ANNOUNCEMENT

The JoshTarts you know is no longer.

It is now http://www.joshtarts.com!

Hooray!

(And now, here are some of my friends making mean faces, sleeping and attempting murder (Tommy))

Sign Language Matchbook

This is a pretty sweet idea. I'm putting this up here mostly for my friends Danna and Tommy. Enjoy.

American Gangster

My friend Tommy had been hyping up this movie for so long, and finally I had the time to watch it. It's a shame I didn't like it all that much.

There is nothing wrong with this film in particular. I liked the acting, the shots were good, it was interesting, and the music was fine. I am just sick of these mafia movies. I think The Departed capped it off for me. There aren't many other movies like that one, and after so many years of those kind of movies, the pool of creativity in that genre is depleted.

I am not a big fan of Denzel Washington. I don't think he is a bad actor at all, but I just do not enjoy his dramatic touch. There are only 2 of his movies that I really enjoyed. I liked John Q, but this movie is a C at best, and I really liked Glory -- that old movie on the Civil War. Denzel just doesn't appeal to me.
But I do recommend watching American Gangster at least once. I teetered on deciding whether or not watching this movie was a waste of my time or not. I decided that is was worth my time, barely.

Dexter's Superlative: Most Likable Serial Killer

My friend Tommy introduced me to a relatively new show called Dexter. It started on Showtime, but now it airs CBS on Sunday nights at 10PM. The show is slightly disturbing. It is about a blood specialist, CSI-type guy named Dexter.


Dexter works with good people in his division; and interestingly, with his adoptive sister. Dexter's adoptive dad was a police officer also, and he taught Dexter many, many things. Dexter was adopted at 3 by his police officer dad after he was found in a cargo container after 3 days of his mother's murder. Here's the sick part: His mother was chainsawed in the container Dexter sat in for 3 days. Dexter, as a 3 year old, sat in that container with 3 inches of his mother's blood. And consequently, Dexter is a raging serial killer that works as a police officer. But he only kills people that deserve it.

The best part of the show is that you'll really like Dexter and sympathize with him and his problems. I mean, this guy is a serial killer, but you can't blame him. It's crazy! The show is narrated by Dexter and as a result, can be pretty funny. But this crime-drama's at its best when Dexter has some pedophile hanging upside down trying to talk him out of cutting him while in the back of his mind, he is trying to figure out how to get out of the bigger messes he is getting into. It's brilliant.

(Note: This show is highly graphic. It is bloody and twisted. It will cause you to have some pretty weird and twisted dreams. There are some explicit sex scene, as well. Try watching the introduction to the show on Youtube or something, and see if it makes you squezzy or not. The introduction is a pretty good representation of what the show will kind of be like.)