You're probably aware that Oscar nominations were announced today. You're also probably aware that I didn't post in this blog between June and December last year. Here is a completely-unrelated-to-the-Oscars review of the movies I saw in theaters but didn't blog about!*
This is the End
Probably the funniest movie of the year. I love this group of guys and their sense of humor. And it did a great job of freaking out the audience too.
Don Jon
I'm a big JGL fan (The Babbler thinks he should play me in a movie) and of course wanted to see his writing and directorial debut. I'm also a huge fan of Scarlett (already a great name, no need for "ScarJo") so I was in. The trailers made it look like a fun rom-com; instead it was VERY different. I can't really say anymore than that.
Gravity
Best film of the year. I knew I would love it the first time I saw the trailer. I am fascinated with space. But the movie still blew me away. I have no idea how they filmed it. Not a freaking clue. And I was literally on the edge of my seat the entire time. I didn't even notice until the end when I had to unfurl my hands from the armrests. It was like I hadn't breathed in 90 minutes. So intense.
Anchorman 2
I had heard mixed reviews going in but Anchorman is my movie. Whenever I get together with my college roommates we quote Anchorman non-stop. This will never end. So I went into Anchorman 2 not expecting the same level of ridiculousness and memorable one-liners but I was pleasantly surprised. And all the cameos! Totally worth it.
*Yes, I only went to the movies 4 times in 8 months. FML
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Book Review: Inferno
It's a Dan Brown novel -- what is there to review? If you've read a couple of his books then you know the gist. Harvard University's Professor of Art History & Symbology, Robert Langdon,* is called in to a different part of the world to help solve a crime. Amazingly, the criminal has left clues for how to stop his/her plan but in the form of a historical puzzle which Langdon must then solve. The plot usually unfolds in a 24 hour time period with many twists and turns along the way.
Still, Brown makes it exciting every time. A lot of people like Brown's books for how descriptive he is. Since Langdon is a SME on all things art history, setting his stories in France or Italy allows Brown to describe the grand architecture, paintings, sculptures, etc. in painstakingly accurate detail. For some people, the descriptors just jump off the page, but for me, these are the most annoying passages. I'm a visual guy... I need to see something to fully comprehend it. Reading about something doesn't inspire a picture in my head, it just slows down my pace.
However, I liked Inferno. I've read all of Dan Brown's work** and I'd probably rank this as his third best. It has all the elements you like plus a very different beginning and a crazy ending that has huge implications. Borrow it from your local library today.
*Langdon is as much of a professor as Indiana Jones. So... not really at all.
**Digital Fortress, Angels & Demons, Deception Point, The DaVinci Code, The Lost Symbol, Inferno
Still, Brown makes it exciting every time. A lot of people like Brown's books for how descriptive he is. Since Langdon is a SME on all things art history, setting his stories in France or Italy allows Brown to describe the grand architecture, paintings, sculptures, etc. in painstakingly accurate detail. For some people, the descriptors just jump off the page, but for me, these are the most annoying passages. I'm a visual guy... I need to see something to fully comprehend it. Reading about something doesn't inspire a picture in my head, it just slows down my pace.
However, I liked Inferno. I've read all of Dan Brown's work** and I'd probably rank this as his third best. It has all the elements you like plus a very different beginning and a crazy ending that has huge implications. Borrow it from your local library today.
*Langdon is as much of a professor as Indiana Jones. So... not really at all.
**Digital Fortress, Angels & Demons, Deception Point, The DaVinci Code, The Lost Symbol, Inferno
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Hall of Fame
I kept a cool head last year when no players were elected to Cooperstown, but as my post so nicely explained, there were multiple candidates worthy of enshrinement. And I define worthy as in even while they were still playing, people referred to them as future Hall of Famers. There's no debate here.
Except that in the world of PEDs, apparently that's the only thing taken into consideration. Nevermind that only five players (Bonds, Clemens, McGwire, Sosa and Palmeiro) out of everyone on the ballot this year, had ever been connected to steroids, HGH, the cream, the clear, Balco, Biogenesis or any of the B.S. that we hear about seemingly all the time. The BBWAA's stance seems to be, "if you were playing anytime between the mid-90s to mid-00s you are guilty by association."
Yes, three worthy players were elected this year: Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas. But they were all new to the ballot. So, once again, every player I listed last year has to be carried over again to next year. It's not that they aren't Hall of Fame material, it's that the voting is a mess. You may have heard that Craig Biggio missed the cut by two votes. Two! The main culprit (other than the occasional idiot voter) is the incomprehensible rule that voters can only select 10 players on any given ballot. Well, because no one was elected last year, we now have a bottleneck of layovers plus the annual new additions, meaning there are more than 10 worthy players. This leaves some guys like Biggio to jussstttttt get squeezed out.
If you think next year will give the voters a chance to catch up, you're wrong. Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, Gary Sheffield, Carlos Delgado and Nomar Garciaparra will all be added to the ballot. The first 3 are more-or-less definite which puts us in a similar place as this year. Will Biggio be pushed over the hump, now that everyone is aware of his proximity? All I know is, judging by the last 2 years of selections, there will likely be a lot of negative critics.
Except that in the world of PEDs, apparently that's the only thing taken into consideration. Nevermind that only five players (Bonds, Clemens, McGwire, Sosa and Palmeiro) out of everyone on the ballot this year, had ever been connected to steroids, HGH, the cream, the clear, Balco, Biogenesis or any of the B.S. that we hear about seemingly all the time. The BBWAA's stance seems to be, "if you were playing anytime between the mid-90s to mid-00s you are guilty by association."
Yes, three worthy players were elected this year: Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas. But they were all new to the ballot. So, once again, every player I listed last year has to be carried over again to next year. It's not that they aren't Hall of Fame material, it's that the voting is a mess. You may have heard that Craig Biggio missed the cut by two votes. Two! The main culprit (other than the occasional idiot voter) is the incomprehensible rule that voters can only select 10 players on any given ballot. Well, because no one was elected last year, we now have a bottleneck of layovers plus the annual new additions, meaning there are more than 10 worthy players. This leaves some guys like Biggio to jussstttttt get squeezed out.
If you think next year will give the voters a chance to catch up, you're wrong. Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, Gary Sheffield, Carlos Delgado and Nomar Garciaparra will all be added to the ballot. The first 3 are more-or-less definite which puts us in a similar place as this year. Will Biggio be pushed over the hump, now that everyone is aware of his proximity? All I know is, judging by the last 2 years of selections, there will likely be a lot of negative critics.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
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