Pop Junk: Pop Culture, TV, Movies, Music mixing to form a sweet, sweet candy

A New Beginning

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:08:00 +0000

Well, it has been six months since I have written about something useless. I have decided to start anew and you can find my new and not-improved blog at http://icecreamspinach.blogspot.com/

Thanks.

Wow! It has been awhile.

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:40:00 +0000

Hello to all of you five people that read my blog. Time flies. I am sitting here typing with a head cold and I realized that since Spring Break, I haven't wrote anything. Lots has happened since then. I managed to go to Seattle and see the Phoenix Suns (Shaq and Nash!) play the Seattle Supersonics. It is real sad to think that the Sonics will be leaving town. What a shame. I don't want to start getting into a rant about how the NBA took away the Grizzlies.

Then I went to Las Vegas (my stag) for the weekend over Spring Break. I survived.

I saw Eddie Vedder play his first solo show ever last Wednesday. He was rough around the edges, but for a die hard Pearl Jam fan like myself, it was bliss. He sang some great covers like "I Won't Back Down" and "Throw Your Arms...". It was an eclectic set and the sound was superb in the Centre for Performing Arts. I still can't believe I scored a ticket to the show (yes, I went by myself).

I realized that I have been craving for any new television after I found myself yelling at Paula Abdul during American Idol tonight. I don't think my life can get any lower. I however have learned a new negotiation tactic in the future. Just speak like Paula to confuse your superiors. "I like you as a boss, you're definitive, you have a glow about you... a positivity that radiates, you are just, you."

LOST has been glorious and this month will bring about the return of some shows, thank goodness. The episode "The Constant" I think ranks as my favourite episode of the past four seasons. Just brilliant. Time travel has never been so cool (except for Back to the Future).

Enough rambling...

Ciao!

Random Ricky Gervais clip

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 08:08:00 +0000

Stumbled across this clip from the brilliant mind of Ricky Gervais. The guy is brilliant at times. If you have never seen the original version of "The Office" you should definitely give a try. Gervais' last series, "The Extras", which is comedic gold as well, is currently on Showtime. Gervais always manages to do awkward to perfection and he often captures the petty feelings that many of us harbour, but never really say out loud. He can show how low humans can be at times, which creates tons of humour. Only Gervais could get away with the making fun of world hunger and poverty. OK maybe Chris Rock could as well.

Here is the clip.

Hope your Leap Year Day was most enjoyable.

The Price is really Right

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:54:00 +0000

One summer, probably just after grade 4, my younger sister and I would sit down and watch "The Price is Right" every single morning. 10 am. Monday to Friday. And me, being the simple person I was, would dream about being on the show, screwing someone over by making the "$1" bid, winning $20,000 playing Plinko, spinning the gigantic wheel and hitting "$1.00", and winning both showcases with a bid that was only $99 off of the actual retail price. Considering how many episodes I watched that summer and in my entire lifetime, I think I only ever saw two contestants win both showcases. I happened to catch the prime time broadcast of The Price is Right last week with the newish host Drew Carey (no Bob Barker) and check out this unbelievable win. (Background info: The girl BIDS on the first showcase, which is quite possibly the worst move ever. Everybody knows you PASS on the first showcase. I think I have only seen one instance where the first showcase was better.)

Other movies that I saw in 2007:

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:38:00 +0000

Into The Wild:
A tad overrated. I know people enjoyed this one and I did too during the showing, but then afterwards I was a bit mystified why I should feel for someone who went out of their way to go into the wild on their own and made the mistake of eating a poisonous mushroom. Up until that point, I found the movie very enjoyable and Catherine Keener does a great job in the role of a motherly hippie.

Superbad:
If you get past the gross, immature setups, this movie is really a movie about friendships and kids acting like adults, but with no clue what that means. The two cops represent trying to get back to that youthful, carefree age. That is what life is really about... when we are younger, we try to act older, and when we are older, we try to become younger. This movie was well done and I liked it more than Knocked Up.

Knocked Up:
Some very funny bits. Some great insight on relationships and marriage. Yet, I can't really place why this is not my favourite Apatow movie. Maybe I just don't buy the main relationship between Seth Rogan and Katherine Heigl.

300:
Visually arresting film, but ultimately I got worn down with the continual battle scenes. This movie epitomizes pop culture... full of fluff and sweet and disposable like candy. I am interested in Zach Snyder's next film, The Watchmen.

The Host:
A Korean film that you may have not seen, but it did get released here in the North American market. To explain that this film is about a mutant monster on the loose by the Han River in Seoul and the bonding of a dysfunctional family that attempts to rescue their young sister who gets kidnapped would not fully capture what this movie is about. The movie is about redemption, love, the bonds that tie family, and it just happens to involve a monster that eats people by the bucketloads. Highly enjoyable.

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix:
Not my favourite HP, but nonetheless I enjoyed this film. I enjoyed it even more after watching it in 3D at the iMax. I am a bit disappointed that David Yates is doing the next movie. I liked how the HP franchise was bringing in new directors with each new film. Number 3 still remains my favourite of the bunch. Thank you Alfonso Cuaron.

The Darjeeling Limited:
It always seems like when PT Anderson releases a film, Wes Anderson does the same. Only Spike Jonze is missing from the mix. This is not my favourite Wes Anderson film, although I know most of the critics liked it. I found that the pacing of the movie was staggered and that the usual idiosyncracies of a Wes Anderson film did not make me laugh as much as others. Maybe I need to see this movie again, as I viewed it on a small screen flying on an Air Canada flight. Rushmore remains the high water mark for me.

I can't think of any other films that I saw this year. I did not see as many films as I usually do.

Ciao

Oscar Madness: Finally the Movie Review of 2007 (or the longest blog entry you will ever see)

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:45:00 +0000

The Oscars are tomorrow and I realized I better chime in on my movies of 2007. Here goes...

I must confess that I did not see as many movies this year as I normally do. I think being so very busy and more addicted to TV caused me to miss so many films in a really banner year. Many people are claiming 2007 to be one of the best year’s in film and I feel like I cannot chime in properly on this debate (for me personally 1994 ranks up there). However, I thought I would share with some of my thoughts with you, whether you want to hear them or not.

First off, movies that I didn't see in 2007 and wish to see in no particular order:
- The Simpsons Movie: One of my all-time favourite comedies, a show that I stopped watching after season seven or eight. Season four represents comedic perfection. I never got around to seeing this one in the summer. I have heard that it is decent.
- 3:10 To Yuma
- The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Both cowboy movies that brought the Western back in full force. I can’t remember the last James Mangold (Copland) directed movie. As for the Brad Pitt-Jesse James movie, it looks good, but it
-Gone Baby Gone
Ben Affleck as a director sounds scary, but the reviews from this movie are scary good. Casey Affleck supposedly scores a double dose of goodwill with this movie and “The Assassination of Jesse James… yada yada”.
-Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
Tim Burton looks like he goes back to his strengths of blending bizarre with horror.
-Michael Clayton
I have heard that this movie is a compelling feature. I am a big fan of Tom Wilkinson.
-Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
Sidney Lumet supposedly still has something significant to offer to the cinematic world in this film that supposedly showcases too much Tomei.
-The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
French film that I have heard is brilliant.

Now some comments on my favourite movies of 2007.

Movies that have endings that are a bit ambiguous or unsatisfactory resolutions OR movies that might not appeal to the average moviegoer:
There Will Be Blood
Zodiac
Atonement
No Country for Old Men

Before I begin, I you to understand that I wish I knew more about movie-making and I wish I have had some formal education when it comes to films. So what I say, I say from my miniscule knowledge and experience with film.

Two of my favourite directors are David Fincher (Seven, Fight Club) and PT Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love). Let's start with PT's latest offereing "There Will Be Blood first." This movie, starring Daniel Day Lewis, has gained critical acclaim within the film critic society. I saw this two weeks ago and I have still been wrestling with it in my head. The story follows Daniel Plainview's ascension to an oil tycoon. I would love to spend a day talking to Daniel Day Lewis. This guy is simply intense. This guy is like the Tiger Woods of the acting world. Tiger Woods doesn't enter as many tournaments as the other pros, but he pretty much wins any of the ones that he enters. Daniel Day Lewis doesn't do many movies, but he pretty much wins an Oscar every time. That has to be pretty deflating for all those other actors trying to hone their craft. I almost feel like that Daniel Day Lewis' performance is an extension of his Bill the Butcher character from Gangs of New York.
DDL is riveting in every frame that he appears in and his eyes... his eyes burn with a maniac edge that won't be denied his black fortune. "I drink your milkshake!" What a line. This is not my favourite PT Anderson movie (Magnolia may be it) but it is an interesting film that is propelled by the dynamic soundtrack of Johnny Greenwood (of Radiohead fame). However, I don't know if I could sit through this movie again. It is long and only simmers without exploding. It is like a trapped geyser that never gushes and I think that may be frustrating for most viewers. And I suspect that people may not be entirely satiated with the final ending.

Oscar prediction: There Will Be Blood will bring another Oscar for DDL. And that will be it.

Zodiac, by David Fincher, is another movie about obsessions. This story recreates the San Francisco Zodiac killer's reign of terror back in the 70s. I found the movie completely engrossing as a character study of how people get so engrossed and involved in something to the point where everything else falls apart on them. I want to watch the DVD version of this, because supposedly Fincher uses tons of CGI in subtle ways to recreate an older San Francisco. There are moments of tension and apprehension peppered throughout the film, but again I believe viewers will be upset that nothing is tidied up like a stupid one hour episode of CSI. Mark Rufalo, Robert Downey and Jake Gyllenhall do a great job in this movie. I liked it, but I don't know if you will.

Atonement:
Once when I was in grade one, I lied to my mother about needing money for Beavers (like a mini-version of Cubs or Boys Scout). Instead, I really wanted the money to buy a pack of hockey cards. My mother sensed that I was lying to her and she pressed me why I needed the quarter. I folded like a cheap lawn chair and she quickly sussed out that I was lying. She was extremely disappointed, because this was the first time I ever lied to her. I felt a deep shame and I still vividly remember that moment even today.

Like my lies, Atonement is about lies that can linger for a lifetime. Mind you my lying didn't have damaging consequences that cut deep into my life. Atonement has a certain freshness to a period piece and the pacing of the first half allows the film to simply fly. The heat between Kiera Knightley (never a big fan of hers, but she is smoldering in this film) and James McAvoy is almost uncomfortable to watch and never has such a vulgar four letter word been used as such a damaging weapon. This movie again, has an ending that will leave many viewers a bit unsatisfied. The pacing of the last half of the movie cannot match the first, but I would pay to watch this movie again just to view the elegant single cut scene of James McAvoy's character as he wades his way through the evacuation of Dunkirk. The single cut scent surpasses the ones in Children of Men and almost, almost matches the one in Goodfellas (the one where Ray Liotta's character enters into the bar).

Oscar prediction: I wouldn't be surprised if Atonement walked away with the Best Film Award, simply because it is a safer choice than the others.

No Country For Old Men:
At the end of January, I was invigilating the Math 12 provincial and as I walked around and glanced at some of the questions that the students were working on, I became a bit wistful. I used to know how to do those questions. I used to be at a level of math that probably represented the pinnacle of my academic prowess. I was no longer that high school student full of youth and energy. I was just a teacher who could no longer remember the trig identities, like the cosine law, from a decade ago. Youth has faded for me, much like it faded for Tommy Lee Jones in "No Country for Old Men". The movie title did not make much sense for me until the end. Then the title rang through loud and clear with a truthfulness for all those who are aging and see their youthfulness fade.
I must say that I really enjoyed this movie. The suspense was ratcheted up in many scenes and Javier Bardem's Chirgurh character is absolutely chilling. A pure evil killer. This movie is violence and madness all recaptured by the Coen Brothers, who haven't done something like this in awhile. I know people will feel robbed of a proper climax, one that happens off screen, one that frustrated me as I left the theatre. But as I thought more and more about this movie, maybe that is what the Coens were trying to achieve. Maybe through the violent nature of the movie and the fact that someone like me felt ripped off by the lack of a violent resolution, the Coens hope to reveal that bloodthirst is within us and permeates our culture. In math, I am not satisfied with just using the cosine law, rather I want to know how it works in all its bloody glory. But by knowing all the details will that illuminate how the cosine law works? Will the knowing of the process satisfy me? Is it necessary? Maybe the Coens are saying that the end result and the answer is all that we should focus on. Maybe using the cosine law and having an answer mysteriously pop up, allows us to use our own imagination of how we got that answer. We are allowed to fill in the gaps. Which is why I don't think the average filmgoer will like this compelling journey about the madness that can arise from our choices in life. Sometimes we want the gaps filled in by someone else.

Oscar prediction: Coens walk away with Best Director and Best Film. Javier Bardem takes the Best Supporting Actor

My other favourites?

Juno, the indie darling.
The very beginning of the movie threatened to throw this film off its rails as the dialogue of Diablo Cody was so fake and forced. The scene with The Office's Raine Wilson in the grocery store was almost vomit inducing. However, this movie settled down afterwards and Jason Reitman showed a deft hand in this comedy/drama about a pregnant teenager named Juno. Ellen Page is outstanding as Juno and thank goodness that Michael Cera has been given time to stretch his wings in both this movie and Superbad. He is brilliant. Top notch work by Allison Janney, JK Simmons, Jason Bateman, and Jennifer Garner, make this a film that is enjoyable to watch. The biggest thing I liked is that this movie kept a couple together even though most movies means a pregnancy will split the couple up. This year had two quality high school movies, Superbad being the other, and I have no qualms saying this one was one of my favourites of the year.

Oscar Prediction: None for Director or Actress, but I bet Diablo Cody will win one for Best Original Screenplay, making her the female version of Quentin Tarantino for the next two years.

Ratatouille:
Pixar is magic. This film about a chef rat was a delight to the eyes and almost brought me to tears near the end. Fantastic movie from a fantastic company. Brad Bird's track record (Iron Giant and The Incredibles) will continue to soar.

Bourne Ultimatum:
Remember the game Hungry Hungry Hippos? You would just nail the heck out of the hippo levers and the marbles would go crazy and you would have no idea who was winning and then finally after the frenzy the last marbles would disappear and the game would be over.

That is what is feels like watching this movie. Matt Damon has completely won me over with these films and I think this third one may be my favourite of the bunch. An enjoyable adrenaline ride that I want to see again. The close quarters fighting in Casablanca (is that the right location) was just nuts and I never thought a textbook could be used for such lethal force. This was my favourite popcorn movie of the year.

Worst films?

Spiderman 3:
What a letdown. Simply horrendous. Sam Raimi fell into the Joel Schumacher Batman trap of adding way too many characters. Listen, either focus on Venom or Sandman, but not both. Comic book characters like Spiderman have so much history and lore and to shove two villians in together is asking for too much. I was so disappointed after seeing this film, especially considering how good the first two were.

Transformers:
I am the biggest Transformers geek out there. I can name pretty much any Autobot and Decepticon from the original series (go ahead, try me). I almost cried when Optimus Prime died in the original cartoon movie. (Optimus Prime would have to rank right up there with the best fictional leaders of all time... included in there would be Captain Jean Luc Picard.) I literally jumped up and down with joy when I say the commercial that advertised the return of Optimus Prime. Soundwave is my favourite Transformer of all time. I can even do a pretty good Soundwave impression if you ask politely.

So, with all that geekiness out of the way, this movie was terrible. I don't know where to begin. The eye candy girlfriend who happens to be a grease monkey/tom boy? The wise cracking Shia LaBeouf who is the only half decent thing about this movie, which is sad because this movie is supposed to be about TRANSFORMERS! The too fast CGI fighting scenes, where you can't tell one robot from the other. The terrible robot designs that make the Transformers look like pieces of scrap metal linked together by dental floss. The convoluted plot about some cube that is all powerful, yet when the Autobots find it, they give it to the tiniest and the weakest being... a high school kid, to run around with it to a rooftop. The fact that a robot would assume the form of an ugly ghetto blaster not an iPod. Where to stop? If I were the Autobots, I would send out a signal to warn all the other Autobots to stay away from Earth, because if you came you would have to stay in disguise of a stupid car shape allowing humans just to sit inside of you and boss you around. Stay away Autobots! Earth sucks, just like this movie sucks.

And on one last negative note, is there really a need to nominate Enchanted for THREE songs? Really three? Why not four while you are at it? And has anyone even heard the three songs from Enchanted? Eddie Vedder and Jonny Greenwood were robbed. Talk about an irrelevant music award. (I am so excited to see Eddie Vedder live in Vancouver... I managed to score a ticket to his sold out show at the Centre.)

Enjoy the Oscars everyone.

Oh yeah, other predictions?

Best Actress: That lady from that Madame Cotille movie or whatever it is will win.
Ratatouille takes Best Animated
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan
Best Adapted Screenplay: No Country For Old Men

I already stated, DDL, Coens, Javier, NCFOM as winners in the other bigger categories.

Oh yeah, and Enchanted wins for Best Song. Hurrah!

Good News!

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 05:24:00 +0000

Good News item #1:

The TV strike is over! Just wrap up the last eight episodes of LOST. Forget about the rest. (If you love LOST, check out Doc Jensen from EW... he writes the craziest theories). The first two episodes were spectacular and I can't wait to see the next six.

Good News item #2:

Radiohead is coming to Vancouver!!! When? The site doesn't say, but if you scroll down to the bottom, you will see all that you need, the word "Vancouver".

Too bad the Kanye/Rihanna/Lupe Fiasco/N.E.R.D tour only comes as close as Seattle. It doesn't make sense to me that they are going to Calgary, Saskatoon and Edmonton, but not Vancouver. I would love to see Lupe Fiasco and N.E.R.D. live.

Who cares? Radiohead, Radiohead, Radiohead. To hear "Reckoner" live... can't wait.

Grandma's Grammys

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 04:30:00 +0000

I confess that I don't watch the Grammys that often, but I found myself watching this year's show for a couple of reasons:

a) the dearth of new TV shows
b) wanting to catch a glimpse of Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, and Feist

First, Alicia Keys simply owned the stage and I cannot stop gushing about her. Check out her performance here. As much as I dislike Jon Mayer, even his presence couldn't ruin Miss Keys' performance. The only negatives? Her hair (much prettier in her first song) and that weird aluminum popcorn crinkled dress.

Personally, I really liked her NYC 2008 New Year's gig. Here is part of that performance. My crush for Alicia Keys grows.

Feist! So proud to see her career sky rocket and she always puts a fresh spin on her tunes. I find it amusing that Kanye West is a fan of hers. A solid performance of 1,2,3,4 by Feist. I am sure that I posted this already, but this is still my favourite version of Feist's Apple ditty. If you have not seen her live and you are a fan, make sure you see her play. She is playing a 2010 show coming up soon in Vancouver.

Amy Winehouse was quite uneven, but I loved her reaction when she won a Grammy.

What irks me about the Grammys is that I feel at times that the voters are out of touch with music in our society. Let's first ignore the fact that there is tons of music out there that doesn't get acknowledged, but I think these Grammys did a fair job of reflecting some solid albums out there. But Foo Fighters over Bruce Springsteen and Wilco?

Further proof that the voters are out of touch is shown with the last award of the night. Doesn't the concept of "Album of the Year" mean that people have actually heard of the album? Herbie Hancock's "River: The Joni Letters" just mystifies me as ALBUM OF THE YEAR! This is why I don't really put much stock in the Grammys. Look I love Joni Mitchell and I got nothing against Herbie Hancock ("Rocket" kicks ass), but c'mon! I never even knew this album existed. I think of the albums in the category I might have given the nod to Amy Winehouse.

Long live the Grammys

Bring on the Oscars

One more thing...

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 07:39:00 +0000

Why Alicia Keys why? I heard about her new North American tour and became excited to see this talented beauty in concert. Then I view her tour dates and it hits me. She manages to visit every single city except for Vancouver! She doesn't even come close to the Pacific Northwest. Adding insult to injury, she goes to Toronto and Montreal. Curses. How can anyone reasonable expect to stalk their celebrity crush if they don't come near their neighbourhood?

What's also sucks is that Tom Petty (good work during the Super Bowl Tom) comes only to Seattle and not Vancouver.

Boo-urns I say. Boo-urns.

Uh oh! Belated blogging...

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:36:00 +0000

So I have been wanting to post a year in review for movies of 2007. Now it is February 2008. I guess you can expect me to come up with something in the next year or so. Maybe I will manage to share some of my thoughts before the Oscars.

So with the writer's strike what have I been doing?

-more of my Masters course. This officially means that I have run out of multiple things to do, leaving only my school work. Sad sad sad.
-enjoying the few scraps of tasty TV morsels (Friday Night Lights [which had a great three week stretch, but has been awful of late because of some really, really cruddy volleyball scenes, almost comparable to that laughable scene in Top Gun where Tom Cruise plays beach volleyball in fricking blue jeans], House, and

OMIGOODNESS!!! LOST!

The season premiere was most excellent with a great structure that will define television narration. To think that the show will be telling what happened on the island, what is happening in the present to get back to the island, and what will happen once everyone is back together... brilliant. This is one of the best TV shows ever. And even more exciting for me, no Jack-centric episodes in the next seven. Can't wait. Someone end the writer's strike already, because I want to see the full season of LOST.

Oh yeah, the last couple episodes of Gossip Girl have been excellent as well. The writers were approaching some ridiculous regions with the possibility of father and son dating mother and daughter. I am so glad that they addressed this ickiness with semi-realism. Any show that can make you feel almost a bit sad for Chuck is doing a fine job.

The jury is out for me on the new show "Eli Stone". Johnny Lee Miller looks different and this show is pretty cheesy at times, but funny as well. Natasha Henstridge still looks beautiful (O Canada, where has she been all this time?). Did you know Johnny used to be Jonny (Hackers anyone?) and that he was briefly married to Angelina Jolie? I think people don't realize that he is actually British as well.

Super Bowl was spectacular and I think I laughed hardest at the Justin Timberlake commercial even though it really didn't make that much sense. What's up with the lowbrow humour of getting hit in the crotch? I am practically drooling over the Iron Man movie. I also get a chuckle out of hearing Nevada losing $2.6 million on the New York Giants upset.

Check out all the ads at www.myspace.com/superbowlads

I still can't believe the Pats got dominated in terms of defense.

Somebody please help our Vancouver Canucks on defense.

Lastly, this topic matter is quite crude. It is not for people who are sensitive to lots of swearing and tasteless humour. But it does show Matt Damon doing an effective job of comedy.

1st: Jimmy Kimmel's riff on Matt's last flick "The Bourne Ultimatum"

2nd: Matt Damon doing a great impression of Matthew McConaughey on David Letterman

3rd: TASTELESS ALERT. NOT FOR EVERYONE. I know this will offend many of you, so you have been forewarned. I bear no responsibility for this viewing. I am absolved of any possible outrage. Let me off the hook please. Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon have a long running joke where Kimmel magically bumps Damon from the show. This is a video made by Kimmel's girlfriend, the potty-mouthed Sarah Silverman, for their anniversary, aided by Matt Damon.

Also, if you are a fan of Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, or Conan O'Brien, check out this colossal meeting of the masters of nighttime linked on Entertainment Weekly. It is a fairly long clip, but it is worth it near the end to see Stephen Colbert execute a wonderful dance.

The best video game that I have been playing intermittently is "Rock Band". You play with four players--> involving a mic, drums, bass, and guitar. The gameplay is brilliant and surprisingly fun... you ALMOST, almost feel like you are rocking out in a band.

Finally, I love living in Canada, but seeing a musical lineup like this year's 2008 Bonaroo Festival makes me wish I lived in Europe simply to catch the multitude of amazing festivals that go on. Pearl Jam and Metallica? Kanye and Death Cab? I can only dream.

Peace out.

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:21:00 +0000

Last week’s announcement of Heath Ledger’s death was extremely sad. Sad to think that he not only left behind a burgeoning acting career, but a family with a two year old daughter. I really thought after “The Dark Knight”, his career would go off with the Joker bringing him more commercial acclaim. Instead, I think the movie will feel weird to watch at times, much like “The Crow” was, knowing that Brandon Lee died during the filming of the movie. Actually if you brought up the images of both actors, they look eerily similar.

Brandon Lee here:

Heath Ledger here:

The difference here was we knew that Heath Ledger was a great actor and that his potential was just beginning to be met. I enjoyed his turns in “A Knight’s Tale” and “The Patriot” (awful movie though) and his silent turn in “Brokeback Mountain” was heart-breaking. Heath Ledger’s passing is a sad ending for a star that was on the rise.

2007 Music Year in Review

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 07:30:00 +0000

Considering the lateness of this post, one could argue that this may be a list of the best of 2008.

About four years ago, a friend of mine, Chad, started a most exclusive club where we submitted a mix disc of our favourite tracks of the year. It has become a yearly thing that I look forward to as it forces me to reflect on what I have listened to AND gives me the excuse to make a good mix disc. The group has grown to 16 "people" (there are couples involved) and I also enjoy discovering new bands throughout the years (such as LCD Soundsystem, Jason Collett, Peter Bjorn, and a host of others).

So for my first part of my 2008 year in review, I present my track listings and some extended comments. I am quite pleased with my track selection order, because for a short span, the titles start to mirror an abbreviated recap of Britney Spears life in 2007.

I will first list the tracks and if you want to read more about my choices, just scroll down. I have also linked some of the artists so you can sample some of their tracks at their website:

1. Tournament Of Hearts (The Weakerthans) Album: Reunion Tour
2. Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)... (Jay-Z)
Album: American Gangsta Soundtrack
3. Unless It's Kicks (Okkervil River)
Album: The Stage Names
4. Big Casino (Jimmy Eat World)
Album: Chase This Light
5. Intervention (The Arcade Fire)
Album: Neon Bible
6. Reckoner (Radiohead)
Album: In Rainbows
7. Rehab (Amy Winehouse)
Album: Back to Black
8. Hate It Here (Wilco)
Album: Sky Blue Sky
9. No One (Alicia Keys)
Album: As I Am
10. 1 2 3 4 (Feist)
Album: The Reminder
11. Paper Planes (M.I.A.)
Album: Kala
12. Rise (Eddie Vedder)
Album: Into the Wild Soundtrack
13. Long Walk Home (Bruce Springsteen)
Album: Magic
14. All My Friends (LCD Soundsystem)
Album: Sounds of Silver
15. Comfy In Nautica (Panda Bear)
Album: Person Pitch
Guilty Pleasures of 2007:
16. Stronger (Kanye West)
Album: Graduation
17. Umbrella [Feat. Jay-Z] (Rihanna)
Album: Good Girl Gone Bad
18. Don't Shoot Me Santa (The Killers) Click to listen to it.
2007 Christmas Single (

1. Tournament Of Hearts (The Weakerthans)
Album: Reunion Tour
This band is my favourite Canadian band. Their previous release, Reconstruction Site, stands as one of my favourite albums ever. This latest offering has some tasty tracks, with this being my favourite. Seeing how I started curling this year, I appreciate all the nods to curling. I can't get enough of the lyrics "hack weight". I once saw the band at at Burgoo (on 10th Ave) and I rarely get compelled to say anything to celebrities, but my unbridled enthusiasm of seeing the band that I was seeing in concert that night led to one of the most awkward exchanges ever.
Me: "You are the best Canadian band ever."
Them: "Thanks."
Me: "I am seeing your concert tonight."
Them: "Great. (translation: back away from us freak!)
This was followed by a prolonged silence.

2. Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)... (Jay-Z)
Album: American Gangsta Soundtrack
I am not the biggest fan of rap. I enjoy Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, Wu-Tang Clan, and a smattering of others, but I have a hard time taking some of the other current rappers seriously. I have however always enjoyed Jay-Zed. There is something about him. He has sophistication as a rapper and you know you don't want to mess with him. I think I got hooked from his glorious MTV Unplugged outing where he had The Roots backing him up. Just some great music and when Mary J. Blige took the stage with him things got really cranked up. I still haven't seen this movie, but I enjoy the album. This track gets me with the sweet brassy hook. The best MC is back.

3. Unless It's Kicks (Okkervil River)
Album: The Stage Names
I think this album is up there for my album of the year. It has track after kick ass track. This song just starts with a propulsive beat layered with vicious strumming and wailing horns. I cannot stop my feet from tapping when I listen to this track. When the tambourines kick in I have lost all control and am swept up by this solid, solid track. Check out "Our Life is a Movie or Maybe Not" as well.

4. Big Casino (Jimmy Eat World)
Album: Chase This Light
I am not the biggest fan of this band and I think my hangup is with their lame-o band name. I feel like I just can't respect them because of their Jimmy-Neutron-nerdish name. However, this track I can respect which rocks with a ferocious attacking rhythm.

5. Intervention (The Arcade Fire)
Album: Neon Bible
Sometimes you get bowled over by an album that doesn't sound like anything you have heard in a long time. The experience becomes revelatory. I still remember listening to the first album by this band and I just knew that I was hearing something so different yet so familiar, if that makes sense. And then I saw the band live and their performance confirmed that I was witness to something special. With that in mind, it would be quite difficult for their second album, Neon Bible to top their first, Funeral. But through extensive listening, I realized that the new album isn't that bad. I have favourite tracks like "Black Mirror" and "Keep the Car Running", but I always go back to the organ entrance of "Intervention". Just a great build-up and it is one of the tracks that uses Regine Chassagne's vocals in a restrained manner that adds depth to Win Butler's emotional tone. I get annoyed when Chassagne's hyper-Bjork vocals are the focal point and I think this track demonstrates how Arcade Fire should sound when all pistons are firing. I saw them at Deer Lake Park in Burnaby (my third time) and they still put on a raging show. If you like them, make sure you go see them live.

6. Reckoner (Radiohead)
Album: In Rainbows
These guys are probably one of my favourite bands of all time. I mentioned about the struck-by-a-bolt-of-lightning feeling when hearing something so beyond what you are used to, in regards to Arcade Fire. The same could be said about so many of Radiohead's albums with "OK Computer" being the biggest one for me. This album simply cements Radiohead's status as one of the best working bands together. Track after track employs Thom Yorke's vocals as an propelling instrument that intertwines, disappear, and reappears within the structures of Johnny Greenwood's guitars, and Phil Selway's sharp percussion. I can't stop listening to this track, because I find it so haunting and it just lingers within my bones. This album is another sonic experience delivered by one of the best. I think because you can actually make out many of Yorke's lyrics this time out, this album is easily more accessible than some of their previous offerings. Check out "All I Need" and "15 Step" as well.

Come back to Vancouver Radiohead! It has been too long. I have seen them three times which is not enough at all.

7. Rehab (Amy Winehouse)
Album: Back to Black
Her debut album is a blazing, brassy proclamation that someone with a damaged soul needs to bear her rage through vicious renderings of music that recall classic jazz. Upon hearing this album earlier in 2007, I couldn't get it out of my rotation. It is a bit sad now to think about how her lyrics are almost a cry for help. I hope she survives to produce more work and that she is not snuffed out a la Kurt Cobain, a distraught genius that has their personal demons spiraling out of control.

8. Hate It Here (Wilco)
Album: Sky Blue Sky
I am beginning to realize that 2007 was a tremendous year for music. I love love Wilco. I place one of their concerts in my top five of all time. Wilco's "Yankee Foxtrot Hotel", showcased a completely different side of this supposedly alt-rock band. With this album, Wilco gets away from the sonic explorations of "Ghost is Born", their latest album, and offers a much cleaner and understated album. That sounds like a bad thing, but there are some gorgeous tracks on this album. I remember driving down Marine Drive to UBC and the sun peeked over the trees and hit my face and the song "Sky Blue Sky" played on my car stereo and I couldn't help beaming like the very rays of sunshine hitting my face. I picked this track, because the song speaks about ordinary settings, but manages to convey the powerful feeling of loss of a lover.

9. No One (Alicia Keys)
Album: As I Am
I think I am allowed to have one celebrity crush with Mina and Alicia Keys is the one I choose. I remember swooning (can guys swoon?) when I first heard her album "Songs in A Minor". She is beautiful, plays the piano, and her voice... I can't begin to describe how much it can kick some ass. This track shows off her powers and I can't get the beat out of my head.

10. 1 2 3 4 (Feist)
Album: The Reminder
I saw Feist for the second time this year and she did not disappoint. I remember being really sold by the song "1 2 3 4" and that soon became my favourite track off of her album. Then I saw her perform it on Saturday Night Live and I liked it even more. Then it culminated with an appearance on Conan O Brien, where she was backed by people from Broken Social Scene, New Pornographers, and Grizzly Bear. (Maybe the SNL show was after? I forget now). Then in August, her song became attached to the iPod commercials, sending Feist off to the stratosphere, and of course, I became sick of this song. But I still included it, because it was my favourite track off of her excellent sophomore album (I think it is better than "Let it Die").

11. Paper Planes (M.I.A.)
Album: Kala
Her album is hit and miss with me. Some tracks are so weird and some grate on me. But this track is such a disturbing mix of singing children, cash registers “chinging”, and guns firing & loading that I find it completely hypnotic and catchy. Maybe that means I have problems.

12. Rise (Eddie Vedder)
Album: Into the Wild Soundtrack
I think the movie is a tad overrated. And being the biggest Eddie Vedder/Pearl Jam fan, I thought there could have been more tracks of substance, but hearing the ukulele with Vedder's distinctive deep voice, appeals to me in ways that I cannot explain.

13. Long Walk Home (Bruce Springsteen)
Album: Magic
I still have not seen the Boss live. Maybe I will catch him this March. His newest album has a terrible name, but plenty of tracks that show that even at his age, the Boss still knows how to rock.

14. All My Friends (LCD Soundsystem)
Album: Sounds of Silver
The BEST track of the year. I cannot withstand the slow build-up of this track. I once listened to this track five times in a row in the car. The album is also great and I thank whoever introduced me to LCD Soundsystem last year.

15. Comfy In Nautica (Panda Bear)
Album: Person Pitch
It was the year of the bear. There is another band that I couldn't find room (Grizzly Bear) on my best of, and I decided to go with Panda Bear, because their music is a sonic exploration that is challenging and rewarding. I don't like listening to their music in the car. It is the type of the music that you need to sit in a chair for and just allow your mind to drift off into space. I couldn't decide what track to include, but then was forced by the time limits of my CD to include the shortest offering.

Guilty Pleasures of 2007: Everyone has guilty pleasures, tracks that you know are not the best, but you can't get out of your head and then you eventually find yourself humming to it. Mine are:

16. Stronger (Kanye West)
Album: Graduation
I have liked parts of all three of his albums. He has the bravado to come up with some of the silliest rhymes yet he manages to pull them off with his usual verve. I really love the robot beginning of this track and this song is a good pump-up anthem.

17. Umbrella [Feat. Jay-Z] (Rihanna)
Album: Good Girl Gone Bad
I wanted to include Avril's Girlfriend as well, because these two tracks were used as funny gags in "The Office". This song by Rihanna makes no sense. Who thought you could revolve a chorus around the word "umbrella"? This was the dance hit of the summer.

I liked this funny track, because the lyrics crack me up. "Sweet Mojave rain" bit gets me everytime.
18. Don't Shoot Me Santa (The Killers)
2007 Christmas Single

Whew! OK, I have to go to bed. I will gather my strength to get my TV and movie list out sometime before 2008 ends or the writer strike ends. Whichever comes first.

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 03:59:00 +0000

Wow. Where does the time go? I see that I haven't posted anything since December 18th. I had a very restful break, visiting Mina's family down in Atlanta. The Georgia Aquarium is something else and I also got to watch a great basketball game involving the Atlanta Hawks. If I had my druthers, I would have seen the Thrashers and the Falcons as well. Mina put a kibosh on that idea. What is up with all the Atlantaean teams going with birds as their names? I love birds and find them fascinating, but I don't think they make for the greatest sports names. But then again, what do I know? I follow a team called the "Canucks".

Just wanted to let you know that I am currently working on a "Best of 2007" for movies, TV, and music.

Hopefully it will be posted up by this weekend. Take care.

Back in black!

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 06:00:00 +0000

Whew. I hope that the three or four of you that actual read my blog didn't start worrying about my absence. I have finished my last Masters assignment for this winter term. I must say it was quite an intensive term and now I only have TWO more classes left.

Unfortunately, I have a stack of marking staring at me that has piled up since my two week focus on my school work. *sigh* Only three more days of class.

Let's see, not a lot of TV out there. I got so desperate last week that I ended up watching one episode of Deal or No Deal. Sad isn't it?

Our hockey team is a smashing success right now and the guys are playing well. I am proud to be the third leading scorer on the team. Check out my stats. Watch out Vancouver Canucks here I come. I do find that in the third year of hockey that I have improved a bit. One day I will have a slapshot. One day.

I am pretty tired and I will be flying to Atlanta to stay with Mina's family (her brother lives there). I will be taking in one Atlanta Hawks game, where the tickets are ridiculously cheap. I wish I had time to see a Thrashers game as well, but we only have time to see one game. I will also try to visit the Coca-Cola factory wearing all Pepsi paraphernalia. I also hope to bump into Ted Turner and give him my best "This is CNN." impression.

I am pretty beat tired so I leave you with these three links.

The first one is to the NEW Batman trailer. I cannot remember the last time I anticipated a movie like this. Maybe Return of the King?

The next one is the sweet international poster they have released for the movie.

Lastly, this is a sweet little video (thanks EW magazine!) involving Snape, Dumbledore, Harry, Ron, and Hermoine as puppets. You have to check it out.

Hope all of you are well in respective lands.

More "Dark Knight" madness...

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 05:35:00 +0000

This is one of the coolest teaser trailer posters I have seen in a long time.

Inspirational Speech...

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 06:32:00 +0000

I was just reading excerpts from The Sports Guy's length 8 hour marathon chat session on ESPN and it linked to this great speech from Jim Valvano, the former coach of NC State, who upset University of Houston (Hakeen the Dream!) in the 1983 NCAA tourney.

Jim Valvano had cancer when he gave this speech accepting the ESPY Arthur Ashe Award in 1993. I remember seeing a clip of it (we didn't get ESPN live feeds back then) and after viewing it again, it is a nice reminder of the things that are important in our lives. Enjoy.

Click here.

Juicy Pic of the Joker...

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 04:16:00 +0000

I have always liked comic books. There I said it. In the year of the geek, an announcement like this is nothing to be ashamed of. Before I continue, I would like to be clear that I love books. I love reading. I enjoy good literature.

However, I always thought comics were unjustifiably put down by the general public. I only really got into comics in grade seven. That was the year when Batman The Movie came out. The one directed by Tim Burton. The one with the comical Joker played by Jack Nicholson. The one that I thought miscast Michael Keaton, but after viewing the movie, thought that he did a good job. I remember going to see that movie with my dad and afterwards he bought me a graphic novel called "The Dark Knight Returns".

This story written by Frank Miller (of "300" and "Sin City" fame) was about Batman returning back as a old man set in an apocalyptic future set in Gotham City. I never knew comics could be so dark and create such a complex story full of character development. Miller's Batman was an enigma, wracked with psychological despair from witnessing his parent's murder. Through the rejuvenation of his crime fighting career, we witness Batman's unwavering vision of his truth ultimately juxtaposed against the American virtues embodied by Superman. Plus Batman and Superman's fight kicks some massive butt.

There are so many complex issues tackled in this seminal work in terms of graphic novels. The grim tone and story structure has been mimicked and aped by so many other comic writers since.

I know comics are purely fantasy, but the best comics tackle the same sort of themes that, dare I say, Shakespeare does. Doing the right thing? Spiderman. Prejudice? X-Men. Tragic love? Daredevil and Elektra. It is no mistake that some of today's most popular shows are simply stealing ideas from comics. And the popularity of shows like Lost and Heroes, simply proves that the themes from comics speak to people. And the improvement of special effects has allowed the visions of Stan Lee (this guy is THE MAN when it comes to comics... can you believe he created The Fantastic Four, Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, X-Men AND Spiderman... what a resume!) to flourish on the screen. Spiderman and X-men proved to be a box office hit.

Which brings me to "Batman Begins". The Batman franchise was ruined by Joel Schumacher and no one remembers the ugly mess that involved George Clooney as Batman. I mean, that Batman suit had nipples! When I learned that Christopher Nolan was restarting the franchise I was excited. When Christian Bale was cast as Bruce Wayne, I became very eager to see this movie. It did not disappoint. "Batman Begins" took a nod from the dark tones of "The Dark Knight Returns" and presented a troubled character who would become a hero. An obsessed person who wanted to make sure his brand of vigilante justice was applied to the criminals of Gotham City. It was the type of Batman movie I had always wanted to see. I liked how Batman wasn't a Boy Scout like Superman. I liked how Christopher Nolan clearly knew he was making a comic book movie, but rooted it an environment that seemed perfectly plausible that a guy with a cape could exist.

"Batman Begins" is my favourite superhero movie. I could go on and on about all the nuances that I love about this movie. I am highly excited for next summer's "Dark Knight" the sequel to "Batman Begins". I love that Christopher Nolan and the rest of the cast are back. I find the title perfect. And I highly anticipate that Joker will be the evil, psychotic villain that I read about, not the campy version portrayed by Jack Nicholson.

This entire blog is a roundabout way to say that you have to check out this picture that shows the promise that "Dark Knight" will not disappoint. Heath Ledger as Joker looks simply too cool.

I will now unplug my geekiness and return to my normal life.

Greatest Band Halftime show ever...

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 22:12:00 +0000

Just stumbled across this halftime show by the band from Cal.

See if you can recognize the different games... I believe there are six of them. The only problem with the video is it is filmed from the wrong side of the field.

(Click on the title of this blog for the link)

Alternative choices...

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 23:53:00 +0000

Hello everyone out there. I hope your American Thanksgiving was swell. I only wish I could have participated in the Black Friday shopping madness.

I am getting a little nervous after realizing the writer's strike is sucking humour out of my life. Thursday brought no new episodes of 30 Rock, The Office, and My Name is Earl. I feel especially bad for 30 Rock, because it had the makings of a MVP season. I liken it to the baseball strike back in 1994 when the Montreal Expos were in first place. The strike occurred and the franchise was never the same. Bye bye Pedro. Bye bye Larry. Good-bye Expos.

I hope 30 Rock can continue the magic.

I feel the threat of no new television episodes on the horizon, which would mean I would have to find something else to fill my time. I came up with a possible list of what that may entail:

1) Phone people I haven't talked to in a long time. Come to the realization that I can actual interact with real people that were formerly important to me.
2) Use email instead to contact those "friends" after they repeatedly ignore my calls.
3) Contact former students and try to hang out with them.
4) Follow those same former students around in my car after they avoid me for weeks on end.
5) Go watch a movie instead. That "Enchanted" movie looks attractive, only because McDreamy is in it. And I just wrote that, so I could write "McDreamy", which I think is one of the stupidest monikers of all time. Does that even make sense? How does McDonald's and someone who is hot, come together? I don't want to think of lard and fat when thinking about someone that is hot.
6) Take up knitting.
7) Build a gingerbread house. Then eat it. I like this one.
8) Write my pointless thoughts and drivel out in a communicative form that sporadically appears on the Internet.
9) Wonder if ABC and Pushing Daisies, purposely putting their female leads into costumes to show major amounts of cleavage, has anything to do with why I might enjoy HiDef so much?
10) Keep carefully protecting my Markus Naslund voodoo doll, which is solely responsible for his returning scoring touch.

Ciao!

Enjoying your long weekend...

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 01:30:00 +0000

Hope all of you are doing well on this long weekend. Remembrance Day is one of my favourite times, because I love reading about all of the stories of people who had so much courage in difficult times. It saddens me to think that there are not many surviving WWII veterans. I always feel a bit emotional reading all of the different celebrations across Canada and I wonder if I wisely use the freedoms afforded to me.

From "freedom" to "free", I have been reading about intellectual property, especially when it comes to music. If you want a good read try reading about this one person's view about the music industry and the shut down of the #1 file sharing site Oink's.

Another good article is one published by a music industry guy from three years back.

Enjoy if you have some free time to spare.

Long time no post...

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 03:22:00 +0000

Sorry I haven't written anything in awhile. I was sick all weekend feeling BLAH. Probably from all the candy that I stole from all the kids trick or treating during Halloween.

Also, time will be freed up after the jr boys volleyball season winds down. I think I may be up for coach of the year after having a winless season until last week, where we managed to win two games (there are only five teams in the district!) and somehow end up with the third seed in playoffs due to a tiebreak won because of sets won. This meant we avoided an extra playoff game and entered into the playoffs against the #2 seed. We hadn't beaten Burnaby North all year and we dropped the first two sets in the best of five. Somehow we stormed back to win three straight and now on Friday we are playing the number 1 seed for all the marbles.

OK that was a complex paragraph to explain what I have been up to.

Just thought I would update a couple of things that I have been watching and then I will try to do a nice big post this upcoming long weekend. (I have such a soft spot for Remembrance Day... I hope we can continue to honour so many of the true heroes from the past.)

Sunday:
Desperate Housewives: I personally think this has been a great season, much like season 1. There have been pretty good subplots and all the women are in fine form. The big bonus is Susan Myers is not annoying this year, but rather goofy in an endearing way. Every time I see Eva Longoria, I wonder how Tony Parker can even focus on basketball.

Monday:
Heroes: This week it finally turned a corner by presenting the big problem. The only nice connection was Peter and Adam (Kensei) at the end. Is it too late to save this show? Ratings have plummeted and fans have been angry. For sure, this show is in a sophomore jinx. I used to be eager to polish off an episode of Heroes. Not anymore.

Chuck: Glad to see that they talked about Chuck's past with Bryce. Superb choice using my favourite Oasis song, "Don't Look Back in Anger". I like this show. Now will anyone join me in the Morgan Must Go Club?

How I Met Your Mother: I still watch this show because of Barney, but I find I don't laugh out loud like other comedies. Still amusing and the writing pulls of quirky plot transitions and time elapses.

Tuesday:
House: I know some people are growing tired of this show, but this is one show that makes me laugh out loud. I really wish there were more House and Wilson moments, but this week's episode with the double entendres and CIA lies were precious. Thoroughly enjoying this show still.
Pushing Daisies: Where was it this week? Best new show on TV.

Wednesday:
Bionic Woman: BORING! I am done with this show. Nuff said.
Reaper: Getting a bit better. I did like how the Devil was depressed on Halloween.
Gossip Girl: Still my guilty pleasure. Except can shows stop doing the cliche "Mask Party"? Do people really get confused when someone is covering their eyes? Is it that tough to not notice that someone is not your sister? "Hey look I am wearing a mask! Of course you don't know it is me." Enough of this masquerade! (You know you are sick when you start chuckling at your own puns).

Thursday:
MY FAVOURITE NIGHT...

My Name is Earl: Just a rollicking good ride.
The Office: Last week's 30 minute episode felt tighter. This show always delivers the goods.
30 Rock: THE BEST COMEDY that you are not watching. Alec Baldwin is genius. Give him the Emmy after last episode's crazy monologue. I never was a fan of his, but I am now.
Scrubs: It's back! I haven't watched it yet! I am going to keep using exclamations to make a point that is really not there!
Ugly Betty: I really enjoy the Betty-Rocco dynamic and actually good ole Henry is starting to grate on me. He seems like a wuss. More John Cho! And I never thought that Vanessa Williams could be so good in a role. She absolutely nails her character Wilhemina Slater.

Friday:
Friday Night Lights: Landry, Landry, Landry! Landry's storyline was going well and then I forgot about the unspeakable act that he committed. Then I remembered and thought "Damn there goes all the goodwill this show was building back up after a false start to this season." Still I do enjoy my FNL and I think I got Mina hooked after last episode's great arc.

TTYL IMO BFF BRB LOL JK MTFBWY

Rob out.

Pop Junk...

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 05:53:00 +0000

There was a great post from someone anonymous from a couple of days back:

"Hmmm great article, but really Rob, Sadness and anger over things that are so trivial in the greater scheme.. You are talking about TV shows, sporting events, music and movies.. They are merely forms of entertainment. When you wake up the next morning, have they really changed your life? I know you love them and they do create suspense and excitement, but what about anticipation vs reality when it comes to important stuff.. love, family, dreams? Its when the reality of these don't live up to the anticipation that you truly experience sadness and anger. All these forms of media are created just to mildly amuse us as we go through out day to day lives.."

This person is quite correct that all these are "trivial in the greater scheme". I hope that this person doesn't think that I do not have dreams and passion for the more important things in life. The reason I call this site "Pop junk" is because I am wholly aware that all of this is junk.

However, after thinking about this all day, I think these media creations do add a nice dimension to my life and I am not ashamed to admit that. Is it OK for me to recognize that these things are trivial yet they can still challenge and shape my life in small ways? I can vividly remember going to my first movie with my parents (Snow White) and the entire experience of viewing that movie with my family is still fresh in my mind. Movies were a way that my family could come together. I can remember with clarity the first time I saw Star Wars in a small dark gym during a summer day camp in Comox. The movie jumped out of the TV and into my fertile mind. I credit that moment with pushing me into sciences (I became fascinated by the real night sky) and developing my imagination (I became a voracious reader of all types of books). Movies and books challenged me to think critically and to observe different environments that I could not be a part of. Pop culture is often devoid of deeper resonant meaning and I am fully aware of that. You can't beat real life. I can't think of better moments when I interact with the students I teach everyday, or the moments when my fiance smiles at me accepting me for who I am. I can't wait to become a father.

So where does that leave me at this moment? Take music for example. There are so many songs out there that I can pin to moments in my life, moments where I need to just listen to cope with what was going on, or moments of pure ecstatic joy in being in the moment of that song. If music disappeared I know my life would be altered, but it would go on.

I know the world won't end if the Canucks don't win the Cup. If television disappeared I would be able to survive. But I don't know if I necessarily agree that all pop culture exists to "mildly amuse us as we go through out day to day lives". I think at times, even pop junk, like great works of art can go beyond the mildly amusing. I recognize that pop culture is not a necessity. But I am not ashamed to admit that I like it. My statements of anticipation and disappointment I guess need to be taken into context. These sort of feelings I feel towards things within pop culture do not equate to the real things in life, but they are still feelings that I experience on a lesser scale.

I wish I was more articulate with what I want to exactly express. Instead, I leave you with two decent articles about pop culture from Stephen King:

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20056512,00.html

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20050107,00.html

Take care everyone.

Serial Killers...

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 03:01:00 +0000

So I have been still watching the following new shows:

Pushing Daisies
Bionic Woman
Gossip Girl
Reaper
Chuck

I have already wrote about how I like Gossip Girl. Pushing Daisies has quickly become a quirky hit in my books. The production and the set designs are gorgeous to look at while the many characters from Chuck (another Chuck?) to Olive to Ned have great personalities and tremendous chemistry with each other.

I am close to giving Bionic Woman the heave-ho. The characters on the show do too many bone-headed things and there are just too many holes in the storylines. I am a fan of Lucy Hale, the younger sister of Bionic Woman, but I am not a fan of much anything else.

Bionic Woman, Reaper, and Chuck all suffer from the scared mentality of networks these days. Too many networks are afraid of creating serialized shows, because it is hard for new viewers to join plus a lot of money is lost if these shows become syndicated.

Reaper is getting repetitive with the find-the-lost-soul every episode. Ray Wise absolutely kills as Satan, but this show is losing steam after such a good premise.

Chuck is all over the place. I do enjoy this one, except I really am annoyed by Chuck's friend Morgan. He is simply not that funny. I will also vomit in my shoe, a gross proposition, if Morgan and Chuck's sister start dating each other. I mean the show can't get rid of Captain Awesome can they? Chuck also suffers from one off episodes. I wish they could pull everything together by introducing a big baddie to give the show a bit more direction.

Maybe all three of these shows could take a page out of House's book. House manages to tackle different patients every episode, yet there is a running storyline from episode to episode. If only Reaper, Chuck, and Bionic Woman could have some of the witty dialogue that makes House such a joy to watch.

Of the three new ones, I think I will stick with Chuck for longer than the others. My excitement is judged by which shows I want to watch immediately off of my PVR. Reaper and Bionic Woman are the episodes that I always have left over.

Anticipation vs Reality: How Heroes has fallen

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 07:29:00 +0000

The anticipation of something new or something that you look forward to can overwhelm your thoughts. The sense of anticipation slows down time and every mundane minute feels like one long episode of America’s Next Top Model: it is never going to end. While time slows to a crawl, every human sense becomes heightened and more aware. The smell of bacon in the morning becomes sharper. The taste of orange juice becomes tarter. The humming of the fridge becomes louder. The colours of the newspaper print becomes brighter. It is like every cell in your body is alerted to the anticipation of a particular event and every ounce of your being is geared and focused to welcome the sensation of being in that moment.

I have noticed over my short lifetime that very rarely does the anticipation match reality. The anticipating is much more exciting than the participating. I bring forth the evidence:

1) Whenever you crave your favourite meal or food, you can go all day thinking about that meal, but when you finally sit down to eat, the actual experience is a bit dull in contrast to the mental drooling that preceded.

2) The anticipation of going on a date rarely matches the date itself. You can spend all day wondering how things are going to go, what the person is going to be like, and often those expectations are too hard to match. Dates more often than not fizzle immediately at the start. I am so glad that I don’t have to make my way through the dating scene anymore.

3) As a young boy during Christmas, I would work myself into a frenzy wondering what gifts I was about to receive. The anticipation of what was under the shimmering gift wrap was beyond the elation I felt when I actually laid my eyes on my present.

4) I have patiently anticipated every new Vancouver Canuck season during the summer. Thoughts of how the team would perform or who would do what or what it would feel like if the Canucks raised the Cup rarely matched the fleeting moments of joy that were felt during the season. I was crushed after waiting all summer to see Igor Larionov and Vladimir Krutov play for our team. I was crushed after waiting all summer to see Alexander Mogilny play with Pavel Bure for our team. I was crushed after waiting to see Mark Messier play for our team. I was crushed by disappointment of experiencing my first Stanley Cup playoff game in 1994, game 3 versus the New York Rangers, in a game which saw Pavel Bure score on a breakaway only later to be kicked out of the game because of him throwing an elbow, which then was proceeded by the Brian Leetch and Alexei Kovalev show (where Kovalev absolutely undressed Kirk McLean). I had anticipated this game for so long. I was crushed by the many fruitless years of Dan Cloutier, Todd Bertuzzi, Markus Naslund, and Brenda Morrison. I waited through long regular seasons anticipating a great playoff run only to be crushed by continual underachievement.

4) I was disappointed by the fourth Star Wars movie. I had waited forever wondering what this new movie would look like. I had been traveling Europe during the summer it was released and after a long flight home from Portugal, my friends picked me up from the Vancouver airport and we drove straight to Silvercity Richmond to watch the Phantom Menace. Suffice to say my enormous anticipation of this movie could not be matched (let’s just ignore the unhealthy amount of devotion I have to Star Wars).

5) Often our expectations cannot hope to survive because we expect more. Something new can catch us off guard because we had no previous expectations. The second time through we have preconceptions and demand similar results. Nowhere is this more evident than in music. I wonder if a band can possibly follow up a great album with another great one, simply because our expectations are different. I remember listening to every single track off of Pearl Jam’s Ten back in grade ten. I was flush with excitement for their second album in grade eleven. I remember my friends and I bought the CD at A&B Sound during lunch and we immediately went to my friend’s house to listen to the entire album (*ahem* that did not mean I missed school). VS was a decent album, but it was no Ten. And looking back fourteen years, what I remember clearly is not actually listening to the tracks. I vividly recall continuous discussions about Pearl Jam leading up to the release date. I remember the elaborate planning involved for acquiring the disc. I even remember which friend’s house we went to listen. I can even recollect the exact moment where we pulled up into his driveway in a white Sprint. Anticipation can be that powerful.

I deal with disappointment in two ways. I get depressed or I get angry. I got depressed after the Canucks lost game seven in the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. I was so forlorn that I went straight home from the Pacific Coliseum thus missing the riots that my friends got to see firsthand. I got angry after the new Star Wars trilogy was finished. I lament all those times bands like Guns N Roses, Weezer, The Killers, and Radiohead failed to follow through on their newest offerings. Damn Guns N Roses! Appetite For Destruction was amazing. Use Your Illusions I & II could have been put together into one album.

The second season of Heroes has been one major disappointment. The sense of anticipation of the season 1 finale was much too great. I don’t think the show could have ever delivered something big enough in that final hour. The actual finale episode was a big letdown, and that air has continued to hiss out of this show well into five episodes this year. Kristen Bell’s appearance in the latest episode was underwhelming. There are too many storylines that are going on at once and there is no focus to the show. Snippets of a plot here and there has caused this show to meander. No longer do we get a sense of elation of discovering character’s powers as they themselves discover what the can do. There is very little intrigue or mystery. Most of the time I am asking myself "What the heck is going on?" out of confusion. I am almost at the point that I no longer care about any of the characters.

Hiro is trapped in feudal Japan, but really he is trapped a storyline that is boring and offers no compelling moments considering Hiro had the majority of those sort of moments last year. HRG does not seem as sinister. Mohinder still sucks. Parkman now seems like a wimpy character to scared to take charge. Sylar doesn’t scare me. I could go on and on about the failings of this season. I thought the show may have rounded a corner last week, but so many plotlines are still in disarray.

Last year this show took charge by using conventional comic book storylines that had a freshness to it, because there wasn’t anything like this scale being down on television. Last year established some great characters with some really cool powers. All that goodwill and great foundation that was laid last year has been swept away by the winds of disappointment. My anticipation of this second season was maybe too high. The reality of these episodes makes me yearn for last year’s newness and originality. I don’t know if there are enough heroes to save this mess of a show.

PS
One of the few things that I can remember that exceeded my expectations were the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I was a huge fan of the books and I loved the first movie. Each movie thereafter managed to wow me and surpass all expectations I had. My anticipation for the Return of the King was astronomical and the movie delivered in spades.

The Office: Halloween Heartbreak

noreply@blogger.com (RSK) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:55:00 +0000

As a teacher, I have no idea what is really running through the minds of the students I teach. I have no idea what drama my students are in the midst of. I have no idea of the pain and hurt that they may be in. I can only relate thinking back to my days in high school and remembering how certain events seemed so dramatic for me at the time.

I remember one particular instance around Halloween in grade twelve. I had the biggest crush on one girl for a long time. I remember thinking that a relationship was going to work out (finally!), but it got derailed. I remember acutely how I was distraught, devastated, and angry that things didn’t work out. I was bitter and I clearly remember aimlessly walking the streets in the rain, not knowing what to do next.

I look back now thirteen years later and chuckle at how crazy I must have seemed back then. To me, it seemed like my world was ending and that the hurt inside myself threatened to cause me to explode. Now, I wish I could tell my younger self that it was not the end of the world, that I could survive this minor episode of my life. Even though the constant buzz in my head would rattle me and everything else around me seemed less important, I would rebound.

I was reminded about all this as I watched The Office last Thursday. These one hour episodes have allowed for the writers to explore many of the characters in a deeper manner. At times, the one hour episodes have sagged under the strain of stretching silly plots for far too long. But this last episode was full of comedy and sorrow. And sometimes the best comedy arises out of pain and sorrow, something that The Office has done so well over the last two seasons (see anything involving Michael or Pam/Jim’s storyline). Dwight Schrute has been a crazy character at times that has been played for much comedic relief. We all anticipate his over the top antics and this episode was full of them. His bed and breakfast farm experience was classical Schrute: weird and disturbing. But this episode also managed to speak about love and the pain that it can bring sometimes. Dwight was a shell of himself and simply destroyed by the loss of Angela. His painful moaning in the stairwell was humourous, yet we could feel his anguish. Then Jim, reaching out to his mortal enemy, succinctly summed up what the feeling of love denied feels like. Jim was right that food doesn’t taste right and it becomes difficult to even be around the person. Jim ran away from Pam, because he couldn’t bear the thought of her getting married. Jim’s wise words brought Dwight out of his stupor and Dwight actually reached out to get a hug from Jim, who had already disappeared.

The brilliance of The Office is in the midst of over-the-top comedy, they can reveal nuggets of truth about life. The next scene where Dwight marches back into The Office and proceeds to clear Jim’s stuff off his desk with a ruler, while making a call to a prospective paper buyer, is one of the reasons I love this show. Dwight was back and the loss of a loved one would not ruin his life. We all get stronger from experiences that bring us pain. We just need to deal with it and move on to the next chapter in our lives.

Many years after grade 12, Halloween would bring a certain jabbing pain as a reminder of what I thought I had “endured” around that time. As time passed, the pain subsided and all that was left was a faint impression of what had occurred before. Sure there would be more love lost and heartbreak through the years, but each relationship or failed relationship only added more dimensions to my life. Now, Halloween brings a smile to my face, not because of the candy, but because it was around this time, three years ago, that I, dressed up as Harry Potter, met my fiancé at a UBC Halloween party. Jim has found love with Pam and there moments are good. I have found love and life is good (sorry to rip you off LG). There will always be hope for all us Dwight Schrutes of the world.

(Feel free to throw up at the end of my last paragraph if you wish… but it is a true story)