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.