Category: movie musings

five song friday, movie musings, music musings, music suggestion

5SF: september 4

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Yesterday, I was thinking about what I was going to post today, and I had a little difficulty coming up with the five songs that I wanted to share. I decided to ask my fellow twitterati what they thought I should post, and I got several excellent suggestions; three of which I am actually going to feature today! Let’s get started! (Note: I think every song has a bad word or two in it, so don’t blast these at work unless you don’t care; just wanted to give the heads up)

The Swell Season – In These Arms
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_theswellseason-inthesearms.mp3]
This suggestion comes from my friend John, who caused immense excitement for me yesterday, when he messaged me that The Swell Season’s new single is already out (a fact that I was unaware of). John and I watched Once together a couple of years ago after the Oscars, and both of us agreed at that time that Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (together, outside of the context of the movie, they go by The Swell Season) are downright brilliant actors and musicians. As for the new single, after 10 seconds of the 30 second preview, I knew that I was going to love this song, and it has not let me down. If this amazing first single is any indication of what we can expect from Oscar winning duo Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (they won an Oscar for the song, Falling Slowly from Once), their new album will definitely be amongst my favorite albums of 2009. I’m glad that there is more coming from this incredibly talented music duo in the very near future, and a big thanks to John for bringing the fact that this song was already out, to my attention.

Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse – Revenge (feat. Wayne Coyne)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_dangermouse-revenge.mp3]
This suggestion comes from my friend Brian. This track comes from an audio/visual collaborative project, helmed by Danger Mouse, called Dark Night Of The Soul. I love the John Lennon-esque vibe of the track, and the way it pays heavy tribute to Pink Floyd with the arrangement. The artistry of this song is beautiful, and it only adds to Danger Mouse’s incredible production range; his work spans from trend setting hip-hop teetering on the alternative, all of the way out to rock and roll. It seems whatever he’s up to, it’s something that is going to be at a minimum, innovative and interesting. A big thanks goes to Brian for pointing out this excellent suggestion!

Mew – Beach
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_mew-beach.mp3]
This suggestion comes from my friend Cody. The first time I heard this song, I found it to lean towards being a bit bouncy and unmanageable, but the more I listen to it, the more I hear the brilliance in it. The song is fantastic, and like a bucking bronco, refuses to stay still and let you reign it in. I love the backing synth, that reminds me of the ethereal quality of m83, and especially love the way they paired it with the sweet and tender vocals; together, they round out the package quite nicely, making for an amazing pop-rock track. I love arrangement, which sounds like it would be the perfect soundtrack for driving country roads with the top down. A big thanks goes to Cody for the amazing suggestion!!

Esmee Denters – Outta Here
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_esmeedenters-outtahere.mp3]
There is a lot of good music that comes out of the UK, and it never ceases to amaze me how much of it is completely overlooked by people in this country. This song was in the top ten on iTunes UK, and I had never even heard it before I stumbled onto it last night. After one listen, I sat there wishing it was songs like this that were dominating our radio airwaves, instead of songs from other tweens like Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. This song has a banging beat, and a lot of energy. Esmee’s vocals are powerful, and a welcome addition to the “tween scene”; that is, if she can actually successfully cross the pond. The way I look at it, for each annoying track from Taylor Swift, if we could get a fantastic one like this one, there would be balance in the world. Turns out Esmee was a youtube star that Justin Timberlake caught wind of, and got her a record deal; maybe that’s enough for her to make it here. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Alexisonfire – This Could Be Anywhere in The World
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_alexisonfire-thiscouldbeanywhere.mp3]
I will start by saying that I have never been a fan of post-hardcore shout rock, and I have never seen any value in it (I don’t get the screaming). However, as many of you know, one of my favorite singers of all time, Dallas Green, actually plays in a post-hardcore band, Alexisonfire. Since I love his side acoustic project, City and Colour, so much, curiosity eventually got the better of me, and I wanted to see if I could find any Alexisonfire that I would like as well (my philosophy was, more Dallas is a good thing). With the release of their new album, Old Crows/Young Cardinals, I ended up finding one track that I liked right off, but still stood firm in believing that I probably wouldn’t listen to them, as they “weren’t my cup of tea”. Well, apparently, that has changed. I ended up FINALLY giving the rest of the album a listen, and I actually REALLY liked what I heard. It was then when I went back to see if I would like some of their older stuff, and I found this song, which is perhaps my favorite Alexisonfire track of all. I love the energy, and the way that Dallas’ voice soars during the chorus. I may never give shout rock as much of a chance as I did with Alexisonfire, but I can definitely say that I am glad I was able to overcome my initial skepticism, and given them a chance.

Well there’s your five songs for this Friday. Let this be a lesson; suggestions are more than welcome and many times, they will find their way into a 5SF of the future! So, let me know what you think of this week’s selections, and tell me what you are listening to as well. Finally, I want to extend another thank you to my twitter friends for hooking me up with three of these five fine selections. Now… let’s go enjoy a 3 day weekend, shall we?!

movie musings

since this is a blog, I guess I should post, right?

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Not much is going on with me at the moment, so there isn’t much to post about; well, nothing that I would want to commit to typed words going off into the infinite reaches of the internets anyway.

This weekend had it’s nice points. I saw two movies, both of which I liked, District 9 and Ponyo.

I liked the idea and the attempt at paralleling apartheid that came with District 9, but it had a little too much going on for me to really focus (as my friend John stated, this must be Peter Jackson’s Cloverfield — even though he didn’t direct it). However, I will say, that we saw it at the drive in, so perhaps I just need to see it again, in an environment when I can really focus on it. I will have to rent it when it comes out. It was enjoyable, though.

As for Ponyo, I posted about it last week, and my excitement had me really revved up to see it. I detest going to the theater, and this was no exception; all of the talking and whatnot around me made it hard to really let go and enjoy the film. However, I really did love the story, and the animation was incredible. I can’t wait to see it again, because I think that most of Miyazaki’s films require at least two viewings before a true opinion can be formed. The more I reflect on my feelings about Ponyo, the more I love it. I hope that Ponyo’s eventual release on Blu Ray will cause the powers that be to go back and commit Miyazaki’s other films to the format; they are truly deserving of the treatment, and I know that I would be one of the first to rush out and buy them!

Other than that… not much else. How about you?

happenings, movie musings, show the love

ponyo on the cliff by the sea

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I rarely ever get excited about movies, and I almost never get chills watching a preview (go and check it out here, since embedding is disabled on most of the youtube clips), but both things apply to Ponyo on the Cliff By the Sea, the upcoming Hayao Miyazaki film. I have been a fan of Miyazaki’s for many, many years, and with Ponyo, I dare predict that my love of Miyazaki will only continue to soar.


My first experience with one of his films, was when I saw Princess Mononoke in college and loved it. However, it wasn’t until Spirited Away that I realized how amazing his films truly are. After seeing Spirited Away the first time, I was completely blown away, and realized I had seen one of the best movies of my life. This motivated me to check out some of his previous work, and I discovered Nausicaa of the Valley of The Wind, another brilliant film that also has a place amongst my favorite films ever made.

Miyazaki’s films contain a sense of imagination, wonder, and hope portrayed in a medium that I haven’t seen anywhere else. His whimsical stories are usually backed by a deep concern for our footprint on our world, and often explore the consequences we might face if we ignore the signs; which is kind of deep for a “kid’s movie” huh? His animation, story telling, and direction take dreams, and make them into a visually stunning experience that you can enjoy while you are awake. I find it almost impossible not to fall in love with is characters, and even more impossible not to enjoy their adventures.

As Ponyo is being released this Friday, I will do something I NEVER do: I will head to a theater to see this film. Those that know me, know very well that I HATE going to the movies (with one notable exception: the drive in), but my excitement for this film will force me to put my hatred of all things movie theater aside, and go out to see it. If anyone wants to come along, let me know, because I can’t wait to see this movie, and I definitely want to see it this weekend for sure. I’m hoping that it is everything that I think it will be and more; and given Miyazaki’s track record and the previews, it looks like it might be just that!

Also, I am really, really hoping that the release of this film gets some (if not ALL) of his films onto Blu Ray here in the states. As I said, his films are visually stunning, and bringing them to high definition would be outstanding!

all about me, home improvement, movie musings, shiny stuff

bow to blu

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Basically, Blu Ray has re-invigorated my love of watching movies. I even upgraded Netflix to send us Blu Rays if they are available.

High Definition really is the icing on delicious cake. Now… to stop buying so many of these damn movies!!!

Seriously, though, that’s about all I got. I am STILL finishing up small things in the bathroom, and painting the other one, so pictures will eventually come. Other than that… not much; although, I did go work out yesterday, and hope to add that back into my life. Here’s hoping that I actually go again later in the week… mama’s fat!

movie musings, well?

what would you do in that situation?

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Fair warning: I will be talking about a movie (The Reader), and discussing the plot, so if you want to avoid spoilers, do not keep reading after this sentence.

Last night, James and I watched the Reader. After the shock of the sheer amount of nudity there was in the film, I have to say, that I was struck by the way Michael handled his relationship with Hanna. It was made clear that he definitely loved her, but he was truly the only one that could have saved her from a lifetime in prison, and yet, he said nothing. Yes, she deserves a LOT of the blame; she committed herself to the SS and 20 years in prison because she was ashamed of the fact that she couldn’t read or write, but I couldn’t help find fault with Michael as well.

I can’t tell you what I would do in those circumstances; I didn’t live through the Holocaust. Do I grasp the enormity of the events that occurred during that incredibly dark time? Not by a long shot. When I try to wrap my head around the fact that the majority of a country stood by and assisted in the murders of MILLIONS of people, just because of who they were, my stomach turns. It is disgusting. With that being said, I felt it was clear that Hanna, while she was a part of the whole machine, shouldn’t have taken all of the blame; she was the only one who had the long sentence handed down to them.

If I were Michael, I think that I would have spoken up for her. Also, if I hadn’t of had the courage to do it when she was on trial (or if it was because he was too angry at her for being at part of the Holocaust), I don’t think I could have ignored her all of those years, and just “went on with my life”. Maybe I just have a big heart, but it would be hard for me to love anyone and let them rot in jail; even if they committed a heinous crime. I would at least visit. I thought that by sending those tapes to her, he was fully admitting the amount of guilt that he had; so why not visit? Yet, again, I can’t say what I would do in that situation for sure, because I wasn’t there, but I just couldn’t help but feel angry at him for not doing anything. I guess that was the point of the movie, so I guess that’s what I took from it.

What would you do under the same circumstances?

is it just me?, mixed media, movie musings, shiny stuff, venting, well?, wtf?!

sony fail: let me count the ways

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So I finally caved and bought a PS3. I was hoping there would be a price drop announced last week at E3, which is what I have been waiting for before I bought one, but there wasn’t even a hint of such a thing happening any time soon. Since the PS3 is only $100 more than a Blu Ray player, I felt it would make more sense to get the PS3, so that I could have both, and so I did.

After un-boxing the mammoth console, I got my first taste of what will surely be a long list of Sony FAIL. The PS3 has been, and continues to be touted as THE system for HD; and it continues to claim itself as a revolutionary system with the highest quality video for games and movies. Well, some of that is true… and some of it is not. First of all, I think that it is almost a slap in the face of the consumer to ask them to pay $400 for a machine that will revolutionize their HD experience, and box the motherfucker with composite cables; which any A/V geek knows does NOT have the capability of displaying HD! Additionally, the companion HDMI cable marketed and sold by Sony for the PS3 is $60. For shame, Sony; you expect me to shell out ANOTHER $60 just to get the HD quality you promised for $400? Assholes.

Luckily, I have an HDMI cord that I wasn’t ass raped for (ahem, I didn’t buy it at Best Buy), and I just used it to connect the PS3. Crisis averted… HD was mine; and you know what, it is impressive. We played a few Blu Ray movies, and they were impressively crisp. I really can tell the difference in standard DVDs being upscaled, and a true Blu Ray HD DVD. Again, very impressive, you break even, here Sony.

Now comes FAIL #2. I bought Little Big Planet, and Resident Evil 5 (RE5 was for James, and I figured, since the PS3 is new, why not get it for that system?!) because I wanted to have at least a couple of games for the PS3. LBP is really cute, but I noticed the graphics were a little rougher than I was expecting; after all, it is plugged into my TV through HDMI, so it should be just as amazing as the Blu Ray, right (ESPECIALLY on a title like LBP, which is exclusive to the PS3)? WRONG. Turns out, Sony doesn’t really have the goods to back up their claims. The best they can do is 720p on most games, and the two that I got both fall into this category. Even though I have the PS3 output set to 1080i, and my TV can display 1080i, it can only display these games at 720p (this is a known, but quiet, issue). I wish that I would have gotten RE5 for the Xbox, because even my Xbox 360 exceeds the PS3 by upscaling everything to 1080i, and I can bet the graphics would be a little better. FAIL FAIL FAIL. Sure, it is only a minor thing, but when you buy something that expensive that is supposed to be so “AWESOME11!!1!!”, then disappointment is pretty much the word that comes to mind when you think about the whole scenario. When it comes right down to it, Sony, you do not have the HD system that you claim to; at least, you aren’t letting us use it to its full potential, anyway.

Needless to say, I am a bit disappointed. I will be making sure I keep a close eye on games that I get for the PS3, because if I can get a better version of the same game for the Xbox 360, Xbox will win this battle every time. Also, as of writing this, my Xbox 360 is only hooked to my TV through component cables, and the games look better than the 2 PS3 ones I have tried. Sure, there are some out there that will do 1080, but I am just shocked that PS3 doesn’t upscale ALL games like the Xbox does; especially when they claim the PS3 is so much better than the Xbox 360 (which, judging by the two titles I have, certainly isn’t true game wise).

As far as I am concerned, while I am glad I got the PS3, I can’t believe how much fine print, and blatant trickery Sony has instituted into their “AMAZING!!! SYSTEM!!1!11!!!!”. Seriously, Sony, you need to really get over yourself and stop the quick slight of hand, which I am sure has made customers other than myself more than a bit peeved as well. This leaves Sony with a score of negative one; let’s hope that time will allow them to break even, and make this consumer happier with his VERY extravagant and expensive purchase.

UPDATE: HOW COULD I FORGET THE LACK OF SUPPORT FOR PS2 GAMES?? Epic fail continues…

movie musings, shiny stuff

ladies and gentlemen…

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The Moody/Robinson household now has Blu Ray.

Rejoice.

UPDATE: I decided making a Blu Ray specific page was silly, because I will most likely get a lot of them; so I will just put a BR next to the title in the DVD library if it is a Blu Ray disc that I own (this will also be done for HD DVDs with the exception that HD DVDs will obviously have a red HD next to them, and not a BR.). I am also considering getting rid of the regular version of the movies I replace on DVD; I need to make room (I probably won’t though, as I still have regular DVD players in the house)!!

civil rights, movie musings, that is so gay

milk

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We finally watched Milk the other night, and I really have to say wow, what a great movie. The fact that someone could have the drive and determination to always stand up to those that tried to push him down is incredibly inspiring. Harvey Milk was an amazing man, because he refused to just roll over and take it; he refused to give up. It’s a tragedy that he isn’t here today.

I also thought that the timing of this film was amazingly poignant and extremely relevant, with Harvey and his fellow Californians fighting Prop 6, and with current Californians fighting Prop 8. It just goes to show that things change, but in some ways, they stay the same; the fight isn’t over, and as of right now, it seems there will always be those out there that want to take our rights away from us. Thank God for the Harvey Milk’s of this world that are willing to fight for what is right.

Just as a final thought, I will NEVER understand what gives people the inclination that their opinion about someone’s life means anything to anyone other than themselves. If you think that homosexuality is a sin, I couldn’t care less; it is your opinion, not mine, so please keep it to yourself. Only when people stop trying to use their warped sense of morality and keep pushing their radical system of values (of which most of them do not even abide by), will we all truly be free, and is that really such a bad thing to hope for? I’m pretty sure that Harvey didn’t think so, and neither do I.

all about me, is it just me?, mixed media, movie musings, venting

why underworld 3 might be the last movie I see in the theater

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Yesterday, James and I were invited by some friends to see Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, and as a fan of the first two Underworld movies, and with James excited to go, I agreed to go. We were set to meet up at the Atlantic Station theater, which was pretty crazy because of the Cirque De Soleil going on, but we managed to eat before the movie, and actually made it to the movie on time! (I know, surprising for us!!). Given all of our good fortune with timing, the frustration of parking only increased when we went to get tickets for the film. Going to get the tickets revealed that the theater operates in a typical WTF fashion; only one of the three self-service kiosks were working. Seriously, if you make them available for people to purchase their own tickets, having them in anything less than working order is unforgivable.

After waiting for the incredibly slow people in front of me, I managed to get our tickets, and I have to say, the moment my receipt printed I was almost instantly in an even worse mood. I mean, it’s almost adding insult to injury with the economy in the toilet, and for them to still be charging $10 for a movie ticket?! Now I know why our theater was practically empty; going out to the movies in particular is getting too darned expensive. I could have just bought the DVD for the $20 I shelled out for us to see the film, and I could have enjoyed it in the comfort of my own home; and even watched it more than once!

All things considered, I will say that I liked the movie, though, so for that reason alone, I was glad that we went to see it. However, that wasn’t enough to bring me back to the theater in the future; and here’s a few reasons why: Unlike most, I am not impressed with seeing a movie in the theater. It doesn’t do anything extra for me, and I quite like having the comfort of being able to enjoy my comfortable couch, as well as the ability to press pause and run to the bathroom if it’s necessary. When watching from home, I don’t have to worry about parking, and I don’t have to pay for concessions. I also don’t have to deal with annoying theater goers. (that’s more reasons NOT to go than I thought!).

So… Underworld is probably the last movie I am going to see in the theater for a long while. During the previews, we saw one for Watchmen, and while I really want to see that movie, I might have to just wait for DVD; after all, I can just outright buy it, and if it sucks, I could chuck the DVD in the trash, and I would be out no more than I was to go and see it in the theater.

As an aside, I really think they need to come up with some gimmick that will pull people like myself back the theaters, or the movie business is going to continue to suffer. People need incentives to go and see your film, and charging out the nose isn’t a pro for certain. My suggestion, is that they offer you the exclusive chance to buy the DVD upon exiting the film. Seriously, how many times have you seen a movie, and you wanted to go and watch it again? For me, that’s most of the time, and that is yet another tick in the column for waiting until the DVD is released. How cool would it be to get the DVD right after seeing it? I know that would make me go to the theater without hesitation. Oh well… I can’t make the movie business bend to my desires. While it sounds like I’ve already made up my mind, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if anything can get me back to the theater in the future; if not, does anyone want to come over for movie night?!

flickr, friends, happenings, hotness, movie musings

weekend recap

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Well this weekend was a lot of fun.

A lot of drunken fun (Friday night at least).

John, Michael, Justin, and I decided to get shitty and head out to the local gay watering hole, Mary’s for ManShaft. It proved to be a night of drunken debauchery, however, being the modest one that I am (no seriously), I managed to maintain my composure enough to stay fully clothed; even though my fellow friends didn’t always manage to do the same (it was all fun though… I mean, no one got nude or anything!). There were sweaty, hot, mostly naked men, and needless to say, it was a FANTASTIC night. I love nights out like that… we closed down the bar, and had a lot of fun.

One “highlight” of the evening for me, was seeing my ex out, and the interchange that we had. As he was walking by in the crowded bar, I poked him on the shoulder, and he leaned in to me and said, “hey… do I know you?”. LOL! Well, I knew that I looked different, but not that different! My response to him was, “well, you should, since we dated for a year and a half”. Needless to say, he had a little egg on his face at the moment, but it made me laugh. I mean seriously. However, he seems to think that we only dated for 11 months, which I was quick to correct… the last 6 months of our relationship were definitely something I won’t forget (not in the good way), so let’s not make light of them, alright?

Either way, the night was fun, as was the rest of the weekend. We ended up going over to Rich and Darron’s for horrible movie night, where we were exposed to the absolute horror that is Xanadu. Wow, movies that bad really shouldn’t be allowed onto DVD, but alas, I am sure there are those out there that love it. It was really, really bad. However, one thing I did learn from watching it, is that Gene Kelly is one handsome man! I mean seriously, he was really hot for an older man in that film, and looking back, he is quite the looker. I have added some old musicals to my netflix so I can see him in all his glory. I guess it is fitting that a horrible “musical” could open my interests to older, more well praised musicals, right? Either way… Gene Kelly, hot; Xanadu, not.

After all of the excitement Friday, I am glad that Saturday night was tame, and that Sunday was even tamer. The new counter tops are being installed tomorrow, so expect me to squeal like mad over them for the rest of this week… seriously, I have wanted new counter tops since day one of moving into this house, so I couldn’t be more thrilled. Stay tuned for pictures!

How was everyone else’s weekend?