What are your 5 favorite board games/get-together-games to play with a group of friends?
Mine are:
- Pictionary
- Scattergories
- Trivial Pursuit
- Cranium
- Balderdash
Sunday, July 31, 2005
It's More Fun In Groups
Haven't done something interactive in awhile...
What are your 5 favorite board games/get-together-games to play with a group of friends?
Mine are:
What are your 5 favorite board games/get-together-games to play with a group of friends?
Mine are:
Nicely Done, American Movie-goers
And a follow-up to the previous post...
(from CNN.com)
"Stealth," about Navy pilots (Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel and Jamie Foxx) taking on a rogue drone plane, crashed and burned, finishing at No. 4 with $13.5 million. With an estimated $100 million production budget, "Stealth" will prove a costly money-loser for distributor Sony.
(from CNN.com)
"Stealth," about Navy pilots (Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel and Jamie Foxx) taking on a rogue drone plane, crashed and burned, finishing at No. 4 with $13.5 million. With an estimated $100 million production budget, "Stealth" will prove a costly money-loser for distributor Sony.
Friday, July 29, 2005
Way To Follow-up That Oscar Win, Mr. Foxx
Ebert confirms what that awful trailer led me to believe...
"Stealth" is an offense against taste, intelligence and the noise pollution code -- a dumbed-down "Top Gun" crossed with the HAL 9000 plot from "2001." It might be of interest to you if you want to see lots of jet airplanes going real fast and making a lot of noise, and if you don't care that the story doesn't merely defy logic, but strips logic bare, cremates it and scatters its ashes. Here is a movie with the nerve to discuss a computer brain "like a quantum sponge" while violating Newton's Laws of Motion.
"Stealth" is an offense against taste, intelligence and the noise pollution code -- a dumbed-down "Top Gun" crossed with the HAL 9000 plot from "2001." It might be of interest to you if you want to see lots of jet airplanes going real fast and making a lot of noise, and if you don't care that the story doesn't merely defy logic, but strips logic bare, cremates it and scatters its ashes. Here is a movie with the nerve to discuss a computer brain "like a quantum sponge" while violating Newton's Laws of Motion.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
23 Rules Of Boozing That Apply To Us All
- Buying someone a drink is five times better than a handshake.
- Never borrow more than one cigarette from the same person in one night.
- Get the bartender's attention with eye contact and a smile.
- Do not make eye contact with the bartender if you do not want a drink.
- Never, ever tell a bartender he/she made your drink too strong.
- If the bartender makes it too weak, order a double next time. He/she will get the message.
- Always have a corkscrew in your house.
- If you don't have a corkscrew, push the cork down into the bottle with a pen.
- Our parents were better drinkers than we are.
- It is only permissible to shout, "Woo-Hoo!" if you are doing a shot with four or more people.
- If you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to drink in a bar. Go to the liquor store.
- If you owe someone 20 dollars or less, you may pay them back in beer.
- The only thing that tastes better than free liquor is stolen liquor.
- If you bring Old Milwaukee to a party, you must drink at least two cans before you start drinking the imported beer in the fridge.
- Anyone on stage or behind a bar is 50 percent better looking.
- You can tell how hard a drinker someone is by how close they keep their drink to their mouth.
- Never yell out jukebox selections to someone you don't know.
- Asking a bartender what beers are on tap when the handles are right in front of you is the equivalent of saying, "I'm an idiot."
- If there is ever any confusion, the fuller beer is yours.
- Anyone with three or more drinks in their hands has the right of way.
- Beer makes you mellow, champagne makes you silly, wine makes you dramatic, tequila makes you felonious.
- A flask engraved with a personal message is one of the best gifts you can ever give. And make sure there's something in it.
- Being drunk is feeling sophisticated without being able to say it.
Friday, July 22, 2005
I Bent My Wookie
Because it's Friday night and there's nothing going on, I give you 10 sexually tilted lines from the original Star Wars Trilogy:
- "Look at the size of that thing!"
- "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought."
- "Luke, at that speed do you think you'll be able to pull out in time?"
- "Hey, point that thing someplace else!"
- "What could possibly have come over Master Luke?"
- "Sorry about the mess..."
- "I thought that hairy beast would be the end of me!"
- "Hey Luke, thanks for coming after me - now I owe you one."
- "I never knew I had it in me."
- "Back door, huh? Good idea!"
Astonishing Facts From Around The Globe #7
- Recycling one glass jar saves enough energy to watch TV for 3 hours.
- Q is the only letter in the alphabet that does not appear in the name of any of the United States.
- Fortune cookies were actually invented in America, in 1918, by Charles Jung.
- Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.
- Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.
- The dot over the letter "i" is called a tittle.
- During the chariot scene in Ben Hur, a small red car can be seen in the distance (and Heston's wearing a watch).
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Color Me There
Someone emailed me this amusing letter about California liberals planning a revolt. Unfortunately I don't know the person who originally drafted it up, but good job to whomever you are.
Dear Red States,
We're ticked off at the way you've treated California, and we've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all of the Northeast.
We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation,and especially to the people of the new country of New California.
To sum up briefly:
You get Texas, Oklahoma, and all the slave states.
We get stem cell research and the best beaches.
We get Elliot Spitzer. You get Ken Lay.
We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Wal-Mart.
We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom.
We get Harvard. You get Bob Jones University.
We get 85 percent of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama.
We get two-thirds of the tax revenue. You get to make the red states pay their fair share.
Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms.
Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home.
We do wish you success in Iraq, and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire.
With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country's fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of America's quality wines (you can serve French wines at state dinners), 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high-tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools, plus Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.
With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson, and the University of Georgia.
We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.
Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in 9/11, and 61 percent of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals than we lefties.
By the way, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico.
Dear Red States,
We're ticked off at the way you've treated California, and we've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all of the Northeast.
We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation,and especially to the people of the new country of New California.
To sum up briefly:
You get Texas, Oklahoma, and all the slave states.
We get stem cell research and the best beaches.
We get Elliot Spitzer. You get Ken Lay.
We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Wal-Mart.
We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom.
We get Harvard. You get Bob Jones University.
We get 85 percent of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama.
We get two-thirds of the tax revenue. You get to make the red states pay their fair share.
Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms.
Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home.
We do wish you success in Iraq, and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire.
With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country's fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of America's quality wines (you can serve French wines at state dinners), 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high-tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools, plus Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.
With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson, and the University of Georgia.
We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.
Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in 9/11, and 61 percent of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals than we lefties.
By the way, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Monday, July 18, 2005
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory Review
Many people were skeptical when it was announced that a re-make of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was going to be made. For various reasons, the original film adaptation has become sacred to a great many people over the years, be it for Gene Wilder's performance or simply for the numerous pop culture references that have sprung from it. Also, the track record for re-makes in Hollywood isn't exactly stellar. Thankfully, this new adaptation was never intended to be a replacement for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but rather, a faithful translation of the book to film.
Personally, I thought this was a great idea from the start because I heard that Tim Burton would be at the reigns. I've made it no secret that Timmy is a personal idol of mine. Many of his films are among my favorites ever made and I have the utmost respect for his wacky vision and wild imagination. In my opinion, there is no director on this planet better suited to tackle Roald Dahl's work. Apparently the Dahl family agrees, as Roald's widow insisted that if there were to be another version of the book made to film, the only director they would agree to would be Mr. Burton.
As I stated earlier, the biggest reason Charlie and the Chocolate Factory works so well is because the people involved took every effort to make it its own film. Johnny Depp was never trying to duplicate Gene Wilder's performance. He gives his own bizarre take on Willy Wonka with marvelous results. Also, screenwriter John August, who wrote Big Fish for Burton, had never seen the original 1971 Wonka before he started writing this new adaptation. So he was never consciously competing with what had been previously done. I've been a fan of the book since grade school and I can tell you that this new film is extremely faithful to it. There are a number of scenes that were omitted from Wilder's Wonka including the squirrel room, the children exiting the factory in their new forms, and the ending where the Buckets come and live at the factory. There were also many lines taken from the book and the Oompa Loompas are much more accurately portrayed with one man, the fantastic Deep Roy, playing all of them individually. In addition to all this, there are some scenes included that were not in the book, mostly consisting of flashbacks where we see snipets of Willy Wonka's life before he created his wondrous factory. The scenes work very well with the rest of the film and were approved by the Dahl family to be added. I must also tip my hat to Danny Elfman who comes through with a brilliant score and a number of toe-tapping music numbers that harken back to his Oingo Boingo days.
Another reason Charlie comes together is because the film never tries to be realistic. In fact, you could say it flies in the face of reality. The world in which the film takes place has no distinct time or even a name...it's just completely bonkers. Charlie also has a great sense of humor; both Depp's performance and the overall tone of the film come across very well.
Speaking of Depp, something occurred to me after seeing the film that I found interesting. When I think of all the Johnny Depp films I've seen, a great many of them were made better by his performance. In fact, in some cases like Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas or Pirates of the Caribbean, I think I can safely say that those films were positively made great by Depp starring in them. Now to my point, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is actually terrific with or without Depp. Now, I'm not at all saying that Depp's Willy Wonka isn't an important part of the film. He created a great new version of Wonka that is very entertaining in a way that I believe only could be pulled off by someone with his amazing character acting skills. What I am saying is that the world Burton created is so extraordinary that it's able to stand on its own merit. Depp is icing on an already sweet layer cake.
I could go on and on about why Charlie and the Chocolate Factory impressed me so much, but everyone knows I'm a "mark" for Tim Burton so it'll just sound like I'm singing his praises. If you haven't yet, go see Charlie for yourself. I'd feel sorry for the person who wasn't entertained by it. If you're a fan of the original film, that's great- I am too. The cool thing is that it's easy to enjoy both films because they are so different, despite telling essentially the same story. And if you're a fan of the book, this is the adaptation you've wanted to see.
Torrey's Opinion:
5- Strongly Recommended
4- Recommended
3- A Mixed Bag
2- Sub-par
1- Don't Bother
Random related fact: Johnny Depp has described his portrayal of Willy Wonka as a combination of Marilyn Manson, Howard Hughes and a 13-year-old valley girl.
Personally, I thought this was a great idea from the start because I heard that Tim Burton would be at the reigns. I've made it no secret that Timmy is a personal idol of mine. Many of his films are among my favorites ever made and I have the utmost respect for his wacky vision and wild imagination. In my opinion, there is no director on this planet better suited to tackle Roald Dahl's work. Apparently the Dahl family agrees, as Roald's widow insisted that if there were to be another version of the book made to film, the only director they would agree to would be Mr. Burton.
As I stated earlier, the biggest reason Charlie and the Chocolate Factory works so well is because the people involved took every effort to make it its own film. Johnny Depp was never trying to duplicate Gene Wilder's performance. He gives his own bizarre take on Willy Wonka with marvelous results. Also, screenwriter John August, who wrote Big Fish for Burton, had never seen the original 1971 Wonka before he started writing this new adaptation. So he was never consciously competing with what had been previously done. I've been a fan of the book since grade school and I can tell you that this new film is extremely faithful to it. There are a number of scenes that were omitted from Wilder's Wonka including the squirrel room, the children exiting the factory in their new forms, and the ending where the Buckets come and live at the factory. There were also many lines taken from the book and the Oompa Loompas are much more accurately portrayed with one man, the fantastic Deep Roy, playing all of them individually. In addition to all this, there are some scenes included that were not in the book, mostly consisting of flashbacks where we see snipets of Willy Wonka's life before he created his wondrous factory. The scenes work very well with the rest of the film and were approved by the Dahl family to be added. I must also tip my hat to Danny Elfman who comes through with a brilliant score and a number of toe-tapping music numbers that harken back to his Oingo Boingo days.
Another reason Charlie comes together is because the film never tries to be realistic. In fact, you could say it flies in the face of reality. The world in which the film takes place has no distinct time or even a name...it's just completely bonkers. Charlie also has a great sense of humor; both Depp's performance and the overall tone of the film come across very well.
Speaking of Depp, something occurred to me after seeing the film that I found interesting. When I think of all the Johnny Depp films I've seen, a great many of them were made better by his performance. In fact, in some cases like Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas or Pirates of the Caribbean, I think I can safely say that those films were positively made great by Depp starring in them. Now to my point, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is actually terrific with or without Depp. Now, I'm not at all saying that Depp's Willy Wonka isn't an important part of the film. He created a great new version of Wonka that is very entertaining in a way that I believe only could be pulled off by someone with his amazing character acting skills. What I am saying is that the world Burton created is so extraordinary that it's able to stand on its own merit. Depp is icing on an already sweet layer cake.
I could go on and on about why Charlie and the Chocolate Factory impressed me so much, but everyone knows I'm a "mark" for Tim Burton so it'll just sound like I'm singing his praises. If you haven't yet, go see Charlie for yourself. I'd feel sorry for the person who wasn't entertained by it. If you're a fan of the original film, that's great- I am too. The cool thing is that it's easy to enjoy both films because they are so different, despite telling essentially the same story. And if you're a fan of the book, this is the adaptation you've wanted to see.
Torrey's Opinion:
5- Strongly Recommended
4- Recommended
3- A Mixed Bag
2- Sub-par
1- Don't Bother
Random related fact: Johnny Depp has described his portrayal of Willy Wonka as a combination of Marilyn Manson, Howard Hughes and a 13-year-old valley girl.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Are You Ready?
You probably know that the goverment put together an oh-so-helpful website called ready.gov that's meant to help us prepare for immenant terrorist attacks. The site offers about as much assistance as the 'duck and cover' lessons of the 1950s. Below you'll find some icons from the site that I decided to offer interpretations for.
In the event that you've been set on fire, do not run. Stay in one place so the fire department can find you.
If you spot terrorism, blow your anti-terrorism whistle. Or if you're Vin Diesel, just yell.
If you spot a terrorism indicator, pin it up against the wall with your shoulder until the authorities arrive.
If you are sprayed with an unknown substance, take a moment to consider a cool tattoo design.
Use a flashlight to lift fallen debris right off you!
Take a moment to think about how hurricanes, animal corpses and your potential new tattoo might support terrorism.
If you come across a locked exit, karate chop the three precise points indicated.
A one-inch piece of plexi-glass should be sufficient protection against radiation.
Exposure to radiation may result in unexpected growth, not unlike that of a mutant or The Hulk.
If someone is playing the new Backstreet Boys album, either cower in the corner or run out of earshot as fast as you can.
If you lose a contact during an emergency, do not stop to look for it. Simply roll away.
When preparing a bomb shelter, be sure to stock it with plenty of non-perishable food items like fresh apples.
In the event that you've been set on fire, do not run. Stay in one place so the fire department can find you.
If you spot terrorism, blow your anti-terrorism whistle. Or if you're Vin Diesel, just yell.
If you spot a terrorism indicator, pin it up against the wall with your shoulder until the authorities arrive.
If you are sprayed with an unknown substance, take a moment to consider a cool tattoo design.
Use a flashlight to lift fallen debris right off you!
Take a moment to think about how hurricanes, animal corpses and your potential new tattoo might support terrorism.
If you come across a locked exit, karate chop the three precise points indicated.
A one-inch piece of plexi-glass should be sufficient protection against radiation.
Exposure to radiation may result in unexpected growth, not unlike that of a mutant or The Hulk.
If someone is playing the new Backstreet Boys album, either cower in the corner or run out of earshot as fast as you can.
If you lose a contact during an emergency, do not stop to look for it. Simply roll away.
When preparing a bomb shelter, be sure to stock it with plenty of non-perishable food items like fresh apples.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Astonishing Facts From Around The Globe #6
- In the Caribbean, there are oysters that can climb trees.
- If you were to spell out each number starting with zero, you'd have to go until a thousand before you'd use the letter "A".
- Each day more money is printed for the game Monopoly than for the U.S. Treasury.
- In 1987, American Arlines saved $40,000 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first class.
- Peanuts are one of the ingredients used in dynamite.
- The average person has almost 1,500 dreams per year.
- A sneeze travels out of your mouth at over 100 m.p.h.
Friday, July 08, 2005
A Conversation With Timmy
Tim Burton is my favorite director, thus I'm sharing a link to a recent interview with him:
Burton talks about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Burton talks about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Monday, July 04, 2005
More Than You Probably Cared To Know About...
Crayola Crayons
- In 1903, the Binney & Smith Company made the first box of Crayola crayons costing only a nickel and containing eight colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown and black.
- The now-classic 64-box of crayons, complete with built-in sharpener, was introduced in 1958.
- In 1958, the color 'prussian blue' was renamed to 'midnight blue' in response to teacher requests. Also, due in part to the civil rights movements of the 1960s, the color 'flesh' was renamed 'peach'.
- The most recent additions to Crayola's palette were made in 1998, consisting of 24 new colors ranging from 'Antique Brass' to 'Outer Space'. Currently there are 120 varieties of crayons produced.
- On average, children between the ages of two and seven color 28 minutes each day.
- The average child in the U.S. will wear down 730 crayons by his or her tenth birthday.
- The scent of Crayola crayons is considered to be one of the twenty most recognizable by adults.
- Red and black are the most popular crayon colors, mostly because they tend to be used for outlining.
- Binney & Smith are dedicated to environmental responsibility. Crayons that don't meet quality standards are remelted and used to make new crayons. Ninety percent of Crayola packaging is made from recycled cardboard and the company makes sure the wood in their colored pencils doesn't originate from tropical rain forests.
- Binney & Smith produce two billion Crayola crayons a year, which, if placed end to end, would circle the Earth 4.5 times.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Saturday, July 02, 2005
War Of The Worlds Review
(this review is spoilery if you haven't yet seen the movie)
Don't you hate it when a movie starts out strong but falls apart in the second half? For the first hour or so of War of the Worlds I was totally captivated. A large-scale alien invasion was starting to take place on my planet, presented with astounding special effects and that Spielberg gumption I've come to expect over the years. When the first tripod emerges from beneath New York, the chaos that follows makes it impossible to look away from the screen. I was ready to claim War of the Worlds to be the best movie of the summer...until the plot started to take a downward spiral.
The movie begins strong but really starts to meander and tries its best to dodge the answers to questions you're forming in your mind as you're watching it. Questions like: Why did the aliens wait so long to invade us? If the pods were buried underground all around the world, how come no one ever came across one while building subway tunnels and foundations and whatnot? Why did they not research the fact that our atmosphere would kill them? Why does the teenage son have such a hard-on for war? And the biggest plot hole in the movie: How in the hell did the son get back to Boston? A lot of these things I'm willing to overlook because, hey, this is a Spielberg summer blockbuster and that means one should expect plausibility to take a backseat to excitement. Also, certain details like the manner at which the aliens meet their unexpected demise had to be consistent with the original story.
Unfortunately my issues go deeper than mere quibbles- I felt that the script really fell off after the first act. I've always been a fan of David Koepp but I can't help feeling that he just ran out of steam getting to the inevitable ending where the aliens are defeated by their own poor planning. There's one part where Tom and his daughter are hiding in a basement with a wacked-out Tim Robbins...an alien tentacle is searching around trying to find them in a scene very reminiscent of Jurassic Park. The only problem is, the scene goes on for far too long and isn't nearly as interesting or tense as the menacing raptors in the kitchen. We also get our first look at the alien creatures in this scene, which in my opinion was a little disappointing. They aren't exactly scary or threatening- in fact they don't look all that interesting at all. I'm not saying they need to resemble a Sigourney Weaver alien, but these things are carelessly exterminating our entire race- I don't think I'm supposed to like them. Or worse, be completely indifferent.
That raises another question that the script manages to avoid: Why are the aliens doing this? What are their motives for killing us and apparently spraying our blood over the landscape? Is it simply to make our planet look like their own? If that's the case, why are they doing it now after millions of years? Any explanation will do- it's science fiction after all! The problem is they don't offer any explanations. We see the main characters running, dodging and hiding from peril while the script does the same from proper narration.
At this point I must sound like I hated the film, which is not the case. There were some amazing action sequences and with Lord of the Rings aside, some of the most impressive special effects I've ever seen. The way the tripods interact with the environments and screaming hordes of people is often times brilliantly done. Technically, the movie most definitely holds its own. But then I have to go and expect a good script to accompany the effects.
War of the Worlds isn't a bad movie- I would recommend seeing it as there are a number of breathtaking scenes and at times the movie does plant the thought in your mind, "What would I do if this happened to me?" The biggest problem I have is that I'm left answering far too many of my own questions.
Torrey's Opinion:
5- Strongly Recommended
4- Recommended
3- A Mixed Bag
2- Sub-par
1- Don't Bother
Random related fact: While filming nearby, Tom Cruise along with a 20 member entourage including Steven Spielberg visited a Lexington, Virginia Dairy Queen. Cruise saw a jar on the counter with a photo of Ashley Flint and her story. Flint was in a go-kart accident a few months earlier, leaving her family with a mountain of hospital bills. Cruise put $5000 cash into the jar.
Don't you hate it when a movie starts out strong but falls apart in the second half? For the first hour or so of War of the Worlds I was totally captivated. A large-scale alien invasion was starting to take place on my planet, presented with astounding special effects and that Spielberg gumption I've come to expect over the years. When the first tripod emerges from beneath New York, the chaos that follows makes it impossible to look away from the screen. I was ready to claim War of the Worlds to be the best movie of the summer...until the plot started to take a downward spiral.
The movie begins strong but really starts to meander and tries its best to dodge the answers to questions you're forming in your mind as you're watching it. Questions like: Why did the aliens wait so long to invade us? If the pods were buried underground all around the world, how come no one ever came across one while building subway tunnels and foundations and whatnot? Why did they not research the fact that our atmosphere would kill them? Why does the teenage son have such a hard-on for war? And the biggest plot hole in the movie: How in the hell did the son get back to Boston? A lot of these things I'm willing to overlook because, hey, this is a Spielberg summer blockbuster and that means one should expect plausibility to take a backseat to excitement. Also, certain details like the manner at which the aliens meet their unexpected demise had to be consistent with the original story.
Unfortunately my issues go deeper than mere quibbles- I felt that the script really fell off after the first act. I've always been a fan of David Koepp but I can't help feeling that he just ran out of steam getting to the inevitable ending where the aliens are defeated by their own poor planning. There's one part where Tom and his daughter are hiding in a basement with a wacked-out Tim Robbins...an alien tentacle is searching around trying to find them in a scene very reminiscent of Jurassic Park. The only problem is, the scene goes on for far too long and isn't nearly as interesting or tense as the menacing raptors in the kitchen. We also get our first look at the alien creatures in this scene, which in my opinion was a little disappointing. They aren't exactly scary or threatening- in fact they don't look all that interesting at all. I'm not saying they need to resemble a Sigourney Weaver alien, but these things are carelessly exterminating our entire race- I don't think I'm supposed to like them. Or worse, be completely indifferent.
That raises another question that the script manages to avoid: Why are the aliens doing this? What are their motives for killing us and apparently spraying our blood over the landscape? Is it simply to make our planet look like their own? If that's the case, why are they doing it now after millions of years? Any explanation will do- it's science fiction after all! The problem is they don't offer any explanations. We see the main characters running, dodging and hiding from peril while the script does the same from proper narration.
At this point I must sound like I hated the film, which is not the case. There were some amazing action sequences and with Lord of the Rings aside, some of the most impressive special effects I've ever seen. The way the tripods interact with the environments and screaming hordes of people is often times brilliantly done. Technically, the movie most definitely holds its own. But then I have to go and expect a good script to accompany the effects.
War of the Worlds isn't a bad movie- I would recommend seeing it as there are a number of breathtaking scenes and at times the movie does plant the thought in your mind, "What would I do if this happened to me?" The biggest problem I have is that I'm left answering far too many of my own questions.
Torrey's Opinion:
5- Strongly Recommended
4- Recommended
3- A Mixed Bag
2- Sub-par
1- Don't Bother
Random related fact: While filming nearby, Tom Cruise along with a 20 member entourage including Steven Spielberg visited a Lexington, Virginia Dairy Queen. Cruise saw a jar on the counter with a photo of Ashley Flint and her story. Flint was in a go-kart accident a few months earlier, leaving her family with a mountain of hospital bills. Cruise put $5000 cash into the jar.
Friday, July 01, 2005
Astonishing Facts From Around The Globe #5
- The "You Are Here" arrow on maps is called an ideo locator.
- In 1998, more fast-food employees were murdered on the job than police officers.
- The five Olympic rings are red, black, blue, green and yellow because at least one of those colors appears on the flag of every nation on the planet.
- Americans spend an average of 6 months of their lives waiting at red lights.
- The longest words in the english language with only one syllable are "screeched" and "strengths".
- One pound of lemons contain more sugar than one pound of strawberries. (how's that for random?)
- "60 Minutes" is the only TV show in history to have neither a theme song nor music.
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