I like what Colin and Greg Strause set out to do in Skyline. As aliens invade Los Angeles and start harvesting humans it only focuses on one small group of friends and a concierge who helps them out (David Zayas as Oliver). Arguments regarding how they should proceed are introduced, some wishing to stay put in a high rise apartment, others seeking to make a break for the ocean and escape on a yacht. With no means of communicating with the outside world and discovering the extent of what is happening, they need to employ their best judgment and rapidly decide what must be immediately done.
Before they're transformed into inhuman monsters.
And when the unknown zealously threatens your survival what should you immediately do? Remain hidden in your inconspicuous shelter, cowering behind a bookcase in a corner, or directly engage the unforeseen, if necessary, as you attempt to navigate your way through its treacherous set of destructive circumstances?
On your way to freedom.
Freedom obviously isn't guaranteed but its appeal generates a degree of unquenchable hope in the breasts of its proponents who think the aliens won't scour the high seas as vigilantly as they harvest the city.
Skyline's streamlined specific focus would have been smoother had the group's internal interactions possessed a greater flair.
For what lies beneath.
But I suppose that's the point. When a crushing external force prevents you from accessing your terms of reference, nothing but a suffocated trepidatious version of those terms remains, anxiously clutching the surface.
That's the point I swear.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
The Grey
A plane crashes in the sub-arctic Alaskan wilderness and its survivors find themselves hunted by a pack of blood thirsty wolves. Who knows why this particular pack decides to suddenly start attacking Liam Neeson (Ottway) and his co-workers (Neeson theorizes that they have crashed too close to their den) but they uncharacteristically do and Joe Carnahan's The Grey unreels in their pursuit.
Thinking they'll be safer in the woods and that a rescue team will never find them, this group of rugged drifters and loners leaves the crash sight and struggles to make their way across a barren stretch of frozen ground amidst brutal winds and freezing temperatures, one of them devoured en route.
After the rest of them make it, the wolves continue to circle and prey and in between confrontations we learn more about their troubled lives. They continue to move forward with the pack at their backs, arguing and conversing along the way.
In the end only one remains, having shockingly persevered longer than his fallen brethren.
Ready to battle the alpha.
Ignoring the logistics of everything that actually takes place in The Grey and focusing on how it recklessly pits a wild and brazen group of freewheeling hard-living workers up against their grizzled natural counterparts in a ludicrous unforgiving clash of human versus animal kind, may make the film more digestible.
In terms of the absurd.
Figuring that Neeson would be given the majority of the lines, I was interested in seeing whether or not his dramatic flexibility was still capable of motivating an entire film, from beginning to end. But my calculations were incorrect and the supporting cast is given plenty of room to manoeuvre, giving Neeson time to sit back and carefully structure his lines with shrewd deliberate nuances whose intermittent interjections and patient intonations carefully unify the supporting cast's dynamics in a thoughtful cohesive heterogeneity.
While the wolves constantly disrupt their unity.
Some of the lines seem like they came straight from an oil rig as well which gives them an endearing authentic quality.
In terms of what to do should your plane crash in a remote location, The Grey offers little practical advice.
Unless wolves begin to insatiably stalk you.
But as far as films celebrating derelict itinerant dispositions go, The Grey's not that bad, and perhaps by making its subject matter foolish, Carnahan tries to lure us into the narrative unconsciously, by harnessing the helpless qualities of our disbelief, thereby making us feel more like the characters in his film.
Thinking they'll be safer in the woods and that a rescue team will never find them, this group of rugged drifters and loners leaves the crash sight and struggles to make their way across a barren stretch of frozen ground amidst brutal winds and freezing temperatures, one of them devoured en route.
After the rest of them make it, the wolves continue to circle and prey and in between confrontations we learn more about their troubled lives. They continue to move forward with the pack at their backs, arguing and conversing along the way.
In the end only one remains, having shockingly persevered longer than his fallen brethren.
Ready to battle the alpha.
Ignoring the logistics of everything that actually takes place in The Grey and focusing on how it recklessly pits a wild and brazen group of freewheeling hard-living workers up against their grizzled natural counterparts in a ludicrous unforgiving clash of human versus animal kind, may make the film more digestible.
In terms of the absurd.
Figuring that Neeson would be given the majority of the lines, I was interested in seeing whether or not his dramatic flexibility was still capable of motivating an entire film, from beginning to end. But my calculations were incorrect and the supporting cast is given plenty of room to manoeuvre, giving Neeson time to sit back and carefully structure his lines with shrewd deliberate nuances whose intermittent interjections and patient intonations carefully unify the supporting cast's dynamics in a thoughtful cohesive heterogeneity.
While the wolves constantly disrupt their unity.
Some of the lines seem like they came straight from an oil rig as well which gives them an endearing authentic quality.
In terms of what to do should your plane crash in a remote location, The Grey offers little practical advice.
Unless wolves begin to insatiably stalk you.
But as far as films celebrating derelict itinerant dispositions go, The Grey's not that bad, and perhaps by making its subject matter foolish, Carnahan tries to lure us into the narrative unconsciously, by harnessing the helpless qualities of our disbelief, thereby making us feel more like the characters in his film.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Super Bowl Pick
A Super Bowl rematch between New England and the New York Giants. This is exciting. I can't see New York beating the Patriots twice in the Super Bowl but if they continue to play the way they have in recent weeks they're going to be tough to beat. I like the progression of New England's post-season trajectory this year, knocking out opponents who have defeated them in the playoffs in recent years, and think the trend will continue. Patriots by 2.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
The Curse of Frankenstein
Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is at it again in Terence Fisher's The Curse of Frankenstein, a Hammer Films production. Having grown audacious after reanimating a small dog, the Doctor sets his sights on the construction of the perfect human being, to be made up of parts cut away from fitting lifeless specimens. His partner and former tutor Paul Krempe (Robert Urquhart) contends that his path can only lead to evil but Frankenstein refuses to heed his warning and proceeds unabated. But the local crop of corpses will not supply a top rate brain which leads Victor to wine and dine a revered scientist (Paul Hardtmuth as Professor Bernstein) before murdering him later on in the evening. Krempe discovers what he has done and in the ensuing struggle damages the sought after material. Is this what causes Frankenstein's creation to act childishly and violently or was it the fact that it was brought back to life in the first place that guaranteed its inability to cognitively function?
Having subverted the laws of nature.
Fisher's film doesn't answer this question but does provide those searching to see Peter Cushing play someone besides Grand Moff Tarkin with the chance to watch him at work early on in his career. His performance is convincing enough even though several scenes could have benefited from additional takes, and more crafty editing, and another round of dialogue adjustments, and a keener insight into the logical timing of key events which move the action along. But The Curse of Frankenstein isn't about editing and dialogue and presenting captivating enticing scenes. It's about shooting a readymade script in as little time as possible in order to capitalize on the product, reinvest, and do it all over again and again while cultivating a receptive audience and slowly learning to enhance your constructions as time steadily passes.
And spending most of the budget on the lab, wherein there are many pretty scientific instruments and bubbling beakers and frothing 'fermentations' and a Frankenstein (Christopher Lee).
Desperately seeking life.
Having subverted the laws of nature.
Fisher's film doesn't answer this question but does provide those searching to see Peter Cushing play someone besides Grand Moff Tarkin with the chance to watch him at work early on in his career. His performance is convincing enough even though several scenes could have benefited from additional takes, and more crafty editing, and another round of dialogue adjustments, and a keener insight into the logical timing of key events which move the action along. But The Curse of Frankenstein isn't about editing and dialogue and presenting captivating enticing scenes. It's about shooting a readymade script in as little time as possible in order to capitalize on the product, reinvest, and do it all over again and again while cultivating a receptive audience and slowly learning to enhance your constructions as time steadily passes.
And spending most of the budget on the lab, wherein there are many pretty scientific instruments and bubbling beakers and frothing 'fermentations' and a Frankenstein (Christopher Lee).
Desperately seeking life.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Careful
Oedipal values. Strict discipline. Polished refinement. Unyielding dedication.
The Alpine village of Tolzbad is stricken with alimentary sentiments whose counterproductive yearnings threaten its cohesive fortitude. Silence and obedience are resolutely inculcated as objective reminders of embryonic resuscitations remain cast off and docile. Dreams serve to lacerate adhesions, while palpating intoxicating allegiances, whose nostalgic loyalties resist ethereal pressures and condemn those seeking both forbidden and propitious pleasures, arduously seek satisfaction.
In the flesh.
The vocal chords of animals must be cut. Hearts punctured after death ensure eternal sleep.
I will do anything for you.
Relinquished yet stilted rebirth.
A comedic sense of terror is dramatically worked into a stifling set of immutable characteristics which maintain a supple lighthearted generosity in Guy Maddin's imaginative Careful.
Multilayered scene after dynamic scene segregates its narrative from the realm of conscious production while providing a template for the remodelling of the expected whose boutique would most likely remain concealed.
Purposefully frustrating or frustrated with a purpose, Careful introduces a disengaged sense of disingenuous perplexity whose recalcitrant creative ethos should be heuristically taken seriously.
The Alpine village of Tolzbad is stricken with alimentary sentiments whose counterproductive yearnings threaten its cohesive fortitude. Silence and obedience are resolutely inculcated as objective reminders of embryonic resuscitations remain cast off and docile. Dreams serve to lacerate adhesions, while palpating intoxicating allegiances, whose nostalgic loyalties resist ethereal pressures and condemn those seeking both forbidden and propitious pleasures, arduously seek satisfaction.
In the flesh.
The vocal chords of animals must be cut. Hearts punctured after death ensure eternal sleep.
I will do anything for you.
Relinquished yet stilted rebirth.
A comedic sense of terror is dramatically worked into a stifling set of immutable characteristics which maintain a supple lighthearted generosity in Guy Maddin's imaginative Careful.
Multilayered scene after dynamic scene segregates its narrative from the realm of conscious production while providing a template for the remodelling of the expected whose boutique would most likely remain concealed.
Purposefully frustrating or frustrated with a purpose, Careful introduces a disengaged sense of disingenuous perplexity whose recalcitrant creative ethos should be heuristically taken seriously.
NFL Conference Championship Picks
Here are some picks for this weekend's upcoming NFL Conference Championship Games:
New England Patriots/Baltimore Ravens: New England annihilated the Broncos last weekend and Brady had a fierce Super Bowl Championship winning look in his eyes. Baltimore defeated the Texans but didn't play that well. In 2009, Joey Flacco and the Ravens went into Foxboro and pulled off the upset, stunning the Patriot's devoted and boisterous fans. Last week New England avenged themselves in regards to their 2005 playoff loss to Denver and are likely revved up to do the same to the Ravens this Sunday. One factor makes me think Baltimore will win. The Patriots looked like they could have defeated anyone last weekend and may have used up all their momentum against an opponent who didn't show up for the game. Baltimore, on the other hand, struggled but still won and may be difficult to beat this weekend if they end up playing their A-game as a consequence. I don't think this will happen and predict that New England is heading back to the Super Bowl on Feb. 5th.
Unfortunately, I don't think they'll be running back into the Giants.
San Francisco 49ers/New York Giants: these teams have already played each other 7 times in the playoffs with San Francisco winning 4 of those games. A Giants win would therefore tie up the series but I don't think they'll be able to get past San Francisco's defence. Manning hasn't thrown that many interceptions this year but once the 49ers shut down the run he'll be forced to throw often and unless he can perform better than Drew Brees did last weekend he may be run into trouble. New York's defence played well last week but didn't stand out this season, letting in 171 more points than that of the 49ers (and 61 more points than New Orleans). They played earlier on in the year with San Francisco coming out on top 27-20. Manning is much more familiar with big game pressure than Alex Smith but with San Francisco's defence at his back, Smith doesn't have to be. It is true that somehow the Miami Heat ended up meeting the Dallas Mavericks again in the NBA Finals last season which was quite surprising in my books. But I don't think the Giants are destined for the Super Bowl this year unless they can shut down Alex Smith's offence and find a way to grind it out.
New England Patriots/Baltimore Ravens: New England annihilated the Broncos last weekend and Brady had a fierce Super Bowl Championship winning look in his eyes. Baltimore defeated the Texans but didn't play that well. In 2009, Joey Flacco and the Ravens went into Foxboro and pulled off the upset, stunning the Patriot's devoted and boisterous fans. Last week New England avenged themselves in regards to their 2005 playoff loss to Denver and are likely revved up to do the same to the Ravens this Sunday. One factor makes me think Baltimore will win. The Patriots looked like they could have defeated anyone last weekend and may have used up all their momentum against an opponent who didn't show up for the game. Baltimore, on the other hand, struggled but still won and may be difficult to beat this weekend if they end up playing their A-game as a consequence. I don't think this will happen and predict that New England is heading back to the Super Bowl on Feb. 5th.
Unfortunately, I don't think they'll be running back into the Giants.
San Francisco 49ers/New York Giants: these teams have already played each other 7 times in the playoffs with San Francisco winning 4 of those games. A Giants win would therefore tie up the series but I don't think they'll be able to get past San Francisco's defence. Manning hasn't thrown that many interceptions this year but once the 49ers shut down the run he'll be forced to throw often and unless he can perform better than Drew Brees did last weekend he may be run into trouble. New York's defence played well last week but didn't stand out this season, letting in 171 more points than that of the 49ers (and 61 more points than New Orleans). They played earlier on in the year with San Francisco coming out on top 27-20. Manning is much more familiar with big game pressure than Alex Smith but with San Francisco's defence at his back, Smith doesn't have to be. It is true that somehow the Miami Heat ended up meeting the Dallas Mavericks again in the NBA Finals last season which was quite surprising in my books. But I don't think the Giants are destined for the Super Bowl this year unless they can shut down Alex Smith's offence and find a way to grind it out.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Can't say I've spent too much time watching the Mission: Impossible films, but as far as thrilling, accelerated, turbulent action movies go, Ghost Protocol is a success, as Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) improvises his way through another set of death defying circumstances, this time without the assistance of IMF.
Split-second decision making is instantaneously necessitated as plans see their counterpoints meticulously materialized through the systematic art of strategic vivisection.
Such decisions are supplied with as much logic as can be rationally fastened to their temporal limitations in order to obtain their furtive objectives.
Such logic need not be brilliantly qualified, but must possess enough cohesive extensions to readily trick its antagonists into falling for its deception.
If these extensions lose their psycho-material appeal, the related temporal limitations become increasingly restrictive.
Requiring an ass kicking.
Hunt and his innovative team still manage to move undetected from Moscow to Dubai to Mumbai with enough resources at their disposal to technologically infiltrate seemingly inextricable defensive infrastructures without being backed up by headquarters.
Agilely keeping an ace in the hole.
Split-second decision making is instantaneously necessitated as plans see their counterpoints meticulously materialized through the systematic art of strategic vivisection.
Such decisions are supplied with as much logic as can be rationally fastened to their temporal limitations in order to obtain their furtive objectives.
Such logic need not be brilliantly qualified, but must possess enough cohesive extensions to readily trick its antagonists into falling for its deception.
If these extensions lose their psycho-material appeal, the related temporal limitations become increasingly restrictive.
Requiring an ass kicking.
Hunt and his innovative team still manage to move undetected from Moscow to Dubai to Mumbai with enough resources at their disposal to technologically infiltrate seemingly inextricable defensive infrastructures without being backed up by headquarters.
Agilely keeping an ace in the hole.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
We Bought a Zoo
What do you do after your partner dies, you quit your job, your son is expelled, and it feels like your thirst for adventure is wantonly drying up?
You move your family to the country after buying yourself a zoo, that's what you do, and do everything in your power to turn its fortunes around.
This is precisely what happens in Cameron Crowe's lively new film We Bought a Zoo, based on the true story of Benjamin Mee's purchase of the Dartmoor Zoological Park in Devon, England.
Full of entrepreneurial grit and zoological tenacity, Mr. Mee (Matt Damon) doesn't let minor details like having no experience at all in regards to zoo management get in his way, as he risks his remaining capital and gets to know his dedicated staff.
Will taking care of a wide variety of animal species in the hopes of bringing his zoo up to code so that the public can wonder at their ferocious longevity and provide him with the funds to stay in business enable him to get over his wife's death and develop stronger bonds with his two children?
Will the charms of stunning young feisty zoologist Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johansson) play an integral role in his personal transformation and demand that he learn to let go?
Will prickly zoo inspector Walter Ferris's (John Michael Higgins) dismissive demeanour teach him that the biggest adventure of all is learning how to play by the rules?
And will an escaped grizzly bear function as the catalyst that displaces one means of production for another?
Through the passage of time.
We Bought a Zoo makes me wish I could buy the shit out of a zoo and manage it and take care of all the animals and slug beers with my staff and analyze the porcupines etc.
It's an evocative enlivening testament to the strength of the human spirit which is challenged at every turn and rejuvenated through the art of sociozoology.
You move your family to the country after buying yourself a zoo, that's what you do, and do everything in your power to turn its fortunes around.
This is precisely what happens in Cameron Crowe's lively new film We Bought a Zoo, based on the true story of Benjamin Mee's purchase of the Dartmoor Zoological Park in Devon, England.
Full of entrepreneurial grit and zoological tenacity, Mr. Mee (Matt Damon) doesn't let minor details like having no experience at all in regards to zoo management get in his way, as he risks his remaining capital and gets to know his dedicated staff.
Will taking care of a wide variety of animal species in the hopes of bringing his zoo up to code so that the public can wonder at their ferocious longevity and provide him with the funds to stay in business enable him to get over his wife's death and develop stronger bonds with his two children?
Will the charms of stunning young feisty zoologist Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johansson) play an integral role in his personal transformation and demand that he learn to let go?
Will prickly zoo inspector Walter Ferris's (John Michael Higgins) dismissive demeanour teach him that the biggest adventure of all is learning how to play by the rules?
And will an escaped grizzly bear function as the catalyst that displaces one means of production for another?
Through the passage of time.
We Bought a Zoo makes me wish I could buy the shit out of a zoo and manage it and take care of all the animals and slug beers with my staff and analyze the porcupines etc.
It's an evocative enlivening testament to the strength of the human spirit which is challenged at every turn and rejuvenated through the art of sociozoology.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
NFL Divisional Round Picks
Some picks for the upcoming NFL Divisional Playoff Round:
Green Bay Packers/New York Giants: the Giants almost beat Green Bay earlier on this season meaning they stand a chance against them this Sunday. They suffocated Atlanta last weekend as well, demonstrating that they're making a stand this playoff. But I've never seen anyone as calm and collected as Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the postseason who will be playing in front of their home crowd for the first time. Then again, Eli Manning and the New York Giants were seriously calm and collected when they defeated New England in Super Bowl XLII. Nevertheless, the Giants/Packers matchup reminds me of the Dolphins/Broncos Divisional Round game leading up to the Broncos's Super Bowl XXXIII win. Earlier on that season, the Broncos were something like 12 and 0 when they went into Miami and lost. They then proceeded to stifle the Dolphins 38-3 in the aforementioned Divisional Round game. I don't think Green Bay will beat the Giants by a comparable margin, but I also don't think New York will win. The Packers control the game but New York hangs on long enough to make them sweat.
Baltimore Ravens/Houston Texans: looks like Joey Flacco's all grown up. He won Wildcard games the last three postseasons, one of them versus New England, winning a Divisional Round game in his rookie year as well. And this year he has home field advantage in the second round for the first time. Seems like the stage is set for an appearance in the AFC Championship if his team can continue its winning ways (they beat the Jets, Pittsburgh (twice), Houston, Cincinnati (twice), and San Francisco during the regular season [losing to Tennessee and San Diego]). But I like Houston's chances not only because they had 5 wins on the road this year. It seems to me that this is the year Flacco flounders because he doesn't have as much adversity to overcome and Houston takes advantage of his success to their benefit. I also like that when both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers won their first Wildcard games (in the same year) they both went on to win in the Divisional Round. The Texans handled Cincinnati with ease last weekend and their points for and against are comparable to Baltimore's. If they win (which I think they will) it will be close, if they don't, Flacco will have won another big postseason game.
New England Patriots/Denver Broncos: New England rolled over the Broncos in Week 15 and brought an end to Tebow's 6 game winning streak. The Patriots are likely eagerly seeking revenge for their 2005 Divisional Round loss to Denver. Brady beat Dan Marino's single season passing record this year and only lost 3 games throughout, scoring 204 more points than the Broncos. But something tells me the Broncos's season will not end this Saturday night and that their stalwart defence will make big play after big play to enable Tebow to pull off another stunning victory. Go Broncos!
San Francisco 49ers/New Orleans Saints: New Orleans is obviously ready for the playoffs this year and a formidable offensive force. San Francisco played well during the regular season, winning 13 games and defeating Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Detroit, the Giants, and Pittsburgh along the way. Their defence was the league's best and only allowed 229 points to be scored against them. The NFL's second best offence meets the best defence this Saturday in San Francisco. My gut keeps telling me the 49ers will win and prevent a showdown between Green Bay and the Saints next weekend, but I'm picking New Orleans regardless. Seattle smothered their running attack last year and they must be coming at this game with related strategies in mind.
*Ouch
Green Bay Packers/New York Giants: the Giants almost beat Green Bay earlier on this season meaning they stand a chance against them this Sunday. They suffocated Atlanta last weekend as well, demonstrating that they're making a stand this playoff. But I've never seen anyone as calm and collected as Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the postseason who will be playing in front of their home crowd for the first time. Then again, Eli Manning and the New York Giants were seriously calm and collected when they defeated New England in Super Bowl XLII. Nevertheless, the Giants/Packers matchup reminds me of the Dolphins/Broncos Divisional Round game leading up to the Broncos's Super Bowl XXXIII win. Earlier on that season, the Broncos were something like 12 and 0 when they went into Miami and lost. They then proceeded to stifle the Dolphins 38-3 in the aforementioned Divisional Round game. I don't think Green Bay will beat the Giants by a comparable margin, but I also don't think New York will win. The Packers control the game but New York hangs on long enough to make them sweat.
Baltimore Ravens/Houston Texans: looks like Joey Flacco's all grown up. He won Wildcard games the last three postseasons, one of them versus New England, winning a Divisional Round game in his rookie year as well. And this year he has home field advantage in the second round for the first time. Seems like the stage is set for an appearance in the AFC Championship if his team can continue its winning ways (they beat the Jets, Pittsburgh (twice), Houston, Cincinnati (twice), and San Francisco during the regular season [losing to Tennessee and San Diego]). But I like Houston's chances not only because they had 5 wins on the road this year. It seems to me that this is the year Flacco flounders because he doesn't have as much adversity to overcome and Houston takes advantage of his success to their benefit. I also like that when both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers won their first Wildcard games (in the same year) they both went on to win in the Divisional Round. The Texans handled Cincinnati with ease last weekend and their points for and against are comparable to Baltimore's. If they win (which I think they will) it will be close, if they don't, Flacco will have won another big postseason game.
New England Patriots/Denver Broncos: New England rolled over the Broncos in Week 15 and brought an end to Tebow's 6 game winning streak. The Patriots are likely eagerly seeking revenge for their 2005 Divisional Round loss to Denver. Brady beat Dan Marino's single season passing record this year and only lost 3 games throughout, scoring 204 more points than the Broncos. But something tells me the Broncos's season will not end this Saturday night and that their stalwart defence will make big play after big play to enable Tebow to pull off another stunning victory. Go Broncos!
San Francisco 49ers/New Orleans Saints: New Orleans is obviously ready for the playoffs this year and a formidable offensive force. San Francisco played well during the regular season, winning 13 games and defeating Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Detroit, the Giants, and Pittsburgh along the way. Their defence was the league's best and only allowed 229 points to be scored against them. The NFL's second best offence meets the best defence this Saturday in San Francisco. My gut keeps telling me the 49ers will win and prevent a showdown between Green Bay and the Saints next weekend, but I'm picking New Orleans regardless. Seattle smothered their running attack last year and they must be coming at this game with related strategies in mind.
*Ouch
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
A murderer has avoided detection for decades. A journalist's reputation has been publicly ridiculed. A brilliant young researcher's incredible talent flourishes. A family's dark secrets seek revelation.
Patterns lie hidden within eclectic sources. Technological expertise facilitates their synthesization. The resultant thesis can be investigated with meticulous precision. Alternatives and subterfuges staggeringly structure the aggregate.
David Fincher's version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a sombre subterranean endeavour. Deeply digging into clandestine contrivances frenetically attempting to function without restraint, it descends into the feverish dementia affluently prospering beyond the restrictions of amicability.
And exorcises demons.
Ostracized individuals use their resourcefulness to disentangle an established privileged network from within and bring its mastermind to justice.
Having recreated a foothold within their culture's social fabric, divisions remain which prevent them from socializing on their gains.
Patterns lie hidden within eclectic sources. Technological expertise facilitates their synthesization. The resultant thesis can be investigated with meticulous precision. Alternatives and subterfuges staggeringly structure the aggregate.
David Fincher's version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a sombre subterranean endeavour. Deeply digging into clandestine contrivances frenetically attempting to function without restraint, it descends into the feverish dementia affluently prospering beyond the restrictions of amicability.
And exorcises demons.
Ostracized individuals use their resourcefulness to disentangle an established privileged network from within and bring its mastermind to justice.
Having recreated a foothold within their culture's social fabric, divisions remain which prevent them from socializing on their gains.
Monday, January 9, 2012
The Descendants
An Hawaiian lawyer's textbook life is adulterously disrupted after his wife has a boating accident rendering her comatose and their eldest daughter reveals the secrets of her infidelities. Her coma forces him to take an active role in the rearing of their two daughters to whom he has remained patriarchally aloof for most of their lives. His family is incredibly wealthy however his relatives have squandered most of their fortune and hope to sell off 25,000 acres of coastal land holdings in order to continue to support their lavish lifestyles. He is the sole trustee of the family trust which controls the land and has the final say in how it is managed.
Alexander Payne's The Descendants follows him closely as he gets to know his children, seeks to meet his wife's love interest, and decides what to do with his family's inheritance. As much of an exploration of shock as it is an examination of improvisation, the knowledge Matt King (George Clooney) relies upon to ensure his success in the legal realm finds itself curiously deconstructed when confronted with that of the domestic.
As he struggles to comprehend.
Acknowledging that the cookie-cutter approach to living has its share of unforeseen non-transmissible calisthenics, he still finds a means through which to visualize permanence. Less a reflection on the self-absorbed behaviour that results in partners seeking attention elsewhere than a thorough elevation of frugality, void of risk, The Descendants offers scene upon scene of pristine Hawaiian imagery without making them seem beautiful.
Not turning 25,000 acres of coastal land into a resort because you believe some wilderness areas should be protected from commercial development for future generations would be beautiful. Not turning 25,000 acres of coastal land into a resort because you believe its permanence represents your smug superiority is not beautiful.
Alexander Payne's The Descendants follows him closely as he gets to know his children, seeks to meet his wife's love interest, and decides what to do with his family's inheritance. As much of an exploration of shock as it is an examination of improvisation, the knowledge Matt King (George Clooney) relies upon to ensure his success in the legal realm finds itself curiously deconstructed when confronted with that of the domestic.
As he struggles to comprehend.
Acknowledging that the cookie-cutter approach to living has its share of unforeseen non-transmissible calisthenics, he still finds a means through which to visualize permanence. Less a reflection on the self-absorbed behaviour that results in partners seeking attention elsewhere than a thorough elevation of frugality, void of risk, The Descendants offers scene upon scene of pristine Hawaiian imagery without making them seem beautiful.
Not turning 25,000 acres of coastal land into a resort because you believe some wilderness areas should be protected from commercial development for future generations would be beautiful. Not turning 25,000 acres of coastal land into a resort because you believe its permanence represents your smug superiority is not beautiful.
Friday, January 6, 2012
NFL Wildcard Picks
The NFL Wildcard weekend is quickly approaching. Here are my picks:
Cincinnati Bengals/Houston Texans: nice to know that one of these teams will win their first playoff game in quite some time, or ever. Sad that one of them has to lose. The Bengals's last playoff win was in the 1990 Wildcard round against the Houston Oilers. This is the Texans's first playoff appearance and they have no historical facts to draw on. The Bengals played Houston in Week 14 with Houston winning a close one (20-19). The other strong teams Cincinnati played this year were Denver, San Francisco, Tennessee, Baltimore (twice) and Pittsburgh (twice), and they lost every one of these games except one. Houston didn't finish the season well, losing their last three games to Carolina, Tennessee, and Indianapolis, but throughout the year they did beat Pittsburgh, Tennessee, and Atlanta, only lost by 7 to New Orleans, and lost to Baltimore as well (Cincinnati won 2 of its last 3). Since Cincinnati lost most of their games this season when playing strong opponents and Houston managed to beat a couple of theirs, and the game is being played in Houston, the smart pick is definitely the Texans, noting that they scored 37 more points than the Bengals this season and allowed 45 fewer (even though they're experiencing a bit of a losing skid). However, something about the fact that the last time Cincinnati won a playoff game it was against another team from Houston makes me think the Bengals will win, and I'm throwing my support behind Cincinnati.
Atlanta Falcons/New York Giants: I like Atlanta in this one. Often upstart teams win the bye one year and lose (Denver vs. Jacksonville [1996], Chicago vs. Carolina [2005]) but then come back the following postseason and win a couple of games (sometimes winning the Super Bowl). I don't think Atlanta will make it to the Super Bowl but they scored more points than the Giants this year and allowed 50 fewer to be scored against them. New York played well this year, almost beating Green Bay, defeating New England, winning 1 of 2 against Philadelphia, and outscoring the Cowboys twice. Atlanta's record is similar with wins against Philadelphia, Detroit, and Tennessee, and a matchup against New Orleans which they only lost by 3. The Giants have a history of losing Wildcard games at home to NFC South opponents, falling to Carolina 23-0 in 2005. This should be a great game and I think Atlanta will win by a slim margin.
Pittsburgh Steelers/Denvers Broncos: if there's one thing Pittsburgh knows how to do in the playoffs it's win. Their record over the course of the last 18 years includes 12 playoff appearances, 4 shots at the Super Bowl (2 wins), 4 Conference Championship losses, and only one Wildcard weekend loss. They're bound to slip up again sometime. Opposing defences have adjusted to Tebow and resolutely shut him down for the last three weeks. It's time for Tebow to regroup, learn from his mistakes, and demonstrate that he has what it takes to win in the NFL playoffs. Look for Denver's defence to make some big plays which give Tebow the opportunity to shine. Denver by 7.
Detroit Lions/New Orleans Saints: last year Seattle reminded everyone that even though the Saints won the Super Bowl two years ago, they're still New Orleans with one of the worst playoff histories of any NFL franchise. But I think that humiliating loss brought an end to New Orleans's curse and after the way they played this season they should be able to handle the Lions. Detroit's a solid team who picked up wins versus Dallas, Chicago, Denver, and San Diego this year, and they've proved that their offence is explosive and knows how to win. But New Orleans has proven that they have one of the best offences on record, they're playing at home, unfathomably lost to the Seahawks last year, and could probably beat Green Bay. It's nice to see the Lions back in the playoffs and I hope they continue to build and make a run at the Super Bowl in the next couple of years, but they'll have to wait until teams like New Orleans have gone the way of Indianapolis if they have to play them first before charging deep into the postseason.
Cincinnati Bengals/Houston Texans: nice to know that one of these teams will win their first playoff game in quite some time, or ever. Sad that one of them has to lose. The Bengals's last playoff win was in the 1990 Wildcard round against the Houston Oilers. This is the Texans's first playoff appearance and they have no historical facts to draw on. The Bengals played Houston in Week 14 with Houston winning a close one (20-19). The other strong teams Cincinnati played this year were Denver, San Francisco, Tennessee, Baltimore (twice) and Pittsburgh (twice), and they lost every one of these games except one. Houston didn't finish the season well, losing their last three games to Carolina, Tennessee, and Indianapolis, but throughout the year they did beat Pittsburgh, Tennessee, and Atlanta, only lost by 7 to New Orleans, and lost to Baltimore as well (Cincinnati won 2 of its last 3). Since Cincinnati lost most of their games this season when playing strong opponents and Houston managed to beat a couple of theirs, and the game is being played in Houston, the smart pick is definitely the Texans, noting that they scored 37 more points than the Bengals this season and allowed 45 fewer (even though they're experiencing a bit of a losing skid). However, something about the fact that the last time Cincinnati won a playoff game it was against another team from Houston makes me think the Bengals will win, and I'm throwing my support behind Cincinnati.
Atlanta Falcons/New York Giants: I like Atlanta in this one. Often upstart teams win the bye one year and lose (Denver vs. Jacksonville [1996], Chicago vs. Carolina [2005]) but then come back the following postseason and win a couple of games (sometimes winning the Super Bowl). I don't think Atlanta will make it to the Super Bowl but they scored more points than the Giants this year and allowed 50 fewer to be scored against them. New York played well this year, almost beating Green Bay, defeating New England, winning 1 of 2 against Philadelphia, and outscoring the Cowboys twice. Atlanta's record is similar with wins against Philadelphia, Detroit, and Tennessee, and a matchup against New Orleans which they only lost by 3. The Giants have a history of losing Wildcard games at home to NFC South opponents, falling to Carolina 23-0 in 2005. This should be a great game and I think Atlanta will win by a slim margin.
Pittsburgh Steelers/Denvers Broncos: if there's one thing Pittsburgh knows how to do in the playoffs it's win. Their record over the course of the last 18 years includes 12 playoff appearances, 4 shots at the Super Bowl (2 wins), 4 Conference Championship losses, and only one Wildcard weekend loss. They're bound to slip up again sometime. Opposing defences have adjusted to Tebow and resolutely shut him down for the last three weeks. It's time for Tebow to regroup, learn from his mistakes, and demonstrate that he has what it takes to win in the NFL playoffs. Look for Denver's defence to make some big plays which give Tebow the opportunity to shine. Denver by 7.
Detroit Lions/New Orleans Saints: last year Seattle reminded everyone that even though the Saints won the Super Bowl two years ago, they're still New Orleans with one of the worst playoff histories of any NFL franchise. But I think that humiliating loss brought an end to New Orleans's curse and after the way they played this season they should be able to handle the Lions. Detroit's a solid team who picked up wins versus Dallas, Chicago, Denver, and San Diego this year, and they've proved that their offence is explosive and knows how to win. But New Orleans has proven that they have one of the best offences on record, they're playing at home, unfathomably lost to the Seahawks last year, and could probably beat Green Bay. It's nice to see the Lions back in the playoffs and I hope they continue to build and make a run at the Super Bowl in the next couple of years, but they'll have to wait until teams like New Orleans have gone the way of Indianapolis if they have to play them first before charging deep into the postseason.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Can't believe the Broncos replace quarterback Kyle Orton with Tim Tebow and then end up playing the Kansas City Chiefs for their last game of the regular season for whom Orton now plays. Denver has to win to make the playoffs unless Oakland loses to San Diego and no opposing quarterback knows their team's secrets better than Kyle Orton. Denver has lost their last two games while Kansas City managed to beat Green Bay two weeks ago.
Meaning the pressure's on.
And Denver's heading back to the playoffs.
Meaning the pressure's on.
And Denver's heading back to the playoffs.
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