An Apology
Posted by: j_john
Awhile ago I haphazardly started a "Bad Movie Night" (BMN) at the Hott Denn. After two successful screenings of bad DVDs starring Sir Michael Caine (Victory and Jaws: The Revenge), I happened to land a copy of the infamous John Travolta flop "Battlefield Earth", and decided it would be a good fit for the BMN. The evening started out well with Ritchey and I preparing some good eats for the guests, and we made sure to get the alcohol flowing to hopefully highten the anticpated hilarity. Thankfully not too many people showed up, allowing me to more easily accomodate showing the film in my room, as well as lessening the guilt that I was soon to feel over subjecting my friends to THE WORST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN.
I will not attempt to describe what it is that happens in Battlefield Earth, for that you should check out Ritchey's more comprehensive blog entry, because I fortunately don't really remember that much about BE. Once I became aware that what I was watching would not provide me with the laughter I so rightly anticpated, I began to take naps in between yelling at the TV. I sincerely hope my behaviour didn't impede my fellow BMN viewers from the desired critique and ridicule they deserved to hurl at Travolta and co.
Despite these negative comments, I'm not entirely sorry that BE came into my life, as it provided me with some of the deepest and enjoyable laughter upon discovering what the marketing team considered a review positive enough for inclusion on the DVD case. It certainly made my PowerPoint presentation much more fun to create, especially the bit with the Metacritic score that suggests "overwhelming dislike and/or disgust from critics."
I'd also like to personally apologize to Mr. K. Mike Merrill for suggesting that he should not have been allowed to sit on the couch, having wrongly accussed him of not attending a previous BMN, since he played a great role in the first such event when Victory was projected. Also, Mr. KMM provided the BE antitode in the form of House Gymnastics, a highly enjoyable and beneficial new sport.
So, what's next for the BMN? Can it possibly survive in the aftermath of BE? Well, folks, in the words of Barry Pepper or something, we must "take back the BMN the only way we know how--by including Michael Caine in the movie!" I am thus accepting submissions for the next screening, although I've already heard great things about this one.
(Kelly) Green Day
Posted by: j_john
Another beautiful day in Portland, and since it also happens to be St. Patrick's Day it's another great opportunity to show off the joy that is the color kelly green.
Tripleheader
Posted by: j_john
Well I finally got to see my Wolves "live" and "in action", although the argument could be made that they weren't much "alive" and "active" in their disheartening 92-79 loss to the Blazers Wednesday night. Jumping to an early 9-0 lead, the Wolves looked on track to victory, only to allow Damon to light up a comeback, which in turn sent me on a search for more beer and some dinner.
I watched a majority of the third quarter on a big-screen TV while my mates Steve and Josh checked out the Irish dancing girls. Then we made the second-half (4th quarter to be precise) sneak to some amazing seats. It was great to be so close to the action even if I knew my team didn't have much of a chance, and I could check out those adidas that KG has been sporting this season. Oh, and the three of us were pretty sure that the lady with lots of love on her fingers and with a little one (and another in the oven) was a player's wife, but the best guess we had for the hubby was Damon. Anyone know the marital status of the Blazers?
After the game I dropped off Josh and Steve and I made our way to the Broadway Metroplex to check out a late show of Starsky and Hutch. We had to detour and stop by Voodoo Doughnuts though, and were promplty asked if we were there to compete in the COCK FEST, which would apparently allow us to celebrate both our love of doughnuts and our manhood. We declined, bought some tasty treats and headed to catch that movie.
Starsky and such was actually kind of fun, considering I'd never seen the show, had low expectations, and was looking forward to anything that would take my mind off that game. Stiller sure does need to get a new routine, but at least I'm not sick of Owen Wilson yet. Snoop stole all the scenes he was in, and there was a terrific small role for everyone's favorite former SNL funnyman. And Har Mar Superstar is in it.
Holo-seen
Posted by: j_john
Last night I got to introduce Holocene to my old friend Paul Tobey. Self-confessed to not keeping up with current music, I don't think he knew what laptop music meant, but he got the picture once Y.A.C.H.T. brought the beats. Really good show by Mr. Bechtolt, and it would have been a totally good time if I hadn't opted for the "Piaf." Just 'cause it's named after everyone's favorite French alcoholic singer doesn't mean it will taste good. After appreciating the kind vibe and the clean air, we headed back to my neighborhood to grab some late-night grub at Muu Muu's...
Only to find ourselves immediately consumed by the odor of cheap cigarettes, which mixed with the quality of the food made me wish we had stayed at Holocene longer. Clean air is so kind. I wish every bar had a special smoke room.
Target Audience
Posted by: j_john
Overheard at Target last night while shopping for a Swiffer:
"So, I was at Blockbuster last week and I tried to rent Intolerable Cruelty, but they messed up and gave me Lost In Translation. That was the stupidest movie I've ever seen. There was no point!"
"Yeah, that's what I've heard."
Totally.
Something Personal
Posted by: j_john
There haven't been many updates recently due to a deeper concentration on editing the Crane-Off documentary. Final Cut Pro is kind of kicking my ass right now, or more specifically, Live Type is the thing that's most annoying. I suppose I could take a class on these applications, but I can't really justify the expense, so instead I bought a book that is so big it makes it that much more difficult to find the things I need. Despite these difficulties, I'm still hoping to get this thing done by St. Patrick's Day.
Speaking of St. Pat's--I recently made the decision to enter the Shamrock Run this year. I'd talked about it the past two years but ended up not doing it because of finances and the 7:45 am start time. No excuses now. After all, it's sponsored by everyone's favorite kangaroo killer, adidas.
While we're on the subject of adidas, I am really enjoying my brand-new Rod Laver, black "quilted" tennis shoes.
Finally, here's something that I find both scary and awesome.
Coppola Kids
Posted by: j_john
One of the benefits of working at a movie theatre is Academy Awards night. The one night of the year where most film goers decide to stay home, I go to work and watch the event on TV, because, you know, it's part of my job to stay up on this type of information. It was a fairly predictable year in terms of awards dished out to the New Zealanders and Pixars, but I still managed to lose out on the office pool because I took a gamble with my Best Director pick (Peter Weir) for a film I never bothered to see (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World). So people dressed up and cried and laughed and all the usual pomp and circumstance...but I was focused most of the night on the Coppola family. The three of them, Francis, Sophia, and Roman--all talented filmmakers, two of which are now Oscar winners.
So, what about Roman? Everyone loves those Godfather films that Francis made, and Sophia's made two beautiful films, but what about the other sibling? Sure, I'd heard he directed a Strokes video, but Roman Coppola made a damn good film, CQ a couple years ago, and I only recently saw it, but it is not to be missed. The DVD extras are plentiful, since there are more than a half a dozen documentaries on the making of the film. I guess when you're about to make your first big picture you want to capture as much as you can, and there are some great candid moments of the young Coppola stressing out throughout the production.
Also worth mentioning is the work that Roman performed on his Sophia's films as second unit director, helping his little sister get her projects done when they were behind schedule. What a nice big brother.
