Scenes like this, with the point to set up how cool Kirk is supposed to be and how all the fanboiz want to be Kirk, totally miss the message. At least Bateman gets it.
Yeah. I'm also seriously depressed that in the future, there are still totally creepy douchebags.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sacrificing Democracy In The Name Of Religion
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Goes On Trial
This has been in the news for a few days. Do religious zealots get any stupider?
I first read about Suu Kyi when I was in college, and thought she was a pretty brave woman (or at least in some way knew what she was doing) to undergo house arrest in the name of democracy and freedom, even after she had been given the option to leave Burma.
I hope something good comes out of all of this.
This has been in the news for a few days. Do religious zealots get any stupider?
I first read about Suu Kyi when I was in college, and thought she was a pretty brave woman (or at least in some way knew what she was doing) to undergo house arrest in the name of democracy and freedom, even after she had been given the option to leave Burma.
I hope something good comes out of all of this.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Lost City Radio in WeHo
I went out to see Lost City Radio perform at The Cat Club in West Hollywood this weekend. I like seeing good local talent live and this band is really well-put-together. The only thing I think they need to improve on is to turn up the lead's mike a bit.
Lost City Radio is mainstream rock and roll without any "alternative" or sub-genre label tacked onto it. Combined with the good fortune of being leagues better than the band that came on before and after them, they had the entire bar crowd involved that night. Their lead is pretty relaxed and works audiences very well.
After the show we crawled across the alley to Frankie & Johnnie's New York Style Pizza for . . .beer and pizza! The walls are covered with notes and signatures of B-list celebrities and the pizza really hit the spot. The server we had was really nice but it seemed that some of the other servers there could probably work on their hospitality skills.
Lost City Radio is mainstream rock and roll without any "alternative" or sub-genre label tacked onto it. Combined with the good fortune of being leagues better than the band that came on before and after them, they had the entire bar crowd involved that night. Their lead is pretty relaxed and works audiences very well.
After the show we crawled across the alley to Frankie & Johnnie's New York Style Pizza for . . .beer and pizza! The walls are covered with notes and signatures of B-list celebrities and the pizza really hit the spot. The server we had was really nice but it seemed that some of the other servers there could probably work on their hospitality skills.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Movie Review - Star Trek
Although not without its flaws, Star Trek is a good enough film to see in theaters. I have a feeling many scenes only work well if the viewer is acquainted with the characters (most notably the opening scene), and there are many nods to common quotes and mannerisms.
Karl Urban does a great job as McCoy, and I think is possibly the best in terms of how close to the character he is.
Zachary Quinto as Spock comes as a close second. I think this film is really Spock's film, as most of the character-driven parts of the story are for Spock.
I liked Eric Bana's Captain Nero, but I also felt his character was only written in broad strokes. Most of his character development is done in exposition near the end of the movie and by that time you don't much care. We're just going to have him die and throw him away. While I suppose that attitude is fine enough, he delivers a more memorable villain than most Trek films have.
I've been undecided how much I really like the film. It was an awesome experience to see Star Trek in the theaters (especially on opening night), and the film is not as bad as I feared it might be. It is definitely worth going to see, as it's probably the best offering of the May movie lineup.
The computer screen effects are really awesome. This was the biggest improvement to the Enterprise computer interface that I noticed, although I think I prefer the screens on the USS Kelvin a little better.
I like the new uniforms and most of the new set designs. I thought those all were well done. The music is also very good, excepting a bit of "this is how you should feel" music during the first scene. There is also a nod to the original theme written by Alexander Courage at the end.
I wasn't a fan of the new warp special effect or of the big corporate brand product placement. There is also a lot of "creative" lens flares and glaring light, which I think detracts from the film substantially. It's also hard during any of the combat scenes to have any sort of idea what's going on, who is hitting who, etc.
I didn't like how Starfleet Academy was used as the vehicle to bring the majority of the crew onboard the Enterprise, and how loose Abrams treated Starfleet protocol in general. While I like the characters that form a romantic relationship in the film (it recalls a TOS episode's backstory that is related in one of the cast's autobiography), HOW they generated the relationship seems inappropriate to me.
There are a few campy scenes, and for the most part they are well done. Funny not cheesy.
I feel undivided about the BIG AWFUL THING that happens. I'm not sure that was necessary.
Because of the way Abrams rebooted the franchise, I believe it's negated ALL of the Star Trek that came before. I don't like that. You can pretty much wipe the entire slate clean and start with Star Trek: TOS, season 1 again, minus the object and people concerned with the BIG AWFUL THING. (Really, you can find elsewhere what happens. I'm sure it's all over the web now.)
So yeah. Go see it. It's not perfection, but it's far from the crapfest I was expecting. I think they can do better.
Karl Urban does a great job as McCoy, and I think is possibly the best in terms of how close to the character he is.
Zachary Quinto as Spock comes as a close second. I think this film is really Spock's film, as most of the character-driven parts of the story are for Spock.
I liked Eric Bana's Captain Nero, but I also felt his character was only written in broad strokes. Most of his character development is done in exposition near the end of the movie and by that time you don't much care. We're just going to have him die and throw him away. While I suppose that attitude is fine enough, he delivers a more memorable villain than most Trek films have.
I've been undecided how much I really like the film. It was an awesome experience to see Star Trek in the theaters (especially on opening night), and the film is not as bad as I feared it might be. It is definitely worth going to see, as it's probably the best offering of the May movie lineup.
The computer screen effects are really awesome. This was the biggest improvement to the Enterprise computer interface that I noticed, although I think I prefer the screens on the USS Kelvin a little better.
I like the new uniforms and most of the new set designs. I thought those all were well done. The music is also very good, excepting a bit of "this is how you should feel" music during the first scene. There is also a nod to the original theme written by Alexander Courage at the end.
I wasn't a fan of the new warp special effect or of the big corporate brand product placement. There is also a lot of "creative" lens flares and glaring light, which I think detracts from the film substantially. It's also hard during any of the combat scenes to have any sort of idea what's going on, who is hitting who, etc.
I didn't like how Starfleet Academy was used as the vehicle to bring the majority of the crew onboard the Enterprise, and how loose Abrams treated Starfleet protocol in general. While I like the characters that form a romantic relationship in the film (it recalls a TOS episode's backstory that is related in one of the cast's autobiography), HOW they generated the relationship seems inappropriate to me.
There are a few campy scenes, and for the most part they are well done. Funny not cheesy.
I feel undivided about the BIG AWFUL THING that happens. I'm not sure that was necessary.
Because of the way Abrams rebooted the franchise, I believe it's negated ALL of the Star Trek that came before. I don't like that. You can pretty much wipe the entire slate clean and start with Star Trek: TOS, season 1 again, minus the object and people concerned with the BIG AWFUL THING. (Really, you can find elsewhere what happens. I'm sure it's all over the web now.)
So yeah. Go see it. It's not perfection, but it's far from the crapfest I was expecting. I think they can do better.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Spoiled
It was just a comment.
I said something about how I must be spoiled because I prefer the quieter, cleaner art-house theaters over the multiplexes these days, and cited my experience when I went to The Soloist at Del Amo Fashion Center.
"Spoiled?! Oh, Diane wouldn't be spoiled, would she?"
He used to tease me with that phrase when I was a child and would cry when I didn't get what I wanted.
What. The. Hell. I thought we were supposed to be adults. Just a few nights ago he told me I needed to have more self-confidence.
Webster 4th definition of "spoiled" states: to impair the disposition or character of by overindulgence or excessive praise; to pamper excessively; coddle.
If I allowed my mother to, she definitely would coddle me, and it irritates me to no end. But I don't see how I could have ever been overindulged or praised excessively; there was no money with which to do that with. I was not one of the kids who were bribed for good grades by their parents. I didn't get to even apply to my first or second choice for college. I kept myself from trying out for the drill team (dance squad) in high school because if I made the team there would not be the money to buy uniforms with and pay for travel expenses.
I support myself and can afford to live on my own. I'm grateful for what I have.
These are not attributes that would cause me to relate the 4th definition of "spoiled" to me.
Maybe I should have been born a son. Or maybe he was not of the disposition to raise children. Maybe he resents that I took time and money away from whatever he would have preferred doing with that time and money.
Maybe he really meant the 3rd definition: to damage seriously; to impair the quality or effect of.
My mother taught me how to be taken advantage of in relationships and my father taught me how to loathe myself. Thanks, folks. You spoiled me.
Now I have the rest of my life to fix all that and hopefully not perpetuate it.
I said something about how I must be spoiled because I prefer the quieter, cleaner art-house theaters over the multiplexes these days, and cited my experience when I went to The Soloist at Del Amo Fashion Center.
"Spoiled?! Oh, Diane wouldn't be spoiled, would she?"
He used to tease me with that phrase when I was a child and would cry when I didn't get what I wanted.
What. The. Hell. I thought we were supposed to be adults. Just a few nights ago he told me I needed to have more self-confidence.
Webster 4th definition of "spoiled" states: to impair the disposition or character of by overindulgence or excessive praise; to pamper excessively; coddle.
If I allowed my mother to, she definitely would coddle me, and it irritates me to no end. But I don't see how I could have ever been overindulged or praised excessively; there was no money with which to do that with. I was not one of the kids who were bribed for good grades by their parents. I didn't get to even apply to my first or second choice for college. I kept myself from trying out for the drill team (dance squad) in high school because if I made the team there would not be the money to buy uniforms with and pay for travel expenses.
I support myself and can afford to live on my own. I'm grateful for what I have.
These are not attributes that would cause me to relate the 4th definition of "spoiled" to me.
Maybe I should have been born a son. Or maybe he was not of the disposition to raise children. Maybe he resents that I took time and money away from whatever he would have preferred doing with that time and money.
Maybe he really meant the 3rd definition: to damage seriously; to impair the quality or effect of.
My mother taught me how to be taken advantage of in relationships and my father taught me how to loathe myself. Thanks, folks. You spoiled me.
Now I have the rest of my life to fix all that and hopefully not perpetuate it.
What Star Trek Is To Me
There has been a lot of buzz this week regarding the new Star Trek movie J.J. Abrams directed. The buzz has been overwhelmingly positive, having a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes the last time I checked.
From the trailers and clips that I've seen, the movie could either be really good, or it could be just an action film with some Star Trek branding. I'll see for myself on Friday night.
I'm not overly familiar with the original series, although I've seen several episodes and have watched all the movies. I am much more familiar with the Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. When I first started watching Star Trek, I was in 8th grade and feeling fairly lonely and dejected. I felt I had few friends, and was isolated from the community I was living in by culture, religious views, and physical distance.
The first Star Trek episode I watched was Deep Space Nine's The Forsaken. Soon I was watching Deep Space Nine every night (and later The Next Generation) and had worked my sleeping schedule around school and Star Trek.
What did I find so alluring about the two series?
I loved the character-driven stories. I also loved the moral dilemmas that would be solved (or not) in a way that wouldn't sacrifice the characters' integrity. And throughout it all I loved the undercurrent of hope for a better tomorrow.
As far as canon goes, I really hope the new film stays true to the characters. It looks like Karl Urban has McCoy down, and Zachary Quinto will be passable as Spock. Chris Pine's Kirk just seems like a jerk to me, but maybe Kirk in his youth was a jerk. Hopefully something happens in the film and he turns out to be likable by the end.
From the trailer, I'm not buying that they would let a cadet command a starship, but OK. I'll let it fly if the movie is good.
I'm concerned about the antagonist. I adore the Romulans and really like Eric Bana's work but from what I've read his character comes across as poorly written and undeveloped. I wasn't impressed with how they handled the Romulans in the last movie and I'm going to be deeply disappointed if Nero just ends up being another rogue character. The Romulans really are cool enough they don't need anything "extra" to be in a movie.
I think time travel is OK, but I also think the whole "we're going to reboot the franchise and screw all the original continuity - we can just make our own!" attitude offputting. But we'll see.
I like the new set design of the bridge, even though it does look like an iPod puked on it.
I hope the "undercurrent of hope" in the film will not be summed up as "We hope we can make a sequal". That would be frustrating.
So we'll see. I hope the movie is good enough they will make some more films or series in the future, but I also hope that it doesn't get boiled down to just another action film. There needs to be something intelligent to ponder over too. If they can give me that I think I'll be OK with the movie.
From the trailers and clips that I've seen, the movie could either be really good, or it could be just an action film with some Star Trek branding. I'll see for myself on Friday night.
I'm not overly familiar with the original series, although I've seen several episodes and have watched all the movies. I am much more familiar with the Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. When I first started watching Star Trek, I was in 8th grade and feeling fairly lonely and dejected. I felt I had few friends, and was isolated from the community I was living in by culture, religious views, and physical distance.
The first Star Trek episode I watched was Deep Space Nine's The Forsaken. Soon I was watching Deep Space Nine every night (and later The Next Generation) and had worked my sleeping schedule around school and Star Trek.
What did I find so alluring about the two series?
I loved the character-driven stories. I also loved the moral dilemmas that would be solved (or not) in a way that wouldn't sacrifice the characters' integrity. And throughout it all I loved the undercurrent of hope for a better tomorrow.
As far as canon goes, I really hope the new film stays true to the characters. It looks like Karl Urban has McCoy down, and Zachary Quinto will be passable as Spock. Chris Pine's Kirk just seems like a jerk to me, but maybe Kirk in his youth was a jerk. Hopefully something happens in the film and he turns out to be likable by the end.
From the trailer, I'm not buying that they would let a cadet command a starship, but OK. I'll let it fly if the movie is good.
I'm concerned about the antagonist. I adore the Romulans and really like Eric Bana's work but from what I've read his character comes across as poorly written and undeveloped. I wasn't impressed with how they handled the Romulans in the last movie and I'm going to be deeply disappointed if Nero just ends up being another rogue character. The Romulans really are cool enough they don't need anything "extra" to be in a movie.
I think time travel is OK, but I also think the whole "we're going to reboot the franchise and screw all the original continuity - we can just make our own!" attitude offputting. But we'll see.
I like the new set design of the bridge, even though it does look like an iPod puked on it.
I hope the "undercurrent of hope" in the film will not be summed up as "We hope we can make a sequal". That would be frustrating.
So we'll see. I hope the movie is good enough they will make some more films or series in the future, but I also hope that it doesn't get boiled down to just another action film. There needs to be something intelligent to ponder over too. If they can give me that I think I'll be OK with the movie.
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