Monday, May 29, 2006
A Sad Coincidence
Over the weekend, Bravo was airing a four-part special listing the 100 funniest movies of all time. Like every other show of this kind, there were clips of different people discussing their favorites. Actor Paul Gleason was all over this thing, discussing lots of different films. For those who may need their memory jogged, Paul Gleason was best known as Principal Richard Vernon in "The Breakfast Club." Every time he came on screen during this special, a smile came across my face remembering how great he was in that film. I've seen him in a ton of other things and always enjoyed his work (and for the record, imdb.com lists 131 credits to his name).
I came home from work tonight and my Yahoo page presented me with the sad news that Paul Gleason had passed away at age 67.
Show Dick some respect.
I came home from work tonight and my Yahoo page presented me with the sad news that Paul Gleason had passed away at age 67.
Show Dick some respect.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
The Price You Pay
My computer crashed earlier this week. I came home from work one night to find the power light on and the fan running, but the computer itself not actually operating. I turned on the monitor and found a blank screen. Nothing was working. I tried every button to no avail. Finally, I just pulled the plug on the damn thing. A few minutes later I tried plugging it back in...and the power light instantly popped on and the fan started running again.
Now, I'm not an expert but I'm not a dummy, either. I've successfully repaired my computer before; hell, I even changed the hard drive a few years ago. But I knew instantly that I was out of my depth. Begrudgingly, I bought the beast into a PC repair shop by me. Turned out that the power supply blew and fried the motherboard along with it. It was going to cost me a couple of hundred bucks, which was a bummer at first. I soon realized, however, that the money wasn't the real price I was going to pay. No, the real price was not having the internet for four days. By the time I got my machine back, I felt like a junkie going through detox. Ever see "Trainspotting?" You know the scene where Ewan McGregor is locked in his bedroom for a week with no drugs and he starts seeing dead babies crawling on the ceiling? It was kind of like that.
I'm all better now, though. The computer is back and up and running now. The first thing I did was check my e-mail. After four days, I had approximately 97 messages waiting to tell me how to enlarge my penis. God, I love the internet.
Now, I'm not an expert but I'm not a dummy, either. I've successfully repaired my computer before; hell, I even changed the hard drive a few years ago. But I knew instantly that I was out of my depth. Begrudgingly, I bought the beast into a PC repair shop by me. Turned out that the power supply blew and fried the motherboard along with it. It was going to cost me a couple of hundred bucks, which was a bummer at first. I soon realized, however, that the money wasn't the real price I was going to pay. No, the real price was not having the internet for four days. By the time I got my machine back, I felt like a junkie going through detox. Ever see "Trainspotting?" You know the scene where Ewan McGregor is locked in his bedroom for a week with no drugs and he starts seeing dead babies crawling on the ceiling? It was kind of like that.
I'm all better now, though. The computer is back and up and running now. The first thing I did was check my e-mail. After four days, I had approximately 97 messages waiting to tell me how to enlarge my penis. God, I love the internet.
Monday, May 08, 2006
50/50
Just a quick note about my predictions for the NHL Playoffs. I went 4 and 4. If I was playing baseball, that's a .500 average and I'd be the greatest hitter of all-time. I think A LOT of people were shocked with the way the Western conference played out; all 4 of the top seeds lost their series. My original pick to win the Cup, Ottawa, is still in it, but I think my money would have to be on New Jersey at this point (despite the shellacking they just took in Game 1 of Round 2).
Bottom line: My Rangers aren't in it anymore, so who gives a shit anyway? At least the Yankees seem to be winning now.
Bottom line: My Rangers aren't in it anymore, so who gives a shit anyway? At least the Yankees seem to be winning now.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Mission: Unwatchable
A couple of weeks ago, the first two Mission: Impossible movies were re-released on DVD in a special double pack which included a free pass to see M:I III when it opens this week. For only $19.99 for both films, plus the free pass, it was a hard bargain to pass up.
I actually hadn't seen either film since they were out in theatres, and upon re-watching them with a fresh perspective, I came to a rather startling conclusion...
Mission: impossible 2 really sucked. Hard.
Maybe it was a result of watching the two within a couple of days of each other. The first M:I was a cleverly constructed thriller with lots of intrigue, whereas M:I 2 was an overly noisy visual spectacle with virtually no substance.
Considering the talent involved, it shouldn't have turned out to be such a piece of crap. Despite most of his American-made stuff not being on the same scale as his earlier work, John Woo is still an extremely talented filmmaker ("The Killer" is in my all-time Top 5). And, even though I'm fairly certain that Tom Cruise is completely out of his mind and needs serious pharmaceutical assistance, he rarely makes a bad movie. But there it is: a big steaming pile. Go watch it again if you don't believe me. In the meantime, I'll be heading out in a few days with my fingers crossed to see M:I III. If it sucks again this time, at least I got in for free.
I actually hadn't seen either film since they were out in theatres, and upon re-watching them with a fresh perspective, I came to a rather startling conclusion...
Mission: impossible 2 really sucked. Hard.
Maybe it was a result of watching the two within a couple of days of each other. The first M:I was a cleverly constructed thriller with lots of intrigue, whereas M:I 2 was an overly noisy visual spectacle with virtually no substance.
Considering the talent involved, it shouldn't have turned out to be such a piece of crap. Despite most of his American-made stuff not being on the same scale as his earlier work, John Woo is still an extremely talented filmmaker ("The Killer" is in my all-time Top 5). And, even though I'm fairly certain that Tom Cruise is completely out of his mind and needs serious pharmaceutical assistance, he rarely makes a bad movie. But there it is: a big steaming pile. Go watch it again if you don't believe me. In the meantime, I'll be heading out in a few days with my fingers crossed to see M:I III. If it sucks again this time, at least I got in for free.
