The Farnsworth Parabox

2007-08-25T17:32:00.000-06:00

QUOTE OF THE DAY
"It's all in the beans...and I'm just full of beans."

-David Lynch, on his David Lynch Signature Cup Coffee

-Alex

2007-07-31T18:10:00.000-06:00

R.I.P INGMAR BERGMAN/MICHELANGELO ANTONIONI

On Monday, July 30, the incomparable Ingmar Bergman passed on; this comes as a great loss to the world of cinema as his films have been the cornerstone of great cinema since the start of his career. I for one, who grew up in Norway, surrounded by Bergman's films, will always love the great works he's left us with. If his name sounds foreign to you, I urge you to see some of his films; he made over fifty features, all of which had and continues to have great significance as far as cinema is concerned. To those of you who have seen the great features of his later years (Persona, The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries, Fanny and Alexander, Cries and Whispers, Scenes from a Marriage, etc.), I urge you to pick up the Eclipse set of his early works, you won't be disappointed. Bergman headed the revolution of Swedish films, a wave comparable to the French New Wave or the Italian Neo-Realist Movement in significance. Without Bergman, great directors like Lasse Hallstrom and Vilgot Sjoman may never have emerged. He will be remembered for his great works and will continue to top list of great directors forever; he was a wonderful, wonderful man.

Also on Monday, the great Michelangelo Antonioni, who directed such immortal classics as L'avventura, Blow-Up, The Passenger, L'eclisse, La Notte, etc., passed on as well. Antonioni was one of the pioneers of expressionist cinema and will live on in the hearts of his adoring fans. Anyone whose seen a film by the great director knows just how clever his films were. To pass him off would be stupid, for he has set many of his own benchmarks in the world of cinema and his films continue to be debated upon today. Like Fellini, Antonioni's films were extremely smart and deliberately ambiguous; his films contained several meanings and underlying ideas that have yet to be discovered. Go and pick up an Antonioni film (the above are some of my personal favourite) NOW!!! You won't regret it. Antonioni shouldn't be undermined just because he happened to pass on on the same day as Bergman did; his films, in their own right, were equally masterful. He will live on through the wonderful work he left us with.

In conclusion, it is truly a shame when two of cinema's finest pass on (especially on the same day). Let us remember these two greats using what they left us with; in the world of cinema, they will eternally remain immortal.

Thank You

-Alex

2007-04-15T20:47:00.000-06:00

R.I.P KURT VONNEGUT
One of the finest American writers passed away this week. This will be a great loss to the entire literary world. If you have not read any of Vonnegut's books, I strongly urge you to pick up a few and read them; they are some of my absolute favourite novels. He is an amazing writer and a true genius; he will be greatly missed.

-Alex

2007-03-28T19:20:00.000-06:00

QUOTE OF THE DAY
"I would rather cut off my own testicles and eat them than rejoin the band."

-Morrissey, on the future of The Smiths

-Alex

2007-02-24T16:48:00.000-06:00

2006 TOP TEN MOVIES/ALBUMS (#1)/ACADEMY AWARDS CHOICES & PREDICTIONS

So, here we are at number one. Without wasting any time, here they are...

The Departed directed by Martin Scorsese

-Martin Scorsese's triumphant return to the crime-genre that made him is yet another star-studded masterpiece by one of my favourite living directors. Everything about this film is fantastic and it deserves no less than a full-star review; anyone who gives it a lower grade isn't giving the film the film what it truly deserves. This film has all the elements of a great gangster film: hard-boiled action, raw intensity and believable performances; on top of that, it is also very, very funny. The cast of this film is incredible. Leonardo DiCaprio gives one of the best performances of his career, Jack Nicholson continues on the road of great performances, Matt Damon is excellent and Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg provide fantastic supporting roles. This film deserves to win each and every award the Academy has to offer. Scorsese, one of the greatest living film-makers, shines yet again providing his fans with yet another fantastic film to go with his other masterworks such as Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Mean Streets, etc. I have seen this film four times in theaters alone; it remains exciting and fresh every time I see it.

Bob Dylan Modern Times

-Much like Scorsese, Bob Dylan is a master of his craft. Modern Times is a masterpiece the way only Dylan can make 'em. Like the #2 on this list, Orphans, this album is beyond description. One has to listen to the album if he really wants to understand what I am saying about it. One of the greatest songwriters of all time shows that he has no intention of stopping or even slowing down. Whether it be starring in commercials for Victoria's Secret or iPods or casting Scarlett Johansson in the video for "When the Deal Goes Down," Dylan remains a master in all aspects of music. There is nothing that can stop this man; he can do whatever he wants.

ACADEMY AWARDS PREDICTIONS The Oscars are almost upon us again.It is a well-known fact that the Oscars have never had enough guts to truly surprise an audience; that much is clear from this year's nominees (i.e. no Borat). The least we can hope for this year is that The Departed wins best picture and that the rightful winners win in each category, though I fear that will not be the case. Here are the Oscar nominations, who I want to win and who I think will win.

Best motion picture of the year

BABEL ($)

THE DEPARTED (*)

LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE ($)

THE QUEEN

Note: This category could go both ways. If the Academy wants to keep it safe, they will choose Babel. If the Academy wants to "surprise" the viewer, then Little Miss Sunshine will win; a real surprise would be seeing The Departed get the recognition it deserves.

Achievement in directing

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu-BABEL

Martin Scorsese-THE DEPARTED (*) ($)

Clint Eastwood-LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA

Stephen Frears-THE QUEEN

Paul Greengrass-UNITED 93

Note: This could/should be Scorsese's year.

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Leonardo DiCaprio - BLOOD DIAMOND (*)

Ryan Gosling - HALF NELSON

Peter O'Toole - VENUS

Will Smith - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS

Forest Whitaker - THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND ($)

Note: Where's Sacha Baron Cohen?

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Penélope Cruz - VOLVER

Judi Dench - NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Helen Mirren - THE QUEEN (*) ($)

Meryl Streep - THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

Kate Winslet - LITTLE CHILDREN

Note: It is almost guaranteed that Mirren will win. She is a great actress and deserves the Oscar.

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Alan Arkin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

Jackie Earle Haley - LITTLE CHILDREN

Djimon Hounsou - BLOOD DIAMOND

Eddie Murphy - DREAMGIRLS ($)

Mark Wahlberg - THE DEPARTED (*)

Note: If Murphy wins, they will be giving an Oscar to the same man who plays Norbit. Where is Jack Nicholson?

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Adriana Barraza - BABEL

Cate Blanchett - NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Abigail Breslin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (*)

Jennifer Hudson - DREAMGIRLS ($)

Rinko Kikuchi - BABEL (*)

Note: I would like to see either Breslin or Kikuchi win over Hudson; in my opinion, they had better performances.

Best animated feature film of the year

CARS(*) ($)

HAPPY FEET

MONSTER HOUSE

Note: Happy Feet gets a nomination but A Scanner Darkly doesn't?

Original screenplay

BABEL ($)

LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

PAN'S LABYRINTH (*)

THE QUEEN

Note: A film with as much imagination as Pan's Labyrinth deserves to win.

Adapted screenplay

BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN (*)

CHILDREN OF MEN

THE DEPARTED (*) ($)

LITTLE CHILDREN

NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Note: I want Borat to win this Award, but I also would like The Departed to win.

Best foreign language film of the year

AFTER THE WEDDING

DAYS OF GLORY (INDIGÈNES)

THE LIVES OF OTHERS

PAN'S LABYRINTH (*) ($)

WATER

Note: Where the hell is Volver?

Best documentary short subject (?)

THE BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT

RECYCLED LIFE

REHEARSING A DREAM

TWO HANDS

Note: I haven't seen any of the above films.

Best documentary feature

DELIVER US FROM EVIL

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (*) ($)

IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS

JESUS CAMP

MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY

Note: Al Gore for president in 2008!

Achievement in film editing

BABEL ($)

BLOOD DIAMOND

CHILDREN OF MEN (*)

THE DEPARTED

UNITED 93

Note: With the way Children of Men Was put together, it definitely deserves to win.

Achievement in art direction

DREAMGIRLS

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

PAN'S LABYRINTH (*) ($)

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

THE PRESTIGE

Note: The art direction in Pan's Labyrinth was fantastic. If Dreamgirls wins, I will be Extremely disappointed.

Achievement in cinematography

THE BLACK DAHLIA

CHILDREN OF MEN

THE ILLUSIONIST

PAN'S LABYRINTH(*) ($)

THE PRESTIGE

Note: The cinematography was also excellent in Pan's Labyrinth.

Achievement in costume design

CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

DREAMGIRLS

MARIE ANTOINETTE (*) ($)

THE QUEEN

Note: Who else could win?

Achievement in visual effects

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST (*)

POSEIDON ($)

SUPERMAN RETURNS

Note: How does a film like Poseidon get nominated for an Oscar; I thought they were prestigious.

Achievement in makeup

APOCALYPTO

CLICK

PAN'S LABYRINTH (*) ($)

Note: Pan's is fantastic.

Achievement in sound editing

APOCALYPTO

BLOOD DIAMOND

FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS

LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA (*) ($)

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Note: Does anyone really care who wins the sound awards?

Achievement in sound mixing

APOCALYPTO

BLOOD DIAMOND

DREAMGIRLS ($)

FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS (*)

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Note: Again, no one cares about the sound Awards.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

BABEL ($)

THE GOOD GERMAN

NOTES ON A SCANDAL

PAN'S LABYRINTH (*)

THE QUEEN

Note:I hope Pan's wins.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

"I Need to Wake Up" - AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (*)

"Listen" - DREAMGIRLS($)

"Love You I Do" - DREAMGIRLS($)

"Our Town" - CARS

"Patience" - DREAMGIRLS($)

Note: Damn you, Dreamgirls!

Best animated short film (?)

THE DANISH POET

LIFTED

THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL

MAESTRONO

TIME FOR NUTS

Note: I haven't seen any of the above films.

Best live action short film(?)

BINTA AND THE GREAT IDEA (BINTA Y LA GRAN IDEA)

ÉRAMOS POCOS (ONE TOO MANY)

HELMER & SON

THE SAVIOUR

WEST BANK STORY

Note: Haven't seen any of these either.

-Alex

2007-02-23T17:22:00.000-06:00

2006 TOP TEN MOVIES/ALBUMS (#4-2)

Continuing on my list of top tens, here numbers four through two...

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan directed by Larry Charles

-What is there left to say about Borat that hasn't already been said. There is no excuse for not having seen this film. This film is funny, seriously funny. One of the funniest films of all-time is not only ridiculous and disgusting (which it is), it is also clever. Sacha Baron Cohen is a born satirist; using all his characters to make fun of all sorts of subjects. I am not about to go into a description of everything in Borat that is funny; this being that it would take too long and the experience of seeing the images is far more satisfying than reading about them. I urge anyone who has yet to see Borat to go out and find some way of seeing the film. I guarantee that, whoever understands the comedy behind Borat's mannerisms, will find the film to be fantastic. It is disappointing that Cohen didn't receive a Best Actor nomination because, although everyone knows that the Academy Awards would never give and Oscar to Cohen, he deserved it more than any other actor this year.

Beck The Information
-Beck, one of my favourite artists, has once again put out a great record. It is impossible to deny Beck's influence on music. He has had such a prolific career that he remains almost impossible to categorize; he changes with each album. This album wins the award for most extras to ever come with a regular album; it includes: a DVD with videos made for each and every song on the album (one includes Devendra Banhart) and stickers in order to decorate the blank cover. The album itself is fantastic; fusing together all the elements of Beck's career. This album has everything: electronic sounds, beautiful music and great lyricism. I look forward to seeing what Beck does next; in the meantime, I'll enjoy what is, in my opinion, one of Beck's greatest albums.

Casino Royale directed by Martin Campbell

-This film is easily one of the best films in the James Bond series; a series in need a revitalization after its recent misses. This film gives the franchise what it needs: a great new Bond, a fantastic new Bond girl and all-out action like never before. Forget the old way of beating up villains, Craig's Bond chooses to use his hands as his weapons; opting for a rougher style of combat. Daniel Craig is so good that, had the Academy had any guts, he should have been nominated for Best Actor. Craig brings a new essence to the film; an essence that is reminiscent of the old Connery days. Craig goes down as one of the greatest Bonds ever to grace the screen. Along side Craig's Eva Green, an enormously talented French actress who is perhaps my favourite Bond girl of all time. Green brings depth to the character of Vesper; something unseen in the last few films (example: Halle Berry). I won't dodge the fact that Green is also very attractive, which she is, but it's her acting abilities that truly compliment the character. Danish born Mads Mikkelson plays a great villain Le Chiffre, a man who literally cries tears of blood. This film is fantastic; if you haven't seen it, go see it and if you have seen it, go see it again.

The Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

- Yes, the Arctic Monkeys do have a stupid name but that shouldn't discourage anyone; The Monkeys are great. Their debut disc is fantastic; it has been out for a year and I still find myself listening to it. It is the perfect music for hitting up a pub with your friends. It blends the garage-rock beats of band like the Libertines and mixes them with catchy lyrics. It seems as if every week I am changing my mind to which song I like the most; this week it seems to be "Mardy Bum," due to the fact that I keep listening to it over and over again. Although the Actric Monkeys may seem like just another band ripping off the success of bands like the Libertines, they are their own band. They may have influences that they proudly show, but they never attempt to mimic anything. The took the U.S. by storm earlier this year and still haven't loosened their grip. I wish a long and prosperous music career to these lads from Sheffield, a town I myself lived near during my time living in England.

United 93 directed by Paul Greengrass

-No other film this year has had such a profound emotional effect. While in the theater, I noticed people who began to cry; I myself almost had a few tears fall. It is difficult to avoid being emotionally stirred by such a film. Many argued that it was too soon to make a film about this topic and that it is impossible to truly know what happened on board the airlines that were hijacked on that fateful day of September 11, 2001. This film easily could have become a sappy film filled with cliche American-pride, but it didn't; rather, it opted for a realistic approach to the topic. This film, standing as a true achievement in the careers of all the many people who dared involve themselves in the picture. The film may be fictitious, but it feels real. All the actors appear truly scared as the final, heart-wrenching scene occurs. There are reasons why we honour all of the men and women who died on that tragic day of events; it is for the same reason that this film was made.

Tom Waits Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards

-Tom Waits, a man who has had perhaps one the best and most important careers of all time, released a project that included over fifty songs on three discs. Orphans, referring to the songs that have hitherto had no true "home," goes down as one of Waits' finest albums. Waits is able to combine all of his influences into one supreme masterpiece. One must listen to the album to truly get a feel for Waits' rough vocals and kicking beats. The length of this album may frighten off some listeners, but those are the kind of listeners that do not appreciate a rare artist like Waits. I am not about to say that this album is for everybody because it isn't, but to the few who enjoy Waits' music will adore this album, complete with the almost real scent of alcohol combined with an ashtray full of smoked cigarettes. How do you know when you have truly made your presence on the music scene? When none other than Scarlett Johansson wants to make an album of covers devoted solely to you.

-Well, that was the numbers four to two. Who will be number one? You'll have to wait and see.

-Alex

2007-02-17T14:44:00.000-06:00

2006 TOP TEN MOVIES/ALBUMS (#7-5)
Continuing on my list of top ten movies and albums, her is numbers SE7EN* through five. Enjoy.

*I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.

#7
Flags of Our Fathers/Letters From Iwo Jima directed by Clint Eastwood

-Flags of Our Fathers and its companion piece, Letters From Iwo Jima, tell the story of the famous battle
between the Japanese and the Americans from both
views. A average director would have only filmed the
American version of the battle, providing the viewer
with only half of the spectrum. Clint Eastwood does
not take the easy road in making the film only from
the "winners" of the battle, he shows each side from a sympathetic view-point: two opponents united by
their similar situation. Eastwood's saga may seem as
an anti-war film due to it's shameless depiction of the horrors faced everyday by the brave soldiers that
fought for their country, but it is quite the
contrary. The films are able to blend honour for the
soldiers who risked their lives to stand up
for what they believed in with a certain distrust for
the governments who start these wars, all
while depicting the true horrors of war. The result: a
harrowing master-work from one of the finest
directors alive.

Johnny Cash American V: A Hundred Highways
-The first album from the last recording session of the late, great Johnny Cash is at once a masterpiece and a heart-wrenching performance. The "Man in Black," on his deathbed during the recording of this album, hides nothing. Listening to the album, you feel as if this man is baring his soul to anyone who will listen. Cash's sickness is clearer here more than ever; you can hear it in his voice. Although listening to the album after Cash's untimely death is difficult but also rewarding: you are able to hear one of the greatest artists of all time in action once more. For any one artist to get a giant number of celebrities to perform in his video is a task in itself; for a dead artist to get a giant number of celebrities to perform in his video is nearly impossible. Not for Johnny Cash. In the video for "God's Gonna Cut You Down," celebrities such as Kanye West, Bono, Chris Martin, Kate Moss, Johnny Depp, Brian Wilson, Mick Jones, Rick Rubin, Owen Wilson, etc. lined up to star in the three-minute black and white clip. For anyone else this would be impossible; not for Johnny Cash. R.I.P.

#6
Pan's Labyrinth directed by Guillermo del Toro
-At face value, this film may seem like a fairytale intended for all ages; it isn't. Quite the contrary, this is a fairytale intended for adults. The film follows the life of Ofelia, a young girl with a exceptional taste for fairy tales. Ofelia, whose father recently died in the war, is on her way to meet the equivalent of Schindler's List's Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes). Ofelia's mother has married Captain Vidal, the man in charge of killing people who rebel against Fascism. Ofelia discovers that she is in possession of the spirit of the princess of an underground civilization and is offered to join the eternal civilization if she can complete a series of surreal tasks. The film is beautiful and disturbing and brilliant all at once. Del Toro shows that he is at the forefront of creativity in film.

TV on the Radio Return to Cookie Mountain

-How do you know that your band is good? When the "Thin White Duke" tells you that you're good. David Bowie contributes to this fantastic album by providing vocals to "Province," a song that is only made better by the addition of Bowie's vocals. The album is absolutely fantastic in every way imaginable. The album never falls into the trap of using too much distortion like many others have. "Wolf Like Me," which sounds similar to David Bowie circa. Low, is by far the greatest song on the album. For anyone who hasn't heard of this band, which I am sure there are several people, should not hesitate to purchase this album immediately; it is worth every penny.

#5
Volver directed by Pedro Almodovar

-When it comes to reading emotions, no one matches Almodovar. No other director is able to blend such a wide variety of emotions into each and every frame of film used. Penelope Cruz, who has never performed better, stars as a woman who is tangled up in murder, love and haunting all near the beginning of the film. Carmen Maura as the "dead" mother is fantastic. While watching this film, the heating was out at Centre Cinemas resulting in a freezing cold cinema, this film made me forget the fact that it was so cold and forced me to pay attention throughout. On surface level, this film looks like a straight forward tale; this opinion changes once you begin viewing the film. There are a surprising number of twists that engulf the film to the point where you become confused and have no idea what is really happening--Is her mother dead and back in spirit, or is she alive?--these questions only add to the eerie mood this film emits. Almodovar is able to get the most out of all his actors and sculpts their performances into a masterpiece of modern cinema.

The Raconteurs Broken Boy Soldiers
-If the Raconteurs is a side project for Brendan Benson and Jack White, what would this album sound like if it were a main project? This album may be a side project, but what a side project! the album makes you feel like you are back in the 70's listening to some band play in their garage. Jack White, king of modern day garage rock bands, brings his signature style while Brendan Benson brings the pop vocals and Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler bring the pounding bass that completes the package. It's modern day band playing 70's Camaro-rock. Blues, rock, pop all occur on the album and sometimes even occur in the same song. The Raconteurs have made an album that may even rival select albums by the White Stripes.

I'll be back in a few days to post numbers four to one on the list. Also, I am currently reading Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut; it is fantastic.

-Alex

2007-02-15T18:51:00.000-06:00

2006 TOP TEN MOVIES/ALBUMS (#8-10)
I am finally getting around to posting my top ten movies/albums list for the year of 2006. Although no 2005, this year has been fairly good for movies thanks in part to Martin Scorsese, Pedro Almodovar, Clint Eastwood and all the others film makers that helped to bring quality cinema to the big screen.

This year has also been good for music. Some old faces returned to make great records, meanwhile a few new faces came out with equally great records.

Hopefully this list will shed some light on a few of the many great movies/albums of the year. I may have forgotten a few films or albums that were also very good; if this happens, which I am sure it will, feel free to leave a comment saying so. Here it is, the best films/albums of 2006 (#8-10).

#10

Marie Antoinette directed by Sofia Coppola

-My choice for the number ten best film of 2006 is Marie Antoinette, the new film by Sofia Coppola. No other film of last year matched Marie Antoinette for visual beauty, due to the fact that it was shot on location at the palace of Versailles. The film tells the story of the young Antoinette and how she was married of at a young age. The film doesn't try to be as historically accurate as possible (case in point, New Order and The Strokes highlight the soundtrack), rather it tells a story that happens to be set in the past. Also, this film features one of the year's finest soundtracks. As I mentioned earlier, it features songs by everyone from New Order and The Strokes to Adam and the Ants and Aphex Twin. This film was a very enjoyable work from one of today's great directors.

The Strokes First Impressions of Earth
-Many will argue that this album wasn't as good as it's predecessors, and I would agree, but this was still a good album from one of my favourite bands. The first single, "Juicebox," didn't do much to catch my attention, but after listening to the album in it's entirety, I realized that, although not as good as Room on Fire or Is This It, it was still a good album. Tracks such as "You Only Live Once" really highlight how good the band is. This album may have been a slight disappointment, but it was still good enough to warrant a spot on this list.

TIED WITH...

Gnarls Barkley St. Elsewhere
-This was an album that, judging from the success of "Crazy," everyone can agree to liking. This album proved to be one of the most infectious albums of the year; no matter how hard one tried to avoid listening to it, it was inevitable. Why someone would want to avoid this album is beyond me; it was fun to listen to and impossible to categorize. Thanks to Danger Mouse's production and Cee-lo's vocals, this turned out to be one of my favourite albums of last year.

#9

The Prestige directed by Christopher Nolan

-The title refers to the last stage of a magic act; knowledge of this prior to the film's release is unnecessary. Even if it hadn't been explained to the viewer at the start of the film, there is too much happening, leaving no room for contemplation. This is Nolan's way: he throws events at the viewer to distract them from figuring out the end. Having seen Nolan's past work, I was anticipating this film quite a bit and it certainly wasn't a let down; everything in this film was perfect. The performances were top notch, the mood was perfect, the pacing was correct and the scenery was magnificent. Nolan's puts so much care into his films that they inevitably turn out to be great. It will be great to see what a fine director like Nolan is able to do with the upcoming Batman sequel: The Dark Night.

Thom Yorke The Eraser

-Being the Radiohead fan that I am, I was anticipating this album quite a bit. Although I had only heard vague details of the album prior to it's release, I was still expecting a great album from one of the most innovative figures in modern day music. I wasn't disappointed at all; the album is filled with a sound reminiscent of Kid A. The album which features songs that appeared in A Scanner Darkly, is a great solo debut album. Although I like this album and think that Thom Yorke could possibly have created the roots of a strong solo career, I still prefer Radiohead and hope that they will be making music for a long time to come.

#8

A Scanner Darkly directed by Richard Linklater

-After watching Waking Life, the one thought that went through my mind was that Rotoscoping, the process of applying animation on top of previously filmed elements, was the coolest technique ever invented. Although Waking Life lacked the unity of A Scanner Darkly, it was still a good film. A Scanner Darkly has the before-mentioned unity, making it a great film. It is based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, who's novel was supposedly based on his own experiences. The film may change certain details but it stays true to the meaning of the novel. The performances are great in this film. Keanu Reeves perfectly embodies his character, Robert Downey, Jr. provides great comedic relief as an undertone to his fantastic performance, even Winona Ryder, who has starred in some questionable films in the past few years, is perfect for the role she plays. Rory Cochrane and Woody Harrelson both provide great supporting performances that only add to the film's flare. This is a film that combines the best qualities of both Linklater and Dick, resulting in a great movie that is able to be enjoyed by lovers of the novel and people who've never read it.

Goldfrapp Supernature
-Whoever thought that dance-pop was dead needs to listen to this album. Goldfrapp are able to combine great melodies with all sorts of computer beats to create records that are enjoyable throughout. Allison Goldfrapp's sexy vocals ignite every song and give them a certain vibe that is impossible to resist. Supernature gives everything that an album should give and more. It goes beyond expectations and into the realm of dance-pop greatness. It works as the perfect soundtrack for all occasions; whether it be relaxing at home alone or using it as the music for a party, Supernature works in every way.

So there you have it, my top ten list of movies and albums from number ten to number eight. I will post again in the next few days to finish off the list.

-Alex

2007-01-14T17:36:00.000-06:00

ECLIPSE
This is something that I have been thinking about for a while but have never had a chance to post about: On march 27 of this year, The Criterion Collection will release its new line of DVDs under the title of Eclipse. Eclipse will focus on distributing minor works from the great directors such as Ingmar Bergman, Louis Malle and Yasujiro Ozu. Films will be released in box sets each month in affordable packages (about $15 per disc). Each package will focus on a certain director or theme. Films are able to come out faster because, rather than hunting down the special features that have made Criterion famous, Eclipse films will feature no supplemental material and won't have the same picture quality that is featured on the Criterions. The first release will be from a package of early Ingmar Bergman films (Below)-Crisis, Torment, Port Of Call, Thirst and To Joy. Other rumored sets include films by Ozu and Louis Malle's documentaries. These are important films that are never released because Criterion is too busy with their individual releases. The mission statement does a good job of explaining Eclipse, "Eclipse presents a a selection of lost, forgotten or overshadowed in simple, affordable editions. Each series is a brief cinematheque viewing retrospective for the adventurous home viewer." Don't get me wrong, I still prefer the Criterion Collection and will continue to buy Criterions but this is a way for great films to be released and made available quickly. I have been looking for several films that are nearly impossible to find; now they will be readily available to the home viewer for a fraction of the price of Criterions. Hooray!!!

Also, while on the subject of the Criterion Collection, I picked up the new re-mastered version of Federico Fellini's Amarcord (Below). This is a fantastic film by one of the greatest directors of all time. The supplements are also fantastic, but the real difference is the quality-the original version of Amarcord was released in 1998 and was one of the first Criterions to be released (it is number four in the collection), along with Grand Illusion, Seven Samurai, The Lady Vanishes, etc. Technology has come a long way since then, so they re-released it after giving it a new and improved restoration. The restoration is so good that it could pass for a film made this year. It is excellent and I am glad that it was recognized with the Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film in 1975. I would recommend it to anyone who calls himself a fan of film.

In closing, the Criterion Collection is amazing and I am sure that Eclipse will be great. I hope to see many great films being distributed by these two great DVD lines.

-Alex

2007-01-01T15:46:00.000-06:00

HAPPY NEW-YEAR EVERYONE!!!

-Alex

2006-12-24T15:24:00.000-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

-Alex

2006-11-25T18:52:00.000-06:00

R.I.P ROBERT ALTMAN (1925-2006)

-Alex

2006-11-16T17:29:00.000-06:00

NINTENDO WII + MISC.

On Sunday, November 19 I go to Futureshop to pick up My copy of the Nintendo Wii and The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess. The Wii looks excellent and so does the new Zelda game. I cannot wait to try out the motion sensor controller. Getting this system will consume my entire Sunday and probably my life for the next while, but what a way to consume time! This system looks ten times better than the Playstation 3 and costs less than half of it ($279.99).

Also, tomorrow is the premier of Casino Royale, and it looks amazing. Preview audiences said the film was excellent and I have a very good feeling about it. In my opinion Daniel Craig was a great choice for Bond (just watch Layer Cake if you don't agree) and Eva Green (Kingdom of Heaven, The Dreamers) was a perfect choice for Bond Girl because she is actually a good actress. Hopefully Eva Green will correct the mistakes that were made by Halle Berry in the last film. The only bad thing about the film will be the God-awful "You Know My Name" in the opening credits. I have nothing against Chris Cornell (up until now, that is), but this song is just terrible. It really is a shame that this song has to be featured in the film because it will most likely be its only low point. Hopefully they will get someone good to perform the song for the next bond film.

Lastly, I went to see Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, and it is hilarious. I strongly recommend it. The nude scene sounded disgusting but it turned out to be the funniest part of the film. If you haven't seen this film yet then go see it and if you have seen it, go see it again.

-Alex

2006-11-12T17:16:00.000-06:00

MOVIE JOURNALS OF THE LAST SIX MONTHS

Finally I am posting the movie journals of the last six months (May-October). I was in Europe during the summer so I didn't have much time to post, that also explains the lack of films I saw.

May 2006 (22)
2- The Benchwarmers (2006) directed by Dennis Dugan- * (out of * * * *)
3- Clerks: The First Cut (1994) directed by Kevin Smith- * * * *
4- Mission: Impossible III (2006) directed by J.J. Abrams- * * * 1/2
5- School Of Rock (2003) directed by Richard Linklater- * * *
6- The Full Monty (1997) directed by Peter Cattaneo- * * *
7- The Replacements (2000) directed by Howard Deutch- * * *
7- Mallrats: The Extended Cut (1995) directed by Kevin Smith- * * * 1/2
9- Rushmore (1998) directed by Wes Anderson- * * * *
10- Starsky & Hutch (2004) directed by Todd Phillips- * * 1/2
13- Pulp Fiction (1994) directed by Quentin Tarantino- * * * *
13- The Constant Gardener (2005) directed by Fernando Meirelles- * * *
16- The Warriors: Director's Cut (1979) directed by Walter Hill- * 1/2
16- Gimme Shelter (1970) directed by David Maysles, Albert Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin- * * * *
17- Wild Strawberries (1957) directed by Ingmar Bergman- * * * *
17- Fargo (1996) directed by Joel Coen- * * * *
18- Knife In The Water (1962) directed by Roman Polanski- * * * *
20- The Big Lebowski (1998) directed by Joel Coen- * * * *
20- Sisters (1973) directed by Brian DePalma- * * * *
20- Murmur Of The Heart (1973) directed by Louis Malle- * * * *
20- Fanny & Alexander: The Theatrical Version ( 1982) directed by Ingmar Bergman- * * * *
22- F For Fake (1973) directed by Orson Welles- * * * *
24- Pulp Fiction (1994) directed by Quentin Tarantino- * * * *

June 2006 (7)
25- Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004) directed by Alfonso Cuaron- * * * 1/2
25- Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003) directed by Gore Verbinski- * * * 1/2
26- Pulp Fiction (1994) directed by Quentin Tarantino- * * * *
27- Monty Python's Life Of Brian (1979) directed by Terry Jones- * * * *
28- War Of The Worlds (2005) directed by Steven Spielberg- * * * 1/2
29- Coffee And Cigarettes (2005) directed by Jim Jarmusch- * * * *
30- The Seventh Seal (1957) directed by Ingmar Bergman- * * * *

July 2006 (21)
1- The 400 Blows (1959) directed by Francois Truffaut- * * * *
2- Smiles Of A Summer Night (1955) directed by Ingmar Bergman- * * * *
5- Almost Famous (2000) directed by Cameron Crowe- * * * *
6- Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003) directed by Gore Verbinski- * * * 1/2
8- The Godfather Part 1 (1972) directed by Francis Ford Coppola- * * * *
8- Jerry Seinfeld: "I'm Telling You For The Last Time"-Live On Broadway (1998) directed by Marty Callner- * * * *
10- Lost In Translation (2003) directed by Sofia Coppola- * * * 1/2
11- Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) directed by Quentin Tarantino- * * * *
12- Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004) directed by Quentin Tarantino- * * * *
13- Alice In Wonderland (1951) directed by Clyde Geronimi & Wilfred Jackson- * * * *
14- Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003) directed by Gore Verbinski- * * * 1/2
15- Rushmore (1998) directed by Wes Anderson- * * * *
15- Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) directed by Gore Verbinski- * * * 1/2
16- Wallace And Gromit In The Wrong Trousers (1993) directed by Nick Park- * * * *
16- This is Spinal Tap (1984) directed by Rob Reiner- * * * *
19- Meet The Fockers (2004) directed by Jay Roach- * * *
21- Bottle Rocket (1996) directed by Wes Anderson- * * * 1/2
22- 8 Mile (2002) directed by Curtis Hanson- * * *
26- Superman Returns (2006) directed by Bryan Singer- * * *
28- Clerks (1994) directed by Kevin Smith- * * * *
31- The Break-Up (2006) directed by Peyton Reed- * *

August 2006 (11)
11- Miami Vice(2006) directed by Michael Mann- * * * 1/2
11- As Good As It Gets (1997) directed by James L. Brooks- * * *
12- Almost Famous (2000) directed by Cameron Crowe- * * * *
14- United 93 (2006) directed by Paul Greengrass- * * * *
15- Mean Girls (2004) directed by Mark Waters- * * *
16- X-Men (2000) directed by Bryan Singer- * * * 1/2
16- The Godfather Part 2 (1974) directed by Francis Ford Coppola- * * * *
17- Goodfellas (1990) directed by Martin Scorsese- * * * *
21- Scarface (1983) directed by Brian DePalma- * * * *
22- Shopgirl (2005) directed by Anand Tucker- * * *
24- Snakes On A Plane (2006) directed by David R. Ellis- * * *
29- Little Miss Sunshine (2006) directed by Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris- * * *

September 2006 (11)
9- The Illusionist (2006) directed by Neil Burger- * * *
19- The Protector (2005) directed by Pryacha Pinkaew- * * 1/2
20- Arlington Road (1999) directed by Mark Pellington- * 1/2
23- Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) directed by Quentin Tarantino- * * * *
23- Clerks (1994) directed by Kevin Smith- * * * *
24- Mr. Arkadin: The Corinth Version (1955) directed by Orson Welles- * * * *
26- Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004) directed by Quentin Tarantino- * * * *
29- Divorce Italian Style (1962) directed by Pietro Germi- * * * *
30- Mission; Impossible III (2006) directed by J.J. Abrams- * * * 1/2
30- Murmur Of the Heart (1971) directed by Louis Malle- * * * *
30- This Is Spinal Tap (1984) directed by Rob Reiner- * * * *

October 2006 (34)
1- JFK (1991) directed by Oliver Stone- * * * *
6- Lacombe, Lucien (1974) directed by Louis Malle- * * * *
6- Seven Samurai (1954) directed by Akira Kurosawa- * * * *
6- The Departed (2006) directed by Martin Scorsese- * * * *
7- Pulp Fiction (1994) directed by Quentin Tarantino- * * * *
9- After Hours (1985) directed by Martin Scorsese- * * *
9- The Departed (2006) directed by Martin Scorsese- * * * *
10- Rushmore (1998) directed by Wes Anderson- * * * *
12- All Quiet On The Western Front (1979) directed by Delbert Mann- * *
12- The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) directed by Wes Anderson- * * * *
12- Lost In Translation (2003) directed by Sofia Coppola- * * * 1/2
13- Batman Begins (2005) directed by Christopher Nolan-* * * *
13- Unbreakable (2000) directed by M. Night Shyamalan- * * * 1/2
14- Almost Famous (2000) directed by Cameron Crowe-* * * *
14- Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987) directed by Louis Malle- * * * *
14- The Departed (2006) directed by Martin Scorsese- * * * *
16- Elevator To The Gallows (1957) directed by Louis Malle- * * * *
17- La Strada (1954) directed by Federico Fellini- * * * *
18- Stray Dog (1949) directed by Akira Kurosawa- * * * *
19- Peeping Tom (1960) directed by Michael Powell- * * * *
19- Metropolitan (1990) directed by Whit Stillman- * * * 1/2
20- The Virgin Spring (1960) directed by Ingmar Bergman- * * * *
20- The Prestige (2006) directed by Christopher Nolan- * * * 1/2
21- School Of Rock (2003) directed by Richard Linklater- * * *
21- Gosford Park (2001) directed by Robert Altman- * * * 1/2
21- Marie Antoinette (2006) directed by Sofia Coppola- * * * 1/2
22- Flags Of Our Fathers (2006) directed by Clint Eastwood- * * * 1/2
25- The Rules Of The Game (1939) directed by Jean Renoir- * * * *
26- Lost In Translation (2003) directed by Sofia Coppola- * * * 1/2
27- Jules And Jim (1962) directed by Francois Truffaut- * * * *
28- Rushmore (1998) directed by Wes Anderson- * * * *
29- Cars (2006) directed by John Lasseter & Joe Ranft- * * 1/2
31- 8 1/2 (1963) directed by Federico Fellini- * * * *
31- Pulp Fiction (1994) directed by Quentin Tarantino- * * * *

There you have it, the films I watched from May 2006 to October 2006.

-Alex

2006-10-09T19:18:00.000-06:00

UPDATES
Good day, it's been a while since last. I thought I'd tell of the recent happenings in my life. Here they are...

-I went to see The Departed and it is excellent, one of my favorite films of 2006.
-I am in the middle of reading Watchmen by Alan Moore and I really like it. I hope to be finished it soon.
-I took Batman Hush and Batman: The Long Halloween out from our school's library and plan on reading them after I finish Watchmen. I'm sure they will be great.
-I picked up the Criterion Collection of Three Films by Louis Malle. It is excellent. It comes with Murmur of the Heart; Lacombe, Lucien; Au Revoir Les Enfants and tons of special features.
-I also picked up the Criterion Collection of The Complete Mr. Arkadin by Orson Welles. It is also excellent and comes with all versions of the film.
-I picked up the Criterion Collection of the new version of Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa. It is excellent as well and also comes with tons of special features.
-I recently picked up The Information, the new album by Beck. I really like it and I like the fact that it comes with a DVD of videos for every song plus a set of stickers for you to design your own cover.
-I recently completed my movie review essay of JFK for History class. The film is excellent and I think I did good on the assignment.
-Also recently I viewed Divorce Italian Style, a film by Pietro Germi. It is hilarious and stars frequent Fellini actor Marcello Mastroianni.
-Also, I plan to post all my summer movie journals which I had failed to do over the summer due to the fact that I was in Europe.

-Alex

2006-09-10T16:51:00.000-06:00

CASINO ROYALE
The new Casino Royale trailer is amazing. Check it out now!

-Alex

2006-09-04T16:37:00.000-06:00

GOOD-BYE STEVE
Steve Irwin, or The Crocodile Hunter as most knew him, died today after being stung in the chest by a stingray off the coast of Australia during a diving expedition. He died before medics were able to arrive. My family and I have always enjoyed watching Irwin's program and seeing what sorts of antics he was up to. It is a sad day for the many fans he had. The world has lost a very unique person, he will be greatly missed.

-R.I.P. Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin-

-Alex

2006-08-25T20:33:00.000-06:00

SNAKES & BATMAN

Last night I finally went to see Snakes On A Plane and it is ridiculously funny. The film is full of laughs. I had a great time and I would recommend this film to anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

On another note, today I purchased the Lego Batman Batmobile set. It comes with Two-Face and his bank car. It is a great set. Lego is still awesome.

To end this short post I will leave you with a shot of perhaps the funniest moment of the film. This is a shot of a man who decides to grab the snake and scream at it. It is hilarious.

-Alex

2006-08-22T17:28:00.000-06:00

BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN

This film looks hilarious. It looks to be one of, if not the, funniest movie of 2006. It comes out on the 3rd of November and stars Sacha Baron Cohen of TV's "Da Ali G Show". The film isn't even out yet and I am already quoting lines from the trailer. This film is sure to be great and, if you haven't already, you should definently check out the trailer.

-Alex

2006-08-19T21:29:00.000-06:00

BACK FROM EUROPE
Finally I am back from my great trip to Europe. After a few weeks in the amazing country of Spain and then the rest of the time in my home country of Norway I am back. My trip was very eventful, that would explain the lack of posts. My summer was excellent. I had a great time, as I always do. I love the scenery of Europe, it is very beautiful there. One point I didn't like is the fact that movies arrive weeks after there opening date. This is why I have missed out on many great films. I was still able to see Miami Vice, Pirates Of The Caribbean and Superman Returns, all of which were very good. I have yet to see Snakes On A Plane and World Trade Center, only to name a few. I just wanted to post to say I was back and will post my movie journals of the last few months. When on vacation one tends not to see as many movies, this being the case for me. I also have yet to put up flixster on my blog.

-Alex

By the way, I picked up the deluxe edition of Scarface. I got it for around forty dollars. It comes with the 20th anniversary edition of Scarface, the original 1932 version of Scarface, a Tony Montana engraved money clip and collectible lobby cards containing scenes from the film all wrapped up in a cool box.

Also, I recently saw the trailer for Spider-Man 3 and it looks excellent.

Things are looking good for me getting my Xbox 360, bad news: I will have to wait until Christmas most likely. That will be perfect timing seeing as that is the time Halo 3 comes out.

Due to my clumsy brother breaking my DS I had to buy a new one, thankfully my parents bought because it wasn't my fault. I took the opportunity to buy the new DS Lite, it is awesome. It is much sleeker and less bulky than the original, plus the screen is better and brighter.

I also recently purchased Metroid Prime Hunters for the Nintendo DS and, in order to keep it short I will simply say that it is excellent. It may be my favorite DS game so far or at least tied with Mario Kart DS and Super Mario 64 DS.

2006-05-25T18:30:00.000-06:00

GOOD-BYE...FOR A WHILE AT LEAST
This will be my last post for a while seeing as I head off to my home country Norway in a couple of days for summer vacation. This will be my last post for a while. I only posted to warn readers of my absence and to say good-bye for a while. I head of to Norway on Wednesday and a couple weeks later me and my family fly to Spain for our annual trip. I most likely will not post much during my time there but I'll see if I can manage to post a few times while there. I can't wait to get back for the summer, it will be great because it is very nice over there and it is where I was born and raised during the early years of my life. I moved to Canada because that is where my dad is from, therefore I still have a lot of family from my mom's side living there. I hope to go to a few films there because their theaters are amazing. I am forced to write my finals early but it is a price I am willing to pay because I get to leave early and catch my great grandmother's 92nd birthday. See you in a month or two.

-Alex

P.S.--I recently purchased the collector's edition of Pulp Fiction, and I must say that I like it more and more every time I see it. Also, I am about to head over to McNally Robinson to purchase the complete Kafka works, the book has all of his writings excluding his three major novels(Amerika, The Castle, The Trial). He is an excellent writer and one of my favorites. To end my post I'll post a little picture for you ...Enjoy.(In case you aren't familiar with it, this is the Norwegian flag)

-Please post a comment seeing as I haven't had too many lately.

2006-05-11T19:12:00.000-06:00

APRIL MOVIE JOURNAL/REVIEWS/NEWS/LINKS
I was pleasantly surprised this month by how many films I saw. I assumed that I would only see about 10 to 15 films, but looking over my movie journal I noticed that I actually saw 23 films all together, most of which were good. Here they are... (they are out of 4*)

April 2006
1- Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (2006) directed by Carlos Saldanha- *
1- Love And Death (1975) directed by Woody Allen- * * * *
8- Bad News Bears (2005) directed by Richard Linklater- * *
9- Spider-Man (2002) directed by Sam Raimi- * * * *
10- Sherlock Holmes: Murder At The Baskervilles (1937) directed by Thomas Bentley- * *
10- Good Night, And Good Luck (2005) directed by George Clooney-
* * * *
11- Inside Man (2006) directed by Spike Lee- * * *
13- The Godfather Part 1 (1972) directed by Francis Ford Coppola-
* * * *
13- The Godfather Part 2 (1974) directed by Francis Ford Coppola-
* * * *
13- The Godfather Part 3 (1990) directed by Francis Ford Coppola-
* * * *
14- Jurassic Park (1993) directed by Steven Spielberg- * * * *
15- Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) directed by Quentin Tarantino- * * * *
15- Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004) directed by Quentin Tarantino- * * * *
15- Austin Powers In Goldmember (2002) directed by Jay Roach- * * *
16- Almost Famous- Untitled: The Bootleg Cut (2000) directed by Cameron Crowe- * * * *
19- Rushmore (1998) directed by Wes Anderson- * * * *
22- Lost In Translation (2003) directed by Sofia Coppola- * * *
22- Matchstick Men (2003) directed by Ridley Scott- * * *
23- Jaws (1975) directed by Steven Spielberg- * * * *
29- Kung Fu Hustle (2004) directed by Stephen Chow- * * *
29- Reservoir Dogs (1992) directed by Quentin Tarantino- * * * *
30- American Splendor (2003) directed by Robert Pulcini- * * *
30- Scarface (1983) directed by Brian DePalma- * * * *

I recently went to the movie theater with a few friends to see the premier showing of Mission: Impossible- III. Contrary to what Ebert says, I really enjoyed the film. It is my favorite movie of 2006 and most likely my favorite film in the Mission: Impossible franchise. I thought that the direction by J.J. Abrams was excellent, especially since this is the first feature length film he has directed. You may (or may not) recognize his name from the direction of TV shows such as Lost and Alias. Also, actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Tom Cruise did great jobs. Hoffman was the perfect villain for the film. I highly recommend this film, it is a non-stop action film with all sorts of twists incorporated.

On another note- I purchased the 10 year anniversary sets of both Clerks (3 discs) and Mallrats (1 double-sided disc). I also bought the Clerks Uncensored (2 discs) animated series. I really enjoy these films and I found the two films in a set together for only twenty dollars! Plus, Clerks Uncensored only cost about ten dollars. The films have a fist cut (Clerks) and an extended cut (Mallrats). All in all it was a great buy that didn't cost too much.

I strolled up to Future Shop on the 9th in hopes of purchasing the two-disc edition of one of my favorite movies of last year, Steven Spielberg's Munich. Unfortunately they hadn't got in the shipment yet so they put my on a list and are going to phone me up when it arrives.

Here are some trailers from some upcoming things that look cool, especially Halo 3 and Casino Royale.

-Halo 3!
-Casino Royale!
-Superman Returns!

Seeing as it is Election time at my school, Evan Hardy, here's a special message.....
Vote Aren Bergstrom.

-Alex

2006-04-19T18:15:00.000-06:00

MARCH MOVIE JOURNAL/UNTITLED
I am a little late in posting my movie viewing journal for the month of March. I watched 25 films this month which is pretty good amount. They are rated out of 4 *. The films are as follows...

March 2006
4- Walk The Line (2005) directed by James Mangold- * * *
4- Dr. Strangelove Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (1964) directed by Stanley Kubrick- * * * *
6- The Battle Of Algiers (1966) directed by Gillo Pontecorvo- * * * *
8- This Is Spinal Tap (1984) directed by Rob Reiner- * * * *
8- Walk The Line (2005) directed by James Mangold- * * *
10- The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) directed by Wes Anderson- * * * *
10- March Of The Penguins (2005) directed by Luc Jacquet- * * *
11- Spider-Man 2 (2004) directed by Sam Raimi- * * * *
11- Traffic (2000) directed by Steven Soderbergh- * * *
12- The Weather Man (2005) directed by Gore Verbinski- * * *
14- Rear Window (1954) directed by Alfred Hitchcock- * * * *
15- Lord Of The Flies (1990) directed by Harry Hook- * *
15- Army Of Darkness (1992) directed by Sam Raimi- * * * *
16- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) directed by Stanley Kubrick- * * * *
16- V For Vendetta (2005) directed by James McTeigue- * * *
17- Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) directed by Quentin Tarantino- * * * *
18- Corpse Bride (2005) directed by Tim Burton/ Mike Johnson- * * *
18- Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit (2005) directed by Steve Box/ Nick Park- * * * *
18- Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004) directed by Quentin Tarantino- * * * *
19- Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) directed by Quentin Tarantino- * * * *
19- Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004) directed by Quentin Tarantino- * * * *
25- The 39 Steps (1935) directed by Alfred Hitchcock- * * * *
25- Taxi Driver (1976) directed by Martin Scorsese- * * * *
31- The Patriot (2000) directed by Roland Emmerich- * *
31- The Squid And The Whale (2005) directed by Noah Baumbach- * * *

Also, after receiving my copy, I finally was able to see Almost Famous- Untitled: The Bootleg Cut. I really enjoyed, maybe even more than the original. Although the footage added isn't crucial to the story, it does, however, help the viewer get closer to the characters. The two-disc set has a lot of rare bonus features including deleted scenes and interviews with Lester Bangs. I really like the bootleg edition and I am very glad I could finally get my hands on a copy.

-Alex

2006-04-16T15:09:00.000-06:00

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

-Alex

2006-04-11T21:30:00.000-06:00

INSIDE MAN
I just came back from the movie theater. In case you didn't read my previous post, I went to see Inside Man, the new Spike Lee joint. I liked the film a lot. It had a basic story but enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. I found the film to be very enjoyable and exciting. The acting was good, especially by Clive Owen who played a bank robber with a plan for the perfect robbery. I also thought that the directing was good, but that is usually to be expected when going to see a film by a very talented director such as Spike Lee (Malcolm X, Do The Right Thing, etc.). The film borrows from many ideas of old robbery films like Dog Day Afternoon yet still manages to be original. I enjoyed this film and would recommend it.

Also, my copy of the Almost Famous: Bootleg Edition finally came from Amazon. I am very excited about seeing the extended version of the film because I've never seen it before and I really like this film.

-Alex

2006-04-11T17:44:00.000-06:00

GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK-- REVIEW
I recently saw Good Night, and Good Luck and I really enjoyed this film. The film told the story of Edward R. Murrow, the heroic CBS news man who was unafraid to go up against senator Joseph McCarthy at a time when everyone else was. The story is excellent, the acting is excellent, the directing is excellent, basically all aspects of the film were excellent including the fact that it is shot in black and white, giving it that '50's feel. I really enjoyed how the CBS news team were able to change things using television as their outlet, these days that is a very rare thing. I highly recommend this film, it is superb to say the least.

In other news, I am about to leave to go see Inside Man, the new Spike Lee joint. I have heard good thing about it and I am hoping it is good.

Also, I am going over to my friend Andrew's house for a Godfather marathon on Thursday. It will be awesome because the films, the first two parts especially, are excellent and some of my all time favorites.

-Alex

2006-04-08T18:10:00.000-06:00

GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
Tonight I am finally going to get to see Good Night, and Good Luck. I haven't seen it yet due to mix ups at Broadway theater but today I finally do. Needless to say, I am very excited. After hearing good reviews from Aren and pretty much everyone else I am finally renting the film. I will post a review of the film along with my movie journal for March.

In other news, I had a very productive day. I finished up most of my History project and my English essay on Sherlock Holmes. I feel confident that I can finish both tomorrow. Also, it is almost Easter time; In other words meaning that I get time off from school and that I can watch some movies. Seeing as I have only seen two films so far this month (and only one of them was good--Ice Age 2 was not good at all) it is about time I saw a few more films and hopefully this break will allow me to do that, although I am going skiing in Banff for a few days. I'll have to watch a few films on my portable DVD player in the car on the way there.

-Alex

2006-04-02T17:22:00.000-06:00

THE METAMORPHOSIS by Franz Kafka
Yesterday afternoon I visited the local library and took out The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. I began to read it as soon as I got home and ended up finishing the whole book that night. It only took me a couple of hours to read because there were just under 100 pages in the copy that I got, keeping in mind that from each page only about three quarters of the page was used. I won't get into an in depth description of the book but I will say that I really liked it and that it could be one of my new favorite stories. It sounds like a simple story at first glance (a man who wakes up only to find he has been transformed into a bug) but after reading it you realize all the complex emotions involved, you also realize how bad it would be if you were a bug. I would recommend it to anyone and I am planning to purchase the Franz Kafka complete story collection, but since it is missing the three novels (Amerika, The Trial, and The Castle) it isn't quite complete. The collection does come with many stories and it is about six hundred pages long. I plan to purchase it just before my trip to my Europe, which happens to be where I'm from (Trondheim in Norway to be specific), this summer. I will read it on the flight over --most likely the 10+ hour flight.

-In other news I ordered the Almost Famous bootleg edition on Amazon. It should be here in a matter of days. I can hardly stand the wait. Also, I plan on posting my movie journal for the month of March. I watched about 25 films in all last month, which I consider to be quite a good number of films.

-Alex

2006-03-24T17:58:00.000-06:00

FUTURE SHOP
I was recently browsing the DVD collection at Future Shop. Imagine my surprise when I came to the special interest section and stumbled upon a load of Criterion Collections. Needless to say I was thrilled. They had titles by great directors like Akira Kurosawa and Ingmar Bergman (funny story about Ingmar Bergman, my grandmother is good friends with Liv Ullmann, an actress who starred in many of the Bergman films and who also happens to be the ex wife of the great director). The only problem is that they cost about 60-70 dollars each. There were a few exceptions but I think I'll stick to buying them over the internet.

-Alex

P.S. I couldn't help noticing the terrible horror films coming out. I am not a big horror fan but even if I was I wouldn't be interested in any of the films coming out these days. They look terrible. If you don't believe me check out the trailers for Stay Alive, Slither or The Hills Have Eyes. I hope they start coming out with some decent films soon.

2006-03-20T18:00:00.000-06:00

NEWS/REVIEW
Some belated good news for Star Wars fans like myself: there is going to be a Star Wars television show in 2008. The program will chronicle Luke Skywalker's life between Episode III and IV. I find this to be great news because I am a huge fan of all the Star Wars films and this show sounds very cool.

In other news there will be a fourth installment in the Indiana Jones series. After years and years of work Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford are finally happy with the script and plan to begin shooting soon. Although no release date is scheduled as of now, Ford said it is most likely to come out of within the next two years. This is good news because the Indiana Jones films tend to be good (did you see Raiders Of The Lost Ark? It is excellent) and Steven Spielberg is probably the most consistent director in Hollywood.

-These are both good stories I heard in the last week or so. I can't wait to see how they turn out.

FREEDOM! FOREVER!
The review I mentioned earlier was of the recent V For Vendetta, which I saw on Thursday, March 16th at 10:00 pm (opening night). Seeing as I am a fan of the graphic novel I had some what high standards for the film and, in my opinion, it lived up to them. I found the film to be quite good. I especially enjoyed the shots that took place at Larkhill, I thought that they were very well made and accurate to those of the graphic novel. I have been looking forward to this movie for a while and it was a relief to say that, all in all, it wasn't a disappointment. Another thing that I liked about this film was that they didn't attempt to change the story too much from the original, just enough to keep it interesting and exciting to the readers of the graphic novel. I would definently recommend this film to fans of the graphic novel, or just someone who is looking to see a good movie in theaters. I say this because, let's face it, this is pretty much the only good film playing in theaters now, That is unless you find joy in films like The Shaggy Dog, which, by the way, I do not.

-Alex

P.S. Some bad news for me and the other fans of Jeff Goldblum: he has signed on to do a pilot for NBC entitled "Seeing Red". The show casts Goldblum as a cop who is able to speak to the dead in order to solve the crimes which caused their deaths. This sounds extremely similar to a few shows that are already on TV, plus the concept doesn't sound too strong. It is too bad that a fine actor like Jeff Goldblum could go from starring in the great Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou to doing these kinds of shows. He deserves much better roles than this one.

2006-03-19T15:51:00.000-06:00

KILL BILL VOL. I/II
Today I picked up a copy of both Kill Bill Vol. I (2003) and Vol. II (2004). I really enjoyed these films and have been meaning to purchase them for a while. One thing that I really enjoyed in Vol. I is the animated part of the film, it was very cool to see a sequence of animation integrated into a movie. Rarely do you see aspects such as color, black & white, and animation all in the same movie. I am a fan of all of these things therefore I loved the fact that they were all in Kill Bill. Another thing that made these films excellent was their superb scores and how they perfectly suit each scene that they were placed in; this seems to be the case for most of Quentin Tarantino's films and that is one of the many reasons why his films are so memorable. The brilliant score in Kill Bill comes from The RZA (Vol. I) and Robert Rodriguez (Vol. II), it also comes from bands like the 5,6,7,8's for performing in Vol. I, the performance helped set the mood in the House Of Blue Leaves. I rented both volumes of the films over the weekend, seeing as I hadn't seen them for a while, but it turned out to be a waste because the day after I watched them I went out and bought them because they are such good movies. I was waiting to purchase them due to rumors surrounding multidisc editions of the films but since these were fairly inexpensive, costing only about twenty dollars each, I decided to buy them now and if the multidisc editions ever do come out I imagine I will purchase them as well, depending on how different they are from these two. I also heard rumors of a Kill Bill Vol. III, it would follow Vernita Green's daughter as she seeks to get payback on The Bride for the murder of her mother. If the film ever gets made Quentin Tarantino said it wouldn't be for another ten years or so. The DVD doesn't have too many special features but they both have a pretty cool "making of..." featurette and Vol. II has an awesome deleted scene in which Bill takes on a team of samurai and beats them effortlessly. The films also have trailers for all of the Tarantino films and performances by The 5,6,7,8's (a band from Japan that was featured at the House Of Blue Leaves in Vol. I) and Chingon (a band formed with Sin City director Robert Rodriguez, who composed the film's original score for free). The films are directed by Quentin Tarantino who also directed great films such as Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), and Jackie Brown (1997). He is an excellent director and I really enjoy his films. I plan on watching both volumes back to back tonight, I was meaning to watch them in a row earlier in the weekend but my dad wanted to see them again as well so I watched Vol. I on Saturday night and Vol. II on Sunday night with him. I would definently recommend these or any of the Tarantino films because they are all excellent.

-Alex

2006-03-07T16:23:00.000-06:00

THREE POSTS by Alex Bucsis *
First and foremost I think that I'll start out the post with the Oscar highlights. So here we go:

#1- Oscar Night
WOW! Big surprise in the best picture category. Crash won the best picture category at Sunday night's 78th annual Academy Awards ceremony. I, as well as probably everybody, expected Brokeback Mountain to win especially after Ang Lee won best director. Until recently started hearing a lot of buzz around Crash and how it could be the dark horse to take the prize, I never expected Crash to win. Needless to say it was a big surprise. Although I thought Munich should have won, it was a nice surprise to see someone take the award from Brokeback Mountain because of all the attention it was getting. I really enjoyed Crash when I first saw it a few months ago (my dad really liked it and was hoping it would win). Ang Lee won director making him the first non-white male to ever win. Most of my predictions turned out true but there were a few minor categories that I was off on. All in all it was a good night because a few of the nominees that I wanted to win did, in fact, win. Click here for my picks and predictions. I also really enjoyed Jon Stewart as the night's host. He was very funny and I also liked the ads for the various nominees, I found them to be very funny. Here is the full list of winners at the 78th Academy awards...

-picture- Crash

-director- Ang Lee

-actor- Phillip Seymour Hoffman

-actress- Reese Witherspoon

-supporting actor- George Clooney

-supporting actress- Rachel Weisz

-original screenplay- Crash

-adapted screenplay- Brokeback Mountain

-animated feature film- Wallace & Gromit: Curse Of The Ware-Rabbit

-costume design- Memoirs Of A Geisha

-foreign film- Tsotsi

-cinematography- Memoirs Of A Geisha

-editing- Crash

-documentary- March Of The Penguins

-documentary short- A Note Of Triumph: The Golden Age Of Norman Corwin

-makeup- The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

-original song- "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp"

-original score- Brokeback Mountain

-sound editing- King Kong

-animated short film- The Moon And The Son: An Imagined Conversation

-live action short film- Six Shooter

-art direction- Memoirs Of A Geisha

-visual effects- King Kong

-sound mixing- King Kong

-lifetime achievement award- Robert Altman There you have it, all the awards of the night.
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#2- La Bataille d'Alger (The Battle Of Algiers)
I recently saw La Bataille d'Alger (The Battle Of Algiers) and I was blown away. This film was incredible, to say the least. Gillo Pontecorvo, the director, has created a masterpiece of modern cinema. The film chronicles the struggle of the Algerian people to gain freedom from the occupying French in the 1950's. The film recreates a key year in the struggle by showing how groups like the Front De Liberation Nationale (FLN) form in the Algiers and Casbah and resort to extremes, such as blowing up cafes and killing innocent people, to get the freedom that they crave. The film follows Saadi Yacef (although in the film he plays El-Hadi Jaffar, a character based on him) Ali La Pointe, and the rest of the FLN as they rally for Algerian freedom. The film was made in 1966, shortly after the Algerians received their freedom from France. The way the film is made forces you to sympathize with both French and Algerians. I feel as if I can relate this to, the more recent, Munich in that sense because they both convey the same emotions. The film does a good job of showing the lengths people will go to in order to get their way when put in a difficult situation. Escalating violence on both sides, children shooting soldiers at point-blank range, women planting bombs in cafes, Authority resorting to torture to break the will of insurgents- these are just some brutal acts you come across in the powerful film. The score of the film is also excellent, it is very simple yet suits the movie very well.

The film is shot in a documentary style in the streets of Algiers. It is a case study of modern combat showing the terrorist attacks and brutal techniques used in combat. This is a tour de force with astonishing relevance though the film sounds extremely violent, it isn't terribly gory and passes of with only a 14A rating. With great directors like Spike Lee, Steven Soderbergh and Oliver Stone singing its praises and telling of the film's influence and importance it is tough not to be drawn in. Steven Soderbergh even went as far as to say that when he was making Traffic he made the cast and crew watch films like The Battle Of Algiers and The French Connection because that is the kind of movie he wanted Traffic to be. After the film it is easy to understand why it is part of the Criterion Collection. After seeing how good the film was I really wanted to buy it. The Criterion Collection set comes with a 56 page book and 3 DVD's. I would recommend this film to anyone who likes great movies.

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#3- January/February Movie Journal

Last but not least I wanted to include my movie journal for the months of January and February. The reason I include January is because I forgot to post it in January. In January, because of finals, I didn't watch a lot of movies but in February I watched quite a bit of films. Here are the movies I watched in the last two months.
-The films are rated out of five (5) stars.
January 2006
-Citizen Kane (1941) directed by Orson Welles- * * * * *
-Munich (2005) directed by Steven Spielberg- * * * * *
-Schindler's List (1993) directed by Steven Spielberg- * * * * *
-Minority Report (2002) directed by Steven Spielberg- * * * * *
-Wedding Crashers (2005) directed by David Dobkin- * * * *
-The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005) directed by Judd Apatow- * * * *
-Lord Of War (2005) directed by Andrew Niccol- * * *
-Pride And Prejudice (2005) directed by Joe Wright- * * * *
-Syriana (2005) directed by Stephen Gaghan- * * * *
-Crash (2005) directed by Paul Haggis- * * * *
- Almost Famous (2000) directed by Cameron Crowe- * * * * *
-Matchstick Men (2003) directed by Ridley Scott- * * * *

February 2006
3-I Heart Huckabees (2004) directed by David O. Russel- * * * *
4-Capote(2005) directed by Bennet Miller- * * * *
12-The Matrix (1999) directed by Larry/Andy Wachowski- * * * *
12-The Sum Of All Fears (2002) directed by Phil Alden Robinson- * * *
14-The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004) directed by Wes Anderson- * * * *
14-A Charlie Brown Valentine ( ) directed by Bill Melendez- * * * *
15-Spirited Away (2001) directed by Hayao Miyazaki- * * * *
15-Lost In Translation (2003) directed by Sofia Coppola- * * * *
16-Psycho (1960) directed by Alfred Hitchcock- * * * * *
16-Bottle Rocket (1996) directed by Wes Anderson- * * * *
16-Dial M For Murder (1955) directed by Alfred Hitchcock- * * * * *
17-North By Northwest (1959) directed by Alfred Hithcock- * * * * *
17-This Is Spinal Tap (1984) directed by Rob Reiner- * * * * *
17-The Wrong Man (1956) directed by Alfred Hitchcock- * * * *
18-Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi (1983) directed by Richard Marquand- * * * * *
18-Stage Fright (1950) directed by Alfred Hitchcock- * * * *
18-The Maltese Falcon (1941) directed by John Huston- * * * * *
19-Foreign Correspondent (1940) directed by Alfred Hitchcock- * * * * *
19-Adaptation (2002) directed by Spike Jonze- * * * *
20-The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (2004) directed by Stephen Hillenburg- * * * *
21-Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi (1983) directed by Richard Marquand- * * * * *
22-Princess Mononoke (1997) directed by Hayao Miyazaki- * * * * *
23-The Sixth Sense (1999) directed by M. Night Shyamalan- * * * *
23-A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001) directed by Steven Spielberg- * * * * *
25-Saving Private Ryan (1998) directed by Steven Spielberg- * * * * *
27-A Beautiful Mind (2001) directed by Ron Howard- * * * * *
27-The Beatles: A Hard Day's Night (1964) directed by Richard Lester- * * * * *
28-Strangers On A Train (1951) directed by Alfred Hitchcock- * * * * *

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* Wes Anderson fans may recognize this title from The Royal Tenenbaums because it is very similar to the title of Margot's book of plays. I changed the title from THREE PLAYS by Margot Tenenbaum to THREE POSTS by Alex Bucsis.

NOTE: I will most likely post a review of Good Night, And Good Luck after I see it. I was going to go last Friday but, even though it was supposed to be, it wasn't showing and hasn't played yet. I am getting very frustrated with Broadway theater. They better shape up soon because it is making me very angry. I, and everyone that wants to see it, wouldn't be in this predicament if it was playing at Pacific cinemas, the theater that I would have picked if I had had a say in the matter.

-Alex

2006-03-05T12:16:00.000-06:00

THIS IS SPINAL TAP/
ACADEMY AWARDS/
GOOD NEWS
I picked up a copy of This Is Spinal Tap special edition (although it's not that special because it seems to be the only version available) today. It only cost me about ten dollars, so it was quite cheap. I really love this classic "rockumentary". It is one of my favorite films about music. I originally wanted to buy the Criterion Collection of the film but it is out of print so it is virtually impossible to find (although I did find a copy of it on Amazon.com but it cost one hundred dollars! Which is a ridiculous price to pay seeing as it is only one disc and before it went out of print it was only $39.99, which is pretty expensive as well. Another thing is that the special features weren't too different from the regular special edition version of the film). This version has commentary by the stars in character, something that the Criterion didn't have. Along with commentary, this film has over an hour and a half of special features such as deleted scenes, interviews and trailers.

Also, tonight is the Academy Awards. It will be exciting to see how close my predictions were. Although Brokeback Mountain will most likely clean up, it will be fun to see what other films win. I will definently tune in because I watch the Oscars every year. Sadly for Munich, (the rightful winner) there is no doubt in my mind that Brokeback Mountain will win Best Picture. Another thing that I am looking forward to tonight is Jon Stewart hosting because he is a very funny person and I think he will do a good job. A quick note: if Ang Lee wins best director he will be the first non-white male to win the prize EVER. All in all, it should turn out to be a good night of great films.

The good news is that I have found a copy of the bootleg director's cut edition of Almost Famous on Amazon.com! I plan on purchasing it as soon as I can get about twenty more dollars. I am looking forward to getting it because I haven't seen the extended cut before and I really like Almost Famous (as you have probably seen from the last post I made).

That is all I have to say for today. I'll post again if there are anymore updates (most likely after the Oscars to tell how close my predictions were).

-Alex

2006-03-03T17:31:00.000-06:00

ALMOST FAMOUS
I have been on the hunt for the Almost Famous Bootleg Cut (which I couldn't help noticing that you had Anders) for quite some time now only to come across despair in realizing that it has been discontinued. Almost Famous is one of my favorite films and, in my opinion, the best film by Cameron Crowe. The scene on the bus when the everybody is singing along to "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John is just amazing and it is my favorite part of the film. I read a review that went as follows "Depending on when you walk in, Almost Famous is either a coming-of-age drama; a love story; an often funny but sometimes painful look at the bonds of family; or a celebration of the glorious, liberating intoxication of rock & roll". This quote rings true because this film has all of those elements and they are all done very well. This was more than just a good rock & roll movie, it was also a really good movie. I would recommend this film to anyone who hasn't yet seen it. I really wanted this DVD to add to my collection but it seems that it is virtually unattainable for me now. The bootleg cut contains more than 30 minutes of new footage (which you may or may not have seen from the picture that I posted above), along with the theatrical version of the film and a lot more special features. It also contains a Stillwater CD. I suppose that I will have to settle for the regular theatrical version of the film rather than the director's cut (which is something that I rarely, if ever do). Well that will be all that I'll say today. I will probably end up purchasing the regular version since the bootleg cut seems to be out of my reach but I believe that I'll check around on Amazon.com before I quit looking. I'll leave you with a picture of the cover of the regular DVD because it's pretty cool. Until next time...

-Alex

P.S. I forgot to mention that I am going to Good Night And Good Luck tonight at 7:00 pm. It opened at Broadway Theater instead of my choice which would have been Pacific Cinema, but it doesn't really matter as long as I finally get to see this movie. I have been waiting a long time for this to come to our city because we get a lot of films later than other cities. I have heard great reviews and am looking forward to it.

-On another note if you are reading this please write me a comment because I haven't had one in a while. Thanks.

2006-03-02T16:52:00.000-06:00

THE STROKES
I thought that I'd post this picture from The Strokes South American tour back in October of 2005. This was the first tour the strokes had ever done in South America. I found the picture while looking for album covers for my previous post today. I really liked this picture so I thought that I would post it onto my blog.

-Alex

2006-03-02T14:42:00.000-06:00

"HEART IN A CAGE"
The video for the second single from the new album First Impressions Of Earth by The Strokes is now out and can be viewed on The Strokes website and then entering the "music" section of the site (check out some other videos while you're there as well, I recommend "Someday", "The End Has No End" and "Hard To Explain"). I am a huge fan of The Strokes and have been ever since I first heard Is This It. While the new album wasn't quite as good as its predecessors it was still a good album (and it had a lot of great art in the inside booklet) and it was a lot better than many of the albums that have come out in the last year. Being the huge fan I am I went and purchased the collector's edition of the new album on January 3rd, the very first day, (it included a better looking packaging and cool photos of the band, plus it was only a few dollars more) and, since I was the second person to come in and buy the album at HMV, I received a free band t-shirt as a gift for being on the list of the top ten purchasers. As soon as I bought it I went straight home and listened to it in its entirety.

While "Heart In A Cage" wasn't my favorite song from the new album (it was "You Only Live Once") the song is still very good and the video is excellent. Mixing in shots of the band in the busy streets of New York City and throwing in the odd shot of various NYC landscape. The video is done in black and white which makes it look very cool. If you are a fan of The Strokes, or even if you aren't, I suggest you check out the video by clicking the link above, it will definently be worth the three minutes it takes to watch the clip. I thought that I'd leave you with the album covers from The Strokes' albums because they are really good covers. The Strokes always seem to throw in a lot of art into their albums which makes them really cool and causes them to stand out from the rest of the pack. So here they are, the first three albums by The Strokes. Enjoy...

-Alex

1) IS THIS IT
2) ROOM ON FIRE
3) FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF EARTH

2006-03-01T23:47:00.000-06:00

WALK THE LINE
Today I picked up the 2 disc collector's edition of Walk The Line. I couldn't avoid the temptation of purchasing the collector's edition set, like I always do, and, seeing as it was only five dollars more, I didn't feel like I spent a fortune more to get it. I really loved the film from the first time that I saw it in theaters (I liked it more than I liked Ray). This DVD contains a lot more than the regular edition. It has 2 discs, which in turn means it has much more bonus features. It also includes five special post cards with posters for the film and the cover art is so much better than it is on the regular edition (I included a picture of it at the top of this post). I thought that I'd leave you with the post card pictures featured in the DVD (or at least the ones that I could find on google, there were two that I couldn't find).

-Alex

2006-02-28T23:06:00.000-06:00

SPIDERMAN 3
This is truly going to be a great film. Venom is one of my absolute favorite characters from the Spiderman series. 2007 will be a great year for movies, not that this year won't be good with films like M:I-III (which Kanye West is doing the theme song for and he said in an interview that the song was amazing, and I know from experience that if Kanye says something is excellent it usually means it is) and Miami Vice (which, by the way, will be treated as only another Michael Mann film for me because I never really watched the show, which is fine by me) but 2007 with films like Halo and Spiderman 3 will be amazing because I have waited for these films since I first heard of them. They both look amazing and I can't wait until I get to see them. Halo AND Spidey, what more could a person ask for?

-Alex

P.S. Good Night And Good Luck opens on Friday. I am going to go on the opening night because I have wanted to see this for a while now. Only a couple weeks later V For Vendetta opens which looks excellent as well.

2006-02-28T12:54:00.000-06:00

THE CRITERION COLLECTION
I recently added a link to the Criterion Collection website on the links section of my side menu. It is such an excellent collection with many great films. I only own a few of the films from the collection but would like to buy several more. I own all of the Wes Anderson films from the collection (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou) but would like to buy films like Le Samourai and This Is Spinal Tap. Sadly Spinal Tap has been put out of print so it is no longer available. I am really disappointed to hear this because it is such a funny film. There are many more great films in this collection that I want but I only decided to name a few titles, plus I probably won't be getting any for a while seeing as am low for money lately because of my many visits to the theaters.

-Check out the site because it truly has an excellent selection of films from all over the world. I will post again soon because I am limited for time here at school and I have almost run out.

-Alex

P.S. If you are reading this Adam you should really check out the site.

2006-02-24T23:27:00.000-06:00

V FOR VENDETTA
I just finished up a graphic novel that I was reading entitled
V FOR VENDETTA. I found it to be very enjoyable. It was a story about the loss of power in a totalitarian world. The story is set in a prediction of near-future England (or at least in the 1980's when this story was written it was considered near-future), which is now a totalitarian country. A man dressed up in a Guy Fawkes outfit (but unlike Guy Fawkes, V actually blows up the parliament buildings) fights the government for freedom of not just him but for everyone. He kills the people involved in the testing that was done on him in a concentration camp (Larkhill army camp in Wiltshire, to be more specific) during the war, this in turn labels him as a terrorist and he is given the name "Codename V". He blows up the buildings of the government and murders the main people involved in their government but he does it for a good cause. This distills anarchy in the streets which causes the people to retaliate and gives them a chance for their anger, which has been bottled up in fear, to finally be heard. While doing this he rescues a girl from being killed by police officers and shows her the state of England and how the people are robbed of their freedom. The moral dilemma comes when trying to figure out if he is right or wrong in doing these acts. The reader must also attempt to figure out if he truly wants freedom for England or if he is just after revenge for crimes done against him. This was truly an excellent and smart graphic novel and I really enjoyed reading this and I would recommend it to anybody who enjoys graphic novels and, as you were told in the introduction of the book, "It's for people who don't switch off the news". Alan Moore, who wrote this novel, truly created a masterpiece of fine literature.

I thought that I'd share a quote by Alan Moore relating to the story which describes the story really well and sets the mood for the attitude that the reader finds throughout much of the story.
"Good night England. Good night home service and v for victory.
Hello the voice of fate and v for vendetta."
-Alan Moore
North Hampton,
March 1988

England Prevails*

-Alex

* After reading the novel you would understand what this meant.

P.S.- There is a movie on the graphic novel coming out soon. It is from the Wachowski brothers who created the Matrix trilogy. It looks like a good film, plus the creator of Ain't It Cool news has said that it is excellent and that it is even better than The Matrix. I am looking forward to it seeing as it opens soon.

2006-02-23T11:56:00.000-06:00

HOORAY!!!
Tommorow is the last day of my driver education program. I am very happy to be out of this class because it was very boring and the teacher was kind of a bitch. It has been a long two and a half months (the reason it took so long was because we had two long breaks during the time the class was on). I wrote my final today in class and tommorow I only go to pick up my test scores and hand in my clearance form. The test we wrote today was quite easy and it was multiple choice so I think I did good on it. I can't begin to express how happy I am so I won't even try. This class truly felt like it took an eternity to finish. Well it seems that my lunch hour is almost up so I better wrap this up quickly.until next time...

-Alex

P.S.- I really feel sorry for my friends who haven't taken the class yet. Good luck to you.

2006-02-22T13:01:00.000-06:00

BACK TO SCHOOL
After our nine day break(11 days for me seeing as I was sick for the first two days back) I am finally back at school. Over the break the majority of my time was taken up watching movies. Out of the films I saw I would have to say the best included North By Northwest, Psycho, Star Wars-Return Of The Jedi, The Manachurian Candidate, The Beatles-Hard Day's Night, and Casablanca. I decided to post from school today during my lunch hour but the bell just rang so I have to go.

-Alex

2006-02-11T18:50:00.000-06:00

ACADEMY AWARDS- PICKS AND PREDICTIONS
Seeing as Oscar season is among us again, I thought that I would share my picks and my predictions via The Farnsworth Parabox.

* is my pick
** is my prediction

Best Motion Picture
**Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
Good Night And Good Luck
*Munich

Best Animated Film
**Howl's Moving Castle
Corpse Bride
*Wallace & Gromit: Curse Of The Were-Rabbit

Best Actor
** *Phillip Seymour Hoffman- Capote
Terrence Howard- Hustle & Flow
Heath Ledger- Brokeback Mountain
Joaquin phoenix- Walk The Line
David Strathairn- Good Night And Good Luck

Best Actress
Judi Dench- Mrs. Henderson Presents
Felicity Huffman- Transamerica
Keira Knightley- Pride & Prejudice
Charlize Theron- North Country
** *Reese Witherspoon- Walk The Line

Best Director
**Ang Lee- Brokeback Mountain
Bennet Miller- Capote
Paul Haggis- Crash
George Clooney- Good Night And Good Luck
*Steven Spielberg- Munich

Best Supporting Actor
*George Clooney- Syriana
Matt Dillon- Crash
**Paul Giamatti- Cinderella Man
Jake Gyllenhaal- Brokeback Mountain
William Hurt- A History Of Violence

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams- Junebug
*Katherine Keener- Capote
Frances McDormand- North Country
Rachel Weisz- The Constant Gardener
**Michelle Williams- Brokeback Mountain

Best Art Direction
Good Night And Good Luck
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire
* **King Kong
Memoirs Of A Geisha
Pride & Prejudice

Best Cinematography
*Batman Begins
**Brokeback Mountain
Good Night And Good Luck
Memoirs Of A Geisha
The New World

Best Costume Design
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
Memoirs Of A Geisha
Mrs. Henderson Presents
*Pride & Prejudice
**Walk The Line

Best Visual Effects
**The Chronicles Of Narnia
*King Kong
War Of The Worlds

Best Screenplay Based On Previous Material
**Brokeback Mountain
Capote
The Constant Gardener
A History Of Violence
*Munich

Best Soundmixing
**The Chronicles Of Narnia
King Kong
Memoirs Of A Geisha
*Walk The Line
War Of The Worlds

Best Film Editing
Cinderella Man
The Constant Gardener
Crash
*Munich
**Walk The Line

Best Screenplay
Crash
**Good Night And Good Luck
Match Point
The Squid And The Whale
*Syriana

Best Sound Editing
** *King Kong
Memoirs Of A Geisha
War Of The Worlds

Best Documentary
Darwin's Nightmare
Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room
** * March Of The Penguins
Murderball
Street Fight

Best Original Score
**Brokeback Mountain
The Constant Gardener
Memoirs Of A Geisha
*Munich
Pride & Prejudice

Best Make-Up
The Chronicles Of Narnia
Cinderella Man
** *Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith

Best Foreign Film
Don't Tell
Joyeux Noel(Merry Christmas)
Paradise Now
Sofia Scholl- The Final Days
Tsoti

Best Original Song
** *"In The Deep"- Crash
"It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp"- Hustle & Flow
"Travellin' Thru"- Transamerica

So there are my picks and predictions for the 78th Academy Awards. I didn't choose a film for the best foreign film because I hadn't seen any of the films. I realize that my picks and predictions could be off by a little because I haven't seen every film in each category, although I can imagine that they wouldn't be too different if I had.

-Alex

2006-02-05T18:22:00.001-06:00

HONORABLE MENTIONS 2005
2005 has been quite a good year for movie. I posted a list of top ten films of 2005 but it only limited me to ten choices, so I decided that I would put up a list of films that were good but didn't make my list due to a lack of space. So here they are...

CAPOTE directed by Bennett Miller
- I saw this film yesterday and it was really, really good. The plot was well developed and the acting was very well done. Philip Seymour Hoffman definently deserves an Oscar for his role as Truman Capote, the writer who wrote the classic non-fiction novel In Cold Blood. If I would have seen this film before I made my list it would have ranked very high.
CORPSE BRIDE directed by Tim Burton and Michael Johnson
- For looking great and for having a funny story in the fashion that only Tim Burton can tell them.
CRASH directed by Paul Haggis
- For taking on all sorts of stereotypes that exist and are believed in our world today and showing how they effect people just like us.
JARHEAD directed by Sam Mendes
- For taking the look into the life of a soldier that you usually don't see in films.
KUNG FU HUSTLE directed Stephen Chow
- For being incredibly entertaining and hilarious. This was one of the finest kung fu films that I have ever seen.
SIN CITY directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller with Quentin Tarantino
- For proving that it is possible to directly adapt a graphic novel like the amazing Sin City to the big screen. Also, for being so visually stunning, and thirdly for setting a new bench mark for the genre of comic book films.
THE WEATHER MAN directed by Gore Verbinski
- For giving a glimpse into the life of a man who seems to have no good luck what so ever, and for being incredibly memorable and well acted.
WEDDING CRASHERS directed by David Dobkin & THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN directed by Judd Apatow- For making me laugh so hard it hurt.

That is the list of other good films this year. If I have forgotten to put a few down it is because either I haven't seen them yet or that I forgot about them(be sure to leave a comment telling me in either case).
I will also say that I plan to put up the list of films that I saw in the month of January. I shall also put up a list of my Oscar picks and predictions for the up-coming Academy Awards and I believe that I will take my friends opinion and post a list of the films that I am most looking forward to in 2006. I will be sure to post again soon.

-Alex

2006-01-26T18:10:00.000-06:00

GLASSES
Today I received the glasses I had ordered on Friday. My optometrist told me that they would take two to three days to come in from when she ordered them on Monday. They came in yesterday but I couldn't get downtown to pick them up, so my dad picked them up for me this morning and gave them to my mom so that she could give them to me after I had written my final for English B(which was quite easy may I add). They are Giorgio Armani frames and I picked them out from the catalogue. When I had decided on that pair the woman who worked there informed me that they were out of stock but she could order them for me, and she did. I posted an image of them above.

On another note I plan to go see the movie Lord Of War tonight. It is supposed to be good and it stars Nicolas Cage who on average stars in good movies, plus Ebert said that it was a good film.

Today was also the last day of my finals. In total I wrote four, these include Science, Accounting, Math and English B. I was surprised because I had thought that a few of these would be challenging but they turned out to be fairly easy. I anxiously await my report card to see what I got on them. This seems to be the end of what I had to say today. I plan on getting up a list of honorable mentions of films for 2005 since there were a few films I didn't put on my list that were quite good this year. I am only holding off on this list until I see Lord Of War tonight. I'll be sure to post again soon.

-Alex

P.S. I also saw Schindler's List again today after school. It is one of the greatest films ever made, it serves as no surprise that it is a Steven Spielberg film. He truly is one of, if not the, world's greatest directors.

2006-01-24T17:07:00.000-06:00

TOP TEN MOVIES OF 2005

Before I begin I'd like to take the time to mention that this list would have probably have been a lot different if I had gotten to see all the films I would have liked to see. These films include films like A History Of Violence, Capote, Brokeback Mountain, Good Night and Good Luck, and Matchpoint. The reason I missed most of these is because most of them never even came to a theater here. Although A History Of Violence did come here I never had the chance to see it and as for Brokeback Mountain it just came to theaters so I have yet to see it. I was also informed by a friend of mine today that The New World was excellent so I am hoping to go to see that as well. Even though I haven't seen these movies I shall publish this list anyways. So without further adieu I present the eighth wonder of the world (my #3 should explain this) the list, in my opinion, of the Ten Best Movies Of The Year 2005. Enjoy.

#1: STAR WARS EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH- directed by George Lucas
This film is the last piece of the puzzle to the greatest saga ever told on screen. This film deserves the top spot due to its amazing story and its beautiful visuals. Star Wars suddenly got a lot darker than it has ever been and this only added to the aura that the film carries. It is filled with amazing acting as well, this draws you into the movie and makes it impossible to dislike and very hard not to believe the emotions these characters convey to be anything but true. George Lucas deserves an Academy Award(even though he will probably never get one) for his epic direction in this truly great film. At the end when Anakin emerges as the dark lord, and one of the coolest characters on screen, Darth Vader it sent chills up my spine and brought tears to my eyes(not literally but...) because of the creepiness he possesses. This movie served as a great end to the epic saga and was very fulfilling to me. These qualities define a great movie and this was just that in every way.

#2: MUNICH- directed by Steven Spielberg
This film rolled into theaters late but it didn't take long for me to fall in love with it. A film like Munich, based on the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes which happened at the 1972 Munich Olympics and Israel's reaction to it, is so gripping that it is nearly impossible not to get drawn in and truly feel the vast majority of emotions that these characters go through. What I liked the most about the movie is the fact that Steven Spielberg, although Jewish, takes no sides in the film he simply states what happened and asks: what good came of any of this? The answer he leaves for you to decide and to form your own opinions about the tragedy. The acting in this film is incredible. Eric Bana steals the show as the hired killer who becomes emotionally scarred by the events. This film deserves best picture because it was on a far higher platform of films than any other Oscar-Nominated films this year. It was truly amazing.

#3: KING KONG- directed by Peter Jackson
This film had everything a true adventure needs to have: a great story, a scary location, lovable characters and a giant ape. Well they should have the first three. In the case of King Kong it had all these things and a whole lot more to offer. For example, its visuals took my breath away. Kong looked (and sounded) like he could he could have jumped out of the screen and grabbed me, this goes for the dinosaurs also. Peter Jackson shows he has what it takes to handle big scaled epics just like King Kong and The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, he is an excellent director seeing as if this movie was in the hands of another it may not have been on this list. Most people only know the film because of its legendary shot of Kong on the Empire State Building but that turns out to be the weakest part of the movie. Skull Island is where the action and adventure truly takes place. The shots of depression era New York City are superb. The creatures that Jackson and his special effects team bring to life are stunning, especially the scenes with the bugs on Skull Island(they creeped me out). All in all this film had so many good qualities it had to be high on this list.

#4: HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE- directed by Mike Newell
The best Harry Potter movie there has ever been so far. Mike Newell has truly mastered the art of how to create a great Harry Potter film without cutting too much yet not making it too long. This film catches the feeling and awkwardness that can come of asking out the opposite sex and delivers these feelings in a believable manner. The Ron/Hermoine relationship is taken into a whole new area and it is too obvious to miss the fact that they secretly have feelings for eachother. Ralph Fiennes captures the spirit of Voldemort and makes him so that he is as scary as any horror character. This is a lot darker than the others but that is because each movie in the series progressively gets darker after each film. If it weren't for the fact that there were so many good films this year I'm sure I would have ranked this movie higher but for now it stays at #4.

#5: BATMAN BEGINS- directed by Christopher Nolan
This film bypasses all the other Batman films in every single way. It had a great plot, amazing effects, believable characters and no over-the-top villains. Christian Bale is great as Batman and Bruce Wayne, going places other Batman stars have never gone before. Instead of villains in this film we mostly find thugs and crime kingpins which serves as a great breath of fresh air. When it comes to Batman films this movie is just as much a classic as anyone of the other films.

#6: WALLACE AND GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT- directed by Nick Park and Steve Box
I am a giant Wallace and Gromit fan, I have seen all the films and loved them all, so it serves as no surprise that this film would be on my list. As soon as I had heard that there was to be another Wallace and Gromit movie I was overjoyed at the chance to see it in theaters. Needless to say I loved it. I found it good, funny and well made. I enjoyed every minute of it and it is definently the best animated film of the year. Steve Box and Nick Park are hilarious.

#7: SYRIANA- directed by Stephen Gaghan
This is a movie about oil and the power it gives(and when I say power I don't mean to your car). Big companies are at a feud for different spots in the Middle-East to tap for oil because it gives them money and with money comes power. This film gives you the chance to truly think in a movie about what is going on in the world we live in. Steven Gaghan has directed a great movie and deserves all the rave reviews he is getting. George Clooney and Matt Damon shine as usual. The movie also has twists and turns in every direction, one of the reasons it is so confusing to people. This film has a great theme and is a very good movie.

#8: WAR OF THE WORLDS- directed by Steven Spielberg
No matter how much the critics bash this movie it is still a great film. Steven Spielberg makes his second appearance on this list with this great movie. It is great to see a twist on the age-old alien cliche that they come from above to attack us. Instead, in this movie, the aliens are already embedded in our earth and decide to come above ground when they want. This is actually a very scary film with a lot of great action scenes. Tom Cruise plays good(as he usually does along side of Spielberg) and Dakota Fanning' s screams are so well acted that it seems that she really is scared to death. All the critics in the world could talk bad about this film without it losing any of its allure. It is a great movie.

#9: WALK THE LINE- directed by James Mangold
A great bio-pic about a great artist. Joaquin Pheonix and Reese Witherspoon are great as Johnny and June Carter Cash. It is difficult to believe that they were so devoted to doing the movie that they learned how to play instruments and took singing lessons. This is a great film due to awesome acting and superb direction by James Mangold. This is certainly one of the finer bio-pics made and has high Oscar potential.

#10: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE- directed by Joe Wright
A great take on the classic novel by Jane Austen. Joe Wright made a great film about love and the complications it brings. Keira Knightley is magnificent in her best movie so far, she definently deserves an Oscar for her acting. I really loved the movie and I also got the opportunity to see the play being performed at my school this year. This was a truly great movie and the adaption from book to movie was flawless.

-Well, that's it. Those were the movies I fell in love with this year. All these films are excellent and 2005 has definently been a very good year for films.

-Alex

2006-01-23T16:34:00.000-06:00

THE FIRST POST
Ah...The very first post to my new blog. It is great to finally get my blog up and running. Just posting to say hello for the first time. Not much to say today during the week of my finals. Futurama fans may realize that I have named my blog after the Farnsworth parabox, an alternate universe from the show. That seems to be all I have to say for today. I am hoping to get my top 10 movies list up pretty soon, seeing as I am a big movie fan. I believe Munich shall be ranked pretty high because I absolutely loved it, but how high I'm not sure of.

-Alex