I am just always at a loss when events like this occur.  I just do not understand…I cannot grasp where the idea of killing and wounding people ever seems like a reasonable way to approach to feeling frustrated in one’s life situations.

My condolences to the families and others who have lost a loved one and hope for a speedy recovery for the wounded.

*I had heard a few hours the number of people who died had gone up to thirteen, but now all the news stories I find are back at twelve.

I consider this surprising, expected or to expected to be true.

It doesn’t seem like there is any chance this is a “fake tape”.  Really, I don’t care if she or anyone else filmed themselves having sex.  If you have a camera and wanna do it?  Go right ahead.  Just don’t ask to borrower my Hi-Def camera.  The real issue to me is that she pretended this did not exist.  She behaved like she was a pure young woman.  And when people asked questions?  She got breast implants, the supporters on the right thought, “well, why is that a crime?”  Fair enough.  I think a woman’s choice to get implants is exactly that, her decision.  I do not think it is particular evil or some great sin.  Though, often the people who are opposed to gay marriage are also not fond of people playing up their sex appeal.  But they let it slight.

Then it turned out she posed for racy pictures.  Again?  After a slight pause, the right lept to her defense.  And personally?  Yeah, I don’t care if she posed for racy pictures.  I don’t think doing so makes one a particularly bad person.  But watching the right fall all over itself-watching Fox promote Carrie and her message?  Emphasizing her traditional Christian beliefs.  This wasn’t really that bad.

But now?  We see that for all her portrayals of being a young virtuous Christian woman that she wasn’t being that wholesome.  If she was upfront about this stuff?  If she and her supporters had not played up this scenario about this wholesome young woman through whom God was speaking?  Who tried to sue the Pageant (for, among other things, religious discrimination) until she found out they knew about a little tape (that even porn websites considered to racy to put online?!) she made?

The silence is deafening.  She apparently found that line they cannot cross.  And the reaction from her opponents?  Well, mostly loud laughter and insults.  I don’t really agree with the name calling.  But I do understand the frustration behind it.  I get the people reveling in her humiliation.  I think it would be better to calmly address the hypocrisy, without sex jokes and so on.  I also think the right needs to rethink their response on this.  I have witnessed self identified conservative Christians trying to pin this on “vile gays” and claiming this is just what liberals do (yeah, conservatives would never dredge up private sexual activities as weapons against people they disagree with.  Never, ever).  She screwed up, liberals actually stayed pretty mum on this.  They could have released this at any time.

Frankly?  I hope this puts an end to having to hear from her ever again.

best part though? The advice to Obama.

As a youth, I was a big fan of V.  That original mini-series is one I still remember most fondly, but I did like the second series quite a bit and the TV …well, it had its moments.  When they announced that ABC was remaking the series as a new tent-pole series?  I was curious.  Then they started bringing up the cast…it was a reunion for cast members of shows like Firefly and Lost.

I’ve been looking forward to seeing what they do with the idea.  And initial reviews have been positive.  So on Tuesday I watched and took notes.  So spoilers for the Pilot of V follow.

Okay…nice setting up, even if it seemed reminiscent of Independence Day.  And the Priest saving the guy in the wheel chair from Jesus…heh.  Nice shot of the ship reflecting into the building.  The shock and panic is believable without over the top destruction.  It is nice, considering how easy it could have been to go for major destruction to pump up the drama.

Oh, nice shot at Independence Day.

Oooo…Morena Baccarin… She’s pretty.

Very “Lost” title sequence.

WASH!!!!!!!!!!!! (Uh…I mean, Alan Tudyck!)

“She’s Hot…”  “I know, right?!”  “Right here, guys.” (Already getting to like Elizabeth Mitchell’s character)

Excitement, hope…violence and protest.  This feels a bit bigger than the original mini-series pulled off.  I appreciate that they have found a different approach-rather than following the original line for line, merely with new actors and better effects.

Morris Chestnut’s character is intriguing.  Same for the Priest.  His skepticism confused by the desire to believe this is a good thing is nicely handled.

That said, the effects are allowing them to really sell the Visitor’s technology.  Heck, I am wishing I was there and I know where this is really going.  The spaceship interiors are amazing.  And Mitchell’s kid has a crush on Supergi-er-Lisa.  She’s pretty too.

Scott Wolf…surprisingly nuanced performance, I am very intrigued to see how this goes.

The introduction of the idea that the Visitors have actually been on earth for years is a nice twist.  I am a real skeptic to most conspiracy theories, but I confess, I have a real love for fictional stories where they are revealed as true.  It makes for great fiction.  And it seems, so far they are doing pretty good at being politically “neutral” (although, I assume some will be offended by the “unnecessary wars” comment).  You could easily argue that the devotion being shown to the Visitors is reflective of the adoration that the President has been witness to.  But to presume this is a shot at Obama is rather humorous, considering this was conceived under the Bush administration.  I’d say it’s far more a challenge to blind faith in general than specifically President Obama.

Wash and Chestnut are Visitors?  Nice.  I thought that might be interesting if Mitchell’s partner was indeed a Visitor, I didn’t think that would happen.  I am really liking the characters.

While I felt like it rushed through exposition at times, I think overall, this was a great debut.  Could it have benefited from being about an hour longer?  Yeah.  But it still managed to do it’s job.  I want to see more, I want to see where the story goes-both the familiar and the unfamiliar.  I will say, though, I am annoyed with ABC.  After the first four episodes, the show goes on hiatus until March.  Yeah, March.  We all know how well audiences loved a long break during the third season of Lost.  The show took a big hit for it-which is why Lost has started in January ever since, so we can get the entire season relatively uninterrupted.  Hopefully, people will come back after said hiatus, as so far, I am pleased and would like to call V my post Lost TV friend.

I’ll blame President Obama for this terrible economy… if you and all other republicans will accept that 9/11 was entirely the fault of George Bush and Dick Cheney.

(Man, I shouldn’t have turned on Hardball tonight)

There have been two albums dominating my iPod lately.  It’s the newest works from Derek Webb (Stockholm Syndrome) and David Bazan (Curse Your Branches).  Both are established artists that began with band in the Christian music industry (Bazan’s band being Pedro the Lion and Webb’s Caedmon’s Call).  Webb’s solo material has brought him recognition outside the Christian hype machine (most notably a big fan was television creator/comic book writer Allan Heinberg-who has since become close friends with Webb).  Bazan became an indie darling with Pedro the Lion.  Both have been known for thoughtful lyrics that challenged the faithful to examine their lives.  Both also have become more noticeably “liberal”.  But the two paths have become a bit divergent with their latest albums.

Both are courting controversy with their newest collections of songs.  In Bazan’s case, it cannot be helped, in Webb’s, I get the impression he is being more deliberately provocative.  I don’t say this as a criticism.  I think there is a time and place to be provocative.  And with Webb’s new work, it’s almost unheard of in Christian music.  It’s not the use of “shit” that is most likely to stir the pot, but rather the fact that the song What Matters More is a full blown challenge to the anti-gay attitudes in the modern Church.  The opening verse is:

You say always treat people like you’d like to be
i guess you love being hated for your sexuality

Derek is not being polite.  I am not sure what Derek’s take on homosexuality is, though I would love to converse with him on the topic.  I suspect it would make for an interesting conversation.  It is important to note that if you buy the Christian label release from INO Records, you won’t get this song.  The label balked at releasing the album, until Webb agreed to let them release it without the song.  You can get the un-edited album from Webb.

What really stands out about this album is how different it is sonically.  Webb’s early works were minimal folkie efforts.  His last release, the Ringing Bell was a Beatles influenced pop CD.  But this album is neither.  It is… well, a sort of techno CD.  Webb and producer Josh Moore have created a very experimental album.  I like it, though I am not sure that this sound could sustain multiple albums for Webb.

The lyrics are all very stream of consciousness, and I confess, I have not figured out what is being said in most of them.  It is like they are written in code.  In Spirit Vs. the Kickdrum Derek sings:

i don’t want the Son, i want a jury of peers
i don’t want the Son, i want a jury of peers
mascara’s gonna run when you see my tears
i don’t want the Son, i want a jury of peers

And while I get that the Spirit, the Father and Son that are referenced throughout the song are spiritual allusions, exactly what Webb might be stating is not currently something I am finding simple to parse.  The State is a little clearer-

my taxes paid, these roads were laid
to places of my choosing
there were no eyes up in the skies
looking down into my bed
there was no government without our consent
keys were made for anyone who just claimed it
glass was all of every wall that framed it
from sea to shining sea

It seems to be addressing letting the state run our lives and morality.  But I could be way off.  The track the Proverbial Gun is haunting and honestly beautiful.   Derek has a great love song on this disc called I Love/Hate You.  I think the best love songs are the ones that can combine the joys and frustrations of relationships, and this does it fantastically:

baby when i listen to your words
they whisper to me like the wind
but they’re strong enough to blow me down
and destroy my house

One of my favorite tracks is What You Give Up to Get It:

like style made by slaves
like bribes to throw the race
like women who know their place
like an indian casino or a tank of unleaded
it’s never quite worth what you give up to get it

It has a nice beat driving the track, which speaks to the challenges of his earlier songs like I Repent.  This is probably the most “rock” of any track. Another track that is easy to get is Becoming a Slave, in which Derek sings:

progress has more than one face
evil isn’t always itself
there’s nothing you can change without changing
everything else

it’s simple
it’s so simple
if they’re not like us

becoming a slave is easier than you think

The suggestions and multiple meanings abound in this track.  I find suggestions that we enslave those who are different, as well as admiring those who are different and giving into our own indifference towards ourselves.  American Flag Umbrella also seems to be challenging, among other things opponents of Gay Marriage:

oppression is always oppression
no matter the reasons or means
for skin or for sex,
by stares or by fists it’s the same
there are blinders on everyone

The entire song is actually, well, quite timely.  Considering it was written before the healthcare reform debate blew up, it seems oddly precient:

but i’m beset on all sides
by extremists with eyes on my heart
so i lie to everyone

Jena and Jimmy is a track with a certain dark humor.  It tells the tell of a guy trying to seduce a woman, it’s a rather upbeat and almost radio friendly tune with a heavy dose of satire.  The same is true of Heaven:

i heard Jesus Christ was there
he had a car that’s bulletproof
that way everyone is safe
from the man who tells the truth

The gentleness of the ballad really sets the listener up for a rude shock as the song speaks of entering Heaven and finding it less than satisfying(Although, whether it is a literal heaven being addressed, or heaven as a metaphor, I am unsure).

But where Derek is seeming to find a new approach to Faith and Christianity, David Bazan has followed a different road.  The first single is Bless This Mess is almost deceptive.  It’s an upbeat song that calls out:

God bless the man who stumbles
God bless the man who falls
God bless the man who yields to temptation

God bless the woman who suffers
God bless the woman who weeps
God bless the children trying her patience

Many Christians would have no trouble reading this highly confessional song as some sort of hope filled prayer.  But the opening track, Hard to Be suggests Bless This Mess has a certain dark cynicism to it.  Hard to Be Says:

childbirth is painful
we toil to grow our food
ignorance made us hungry
information made us no good
every burden misunderstood
so i swung my tassle
to the left side of my cap
knowing after graduation
there would be no going back
and no congratulations
from my faithful family
some of whom are already fasting
to intercede for me

The title song is even a harder pill.  David sings:

and why are some hell bent upon there being an answer
while some are quite content to answer i don’t know
all fallen leaves should curse their branches
for not letting them decide where they should fall
and not letting them refuse to fall at all

The Branch in question is God, the Leaves fallen would be man.  The entire album carries on this honest and painfully heartfelt dialog.  But I certainly suspect it will be to much for some of David’s fans, that a lyric such as:

when job asked you the question
you responded “who are you
to challenge your creator?”
well if that one part is true
it makes you sound defensive
like you had not thought it through
enough to have an answer
like you might have bit off
more than you could chew

Will be far to insolent to be able to enjoy the album.  The rather sarcastic When We Fell states:

what am i afraid of
whom did i betray
in what medieval kingdom does justice work this way
if you knew what would happen and made us just the same
then you , my lord, can take the blame

The song continues the themes of wondering if God is real, and if He is…did he rig the game?

when you set the table
and when you chose the scale
did you write a riddle
that you knew they would fail
did you make them tremble
so they would tell the tale
did you push us when when we fell

Pretty much every track addresses this struggle, coming to terms with not merely doubting, but disbelief.  And he paints it as a real struggle.

i might as well admit it
like i even have a choice
the crew have killed the captain
but they still can hear his voice
a shadow on the water
a whisper in the wind

And to me, there is where this CD shines, lyrically.  I always feel a bit bad for public people who come to no longer not believe in Christianity as a truth.  The reason is that, for all the good intentions I see from Christians to attempt to come across as understanding, their spiritual confidence often becomes a judgmental arrogance-even though the did not mean for it to.  They think if you just read the right authors, or just keep reading the Bible, or keep showing up in church, just join a small group, etc, you will suddenly get it, and realize you were on the right path.  And there is a tendency to presume they know better than others as to why the person “lost” faith.  It makes things tough for someone to have a truly honest spiritual dialog when having serious doubts.

In this fashion, Bazan is incredibly brave to put these songs out, knowing his churched fan base might respond less than enthusiastically and less than supportive…

As far as the music goes, it’s simple, but often upbeat alternative folk pop.  I found myself enjoying the music on this disc, which is pretty optimistic.  Ironically, the music on this disc is far more… cheerful than the music he wrote under Pedro the Lion.  While I am enjoying both albums, I confess I am enjoying Bazan’s Curse Your Branches slightly more than Stockholm Syndrome.

However, I consider both albums quite good, both in the challenge of the lyrics and the musical beds they have ade for those lyrics.

I was reading a screenwriters blog, he mentioned that he was adapting a particular series for a possible big screen treatment.  Somebody had to pipe in:

“Am I the only one tired of comic book movies?”

I kind of wanted to put a knee into the guy’s groin.  That’s just a complete dumbass comment.

First off, am I tired of mediocre comic films like Ghost Rider and the Fantastic Four.  You know what I am not tired of?  Am I tired of comic films like the Dark Knight and Iron Man?  Nope.  Not at all.  There were a lot more “non comic book movies” in the last ten years than comic book movies.  Of course, comic book movies have managed to stay successful enough to keep getting made.

Secondly?  Comic book movies?  It’s not a genre.  Super-hero movies are a genre.  You know what are comic book movies?  The Road to Perdition.  A History of Violence.  Ghost World.  The Surrogates.  Persepolis.  American Splendor.  All comic book movies.  I don’t recall people lamenting comic book movies when a History of Violence got an Oscar.

Thirdly?  Nobody ever says, “Am I the only one tired of movies based on books!”  And a ton of movies are based on books.  Certainly, people complain about certain books being adapted.  But they don’t outright go and write off all movies based on books the way they will write off a comic book based film.  Comics are an entirely valid source of media for filmmakers to go to for inspiration.

There have been bad movies based on books.  There have been bad movies based on original screenplays.  And there have been bad movies based on comics.  But you know, Daredevil was not really much worse than Bonfire of the Vanities.  You didn’t like a recent super-hero film?  Great.  Criticize it, don’t blindly slam every movie that has super=heroes.  Judge the films on their own merits.  Frankly, life is way to short to spend much time lamenting the abundance of super-hero flicks or remakes or whatever.

Welcome to November.  I am trying to get over this depression inspired by the end of Halloween.  It’s all downhill after this.  Thanksgiving?  Christmas?  Whatever.  But hey, What am I thankful four?  Throughout the month I will name things I am thankful for.  Some will be light, some will be fun, some serious and some not.

My irst option is the discovery of the web comic Multiplex.

As a former movie theater employee, this rings pretty true, and it is a lot of fun.  So far, I am about half way through the strips.  So don’t spoil it for me.

In October of 2009.

I’ve been meaning to try my hand at video blogging.  My goal was a ten minute blog.  I ended up with about an hour and a half of footage to work with.  Granted, some of that was alternate takes.  I tried to be creative with it, seeing as how looking at me could get…uh…boring (oh, am I being generous).  So as I whittled it down, I got it down to twenty minutes.  Then I cut it in half, making two parts.  I apologize for going on so long.  But it was my first try at this.

Part one: (In which I speak of the philosophical humor of the Rob Zombie’s The Haunted World of El Superbeasto)

Part 2:  In Which I call Fred Dekker “Ted” at least twice.  I sincerely apologize to Fred.

Something I failed to mention about Night of the Creeps is the character names are all horror film directors.  If I do another, I think I will bang out more of a script, and only talk about one item… lessons learned…

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

So, the final (so far) and eighth Hellraiser film is called Hellworld.  It’s meta, but seems to be meta in a way that entirely misses the point of meta.  So, we get a film that acknowledges Hellraiser, but not in an ironic way.  See, in the story, there is a popular video game called Hellworld.  It’s an online game…like a World of Warcraft with Cenobites.  Yeah, I totally spoil this one for you.

But again, this is not Scream for the Hellraiser fan.  in this film  Hellraiser has this huge fallowing via Hellworld.  Fans are called Hellraisers.  They have parties thrown by Lance Henrikson, who collects Hellraiser memorabilia.

Chelsea’s boyfriend apparently was so into the game that he killed himself, so Chelsea is a bit reluctant to go to a Hellworld party like her friends want her to.  Eventually she caves and joins her friends.  Apparently Adam was friends with a kid named Jake who also shows up, but he doesn’t get along with the others very well.  At first it seems really cool.  There is alcohol, drugs, promiscuous girls who wander around without shirts or bras.  What could be better than that right?  Lance Henrikson’s “Host” starts killing people…or is it Pinhead?  Eventually Chelsea starts making comments about franchises and rules of the stories, but you do not get credit when you wait an hour and ten minutes to get meta.

As we get down to our final two, it appears that they were all drugged by the Host, which would explain crazy ass hallucinations, though it doesn’t explain why all the party goers vanish…Jake tells Chelsea that it’s not real and that’s when the cenobites disappear…they were never real.  It turns out Chelsea’s dead boyfriend’s father (the Host) put together an elaborate plan to get revenge on Adam’s friends…they were only at the party for a few minutes before they were drugged and dropped into coffins and buried.  Hellworld wasn’t real.

The next thing Chelsea knows the police are digging her out of the ground and she and Jake are alive.

Or was it?  Thinking he was successful in his revenge, Adam’s dad takes off.  He is gently caressing a fake Lament Configuration…that suddenly opens!  Suddenly Pinhead and some Cenobites show up and carve up the Host into little pieces.  Meanwhile, Chelsea and Jake drive off into the sunrise (hows that for inverting a movie trope???) together-happily ever after.  Yes, it’s not a particularly good film.