Fritz's World

Dan Snyder drops his lawsuit

2011-09-12T08:16:00.001-04:00

I almost missed this in all the 9/11 anniversary coverage, but this weekend Dan Snyder dropped his defamation lawsuit against the City Paper.

Since I'm a college football guy, I don't ever get into the Redskins, but it's been fascinating following this particular story since it broke. What I've found the most intriguing is the amount of people who have sided with the City Paper in all this, and have contributed to their legal fund against Snyder. The City Paper released a statement today addressing that very thing, also noting that the legal fight has cost them financially.

Personally, I'm pleased that the lawsuit was dropped, though part of me really isn't surprised by the fact that it came into being in the first place. Anyone remember the pants lawsuit from a few years back?

An official Oscar host and possible Best Picture frontrunners

2011-09-07T08:56:00.000-04:00

It's no longer a theory; it's official: Eddie Murphy will host this year's Oscar ceremony! A good call, in my book.

In conjunction, one blog already has a list out of possible Best Picture frontrunners. I think it's a tad too early to predict that one, as buzz season doesn't begin until the later in the fall. (Though I couldn't help but notice a Clint Eastwood picture, J. Edgar, made the cut.)

Eddie Murphy, Oscar host?

2011-09-05T12:04:00.000-04:00

An early IMDb report says that Eddie Murphy is the current front-runner to host next year's Oscars. I wouldn't mind this, because unlike most of Hollywood, I still like Eddie Murphy and think he's gotten something of a bad rap by Tinseltown.

Strasburg returns on September 6

2011-08-31T12:33:00.000-04:00

Just as I'm gearing up for football season to begin, I get wind of some great Nationals news: pitcher Stephen Strasburg will be returning to the mound as a Washington National on Tuesday, September 6!

This is great news for me, as the arrival of Strasburg last season provided the Nationals with a great boost in their talent—one that was badly needed. I was lucky enough to see his debut game in June of last year, as Will made an educated guess as to what game it would be—and lucky for us, he guessed right! I remember very well the unexpected influx of traffic that evening prior to the game (Nora got stuck in it, too, as she was driving to Riverhouse from Loudoun County), not to mention the comical wait for a cab following the game, but the energy during the game itself was fantastic. Rarely had I seen the Nationals fan base so alive and so energized at the prospect of great talent on our team, and lucky enough, Strasburg lived up to the hype.

Now that he's back after his long absence from surgery, I only hope he can bring with him the spirit and the energy that he brought with him the first time! Welcome back, Strasburg!

Happy birthday Sean Connery!

2011-08-25T13:32:00.002-04:00

Today is Sean Connery's 81st birthday! To celebrate, here are two of my favorite Connery clips, from Never Say Never Again and The Untouchables, respectively. And of course, only Connery could deliver a fabulous James Bond line like that!

A new season is soon upon us!

2011-08-25T08:35:00.000-04:00

Earlier this month, I lamented about what felt like my waning interest in Penn State football. I'm pleased to discover that it wasn't a permanent loss of interest, because with August steadily coming to a close and the arrival of September right around the corner—not to mention several mornings where it actually felt cool and crisp like fall!—my yearning for college football has been resurrected in earnest!

Some might consider this next statement sacrilege, but I don't really plan to attend any games this year, and I'm kind of glad. Like I mentioned earlier, the game-day experience in Happy Valley has become too intense for me in recent years, and now that I finally have Big Ten Network, I can watch the games from the comfort of my own couch! I haven't renewed my local chapter membership yet, but I'm still giving some thought to watching a game or two from a viewing site this year. The last time I went to one must have been in 2007 (I think it was a late September game at Union Jack's in Bethesda).

People ask me all the time if Joe's gonna hang it up, because at 84, he's obviously no spring chicken anymore. (In fact, one co-worker even circulated a hilarious Onion article to that effect.) I wonder the same thing frequently (if Joe will retire anytime soon), because I had the opportunity to see him exit the stadium by one of the loading docks last season, and he was visibly more frail and deliberate than I'd ever seen him. I hate saying this, but he looked his age. He looked old. Time will obviously tell with Joe, though it's obvious the university is planning ahead for his eventual replacement (vis-à-vis the very controversial STEP program).

In any case, it's only nine days by my count that Joe leads the Penn State football team out onto the field, and I can hardly wait!

An earthquake . . . in DC!

2011-08-24T09:11:00.000-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, I experienced something that I never expected to, at least not on the east coast: an earthquake!

Close to 2:00 in the afternoon, I felt the office building I work in begin to shake a little bit. My first thought was a large truck passing by, because that's not an uncommon thing in Bethesda, and that the shaking would subside quickly enough. It did begin to subside momentarily, but then began to tremble much harder—enough that walls and windows in the office began to vibrate loudly. Since this was rather unusual, I stood up in my office cube and looked out some nearby windows, wondering if there had been some kind of large accident nearby. Gradually the trembling subsided, and without any reference to draw from, I began to wonder, "Did I just feel an earthquake?"

Other co-workers who sit near me were coming out into the hallway, looking as equally perplexed, and some of us even asked each other, "Was that an earthquake?"

I looked online really quickly, checking Facebook, CNN, and the Washington Post, and there was nothing on the news websites. Facebook, on the other hand, was starting to crop up with posts like, "I just felt an earthquake!" or "What the hell was that?" I thought of texting Nora telling her, with some humorous astonishment, that I had just felt an earthquake. She surprised me by texting me first, with essentially the same message! What surprised me, though, was that Nora and I live out near Dulles, and I sort of expected this particular quake to be somewhat localized to suburban Maryland. A quick check of Facebook again showed that people from Pennsylvania all the way down to North Carolina were posting about an earthquake! This was probably the first moment where I felt unsettled, because I didn't think an earthquake, even a big one, could be felt across several states like this.

A few minutes later, an announcement came over our PA system that we should leave the building and meet in our designated fire safety area outside. My initial response was laughter, simply because the event was over, though I could tell some co-workers were a bit jarred by the experience.

As I made my way outside, I overheard some people saying it was a 5.8, which I always thought was pretty big—especially for this area. The last earthquake for this area was about a year before this, when one hit in the early hours of the morning, and registered maybe only a 2 or 3 on the Richter Scale, max. So a 5.8 was definitely unusual for this area. We stayed outside for maybe 10 minutes before the all-clear was given to go back inside, but I did notice that many people (people who work in nearby buildings, that is) were getting into their cars and leaving.

Things seemed to return to normal once we went back inside, though Facebook and the news websites were on fire with the story.

All things considered, though, I made it through this okay, as did everyone else. I guess now I know what people in California go through on a more regular basis!

Nothing is sacred anymore (XII)

2011-08-23T09:27:00.003-04:00

Last night I was watching a DVD of The Muppet Show, and this particular skit caught my eye.

At first I thought it was kind of cute seeing Link Hogthrob, a Muppet pig, holding a real pig. But for some reason, him singing "Sonny Boy" to it felt a little creepy. Though he missed a golden opportunity to make a "bringing home the bacon" joke! Perhaps the "you might be a football" joke was deemed sufficient enough by the Muppet writers?

Penn State reflections as football season approaches

2011-08-05T11:40:00.000-04:00

With all that's being going on in the world, be it locally, nationally, even personally, one thing that completely escaped my notice was the fact that we're now less than a month away from Penn State football—the time of year that I most yearn for . . . well, one of them, if you count opening day for the Nationals (which was a real letdown this year, due to the weather).

Lately, though, I've been mentally assessing my role with regard to Penn State, and I find myself at a loss. It's been three years since I stepped down from the board of directors of DC's Penn State alumni chapter. My actual membership in said chapter expired at the end of 2008, and I've been looking back on my time as an active chapter member (a really active chapter member for a while, chairing two committees in 2007), and part of me wonders how so much time has passed . . . how so much of my youth has passed, because it feels like almost a thousand centuries ago that I was regularly editing the chapter newsletter, attending the Social Committee meetings, setting up and attending happy hours, watching the games at the viewing sites, reporting in at board meetings. I've been giving some thought lately to rejoining the chapter, though part of me feels like I've outgrown it, even though I'll always bleed blue and white.

It doesn't help, either, that I won't be going to the games again anytime soon. At the end of last year, my father did what was unthinkable in years past, but I feel is perfectly rational and logical now—he gave up his season tickets, in response to the STEP program . . . a program which, I feel, is little more than a blatant money-grab by the university under the guise of "fairness" to people pursuing season tickets. As a 30+ year season-ticket holder, my father was understandably upset by the dramatic uptick in ticket price, and gave up his seats as a result. I don't blame him one bit for this move; I would have done the same if I were in his shoes. But deep down, part of me is somewhat relived that he did so, because Penn State football Saturdays in Happy Valley have become more intense in the last several years, wearing even me out. Part of me will always yearn for a visit to Happy Valley to see a game some warm September Saturday, and I'll of course miss the great tailgates with family and friends. But since I have Big Ten Network at home now, I'll be able to watch all the games from the comfort of my couch, which is perfectly all right with me.

I don't know . . . am I just getting old? Are all these old Penn State traditions losing their luster for me after all these years? Or will I feel the blue and white course through my veins each fall, and all throughout the year as we promote Penn State pride in the nation's capital? Time will only tell.

But I take comfort in one thing, though: with Nora being an Ohio State fan, who's equally devoted to her Buckeyes like I am to my Nittany Lions, I can always look forward to the Penn State-Ohio State game each year, because we make it as fun and enjoyable as we can for each other, no matter who wins the day.

RIP Bubba Smith!

2011-08-04T10:41:00.001-04:00

In need of a laugh (IX)

2011-08-01T09:20:00.003-04:00

In Easy Rider, Jack Nicholson shows us the proper way to do a shot of whiskey.

Beautiful music (XIII)

2011-07-29T10:49:00.001-04:00

I'm a big fan of Franz Liszt's music, and the video below is his piece La campanella. While being a great piece to listen to, it's equally (if not more) fascinating to watch, just to see the amazing theatrics that the pianist must employ just to perform the piece. Liszt was no lightweight, for damn sure.

David Cronenberg

2011-07-27T10:14:00.000-04:00

This morning I got my first glimpse of the trailer for David Cronenberg's latest film, A Dangerous Method, and I dare say, it looks to harken back to Cronenberg's earlier-career themes: making his audiences uncomfortable in their seat, though not (at least from the trailer) from his trademark "body horror" but more to the unnerving nature of the plot. And after this 2007 mainstream release Eastern Promises (which I think many Cronenberg fans saw as a sellout), I think many such fans will be relieved to see the filmmaker return to his roots . . . if, in fact, that is the case of A Dangerous Method. For all we know, it could be just as mainstream as Eastern Promises, but time will tell on that front.

I have to confess, David Cronenberg was something of an acquired taste for me. It wasn't until after I'd seen his more mainstream films, like Eastern Promises and A History of Violence, that I became familiar with Cronenberg's style of filmmaking—and to be frank, I wasn't expecting what I saw. My first real foray into Cronenberg's "body horror" genre was with Naked Lunch, and while I knew about the giant talking bugs beforehand, I didn't expect them to unnerve me the way they did. After that, I watched Videodrome . . . and all I can say about my first viewing is, "Holy hell!" It's one thing to see gill slits randomly appear on a human body in the midst of a hallucination; it's a whole other ballgame to see James Woods inserting and removing full-blown objects (like a gun) from said gill slits, almost like he was putting it into his pocket. After that came a viewing of Dead Ringers (which Nora refers to as "that terrible Jeremy Irons movie"), which at the time was enough to make me quit Cronenberg's old-school films cold turkey.

But then a strange thing happened.

For Christmas 2008, my future mother-in-law gave me a copy of Naked Lunch on DVD as a gift, and after re-watching it, I found I had a much greater appreciation of the film than I did on first viewing. Yes, the giant talking bugs were still bizarre, unsettling, and somewhat gross, but I nevertheless gained a certain respect for the creativity and genius behind the inception of this film (which was actually an adaptation from a controversial beat novel). Having gained a certain admiration for Naked Lunch, I then rewatched both Videodrome and Dead Ringers, and found an equitable admiration for both films, as well as a respect for Cronenberg's style of filmmaking. In fact, what draws me to Dead Ringers now is the great tragedy that befalls the two main characters—the identical twins who lose their way, grow apart, and only reconnect through their mutual drugged-out downfall. And I'll also go on record to say that Jeremy Irons was robbed big time of an Oscar nomination (and win!) for Dead Ringers.

Having acquired the taste of Cronenberg through several of his trademark films, that should not suggest, however, that I love all his films. I still find Crash unwatchable (not to be confused with the 2005 Best Picture winner, which I thought was a masterpiece), and I was very disappointed with eXistenZ, because I thought the so-called twist at the end cheapened the whole movie. His remake of The Fly I was somewhat indifferent to, though I will say that Jeff Goldblum really proved his acting chops in that film. I once saw The Dead Zone a long, long time ago, but I don't remember how I felt about it (though I read the Stephen King book beforehand, and loved it). I have yet to see some of his more well-known early works, too, like Scanners and The Brood, both of which I believe were in his body horror camp.

Anyway, how did I get off on this long tangent? Oh yes, I was talking about the trailer for A Dangerous Method. Well, hopefully I'll get to see Cronenberg's latest release this year (though I'll likely be watching it solo), and I'd be very interested to see if he returns to his roots of making an unnerving movie that only certain audiences will enjoy and appreciate—and stomach. Until then . . . long live the new flesh!

Reflections on 15 years

2011-07-25T16:12:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to partake in my 15-year high school class reunion, and I must say, it was a fantastic experience!

For a number of years, I've remained friends with a handful of former classmates, and naturally have fallen out of touch with many others. But through the magic of Facebook (sarcasm not intended, even though the term is often loaded with it), I've been able to reconnect with a lot of former classmates, and this past Saturday afforded me the opportunity to do so in person.

The reunion was held at Appalachian Brewing Company (more popularly known as "ABC") in Harrisburg, PA, and for the better part of the evening, we had the upstairs to ourselves (even though what looked like a wedding reception was being held in the next room). For three hours, I worked the room like I rarely do, talking and catching up with many old friends and classmates, essentially getting to know them all over again—though as adults, not as middle or high school students.

What struck me as amazing about this reunion was that all the things that made high school, well, high school, were conspicuously absent. Gone were the cliques, the arrogance, the snottiness, and all the associated doucebaggery that makes high school so childish. That night, we simply related to each other as human beings, and it made the associations so much more refreshing. As one person noted, 15 years was a good enough wait-time after graduation to hold this, because five years would have been too soon, 10 years would have been on the fence, but 15 years was just right.

Out of my graduating class of 127 (give or take), I'd say maybe a quarter showed up. Naturally I was saddened that so many people I looked forward to seeing didn't make it, but hopefully they'll attend in the future. But I'm nevertheless grateful to have had the opportunity to catch up with old friends, and I thank the organizer for making this reunion happen.

UDA Class of 1996
(Photo by Jer Strausser, used with his wife's permission)

RIP Grandpa Hamme

2011-07-20T11:17:00.000-04:00

A few days before I began blogging again (close to a month ago now), my grandfather passed away. It was a long way down for him, because he had been increasingly suffering from dementia since my grandmother died. Prior to his funeral, I last saw him at the end of August 2008, and for 90% of the visit, I'm not sure he even know who I was. Towards the end of the visit, though, I saw something in his eyes that suggested something clicked in his brain, a connection was made. And if he didn't recognize me finally, he at least knew that I was somebody very near and dear to him (I hate admitting this, but I was always his and my grandmother's favorite grandchild).

His passing saddened me greatly, for many reasons. Not the least of which is, he deserved better. Both he and my grandmother (who died in 2003) deserved to exit this world better than they did (both lingered for quite some time before they died).

And if there's one thing I wish I could have done with my grandfather again before he died, it was for the two of us to go on one more walk. When I was a child and would visit them, he and I would always go on long walks around their neighborhood. And that's the one thing I wish we could have done once more—to go on a walk with my grandfather.

To his memory, I'd like to post this Frank Sinatra jingle. For whatever reason, it seems fitting.

Rest in peace, Grandpa. I miss both you and Grandma very much.

A most unusual start to July

2011-07-19T12:54:00.000-04:00

So July got off to an unusual start, all things considered. It began like any other month, and the original plans had been quite simple: the first full week would be just another week (only one workday shorter because of 4th of July), and Nora and I planned to celebrate our three-year dating anniversary on the 6th. But on Tuesday, July 5, things took an unexpected turn.

For close to a week beforehand, I had been having various abdominal pains. I didn't quite know what was causing them, though I theorized (and you'll forgive me for being graphic going forward) that I might be constipated. It didn't help that I'd eaten a lot of crap since Friday, July 1: a catered dinner at our friends Ashley and Billy's wedding rehearsal, drinks and lots of fatty appetizers later that same evening, lunch at a Front Royal pizzeria the next day (though I had a meatball sandwich rather than pizza), another catered dinner at Ashley and Billy's wedding—and for our denouement, chili half-smokes and cheese fries at Nationals Park on Monday. And for my second denouement, two Georgetown Cupcakes on Tuesday, July 5, around lunchtime.

This led to some pretty hefty abdominal cramping on Tuesday right after lunch (though that morning I woke up feeling a tiny bit nauseous, which passed in relatively short order)—enough to make me consider skipping a doctor appointment I'd scheduled for later that week and instead opting right for the emergency room.

So I left work early and drove to the Reston ER, where they ran some tests and told me I had pancreatitis, which is basically inflammation of the pancreas. A possible cause mentioned was gallstones, which meant that my gallbladder might have to be removed. After they consulted with my primary care doctor, I was transferred to Inova Alexandria for hospitalization and observation.

Suffice it to say, I was rather nervous, because the last time I had been a hospital patient was when I was nine years old (bike accident), and I wasn't keen on the idea of having a body part removed, even a redundant one like the gallbladder.

Nora and I arrived at Inova Alexandria around 9:00 that evening, and I was up in my hospital room maybe an hour later. I was informed that I might have an ultrasound overnight, and that a doctor would speak to me in the morning about my test results. I went to bed around 11:00, and the rest of the night was not your typical night: at 1:30 am, I was awakened by a nurse who asked about my diet and informed me that an ultrasound would take place in another hour; at 2:30 am, I was awakened again to be taken downstairs for my ultrasound, which lasted until close to 4:00 am; at 5:30, I was awakened to have blood drawn, and sometime between 7:30 and 8:00 on July 6, I woke up to start the day.

My breakfast consisted of a full liquid diet—hot chicken broth, Jell-O, and cranberry juice. The IV I had been hooked up to since the night before kept me nice and hydrated, though it had two uncomfortable side effects: 1) it increased my blood pressure a bit more than I liked, and 2) I was visiting the men's room every 10 minutes—and carrying with me the IV hookup on wheels. I liked to use the analogy that it was like constantly walking the dog . . . though a dog that only went where it wanted to go.

I nervously waited throughout the morning for the doctor to come and speak to me, and he came shortly after lunch. He went over my test results, though I wasn't as comforted as I'd hoped to be, primarily because tests didn't find a cause for my pancreatitis. The ultrasound showed no gallstones, which itself was good news (because it meant that no body parts needed removing), but it didn't bring us any closer to finding the cause. Though various pancreatic enzymes were currently down to more normal levels after being highly elevated upon admission to the Reston ER, which was good news.

After talking at length with my doctor, the prevailing theory was this: even though gallstones didn't show up on the ultrasound, it was possible that I had some beforehand that passed from my system before coming to the ER; these gallstones could in turn could have caused a blockage in my pancreas, which would have caused the inflammation. The treatment was simply that the inflammation had to run its course, but to help it along, I'd have to adhere to a low-fat diet for a while (or at least after I returned to eating solid food). The doctor wanted me to stay one more night for observation, and if I showed progress (or at least didn't worsen), I could be released the following day.

Nora arrived at the hospital shortly after my visit with the doctor, and with July 6 being our three-year anniversary, we got to celebrate not with candles and wine but with two distinctly different hospital meals: pork, gravy, cooked potatoes, and steamed broccoli for Nora; chicken broth, Jell-O, and cranberry juice for me. Not my ideal celebration, but it did the trick. :) I got a new roommate that day, too: a very nice gentleman from Virginia Beach (I think his name was Bill) who had an equally nice family (his wife and adult daughter, who looked remarkably like a co-worker). I also had a visitor: Will, who came by late in the day bearing the gift of ginger ale.

By Thursday, my abdomen was still somewhat sore, but hadn't worsened any. According to the doctor, I would be feeling residual abdominal pain until the inflammation went away completely. He used the analogy of a sprained ankle—that it would still smart for a few days, even though the ankle was healing. With that in mind, the doctor was comfortable with the possibility of me going home that day. Which was fine with me, because going home is always a great feeling. (Plus, I had not one but two wailing patients near my room who were causing trouble with the nurses.) To test the waters of wellness, my doctor upped my diet from pure liquid to some possible solid foods. I was given cream of wheat at breakfast, and I think it was lunch that they went the full monty and allowed me to have pasta with red sauce, accompanied by cooked asparagus. My abdomen reacted well on all occasions, and by 6:30 that night, I was officially discharged from the hospital.

I was very happy to be home (and also to have the IV hookup removed from my hand!), and the first order of business was a nice, long shower. In all fairness, I probably didn't smell too good from not showering for two days. ;) But I've been eating a lot more fruits and veggies since then, have dropped about six or seven pounds (the liquid diet probably had a lot to do with that), and generally feel well. Once in a while my abdomen might protest slightly if I eat something naughty, but overall the pains have subsided, which is a huge relief.

Like I said, an unexpected way to start July.

Borders is closing

2011-07-18T20:20:00.000-04:00

This is truly a sad day, because I first heard the news this morning on the radio that my favorite bookstore, Borders, is closing its doors for good.

I've spent many a good day at Borders browsing through their aisles, looking at books, movies, and music. My favorite Borders of all time was at 18th and L in Northwest DC, near where I used to work. Almost every day from late 2000 to spring of 2002, I would venture over to that Borders on my lunch break, walk down the stairs to the basement section, and browse through the Stephen King section of books and then make my way over to the classical music CDs, walking my fingers through cases of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, and Chopin. I even had one or two dates at that store, back in my courtship days.

But that Borders closed for good recently when the company announced it was closing many of its stores as a cost-cutting measure. The last time I went into that particular Borders was in late August of 2008. I had just taken a trip to Ben's Chili Bowl and was on walkabout through downtown DC, visiting several of my old haunts—this Borders included. And it saddens me to think that a place that once brought me such joy and peace is no more.

My second favorite Borders has to be the one in Pentagon City, which was within walking distance of Riverhouse. This Borders, while not as fancy as the one on 18th and L, served its purpose well, and I fondly remember the days when that particular outlet was much bigger (it used to encompass a large amount of retail space before being downsized). Other favorites included the Borders in Woodbridge and Springfield, but the most rockin' Borders had to be the three-story Borders at White Flint Mall. (Three stories? How could it not be awesome?)

If asked why I prefer Borders to Barnes & Noble, I honestly couldn't tell you. There are certain outlets of Barnes & Noble that I hold near and dear to me as well, but overall, Borders had a more concrete place in my heart, and I will dearly miss this bookstore when it closes up for good.

Thank you for the memories, Borders. I'll miss you much!

Beautiful music (XII)

2011-07-15T15:31:00.001-04:00

I've always enjoyed the music from To Kill a Mockingbird.

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July, everyone! Today Nora and I will be celebrating by going to the Nats game—hopefully we'll see them reach .500 again. Come to think of it, today might be a good day to let Teddy win, too! Not quite sure where we'll see the fireworks, though that'll likely be a late-day decision. (Getting to see the fireworks from the Riverhouse roof kinda spoiled me.)

Congratulations, Ashley & Billy!

2011-07-02T08:43:00.000-04:00

DVD vs. Blu-ray, from one who went to the other side

2011-07-01T07:22:00.000-04:00

So this past Christmas, I did something that I once swore I'd never do: I went Blu, even after all the years I bitched about the format and refused to embrace Blu-ray over DVD.

It actually wasn't an intentional transition, because on a whim, Nora and I bought a widescreen TV the Saturday after Black Friday (somehow still snagging a Black Friday price), and I learned very quickly that a standard-def DVD player isn't going to give the same results on a 720p HDTV. So for Christmas, Nora bought me a Blu-ray player . . . and I have to confess, the Blu-ray experience so far has been pretty good. It took a little while for me to adjust and to learn the breakdown of standard-def vs. high-def, but it's actually very simple:

Standard-def TV = standard-def disc player
High-def TV = high-def disc player
High-def TV combined with a standard-def player = a very large bridge to gap

The thing I had the hardest time adjusting to was the fact that Blu-ray players operate sort of like computers—i.e., they require an internet connection to download software/firmware updates. DVD players (and as I understand it, HD-DVD players before they lost the format war) were mere appliances that didn't require internet connections to download software. In my opinion, the appliance motif was better, because the biggest troubles for me have come when the Blu-ray player downloaded a firmware update that ended up causing more problems than fixing/preventing them (a problem, I understand, that isn't too uncommon in the world of electronics).

My movie purchases have largely been Blu-ray discs since getting the player, though I still get DVDs if a Blu-ray isn't available. And in either case, I'm satisfied with the results on the Blu-ray player, because it upconverts my DVDs pretty well—provided, of course, that it's a decently-produced DVD. Because if it's a crappy DVD release that the studio just phoned in, that's gonna show up tenfold on an HD setup.

I have not gone on a bender of replacing all my DVDs with Blu-rays (I made that decision long ago), but will occasionally upgrade if the DVD doesn't upconvert well, or if it glitches pretty seriously in the Blu-ray player (some DVDs do that, actually!). So far, the upgrades from DVD to Blu-ray have been minimal, and I'm content with that. And for the Blu-ray movies that I own, so far I'm pretty pleased with the results. Apocalypse Now simply looks amazing on Blu-ray, and Collateral shows a vibrant and rich color scheme in HD.

All the same . . .

I feel kinda like a hypocrite, in spite of enjoying the Blu-ray experience, because DVD is still a medium that works, and works well. And it still angers me that there continues to be this forced transition by the industry to move from DVD to Blu-ray. Nowhere is this more apparent than BestBuy, where most stores have given Blu-ray the dominant amount of shelf space over DVDs—an unnecessary move, in my opinion, because even though Blu-ray has seen in increase in market saturation, there's still gonna be a large market segment that won't go high-def, either out of preference or affordability. (And don't get me started on the built-in obsolescence of Blu-ray and DVD in favor of digital downloads.)

Okay, now that I've vented, let me just reiterate that both formats work well, but my recommendation is to utilize only what your setup requires—e.g., you should only consider going Blu if you have an HDTV. It would be nice, I feel, if DVD and Blu-ray could peacefully co-exist, but time will obviously tell there. In the meanwhile, I'll still continue to buy movies in both formats.

Beautiful music (XI)

2011-06-30T08:16:00.000-04:00

I've grown to enjoy Bob Dylan's music in the last few years, and this version of "Girl from the North Country" I think is the most poignant, the most beautiful. This version only occasionally shows up on YouTube, and I wish this version was somehow available for download or on an album, because I think it expresses the longing and the anguish of the song more than any other recording of it.

If I understand it correctly, Dylan sang this song on a Canadian TV show sometime in the early '60s.

A long overdue blog post

2011-06-29T21:02:00.003-04:00

My god, it's been . . . almost two years since I last posted to my blog! Two years!!! I almost feel ashamed of that, because I used to blog so regularly back in the day. I can attribute the lapse to any number of factors: the rise of Facebook and gradual decline of blogging as a means of social networking, a busy work and home schedule, simply not having as much to say as I used to . . . but I hope to change that going forward. I'd very much like to return to blogging, and that may require more stimulation of the little gray cells, to coin the phrase of a certain Belgian detective often played by David Suchet. So for the three or four people who still bother checking this blog, even the hardcore readers who haven't seen a post in close to two years . . . let the games begin a new!

Ohio finally gets with the program!

2009-11-03T08:28:00.000-05:00

When I went to check my EZPass account the other day, I saw this news headline:

The Ohio Turnpike Commission joined the E-ZPass network October 1, 2009.

This is great news for those traveling Interstate 80 in Ohio, especially those who drive through the state and have thus far been unable to use their EZPass to pay the tolls. I personally don't make that drive but once every few years—the last time being June of '08 when I drove to Indiana for a cousin's wedding.

I'm actually a little surprised that it took this long for Ohio to get EZPass. It's a program that's been embraced by a good many states, and I learned of the benefit very quickly when I first used it. But nevertheless, it's still very good to see that Ohio's finally gotten with the program.

The one time a William Shatner cover worked!

2009-11-02T09:22:00.000-05:00

I heard Elton John's Rocket Man on the radio this morning on the way in to work, and I couldn't help but think of this--the one time that a William Shatner cover worked!

Happy birthday, Mom!

2009-09-22T08:20:00.000-04:00

Today is my mother's birthday. Today she turns . . . perhaps it's best not to mention. ;) Perhaps it's best to just wish her a happy birthday and a happy day!

I'm convinced Teddy will never win

2009-09-10T12:20:00.000-04:00

After four straight years of seeing Teddy going without a win in the President's Race at Nationals games, I decided to pose the question today of his chances during Tom Boswell's Washington Post chat.

Arlington, Va.: Will Teddy ever win a President's Race?

Tom Boswell: He won on Tuesday but was disqualified for cutting the corner illegally in RF. This drove Chico Harlan over the edge. He bought it! For a second, he thoughty he'd seen Teddy win. Now he's bitter. I'm trying to bring him around. Obviously, he will NEVER win until __1) a post-season game, 2) a Series game or 3) an All-Star game.

Well, an All-Star game shouldn't be more than 10-12 years away. I wouldn't wait: whichever come first.

It pains me to admit this, but I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that Teddy will never win a President's Race. Let's think about it for a minute! Teddy has had multiple golden opportunities to win—the final game at RFK, any of the home openers, the inaugural game at Nationals Park (which I think would have been the best time for a Teddy win)—yet the Lerners in their wisdom have maintained Teddy's losing record. I can see how it would have been a draw in years past, but seriously, the novelty of Teddy being the underdog wore off long ago. And incidents like last Tuesday's serve as little more than a tease to the fans. So I say to the Lerners, either let Teddy win finally, or just fess up to the fact that Teddy will be the perennial loser in the President's Race.

The two-year anniversary of a beautiful memory

2009-09-01T08:20:00.001-04:00

Piggybacking on yesterday's post where I noted how Michigan football can't get its shit together, I decided to mark the two-year anniversary of a beautiful football memory. (Better turn up your volume, though.)

Though if you prefer the famous radio cry (at regular volume), here it is. Seriously, how you can not love that final shot of the stunned, silent Big House that's been brought to its knees?

A couple thoughts at the end of August

2009-08-31T18:30:00.000-04:00

On the way home tonight, my mind began to glow with whirling nodes of thought, careening through a cosmic vapor of invention! Or quite simply, a few thoughts crossed my mind.

In no particular order:

I heard on NPR that another "failed bank," this one in Minnesota, shut down. Since almost all banks nowadays are covered by FDIC, I'm amazed that with all the bank bailouts and closures that took place over the last year, that there hasn't been a full-on bailout of FDIC! Or that the damn thing just hasn't run dry completely. Seriously, with all the money lost in those failed banks, just how much insurance can the FDIC really provide? As they say, money doesn't grow on trees, and the FDIC doesn't necessarily have access to limitless capital.
It seems like, almost on a dime, the seasons are changing. This morning it was almost dark when I got up for work (not at all unlike a fall morning), and on the way home, the sky had taken on a quality that I can only describe as autumnal. It was simply an aura that was conveyed by the heavens that the seasons had begun to change, damn near on the dot—i.e., the last day of August, that figurative month of Sundays (since it's the last month of summer). I kid you not, it even smelled like fall along the GW Parkway! Won't be long now before I don a light jacket and the leaves begin to change color.
Michigan's football program really can't get its shit together. This doesn't cause me any displeasure, mind you, because Michigan has rightfully earned its place as one of the top opponents that Penn Staters love to hate. But when you're caught practicing well beyond the NCAA-regulated hours, how sad is it that the whistleblowers to the Detroit Free Press are your own football players?

Just to get myself in the mood for football season . . .

2009-08-11T08:40:00.000-04:00

The Drafthouse files for bankruptcy

2009-07-17T20:46:00.000-04:00

My heart sank when I heard this on the radio tonight: the Arlington Cinema 'N' Drafthouse is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. I know it doesn't mean an imminent closure of the popular movie venue, but given the debt numbers cited by the article, it's gonna be a rough road ahead for the Drafthouse.

I've been frequenting the movie establishment since spring 2002, when I watched Ocean's Eleven there with Will and Erica. I was hooked on the place right from the get-go, and I can honestly say that no other movie theater is like the Drafthouse. I mean, where else can you sit at a table and eat a full meal while watching your favorite movie on the big screen?

I genuinely hope that the Drafthouse is able to regain its financial footing, because if it ever goes out of business, Arlington will lose one of its most remarkable movie theaters.

And Manny Acta gets the chop

2009-07-13T09:11:00.000-04:00

Rumors have been spreading for weeks that Manny Acta was on the chopping block as the manager of the Washington Nationals. This morning I saw on the news that the axe has finally fallen, and that base coach Jim Riggleman is being tapped to replace him.

I have mixed feelings about the whole deal, really. I think that while a good deal of responsibility does fall onto the manager's shoulders for coaching and motivating his players to become the best they can be, when the chips are down, accountability does extend beyond merely the manager. With an abysmal mid-season record of 26-61, the dismissal of Acta really strikes me as more symbolic than practical, because Acta can only work with what he's given—i.e., the manager can only coach so much when the talent recruited by the team isn't up to par. That falls squarely on the shoulders of the general manager. And going further up the chain of command, the team owners themselves have to demonstrate that they're going to spend the money on quality talent, and so far the Lerners have done little in that regard.

So while I agree that change is (desperately) needed for the Nationals, I do think that Manny Acta is shouldering a good bit more than his fair share of the blame.

Earworms (VII)

2009-07-08T10:52:00.000-04:00

I watched The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly recently, along with Once Upon a Time in the West. As a direct result, I now have Ennio Morricone's respective soundtracks stuck in my head. Not a bad thing, mind you, because Ennio Morricone is a magnificent cinematic composer who's written some fantastic films scores!

Our one-year anniversary

2009-07-06T08:31:00.002-04:00

Today, Nora and I celebrate one year together. :) And it's been quite a good year! Happy anniversary, my love!

Public Enemies

2009-07-05T08:45:00.001-04:00

There are only a few movies I'm hard-core enough to see on opening day. The Simpsons Movie was one. The first X-Files movie (back in 1998) was another. And last but not least, the latest crime oeuvre by my favorite director, Michael Mann—Public Enemies, the story of John Dillinger as played by one of the greatest actors of this decade, Johnny Depp.

I've been a fan of Michael Mann ever since I saw his great crime epic Heat in the spring of 2003. And when I learned that he was helming a film about one of the most notorious bank robbers of the 20th century, I was pretty excited! I was pleased, too, to have Johnny Depp as the leading man, as Johnny Depp is an actor you just can't help but love. I personally believe that his best role was as ~~Hunter S. Thompson~~ Raoul Duke in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and would love to see him win an Oscar one day. Whether he gets an Oscar nomination for Public Enemies remains to be seen, but seeing him portray a bad guy that you're actually cheering for makes for a fun experience!

Given the ho-hum reviews I'd heard from pre-release audiences beforehand, I was understandably nervous going into Public Enemies, because the last thing I wanted for my favorite director was a cinematic stinker—particularly since the Mann audience is still split on the verdict of his last film (Miami Vice). But right from the first frame of Public Enemies, with the introductory script slowly materializing on the screen (in 1930s font, no less!), I was hooked. Because Public Enemies starts out inside a prison—pure Michael Mann territory. And when the first hidden guns appeared among the sewing room shipment of materials, deep down you could just sense that a jailbreak was imminent—again, pure Michael Mann territory! And Mann didn't disappoint, because shortly after Johnny Depp made his subtle entrance as the famed bank robber, the inmates turn the tables on the prison guards, plenty of gunfire erupts, and Dillinger's escape is in full swing.

With that opening prison break, the movie screen basically said to me, "Michael Mann's still got it!"

Naturally, there's a bank robbery almost as soon as Dillinger and his crew are out of prison, and I couldn't help but wonder if Mann was doing a bit of self-homage—specifically to the legendary bank robbery and resulting gunfight in the streets from Heat. Perhaps Mann, knowing that all of his action films are inevitably going to be compared to Heat, put together that first bank robbery and machine-gun getaway specifically with that audience in mind.

Also on the heels of Dillinger's prison break, we're introduced to FBI lawman Melvin Purvis, played by another Oscar-worthy actor: Christian Bale. In his introductory scene, we see him chasing down one of Dillinger's associates, Pretty Boy Floyd, through an overgrown field, with Purvis demonstrating his exquisite marksmanship by taking down Floyd with a rifle from a good distance away. It was this takedown that brought him to the attention of J. Edgar Hoover (played by an unrecognizable Billy Crudup), who was already under intense Congressional scrutiny for not capturing Dillinger already—or capturing Dillinger personally. With that in mind, Hoover appoints Purvis as his leading man in the hunt for John Dillinger . . . only what Purvis doesn't realize (at least initially) is that capturing the notorious Dillinger is far easier said than done. And that when he doesn't deliver, he becomes Hoover's personal whipping boy.

I have to confess, I wasn't sure what to make of Christian Bale's performance. A lot of people took issue with the fact that the script didn't provide any real back story to the characters, and that it was most detrimental to Purvis's character. I'll be honest, I was too caught up in the events on screen to give much thought to the back stories of either Dillinger or Purvis, so that omission didn't bother me too much. But there were times where it did seem to me that Christian Bale didn't know quite what to do with the character. For the first half of the film, I was clearly able to see Purvis as a well-intentioned lawman who got in way over his head with the task of pursuing John Dillinger. But at some point, Bale just seemed to lose focus with the character, which I find surprising, because Bale is a very capable actor who was working with an equally capable director. The idea of two capable professionals unable to make it work in the final analysis is just unexpected and surprising.

But getting back to John Dillinger for a moment, Depp's portrayal of him wasn't entirely that of a ruthless criminal. He does exhibit a small sensitive side. Because through a friend, he meets up with Billie Frechette, a coat-check girl who can't seem to decide if she wants the quiet life or a thrilling one with a bank robber, and they begin something of a romance. Marion Cotillard was an unexpected casting choice for the part, though I'd have to say she did it reasonably well. Though as the story progressed and Dillinger began to fall out of touch with the times, his vulnerabilities began to creep in, and Depp portrayed these magnificently! Take, for example, when he returns to Frank Nitti's compound and is told, in no uncertain terms, that he's bad for business—by an old friend, no less! Because the bookies operations that Frank Nitti is running could turn the same profit that one of Dillinger's bank robberies could . . . only several hundred times a day, rather than just once. Imagine what that does to the ego of a notorious, almost fabled bank robber.

One of the most amazing scenes comes towards the end, when one of Dillinger's lady friends has to apply for a waitressing license down at the local police station . . . and Dillinger decides to walk into the station with her! By this time, his appearance is different enough (from age) that he might not be so easily recognized, and he ever so nonchalantly walks right through the door of the Dillinger Pursuit Division and casually peruses the wanted photos of himself as a younger man, along with the wanted photos of all his old associates, most of whom are either dead or captured . . . all while the on-duty detectives are huddled around a radio listening to a ballgame. Talk about taking a trip through the lion's den! And both Depp and Mann pulled it off masterfully.

As always, Mann's visual style ruled the day. And since this is a Michael Mann film, there were gunfights a-plenty. Pretty much each time a bank robbery took place, a machine-gun fight would come either as the robbery was in progress or as the crew was speeding off in the getaway car. There's a fabulous gunfight about two-thirds of the way in, where Pervis and his G-men ambush a secluded cottage in the forest where Dillinger and his crew were holding up. As in Heat, the sound of the gunfire felt genuine and authentic, rather than synthesized and dressed up for cinematic effect. And the destruction from all the machine-gun fire was amazing—bullet holes riddled everything, debris and dust flew everywhere. Mann's sense of authenticity shined through with perfect clarity, and that's one of the filmic traits I admire about him the most: how Mann never goes for the fake and always seeks to provide the genuine. Since I've cited Heat enough times, let's take another of his films as an example. How about Miami Vice? I can think right away of a similar gun battle in Miami Vice . . . well, not so much a gun battle. More like a slaughter. Early on in that film, a clandestine meeting is taking place at an abandoned lot in greater Miami, and one of the groups in the meet happens to be undercover cops. When this is discovered, their car is gunned down with some pretty heavy artillery (like metal-piercing heavy artillery, the kind that make human flesh unrecognizable), and the camera angles and effects showed the powerful minute-level destruction wrought on by such heavy-duty firearms. Another example would be later on in the film, when someone walks into Gong Li's office, pulls out a gun, and shoots one of her associates in the head. The action happens so fast that it's over before your mind even has a chance to process what's just happened.

That's the kind of realism and camerawork that makes Michael Mann such an effective director.

The camerawork in Public Enemies really kept me glued to the screen, because in the first half hour of the film, there were very few static shots! Almost all the camera angles were kinetic, energetic, moving right along with the action and the actors, often very fast. It actually reminded me of the shaky camerawork from the later Bourne movies, which I know a lot of people didn't like, but I found it to add a great element of tension and adrenaline to those scenes.

Though I should mention, there were two musical cues that I didn't like: during the first two bank robberies, the scenes began with electric guitar riffs, which I thought were out of place for a period piece. I've seen enough Mann movies to know that electric guitar music is part of his style, so I guess its inclusion in Public Enemies shouldn't be that unexpected. All the same, it just didn't feel right to me to have them there, and that's my only major criticism of Public Enemies.

At one point in the film, an interesting thought occurred to me: how historically accurate is Public Enemies? Unfortunately, I really have no idea. To my knowledge, there's only one other film about John Dillinger, and that's the 1973 film Dillinger starring Warren Oates. But historical accuracy notwithstanding, Public Enemies really nailed it for me. I give it an 8 out of 10, with great acting from Johnny Depp (as always) and utterly fabulous direction and conceptualization by Michael Mann—proving once and for all that, when it comes to the crime genre, Michael Mann is still the man!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T11:34:00.000-04:00

Eastern Market is reopening!

2009-06-25T17:34:00.000-04:00

I almost missed the event notice when browsing the weekly e-mails I get from the Post, but two years after the main building at Eastern Market was gutted by fire, the market will reopen tomorrow morning at 11:00 am in a ribbon-cutting ceremony!

That bit of news brings a great smile to my face, as Eastern Market is a wonderful venue that I think everyone should visit at least once. And when I first heard of the fire two years ago, it really broke my heart to see the damage to the main building.

In the two years since the fire, a lot of the vendors have been operating either outside or in a temporary building, but now that the main building is reopening and all the vendors are returning home, a staple of DC culture can come back to life again, and a visit to the newly-opened Eastern Market might be in due order. :)

10 Best Picture nominees next year

2009-06-24T20:12:00.000-04:00

I got word on IMDb today that, for next year's Oscar ceremony, the Academy has decided to increase the number of Best Picture nominees from five to ten! The rationale given by the Academy president is thus:

"Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize."

If I'm not mistaken, the last time the Best Picture category had more than five nominees was in the '40s. That was the era when landmark films such as Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, and Rebecca beat out numerous other competitors—some of which were landmark films themselves! Think of The Philadelphia Story, Citizen Kane, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, even The Wizard of Oz!

I can see this adding great excitement to the race for Best Picture, because it raises the bar for films with that much more competition. The one question that comes to mind, however, is whether this will ever extend into the other Oscar categories—Best Actor, Best Director, etc.

A brief Twin Peaks reboot?

2009-06-16T11:28:00.002-04:00

If IMDb tells me true, actor Kyle MacLachlan is trying to put together an effort to get the TV show Twin Peaks rebooted in a series of five-minutes episodes for internet-only viewing.

Twin Peaks is the brainchild of film director David Lynch, and ran for only two seasons in 1990 and 1991. The show was originally supposed to be a character-driven whodunit revolving around the murder of teen prom queen Laura Palmer, with FBI agent Dale Cooper (played by Kyle MacLachlan, at the time one of Lynch's leading men) heading up the investigation. I say "originally" because about halfway through the series, the murder mystery was solved at the demands of the studio, and the show had to quickly redirect itself and find a new premise upon which to continue. Luckily it found one—the Black Lodge, a spiritual realm that can only be likened to Hell, which was accessible in the woods surrounding the town of Twin Peaks.

Rumors about resurrecting the show have been ongoing since the show's cancellation in 1991, and it doesn't help that the series finale had way too many cliffhangers for the average Twin Peaks fan to sleep well at night. It's already been argued that the movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me was David Lynch's attempt to bring the show to a semi-conclusion, but the storylines were still open-ended enough that the idea of bringing the show back to life was plausible. I'm pretty sure that Lynch has stated already that he has little interest in bringing the show back (most likely because too much time has passed), but apparently audience demand was enough to convince Kyle MacLachlan.

If he ends up pulling the production off, I wouldn't mind seeing it, if only to see where he takes the series. If it's only five-minute episodes, I can't imagine it would be more than quick vignettes that suggest what's happening on the show.

Beautiful music (X)

2009-05-30T09:09:00.000-04:00

I seem to have opened the floodgates with Rachmaninoff, because after posting about his 10 Preludes, Op. 23, I now feel the urge to continue with the 13 Preludes, Op. 32. As before, all are performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy.

And for my money, I have yet to find anyone who can bring out the great Russian pathos of No. 10 like Ashkenazy does.

No. 1 in C major

No. 2 in B flat minor

No. 3 in E major

No. 4 in E minor

No. 5 in G major

No. 6 in F minor

No. 7 in F major

No. 8 in A minor

No. 9 in A major

No. 10 in B minor

No. 11 in B major

No. 12 in G sharp minor

No. 13 in D flat major

Beautiful music (IX)

2009-05-29T11:08:00.000-04:00

Rachmaninoff is one of my favorite composers. His music is so ambitious, so enormous in size, so epic in passion that it's hard for me to not get up in the vortex. I especially love his piano music. His Third Piano Concerto is something truly to behold, and I've been lucky enough to see it performed live twice. On a smaller scale, though, his Preludes are also a marvelous achievement.

Rachmaninoff wrote two sets of Preludes in his lifetime: the 10 Preludes, Op. 23; the 13 Preludes, Op. 32; and of course, the ever famous Prelude in C sharp minor, Op. 3 No. 2. For today's enjoyment, I'm posting the 10 Preludes, Op. 23, as performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy (with the exception of No. 5; that one's performed by Sviatoslav Richter; I really wanted to find the performance by Van Cliburn, but alas, YouTube couldn't accommodate).

No. 1 in F sharp minor

No. 2 in B flat major

No. 3 in D minor

No. 4 in D major

No. 5 in G minor

No. 6 in E flat major

No. 7 in C minor

No. 8 in A flat major

No. 9 in E flat minor

No. 10 in G flat major

Happy birthday, Colby!

2009-05-24T08:16:00.001-04:00

Now that is a gig!

2009-05-19T17:18:00.001-04:00

Bert and Ernie singing along with Ray Charles: now that is a gig!

Baltimore/Washington among the worst team owners

2009-05-13T14:08:00.001-04:00

At the same time, I was surprised yet not surprised to hear that both Ted Lerner and Peter Angelos made the list of Sports Illustrated's Top Five Worst Team Owners, and least for baseball. Ted Lerner, the owner of the Washington Nationals, clocked in at #5. Hardly surprising, since the Lerner family has been terribly reluctant to spend a dime on quality talent, never mind the fact that a good team would pay off big time in the long run.

And Peter Angelos? He takes the #1 spot for the worst baseball owner in SI's eyes.

When the Baltimore lawyer took control of the team in 1993, it was a year removed from its Camden Yards debut with a stacked roster Angelos allowed former GM Pat Gillick to build. The O's went on to make the first of two consecutive ALCS appearances just three years later. Then Angelos began his notorious meddling, firing popular manager Davey Johnson, burning through another five managers, killing trades proposed by his GMs and stripping down one of baseball's proudest franchises. The O's haven't finished above .500 in 11 seasons since their last playoff appearance.

You know, it really amazes me how much vitriol there is in Baltimore against Angelos. In Washington, the anti-Angelos sentiment goes without saying, since he tried to move heaven and earth to keep baseball out of Washington. But it's oddly refreshing to know that Orioles fans dislike him, too.

By the same token, Redskins owner Dan Snyder didn't fare much better in SI's poll. He came in at the #3 worst owner for NFL teams.

Snyder is a good businessman and spares no expense with one of the most profitable franchises in sports. But maybe that's the problem: The young billionaire runs the team more like a first-time fantasy-football manager. Among the most expensive outlays: nearly $225 million committed to LaVar Arrington, Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Laveranues Coles and Adam Archuleta. Though those mistakes were at beginning of Snyder's tenure, Washington still hasn't come anywhere near the Super Bowl and has had five head coaches during his decade of ownership. Think Snyder learned his lesson? This past offseason, he locked up three players -- Albert Haynesworth, DeAngelo Hall and Derrick Dockery -- for a combined $162M.

Almost makes you wonder if Washington fans yearn for the days of Jack Kent Cooke again.

Happy birthday, Anne!

2009-05-11T08:02:00.002-04:00

Continuing upon the birthday trend, happy birthday to Anne!

Two holidays in one!

2009-05-10T09:04:00.004-04:00

Not only is today Mother's Day . . .

. . . but it's also my girlfriend Nora's birthday!!!

A happy day to both my ladies!!!

Nothing is sacred anymore (XI)

2009-05-01T08:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I stumbled onto a YouTube clip of a customized trailer for the British comedy show Fawlty Towers . . . only recut to depict a slasher/horror movie. John Cleese's hilariously crazed antics fit the mood perfectly, as does the background music from Psycho! (Note that the audio is slightly out of sync with the video.)

Happy birthday, Jen!

2009-04-29T08:31:00.000-04:00

My friend Jen out in California gains another year of wisdom and wild times today. :) May this year bring her happiness, joy, and maybe a better outcome at the Rose Bowl!

Beautiful music (VIII)

2009-04-21T14:18:00.002-04:00

Pagodes, by Claude Debussy. (Gotta turn your volume up, though.)

Slumdog Millionaire

2009-04-20T08:21:00.000-04:00

Two months after it nearly swept the Oscars, I finally got around to watching Slumdog Millionaire this weekend. In all candor, I wasn't sure what to expect going into it, as I'd heard varying degrees of reaction to the film—ranging from a truly remarkable film to a mediocre film with an all-too-Hollywood ending. Frequent comparisons to City of God were made, as they both took place in the slums and revolved around the dichotomies of falling victim to the slum lifestyle or having what it takes to rise above the slum and escape. (Though comparing the two is like comparing apples to apples, so I'm not going to fall into that trap.)

The main character of the movie is Jamal Malik, a young "slumdog" who grew up on the streets of Bombay with his older brother Salim and a young girl they befriended named Latika. Now in his late teens/early twenties, Jamal has landed a spot on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," and has risen far beyond the point of any previous contestant on the show. The host, Prem Kumar, becomes very suspicious of Jamal, wondering how a kid from the slums could possibly know so much—even after he deliberately feeds Jamal an incorrect answer during a commercial break! So after an episode one night, he has Jamal arrested and ~~tortured~~ interrogated by the local police, who review with Jamal each and every answer he's made on the show, basically wondering how he could possibly know each answer. Jamal responds each time with a story of survival from his childhood in the slums, always revolving around a tragic event wherein he gained the knowledge to the "Millionaire" question.

For example, one of the questions was who composed a famous Indian song (the name of which escapes me). Jamal learned who wrote the song when he was very song, when he, Salim, and Latika were taken under the wing of someone named Maman . . . who turned out not to be a guardian angel but a gangster running a terrifying operation: he would find the homeless child with prettiest singing voice, and then blind him because blind homeless children brought in more money as beggars. The song Jamal was questioned about on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" was the one sung by his friend Javed just before he was blinded by Maman and put on the streets to collect beggars money.

Flashbacks like this served as good storytelling devices, but the fact that every answer on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" could be traced back to a gritty story from Jamal's childhood in the slums was just too convenient for me.

But aside of the main plotline (about how Jamal progresses on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"), there's also a very human story about Jamal's relationships between his brother Salim, with whom he's shared a very rocky relationship, and that with Latika, for whom Jamal has always carried of a torch. Since Jamal and Salim lost their mother in a religious riot when they were both very young, all they had for so many years was each other, though Salim was often very bullying and arrogant. Having not grown up with a sibling, I often find myself fascinated by the tumultuous relationships between brothers or sisters, and the evolution and disintegration of Jamal and Salim's relationship was the one thing that held my attention the most.

Jamal's lifelong pursuit of Latika, however, struck me as the movie's biggest flaw. I think this story arc could have been so much more powerful if Jamal had in fact lost Latika by the film's end, rather than get the girl against all odds. The way I see it, had Latika suffered the same fate as Salim, then Jamal would have lost everything in his life, and his struggle on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," with all of India cheering him on, would have been that much more inspiring as a result.

Overall, Slumdog Millionaire was a good movie with an engaging story, but I wouldn't necessarily call it a great movie. It was a very well-made film, but it didn't speak to me the way that, say, There Will Be Blood or To Kill a Mockingbird did. Nevertheless, Slumdog Millionaire took home eight golden statues at this year's Oscar ceremony, and was the heavy favorite for Best Picture going into the show. Danny Boyle's Oscar-winning direction was fabulous, as was the cinematography. Two of its songs, "O Saya" and "Jai Ho", were nominated for Best Original Song. "Jai Ho" was crowned the winner, though I personally liked "O Saya" better. I can't say that Slumdog was more or less deserving to win Best Picture than any of the other nominees this year (largely because the only other one I've seen is Frost/Nixon), but I still give Slumdog Millionaire a 7 out of 10. A good movie, but not a great movie. Not a Best Picture winner that's on the same level as The Godfather, The Silence of the Lambs, or Casablanca.

Assorted tax quotes

2009-04-15T08:47:00.003-04:00

Homer Simpson: "Would you look at those morons? I paid my taxes over a year ago!!!"

From the novel Fletch's Fortune: "Taxes, Mr. Fletcher." "What about 'em?" "You haven't paid any."

A possible Jim Mora interpretation: "Refunds??? Don't talk about refunds!"

A possible Treasure of Sierra Madre interpretation: "Tax forms??? We ain't got no tax forms. We don't need no tax forms. I don't have to show you any stinking tax forms!!!"

Probably the greatest tax-related quote came from the queen of mean herself, Leona Helmsley: "Only the little people pay taxes!"

I'm tempted to walk up to the post office at lunch today to see how long the line is—and then laugh at them, since I filed my taxes last month and received my refund deposits a few weeks ago.

Deconstructing Fisher

2009-04-09T10:55:00.000-04:00

Marc Fisher wrote an excellent (though somewhat idealistic) article this morning about the Nats and the surrounding neighborhood in Southeast as we enter the fifth year of the franchise and the second year of the new ballpark (well, not so new anymore). The temptation to add my commentary to the mix was all too great to resist.

The idea was that by building the stadium, the city would unleash imaginations and wallets. Bars and restaurants would spring up, and tax dollars would flow. A grand circle of investment would be completed.

This was the idea that we were all sold on for bringing a team to Washington, and it was a good idea! The only problem was—and this wasn't the fault of the city, MLB, or anyone else—this idea sprung up right in the thick of the real estate boom, when people couldn't even conceive of the bubble bursting. I still think the idea is a good one, and hope that one day the idea comes to fruition. But it won't be overnight, nor will it be this year or next.

No one builds much of anything these days. We've lost the trust we had in the idea that building begets building, that that domino effect creates the energy that sustains us.

That was one of the greatest fallacies of the housing boom—that everything would go up, up, up! But then reality kicked in, and the economic collapse that I had predicted 3-4 years ago took place (no, I'm not an economist; all it took was common sense to see that we as a nation were spending ourselves into the ground and that one day it was going to royally come back and bite us in the ass hard).

But despite the optimism each new season brings, there is a growing unease, questions about whether fans will really support the team and whether the city's investment will provide the promised returns.

Winning might help! Our best season was our first, when we finished up 81-81! From that point onward, it was all downhill. This is something I lay firmly at the feet of the Lerners, who haven't really proven themselves worthy as owners. It's one thing to play hardball with the city council by refusing to pay rent on the stadium (not that I'm condoning that necessarily), but there's no excuse whatsoever for refusing to spend money to recruit promising talent for a team that badly needs it. It's not like the Lerners don't have the money! But like all other super-wealthy people, they want the biggest bang for the least amount of buck, even though the hard reality is that the Nats are getting what they're paying for—zippo. It doesn't help that Washington is a football town by nature, too, so growing a fan base for baseball is going to require winning seasons.

Some will say it's time to return to reality: The owners aren't spending the money it takes, the team's still a loser, the game's in decline, times are tight, let's stay home and watch TV.

Tight times alone might be enough to keep people away from the ballpark, though I'm sure the Nats aren't the only team in baseball being hit by the recession. As to that last point, though, there are still some who are bitter that Peter Angelos owns the majority of the Nats' TV revenues, and wonder what act of God must take place before that's set right. I mean, how is one baseball team owning another team's TV rights not the very definition of "conflict of interest"?

For my part, I still love the Nationals, and hope to make it to as many games as I can this year. Our losing record(s) won't diminish my love of my team. But the frustrations I feel are shared by countless others across the region, and I can only hope that one day they can be set right.

Oh, and as a final post-script, I loved how Marc called out Adrian Fenty!

When the city's soccer franchise asked for the same deal the Nationals got, Mayor Adrian Fenty gave D.C. United the back of his hand.

If memory serves, Fenty ardently opposed the stadium deal way back in the Linda Cropp era. And had he been mayor of DC in 2004, I'm sure he would have done the same to the Nats. (Though I do have to give Fenty marks for consistency.)

Simpsons stamps

2009-04-01T11:10:00.000-04:00

Apparently this isn't an April Fool's joke!

"The Simpsons" will be immortalized on stamps to be issued by the U.S. Postal Service this year.

See, a book of stamps like this I'd buy just to have as a collectible! But on the flip side, wouldn't it be fabulous to send in a bill payment with a stamp that reads, "Eat my shorts"?

The best car chases

2009-03-30T15:44:00.001-04:00

I found an article on CNN.com this morning listing the top 10 movie car chases. The list essentially goes like this***:

10. Cannonball Run
9. Death Proof
8. The Fast and the Furious
7. Mad Max II: The Road Warrior
6. Vanishing Point
5. Gone in 60 Seconds
4. The French Connection
3. The Italian Job (the Michael Caine original)
2. Ronin
1. Bullitt

***Green indicates what I've seen, red indicates what I haven't seen.

I'd personally rank The French Connection's chase over Bullitt's, not only because I found The French Connection to be a better movie, but largely because the elevated train chase had a much greater feel of realism, grittiness, and spontaneity to it. Ronin definitely deserves the #2 spot for its intense BMW/Peugeot pursuit. Though I'm surprised that none of the chases from the Bourne movies made it onto this list, as the chase through Moscow at the end of The Bourne Supremacy was one of the best I've seen.

Ronin chase

The French Connection chase (or at least a small chunk of it)

Bullitt chase

A Japanese Sideways

2009-03-25T10:12:00.000-04:00

This morning, Will forwarded me an article stating that a Japanese version of the movie Sideways was going to be filmed. My first reaction was, "Please don't mess with a good thing!", because Sideways, both book and movie, is a fabulous story that succeeded quite well in both media. But then I remembered that various American films are actually remakes of certain foreign films—the jewel example being Martin Scorsese's The Departed, which was remade from Hong Kong's Infernal Affairs.

Though I can't think of anyone better suited to play Miles than Paul Giamatti, who was sorely robbed of an Oscar nomination for the role. And I highly recommend watching the film with a bottle of merlot at hand, despite what Miles's character says. ;) And if you ever have the chance, give the book a read, too. It's quite a good ride, with unique prose!

Shrewd Stan and the trouble with Teddy

2009-03-24T13:11:00.000-04:00

I had a chance to read Nationals president Stan Kasten's chat on the Washington Post today, and I couldn't help but notice a cleverly-crafted answer he gave.

Woodbridge, Va.: Has Teddy Roosevelt had a good spring training? Do you expect him to win any races this year?

Stan Kasten: How would I know if he is going to win any races this year, I am not Nostradamus. But, the law of averages says he is going to win someday. And the only way to be there when that happens is to attend every game.

Attend every game? Was that a little shameless plug for attendance I heard there, Stan?

The question of whether Teddy will win a race is an important one, though! We're now entering the fourth year of the Washington baseball franchise, and Teddy hasn't won a single President's Race yet! Though there was plenty of opportunity for it already: the home opener in 2006, the home opener in 2007, the final game at RFK in 2007, the home opener at the new ballpark in 2008. The last two in particular would have been ideal for a Teddy win, but alas, it never came to fruition.

I humbly suggest that the powers-that-be allow Teddy to finally win (preferably a win that is nothing short of glorious), because dragging his losing streak out like this is going to get old very fast (if it wasn't old already).

Beautiful music (VII)

2009-03-18T12:19:00.000-04:00

I've been on something of a Liszt kick lately, so I figured I might as well share the love. :)

Un Sospiro

Grand Galop Chromatique

Consolation No. 3

Transcendental Etude No.11

Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude (Part 1)

Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude (Part 2)

And finally, my favorite Liszt piece of all: the Dante Sonata. (Though feel free to skip the introduction by Brendel.)

Aprés une lecture du Dante, fantasia quasi sonata (Part 1)

Aprés une lecture du Dante, fantasia quasi sonata (Part 2)

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2009-03-17T08:15:00.000-04:00

Since I don't have any green shirts to wear today, I'll be celebrating this St. Patty's Day with Guinness stew . . . and, of course, with Guinness!

Happy birthday, Will!

2009-03-13T08:17:00.000-04:00

I think John Denver was onto something!

2009-03-06T13:01:00.001-05:00

With Nora en route to Vietnam as we speak (she took off from Dulles at 11:30), this only seemed fitting. Except for the "playing around" and "wedding ring" parts. ;)

Nora's doing Relay for Life

2009-03-03T13:02:00.000-05:00

For anyone interested in the fight against cancer, Nora's participating in a Relay for Life team at Shenandoah University. If you wish to donate, you can visit her page and make a contribution there.

Beautiful music (VI)

2009-03-02T16:17:00.001-05:00

Etude-Tableaux in F sharp minor, Op. 39 No. 3, by Rachmaninoff. I think I can hear the air being cut by the furious flying of hands over the piano!

Were Mel Brooks and Jack Kent Cooke in cahoots?

2009-02-27T12:14:00.001-05:00

Being a Mel Brooks fan, I noticed something recently while listening to the radio: the fight song for the Washington Redskins is similar to the theme song for Blazing Saddles! It's very subtle, but unmistakable! Compare, if you will.

Redskins fight song

Blazing Saddles theme song

Which leads me to believe . . . were Mel Brooks and Jack Kent Cooke secretly in cahoots?

"I've been called, I've been called, to that great boardroom in the sky . . ." (II)

2009-02-26T12:30:00.000-05:00

The cast of Are You Being Served?, the long-running British comedy show about the Ladies & Gents Department of Grace Brothers, has lost another member of its troop. For Wendy Richard, the actress who played Miss Brahms, has died from cancer.

Her death comes almost two years after the passing of the great John Inman, who played Mr. Humphries on the show.

Earworms (VI)

2009-02-26T08:32:00.001-05:00

What can I say—I'm growing quite a fondness for classic rock.

Are Sly and the Governator finally teaming up?

2009-02-25T09:46:00.000-05:00

Back in the '80s, when both Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger were major action-movie superstars, I often felt that the two should team up for a film. That dream appears to be coming true . . . though 25 years too late, and not in the most credible format.

Because right now, Stallone is making a movie called The Expendables, which has an all too familiar premise:

Stallone writes, directs and stars in the movie, a film about a group of mercenaries trying to overthrow a South American dictator. It also stars Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Mickey Rourke and Forest Whitaker.

Hmm, Rambo V, anyone?

Anyway, the Governator is apparently not playing an action hero, but instead will simply portray himself, the current California governor, in his cameo. Which sorta says to me that Schwarzenegger isn't even trying, isn't putting forth any effort. Add to that the motif of the film, which Stallone has done to death, and it's hard to take this seriously.

Now if this had all occurred in, say, 1986, on the heels of Rambo II or The Terminator, this could have been the movie event of the century! But in 2009, it's too little too late.

Oscar Night 2009: LIVE BLOGGING!!!

2009-02-22T20:00:00.030-05:00

In summation . . .

Well, it was an evening of some surprises, though with just as many awards going as predicted. Slumdog Millionaire fared much better than I expected it to, winning all but one of its nominations. WALL-E took home Best Animated Feature, continuing Pixar's Oscar streak. Kate Winslet finally brought home an Oscar, and Heath Ledger won the second-ever posthumous Oscar. Though I thought The Dark Knight would have fared much better than it did tonight. I thought Hugh Jackman proved to be quite a good and engaging host, and I really liked how the acting awards were presented as individual profiles of each nominee. All in all, a pretty good show.

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11:53 pm

Best Picture: Christian Colson for Slumdog Millionaire — Well, the favorite won it! And I had gotten so used to seeing Jack Nicholson give the Best Picture award that I was caught off-guard by Steven Spielberg walking onto the stage.

Best Actor: Sean Penn for Milk — Wow, this was a major upset here! I was fully expecting (and dare I say, hoping!) Mickey Rourke to win. Though that was a nice little call-out he did to Rourke in his speech.

Best Actress: Kate Winslet for The Reader — Woohoo!!! Finally! After how many nominations? Was it five, six? The incredible Kate Winslet finally brings home that wonderful golden trophy that she so righteously deserves.

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11:22 pm

Best Director: Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire — I was personally hoping for David Fincher to win this one, even though I knew it was Slumdog’s.

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11:09 pm

Best Foreign Language Film: Departures from Japan — I'm seriously going to have to find out where these foreign language films are being shown! Because in retrospect, I would love to have seen such films like City of God or The Lives of Others on the big screen.

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11:03 pm

Best Original Song: A.R. Rahman and Sampooran Singh Gulzar for "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire — I liked how they grouped all the songs together in this show, rather than spread them out across the night. I think there are fewer song selections this year, too. You know, with all these awards, I may have to see Slumdog Millionaire sooner rather than later!

Best Original Score: A.R. Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire — I couldn't help but notice that all the nominated musical selections were slow and meditative, with Slumdog Millionaire being the notable exception (at least instrumentally).

------------------------

10:45 pm

You know, I really enjoyed seeing Eddie Murphy give the Jean Hersholt tribute to Jerry Lewis. It reminded me of the Eddie Murphy I knew and loved back in the '80s. And that was quite a lovely speech by Jerry Lewis.

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10:36 pm

Best Film Editing: Chris Dickens for Slumdog Millionaire — Hmmm, seems like a dead heat now between Slumdog Millionaire and Benjamin Button!

Best Sound Mixing: Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, and Resul Pookutty for Slumdog Millionaire — Now I had thought The Dark Knight would pick up this one, because the difference between Sound Editing and Sound Mixing must be a very fine line. That was a very nice acceptance speech, though!

Best Sound Editing: Richard King for The Dark Knight — I missed this speech, because I was letting Nora back into the apartment. :)

Best Visual Effects: Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, and Craig Barron for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button — Like I said earlier, Benjamin Button is gaining quite a fooothold here!

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10:19 pm

Best Documentary Short: Megan Mylan for Smile Pinki — I wonder if these are playing at the E Street Cinema, too. Or the Drafthouse!

Best Documentary Feature: James Marsh and Simon Chinn for Man on Wire — Wow, I wasn't expecting Bill Maher to present an award tonight! And the magic tricks were a nice touch, too.

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight — I must disagree with a comment made to this live-blog post, because this is a worthy award for a very worthy performance. And Heath Ledger now becomes the second-ever posthumous award winner, after Peter Finch for Network. And I think it's very classy for the Academy to allow his family the opportunity to accept his Oscar.

------------------------

9:56 pm

Okay, I'm less impressed with this musical number than I was the first one. Hugh Jackman has great energy, but this number here seems a little redundant.

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9:48 pm

Best Live Action Short: Jochen Alexander Freydank for Spielzeugland — Okay, I must fess up to my idiocy here, because that short film with James Franco and Seth Rogan, it didn't even occur to me that this would be the buildup to the category's Oscar! Here, I thought it was just another montage.

------------------------

9:36 pm

Best Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle for Slumdog Millionaire — Wow, Ben Stiller's really stealing the spotlight here! Is it me, or does he actually look good in that scruffy beard?

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9:28 pm

Best Makeup: Greg Cannom for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button — Wow, I thought Hellboy II would take this home! But I think Benjamin Button could be gaining a strong foothold here tonight! Look out, Slumdog!

Best Costume Design: Michael O'Connor for The Duchess — Now this award makes sense, because costume design on a period piece is always a sure-fire winner.

Best Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt and Victor J. Zolfo for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button — Oooh, now I had thought this would go to either The Dark Knight or The Duchess. The first of many surprises tonight!

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9:10 pm

Best Animated Short Film: Kunio Katô for La Maison en petits cubes — Okay, I published pre-emptively just now. But I'd like to make it to the E Street Cinema sometime, as I think these shorts are playing there!

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9:07 pm

Best Animated Feature: Andrew Stanton for WALL-E — Pixar's Oscar streak continues! And I think I like Jack Black's plan of action RE: Pixar. ;)

Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire — You know, I'm intriged that Tina Fey and Steve Martin not only presented both screenwriting awards, but presented them one after the other! I regretfully haven't seen Slumdog Millionaire yet, so I can't comment on the faithfulness of its adaptation.

Best Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black for Milk — Another big award at the beginning! I had a feeling it would come down to either Milk or WALL-E.

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8:49 pm

Best Supporting Actress: Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona — Wow, I didn't think they'd start off with an acting Oscar right off the bat! But it's a great way to get me hooked. :) And it's quite nice to see Eva Marie Saint grace the stage!

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8:36 pm

Now this is an interesting musical number! Though I admit, a little unexpected. ;) But I like how Hugh Jackman's getting the audience involved directly, as this is quite a good nominee montage. I didn't realize Anne Hathaway could sing so well, either!

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8:31 pm

Wow, that's some stage they got! And it looks like the festivities are about to begin! Woohoo!!!

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8:25 pm

Wow, that's a super-long dress that Marisa Tomei is wearing tonight! And I'm wondering if it was wise to bring up her previous Oscar win (for My Cousin Vinny), because that was one of the greatest whiskey-tango-foxtrot moments in Oscar history.

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8:06 pm

You know, after all these years, even after seeing his bad-boy persona so strong and so believable in Grindhouse and No Country for Old Men, it's still hard to see Josh Brolin as anyone other than Brand from The Goonies.

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8:00 pm

All righty, people, it's time to get this party started!!! :) Tonight will mark my third year of live-blogging the Oscars, and this year I'm blogging the show from Nora's laptop (my own little change of venue). I'm quite excited to see this year's crop of winners, and I'm feeling pretty good about Hugh Jackman as host! And with all the possible outcomes, upsets, and surprises that could unfold before us tonight, naturally the suspense is terrible. Will Slumdog Millionaire sweep all the awards it's been nominated for, or could Benjamin Button or The Dark Knight sneak up from behind? Could Meryl Streep and Robert Downey, Jr., overpower Kate Winslet and Heath Ledger? Or will Kung-Fu Panda upset Pixar's Oscar streak? . . . By the end of tonight, all our questions will be answered! :)

The Razzie winners are out!

2009-02-22T09:24:00.001-05:00

Just in time for the Oscar ceremony tonight, the Golden Raspberry Foundation has released its list of winners for worst films of 2008. I make predictions for this like I do with the Oscars each year, so let's go down the list of winners and see how I fared with my picks.

Worst Picture: The Love Guru (picked it!)

Worst Actor: Mike Myers in The Love Guru (picked it!)

Worst Actress: Paris Hilton for The Hottie & The Nottie (picked it!)

Worst Supporting Actor: Pierce Brosnan for Mamma Mia! (I had picked Uwe Boll, since he seemed to be getting a lot of love from the Razzie folk)

Worst Supporting Actress: Paris Hilton for Repo: The Genetic Opera (picked it!)

Worst Screen Couple: Paris Hilton and either Christine Lakin or Joel David Moore for The Hottie & The Nottie (I had picked Uwe Boll and any combination thereto)

Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel: Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull (I had picked Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

Worst Director: Uwe Boll for 1968: Tunnel Rats, In The Name of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, and Postal (I had predicted a tie between Uwe Boll and M. Night Shyamalan, so maybe I'll give myself half a point here)

Worst Screenplay: Mike Myers and Graham Gordy for The Love Guru (I'd predicted M. Night Shyamalan for The Happening)

And let's not forget Uwe Boll's Worst Career Achievement award! Apparently this is the first award given in this category since 1987, when it was awarded to "Bruce", the shark from the Jaws sequels.

Which makes my score 4.5 out of 9. I have to say, I'm really saddened by the win for Indy 4. I know it wasn't on the level of Raiders, but be realistic: it's 20-some years later, and you're not going to capture the luster and magic of the first three films. Besides, it was light years better than (and nowhere near as pretentious as!) the Star Wars prequels.

In retrospect, I probably shouldn't be surprised by Pierce Brosnan's win. I had heard his singing in Mamma Mia! was atrocious, and apparently the Razzies agreed with that assessment. And while I'm pleased that Paris Hilton is again exposed as the talentless non-actress, spotlight hog, and utterly pointless media sensation that she is, I'm a little disappointed that The Happening didn't come away with a win or two here. Because The Happening easily has to be Shyamalan's worst film, and I think this should be a wake-up call to the director to revisit his filmography and assess just where he went wrong.

Well, now that we've crowned the worst films of the year, let us move onto the best films of the year! :) Less than 12 hours to Oscar time, baby!!!

Shameless self-promotion

2009-02-20T08:20:00.003-05:00

Before I forget, I just wanted to remind my audience (which might be growing to a record high of five readers!) that I'll be live-blogging this Sunday's Oscar ceremony!

This'll be the third year in what is rapidly becoming an annual tradition for me, and it's definitely an experience that I look forward to each February!

So stay tuned for Sunday night's festivities right here! And keep your eyes peeled for any surprises (read, upsets) that might surface come awards time!

Never rename Nationals Park!

2009-02-19T13:10:00.001-05:00

During Tom Boswell's chat today, the idea of naming rights to Nationals Park came up, and it gave me the opportunity to speak my mind and seek out the thoughts of the man who's been the Nationals' biggest champion.

RE: Naming rights: Can't we just keep it as Nationals Park? It feels so much more unique and home-grown with that name, than say, AOL Park. How did that line on "The Simpsons" go? "Corporate sponsorship cheapens our national treasures."

Tom Boswell: The Lerners would like it to be Last-Bank-Left-Standing-in-America Park.

I'd like it to stay Nationals Park forever. In fact, if they ever get a sponsorship deal, I may keep calling it that and force my editors to change it!

"Nationals" and "Nats" are a good enough name for a team. Not wonderful. But "Nationals Park" is elegant.

I'm glad to hear that Boz agrees with me on this! I'd hate to see Nationals Park ever get renamed, because the current name feels so genuine and true.

Beautiful music (V)

2009-02-19T08:19:00.000-05:00

Chopin's Prelude in C sharp minor, Op. 45, as performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy.

Pondering Oscar upsets

2009-02-18T08:17:00.000-05:00

With the Oscar ceremony fast approaching, I've found myself pondering some possible upsets at this year's awards show.

For example . . .

Best Picture: I think it's safe to say that Slumdog Millionaire is firmly out in front for Best Picture. But I've begun to wonder if The Curious Case of Benjamin Button could sneak up from behind and overtake it. Instances like this have happened before—Crash overtaking favorited Brokeback Mountain (a move I still think was the correct one), Chariots of Fire overtaking Raiders of the Lost Ark. From this year's line-up, I think the only other picture that might even come close to scoring an upset is Milk.

Best Actor: If anyone upsets Mickey Rourke, it'll likely be Sean Penn. Say what you will about his politics, but the man can act! All the evidence you need of this is Mystic River and I Am Sam. Earlier I had thought Frank Langella might be the one to pull off an upset, but after seeing Frost/Nixon, I'd have to put him in third place.

Best Actress: As much as I'd like for Kate Winslet to take home the gold, I can't discount Meryl Streep from stealing it away. Bear in mind, I haven't seen The Reader or Doubt yet, so I can't fully assess which actress gave the better performance, but I'm cheering for Kate Winslet on principle, because I think she's a fabulous actress who's long overdue for an Oscar. As to Meryl Streep, I think I've made my feelings for her quite clear by now.

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger was considered a shoo-in even before he died, and while I don't think he'll lose, I don't think Robert Downey, Jr. shouldn't be counted out, either. Josh Brolin, Philip Seymour Hoffman, those guys are pretty long shots in my opinion.

Best Supporting Actress: This one is really hard to gauge. At first I thought it would be Amy Adams who'd be crowned winner, but now I'm starting to wonder if Viola Davis or Penelope Cruz have running chances.

I guess all questions will be answered on Sunday night!!!

Can Snyder and MacFarlane trade venues?

2009-02-17T10:45:00.000-05:00

A random thought occurred to me this morning as I heard more about how the DC United might be moving its venue from RFK into PG County: why don't the DC United and the Washington Redskins swap stadiums?

Think about it for a second!

The Redskins already play in PG County, and Dan Snyder has indicated that he's pondering moving the Redskins back to the RFK site—in a new stadium that he would hopefully build with his own money, thus curtailing all the ~~bullshit~~ grandstanding from the DC Council. And since the DC United is looking to move to PG County, it would make sense to go where a venue already exists and has proven itself (accessibility issues notwitstanding).*

Hell, maybe Victor MacFarlane can even come up with a better variation of Raljohn! ;)

* I considered suggested the site of the former USAirways Arena, but I think a shopping mall sits at that spot now.

Muppet origins

2009-02-11T16:49:00.000-05:00

I saw this article on CNN.com today, and it provided a fascinating look at something that had never occurred to me before: the origins and inspirations for many of the core Muppet and Sesame Street characters!

Happy birthday to the Mann!

2009-02-05T10:05:00.000-05:00

Today my favorite movie director, Michael Mann, celebrates his 66th birthday. I'd normally celebrate his birthday with a YouTube clip of one of his best film scenes (e.g., the coffee shop or gunfight scenes in Heat), but instead, I'm eagerly anticipating the summer release of his newest film: Public Enemies, a period piece starring Johnny Depp as famed outlaw John Dillinger. With a trio like that (Michael Mann, Johnny Depp, and John Dillinger), this ought to be fabulous!!!

Did the Klingons rob the Kwik-E-Mart?

2009-02-04T11:19:00.000-05:00

I couldn't help but laugh when I saw this new article today, but apparently someone robbed a 7-Eleven in Colorado using a very unique weapon: a Klingon Batleth!

I have to wonder, would the Klingon Empire approve of such a weapon being used for something so devoid of glory?

Springsteen and Sesame Street

2009-02-02T10:02:00.001-05:00

While watching Bruce Springsteen's Super Bowl halftime show last night, I was reminded of something that's been bugging me for a long time: how for years his song "Born to Run" has made me think of Sesame Street. Up until today, I wouldn't have been able to explain this association, but this morning after a quick YouTube search, I finally discovered the reason!

It's amazing how something like that stays in the memory for so long.

Counting the days until spring . . . and spring training!

2009-02-01T12:19:00.000-05:00

On so many levels, I'm counting the days until spring.

I freely admit, I don't like winter one bit. I don't like the cold and dreary days, the depressingly early nightfall, or that sense of isolation that comes from being cooped up inside from the cold. Instead, I yearn for the warm days of spring and summer, when I can break free from that isolation, shed the jacket, open up my doors and windows and feel bathed in the outside world, when the days are long and endless from dusk coming as late as 9:00 pm, when the flowers and trees bloom, and when the world just blossoms into life again.

Which is why I'm tingling with excitement at the fact that with each passing day, the days get longer by 2 minutes (a minute each at dawn and dusk), so that when I arrive home from work, there's still a hint of daylight left in the world. That in a mere 5 weeks we can turn the clocks ahead for Daylight Savings Time, and can finally enjoy the evenings with refreshing daylight.

And last but not least, that it's only 24 days until the first spring training game!

Balk if you will at that last point (no pun intended), as I know the Nats haven't exactly had the most memorable, profitable, or even sensible off-season (I still think we put all our eggs in one basket with Teixeira), but the beginning of Nationsls baseball season is something I look forward to with the same kid-on-Christmas-Eve anticipation that I get for Penn State football season. And once the season starts, I attain a sense of completion, because once I'm sitting in Nationals Park, Beaver Stadium, or even RFK back in the day for that very first home game, I feel like I've returned home.

Last year, Will and I were lucky enough (actually, "miraculous" is more accurate!) to attend the inaugural game at Nationals Park, which had the most storybook ending with Ryan Zimmerman's game-winning walk-off. Going to the season's home opener has been something of a tradition for us, and I look forward to it again this year, when the Nats open at home against the Phillies on April 13!

I can already taste the half-smokes!!!

Is Johnny Cash rolling in his grave?

2009-01-29T15:49:00.000-05:00

After retiring from acting, Joaquin Phoenix seems to be making a rather unexpected career change: he wants to try his hand at rapping. Call me cynical, but I can't see him doing a transition from Johnny Cash (whom he was fabulous as in Walk the Line) to the likes of Eminem. And if his career as a rapper falls through, I'd hate to have to see him crawl back to acting with his tail between his legs (is that the crawl of shame, maybe?).

Personally, I think he should have remained in acting, because he had proven himself quite worthy, and was capable of great accomplishments.

Beautiful music (IV), and reflections

2009-01-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

I first discovered Beethoven when I was 16. I watched the Bela Legosi-Boris Karlof movie The Black Cat, which prominently featured the famous "heartbeat" second movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 7. From there it was all downhill for me, because by the time I was 19, I had become intimately familiar with almost all of Beethoven's musical output.

Out of all of Beethoven's music, though, my very favorite piece isn't a symphony or a concerto or any major composition. Rather, it's a movement from one of his late string quartets: the String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132, third movement.

I really can't describe in words what this piece of music means to me—how deeply personal, deeply cherished, and how deeply connected I feel to its spirit. I think, at its core, this music provides a window into a very unique time in my life, because for me it symbolizes my youthful transition from boyhood into manhood. Why do I say this? Because when I first discovered this piece, I was only a few short months away from graduating high school and immediately moving onto college. And as anyone who's been to high school knows, that's a tough transition to make, because you're simultaneously excited and yearning to shake off the dust of your hometown and venture out on your own, yet scared shitless to leave behind the comfortable, familiar life you've made for yourself at home among friends and family.

At least that's how it was for me.

And when I listen to this piece of music, I can honestly see back in time 12 and a half years, to a much younger and untried version of myself—a time where I'm not 31 years old but 18, where I'm facing a future that's both exciting and uncertain. If I close my eyes and listen to this music, I can see with unbelievable clarity the bulletin board and desk in my first dorm room at McElwain Hall in June of 1996. I can see myself standing in the back yard of my parents' house in E-ville one May afternoon and thinking that I'd soon be leaving this all behind. I can see myself walking along Pollock Road one foggy, solitary summer morning en route to English 015. I can see and smell 271 Willard, the classroom where I had my first college courses that freshman summer. I can see myself driving to Wiconisco late one May afternoon to pick up prom flowers from Red's Greenhouse. I can see myself walking with some summer friends back from Pattee Library one July evening, with my friend Westy trying to coax a squirrel out of the bushes. I can see myself walking through Kern Building with these same summer friends, looking for some squash equipment to rent. And laugh if you will, but I can even remember the youthful heartbreaks I was feeling at the time. :)

When I listen to this music, I honestly feel like I'm being granted a second viewing of a small part of my life. Just a small portion out of a much longer journey, but one that firmly embodies transition for me—transition that I was feeling on so many levels.

From just a musical standpoint, too, I don't think I've ever listened to a piece of music that spoke to me as much as this slow movement does. Not just for the recollections it calls to mind, but for how deeply personal and intimate this music is. It's some of the saddest music I've ever heard, but still some of the most quietly grateful. And in the end, that's the feeling this music leaves me with—gratitude, for not only the ability to remember a unique time in my life, but my gratitude for having lived it once.

And now, without further ado, I invite you to listen along with me . . . and reflect.

First half of the movement

Second half of the movement

The Oscar nominations have been announced, too!

2009-01-22T11:01:00.000-05:00

On the heels of yesterday's announcement of Razzie nominees, this morning I listened to the live video feed of this year's Oscar nominations. It's always good to see Forest Whitaker on the stage and on the screen, and I can think of no better person to announce this year's crop of nominees.

Best Picture: I have to admit, I was a little surprised that The Dark Knight didn't get a Best Picture nod. I'm not necessarily bothered by it, mind you, but the buzz for it was definitely strong. And it still got eight nominations—no small task! Though I think Benjamin Button came away with something like 13 nominations (to include Best Picture), which is quite a wallop. And Frost/Nixon I'm just aching to see! Even though it'll likely lose to the emerging favorite, Slumdog Millionaire.

Prediction: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Director: Even though I'm fine with The Dark Knight not getting a Best Picture nod, I was hoping that director Christopher Nolan would get a Best Director nod. He's a bit overdue for one, I think. (I still think he and much of Memento got snubbed at the Oscars a number of years back.) I was also disappointed that Darren Aronofsky didn't receive a nomination for The Wrestler. Like Nolan, Aronofsky is definitely overdue for some Oscar consideration. Though I was quite delighted to see David Fincher finally get a nomination! He's proven himself to be a very capable filmmaker over the years, helming such great films as Se7en, Fight Club, and Zodiac. Ron Howard's kind of a no-brainer, even though I often go both ways with his films (some I love, some I hate).

Prediction: Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actor: Frank Langella, Sean Penn, and Mickey Rourke all seemed like shoo-ins for a nomination. Brad Pitt was actually a surprise, as was Richard Jenkins. I had actually been wondering if Michael Sheen was going to get a companion nomination for Frost/Nixon, but alas, no.

Prediction: Mickey Rourke, even though I find myself cheering for Frank Langella right now

Best Actress: Now this category could become rather interesting, because we have some really serious contenders here! Kate Winslet is on her—what, sixth, seventh Oscar nomination now? Without a win, I might add? Though I had figured she'd get a nomination for Revolutionary Road rather than The Reader. Personally, I think she deserved an Oscar win for Little Children, though I think the award went to Helen Mirren that year. Now as to Meryl Streep? I know I've said this many times before, but I don't like her as an actress, even though she does look quite convincing in Doubt. I actually wasn't expecting Anne Hathaway's nomination, though Angelina Jolie's nomination for Changeling doesn't come as a surprise. (From what I'd heard, she was the saving grace of the picture.)

Prediction: I think it'll be a toss-up between Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet

Best Supporting Actor: All eyes of the world were looking a posthumous nomination for Heath Ledger, and they sure got it! On the anniversary of his death, no less! The real surprise to me was Robert Downey, Jr.'s nomination for Tropic Thunder. I haven't seen that film, and I had largely written off his role as a joke. Apparently it wasn't, though! Philip Seymour Hoffman continues to amaze us, though I had expected his nomination to be in the leading actor rather than supporting actor category.

Prediction: Heath Ledger becoming only the second posthumous Oscar winner in more than 30 years, and if anyone would score an upset in this category, it'd likely be Robert Downey, Jr.

Best Supporting Actress: I was quite happy to see Viola Davis get a nomination! I've liked her as an actress going all the way back to her short role as the social worker in Traffic, and to see her finally get the recognition she deserves is just wonderful. Though she'll likely have to duke it out with Amy Adams for the win, because Amy Adams is another fabulous actress in her own right. I actually wasn't expecting a nomination for Marisa Tomei, though I'd have to see The Wrestler to judge for myself the merits of her performance. I think with her it's a case of slowly earning my respect. Her Oscar win for My Cousin Vinny is still among the greatest whiskey-tango-foxtrot moments in Oscar history, though her next nomination for In the Bedroom was very well deserved.

Prediction: Amy Adams

Best Original Screenplay: This is a hard category to analyze, mostly because I haven't seen any of these films, but have instead heard of their strengths. Seeing WALL-E among the nominees was unexpected, though not so much for Milk or In Bruges.

Prediction: WALL-E

Best Adapted Screenplay: Here we have so many of the Best Picture nominees!

Prediction: Slumdog Millionaire

I personally think The Dark Knight will sweep up technical wins for Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Sound Editing, and Best Art Direction, though Hellboy II might have a fighting chance against it with Best Makeup. And I can see Best Visual Effects going to Benjamin Button.

WALL-E is simply a lock for winning Best Animated Feaure. Because if it's a Pixar film, you know damn well it's gonna win an Oscar.

And now comes the hard part . . . waiting one more month for the awards ceremony! And I fully intend to live-blog the ceremony once again, so stay tuned!

The Razzie nominations are out!

2009-01-21T14:34:00.000-05:00

With all the buildup to yesterday's inauguration, I almost forgot about the Razzie and Oscar nominations being released (today and tomorrow, respectively)!

As I've stated in previous years, the Razzie Awards are kind of like a reverse Oscar, rewarding the worst films of the year rather than the best. I often get a kick out of these nominations, because some films truly are bad, and fully deserve being called out.

Anyway, onto the examination of this year's nominees!

Worst Picture: From this list, the only film I've seen is The Happening, and as much as I like M. Night Shyamalan's early films, The Happening was definitely not happening. I had been hoping for a comeback from Lady in the Water, but alas, this was not it.

Prediction: The Love Guru

Worst Actor: Again, from this list, I've only seen Mark Wahlberg in The Happening. Perennial favorite Eddie Murphy is back again with a nomination for Meet Dave, which is kinda saddening, because I still think he gets a bad rap from Hollywood. Al Pacino's nomination surprised me, actually, because I've always thought him to be a great actor. Though I haven't seen Righteous Kill yet, so I can't judge his performance.

Prediction: Mike Myers for The Love Guru

Worst Actress: See, now I'm very surprised that Zooey Deschanel didn't get a nomination for The Happening, because she looked completely lost throughout the whole film (not to mention bug-eyed!).

Prediction: Paris Hilton for The Hottie and the Nottie

Worst Supporting Actor: I haven't seen any of these films, though I've heard that Pierce Brosnan was a terrible singer in Mamma Mia! I'm actually a little surprised that James Cromwell wasn't nominated for W., because he struck me as being greatly miscast as Papa Bush.

Prediction: Uwe Boll, for reasons which will become obvious below

Worst Supporting Actress: Again, didn't see any of these films. Yet between Paris Hilton, Carmen Electra, and Jenny McCarthy, I can't help but notice a trend here!

Prediction: Paris Hilton for Repo

Worst Screen Couple: I'm surprised again that we didn't have a nomination from The Happening, for Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel.

Prediction: Uwe Boll & ANY Actor, Camera or Screenplay

Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel: I was actually disappointed to see Indy 4 listed as a nominee. Yes, it wasn't anywhere near the scale of Raiders, but it was still a fun movie experience!

Prediction: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Worst Director: It looks like the list of directors almost perfectly matches up with the nominations for Worst Picture.

Prediction: I think this could possibly be a tie, between Uwe Boll for Postal and M. Night Shyamalan for The Happening

Worst Screenplay: Again, an almost exact match between Worst Picture and Worst Director nominees.

Prediction: M. Night Shyamalan for The Happening

Worst Career Achievement: There's only one nomination! And it's for Uwe Boll, who's being dubbed "Germany’s Answer to Ed Wood." Ouch!!! (Does that mean Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are going to make a movie about him, too?)

I thought this day would never come!

2009-01-20T07:30:00.000-05:00

After eight long years, today marks the end of the Bush-Cheney ~~presidency~~ disaster! And I think the music clip below fully captures my feelings on the matter.

This next clip perfectly sums up what will surely become W's legacy.

So sayonara, you sorry bastards! Don't let the door smack your asses on the way out!

KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNN!!!

2009-01-14T16:43:00.000-05:00

And here I thought the biggest news of today was that Patrick McGoohan had died. But it's not. Rather, it's that Ricardo Montalban has died!

He seems to be most remembered for his role on Fantasy Island, but I remember him instead as Vincent Ludwig from The Naked Gun, and especially as the super-nemesis Khan from Star Trek. His climactic starship battle against Captain Kirk at the end of Star Trek II is historic.

May Khan rest in peace.

Now let's all get drunk and play ping pong!

2009-01-13T10:22:00.001-05:00

On today, the 31st anniversary of my birth, I'm anticipating a quiet birthday, which is fine by me. Last year I celebrated my 30th birthday by going to the Caps-Flyers game with Will, Erica, Wiley, and Ashley. And the year before that, I ventured to Atlantic City with Colby and Mary.

It's good to have a birthday on a weekend!

But for those years where my birthday falls in the middle of the week (like this one), I'm content enough to celebrate on a smaller scale. Some ideas I had floated around included a visit to Ben's Chili Bowl, a visit to the Vienna Inn, a viewing of Frost/Nixon . . . but in the end, I decided to spend my birthday the right way: with my fabulous girlfriend Nora, who's cooking a roast for dinner and supposedly baking a cake! Is there any better way to spend your birthday than that? :)

Oh, and as to the title of this post, that will be my birthday mantra going forward!

Earworms (V)

2009-01-08T13:20:00.000-05:00

On the drive to North Carolina over New Year's, I seemed to only pick up oldies stations on the radio. Thus, this has been stuck in my head for days.

Though my real preference would be for this to be my earworm today.

What can I say—I have a soft spot for classic rock. :)

Nothing is sacred anymore (X)

2009-01-07T11:21:00.001-05:00

Just when I thought I'd seen everything, someone comes along and combines South Park with The Big Lebowski.

Bitten by the Oscar bug

2009-01-06T11:35:00.000-05:00

Well, it's finally happened: I've been bitten by the Oscar bug for this year. I think it finally hit me when I began browsing and commenting on IMDB's Oscar Buzz message board today. It also didn't help that I saw a news article about how the Oscar website has been revamped, and that it's only a little more than two weeks before this year's nominations are announced.

As always, I'll continue the tradition of live-blogging the Oscar ceremony, though I haven't seen many of the films that seem to be garnering a lot of the buzz. Valkyrie was the last film I saw in the theater, and I'm hoping to catch Frost/Nixon, The Wrestler, and Doubt in the coming days/weeks. I may also try to see Gran Torino, even though I hate how Clint Eastwood has become Oscar's golden boy in the last few years. (Forgive me, but Million Dollar Baby did not deserve Best Picture.)

And The Dark Knight? You know, I can't seem to figure out how that'll fit into this year's Oscars. Heath Ledger seems like a shoo-in for a Best Supporting Actor nomination, his death notwithstanding, and it would be nice if Gary Oldman received a nomination, too! As to whether the film will land a Best Picture nomination? That I still can't say. Don't get me wrong, it was a good movie! But if it gets a Best Picture nod, I kinda think it'll be due to its long blockbuster ride—much the same way Titanic was back in the day—rather than working from the story itself. Though I don't doubt it'll land a ton of technical nominations, like Best Sound, Cinematography, Art Direction. And maybe, maybe, nominations for Screenplay and Director.

But we shall see, won't we! And it won't be too much longer. :) As I say, only a little more than two weeks till nominations are announced!!!

A terrible letdown

2009-01-01T21:54:00.000-05:00

I can think of no other way to sum up my disappointment in this year's Rose Bowl.

Will 2009 come up roses?

2008-12-31T09:50:00.004-05:00

A happy new year to all! May your 2009—and mine!—begin by smelling of roses.

Happy birthday, Dad!

2008-12-29T08:50:00.000-05:00

Today my father turns the big 6-0! In recognition and celebration, let us all raise our pints of Guinness to him—and follow it up with many many more pints!

Valkyrie

2008-12-28T16:01:00.005-05:00

With Christmas signaling the beginning of Oscar season, I was able to catch one of the Christmas releases that was likely looking to catch the eye of the Academy: Valkyrie, the story of one of the most memorable attempts to kill Adolf Hitler.

Tom Cruise graces the silver screen for the first time in a while (now that the media sensation around his romance with Katie Holmes has finally moved to the back pages) to play Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, a Nazi officer who has come to see that Hitler is not the savior of Germany but in fact may be the single most dangerous man on earth. And as the movie begins, Stauffenberg comes to this realization just as his unit is being bombed in North Africa in 1943. After losing an eye, his right hand, and two fingers from his left hand in the bombing, he returns to Berlin to assume an office post, where is then approached by Major Tresckow (Kenneth Branagh, in too small a role) who recruits him into a society whose purpose is to kill Hitler and overthrow the socialist government of Germany.

With Stauffenberg now part of the resistance, he introduces a bold plan to the group: rewrite one of Hitler's executive orders, entitled "Valkyrie," so that it essentially tricks the Germany army into thinking that the SS is staging a coup in the event of Hitler's death—only it's the army that would end up being the coup for Stauffenberg and his associates, arresting the SS and toppling the socialist government to replace it with one that might be more amenable to Germany, Europe, and the rest of the world. The tricky part is, a rewrite of an executive order would require Hitler's signature, and a penetration of his inner circle. No easy task in either case, as the latter would require the conversion of many generals in the Germany army . . . and if one of them said no or decided to turn Stauffenberg in . . . well, you get the idea. It was a situation where the stakes were terribly high, terribly risky. And with an approved rewrite of the executive order Valkyrie, Stauffenberg and several generals were then able to put their heads together to formulate a plan to kill Hitler, put Operation Valkyrie into effect, and retake Germany.

But as was frequently pointed out by several generals, in a military operation, nothing ever goes according to plan.

Valkyrie was supposedly based on true events—or more appropriately, a Colonel Stauffenberg did exist, and he plotted and conspired against Hitler during the latter part of World War II. Though it's hard to say how historically accurate the events depicted in the film really are. All the same, Valkyrie proved to be an engaging wartime thriller, and it was interesting watching it from a future perspective—i.e., we already knew that Stauffenberg's plot would fail. Though if the story Valkyrie tells is true, then it's amazing to see just how close history came to changing on July 20, 1944—when Stauffenberg's plot was enacted and failed . . . by only a hair.

I have to say, Tom Cruise may not come readily to mind as someone capable of playing a Nazi officer, but he played his part very well! Though there were times (like when he was up against the firing squad) where he came across as more Braveheart than a Nazi liberator. Say what you will about Tom Cruise, but I still believe the man is a good actor. Putting aside the whole TomKat scientology schtick, all you need to do is look at films like Minority Report, Magnolia, and Born on the Fourth of July to see what he's capable of.

I also have to applaud director Bryan Singer, who's proven once again that he can deliver a quality, mature picture. We saw evidence of this way back in his breakthrough—and now legendary—film The Usual Suspects, but I think he kinda lost his way by transitioning to so many superhero films (think of X-Men, Superman Returns). With the directorial quality that he's demonstrated before, it's very gratifying to see that he's returning to form.

The acting overall was well done, though I was a bit surprised at how many British actors were playing German military officers: Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Eddie Izzard, the aforementioned Kenneth Branagh. Even Hitler himself was played by British actor David Bamber, who nailed the character of Hitler! I can't speak to how well he imitated Hitler's voice or persona, but the mannerisms, the physique, and to a certain degree the facial makeup resembled Hitler amazingly well! What I enjoyed the most was how the camera angles kinda kept Hitler in the shadows, almost off-screen, so as to keep him mysterious, fearsome, elusive, hidden.

If I had one complaint about Valkyrie, it's that it felt a bit short to me. With a little more effort, I feel that Valkyrie could have been more epic, more grand and sweeping. But as it is, I still found it to be an enjoyable and highly watchable film. 7.5 out of 10. Oh, and going back to the Oscar motif for a moment, I don't see it getting more than a couple of technical nominations (e.g., Best Sound, Best Cinematography, maybe Best Original Screenplay).

The greatest meal on earth

2008-12-26T09:20:00.000-05:00

The other day, I treated myself to lunch at one of my favorite restaurants: Sin'e Irish Pub, home of the world's best potato soup.

I first visited Sin'e . . . wow, it might have been as far back as 2001! It wasn't too long after Will moved into Riverhouse and Pentagon Row itself first opened up, that much I remember. We had visited Sin'e one afternoon just to give it a try, and we were reasonably impressed with it. The same went for the potato soup on that first visit, but obviously both the soup and the restaurant got much better with age. And now, the potato soup is nothing short of a delicacy!

I'll often order it as either an appetizer (in a cup) or as part of their "beggar's banquet", when it comes in a bowl accompanied by a salad (house or Caesar). It's a very rich and creamy soup, filled with plenty of potatos, bacon, cheese, and chives, and I haven't met anyone yet who hasn't been intoxicated by this marvelous fare. And when served with either a Guinness or a black and tan (pictured above), you can't go wrong.

Merry Christmas to all!

2008-12-25T08:25:00.004-05:00

Beethoven and Rowlf the Dog

2008-12-23T16:12:00.000-05:00

I'm sure the maestro won't mind.

JoePa turns 82!

2008-12-21T08:36:00.002-05:00

It's hard to imagine one of the winningest coaches in college football history still coaching after more than 40 years, but that's exactly what Joe Paterno is doing! And today he turns 82.

Like I said the other day, the age jokes on JoePa began in earnest a while ago.

In search of the Yuri house

2008-12-20T12:04:00.001-05:00

I remember a hot Saturday afternoon in May 2004 when Will and I jumped into the car and searched for what we called "the Yuri house"—the house where Kevin Costner is being debriefed in the opening scene of the 1987 movie No Way Out. We had thought the Yuri house was located on one of the side streets just off Arlington Ridge Road, but alas, we were unable to locate it on that May Saturday four years ago.

I recently picked up the DVD of No Way Out from Netflix, and after looking at the film for the first time in several years, I realized that the house is on Arlington Ridge Road itself . . . just behind the apartment building where I live! So after carefully watching and re-watching the opening tracking shot of the film, I was able to determine precisely where the elusive Yuri house was: on the corner of 20th Street and Arlington Ridge Road! But my glee was for naught, as a trip past that intersection showed me that the house is no longer there.

In fact, we learn its fate courtesy of IMDb's trivia page for No Way Out:

When Ferrell leaves the safe house at the end of the movie, he leaves a real house in Arlington, VA, about a mile away from the Pentagon and drives away down Arlington Ridge Road. The house is no longer there (replaced by a larger one), but the "Do Not Enter" sign at the entrance to a street (20th St. S.) next to the house is still there.

Oh, well. Still, it would have been nice to have actually seen the house.

On a side note, I love the opening shot of the film. It's a tracking shot that begins at the U.S. Capitol, pulls back across the National Mall, across the Memorial Bridge, down over the Pentagon . . . and right over Riverhouse! It's quite fascinating to see my neighborhood as it was 20 years ago, to see how much things look the same and what has since changed—like how there was nothing but trees over what is now Pentagon Row and Pentagon City Mall!

I was lucky enough to find that tracking shot on YouTube (well, that and the first 10 minutes of the film).

RIP Lwaxana

2008-12-19T11:32:00.000-05:00

She was Christine Chapel. She was Lwaxana Troi. She was the voice of the computer. Hell, she was Gene Roddenberry's wife! She may not have been as big a star as Leonard Nimoy or William Shatner, but Majel Barrett was nevertheless a constant presence on Star Trek—not to mention the show's biggest proponent through all its iterations, films, and spinoffs since the show launched (pun intended!) in 1966. And this morning I heard the sad news that she died yesterday morning at the age of 76.

She certainly lived long and prospered, and her death is a great loss.

Now this is a DC map we all need!

2008-12-19T08:34:00.000-05:00

In Marc Fisher's column a few days ago, he pointed to a sort of cubist poster of DC that outlines and delineates all of DC's various neighborhoods. When I looked at the poster, I was actually rather blown away, because up until then, I hadn't realized how many different neighborhoods there are around DC! Or more to the point, I hadn't visualized it mapped out like this, and to see DC in this delineation was quite fascinating and eye-opening.

Happy birthday, Bentje!

2008-12-18T08:14:00.005-05:00

Let us all toast a tall hefeweizen—or better yet, a chai from 49 West!—to Bentje on this, her birthday.

You know what? I think another old friend of Bentje's wants to wish her a happy birthday, too! :)