Love it. I was at a bar watching the UNC-OU game and this came on, and I had to restrain myself from laughing out of my chair.
On a second viewing its sad to say that Bobby Knight really is getting old. He's always looked old, but its clear his strength is waning. In his prime he would have chucked that thing straight into the camera, and then beat up all four of those uppity punks.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Movie Talk: Where the Wild Things Are
I'm puzzled, slightly perturbed, and a little bit intrigued.
Apparently someone has decided to make a feature length live action motion picture out of that beloved childhood bedtime tome "Where the Wild Things Are".
I'm puzzled since I'm wondering how they could make a full movie out of a picture book which is like 12 pages long and has fewer words than this post is likely to have. The plot is razor thin: boy gets sent to bed, boy has dream, boy conquers wild things, boy wakes up and magically his supper is still warm.
Naturally I'm not too shocked to learn about the project since I know Hollywood has done more with less source material, though by "more" I don't mean that what they made was good, simply that they were able to fill two hours of celluloid with it. Which brings me to feeling perturbed, because I just know that in order to pad out this story the filmmakers are going to have to invent all sorts of new things and cram them into the story, a practice which rarely succeeds except in defiling the source material. I was curious about just what they were planning to do to make this a movie, so I tracked down the trailer. Let's have a look.
I'm... a little bit intrigued. Not in the sense that I'm going to see this film. I likely won't. But I'm intrigued at the way this trailer seems to market this film. From what I can gather it seems like a standard lonely escapist kid movie. Kid is alienated and sad, kid creates a fantasy world and has some adventure, kid eventually grows up (or not) and has his still hot supper. Makes sense.
But what's with all the indie music? Kids movie's are typically very wordy in their advertising, laying out the plot points and characters easily in order to real kids in. And they almost always end with that most annoying of trailer cliches "The Adventure of a Lifetime!". God I hate that phrase in a trailer.
I'm curious as to what this trailer is trying to do. Few words, adult music, stylized editing. It has a very hip-ish, indie film flavor to it. Is this an attempt to reel in older people (and hip 25ish somethings) who fondly remember the book from their childhoods? Is this actually not a kids movie but rather escapist fare for adults?
My money is that it is, in fact, a kid's movie. But in order to maximize their audience the advertisers figured that they had to grab the parents. Most of said parents will remember the book and will thus be happily inclined to take their offspring, subconsciously hoping to revive a bit of happy childhood in the process. Its likely also aimed at bringing in the childless but nostalgic who need an excuse to go see a kids movie which they really want to see. Its probably a good marketing idea.
Apparently someone has decided to make a feature length live action motion picture out of that beloved childhood bedtime tome "Where the Wild Things Are".
I'm puzzled since I'm wondering how they could make a full movie out of a picture book which is like 12 pages long and has fewer words than this post is likely to have. The plot is razor thin: boy gets sent to bed, boy has dream, boy conquers wild things, boy wakes up and magically his supper is still warm.
Naturally I'm not too shocked to learn about the project since I know Hollywood has done more with less source material, though by "more" I don't mean that what they made was good, simply that they were able to fill two hours of celluloid with it. Which brings me to feeling perturbed, because I just know that in order to pad out this story the filmmakers are going to have to invent all sorts of new things and cram them into the story, a practice which rarely succeeds except in defiling the source material. I was curious about just what they were planning to do to make this a movie, so I tracked down the trailer. Let's have a look.
I'm... a little bit intrigued. Not in the sense that I'm going to see this film. I likely won't. But I'm intrigued at the way this trailer seems to market this film. From what I can gather it seems like a standard lonely escapist kid movie. Kid is alienated and sad, kid creates a fantasy world and has some adventure, kid eventually grows up (or not) and has his still hot supper. Makes sense.
But what's with all the indie music? Kids movie's are typically very wordy in their advertising, laying out the plot points and characters easily in order to real kids in. And they almost always end with that most annoying of trailer cliches "The Adventure of a Lifetime!". God I hate that phrase in a trailer.
I'm curious as to what this trailer is trying to do. Few words, adult music, stylized editing. It has a very hip-ish, indie film flavor to it. Is this an attempt to reel in older people (and hip 25ish somethings) who fondly remember the book from their childhoods? Is this actually not a kids movie but rather escapist fare for adults?
My money is that it is, in fact, a kid's movie. But in order to maximize their audience the advertisers figured that they had to grab the parents. Most of said parents will remember the book and will thus be happily inclined to take their offspring, subconsciously hoping to revive a bit of happy childhood in the process. Its likely also aimed at bringing in the childless but nostalgic who need an excuse to go see a kids movie which they really want to see. Its probably a good marketing idea.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Badvertising: Top Carl's Jr
Oh My....
"Top Chef" judge/host Padma Lakshmi is obviously a big time foodie and a big player in the world of culinary based entertainment. Why she would agree to shill for Carl's Jr in such as way is beyond me, but damned if I'm gonna complain. There are some things which are better off left unexplained.
Let's go to the tape.
I'm not sure what will cause more heart attacks: watching this commercial or actually eating that burger.
"Top Chef" judge/host Padma Lakshmi is obviously a big time foodie and a big player in the world of culinary based entertainment. Why she would agree to shill for Carl's Jr in such as way is beyond me, but damned if I'm gonna complain. There are some things which are better off left unexplained.
Let's go to the tape.
I'm not sure what will cause more heart attacks: watching this commercial or actually eating that burger.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Lost memories
Does anyone remember back when Charlie was still on LOST? I don't just mean the character, but the whole feeling of the show back then.
I miss those days. The confusion generated by the show back then seems almost trivial compared to the confusion it not puts out ever Wednesday night.
Also, there was a golf course.
I miss those days. The confusion generated by the show back then seems almost trivial compared to the confusion it not puts out ever Wednesday night.
Also, there was a golf course.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Well Hellooooooo, Manny! Its so nice to have you back where you belong!
And its nice to be back to blogging as well. Sorry for the extended leave, I've had a bunch of computer trouble.
Its great to have the MannyChild back under contract for another year with the Blue. Sure its a buttload of money (that's an actual scientific term), and they still won't sniff the World Series, but its gonna be a hell of a lot more fun with Manny around.
And Yesterday we got another great piece of pseudo-free agency news, with LT signing a new contract which will keep him in Powder Blue for at least one season and hopefully several more.
Its funny comparing these two contract negotiations and what they say about the differences between Baseball and Football. Both players are sure fire Hall of Famers and all time greats in their respective sports. Manny gets $25 million for this year alone, at least 20 million next year, and every penny is guaranteed. LT had a contract for $24 million over THREE years, and it took 2 months of negotiating to try and reduce that since it was too much for the Chargers to spend with the restrictions of the Salary cap. Even after all this, only part of his now less than 24 million is guaranteed, and its likely that most of it will never find its way onto LT's bank W-2 form.
It also shows how crazy the difference is between aging in the two sports. Manny is 36 and is still highly productive and should be for several years. LT is almost 30, which in football player years is like 48 and in running back years is roughly 74. Its gonna take a ton of luck, and some lean meat protein, for him to finish out this contract.
Its great to have the MannyChild back under contract for another year with the Blue. Sure its a buttload of money (that's an actual scientific term), and they still won't sniff the World Series, but its gonna be a hell of a lot more fun with Manny around.
And Yesterday we got another great piece of pseudo-free agency news, with LT signing a new contract which will keep him in Powder Blue for at least one season and hopefully several more.
Its funny comparing these two contract negotiations and what they say about the differences between Baseball and Football. Both players are sure fire Hall of Famers and all time greats in their respective sports. Manny gets $25 million for this year alone, at least 20 million next year, and every penny is guaranteed. LT had a contract for $24 million over THREE years, and it took 2 months of negotiating to try and reduce that since it was too much for the Chargers to spend with the restrictions of the Salary cap. Even after all this, only part of his now less than 24 million is guaranteed, and its likely that most of it will never find its way onto LT's bank W-2 form.
It also shows how crazy the difference is between aging in the two sports. Manny is 36 and is still highly productive and should be for several years. LT is almost 30, which in football player years is like 48 and in running back years is roughly 74. Its gonna take a ton of luck, and some lean meat protein, for him to finish out this contract.
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