Blog Fusion

2009-08-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

So I'm just about done with a screenplay I've been working on for nearly a year. Here's the first couple of pages. It doesn't really explain much that goes on in the story but it's a tone setter. Tell me what you think! The formatting is not correct for the post but it is correct when you read it in Final Draft. Enjoy!

FADE IN:
EXT. BASKETBALL COURT. DAY
We fade in on a low angle shot of a basketball court. It’s a sunny day in Whitecreek, a few scattered clouds decorate the sky. Baseball and soccer is played on the grass field in the distance. Children scamper around a nearby playground.

A soccer ball drops into the frame. A stalky teenager, DICK, 17, backs his way into the shot. He wears a pair of short “nineteen-seventies” basketball shorts, a blue t-shirt that’ soaked through with sweat, and a white headband. His face is flushed and dripping with perspiration. He breathes heavily and glares at his opponent. Dick heaves a mucus filled cough and hocks a green clump of disgusting off to his left. He wipes his mouth of residual gross and smears it on his shirt.

DICK
Bring it, fucker.

JAKE, 17, stands at half court, his right foot sits on top of the soccer ball. Unlike Dick, Jake has a thin and agile frame. He wears more contemporary sports apparel. He winks at Dick.

DICK (CONT’D)
Did you just wink? You coming on to me, Jake?
(stands and crosses arms)
Tuck it back in your thong, missy! Let’s play some ball!

Jake kicks the ball through Dick’s legs and soccer dribbles it towards the basket. Dick recovers quickly, for his size, and cuts Jake off before he can reach the key. Jake retreats a few steps and dances the ball around the three point line. Dick keeps up but breathing is becoming increasingly difficult. Jake grins.

DICK (CONT’D)
Wipe that grin off your face.
JAKE
You okay, Dick? You don’t look too good. Your face is turning white.
DICK
(gives Jake the finger)
Bring it. Fucker.

Jake fakes right and goes left around Dick. Once in the key, Jake picks the ball up and lays it up into the hoop. He catches the ball as it exits the net and spikes it hard onto the black top.

JAKE
Ball game, Dicky! That is how you play Geraldo Ball!

Dick staggers into the key and puts his hands on his knees, he’s finished.

DICK
(severely out of breath)
No way. That was a foul.
JAKE
Foul?
DICK
Ball before, the key.
JAKE
What?
DICK
You picked up the ball before the key.
JAKE
Oh bullshit! Even if it was a foul, you haven’t scored since Monday. Additionally, I don’t think your body can take another point, chubby.

Jake gingerly pats Dick on the back. Dick instaneously begins to vomit.
FADE TO BLACK.

JAKE (CONT’D)
Oh, Jesus Christ, Dick!

Dick tries to respond but he can’t speak through the throw up.

Black screen.
White Lettering: Shadows of Suburbia.

FADE IN:

INT. ADDISON’S CAR. DAY

ADDISON CHASE, 35, comes to a stop at a red light. She smiles as she reads the sign marking the end of her trip, “Welcome to Whitecreek.” The backseat and trunk of her wagon are packed to the rooftop with belongings. She looks to her son, SHILOH CHASE, 17, whom is asleep in the passenger seat. A portable CD player is nestled in his lap. Addison ruffles her fingers through his hair.

ADDISON
Wake up, sleeps, we’re here.
SHILOH
(shakes head from Addison’s fingers)
Mom!

An annoyed Shiloh rearranges his sandy colored hair.

ADDISON
Oh, come on, Shiloh, it’s messier now that you’re done fumbling with it.

Shiloh pouts as he stares out the window.

ADDISON (CONT’D)
God forbid some cutie would see you in here without your hair in perfect disarray. And if you did catch the eye of said “cutie,” I have a feeling that your hair style would be the last thing on her mind. Unless a sport wagon filled to the hilt with all of our belongings and a giant trailer in tow is a turn-on these days.
Silence from Shiloh.

ADDISON (CONT’D)
Man, did you girls see Shiloh’s trailer yesterday? Man, it was so big, and orange!
Shiloh bites his lip as he fights back a smile.

ADDISON (CONT’D)
Uh oh, he’s loosing it!

Shiloh cracks as he leans over and rakes his fingers through he mom’s maroon colored hair. A car behind them honks.
Addison accelerates through the green light.

SHILOH
Whitecreek, huh?

Shiloh and Addison look inquisitively out of their windows. Whitecreek is a suburb of tree lined streets, brick houses, picket fences, B&Bs, organic food, and milk men.
Addison takes a piece of paper from the center counsel and hands it to Shiloh.

SHILOH (CONT’D)
Okay, it’s a right at the third light. Summerwood loop.
ADDISON
Summerwood loop. It’ll be nice to get into a real house. Motels get old real quick.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREET. DAY

A typical tree lined suburban street. Nice houses, perfectly manicured lawns, the occasional gnome, and an SUV in nearly every driveway. A WEBVAN is making a delivery to a house down the street.
Addison’s wagon rounds the corner and comes to a stop in front of a small single story house. Addison exits the car and stretches. She stands at a trim five feet ten and wears a pair of tight fitting blue jeans and a white t-shirt. Plainly put, she’s the girl next door, fifteen to twenty years later.

ADDISON
Wow.
SHILOH
It’s a real picket fence!

Shiloh skips to the fence and taps his hand on its Gothic tops.

ADDISON
Yeah.

The front door of the house next door opens. A portly lady, LOUISE TUCKER, 43, emerges with an obnoxious wire whisk basket in her hands. Barely able to see past the basket’s contents, Louise lumbers her way across the front lawn. Her permed hair protrudes from the sides of the basket, like a clown trapped in a birdcage.

LOUISE
Hello, neighbors!

Addison calmly steps in front of her son to shelter him from the suburbanite that approaches.

ADDISON
Here, let me help you with that.
LOUISE
Non-sense, my dear, go ahead and open the front door I’ll follow you in.

CUT TO:

INT. THE CHASE HOUSE. DAY

Addison opens the front door to the fully furnished house. She tries to hide the horror on her face but Addison obviously can’t stand what she sees. White carpet, yellow window treatments, and floral patterned EVERYTHING, surround her.

ADDISON
Oh my.

Louise places the basket on the entry way table and straightens her dress.

LOUISE
Isn’t she beautiful? I took the liberty of decorating for you. It’s a little more contemporary than what I prefer but when I heard you were coming from the big city, I went a little more modern.
ADDISON
Oh, did you? I can’t even tell.
LOUISE
Beautiful. I’m sorry, dear, my name is, Louise Tucker.

Louise extends her hand. At nearly six feet tall, Addison shakes the five foot one Louise Tucker’s hand. It looks like she’s greeting an Umpa Lumpa, but with worse hair.

ADDISON
(forced smile)
Nice to meet you, Louise. I’m Addison Chase, this is my son, Shiloh.
LOUISE
Shiloh, what an interesting name.
SHILOH
Nice to meet you, Louise.
Louise frowns.
SHILOH (CONT’D)
Er, uh, Mrs. Tucker.

Louise turns to the basket and removes the cellophane wrap.

ADDISON
Oh, you really shouldn’t have.
LOUISE
Non-sense, my dear. Just a few little odds and ends to welcome you two to our town. Bath soaps, scented candles, fresh coffee, assorted chocolates, and this nifty little salad bowl.
ADDISON
Well, thank you, Louise.

Louise reaches into her pocket and retrieves a small leather bound book.

LOUISE
Oh yes, and of course, the Good Book.
ADDISON
Perfect!

Addison, slightly offended, turns to Shiloh and waves the book in the air.

ADDISON (CONT’D)
Look, honey, God!

Shiloh smiles and snatches the book from his mother.

SHILOH
Rad!

Shiloh begins to sarcastically flip through the pages. Louise is shocked.

LOUISE
Mrs. Chase, I simply brought a few items that I hoped would make you feel welcome.

Addison looks to Louise with remorse.

ADDISON
I’m sorry, that was completely inappropriate and immature. Thank you for the gifts, Louise.

LOUISE
You’re welcome, Addison.
(beat)
Well, I’d better be getting back. I’m supposed to be hosting a PTA meeting later in the evening and I’m no where near prepared.

Addison extends her hand to Louise.

ADDISON
Thank you for welcoming us to the neighborhood.
LOUISE
My pleasure.

Louise waddles her way back to her house but not before shooting Shiloh a dirty glare. Shiloh tips an imaginary cap to Louise who raises her nose and huffs away.
Shiloh and Addison turn back to their home.

SHILOH
Yep, this house is a cock blocker.

Addison grins before smacking Shiloh in the back of the head.

ADDISON
(tosses keys at Shiloh)
Do it to it, son.

Shiloh jogs out to the trailer. Addison looks around the family room and crosses her arms.

ADDISON (CONT’D)
Thanks for the house, Mr. Rockwell.

2009-02-27T14:54:00.000-08:00

I'm hella Japanese!!!! My mom sent this to me and I laughed my ass off at a few of these. Even if you're not born Japanese, you may be Japanese at heart. I know more than a few of you "hakujins" will pass the test. Enjoy!

You Know You're Japanese When...

1. You know that Camp doesn't mean a cabin in the woods.
2. The men in your family were gardeners, farmers, produce workers or plantation workers.
3. The women in your family were seamstresses, domestic workers or farm laborers.
4. Your Issei grandparents had an arranged marriage.
5. One of your relatives was a "picture bride."
6. You have Nisei relatives named Tak, Tad, George, Harry or Shig.
7. You have Nisei relatives named Keiko, Aiko, Sumi or Mary.
8. You're Sansei and your name is Janice, Glen, Brian, Bill or Kenji.
9. You're thinking of naming your Yonsei child, Brittany, Jenny, Lauren, Garett or Brett, with a Japanese middle name.
10. All of your cousins are having hapa kids.
11. You have relatives who live in Hawaii ..
12. You learned the words "bakatare," "urusai," and "yakamashii" because you were called them by your grandparents.
13. You belong to a Japanese credit union.
14. Wherever you live now, you always come home to the Obon festival.

15. The bushes in your front yard are trimmed into balls.
16. You have a kaki tree in the backyard.
17. You have at least one bag of sembei in the house at all times.
18. You have a Japanese doll in a glass case in your living room.
19. You have a maneki neko in your house for good luck.
20. You have large Japanese platters in your china cabinet.
21. You have the family mon and Japanese needlepoint on the wall.
22. You own a multicolored lime green polyester patchwork quilt.
23. Your grandma used to crochet all your blankets, potholders and dishtowels.
24. Wearing shoes in the house is a BIG NO NO.
25. When you visit other JAs, you give or receive a bag of fruits or vegetables.
26. When you visit other JAs, you know that you should bring omiyage.
27. When you leave a JA house, you take leftover food home on a paper plate or a Styrofoam meat tray.
28. You keep a supply of rubber bands, twist ties, butter and tofu containers in the kitchen.
29. You have an air pump thermos covered with lilacs.
30. You know that Pat Morita doesn't really speak like Mr. Miyagi.
31. You're mad because Kristi Yamaguchi should have gotten more commercial endorsements than Nancy Kerrigan.
32. You know someone who has run for the Nisei Queen Pageant.
33. When your back is sore, you use Tiger Balm or that flexi-stick with the rubber ball on the end that goes, "katonk," "katonk."
34. After funerals, you go for Chinameshi.
35. After giving koden, you get stamps in the mail.
36. You fight fiercely for the check after dinner.
37. You've hidden money in the pocket of the person who paid for dinner.
38. You don't need to read the instructions on the proper use of hashi.
39. You know NOT to stick the hashi in your rice.
40. You know that Benihana's isn' t real Japanese food.
41. Sushi and Sashimi is NOT the same thing.

42. You eat soba on New Year's Eve.
43. You start off the New Year with a bowl of ozoni for good luck and the mochi sticks to the roof of your mouth.

44. You put mochi around the house during New Year's.
45. You know NOT to eat the tangerine on the top of the mochi.
46. You have a 12-pack of mochi in your freezer that you still refuse to throw away in July.
47. You pack bento for road trips.
48. Your grandma made the best sushi in town.
49. You cut all your carrots and hot dogs at an angle.
50. You know the virtues of SPAM.

51. You were eating Chinese chicken salad, years before everyone else.
52. You know what it means to eat "footballs."
53. You grew up eating ambrosia, wontons and finger Jell-O at family potlucks.
54. You always use Best Foods mayonnaise and like to mix it with shoyu to dip broccoli.
55. You use the "finger method" to measure the water for your rice cooker.
56. You grew up on rice: bacon fried rice, chili rice, curry rice or red rice.
57. You like to eat rice with your spaghetti.
58. You can't start eating until you have a bowl of rice.
59. You use plastic Cool Whip containers to hold day-old rice.
60. You like to eat your rice in a chawan, not on a plate.

61. You own a 5-cup AND 10-cup rice cooker.
62. Along with salt and pepper, you have a shoyu dispenser at your table.
63. You have a jar of takuan in your fridge.
64. You buy rice 20 pounds at a time and shoyu a gallon at a time.
65. Natto: you either love it or hate it.
66. As a kid, you used to eat Botan rice candy.
67. You ask for things like arare, hashi and have to re-ask using "mochi crunch," "chopsticks," etc.
68. You know the story of Momotaro.
69. You have a pet named Chibi or Shiro.
70. Someone you know owns an Akita or Shiba dog.
71. You went to J-school and your best subject was recess.
72. At school, you had those Hello Kitty pencil boxes and sweet smelling erasers.

73. When you're sick, you eat okayu.
74. Saimin is your Chicken Noodle Soup on those cold rainy days.
75. Milk makes you queasy and alcohol turns your face red.
76. Your dad owns a "Members Only" jacket.
77. Someone you know drives an Acura Integra, Honda Accord or Toyota Camry.
78. You used to own one of those miniature zori keychains

79. You have a kaeru frog or good luck charm hanging in your car.
80. Your parents compare you to their friends' kids.
81. You hang on to the illusion that you are superior to other Asians.
82. Your dentist, doctor and optometrist are Japanese American.
83. You socialize with groups of eight or more people.
84. Whenever you're with more than three people, it takes an hour to decide where to eat.
85. You and your friends call yourselves "Buddaheads," but don't like it when white people do.
86. You've heard your name pronounced a half-dozen different ways.
87. You know that E.O. 9066 isn't a zip code.
88. You know what days March 3 and May 5 is.
89. You're not superstitious but you believe in bachi.
90. You never take the last piece of food on a plate, but will cut it into smaller pieces.
91. As much as you want it, you never ever take the last of anything.

92. You treat an at bat by Travis Ishikawa like he's Barry Bonds. You drop everything and scream your head off if he gets a hit. You also probably reminded your friends sitting by you that he's Japanese.

2009-02-10T14:43:00.000-08:00

Bottleshock. It's not "Sideways" but then again, it's not supposed to be.

Sideways was a great movie but it did something to my life that I will never be able to forgive. Wine enthusiasts will read this, grin, and nod their heads. Pre-Sideways, I found a great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producer in Santa Barbara. Now, this winery was not small by any means but it wasn't a household name either. Back then, I could walk into Safeway and purchase a bottle of Sanford Pinot for just over $15. Wine enthusiasts, you may now grin and nod your heads. Fortunately for Sanford and unfortunately for its long time customers, Sanford was featured in Sideways. Anyone want to speak up and comment the price of a bottle of Sanford Pinot today?

Whoa, usually I digress in the middle of my posts but this time I did it in the lead. Sorry bout that one. Anyway, on to Bottleshock. While wine has been mass produced in California for well over a century, it wasn't until just over 30 years ago that Napa and Sonoma wines truly gained world wide notoriety. Though a love story was added to the story, Bottleshock is based on actual people and actual events that took place in 1976. Centered on Bo and Jim Barrett, the owners of Chateau Montelena, Bottleshock tells the story of how a California chardonnay took first prize in a blind tasting that has now come to be known as the, "Judgment of Paris." Until the 76 tasting, France was undisputedly known as the greatest wine growing region in the world. France's soil (terroir), growing conditions, and expertise were unrivaled until Steven Spurrier decided to feature California wines in a blind tasting that he had organized. But he did not do this out of his desire to see California wines win at his tasting. He came to California in efforts to prove to himself that France was the only region in the world capable of growing gold medal wines. He would soon discover that he was wrong and that he had been missing out on a host of world class wines from.

The opening shot of Bottleshock made me grin. The movie opens on a wide angle helicopter shot of the Napa Valley. We sail over its lush rolling hills flying through a countless number of micro-climates that have now become known as some of the world's best Appellations (Stag's Leap, Rutherford, Oakville, etc). Watching Bottleshock made me further appreciate being a Northern California native. Something that we Bay Area natives seldom think about is how lucky we are to live here. Northern California is one of the best places to live in the world. We are no more than a car ride from any climate that we desire. If we want to ski or hit the craps tables, we simply drive three hours east. If we want to surf or bask in warm sunlight on some of the best beaches in North America, we drive five hours south. If we want to drink some of the world's finest wines, we drive forty minutes north east to Napa or Sonoma.

Bottleshock is a movie that wine enthusiasts will be able to watch over and over. So if you find yourself wanting to stay in and watch a movie for the night, rent Bottleshock, open a nice bottle of wine, and curl up on the couch. It'll make you appreciate the world famous valley that's practically in your backyard and it'll make every sip of your wine that much better.

Cheers.

2009-02-06T16:10:00.000-08:00

Evo vs. STi. It's the Japanese equivalent of the rivalry between the Camero and the Mustang. The Camero, the Mustang, the quintessential American muscle cars. The Stang and the Mero are stuffed to the hilt with horsepower, they're louder than a rock concert, and they're extremely fast. But here's the thing. I've pushed carts around a supermarket that handle better. So, if driving very fast in a straight line on the freeway is your idea of "running" your car, the over weight over powered American cars are for you.

But if you're looking for the complete performance package, turn to the EVO or the STi and for just over $40,000 you'll be able to out accelerate American muscle and out corner a Ferrari all while having enough room to seat five comfortably and enough trunk space to do all of your weekend shopping at the same time!

Unfortunately, due to stringent smog regs in the US, they've only been in the states for a couple of years. But they're here now. And now Americans get to participate in the battle between the EVO and the STi. One of the greatest automotive rivalries in the history of motorized vehicles. Watch this and make your decision. I've always been an EVO guy myself.

2009-01-04T03:14:00.000-08:00

I need to get to the theater early when I go to the movies. Not because I'm obsessed with finding a seat that will have me perfectly situated within the surround sound envelope, but because I love movie trailers. In some cases, the trailers are better than the movie I just paid $11 to see. The art of the trailer is something that gets overlooked and at the same time, it's one of the most important marketing pieces in cinema. A movie's trailer has an enormous effect on it's success, and it often determines how well or poorly a movie does in the theaters. A trailer also ads to the hype factor of a film. How excited were you when you saw the trailer for Star Wars Episode I for the first time? Yes, the movie itself left much to be desired but the trailer got the entire theater screaming with anticipation. In fact, being the in the audience for that trailer was one of the only times I've ever heard an audience cheer for a preview. So, in honor of just recently seeing the preview of X-Men Origins, I give you some of my favorite movie trailers. Enjoy.

P.S. Yes, these trailers may be blockbuster heavy but when was the last time you saw a couple million thrown at the latest Van Sant or Polanski film? There are some good trailers for more Oscar worthy movies but I tend to like the trailers that get you to sit up in your seat after a few frames. The trailers that make you grin with anticipation, the trailers that make you talk to your neighbor when the release date flashes on the screen. Here are those trailers.

Thank you, Youtube!

X-Men Origins. Sure the film isn't out yet but the fact that X-Men fans finally get to see Gambit makes this trailer a brilliant one! X-Men 3 like Spiderman 3 were disappointments, let's hope the latest X-Men and Spidey flicks will redeem their third releases. You're up first, Jackman.

Jurassic Park. Remember back in 1993 when CGI was just beginning to look passable in movies? Remember how you felt when you first saw this in the theaters? Two movies shaped the way that we view the CGI and they were Terminator 2 and Jurassic Park.

The Matrix. What the hell is bullet time? Before 1999, nobody knew. Mind boggling CGI, an innovative and startling storyline, and more action than dialogue from Keanu Reeves made this film an icon of the nineties. Nowadays, bullet time has been replicated more times than Keanu Reeves can say, "whoa."

The Matrix Reloaded. None of the sequels quite lived up to their predecessor but Reloaded came damn close. With arguably, better action and fight sequences, Reloaded gave fans exactly what they were looking for in the "bigger and badder" sequel. I left the theater thinking, "okay, we just had a bunch of action stuffed down our throats, I'm sure the third will evoke a little emotion and add a little more substance to Reloaded's thin storyline. My goodness was I wrong. But hey, 66% of the Trilogy was amazing. But, then again, it nearly took Trinity 66% of the trilogy to finally die after getting impaled by about spaceship's worth of re bar.

Star Wars Episode I. Yes, the movie sucked, and yes, the movie did not live up to any of its high expectations but the trailer for Ep-1 created more buzz than the latest Paris Hilton beaver shot. I've never been in a theater that started hooting and hollering for a movie trailer. I can't say I wasn't pumped when I saw this trailer. Come on, a duel sided light saber? That's f'n sweet!

Goldeneye. Many thought Bond had been killed back in 1989. And his murderers were named, Timothy Dalton and John Glen. Fortunately, the greatest Bond director since Terrence Young, directed Bond's return. Michael Campbell is responsible for applying the paddles and shocking the Bond franchise back into greatest on two occasions. He did so with Goldeneye and managed to direct the best Bond film next to Goldfinger in Casino Royale. Here's the trailer for Goldeneye and watch it keeping in mind the fact that until this trailer was released, almost nothing was known about the film, let alone its release date.

The Bourne Identity. Remember this trailer? Remember thinking to yourself, is that Matt Damon? No really, is that Will Hunting kicking ass and shooting stuff? It's always refreshing when an actor takes a risk. Damon's choice on taking the Bourne role catapulted him into super stardom and pushed him into a league of actors that can take on any character in any type of film. Looking at Damon's career so far, the actors that he is most easily compared to are Pacino, Crowe, Jolie, Blanchett, DeNiro, W Smith, and DiCaprio. These are Oscar winners and nominees, these are actors that have credibility in ANY role they take. You can take them seriously or hang on their backs and enjoy the ride. Fans will be enjoying Bourne for a long time to come, who knows, we could be witnessing the birth of the US Bond Franchise. I hope not, but with a fourth Bourne in the works, anything is possible.

The Dark Knight. One of the greatest performances of recent history will also be seen as one of the greatest tragedies cinema. Heath Ledger's untimely death added buzz to the already eagerly anticipated sequel to Christopher Nolan's, Batman Begins. By adding buzz, you also add expectation. With expectations at red line before Ledger's death, they went through the proverbial roof when he was found dead on January 22, 2008. Staring the highest expectations placed on a movie since Star Wars Episode 1, The Dark Knight went on to destroy nearly all box office records while also getting rave reviews. The most anticipated movie of 2008 will undoubtedly go down as one of the most memorable films of the decade. Here's the trailer that gave us our first view of Ledger's historic character.

Saving Private Ryan. Is it possible for someone to win an Oscar before their movie is even release, or finished for that matter? I'm sure a lot of people shared my sentiments after seeing this trailer. It has Oscar written all over it. If my recollection is correct, 1999 was a rare year where the Oscar for best picture went to the correct recipient and best director the same. Shakespeare in Love for picture, Saving Private Ryan, director. Of course, that was the year that Edward Norton got hosed.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
If you're a movie enthusiast and or a Lord of the Rings junkie, don't tell me you haven't watched the entire extended trilogy from front to back in one day. And don't tell me you haven't done the same while listening to the commentary. I forget which movie I was watching when this trailer was shown but this trailer brought the geek/nerd out in every male in the audience, and even a few girls. Yes, this trilogy blows the geek following of a Marvel Comics release out of the water but the fact of the matter is, this trilogy couldn't have been done any better. The films were incredibly long but for some reason there isn't a slow moment in them. The action scenes get better and bigger as the movies progress and in the end, the films leave you craving just one more three and a half hour film.

Casino Royale, 2006. Why does Martin Campbell do anything besides direct Bond movies? Unless you're an avid fan of Vertical Limit or Antonio Banderas as Zorro, Campbell's career is as dependent on Bond as the Broccoli family. After reigniting Bond mania with Goldeneye, the Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli went on to make three more movies with Brosnan as Bond. Tomorrow Never Dies was decent but The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day were jokes. Thankfully, Campbell was brought back on to direct the prequel to all Bond stories. Christopher Nolan had done it the year prior with Batman and Martin Campbell did it in 2006 with Bond. He brought fans a gritty hard edged Bond that didn't rely on fancy gadgets and an invisible Aston Martin to get him out of trouble. He used his fists and brute strength and in turn showed us the weaker side of Bond, the human side of Bond. This is a characteristic that Bond fans like me have longed to see. But at the same time, we were a little hesitant on how it would be done. Campbell did it perfectly and gave us the best Bond film in more than three decades, and possibly ever if you think about what it did to a dieing franchise. Here's the trailer that started it all. Well, this is actually the second trailer that was released but it's the best one.

2008-12-13T15:49:00.000-08:00

The Academy might completely screw the best cinematic sequel of all time.

So the Golden Globes aren't the Oscars but they're seen as a prequel to the Oscars. Golden Globe nominations usually closely mirror those of the Oscars a few months later.

This summer, a little movie entitled The Dark Knight hit theaters and proceeded to blow away some of the highest expectations modern day cinema goers have had for a movie. It instantly shot to the #2 greatest film of all time on the Internet Movie Database's Top 250 films of all time. ALL TIME! It's since settled nicely into the #4 spot but if you look at the top 20, all of those films have Oscar written all over them. And if the Golden Globes are a true precursor to the 09 Oscars, The Dark Knight is going to get the greatest cinematic shaft of them all. Now, you may be screaming the words Shawshank Redemption at your screen right now but remember, it got NOMINATED FOR SEVEN OSCARS! The fact that it didn't win a single one is truly tragic but as of now, The Dark Knight stands to get one and only one nomination come March. So, I'm throwing the first stone as I expect the Oscar nominations to closely mirror those of the Golden Globes. Here's my list of ten reasons The Dark Knight should be getting more Oscar press than it currently is. Of course I'll be happy to eat my words if it gets the nominations it deserves.

10. It's the first film EVER to use a combination of IMAX and 35mm formats in a theatrical release. All of the action sequences were filmed in IMAX so if you saw the film in IMAX, you were treated to some of the most awe inspiring images you've ever seen on an 80 foot hight movie screen. And it's not getting a cinematography nod because???

9. Oscar winner Hanz Zimmer and Oscar nominee James Newton Howard collaborated to create the movie's score. Haunting and terrifying harmonies pushed you to the edge of your seat when you were watching the movie. Its score is sure to be used in trailers for decades to come. The score itself was just as much of a character as the actors in the frame. Where's the nomination for best original score. Can't nominated it because it's a sequel and the music has been done before? Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings are a few movies that come to mind.

8. Special effects. Everyone saw the big rig flip in the trailers and when we got to the scene in the film, we all knew it was coming. But we still laughed and clapped our hands when we saw it happen. When Batman and Mr. Lau were zipped from the blown out building in Hong Kong, applause. Nearly all of the effects were done for real but using a computer to enhance these effects is a skill all in its own. And the Oscar goes to Indiana Jones for making big ants look really really scary and for making a Jeep chase in the jungle look really really bad!

7. Directing. How do you make a two and a half hour movie worthy of re-watching it a mere seconds after the credits start rolling? Two words. Christopher Nolan. Think that this was a fluke? Have you seen Memento (IMDB #28), The Prestige (IMDB #82), and oh yeah, Batman Begins (IMDB #99)? Some films like are great fun to watch because of the special effects and action scenes such as Mission Impossible III and Aliens (IMDB #64). But then there are films such as Heat (IMDB #132), Saving Private Ryan (IMDB #57), Casino Royale 2006 (IMDB #242) and The Bourne Trilogy (Ultimatum #139) that bring emotion and complexity to the equation. Nolan did that in spades when he directed the fourth best film according to voters on the IMDB.

6. Why do we care about a semi-psychotic billionaire that dresses up in a bat suit? Because Oscar caliber writing makes us believe in Batman and his motives. Christopher and Jonathan Nolan deserve a nod for adapted screenplay. Yes, the story of Batman has been told for well over half a century but making the new Batman story is a work of genius all in its own.

5. The cast. Now, there isn't an Oscar for best cast but let's take a moment to look at the caliber of actors and actresses that have contributed to the film. Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger, and Christian Bale.

4. The impact of The Dark Knight on the action hero and super hero genre. No longer do we follow our hero without wondering where they came from or why they do what they do. We movie goers want to feel what the hero is feeling. We want to hurt when they hurt. We want to see the world through their eyes and not through that of the third person. We have yet to see The Dark Knight's true influence but look back on this post in a couple of years and you're sure to see that many films have used Nolan's work as a template for their own.

3. The Dark Knight is a masterful collage of genres. It is an action film. It is an adventure film. It is a love story. It is a summer blockbuster. It is a tragedy. How do you put all of that into a a package and make it believable as well as entertaining? See #7.

2. $530,722,000. The Dark Knight's current domestic ticket sales total. $600,788,188 Titanic's domestic ticket sales total. Difference = $70,066,188. Did I mention that The Dark Knight is going to be released on January 23, 2009?

1. The Dark Knight's lasting appeal. This film is timeless. Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker will go down as one of the greatest achievements in acting the silver screen has ever been a party to. Christopher Nolan's masterpiece will be watched for decades to come. And it will be loved and admired. Why do films have lasting appeal? Because they're not only beautifully filmed, but because they've got the entire package. The stars, the director, the dialogue, and the story.

It's not often that a film of this caliber comes along. Sadly, The Dark Knight is set up for one of the biggest Oscar snubs in history. Let's hope and pray that I'm wrong.

2008-12-10T15:56:00.000-08:00

12-9-08 One of the best DVD/Blu-Ray release dates in history!

Oh yeah and . . .

Seeing as Lost is still on air, I'm not going to throw it in with The Wire and The Dark Knight, though the day that the complete series of lost comes out on DVD/blu-ray will be a historic one as well.

A blu-ray and a DVD box set were released on 12-9-08. These two releases included arguably the best sequel in the history of the silver screen and at the same time, one of the best movies ever made. IMDB's top 250 ranks it behind The Godfather I & II and The Shawshank Redemption as the fourth best movie of ALL TIME! Not bad for a franchise that once included a Pre-Oscar and pre-good choice in movies George Clooney, Chris O'Donnell who you've all forgotten about until you read his name, and a fat Alicia Silverstone. Thankfully, Christopher and Jonathan Nolan have completely erased that Bat-Era from out minds.

Now, on to the GREATEST TELEVISION SHOW EVER!!! It's called, The Wire and if you this is just another cop drama, you're incredibly wrong. I could go into specifics about the show but that would be like telling you about the first six episodes of Lost before you've seen them. It will ruin the show. All I will say is that The Wire is masterfully written, perfectly casted, massively underrated, and one of the greatest social commentaries ever broadcast. It will change your views on public schools, standardized testing, the printed press, law and drug enforcement, and child services. All while making you laugh at a character one minute and cry for them in the next. The sad thing is that The Wire NEVER got the praise it deserved while it was on the air. The Emmy's and Golden Globes are the most bullshit awards in the entertainment world. They might as well be called the best of NBC, CBS, ABS, and FOX awards. Anything that's aired on an alternative or cable network rarely gets recognized with even a nomination. The Wire was one of these series. HBO usually hits the mark with their original series but they struck gold with, The Wire.

If you have a spare $200 lying around and feel like buying yourself an early Christmas present, head down to the store and pick up The Dark Knight and the complete series of The Wire. You'll save nearly 40% by buying it this week and like HBO's Band of Brothers, you'll find yourself watching it all the way through at least once a year.

2008-12-08T15:22:00.000-08:00

Giants making a "Splash Hit" in the offseason and winter meetings.

Bag on the Renteria signing all you want, I like it. Sure he's 33 going on 34 but unlike the majority of "old guy" signings the Giants have made in the past, Renteria is actually good. I mean, did you actually expect Aurilia to do well outside of the homer heaven in Cincinnati? Did you expect the post roid Ryan Klesko to continue to hit home runs?

Renteria is a career 290 hitter with pop from the right side. It's a known fact that it's easier to yank one out to right at AT&T than it is for lefties. Also, I like Burriss at second more than I do at short. Renteria is a decent defensive shortstop and not someone that would crack under the pressure of following up the best defensive shortstop the game has ever seen in Omar Vizquel. Remember the pressure that Lance Niekro underwent when JT left? How'd he fair?

With the addition of Affeldt (the best free agent lefty availble) and Howry, the bullpen has gone from a Matt Cain heart attack to something that actually might get him some wins this year.

And with the likes of Alderson and Bumgardner waiting in the wings, to trade Sanchez for a bat would be one of the best ideas in recent years. The Giants have a minors system of pitching talent that won't only make it to the majors, there are about three guys that have the chance of attaining Cain-like levels. Ditch Sanchez, get Cantu and sign Sabathia.

You do that and you've got your clean up hitter and one of the best rotations in baseball. How does Sabathia (Cy Young winner 07), Lincecum(Cy Young winner 08), Cain (Cy potential), Zito(Cy Young winner 02), and Lowry (Giants leader in wins 06-07) sound?

And if it's offensive talent you're looking for, don't forget about Mr. Posey who's less then an year from donning a Giants uniform and top prospect Villanova who's a complete masher.

The Giants are going to be good and they're going to be good very soon. With the Padres and Rockies dumping salary, the D-Backs maxed out, the Dodgers are the Giants only contention in the West this year. You could figuratively be watching Joe Buck screw up a Giants playoff broadcast as early as this fall!!!

2008-12-08T13:09:00.000-08:00

5-15 and no, that's not a reference to tax day.

The Warriors finished the miracle 06-07 season with a 42-40 record.
They finished the playoffless 07-08 season with a 48-34 record.

Right now, they're 5-15. Do you see them going 37-25 for the rest of the year? Do you see them finishing the season on a 43-19 run? Didn't think so.

Less than two years after their historic playoff run and less than a year after a heartbreaking yet wildly entertaining 07-08 season, the Warriors and their fans came into the 08-09 season with high hopes. Though Baron Davis would be wearing a Clipper's jersey, the Warriors still had the likes of Ellis, Biedrins, and Jackson, a formidable starting three. Not to mention 20pt a game Corey Maggette and a rising star in Kelena Azebuke.

Three weeks and nine loses ago, the Warriors looked good but not great. All they were looking to do was hang around in the west until Ellis returned. A week later with the addition of Jamal Crawford and the departure of Al Harrington, it looked as though the Warriors were poised to gain ground on the floundering Mavericks and the aging Suns. The only thing that the Warriors have done since their win at home against Brandon Roy's Blazers is show how horrible they are at defending the ball. They're the worst defensive team in the NBA and though I haven't googled it, they're probably breaking some sort of NBA records for points allowed.

While watching them score is fun, watching their "matador" defense is sickening. They make the interior of the opposing hoop look like a six lane freeway. And when Biedrins and Turiaf are the only ones crashing the boards, opposing offensive rebounds have at times equaled the Warriors rebound total.

It's sad to say that the Warriors of today have once again reverted to the Warriors of old. They're a bad team with good players and good fans. And though we're only 1/4 of the way through the season, it's most likely over. So why not get the young guys a chance to play? Why aren't Randolph and Wright starting or at least getting more than twenty minutes? These are two long and lean guys that can rebound and score inside. These are two guys that can help Biedrins gobble up some boards. I would love to see the threesome of Biedrins, Wright, and Randolph on the floor at the same time and see what happens. And why not? You know what you're getting from Maggette and Jackson, it's time to start to get an idea of what the Warriors can do with some young talent.

I've come to grips with the fact that the Warriors are going nowhere fast and being a Giants fan I've grown accustomed to watching bad teams. But like the Giants, the Warriors have a ton of talent. Why not get these guys ready this year and see what they can do with extended and regular minutes. We know the Warriors can score, we know that when Ellis gets back and gets healthy he and Crawford will be able to run a break. We need to know how Randolph, Wright, and Morrow factor into the equation for next year. And Don Nelson needs to get away from the six man rotation. There's a reason why at least twelve guys suit up every night and it's not to make the bench look good.

I'd like to see the starting five look like Crawford, Maggette, Jackson, Biedrins, and Azebuki/Ellis. With Randolph, Wright, Turiaf, and Morrow coming off the bench in a designated fashion. You know you can score with the starting five so why not try and build a lead with them and rotate long guys like Wright, Randolph, and Turiaf once a lead has been established? The only guy that's not going to score much is Turiaf but what he brings to the floor defensively is priceless. Build a lead and rotate Maggette for Turiaf, Wright for Jackson, and Randolph for Crawford, Ellis/Azebuki when you need to. That gives your guys a rest so that when they come back out onto the floor, they can run and guy at full boar all the time.

What I'm trying to say is that it would be nice to get a NFL-like rotation going. An offensive and defensive line if you may. But the cool thing is that 95% of the Warriors can score. Shuffle guys in and out of the game and keep the opposition on confused.

I'm a Warriors fan through and through. I'm not just a bandwagoner so I'll be watching them when they're good and when they're bad. I just want to see a little change is all. There's enough talent on this team to make a loosing season look good. But in order to do that, you have to start playing the unproven and the unknown to see what you can have for next season.

2008-11-30T14:04:00.000-08:00

Came across an article on my homepage, The Internet Movie Database, called the 100 greatest movie characters of all time. As I clicked further and further into the list I began to agree more and more with their choices. Martin Riggs at #100 is a great choice! I mean how many movies and TV shows have used the Riggs formula when writing for their now clichéd characters?

Enjoy the list.

2008-11-28T16:29:00.001-08:00

We've lost some heavy hitters of the TV industry in the past couple of years. Shows like Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, Rome, Deadwood, The West Wing, Arrested Development, and the best TV show of all time, The Wire are gone and what do we have to replace them? Grey's Anatomy, The Sarah Conner Chronicles, Prison Break, 24 (hasn't been good for a while), Desperate Housewives, and Heroes (you guys should have stopped while you were ahead)? Not much back up if you ask me.

Now, there are a few shows out there like Lost (PS DO NOT watch any episode of Lost unless you're committed to watching it from the beginning, if you do that, you'll ruin the entire experience), Rescue Me, 30 Rock, Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm, House, and the soon to be canceled Life. But that's nothing compared to what we had just a few years ago. And now we've lost The Shield. And now, there's very little besides sports that make paying for cable worth while. WIth Netflix, I'm perfectly happy waiting for this season's season to come out on DVD next year. I can use that time to watch shows like Sports Night, Studio 60, and Boomtown over on DVD while I wait. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there is a ton of good tv on DVD right now and if you haven't seen any of the shows I've listed, I highly recommend you give them a chance. All of the shows I've listed will have to staying up till five in the morning saying, "okay just one more episode." They'll have you running to your local video rental store looking for the next disc in the series because you can't wait that one day for it to arrive via Netflix. And they'll have you posting blogs like this when you finish them. Good TV is a rarity and good TV that's still on the air is even more uncommon. Give the listed shows a chance, I guarantee you'll love all of them.

2008-11-28T15:40:00.000-08:00

The Shield 2002-2008

Shows that aren't on the four major networks never get the acclaim they deserve. If it's not on FOX, NBC, ABC, or CBS, critics will give you as much publicity as ESPN gives to the West Coast.

F/X's The Shield came to an end this last Tuesday, November 25th, leaving a void that will not soon be filled by the shows that are currently on TV. That's not to say that there isn't any good television being broadcast because there is. But The Shield was unlike anything ever seen on TV. The fact that we were rooting for a group of dirty cops that were guilty of the murder of one of their own creates one of the most unique paradoxes in television history. How do you root for the man that just killed a cop in cold blood? In the series premier for crying out loud! If you're looking for a series to get hooked on and if you want to see Oscar caliber acting by previous Oscar winners such as Glenn Close and Forest Whitaker, check out The Shield. It will go down as one of the best TV shows of all time.

2008-11-24T14:26:00.000-08:00

Marty Scorsese?!?

If you haven't yet seen the season five finale to Entourage, STOP READING NOW!!!!

For those of you that did, what a great way to end an up and down season for the entire cast. This was by far the darkest season and in turn I think this was one of the better ones. We spent eleven weeks waiting for Vince to climb out of the shit only to see him get pushed deeper into it.

We've all seen actors who've been at the top of their game until a few bad decisions shot them from the A-list to straight to DVD releases. Can you say Cuba Gooding Jr?

I was beginning to think that Vince would spend the entire fifth season in the dumps and the sixth season was going to show his slow rise to power, especially after Vince fired Eric with only a few minutes left in the finale. But the writers gave us more than a happy ending. They gave us something to look forward to and something to admire when re-watching the fifth season. Vince spent eleven weeks getting dragged through the mud but the final five minutes of the finale made it all worth while. Because of Eric's hard work, Vince landed the lead in a new Scorese film that's going to be shot in New York. Eric and Vince made amends and everything is well in the Chase camp.

It was a perfect ending to a roller coaster of a season that took Vince, Turtle, Eric, Drama, and Arie to new highs and lows. Every character matured more in the fifth season than the previous 4.5 before them (4.5 because season three was split into two parts). Just think about what we have to look forward to in season six.

Vinny gets to film in his hometown of New York, a city that wasn't seen on the show until this season. Arie has Dana Gordon on his side. Drama has a new bar. Turtle is dating a Soprano! And then there's Eric. He's repping Bow Wow who just beat the shit out of Seth Greene ("what up E?"). The one thing they need to do is bring back Emmanuelle Chriqui AKA, Sloan. She's one of the hottest girls that's ever been on Entourage and I think they did a little foreshadowing in episode 5.10. Besides, what's she got going now? Don't Mess With the Zohan, you've got to be kidding me! Come back to us, Sloan!

Season five is over and we won't see the crew until the Summer of 09 but here's a little Arie Gold to get you through until HBO starts showing the entire series that leads up to the premier. Enjoy!

2008-11-24T13:43:00.000-08:00

Want Lamborghini-like handling for around $40,000? This is what you should be driving.

So what do you get when you buy a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo? Click on "Top Gear" to find out. This is what I'm saving for.

2008-11-21T15:08:00.000-08:00

See ya later, Al! Harrington for Crawford in 1-1 trade with the Knicks.

In a deal that seems to have worked out well for both teams, the Warriors have gotten rid of Al Harrington and received a player that's averaging 20pts and 4.4 assists per game with the Knicks. Harrington has been asking for a trade since the season began back in late October, he's been out since November 5th with an apparent back injury.
Who'd the Warriors get? His name is Jamal Crawford and he's having a career year seemingly thriving under the fast paced offense of Mike D'Antoni. He's also got what the Warriors are looking for.

Crawford is a thin and quick shooting guard that can shoot from all around the court including 45% from beyond the arc, he's also a career 83.5% free throw shooter. This trade and the trade that took place hours later shows that the Knicks are prepping for the future. The Warriors obviously got the better end of the deal but the Knicks are planning on signing LeBron James in the summer of 2010 and if they're going to be players in the James sweepstakes, they've got to get rid of a lot of money.

Nevertheless, the Warriors got rid of Al and they got a 20pt scorer in return. Like I've been saying, if the Warriors can simply hang around the .500 mark until Monta gets back, there are hopes of them flirting with the eighth seed this season. The Mavericks, Suns, and Spurs are in decline and the Warriors are in the progress of building a very strong team. The season is young but the Warriors are a totally different team than they were back in October. They're improving with every game and with Crawford on the team, they've got someone who can run the point and let Jackson play in his normal position.

2008-11-20T15:50:00.000-08:00

C.C. to SF?

I just came across this article in the CC Times that says the Giants are expected to make a huge offer to free agent, Bay Area Native, C.C. Sabathia.

I may be one of the only people in the world that thinks this would be a good signing. First of all, Sabathia is a Bay Area native and a life long Giants fan. The mental aspect of playing for the very club that he grew up with would further add to the new clubhouse camaraderie that we've seen in the post Bonds era. Many Giants fans will have to choke back vomit if the Giants sign him but I think it'd be a great signing. Remember the big four in Atlanta of Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine, and Avery? How does Sabathia, Lincecum, Cain, Zito, Lowry sound? How about having Lowry and Zito two starters that would be number two or three guys in any other organization back up your rotation? And don't forget about Madison Bumgardner. He was the minor league's most impressive pitcher for 2008. That's not just in single A Augusta, that's an award that encompasses the entire minor league system.

Now this Sabathia stuff is all speculation and is something that was most likely leaked for a reason. But if the Giants sign Sabathia, that leaves the door open to trade players like, Lowry, Sanchez, Schierholtz, and a mid season deal for Winn when a playoff contender needs a switch hitter with a .300 average. A bat you ask for? How about packaging top talent like Lowry, Sanchez, and Schierholtz?

Building a championship team takes bold signings and I think that the Giants are making steps to create a young offensive team that's being backed up by the most awesome starting five the game has seen since the five man rotation became the norm. Look down the pipe in the Giants organization and you'll see true talent waiting to make it to The Show. Guys like Alderson, Bumgardner, Nicholson, and oh yeah, Golden Spikes Award winner Buster Posey are itching to show the organization what they can do. Does the Golden Spikes award sound familiar? It should, because a guy named Tim Lincecum won it in 2006. What'd he do in 08?

The West is going to be a hard fought division for years to come and I think that the team you see develop in 09 will begin to make headlines in 2010 and beyond. 2008 was the worst that you're going to see this team for a long long while. To lock up Sabathia would be a statement from the Giants saying that they're ready to make that push and they're ready to put game six of 2002 behind them and create a new franchise that will put San Francisco back on the map of the baseball world. The Giants are the most prominent and storied West Coast baseball organization and they've been in the dumps for a quite a while. Get ready to again be excited about Giants baseball. Change is coming and it's coming soon. And with the Padres, Rockies, and D-Backs dumping salary and rebuilding, expect the Giants to make the West interesting next year. The Dodgers will loose two top end guys in their rotation (Lowe and Penny) and when you don't have pitching, you usually don't have a winning team. It happened to the Yankees, Cardinals, Astros, Marlins, and Rockies last year.

The end of the Bonds era came last year. This year a new era will begin. And it starts with the five guys in the rotation. Sign Sabathia and you plant the seeds of success

2008-11-19T13:26:00.000-08:00

Quick, open a new page and do a google image search on Anthony Morrow. You'll find art from Morrow Anthony and a few pictures of a skinny guy in a Georgia Tech uniform.

Anthony Morrow no longer plays for G-Tech, in fact he's been a starting shooting guard for the Warriors for the past two games. He started on Sunday in LA versus the Clippers and went off for 37 points and 11 rebounds. Not only that, Morrow went 15/20 from the field and 4/5 from beyond the arc. For those of you who aren't basketball savvy, shooting 75% while scoring 37 points is nearly unheard of. In fact Morrow, an undrafted rookie, put up the most points of any undrafted player in the history of the NBA. It was a performance worthy of a short Sportscenter player profile and it got Warriors fans itching to see him in action on Tuesday night against the Portland Trailblazers.

What did Morrow do for an encore? How about 11 points in the first half on 4/6 shooting including three in a row from three point land. This seems to be a trend for the Warriors, finding talent that hasn't been drafted. There are three members of the Warriors that were undrafted as of 2006. C.J. Watson (began play in 07-08) is our back up point guard and someone that played a huge roll in last night's win. Kalena Azebuki (began playing for the Warriors in mid 06-07) was an undrafted rookie that recently signed a $4 million contract with the Warriors in the off season, oh yeah, he went for 15pts and 8 rebounds last night. And then there's Morrow, the find of the 08-09 season. He's the type of player that other teams cannot afford to leave open and the type of player that's going to draw defenders to him, leaving other teammates open. Morrow went for a game high 25 points last night on 8/12 shooting, a 66% clip. He's an unselfish player that knows his limits and knows when and when not to shoot, a attribute that few NBA players possess. His career as a starter is only two games old but he's already getting attention from around the league. The best part? He's only going to get better!

2008-11-17T14:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome back 007.

Trying to make a Bond movie better than Casino Royale is like trying to make a The Usual Suspects 2 in hopes that the audience would forget who Keyser Soze is. Casino Royale and The Dark Knight are two very rare instances when the movie exceeded the high expectations set upon it. It would be foolish of someone to go into Quantum of Solace expecting a better movie than Casino Royale.

As a Bond fanatic, I've come to grips with two tragic truths about Bond movies. First, it seems that every Bond movie tries to trump the other. They try and be bigger and better than the previous one and in every case since the Connery era, the producers have failed. Not since the big three of Dr. No, From Russia With Love, and Goldfinger have Bond producers succeeded in blowing away expectations. Second, not since Connery have two movies been good in a row. The Spy Who Loved Me was good, Moonraker was fucking horrible. On Her Majesty's Secret Service was great but Lazenby stepped down after just one film. The Living Daylights was bad and so was Licence to Kill (a tragic waste of one of the best Bond titles ever). Brosnan came close with Goldeneye (one of my favorite Bond movies) and Tomorrow Never Dies but TND was only fair. That brings us to Mr. Craig and his second outing as the redefined Bond.

Quantum of Solace is in no way a better Bond movie than Casino Royale, and that's what makes it a perfect sequel. Marc Forster did not try to make QoS better, he simply worked off of it. QoS is the first true sequel in the Bond franchise and I think that Forster did an excellent job. Martin Campbell re-energized the franchise with Goldeneye and reinvented Bond with Casino Royale. Marc Forster simply plays off of Campbell's work instead of trying to create his own vision of Bond. One of the new themes in the Bond movies is emotion. Not only do Campbell and Forster show you Bond as a hero, they show you why he's a flawed hero. Something that until 2006 was only addressed in Ian Flemming's books and not the movies. Which brings me to the main plot of QoS.

It's a revenge story, plain and simple. Bond is after the organization that is responsible for the death of Vesper Lynd, his only true love. The Bond girl, Olga Kurylenko, plays Camille, a women after a dictator who killed her family. Bond and Camille's common interest is Dominic Greene, played by Mathieu Almaric. Almaric's character will unfortunately go down as one of the forgotten bad guys because he doesn't have any defining characteristics or some cartoonish henchman at his side. I personally wish his character had a bigger part in the movie, but I understand why he didn't have a bigger character. Greene is merely a pawn in the new Bond Franchise's network of evil. Connery's Bond dealt with SPECTRE, Craig's Bond will be dealing with Mr. White and the group known as Quantum.

There are many negative reviews of this movie and that's because I think only two types of movie goers will really appreciate this movie. One is the true Bond fan, one that notices the subtle nostalgic nuances in the film. For instance, Bond uses the Walther PPK for the first time since Tomorrow Never Dies and notice the position that Fields was placed on the bed after being dipped in oil (it's the same position Jill Masterson was placed in Goldfinger). The second type of person that would enjoy this film is the action film fan, someone that's seen Bond films but has no interest in them other than the fact that they're going to see fast cars, hot women, and cool shootouts.

Craig's Bond is nothing like any other Bond we've seen. You might as well call Craig's four Bond movies (he's signed on for two more) The Bond Quadrilogy. QoS is simply the launching point for the final two movies in the series and if you look at it as an hour and fifty minute teaser trailer, you'll love it. It's packed with action and stuffs a heaping amount of character development into a short amount of time without boring you. Felix Lieter was merely a field agent in Casino Royale, now he's high up on the CIA food chain and Bond is gaining the trust and respect of M. He is slowly transforming into the cold blooded martini drinking killer we've come to know, and Quantum, the new face of evil is slowly being exposed.

I didn't expect much from QoS, in fact, I was a little concerned giving the Bond franchise's track record when following an immensely popular movie. But Forster and the writers, Robert Wade, Neal Purvis, and two time Oscar winner Paul Haggis did an excellent job. They set us up for third and fourth movies that will have many looking back on QoS realizing what a good movie it is. It's a Bond movie that won't be admired until the Craig storyline is complete. I guarantee you that plot elements and story lines were started in QoS and they will be completed in Bond films to come. So get to the theater and watch QoS, it'll entertain you now and wow you in a couple of years.

2008-11-13T03:06:00.000-08:00

What if Brosnan and Craig had a deathmatch? Who would win? All I know is that I'm going to see the new Bond flick tonight and I'm hella pumped!

2008-11-12T14:43:00.000-08:00

33 hours to go!!!

2008-11-12T14:17:00.000-08:00

Timmy!

Congrats to Tim Lincecum on winning the second Cy Young award in SF Giants history. Thank, Tim, for making the 08 season something to worth watching. Now if only the Sabean can find us a couple of bats and a bullpen that doesn't suck balls.

2008-11-10T15:34:00.000-08:00

NL Cy Young to be released tomorrow. Let's hear it for Tim Lincecum.

It's gonna happen! And this is why. Click the SI cover to see 6 of his 13 strikeouts come in the first six outs of the game.

2008-11-10T15:07:00.000-08:00

We Believe!, we're going to be bad this year. . .

The Warriors are in bad shape. Ellis' suspension lasts for another 25 games, Corey Maggette is still nursing a bum hammy, and Al Harrington is still officially a Warrior. Rumor mills are spinning fast enough to power the entire Bay Area but until Harrington leaves the Bay, he will be an inoperable tumor in the Warriors' organization. In the past week and a half, the Warriors have lost to two of the worst teams in the NBA. They lost two games to the MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES! And lost to the Kings last night. Which leads me to believe that the Warriors aren't just loosing to bad teams, they're a bad team as well. The buzz of the 06 Playoffs is long gone and while the Warriors may still draw some of the biggest crowds in the NBA, fans may be in for a rough ride until Monta Ellis comes back in the middle of December.

Even if he does come back, he may only be taking part in the Warriors' epitaph, playing in meaningless games for the last four months of the season.

Last year, the Warriors started 0-6 but they had players like Ellis, Baron Davis, and an Al Harrington that wanted to be on the team. Without any of those players and only Steven Jackson and Andres Biedrins to carry the load, Don Nelson's Warriors are quickly reverting to the team that we once watched under the likes of Mike Montgomery.

But that's merely the worst case scenario. The Warriors have two more wins now than they did at this point of the season a year ago. If they can some how right the ship and play somewhat close to the .500 mark, something may happen come December. Ellis was drafted out of high school and he's still a kid, and he's going to heal like a kid. Yes, he had surgery, and yes he had surgery on the ankle that he pushes off of but I expect him to come out of the gates ready to play. Bobby Rowell has made some questionable decisions in the past but he's getting better and better with each passing year. I expect to find a good home for Harrington and get a good player in return. The Warriors' season has again started on a low note but if you think about the past fifteen years, when has it not? Remember, the Warriors were in the playoffs in 06 and were in the race until the final week. they're going to start clicking and with the extended minutes that the rooks are getting, in my opinion, they can only get better.

2008-11-10T13:32:00.000-08:00

Four days to go!

For all of you that know me, I tend to flip out when a new Bond film is on the way, especially when it features someone other than Roger Moore part II (Pierce post Tomorrow Never Dies). Quantum of Solace is supposed to be a revenge story. That's all I know. I refuse to read any articles on the movie for fears that it will partially ruin it for me in much the same way that I read about the end of the first Daniel Craig Bond film. Anyway, I'll be posting until we go on Thursday at 11:59. Lemmie know if you're in! Laterz

2008-11-06T15:11:00.000-08:00

Bend it like Beckham . . .

Or a Toyota Aygo? Well, since the only active link on this post is the Aygo's pic, click it to see how you REALLY play "football."

2008-11-06T02:34:00.000-08:00

The first piece of fan mail I ever wrote was to Michael Crichton. As a kid, my reading level was always a year or two ahead of my classmates. In fifth grade, I was asked to write a letter to my favorite author. I had seen Jurassic Park in theaters and had just finished reading the book. After finishing Jurassic Park, I quickly began to read my way through Crichton's other works. He was and still is my favorite author to this day. Sadly, Crichton lost a long battle with cancer and died on November 4th.

Crichton inspired me as a kid and still inspires me today. His ability to write educational yet action and suspense filled novels has shaped the way that I write today. I may not have the educational background that he did but I always strive to write stories that may be fantastic in nature but are rooted in reality. I will miss Crichton and I will forever remember the impact that he has had on my creative side.

Michael Crichton. 1942-2008

2008-11-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

Congratulations President Elect Barack Obama! I've been voting since I turned 18 and last night's election was the third Presidential election that I have participated in. I voted for Gore and technically won back in 2000. I watched Kerry get beat by the slimmest of margins in 2004. Looking back on the past eight years of my voting history, I wouldn't change a single thing. The first President that I voted for that won, was Barack Obama. Just thinking about the historical importance of last night tears me up.

Despite the economic woes of the past year, despite the U.S.'s ever deteriorating situation in Iraq, and despite the mountain of shit that Bush Jr., has piled on top of all of us, I am hopeful. Last night, the voting citizens of America recognized that change is needed and the Republican Party is not who they want spearheading the efforts. The Democrats not only won the White House, they also won the Senate. Their hopes of a filibuster proof 60 seat Senate are growing faint but the fact of the matter is that the Democrats won not only the election but they won a majority of the Senate. Now is the time for Obama and his party to start re-shaping America. I'm proud to be an American and I am even more proud to have taken part in such a historic election. America is beautiful.

2008-11-02T12:46:00.000-08:00

FIRE RIPS THROUGH SAN RAMON CONDO.

At around 1am yesterday morning, a fire broke out in a third floor condominium near Club Sport in San Ramon. Although the 911 call was received shortly after the fire started and fire fighters arrived on the scene five minutes later, both third floor units here destroyed. Resident Eric Matsui said that he was boiling water but turned on the wrong burner and melted a plastic cutting board that was sitting on the stove top.

Thankfully that story is not true. My house is not gone but I did melt a cutting board on my stove last night. Not one of my finest moments but thanks to my cat-like reflexes I was able to disconnect both of my fire detectors before they went off! The only thing I'm worried about is the amount of melted plastic smoke that I inhaled. I've had this raging headache ever since the smoke died down and I keep hearing the chorus to "Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Deep Blue Something, in the background. Which is weird because I'm listening to my I-Pod right now. So I'm basically listening to the Weezer remix of a nineties one hit wonder. I hope I'm okay. . . Maybe all I need is a nappppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
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2008-10-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

Click him to be taken to the server's support group homepage.

2008-10-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

If only it were horseshoes and hand grenades. . .

I graduated from college earlier this year and my graduation gift was or is lower level season tickets to the Warriors. If you're a fan, you know that the 08-09 season holds little if no playoff hope. In the off season, the Warriors signed Monta Ellis, one of the most explosive and talented players in the NBA, to a five year contract extension worth upwards of $66 million dollars. To celebrate, Ellis went home to Mississippi to participate in activities deemed illegal according to the verbiage in his contract. He's out for at least three months and even if he weren't, the Warriors suspended him for thirty games. Because the Warriors play in the West, a conference that's never been so dominant in the entire history of professional basketball, only the best of the best of the best make it to the playoffs. The Warriors won 49 games last year and did not make the playoffs. To put that in perspective, the eighth seed in the east had a win loss record of five games below .500! The icing on the cake? The Warriors open the season by playing the third best team in the NBA, the New Orleans Hornets.

It should have been a rout. It should have been over before tip off. The 19,128 people that were in attendance were there to welcome the beginning of the season, to see some new faces, and to watch Chris Paul, the best young point guard in the league, dismantle the W's. And all signs pointed to just that when the Hornets got off to a quick 8-2 lead. But then something happened. The Warriors locked up the interior of the court and force the Hornets to take off balanced shots from outside the key. They still made them but at no where near the pace they would have had they been able to drive to the hoop. And the Warriors didn't go away. Every time I thought the Hornets were about to pull away and put away the Warriors, Steven Jackson or Corey Maggette hit a clutch three that put the Warriors back in the game. They even had a ten point lead with seven minutes to go in the second quarter.

The Oracle crowd brought it, as we always do, and when the Hornets called time with four minutes to go in the game and the Warriors down by just two points, a look of disbelief flashed across the Western Conference semifinalists of last season. Could this Monta-less team really be keeping pace with the league's elite? Even the home crowd didn't believe what they were seeing. You see, Northern California possess a rarity in sports towns, knowledgeable fans. And as much as we wanted to see a win, nobody really expected it. For 47 minutes and 46 seconds, the Warriors held fast. Never completely loosing control and always staying in the Hornets' rear view mirror.

But there they were, 14 seconds remaining, down by one with control of the ball under their own basket. Fourteen seconds, a lifetime in the NBA. More than enough time to inbound the ball, move it around the floor, and take it to the hoop. And seeing as how the Warriors were in the bonus, the Hornets would be hard pressed to foul with anything less than five seconds left on the clock. Then it happened. The hopes of 20,000 strong were dashed when the inbounds pass was tossed, out of bounds.

The Warriors fouled, the Hornets made both of their free throws, and with 3 seconds left, Al Harrington (who wants out of GS) threw up a three to tie that was on line but rattled in and out of the cylinder. The final score was 103-108, David West, Tyson Chandler, Peja Stojakavic, and oh yeah Chris Paul were just one clutch shot better than the Warriors. But if that's how the W's are going to play against one of the league's best, this season may not be as depressing as we thought. Loosing Ellis for the first 30 games is a death sentence on the 08-09 season. But if the end is inevitable, I'd much rather watch a team fight and claw its way to the finish than lay down and wait for the doors to close. The Warriors could have given up at a number of points last night but they didn't. What last night did for me was get me wondering.

What if they keep in the race for the first thirty games? I'm not saying that they have to be leading the West but what if they stay about two or three games back of the eighth seed for the first thirty? What if Monta comes back and is healthy? What if Al Harrington gets traded somewhere and the Warriors get a serviceable point guard in return? What if Marco Belinelli and Brandon Wright have the kind of break out seasons that Ellis and Biedrins had back in 06-07? It'll take a minor miracle for those stars to align but here's the thing, the Warriors have the talent to do just that. They're deep on the bench and if the rooks play up to their potential, we may be in for an interesting season. I don't like quoting people but, Alexander Pope said that "hope springs eternal." I may be wrong but hasn't that been the motto of Warriors fans since that magical spring of 07?

2008-10-29T15:23:00.001-07:00

Are you a car enthusiast? If you are, hell, even if you're not, check out this site and check out this TV show. It's called Top Gear and it airs on BBC America on Mondays. If you've got Comcast it's on channel 162, DVR it, you will not regret it. Here's the difference between Top Gear and the castrated "Road and Track" shows that we see in the states. They actually "drive" the cars. Ever go on a test drive and have the guy in the car with you tell you to keep it under four thousand revs or go easy on it? How are you supposed to know what your car can do if you can't push it to the limits?

Well, the guys at Top Gear do more than rev their cars. They show you what they were built for and what they can and can't handle. And it's not like they're just test driving Aston Martins and Ferraris, they test drive almost anything, including the Mazda RX8. A car that we can afford! Better yet, a car that was built from the ground up to perform. Ever dream of reving your car to nine thousand rpms before even thinking about shifting? Hop into the RX-8, turn off the radio, and enjoy the symphony that is a 2.6 liter rotary powered engine.

And there's more!!! Not only does Top Gear educate its viewers, it entertains them. What better way to show a car's superior handling ability then have it try and out maneuver an AH-64 Apache Gunship? If that's not a reason to buy a Lotus, I don't know what is.

Bottom line, Top Gear is one of the most original shows out there. Mind you, there's a show called Fifth Gear (that's nearly the same thing) but it doesn't air in the US and Top Gear is better anyway. It's hosts aren't just talking heads that introduce video clips. They're trained drivers that know how to send a car round a track and make you laugh at the same time. Check out the links I posted and DVR Top Gear, you will not be disappointed.

2008-10-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

Ever wanted to go back in time? Well, if you're an American that's buying gas to fuel your car, you've been transported three years into the past. The national average of a gallon of gas is down to $2.629. According to this CNN article, gas hasn't been this low since October 24th, 2005! For years, gas has been like a movie ticket, something that only goes up in price. But thanks to the recession that's setting up camp in our great country, even gas companies are feeling the hit.

The reasoning behind the plummeting gas prices is explained by simple high school economics. Supply and demand's direct relation to one another. Americans aren't traveling, in fact, they haven't been doing so for quite some time, hence the 41 day decline in gas prices. This summer, tourism was down as much as twenty five percent in Hawaii, a state that depends on the dollars of tourists to survive, seeing as they've uprooted nearly all of their pineapple plantations to construct hotels and condominiums. Did you know that Californians pay some 33% of Hawaii's sales tax?

At least there's one bi-product of the Bush administration's destruction of our economy that we can enjoy. Right now, the Chevron around the corner is selling regular gas for $3.05 a gallon. That same Chevron was selling regular for $4.29 in mid July. Who knows, by the time you read this post, gas in the East Bay may fall below $3.00 for the first time in years. To put that in perspective, if that were to happen, that would mean that the national average of a gallon of gas would be flirting with the $1.99 mark.

So gas is at a three year low. Just think about what we were thinking three years ago. Back in 2005, we were still reeling over the resurrection of the Batman franchise, we still had a Republican Congress (ugh), the Yankees were good, my house in the East Bay was worth something, Pierce Brosnan was still James Bond, and who the fuck was Sarah Palin?

Oh, by the way, Chevron's at $2.99!

2008-10-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

I can't believe this blog is still active. I started it over two years ago and just recently came back to it. It seems fitting that I'm starting this blog up just a month before the next Bond film is released. I remember when I posted the link to the Casino Royale trailer. Now, two years later Quantum of Solace is just a month away! So, here's another link, this time to Bond 22's second theatrical trailer! I'm back on blogger just in time!

2006-09-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

Are you a fan of Entourage?

Well if you are, click on this guy for ten minutes of nothing but Mr. Ari!

2006-09-24T09:55:00.002-07:00

Before I get to posting cool video blogs, I had to throw this up there. This is the full length trailer for the new Bond movie coming out on 11-17.