August 4, 2012
Visit the Keep A Happy Wife blog home page here.
June 23, 2012
It stars Steve Carell and Keira Knightley as two friends brought together a few days before a giant asteroid will hit the earth killing everyone on it. Or as The Wife described it “It’s like if ‘the Armageddon’ movie didn’t work”. All the reviews I read about “Seeking a Friend…” before we saw it called it “bitter-sweet”, so I will not use “bitter”, “sweet” or “bitter-sweet” in my review.
There are a number of characters sprinkled throughout the movie that bring other perspectives to the end-of-the-world dilemma and some back story to Dodge and Penny. Connie Britton (not built like an 8th grade boy), William Petersen (that guy that was on “CSI” when you used to watch “CSI”) and Martin Sheen (the President from “The West Wing”) have brief roles but they each have strong performances and add significance to the story. OK, Britton wasn’t that great, but she’s the coach’s wife from “Friday Night Lights”. That gets her a few bonus points.
June 17, 2012
We all want to feel we are doing a good job as dads. You are sure to be better than the dads on this list:
Frank Costanza: He pitted his dim-witted and unmotivated son against the psychotic Lloyd Braun in a sales competition. He created the holiday "Festivus" as a substitute for Christmas so that he could make verbally and physically abusing his children a family tradition. He yells..a lot.
Dr. Evil: He was so consumed by his work (taking over the world) that he neglected his son, Scott. He obvioulsy preferred his miniature-sized clone, Mini Me, to his own son. Dr. Evil openly proclaimed his desire to kill Scott and publicy degraded him for not being evil enough.
Darth Vader: He tried to kill his son and his daughter on multiple occassions and even cut off one of his son's hands. He killed his children's mentor and protector. Plus, it's one thing to be creepy looking and have a breathing disorder, but Vader never made any effort to be the least bit huggable.
June 9, 2012
May 13, 2012
I took The Boys to see The Avengers last week. It was very good -- great in some ways -- but, overall it was not "great". The special effects were remarkable: Super heroes flying. Stuff blowing up. Aliens flying. Other stuff blowing up. Impressive.
Where it fell short was on character development. Samuel L. Jackson's character is terrible. Mark Ruffalo as Hulk was very good, but there is more depth to it him than was shown in The Avengers. The Hulk may have been the best part of the movie. Certainly a point of comic relief along with Iron Man. I would have like to seen more background on Black Widow and that bow and arrow guy, too.
It is a movie that is certainly worth seeing - a perfect early summer "popcorn" movie. Of course it all sets up for the sequel and another Iron Man movie. But what movie doesn't set up for a sequel anymore?
April 18, 2012
While sitting in a hospital room for the last couple of weeks, I found a recent, but not current, TV show on Netflix to watch. It's a show called Life. The show is about a police officer who is framed for a murder and serves several years in prison before new evidence proves his innocence and gains his release.
He rejoins the police force with a new partner. While investigating new cases he also secretly searches for the people who framed him.
It's an entertaining show with interesting cases and an intriguing sub plot. If you have access to Netflix, I would recommend it.
March 11, 2012
A quick review of two new TV shows.
First, Awake on NBC (Thursday at 10). It is a story of a man who survives a car crash to have two versions of reality survive with him. When "awake" his wife survives, but his son died in the crash. When he falls "asleep" the other reality has his son as the crash survivor, but his wife died. He struggles to determine which reality is true. Clues that cross-over between the "realities" help him solve crimes in his job as a police detective. I really enjoyed the pilot episode and recommend it.
The second show is GCB on ABC (Sundays at 10). This is a story of a woman who has to return to her hometown from Dallas with her children after her husband dies in a car crash with his mistress. As she reconnects with her high school "friends" the shallowness of all of the characters overwhelms the show. The show is crude and predictable, but its worst sin is that it is just not funny. I really like Kristin Chenoweth and Leslie Bibb, but they can't salvage this mess. Don't waste your time.
February 25, 2012
Blogger lost some of my posts in this section of the blog. So, you'll see a large time gap between now and the last "Reviews..." post.
Since I was talking movies, I'll continue the trend. So far in 2012, The Wife and I have seen two new movies: One For the Money and This Means War. By the time I do the Wifeys for 2013, I will have forgotten I ever saw either of these movies.
Both were fun, date night kinda chick-flicks. Guys, just think of it as building up points you can use to go see some action movies when they come out in the summer (like Avengers, Dark Knight Rises, etc.)
Katherine Heigl was charming playing basically the same character she always plays in the leading role in One For the Money. They will likely churn out a number of movies in this franchise of Janet Evanovich novels. I doubt that any will get better than this one (that's the typical trend in movie franchises). So, if you want to see the best of this bunch, go see this one. Also, it isn't unbearable, so if your wife or lady-friend want to see it, you are relatively safe with this choice. It won't deplete you of all testosterone like Beaches.
This Means War is a Reese Witherspoon romantic comedy. There is just enough action thrown in to try to draw in the guys and keep it from being a full-fledged chick flick. This, too, is a good (far from great movie) that you'll enjoy with your wife for a couple of hours and then forget about it before the week is out. Again, this is a safe bet if you are looking for something to go see and are smart enough to give The Wife the choice.
September 7, 2011
In addition to football, Fall brings a new slate of television shows. For every Lost, Modern Family or 24 there are countless duds to have to sort through. Let me help you avoid the potential garbage by putting them into three categories:
If A Show Like This Can Get On The Air, Why Am I Not Making Big Dough As A TV Writer:
2 Broke Girls
Playboy Club
Last Man Standing
Man Up
Suburgatory
Free Agents
I Hate My Teenage Daughter
How to Be a Gentleman
X Factor
A Gifted Man
Allen Gregory
Pan Am
Worth A Try (Maybe)
Set The DVR
New Girl (Fox) - This show looks hilarious. Zooey Deschanel (Elf) stars in this sitcom positioned between Glee and Raising Hope on the Fox Fall calendar. It is possible that it could disappoint, but the clips look great and I think Zooey’s subtle goofiness is entertaining.
Up All Night (NBC) - Lorne Michaels (SNL, 30 Rock) sitcom starring Christina Applegate and Will Arnett. Applegate and Arnett play a married couple coping with life after the birth of their first baby. If they can avoid the clichés and keep it clever this show has a lot of promise.
Peson of Interest (CBS) - This looks awesome. Jim Caviezel (Passion of the Christ and The Count of Monte Christo) and Michael Emerson (super creepy villain guy in Lost) star in this drama from a producer of CSI (the good one) and director credits from Jonathan Nolan (screenplay for Dark Night and The Prestige). The plot sounds like a good mix of films Enemy of the State and Minority Report.
September 3, 2011
On some Saturday mornings, I'll take The Boys to breakfast to Waffle House. Waffle House is hardly fine dining, but it has a lot going for it. First, it is consistent. Whether you are in Louisville or Knoxville or Austin or Montreal or Oslo...it is the same food and the same quality.
Second, it is good. It is made fresh and it is a good value. You can pay twice as much for breakfast at some of the snooty breakfast bistros.
Finally, it's our breakfast place. Even when I give The Boys other options, they always choose Waffle House. Partly because they like it, but I think partly because it's ours.
August 30, 2011
My intention here is not to be insensitve towards the damage caused by Hurricane Irene at all. Unlike others, I am not dismissing the damage caused by the storm or the plight of those caught in its path. My gripe here is with the weather people covering the storm. I'm talking to you now.
You weather people are stupid. There are no other explanations for it. We don't need to see Al Roker or Jim Cantore or Wacky Walter the Weather Guy from the Bethesda NBC affiliate standing (or trying to stand) in a dadgum hurricane. That's right...I said dadgum.
If you read this space very often you know that The Wife and I enjoy going to the movies. Here are a few reviews of recent flicks.
We’ll start with a few action movies:
The Dark Knight Rises: While I’m not sure that I like it as well as The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises is easily the best movie so far in 2012. The performance of Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight may give it the edge over the third entry in the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy, but not by much. This is the “must see” movie of the year; however, I saw it with The Tall One when The Wife was out of town. So, I’ll go see it again with her as she “must see” it.
The Amazing Spiderman: I can’t be the only one to wonder: “Who asked for another Spiderman movie?” Spiderman 3 was released only 5 years ago, so why start the series all over again? Oh, of course, to make more money! I admit that I had low expectations when I went to see it, but came away very impressed. The story is the same, but the telling of it was much better in The Amazing Spiderman than it was in the previous movies. The dialogue was better and the lead actors in Amazing (Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone) were a significant improvement over Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst.
Total Recall: The Wife and I saw this last night. This is a remake of the 1990 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger (“Ahh-nuld”). The things that should have been better than the original (special effects and cinematography) were. Everything else, however, was inferior to the first version. I never thought I’d say this, but the dialogue was better in the Schwarzenegger movie. As I watched the Colin Farrell version, it felt like the intro “movie” you see as you wait to get on a ride at a theme park. Or, for you nerds out there, it was reminiscent to playing a campaign in a video game. Because the story-telling was so poor, there really was no tension between who is real: Hauser or Quaid? This was a part of 1990s Recall that was done very well. In short, Total Recall 2012 is worth seeing, but don’t expect too much.
Here are a couple of reviews of traditional “date night” movies:
Moonrise Kingdom: If after watching this movie your one word impression of this it is not “quirky”, then we may not have seen the same film. “Quirky” is neither bad nor good. It’s just “quirky”. The movie is about two teens who fall in love and run away from their small town. The lead characters are played by teens I’ve never heard of. The rest of the cast is very recognizable: Bruce Willis, Ed Norton, Tilda Swinton, etc. It’s a movie that if you see it will you seem either smarter or gayer to your friends. This, of course, depends on your friends. If you are into odd, artsy (aka “quirky) films then you’ll like it. If you are not, but your wife wants to go see it, you can find some entertainment in the peculiar details of the movie.
To Rome with Love: This movie is a mess. I’ve liked a handful of Woody Allen movies over the years. For example, last year’s Midnight in Paris was very good (even though it starred Owen Wilson). To Rome with Love was disjointed, incoherent and had no discernible plot line. Do not go see this movie. It is horrible. Clear enough?
Visit the Keep A Happy Wife blog home page here.
June 23, 2012
Movie Review: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
Last night The Wife and I had a date and went to the movies. If you've read much of my blog before you know that The Wife and I both enjoy going to movies. She's a great movie date because she'll share popcorn with me but lets me hog it. She also happens to be the love of my life. That helps make her a great move date, too. We went to see “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World”. It’s a movie that was in 2D, had no space aliens and was neither a sequel nor a prequel. It was just a movie, and a pretty good movie at that.
The first thing you should know about this movie is that it is not a comedy. If you go in thinking you’ll laugh hysterically every time Carell utters: “that’s what she said” you will be very disappointed. It has a few comedic moments, but those are more to flavor the film. It is a relationship movie, but not quite a chick flick (which I’ll explain later).
Carrel (“Dodge”) is very good. I actually prefer him in many of his films over his role as Michael Scott in “TheOffice” (although “Evan Almighty” and “Dinner For Schmucks” were pretty bad movies). While I admit I haven’t seen a lot of her movies, I have never been a big fan of Keira Knightley (“Penny”). If you’re British and built like an 8th grade boy, you should be lead singer in a British boy band, not a movie starlet, right? However, I liked her performance in “Seeking a Friend…”. She was right on target as the quirky, but likable female lead. Think Zooey Deschanel except you don’t want to strangle her after five minutes.
The biggest hole in the movie is that the “after-life”, for lack of a better word, is not discussed at all. No mention of Heaven or Hell. No talk of God. The purpose of the movie was not to explore one’s relationship (or lack thereof) with God, but rather the relationships with one another and the choices you make when you know the day of your end. Introducing an after-life conversation would likely take the movie places writer-director, Lorene Scafaria, didn’t want the movie to go. I get that, but it’s still a considerable missing piece from the script.
Spoiler Alert: The most admirable part of the movie was that it didn’t devolve into a “chick flick”. Yes it was a movie about relationships. And, yes, it had exploring emotions and not explosions and detonations. But it was not a chick flick because it did not have a chick flick ending. While it is sad at the end of the movie when the world does seem to come to an end, it is much better than the alternative of “hey, the asteroid missed us” and then Dodge and Penny live happily ever after. About half way through the movie I thought: “Oh, no. What if this ends with Penny and Dodge walking hand and hand out onto the street as a Bryan Adams ballad starts up…barf”. The ending fit the movie and the earth’s doom kept the film from being doomed a chick flick…a small price to pay.
All in all, it’s a good date movie. There is some language (though not frequent) and some adult conversation that barely qualify it as an R-rated movie, but not so much that it spoils the date. The question of “what would you do if you knew the world would end in three weeks?” will come up from your wife. So, be sure you have an answer. Just so you know, tracking down Keira Knightley or Connie Britton should NOT be your answer.
Visit the Keep A Happy Wife blog home page here.
Visit the Keep A Happy Wife blog home page here.
June 17, 2012
We all want to feel we are doing a good job as dads. You are sure to be better than the dads on this list:
Frank Costanza: He pitted his dim-witted and unmotivated son against the psychotic Lloyd Braun in a sales competition. He created the holiday "Festivus" as a substitute for Christmas so that he could make verbally and physically abusing his children a family tradition. He yells..a lot.
Dr. Evil: He was so consumed by his work (taking over the world) that he neglected his son, Scott. He obvioulsy preferred his miniature-sized clone, Mini Me, to his own son. Dr. Evil openly proclaimed his desire to kill Scott and publicy degraded him for not being evil enough.
Darth Vader: He tried to kill his son and his daughter on multiple occassions and even cut off one of his son's hands. He killed his children's mentor and protector. Plus, it's one thing to be creepy looking and have a breathing disorder, but Vader never made any effort to be the least bit huggable.
June 9, 2012
Of all the things from Canada, there are three things that are my favorites. One is our pastor’s wife, who is a good friend of our family and a very sweet lady. Two is the rock band, Rush. Third is Bob & Doug McKenzie (take off, Hosehead). The third is there simply because, once again, any good list needs three things. I like other things and people from Canada, but that's not the point.
The Canadian export that I want to write about today is Rush. While some of their music is beyond the mainstream, they have been kicking butt for 40 years with phenomenal, ground breaking music. Many of the classics in the history of rock music come from this highly-talented power trio. Yet, they are not in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. This is a travesty, a sham and a mockery. It’s a traveshamockery.
A new CD from Rush comes out this week. I’ve heard a few tracks from it and it sounds great. At some point these clowns at the Rock Hall have to come to their senses and put them in. Alice Cooper and ABBA are in, but not Rush? Insanity.
May 13, 2012
I took The Boys to see The Avengers last week. It was very good -- great in some ways -- but, overall it was not "great". The special effects were remarkable: Super heroes flying. Stuff blowing up. Aliens flying. Other stuff blowing up. Impressive.
Where it fell short was on character development. Samuel L. Jackson's character is terrible. Mark Ruffalo as Hulk was very good, but there is more depth to it him than was shown in The Avengers. The Hulk may have been the best part of the movie. Certainly a point of comic relief along with Iron Man. I would have like to seen more background on Black Widow and that bow and arrow guy, too.
It is a movie that is certainly worth seeing - a perfect early summer "popcorn" movie. Of course it all sets up for the sequel and another Iron Man movie. But what movie doesn't set up for a sequel anymore?
April 18, 2012
While sitting in a hospital room for the last couple of weeks, I found a recent, but not current, TV show on Netflix to watch. It's a show called Life. The show is about a police officer who is framed for a murder and serves several years in prison before new evidence proves his innocence and gains his release.
He rejoins the police force with a new partner. While investigating new cases he also secretly searches for the people who framed him.
It's an entertaining show with interesting cases and an intriguing sub plot. If you have access to Netflix, I would recommend it.
March 11, 2012
A quick review of two new TV shows.
First, Awake on NBC (Thursday at 10). It is a story of a man who survives a car crash to have two versions of reality survive with him. When "awake" his wife survives, but his son died in the crash. When he falls "asleep" the other reality has his son as the crash survivor, but his wife died. He struggles to determine which reality is true. Clues that cross-over between the "realities" help him solve crimes in his job as a police detective. I really enjoyed the pilot episode and recommend it.
The second show is GCB on ABC (Sundays at 10). This is a story of a woman who has to return to her hometown from Dallas with her children after her husband dies in a car crash with his mistress. As she reconnects with her high school "friends" the shallowness of all of the characters overwhelms the show. The show is crude and predictable, but its worst sin is that it is just not funny. I really like Kristin Chenoweth and Leslie Bibb, but they can't salvage this mess. Don't waste your time.
February 25, 2012
Blogger lost some of my posts in this section of the blog. So, you'll see a large time gap between now and the last "Reviews..." post.
Since I was talking movies, I'll continue the trend. So far in 2012, The Wife and I have seen two new movies: One For the Money and This Means War. By the time I do the Wifeys for 2013, I will have forgotten I ever saw either of these movies.
Both were fun, date night kinda chick-flicks. Guys, just think of it as building up points you can use to go see some action movies when they come out in the summer (like Avengers, Dark Knight Rises, etc.)
Katherine Heigl was charming playing basically the same character she always plays in the leading role in One For the Money. They will likely churn out a number of movies in this franchise of Janet Evanovich novels. I doubt that any will get better than this one (that's the typical trend in movie franchises). So, if you want to see the best of this bunch, go see this one. Also, it isn't unbearable, so if your wife or lady-friend want to see it, you are relatively safe with this choice. It won't deplete you of all testosterone like Beaches.
This Means War is a Reese Witherspoon romantic comedy. There is just enough action thrown in to try to draw in the guys and keep it from being a full-fledged chick flick. This, too, is a good (far from great movie) that you'll enjoy with your wife for a couple of hours and then forget about it before the week is out. Again, this is a safe bet if you are looking for something to go see and are smart enough to give The Wife the choice.
September 7, 2011
In addition to football, Fall brings a new slate of television shows. For every Lost, Modern Family or 24 there are countless duds to have to sort through. Let me help you avoid the potential garbage by putting them into three categories:
If A Show Like This Can Get On The Air, Why Am I Not Making Big Dough As A TV Writer:
2 Broke Girls
Playboy Club
Last Man Standing
Man Up
Suburgatory
Free Agents
I Hate My Teenage Daughter
How to Be a Gentleman
X Factor
A Gifted Man
Allen Gregory
Pan Am
Worth A Try (Maybe)
- Terra Nova - High tech, high price Speilberg show that may be podium for liberal preaching
- Unforgettable - Another CBS crime drama that I don't get the premise (Numbers) but may be OK
- Revenge - Adaugter seeks revenge for ruin of her family (based loosely on Count of Monte Cristo
- Whitney - Trailers look witty and could be good if it stays clever and doesn't resort to tacky for laughs
- Prime Suspect - Female cop tries to make it in NYPD. Why do they make Maria Bello look so bad in previews?
- Charlie's Angels - It's Charlie's Angels.
- Grimm - Crime drama based on Grimm's Fairy Tales. Word is that the pilot is outstanding.
- Once Upon A Time - Boom or bust show of the Fall. A woman is trapped in a small town where fairy tales are real. Sounded hokey, but producers and writers last worked on Lost. That's why it is "worth a try".
Set The DVR
New Girl (Fox) - This show looks hilarious. Zooey Deschanel (Elf) stars in this sitcom positioned between Glee and Raising Hope on the Fox Fall calendar. It is possible that it could disappoint, but the clips look great and I think Zooey’s subtle goofiness is entertaining.
Up All Night (NBC) - Lorne Michaels (SNL, 30 Rock) sitcom starring Christina Applegate and Will Arnett. Applegate and Arnett play a married couple coping with life after the birth of their first baby. If they can avoid the clichés and keep it clever this show has a lot of promise.
Peson of Interest (CBS) - This looks awesome. Jim Caviezel (Passion of the Christ and The Count of Monte Christo) and Michael Emerson (super creepy villain guy in Lost) star in this drama from a producer of CSI (the good one) and director credits from Jonathan Nolan (screenplay for Dark Night and The Prestige). The plot sounds like a good mix of films Enemy of the State and Minority Report.
September 3, 2011
On some Saturday mornings, I'll take The Boys to breakfast to Waffle House. Waffle House is hardly fine dining, but it has a lot going for it. First, it is consistent. Whether you are in Louisville or Knoxville or Austin or Montreal or Oslo...it is the same food and the same quality.
One great advantage to having two teenage boys (well, the Short One is almost a teen) is that I always have companions to action-adventure movies that The Wife may not want to see. This was never more apparent than with Cowboys & Aliens. As the boys and I were walking in to see that, a friend of mine with two younger sons were headed to see Smurfs 3D. It was an poignant reminder to count my blessings.
I was interested in Cowboys & Aliens from the first time I saw the movie title. Let’s take two great American film genres and mash them together. Brilliant! Maybe!
The connections with this movie gave hope that it could live up to the hype. Producers include Speilberg, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. Jon Favreau (Iron Man 1 & 2 and Elf) had director duties. Add in a cast including Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford and you’ve got a movie that can offer no excuses if it were to flop.
Cowboys & Aliens is best described by its own title. There are cowboys and there are aliens. Of course, they fight. Oh, by the way, it is very entertaining. Performances from the entire cast were strong. Harrison Ford was a particular surprise. This was his best performance since Air Force One. However, when you figure the movies he’s done in between include Morning Glory, Hollywood Homicide and Crystal Skull, there wasn’t a high bar there for him to hurdle (Which is a good thing, too. At his age he could break a hip trying high hurdles).
There is a sense of “coming together” as the cowboys, indians and a gang of thieves come together to battle the aliens, but that isn’t overplayed or corny at all. The dialogue isn’t spectacular, but it isn’t expected to be. The phrase “we’ve got to get our people back” is overused just like “they had no warning about the tornado” was in Twister. While I use that comparison, the dialogue in C&A was no where nearly as bad as Twister (how was Keanu not in Twister).
The action scenes were strong and a little easier to follow than Transformers (for comparison) because the combatants weren’t constantly changing to and from cars, trucks, helicopters and whatnot. Some of the scenes were intense and might not be suitable for younger viewers (though the only time I felt I needed to ask the Short One to cover his eyes was during the previews for a horror movie trailer).
The only disappointment was the aliens. They were large, green and slimy – very consistent with what we got in Aliens, Independence Day and Signs. I was hoping for something a little more creative, but maybe playing to the stereotype of the genre was part of Favreau’s plan.
All in all, it was a fun “popcorn” movie. While I could see how some people might not like it if they get hung up on the premise. (Cowboys fighting Aliens? Really?) I would certainly rate it higher than Transformers or Thor when looking at 2011 action movies.
July 21, 2011
Recently, The Wife and I took The Tall One and The Short One to see the new Transformers movie. It's called Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I suppose it isn't called "Dark Side of the Moon" because Pink Floyd would have hit them with every brick in the wall plus a lawsuit.
The movie was entertaining. Lots of action and stuff blowing up. They really know how to blow up stuff in this movie. It was a little more interesting for us the stuff they were blowing up was mostly in Chicago and we had just visited there and recognized the buildings that were exploding. Rest assured, the buildings are all still there. I have the pictures to prove it.
There were some interesting story lines that connected the Transformers to the moon landing and the Chernobyl disaster in Russia. For the most part it was a predictable and thin plot, but it is what you expect. It is a fun, popcorn movie.
One surprise was Leonard Nimoy as the voice of one of the Transformer characters. He even utters the phrase Spock made famous "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few".
A lot of the talk was about the new love interest in the movie. Megan Fox was in the first two, but it turns out she was a psycho on the set (shocking) and was not asked back for the third one. The new girl is a Victoria's Secret model, Rosie Huntington-Whitely. She had zero acting experience before this movie. I don't think she has any after this movie either. She was better than I thought she'd be, but her real job was to continue the unrealistic level of girlfriend for Shia LaBeouf's character in this series. Mission accomplished.
Bottom line: It was a fun movie to enjoy with the kids. I'd suggest keeping your investment to a matinee price if you can, so you don't feel cheated. What you won't feel cheated by is the length of the movie. You'll you'll be hard-pressed to find a movie where you get more minutes for your dollar. Apparently it takes over 150 minutes to blow up all the stuff that had in the special effects warehouse.
July 9, 2011
The stage set up itself was impressive. It was so large that when U2 was in Dallas, they had to raise the mega-size video scoreboard to get the stage to fit. The light show and video screen were world-class, but only served to add to the show and not detract from it.
The concert itself was a 14 on a scale of 1 to 4 (think...the intro to "Vertigo). The amazing thing is that the band is extremely relevant after more than 30 years and can still pack over 60,000 people into a stadium when many of their peers from the 1980s are playing county fairs. U2 is still the current champ as greatest rock band on earth.
June 29, 2011
The Wife and I have watched a couple of old TV series on Netflix recently, "SportsNight" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip". Both were written and created by Aaron Sorkin. Sorkin also wrote "West Wing" and movies such as "A Few Good Men" and "The Social Network".
While Sorkin overcame cocaine addiction and still suffers from extreme liberalism, he is a remarkably talented writer. His story lines are not always great, but his character dialogue is very impressive. If you can get past the politics and disdain for everything conservative that sometimes comes through in his work, revisiting some of Sorkin's work can be worth it.
June 22, 2011
The Wife and I went to $5 Movie Night last night (which has inflated to $5.50 Movie Night). We saw "Midnight in Paris". I liked a few of Woody Allen's earlier movies ("Annie Hall", "Hannah and Her Sisters"), but had not really watched much of his work since he married his ex-wife's adopted daughter (or something like that).
Oddly enough, the theater was fairly crowded for a Tuesday night. Also under the "oddly enough" category was the dozen or so old ladies that had come together to the movie. Those old broads were chatty and pushy - asking at least a couple of people to move so they could sit together. All these old women in theater made the Wife and me wonder if we were in the wrong theater and perhaps they were actually showing "Cocoon 3D".
The movie started and the Golden Girls quitened down. We ended up really enjoying "Midnight in Paris". I won't tell you much about the plot because that would give away the hook of the movie. Let's just say it was a very good movie, with great dialogue and an interesting (though somewhat heavy-handed) moral to it.
I've never been an Owen Wilson fan and he is the lead actor in "Midnight". Honestly, I think he is the most over-rated popular actor in movies today. However, he is good here. He is basically playing Woody Allen playing the lead character. So I imagine they re-shot scenes until Allen got Wilson to adequately mimic the way he would say the lines.
"Midnight in Paris" is a good "date night" movie. No nudity. No violence. No profanity. So, "why go" you may say? OK, then don't go, but you'll be glad if you do.
June 10, 2011
The Wife has started a garden. It’s not quite like the garden that Oliver Wendell Douglas had in “Green Acres” when he and Lisa were still living in New York, but it’s close. Rather than growing corn (shooting up to the sky while “Yankee Doodle” is played on a fife in the background) in planters on the balcony, the Wife has a “garden kit” (see photo). It has tomatoes (or, as you may say, “tah-mah-toes”), cilantro, green beans and a variety of other things.
I’m a little disappointed that I’ve not heard any voice coming from the garden saying “If you build it, they will come”. However, the Wife is excited that things are growing and they are the things that they are supposed to be. This is unlike my first attempt at growing anything in a garden. When I was but a child (or as they said where I come from: “young’un”) my grandfather and I bought some seeds to plant watermelon. What we got was some gnarly-looking gourds. So, I’m pretty impressed that the Wife is doing such a good job with her garden.
June 6, 2011
It goes without saying that one should not text or tweet or post to facebook photos of one's "private parts". However, this is even more true if you are a public figure, such as, I don't know...a Congressman. To further stress this point may seem unnecessary, however, it is not. If one's name is something somewhat unusual or maybe say...slang for "private parts", one should make it part of their life mission to never text or tweet or post to facebook photos of their "private parts".
Congressman Weiner, you have redefined stupid behavior and have given comedy writers easy material for decades to come.
May 18, 2011
A Facebook friend had recently asked about Netflix. Here are my thoughts: The Wife and I started using Netflix a couple of months ago. In theory it is a very cool service. In practice, it is still cool, but not quite up to the hype or potential. There are not enough movies and TV shows that I want to see that are offered on-line. You can get practically anything on DVD through the mail. Just not enough available on-demand. The mail service is very fast, however, so that is a plus. As more selections can be enjoyed on-demand, Netflix will become a much better service.
May 6, 2011
I'd be remiss if I didn't take an opportunity to wish a very Happy Mother's Day to The Mom, The Wife and The Mother-in-Law. There are a lot of great things I could say about The Mom, but if you know her, you know that she is genuinely one of the kindest people you will ever meet. I love you.
April 29, 2011
First impressions can be tough. Whether you are making them yourself or they are being made about you, first impressions can be harsh in the wrong circumstances. For example, I was at McDonald's the other day to get a yogurt and a soft drink. (Seriously, it was a yogurt. And that's not code for a McRib sandwich). No other customers were at the counter and no cashiers were at the register. Just before the McEmployee comes up a woman walks in the door and stands next to me. When the McEmployee asks if he can help who is next, the woman just steps right up. Never looks at me just starts ordering her McLatte. I was going to let her go first anyway (that's how I roll) but there was no call for her to be rude.
Now, I'm thinking, "well, she's a b....witch". Then I thought that snap judgment is far from fair. So after I order and she is still waiting on her drink I try to strike up a little conversation. "It's nice to see some sun this morning", I say. She just smirks. She doesn't say anything. Just a smirk.
First impressions can be right sometimes, too.
April 23, 2011
On behalf of the Wife and myself, we wish you and yours a very Happy Easter. What a tremendous day to celebrate the grace and love and mercy shown to us by our Lord through the death, burial and resurrection of his Son.
April 13, 2011
I've purposefully avoided politics on this blog. However, I will momentarily stray into some very shallow political waters. Today, President Obama said that wealthy Americans secretly want to pay more in taxes. They are just waiting to be asked. I'm sure Susan Saradon and Tim Robbins (how could two of the stars of the fourth best baseball movie of all time be so wacko?) will line up to agree with the President on this notion. However, before we raise taxes, lets just add a line to Form 1040 just before the total tax due line that says "Please pay more taxes. Enter amount here". Then all these people with money to burn can pay more taxes because the government has finally asked them.
April 6, 2011
The Wife and I went to see "The Lincoln Lawyer" last week. It is a great story with a couple of interesting twists. However, the movie is horrible. It is a terrific story, poorly told. Wait until it comes out on DVD or Netflix or pay-per-view. It was a date night with the Wife, so that made it worthwhile.
March 30, 2011
Andy Kaufman (aka Latka Gravas, aka Foreign Man, aka Tony Clifton) was one of the most unique - and disturbed - comic minds of our time. Here are a few links to enjoy:
Latka on Taxi
Andy on a Johnny Cash special impersonating Elvis
March 20, 2011
Here is my idea for a new cable show. A group of televangelists and their pawn store-owning adopted kids cater cakes to a makeover project of homes owned by celebrities that are in rehab. I'm thinking the show should be named should either "People Will Watch Anything" or "Winning". What do you think?
March 13, 2011
The wife and I went to a new restaurant tonight called "Brick House Tavern". We had not heard of it before, but had just passed it on the road. We came to find out it is a small chain and owned by the same company that started Joe's Crab Shack.
The decor was "up-scale comfortable" with lots of high def TVs . It had the look of a very nice sports bar. The menu fit the look of the place. Lots of burgers and sandwiches that were aslightly more pricey than your average sports bar, but everything we had was very good. Service was quick and fairly attentive, too.
"Sounds great", you may say. Well, the one issue was...the waitresses were dressed like skanks. Very short, cut-off blue jean shorts, low-cut tops and LOTS of tattoos.
So, the wife won't be back. : )
March 6, 2011
The wife and I recently signed up for a 30 day trial of Netflix. It is extremely easy and convenient to use. We use it on the Xbox and the Wii. The picture quality is outstanding as long as your internet connection to the gaming device is strong enough. The downside with the "on demand" feature is the limited selection of titles. Several of the shows and movies we had hoped to watch, were only available by mail. Netflix is phasing out the "by mail" option within two years. I don't know if we'll keep it that long, however, if the on demand selections don't get quickly get better.
February 27, 2011
I mentioned Unknown as being the best movie I've seen in 2011. It was very good with some solid plot twists. The wife liked it and didn't think she would. I'm just thankful that my kids are old enough that I don't have to go see Gnomeo and Juliet in 3D.
February 20, 2011
The Brad Paisley concert will be worth a full blog post in a couple of days. In short...it was a blast. Here are a few photos.
February 12. 2011
I was looking over the Grammy nominations. Wow. What a collection of crap. Appropriately enough, Waste Management is one of the sponsors for the awards. One bright spot are the nominations for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group. My particular favorite is The Black Keys (not to be confused with that debacle we saw from the Black Eyed Peas at the Super Bowl). I won't be watching the awards show on Sunday night. There is too much risk I'll hear a Justin Bieber song and thus ruin my streak of never heard a tune by The One Who Represents All That is Wrong With Music. At any rate, check out The Black Keys here.
February 6, 2011
I don't know if it will be a good movie or not, but the trailer for "Just Go With It" is spectacular. However, the strategy used by Adam Sandler's character is not endorsed by this blog or its author.
