Archive for April, 2008
host »
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
… is what a monster movie should be. The reasons for the monster’s existence is veiled in pseudoscience and vague obscurities. The monster brings hell and confusion and death. A small group of people fight to save a victim and battle against an oppressive government. It. Is. Sweet.
The graphics are solid, the story is quite good relative to the genre and the acting is fairly good. A lot of attention is paid to the familial relationships between the main characters, which makes you relate to them and feel for them as the rest of the story goes along. Sort of like Cloverfield, the focus is on the now, with the exposition and relationships developing through side references.
There are probably a ton of cultural (humorous or story driving) references that I missed because this is my first Korean film, but it was still very entertaining. The action was paced well and kept me guessing. The characters were smart and fairly well developed considering the type of film.
I liked it. I enjoy a monster flick from time to time and this fit the bill and filled the craving better than most I’ve seen in recent memory. Cloverfield had the cheesy first-person-perspective going for it, but this one had a far better story and seemed to spend more than two late evenings sorting out the key plot points. I also watched a dubbed version, which added another level of comedy.
***1/2
not letting you off easy… »
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008
note: this was first brought to my attention over the weekend by Girlfriend. I don’t know what she was looking for when she found it, but this is sort of like the interweb design equivalent to finding a lump on your left nut.
I’ve let you readers slack. I haven’t really tested you in any way or form. I’m changing that today. I’m going to put you through a sample initiation I would typically reserve only for those that want to become paid staff here at UpTheDrain.
Come with me, all of you to a land none of you have likely traveled. It’s perilous and most of you may not make it in or out alive, but for those that do, it’s well worth the sacrifice we in the biz call that “trimming the fat”; you hear it a lot on “real world: gauntlet III”. Take my hand, pack a sandwich bag of trail mix no raisins; i see a raisin and i’m slicing someone open and meet…
warning: This is where things get treacherous. We’ll need to tramp across fields where dozens of elements at varying levels of many hierarchies with different emphasis fight a bloody, typographical battle for supremacy. Beware losing your balance and falling to your deaths off the edge of a center-aligned paragraph. Try not to stretch your windows too wide, because the text will only follow you like the well-armed scouts of a scalping party. How wide should we make the page? Fuck it, just make it as wide as they want it. I hate making choices… I LOVE magic!Any of you not prepared for such a journey, please exit the car to your right, make your way down the gravel path and wait for your co-readers at the end of the ride. Right next to the station to buy your commemorative photo will do just fine.
David J. Castle, Marketing consultant for DJC Marketing, LLC.
There. It’s out there. I’ll give you kids a moment to really explore for yourselves… No, seriously. I can wait. this is a blog… it’ll be sitting on here no matter how long it takes you to absorb all his meaningless testimonials or any number of the dozens of other things wrong with this site.
You know those times where someone says “man, something like that would have [insert reference to celebrated dead person in the field being discussed] turning in his grave” and everyone around them gives an understanding nod? This is like that, except I can’t think of anyone who does awesome web design off the top of my head because all the pathways from one side of my brain to the other are being sliced by a hot, serrated knife with the initials, DJC etched into the handle.
I mean, really? Really?!?
Did you catch the completely pointless but exclamation-pointed tag-line? Did you all check the voice-mail that he embedded? His “credentials” page that makes me sound modest? And most obviously, have you taken a good gander at that beige sweater-vest?
You have? Ah… then I have one more assignment for you…
Watch the following clip and don’t even crack a smile. I dare you. It’s long. You’ll have to keep that stoic glare for over seven minutes while the bespectacled, faux-fro-wearing, sweater-vest-sporting almost-magician explains the lamest. trick. ever: or illusions, if you’re of my ilk and think tricks are what whores do for money.
Couldn’t do it could you? Didn’t think so… now you know why our staff is so inexplicably small.
for those of you in the it’s-not-polite-to-make-fun crowd, I want to say I’m not. I want to, but I can’t. Because I am. No worries though. From the looks of that watch, he’s okay on cash flow if it’s really made of gold.
dan in real life »
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008
… was a tour de force for Steve Carell (Little miss sunshine, 40-year-old virgin). The characters were witty, unique and well developed. The story was heart-warming and all ages could relate. Really, this was just a fine film all around.
Sorry. I’m ahead of myself. That was me in twenty years talking. The me now says this movie was trite, predictable to a fault and generally uninteresting on too many levels to let slide. The characters were a mishmash of hollywood stereotypes and the story had so many film clichés as to be almost laughable. The direction was boring and the acting was generally (Carell was actually pretty solid) was lame. Dane Cook was terrible, per usual.
Down-and-out widower who’s still heart broken has happenchance meeting in a bookstore with the perfect woman who is already seeing someone else on an annual trip to visit his quirky family. One of his daughters is mature, looking for independence. Another is immature, but thinks she’s in love. The third, the youngest, is far too smarter than most of the other characters. He has two super-macho brothers, an all-knowing mother and an understanding, wise father.
The family is confined to a small cottage where beds are packed wall-to-wall and Widower has to sleep in the single bed along with the curiously-always-running-at-night dryer. The close quarters, coupled with a dramatic and completely predictable twist, make for awkward story telling and conversations.
For all its lame, there are a few laughs and the story will probably be more poignant when I have teenage daughters of my own. Or something. Whatever, talking in the now, the movie is too stale for my tastes, but may do for a night in when you’re not looking to be challenged.
**
palatable »
Monday, April 21st, 2008
The country is facing epidemic obesity and weight-related health problems. Treatment of preventable conditions feed the health care industry. Heath care is one of our fastest growing sectors in cost and profits, outside of oil and defense spending.
The problem cannot entirely be blamed on the public, nor the high-calorie, low-nutrition industry. Portion sizes at restaurants have grown according to market demand. With consumer demand for more product at lower cost, mechanized processes to remove valuable nutrients or mass-produce high-fat foods have been developed. With budget cutting and limited oversight, those that police food manufacturing do so with far less authority and less often. (more…)
my blueberry nights »
Monday, April 21st, 2008
… is like stopping into Chino Latino after nine on a Friday. Therein, I’m bombarded by people attempting to appear as cool as they think they are. It’s pathetic and depressing. Watching this movie had the same feel. Unfortunately, the story itself was pretty good. It was bogged down with too-cool direction and lame audio (the DVD may fix this).
First, the good. The acting was decent enough, but the accents were pretty dismal. Portman’s (Closer, v for vendetta) attempt at ultra-cool was a bit strange, but Weisz’ (The constant gardener, runaway jury) southern drawl was terrible. Law (I [heart] huckabee, road to perdition) had the benefit of a simple character with a British accent. Jones, in her first acting role, was somewhat impressive. She didn’t have much for emotional range, but Julia Stiles still finds work, so that may not be a prerequisite.
Also, the story was quite good. It was entertaining. It was predictable in a lot of ways, but kept me interested. However, it lacked realism. Elizabeth (Jones) goes across the country without faltering or really being challenged. It was more about the off-beat characters than her personal transition. Which doesn’t ring true as far as character-developing-journey-films go.
The direction was ridiculous. It’s a visual representation of those people that have to stop by each painting in a gallery to talk about the symbolism because they watched da vinci code once. The camera is sitting on the opposite side of the painted shop window to the conversations for half the movie. And ooh… melting ice cream on blueberry pie… exotic! … meh.
**