Strangeness and Charm

I don’t know what I have to say or not say today. I’m tired of talking about the gym – and you’re probably tired of hearing about it.

I am sure I could go on and on about something, but I came across a clip of Joaquin Phoenix on David Letterman, promoting his new and possibly last movie.

For those who haven’t heard/read/seen – Joaquin has been making a stink about retiring from celluloid and foraying into the world of hip hop.   Whatever, dude.

But he was indeed on Letterman, though not really on Letterman. Dave is in his prime.  I love seeing him when he is on.  You have to watch the clip – and I do mean the entire clip – to truly enjoy the weirdness of the situation.

Song by: Tim Finn

Happy Dog (for Caggy)

Yes – it is my annual post for the Puppy Bowl. This is possibly the most important sporting event of the year! (that is not just hyperbole, either!)

I have never cared about the Super Bowl…and that’s not just because Cleveland has never been in it, or possibly will ever be in it. It is just the most over-hyped sporting event. Ever.

Quick! Who played in it last year? Who even won? Yeah, I didn’t think you’d know either – at least without Goooooogling it.

It’s not even worth sitting through it for the commercials. That’s what YouTube is for anyhow.

The Puppy Bowl is just fun. And cute.

C’mon! 20 doggies romping around a heavily product-placemented (it could be a word!) gridiron? What’s not to love? Buster, Charlie Brown, Griffey, Mac & Mercy are my picks before going into the game.

Oh – who will get MVP (most valuable puppy)?

And of course, let’s not forget the Kitty Half-Time Show. You can watch Springsteen almost anywhere these days. Watch the kitties and doggies instead.

Song by: Blondie

Milk

Blobby claims Milk ‘Best Movie of the Year’.

Yes, yes, it is so far Blobby’s only movie of the year, as he saw it just four days into 2009. But he’s fairly certain it would rank up there even if it were later in the year.

We went to go see the movie yesterday. It is still not playing at any megaplexes, and maybe that is not the plan. 20 minutes prior to the film, we were two of maybe 10 folks. A few minutes before the start the place was pretty packed.

But it was the demographics that threw me. It is quite possible we were the only gay men in the theater. I don’t think there were a dozen men in the place, and all of them (save us) were with women. Real ones.

The two biddies (is that the right spelling?) behind us drove me nuts – though Denton never noticed them.  Each and every time that Dan White was in a scene, one would go “oh no!”.  I’m like, lady, it is 26 minutes into the movie, he isn’t shooting him in the first half-hour!   Let’s say Dan White was in 20 scenes.  She said “oh no”, each and every time.

As for the movie, Gus Van Sant does a great job of bringing a feel, the look, the energy and desperation of the times.  Sean Penn does a remarkable job as Harvey, and when you see him in comparison to Brad Pitt’s underwhelming performance in Benjamin Button, you wonder how Penn won’t walk away with another Oscar.   The supporting cast is pretty good too.  James Franco can do more than Spiderman, apparently.   I barely recognized Victor Garber as George Moscone.

I’m not ashamed to say that Milk made me tear-up more than a few times.  More than Brokeback did.

Clearly, one can all too easily draw comparisons to Proposition 6 in 1978 to Prop 8 three decades later.  It clearly depicts how far we’ve come and how far we haven’t in that same time.  I sat there and wondered if this movie had been released in September, if that would have helped sway 5% more voters in California come election day.

But you can’t change the past.  What you do is take lessons from these times, and movies that depict them, learn from them and make progress. Hopefully.

I highly recommend Milk.  Go see it.  Joe-Blob says check it out.

Song by: Garbage

Wrap It Up

Is it just me, or do the folks in the Snuggie commercials have really poor circulation – or are they just one Hale-Bopp comet sighting short of grabbing their Nike’s, a bottle of vodka a Hefty bag and heading for their bunk beds?

They left out the quadrant that said : While Committing Suicide. Ruckiry (not Jon’s boss) here is a snap-shot from the Director’s Cut of the commercial:

Song by: the Eurythmics (or Sam & Dave)

The Hardest Button to Button

We made our way to movie #9 for this year.   I know to most folks, you’re going “only #9 ??!!”

For those paying attention, I’ve tried to make one movie per month this year, but really there just hasn’t been much to see out there.  …..well, that I’d pay for.  As usual, the last month has been a plethora of potential Oscar releases, and while I now can make it to #12, time is not on my/our side.

So Friday’s get out was to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.  The plan was to see Milk, but oddly enough, it wasn’t playing at the Gooooogleplex.

The theatre was packed, but not sold out.  Not like when we attempted to see Australia the other week.  With those iffy reviews and it was sold out?

Long and short of it:  it was ok.  Maybe even better than ok.  Was it really good or great?  Nah. I found it to be a cross between Forrest Gump and the Hours.  I loved the latter, but not so much the former.

All the buzz around Mr. Pitt’s performance being Oscar worthy.  What’s that about?  I don’t get it.   Granted, I haven’t seen the other contenders:  Seymour-Hoffman, Penn, Langella or……or……   Ok, maybe if the possibilities are that limited, Brad might be in the running.   But I’m not sure he should be, let alone win.

Ditto for Cate Blanchett.

Tilda Swinton was really good, but when isn’t she?   …even if her part is historically inaccurate.

So yeah, if you’re thinking of going, it is worth a matinee price for sure, but questionable on the full priced evening showings.

Song by: the White Stripes

The Married Man

There have been some half-baked thoughts out there on Prop 8 – on both sides.  Maybe not that bad, but more wrought with emotion than logic.   My Keith Olbermann post from the other day was one I liked, but for the demographic who watch his show – he was preaching to the choir.  He was not really bringing one over to the Gay Side of marriage.

Last Saturday, on Real Time with Bill Maher, Dan Savage was on (again) – his first time after Prop 8 failed.  I’m not a huge fan of Savage’s written column – it’s a bit over the top for me – but as a commentator, he’s articulate, and has well thought-out ideas and if need be, arguments.

Take this clip.  Yeah, you have to sit through Ashton Kutcher, and his borderline homophobic response (about 50 seconds in) – he almost redeems himself (1:45 in).   Almost!

It is really about 4:10 into the video where Savage presents one of the best counterpoints to the Right, or the Mormons, or the Catholics rationale on why same sex marriage is a threat to the institution.   It’s a fun thing to watch – but maybe that’s just me.

Fall-out from Prop 8 continues.  The multiple protests that happened last weekend (admittedly, I did not attend in the 35 degree pouring rain) – which was coordinated in days via FaceBook or MySpace.  They got hundreds of thousands of people protesting – something HRC couldn’t do in a year’s worth of planning.

There is a push for Hollywood to boycott the Sundance Film Festival – as the latter is full of Mormons (major instigators to push Prop 8 to pass) and the former is full of homosexuals.  No – it’s true!  I swear!!!

I’m ok with the boycott.  Nothing good has come out of Sundance since sex, lies and videotape anyway.

Song by: the Roches

Family Man

Did you guys see Family Guy the other night? Did ya? Did ya?

The episode was only ok, but it had a great great great dig, that effectively (I think) tied McCain & Palin to Nazis.

Yes, you heard that right.

The image you see in the corner of this post is Stewie, who had time-traveled back in time to when Hitler & Gang invaded Poland. Stewie was dressed as Adolph. He looked down at his uniform and goes, “oh what’s this….?” and unveils the above pin attached to his jacket.

It got HUGE yucks in this house – and there are only two of us. Well, four, but the cats just didn’t get the joke. It actually topped the bumper sticker that was slapped on the back of an Imperial Cruiser in their version of Star Wars.

Don’t bother trying YouTube’ing it. Fox has already taken it down.  But there are quite a number of articles all over the internets mentioning, praising, or defaming the episode.

My understanding is that Madonna also tries to tie McCain to Hitler in her new tour – but I haven’t seen it nor do I plan to.  Seems the poor old fogey can’t seem to catch a break.  Of course, he is probably old enough to actually know Hitler.

So to recap:  McCain=Bad!

Song by: Fleetwood Mac

Angry

Yeah, I watched Countdown the other night, but it probably took an email from my like-minded sister (scary thought, no? two of us?) to get me to post Keith Olbermann’s special commentary.

You have to wait until about 1:55 into the clip for him to get going, but it is well worth it. And as usual, he hits the nail on the head.  Or through it.

I’ve seen him irate before, but I think he kicks it up a notch here.

My first thought went to the Simpsons (at it often does) of Krusty’s 29th Anniversary Special. In it, there is a clip of a little known Sideshow Raheem:

Krusty tentatively says “Ah… the script says I have to bonk you with this” (holding a hammer); Raheem curtly replies “I wouldn’t!!!!” “Right on!” says Krusty. Then after the clip is over, Krusty mutters, almost to himself,: “Angry…. angry young man.”

Is Keith our new Raheem? Let’s hope.

Song by: Pat Benatar

Walk a Thin Line

Last night we went out see Man on Wire. I know, I know, it sounds like it should be Man on A Wire – but it’s not. You’ll understand when/if you seen it.

If you have not heard of it – the movie is a fairly new and limited release, probably only to the art house kind of theaters. I don’t think Cinemark will be showing it in too many cities – if any.

And for those who don’t know the story, before the World Trade Centers were completed, a Frenchman, Phillippe Petit, walked a highwire between the North and South Towers. This movie is a pseudo-documentary of that event.

Why pseudo? Since this was done in secret in 1974, there was no footage of the sneaking into and towers for set-up et al. Just pictures and film of the execution. So there are a lot of reenactments, but they are well done.

You know how the story ends. And you know how the non-story ends. Kind of. After 9/11 (and for this movie), Petit was interviewed extensively about the towers and his event. So, I don’t think there are any spoilers in telling you that he makes the walk. And while it is never ever mentioned and the movie never goes past the Coup in 1974, you know how the story of the towers ends too.  Though 9/11 is never mentioned, it is very hard to sit there and not fast forward 27 years and think of that day.

That being said – the filmmakers did a great job of keeping suspense up with the planning and scheming of Petit and his crew.

Clearly it takes a brave or foolish man to do something like this. But I tell you – the image below would have scared the crap out of me way more than the walk across. Obviously, I can say that without ever having to prove either – even if the towers were still standing.

The movie is barely over an hour long – so you are not in for any major time commitment. There are no stars, no special affects, no soon to be Oscar nominated song.

Petit’s accomplishment was also documented in a children’s book, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers – which I purchased for one of my nieces a number of years back. My sister said it was really well done.

But the biggest accomplishment? I’m still kind of on track for our one movie per month. I think this was #7, but with a big holiday season upon us, I think I can eke it out.

Song by: Fleetwood Mac

Computer Blue

We topped off (or at least finished-off) the holiday weekend with a showing of Wall-E, Pixar’s lastest release.

I think it’s official, we’ve seen every Pixar movie on opening week. I can only say, I haven’t cared for one of them (Finding Nemo) and downright didn’t like one (Monsters Inc. …or as I call it, Monster’s Ball, Inc.).

It think it is also safe to say that Pixar is the only studio that can make you like a rat (Ratatouille) and feel really bad for a cockroach (Wall-E).

I won’t blow too much about the flick. But in a bold move, there is little dialogue in the first place and none in the first 30 minutes. And it is the first time in the studio history that they use human talent that doesn’t come in the manner of voice.

Denton loved the movie because for the first two-thirds, it was almost poetic and very out of character for any big screen animation movie. He was a bit disappointed it had to eventually do the standard route of all summer movies.

I thought Wall-E himself (itself?) was great. I think Eve phoned it in.

…and yeah, Wall-E reminds me something of that robot from Short Circuit, but that was more of an Ally Sheedy vehicle, though the robot had more range.   …she was so much better in Maid to Order, don’t you think?

The movie does have a message. A not so subtle one, but one unfortunately that mostly likely went over the head of the lady across the aisle from me with her biggie-sized drink, which she spilled all over the floor near the end of the movie. Yes, this entire last sentence ties directly in with the movie message.

As always, one of the best things about a Pixar movie: the Pixar short before the movie. It was possibly the best one I have seen. Not as technically ground-breaking as some, but very cute and very very funny.

Oh – and outside the theater was the Batmobile. Not the Adam West one (which I thought was soooooooooo cool when I was a kid), but the Christian Bale one. Unfortunately, there was no Mr. Bale posing outside of the vehicle. ….a damned shame.  (as always, click on images to make enbiggen them – it’s a perfectly cromulent word!)

The Dark Knight opens in two weeks (?).  It should be good.  I like Heath Ledger and all, but seriously – Bale is way hotter.  ….and don’t even get me started on Michael ‘send me the script, I’ll do it) Caine!

Song by: Prince & the Revolution