Tuesday, December 18

LOST Season 4 Preview

Apparently I only post videos now.

Season 4 starts on January 31. Eight episodes (half the season) were finished before the strike. Hopefully it ends soon and they can do a whole season.

Monday, December 17

New Dark Knight Trailer!

There's finally a real trailer for The Dark Knight online. I beseech and implore you to watch it. It gives me goosebumps.

Or, you can just watch it here (the quality isn't as good):

Saturday, December 15

Jason McElwain

This is over a year old, and you've probably already seen it, but I needed to post something on a happy note after that last rant. : )
Jason also has his own Wikipedia entry.

Wednesday, December 12

Liberals can be lame too...

Growing up as a democrat, it was easy to laugh at Limbaugh or Coulter or Hannity--they always seemed to be frothing at the mouth at worst or unfunny, stiff, and arrogant at best. I even remember reading Al Franken's Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot in elementary school, before I knew it had anything to do with politics. I just liked Franken because he was Stuart Smalley, the friendly self-helper from Saturday Night Live. Later on in life I grew a fondness for Michael Moore. I mean, come on--you may not agree with his ideas, or even his methods, but he is a lovable guy. And he's funny. Basically, I liked the liberals because they were funnier. Think of that what you will. I suppose humor is important to me. Maybe more than health care or global warming.

Lately, however, the liberals have been doing their best to act like bigoted ignorant neanderthals. Lawrence O'Donnell and Keith Olbermann* can now officially join the excusive group of Limbaugh, Coulter, and Rosie O'Donnell, (are they related?). Whether the entire media is slanted to the left is still up for debate in my opinion, but MSNBC seems to be doing their best to balance out FOX News.

- O'Donnell's tirade on Mormonism
- Olbermann's
- O'Donnell further making a fool of himself
(I would go into detail about each of these and why I thought they were lame, but that might take a while. If you want to talk about one of them specifically, I would love to hear it.)

Where have the compassionate, caring, and NONprejudice liberals gone? I'm sure there are some out there.

Hugh Nibley was my kind of democrat. One who ACTUALLY practiced his ideals, unlike O'Donnell, for example, who calls himself a socialist--yet he seems to be living a nice rich actor/commentator's life. I have little respect for anyone with extreme political beliefs on either side who lives on more than they need.

*NOTE (12/16) - Due to some feedback, I just watched the Olbermann clip again, and have to say I was not fair to him, nor accurate in my assessment. He may be smug, but he did not say anything bigoted against Mormonism. My mistake.

Saturday, December 8

Top 5 in 2007

My favorite movies of 2007 (including their Tomatometer ranking):

1 - Amazing Grace - 71% (Maybe the most inspiring movie, ever (to me). Period. Some lackluster reviews--don't pay attention to them.)
2 - Hairspray - 93% (Makes me want to dance! With a nice story thrown in as well, and Christopher Walken!)
3 - The Bourne Ultimatum - 93% (The best in the series)
4 - Transformers - 56% (Any movie that can get me squealing for joy like an 8 year old is a good movie)
5 - Ocean's Thirteen - 69% (Also my favorite in the series)


Not on the list because I still need to see them:
-No Country for Old Men - 96%
-Enchanted - 94%
-I am Legend - n/a
-Sicko - 93%

And the "Biggest Waste of a $1 rental" award goes to Ghost Rider - 27%, which wasn't even bad in a funny way. It was just bad.

Anything you would recommend? What was your favorite movie this year?

Friday, December 7

One more reason why I'll never live in Tooele

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

"Thad LeVar of Tooele discovered he was the victim of a vandal Wednesday after someone painted gang graffiti on his home's retaining wall. Before he had a chance to report the vandalism, a neighbor called the city to complain and a code enforcement officer from Tooele's Community Development Department came to his home and left a notice that he would receive a citation if the graffiti was not removed within seven days.

What the officer did not do was report the vandalism to the Tooele Police Department, even though graffiti is a crime. LeVar did contact the police, and they were quite interested in taking a report and investigating the graffiti. Here's a radical thought: What if those two government departments of the city of Tooele actually talked with each other?"

Monday, December 3

Heston-Smith, Nicholson-Ledger

The new movie I Am Legend is based off a 1954 novel of the same name. ALSO, The Omega Man, a creepy movie from my youth, was also based off said book, albiet more loosely. For some reason, my family thought it was pretty much the coolest movie ever. All I remember from it is creepy albinos who talked funny, Charlton Heston in his usual pose (making wise cracks and firing a machine gun), and my sisters trying to cover my eyes so I wouldn't see a woman's bare buttocks (they were marginally successful).

The new movie, starring Will Smith, comes out in two weeks. I am going to see it. In IMAX. And guess what is being shown right before it? The first 5 minutes of The Dark Knight! But only in IMAX... While some may have a small amount of defensiveness regarding their memories of The Omega Man, or even Jack Nicholson's Joker, this is a rare time when I'm excited for the remakes. Even Michael Caine, one of the coolest actors ever, said Ledger's Joker is going to impress: “I tell you the big surprise in the new ‘Batman’ — Heath Ledger as the Joker. He’s fantastic. He’s gone in a different direction than Jack (Nicholson) … Jack was like a really scary old, nasty old uncle with a funny face. Heath is like the most murderous psychopath you’ve ever seen on the screen,” Caine said.

Sunday, December 2

Utah Jazz crowd tries to show off its redneck-ness

How did Jazz fans manage to boo Derek Fisher, one of the classiest guys in the NBA? Maybe it's because we're all depressed. Who knows. How did they manage to boo Fisher and not Kobe? Does that make sense?

Fisher was even more impressive in his reaction:
"I'm choosing not to make a comment about the crowd reaction. . . . I'll think about what happened, but that's about all the attention I want to give it, really."

Wow, Jazz fans. We should be ashamed of ourselves.


Others agree (from the Trib comments, which I usually can't stand, but this time were therapeutic):
"That was tacky and classless, and now Jazz fans are the ones getting booed by public opinion around the league. Many people cheered Fisher, but others booed, and that's all Fisher will remember."

"I am a loyal Jazz fan and am personally ashamed of those so-called fans at the game, who from the willfully stupid empty center of their souls, booed Fisher. You are an embarrassment to yourselves and to your city."

"You booed a man who chose his daughter over our beloved Jazz. On national TV no less. Now the entire country can see what a*****es we really are. The man should have received a standing ovation when he was introduced. Instead we treat him worse than we did Kobe after he raped some chick…..don’t we pride our community on our family values?"

--"some chick?" Ok, maybe that guy is a redneck too.--

"Jazz fans, as a group, have very little class. It's evident in things like chanting "Lakers Suck" while they're being handed a serious beat down. I hate the Lakers as much as the next guy, but act like you've been there already. Occasionally our fans make Philly fan look like a class act. Last night was one of those occasions."

"So Cal Jazz fan here. Love the Jazz, hate the stinkin' Lakers and I also hate the fact that our classless fans are getting more attention than one of my favorite Jazz teams ever. Oh well, nothing Utahn's love more than "National ATTENTION!!!"---To Fish, God Bless you and your family! Thanks for the memories and give your daughter a hug in the name of so many Jazz fans who appreciate what you did in your time in SL."