First off, its been a busy couple of days and I've had to leave the internet to take care of other things.  However, on the plus side, there hasn't been all that much interesting news/items to post about, and I feel rather refreshed.

So, without further ado...

Entertainment Weekly's Kate Ward offers a mini-commentary and interesting question: What TV or movie death scenes have left you disappointed?

http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/11/21/disappointing-death-scenes-2012/

There are two I can think of right off the bat (and there may be others, given time).

However, considering that revealing the death scenes of these two particulars is major SPOILER material, I'll warn you right now: Read no further if you don't want to hear some major SPOILERS regarding To Live and Die In L.A. and The Departed.


SPOILERS FOLLOW


You've been warned!

To Live and Die In L.A.: Before actor William Peterson achieved considerable success in C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation, he starred in a couple of pretty good police films in the 1980's.  My favorite is Manhunter, the first film to feature Hannibal Lector (although Brian Cox, not Anthony Hopkins, played the character).  Runner up is To Live and Die In L.A., director William Friedkin's return to one of the two genres (the other being horror) that really made him a star.  TL&DILA is, alas, not up to the director's The French Connection, but it is a decent enough (though sleazy as hell) journey into the world of the secret service, focusing on two agents tracking down a big time counterfeiter.  Now, if you've seen the film before, it comes as no surprise whose death I'm referring to as "disappointing".  For most of the film, William Peterson's Richard Chance is presented as the "hero" of the film.  His partner experiences the just-about-to-retire-from-the-force-and-is-killed-by-the-big-baddie movie cliche, so Richard Chance and his new partner are out to get the bad guy, whatever the cost.

We're drawn to Peterson's Richard Chance because he is groomed as the movie's central character.  It is shocking, then, when he suddenly is killed, leaving the more inexperienced partner to clean up the mess and prove he can play with the big boys.

Now, I don't mind that Mr. Friedkin was trying to shock us with Peterson's character's death.  Indeed, it shook the film up.  However, the way it was done was so...lame.  They had the jump on the bad guys and it seemed so silly the way he died.  Almost like the people behind the camera wanted us to be shocked.  Alas, that left the audience without a true lead to root for (no offense to actor John Pankow, but his character was a mess, IMHO, and hard to root for in the movie's final act...also, note the trailer for the film, embedded below...any mention of John Pankow's character there?  Nope.  It's all about Richard Chance).

Still, if you're in the mood for a police drama that is a little off the beaten path, I can't condemn TL&DILA.  It's worth your while, although if you have a choice in the matter, give The French Connection a whirl first.

The Departed: When this movie, director Martin Scorsese's remake of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, premiered, I was intrigued.  The talent behind and in front of the camera, plus the fact that it was a crime drama (one of my favorite genres) made it a must see.

I was so disappointed.

Don't get me wrong: The film wasn't a disaster.

But considering the plot, I felt this should have been a film that had you biting your fingernails with the buildup in tension.  Instead, I found the movie curiously directionless, like a boat without a rudder.  The plot?  Two youths grow up and become infiltrators in, respectively, the Boston Mob and the Boston P.D.  One works for the police, the other for the mob.  Their "jobs" and "real jobs" force them to slowly circle each other, feeling their way closer and closer to the realization of who is who.

Only that's not the way the movie went.  For one, Leonardo DiCaprio's mob infiltrator character was a flawed, tormented character who we expected to...I don't know, grow up and take command of his job, his life...whatever.  Meanwhile, Matt Damon's Boston P.D. infiltrator was infinitely more interesting (and no less conflicted) but, unfortunately, his time on screen is minor compared to DiCaprio.  So we're expecting DiCaprio's character to do something, to go somewhere, and then, when he finally confronts Damon...he's shot dead.

Like Richard Chance in TL&DILA, so much time is invested in DiCaprio's character that when he was gone, we're left wondering who exactly we're supposed to root for now.  Unlike Richard Chance, however, DiCaprio's character is not quite as engaging to begin with and all the unfulfilled potential is left...unfulfilled.

The link to the article is here:

http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/17/hollywoods-most-overpaid-stars-business-entertainment-overpaid-stars.html

However, for some reason when you click on the link to see the complete list, you're escorted elsewhere and not given the list.  Thankfully, someone in the comments was kind enough to provide the full list, although I'm curious, based on the article above, just how much bang for their buck the others make (or rather, given this dubious listing, how little they subsequently make for their salaries).

No. 1 (Worst) Will Ferrell
No. 2 Ewan McGregor
No. 3 Billy Bob Thornton
No. 4 Eddie Murphy
No. 5 Ice Cube
No. 6 Tom Cruise
No. 7 Drew Barrymore
No. 8 Leonardo DiCaprio
No. 9 Samuel L. Jackson
No. 10 Jim Carrey

Quick note: I haven't given up on FlashForward.

But I'm getting close.

Irritating plot point #1:  Exactly how much longer will Dylan Simcoe be kept in the hospital?  He was brought in immediately after the flashforward (waaay back in episode 1 of the series) and has, since at least the second or third episode, looked like he was fine.  Yet, according to the show's time line, 2 months have passed and yet he remains there.  Compare this to FBI agent Janis Hawk, who was shot, in critical condition, had to go through 2 operations, and yet was treated and released from the hospital in a matter of two episodes and, to add insult to injury, is back on the job!

And yet little autistic Dylan remains imprisoned.  Seriously, what comes next?  Does the hospital seek an eviction notice to rid themselves of the child or does his father, the sinister (?) Lloyd Simcoe, finally call the cops and reports the hospital has effectively kidnapped his son?

Irritating plot point #2:  This one directly relates to episode 8.  The episode ends with our hero, Mark Benford, apparently murdering someone he fears may be involved in coming after him in the flashforward time.  The reason?  The murder victim has a tattoo on his arm of three stars, which Benford's future assaulter also has.  Only too obvious question: What if he's not the only one carrying said tattoo on his arm?  Sure enough, the episode concludes with a military group who all have the same tattoos on their arms.  Way to think that one through, Agent Benford.

I'm thinking more and more that this is a show that should have been a limited mini-series.  As such, the producers/writers could have focused on delivering a tight product with a solid beginning, middle, and end.  The initial premise remains strong, but the episodes that have followed have meandered and it feels the writers are killing time and/or losing their way.

But who am I to critique too strongly...I'm still watching the show, after all.

Interesting little EW list of John Woo's thoughts on ten of his films, noting what made some successful and others not so much:

http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20320487,00.html

Mr. Woo's Hong Kong films were quite terrific, particularly Hard Boiled and, especially to me, The Killer.  I wish some of his American films approached that level of action and quality.

I hope one day The Killer makes its way to Blu-Ray...(I suspect if someone wanted to present "every single death" in this film, a la Total Recall, you'd get something closely approaching the original film's running time!

Curious article from /Film noting both the French film posters, the movie's running time (3 hours?!), and the fact that the movie's soundtrack album listing pretty much gives away the movie's plot:

http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/11/18/avatar-french-poster-3-hour-running-time-confirmed-soundtrack-track-listing-reveals-entire-plot/

...or not:

The top 20 celebrity mug shots, via Newsweek:

http://2010.newsweek.com/top-10/celebrity-mugshots/paris-hilton.html

The number one picture is a no-brainer, btw.

...couldn't they just get along?

Now, granted, the decade isn't quite over yet, but here's what they thought:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/17/britain.nme.strokes.album/index.html

You know you're getting old when not only do you not know the album/band that's given the number one spot, but similarly can't recognize the album/bands that were runners up!

On the other hand, the band with the best album of the decade has a sound that is supposedly inspired by The Velvet Underground.  That's a band I do know!

...and the world gets stranger and stranger:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/17/teacher.hit.man/index.html

A cursory glance at the article makes you wonder just what it was about the student/teacher dynamic that things got so screwy, and especially given some of the weird things the teacher is reported to have said/done.

I originally linked to the Time magazine article here.  It was a pretty wild concept, that the Hadron collider's "product" might be so abhorrent to nature that the particles travel back in time to sabotage the machine.  Time magazine noted the latest misfortune to fall on the collider was the result of a piece of bread likely dropped by a bird that shorted some electrical equipment, hence the idea that a "time-traveling bird" had "sabotaged" the collider.

Or something like that.

Anyway, CNN has picked up on the story, their report follows!

Pretty funny...although...they're watching us...they're watching us!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/15/google-street-view-funny_n_357433.html

There was a part of me intrigued with the new movie The Box (no, I haven't seen it...I think the last movie I saw in theaters was Star Trek, and before that...who knows).  The reason was simple: It was based on a short story "Button Button" by Richard Matheson.

Looking through Mr. Matheson's resume is impressive enough, but if he were only responsible for the short story "Duel", which became the basis for Steven Spielberg's first big movie success of the same name, then that alone would make me a fan of his for life.

So when I heard director Richard Kelly (best known for Donnie Darko) was making a film version of the Matheson story, I was intrigued, even more so because Mr. Kelly's Donnie Darko was a very pleasant surprise of a film.  Even with its downbeat and oddball ending, the characters and situations were original and enjoyable.  However, there was a part of me that was ambivalent, for before The Box, Mr. Kelly followed up Donnie Darko with...Southland Tales.

Those few who have seen Southland Tales from start to end...I salute you.  It represents (despite the talent before the camera) one of those very few films that I simply can't make it through, despite at least four attempts (to date, its been showing up on cable) to do so.  The most I've made it is some twenty or so minutes before giving up, despite the fact that the film seems like it should be up my alley.  In some ways, Southland Tales reminds me of a very dense comic book along the lines of American Flagg!   It presents a satirical futuristic U.S. reality but, unlike American Flagg!, is simply too dense and strange without being engaging or interesting enough.

The poor box office and critical reaction to Southland Tales appeared to have a sobering effect on Mr. Kelly.  He noted in interviews he wanted to take a step back and try making a "smaller" film with The Box, one with a tighter focus and less extravagant/lofty plot overreach.  And yet, it appears his latest film has receiving at least one distinctly unappealing record, scoring an "F" across all demographics in the Cinemascore ratings:

http://www.worldofkj.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=54579&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Not to kick Mr. Kelly while he's down, but the film's opening box office for the movie was also decidedly weak, which bodes badly for its eventual monetary take (and subsequent faith investors will have on future Richard Kelly movies).  On the plus side, several critics were kind, and on Rotten Tomatoes it's hovering near 50% approval (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10009151-box/).

So, despite the bad taste Southland Tales has left, I'm still intrigued enough to see The Box.  Looks like I'll wait for the eventual cable showings...

Seriously, they hit the nail on the head here:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/222503

Just about every individual mentioned in this list may have had their humorous moments now and again, but their overall, continued draw after many years has me scratching my head.

This is the type of news that makes me scratch my head:

http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/11/14/william-friedkin-and-william-peter-blatty-reteaming-for-an-exorcist-remake/

I suppose, based on the quotes from author William Peter Blatty, that there might be something to re-doing The Exorcist as a mini-series, and I suppose producers might get excited about having director William Friedkin take another run at one of the two properties (the other being The French Connection) that really put him on the map.

But, as with the rumored remake of The Fly by the original remake director David Cronenberg, I'm terribly ambivalent about such a project.  At least with Mr. Cronenberg, his recent output has been quite good.  Sadly, the same cannot be said about Mr. Friedkin, whose work following The French Connection and The Exorcist has been up and down (note in the article linked to above the comments the /Film people have regarding the Blu Ray release of The French Connection, too).

So, a part of me is intrigued at the thought of adding sequences and a "better" ending.  Another part of me is very worried...the TV mini-series remake of The Shining proved very inferior to Kubrick's film, despite the fact that it was made, one supposes, to make a version of The Shining that was closer to the novel.  On the other hand, if the same director and author are supposedly involved, can lighting strike twice?

This link offers perhaps one of the most detailed accounts of what you can find on next week's Blu Ray release of the 2009 Star Trek reboot:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/43075

Seems that there should be a whole new category in the news section devoted to inappropriate uses of the 911 emergency system.

In this case, the man was looking for...sex?!

See/hear for yourself:

Not to beat a dead horse (though no doubt that's exactly what I'm doing), but one other thing occurs to me regarding the works of Michael Connelly, and this may in some part explain my general disappointment with 9 Dragons.

When you've read a certain author's works for a long time, as I have with Mr. Connelly, you begin to pick up on certain elements, whether they be familiar characterizations or plot retreads.  Author Clive Cussler may be the ultimate plot repeater: All his books seem to revolve around a) showing us an ancient tragedy involving real or imagined vessels, whether they be trains, planes, or ships and b) in the "modern" times, our hero (Dirk Pitt) is in a race to find the sunken train/plane/ship etc. because it has within its cargo hold something vitally important or dangerous that may destroy/save the world.

With Mr. Connelly, I've come to realize that one aspect of his novels that repeats is that he likes to give the readers multiple plot twists at the tail end of his novels.  He tends to reveal in his book's final pages that characters within had hidden motivations or were somehow involved in whatever mystery is played out in ways designed to surprise us.

To me, though, the only big surprise in 9 Dragons is the unpleasant one I dealt with in my previous notes about the book (just scroll down).

However, when focusing on the book's central mystery(s), I had the suspects of the original crime pretty much pegged from the start.  Please understand: I'm not trying to boast.  I only fear that my familiarity with Mr. Connelly's writing style may be getting in the way of my enjoyment of the same.

Further, I found myself anticipating the novel's second big plot twist, the one delivered on the final pages of the book and involving Bosch's daughter.  Before those revelations were made, at least twenty some pages before getting there, I knew where Mr. Connelly was heading.  Again, the reason for this insight may well be my familiarity with Mr. Connelly's writing style.

Regardless, I point this out because these elements ultimately detracted from my enjoyment of the novel (that along with the unpleasant surprise mentioned before and the fact that the central mystery wasn't all that great, IMHO, to begin with).  However, someone who may not be as familiar with Mr. Connelly's work may find the plot twists both engaging and surprising.

As I said before, according to Amazon's reviews (and a looks around other reviews of the book) my negative opinion of the novel seems to be in the minority.  So please take that into account should you find yourself interested in picking up this book.

I have yet to read a positive review of AMC's new Prisoner mini-series.  Here's USA Today's Robert Bianco's take:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2009-11-12-prisoner13_ST_N.htm

While I was somewhat optimistic at one point that I could find something to like in the show (it is The Prisoner, after all...a remake of my favorite TV show...they had such a great template to follow...what could go wrong?!), it appears that as more and more critics offer their opinions, the less I'm looking forward to the mini-series.

Looks like its shaping up to be a big missed opportunity.

A while back (You can check here and here) I noted I was a fan of author Michael Connelly.  In the later link, I stated I was very curious to read his latest novel, 9 Dragons, which was just recently released in hardback.  It is, incredibly, his third novel released in a span of one year, and the reviews of the work seemed more divergent than other novels he's released.

As a fan of his work, of course I was curious, so instead of waiting for the softcover (which I usually do...space around here is tight enough as it is!) I went ahead and picked up the hardcover and, eventually, read it.

I'll be getting into SPOILERS, so be forewarned:  If you want to read the book and don't want certain aspects of it revealed, READ NO FURTHER!!!

SPOILERS BELOW...


....YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!


There are times I've wondered what a popular writer or filmmaker or singer might think about themselves if, somehow, they could examine their later work while still young and in the prime of their career.  For example, what would David Bowie, fresh off of making The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders of Mars, think of himself if he were given the opportunity to spend a day with all the albums he created from that point on?  Would the younger David Bowie be confused by all the different directions he eventually followed?  Would he find certain albums perplexing, and wonder how he could have released them?  Or would he be proud of the work, knowing that life has its ups and downs, and that at the very least there was a consistency to the work?

Similarly, what would a Jaws era Steven Spielberg think if he were allowed to sit through all the films that followed, both good and bad.  Would the younger Spielberg, like the younger David Bowie, also wonder how it is this older version of himself got to where he was?  Would he take certain films and recognize their genius, but feel he could do better...or at least differently, than the man he would become?

I ask these questions for a reason, because I wonder what the Michael Connelly who introduced the world to LAPD detective Hieronymous "Harry" Bosch in Black Echo back in 1993 would think of the Michael Connelly who just released Bosch's latest mystery, 9 Dragons.  I ask this because Black Echo not only introduced readers to Bosch, but also to Eleanor Wish, a fascinating female FBI agent who was the second lead in the the story and who subsequently appeared in several other Bosch novels, including this one.

I ask these questions because apart from Harry Bosch, Eleanor Wish has been one of the most interesting characters in the series, and her progression from that first novel on has been well crafted and interesting.  So interesting that there have been times I've found myself as interested in what is happening in her life as I was with Bosch's.

Which makes what happens to her character in 9 Dragons so incredibly appalling.  Once again I ask: Did the Michael Connelly of 1993 envision this was the way her character would eventually go?  Doubly sad is the fact that the plot in this novel isn't one of Mr. Connelly's stronger efforts.  The central mystery is rather weak and the author resorts to the cliched idea of the bad guys "going after my family".  Eleanor Wish's character in 9 Dragons is there, it seems, to be alternately hysterical and angry before being killed off.  She isn't so much the character I've grown to enjoy seeing in the books as a plot device: Reader, you must now be sad that she's gone.  And that, at least to me, is a terrific shame.

As Jennifer Reese, the reviewer for Entertainment Weekly put it (you can read her full review here):

Connelly dispatches an important character so randomly that you wonder whom he wouldn't kill to energize a fundamentally inert narrative.

Now, if you haven't read the other Connelly books as I have, you may find enjoyment out of 9 Dragons.  Indeed, going by many of the reviews in the Amazon listing, my opinion is in the minority.

However, I reiterate what I've said before: It's a shame such a dynamic character had to be dispatched in what is ultimately a minor work of an otherwise great author.

Here's hoping the next one is better.

Made it half-way through watching the Blu-Ray edition of Alfred Hitchcock's North By Northwest (1959) and boy is this film a beauty to finally see in high definition (I've seen it many times before, but this is the way it should be seen).  A warning to those who haven't seen it: The plot remains completely silly (I can't help imagining what would happen if I were to submit such a story to publishers or agents unfamiliar with this great film's mostly tongue in cheek storyline), but the dialogue is so damn crisp and alternately laugh out loud funny and sexy and tense and...look, its a great film, even if the plot itself is pretty loopy.

It is also my understanding is that it was a big inspiration for the James Bond films that first appeared only a few years later (From Russia With Love, the second of the Bond films, features Bond on foot being pursued by a helicopter in a sequence that is suspiciously similar to NBN's most famous sequence, involving a cropduster).

Mr. Hitchcock's career was filled with one brilliant film after another.  Some were better than others, of course, but the films he released immediately before and immediately after NBN indicate this was his last great creative hurrah (Vertigo came before, Psycho and The Birds afterwards).  After The Birds, it appeared the great director's career never quite reached the same dizzying heights.  He would make five more films after The Birds, and while none of them were terrible, neither were they quite as memorable as what came before.

Regardless, the Blu-Ray version of North By Northwest is well worth checking out, if you're so inclined.

Not the most surprising news to hit the waves, but there you have it: Dollhouse is finished.  Fox will air the last few episodes and its done:

http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/11/11/this-just-in-dollhouse-axed/

Of all the shows I've watched recently, Dollhouse is probably the one I've given the most number of chances.  The first season began pretty badly, got a little better somewhere midway through, only to slip again toward the end.  Season 2 began OK, but then, for me, it slipped.  I heard the last aired episode was one of the best of the lot but I couldn't get past the first segment and wound up deleting it from my DVR and finally giving up on the show for good.

Oh well...I was truly hoping for something to intrigue and entertain me, but it just didn't work out.  Here's hoping the next Joss Whedon project is worth following.

I'm noted before that Salon.com TV critic Heather Havrilesky is a favorite of mine.  Here, she delves into AMC's upcoming The Prisoner mini-series:

http://www.salon.com/entertainment/the_prisoner/index.html?story=/ent/tv/iltw/2009/11/10/the_prisoner

I have also noted before my love of the original Prisoner TV series starring Patrick McGoohan.  Sadly, the reviews I've stumbled upon regarding this new version of that show have almost all panned it.  Here is Ken Tucker's review of the show for Entertainment Weekly.  He gives this new Prisoner a "C":

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20317240,00.html

Oh well.  If you do catch this show and it does prove disappointing (or even if it proves good), may I recommend you nonetheless check out the original series?  It's worth your while.

This might just be, hands down, the strangest, most bizarre article I've run into in a very, very long time.  See for yourself:

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1937370,00.html

What can I say?  The future (or perhaps "nature" or "God") is essentially stopping what scientists in the present are trying to achieve with the Hadron collider?!

Wow.

Who says fact isn't stranger than fiction!

Here's a pretty thorough one.  It goes over both the good and the not so good about this highly anticipated game...

Given the at times oppressive, depressive nature of the news, its delightful to sometimes find articles like this:

http://www.gnn.com/article/3-year-old-boy-digging-in-yard-finds/761813?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gnn.com%2Farticle%2F3-year-old-boy-digging-in-yard-finds%2F761813

The most amazing thing about this, other than the incidentals of a child finding rings lost over thirty years before, is the fact that:

...eight to 10 truckloads of dirt had been removed from the yard in the past couple of weeks.

A miracle that the ring was found at all!

Movie producer Joel Silver has had the Sgt. Rock property for like...forever.  I recall many years ago there was talk that Arnold Schwarzenegger was being pursued to play the role (I could imagine as the movie progressed all the nervous men in his charge would constantly ask him who pitches for the Yankees or what's the capital of New York or what part of Kansas did he really come from).

Anyway, it appears that Mr. Silver is still at it, and according to this article, they may move Sgt. Rock from the front lines of WWII into the...FUTURE!!!

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/43018

I don't know about that...

You know, I have to give it to people out there...Some have an incredible amount of creativity to go hand in hand with their free time!

Credit where it's due:  I found the below video, a Russian skit that wonders what might a Charlie Chaplin version of The Matrix look like from /Films at this location:

http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/11/10/votd-charlie-chaplin-in-the-matrix/

The video itself:

These types of stories are not only fascinating, but also quite thrilling (at least to me!) to read.

This one concerns a lost Persian army that contemporaneous Greek records indicated drowned in the sands of the western Egyptian desert 2,500 years ago.  It is one of archaeology's "biggest outstanding mysteries", according to the article, and there were those who thought the story a myth.

However, as this article indicates, the army's remains may well have been discovered:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33791672/ns/technology_and_science-science/

As I said before, fascinating!

I suppose this is THE big video game release of the week.  I'm curious about it, although according to this video from msnbc.com, there is some controversy swirling around it...

I mentioned before that a film that isn't available on DVD (that I'm aware of) that I'd like to get is The House By The Lake (aka Death Weekend).

However, another film, this one from 1975, is also very high on the list of films I'd love to get my hands on: The Reincarnation of Peter Proud.  Adapted from the novel by Max Ehrlich (who also wrote the movie's screenplay) and featuring Michael Sarrazin, Jennifer O'Neil, and Margot Kidder, the movie focuses on Peter Proud (Sarrazin) a man who has nightmares of being murdered while on a row boat in a lake.  This leads to his finding the place where he "died", and the possibility that he may well be the reincarnation of another man, the man in his dreams.

Will history repeat itself?

I've only seen this movie twice, the last time over a decade ago, and both times it got to me.  Now, it appears that director David Fincher (Seven, Fight Club) has his eyes set on making a new version of the film:

http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/11/08/david-fincher-directing-adaptation-of-the-reincarnation-of-peter-proud/

I'm ambivalent about a remake of this film, but if it means we'll see the DVD (or Blu Ray) release of the original, I'm all in favor!

Rooting around YouTube, I found this, the opening couple of minutes of the original film...

Very scary stuff, this article, from msnbc.com:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33778733/ns/technology_and_science-security/

As if we don't have enough to worry about with regard to viruses or other malicious code on the net.  Now one must be very careful that their computers don't pick up viruses whose function is to make it appear you're visiting and downloading child porn from the internet.

The end result can be, as it was for Michael and Robin Fiola (they're mentioned in the article) quite devastating.

Interesting article regarding a phenomena I hadn't heard of before, that of the so-called "third man" (and in no way related to the Orson Welles' movie):

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/11/08/third.man/index.html

After reading the article, my feeling is that an explanation to this phenomena is pretty close to this line, offered by the author of the book "The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible," John Geiger:

Maybe the Third Man is a coping mechanism, Geiger suggests. The brain creates a companion to help a person survive a terrible situation. Or perhaps there is an "angel switch" in the brain that's activated in life-or-death struggles.

As of today (November 11th), the answer is obvious.  Of course, the season officially ends November 30th, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised...

For those in the potential path, stay safe.  To date I've survived five or six of these beasts, the worst being Andrew (although the worst of it hit a little south of where I was).  The others were category 1's, but even that can be harrowing.

Another one of those stories that could only happen in real life: Woman passes her drivers test...after the 950th try.

Yes, 950:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/06/cha-sasoon-skorean-woman-_n_349290.html

I think I would have given up after the failing the fifth try.  Sixth at the most.

Some things just aren't meant to be!

A list from Entertainment Weekly:

http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20302680,00.html

I've seen most of the film, and it occurs to me that while I enjoy animation (and animated films), I may not be the medium's biggest fan.  Don't get me wrong, I like them, but its hard, at least for me, to build up all that much excitement over their list.

Still, I did enjoy Wall-E quite a bit.  The Iron Giant was good, but I think it's a little overrated.  Same goes with Akira, a film I enjoyed but only really took the first part of the graphic novels (thus ending rather abruptly).

One film not on the list (and, no, I don't think it belongs there, either) is Heavy Metal.  When I was younger, it was a stunning thing to see in the theaters.  It was the first time I ever saw an animated film that was "R" rated, and for very good reason.  It also featured what I felt was a pretty kick ass musical score.

But, of course, the film had its moments and then there were other moments which weren't all that good.  The animation also varied, although I loved the opening sequence as well as the Harry Canyon and Gunner's Dream stories.

Absolutely fascinating article from USAToday regarding Enceladus, Saturn's geyser-spewing moon:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/columnist/vergano/2009-11-06-saturn-moon-plume_N.htm

The mystery surrounding the geyser (and the source of such activity) are well explained in this at times quite technical article.  Most intriguing, of course, is the possibility that there may be life below.

As I said before, absolutely fascinating.

In the category of "you can't make this stuff up":

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/06/california.stolen.vw/index.html

Fascinating story, and goes to show that sometimes crimes of the past, regardless of their category, are sometimes brought to light and resolved many, many years later.

I'm always fascinated by movies that create divergent opinions.  Precious, a new film out very soon, has been getting pretty good reviews (including some praising the work of singer Mariah Carey, in a supporting role.  One of her previous film ventures was Glitter, which drew much derision).

I ran across this review praising the hell out of the film:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/42990

Then, I ran across this review:

http://www.slate.com/id/2234728/

The contrarian in me appreciated the later article's title alone.

Whether the film is good or bad, of course, depends on your own personal viewpoint.  Just thought it interesting to see the contrast.

An interesting article regarding South California's Youth Mobile 2030 challenge.  The idea was to come up with designs for cars of the future.  Some are quite radical:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/05/youth-mobile-2030-6-amazi_n_347522.html

Interesting mini-article from Entertainment Weekly which posits the question: When is a very bad movie so bad its actually good?

http://movie-critics.ew.com/2009/11/05/craptastic-or-crap-how-do-you-tell-the-difference/

There are a few I could list that fit that definition, at least to me.  One that sits high on the list is Lifeforce (1985) (I would also put the hallucinogenic action/philosophy fest On Deadly Ground, mentioned a couple of postings ago in the list as well).

Lifeforce involves alien vampires, the end of the world, zombies (or zombie vampires, I guess), space shuttles, a beautiful naked woman who walks around a lot, and Steve Railsback (Patrick Stewart, pre-Star Trek: The Next Generation, also makes an appearance).  Not necessarily in that order.

It's a movie so out there that you can't help but laugh.

Or cry.

A pretty humorous list of top 10 non-emergency 911 calls.  Needless to say, they border on the very absurd (and, in some cases -you're locked in your car?!- downright bizarre):

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1903486_1903487,00.html

Then again, there's this one, which is actually kinda cute:

Here's a handy dandy rundown of the various "versions" of the film available or, rather, the various "collectible" sets which will be offered (and where):

http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/11/05/star-trek-dvdblu-ray-retail-exclusives/

You know, as time goes by I find myself less and less impressed with the Star Trek re-boot movie.  It was a competent enough production, it was well acted, it featured decent special effects...but it wasn't anything at all we hadn't seen before.

Still, I have faith in J. J. Abrams and company.  After getting this one out of the way, perhaps the next ones will be more original and exciting.

A fascinating article regarding transient global amnesia, or TGA, a condition that has patients lose their ability to retain immediate memory.  The cause of this, according to the article linked below, can be from strenuous exercise...such as sex.  In the case of this article, just one such example of post-sexual onset of just such a condition is related:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/04/transient.global.amnesia/index.html

One of the more fascinating lines from the article:

Levitra, which is a pill for erectile dysfunction, lists TGA as a possible adverse reaction.

Now you know.

One of those stories that pops up now and again...a $65,000 home had, stored within, a million dollars worth of comic books:

Johann Hari at Slate.com offers a review and blistering comments regarding the philosophy of Ayn Rand, perhaps the far right's philosophical darling:

http://www.slate.com/id/2233966/

I've always been intrigued by Ms. Rand, and Mr. Hari's comments offer a scathing look at what may lie behind her philosophies, as well as the paradoxes, self-loathing, etc..  While reading the article, I couldn't help but find comparisons between Ms. Rand and another pretty well known author turned philosopher, who himself has brought about what many consider a cult.

In the last paragraph of this article, Mr. Hari himself makes that very same comparison, so at the very least his essay was successful in bringing about his ultimate point.

Still, the only thing I've ever really been exposed to, at least concerning Ayn Rand, are reviews of her philosophy (and articles both pro and con) and seeing the Gary Cooper starring The Fountainhead movie (which was, of course, based on Ayn Rand's novel).  The movie was decent enough, although the philosophy was spread rather thick, which is evident even in this trailer for that movie.

Just found this website the other day, and its a hoot:

http://www.avclub.com/features/my-year-of-flops/

Basically, our intrepid reviewer is spending a year going over very, very bad films, and offering his hilarious insights into them.

Was particularly amused by the Roman Polanski (yeah, that guy) forgotten film What?  Until that review, I had never heard of the film.  Sounds...uh...strange.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/polanskitastic-sickfuck-case-file-149-what,34678/

The other one I would point you out to (but, please, feel free to read through them all!) is the Steven Seagal turkey On Deadly Ground.  I actually paid money back in 1994 to see that one in the theaters when it was released (it must have been a fairly boring day and the cinemas must not have been showing much, as I was never a particularly big fan of Mr. Seagal and, other than the much more critically accepted/audience-approved Under Siege, these are the only two films of his I ever saw of in the theaters).

On Deadly Ground has to be one of the worst "action" films ever.  I put the word "action" in quotes because truly it seemed Mr. Seagal (who directed as well as starred in this film) seemed intent on making some kind of larger spiritual message while kicking all kinds of ass.  Michael Caine, who I usually absolutely love, is horrible in this film as the villain, an oil man who wants to pollute a pristine Alaskan bay (or somesuch) with his oil drills.  So, to prevent that, our hero blows the whole thing sky high, no doubt ensuring the bay is polluted for years to come.

And, even more hilarious/sad...check out the fact that despite numerous fist and gun fights, no one lays even one fist on Steven Seagal.  Not once!  It's amazing the man didn't walk on water at some point in the film, as well...

http://www.avclub.com/articles/earthfriendly-case-file-130-on-deadly-ground,23400/

For the masochists out there, here's the trailer to On Deadly Ground:

Absolutely love this story.

In the age of fears regarding swine flu, it goes to show the lengths a corporation -with a straight face- would go to try to boost sales of their product.  In this case, as Kelly Brownell, director of Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity is quoted within the article states: "this (advertisement) belongs in the hall of fame...By (Kellogg's) logic, you can spray vitamins on a pile of leaves, and it will boost immunity."

See for yourself:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2009-11-02-cereal-immunity-claim_N.htm?se=yahoorefer&poe=HFMostPopular

I can't help it, I had to post the image of the actual cereal box with its ludicrous claim:

This is one of those videos that is hard to believe, even as you see it.  The amount of booze destroyed in a matter of seconds...amazing...

Ah Blu-Ray.  Gotta love the good transfers (as opposed to the lesser quality ones out there...read up and check!).  But there remain many films unavailable, at least until now, on Blu-Ray.  dvdfile.com presents their list of top 10 animated films they would like to see on Blu:

http://www.dvdfile.com/views/article/blu-ray-wishlist-the-ten-most-wanted-animated-films-89337

Frankly, I was expecting many, many Disney films listed, but the folks at dvdfile offered a fairly diverse list of films/tv shows/what-have-you.  Some, though, I wonder if they would truly be worth the Blu-Ray treatment.  I mean, nothing against South Park, but the animation is purposely crude...would it really be worth seeing it in a crystal clear format?  Same goes, at least for me, with The Simpsons (of course, there's a whole other issue for me regarding that show.  I used to love the hell out of it, but somewhere down the line...perhaps season 6 or 7, I grew tired of it.  I bought the DVDs as they came out, up to roughly that time, but have yet to watch any of them.)

On the other hand, Futurama would be interesting to see in HD, if only for the wild backgrounds (the characters are on the level of The Simpsons).

But missing from their list, inexplicably and bafflingly, are any of the wonderful Warner Brothers short collections.  Come on!  Wouldn't you love to see Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Wile E. Coyote & the Roadrunner, et al in HD?  Wouldn't it be incredible to see the works of animation giants such as Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Tex Avery, etc. etc. etc. in full high definition?!

How could they forget them?!

Fascinating story concerning the murder of 13 year old Mary Phagan in 1913 which lead to the imprisonment of Leo Frank and his subsequent lynching in 1915.  This true crime story covers so many cultural aspects and is incredibly fascinating.

Was Leo Frank guilty of the crime?  I suspect that now, after so many years, we'll never know.

The link below includes a fascinating video that offers photographs of all the participants in this case, as well as some rather grizzly pictures of Mr. Frank's lynching and the crime scene.  If you don't want to see them, you may want to skip the video...

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/02/leo.frank/index.html