June 27, 2005
This Is Your Brain On Drugs
Last week, Matt Lauer interviewed Tom Cruise on the Today Show. You can read the interview and watch the video here. I'm not going to weigh in on what I believe about Scientology or the overprescription of Ritalin. But I am going to say that when I hear Tom Cruise speak down to Matt Lauer calling him glib, he's got to be crazy. It's quite funny to just sit and watch how crazy he is. I know Tom has been a Scientologist for some time, which is fine, but it's only since he's become outspoken about it that the world is now able to see his delusion.
May 18, 2005
I've Got A Bad Feeling About This ...
Actually, I have a really good feeling about this. Tonight, I'm going to a midnight screening of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. I'm extremely excited, despite the fact that I'll be up til at least 3 AM. My boss was kind enough to allow me to use some of my "comp time," as we call it here. So I'll sleep late and come in to work in the afternoon.
Personally, I think it's going to blow every previous movie out of the water, including the original trilogy (except of course, Empire Strikes Back).
Tomorrow hopefully, I'll post some pics of Star Wars geeks clad in the garb of various creatures from "a galaxy far, far away" ... but we'll see.
March 31, 2005
Looking Forward To:
Here are some things coming up in the next few days I have to look forward to:
Tonight I'm seeing a pre-show of Sin City. Next Wednesday I'm seeing the Reverend Horton Heat in concert. But the best thing about next week, and possibly this entire year, is that I'm seeing Jerry Seinfeld live on Thursday. I'm so excited for it, it's really beyond words. It's incalcalable. Also, in about a month, on May 2 I'll be seeing The Killers live.
Word to the wise: be careful when you're at work and you type in sincity.com for a link for your blog. You'll get some interesting stuff popping up ... on your computer screen.
February 27, 2005
TV Spoiler
Last night, I spent the good part of a couple of hours discussing films and filmmaking with one of the producers from The Apprentice who is in town working on an independent film. It was a lot of fun and I may end up helping with his film. Also, if anybody wants to know who is in the final two for the show, just ask.
February 26, 2005
I'll Tell You What It Is, It's Crap!
On Friday night, I went to see What Is It?, Crispin Hellion Glover's independent film. You may remember Mr. Glover as George McFly, in Back to the Future. The night actually started out with The Big Slide Show, which was essentially Crispin reading 10 of his books from slides displayed for the crowd to read along with. From there, we watched his film, and then he came out for almost an hour to answer questions.
Well, in case you couldn't tell by the title of this post, I hated the movie. It seemed to be too focused on being artsy and symbolic instead of actually trying to say something. It was vague, ambiguous, and crap. I know he was trying to say something, but for the life of me, I don't know what it is. I've even spent the last couple of days letting it sit to make sure I couldn't figure it out and well, I can't. I have no idea.
With all of this, you may be surprised to hear that I am actually glad that I spent $15 to attend this train wreck of a film. Based on the trailer, I had a pretty good clue that i wasn't going to like the film but I decided to attend because I thought it would be interesting, which it was, but not in a good way. So if you have four hours to waste on watching crap, but thoroughly enjoying the experience of it, go see What Is It?
In fact, I think a more suitable title could have been, What Was That? because you'll be asking yourself that exact question as you leave the theatre.
December 14, 2004
Zach Braff
Today, I spent a few minutes on my lunchbreak reading Zach Braff's blog. He's the writer/director of Garden State. I really like his writing. It inspires me to write. I read his words and think, "I think great things like that all the time. All I have to do is write them down." Which is why I started this site.
Not that I think I can do what he does. He's good. But he's been doing it awhile. It's his style that makes me think I can do it. He's very natural, doesn't use the biggest words and the most clever turn-of-phrase. It's just that he does it in a way that reminds me of my own writing. That's why it inspires me.
Read this. If you think it's funny, buy the Garden State DVD December 28. Don't just go see the movie. I'm doing you a favor and saving you the movie ticket admission price. You're just going to want to buy it after anyway.
December 09, 2004
Brewvies
Tonight, I'm going to see Napoleon Dynamite again at Brewvies. If you haven't heard of it, or haven't been there, it's a movie theatre that serves food and beer. They typically play "second-run" movies. I don't know if that's what they're called, but how about "dollar movies?" You know, the kind that leave the full priced theatre and are shown at discounted prices at another theatre, usually for a dollar or so.
Anway, you pay a little more to be able to drink a beer and eat at your seat. I like it. I like it a lot.
December 06, 2004
New Rule
No more Natalie Portman movies. I can't handle it. It pisses me off. I've recently seen the movies Garden State where she played a loveable, adorable epileptic and Closer, where she portrayed a beautiful, disarming muse.
Sorry Natalie. You have nobody to blame but yourself.
This rule goes into effect May 20, 2005.
December 05, 2004
Closer
"The cast is fantastic in a film that's hard to enjoy."
-- Paul Salfen, SUPERCALA.COM
Well, I saw this movie over the weekend. Um ... where to start? Well, I don't want to ruin the movie for you. So stop reading if you haven't seen it ...
Continue reading "Closer"November 22, 2004
Media Watch
» Rufus Wainwright "Want Two" - This came with a live performance DVD, which is cool. I like this cd so far, but he's "pretty gay" on this, his fourth album.
» Eminem - Excellent cd so far. Although one of his songs features the noises of him puking at the beginning and end and another features belching, farting, and "pooing" noises. This really annoys me. That's the last thing I want to hear.
» The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom - Excellent book. Quick read as are all of Albom's books. If you like Tuesday's With Morrie, you'll love this one. If you haven't read Morrie, go read it. Now.
» What Should I Do With My Life? by Po Bronson - I'm only a few pages into this, but I think its interesting. Bronson traveled around the world talking to other's about the choices they made in life and what made them successful. I decided to pick it up because he didn't interview Fortune 500 CEO's and whatnot. He interviewed regular Joe's who may have done some amazing things.
» The Incredibles - What a great movie! Go see it in the theatre.
» Star Wars Trilogy DVD - I just bought this last week and have watched Episodes IV and V. I've forgotten how much I love these movies.
» Seinfeld DVD's - I may wait for a christmas sale before picking this up.
March 31, 2004
Check Out The Big Brain On Brad!
Over last weekend, I realized I hadn't watched any of the special features on the second DVD of my Collector's Edition Pulp Fiction DVD that I bought a couple of years ago.
So Sunday afternoon, after a long run, I plopped myself on the ol' sofa and sat down to receive some background information on one of my favorite directors and his greatest work to date.
After watching it and the subsequent Trivia version of the film, which is basicly like watching the movie with VH1's Pop-Up Video, I realized that although I thought I was a fan, there is a whole world of Pulp Fiction that has been hidden from me.
Quentin Tarantino, the film's director, is admired by many, and scorned as a violence-monger by equally as many. But one of the things discussed in the special features is his image of being a violent director, when most of the violence is not even shown, but simply implied. I really enjoyed Tarantino's remarks to this in that he said he takes it as a compliment that people view him this way because he must be making very visual scenes if a critic thinks he watched something very graphic, when in reality, he didn't see any violence.
He is also scorned because his movies feature criminals and show drug-use. But the interesting thing about this is that the criminals often "turn good" or give up the criminal lifestyle (Jules deciding to "walk the earth") and that drug-use can be detrimental (Mia over-dosing).
One of the documentaries discussed Tarantino's use of cinematography and his use of classic devices which have been abandoned by most directors today in favor of faster, easier alternatives. By devices I mean, switching from distance, scene-setting shots to very close headshots and then back again. I had noticed this, but never knew, until now, that these were made to increase anxiety for the viewer in expectation for an upcoming event. There were several other examples like this that help the viewer appreciate the amount of thought put into a film.
If you haven't seen Pulp Fiction, or haven't seen it in awhile, go pick it up. It has single-handedly shaped the way movies are made today.
February 21, 2004
Fight Club Quotes
"Whoa! Now you're shooting a gun at your imaginary friend near four hundred gallons of nitroglycerine."
~Tyler~
"Cut the foreplay and just ask, man."
~Tyler~
"You just had a near-life experience."
~Tyler~
"Now a question of etiquette, do I give her the ass or the crotch?"
~Tyler~
"The things you own end up owning you."
~Tyler~
"Man, you've got some f***ed up friends. Limber, though..."
~Tyler~
"We are a generation raised by women. I'm wondering if another woman is the answer."
~Tyler~
"You are not how much you have in the bank.
You are not the contents of your wallet.
You are not your f***ing Khakis.
You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake.
You are the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world."
~Tyler~
"You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else."
~Tyler~
"Our generation has had no Great Depression, no Great War. Our war is spiritual. Our depression is our lives."
~Tyler~
"I wanted to put a bullet between the eyes of every panda that wouldn't screw to save its species."
~Narrator~
"How embarrassing - a house full of condiments and no food"
~Narrator~
"We were selling rich women their own fat asses back to them."
~Narrator~
"With a gun in your mouth, you speak only in vowels."
~Narrator~
"On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero."
~Narrator~
"If I did have a tumor, I would name it Marla. Marla, the little scratch on the roof of your mouth that would heal if only you would stop tonguing it, but you can't."
~Narrator~
"And then... something happened. I let go. Lost in oblivion -- dark and silent and complete. I found freedom. Losing all hope was freedom."
~Narrator~
"This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time."
~Narrator~
"Bob. Bob had bitch tits."
~Narrator~
"With insomnia, you're never really asleep; you're never really awake."
~Narrator~
Tyler: "Oh, I get it. It's very clever. How's that working out for you?"
Narrator: "What?"
Tyler: "Being clever"
Boss: "Is that your blood?"
Narrator: "Some of it, yeah."
"I felt like destroying something beautiful."
~Narrator~
"Look at you. You're f***ing pathetic!"
~Tyler Durden~
"Stop trying to control everything and just let go. Let go!"
~Tyler Durden~
"It's a bridesmaid's dress. Someone loved it intensely for one day, then tossed it. Like a Christmas tree -- so special, then, bam -- it's abandoned on the side of the road, tinsel still clinging to it. Like sex crime victims, underwear inside-out, bound with electrical tape."
~Marla~
"I haven't been f***ed like that since grade school!"
~Marla~
"I want to have your abortion."
~Marla~
"In the event of a dildo, we have to use the indefinite article 'a dildo', never 'your dildo.'"
~Airport Guy~
December 17, 2003
The Return of the King
I don't know exactly what to say. I just got home from seeing The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. It's 4:20 in the morning and I can barely see straight to type.
My reason for doing so, though, is to let you all know that you must see this movie as fast as humanly possible. I should, but probably won't, be at work in less than four hours, and you should as you read this be making plans with yourself to see it.
I'm not sure if that came out the way I intended it to, but I think you get the point. Let's make a deal. I won't come back tomorrow after I get up and fix any grammatical errors. Nor will I attempt to write better structured, more illustrative sentences, if you promise to go see this movie as soon as orcly possible. (I think I'm going to rue this deal.) One stipulation, however, if you don't comment that after reading this post you made plans, then our deal is off and I can revisit this.
Deal? Deal.
You won't regret it. I don't want to ruin anything for anybody, so I will just say that this movie is on a whole different level than anything you've ever seen. Watching this movie is on par with watching Gone With The Wind back in 1932 or '29 or whenever it was released. You are witnessing cinematic history.
'Nough said.
November 10, 2003
Strange Scarlett Searches
An interesting phenomena is happening. Over a week ago, I wrote a little thing about how much I enjoyed Scarlett Johannson's lips . . . I mean, performance in Lost In Translation. But now, I'm getting several hits a day from Google for people searching for Scarlett Johannson.
So many in fact, that I'm now the #6 result. Number SIX! Pretty funny huh? The searches aren't just coming from the US. I've gotten some from Google UK, Google Thailand, and Google Canada.
I've gone international folks!
November 05, 2003
Talking About A Revolution
I don't have much time to write, but I figured I'd jump on and let everybody know what I'm doing today and tonight.
First, I had a meeting with my dentist about building him a website. For the next year, whatever my insurance doesn't pick up will be "taken care of." That'll be nice.
Second, I have a meeting with the webmaster of a school in the district, so I wasn't in the office but for a couple of hours this morning. Again, that was nice.
Third, after my meeting, I'm heading out to see Matrix: Revolutions with a couple of friends. Not too bad a day, don't you think?
November 01, 2003
Scarlett Johannson
I'm in love. No seriously. Did you look at those lips?
Her name is Scarlett Johannson and I'm in love with her. She's in the movie Lost In Translation.
Here's some more images of her to feed your dreams and mine:
Oh yeah, did I tell you I'm in love with her?
October 14, 2003
New Matrix DVD
I went on my extended lunch break to buy Matrix Reloaded. Ah Yeah! I even watched a few minutes while I ate. I'm so excited for Revolutions on November 5th. I also bought a new Network Card for my home computer. I do web design both professionally and freelance and it gets really frustrating not being able to connect to the high-speed internet that I pay so much for. Hopefully, this new card will fix my old problems.
Also, Dashboard Confessional is scheduled to be on Conan O'Brien tonight. I'm getting mixed reports, but I think Conan's wife had a baby, so who knows?