Favorite Movie Scene #5 - Alien

The first Alien movie came out in 1979, two years after Star Wars.  But Alien is kind of like the horror/thriller version of Star Wars.  It is a ground-breaking movie that I don't think gets enough respect.

(The clip I chose is a bit gory.  So be advised.)

 

 

History of Rap by Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon?

Typography/Motion Graphic #5 -- For You Portal Fans

Remember that amazing game Portal?  (Apparently Portal 2 comes out February 9, 2011)  Well hear is that catchy song when you beat the game.

Date Night -- What I thought....

Cute, but something's not right.

I am a huge fan Steve Carell (from Anchorman to 40 Year Old Virgin to The Office, etc.) and Tina Fey (SNL and 30 Rock) and I thought this mash-up of comedic geniuses was...well...genius.  I thought the combo was cute and funny in their own natural ways.  They have such subtle ways to make people laugh sometimes.  Outrageous often, but humbly charming more often.  I feel like the world was waiting for this combo to come together for the longest time.

So why wasn't it good?

Was it too much of a good thing?  Was the plot a little too ridiculous to be taken semi-serious?  Did it lack the star power it needed to pull off a silly comedy like this?  I think the answer lies in the writer and director.  (Sorry guys.)  The fact that a movie starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey AND Mark Wahlberg could be so disappointing is just too much of a bummer to stand.  The director is Shawn Levy and his most successful movies have been: The Night at the Museum (s), The Pink Panther, Cheaper By the Dozen, and Just Married.  Does anyone see a trend here?  These movies, while mostly cute and funny, are not great movies.  I think Peter Hedges' Dan in Real Life was leaps and bounds better than Date Night.  And the writer!  The writer's name is Josh Klausner and he is best known for writing these movies: Shrek 3, Shrek: Forever After, The Fourth Floor (no idea about this movie), and lastly, Date Night.  That's it.  I think it's fairly apparent that Steve and Tina had their way with ad-libbing and improv throughout the movie.

No offense to Shawn and Josh, but I would've thought their skills and past works would have nothing to do with a grown-up comedy like this one.  I'm sorry if it's cold and/or offensive, but it must be said.  A comedy with this cast and with this much potential is just too valuable to screw up into a weird, awkward kid movie that they made for grown-ups.  It just doesn't cut it.

But good will come from this sad disappointment.  Certain scenes of the movie will continue to make me laugh randomly throughout this week.  The head-on collision with Grant Holbrooke's nice Audi into the trashy NYC taxi and their rants and screams, and the movie's constant, purely-funny conversations.  The dancing in a strip club with Steve and Tina!  Too good!

The movie was funny.  How could it not be funny?  But it lacked some very important pieces which would have elevated this movie to one of the funniest date night movies ever.  But instead, it got sloppy.

Song Mash-Up #4

This edition of Song Mash-Up is a goody.  It is a smash of The Police's "Every Breath You Take" and Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars," and it's titled "Every Car You Chase."

Mad Men - Season 1

This week I finished the first season of Mad Men.  I had very minimal exposure to what Mad Men was about when I started it, and I think that is almost always a good thing.

What I knew was that it was a show based in the 1960s about an advertising agency.  I knew Jon Hamm was in it, but only because of his appearances on SNL.  (Particularly, his The Curse skit.  I didn't know until now how ridiculous it was.)  I knew January Jones was in it, but also only because SNL, and her appearance didn't seem that outstanding.  And lastly, I knew a lot of people really liked the show. 

If you enjoy watching shows with a clean slate of expectation, then don't continue reading this.

I'm not completely sure what my definite opinion of Mad Men is just yet.  I'm going to continue watching the series to more clearly formulate my thoughts.  The idea that I need more than a season's worth of Mad Men to make an opinion should mean something.  The show is slow.  Very slow.  It is very interesting and thought-provoking, but it is no 24 or Lost.  The characters are slow-cooking, like in a crock-pot.  Bits and pieces are quite exciting, and occasionally humorous, but mostly the show is about average people doing average things.  Don Draper, the main character played by Jon Hamm, is mysterious and confusing.  His character is what makes the show watchable.  You find yourself wondering how he lives with himself; but at the same time, you are confused by how he came to be and it makes you question your premature judgments. 

The show has won many awards.  I don't know if those awards are warranted from great acting, writing or directing yet.  But I do know the awards with scene and costume deserve it.  It is amazing how relevant to the era it is.  The skinny ties.  The suits.  The slicked-back hair.  The smoking.  It makes you feel like you were in New York City in the 1960s.  The cinematography is very good, too.  All the scenes look like your grandparents' old photographs, all sepia and faded.  They have strangely been able to adapt that old look with a modern feel that transcends time. 

The show, while scandalous at times, seems to be teaching the viewer lessons about life in each episode.  A perspective that is different from ours, but one that our society has already experienced.  It is just intriguing enough to delve deeper. 

Comics #101

ReRun: Be Kind Rewind (Where's the comma?)

"I will shoot you! And I know robot karate."

I finally saw Mike Gondry's Be Kind Rewind film last night. I tried to see it at the Sundance Film Festival in January, but it never happened. And then when it came to theaters, it was only showing at one theater about an hour away. But finally, I saw it.

I liked the movie. It was a lot like I imagined it would be like, but I found it hard to watch surprisingly. I'm having a hard time pin-pointing the reason it was difficult to watch. I thought it was aesthetically-pleasing. I liked the dialogue. The writing was wonderful. The acting was superb with Jack Black, Danny Glover and Mos Def. I wasn't a huge fan of the music, or the editing. You know what? That's what turned it off for me. The editing.

Jeff Buchanan was the Director of Editing for Be Kind Rewind. With the except of Dave Chappelle's Block Party movie, Jeff Buchanan has not done anything substantial, unless you want to count his "The Work of Director..." documentaries. I'm not saying just because Jeff Buchanan hasn't done many big hit movies, that.....nevermind. I'm not going to worry about being mean. Jeff Buchanan's editing is hard to watch. It's unfocused and mildly frustrating. I do not like Jeff Buchanan.

The best things about Be Kind Rewind were the acting, the setting style and the whole idea and writing behind it. What a great idea! A magnetized guy erases all the movies in the rental store and him and his friend recreate all the movies in order to keep the rental store afloat. Sweded movies. Ghostbusters. Danny Glover in general. All these elements combined give Be Kind Rewind its own uniqueness.

This movie is worth the price of admission. You won't learn anything, and you won't have a life changing experience by watching it. At the most, you might have a strong desire to make some of your own "sweded" movies and you'll laugh a bunch.

Favorite Movie Scene #5

The closing credits of Stranger Than Fiction were absolutely stunning!  And not only because Spoon is playing, but it is sooo visually engaging.  Few movies invest into the closing credits like this film did.

Song Mash-up #3

This edition of song mash-up features Nirvana's "Smells like Teen Spirit" and Calvin Harris' "I'm Not Alone." ( I have never heard of Calvin Harris, but this is a good song.)

Grand Taxonomy of Rap Names

Best Ok Go Video Yet! -- "White Knuckles"

I think this is the best Ok Go video since the first one where they were dancing in a backyard.  So Hilarious!

Movie News: Monthy Python Guys Reunite, Maybe?

Apparently, there's a British film in the making that might unite the old, silly Monthy Python gang.  The film is called Absolutely Anything.

Read more here

via AV Club

Rerun: The Ultimate Chuck Norris Joke List Part VII (The Last One)

The Ultimate Chuck Norris Joke List

Click here for the jokes

One of the best interviews on Letterman....

Remember Joaquin Phoenix?  The guy from Walk the Line, Gladiator, The Village, Signs, and others.  Check out this interview:

Favorite Movie Scene #4 - Being John Malkovich

It's been a long time since I'd seen Being John Malkovich, but after seeing this scene, it made me want to do see it again so bad.  This is one of my favorite movies (#11 to be exact), but it is also one of the most bizarre movies I've ever seen.  If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.

The Future of Digg.com

I read this very interesting article on mashable.com today about this new, controversial Digg.com version 4.  I am a huge fan of Digg.com and I've had some issues with this new version.  I didn't really know the whole story behind it, until I read this article by Ben Parr at Mashable.com.

If you like Digg.com, or even know what it is, then check out this article.  Click here for the article.

bin Laden, You're Too Smart

Twitter almost tricked Osama bin Laden into reveiling his location.  Almost.

Link via Laughing Squid

Typography/Motion Graphic #4

How to Make iPhone Ringtones (free)

This is the best video I've found on how to make a free ringtone. 

click here for the video

Favorite Movie Scene #3 - Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko is one of my all-time favorite movies.  This is a rather long excerpt from the movie, but the scene with Jim Cunningham (Patrick Swayze RIP) as a public speaker is one of my favorites from the movie.  Enjoy!  (Oh also, right at the end (at 5:12 in exactly) there's an F word for those that care)

Also, as a side note: Ashley Tisdale is in this scene.  She is the little girl that is worried about her sister's health.

Song Mashup #2

The second edition of Song Mashup features a slower song.  This one is Extreme's "More Than Words" with Coldplay's "The Scientist."

Comics #101

Crazy Cruise Video

Apparently this cruise ship was going through a pretty nasty storm.  You can see for yourself tho:

Click here for the video

via Laughing Squid - Link

Weird Song

The Avalanche's "Frontier Psychiatrist"  --  A really weird, but catchy, song!

Song Mash-Up #1

This is an awesome mash-up of world famous Rick Astley's "Never Going to Give You Up" and Nine Inch Nails' "That Hand That Feeds (Instrumental)."



 

2010 NCAA Football Predictions - Week 2

 Week 2 is here!  What a week of games!  This will be a really fun Saturday.  I'll be watching South Carolina beat Georgia, Miami losing to Ohio St., and Florida State barely beating Oklahoma.
 

1. No. 21 Auburn over Mississippi State- Auburn is supposed to contend in the SEC this year, and this is the first conference game.  So they should roll over Miss. St.
2. No. 23 West Virginia over Marshall
3. San Jose State loses to No. 11 Wisconsin-  This isn't much of a contest.  Wisconsin wins easily.
4. No. 15 Georgia Tech over Kansas- There aren't many teams that can stop GT's running game.  I mean, how do you only throw like 2 passes and still win a game?
5. No. 22 Georgia loses to No. 24 South Carolina- Georgia is missing their top receiver and has a freshman quarterback that has never played a SEC game.  And in a series with the winner only winning by a few points; what do you think is going to happen?
6. South Florida loses No. 8 Florida- After a rough start, Florida gets it together to beat South Florida.  But it won't be a blowout.
7. Idaho loses to No. 6 Nebraska- How embarrassing will this game be for Idaho?
8. James Madison loses to No. 13 Virginia Tech- They are probably pretty pissed about last week and poor James Madison will probably have that anger taken out on them.
9. Iowa State loses to No. 9 Iowa- I think it will be closer than most think.
10. No. 17 Florida State over No. 10 Oklahoma- This could go anyway.  On paper, I think Oklahoma should win this, but I think Ponder and the rest of the Noles somehow get the W.
11. Michigan loses to Notre Dame- The used-to-be-dynasties hash it out and the Irish end up on top.
12. No. 12 Miami (FL) loses to No. 2 Ohio State- I hate Ohio St. but I just don't think Miami is polished enough to beat this Buckeyes team.
13. UNLV loses to No. 20 Utah
14. No. 18 Penn State loses to No. 1 Alabama- Even without last year's Heisman's winner, Bama will take advantage of the Nittany Lions inexperience.
15. Tennessee Tech loses to No. 4 TCU
16. No. 7 Oregon beats Tennessee- This is going to sad to watch.  Oregon is flying high and Tennessee doesn't have a chance.
17. No. 14 Arkansas destroys Louisiana-Monroe
18. No. 19 LSU over Vanderbilt- LSU barely survived UNC last week, but this contest should be easier to handle.
19. Virginia barely loses to No. 16 USC- I think USC would lose if the game was in Tennessee, but because Vandy is going so far into new territory, they barely lose.
20. No. 25 Stanford edges UCLA 

Favorite Old Spice Commercials

Whoever the ad agency for Old Spice is, they are brilliant.  Over the past 5 or so years, they have produced some of the most original and cleverly funny commercials.  Here are some of my favorites:

Map Envelope

Here is a website that is so simply smart.  You type in an address and it makes you an envelope with the location you entered on the inside of the envelope.  Cool, right?  I tried it out and loved it!

Map Envelope

Laughing Squid: The Money Tree – An Experiment In Giving Away Dollar Bills

I thought this was pretty interesting.  I wonder what I would have done??



Link

Mayhem

Has anyone seen these hilarious AllState commercials about Mayhem?  I think they are so funny! 

They star Dean Winters, a guy you might recognize from 30 Rock, Oz, or Rescue Me. I crack up every time I see them.

My favorite:

Comics #100

Favorite Movie Scene #2 - Thank You For Smoking

The opening credits of Thank You For Smoking was just fun!

Too Funny!!

I just saw Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs for the first time, and I can't believe how insanely funny it was.  It was like an Asian anime drawer got together with a Pixar design guy and the writers from SNL.  (Well the good writers from SNL, at least.)  the voice cast is great, too.  It includes Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Neil Patrick Harris, Lauren Graham, Al Roker, Andy Samberg, Will Forte, and Mr. T.  (If you don't know anyone of these people, just click their name to find out how you might know them.)

I highly recommend this movie.  It's just a silly good time.

Here is one of my favorite scenes from the movie.  (No Spoilers)  But you must watch these 2 videos in order.

First one: Flint's inventions




Second one: Reaction to food falling from the sky

Nerd Art of 30 Rock

This picture is made entirely of Nerds candy.  Yes, I agree.  This is totally awesome.  (Thanks Kendal)

Movies to Look Forward to October 2010

The summer movie hype is over and now comes the time of year where movies are saved for the Holidays.  This October should have some good movies to tide us over until November and December.  Here is what I'm looking forward to:

My most anticipated movie of October is: The Social Network - The movie about the birth and toddler years of facebook.

Freakonomics - If you haven't read the book, you need to.  It's Malcolm Gladwell-type reading, but it is amazing!  I hope this documentary does the book some justice.

Life As We Know It - This looks like a strangely beautiful movie.  Knocked Up had a similar feel to it.

Conviction - A heartfelt, feel-good story starring Hilary Swank.  Something different, right?  No...  and you'll never guess....it's a true story, too.

Red - This movie seems like a The Expendables knock-off, sorta.

The Company Men - After I saw the trailer, I didn't think it was still worth seeing, until I noticed the cast; and then, I couldn't wait to see it.  Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Costner, Chris Cooper, and written by John Wells.

Andy Samburg is an Effing Genius

Old Spice Commercial Spoof by BYU Students

This is absolutely hilarious.  If you're familiar with the crazy Old Spice commercials, you'll love this.  It's a shame Old Spice's product's sales have gone down since this ad campaign started.