Archive for category Movies
Rocky LXXVIII: Adrian's Revenge
The first movie I ever saw was Rocky – it’s one of those memories that are very fuzzy, but there are specific elements that stand out regardless – the smell of the popcorn, the blue carpet in the lobby, the colored lights running down the side of the aisle.
I remember very little about the movie itself, other than thinking it was black and white (it is rather monochrome…) But I have watched it and it’s sequels many times over the years – it ranks up there as one of my favorite movies ever. Except for the last entry in the series – Rocky V. At the time it was obviously meant to be the last one, taking Rocky back to his roots, etc. But it just felt far too contrived; it tried too hard to be contemporary with the hippin’ and the hoppin’ and the bippin’ and the boppin’. Not to mention Sage Stallone’s horrible acting (yack) It was a disappointing end to an otherwise great franchise.
After 15 years and a truckload of rumors and speculation, and we have Rocky Balboa – finally, a fitting finale for Rocky. It is everything Rocky V needed to be, but wasn’t. It definitely has a greatest hits feel to it, and there’s one too many trademark inspirational speeches, but overall it’s a much more authentic return to the first couple of movies. It doesn’t try too hard to be relevant or cutting edge, there’s no Survivor cheese rock or hip-hop remixes of the Rocky theme (Bill Conti for the win), and most of all the movie ends the series as it started. It’s not a matter of winning a championship or obtaining glory – it’s about the internal struggle with oneself and “going the distance” despite everyone else saying you can’t – the thing that made Rocky such a compelling character 30 years ago.
But do we really need another sequel to Rambo?
It's about time
Posted by Lane in Entertainment, Movies on May 4, 2006
This September: Original Unaltered Trilogy on DVD
Fans can look forward to a September filled with classic Star Wars nostalgia, led by the premiere of LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy video game and the long-awaited DVD release of the original theatrical incarnations of the classic Star Wars trilogy.
I really don’t mind most of the cosmetic changes George Lucas made to the original trilogy, but stuff like CGI Jabba in A New Hope and “Emo-Vader” in Return of the Jedi is distracting.
I suppose I can sell my 10 year old LaserDisc copies now…
Edit: Of course, right after I post this, I realized that HD-DVD and Blu-ray make their debut this year. I wonder how long it’ll take for the original versions to make it to this next generation of discs.
Edit Edit: As more information has come forth, this looks more and more like a lame money grab. No anamorphic encoding, no surround sound, etc. Basically they are the same as my 10 year old LaserDisc copies. No thanks.
Star Wars Gansta Rap
I had a strange dream last night – I was in India, and ended up in some “teen club” that was a front for brainwashing kids into being Hindu or Buddhist, or something. Very odd.
To all you Vader Hatas out there: click the link
This movie has been around for a couple of years, but still cracks me up. Takes a while to load, but it’s worth it.
“We got Def Star…”
June 7, 1999
Posted by Lane in Entertainment, Movies, Rants on June 7, 1999
Ah – summer time is finally here! The pool at my apartment has become my hangout of choice.
You know what really bugs me? Rude fast food drive-through people. I can’t remember the last time someone at a drive-through didn’t act like they were doing me the ultimate favor by serving me my food. If I acted like that at MY job, I would be fired instantly. You know, I’m really sorry if serving up hot helpings of fried heart attack in a box isn’t your idea of an ideal career path, but it was YOUR choice to take the job. If you don’t like it, get your butt in school so you can GET A BETTER JOB. If for whatever reason this isn’t an option, LOSE THE ATTITUDE!!! No one owes you anything – except the $3.29 for their super value meal. If you don’t like what you’re doing, suck it up and WORK HARD so you can get promoted to a better job! Sheesh. Besides, with the economy doing as well as it is these days, minimum wage jobs are paying much more than the actual minimum wage.
What I’ve been watching:
Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace – Well, it’s not the best Star Wars movie by a long shot. But it is Star Wars, and a good flick. B+
A Bug’s Life – Not bad. From an computer/artistic standpoint, it’s incredible. B
Tombstone – A great modern Western that’s unfortunately marred by too much graphic violence. Kurt Russel does a good Wyatt Earp, and Val Kilmer is excellent as Doc Holiday. A+ for story, acting, and cinematography, but gets knocked down to a B- for all the gratuitous violence at the end.
Music and Movie Reviews
Posted by Lane in Entertainment, Movies, Music on April 5, 1999
What I’ve been watching:
October Sky – Great great movie. Go see it! A++
EdTV – OK. Nothing special. Has a few laughs. C
The Matrix – Great action flick. Best thing Keanu Reeves has done since Bill and Ted. A+
Never Been Kissed – Drew Barrymore as a nerd? She actually pulls it off. Pretty good. B+
Death Warrant – Jean Claude Van Damme + Very few fight scenes = incredibly boring movie. D-
What I’ve been listening to:
Marvelous 3 Hey!Album – These guys RAWK! Go get it. A+++
Sugar Ray 14:59 – Not bad. Pretty diverse album. “Every Morning” is definitely the best song on the album. B-
Garbage Version 2.0 – OK so far – haven’t listened to the entire thing.
New Radicals – If the guy could sing, it would be much better. And calling yourself a band when it’s really a solo act is awful pretentious. C+
Goo Goo Dolls Dizzy Up the Girl – A little too “alterna-trendy” for me. Good songs for the most part. B
Oscar thoughts
Posted by Lane in Entertainment, Movies, Politics & Religion, Rants on March 22, 1999
Was there any doubt that Hollywood was biased toward Shakespeare in Love? They went to Gwyneth Paltrow for at least 20 reaction shots throughout the show. I haven’t seen the movie, but it better be REALLY good in order to have dominated like that, especially over Saving Private Ryan.
And speaking of, If Steven Spielberg is the Best Director of the year, exactly who directed the Best Picture? You could see the disappointment on Harrison Ford’s face when he had to read “Shakespeare in Love” as the Best Picture.
Tom Hanks – looking scraggly with the beard…
Helen Hunt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Liv Tyler, Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta Jones – looking good…
Ed Harris – looking bald. Is it just me, or did he have a lot more hair just a couple of years ago in Apollo 13?
As for Elia Kazan, whom a lot of people protested because of his involvement in the McCarthy era… GET OVER IT! It was freakin 50 years ago! Most of the people who were protesting were kids back then!
What was with that “tapping to the nominated scores”? Utter trash.
I liked the song from “Babe: Pig in the City” from Randy Newman and Peter Gabriel. Is it just me, or is Randy Newman becoming the king of soundtracks for G/PG-rated kids movies?
And would someone PLEASE explain to my why the First Adulteress… er, Monica Lewinsky… is at the Oscar parties? Isn’t her 15 minutes of fame up? And WHY are we treating her like a celebrity? Please, just let her fade into obscurity quickly.
90′s word to retire as soon as possible – “Diva”. I am so sick of hearing everyone and their mom referred to as a “diva”. It was old five years ago when used to describe En Vogue.
Movies and Music
Posted by Lane in Entertainment, Movies, Music, Politics & Religion on March 12, 1999
So has everyone seen the new Star Wars trailer yet? Some of the computer graphics effects look kind of cheezy, but hopefully they’re not done with it yet. All in all, I’m very excited about it.
What I’m watching:
- Groundhog Day – probably the best movie both Bill Murray and Andie Macdowell have done. Highly underrated – a modern “It’s A Wonderful Life”
- Die Hard Trilogy – The second one is my favorite, but they’re all pretty good. Samuel L. Jackson is great in the third one.
What I’m listening to:
- Everything – I have about 400 CD’s, some of which I have never listened to all the way through, some I haven’t listened to in years. So, I’m in the process of listening to them all consecutively, top to bottom. In alphabetical order, I’m up to The Beatles.
In the “who cares about my opinion” section, when even Clinton’s most trusted advisor suggests that he’s not fit for office, that’s really saying something.
March 9, 1999
Posted by Lane in Current Events, Entertainment, Movies on March 9, 1999
Joltin’ Joe and Stanley Kubrick within 48 hours… RIP
March 6, 1999
Been a long time, huh? Well, life’s been interesting lately, to put it mildly. Anyway, here’s a rundown of what I’ve been up to:
Applied to work full time at United Methodist Communications (where I’ve been working part time for the past three years). I would hope they would hire me on the spot, but you never know! If they hire someone else, I guess I’ll try to find another web design job… I think I have a couple of leads. Anyway, on to the lists!
What I’ve been listening to:
- Mourning Widows – Mourning Widows. Nuno Bettencourt’s new band (he was formerly the guitarist in Extreme)
- Tears for Fears – Greatest Hits. Just another dip into the 80′s nostalgia pool
Not a bad album - Sheryl Crow – The Globe Sessions. Amazing how someone can go from singing about beer to such a deep album. A must buy.
What I’ve been watching:
- Analyze This. Not a bad flick, but not as good as I thought it would be.
- Blast From The Past. Brendan Fraiser is great as usual. A fun movie which is surprisingly clean for these days. I’m still not quite sure what Alicia Silverstone’s appeal is, outside of the “blonde bimbo” role.
- Armageddon. It’s growing on me. When the DVD was only $13, I had to pick it up. While it has NO credibility from a realistic standpoint, it’s still fun to watch, and the concept of a bunch of roughneck drillers saving the earth is pretty cool. (one thing though… when God decides it’s time for the real Armageddon, neither NASA or anyone else will be able to stop it!)
- Gattaca. An excellent sci-fi movie which doesn’t have hyperdrive, space-time continuums, or aliens. Pretty scary how soon genetic engineering may be a reality.
What I’ve been playing:
- The Legend of Zelda. Suprisingly fun for a “kiddie” style Nintendo game. But someone PLEASE hire better translators!
- Xenogears. Another Japanese RPG. Haven’t really gotten into it yet, but looks to be intriguing.
- Thief: The Dark Project. Looking Glass comes through again! I wouldn’t expect any less from the creators of Ultima Underworld and System Shock.
What I’m reading:
- Apollyon – Tim LaHaye/Jerry B. Jenkins. The fifth book in the Left Behind series, a fictional account of the events in Revelations, should they happen today. Much better than the last one.
- More Than Enough – Dave Ramsey. Just get it. Everyone has to pay bills and we are all pretty much ruled by money, so it applies to everyone.
What I’m looking forward to:
- Warmer weather! Man I hate winter. I can’t wait to wear shorts again, go running and swimming and get rid of this pasty white skin!!!
- Wing Commander: The Movie. One of my favorite PC games turned into a movie. And it has the new Star Wars trailer attached! Which brings me to:
- Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. OK, so who ISN’T looking forward to this?? Hard to believe it’s two months away!
Well, that’s it. Just for those who may not know, my dad passed away on February 1st. Thanks to everyone for your prayers, cards, and everything.
December 17, 1998
Posted by Lane in Entertainment, Movies on December 17, 1998
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season… make the most of it, and remember the TRUE meaning of the holiday. It’s not being with family, or warm feelings or any of that stuff – it’s the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ!
Next issue – DiVX. I’m sure you’ve seen these commercials from Circuit City. Stay away from it like the plague! I support DVD completely – it is a great format, and is destined to replace VCR’s the way CD’s replaced vinyl and tapes. But with DiVX, you’re basically paying $400 for a Pay-Per-View machine. You get to pay $3.50 every time you want to watch the movie… how nice! You also have to make sure you have a credit card and phone jack near your TV… and I don’t have either one. Now, you can pay another $15 or so to get a movie “upgraded” to free play…. unless you want to take it to a friend’s house. Then they have to pay the $3.50 fee every time as well.
Doesn’t make much sense when you can buy DVD’s for $10-20 (which have more features to boot), and rent them for 5 days at Blockbuster for $3, does it?