoking on screen pretty much since cinema began, and I don’t mind one bit. The smoke usually adds an interesting ambience to a scene and is always looks interesting when it interacts with creative lighting.

 

 Sharon Stone, ready to take a drag

One problem I do have is with the recent (inexplicable) trend of being able to hear the cigarette being smoked. Over the past couple years I have seen several scenes in which we go to a close up of the smoker taking a puff and can hear the crackling of the ash actually burning. This presumably adds a grittiness to the scene that art direction and other departments weren’t able to provide. What is maddenning is the fact that we jump out of the realism of a narrative for this one shot, being able to hear something I’ve never heard in real life and then go right back to the real world as if nothing ever happened. For one shot the director throws away all realism previously established. We might as well be able to see the villain’s brain from the inside.

I think this fad is the younger sibling of the awful x-ray shots made famous in “Romeo Must Die” but could be seen in other features. Where did the smoke fad start? I wouldn’t doubt it was started in Darren Aronofky’s “Requiem for a Dream” but I don’t have the desire to watch any of his movies for a second time unless I was being paid…and even then…

I Have my Concerns…

I’ve always been a Cameron Diaz supporter. I’m not a fanatic or anything, but I always thought she was attractive and had above average screen presence and a believable delivery. She still has all those things as far as I can see, but I saw her a few nights ago on Conan, and I can’t say for sure that she has had work done on her face, I could swear I saw the very early stages of catfaceism.

 

Don’t change a thing Cameron!

Catface is of course the result of extended plastic surgery on the face. Go anywhere in Beverly Hills and you are bound to see a catface in under 10 minutes. Right now it is close to undetectable, but I saw the potential and warning signs in the close ups. I’ve had the chance to see Cameron up close twice this year and she is pretty stunning. I just hope that if I come across her in the next few years that I won’t end up having to avert my eyes…

Catface picture resized for your safety 

Christmas in California

I can’t be totally sure it exists. This is my fifth fall/winter in California, but I’ve always been home in Vermont for the Holidays. The days are still pretty warm out here, but at night there is a chill in the air and there is just a little feel of home. The only this is, the feel in the air this time of year is more comparable to October in New England than December.

Christmas lights are up all around, and I hear Christmas music in stores. But as I celebrate the Holiday 2,936.36 miles away from LA, I just might ask myself if Christmas really happens back there in the sun.

Hard to believe…

Rocketman

Leonardo Giveth and Leonardo Taketh Away

Martin Scorsese was finally going to win that Oscar. The Departed was an enthralling film, with enough action, plot turns, and great acting to get the director his long sought award win. In a (yet other) weak year for quality films, it seemed to me that Scorsese was a near lock for the best director oscar. His story, set in Boston, included some of the most accurate accents I’ve seen. The cast (including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Vera Farmiga, and Anthony Anderson) did a wonderful job.

The Departed

So what happened? DiCaprio, who was probably the strongest actor in The Departed may just take away the Oscar from Scorsese that he might have helped him win. How is this? DiCaprio stars in a new film called Blood Diamond.

I was able to catch a screening of Blood Diamond on Thursday night before its release. I very much enjoyed the film. Having never been a DiCaprio fan, I’m struck that he stars in my favorite two movies of the year so far…I just may have to change my opinion on him.

Leonardo plays Danny Archer, an African native who makes his living on smuggling diamonds out of Sierra Leone and into the waiting arms of evil western businessmen. Although Leo’s accent doesn’t ring quite true and the political overtones of the film are at times a little overbearing and heavy-handed the movie is quite enjoyable if not a little depressing.

Diamond has a little of everything, certainly a lot of violence, Jennifer Connelly is mesmerizing, there are moral questions and lessons, and the film is even sprinkled with little bits of comedy where appropriate.

Connelly was also striking in Todd Field’s Little Children which was an incredibly odd movie if nothing else. You really don’t know what to think while watching it. At times it seems like some kind of weird plea for acceptance of child molesters.

DiCaprio and Djimon Housou run for their lives in Blood Diamond

Of course it is possible that Diamond could take best picture and the Academy could still throw their bone to Scorsese as best director. The political theme of the Blood Diamond is what endangers The Departed the most, otherwise the films are pretty close to equal. One wild card that could hurt both movies is the massive amount of violence that usually hurts the chances for winning hardware.

In the end, awards don’t really matter. Decades from now, most people won’t remember who won what, but they will remember which movies were good. Some award winners are forgotten and movies who were snubbed become classics.

Nevertheless, both of these movies are winners. Let’s just see what they win.

Yikes!

 

Red Sox Sign JD Drew for $70 Million over 5 Years

Double Yikes!

Julio Lugo Signs with the Red Sox for $36 Million over 4 Years

Can’t Miss…

If you aren’t following the continuing Tennie Pierce saga that has been unfolding this last month on the John and Ken show, well, you are really missing out on a story that is truly outrageous, frightening, hilarious, and in the end, heartening that the people can still make a difference and send a message to our corrupt/inept/indifferent Government.

Google Eyed Attorney Genie Harrison with Opportunist Tennie Pierce

 I’d love to tell the story in whole here, but there isn’t enough time or room. To listen to previous episodes of John and Ken on KFI click here. You will need to sign up for their press pass. It is free and you can download podcasts of all their shows, past editions included. Things just got flat out hostile last night!

Remember to send dog food to:

ROCKY DELGADILLO
City Attorney
800 City Hall East
200 North Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

And also to LA City Council Members: Tom LaBonge, Bernard Parks,  Jan Perry, Herb Wesson, Eric Garcetti, and Janice Hahn, who all voted to reverse Mayor Villariagosa’s veto.

You can find their mailing addresses here.

Recount!

Randy Brock

A very popular word the last several years. Interesting that it seems to always be the Democratic candidate screaming for a recount. This craze really got hot in the 2000 election of Bush v. Gore. This call for a recount by Gore was obviously justified. An incredibly close race with incredibly high stakes and a lot of odd quirks in Florida’s voting system. Since those days the Democrats have been using the recount as liberally as they have used the filibuster.

Speaking of shameful filibuster tactics, what happened to John Bolton today is just sad. Bolton was one of the few members of the administration who was candid and fought for what he believed and fought hard.

Recounts pop up everywhere the night after each election since 2000. Democrats blame electronic voting machines, confusing ballots, and all manor of Republican tampering for their close losses. In Washington they recount three times until the Democrat wins the Governor’s office, then…you guessed it…no more recounts.

Why don’t Republicans demand recounts when they loose close races? They are honorable losers? They don’t automatically assume wrongdoing by the other side? Despite evidence here, here, here, here, here, here and here. They want to just move on for the good of the country? Likely these reasons are naive even for a Republican. Maybe they are just stupid? Unmotivated? Gassed? I have no idea, I just find it interesting.

How is it that we were flooded with stories about concerns with the voting machines in the days and weeks leading up to the November elections…then when Democrats won the vast majority of the races, those fears faded? The machines worked perfectly now? Really? Or were we being primed with excuses incase Republicans squeaked out a bunch of victories? Do the voting machines only work correctly when Democrats win? Are they rigged when Republicans win?

Today a recount starts in my home state of Vermont. Randy Brock, the incumbent State Auditor, is having his victory assaulted by Tom Salmon, Jr.

Brock has cleaned up messes and abuse left by Elizabeth Ready and has restored accountability in the state. Out of all my votes this past month, I only cared about three of them. Jim Douglas for Governor, Rich Tarrant for Senate and Brock. In all other races I voted for third party candidates to help promote change and expanded choices (no matter how silly.)

Recounts require observers to monitor the counting and ensure that no funny business goes on. Who can we trust to defend our vote and our voice? My dear Mother!

They Don’t Call Her Eagle Eyes For Nothing…

Gwyneth Paltrow Doesn’t Like Us

I don’t remember anyone asking her opinion but it seems cardboard actress Gwyneth Paltrow prefers British dinner conversations to American.

Why is this news? This stinks of elementary school behavior. It’s like a child who runs across the schoolyard to deliver unsolicited news about a new best friend to an old best friend. Who cares?

Gwyneth Paltrow’s silky smooth back

Interesting to note that Paltrow is being mentored by fellow Brit imposter Madonna.

**UPDATED**

For what it’s worth, Gwyneth has defended herself. I’m skeptical. 

You Mean the Butcher Grandma, by the Name of Lazer-Wolfe!

Often times as children my Sister, Brother and I would pool our blankets and pillows in one room on the floor and all sleep in one big pile. We would usually park ourselves in front of a fan/humidifier/dehumidifier depending on the season and doze off to something we put in the stereo.

The stereo usually played classical music, books on tape, kids songs, etc. We would go in streaks, often beating tapes into the ground. One example would be the Soundtrack to Fiddler on the Roof (in CD form actually.) The last time I listened to that thing must have been in elementary school.

This week I ordered the special edition of Fiddler on the Roof from Netflix. Two weeks ago I may have been able to recall one song from the production and only because we sang it in middle school and because I saw a stage production at the Flynn Theatre some years back. A strange thing happened as I watched the film for the first time…I knew nearly every word of every song. It all came flooding back from 15-20 years ago. Amazing. Frightening!

I know this bad boy word for word

As it turns out I know most of those books on tape nearly word for word to this day as do my siblings. What a powerful tool repetition at a young age can be. I wonder if the fact that we listened in our sleep might have had a powerful effect? Might the words constantly seeping into our subconscious as we slept have burned themselves into a more accesable place in our memory bank than 50% of the stuff we learned in school, while awake? How is that possible? And if it is, why can’t we use this as a way of educating? Does it work on adults? I’ve always wanted to get some language tapes and find out.

Maybe one day I’ll wake up and know Gaelic. I already know Yiddish.

TRADITION!

The Beat Goes On…

My job often affords me the opportunity to see films long before they are released to the general public. Sometimes opportunity is not the word I would use. Obligation maybe?

Last night I was obligated to watch Unaccompanied Minors (Warner Bros) for the second time in two weeks. A truly awful film, Minors is a story of six children traveling by themselves over the Holidays. As luck would have it, the airport is snowed in and these children are left to run wild all over the fictional airport/mall/warehouse they are stuck in. This causes much stress for Lewis Black and his henchmen (including Wilmer Valderrama and Kids in the Hall’s McDonald, McCulloch, and McKinney) who come up short repeatedly in keeping these kids in check.

Those cute little troublemakers

I’m not going to get into a film review here, but one thing you will notice if you see the film, is the audible sound of crickets throughout the movie. You can tell where the laughs are supposed to be. They just aren’t there. You know what is supposed to be funny, it just isn’t. What I believe to be the problem is a growing trend in the children’s genre to be hip and fire zingers over the heads of the children intended to reach the parents. The problem is the zingers aren’t very good, so what we have is a movie for kids that doesn’t really cater to them. They have no reason to laugh. Then we have jokes targeted at the parents, but they are so poorly written that nobody gets their jollies, as Jay Santos would say. Where did this trend start? I don’t really watch a lot of kids movies but I’d guess Toy Story.

That may be where it started, but things were kept pretty well under control until the last two years. A new animated feature marketed to kids while winking at their parents seems to pop up every two or so weeks now. This creates a kind of super genre that makes tons of cash, a so called four-quadrant film. They all seem to feature a family of animals that lose a child a need to find him or visa versa. We travel through worlds foreign to our characters and experience an epic adventures, encountering scores of celebrity voices who tell jokes that whiz over the heads of half the audience.

These movies aren’t just good clean fun, they apparently teach us stuff. It tells us to be accepting of people that are not like us. It teaches us not to be snarky and as my buddy Dave pointed out, apparently many of them teach us that Conservatives are awful people. All valuable lessons of course. But when will it end? These movies are obscenely formulaic. They seem to be built with interchangeable parts. And if you think that last paragraph was an excuse to put Dave in close proximity to the word snarky, well, you’re right.

Well, things won’t end anytime soon. Happy Feet has defeated Casino Royale for the second straight week. It beat Deja Vu on its opening weekend. I wouldn’t doubt there are twenty or thirty of these things in various levels of production already. And you can bet another several of them were green lit in the wake of this month’s box office reports.

 

Oscar Nominee

Because of the style of animation used in these films, the finished products can take five years or more before they hit theatres.

Lets hear it for another ten years of shallow filmmaking!