Kong

Naomi Watts was as beautiful as ever. The core of the plot was as I had known it over the years...with that bitter ending...but this version is so colorful, elaborate, and meticulously developed that I think it's the best rendition of this story. Some of the scenes did drag a bit...like Adrian Brody's car chase in the streets of New York....and some of the monster fights (but they were really entertaining!)....

In a silly way, Jack Black's character reminded me of Bob Cappa....how he braved the sight of monstrous dinosaurs, men killing each other, and fighting for survival....all the expense of getting a shot. Bob used to say that if you're war pictures aren't any good, its because you weren't close enough....(or something like that ;) ).

So long JT

It's a sad day for Giants fans, indeed. JT Snow was not offered aribtration, thus ending his 9 year career in black and orange. There are other teams that may be interested in him, but I selfishly would like to see him retire and perhaps work for the Giants front office.

I don't know if we'll ever see anybody as clutch on defense at 1st for some time.

So long JT....thanks, good luck, and god bless.

Requiem for a Dream

I have the DVD and I've seen it so many times on IFC....but I can only claim to have seen it from beginning to end only once. Since that one time, I have been unable to watch it completely. It breaks my heart to see Ellen Burstyn's character fall apart. I can't bear to watch any further than the scene when Jared Leto visits her and noticing her grinding her teeth.

"Ma, you're on uppers, aren't ya?"

Jarhead

I don't know what it is but I'm still disturbed by what I saw in Jarhead this past weekend. For me, personally, it felt like a rip-off of Full Metal Jacket...and I don't believe there as any way that movie can every be remade....ever....and I hope I'm dead by the time hollywood even tries. Nobody up to this point has come close to Lee Ermey's drill sargeant and Vincent D'Onfrio's Gomer Pile characters.

To the movie's credit, I think Peter Saarsgard did a great job. His performance was most believable.

Mildflower

Sheryl Crow's latest CD (Wildflower) really should be called "Mildflower" :). I mean no disrespect, of course. It's just that the album is really mild in that it contains mostly ballads and I truly feel like a hippie when I listen to it :).

But don't get me wrong, I love this album. The DVD is a gem....I only wish there was more....

Stockbrokers and Mob Men

AMC had been running the classics Wall Street and The Godfather, Part II the past couple of weeks. Its a contrast in morality (well, not extremely), but both operations, that of stockbrokers and mob men, are run the same way:

Information is Key - In Wall Street, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas' character) primary modus operandi is to get in on inside information to ensure the best profit possible. He quotes Sun Tzu's Art of War, "...a battle is won even before it is fought...". In GF II, Michael, in more than one occassion, is persistent on getting the information right out of people. He does so with intimidating fashion with his brother-in-law (before he orders him wacked) and Fredo (also before he is wacked later on).

Don't Get Personal - Nothing exemplifies it better in GF II when Michael Corleone's family is attacked at his house. This not only shows us how ingenius Micheal is in sniffing out his enemies but on how brutal he gets, ultimately ordering the hit on his brother Fredo. In Wall Street, Charlie Sheen's character had himself reduced to using his father's connection with the airline to get Gekko's attention. But it was Gekko's wrong move to buy Blue Star Airlines and suddenly reveal a plan to break it up. This angered Sheen's character and brought about his vendetta against Gekko....who eventually goes down.

Extraordinary Machine

I was disappointed at first with Mike Elizondo's work. I felt that he should have left the tracks alone. But as I continued to listen to the album, I started to appreciate the work he did and I have to say I'm satisfied with it now.

I only wish he kept the ferocity of the original "Red, Red, Red".....but his subdued version isn't bad ata all. I also wish he kept the original "Oh Well" untouched. The new recording seemed to have lost some of the emotion that came with the lines.

The intro to "Get Him Back" is fun to listen to....and "Parting Gift" makes me smile all the time. It's as sincere as a dog :).

I'm finally thrown a ginger!

On Sunday, Tori Amos finally sang Martha's Foolish Ginger. It was a cool but less breezy night at the Chronicle Pavillion (comapred to Shoreline). I have to admit though that, given this is the second time I have seen Tori this year, I really do miss John Evans (bass) and Matt Chamberlain (drums) and I really wish I was there for the Venus tour :(.

Ken Watanabe and the rest of the Japanese cast

Ken Watanabe and the rest of the Japanese cast....that's pretty much why I bought The Last Samurai several months back....and I watched it again today and I have to say I just am not fond of Tom Cruise. This has nothing to do with his latest exploits. I just can't seem to warm up to the guy. I really wish they'd gotten someone else for the role.

Anyway, all the other actors were great! I love the cinematography, especially the use of blue light and fog during their first encounter in the forest.

Broken Flowers

Ok, I finally saw it. I've been itching for so many weeks to see Jim Jarmusch's Broken Flowers and tonight (well, technically last night) I just dragged myself out of bed and went to the cinema in San Mateo to catch the last showing. I'm glad I didn't recommend this film to my friends for a weekend movie. I think I would have been burned at the stake :) . There are no monstrous explosions or fists of fury. It's just not that type of movie for a friday or saturday night.

I really felt like watching Bill Murray's character in Lost in Translation in this movie...as if it's a continuation of his life upon returning from Japan. I think the movie delivers a subliminal message, that in the same line that states that some stories are better left unsaid, some memories are better kept away.

A Thing of Beauty: The Counterattack

It was past midnight already and I could barely stay awake, tired from a 14 mile bike ride later in the day. But I stayed on, and watched the rerun of the full match between Agassi and Karlovic (sfgate-AP report). The day before, I saw Andre dismantle the unknown Sabau with nothing more than perfectly placed lobs and strokes...it was just beautiful.

Karlovic was a tougher match and had every potential to upset Agassi. The boxscore tells half of the story (7-6, 7-6, 7-5). Karlovic had a consistent 135mph serve that just produced ace-after-ace-after-ace. If Agassi had an ace up his sleeve, it wouldn't be his 95mph serve, but his skill as a serve return specialist. I'm sure even Karlovic was impressed at how half his surefire aces got returned to him as if he was gettin a dose of his own medicine :).

And that's the other half of the story, the fact that despite his skill, Agassi could only return those high-velocity bullets half the time (and that's an awesome feat in itself!). This is where experience and smart play kick in. Agassi needed to keep Karlovic in ground play, and making sure he was able to return as many serves as he could was half the battle (I know, I'm halving too much! ;) but hell there is no one singular element in this masterpiece....would you like me to talk about a two-prong approach instead :) :) ). The other half was exposing his weaknesses, and indeed the longer play caused Karlovic to make mistakes and only reveal to Agassi that he had a backhand stroke that was just out of whack...and Agassi pounded on it head-on.

What can I say, it was a thing of beauty. And to see Andre be truly gracious to the audience after he won the match was icing on the cake.

The Perfect Celluloid Wife

Fatal Attraction has been on TNT this past week and I just admire Anne Archer's portrayal as Mrs. Gallagher. I can't explain it, but she plays the most believable role of a wife. She was also the perfect Mrs. Ryan in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger.

Handyman's Gone

Deivi Cruz was traded to the Nationals for a minor leauge pitcher. I'll sure miss him. He was an effective utility man and no doubt his big smile and demeanor was a wonderful presence in the dugout. He was initially pegged as having defensive limitations but I can't really remember in the last couple of months that he's shown that...perhaps in the beginning when some balls came past him, but he's shown that he's no slacker.

The Nats will be lucky to have him. He's a great utility man and warm presence in the dugout.

Good luck, man, 'hope it works out for 'ya.

Ghost Dog

It's a slow Saturday morning for me and I decided to watch my DVD copy of Ghost Dog. This movie by Jim Jarmusch is like fine wine. Each time I watch it I either discover or rediscover a great detail in his filmaking.

1. Henry Silva - that face is as cold as dry ice! loved his "red cloud", "poetry of war", and "I've been waiting for you" scenes.
2. Several scenes where the gangsters watch cartoons...from Felix the Cat to Itchy & Scratchy...I really wonder if that's true in real life (hey, it just could be!)
3. The French-speaking ice cream guy
4. Vargo's daughter
5. Slick techniques -- tape on glass, spraying metal weakening chemical on chain
6. Forest Whitaker can fire a gun
7. Victor Argo - great character actor -- was also in King of New York...also dies from gunshot wound (for some reason he reminds me of the late JT Walsh)

Meet the Fockers

I saw Meet the Fockers yesterday at my friend's house and was really enjoyed it. I haven't seen Meet the Parents in its entirety but I think I get the story. The true heroes of this movie in my opinion are Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand.

All in Love is Fair

AMC is running a weeklong stretch of James Bond films and I was watching Moonraker last night. I really enjoyed watching all the moments with Jaws. From the comic meeting between Jaws and the sweedish girl to the last moments in the film where they stay together as the moonbase fell apart (sipping champagne, of course). It was funny, but also heartwarming. I think it had the same effect of Terminator 2 when little John Connor and Sarah Connor grew fond of the terminator, and it was very evident in the last scene (when he had to ask Sarah to help him "self-terminate").

Slicing like a Scythe

Noah Lowry's latest addition to his armaments: a wide curveball, was featured last night as the Giants beat the Phils....THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!

Beating the Sophomore Jinx

Noah Lowry continues to play beautifully on the mound and I am really happy for him. He broke into the majors with that devastatingly deceptive changeup. But the major league is unforgiving and major league hitters don't make it to the bigtime without the ability to make adjustments. And indeed they adjusted to Noah and in the beginning of this year it seemed as though they had all figured out how to beat that changeup.....just wait for it.

That was the turning point. Like what Al Pacino's character explained in The Devil's Advocate. People react differently to pressure. Some fold. But some focus, and Noah has shown everybody that he is indeed in the zone. Mixing his breaking ball with well located fastballs has done the trick, and last night he just kept playing 'till a blister caught up with him.

This reminds me of when my brother and I went to spring training this year and, on the shuttle bus from the airport, we overheard a group of old chaps who were talking about nothing but Noah Lowry. They loved the kid. So, everytime Noah does well, my brother and I just laugh and remember those old folks, who are probably happy, clapping, and proud somewhere.

The Price has been Right!....for some time...

Every morning when my alarm goes off I turn on the TV while I slowly "boot-up" from bed. It's usually channel 2 news but sometimes I do stray a bit and this morning I was on A&E, where they were featuring a biography of Bob Barker. I admire the longevity he's had with The Price is Right, the endearing love for his lost wife, and his absoultely fabulous stint in Happy Gilmore :) (where he beat-up Adam Sandler...that was fun to watch!).

I realized that The Price is Right has been a big part of my growing-up years. Along with Sesame Street and a lot of other classic TV shows, Bob had indeed been a crowd favorite (if I ever referred to my brain as an audience).

Sometimes Prayers are Answered

Sometimes prayers are indeed answered. For so long I have prayed for Fiona Apple's Extraordionary Machine album to get released and today the announcement has finally come out that it will be released in October.

I am one truly happy camper :).

I'm so sorry Woody....

Kirk Rueter was designated for assignment today. I am so sad to hear about this....I really like Woody and I really wanted to see him retire as a Giant. He was bitter about how this all came about and I can only invent the situation as to why it took 40 days to finally release him: it was just too hard to let go.

I don't care what the stat-wizards say about him, and other players for that matter. When people say this player has 'heart', there is no stat that can record that. And Woody had a lot of heart. It is the unquantifiable trait that makes a player a great teamate, a resilient spirit, and decent character. Woody showed to us that it doesn't take a power arm to be successful. Just play smart and you will be able to get the job done. When you hear a veteran say "this kid has heart", you're looking at the untangible. I know long after their careers are done, Woody, Marquis Grissom, and JT Snow will always be in this category.

Hide and Seek

This is my first Dakota Fanning movie and I have to say she is brilliant. She can do so much with the expressions in her face. I think this girl has promise and I'd be very disappointed if she doesn't get her first oscar in then next couple of years.

Get a Grip!

Sad news from the Chronicle: Marquis Grissom designated for assignment. My first memory of Grip was when he was still with the Dodgers. During the Giants' batting practice he came up to Barry Bonds and just casually asked if he could teach him something. Bonds taught him a thing or two (neither of em would reveal it, of course), and if memory serves me right, Grip was 2 for 4 or something that day at the plate.

When he came to the Giants, I was elated and over time he has been a great guy to have around in the clubhouse. I think I admire him because he's a hard worker and a little bit old-fashioned (no gloves, piegeon-stance at the plate). He's also a good family man and has a farm back in Atlanta. He drives the tractors during the off-season.

On his last day, he kept everybody calm, assuring them that he was just fine. He's been in the game way too long to be upset. He's had a great run and irregardless of whether or not he ever plays again, he has made his mark.

Thanks, Grip.

Over The Top

Combing through the Sunday papers, I see that they have released Over The Top on DVD. I remember this old Stallone movie and I was pretty fond of it when it first came out. I think I still have a VHS copy.

Watching the struggles between a father and son, the son's spoiled attitude and his father's attempts to show him the realities of the real world, and pain of the final match, struck a nerve in me that I could relate to in many ways. Sometimes that's what a movie does to you. It can be a cheesy, half-assed movie, but all it takes is perhaps a few key scenes, a personal connection, and you can very well be in your own world. It is something only you can see.

Two Pals in Dire Straits

I was saddened to read about JT Snow this morning. The article had a little blurb that indicated he might be traded, despite his desire to stay in San Francisco and retire a Giant. I really like JT and admire his defense at 1st base. I have to say its him and Kirk Reuter that I like most in that team and I really would like to see them both retire as Giants. I know its a business and I can only hope that Brian Sabean can find the flexibility to keep them both for at least one more year, which is I think enough time for them to retire on their own terms.

JT already hinted that he wanted to stay at least one more year and I don't see it a problem for him backing up Lance Niekro. I think Lance would really benefit from having JT as a mentor. It also works to have both a left-handed and right-handed batter at 1st base, so I see this is as possible. I'm really worried about Woody (Kirk). His desire is to continue to pitch in the rotation. I think it might be a stretch for Brian to allow him another year in the rotation (but I would be very thankful if he went that way) and I thought he would have been ok with the shift to the bullpen. But I guess in the baseball world, or at least in the pitcher's fraternity, a starter moving to the bullpen is a bad thing and that probably is eating at Kirk. I'd like to think that he probably just wants to retire a starter.

I would want nothing more than to see these guys retire as Giants. And perhaps, return to help the team in the future......JT could be a bench coach....Woody could replace Mark Gardner in the pen someday.

Run Lola Run!

The Giants lost to the Cubs in the 9th inning 3-2......

I just had to switch the channel to get distracted....and lo and behold I find Run Lola Run on IFC. It makes me smile to see this movie again simply because I saw it a long time ago when Franka Potente was still an unknown in the US (before she appeared in The Bourne Identity). The german film is Tarantino-like in that is fast and injects as much information as creatively possible (here Twyker uses flash photographs in rapid succession). Franka's scream in the bank is probably my favorite scene.

Yes, It's Bleeding Now.

I think it was a quarter to tweleve Sunday night. I had recorded a DirecTV Freeview event of Garbage's live act to promote their new album. The album came initially cold for me (see July8 blog entry), but I wanted to watch this event. I still loved Garbage, the band. All Shirley had to to do was sing the title track. By the end of the song I knew I was bleeding inside.

The transfusion is complete.

click.

Something to do with Death

Bronson, Morricone, Robards....Amen. I haven't been able to watch a lot of old movies and I'm sure glad I ran into this one. Once Upon a Time in the West is a gem. If you buy the DVD, watch the featurettes and you will have even more appreciation for this film.

Bits to Consider:

• Close-up shot of Bronson's face during the final showdown between him and Fonda
• Morricone's score: one piece for each key character; and brought together as the film reaches the end
• Fonda's turn this time as a villain (watch the featurette and listen to his interview!)
• Jason Robards as Cheyenne (nuff said).

The Good Girl

On Saturday night, I was at a friend's house and The Good Girl was on. Jennifer Aniston played the role well and if there was anything to keep anyone else from saying so, it maybe because of the stigma that she carries being Rachel from Friends. But she has had some good turns. I liked her portrayal in Office Space...though that probably was not much of a stretch compared to The Good Girl.

Its that blank face...or distraught face...that she can do so well. If anything, that's what fit really well in her scenes.

SOAD: Mezmerize

It started off really great!.....but then I got numb and stopped listening. It's really hard when you have measure anything against Toxicity.

PJ Harvey, Merci!

After discovering that Showtime Next was broadcastin PJ Harvey's concert in a festival in France, I made it an effort to record it. There are no commercially available recordings of PJ, and all of the ones I have are bootlegs...and my recording this wouldn't make any exception, of course...only that it is professionally recorded so it will absolutely have good Hi-Fi sound. Sad to say, Showtime Next wasn't available on the DirecTV lineup (my hookup at home), so I checked Comcast and luckily it had all the Showtime channels. So, I asked my dad if he could add Showtime to his subscription and I would just pay him for the cost of adding a premium channel lineup (I covered two months worth as a way of saying thanks, and giving him and mom more time to enjoy the movies).

The first and nearest showing was Monday, July 18th at 2am. I came to my parent's place and a stakeout going in front of the TV. Dad offered to record it for me but I said I wanted to watch it while recording.

The concert was awesome and I felt like it was 2004 again and I was at the Great American Music Hall watching the performance. The fun tidbit in this recording is that midway through Down by the Water, PJ couldn't contain herself and laughed, but continued to sing anyway. After the song ended, she had to say something about it and uttered "....I just learning something, never look at Rob Ellis when singing this song...." It was fun to watch and I'm glad they didn't cut it out of the recording.

The List: Movies - July 15, 2005

my, my, you start one list and then suddenly you're making a lot of lists! nuff said....

Favorite Movies

1. Leon (The Professional)
2. The Shawshank Redemption
3. Dolores Claiborne
4. Star Wars Trilogy
5. Once Upon a Time in the West
6. French Kiss
7. Office Space
8. Full Metal Jacket
9. Sneakers
10. The Limey
11. Kill Bill
12. Unforgiven
13. Death Hunt
14. The Ninth Gate
15. Platoon
16. Amores Perros

The List: Albums - July 15, 2005

What the hell....I put a list of favorite tracks...might as well do a list of favorite albums.

1. Is this Desire (PJ Harvey)
2. Songs from the Big Chair (Tears for Fears)
3. Dry (PJ Harvey)
4. Identity Crisis (Shelby Lynne)
5. Plumb (Jonatha Brooke)
6. Ten Summoners Tales (Sting)
7. Ok Computer (Radiohead)
8. Dummy (Portishead)
9. Live (Jonatha Brooke)
10. Little Earthquakes (Tori Amos)
11. From Venus and Back (Tori Amos)
12. Rid of Me (PJ Harvey)
13. Tidal (Fiona Apple)
14. When the Pawn (Fiona Apple)
15. Amnesiac (Radiohead)
16. Kid A (Radiohead)
17. EP+6 (Mogwai)
18. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (PJ Harvey)
19. Uh Huh Her (PJ Harvey)
20. Suit Yourself (Shelby Lynne)
21. Live (Alison Krauss and Union Station)
22. 10 Cent Wings (Jonatha Brooke)
23. Steady Pull (Jonatha Booke)
24. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy (Sarah McLachlan)
25. Tuesday Night Music Club (Sheryl Crow)
26. Sheryl Crow (Sheryl Crow)
27. The Globe Sessions (Sheryl Crow)
28. Shakira - MTV Unplugged (Shakira)

The List: Track Singles - July 15, 2005

My Favorite Tracks - July 15, 2005

This is the beginning of a series where I will state my favorite tracks and will probably continue to do so every now and then, as these lists do change over time. Given that this is the first one I am bound to dig back and that may explain why a lot of artists are from the 80's...I just have to give due credit for the ones from that generation who I still interest me to this day.
This list is not in any specific order....only by memory , I guess. I'll just fire away as the songs pop up in my head...so I guess it is in order....in order of appearance in my memory ;).

And so...here it is...

1. Woman in Chains (Tears for Fears) - Yes, this has to be first on the list simply because it is one of the oldest tracks that I can recall from memory that really makes the list 100% of the time. Its a song about a lingering personal struggle that doesn't seem to have an end in sight until the end, when a suggestion is put forward....and the rest is up to you. This track has a personal twist to it in that this song has been with me everytime I've had to deal with a relationship that appears to be ending. And so it leads me...it's under my skin, but out of my hands, I'd tear it apart, but I won't understand....
   
2. Why Should I Cry for You? (Sting) - This track has personal history behind it not too far from "Woman in Chains". There was a time when I would play it back-to-back all the time. WIC would be first wave, this would be the next...or if WIC was acceptance, this was probably denial.
   
3. Broken (Tears for Fears) - The unsung hero of Songs from the Big Chair. It appears in the album in two versions(studio and live), sandwiched around Head over Heels. The heavy bass and drum in the beginning, followed by Roland's electric guitar set the mood, and then the lyrics...between the searching and the need to work it out...I stop believing everything will be alright....broken.... It's a very short track, which makes you think if it was really meant to be that way, and whether breaking it up into two and putting Head over Heels in between the two versions was just a coincidence. Would you like another double to go with that corona?
   
4. The River (PJ Harvey) - How i wish PJ would perform this live one day...or probably not...for fear I'd probably melt like Belloch in Raider's of the Lost Ark's finale. It is a song of regret, of wanting to be normal, of feeling betrayed by one's self, or two people's desire to be like everyone else, yet yearning to be free of judgement.
   
5. Creep (Radiohead) - Scathing lyrics, screeching guitar riffs, and that monster howl...who would not want this song beside them when they're so close to the bottom of that downward spiral? These are words that a lot of people think more than they say...and now they have been released...thank you, Thom.
   
6. Elsewhere (Sarah McLachlan)
7. We Do What We Can (Sheryl Crow)
8. Do What You Have to Do (Sarah McLachlan)
9. Home (Sheryl Crow)
10. Diamond in the Rough (Shawn Colvin)
11. 32 Flavors (Ani Di Franco)
12. West Point (Jonatha Brooke)
13. You Learn (Alanis Morissette)
14. Bring Me Somewhere Nice (Mogwai)
15. Hunted by a Freak (Mogwai)
16. Mystereons (Portishead)
17. Why Should I Lie? (Luscious Jackson)
18. Glory Box (Portishead)
19. Never is a Promise (Fiona Apple)
20. Oh Well (Fiona Apple)
21. Precious Things (Tori Amos)
22. I'm Alive (Shelby Lynne)
23. Time (Alan Parsons Project)
24. Packt of Sardines (Radiohead)
25. Maybe (Alison Krauss and Union Station)
26. We Hide and Seek (Alison Krauss and Union Station)
27. Limp (Fiona Apple)
28. Medication (Garbage)
29. You Look So Fine (Garbage)
30. Nothing Sacred (Jonatha Brooke)

....ok I'll stop here for now.

Isabelle Mercier

I first saw Isabelle Mercier when she was the host/announcer for the World Poker Tour's Paris event at the Aviation Club. You could barely see her and if you don't watch the show exclusively you'd probably miss the quick glances the cameras had on her. But for some reason I just took notice.

When WPT came up with their Ladies Night poker event I wasn't too thrilled as I preferred to see women play alongside men (all is fair in love and poker ;) ). But......there she was! So I watched and was just taken aback at how fierce and interesting she was....and she won, to my delight!

Wahoo!

It's a conspiracy! Why do these gems pop up at midnight when I'm trying to find something to put me to sleep? Oh, it's my fault, I guess. I had the free will to flip the channel. But I couldn't. IQ was on. This movie reminds me of how much I miss Walter Mathau. He plays a really funny and convincing Einstein.

Interesting Concept!

Meg Ryan and Tim Robbins form a good comedic combination (though not as magical as Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline :) ).

The Grifters

Flame on! I just saw The Fantastic Four last night and upon arriving at my home, I was still wide awake....it was 12:40am...and as I tried to get myself to sleep I caught The Grifters on IFC. This film had outstanding performances by John Cusack and Angelica Huston. I've always liked John Cusack and I'm happy to see him transcend to really good roles over the years. I remember him as the dork in The Sure Thing and Better Off Dead. Those were fun movies....pretty much like Fast Times at Ridgemont High, a spinoff of 80's themes, in a way.

Since then he's done really well, with performances in Fat Man Little Boy, Gross Pointe Blank, City Hall, and High Fidelity. He still is the dork...just the one who's grown a lot older, and has been through more in life (pretty much like a lot of us).

Angelica Huston will always be Morticia Addams to me :). I don't know of anyone else who could have played that role....as I can never think of anyone who can match Raul Julia's role as Gomez.

The Grifters is a story about con men (and women). They portray the story really well as they expose the fact that grifting isn't this high-society fantasy, mobster dominating lifestyle, but rather a cutthroat game of survival.

The ending is twisted and painful. A true grift 'till the end.

Hats Off to You Robb Nen

Robb Nen was honored by the Giants in today's game against the Cardinals. After two years of rehab and trying to get back to form, Robb sadly retired after his arm could no longer fire the devastating sliders he featured as the Giants' closer.

He sacrificed his arm in the world series game that was lost to the Angels in 2002. Pitching in bad shape through the last days of the season was hard and he paid the ultimate price and sacrificed his arm for the team.

You will always be in a place of honor in my book, good buddy.

V for Vendetta!!!!!

It Ain't Bleeding Yet

It's been about six weeks since I bought Bleed Like Me and it hasn't sinked in yet. I wonder if I am bothered by the fact that this group broke up and found a way to get back together to finish the album....and wonder if the strains affected the creativity of this album. But then I remember that this group was strained when they were recording their first album. Shirley was homesick and depressed (I guess Wisconsin does that to you).

It Might Snow Again Someday

Fathers and sons in baseball. Isn't that a beautiful thing? Bobby Bonds was Barry's pitching coach (now carried on by none other than his godfather, Willy Mays -- not bad, huh?). Felipe Alou was Moises' Coach. Joe Niekro was Lance's idol. I hope to see JT's son someday...if he chooses the baseball path.

I'll be around 50 by then...when I can say "I saw his father play a long time ago...."

As the Trade Deadline Looms

July is an interesting month for baseball. Teams have until the end of the month to make any mid-season trades. The Giants have been struggling and if I could be general manager for a day, my wishlist would be to acquire:

• OF Eric Byrnes (Oakland) - the local kid hits well in SBC Park and is athletic, runs down any balls his way, and has batting potential.
• P Barry Zito (Oakland) - i think pitcher-friendly SBC Park can help him. Plus, the Giants need some improvement in their starting pitching and Zito would be a great addition. It doesn't hurt that he's got a Cy Young in his resume :)
• IF Shea Hillenbrand (Toronto) - he's played well in all the games I've seen him as a Diamondback and he's been a great player as a Blue Jay....he'd be a great alternate for 2B or SS.

Coffee and Cigarettes

I was watching Jim Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes and midway thorugh the film I thought about the friendships that I've had in my life. It was quite intriguing watching Jim's short stories of people having coffee and cigarettes. People meet for some reason but they really don't know each other as much as society would normally dictate. Lives are in disdain and good conversations are hard to come by.

When I was a kid, I always thought I'd make a good friend. I was so sure of it I felt it was one of the only few sure things in my life. In my first venture into friendship when I was about 9 I started out ok. I had a friend who shared laughs with me and shared the same weirdness that I carried with me. Then one day I poked this bun he had on a stick and he was so upset that that was the end of it.

To this day I find it hard to remember. It feels like it never happened. Maybe I dreamed about it? I can't even remember his name for the life of me. I'm such a terrible friend. I don't think I said anything to him when it happened. I just froze. didn't appologize, just froze. I did realize then that I was not a social kid. I never really got close to anyone else for a long time after that incident. You want to know what's funny? On the last day of prep school the teacher felt like giving us all a special ribbon. Woohoo everyone wins! I think they had to give each kid a unique ribbon. Most Intelligent, Funniest, Best Math Wiz....would you believe I got Most Sociable Child?

I still have that ribbon.

I think it was in the 2nd grade when I had my next close friend. It started out the same way. We could laugh at the same jokes and silly ideas. Both eccentric kids I guess. We stuck together like peas and carrots as they say. Then one day we hit fifth grade and everything just went away. We didn't talk anymore, no phone calls, no argument. We just outgrew the friendship I guess.

In high school I think I made progress because I was part of a bigger group (or bunch). Well not really a gang, just four or five guys who just happened to be together all the time between classes and sometimes during weekends. I don't even remember how it started. We just stated to hang out and that was it. After graduation, we tried to keep it together. But we all just had to live our own lives. I guess thats just how it works in the world.

I did have another friend in high school. Another loner who I spent time with when I was't with the other guys. I guess we shared the same serious sides of life. We had more serious conversations than laughs I have to say. We talked a lot about life, family problems, and how twisted the world was. Of course, the same end happened after graduation. I tried years later to hook up with him, just to catch up, but the time that had passed between us just couldn't find common ground anymore, even though it seemed it like it would make for good conversation. Sometimes it just doesn't work anymore.

I was hoping college would bring forth more promise. I was finally entering a coed university and maybe a bigger mix of people would do me some good. While I absolutely know by this time that I was really a loner at heart, I was not out to stay away from anyone. I was like a hotel. You want to come by and stay a while, fine. Have to go, no problem. Need a 2am wakeup call, no problem. By this time I had already discareded this false notion of a perfect record when it came to being a good friend. It's not realistic, I think. Life has proven to me that like a lot of things in life, friendship, like marriage, is non-binding. It comes and goes. And you don't have to blame yourself or figure out so much why it all works that way. It just does. The ties that bind that last just do so because they happen that way. That ones that don't can never be tied together the same way again. Time never turns back.

I made some really good friendships in college. And to this day I still have a lot of my college friendships around. Am I still Morrison Hotel? yeah, sure. Do I have something to write on a scrapbook under Best Friend or Best Buddies? No. And thats not to be detrimental to all the friendships that I've had in my life. I just don't look at it that way. It's like asking a composer if the last piece he just finished is the best one in his career. You never really know until you die. You live life as it comes to you. You are grateful for the friendships that have come your way and you politely say goodbye to the ones that want to walk away. If you try to hang on then you're just plucking leaves from a tree that no longer bears any fruit.

I'm just thankful that the friends who have come my way have reached out and have been grateful that I was always in that corner where they would find me. I wish that I could be the one who could charge a crowd and be mayor, but I'm just not that person and people like me are doomed to be the subject of so much misinterpretation. It's just just the way it goes, I guess.

(walking away, whistling intro to Singing in the Rain) ;)

Jennifer Tilly wins in WSOP!

First, the scoop: (from worldseriesofpoker.com) (http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/latestnewsarticle.asp?id=1120038513007)

Woohoo! This is great!...though I don't really know what I'm feeling....am I happy for her winning the game or the fact that an actress has broken through and played with the pros? I guess both!

For me, Jennifer will always be Corky's girl (in Bound). That soft, seductive voice, cat-like eyes, sex-kitten personality....she's really fun to watch :).

Suit Yourself

Suit Yourself is Shelby Lynne's latest album. Ever since Identity Crisis I've been hooked on her music. All it took was a DirecTV Freeview event where they showed her concert.

Fenster

In retrospect, Benicio did such an amazing performance in The Usual Suspects as Fenster. He played that broken-down Brooklyn-type accent so well that, back then, I thought it was his natural speaking tone! It wasn't until after he became more famous with performances in Traffic and Hunted that it became apparent that he was a very versatile actor.

James Lipton certainly didn't miss in mentioning it when he was interviewing Benicio in his Inside the Actors Studio show.

Kevin Spacey: The Usual American Outbreak

While channel surfing, I bumped into The Usual Suspects and remembered just how good Kevin Spacey played the role of Verbal. While I am not truly impressed by all the other projects he has done since then, he still shines every now and then...especially with American Beauty ("I Rule!").

I'd also never forget his scene with Dustin Hoffman in Outbreak:

Maj Casey Schuler (Spacey): "Sam, why don't you get some sleep!?"
Col Sam Daniels (Hoffman): "Don't tell me to get some sleep! When was the last time you went to sleep?!?!?"
Maj Casey Schuler (Spacey): "I slept back in July!"

I Shot Andy Warhol

So I finally found the time to watch I Shot Andy Warhol yesterday and was just impressed at the intensity that Lili Taylor brought to the role. It's not a likeable character and she plays it to perfection. The self-destructive nature of Lili's Valerie reminded me of Jennifer Jason Leigh's performance in Georgia. You feel so uneasy watching her and that's what makes the performance a great one.

Actors who play villains can always measure their success by the reaction of people towards them. If people see them on the street and give em the evil eye, they know they've done their job. Lili made me feel irritated and I could feel my hair rise whenever she spoke.
I found the absence of tears interesting. She never broke down crying. The point of frustration was always climaxed with bursts of anger, which is probably fitting for the insanity that possessed her character.

I truly enjoyed Jarred Harris' portrayal of Andy Warhol. I have to be honest in that I don't really know that much about Andy Warhol, but whatever character Jarred Harris put out there was pure gold for me. Andy's character was somewhere between being sober and stoned and I find that a lot of people really are that way, including myself. It can be seen in many ways. It could be found in daydreaming, indifference, restraint, fetishism, or trauma. I'm sure it appears so weird to most, but so normal to me.

Logan's Run

Before going to bed I've made it a habit to set the TV to sleep mode and so finding a program to keep running while I fall asleep sometimes makes me drift to some of the my less-watched channels on DirecTV. Last night is was TCM (Turner Classic Movies) and Logan's Run was on.

I was faced with a dillema. Here i am trying to find something to put me to sleep and here comes this movie that i last saw when i was 10. I had totally forgottn the movie and if you had asked me the day before, i would have only known the title and that Michael York (a.k.a. Basil Exposition ;) ) was in it.

And so i had to satisfy my curiosity. It really is about man's fear of aging.

Jennifer Agutter is soooo beautiful, and she has aged gracefully(after looking her up in the internet, of course).

Lolita

Last night I couldn't sleep and decided to watch this DVD I bought on Saturday. It was Adrian Lyne's Lolita. I had seen it several years back when I was still living in San Bruno. It was on Showtime. This movie is so moving in its destruction that I find it difficult to watch. And yet I still sought to acquire it, and watch it again and again.

Nabokov's words are so beautiful, painful, and absolute.

She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms she was always Lolita.

I finished the whole thing and slept at around 2am, dreams tainted by the destruction brought forth by Lo and Humpert.

Kill Bill

On my favorite scenes is the anime.

When the little girl, hiding underneath the bed is inches from the blade that just killed her mother...she looks up and the mattress is slowly turning red...with the perfect Bacalov sountrack running, blood comes down like rain....

That was beautiful.

Dogfight

June 14, 2005 - I bought I Shot Andy Warhol out of my admiration for Lili Taylor. I haven't watched it yet and it's still there on my TV stand. I would have watched it by now but for some reason I'm saving it for a better time when I can watch it without any distractions whatsoever.

I loved her in Dogfight. The movie was intriguing but I can't rate it that high because I felt that the story was cut short in the end and the plot lost something in the middle, somewhere between River Phoenix fighting the war and eventually coming home. The build-up was really good up until River had to leave to fight the war. And then he comes home and meets Lili again and....well, the movie ends? I felt betrayed.

Lili is beautiful and she really is that person you could describe as the girl next door....if you lived ina middle class neighborhood, of course.

Blog Note: Tales from the Ricochet Room

The succeeding entries for Dogfight and Kill Bill are from my other, now defunct blog called "Ricochet Room".

Mos Eisley Cantina

Looking at the exterior of the Mos Eisley Cantina, few would suspect the bizarre and dangerous array of aliens seeking shade, business and refreshment within. Upon first entering the establishment, a patron steps into a darkened alcove. The period in which that patron's eyes adjust from the blazing desert sunlight to the dank interior gives the bar just enough time to check out the new arrival.

A few steps down into the main room, one finds a scattering of booths and free-standing tables. An all-alien band plays a lively tune in the corner, and a gruff bartender slings exotic concoctions from behind a rounded bar.

Most of the best freighter pilots visiting Tatooine can be found here. Deals of all kinds are made in the shadows -- most of them dangerous and nowhere near legal. Just about anything goes in this place, save for two standing conditions: droids are not allowed inside, and if you've got a dispute, leave blasters out of it.

Prior to his departure from Tatooine, Luke Skywalker got a first look at just what a life among the stars could promise. The fresh-faced farmboy had never seen so many aliens in one place, and the rough-and-tumble crowd could sense an easy target. Two thugs tried to pick a fight with the youth, but Obi-Wan Kenobi intervened, dispatching the brutes with a quick swing of his lightsaber.

It was here that Skywalker and Kenobi hired the services of Han Solo and Chewbacca. The smuggling duo were responsible for transporting the last of the Jedi Knights and the first of the new off the desert planet and into a galaxy of adventure.

(from starwars.com)