tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-167392562024-03-20T06:30:30.249-05:00Rants By RobertNot a "What I had for lunch today" blog. Just Universal Themes, like, "Why?"Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-80451573359361709262011-05-26T10:36:00.001-05:002011-05-26T10:47:16.324-05:00Documentaries about making moviesI really like shows about making movies. Not just movies about making movies, but documentaries where they show how it's done. I'm not so interested in the special effects part, but that nitty gritty stuff. I've run across a few that I have in my Netflix queue. These are general ones, not dealing with an individual person, but the craft as a whole. If you know of any others, please, let me know about them. If you don't have Netflix, join here: <a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000000035479079&pubid=21000000000247818">Try Netflix for FREE! Get unlimited movies instantly streaming right to your TV.</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00329PYH0/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=biblicalparen-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B00329PYH0">Tales from the Script</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=biblicalparen-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00329PYH0&camp=217145&creative=399349" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> is about screenwriters. I've watched this one and it's pretty good. Available on <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Tales_from_the_Script/70131177?trkid=1457038#height1704">Netflix instant or DVD</a>. <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009PVZEG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=biblicalparen-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B0009PVZEG">The Cutting Edge - The Magic of Movie Editing</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=biblicalparen-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0009PVZEG&camp=217145&creative=399349" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> is about the often unappreciated art of editing a movie. A book I recently read on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345356543/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=retrohound-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0345356543">Hollywood Anecdotes</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0345356543&camp=217145&creative=399349" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />talked about the importance of editing and how that can completely change the pace and reception of a picture. Available from <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The_Cutting_Edge_The_Magic_of_Movie_Editing/70037169?trkid=2700505#height2616">Netflix DVD</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/630583685X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=retrohound-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=630583685X">Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retrohound-20&l=as2&o=1&a=630583685X&camp=217145&creative=399349" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> is about the person most responible for the look of the film (sometimes even more than the director) the cinematographer or director of photography. Available from <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Visions_of_Light/60000131?trkid=1457038#height1818">Netflix DVD</a>.<br />
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Lastly, is one that deals with after-the-fact: film criticism, which I love. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615327087/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=retrohound-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0615327087">For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retrohound-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0615327087&camp=217145&creative=399349" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />. Not available from Netflix yet. <br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00329PYH0&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=retrohound-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0009PVZEG&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=retrohound-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=630583685X&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=retrohound-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0615327087&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-66295271851284668122010-03-25T13:29:00.004-05:002010-03-25T13:33:11.543-05:00Are YOU Middle Class?I had thought we were middle class, till I read <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgetingk/article/109155/how-to-gauge-your-middle-class-status?mod=bb-budgeting">this</a>. We earn less than the low dollar amount and have a six-person family.<br />
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<blockquote>For the 50 percent of families in the middle of the scale, household income ranges from $51,000 to $123,000 for a typical four-person, two-parent family. The median is about $81,000.</blockquote>Granted we live in a small town, but our house is two and a half times less than this and we could have had our house paid off in 5 years:<br />
<blockquote>For two-parent families, the typical home is worth about $231,000, accounting for $17,600 in mortgage payments and other costs per year.</blockquote>Our 1998 minivan was paid off a long time ago.<br />
<blockquote>...the typical family spends about $12,400 per year on two medium-sized sedans or the equivalent, with a new-car value of $45,000. </blockquote>This could be why we are below average:<br />
<blockquote>In 76 percent of two-parent families, both parents work.</blockquote>And this is just disturbing: <br />
<blockquote>What's your top priority? In a 2008 poll by the Pew Research Center, it wasn't healthy kids, a strong marriage or a great career; 68 percent of respondents said it was free time.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-1887265749553148762009-05-13T08:32:00.002-05:002009-05-13T08:33:01.321-05:00Federal Budget in PerspectiveI suppose you've all seen this, but just in case:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cWt8hTayupE&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cWt8hTayupE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-60041724496691704742009-02-25T17:29:00.003-06:002011-05-26T10:53:47.768-05:00Luther Movie ReviewHow refreshing to see a movie where following the Bible and a love for Christ are shown without irony or humor. Or a “look at these strange creatures” detached feeling. Or a hip “ain’t God cool” vibe. <span style="font-style:italic;">Luther</span> is just a straight story about one of the most significant lives in history. <br />
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Joseph Fiennes is Martin Luther. We first see him panicking in a thunderstorm and vowing to become a monk if he lives. He becomes a brilliant but guilt-ridden monk. He is sent to Rome on some business and sees that Rome has become "a circus" as a couple of different characters say. Then other events take place that send Luther toward his rebellion against abuses in the Catholic Church which the Church, needing money, will not admit are abuses. To be fair, there are those in the Church hoping for reform, but many of them consider Luther to be going too far in his criticisms. Things begin to spin out of control as people begin to believe they are oppressed politically as well as spiritually. Luther must live with the consequences of his writings and actions. One wonders, if Luther hadn't been away for a year in the castle, could he have prevented the Peasant Revolt? <br />
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The viewer gets a vague sense of the dangers individuals faced making choices, but probably there is no way to adequately show how much risk there was to every word or move for some. One does get a sense of the confusion and difficulty faced by those in power. <br />
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The movie moves pretty quickly and it’s hard to get a sense of the time passing. Luther spent almost a year in Wartburg Castle, but that is not understood just by watching the movie. I guess Martin Luther deserves an HBO miniseries like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WGWQG8?ie=UTF8&tag=biblicalparen-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000WGWQG8">John Adams.</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=biblicalparen-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000WGWQG8" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <br />
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Peter Ustinov is fantastic as Fredrick the Wise. Frankly, I wish the movie had been made 30 years ago with Ustinov as Luther. <br />
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For some background on Luther, read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452011469?ie=UTF8&tag=biblicalparen-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0452011469">Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=biblicalparen-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0452011469" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />by Roland Bainton or just the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_luther">Wiki article</a>. <br />
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<span style="font-style:italic;">Luther</span> (the film) is not as great as <span style="font-style:italic;">A Man For All Seasons</span>, but not many films are. However, it is very well done and certainly worth your time.<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309820/">Luther</a>, directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0863254/">Eric Till</a>, written by Camille Thomasson and Bart Gavigan, starring <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001212/">Joseph Fiennes</a>, Jonathan Firth, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001811/">Peter Ustinov</a>. 123 minutes. 2003. <br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0452011469&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1598563335&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0002C9D9U&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000LPR6GA&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818"><img src="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_impression?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818" border=0 alt="Instantly watch from thousands of TV episodes & movies streaming from Netflix. Try Netflix for FREE!"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-80799161698575949692009-02-20T13:29:00.004-06:002011-05-26T10:54:52.010-05:00Burn After Reading Movie Review<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001054/">Joel</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001053/">Ethan</a> Coen have an unusual and dark view of the world that they brilliantly project through a variety of genres. And they use much more swearing than is really necessary. In fact <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0887883/"><em>Burn After Reading</em></a> is rated R for “pervasive language” among other things. I’ll talk a little more about that later. <br />
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Osborn Cox (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000518/">John Malkovich</a>) is an analyst working for the CIA who gets demoted so he quits. He decides to write a memoir. His cheating wife (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0842770/">Tilda Swinson</a>) decides to divorce him and the lawyer tells her to get all his financial information. She copies his files including his memoirs. When the disk is found in the ladies locker room at a gym called Hardbodies, Chad (a hilarious <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000093/">Brad Pitt</a>) thinks he’s found some top secret documents worth some “reward” money. He and Linda Litzke (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000531/">Frances McDormand</a>), who wants several body sculpting surgeries, decide to try for the money. Cox is a jerk however, and instead of just telling them they don’t have anything, he causes them to think they have something really important and valuable. Somehow George Clooney figures into all this, first as the man Mrs. Cox is cheating with, then he is with Linda. It all gets tangled up Coen Brothers style and there is no “happily-ever-after.” <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMukhV9e9vmSfTjEACm-Vu6yVbgSeYBA5-bdkf2XwZuPBPv7n6Tqt0mahi73H36_LGUmg3bAZIPhJg4jntpouDiNe28igo5kg3zhff-upkAdu_KPCcr6C7aw_oQLrqRSmx23T_/s1600-h/burnafterreadingbradpitt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMukhV9e9vmSfTjEACm-Vu6yVbgSeYBA5-bdkf2XwZuPBPv7n6Tqt0mahi73H36_LGUmg3bAZIPhJg4jntpouDiNe28igo5kg3zhff-upkAdu_KPCcr6C7aw_oQLrqRSmx23T_/s200/burnafterreadingbradpitt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304966864028775506" /></a><br />
Why do the Coens find excessive swearing so invigorating? John Malkovich basically spends the movie saying “WTF?” Only he doesn’t abbreviate. However, Malkovich does a fantastic job of being a jerk and the swearing seems like something his character actually would say, not something forced into the script for humor or shock like Pappy O’Daniel in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190590/"><em>O Brother, Where Art Thou?</em></a>. Basically everyone in this movie is a moron, but that could be expected as it’s in Washington, D.C. <em>Burn After Reading</em> is slow paced and not the best Coen Brothers movie, but it is funny and a fully enjoyable black comedy if that’s your thing. <br />
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There, now I’ve written a review of a Coen Brothers movie without using the word “quirky” other than in this sentence, of course.<br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001JIE7JC&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001JIE7JM&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00003CXRM&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818"><img src="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_impression?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818" border=0 alt="Instantly watch from thousands of TV episodes & movies streaming from Netflix. Try Netflix for FREE!"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-91508261939000078932009-01-09T14:54:00.006-06:002011-05-26T10:55:11.095-05:00Valkyrie Movie Review<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0985699/">Valkyrie</a> Directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001741/">Bryan Singer</a>, written by Christopher McQuarrie & Nathan Alexander. Starring <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000129/">Tom Cruise</a>, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson. 2008. PG-13 120 minutes.<br />
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<span style="font-style:italic;">Valkyrie</span> is a good World War II movie and fits well with the many World War II movies made in the 1960s and 1970s. It’s not a “great” Oscar-bait type movie, but Singer tells the story well and the acting is superb. <br />
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The story of <span style="font-style:italic;">Valkyrie</span> is about the famous assassination attempt on Hitler by members of his own high command. Previously, I had known that there was a bomb in a briefcase that got placed too far under a table and only slightly wounded Hitler, but I did not know all the story around it and how it went farther than just an assassination attempt, but also a coordinated attempt to take over the government. There are quite a few important men involved in the coup and it is far from a neat single-minded group. However, they consider the cause to be greater than anything, even endangering their own families. <br />
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Tom Cruise plays Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg who was seriously injured in North Africa and could have sat out the war in a comfortable position in Berlin. Instead, he becomes a “traitor,” as he willing calls himself, to save the honor of his beloved Germany. Country above party or current leader. They also show von Stauffenberg as the committed Roman Catholic that he was. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsPPI7lQTALYOy4vY5fFG75xfJAkrEKDJFGgD-AxFsi8lN-1pyjKrM3oHc1uDguZL11G0DN9PrhAcgXR13tlB_Gcp62kTN8UJGNVbe8_aDQJuldD6sGwqwC0jZiI1W-37evme/s1600-h/valkyrie.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 137px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsPPI7lQTALYOy4vY5fFG75xfJAkrEKDJFGgD-AxFsi8lN-1pyjKrM3oHc1uDguZL11G0DN9PrhAcgXR13tlB_Gcp62kTN8UJGNVbe8_aDQJuldD6sGwqwC0jZiI1W-37evme/s200/valkyrie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289402121545989426" /></a><br />
Tom Cruise is a <span style="font-weight:bold;">Movie Star</span>. And I say that as someone who isn’t really a Tom Cruise fan. He holds the screen anytime he is on, his charisma captivates you. But, he is a good enough actor to sink into the roll and not overwhelm it, as several top actors/actresses of the 1970s have taken to doing. Many of the other actors show the complexity and conflicts of their characters. <br />
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<span style="font-style:italic;">Valkyrie</span> is rated PG-13, but except for one word could have been PG. <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066206/">Patton</a></span> has more swearing and <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054953/">The Guns of Navarone</a></span> has more violence. My 13-year old son wanted to go, but I don’t trust the ratings system. After seeing it, I should have taken him, in fact, my 10-year old will probably watch Valkarie when it comes out on video.<br />
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<a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818"><img src="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_impression?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818" border=0 alt="Instantly watch from thousands of TV episodes & movies streaming from Netflix. Try Netflix for FREE!"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-23286750546856075232008-12-09T10:17:00.009-06:002011-05-26T10:55:26.760-05:00Gilda Movie Review<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038559/">Gilda</a>, directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0896533/">Charles Vidor</a>, written by E.A. Ellington (story) Marion Parsonnet (screenplay) Jo Eisinger (adaptation) Ben Hecht uncredited. Starring <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000028/">Rita Hayworth</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001229/">Glenn Ford</a>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0534317/">George Macready</a>. 1946, 110 minutes.<br />
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If you want to see some fantastic acting, watch Gilda. Rita Hayworth is simply fantastic. Flirtatious, vindictive, scared, fearless, and flirtatious. Did I mention flirtatious? She has one of the best introduction scenes in this movie of any actress ever. Her face is vivid with emotion. Glenn Ford is as good as ever. I’ve only recently come to realize just how good an actor Ford is and why he was such a big star in the 1940s and 1950s. If you need to catch up on some of his movies, watch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050086/">3:10 to Yuma</a>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045555/">The Big Heat</a> (See my <a href="http://rantsbyrobert.blogspot.com/2008/12/big-heat-movie-review.html">review of the Big Heat</a>). <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMwQYE4XIWWmEUn6mVeHg94UzhZCatwKjdGqx0cAVpYx94leIe6QT0ssSnkEa2orQrczzlv0xH0MZE0PDK32iQ8rPYmF1q-NsHCJAX8v_QzfnVjxETnE5OtqtgXZ7GvCSrOSE/s1600-h/gf_gilda.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMwQYE4XIWWmEUn6mVeHg94UzhZCatwKjdGqx0cAVpYx94leIe6QT0ssSnkEa2orQrczzlv0xH0MZE0PDK32iQ8rPYmF1q-NsHCJAX8v_QzfnVjxETnE5OtqtgXZ7GvCSrOSE/s200/gf_gilda.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277831183315058434" /></a><br />
Gilda is about one woman and two men, much like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583/">Casablanca</a>, but different. Ballin Mundson (George Macready) runs an illegal gambling house (like Casablanca!) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford) is his right hand man. When Ballin goes out of town once, he comes back with a wife, Gilda (Rita Hayworth). Johnny and Gilda have a history (like Casablanca!) and Ballin is suspicious. Johnny and Gilda love and hate each other tremendously. Johnny does his best to stay loyal to his boss and see that Gilda does also. Three broken people in such a tight grouping makes for explosive emotions. It doesn’t help when illegal activities are also part of the scene. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRferZ2p1ajEA9PdMAYe3cffe0BN_4lwvnr-DwSdgwY2YZWjIeppKTa4ocRHZ8HC4VYNGl6V0jRpaUXJ53ticRFslhyXo0EPkzznpHtdZhj2RRvj_lxaFkLs1Foj5PiymqCwh/s1600-h/RIta+Gilda+Hot.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 158px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRferZ2p1ajEA9PdMAYe3cffe0BN_4lwvnr-DwSdgwY2YZWjIeppKTa4ocRHZ8HC4VYNGl6V0jRpaUXJ53ticRFslhyXo0EPkzznpHtdZhj2RRvj_lxaFkLs1Foj5PiymqCwh/s200/RIta+Gilda+Hot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277831187985717458" /></a><br />
Rita Hayworth is smoldering, smoking, simmering, and sensuous. In addition, there is some great dialog, which is always appreciated. Gilda: "If I'd been a ranch, they would have named me The Bar None." -- Johnny Farrell: "Doesn't it bother you at all that you're married?" Gilda: "What I want to know is, does it bother you?" -- While Gilda is dancing with an Argentine, he asks where she comes from, she says "America." He replies, "Isn’t this America?" South America is of course part of America. She smiles and says "I mean New York." Yes folks, New York is America, even in the 1940s. <br />
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The DVD has been beautifully transferred and looks fabulous. The sound quality is also exceptional for a 1940s <span style="font-style:italic;">Film Noir</span>. The bonus features includes a short history of Rita Hayworth’s film career that ends very abruptly. I highly recommend Gilda. <br />
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00004XPPK&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=6305736650&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000TGJ82Q&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818"><img src="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_impression?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818" border=0 alt="Instantly watch from thousands of TV episodes & movies streaming from Netflix. Try Netflix for FREE!"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-24450748393996408152008-12-02T16:38:00.009-06:002011-05-26T10:55:40.468-05:00The Big Heat Movie Review<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045555/">The Big Heat</a>. Directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000485/">Fritz Lang</a>. Starring <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001229/">Glenn Ford</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002108/">Gloria Grahame</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001511/">Lee Marvin</a>. Screenplay by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0091213/">Sydney Boehm</a> from a serial story in the Saturday Evening Post by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0569423/">William P. McGivern</a>. 1953, 89 minutes.<br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4lr5i9pfnL2pYwPTj0qv4SwOFq-STWRZ1qujcSvitV2RaqkoHK1IaQ92a40Jkd8IDIXcorv9uy27_uP-VvP844Q4-FNTQMDXMVmSKNjioPSPcSD8odMOwr59ce38GGjd5Fyj/s1600-h/heat-lg.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4lr5i9pfnL2pYwPTj0qv4SwOFq-STWRZ1qujcSvitV2RaqkoHK1IaQ92a40Jkd8IDIXcorv9uy27_uP-VvP844Q4-FNTQMDXMVmSKNjioPSPcSD8odMOwr59ce38GGjd5Fyj/s200/heat-lg.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275328137225249954" /></a><br />
What a great thriller. Boy, they used to know how to make a tight well-told story. If <em>The Big Heat</em> were to be remade today it would be 2 ½ bloated hours, not 89 minutes (less than 1 and-a-half hours!). <br />
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Glenn Ford is Dave Bannion, a homicide detective assigned to file the report on a cop who committed suicide. What he figures is a pretty standard open-and-shut case to file gets him into trouble when a barfly calls him up and questions the suicide. Bannion’s not quite sure what to make of this and follows up, looking for the truth. Then the barfly turns up dead. This plunges him into a mess of corruption and misery. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg247T9C8fTLm0k6ibc-QllxMP6Ngheu8D72lNQd25L9f2jAJ4hSoNzbyHy13PXbVVIwnO9-WvigjclWHx8snXX-MiJerW9nLaINAWCnp-c6vXNmk21aLTYPuxQxMArza3yKhQ3/s1600-h/bigHeat395.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg247T9C8fTLm0k6ibc-QllxMP6Ngheu8D72lNQd25L9f2jAJ4hSoNzbyHy13PXbVVIwnO9-WvigjclWHx8snXX-MiJerW9nLaINAWCnp-c6vXNmk21aLTYPuxQxMArza3yKhQ3/s200/bigHeat395.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275328137968231330" /></a><br />
Lee Marvin is so believably sadistic that one wonders how he got any dates after this movie. Gloria Grahame gets all the good lines in <span style="font-style:italic;">The Big Heat</span>. Bannion is no wit, but he is methodical, honest, and pissed. The DVD has some of the old advertising posters and trailers for <span style="font-style:italic;">The Big Heat</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">The Lady from Shanghai</span>, and <span style="font-style:italic;">Suddenly, Last Summer</span>. <em>The Big Heat</em> is one of the top <em>Film Noir</em> movies, so be sure to buy it or stick it in your Netflix queue. Today.<br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00005RDRL&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818"><img src="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_impression?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818" border=0 alt="Instantly watch from thousands of TV episodes & movies streaming from Netflix. Try Netflix for FREE!"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-85528024423852519612008-11-24T14:05:00.006-06:002008-11-24T14:23:21.637-06:00Quantum of Solace Movie Review<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0830515/">Quantum of Solace</a> Directed by Marc Forster. Written by Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade. Starring Daniel Craig, Judy Dench. PG-13. 106 minutes. <br /><br />Was this a Bond movie? I think the writers forgot what makes a Bond movie a Bond movie. There were no gadgets, no “shaken, not stirred,” no “Bond, James Bond.” This was just a normal spy/revenge movie with M and a moody Felix Leiter. It’s like this movie is more character set-up. You don’t use the second movie for more set-up, you get into some action. Well, I guess there was action, but you couldn’t tell what was going on during most of it. Perhaps a worthy opponent would have been good. Or a plot that indicated a large magnitude of danger. I don’t know. I do know that I only go to the theater once or twice a year and I expect better. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdQQ3d8VG_KlexLEbPNKlvepFvlD4P6-VEKZafVqKdPL1OknWK9b1RHwwhTZtb2yS8FpAtgKT9YZenCISD2shRdk8wmtBkaLAOz1TYGiavWuPOHgRDmaIWnMzX9ipNZ8_2xNM/s1600-h/QuantumofSolace.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdQQ3d8VG_KlexLEbPNKlvepFvlD4P6-VEKZafVqKdPL1OknWK9b1RHwwhTZtb2yS8FpAtgKT9YZenCISD2shRdk8wmtBkaLAOz1TYGiavWuPOHgRDmaIWnMzX9ipNZ8_2xNM/s200/QuantumofSolace.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272319357772023234" /></a><br />Daniel Craig is great and tough and the kind of guy they need for 007, with an exception. James Bond has no class in this movie. No suave demeanor, just gruffness. Once again, any spy can be tough and gruff. I can watch Jack Baur without paying $16.00. Judy Dench as M is really ideal. I wasn’t sure I would ever warm to her when she was introduced, but she fits the roll wonderfully. Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter has potential, but all he allowed to do in Quantum of Solace is pout. He was much better in Casino Royale. The car chase that opens the movie is pretty cool and Bond <span style="font-style:italic;">is</span> driving an Aston-Martin. The final big explosion scene is almost over-the-top stuff and was one of only three times I felt like I was watching a Bond movie (the other two being the car chase and a dead girl in bed). That is about as positive as I can get. <br /><br />What really ticks me off is that the directing and/or editing is so awful. I can forgive a lot in a Bond movie but I think I’m going to quit watching all action movies until they decide that cutting a fight scene in a confusing manner is really a simpleton’s way of avoiding decent camera work. Even during the non-fight scenes, the amount of cuts and the speed of the cuts are ridiculous. At one point in Quantum of Solace I was counting how long between each cut. One-to-three seconds unless one of the main two men were on the screen. Then it was up to seven seconds. That is bad news for a filmmaker. Anytime the audience is so distracted they are taken out of the movie, the director has screwed up. Oh, and Quantum of Solace is a horrible name for a movie. Go watch Dr. No and wait on the DVD. <br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=16&l=st1&mode=dvd&search=007&fc1=000000<1=&lc1=3366FF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" width="468" height="336" border="0" frameborder="0" style="border:none;" scrolling="no"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-57087241555448946672008-10-15T12:42:00.004-05:002008-10-15T12:59:28.656-05:00Thoughts about the "Crisis" and the "Bailout"So, we are to have a new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Bank_of_the_United_States">Bank of the United States</a>. I thought Andrew Jackson got rid of that in 1836. $700 billion. That’s $700,000,000.00. I don’t know if you got the email I’ve received a couple of times, but if you take that amount and divide it among all the adults in the United States, we could each have something like $280,000. Each. That’s after taxes. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AI6lcid_tzQCX1WaX_Wfdsc0ee7cmg6_6EbXhShvivcUsPOsxDb6RymPkwC6S26H-C6p3I4s26xJKcMlfUwYiZl7co3750nUWyrqzLYH4UYgRj_fIC8M6Us42QMznlITRfMP/s1600-h/andrew_jackson.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AI6lcid_tzQCX1WaX_Wfdsc0ee7cmg6_6EbXhShvivcUsPOsxDb6RymPkwC6S26H-C6p3I4s26xJKcMlfUwYiZl7co3750nUWyrqzLYH4UYgRj_fIC8M6Us42QMznlITRfMP/s200/andrew_jackson.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257441140188191506" /></a><br /><br />HEY CONGRESS! You want to save the economy <em>and</em> help people? Send us each just $200,000. A lot of us would pay off our house and that would send cash flowing into the troubled banks. Others would be able to catch up on their back payments. The poor could finally afford a few nice things, like a house, a car, a college education, and 400 channel cable TV. Oh wait, a lot already have the cable. <br /><br />And, with 200 million Americans spending that money on a new house or an addition to the house, a new car, new appliances, beer, decent clothes, CDs, DVDs, and so on, the economy will automatically kick up a notch. Yes, some people will waste the money and in two years will be no better off than they are now, but think of the few fun years you in Congress provided. What better way to buy votes? Much better than only <a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/10152008/news/nationalnews/new_aig__perk_jerks_133692.htm">helping the executives that drove their company into the ground</a>. <br /><br />But, since this plan makes too much sense and sounds too much like socialism (unlike the government running the banks, which apparently is <span style="font-style:italic;">not</span> socialism for some reason), this brilliant idea was not even considered in Congress or by our Presidential hopefuls.<br /><br />Seriously, one of Jackson’s reasons for killing the Bank of the US, is that it had too many foreign investors. The US Government is in debt. To who? To foreign investors and foreign banks. This puts the US in a horrible disadvantage. Many of these countries are in a precarious friendship with the US. If something should happen that would cause a break in relations, what happens to the money supply? I admit it is all too complex for me, but I know enough to be worried. <br /><br />The US needs to stop spending so much, even for “good causes.” <a href="http://www.fee.org/library/books/notyours.asp">“The power of collecting and disbursing money at pleasure is the most dangerous power that can be intrusted to man…”</a> We need to chop pork and make people and companies pay for the services they use. Maybe more of our interstates need to be toll roads, though those that use them will complain mightily. Maybe we could do away with a few government departments. Maybe someone in Congress needs to read <a href="http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html">the Constitution</a> and see what the Government is <span style="font-style:italic;">supposed</span> to do. <br /><br />The banks are in a mess for two reasons. 1. The Clinton Administration thought it would be nice to let “the poor” (i.e. people with insufficient means) buy a house so they loosened the regulations. A “good cause.” 2. Greed, pure and simple. Banks were more than happy to extend credit to anyone, and to extend more credit than warranted. When we moved to our current town, we went to get pre-approved for a house loan. It would be our first house. I was going to be making $38,000 a year and I am the sole support for a family of six. The bank said, “You are approved for $200,000.” I said, “Are you nuts? Did you see how much I will be making? I didn’t get an A+ credit rating by being stupid.” <br /><br />But, too many people were stupid. Others lost their jobs or had other unexpected hardships. They bought too much house (or too fancy a house) and when hard times hit, then they really suffered. The banks were stupid, they should suffer. Now the Nation is suffering, and that extends to the world. Other than sustenance farming, I don’t know what to do about it, I just needed to rant.<br /><br />Buy my book: <a href="http://www.fixyourhousetosell.com/">How to Fix-up Your House to Sell</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-22538675798817243922008-10-13T16:37:00.009-05:002011-03-17T10:06:03.584-05:00I just joined NetflixI’ve just joined <a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000000034751782&pubid=21000000000247818">Netflix</a>. I waited a couple of years to this, I’m glad I did cause the price has come down, but man, I wish I'd done it sooner. I love it! I love old movies, and Netflix has them by the truckload. We don’t have cable or satellite, and living in a small town limits your video store options severely. <br />
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We got 3-movies-at-a-time (16.99 a month) and we set it up with 3 different “queues.” I have a queue, my wife has one, and the kids have one. When my wife sends back one of hers, (usually an old TV show) they send the next movie (or TV show) from her queue. When I send one back, they send the next one in my queue. We also have Netflix send the movies addressed the name of the queue. So, my movies come addressed to Robert Lindsey, the kids movies come addressed to Kids Lindsey (I’m serious), and my wife’s come addressed to Hot Mama Lindsey (I’m kidding, but they should). <br />
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They have educational shows (we homeschool so this is great), documentaries (this too), concert videos, TV shows, and best of all, old movies. And you don't have to return them across town, just drop them in your mail box. I didn't realize just how convenient that is until we started doing this.<br />
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If you have a fast internet connection, many of the movies can be watched online or downloaded to your computer (I don't really know much about this part as we are on dial-up, but my brother watches them like this all the time). These instantly watched movies don't count against your 3-at-a-time (or whatever). <br />
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The reason I chose Netflix over Blockbuster is that Netflix has more movies, especially classics. Plus every place I looked online that compares them said Netflix was better. <br />
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The one thing that could be better is the "recommended movies" they give you when you log in. They just keep showing the same movies over and over, though they say they have "about 104 suggestions" in a particular category. So, why show the same movies over and over on the intro screen? Rotate them a little. Small quibble. <br />
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I’m a nut, I have 153 movies in my queue (that doesn't count the Kids or wife). It’ll probably take me a couple years just to get through what I have in my list now. I'll keep adding though, it is so much stinkin' fun. Try it out, you’ve got 30 days, if you don’t like it, cancel, but I’m guessing, you’ll be addicted like I am.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-44636694171495149372008-10-01T10:04:00.006-05:002008-10-01T10:22:02.363-05:00P.J. O'Rourke has Butt CancerOne of my favorite writers, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-orourke28-2008sep28,0,3317114.story">P. J. O'Rourke, has cancer</a>. He has written a thoughtful and funny article at the LA Times. <br /><br /><blockquote>Furthermore, I am a logical, sensible, pragmatic Republican, and my diagnosis came just weeks after Teddy Kennedy's. That he should have cancer of the brain, and I should have cancer of the ass ... well, I'll say a rosary for him and hope he has a laugh at me. After all, what would I do, ask God for a more dignified cancer? Pancreatic? Liver? Lung?<br /><br />Which brings me to the nature of my prayers. They are, like most prayers from most people, abject self-pleadings. However, I can't be the only person who feels like a jerk saying, "Please cure me, God. I'm underinsured. I have three little children. And I have three dogs, two of which will miss me. And my wife will cry and mourn and be inconsolable and have to get a job. P.S. Our mortgage is subprime."<br /><br />God knows this stuff. He's God. He's all-knowing. What am I telling him, really? </blockquote><br /><br />No matter where you sit on the political spectrum, you need to read a little of his work. For some non-political writing, check out his writing for <span style="font-style:italic;">Automobile Magazine</span> in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0871137224?ie=UTF8&tag=biblicalparen-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0871137224">Road Trips, Head Trips, and Other Car-Crazed Writings</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=biblicalparen-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0871137224" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />. He has a hilarious story about the time the magazine sent him to Mexico in new Lincoln with a tall blond woman as his photographer. <br /><br />We wish him well.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0871137224&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=15&l=st1&mode=books&search=P.%20J.%20O%27Rourke&fc1=000000<1=&lc1=3366FF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" width="468" height="240" border="0" frameborder="0" style="border:none;" scrolling="no"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-80685154130343697592008-09-25T16:31:00.009-05:002011-05-26T10:56:00.292-05:00Mercy Streets Movie Review<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243415/">Mercy Streets</a> (2000) Rated PG-13, Directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0348197/">Joe Gunn</a>, Written by Jon Gunn and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0542822/">John Mann</a> Staring <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000616/">Eric Roberts</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0924684/">David A. R. White</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005078/">Stacy Keach</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0489436/">Robert LaSardo</a>.<br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://mercystreets.com/cmp/images.new.cover/mercystreets.new.lg.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://mercystreets.com/cmp/images.new.cover/mercystreets.new.lg.jpg" border="0" alt="Mercy Streets DVD cover" /></a><br />
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Blows <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0805526/">Facing the Giants</a> out of the water. While the dialog isn’t particularly witty, <span style="font-style:italic;">Mercy Streets</span> is ably directed, well acted, and has an interesting story. Yes, if <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000631/">Ridley Scott</a> had directed it would have been more intense, but as a “Christian movie” it is the best I have seen. <br />
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The story is about twin brothers (David White plays both), one who is going to become an Episcopal priest (Jeremiah), the other is fresh out of prison (John). The convict accidently (but without regret) gets his brother involved with Rome (Eric Roberts), who forces the soon-to-be-priest to participate in a counterfeiting scam. John takes on the life of a priest for a while and shakes things up for all those Jeremiah knows. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.christiananswers.net/catalog/mercy-dvd-frnt600.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://www.christiananswers.net/catalog/mercy-dvd-frnt600.jpg" border="0" alt="alternate cover which I like better" /></a><br />
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This movie is rated PG-13, which shows there is something very wrong with the ratings system. There is no way that the violence or intensity of this movie matches something like <span style="font-style:italic;">The Two Towers</span>. It is more on par with <span style="font-style:italic;">National Treasure</span>, which is only PG. Some reviewers have complained that there wasn’t any cussing, which made it unbelievable. Perhaps I watch too many black-and-white movies, but swearing doesn’t make a bad guy bad, his actions and vibe do. <br />
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Eric Roberts has screen presence. David White does a good job with the two roles and Stacy Keach makes a great one scene appearance. Netflix has it, or you can buy it. I recommend <span style="font-style:italic;">Mercy Streets</span> for a nice clean show.<br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0002PUDOG&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000KLQUS0&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00005JKZV&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00005JN5E&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818"><img src="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_impression?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818" border=0 alt="Instantly watch from thousands of TV episodes & movies streaming from Netflix. Try Netflix for FREE!"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-60406884125397619022008-09-18T09:20:00.004-05:002011-05-26T10:56:12.487-05:00King Kong vs. Godzilla and Son of Godzilla Movie Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjy05oM6S3MKyg_hK5biTyV34-qf1zx1oaqN_A_lmftjLtecO83srABUm87ksg-0q4B30sWoWRCvxDYagPa4wjbOs6vdms0zwTYaHidITHdylA92Nv_1l-Fb-9rWQ4bxYa2cv/s1600-h/godzilla_king_kong_small.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjy05oM6S3MKyg_hK5biTyV34-qf1zx1oaqN_A_lmftjLtecO83srABUm87ksg-0q4B30sWoWRCvxDYagPa4wjbOs6vdms0zwTYaHidITHdylA92Nv_1l-Fb-9rWQ4bxYa2cv/s200/godzilla_king_kong_small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247373155080473922" /></a><br />
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Boy these are awful movies. But awful fun at the same time. The plots are so full of holes I won’t bother to point them out. Even my preteen kids were trying to figure out how to patch the holes. The acting is generally horrible. You know what though? Every time Godzilla gives his trademark roar, I’m an 8-year-old boy again and all is forgiven. <br />
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In <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056142/">King Kong vs. Godzilla</a>, Godzilla returns to Japan and starts destroying things. At the same time (zeitgeist?) a television executive with ties to a pharmaceutical company (or is it a pharmaceutical executive with ties to a television company ?) decides to go get King Kong to boost his ratings. Someone comes up with the idea to put them together an let Kong and Godzilla fight it out. The general hope is that King Kong will win. When I was a kid I had heard that the Japanese version had Godzilla win at the end, but that is not true. Godzilla came to Japan on his own and started going destruto, so Kong was always the “good guy.” <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3t6vCahTDLLkCcI4W6tXsi43dkyjtGsfPAZvZycpiDGnYNzn4GBNxAFIckb3lqalONy1ffmVQt6fmkzW-9Mm37hyphenhyphenZktlK_WUmPCbcdvwIwxIj_S7gD1rNCKZcIjxIH9ycuRrb/s1600-h/sonofgodzilla.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3t6vCahTDLLkCcI4W6tXsi43dkyjtGsfPAZvZycpiDGnYNzn4GBNxAFIckb3lqalONy1ffmVQt6fmkzW-9Mm37hyphenhyphenZktlK_WUmPCbcdvwIwxIj_S7gD1rNCKZcIjxIH9ycuRrb/s200/sonofgodzilla.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247373156284462642" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061856/">The Son of Godzilla</a> shows the giant lizard’s paternal side. Some scientists are on an island trying to figure out how to control the weather. An giant egg hatches and Godzilla comes to take care of the critter. Also, there are giant praying mantis for no apparent reason. Not as much destruction in this one.<br />
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Fun to watch and the kids can enjoy them, just don’t expect too much in the way of story.<br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000BISBDE&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00066KWCO&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818"><img src="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_impression?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818" border=0 alt="Instantly watch from thousands of TV episodes & movies streaming from Netflix. Try Netflix for FREE!"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-29464156576160865592008-08-29T15:09:00.004-05:002008-08-29T15:25:38.801-05:00McCain Picks Palin, I Wonder...I wonder if Obama wishes he had picked <a href="http://www.governor.ks.gov/">Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius</a> for his Vice President running mate. Apparently Sebelius was in the short list of four. She would have countered any strengths that Palin brings for a lot of moderately left people. Not that that would change my vote. I want someone who realizes that terrorists will not sit down and talk about it. "Some people should die, that's just unconscious knowledge"-Jane's Addiction. This is not Utopia, this is the Real World. <br /><br />I've read several blogs today and it's amazing to me how worked up people can get about someone they know next-to-nothing about. Pro and con. And how much they read their beliefs into the general populace. The conservatives are all "She's perfect! This clinches the election for us!" The liberals are all "HA! She's lousy! We have it in the bag now!" Get real people. There are an awful lot of people (like in the millions) that are not partisan one issue voters. The election is not clinched for either party, it's a long way to November.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-63124249528953500542008-08-29T10:21:00.004-05:002008-08-29T15:50:07.760-05:00If it's the Economy, then you're StupidKyle Smith has a good short post for those who like to complain about the Economy. <a href="http://kylesmithonline.com/?p=1533">It’s the Stupidity About the Economy, Stupid</a>. The U.S. is growing at a better rate than most other Western countries. <blockquote>China and India are outgrowing the US. Hands up, all those who would rather live there.</blockquote> Now I've known some Chinese students here in the U.S. and they are very interesting and nice people. The Communist government is what I don't like about China. That and the crowds. I like my small-town America. Smith's post links to a spreadsheet in the <span style="font-style:italic;">Economist</span> magazine. Take a look at the unemployment numbers and tell me the U.S. is doing poorly compared to the world. And the <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.economist.com/">Economist</a></span> is not conservative and not American. It's British.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-40079459486171910632008-08-12T09:20:00.004-05:002008-08-12T09:35:20.349-05:00Big Willie Says Buy American!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7B3ZEeAisQDRX_zAueNvrlzqaZjoXzxT9boiFbVbZ3xN1c81PhD1P9HUhuR1LYUEG1loP_Qf04H0u7JP9wVl8Z8bFYzagCTSs_H7Az7v_QfHOeBUDySrTKcVof0HGbPhDHgG7/s1600-h/BuyAmerican.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7B3ZEeAisQDRX_zAueNvrlzqaZjoXzxT9boiFbVbZ3xN1c81PhD1P9HUhuR1LYUEG1loP_Qf04H0u7JP9wVl8Z8bFYzagCTSs_H7Az7v_QfHOeBUDySrTKcVof0HGbPhDHgG7/s200/BuyAmerican.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233639278787660898" /></a><br />I always buy American when I can, if not, I buy North American, then South American, then European, then non-Communist, then as a last resort, I buy Commie-made crap. All the big-box stores have Commie-made crap all over the place. When I was buying a circular saw, I didn't expect to find anything but Commie-made in my price range, but as I was standing there looking at a Commie saw, I glanced over and on a box it said "Made in USA." It was only $10 more, so I jumped at the chance to buy an American-made tool. It is a great saw. I'm glad I found it (saw it? ha ha). Yes, it cost a little more, but most Americans have too much junk anyway. Better to buy less and higher quality than to have more junk. Now if you are Canadian or whatever, you should buy Canadian- or whatever-made. I fully support everyone buying local-made products wherever you live. I just happen to live in the middle of the United States so I buy American. My thought for the day.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-33226768391509562432008-08-01T16:31:00.003-05:002008-08-01T16:52:53.696-05:00More From Dawn to Decadence by BarzunAs I mentioned in an earlier post on <a href="http://rantsbyrobert.blogspot.com/2008/06/critics-what-are-they-worth.html">criticism</a>, I'm reading Jacques Barzun's <span style="font-style:italic;">From Dawn to Decadence<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span>. Here he is talking about Utopias, or as he spells them, Eutopias. Utopia is from Greek meaning "no place," while Eutopia means "good place." See if this describes the liberal worldview (or if you think it describes the conservative worldview, please comment and explain). From pages 124-125.<br /><blockquote>It is a paradox that in most Eutopias (Rabelais' is an exception) the common good is achieved by enforcing a uniformity of behavior that seem tighter than any that is felt in the bad societies. The better state aims at reliving the body of hunger and the mind of anxiety; it does not provide freedom for society...but only... from the privileges of the upper orders. ... But they also recognize that the magistrates must occasionally step in to prevent abuses, and at times one senses the presence of a dictator at the top to run all things right, an anticipation of the 18C Enlightened Despot.</blockquote><br /><blockquote>The great argument used to sustain right conduct is" "Live according to Nature. Nature is never wrong..." ...social life is in the hands of a ruling group. ...but these purely political rights do not cover civil whim or eccentricity, the violence of the bloody-minded, the vagaries of genius or of adolescence. Significantly, in none of our three Eutopians is there any mention of laughter. </blockquote><br />Another blog I read has a lot of comments about how serious lefties are and they have no sense of humor. Everything is a crisis, in dire need of fixing. Lighten up people!<br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0060928832&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-78190148724600603152008-08-01T11:02:00.008-05:002011-05-26T10:56:28.751-05:00No Reservations DVD Movie ReviewDirector: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0382956/">Scott Hicks</a>, Writers: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2043695/">Carol Fuchs</a> & <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0626686/">Sandra Nettelbeck</a>, Stars: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001876/">Catherine Zeta-Jones</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001173/">Aaron Eckhart</a>, & <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1113550/">Abigail Breslin</a>. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGKjXnr92mij88PlBXMBOH-XkROosY0Tz_QIrvttm_o8NDfC6q9c6Jfsafsfk5VsSy2fN8uRZfBrnOZi2BnCwD7v7ey67S-QV4oRZDmj_VzWDrG5HdfqRvW31ZZdiRgxEWWOm/s1600-h/no-reservations.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGKjXnr92mij88PlBXMBOH-XkROosY0Tz_QIrvttm_o8NDfC6q9c6Jfsafsfk5VsSy2fN8uRZfBrnOZi2BnCwD7v7ey67S-QV4oRZDmj_VzWDrG5HdfqRvW31ZZdiRgxEWWOm/s200/no-reservations.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229636131835078802" /></a><br />
Wow, the most romantic movie I’ve seen in a long time. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0481141/">No Reservations</a> is <em>not</em> a romantic comedy, it’s too heavy for that, though there is humor. Catherine Zeta-Jones is Kate, head chef in a small fancy restaurant in New York City. Her single-mother sister dies leaving Kate a ten-year old girl to raise. When she returns to her restaurant after some time off to adjust, Nick (Aaron Eckhart also in <a href="http://rantsbyrobert.blogspot.com/2008/07/dark-knight-movie-review.html">The Dark Knight</a>) has been hired on. She is an obsessive, uptight, perfectionist. He is, of course, a more relaxed personality, but not a slob. <br />
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Though you pretty much know how the movie is going to end, you wonder how they are going to get there. That’s the fun of romance movies, right? Fireworks don't necessarily fly between the leads, but that makes it seem even more real-to-life. He is interested in her, she is satisfied with the life she has, but two adults grow fond of each other and make it work. <br />
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMC5Mepp7IDw8I5hSHvyIu5-JQ5Ru6Uy40b88HMB-FZWFsvvXbu-GbIRo4q1hi5bWzIcpUApH8U8JZ4X5rvInKIkflKKbMLgaPaGgkBzuPA2tPbb8dWx91Z4545Uh9tMql2VRD/s1600-h/noreservations1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMC5Mepp7IDw8I5hSHvyIu5-JQ5Ru6Uy40b88HMB-FZWFsvvXbu-GbIRo4q1hi5bWzIcpUApH8U8JZ4X5rvInKIkflKKbMLgaPaGgkBzuPA2tPbb8dWx91Z4545Uh9tMql2VRD/s200/noreservations1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229636136191958898" /></a><br />
Wonderful acting all around, especially by Abigail Breslin as Zoe, the ten-year old. Thankfully, she isn’t precocious and annoying showing the adults how it’s done. <br />
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The camera work was interesting. Lots of medium- to long-shots instead of the constant medium-shots to close-ups we seem to get currently. I guess if you were shooting Catherine Zeta-Jones, showing the whole body would be a desirable thing to do. Some of the shots still felt claustrophobic though (perhaps because of the long shot), especially inside her apartment. The make-up was good too. A few scenes where Kate is worn to a frizz, she looks it. She's not still glowing but just walking head-hanging and slope-shouldered as stars frequently appear. <br />
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAyEsU-P3LRc4K9CTy0FErZKmCSVYfgX4kxQTsU5pk4LHu-bYbjxv8ASBXRfMcWASvaFQycXEK_aaxLxmWDnh8A-CcBhxoxVCnZ8OmktQN7AYeoi0Sif1AcVCpIFJeChFI3eD/s1600-h/NoReservations2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAyEsU-P3LRc4K9CTy0FErZKmCSVYfgX4kxQTsU5pk4LHu-bYbjxv8ASBXRfMcWASvaFQycXEK_aaxLxmWDnh8A-CcBhxoxVCnZ8OmktQN7AYeoi0Sif1AcVCpIFJeChFI3eD/s200/NoReservations2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229636138413629250" /></a><br />
For those of you concerned about morals in your movies, there were only a few minor cuss words and other than implied pre-marital sex, there really isn’t anything to offend. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Kmt8cmGdODBsllJjyLMjczlKJF1MXZ3t4F45sDYycVavrDaMX-j4_PFZzisRfhFMQ0pAxfmlxOmegwird85AJqYGqrlRj6RzfmRHu5ErG2Qi-YB_KeTmMSkLyQfDGZoTWTX9/s1600-h/photo_20_hires.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Kmt8cmGdODBsllJjyLMjczlKJF1MXZ3t4F45sDYycVavrDaMX-j4_PFZzisRfhFMQ0pAxfmlxOmegwird85AJqYGqrlRj6RzfmRHu5ErG2Qi-YB_KeTmMSkLyQfDGZoTWTX9/s200/photo_20_hires.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229636146307534498" /></a><br />
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I fully recommend this movie, though be aware there is a strain of sadness running through it with the death of the sister and the effect that has on her daughter. Dare I say, that is more realistic than to just ignore the pain and loss.<br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00005JPSM&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818"><img src="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_impression?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818" border=0 alt="Instantly watch from thousands of TV episodes & movies streaming from Netflix. Try Netflix for FREE!"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-65729061860038571962008-07-29T16:08:00.003-05:002008-07-29T16:14:44.844-05:00The Music Blog of the Infonistacrat!I have another indispensable blog. Besides <a href="http://dirtyharrysplace.com/">Dirty Harry's Place</a>, <a href="http://infonistacrat.hometownproject.org/">Infonistacrat</a> (whatever that means). He posts music that you can actually listen to, and/or skip songs you don't like. Lots of Alternative music, the kind that many people have a hard time finding examples of. Check it out. You can also get MP3s, but he reminds you this is only to introduce you to an artist, then you need to support the artist with your dollars.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-52953981709746099252008-07-22T20:33:00.004-05:002008-07-22T20:48:56.278-05:00God, Man & Hollywood and Politically Incorrect MoviesI'm a member of <a href="http://isi.org/">The Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI</a>), and they have a great collection of <a href="http://isi.org/books/index.aspx">books they publish</a>. One recent title includes <span style="font-style:italic;">God, Man, and Hollywood: Politically Incorrect Cinema from The Birth of a Nation to The Passion of the Christ</span>, by Mark Royden Winchell. I'm not real sure what God has to do with Winchell's list of movies, he seems to focus more on the politically incorrect part. I don't think of Blazing Saddles as having anything to do with God myself. Winchell has a blog called <a href="http://www.godmanandhollywood.com/">God, Man and Hollywood</a> (clever, huh?) where he is listing the movies, one a day. Great idea. Some of his picks are just dead wrong, (Crash? Being There?) but many are good choices to warm a conservative heart. Take a look. Buy the book.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1933859563&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-29658992774898695182008-07-21T09:44:00.011-05:002011-05-26T10:56:55.217-05:00The Dark Knight Movie Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JfZEkJQK5CdUjrhM-RIjyEsk8Jzx0ky-JqkvbuUbAbLXgclB52dwy63TC_3O3-n9E-KWWfrezyVW0fQ3jUwdLOjvnqeFxR0Q75yvLLr798Xl9BPQxRLyArTm-HnhUbz7rsVM/s1600-h/2439824079_23f64cb01d.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JfZEkJQK5CdUjrhM-RIjyEsk8Jzx0ky-JqkvbuUbAbLXgclB52dwy63TC_3O3-n9E-KWWfrezyVW0fQ3jUwdLOjvnqeFxR0Q75yvLLr798Xl9BPQxRLyArTm-HnhUbz7rsVM/s200/2439824079_23f64cb01d.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225513394994814882" /></a><br />
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Finally! A second Batman movie that isn’t lousy. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000318/">Tim Burton</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001708/">Joel Schumacher</a> both put out an entertaining Batman movie followed by a stinker. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0634240/">Christopher Nolan</a> has followed Batman Begins with <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/">The Dark Knight</a>, an intense, fast-paced, incredible movie. The villains in this movie are the Joker (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005132/">Heath Ledger</a>) and Two Face, A.K.A. Harvey Dent (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001173/">Aaron Eckhart</a>). Heath Ledger is fantastic and fully embodies the roll. The ability to take an iconic roll and make it his is rare and his death is a great loss to Hollywood. <br />
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Unlike the Tim Burton movie where Batman appears fully formed and we see the beginnings of the Joker, in the Nolan series we see the beginnings of Batman and the Joker appears fully formed. The Joker gives various stories of his background, but they conflict. This Joker is just plain evil. And scary. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000197/">Nicholson’s</a> Joker was sociopathically evil, but Ledger’s Joker is sadistically evil. The difference being, a sociopath kills without caring, a sadist enjoys inflicting pain and death. Both seem a far cry from Caesar Romero’s simply greedy Joker from the TV show. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_iO3boxY801HLrDS75wDY1LAtygte-iBs9aYSSI8Hbjj2EDOJB0BxAY9dQCBxsME0xqWdaYLVDXqhFC2KD3Vk_LdvITd76sGP_h3vCq-PiBbNavptCXtzqkwN2xVNYK8qQfZ/s1600-h/2074879920_6c6c1d1f01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_iO3boxY801HLrDS75wDY1LAtygte-iBs9aYSSI8Hbjj2EDOJB0BxAY9dQCBxsME0xqWdaYLVDXqhFC2KD3Vk_LdvITd76sGP_h3vCq-PiBbNavptCXtzqkwN2xVNYK8qQfZ/s200/2074879920_6c6c1d1f01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225513394388982706" /></a><br />
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Going into the show, it’s good to remember the last scene of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372784/">Batman Begins</a>. Lt. Gordon (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000198/">Gary Oldman</a>) warns of escalation. He fears Batman has upped the ante, and there will be an even bigger response from the bad guys. Things escalate quickly in The Dark Knight. The body count is astounding. The writing is fantastic. The screws keep tightening and everything that happens, appears a natural result of what just took place. Even surprises. In fact, what I thought was the end of the movie was only the beginning of act 3. And the screws got still tighter. <br />
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I tend to not be fond of over-the-top death plans such as the killing parade in Burton’s <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096895/">Batman</a>. Even the nerve-gas vapor of Nolan’s Batman Begins pushes the limits. In The Dark Knight, there is mass chaos, but it’s pulled off in a completely believable way. Not to say there aren’t some over-the-top events; it <span style="font-style:italic;">is</span> a comic book movie.<br />
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Two worldviews collide with Batman and Joker. Batman believes in the innate goodness of people. The Joker is out to prove people are rotten inside, and revels in bringing that rottenness out. Both are proven right. <blockquote>Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart, and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. Even within hearts overwhlemed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained; and even in the best of all hearts, there remains a small corner of evil.<br />
- Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, Gulag Archipelago</blockquote>We each have good and bad, and too many times we let situations dictate which way we go, when we should always strive to do the right thing. Harvey Dent experiences a traumatic event and he decides to give up and relinquish his decisions to chance. He becomes Two Face. Sometimes though, it’s hard to know what the right thing is. Batman makes hard choices. People get torqued. He is willing to make the sacrifice of his reputation and to live with his choices. A true hero.<br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPJ9mky2q5Pmz5GytOKzyN7r5ORLVWKhOlfjeIS3WX9vWAh9fLnFSB5vX3vkdWBxsEgJahZ2owYjbGRW-Wp1s13or0RA-O3EtB1pl5iPTf6DRqiSDjy3LQEYhyphenhyphenyoOEi_5Z5qi/s1600-h/2388782609_b567aab2ed.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPJ9mky2q5Pmz5GytOKzyN7r5ORLVWKhOlfjeIS3WX9vWAh9fLnFSB5vX3vkdWBxsEgJahZ2owYjbGRW-Wp1s13or0RA-O3EtB1pl5iPTf6DRqiSDjy3LQEYhyphenhyphenyoOEi_5Z5qi/s200/2388782609_b567aab2ed.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225513400726602546" /></a><br />
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The only minor complaints about the movie: The Dark Knight didn’t have as much humor as Batman Begins. With this much tension, a few laughs would have improved the overall experience. Also, much of the fighting is so quickly cut and is so closely shot that the audience can’t really tell what is going on. I know this is real popular, but I’m not a fan of this style. It is very visceral, but it seems like a cheap way to avoid choreographing a real fight scene. <br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000151/">Morgan Freeman</a> as Lucius Fox is great. He’s not in the film a lot, but he really carries scenes he’s in. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0350454/">Maggie Gyllenhaal</a> as the new Rachel Daws is much better. The Dark Knight is one fantastic move experience. <br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001GZ6QC4&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001GZ6QDS&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0790729652&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0790731002&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00005JNJV&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> <a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818"><img src="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_impression?lid=41000000035914908&pubid=21000000000247818" border=0 alt="Instantly watch from thousands of TV episodes & movies streaming from Netflix. Try Netflix for FREE!"></a><br />
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The Shelf has a <a href="http://randomshelf.blogspot.com/2008/07/venturing-out-of-comfort-zone-film.html">really good review</a>. <br />
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<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Batman" rel="tag">Batman</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Movie+Review" rel="tag">Movie Review</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-51867449332821335822008-07-15T09:31:00.009-05:002008-07-15T11:43:53.381-05:00Rip It Up and Start Again & Our Band Could Be Your Life Book ReviewsI’ve gotten back into music lately. It all started with this article. <a href="http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6556173.html" target="blank">ALTERNATIVE ROCK. FORCED EXPOSURE IS GOOD FOR YOU: Overlooked and misunderstood, postpunk gets its due. By: Pasteur, Eric. Library Journal, 5/15/2008, Vol. 133 Issue 9, p38-42</a>. This article prompted me to read <span style="font-weight:bold;">Our Band Could be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991</span> by Michael Azerrad and <span style="font-weight:bold;">Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984</span> by Simon Reynolds. I also got Rhino’s four CD set, <span style="font-weight:bold;">Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the '80s Underground</span>, and a series of three individual CDs called <span style="font-weight:bold;">The Postpunk Chronicles</span>, also from Rhino. It has also spurred me on to hook up my turntable to a computer to figure out how to burn my 300 or so albums to Compact Disc. I should do a post on that. <br /><br />Both book’s titles appropriately come from song lyrics. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Our Band Could Be Your Life</span> looks at one band at a time. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Rip it Up and Start Again</span> organizes by regions (Manchester, Leeds, Ohio, New York) and music styles. Some of the bands I had never heard of, some I had heard <span style="font-style:italic;">of</span> but never heard, and some I am a big fan of. I wish these kinds of books came with a CD so I could hear some of the music being discussed as it’s being discussed. What I did was look them up on YouTube. (An entire side discussion: why are these songs available as bandwidth-hogging videos, but not as just music? Some “videos” are nothing more than a photograph of the album cover to look at while the song plays.)<br /><br />The one thing that bothered me about both these books is the “my music is the purest and best” syndrome. I remember reading once about Kurt Cobain getting all depressed seeing a heavy metal kid wearing a Nirvana t-shirt. Lots of people get all upset when they find out their favorite musician likes something not in his particular subset. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Rip it Up</span> tells of Johnny Rotten (John Lydon) DJing a music show while still in the Sex Pistols where he showed a wide range of tastes. Punks got up in arms about it, calling Rotten a traitor. <br /><br />Personally, I don’t get that mindset. I’m a music omnivore. <br /><br />I enjoy almost all types of music. My favorites include all variations of the blues, 1950s Rock & Roll, 1960s psychedelic and 1980s alternative with a healthy dose of classic rock. <br /><br />I missed out on much of the early 1980s indie music that is discussed in these two books. I was into heavy metal (with a little new wave) until 1985. Then a friend introduced me to REM, and that sent me in a whole new direction. (thanks Gibson!)<br /><br />Many of the bands I like aren’t included or talked about much: <a href="http://the-call-band.com/default.aspx" target="blank">The Call</a>, <a href="http://www.rainmakers.com/" target="blank">the Rainmakers</a>, <a href="http://hoodoogurus.net/" target="blank">Hoodoo Gurus</a>, <a href="http://www.officialsmithereens.com/" target="blank">the Smithereens</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lone_Justice" target="blank">Lone Justice</a>, <a href="http://remhq.com/index.php" target="blank">R.E.M.</a>, <a href="http://www.thechoir.net/" target="blank">The Choir</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Del_Fuegos" target="blank">the Del Fuegos</a>, <a href="http://www.vfemmes.com/" target="blank">Violent Femmes</a>, etc. And there is very little discussion of others that were pretty popular by the standards of “college rock”: <a href="http://www.campervanbeethoven.com/" target="blank">Camper Van Beethoven</a>, <a href="http://www.pixiesmusic.com/" target="blank">the Pixies</a>, <a href="http://www.askmeaskmeaskme.com/" target="blank">the Smiths</a>, <a href="http://theymightbegiants.com/" target="blank">They Might Be Giants</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_Furs" target="blank">the Psychedelic Furs</a> (best name ever), etc. Perhaps this is because both books tend to concentrate on late 1970s to early 1980s, while I was really into this music in the late 1980s. Also, both tend to be concerned with independent labels more than major labels, so R.E.M. gets ignored because they got popular too fast. <br /><br />There may be some dividing line between “Alternative” and “New Wave,” but I’m not sure what it is. I’m sure there is some distinction in the mind of the purist listener Once again, some use independent label vs. major label as a standard. Some bands like <a href="http://www.omd.uk.com/" target="blank">Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark</a> or <a href="http://www.neworderonline.com/" target="blank">New Order</a> I always considered New Wave, but these books consider them Postpunk. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Our Band Could be Your Life</span> gets a bit repetitive due to the format of covering each band individually. Every band goes on tour with a lousy van that breaks down. Each band has no money. They all have to decide if they want to go with a major label or stay indie. Azerrad focuses on hardcore.<br /><br />For the most part, I don’t like the band as much after reading about them. Especially the Twin-Cities twin bands, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Replacements" target="_blank">The Replacements</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%BCsker_D%C3%BC" target="_blank">Hüsker Dü</a>. <br /><br />Reynolds lets his politics get in the way about four times. Live Aid “fit all too neatly within the shared worldview of Thatcher and Reagan…who promoted private philanthropy over government intervention.” The horror! The very idea that you should decide on your own who to give to (or whether to give at all) instead of the infallible, omniscient, government taking your money and distributing it for you. And he blames Thatcher for unemployment. Really, where did all those “no future” punks come from? <br /><br />The <span style="font-weight:bold;">Left of the Dial</span> CD set is fantastic. I don’t like every band (Throbbing Gristle, great name, lousy sound), but there are several great songs on here. In particular Lone Justice, the Smithereens, <a href="www.concreteblondeofficialwebsite.com" target="_blank">Concrete Blonde</a>, <a href="www.thechurchband.com" target="_blank">the Church</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_and_Rockets_(band)" target="_blank">Love and Rockets</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Cope" target="_blank">Julian Cope</a>, and the Hoodoo Gurus are all standouts. "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by <a href="www.bauhausmusik.com" target="_blank">Bauhaus</a> is a fantastic song that I had never heard. <br /><br />There are a few "religious" songs. <a href="www.nickcaveandthebadseeds.com" target="_blank">Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds</a> with "Mercy Seat" (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra_Vivid_Scene" target="_blank">Ultra Vivid Scene</a> also had a song with that name). <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_Puppets" target="_blank">The Meat Puppets</a> have "Lake of Fire" which was covered by Nirvana on MTV Unplugged. "Stigmata" by <a href="www.ministrymusic.org" target="_blank">Ministry</a>, and probably a few others I'm missing. And am I allowed to love a band called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jesus_and_Mary_Chain" target="_blank">The Jesus and Mary Chain</a>?<br /><br /><a href="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raincoats" target="_blank">The Raincoats</a> “Fairytale in a Supermarket” reminds me of <a href="www.theclashonline.com" target="_blank">the Clash</a> “Lost in a Supermarket.” Speaking of the Clash, they aren’t included on any of these disks or books. Are they punk and not postpunk? I would say they are postpunk, but here’s the problem of drawing your lines to sharply. <br /><br />I also find it interesting that most of my evaluations of a band have stood the test of time. I didn’t care for the Smiths or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Image_Ltd" target="_blank">PiL</a> in the 1980s, and listening to them again, I still don’t like them. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Postpunk Chronicles</span> series has some overlap with <span style="font-weight:bold;">Left of the Dial</span> (in fact one disk has that name), but many of the bands have different songs, which is good if you are looking for an education on this style of music. I hadn’t heard <a href="http://www.missionofburma.com/" target="_blank">Mission of Burma</a>, but hearing two of their songs, I’d say they’re pretty good. <br /><br />Book Contents:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Our Band Could be Your Life</span>: Black Flag -- The Minutemen -- Mission of Burma -- Minor Threat -- Hüsker Dü -- The Replacements -- Sonic Youth -- Butthole Surfers -- Big Black -- Dinosaur Jr -- Fugazi -- Mudhoney -- Beat Happening.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Rip It Up and Start Again</span>: I: Postpunk -- Public image belongs to me: / John Lydon and PiL -- Autonomy in the U.K. : DIY and the British independent-label movement -- Tribal revival: the pop group and the Slits -- Militant entertainment: Gang of Four: the Mekons, and the Leeds Scene -- Uncontrollable urge: the Industrial Grotesquerie of Pere Ubu and Devo -- Living for the future: Cabaret Voltaire, the Human League, and the Sheffield Scene -- Just step sideways: The Fall, Joy Division, and the Manchester Scene -- Industrial devolution: throbbing Gristle's music from the Death Factory -- Contort yourself: No Wave New York -- Art attack: Talking Heads, Wire, and Mission of Burma -- Messthetics: The London Vanguard -- Freak scene: Cabaret Noir and Theater of cruelty in Postpunk San Francisco -- Careering: PiL and Postpunk's Peak and Fall -- II: New pop and new rock -- Ghost dance: 2-tone and the Ska Resurrection -- Sex gang children: Malcolm McLaren, the Pied Piper of Pantomime Pop -- Mutant Disco and Punk Funk: Crosstown Traffic in early eighties New York (and beyond) -- Fun 'n' frenzy: Postcard Records and the Sound of Young Scotland -- Electric dreams: Synthpop -- Play to win: the pioneers of new pop -- New gold dream 81-82-83-84: New Pop's Peak, the Second British Invasion of America, and the Rise of MTV -- Dark things and Glory Boys: the return of Rock with Goth and the New Psychedelia -- Raiding the twentieth century: ZTT, the Art of Noise, and Frankie goes to Hollywood.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0002XL2X4&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00000G5PG&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00000G5PF&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00000G5PE&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0143036726&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=biblicalparen-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0316787531&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br /><br />Technorati Tags: <br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Book+Review" rel="tag">Book Review</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Our+Band+Could+Be+Your+Life" rel="tag">Our Band Could Be Your Life</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Rip+it+Up+and+Start+Again" rel="tag">Rip It Up And Start Again</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Left+of+the+Dial" rel="tag">Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the 80s Underground</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Postpunk+Chronicles" rel="tag">Postpunk Chronicles</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-79932080304366596572008-06-19T10:16:00.005-05:002008-06-19T10:25:42.273-05:00Bumper Stickers, Personalized Tags, etc. are for Agressive People<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.artcars.com/monsterville/images/monster.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://www.artcars.com/monsterville/images/monster.jpeg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />People who use bumper stickers, personalized tags, or (one would assume) <a href="http://www.artcars.com/">art cars</a>, are <a href="http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/nation/epaper/2008/06/16/m1a_drivers_0617.html">more aggressive than those who don't</a>. The reason is that those who personalize their car are making the "public" space of the car into "personal" space and therefore, they are more aggressive in defending their space. I always thought I was just to cheap and/or lazy to put a bumper sticker on my car. Turns out, I'm not aggressive enough. I <span style="font-style:italic;">am</span> a very likable guy.<br /><br />Hit tip: <a href="http://dirtyharrysplace.com/">Dirty Harry's Place</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16739256.post-46996620395114963612008-06-17T08:25:00.005-05:002008-08-01T16:53:28.138-05:00Critics, what are they worth?A few places have been talking about the role of the critic lately. David Bordwell talks about <a href="http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/wp-trackback.php?p=2315">"In Critical Condition"</a> and the decline of film criticism (among other things). I just read a couple of books on criticism, <a href="http://www.sutropress.com/index.html#five">Five Stars: How to Become a Film Critic, The World's Greatest Job</a> by Christopher Null and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/091005570X?ie=UTF8&tag=biblicalparen-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=091005570X">Beyond Popcorn: A Critic's Guide to Looking at Films</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=biblicalparen-20&l=as2&o=1&a=091005570X" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />by Robert Glatzer (I recommend <span style="font-style:italic;">Five Stars</span> even though it's only available electronically for $20 or used paperback for $80). <br /><br />I am also reading the fantastic <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060928832?ie=UTF8&tag=biblicalparen-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0060928832">From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life 1500 to the Present</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=biblicalparen-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0060928832" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />by Jacques Barzun. On page 73 Barzun is talking about the 16th Century and the way perceptions of art were changing: <blockquote>Aesthetic appreciation is something more than spontaneous liking; a good eye for accurate representation is not good enough; one must be able to judge and <span style="font-style:italic;">talk about</span> style, technique, and originality. This demand gives rise to a new public character: the critic. The future professional begins by being simply the gifted art lover who compares, sees fine points, and works up a vocabulary for his perceptions. He and his kind are not theorists but connoisseurs and ultimately experts. [italics his]</blockquote> <br /><br />A good definition of a critic, if a lot shorter than Bordwell's.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&offerid=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0"><IMG alt="Alibris" border="0" src="http://www.alibris.com/images/promos/music_green.gif " /></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=IB/eCMzpOxI&bids=99238.10000018&type=4&subid=0" /></div>Robert M. Lindseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04859539802875463995noreply@blogger.com1