tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-208008712024-03-13T06:10:41.910-04:007 Dollar PopcornFun while it lastedAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.comBlogger660125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-62431010469285425662015-12-29T17:51:00.002-05:002015-12-29T17:51:47.265-05:007dp Year in Review: Top 3 posts of 2015Here we are, in the waning days of 2015 and everyone is looking back on the year that was. It's a natural time to look back and remember some of my favorite posts of 2015. Lets go with an arbitrary number like...I don't know, 3?<br />
<br />
Yes! 3! That seems like a perfect choice.<br />
<br />
<b>The Top Three 7 Dollar Popcorn Posts of 2015</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<ol>
<li><b><a href="http://7dp.blogspot.com/2015/12/7-dollar-popcorn-awakens-force.html">7 Dollar Popcorn Awakens the Force</a> - December 20th, 2015:</b></li>
<br />
A fairly solid, if light on content, look at my initial thoughts after seeing <i>Star Wars: The Force Awakens</i>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<li> <b><a href="http://7dp.blogspot.com/2015/12/sometimes-force-sleeps-in.html">Sometimes the Force Sleeps In</a> - December 26th, 2015:</b></li>
<br />
I saw <i>Star Wars: The Force Awakens</i> again on Christmas and had a few more thoughts to share. Another post where we can note it's brevity.<br />
<br />
<br />
<li><b><a href="http://7dp.blogspot.com/2015/12/7dp-year-in-review-top-3-posts-of-2015.html">7dp Year in Review: Top 3 posts of 2015</a> - December 29th, 2015:</b><br />
<br />
A look back at the year that was. To be fair, it's a pretty distant third.<br />
</li>
</ol>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-88650301534057412632015-12-26T13:44:00.002-05:002015-12-26T13:44:51.993-05:00Sometimes the Force Sleeps InYesterday was Christmas here in Virginia. It was Christmas in other places too, if social media is to be believed. My R2-D2 stocking was hung by the chimney with care, and filled with an appropriate amount of candy. We made a ham and cheesy potatoes and thought about what we should do. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is, apparently, still showing, so we went to see that.<br />
<br />
This being the second time seeing it, I found it easier to just relax and enjoy the movie. And I did enjoy it much more. I still think it's a movie with a lot of flaws from the start to the finish. I say that because I have specific issues with the beginning and end of the movie specifically. I think part of the problem, for me at least, is what do you expect a Star Wars movie to be? There are 6 already. That's a lot of baggage to carry around. There are so many tropes at play in the first 6. Is that what makes Star Wars what it is? Or is it less about hitting each of those thematic notes and more about having a space adventure about the battle between light and dark?<br />
<br />
I don't have an answer for that. I guess we'll see what happens with Episode VIIIAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-77816724839840091172015-12-20T12:16:00.000-05:002015-12-20T12:29:12.428-05:007 Dollar Popcorn Awakens the Force Um...Hi! It's...it's been a while. A long while. Yikes. Um, yeah, I'm alive. I'd just, you know...been busy...doing things.<br />
<br />
Like seeing the new Star Wars!<br />
<br />
Yup, that's right, I was one of the select millions who saw Star Wars Episode VII: The Wallet Opens.
<br />
<br />
It was...well, it was ok.
That's good though! Of the 6 prior movies, most of them were less than ok! So, an ok movie is actually a step in the right direction!
And, I plan on seeing it again, which is also good.<br />
<br />
A couple of not really spoiler-y notes:<br />
<br />
C-3PO has the best line in the entire movie.<br />
<br />
I love that the Millennium Falcon has a new deflector dish! I wonder if Lando paid for it?<br />
<br />
Daniel Craig was great.
<br />
<br />
I love that it wasn't just the further adventures of a bunch of white dudes.<br />
<br />
Lightsabers are still cool.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-40169587776673127262012-02-28T22:20:00.001-05:002012-02-28T22:20:25.529-05:00More Random Internetness<a href="http://celebs.icanhascheezburger.com/2012/02/28/funny-celebrity-pictures-water-in-the-basement/?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=sharewidget"><img alt="funny celebrity pictures - A little water in the basement?" class="event-item-lol-image" height="332px" src="http://roflrazzi.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/funny-celebrity-pictures-a-little-water-in-the-basement.jpg" title="funny celebrity pictures - A little water in the basement?" width="500px" /></a><br />
see more <a href="http://celebs.icanhascheezburger.com/?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=sharewidget">Lol Celebs</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-62170001038905698422012-02-27T20:03:00.002-05:002012-02-28T22:20:52.681-05:00Randomly Found on the Interwebs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/QfPUE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="http://i.imgur.com/QfPUE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-18731598457854451472012-01-26T20:27:00.002-05:002012-01-26T20:28:34.360-05:00I wanted to leave GoDaddy anywaysThere's no one to blame but myself.<br />
<br />
You may have noticed that 7dollarpopcorn.com no longer gets you here. Apparently, everything went to shit with my account at GoDaddy and since the site was registered to an email I rarely check...I never got the notification that there was an issue.<br />
<br />
Considering how little I do here any more, it's hard to say that the loss of the custom domain will hurt the blog itself much. Hell, I've done more damage over the past couple years than changing the URL ever could. No, the worst part is everything I had registered with an email linked to that domain. That's going to be something that takes a while to sort out. <br />
<br />
Like I said, it's all my fault. So, for now (and probably the foreseeable future) 7 Dollar Popcorn will be located back here at 7dp.blogspot.com (like it used to be).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-28496545847283798972011-09-20T10:33:00.000-04:002011-09-20T10:33:08.572-04:00An open letter to NetflixDear Netflix,<br />
<br />
Hi. I'm sure you have no idea who I am. I'm just some guy who lives in Detroit and uses your service. I have for years actually. I've been a big fan since...well...2002 actually. That's a long time. Actually, I hadn't thought it was that long, but I suppose it has been. 2002 was my first free trial. I remember getting the snowboarding classic, <i>Out Cold</i>.<br />
<br />
Sorry, I'm getting a warm wave of nostalgia here when I think about it. <br />
<br />
<i>Out Cold</i> really has nothing to do with this though. What I'm getting at is that I'm a customer. I have been for years. Hell, 7dp has been fueled these past years by your service. And while 7dp has gone a bit on the back burner for me of late, my use of Netflix has not.<br />
<br />
About a year ago I switched my plan around. I went from 3 discs to 1 disc and streaming. The problem was, I found myself using my 1 disc more than the streaming. I kept finding that the things I wanted to watch (TV shows mostly of late) just weren't available for streaming. And if what I want isn't available, then it doesn't matter what you're charging, does it? It's not a good deal for me. So, when you made the pricing change over the summer, I dropped the streaming service (since I didn't use it) and went to the two disc plan. It's worked out fine for me.<br />
<br />
But now, I'm not going to be a Netflix customer anymore. Not because I decided I didn't want to use your service anymore, but because you decided I wasn't the kind of customer you wanted. You spend years building up brand loyalty amongst your users and then...what? What the hell is Qwikster? Seriously. It's a nonsense word that means nothing in regards to the business itself. It sounds like the name of an internet start-up that failed by 2005.<br />
<br />
When a radio station switches formats, they can't air any of the old commercials that they sold. The reason being that all of that money was spent to advertise based on the old format, demographics and ratings. The sales staff then has the unenviable job of having to go out and sell the new format without any ratings information. This is essentially what you're doing here. You've flipped the format. Netflix is a known entity. Qwikster is not. You can say it's just like Netflix...but you can't back that up yet.<br />
<br />
Last week you had a company that offered two services that complimented each other. Today, you have two companies that people aren't sure of. The people who only use the streaming service, they're unaffected. Every other customer though is. And the people that this will affect most are the ones who paid for both services. Now they have to pay to two sites and maintain two queues.<br />
<br />
This just seems like a big step backwards, not a step forward.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br />
smacdonn<br />
7dollarpopcorn.com<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-52833575486883151202011-08-09T11:05:00.000-04:002011-08-09T11:05:06.657-04:00Na Na Na Na Na Na Backlash!I couldn't help but laugh this article on io9 this morning:
<br />
<br /><a href="http://io9.com/5828841/so-wait-is-there-really-a-dark-knight-rises-backlash">So wait. Is there really a Dark Knight Rises backlash?</a>
<br />
<br />HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
<br />
<br />Wait, why am I laughing you ask?
<br />
<br />As you may or may not recall, I've had <a href="http://www.7dollarpopcorn.com/2008/07/film-ignorance-batman-begins.html">mixed</a> <a href="http://www.7dollarpopcorn.com/2008/07/i-wonder-if-gothams-insurance-companies.html">feelings</a> when it comes to the previous Batman films. In fact, I think that at one point, I referred to <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dark Knight</span> as my least favorite movie of 2008.
<br />
<br />And now, here we are, it's 2011, Batman 3 has barely started filming, and won't even be released for another year, and the internet hate machine is already starting to turn against it. Hey, internet, what happened to your hard on for Christopher Nolan and his Batman? HAHAHAHAHAHAAHA
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-75799823713129106162011-05-08T00:00:00.001-04:002011-05-08T00:00:03.674-04:00A Life in Movies BlogathonLast year, you may remember <a href="http://fandangogroovers.wordpress.com/">Fandango Groovers Movie Blog</a> did a <a href="http://fandangogroovers.wordpress.com/2010/04/11/desert-island-dvds-2/">Desert Island DVD Blogathon</a>, and <a href="http://www.7dollarpopcorn.com/2010/04/desert-island-dvds.html">I participated</a>! Well, they're back with another Blogathon, <a href="http://fandangogroovers.wordpress.com/2011/04/10/a-life-in-movies-blogathon/">A Life In Movies</a>.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>Following the unexpected popularity of the Desert Island DVDs blogathon I organized last year I am inviting fellow bloggers to tell us what their favourite* movies are from each year of their life so far. You can put as much or as little effort into you list as you wish. It could just be a list of movies, you may with to add a sentence or two about the movies or what they mean to you, you can brighten it up with images, posters or trailers. The choice is yours.</blockquote> Well, hells bells, that sounds fun. Fun enough for me to take some time out from blatant self promotion and join in!<br />
<br />
So, I was born in 1980, and haven't seen a single movie that came out in 2011 so far. So, that establishes our range. So...lets start:<br />
<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="tblGenFixed" id="tblMain_0"><tbody>
<tr class="rShim"><td class="rShim" style="width: 0;"></td><td class="rShim" style="width: 120px;"></td><td class="rShim" style="width: 165px;"></td><td class="rShim" style="width: 270px;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s0">Year</td><td class="s1">Title</td><td class="s1">Comments</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">Welcome to the 80's!</td><td class="s3"><br />
</td><td class="s3"><br />
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1980</td><td class="s4">The Empire Strikes Back</td><td class="s5">Like I would put something ELSE in here!</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1981</td><td class="s6">Raiders of the Lost Ark</td><td class="s5">Tough one. I love Clash of the Titans and History of the World, Part 1...but I love Raiders just a little bit more!</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1982</td><td class="s7">Blade Runner</td><td class="s5">Another tough one because The Thing was great, but Blade Runner has just had too big an impact on me.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1983</td><td class="s8">Return of the Jedi</td><td class="s5">Jedi. Done.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1984</td><td class="s9">Temple of Doom</td><td class="s5">Real tough one here. This is the first year where I start remembering seeing a lot of different movies. I'm giving the nod to Indy because it's one I still love to watch.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1985</td><td class="s10">Return of the Living Dead</td><td class="s5">Re-Animator is a close 2nd.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1986</td><td class="s11">Big Trouble in Little China</td><td class="s5">Shut up, Mr. Burton! You were not brought upon this world to get it!</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1987</td><td class="s12">Evil Dead II</td><td class="s5">Jaws 4 is, and I'm not kidding, a very close 2nd.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1988</td><td class="s13">Young Guns</td><td class="s5">Did you see the size of that chicken?</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1989</td><td class="s14">Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade</td><td class="s5">It's my favorite of the three in fact.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">Onward to the 90's!</td><td class="s15"><br />
</td><td class="s3"><br />
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1990</td><td class="s16">Back to the Future: Part III</td><td class="s5">I might be the only person you know who says that this is their favorite of the 3.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1991</td><td class="s17">T2</td><td class="s5">Of course.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1992</td><td class="s18">Encino Man</td><td class="s5">It's Pauly Shore's best work and you know it.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1993</td><td class="s19">Jurassic Park</td><td class="s5">I don't even know what else came out this year.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1994</td><td class="s20">Clerks</td><td class="s5">Just for the sheer impact it had on me.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1995</td><td class="s21">Johnny Mnemonic</td><td class="s5">What? We all know I love this movie. And while some amazing movies came out this year, if you put all of them on DVD in front of me, I would end up watching Johnny Mnemonic. I know I would!</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1996</td><td class="s22">Star Trek: First Contact/Trainspotting</td><td class="s5">It's a tie. One is my favorite Star Trek movie, the other my favorite Danny Boyle movie. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="tblGenFixed" id="tblMain_1"><tbody>
<tr class="rShim"><td class="rShim" style="width: 0;"></td><td class="rShim" style="width: 120px;"></td><td class="rShim" style="width: 165px;"></td><td class="rShim" style="width: 270px;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1997</td><td class="s23">Grosse Pointe Blank</td><td class="s5">This just as easily could have been Event Horizon or The Fifth Element or Cube or The Game. In fact, if I swapped GPB out for any of those others, I would be just as comfortable/conflicted with my choice.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1998</td><td class="s24">Zero Effect</td><td class="s5">I really had to fight not to say Armageddon, as bad as it is, I really do like it.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">1999</td><td class="s25">Godzilla 2000</td><td class="s5">This was the Godzilla movie that really got me into the series. For that reason, it barely beats out The Matrix.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">Into a new century</td><td class="s26"><br />
</td><td class="s3"><br />
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">2000</td><td class="s27">Snatch</td><td class="s5">Though Battle Royale would have been just as acceptable.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">2001</td><td class="s28">Session 9</td><td class="s5">While it could have (and probably SHOULD have) been something else, I really do love this movie.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">2002</td><td class="s29">The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers</td><td class="s5">This is one of my favorite movies of ANY year.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">2003</td><td class="s30">Oldboy</td><td class="s5">This would have been my first exposure to Korean movies</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">2004</td><td class="s31">Shaun of the Dead</td><td class="s5">I hate not having Kung Fu Hustle here, but I can't</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">2005</td><td class="s32">Serenity</td><td class="s5">It was almost Land of the Dead</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">2006</td><td class="s33">Pan's Labyrinth</td><td class="s5">I really REALLY wanted to put Slither here.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">2007</td><td class="s34">Hot Fuzz</td><td class="s5">Nothing else even comes close.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">2008</td><td class="s35">Let the Right One In</td><td class="s5">Hellboy 2 was here until I remembered that this one came out in 08 and I saw it in SLC.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">2009</td><td class="s36">The Brothers Bloom</td><td class="s5">Once again, it's just a movie that I love, regardless of year. Nothing else from 09 was going to come close.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">The twenty...teens?</td><td class="s37"><br />
</td><td class="s3"><br />
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">2010</td><td class="s38">True Grit</td><td class="s5">I really didn't see many movies in 2010. I did see this, and enjoy it. Centurion would have been another good choice.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><br />
</td><td class="s2">2011</td><td class="s39">Dead Woods</td><td class="s5">Ok, so it's the movie I was in. I know I said I'd get away from self promotion for the day...I lied. Oh well. http://www.deadwoodsmovie.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">* I was about to correct the spelling of favorite, but then it occurred to me that it must be a British site, and I will respect that particular cultural difference.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-7293728426536061252011-05-05T10:00:00.000-04:002011-05-05T10:00:04.128-04:00Want a FREE copy of Dead Woods?<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V_Q5wHLGwlI/TcGDeCH-wQI/AAAAAAAATpA/vXn-jNoZtXg/s1600/9086907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V_Q5wHLGwlI/TcGDeCH-wQI/AAAAAAAATpA/vXn-jNoZtXg/s200/9086907.jpg" width="140" /></a>If you've been reading here (which if you're reading this, I'm just going to assuming...), or following <a href="http://twitter.com/dreamrot">me</a>, or <a href="http://twitter.com/7dollarpopcorn">the blog</a>, on Twitter, you may have heard that I was in a movie last year called <i><a href="http://www.deadwoodsmovie.com/">Dead Woods</a></i>. Well, that movie is finished, printed and <a href="http://www.deadwoodsmovie.com/store.html">ON SALE NOW</a>.<br />
<br />
That's not what I'm here about today though. I was very involved in this movie. I just can't be objective about it. I need someone who can be. So, I'm going to give away a copy of the movie*. That's right, I have a copy of <i>Dead Woods</i> that I want to mail to someone. So what do you need to do? Well, there's two things, 1) Have a movie blog and 2) send me a link to it before 11:59 on May 15t!. You can comment on this post, or you can send me and email at dreamrot @ 7dollarpopcorn.com! That's it! I'll pick a winner at random and <br />
mail off a copy of the movie! It's a pretty simple little contest!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-euEi8RgMubM/TcIBVw96YzI/AAAAAAAATpQ/hAYOcT0CxpM/s1600/DSCN9524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-euEi8RgMubM/TcIBVw96YzI/AAAAAAAATpQ/hAYOcT0CxpM/s320/DSCN9524.JPG" width="294" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">That's right. The copy I hold in my hand there could be YOURS!</div><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*Right now, I only have one copy to give away, but if there are enough people who message me about it, I might try to get a couple more. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-23603217041372748682011-04-11T13:11:00.000-04:002011-04-11T13:11:11.778-04:00A Year in the Movies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mIM3657fDb8/TaMiWqdQYsI/AAAAAAAATiA/uL8FjUtJcXM/s1600/DeadWoods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mIM3657fDb8/TaMiWqdQYsI/AAAAAAAATiA/uL8FjUtJcXM/s200/DeadWoods.jpg" width="140" /></a></div>It was one year ago today that we started to film Dead Woods. April 11, 2010. I was a last minute addition to the cast. We had a party on Saturday, the 10th. This was a calculated decision, as the first day of filming was supposed to be the day after a big party out in the woods. It was decided somewhere along the way that the best way to look like everyone was hungover would be for everyone to actually BE hungover. It was at this party that I went from potential extra to character with lines.<br />
<br />
Someone had to drop out. <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/tommygunn712">Tom</a> (Director) was looking for someone to take on his role. I volunteered. As I said, we were at a party. The goal was to appear somewhat hungover. There was some drinking going on. My judgement may have been impaired when I agreed to help.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.deadwoodsmovie.com/uploads/5/9/6/7/5967831/2527429_orig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.deadwoodsmovie.com/uploads/5/9/6/7/5967831/2527429_orig.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Trooper that I am, I remembered the next morning and drove out to <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/iamarutabaga">Jeremy's</a> (Cast member/Set homeowner). At this point, I barely knew most of these people. It was a strange and frightening experience. On top of that, I hadn't done much acting since high school! Sure, a bit of voice stuff for the radio, but that's completely different to me. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QMGLHQEAveI/TaM1RBkMUuI/AAAAAAAATiE/NDxYnEP2uQU/s1600/31094_117850498236539_100000347685711_181009_6844481_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QMGLHQEAveI/TaM1RBkMUuI/AAAAAAAATiE/NDxYnEP2uQU/s320/31094_117850498236539_100000347685711_181009_6844481_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Day 1 was a complete debacle. No one was on time. Well, a couple of us were. I was, Jeremy was. Erik (Cast member) and Kelcie (Cast member) were. We spent all day there. We shot a lot of footage, and we also spent a lot of time not shooting anything (this would be a recurring theme). We didn't use much, if any, of the footage from day 1. I mean that. We spent 10 hours out there (well, those of us who arrived on time), and we did more that contributed to the gag reel than the actual movie. We set up tents. Not once is anyone in a tent in the end.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1gurIrWr5GM/TaM1VJErh-I/AAAAAAAATiI/zz9sJLjDIdg/s1600/31094_117850501569872_100000347685711_181010_7324021_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1gurIrWr5GM/TaM1VJErh-I/AAAAAAAATiI/zz9sJLjDIdg/s320/31094_117850501569872_100000347685711_181010_7324021_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Largely though, we hung out. We talked, we joked around. A year later and the cast of Dead Woods includes some of my closest friends, and these are people I barely knew a year ago. As frustrating as it tended to be at times making the damned thing, I don't regret a minute of it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4MigefbT_Pk/TaM15HZOM6I/AAAAAAAATiU/6G3hpPLIYCI/s1600/IMG_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4MigefbT_Pk/TaM15HZOM6I/AAAAAAAATiU/6G3hpPLIYCI/s320/IMG_0046.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Last night, on the anniversary of our pre-movie flip cup party, we got together to record a commentary. Like much of the movie, it was fueled by Miller High Life. Afterwards, we had a bit of a bonfire. The further removed I get from the movie, the more I like it. And the further away we get from shooting it, the more I miss that. I'd do another one right now if I could.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fu6o942qctg/TaM14n1EorI/AAAAAAAATiQ/dJdye9K6jDQ/s1600/IMG_0045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fu6o942qctg/TaM14n1EorI/AAAAAAAATiQ/dJdye9K6jDQ/s320/IMG_0045.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.deadwoodsmovie.com/">Dead Woods</a> is a finished movie now. There's nothing left to do but make DVDs and try to find ways for people to see it. You'll never see me even TRY to review it here. There's no way I could be objective enough. <br />
<br />
<br />
<object height="390" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zbOkrDMrB1Q&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zbOkrDMrB1Q&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-16435339786678775382011-04-08T08:27:00.000-04:002011-04-08T08:27:59.553-04:00Song of the Day: High Hawk Season by The Mountain Goat<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AMj6tCQ1MNc?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
For the record, I really like the new album, All Eternals Deck.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-82602279015534743982011-03-25T12:13:00.001-04:002011-03-25T12:36:40.943-04:00Today's phrase of the day: Bat-shit Wonderful.Look, if you describe a movie as 'bat-shit wonderful', you will pique my interest.<br /><br /><object> <embed src="http://www.rubberthemovie.com/media/playlistPlayer.swf" flashvars="player.start.paused=true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="360" width="640"></embed> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></object><br /><br />Needless to say, <span style="font-style: italic;">Rubber</span> has my interest piqued. I want to see it. And it's playing here at the end of next month. I must make this happen.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-16011028933869635702011-03-15T00:08:00.000-04:002011-03-15T00:08:12.861-04:00An evening spent listening to some of the worst music I could imagineNo, this wasn't even the worst I could imagine. I honestly never would have imagined anything as bad as some of this. The song titles were left out...mostly to prevent you from blaming me for hearing some of it. Hunt it down at your own peril.<br />
<br />
Copied from Facebook. Formatting is a mess because I don't care enough to fix it.<br />
<br />
smacdonn:<br />
This might be the worst song/video I've ever heard/seen...and it's taking everything I have not to inflict it on everyone I know.<br />
43 minutes ago · Friends Only; Except: Work Types, Family · LikeUnlike ·<br />
<br />
*<br />
*<br />
*<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: How can a video with dinosaurs and unicorns (whit LASER EYES) be this awful?<br />
41 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: Seriously, it's like part rap, part Poison the Well...autotuned and full of Jesus.<br />
39 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: New video. I'm not sure, but I think the 'chorus' in this dude's song is 'AAARRRGGGHH Come on, fuck a guy'. I'm not sure though.<br />
33 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: 'i put mayonnaise on everything that's how i eat'<br />
33 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: 'See that kid stealing? That was a thief'<br />
32 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: New video. I never would have expected there to even be a market for autotuned screamo.<br />
29 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: There is a dude in a pig costume. This still isn't worse than that first song. It needs more Jesus.<br />
28 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: New video. Actual lyrics: Come and smile, don't be shy, touch my bum, this is life. I don't think I can do two more minutes of this one.<br />
25 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: New video. Jesus fuck. I think the cast of Jersey Shore traveled back in time to 1998, became Canadian and started a boy band. Fuck. No.<br />
23 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: Yup. Something to come out of Canada that I hate more than Nickelback. I kinda want to go back to the touch my bum song...this is awful. What was I thinking?<br />
22 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: I tapped out. New video. Metal(ish) with autotuning and DDR? WHAT?<br />
18 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: New video. WTF? You're seriously singing about whether to sit with your friends in the front seat of the car...or with your friends in the back seat? Fucking hell. Teen angst is a LOT different than when I was in high school<br />
15 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: New video. Soulja Boy is terrible. There's nothing else I can say about this.<br />
12 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: What's Hannenin? I'm moving on to something else. Seriously. What the crap? It sad that this is IMPROVEMENT.<br />
10 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: I mean, this is almost listenable.<br />
10 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: Almost. If you like listening to cds skip.<br />
9 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: New video. Not sure, but I think I'm listening to people rap about mayonnaise. It's 20 pence more.<br />
8 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: New video. Dear 'musicians' (and I use the term very lightly), not EVERYTHING sounds better autotuned all crazy.<br />
5 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: Your rented Lamborghini does not impress me sir.<br />
4 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: The 'rapper' reminds me of every upper middle class white kid I've ever seen trying to be hard core.<br />
3 minutes ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: New video. MORE AUTOTUNE.<br />
about a minute ago · LikeUnlike<br />
o<br />
smacdonn: Autotuned singing about Hannah Montana wearing your jeans? Really? I'm done. I quit. I don't ever want to hear anything new again. Seriously. I'm locking down iTunes. I'm done. I quit.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-20731348763395641202011-02-23T14:03:00.000-05:002011-02-23T14:03:18.989-05:00Song of the Day - Winds of Change by Fitz & the Tantrums<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="510" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/doe1KdaywKg" title="YouTube video player" width="640"><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>I've been <br></iframe><br />
<br />
I've been on a bit of a Fitz & the Tantrums kick the past couple of days. They played here in Detroit a couple of weeks ago. It was a free show, but I didn't go. I was actually downtown that night, just someplace else. I went to the Red Wings game (which we lost!). I could have gone to the show after the game, but a friend of mine said it was pretty packed and they may not have been letting people in at that point. So, sadly, I did not see them.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-11351161701549215682011-02-13T10:51:00.000-05:002011-02-13T10:51:27.662-05:00Song of the Day: Howlin for You by The Black Keys<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TLSpj7q6_mM?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe><br />
<br />
I wish this were a real movie.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-70249406834220885222011-02-03T14:49:00.001-05:002011-02-03T14:49:36.838-05:00Song of the Day - Adultery by The Extra Lens<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NqAob1UNdlc" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe><br /><br />I picked up The Extra Lens - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00474DTNU?ie=UTF8&tag=dreamrotcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00474DTNU">Undercard</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=dreamrotcom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00474DTNU" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> - on Amazon today. I'm not going to like, it's the best album you'll find for $3.99 today. By far!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-56878903674778857152011-02-01T14:24:00.001-05:002011-02-01T14:30:55.275-05:00On travel and breweries<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">I really meant to write about this a couple weeks ago. Like, right around the time it happened. And really, only because it was something to talk about. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">See, many people will tell you that popcorn goes best with movies. I tend to disagree. I am rather popcorn neutral. I am popcorn ambivalent. Simply stated, popcorn does nothing for me. I can take it or leave it. In fact, when I was at the Burton Theatre last week, I did leave it. And it would have been free! Of course, they had also just run out, and I would have had to wait 10 minutes and that's just too long to wait for a bag of popcorn.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This leads to the natural question, if I'm popcorn neutral, than what does go best with a movie? I'm glad you asked, see, there's one thing that just goes perfectly with movies in my world, beer. This is why I have lately taken the opportunity to talk more about beer around here. Beer and movies just go great together. Especially the kind of movies I like to watch. If you're watching something like <i>Chupacabra Terror</i> without a beer nearby, you're missing out on half the point. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Basically, all of this is to set up a story. See, I collect pint glasses. Most are from breweries and restaurants. One of the first glasses I picked up was on eBay. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qsfeU64TC6E/TUhTU9fX20I/AAAAAAAATKE/BQkFecTs6F8/s1600/arrogant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qsfeU64TC6E/TUhTU9fX20I/AAAAAAAATKE/BQkFecTs6F8/s1600/arrogant.jpg" border="0" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not my actual glass. Just a picture I stole from Amazon.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">In fact, it would be years before I ever tried Arrogant Bastard Ale. I was at Slow's in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit when I first tried it. Since then, I've tried a few of Stone Brewery's beers. They're good, but I can't drink a lot of them. They tend to be pretty strong, both in flavor and alcohol content!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Back to the present. A couple weeks ago, I was heading out to an Indian Reservation outside of San Diego, CA. And what town would I be passing through? Escondido. And what's in Escondido? Stone Brewery and Stone World Bistro. On top of all that, it would be a Monday, and that means Meatless Monday's at the Bistro. I was in. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It was a beautiful Southern California day. The kind that they rub in the face of those of us living in places that get cold and snow. Sunny, 70ish degrees, not a cloud to be seen. If I had to describe it in a single word, perfect is the only one that comes to mind. The building itself is a bit off of the beaten path, and unmarked. There's little about it to tell you that this is the place you're looking for. There's no indication that there is a restaurant or brewpub here.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You have to take a chance and assume that that is the door you're looking for. Once inside, however, you're greeted by the brewery store where you can buy shirts and glasses and belt buckles and hats and...well, you get the idea. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Off to the side is the bistro. It's primarily outside seating. Which works in SoCal, I suppose. They asked me where I wanted to sit, I said I was from Detroit and it's so nice outside that it would be a shame to be indoors. They sat me outside at the bar.</div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qsfeU64TC6E/TUhP_9-O8II/AAAAAAAATJ8/oLOXFOQNvS4/s1600/IMG_0514.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qsfeU64TC6E/TUhP_9-O8II/AAAAAAAATJ8/oLOXFOQNvS4/s320/IMG_0514.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br />I ordered the Levitation Ale. An amber that, as far as I can tell, is not readily available in my area. For my meal, I ordered the Mac 'n Beer Cheese.<br /><blockquote><b>Mac 'n Beer Cheese</b><br />Mike's Beer Cheese makes classic mac 'n cheese classier. And more importantly, much tastier. Made with Mike's Stone Smoked Porter & Garlic Beer Cheese with sun dried tomatoes, and basil.</blockquote>It was as good as it sounds. Overall, it was a nice little excursion to a brewery I wouldn't normally get to visit. And it kind of brought everything full circle since it was a glass from Stone that started my pint glass collection. And no, I did not buy another glass while I was there.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-49061763458230970542011-01-30T00:55:00.000-05:002011-01-30T00:55:05.733-05:00You are tearing me apart, Lisa!As I previously mentioned, I went to the Burton Theatre on Friday to see<i> The Room. </i><br />
<br />
It was, without question, one of the greatest movie going experiences I've ever had.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qsfeU64TC6E/TUT7EwXzJjI/AAAAAAAATI0/-iICn33cO5Y/s1600/burton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qsfeU64TC6E/TUT7EwXzJjI/AAAAAAAATI0/-iICn33cO5Y/s320/burton.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
To start with, the theatre itself is in the auditorium of an old school in Midtown Detroit. The school isn't really in use anymore, at least not as a full time school. It's worth noting here that I love Detroit. All those bad things you've heard? None of them came from me. This is, without question, my city. And if there's something interesting going on, I'm in. Though, I will admit that I skipped out of the chicken races last summer, and I'm still bummed about it, but that's a story for some other time. <br />
<br />
It goes without saying that, thanks to the internet, I knew what <i>The Room</i> was. I'd seen clips and read reviews. My friends and I knew it would be bad. Needless to say, we decided drinking was going to be a good idea. We brought small bottles and flasks in an effort to be discrete. This effort was all for naught, however, as we watched many people bringing in fifths and six packs.<br />
<br />
<i>The Room</i> itself was as awful as anticipated, but the real fun in a movie like this comes from the crowd you see it with. It's a movie meant to be watched with many people yelling at the screen. There's no way it would be an enjoyable experience sitting in your living room watching it. It's too awful for that. You need an audience of people yelling 'Who the hell are you?' at the people randomly making out on the couch. You need the people cheering on the pan across the Golden Gate Bridge. You need people throwing plastic spoons at the screen. Without that, you're just watching a bad movie.<br />
<br />
<i>Plan 9 From Outer Space</i> is a bad movie. <i>Death Bed: The Bed That Eats</i> is a bad movie. <i>The Room</i> is a terrible movie that belongs in the discussion of Worst Movie Ever with the likes of <i>Plan 9</i> and <i>Death Bed</i>. In the right setting though, <i>The Room</i> is a hell of a lot of fun.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-43442630086705593442011-01-28T11:52:00.000-05:002011-01-28T11:52:53.114-05:00Oh, hi MarkWhen you're sitting around later, wondering what I'm up to tonight (don't lie to yourself, we both know you will be), just think of two words: The Room<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yCj8sPCWfUw" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
The acting, the writing, the unattributed quotes in the trailer...I can not be more excited about going to see this. Also noteworthy is that this will be my first excursion to the <a href="http://www.burtontheatre.com/">Burton Theatre</a> in downtown Detroit. It used to be a school, now it's a theatre, how can you go wrong?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-88378259626712719702011-01-21T18:58:00.000-05:002011-01-21T18:58:25.818-05:00Song of the Day - Cameras by Matt and Kim<embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" base="." flashvars="configParams=id%3D1518071%26vid%3D614040%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A614040" height="319" src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:614040" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512"></embed><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 4px; text-align: center; width: 500px;"><a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/matt_and_kim/artist.jhtml" style="color: #439cd8;" target="_blank"></a></div><br />
I think I've done this as the song of the day before, but there's an actual video for it now. This isn't what I set out to post today, but it's all I've been able to do. It's been a long day. More after some sleep. Lots and lots of sleep (and possibly sake bombs).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-68347179774067972552011-01-13T12:15:00.000-05:002011-01-13T12:15:16.103-05:005 years and I'm still hereImagine for a moment that it's three days ago. January 10th. Do you know what January 10th was? This is a fairly serious question. I don't expect you to know the answer, don't worry.<br />
<br />
January 10th was 7dp's 5th birthday!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qsfeU64TC6E/TS8yti7ULyI/AAAAAAAATIM/XAKGPY4P3PY/s1600/ein1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qsfeU64TC6E/TS8yti7ULyI/AAAAAAAATIM/XAKGPY4P3PY/s320/ein1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Wow. Thanks, Al. That's really nice of you. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qsfeU64TC6E/TS8yuBd77LI/AAAAAAAATIQ/mMfa4Og6J-8/s1600/ein2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qsfeU64TC6E/TS8yuBd77LI/AAAAAAAATIQ/mMfa4Og6J-8/s320/ein2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Right. Of course you do. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qsfeU64TC6E/TS8yunfcFRI/AAAAAAAATIU/TXDtzqY847w/s1600/ein3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qsfeU64TC6E/TS8yunfcFRI/AAAAAAAATIU/TXDtzqY847w/s320/ein3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Wow. All this time away and you can't even come up with new material. Thanks for stopping by though, Al. It was good seeing you. Kind of. <br />
<br />
It's weird to think about, isn't it? 5 years. That's almost forever in internet time. Here I am though, still going. Sure, I'm not as prolific as I used to be. I can't imagine something like <a href="http://www.7dollarpopcorn.com/search/label/FILMuary">FILMuary</a> happening again (though it was an amazing amount of fun! Seriously. 28 movies in 28 days and across multiple states!), but I'm still sad I didn't do Shark Week last year. I've participated in a few <a href="http://www.7dollarpopcorn.com/search/label/blog-a-thon">blogathons</a> and even switched blogs with <a href="http://www.7dollarpopcorn.com/2010/06/1570-descent-2.html">1416 and Counting</a> for a day (THAT was fun. I want to do something like that again.)<br />
<br />
And, last year, despite the record low number of postings (and even lower number of actual movie related content), I thought was a fun year. I added the Song of the Day to the rotating list of infrequent features. There was the previously mentioned blog-switcheroo. I even proved to everyone that <a href="http://www.7dollarpopcorn.com/search/label/drawing">I can't draw</a>! And on top of all that, I was in a fucking movie. Well, not a FUCKING movie. A horror movie! <a href="http://www.deadwoodsmovie.com/">Dead Woods</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qsfeU64TC6E/R4zVxOQYc3I/AAAAAAAAGl4/VCK4nVqUD34/s1600/mothra-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qsfeU64TC6E/R4zVxOQYc3I/AAAAAAAAGl4/VCK4nVqUD34/s320/mothra-9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qsfeU64TC6E/R4zVxOQYc3I/AAAAAAAAGl4/VCK4nVqUD34/s1600-h/mothra-9.jpg"></a><br />
<br />
So what does 2011 hold? I don't know. I have some ideas. I want to bring Shark Week back for sure. I've been considering talking about beer and the brewing of more often (it's an interesting subject to me), this may lead to sort of a Brew & View type feature, but we'll see what happens. There will probably be more whoring for Dead Woods, especially once the DVD is done. I may even try to give away a few copies. Basically, I expect 2011 to be a lot like 2010. A few reviews, a lot of nonsense and generally expanding the focus some more.<br />
<br />
Oh, and more shitty movies!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-13176632548491823562011-01-13T11:10:00.000-05:002011-01-13T11:10:19.710-05:00Song of the Day - Night by Night by Chromeo<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ppNC0uAaCv0&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ppNC0uAaCv0&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-76054293068834812302010-12-24T22:43:00.000-05:002010-12-24T22:43:15.372-05:00True Grit: A Christmas Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qsfeU64TC6E/TRVfBo30L0I/AAAAAAAATHM/JV1xy2rg-Ng/s1600/True-Grit-International-Poster-18-11-10-kc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qsfeU64TC6E/TRVfBo30L0I/AAAAAAAATHM/JV1xy2rg-Ng/s200/True-Grit-International-Poster-18-11-10-kc.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>My family has some Christmas traditions. Most families do, I would assume. My friend Kate goes to Denny's every Christmas Eve. Your family has some sort of Christmas tradition, doesn't it? Of course it does. Well, for years, I've spent Christmas Eve with my dad. Some times ago...I don't know when, but probably close to 15 years ago, we started to go see a movie on Christmas Eve. The first one I remember was the Jean Claude Van Damme masterpiece <i>Sudden Death. Star Trek:First Contact</i> was another one. There have been many movies over many years. And, it started that the 6 of us went as a family to the same movie. Myself, my dad, my step mom, my brother, my half brother and my half sister. Over the years, this changed. We still go to the movies, but, like this year, we see different ones. My half brother went to see the new <i>Tron</i>, my step mom and half sister went to see the new <i>Chronicles of Narnia</i> movie, and my dad and I went to see <i>True Grit</i>.<br />
<br />
<br />
It's worth noting a few things. 1) I don't generally care for westerns. No real reason other than they aren't my proverbial cup of tea. 2) I never saw the original <i>True Grit</i>. And it's likely that I never will. I don't care for John Wayne. The idea of sitting through one of his movies make me long for the dentist's chair. To the many John Wayne fans in the world: Sorry. That's just the way I feel. 3) My dad does like westerns, and he does like John Wayne. And while he would have been happy seeing <i>Tron</i> or something else, he was definitely excited when I mentioned that I'd like to see <i>True Grit.</i> It's more his kind of movie that mine.<br />
<br />
In the end though, I kind of got the impression that I liked <i>True Grit</i> a bit more than he did. And while I can't speak for him, I can tell you a bit of what I thought about it.<br />
<br />
I liked Jeff Bridges in it. I found his portrayal of Rooster to be gruff while still somewhat charming. I didn't particularly care for Matt Damon as Le Beouf. I just found him strangely unnatural as a Texas Ranger. Hailee Steinfeld, however, I found to be excellent as Mattie. My biggest problem with the movie, really, was the dialogue. It just felt so unnatural to me. I can't remember a single contraction. No 'didn't', no 'could've', it was 'did not' and 'could have', and people just don't talk that way. Outside of Data in <i>Star Trek: The Next Generation</i> everyone uses contractions. And I found this jarring at times. If that's my biggest complaint though, then I hardly have a complaint at all. <br />
<br />
I know this isn't much of a review, and it isn't really meant to be. If you want a review, Alex over at <a href="http://www.filmforager.com/2010/12/i-have-good-lawyer-double-feature-true.html">Film Forager</a> did a great job, and I'd recommend you read that. My intention was more to talk about my family's Christmas tradition. And on that note, Merry Christmas everyone!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20800871.post-72517857333850595102010-12-21T11:14:00.003-05:002010-12-21T11:15:17.351-05:00A trailer on a Tuesday: HannaI know this is making the rounds today, but it looks damn cool. <br /><br /> <div><object width="512" height="322"><param name="movie" value="http://d.yimg.com/static.video.yahoo.com/yep/YV_YEP.swf?ver=2.2.46" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="AllowScriptAccess" VALUE="always" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="flashVars" value="id=23571704&vid=8680465〈=en-us&lang=en-us&intl=us&thumbUrl=http%3A//l.yimg.com/a/p/i/bcst/yahoomovies/17499/119378879.jpg&embed=1" /><embed src="http://d.yimg.com/static.video.yahoo.com/yep/YV_YEP.swf?ver=2.2.46" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512" height="322" allowFullScreen="true" AllowScriptAccess="always" bgcolor="#000000" flashVars="id=23571704&vid=8680465〈=en-us&lang=en-us&intl=us&thumbUrl=http%3A//l.yimg.com/a/p/i/bcst/yahoomovies/17499/119378879.jpg&embed=1" ></embed></object><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00663519069406041482noreply@blogger.com0