Utter Brilliance

Clears Throat

2009-06-26T00:08:00.002-05:00

So, I should be going to bed right now because I have work in the morning but instead I feel compelled to write about my recent moviegoing experience.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"

I actually hate to write down that whole title, because I am sure that there is some tracking software that will show my words as some kind of percentage of people who are "talking" about the film. Like tags on Twitter. Almost as bad is the fact that I added to the somewhere around $60 million dollars this complete abortion of film made its first day.

Let us start at the beginning ( Which is, I am told, a VERY good place to start), or rather, before the beginning. The trailers. Never before in my life have I seen 4-5 movie trailers that added up to little more than a cacophony or trilling CG creatures and explosions. The only trailer that didn't make me almost weep with envy of those people outside the theater, silently and peacefully slumbering away the night, was the one for "Funny People," which as trailers go is not all that great (mainly because it gives away seemingly every story arc). Also "2012" made me go "ooooooh" simply because of the heavy-metal album art visuals that it attained (The Sistine Chapel splitting to separate Man from God was like Megadeth + Iron Maiden). The combined trailers for "G-Force," "Aliens in the Attic," and "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra" had me literally crying tears of blood. I'm not making this up or exaggerating in any way, I actually had blood coming out of my eyes. Audience members began to clap at the end of the "G.I. Joe" trailer, so I turned around and fucking pleaded with them to stop. Honest to God, I did. So these first twenty or so minutes were the perfect barometer of the intelligence/standards of the audience around me and also the absolute shit-storm of a movie I was about to see.

Now, to the film (*cough*) in question.

Easily one of the longest god damned movies I have ever sat through. It clocks in at around 2 hours 30 minutes, but feels like at least 4 hours. Now, if I remember correctly "The Dark Knight" was about as long, but it had one thing (well, really several......really everything) going for it that this movie does not have. ACTION! It's a GOD DAMNED ACTION MOVIE!! IT'S A GO DAMNED MICHAEL BAY MOVIE!! WHAT THE FUCK?! The biggest moments in this movie about TOWERING robots with LASERS AND FUCKMISSILESFUCK were cause by the humans! Devastator, the HUGE villain made up of 5 or 6 Decepticons is taken out by an experimental rail gun aboard a naval carrier. Why resurrect Optimus when we have the power of the U.S. Navy? GO USA! To put this in perspective, imagine going to see the latest Jurassic Park movie and in the movie you see PEOPLE EATING DINOSAURS. This is not what you expected. This is not what you wanted to see. And it is really boring, because that means that these FUCKING DINOSAURS were really never that much of a threat anyway if we can just just leap onto their backs and tear out their throats with our god damned teeth! To Michael Bay's credit, he did film one of the coolest looking explosions of all time. But, honestly, what good is that if you don't show the robots getting blown up? It's just a huge fireball for no reason. It's like Michael Bay went into this movie with a deal from Sony promising him x amount of money to make a WHOLE movie that is one long Blu-Ray Disc promotion. Honestly, when you walk into Best Buy 3 years from now they will still be playing this movie on their big screens to sell TVs. Except they will probably have the good sense to put that fight scene (the last ten minutes or so of the whole movie) on repeat because it is hard to sell TVs with exposition. And LORD does this movie has its exposition. In one of the first scenes the "dick bureaucrat" character actually says, "So let me wrap up things. We have megatron in x place under x defenses. And we have the last remaining piece of Allspark, needed to restore him, in x place under x defenses." Now, the fact that SoundWave was updated from a boombox to a satellite was, in my opinion, the only interesting and inspired part of the whole movie. But, even SoundWave must have heard that and been like, "Damn, really? It was never this easy on CyberTron."

Then Sam goes to college, because he has to grow as a character in some way except oh he gets taken out his very first day by a Decepticon that is a "robot in disguise" disguised as a woman. ......... I'm going to give you, True Believers, a moment to let that settle in. I am also going to remind you that the director to this film scoffed at McG for having large robots in "Terminator: Salvation."

Quick question, if you were a robot and needed to disguise yourself among a planet inhabited by humans and had the CHOICE, would you:

A) Disguise yourself as another human.

B) Disguise yourself as an inanimate object that is constantly getting keyed, crashing, getting puked in, etc.

Apparently, Optimus Prime didn't get the memo that Autobots could choose to transform into OTHER shit. Which might be a good thing, because when a robot is hunting down humans and does NOT transform into ANYTHING, it is no longer a "Transformer." It is a "fucking killer robot." And in the case of "fucking killer robot that looks like a person," it is called "A GOD DAMNED TERMINATOR!!" Jesus! There is even an attack scene with said "Transformer" when it latches onto the car that the THREE characters are escaping in. All it lacked was Megan Fox handing Shia LaBuoefxxorf a shotgun so that he could clumsily load it. At this point I would actually be envious of those stupid ball Decepticons that transformed into a flat robot, because even though they apparently lived within the gullet of the cat Decepticon at least they had the distinction of actually being worth a damn.

I have been writing (ranting, really) for an hour now. Time for bed. More to come to be sure, but take heed. You will want to see this movie. If only to see why it is so bad. I ask you to not. Wait for it on DVD, if only to reduce the INSANE amount of money that the hack known as "Bay" will obtain for this absolute garbage.

Ryan Seacrest . Com!

2009-06-02T02:04:00.003-05:00

So the poster for "New Moon" came out and, as all things tween related, was of course tweeted by Ryan Seacrest. Here is the poster:

Looks pretty ridiculous, no? I also love the huge "RYANSEACREST . COM" watermark, like he owns the franchise or something. So there were comments below the image, mainly glowing about how hot so-and-so looks. I decided to leave my mark. My s/n is MuteAnt and I am the last comment on the list:

Squint. You can read it. I wanted it to be offensive to the fans, but sound earnest and ignorant enough that it would not flag the admin of Ryan Seacrest . com (who is most likely, let's face it, Ryan Seacrest).

Why me?

2009-06-02T01:33:00.003-05:00

That is often a question I find myself asking ........ my ....... self ...... when situations that are usually reserved for non-productive writing meetings of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," happen to me in real life.

Situation A:

I am applying to Texas State and I needed to have a transcript from ACC sent in to be evaluated. I went in about two weeks ago to ACC and, when asked whether I wanted to have it mailed or sent electronically, I chose the more quick option. I called Texas State on Friday and they still had not received the transcript so I went to the registrar's office today and it turns out that while my transcript was sent to Texas State on 5/18/09, ACC's computers were showing that Texas State received said transcript on 2/19/09. That's right. God hates me so much he has my important documents sent back in fucking time just to spite me.

Situation B:

Luis and I decided to get some use out of the basketball that we have collecting dust in our closet and made our way to the indoor basketball gym at our development. We got there and realized that you need your magnetic keycard to get in, even though it is early in the evening and there are still people in the gym and what-not. Rather than walk back to the apartment and retrieve our key, I stopped a gentleman who was checking out the EVENTS calendar who had his keycard in his hand and was standing about two feet away from us. I asked if he would let us in to the basketball court because, you see, I forgot my card back at the apartment. Never making eye contact, the man said, "Forgot your card huh? I'm supposed to believe that, hmmm?" To which I mentally paralyzed-ly resonded, "Erm, yes?" Of course, the one person I ask is the one dyed-in-the-wool redneck in the whole joint. To my surprise he actually yielded and put his card against the sensor, but when I tried the door it would not open. "Won't open huh," he said, sweat-laden towel around his shoulders. This was the kicker, though. The man then turned away from Luis and I and started slowly walking away ....... down to the second door to the gym (hooray! he is being helpful!) .... around the corner down to his truck (god damn-it!). I understand wanting to keep amenities that we pay for (through rent) only accessible to people who actually pay for them, but what happened to human decency and understanding. I can't replicate it in this medium, but the man's tone implied that he would rather rape and kill his dog than ever forget his keycard. Like leaving my keycard at the apartment was akin to leaving a baby alone in an apartment with a loaded and cocked shotgun in its crib, crawling with acid tarantulas. THIS is why I don't exercise.

Another Joe tidbit.

2009-05-30T02:34:00.000-05:00

I am Whatthewhat. I feel like I delivered on the comedy here.

And Knowing Is Half The Battle!

2009-05-29T23:28:00.003-05:00

Here is my comment on /Film about the new clip of "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra" that premiered on MTV earlier this week:

" I don't hate on movies very often, but this clip (and all previous trailers/teasers) has done nothing to make me excited for this movie. Instead of making a franchise movie that concentrates on what makes it stand out (specific characters/conflicts), it seems to me that the producers just wanted to make a summer sci-fi formulaic blockbuster and decided to put G.I. Joe skins over that framework. This is proven in the fact that instead of just being elite soldiers, the Joes are required to wear suits to do any combat with Cobra that make them move and look like man-sized Transformers. I don't have amazingly high hopes for any movie based off an 80's cartoon that had really terrible writing to begin with (Transformers, Joe), but I do expect the people making the movie to stick to what made the original so fun and engaging at the time. "

Also, Dennis Quaid looks constipated.

Yar!

2009-05-15T22:08:00.002-05:00

Last weekend was pretty intense, so I figured I should update.

I went up to Dallas to do Rocky Horror in Ft. Worth. Decided to drag Luis along for the shit-ton of driving I had to do.

Saturday morning we left Austin and stopped at Chick-Fil-A for breakfast. They were giving away food! How do I not find out about this shit!?

Anyway, driving, driving, driving, get gas, driving. Hooray we made it to the Scarborough Faire!

A magical land where women as old, if not older, than my mother decide to hike those saggy love bags up to their sagging neck flaps. Yikes. I usually don't say anything when I see women who are wearing clothes that they shouldn't. Sometimes, people just want to feel attractive so they wear clothes that clearly do nothing for them. I, for instance, wear small t-shirts every now and then. This makes me feel very slim, until I need to lift my arms above my waist and the shirt gets pulled up around my navel. I know what you are thinking ; very sexy. And yes, it is.

But the problem I have at Faire is that the sheer mass of women who all together decide to not only embarrass themselves, but force innocent passerbys to have their eyes drawn towards their re-animated mammaries. It's like they all had a sleepover the night before, tripped on Robotussin, and decided that "Frankenstein" was as good of a story to adapt to their lifeless sweater-bunnies. (I love that spell check added in the dash for "sweater-bunnies")

Anyway, so we get there and if you have not been it is actually kind of fun if you can suspend your annoyance for like 55% of the people there. Basically, Faire is an outdoor mall. Except all the clothing stores are olden day versions of Hot Topic, food is EVEN MORE ridiculously expensive, and there are olden type performances. Pretty much "meh" level entertainment, but it is fun to pretend to shop for chain mail.

I have an anecdote from Faire, but I absolutely ADORE prefaces, so here we go. I'm not sure if you know what an Ent is. If you have seen the "Lord of the Rings" films you do, but even I don't remember half of went on in those movies and I read the books. Ents are pretty much majestic tree creatures. They have been around since forever and will always exist, although they are often pissing themselves with fear that they aren't going to be believed in anymore so they won't be able to move or talk. When a weeping willow seems to dance in the breeze to say, "Good Day, Nick! You look ravishing today!" (That's how they talk to me, these Ents) That is an Ent trying to express it's long ago forgotten language. Pretty impressive/gay/sad/impressive again, yes? Well, my friends, would you believe it if there was not a true to life Ent walking around the Faire? You Would! Hooray! Because there was! He was so gigantic, a monolith at eleven feet tall, and I could see real human-like emotions flitting in his mask-hidden eyes. I decided to have Luis grab my camera and take a picture of me with this beautiful and rare creature. SNAP. Then, the Ent mutters something in a tone that is known only to the most trained carnies. I don't hear him but he shakes his walking staff at me and I look at his staff to see a wicker basket affixed to the bottom. The basket is filled with one dollar bills. I must have blacked out from awkwardness. I stuttered something about not having any singles on me (which is always the greatest thing for someone who works for tips to hear, I know) and stumbled away.

Let me put this in perspective somehow. Ok, imagine you are walking along a beautiful hillside during a light rainfall. It is summer. You are at peace. All is right with the universe. The rain ceases and through the mist a glorious rainbow appears. Suddenly, a majestic Unicorn bursts from the clouds and runs down the rainbow to your feet. The Unicorn is hesitant at first, but sensing your good heart, stretches his nose out and nuzzles your shoulder. You are awe-struck by it's majesty and glory. You reach out and pat it on it's head, between the eyes. You stroke it's silken mane and hug it's strong, muscular (yet downy soft) neck. You take a step back to account for this amazing moment and the Unicorn says, "Hey man, I'll suck your dick for a dollar."

I might be exaggerating a bit. No, never mind. I am not.

Luis and I did this sword battle game that was kind of like VS. in MARIO KART, but with swords so ...... more epic. I won, flawlessly.

Ok, I am done talking about Faire.

Then we went to do Rocky Horror at the Ft. Worth theater. The place was called "Movie Tavern" and it was laid out the same as the Drafthouse except there are no waiters. This theater lets the Rocky cast keep props and set pieces in the theater, so their stuff was like a berjillion times more nice than ours. Also, the theater they perform in has it's own sound setup and amazing lighting and is about twice as big as the largest Drafthouse theater. Amazing. It was a whole lot of fun. I got felt up a lot, because I was new to them I guess. Los Bastardos have the same social habits as dogs apparently. I'm sure they would have sniffed if I had let them. The only thing I did not get about their cast was the rigidity of it all. Apparently, they try to be as screen accurate as possible. This means.......... no fun. I'm not going to name names, but someone in the cast whispered to me that they loved it when we came because they were "allowed" to break character. On top of that, they have REHEARSALS on thursdays then have the show fridays and saturdays. And they pay DUES. I don't get it. If they got paid, ok. But I know that Rocky here in Austin has been eating my saturdays for six months in a row now. THOSE ARE MY DUES, DAMN IT! I loved playing with those guys, and I really can't wait for the chance to go back, but that kind of strict play with RHPS just does not make sense to me.

On the way back, we ate at Chili's. Chili's apparently got rid of all their food with, you know, CHILIS and is now just another form of Applebee's. Very disappointing Chili's.

Movie

2009-05-02T16:02:00.003-05:00

"Wolverine" turned out to be a fun, romp-like adventure. More fan-service than anything else, but when you come down to it, really the only reason to make a comic book movie in general is for fan service. Unless you are making "Electra." Or maybe "Ghost Rider." At that point, you are making movies to torture people.

I saw "Wolverine" with Christina and we had a grand 'ol time. Because we were at the Alamo (FTW) we were shown a grand buffet of clips from shitty superhero television shows and movies past. Most of these clips were amusing, if not hilarious.

After the film, a gentleman came up to me and said, "I don't know if these are for you or for me, but the girls who were sitting between us left these notes."

Notes?

Did these fine bitches leave a number or two for me to call up during one of my late night binges?

After reading one sentence, I realized that they were not complimentary and that, yes, they were intended for me. I present them now, unedited, for your reading enjoyment:

"his laughter is hurting my eardrums! I hope it stops when wolverine starts."

"me too. Never see Once more with feeling at the Alamo. It's like a hundred of him on all sides."

"Wolverine probably isn't so funny........but hopefully wolverine's little witticisms don't crack him up...."

"I wish that 'guy who sat next to me at the alamo' was a choice on that facebook list of 5 people I want to punch in the face."

WOW!

Really?

Now, let me say for the record. I have a loud laugh. Especially when I am at the movies, my laugh can turn into more of a bark. So, I can't say that I don't know what these broads are talking about.

But the things I was laughing about were things that half of the theatre was laughing about as well. It would be one thing if, during the movie, I started cracking up laughing when someone was viciously stabbed. Or if we were seeing a special midnight screening of "Schindler's List" or something.

Secondly, "Once More With Feeling" is an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that the Alamo has sing-a-longs to every now and then. SING-A-LONGS! How can you complain about people making noise during a fucking sing-a-long. That's like going to see the latest Disney movie and coming out pissed because it was animated.

People try my sanity.

X-Men

2009-04-30T01:25:00.004-05:00

So, I decided to watch the first "X-Men" movie tonight so that I can be aware of any glaring continuity problems with "Wolverine" when I see it tomorrow night. During my viewing, I decided to take notes. These basically ended up boiling down to Twitter-like phrases and sentences that I will now publish here for public enjoyment:

X-Men

- Intro.

-- Why is there a CG effect of what it would be like to take a roller-coaster ride down a spinal cord?

-- MARVEL is fucking overly obsessed with these CG heavy intros that basically have little or nothing to do with the movie other than the "science" of it. e.g. the dna crap in the Spider-Man movies.

-- I know it is a comic book movie, but I feel like showing fictitious events (i.e. the holocaust) really brings down the believability of the whole film.

-- That last one was for lol's, in case that was not clear.

-- Magneto origin makes me pumped for "Magneto" movie. He and Wolverine have very similar origins, strangely enough. Both outcasts, learn to hate and mistrust people.

- Film

-- Apparently, Canada is a terrible, snowy place filled with people who are even more of assholes than Wolverine.

-- Claw-popping noise = Win.

-- Wait. How did the fire in the R.V. start? Why does Hollywood think any fender-bender automatically engulfs a vehicle in flames?

-- I like Sabertooth's clothes, but he is honestly more like a "Wendigo" in this movie. Barring the fact that he is able to say more than "WWWWWWEEEENNNDIIIGOOOOOO!"

-- Apparently, being Psychic = being FUCKING LAZY.

-- Shadowcat got recast for X2. Old Shadowcat, not nearly pedo-worthy enough.

-- Apparently, mutant powers make kids DICKS that CHEAT.

-- Pyro recast for X2. Old Pyro, not nearly douche-y enough.

-- Question: How does one ...... freeze fire?

-- Senator Kelly supporter sign: "Send mutants to the moon". Reference to Asteroid M?

-- Sincerely thinking of re-cutting the movie to : "Mystique's Tits: The Movie"

-- Scott Summers + Turtleneck + Cardigan = Mega-Douche

-- Cerebro complete redesign in X2. If it is a software update that Magneto is unfamiliar with, would that not throw the whole plot of X2 to the wind? Might be over- thinking this one...

-- Have come to the conclusion that no, no I am not over-thinking it.

-- Storm has South African accent that she loses and gains many times during this movie, only to completely lose it for X2.

-- Why go through all the trouble to sneak in a doomsday machine past guards during the middle of the night and ALSO have gone through the trouble to make said doomsday machine look like part of the Statue of Liberty? Once it has gone off....I mean, are you trying to hide it for later? For like.....another once in a life time U.N. summit?

-- Ray Park is the shit.

-- How do Mystique's faux claws cut through shit and fight Wolverine's claws?

-- Ok, so hers got cut off by Wolverine's......but now they are fighting again. Back to original question?

-- Gift Shop at the Statue of Liberty = FUCKING RUSTY DEATHTRAP.

-- Storm is god-awful at one liners.

-- "Scott, it's me." "Prove it." "You're a dick." FTW.

-- Who that works at the U.N. and is invited to a summit at the Statue of Liberty would not be familiar with the historical significance of the statue? Guy making U.N. speech sucks. Probably Uzbekistan or something.

-- Does it not remove all suspense from a rooftop fight if both people fighting would be able to easily survive the fall? They might as well be doing that joust game on American Gladiator. Or better yet, they might as well be playing a game of "Joust" for arcade. It would be just (if not more) dangerous.

-- So no one else with a T.V. noticed Senator Kelly's eyes flash yellow? Does TiVo not exist in this alternate reality? That would be all over "The Daily Show."

-- I am thinking that an all glass and plastic prison would get dusty and smudgy as BALLS.

Well!

2008-09-07T00:16:00.002-05:00

It has been awhile, hasn't it?

Really, the only reason I decided to post was to talk about a mini milestone that I hit.

That's right, folks.

I have now seen 50 out of 100 of the AFI Top 100 Movies. Hooray!

So..

2008-06-06T15:51:00.002-05:00

So, I have a YouTube account now. This here is my acting reel. I'm kind of happy with it, given the fact that it is my first time trying iMovie without supervision/it's a newer version than the one at ACC/I have never made a reel before. Don't know how useful it will be, but eh. If you go to my account, there is also a Seuss slide show set to "Solla Sollew" if you're interested. Also, on my Facebook page I have added an album for Photoshop projects. That's my new hobby, I think. If you have any sweet pics that you want to let me tear up or any cool ideas let me know in the comments.

Also, I have started to take a picture a day of myself with my iSight camera. So, hopefully when the year is up I can make a sweet movie.

Why?

2008-06-01T09:15:00.002-05:00

So remember that post yesterday about how busy I am and how well things are going?

FUCKING SCRATCH THAT.

WHY?

BECAUSE I SLEPT UNTILL 9 A.M. TODAY.

Yesterday, at the end of the workshop they said, "We'll be starting tomorrow at 9 A.M. sharp and locking the doors at 9. Anyone not here will not receive their certification."

What the fuck is wrong with me?

Not only did I just blow $50, but the people at the Texas FIlm Commission probably think I am full of shit. I don't think it will get back to Austin Film Society, but it still fucking pisses me off.

The kicker?

I didn't sleep till 9.

I slept till 6. Woke up with my alarm. Went back to sleep. Woke up at 6:45 to my next alarm. Set another alarm for 8. Did NOT wake up to that one.

This happens all the time. I am really never late unless it is something in the morning where I just can't seem to tell myself that FALLING BACK ASLEEP RIGHT NOW IS A BAD IDEA.

I am so fucking mad at myself.

It's not even the end of the world with the P.A. thing, seeing as how getting out there and doing free work is the only real way to get things done.

I just really hate being a disappointment. Most of all to myself.

Oy

2008-05-31T17:05:00.002-05:00

I don't know if I have already posted about Spanish, but I am taking Spanish I right now. It's a 5-1/2 week course and it is pretty great. I don't think I could ever learn a language without being totally immersed in it. It starts at 8:00 every weekday morning and goes until 10:30. So, it's pretty long and early.

I was working the other day and a gentleman that I was helping said he is a recruiter for a financial supply firm and took my phone number. Now he called and I am going to call him back to meet for coffee or something. I am really hoping this is not some kind of scam. That would totally ruin the whole ego boost this gave me. I'm worried that he's some kind of pyramid scheme douche, but he didn't seem odd or too pushy. So we'll see.

I just got back from the first part of a weekend intensive workshop for Production Assistants at Austin Film Society. After tomorrow, I will be certified by Texas Film Commission to be a P.A. and be put in their directory. So that's cool. I want to find P.A. work I can do for free first, but part-time so I can, you know, survive.

We'll See.

Which Wich is Which? LAWL.

2008-05-26T00:01:00.002-05:00

So, Luis and I went to a new place for lunch called "Which Wich". They might as well call it "Which Sandwich You Choose = Delicious Wich". 'Cause that's what it was. You write your order on a brown bag and have all of the time in the world to find out what kind of sandwich you want. Not like in other, more NYC, sandwich shops. (Subway((sp?)) It was great. Cheese Whiz is one of the toppings you can get. Wow! It was really good.

Here is a picture of a sandwich unless you can't visualize it.

WE NAMED THE DOG INDIANA.

2008-05-24T00:52:00.002-05:00

SPOILER ALERT

Ok, I am not planning on spoiling a lot of "Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (misnomer) but It's hard to talk about why this movie failed and succeeded without talking about some things plot-wise.

Firstly, I love the 1950's era the movie takes place in. I love how everything was wrong with society, from MacCarthy trials to the Cold War and yet the public spent their nights watching "Leave it to Beaver." Indiana Jones is older and grayer and expect a bunch of "heartfelt" a.k.a. "fucking depressing" moments when he thinks on who he has lost in his life. Harrison Ford is great. What else is there to say about the man? He's Indiana Jones. Cate Blanchette(sp?) is the nemesis role in this movie, and thankfully does not have any sort of romantic involvement with Indy. I'm kind of scatter brained right now so I apologize if this is not in any kind of order. ACTION SEQUENCES:

First and second action sequences were fucking awesome. Third was actually filmed in CT (I remember when they were casting for extras). Fourth(?) was a jungle chase that was extremely long and pretty good except for an odd "Tarzan"-esque sequence. Big Ants are Big.

QUESTION:

How do spiders get into EVERY ruin?

There are always webs. How do they get in there?

THE END:

Like eating a large helping of cotton candy, you enjoy the ride but when you get to the end you think "I feel like vomiting".

Worst ending to a movie in a long time. And I mean that for the end of the ruins sequence and the very last shots as well.

Oy.

Movie:

****/*****

Ending:

*/*****

Oy, so good.

2008-04-30T23:31:00.003-05:00

So.
I will not try to deny the fact that I have been looking forward to the film adaptation of the "Iron Man" comics. Being a huge Marvel fan, anything with that dark red logo automatically makes me wet myself. Hell, I even saw "Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer" in theatres. I feel like I need to justify my downright love for this new film, so I will give another example of a movie I was looking forward to just as much where I was able to see that, although it was a movie of one of my favorite characters of all time, it was complete shit. I am speaking of "Spider-Man 3." This movie completely failed at everything it tried to accomplish. Think of "Iron Man" as the anti-"Spider-Man 3."
It's hard to talk about the movie without spoiling anything.
It is cast perfectly. It's great to see Robert Downey Jr. play a role that is so close to his own persona. Jeff Bridges is equally great as the underhanded villain. Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts was a nice way to have a love interest that didn't take over the plot. I know this all sounds quite general, but they were all really fantastic. Stan Lee and John Favreau make cameos that aren't overly ridiculous.
I think the biggest compliment I can give is that at the end of the movie, my face hurt from smiling and laughing so much. There wasn't a single moment where I found myself bored or wondering when the plot would start up again. From the first 20 seconds this movie launches and it never falls back.
Go See This Movie.
The greatest part about this is that "Iron Man" is the first blockbuster of the summer and therefore a litmus test of movies to come. And if "Indiana Jones", "The Dar Knight" and "The Incredible Hulk" are even 80% of what "Iron Man" was then we are in for one HELL of a summer.
I cannot wait to see this movie again.

OY!

2008-03-26T01:03:00.003-05:00

OK!
SO!
WELL!
It HAS been awhile.
Ok, so. A few things have happened. Firstly, Nick Panz and Caitlin Keeler came up for the week. That was good times. We went out and got drunk (even Caitlin, we have our ways) and I had WAY too much tequila and spent the next day vomiting. Great. Anyway, I only got to see them a few days because of work and school so that sucked. We went to San Antonio and saw the Alamo. Which is pretty much the only thing to do in San Antonio. Then that night I took Caitlin to the Drafthouse to see "Semi-Pro". It was actually quite good. I mean, as good as a Will Ferrel sports comedy can be. I think the fact that they kept it rated R really helped it. Then, like the morning dew..............they disappeared. It was nice to have them around, and I really hope that they enjoyed their vacation.
I am really not in a mood to write, and haven't been in quite some time. At Bill's request, I have updated here. I have just been kind of tired lately (big surprise).
I will update soon though.

Oy!

2008-03-11T13:40:00.002-05:00

Spring Break started Saturday and days that I don't have work or school I usually spend sitting at home, drinking tea and watching movies.
Today, the film was "Nixon" which stars pretty much every actor you have ever heard of including Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Bob Hoskins, David Hyde Pierce, Mary Steenburgen and James Woods. Directed by Oliver Stone, this movie is the definition of biopic. To me, Anthony Hopkins could not have been better as Dick Nixon. His sudden, almost violent mood swings were just perfect. If you have not seen this movie, then you have not seen Oliver Stone and you have not seen Anthony Hopkins.

I feel bad, because this is the same post that I used for "The Society's" blog. But, honestly if you took out the movie reviews from this blog, you would end up with at most only half of the posts remaining. So I will try to add some personal stuff as well.
I talked to Christy yesterday and it was really nice. I feel really bad that I have been treating her and pretty much all of my friends back in CT badly. Bart called me like, two weeks ago and I just got around to calling him back yesterday. I never call Bill. Travis and Keilly sent me letters about a month ago and I have yet to write them back. I just have such a bad attention span and it takes a whole lot of effort for me to just sit down and write or pick up a phone. I'm not trying to make any excuses, but that's the way it is and I am going to try to change that. I talked to Christy yesterday and called Bart as well (he didn't pick up, that bitch). Tomorrow I have off and I am going to take that time to sit down and write responses to those letters.

I don't think I will call Bill though. What's the point?

JK BILL LAWLACAUST

Om!

2008-03-07T22:25:00.002-06:00

OM NOM NOM!
I do love veggies and dip. Yes I do.
Let's see.
Ah, our film group at work now has it's own blog for which I am a contributor. We just started it, so there isn't much but you can check it out HERE. You'll be able to read commentaries on our get togethers and movie reviews. Should be pretty classy.
I was going to go to the Drafthouse tonight for their mystery event, but I found out that it wasn't until midnight and it was some movie from SunDance that I probably would not have cared about.

Ana is going to her parent's for spring break, and I won't see her for about a week.
Sad Face.

Exam!

2008-03-05T23:02:00.002-06:00

I had my mid-term in U.S. History II
It was thoroughly blah, but then Ana and I went to AMC and saw "Be Kind, Rewind."

"Be Kind, Rewind"
-Honestly, a film with the most heart that I think I have ever seen. You could really tell that everyone in it had their whole souls in it. Jack Black was great, and I am not one of his "GAHH HES SO FUNNY IN EVERYTHING" fans either. Mos Def was great. Everyone was great. It was just a really great, really cute movie. I probably won't pick it up on DVD until its on sale, and then its the kind of movie you watch like once a year at most, just to remind yourself why you fell in love with movies in the first place.

Tomorrow is Theatre class, which is becoming less and less bearable every day and THEN

SPRING BREAK!! WOO!! *FLASHES BOOBS*
Spring Break is AWESOME BLOSSOM AND I WILL TOTALLY BE LIKE ............... working...........and........erm.......reading books.........and surfing the net.

Great.

Yop!

2008-03-03T23:54:00.003-06:00

Am I the only one looking forward to "Horton Hears A Who"?
I mean, sure it will most likely suck but come one. It's fucking "Horton Hears A Who."

The other night Luis, Chris and Natalie from work all went over to Natalie's place and watched "Casino." Natalie made a whole bunch of Italian appetizers and we had cannoli after the movie. It was a good night and we are planning on doing something like it every other sunday. I wish it was on the AFI Top 100, but it was an absolutely great film. It's funny, before this year/before I saw "The Departed" I knew about Martin Scorsese, but I had never seen any of his movies. Now, I can't think of a gangster-esque movie without judging it to his.

Berry, berry good.

Voting tomorrow. Then caucus at 7.
I know that I don't have to tell anyone who I vote for and it's my constitutional right and blah blah blah.
Obama '08.
That's all I'm sayin'.

Alas!

2008-02-29T01:20:00.002-06:00

Work was thoroughly blah today.
I did pick up the complete plays of Aristophanes today. I need to read "The Frogs" for Intro to Theatre. Did I choose to read "The Frogs" because Sondheim made a musical adaptation of it?

You know me better than I thought, Anonymous. And Bill.

I don't know if I wrote about this but here's two more reviews from Cinema de Nicholas.

"Secret Honor"
-Apparently this was a play before they made it into a film. It features Nixon dictating for an hour and a half. It was really good, and the actor (I forget who it was, he's in a lot of stuff) was really amazing. It's part of Criterion. As good as it was, there is only so much Nixon one person can stand and a feature film of him in a room talking/shouting/crying gets a little boring. Funnily enough the next film in my queue is "Nixon".

"The Darjeeling Limited"
-Have I ever told you how much I love Wes Anderson movies? They always have such a good heart, and TDL is no exception. The film really highlighted the strengths of Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman and Adrian Brody. The short "Hotel Chevalier" was odd, and I felt like it was supremely unnecessary but whatever. Great film. See it.

Movies PArt Deux!

2008-02-26T22:08:00.002-06:00

I knew I has something else to say:

#3: Ana and I watched "Eastern Promises." Very good movie. Viggo definitely scored his Oscar nod in that film. Very intense action. Great Russian gangster movie. SPOILER: If your life ambition was to go through life withOUT seeing Viggo Mortensen's junk, you might want to skip this one.

#4: I watched "Sunshine" last night. It was Phen-fucking-omenal. It's like Armageddon+Alien(the thriller aspect, not the extraterrestrial aspect)+Every Good Space Movie Ever Made. It is one of my favorite movies now. I loved it.

I think that's it.
Yea.

Movies!

2008-02-26T16:33:00.002-06:00

Ok, so I know it's been awhile AGAIN and that this months posts don't total anywhere near last months, but in my defense I have other things to do so STOP JUDGING ME ANONYMOUS!
Here we go!
#1: Ana and I went to AMC Theatres last Saturday and attended their Oscar day which was all 5 best picture nominees in a row. 12 hours in a theater with 20 minute breaks. It was awesome. Ana could only stay for "Michael Clayton" and "There Will Be Blood" which sucked, but she had a call back and work later so it's understandable. After she left I watched "Atonement", "Juno" and "No Country For Old Men" for the 3rd time. I'll get to the majority of how I felt about each film a little later but they were all great. The projectionist apparently fell asleep during "Atonement" or something, because the aspect ratio was all wonky. Apparently, when a film is sent to theatres it isn't cropped to the screen and the projectionist does that. That being said, in one of the hospital scenes near the middle of the film you could clearly see a dolly track for a good 5 seconds. I thought I imagined it, but I talked to other people there who had seen it.
#2: The Oscars. Oh, The Oscars. First off, kudos to all the nominees and for Jon Stewart for coming up with some awesome stuff (sans writers, I would assume). The night was very nice. It was a very cooshy Oscars in my opinion in that everything that deserved to win, won. I felt "Juno" was a very funny movie with a good heart, but even without seeing the other nominees I assumed she didn't deserve an award among all of those power house actresses. I'm not sure how I felt about Tilda Swinton winning for "Michael Clayton" because I honestly didn't feel that much for her performance. I love that "The Bourne Ultimatum" swept the technical awards. Those kind of awards are for things you don't even notice while seeing the movie until they show clips at the Oscars. I was all, "Best Sound Mixing?" But then they played the clip, and it made it very clear how much of the movie really relied on that. I found it very strange that "The Golden Compass" won best CG. I really thought "Transformers" was a shoe in. I love that "Sweeney Todd" won Best Art Direction. Again, it's the one awards that I really felt it deserved. I loved Johnny Depp, but his performance was just not on par with Daniel Day-Lewis. Best Original Song. Did I want "Once" to win? Yes. Do I have a special place in my heart for "Enchanted"? Absolutely. It was weird that all the songs were from musical movies. It was like watching a gimped Tony's. I love Amy Adams, and she was wonderful in "Enchanted" but she doesn't have the pipes to sing live on stage. It really sounded more like Karaoke than anything else and without the pigeons and cockroaches and whatnot the song loses a lot of it's charm. Kristin Chenoweth was alright. I didn't like her operatic voice in that song, it didn't seem to mix well. And then that guy singing the last song was flat for the last half of it. I hated him. The performance for "Once" really was beautiful and their acceptance/getting kicked off stage/other acceptance speech was adorable.

I think that's it.
Bill, don't be mad at me for anything I said about Ellen Page.

Been A While!

2008-02-20T23:26:00.002-06:00

So, I know it's been awhile. It's not that I have not been on the computer, or not had time. It's just that I haven't really felt like writing. That, and there was not much to say.
No More.
First off, and most importantly probably is that Ana and I are an item now. It's nice. Very nice. She's a very nice and very beautiful girl, and I am happy to be with her. She makes me smile..... a lot. Ok, that's enough of that.
Secondly, I watched "Company" tonight on PBS. I recorded it, and got home to catch the tail end of Act I and all of Act II. I have a few things to say:

1) Good God. I love this show.
2) Good God. Raul Esparza is fucking amazing.
3) The last two things are things I already knew, but it was nice to be reminded.
4) I almost cried at the finale. Both at the end of "Being Alive" and the legit last scene.
5) The actress who played Marta was a fucking ham, and I dislike her.
6) I fucking hate the fact that PBS is required to censor a piece of art like this.
"Shit" shouldn't have to be censored.
7) I need to buy the DVD.

V-Day!

2008-02-14T23:11:00.002-06:00

Ah, Valentine's Day. So terribly awkward for new relationships.
It was nice today though. I gave Ana a valentine and four vouchers to see a movie with me at the alamo. Also a bar of 87% dark chocolate. I don't know how she can eat the stuff, but she says she likes the darkest kinds of chocolate. She gave me a valentine, which I was not expecting at all but it was really nice and the message inside was extremely cute. I am such a sap for this girl.

If you were wondering, the picture above is from "Friday Night Lights" which I decided to watch today, and haven't watched in about a month. The scene was in a movie theatre and that is ME in the red circle, bitches. I know it's blurry. I know it's only for about five seconds. But it's more network airtime than anyone I personally know has ever gotten so..............BOO-YAH! It feels good. All that time. Probably over 60 hours of filming time this season, and those five, blurry seconds make it all worth it because there are hundreds of others who never get that out of the same amount of work.

News!

2008-02-13T23:58:00.002-06:00

The writers strike is OVER!

Hoo-rah!

Good News:

Lost, The Office, 30 Rock. All either coming back for the season, or having a complete season.
Cavemen, Carpoolers. Completely dead! Hoo-ray!

Bad News:

Scrubs might or might not have its final episodes aired. They might just be straight to DVD.
Friday Night Lights returning is looking VERY doubtful. The series always got great reviews, but never got the ratings it needed.

I love the way John Stewart is handling the writers being back.

Girl!

2008-02-12T00:20:00.000-06:00

I had class today.
I find myself liking my T.V. Production class more and more every week. It's awesome.
Went over to Ana's apartment today and we watched the majority of the first disc of Arrested Development. It's been awhile since I have seen it, so it was great. Then, after TV Prod I picked her up and we went to Kirby Lane Cafe. Good times all around.
I find myself smiling a lot for seemingly no reason.
I like it. It's been awhile since I have felt butterflies.

I think I may be repeating pictures, but if I don't remember posting it it feels like a new one to me.

Harumph!

2008-02-10T19:15:00.000-06:00

Today was shit.
I woke up feeling really crappy and I almost called out, when I realized that I called out LAST sunday and that would not be cool. Work was bleh, and I felt like crap the whole day. On the drive home, I started experiencing acid reflux and now it's full blown heart burn. Ugh. Thankfully I still have some nexium trials left from when I was deathly ill at CCSU. So that will hopefully make things better. Mom should be home at 11-ish.
Hopefully seeing Ana tomorrow because she doesn't have work. I need some good news.

Actually, on that note. The good news note, not the Ana note which, by the way, is going very well. The Writer's Strike is apparently over! They should be back at their desks on Wednesday!
Also, I was wearing my FNL shirt today at work and one of the fucking STARS of the show came in. It was the albino looking guy. I forget his characters name. Kind of embarrassing seeing as how I was wearing a FNL shirt, but we talked for a little bit when I was ringing him out. I told him I'm an extra and I was wondering if he had heard anything about when they are going to start filming again. Pretty nice guy. Pretty nice guy.

Film!

2008-02-08T19:56:00.000-06:00

Today was a me day, which I always enjoy. I sat around, cleaned the last bits of the house for when my mom comes home. I also watched "Jarhead" and "The Nines".
"Jarhead" was really good. I don't think it really brought anything new to the genre, but it was nice to see a modern day "Platoon".
"The Nines" was very interesting. Am I the only person who actually likes Ryan Reynolds? If you're a critic, you should check out this movie. A nice little head trip that doesn't end in a terribly depressing way.
My mom is adorable. She just called and we talked for awhile. She brought up the apartment thing and asked what people on Craig's List meant when they said "420 friendly". I was cracking up. THEN she asked over my laughter if it meant "something about being gay". I could not control myself. It was ridiculous.

Damn!

2008-02-08T17:12:00.001-06:00

So either the Drafthouse decided not to update their ticket availability until 5. Or, a bunch of losers faster than me got the tickets to the sneak peek of "Semi-Pro". God damn it.
Oh well. Life finds a way.

Hooray!

2008-02-07T19:58:00.000-06:00

So all of the sudden I remembered something. Fished around in my car for a bit.
Came out with two AMC gift cards from this summer in CT that my mom had sent me then which i hadn't used.
All in all, $28. So I am going to be paying a grand total of $2 or $3 for 5 Best Picture nominees and free popcorn and soda.
WIN.

Monies!

2008-02-06T23:08:00.000-06:00

Concerning the monies........I have pretty much none.
My credit is at it's limit because of the gas from this month and due to text books. So I am MORE than happy that mi madre is coming home sunday to pay all that off.
THEN.
I am going to try my damnedest to get tickets to a sneak preview of "Semi-Pro" at the Drafthouse because (drumroll)........................fucking WILL FERREL is going to BE THERE.
FUCK.
In addition to whatever the ticket price is, everyone in attendance has to be wearing a Florida Tropics team uniform which you can either make or purchase. Apparently they are going to take a group picture of everyone in uniform with Will in a group shot.
Awesome.
THEN.
On the 23rd AMC theatres is having a screening of all 5 of the Best Picture nominees in one day. $30 and you get five movies, unlimited popcorn and soda. Fucking win.

I got my U.S. History II test back. I got 100% on the multiple choice. The essay I got a 5/10 on.
So I got 30/35. So a B. Better than I was expecting so.........eh.

Post! Get it?!

2008-02-06T00:24:00.000-06:00

I put up two posters today and I don't know how I feel about them.
One is "There Will Be Blood" which is awesome. It's not the one of Daniel Day-Lewis' face that you see everywhere. It looks almost like a bible, it's really cool.
The other is "Iron Man" which came out of a magazine so it has those perma-creases through it. It's shiny, which is cool but it is made of the same kind of material that bags that hold magazines are made of, so it's kind of............wrinkly? Kinda cool. But kinda ......... wrinkly.
Yea.
They are also kind of crooked, so that does not help.

In other news, they had a montage of fight clips at the end of "The Daily Show" between John Stewart/Stephen Colbert/Conan O'Brian. It was AWESOME.

Jew!

2008-02-05T15:48:00.000-06:00

So, today I met Ana before class at this place called Manny Hatten's. It's this legit New York deli, they even get cheesecake shipped daily from Carnegie Deli in NYC. And I ordered LOX!! I felt so Jewish! It was awesome. It tasted alright. Like a huge "Philadelphia roll" sushi, but with bagel instead of rice. I wouldn't eat it all the time, but it is a nice way to get fish into my diet every now and again.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk about this, but I am now LOVING the feud going on between Conan O'Brien and John Stewart/Stephen Colbert. Conan came on both programs last night demanding to fight the both of them and it was utter hilarity. John Stewart is such a small man. Anyway, I loved it and I think it is great that late night shows are kind of banding together to get through this (hopefully) last stretch of the writers strike.

Test!

2008-02-04T23:31:00.000-06:00

So, I had my first test of the semester in U.S. History II.
It was not terrible. The majority of it was scantron, which I have not done in years and makes me feel like I am back in high school. One essay at the end. I may not like the teacher, but she provides thorough notes and a detailed study guide for each exam. Also, thankfully at ACC the exams are not cumulative so you only get tested on things that you have just learned. I think I got at least a B, which is an awesome feeling for me because I am usually terrible at history and last semester with Bill Cosby really put my confidence in the dumps for academic classes. I feel like this semester is going to go really well.
T.V. Production went well. Talked to Richie for a few seconds. Pretty much the standard, "I'm ok with you now, just don't mess up or I will kill you." big brother stuff. Should not be a problem. Presented my treatment to the class. I call in "Newsworthy". And it is pretty much just a montage of breaking news stories from the century, which will hopefully juxtapose what is considered newsworthy now-a-days to way-back-when. I am already happy with it. It's going to be a challenge to get it all filmed live, but it should be fine.

P.S. - I have had many funny images on this Blog, but I think todays really takes the cake.

Vomitorium!

2008-02-03T17:16:00.001-06:00

And no, I don't mean the passageways underneath a stage.
I called in today because I woke up and ran to the bathroom and.......yea.
Work wasn't too happy, but hey, neither am I. Also, I barely work anymore anyway so my paycheck is going to suck a little extra next time. Great.
Mom called last night to check in. She'll be home next Sunday, which I am happy for. Apparently she's bringing Toby which is awesome. I miss my puppy. I awkwardly told her how badly I need to move out. I mean, I am spending around $300 a month on gas alone. That is stupid. Criminally so. Then I told her that I need to expedite getting my new computer because my fucking HP just decided to give up on making the CD-R work. Wonderful.

Let's do a tech recap:
- My Ipod won't sync so I have been burning CD's.
- My computer won't burn CD's so ...... I am fucked pretty much. And it's not that it won't burn CD's. I could get over that. It won't PLAY CD's either. So Samantha at work burned me a copy of Photoshop CS3 and it is worthless because I can't get it installed on the damn computer. ARG!

Today, I did my studying for U.S. History II. We'll see.
I watched "Network" and "Easy Rider". AFI's #64 and #84 respectably.
"Network" was great. Old, but a lot of it's ideas were still really fresh which, honestly, is not a good thing.
"Easy Rider" confused the shit out of me. It felt like a high school kid filmed it. I really liked Jack Nicholson in it, but the rest seemed to be "WERE HIPPIES AND NO ONE UNDERSTANDS US! SMOKE WEED! BUY AND SELL COKE AND THAT'S IT!" Like if "Blow" wasn't interesting.

Point!

2008-02-02T22:55:00.000-06:00

Worked today.
Came home and didn't really feel good, So I just laid down and watched "An Inconvenient Truth".
Pretty good. It's pretty much just a really long powerpoint presentation. With a bunch of scenes of how great Al Gore is. It really put him on a pedestal, which I don't really get because the movie is not supposed to be about him but rather the environment. When it focused on the environment, it really shined and had a lot of really eye-opening graphics and photos. Especially the pictures of glaciers decades apart. When it talked about Gore, I was very bored. I know he was robbed of the presidency. I know he's a pretty good guy. I don't care enough about him to watch a whole movie.
Work tomorrow. Blarg.
I have to study for U.S. History II. I have a test monday.
Blarg times two.

Wow!

2008-02-02T01:22:00.000-06:00

So...............

Ok, I realize that I start pretty much every entry with "So,", and I am pretty sure I have addressed this concern before but I now realize I don't really care.

So, I went downtown to see "No Country for Old Men" with Ana. She recommended that we pre-purchase the tickets because it is Oscar season, but I told her not to worry because these movies have been out for months and everyone has seen them already. WRONG. Apparently no one gives a shit about good film until some old crotchety men tell them what is good. That is lame. And the movie was sold out. My bad. So we went north to the arboretum and got tickets for a later show at a different theatre. Ana was hungry, so we went to the Cheesecake Factory and it was packed and ridiculous so we left. We then traveled to Amy's Ice cream, got in line and were next when we realized that they didn't take cards and neither of us had any cash. What kind of legitimate business these days does not accept cards? I always get confused when people come into Border's and ask "Is credit ok?" Anyway. We decided to walk and talk for awhile instead and wandered into Barnes and (Sorry "&") Noble and got some stuff at the Starbucks there. I found that we have a lot in common. Almost too much. Not too much, but almost. That's a joke, by the way. But in Starbucks I told her how my new thing was seeing the AFI top 100 films and she said, "What?" And I replied, "Oh, The American Film Institute issues a list of the 100 greatest films of all time." And she opened her purse and pulled that list out. That is awesome. That is determination. So, I had a little nerd-gasm. Not going to lie.

We saw the movie. It was great.
And that was pretty much the end of the night.
I had a great time and I think she did too, so hopefully another movie night is in the near future.
Side note: I have a T.A. in my TV Production class. This guy Richie. Really cool guy and I get along with him fine. Which apparently is a good thing because he is Ana's brother. That could make things awkward, but I'm not planning on it. Anyway, he's a cool guy and I might be seeing more of him.

Feb!

2008-02-01T13:46:00.000-06:00

So, this month was supposed to start with real-life Pokemans. But my harddrive likes to just randomly delete jpegs. Which is .......... you know........great. So random pics it is. Like this one from Adult Swim's "Darkplace"!

Yesterday I had theatre class and the auditions for "Much Ado About Nothing". The auditions were kind of meh. I read a scene with some girl for maybe 45 seconds and that was that. So, i dunno. Doing Shakespeare would be a good mix up for me, but if I don't get in I won't be upset. I had time to kill before the audition so I went to the Drafthouse and saw "Teeth".
Yea.
The trailer really confused me, because it was clear what was happening but it was still kind of funny. And that's pretty much the whole movie. A "Such-a-dark-comedy-that-sometimes-its-not-funny-comedy".
Yea.
Good. Amusing. Not really worth seeing in theatres.
I really liked Matt from Nip/Tuck in it though.

Today I watched "Goodfellas".
Fucking great. I understand the whole Scorsese thing now.
Good movie.

Unacceptable!

2008-01-31T10:50:00.000-06:00

So, I printed off the AFI Top 100 movie list and came to the conclusion that I have only seen 32/100 of what AFI considers to be the greatest 100 movies ever made.

This is unacceptable, and while I am not looking forward to watching a lot of old westerns and war movies I have decided I have no choice but to sit through them all.
Thus starts a new chapter in the Utter Brilliance novel....and strangely enough "Goodfellas" just came in the mail from Blockbuster which is #92. So after watching that, I will only have 67 movies left! Yay!

Auditions for "Much Ado About Nothing" today.

Also!
Today is the last day of "Pictures Starring Me!" Month. I'm sure you all enjoyed me as much as I did, but all good things must come to an end.

So Say We All!

2008-01-30T11:08:00.000-06:00

I went over to Luis' yesterday and we watched a disc of Battlestar Galactica: Season 2.5
I can not stress what a finely tuned show that is. Sure it's backdrop is humans fighting against robots, but in most of the episodes that is the least important thing going on. The writers also seem to make it a habit of making emotional moments in that show.............real. You can almost taste the emotion. Which says volumes about the actors, but I really think that it is the writing and some of the camera work. It's the one show where you really don't know what is going to happen next, not in a "Lost, crazy stuff happens because the island is weird way" but in a "Hey, these are human beings in dire situations, who knows what will happen" way. A+++

I was going to audtion for "Robert Johnson: Trick the Devil" when I realized that there is AT MOST one white role and that it usually is played by someone in their 30's. I might go today just for shits and giggles. Friday I am going to see a movie with Ana, this girl in my intro to theatre class. So................yea. We'll see about that.

Ugh!

2008-01-28T23:47:00.000-06:00

This rule of thumb for movies I rent that I think are crappy turning out to be actually quite good also goes the opposite way.

I hung out with Luis last night and we rented "Rescue Dawn." Starring Christian Bale and Steve Zahn, I was really looking forward to this movie. Pretty much a Vietnamese version of "The Great Escape."
THE WORST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN.
Honestly.
The whole thing felt like the most contrived piece of shit ever filmed.
I honestly can't describe to you how terrible it was, but my face hurt by the end because for the last 20 minutes of the movie, I was scowling with all of my might trying in vain to find some kind of connection between the jumble of shots that apparently are supposed to form some sort of narrative.

Ugh.

Creepy!

2008-01-25T21:25:00.000-06:00

So the world has conspired to make every movie I watch from now on.............. pretty damn good.
I watched "Hairspray" today.
"Hairspray".
The one with John Travolta in a fat suit.
And I found myself smiling through most of the movie.
What?!
It was really fun. Which, I know, seems to be the word of the week with me but it is 100% true. The only parts that annoyed me were when Amanda Bynes was on screen, but I think that just stems from my disgust with everything that she does. John Travolta was........ clearly John Travolta in a female fat suit, but it worked. Zac Efron was adorable and has a great voice (I still am not moved enough to see High School Musical). Christopher Walken was patently ridiculous. I forget the actors name, but the actor who playes Seaweed was PHENOMENAL. He has such talent. Queen Latifa was her lovable self as always. James Marsden was awesome, and I think maybe Corny Collins is on my "Characters I want to Play at some Point" list. And last, but not least, Nikki Blonski(sp?) was great. I have never seen the show, but her performance alone would have made me want to go see the show. Although her character was like seeing a Bizarro version of a girl I know.
That's that.

Also, I lent "The Ultimates" and "The Ultimates 2" from Borders and read through them in a day they were so good. It's basically the Ultimate Universe's version of the Avengers. Spoilers are ahead in a list of things that made me giddy:

-The Army beating up Bruce Banner to turn him into the Hulk to use against invading forces. That not working. Them throwing him out of the helicopter without a parachute. Him hitting the ground in a massive thud. Nick Fury saying, "That didn't sound like a 95 pound scientist hitting the ground." Hulk Smash.

-Hawkeye being tied up. Ripping his fingernails off and using them as projectiles to kill a room full of armed guards.

-Hulk putting his fist through the Abominations head.

-Captain America fighting his nemesis from WWII. Asked if he wants to give up. Fights back. Screams, "What do you think the A stands for? FRANCE!?" Delivers killing blow.

-Hank Pym being a wife beater and a genuinely terrible person.

Confusion!

2008-01-25T14:09:00.000-06:00

So, I keep renting these movies expecting them to be total shit and I keep getting surprised!

I watched "TMNT" today.
Maybe I am just getting soft, but I really enjoyed it. It really kept the attitude of the original flicks and was more of a sequel than a retelling, which i think was a great idea. I sort of wish that Shredder had made some sort of appearance (other than the hint at the end that said "GIVE US MONEY TO MAKE A SEQUEL AND SHREDDER WILL BE IN IT WE SWEAR!"). And it was kind of bizarre to get over the extremely "Ghostbuster"-ish feel of the whole film. But it worked. And while the animation never got as much detail as something from Pixar, the style worked. I especially enjoyed the fight scene between Raphael and Leonardo on the rainy roof lit by a red neon sign. Looked very sharp. Anyway that is all. Go watch it. It's not great, but it's fun.

Which unless I'm missing something, is the only reason the Turtles exist.

New!

2008-01-24T21:22:00.000-06:00

So, I watched "Black Snake Moan" today and I have to say: Bravo.
It really is a great movie. I mean, it's no cinematic masterpiece but I went into that movie expecting some shit movie and I got a good movie..............with a lot of Christina Ricci's breasticles.
Like......... a lot. I'm not complaining...........but.............yea.
Anyway, it's a good-un. Rented "Zodiac" because I want to see more of Robert Downey Jr.'s work. Especially with "Iron Man" coming up.

That is all.

Again!

2008-01-24T10:13:00.000-06:00

I forgot to post this:

I saw "No Country for Old Men."
Good God.
It is not right that "There Will Be Blood" and this movie came out so close together. Not only does it make it almost impossible for me to say which is better, but it also makes them terrible competitors for Oscar season. Movies like this usually are made decades apart from eachother. Go see them.

Ugh!

2008-01-23T23:43:00.000-06:00

Wow.
So yesterday, I went out with Heather and a few of her friends and got more plastered than I have ever been. To the point of vomiting (back at home, not at the bar or in the street) and, yes, even to the point of "blacking out". Having literally no recollection between leaving the last bar and walking into Heather's kitchen is the most bizarre feeling. I totally feel for people with amnesia. That must feel terrible. So yea, fun night followed by not so fun late night followed by day of feeling like I was going to puke more. It was worth it. Next time I am staying away from the Yager (just the shot not a JAGER-BOMB. Not now chief I'm in the fuckin zone). I think that's what turned the tides of my brain and stomach. Oy.
So Heath Ledger is dead.
Wow.
How does that happen? Heather and I talked about how all of the celebrities that you don't expect things to happen to are just dropping like flies. Owen Wilson slits his wrists? What? Heath Ledger apparently overdosed on sleeping meds? Wha? Does it make me a bad person that when I heard that he kicked the bucket the first thing that came to mind was : Jesus.........................................I sure hope they were done production on The Dark Knight?
No offense, but I have been waiting for that movie and one persons death is not going to fuck that up for me.

RIP

P.S. I was feeling fine when this picture was taken, but it is exactly how I feel right now.

One More Day!

2008-01-21T23:22:00.000-06:00

Today was nice.
I drank a whole shit load of tea (the tea box my mom gave me for christmas has, like, bottomless slots for tea and I can't seem to ever hit the bottom of "Banana Caramel", which is pretty much the best flavor of tea ever invented.)
Had some soup, a sandwich, some grapes and watched "The Bourne Ultimatum". It was pretty much the best finale to any film trilogy I have ever seen. It wrapped up the whole picture in a nice package, but left it open to the imagination (and possible sequels). Thrilling, adrenaline pumped movie. Very good work.

Found a cool website where I made "Fidelity" by Regina Spektor my ringtone. Bill is right every now and again. Regina Spektor is not only one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen, she is also the most talented. Her songs are amazing. Go download everything she has ever done.
Spent some time on the net, getting some coolio pics for the blogosphere. As you know, January is "Pictures that have me in them" month. But February is looking to have some exciting posts. I'm excited for "Real-life Pokemon" week, and so should you.
Also on the blog front. I have been checking hits, and a few months ago where I would have been happy with getting up to 9 hits a day, lately I have been getting upwards to 28 hits a day. That is just awesome to me. Especially the fact that most of them are coming from inside austin. Cool Cool Cool.

Day!

2008-01-21T14:24:00.000-06:00

So, today is a lazy day.
I am still pretty sick, so its good that I have the day off.
I'm doing reading for classes, and watching some movie that I have not rented yet.
I went to the Drafthouse with Luis last night and saw "Cassandra's Dream", the new Woody Allen movie. It was Golden Corral certified average on all levels. There wasn't one scene that I was amazed by. Nothing terrible, but nothing great either. Very mediocre storytelling.

Golden Corral.

I am really enjoying hanging out with Luis. He's really funny and we have a lot in common (mainly movies). So that's good.
Class tomorrow, then hanging out with Heather.

P.S. This photo was taken on Halloween. That's me as the Joker and random strangers as The Riddler, Poison Ivy, Robin and Batman.

Michaels!

2008-01-19T01:46:00.000-06:00

So, the Ian Black/Showalter ...........show was tonight.
I can't describe how funny these guys were. The only proper way of showing how funny they were is this: people who know me, or have seen a show/movie/funny happening know that when I think something is funny..........I laugh. I have no control over it. And most of the time, that laughter is fucking loud. Let me just say this...........my voice is shot from laughing so much at that fucking show. Did it suck standing for oh.... 4 hours? Yes. Did it make it worse that it is like 30 degrees outside and the show took place outdoors in a tent with 3 space heaters for 2 or 3 hundred people? God yes.

Was it worth it?
You betcha.

P.S. - Also, the way they acted during the slight time they had on stage together reminded me so much of the way Bill and I act, that I am now going to start writing down shit that I think is funny and try to make a stand-up routine from it. Kind of a pipe dream, I know but no less of a pipe dream than being a successful actor for stage or screen, so what the hell?

Zowie!

2008-01-18T00:26:00.000-06:00

So, apparently this is my month of "do awesome shit that you can pretty much only do in Austin."

Last week I saw "Napoleon Dynamite" with Bill and met Jon Gries (Uncle Rico).

Yesterday I saw a free preview screening of "There Will Be Blood" which was a fucking trip. It was one of those movies that, while watching it, you forget that it is entertainment or that it is a movie at all and afterward recognize it for truly being a FILM. The word movie can apply to anything from "Alvin and the Chipmunks" to something like "Wedding Crashers" but a FILM is something truly epic. It was great. See it. Daniel Day Lewis will make you shit yourself.

Today I saw a free preview screening of "Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show" at the Drafthouse and Vince Vaughn's sister (apparently she produced or something) and one of the main comedians, Sebastian was there for a Q&A after the show. As if Vince Vaughn was not already one of my most liked celebrities, he has to make a movie where he takes four relatively unknown comics on a 30 day/30 city tour, pretty much handing them a career in the process. It was very funny and it had a great heart which was something I was not expecting, especially considering the only other tour movie I have seen was "Tourgasm w/ Dane Cook" and those guys are pretty much all pricks anyway. Very funny. If you love Vince Vaughn, you will love him more after this movie.

And tomorrow I am going to a club to see Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter of TV's "Stella" do stand-up. I am really fucking looking forward to it.

Plus, I am tempted to go to a screening of Uwe Boll's newest turd......movie. Just because he will be there himself for a Q&A and I am assuming it is going to be ruthless, because anyone who knows anything about film knows what a fucking douche Uwe Boll is. If you don't, just think of the movies "House of the Dead", "Blood Rayne" and the new "In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale" and think of what kind of prick would actually try to make money creating such works of shit.

EDIT: I also got a free cap for going to the Vince Vaughn movie. I'm going to try wearing it around, because I am usually notorious for hating to wear hats but I feel like I am denying a whole world of accessories. It's a pretty nice cap too.

No!

2008-01-14T23:37:00.000-06:00

So tonight was the last.
Bill goes home tomorrow in the morning.
Boo.
It was some good times, and I already can not wait until spring break.
Saw "Juno" today with Bill. It was his third time seeing it. I wasn't really blown away by it. It was good. Real good. Great performances. Epic writing, I think. Just not..............Ka-Boom. If that makes sense. I think the parts of the movie I enjoyed the most were the parts when it was like a regular movie and the parts I disliked were when it was trying to be so indie. I like independent movies, don't get me wrong. But "Garden State" is not the definition of independent. Having Zach Braff pick out his favorite songs on his Ipod Touch does not a soundtrack make. It felt like it was forcing the idea that this "was not your average comedy" sometimes. The last shot of the movie also made me want to blow my brains out.
Ok, so off the negative.
It has three of my favorite people in life in it.
-Jason Bateman: Awesome. From the previews and from the beginning of the movie I felt like it was just going to be more of the same from him, but seeing him as someone.....bad is not the right word here......dislikable was really great. I didn't think it was possible, but he made me not like him in that movie. I was able to get past his endearing smirk and his quick words and NOT like him.
-Michael Cera: Great. To be honest, I was expecting more of the same from him and I was delivered more of the same. A little more depth than George Michael from AD, but not too much. This is fine with me, I just hope he appreciates how good he has it. John Heder has done pretty much the same character in two movies and the world is already sick of him.
-J.K. Simmons: Loved him. Such a believable dad. So good.

School started today with a bang.
Honors Comp II was canceled due to low sign-ups. So awesome.
I have to find another comp class to take. I am thinking of waiting until next semester and taking Choir of something.
U.S. History II is going to be annoying. No more Bill Cosby, so I can't complain to much. But this lady is one of those very plain, large women who hide behind really, really lame comedy when they are feeling nervous being in front of a room full of judging, new faces. Ugh.
T.V. Production is going to be the diamond in the rough this semester. Pretty much all hands-on training with equipment. Awesome.

Alamo!

2008-01-11T22:43:00.001-06:00

So, today Bill and I headed to San Antonio around noon.
It took a whole lot longer than I was expecting. We saw the Alamo, had lunch at 'The County Line' which was delicious bbq. Then we walked around San An for an hour or so. Went back to Austin. Went to Zen for dinner.
Then we went to Heather's house to watch "Friday Night Lights".
She was half an hour late.
But we saw the game that we filmed over two days, which made up an entire minute or so of footage. Didn't see either of us. Eh.

Good day.
Work tomorrow. Maybe Main Event after.

Hard!

2008-01-10T21:45:00.000-06:00

So I went to work at 9-4.
Left Bill at the house to fend for himself.
Came home, we had pizza. Then we went downtown and saw "Walk Hard."
It was my second time seeing it, and I have to say I think it is the new generation's "Airplane."
A lot of the humor in this movie would make the Zucker's proud.

Uncle!

2008-01-10T01:36:00.000-06:00

So Bill and I started off the day by going into Downtown Bastrop to mail my parents ..... mail to them.... yea. Ok. Then we went into Austin. Went up and down SoCo for a few hours. Had lunch at Zen, which is like a Japanese fast food place and it is awesome. Then went to the drag on Guadalupe, and the mall at Dobie to look at sweet comics. Went home. Fucked around. Went BACK into Austin. Went to the Alamo Ritz and saw "Napoleon Dynamite." Very funny. Hadn't seen it in awhile, so it was refreshing. Oh yea, I forgot to mention the fact that UNCLE FUCKING RICO WAS THERE! He had a brief Q&A before the movie. He was really nice. I asked him what his influences were for the character and he said it was a mix of Elvis and David Hasselhoff. Then when he was leaving before the movie, he walked past me and I said "Thanks" and he turned around and said "No problem, man." AND PATTED ME ON MY SHOULDER. It was awesome.

Let's tally up celebrity contacts, shall we?

-Patted on the shoulder by Jon Gries.
-Offered a handshake FROM Justin Long; accepted.
-Asked Michael Cerveris to turn around because he had a piece of lint on his head. Removed lint.

Good times.

So!

2008-01-08T22:00:00.000-06:00

Bill is in town!
Hurrah!

I picked him up at the airport around noon, then we went to Circuit City and I got my new phone (Dark blue Chocolate from LG which I am in love with) and another 360 controller. Then hit up La Madeline, which is like a Panera that is french and a little nicer. Drove around Austin a bit, went to the Hyatt because as much as I hated working there, it is beautiful and everyone should see it. Then showed him Bastrop, which was not much to see.

Home:
-Hooked up the 360 to the large TV in the family room.
-Bill showed me his songs that I had already heard. (But you should check him out here.)
-Recorded a little blurb at the end of one of his songs where I sound like I have cerebral paulsey. -Went grocery shopping.
-Watched "Thumbsucker" which I had forgotten I had already seen. Good movie.

End of day.
More to come.

Buble!

2008-01-08T10:25:00.000-06:00

So, I was on Michael Buble's website looking at concert tour dates.
(I am definitely going to try to get tickets for the Houston show.)
Then, I went on YouTube to watch his music video for "Feelin' Good" which was hilarious.
It has over 1 million hits, so I decided to look at the comments, where I re-learned why I hate the internet so much:

- "omg!!! my aunt is so upssed with him!!! she said shes going to be the last name of buble!!!!!!"

- "Is it me or did Buble just beat up three HOT chicks in this video and left them for dead in that factory to burn alive?!

BAD BUBLE...BAD BUBLE! Not very gentleman like of him!"

" its a freakin music video u tard"

-" his name should be michael adorable!!! he's reeking with talent."

Answer!

2008-01-08T00:29:00.000-06:00

A: This month, all posts are accompanied by a picture of YOURS TRULY!! What a lucky reader you are.

Bill is in Texas in T-Minus 11 hours.
Met the Panzarino parentals tonight. Went to Hula Hut with them, Mark and Samarra(sp?). Then we went to this place called "Main Event." FYI, other than the Drafthouse, Main Event is now my most favorite place. It is basically like a grown-up Chuck-E-Cheese. After 9 or 10, all the kids have to leave and they have happy hour and stuff. There is bowling, lazer tag, an arcade, billiards, darts and MUCH MORE!! We bowled for a bit, then played shuffleboard.

FYI X 2!!
Shuffleboard is the most fun fucking game ever invented. It is awesome.
So much fun.
Def. taking Bill to that place.

Anyway, the night was really nice. To be honest, I was a little awkward because I was kind of hanging out with parents and two other people I have met once before. But they are such kind people, and I forgot how easily Mr. Panzarino makes me laugh. I think he had me "pound" fists, like 30 times tonight.

P.S. - I wish I could make convincing blood in Paint.net

Soon!

2008-01-06T23:52:00.000-06:00

Bill is in Texas in 2 days!

WOOO!!
I really can not wait. On Wednesday we are going to the Alamo Ritz and seeing "Napoleon Dynamite" which will not only be my first time seeing it in theaters, but also Uncle FUCKING Rico is going to be there. YES!

P.S. Can you spot the similarities in this months pictures?

BTW!

2008-01-05T23:18:00.000-06:00

Ocean's 11 is on TNT right now and I forgot how awesome it is.

I fucking love this movie.

Movies!

2008-01-05T21:09:00.001-06:00

So, I realized I have seen a few movies without talking about them which is odd for me. So here you are!

-Walk Hard ****
I loved this movie. It is a dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb comedy. But it is so god damned funny. I don't think there was a 30 second span where I was not laughing. Fake Beatles are genius.

-Charlie Wilson's War ****
I think the only reason I didn't give this movie five stars was that it is a political dramedy. And it is pretty much a talking head piece. Great dialogue that makes it bleed Aaron Sorkin. Phillip Seymour Hoffman could take a shit on my face and I would think it was great acting. Honestly. See this movie. Nay. See this film.

-Ratatouille ****
Great Pixar film. I personally didn't think they raised the bar writing or animation-wise, but with Pixar that is kind of a hard thing to do. I think it is funny that Patton Oswald has such a pleasing, nice vocie but looks like a deranged hobbit. Can't wait for "Wall-E."

-The Hoax ***
I love Richard Gere and I love Alfred Molina. If they were not in this movie I probably would have disliked it. It never seemed to SAY anything. About the era, about the man (See: "Carlie Wilson's War").

Before Ratatouille, there was this Disney montage and I noticed that the only films I did not go "Awww" to remembering, I cringed at. Also, the only films I cringed at were the Tim Allen shit-fests "Santa Clause" and "The Shaggy Dog." Interesting. Why is Tim Allen such a piece of shit? I remember him being actually funny, but now that I think of it I cannot remember why. Home Improvement was honestly not funny.

Bio!

2008-01-03T20:33:00.000-06:00

I just thought I should post the bio that Dale wrote for me on the Gag Reflex program:

Noah Racey (Nicholas Kier) hails from Seattle where he began his performing career in a production of 42nd Street. Most recently he had the pleasure of working with the Theatre Under the Stars family on Tommy Tune's latest project, Easter Parade. Between 42nd Street and Easter Parade he toured the U.S. and Canada as Bobby Child in Crazy for You, toured Europe as Ozzie in On the Town and appeared at various regional theatres including the St. Louis MUNY, Northshore Music Theatre, Theatre by the Sea and Seattle's 5th Avenue. He gives thanks to family, friends and V.K. for their love and support.

Fresh!

2008-01-02T22:57:00.000-06:00

So I have AquaFresh White Strips in.
For half an hour.

Grr.
I didn't have work today, which was a nice change. I woke up, had a nice breakfast. Watched the rest of Disc 1, Season 1 of "Curb your Enthusiasm." Went to BBuster.
Went to the Gym.
If you know me at all, you know that physical exertion of any kind is my Achilles Heel.
But I did a 5k run program for an hour, and listened to some showtunes that I hadn't heard in awhile. So it was nice. I think I am going to stop by on my way home and do upper body stuff tomorrow. I don't want to burn out on my legs so I am going to switch on and off.

New!

2008-01-01T21:47:00.000-06:00

So, a new year is afoot.
Whoop-dee-doo. Am I the only one who really does not understand New Year's?
It's just another day on the calendar. A reason to get plastered. An excuse to change.
Why do people need an excuse?
If you want to change something about your life, just fucking do it! God!

That being said, here are my new year's resolutions '08 Style!
-Take some vitamins on a semi-regular basis.
-Eat less fast food.
-When I do eat fast food, eat less red meat.
-Learn to play the guitar "ok." (Next year we will upgrade to "alright")
-Do well in school.
-Concentrate on life and not let it slip by me.
-Move into an apartment.
-Go to the gym on a semi-regular basis. (I'm going tomorrow to sign back up because I have the day off)
-Save enough for my new computer.
-Cut spending on misc. items.
-Start saving for a DSLR.
-Start my internship with Banter Records.
-Apply for internship at Austin Studios.
-Start a "Bucket-List." (Things to do before I kick said bucket)

That's all I can think of now.
The show went really really well. For awhile, I had felt kind of meh about a bunch of the sketch's, but I don't know if it was just the fact that they are well written or that in conjunction with the fact that both audiences were fucking plastered before the show even started. It was a whole lot of fun, even amidst slight heckling which was a totally new experience for me. Why heckle? This is what, I assume, goes through the mind of a heckler:

"Am I talented? Am I funny? Am I a nice person? Am I successful in what I do in life? No, no, no and no. Well, then I will simply pay my way into the vicinity of a stage, get drunk and pretend like everyone paid to come see me be a little bitch."

I just don't get it. Fuck you. Go home. Heckle Drew Carrey or something.
There were party hats and champagne toasts at midnight and then we did a drawing for door-prizes and if people won they had to go on stage and tell a joke. It was really fun. I was manning the front of the house before the show, and I was being a really great host if I do say so myself and it made me realize how less awkward I am now since only a year ago, maybe even less. I have really come into my own skin, and it keeps surprising me.
I was at the theater until 2:30 helping clean. Turned out that the group comprising about 75% of the hecklers brought bottles of wine to their row, drank it and then one person decided to vomit on their chair and onto the carpet. It was absolutely disgusting. I tried cleaning it, but smelling vomit makes me gag like a son of a bitch.

....

Gag...
REFLEX! BWAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH!

Guitar!

2007-12-27T22:53:00.000-06:00

So my christmas was great, how about you?

Awesome! Glad to hear it.
Anyway, my main gift was a sweet guitar. It's a black, solid-top Ibanez. It's cheap, like $150 but I am a beginner, so whatev. I am addicted to it. I'm close to nailing "Always Look On The Bright Side of Life." It is a whole barrel of fun.
Other highlights include:
-A new messenger bag that I really like. (My old one I have had since my senior year of high school..................oh my god.)
-A subscription to the Austin Film Society magazine.
-A gray sweater that I am addicted to that my brother got me. I love it.
-A sweet tea pot. Not a tea kettle, a tea pot. I love it as well.

Good times Jesus, good times.

ALSO!

2007-12-24T09:12:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to post the information for my show on here in case anyone in Austin sees it.
I know someone living in Cedar Creek reads this pretty religiously, and they should def. come see the show.

Gag Reflex New Years Eve Bash
Show at 7pm
-$20 per person
-Free Beer, Wine and Soda
-Must be over 21
-Can pay with cash or check at the door

Show at 9:15pm
-$40 per person or $75 per couple
-Free Beer, Wine and Soda
-Free Mangia Thin Crust Pizza
-Door Prizes
-Free Champagne Toast
-Must be over 21
-Can pay cash or check at the door

Call 731-3945 for reservations, but do it quickly we are filling up!

GUH!

2007-12-23T22:40:00.000-06:00

I am so tired. I cannot wait for tomorrow at 7, when I will be free for Christmas and another day as well. I traded in Mass Effect because it was boring the shit out of me. Seriously, I like depth in my gaming but if the BIBLE was a game I would not fucking PLAY IT. That's pretty much the depth of Mass Effect. They kind of just assume that you know everything to do with the universe before you even start playing, which is something you can kind of do in a game like "Knights of the Old Republic" because well....it's fucking STAR WARS. But this is a whole new universe that no one has any background with and it is just too fucking much. That, and there must be a grand total of like four different environments and its not like they are the same environments....they are the same FUCKING maps over and fucking over again. The only stuff that changes is what the planet you land on will look like, but then you can pretty much assume its going to be rocky as shit and a bitch to get around. The only awesome moment I had in that game was when I had to go to the moon and I could see Earth. That was the kind of moment I play video games for. But then again, it's a game that spans multiple galaxies and the coolest thing happens like a mile away from my house (give or take). I also traded in The Orange Box because well....I beat it. That's about it. Awesome game(s). But when they are done....they are done. And TF2, while amusing does not have nearly enough depth to hold its own in a video game library. So I am left with Halo 3 and Guitar Hero 2, neither of which I am planning on trading in because they are still fun.

I got my grades from ACC.

Intro. to Radio/TV/Film : A
Composition I : A
Oceanography : B
U.S. History I : C

Fuck that teacher. I hate him so much, but whatever. Those are the best damn grades I have EVER gotten so I am happy.

Todd!

2007-12-22T19:16:00.000-06:00

So I saw Sweeney Todd today. I made a special trip downtown just to see the movie.
Went to the Alamo South Lamar.

I honestly don't care if you went to see the first screening of the movie and sat next to Johnny Depp and Tim Burton themselves. I watched Sweeney Todd whilst eating my very own meat pie. I fucking love Austin.
The movie, and there may be spoilers ahead:

Johnny Depp:
Fucking Brilliant. I am going to have to see it again, because I was so focused on him through the movie that I forgot anyone else was on screen. He is Sweeney. Plain and simple. His singing is just talky enough to feel natural, and SO drenched in passion that it is ridiculous.

Helena Bonham Carter:
Very nice. I liked her portrayal. Mrs. Lovett has always been such exaggerated women, almost rooster-like performances. It was a nice change. Not a strong voice, but she compensated well by always being in character.

Alan Rickman:
Awesome. Perfect casting. He is the exact character that you WANT to see die so it's good.

Sacha Baron Cohen:
So damn funny. As soon as I had heard of this casting, I was convinced it was brilliant and I am glad to have been proven right so well.

Other people:
Very good. You could kind of tell that Toby wasn't a fantastic actor, but he made it up by being really damn creepy at the very end.

It was so much more gory than I had expected. A horror movie set to music is the best description I have heard for it and that is the truest.

GOD!

2007-12-16T22:55:00.000-06:00

WATCH THIS NOW.

BATMAN EXTENDED TRAILER.

Pops!

2007-12-15T10:41:00.001-06:00

The other night me and the Moms went to the Alamo Draftouse for the "Christmas Pops Singalong." It was probably the most fun I have had in a few months. Mom loved it too. There were all kinds of ridiculous songs from "Merry Christmas" by N*Sync to "Christmas Time is Here" by Charlie Brown. It was great. After the show about half of the audience (Mom and I included) went down onto 6th St and continued caroling there.
Austin is so fun.

Zowee!

2007-12-11T23:16:00.000-06:00

So......I saw "The Golden Compass" today. Wow. I liked it a lot. I think it is getting terrible reviews because everyone reads the book then goes and sees the movie expecting it to be on par, but no book-to-movie will ever be as good as the book so get over it. It was awesome. Also, I am glad they are marketing it differently then "The Chronicles of Narnia" because this is not a kids movie. It's more like a medium between "Chronicles" and "The Lord of the Rings". Very intense fighting.
SPOILER ALERT!!

There are two ice bears that fight in the movie in a very ferocious scene. It ends with the good ice bear batting the bad ice bear's lower jaw off of his face. Then he clamps his mouth around the bad ice bears head and snaps his neck.
...
Let me repeat that.
Bear #1 rips Bear #2's lower jaw off his face.
Bear #1 then puts Bear #2's head in his mouth and snaps his neck.

There was not one person in the theatre who did not react to that with some version of "Jesus Christ!"

I am currently reading:
Marvel "Universe X"
-Just started. Alex Ross illustrations = win.

DC "Watchmen"
-I have read this before but decided I should brush up to get excited about the movie.

Speed!

2007-12-07T22:53:00.000-06:00

So the trailer for the "Speed Racer" movie is out.
It looks pretty damn intense.
Gag reflex is going so well. We added a new sketch to the beginning of the show that made me cry it was so funny.
Christy called tonight. It was very nice. I miss her.

House!

2007-12-06T00:05:00.000-06:00

So, quick update.
I has a bajillion hours to kill before rehearsal the other night.
I went to the Alamo Drafthouse.
I ordered one ticket to "Enchanted."
I ordered a serving of fries with queso. I ordered a Amber Draft Cider (deliciously intoxicating).
I watched the movie.
I chuckled.
I laughed.
I laughed some more.
It was a great movie with a really great heart. It was nice to see Disney back in their familiar territory with twists to keep it original.
Five stars. Good show.

Comics Abound!

2007-12-03T23:59:00.000-06:00

Finished DC "Batman: Hush Returns"
- I realized I don't enjoy it when the Joker is not drawn stylized in one way or another. Drawing the Joker as a regular guy with face paint on just is not exciting. Comic was alright. Nothing fantastic. Nothing terrible.

Read:
DC "Kingdom Come"
-I have made it my life quest to own any TPB that Alex Ross did illustrations for. Not only are his comics the ones with the most compelling stories, but good god that man can fucking draw. It's amazing. Old Superman and Old Wonderwoman baby is lolocaust. Must buy.

DC "Identity Crisis"
- Not to be confused with "Infinite Crisis." I have read this before, but I had forgotten most of it. Splendid, sad story telling of loss, rape and the Green Arrow putting an arrow shaft through Slade's eye. Honestly, one of the most engrossing sagas I have read ever. Very, very good. Must buy.

News!

2007-12-03T01:18:00.000-06:00

Why was I not informed!

This is the best thing I have ever seen on YouTube. Ever.

Scrubs Charlie Brown Christmas

Awz!

2007-12-02T19:10:00.000-06:00

I said I would get back to you on my reading and here it is:

Marvel "Death of Captain America"
- I was kind of disappointed because I have yet to see the actual DEATH of Captain America. This TPB focused on what the after-effects were. And I have to say that I have no idea how Marvel keeps doing this, but just like when I read "Spider-Man: Reign" I found myself literally on the verge of tears. Captain America was such a symbol, and seeing what happens when that symbol is destroyed was almost heartbreaking. Wow. I am such a fucking nerd, but I love it.

I am currently reading
DC "Batman: Hush Returns"

Work was good today as always. Riggins from FNL came into the store, which was an unexpected surprise and awesome. He looks the same in real life as he does in the show. Very ragged, yet good looking. I wonder if he drinks the same irl.

Work!

2007-12-01T00:13:00.000-06:00

It's weird that I am enjoying my job so much. Most of the time I am either ringing people up or joking around with my fellow employees. And with their employee book-lending thing I have rented thusfar:

Clive Barker's "Mister B. Gone"
-Book that reads like the journal of a demon. Pretty interesting and gory so far. Funny how an abusive, ass-hole father is basically every demons father. Also funny how priests bait demons from hell with beer.

DC "Infinite Crisis"
-Lame. I mixed this up with Bill's recommendation "Identity Crisis." I didn't get this at all. The only thing I liked was when the Joker killed Lex-2 for "not letting him play" in the destruction of the universe.

DC "The Long Halloween"
-Awesome Batman murder mystery story. I think the coolest thing about Batman art is the hundreds of ways they depict villains. Scarecrow and Joker look impressively terrifying in this. Must-read. Loved the depiction of Harvey Dent's transformation to Two-Face.

DC "Haunted Knight"
-Companion to "The Long Halloween." Shows different Halloween nights in Gotham. There are three, but the only one that really stuck out was the Mad Hatter's story. He kidnaps Gordon's daughter and dresses her up as Alice. He also has a bunch of other kids drugged up to play all of the other parts in wonderland. Funny Moment: Drugged kid reacting to Alice refusing tea, "Just drink the tea. He doesn't like it when you don't drink the tea." I dunno. It was funny when I read it.

Marvel "Death of Captain America"
-Haven't read it yet. Will get back to you.

Also, there is this shelf where we get new CD and book promos for free, and what happened to be there today? The Original Broadway Cast Recording of LoveMusik. Fuck Yea! Free Bitch! Uh! Eat That BILL!

AHH!!

2007-11-29T00:52:00.000-06:00

THE SWEENEY TODD WEBSITE IS UP!!
I really like the direction they have taken, visually and audio as well.
Everyone is singing much more airy than before, but I think it will translate well to film.
I'm excited.
Yay!
Borders is going well.
I got into the Gag Reflex comedy troupe. So, that is where I will be while ringing in the New Year.
No other way I would rather do it. It should be hilarious. I cannot wait for the first rehearsal.

Turkey!

2007-11-25T12:44:00.001-06:00

So, Thanksgiving was very nice. I got to see the whole family, including Chen's parents. I missed everyone so much. It is hard to believe that the last time that I saw them was in January. Ridiculous.
I bought "Mass Effect" for 360. It is pretty damn intense. And I did something that I usually don't ever do: I didn't cheat when I got stuck. Whenever I hit a particularly troubling part in a game, especially one that makes me restart six or seven times, I usually hit up gamefaqs.com or some other site to get me through it. "Mass Effect" is even more tempting because you can dial the difficulty up or down at will. But I was a big boy and did it all by myself.
The picture is from my modeling gig and it makes me laugh even though I kind of like it.

Turk!

2007-11-22T03:32:00.000-06:00

Happy Turkey Day Everybody.

Wah!

2007-11-20T08:45:00.000-06:00

So I had my first day at Borders yesterday. I was only there for three hours and it was pretty much just filling out paperwork and taking "the grand tour" of the store that I shop in once a week. They have some amazing employee benefits, such as ...... FREE MUG!! YES! Also, 35% off discount for me, (20% for full time w/ 30$ a month store credit....I want to be full time) accessibility to promotional copies of novels and cd's before they come out (books are pre-editor copies so they have mistakes in them) and a book loan program where you can take any two hard cover book out of the store for two weeks at a time (graphic novels, here I come). I am liking it a lot. The atmosphere is pretty much what I expected, laid back but trying to maintain a professional tone. I am liking it A LOT. I think this was a very good thing for me and I can't wait to get out of god-damned U.S. History today. I'm going to go to the Alamo Ritz to see how that is and watch "No Country For Old Men" and then go to work!
Hooray for work!
Also, I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving. I didn't realize how much I miss my family. With my Dad always being in Colorado, and clearly always being away from Baltimore. It actually just hit me very recently how much I miss them. I think I try not to, because when I do I feel alone which I know is not true but it's a problem I have here. It's getting better though. I have the wrap party for Roy's film tonight, so that should be fun.

In case you have been living in a fucking HOLE in the ground for the past week, there has been a new Ghostbusters game announced.
>there has been a new Ghostbusters game announced.
>a new Ghostbusters game
It looks amazing, and if it doesn't come out for 360 I just might kill myself.

Job! Seriously!

2007-11-18T22:52:00.000-06:00

So Borders called me today. Apparently someone quit so I now have a job! They don't even mind that I can't be there for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

So........woo!
Also, I auditioned for "Gag Reflex" comedy troupe.
It was easily the best audition I have ever given. We went through a bunch of different scenes, so I got to try out a whole bunch of characters. I even found out that I do a terrible French accent!

I'm trying to download "Pirates of the Burning Sea" for it's stress test. It keeps resetting the download, I might have to unhook my 360, and hardwire in my computer because I think it's the wireless that keeps shitting out.

Barricade!

2007-11-16T21:12:00.000-06:00

One more dawn. One more day. One. Day. More.
After tomorrow, both films will be done and I can concentrate again on schoolwork.......and PA'ing for the low budget horror movie....and interning for the record label.........kill me.
Anyway, I don't know if I have written for a few days so if I already talked about this I am sorry.

Roy (the first student I ever did any film for in Austin) is filming for his graduate program and we are shooting it on location in an office building. When I asked where we were filming I thought Roy said "MCSoft" which I thought sounded quite familiar. I drive up to the building and, lo and behold, it is the North American office for NCSoft. Developer of such hit games as, "City of Heroes," "City of Villains," "Tabula Rasa," "Lineage," and "Guild Wars." AWESOME! In the front lobby they have life sized models of an orc and a gnoll warrior. It's ridiculous, and has been making half of the crew geek out since we got there. I applied there for their "QA Tester" position, which is basically like playing games for a paycheck but a lot more goes into it. I want........nay, I need this job. Urg.
"30 Rock" and "The Office" were outstandingly ridiculous last night. "Scrubs" has been leaving me kind of meh lately. I hope it picks up before they run out of episodes due to the strike.

Watched "Saw 4" the other day. I don't know. I really enjoyed it and I think it's twist was the best twist since the end of the first movie. Especially the twist AFTER the twist. I wish I could talk about it.

Nipped!

2007-11-13T22:12:00.000-06:00

Nip/Tuck was phenomenal tonight. It helps that it is such a sexually driven show, so it is hard for it to get boring. But wow. I love it.
The picture is mainly for Bill from Lindsay's LJ. I thought he would get a kick out of it, even though he has probably seen it already because he is a SuttonWhore.
Being around sets and such, I am aching to get into the technical aspect of film. The intro class that I am in now, while informational on the history and as much as I am enjoying it, makes me want to shoot myself when I think that I could be playing around with cameras and FinalCut Pro. On that note, I need a MacBook Pro so bad. Arg.
I need a freaking job.
It's upsetting to already be looking forward to the holiday's being over so I can get back to school and get a job and get back to real life.

Er!

2007-11-12T22:12:00.000-06:00

School today was all right.
I had my third Oceanography exam. I think it went ok. Not stellar, but well.
I started/finished my fourth and final paper in class for Comp I. I also filled out the form so that I can take honor classes. Mainly because I love my Comp Professor and she said it was wicked easy.
Radio/TV/Film was mediocre. We have had a sub for the past week and a half and we have just been watching videos. Today was "OutFoxed" which, I already knew, is fantastic. But the stupid sub just kept fast forwarding through the tape. It is a really amazing documentary, but it loses something when the teacher is just flipping through chapters summarizing what they were talking about. Erg.
Got a shirt at Target today from the David Bowie Collection. It's a T-shirt w/ a lightning bolt at the collar. I'll need to get a photo op in it so I can post it. It's already one of my favorite shirts.
Favorite Shirts Include:
-Alamo Drafthouse "Badass Cinema"
-Assassins "Zangara"
-"Leo"
-Legend of Zelda "Windwaker"
-P.A.L. Soccer
-LIGHTNING BOLT!

"Heroes" was tonight. It promised to answer all of our "burning questions." Like "what happened after Peter exploded" and "what happened to Sylar." The Peter storyline was compelling and guest starred an extremely sexy Kristen Bell as the sadistic lightning chick. They spent a good fifteen minutes talking about the damn Mexican twins. I really couldn't care less about them, and I was looking for what happened between seasons 1 and 2 not what made the lame Mexican chick bleed out of her eyes. Illegal Immigrants are Stealing our Air Time for Actually Compelling Stories!! IISATACS!!! Anyway. They didn't talk about what happened to Sylar whatsoever. The Nikki storyline was alright, DL still dies from a gunshot wound I really don't care who pulled the trigger because either way it wasn't Nikki pulling it. So does it really matter? If they had only shown Peter's view, I still would have been pissed that they didn't explain the whole "Sylar escaping through a man hole in NYC to Mexico" thing but at least I wouldn't have felt like half of the hour had been wasted on characters that I really didn't care about.

Honey!

2007-11-12T00:05:00.000-06:00

I saw "Bee Movie" last night with the madre. I haven't spent much time with my mom in a long time, so it was really nice. We went to the Bastrop theater. Ugh. I know it was a movie aimed towards families, but that is no reason for the movies to be treated like a PlayPlace. It was terrible. Multiple babies crying, which parents either were soothing by walking up and down the aisles or by yelling at them. Multiple little kids yelling for half the movie. Ugh X 2.
The movie itself was really funny. It is nice to see Jerry Seinfeld back. Also, Matthew Broderick. The humor had some lame moments, but those were mainly for the kids. The humor that was aimed at adults was genius, including a nice bit that compared bee labor to slave labor. It was good. Go see it.
If you haven't listened to "Flight of the Conchords" do it.
If you haven't seen "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" do it.
If you haven't seen "Arrested Development" do it as well.

Holiday!

2007-11-10T16:03:00.000-06:00

Went and saw Travis' play "Tis' the Season." I thought it was very funny, but the narration in between the holiday's was pointless and seemed to just distract from what the holiday's had in common. I think if the play was work shopped over a year, it could be REALLY funny. Travis was great, he has a real talent for comedy and after the show some gentlemen came up to him to discuss auditions for a TV pilot. So that is awesome.
I am going to be a Production Assistant! Yay! Being a P.A. is pretty much being the bitch on a film set, but it seems to be the fastest way to learn and it's a good way to get valuable experience which, in any entertainment field, means a whole lot more than where you got your degree. It's a low-budget film and that is pretty much all I know about it. I also signed up to be a rep for perfspot.com where I go to concerts and take pictures and write up a short review of the show. It's unpaid, but they pay my way into the show. So that should be cool. Especially for the next time Regina Spektor is in town. She was just here Bill.
I am tired. I have been burning the candle at both ends and it is slowly killing me. Oh well. AND my wisdom teeth are coming in. Hooray. Ugh.
Christy called today. I'm sure she doesn't realize it, but that call was the high point of my week. It really meant a lot to me.

Green!

2007-11-08T21:05:00.000-06:00

I think I am sick of all this "Green" stuff on NBC now.
Who isn't?
I think if it was one show a night that had something to do with being Green, it might be effective. But I watched three comedy shows in a row that had to do with the Earth and it felt like they were beating the ideas across my face. Also, Scrubs has been kind of lacking so far this season. That's what I said about Heroes as well, so hopefully Scrubs will have a huge comeback in a few episodes.

The networks NEED to stop this writers strike. Give them the money they are asking for! They deserve it! I want The Daily Show! I want The Colbert Report! I want Heroes to finish this season! I want Lost to START this season! I want Scrubs to have a series finale! All of these things are in serious jeopardy if the strike doesn't end soon.

Extra!

2007-11-07T00:45:00.000-06:00

I have been kinda meh on "Heroes" this season.
That is until I watched Monday's episode.
I can't wait to see what kind of shit "Adam" will be bringing down upon Hiro. It's been what, a few hundred years and the dude still holds a grudge?
Anyway, that twist blew my fucking mind and I was yelling "YES!" at the TV for about a minute.

YATA!!

Sleep!

2007-11-06T17:55:00.000-06:00

Finished filming for "Anything for Now". An independent feature that I was an extra for. It was pretty fun, made a few acquaintances. Last night we were filming at Ruta Maya Coffee House from 11 p.m. until 6:15 a.m. I was the bartender/barrista in the first shot and they told me that once they got the coverage they needed they would be using me again for a close up shot. Never Fucking Happened. So I pretty much did nothing from 2-6 a.m. Ugh. You better be able to see me in some kind of shot.
I got a call from a UT student the other day and he had an actor flake out on him so I am going to be doing a scene study from "The Big Lebowski" where I will be playing The Dude. It's a funny scene, but I have been so burnt lately because I have been over-booking myself like nobody's business. Then Roy, the first UT student I had ever worked for, called me. And HE had an actor flak out on him, so I am going to be in his film that shoots next weekend. I think the worst part about this kind of stuff is that it makes me unavailable for the other fun stuff that I want to do. I was going to go see "The Upright Citizens Brigade" because they are coming to the Alamo Drafthouse, but I can't because of the "Lebowski" scene. Then I was going to go to an advanced screening of "Southland Tales" but that is when Roy's film shoots. Ugh.
I need an agent like whoah.
On the plus side, I found a Sweeney Todd poster at Border's yesterday. For free. Score.
On the down side, Border's can't hire me because of my seasonal availability. But they made it very clear to talk to them after Christmas because they apparently REALLY want me to work there.

I hope no one is disappointed in me. I finally broke down the other day.

I BOUGHT A DC COMIC!
It is "Justice" Vol. 1 by Alex Ross. AND IT IS AMAZING!!
Honestly, if all DC comics were like this I would tell Marvel to suck it. Every panel of the comic is pretty much a work of art. The premise is all of the major DC villains keep having this premonition-like dream where there is a nuclear holocaust and the DC heroes are unable to save anyone. The villains then all band together to get rid of the heroes so that, when the day comes, the villains can save the day. Seeing Superman crying out for help while getting pummeled by Bizzaro, Metallo, Parasite and Solmon Grundy is so sweet. Also, Aquaman on an operating table having his brain prodded by Brainiac. Slick. Love it. I can't wait to get Vol. 2.

Blonde!

2007-11-03T20:52:00.000-05:00

I just turned on MTV and am catching the last half hour of "Legally Blonde" the musical.

So far.....................wow.
What utter utter shit.
I know that movie musicals are the new hula-hoop, but seriously. It's only reason to exist is for fan-service to fans of the movie which I have seen and is somewhat better, but still lackluster.
Ugh.

I went to San Marcos today to be an extra for the independent feature "Anything For Now." It was fun and there was a dolly shot that went right by me, so I should be able to see myself. I'm also doing work for them Sunday and Monday late night.

Ugh, it's back on. It's like watching Claire-Bear from "Heroes" singing. It's over.
Ugh.
Sutton Foster must have bitch slapped her husband after curtain EVERY NIGHT for forcing her to have any kind of connection with such terribly made schlock.

This is my video interview that I edited for an audition online. You might recognize "Best Friendz" and "Put on a Happy Face" playing in the background. You can hit it up on facebook here.

Michael Cerveris is on Law and Order right now!! WOO!

Disc!

2007-11-02T19:15:00.000-05:00

I had to go downtown this morning to make up a lab in Oceanography. That took about an hour. Then I went and met Ashley and Dave from Comp. I at Zilker Park and we played some sweet disc golf. Ashley was god-awful. I wasn't all that bad. Dave has a disc golf BASKET (the metal basket that you need to get your disc into) in the back of his car so............ he's pretty good. Anyway, that was a whole lotta fun. Then I went over to Melissa's and watched Grey's Anatomy and played Halo 3. Grey's Anatomy..........I can see why so many people like it. It has heart. But after being really involved in action/plot oriented show such as Heroes and Lost it's kind of hard to move to a slower show like that.

Boo!

2007-11-01T22:16:00.000-05:00

So, Halloween was fun. I had class until 5, then went over to Melissa and Samia's place. Us, along with Wright, Travis and.......the other guy who was there.....(damn it) went to the Hyatt on the river to see the bats come out on all-hallows-eve. But, they refused to come out or they have migrated already. Jesus. Every time I go to see the damn bats, they don't come out. Damn bats. I dressed up as the Joker and it was fantastic. Wright was Rambo-Jesus. Melissa was a pirate wench. 6th St was ridiculous. Halloween is Mardi Gras for the capitol of Texas. There were SO many people. "The Slutty BumbleBee" was the outfit of choice among nearly 1/4 of the women there. I saw a few other Jokers, but I think I was about the best one. There were many Batmans, which I always made a point to glare at or start some kind of scene with them. I had a picture taken when I ran into a couple dressed at the Riddler and Poison Ivy and then we collectively ran into a Batman and Robin. It was great. I am really feeling at home finally. The community here is so inclusive, and EVERYONE is proud to be here. And I find that I am as well. I haven't been here a year, and I am proud to be a Texan. Honestly, Texas is my favorite place on Earth now. I love NYC for Broadway, but there are too many people. I love Oregon for the indie-ness, but there is little variation. Texas, especially Austin, is just so varied. Anyway, that is my love letter to Austin.
I have been so busy lately. I did FNL tonight, which was at a movie theatre. They had this awesome helium balloon that had lights in it to light the theatre. It was fun. I hopefully have a job at Borders on S. Lamar. I might be accepting an internship for a record label where I would go to concerts and write about them. AND I am close to getting accepted into an agency.

Joke!

2007-10-29T18:44:00.000-05:00

So I tried out my Joker outfit/makeup when I got home from class. It consists of white makeup, red lipstick, green hairspray, my tux tails, black pants, this colorful mod shirt I own and a purplish tie. I think that wednesday I will buy a flower to pin on the tails and I also need to buy much more white makeup, but other than that I think I am done. I love paint.net because I get to make myself look much more scary than I think I ever look.

The Cake Is A Lie!

2007-10-24T15:22:00.000-05:00

I finished Portal last night. It was amazing. The physics themselves allow for it to be a fantastic puzzler but the humor that is injected to it by way of the voice of the A.I. that guides you through the game is sheer genius. For example, near the end of the game you are on a moving platform descending into a pit of fire as the A.I. let's you know (politley, of course) what a huge success you have been and not to worry, because your scientific equipment (the portal gun) will survive the incinerator. Once you escape, the A.I. stumbles a bit but then reassures you that it was only joking and it would never dream of harming you. Think of H.A.L., but so upfront and polite that it is funny. And while the end credits roll the A.I. sings a song about how it will let as many people die as is neccessary for the 'those who are still alive.' It really is funny, and I believe you can find it on YouTube. Actually, you can see it here. It contains spoilers, just to let you know.

Also, I have realized that if Half-Life 2 had insane multiplayer it would be ten times the game that Halo 3. When I finished Half-Life 2, despite the cliffhanger ending, I was really engrossed in the story and the characters and realized that I wanted to play the game not just to shoot shit, but also to find out what happens next. This is something that Halo was never able to achieve with me. Also, Half-Life has the gravity gun. Who DOES NOT want to pick up a radiator and chuck it at someone's head? Honestly. Team Fortress 2 is the fun multiplayer game in 'The Orange Box', but it has sparse maps and is more focused on objective than most FPS'. Enjoyable, yes. Better than Halo 3's multiplayer? Doubtful.

I apologize for today's picture, but I am posting from my almost deserted English classroom waiting for my RTF class to start. You might ask, "Why post a picture at all if it is going to suck?" And that I can tell you in a word.....Tradition! So enjoy your water lillies.

I'm going over to Melissa's apartment (one of the girls that I met doing 'Friday Night Lights') and I believe we are going to carve pumpkins. I'm planning on making mine the infamous 'Red Ring of Death' from X360 owners. I'm going to carve the symbol in the pumpkin then make compartments where I can put a few red glowsticks and another compartment for green glowsticks. If all goes as planned, this pumpkin is going to own your children.

Ugh!

2007-10-21T15:40:00.000-05:00

So....bad news. Bad news that I am really in no mood to talk about. Suffice it to say that it is about Christy and that the damage is apparently irreparable. I think I am going to be thinking about it enough that I don't want it to be on here for now.

In other news, this weekend was god-awful busy. I had my U.S. History mid-term on Thursday and, surprisingly, it wasn't terrible. I'm pretty sure that I got at least a B on it, but knowing the professor I am sure he will find some loop hole to screw me over. I did extra work for 'Friday Night Lights' Thursday and Friday. It was a whole lot of fun and I am going to try to keep my Fridays open so that I can do it every week, if only because of the people I meet and have a fantastic time with there. I can't do the games again, or if I do I can only do one a week because you get there at 5 to check in, then you wait till sun down, and then you're there until 1-2 in the morning.

I rented 'Transformers', and I have to say that it doesn't translate to the small screen as well as the movie theatre. You lose a part of the grandeur of seeing a fucking car turning into a fucking robot when it's not larger than life. The scenes with the parents still stole the show for me, and when Barricade (the cop car) did his mid-air transform/jump/chase/ohmygod. But I found it really hard to pay attention to and actually was in my room on the computer for the last half hour of the movie.

I went and saw "We Own the Night" a few days ago. I appreciated it. It doesn't do anything you haven't seen before, but the acting is just fantastic. Question: Does anyone know if Joeqiuoqiqnidn Phoenix had a cleft pallet when he was younger? I'll probably just look it up, but he has a scar down his lip that I think was there is "Walk the Line".

Announcement!

2007-10-17T15:54:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to thank everyone who visits this site regularly, semi-regularly or once-and-never-again. Thanks to you my blog has recieved 200 HITS!

Woo!

Now, you may ask, "How do you know how many hits you have?"
Well, I am so glad you asked. Google provides a free program called 'Google Analytics' which tracks any website that you have editing control over. It is amazing and I find myself checking it more than FaceBook. It is so interesting to me to see not only how MANY people have seen my thoughts, but WHERE they are from!

I have 197-ish from N. America. Most in the NE, where I used to live, but also random ones all over the country like Seattle and Colombus. IN ADDITION TO THOSE, I also have one hit from London, one hit from Apucarana (Brazil), and one from Doha (QATAR!! THE FUCKING MIDDLE EAST!!) I THINK THAT IS SO DAMN COOL!!! ARGHH!!!

I am going to go geek out at Transformers over dinner. THANKS AGAIN!!

Nip it in the Bud!

2007-10-15T23:28:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to spend some time talking about the wonderment of the FX show "Nip/Tuck."
In a word: absolutely phenomenal-tastic.

I have been burning through the seasons, and I have to say that this show exemplifies not only great, addicting story-telling but also well-drawn characters that are acted with amazing precision. Every time I watch this show, I am emotionally drawn into everything in it. It's fuckin' great.
Yea, that's pretty much it.
If you have the chance, rent the first disc of the first season.
If you're not hooked, you might want to consult a physician.

You might not be human at all.

Shuffle!

2007-10-14T22:40:00.000-05:00

I went and auditioned for a UT student film today. It's a zombie movie and it seems pretty funny. It also has the most varied shots I have ever seen (on a screenplay) for a UT student. So that's good.
I can't describe how much I love "shuffle all songs" on the iPod.
Today, I was really missing everybody and during the course of the drive to and from UT I heard the TBTA version of "Songs for a New World," which reminded me of Bart and Christy. Mine, Brandon and Travis' recording of "Best Friendz." And Scrap from "The Full Monty," which is like me and Bill's fucking BEAT. So, it was nice. I liked it.

Good Times!

2007-10-13T20:06:00.000-05:00

I've been working on my paper for English and have been making some real headway. It's gonna be good. I can feel it.
I was an extra for "Friday Night Lights" last night. It was SO much fun. The scene took place at the High School's Homecoming dance. I wore a tux that they gave me and hung around with a few guys, one of which is a regular extra on the football team.We had to wait for around two and a half hours, but the dance was a lot of fun. This girl, Heather, came up to me when we were waiting around and introduced herself. She was an actress in one of the "BloodShots" films. So that was really cool. Her film actually won 2nd place. I asked her if she would be my prom date and she agreed, and we had a really fun time. We were both professional, but also wanted to have a lot of fun AND to try to get as much screen time as possible. I think, out of 6 or 7 different shots, we were in the foreground of at least 4. So we have a very large probability of getting some sweet screen time.
After the shoot, Heather said she and her boyfriend were going downtown and asked if I wanted to come along.................................so I did. I don't know if you recognize what a leap that is for me. I usually need a few days of knowing someone STRAIGHT before I am comfortable to do ANYTHING with them. This is a big deal for me, and a large leap for mankind as well. So I met them DOWNTOWN on 7th st. (another first) We talked, hung out. I felt like a third wheel for a few minutes and a wall flower for another few, but for the majority I was really comfortable. It was very fun, and I think we are probably going to do something next weekend as well.

Utter Brilliance

*Clears Throat*

Ryan Seacrest . Com!

Why me?

Another Joe tidbit.

And Knowing Is Half The Battle!

Yar!

Movie

X-Men

Well!

So..

Why?

Oy

Which Wich is Which? LAWL.

WE NAMED THE DOG INDIANA.

Oy, so good.

OY!

Oy!

Om!

Exam!

Yop!

Alas!

Movies PArt Deux!

Movies!

Been A While!

V-Day!

News!

Girl!

Harumph!

Film!

Damn!

Hooray!

Monies!

Post! Get it?!

Jew!

Test!

Vomitorium!

Point!

Wow!

Feb!

Unacceptable!

So Say We All!

Ugh!

Creepy!

Confusion!

New!

Again!

Ugh!

One More Day!

Day!

Michaels!

Zowie!

No!

Alamo!

Hard!

Uncle!

So!

Buble!

Answer!

Soon!

BTW!

Movies!

Bio!

Fresh!

New!

Guitar!

ALSO!

GUH!

Todd!

GOD!

Pops!

Zowee!

Speed!

House!

Comics Abound!

News!

Awz!

Work!

AHH!!

Turkey!

Clears Throat