TFS - Week 6

I'm still trying to play catch-up here so I am now revealing what film we watched in my class for two weeks ago. If I'm on top of things, I'll reveal last week's film either tomorrow or Thursday. The benefits from waiting an extra week, though, is that I have the post-viewing discussion we have the week after each film fresh in my mind.

So... I will begin by telling you that we were, for the first and definately not the last time, searched before entering the theater. Everybody had to have bags searched, pockets emptied and had to be waved over by that baton thingy (no not a lightsaber). This will be a common occurrance for the more mainstream, big production movies we will see this year in order to make sure this film isn't somehow pirated. Since we've been seeing either previously released films or documentaries or foreign films, we haven't had to experience this yet. So we knew we were in for something big. Unfortunately we had to wait until over an hour after the class was supposed to start because the searches took so long. As it turned out 3 out of the 4 security personnel got lost and so we had one guy to search a class of 300+.

Eventually we started and after watching an amusing 'Our Gang' short entitled, "Framing Youth" we started in on our feature film: "Be Cool" the sequel to "Get Shorty". (Wow there's a lot of links in that sentence!) Check out the trailer here!

Now since I'm sure some of you will this movie more so than the others I've seen, so I will spare you the details, but I will give you my opinion of it. Overall, I thought it was funny and enjoyable but by no means was it a good movie. My stance on it is boarderline; there are parts worth seeing and parts worth avoiding so you'll have to determine whether you really want to see this film. It's very character driven, and I think that this is a role that John Travolta pulls off well. Uma Thurman, however, seems like wasted talent in this film and Vince Vaughn is funny at first and then becomes very annoying. However, Cedric the Entertainer and Andre Benjamin are hilarious together and if you were to see this movie, see it for The Rock, because he is wonderful in his role. I won't divulge secrets, but there was a part of the film that made the entire theater of students applaude. The rest is cameo after cameo, etc. and the story tries to be too many things at once and eventually becomes too long in the end. My advice would be to only see this movie if either:

a) You're going with a big group of people who you know will enjoy this sort of thing, because the more people you can laugh along with, the better.

b) You're going to be making comments throughout the entire movie to the person sitting next to you (preferably a friend over a stranger).

c) You desperately want to see a film in theaters and you don't want to see pure crap (just look at what's currently playing in most theaters)

or
d) All of the above.

Because I was making comments through most of the movie, I really enjoyed myself. After the film we talked with two of the main producers, Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher. The discussion had little to do with the actual movie and focused mostly on what producers do and how they do it. Since this duo has produced several big movies they were rather helpful in giving insight to their field. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what a producer does, I can sum it up in one word: EVERYTHING. Any part of the film aspect that occurs, a producer can be there to give creative assistance or help provide finances, etc. If you want more specifics, ask me and I'll tell you.

The most important thing I learned from their discussion is that you don't need to have specific training to be a producer, just have a well-rounded knowledge of the movie industry and know how to get things done. They mentioned a little test they like to give to people who say they want to be in the film industry: they name 10 directors, past and present and ask you to name a film done by that director. If you can get through most of the 10, knowing the important ones like Orson Welles directing "Citizen Kane" then you'll make it. Suddenly afterwards, I was filled with an inspiration to become a producer, funny how that works.

So I've decided to do a little test, to see how director savvy my readers are. It's my own top nine directors quiz (nine not ten because I'm only allowed a limited number of questions). I didn't look up any directors I had never heard of before so I'm not cheating, but I will be pleasantly surprised if I get someone who goes 10 for 10. My only advice is that you please don't just cheat and look up directors on the internet because you're not testing your knowledge and don't get anything out of it. However, if I can legitemately determine that you have answered all 10 questions correctly, then I will award you 1 Christ point. So give it a shot and I'll post your results next week, using IMDB as my reference source, if I need it.

Top Ten Films of 2004

So here it is: my official Top Ten Movies of 2004. I spent long and hard thinking of creative things to say about each film and tried my best to think of something I liked and disliked about each film. The former was much easier than the latter and I feel that some of the dislikes are rather petty and don’t really have any significance to the list, but it was a nice challenge to come up with an argument for each film. So without further ado….

10. Team America: World Police
America’s favorite South Park duo team up to lampoon today’s society through marionettes. With effects straight out of an action figure commercial and the absurd humor found on South Park, it’s hard not to enjoy the absurdity of this film. Two words: Puppet Sex!
Why it should be higher: I seriously laughed my ass off during this film and consider it my favorite comedy of the year. I exited the theater hoarse and about 10 pounds lighter.
Why it should be lower: There are a lot of other good films on the bubble below that are equally as fascinating: “Life Aquatic” “Shaun of the Dead” and the new Harry Potter.
Memorable Moment: There are so many, but I’d have to say the pumas. (You’d have to have seen it to get it)

9. Hotel Rwanda
I didn’t know what to expect when I saw this movie and when I learned it was about genocide, it sorta turned me off. But once I got into the film I found it gripping and very suspenseful. It is not so much a genocide story as it is an individual story surrounded by genocide.
Why it should be higher: Don Cheadle gives an absolutely amazing performance in this film; my favorite of the year. This alone improves the quality of the film.
Why it should be lower: It’s hard to put this any lower than it already is. Some people thought that the lack of violence made it not as strong, but personally I didn’t want to see more than I had.
Memorable Moment: Don Cheadle’s breakdown while tying his tie.

8. Kill Bill Vol. 2
The second segment of the film that earned my top spot last year for movies seen was in some regards better than the first and in other regards lesser. This was the more plot driven half to complete Vol.1 in making one amazing movie overall. Whereas the first one was a samurai kung-fu film, this became a spaghetti western with swords.
Why it should be higher: Tarantino has a way with story-telling both in his scripts and his directing, which is wonderfully displayed in this movie.
Why it should be lower: It’s not as action-packed as the first, which loses some of its initial aura and because it is a continuation movie, it works best with Vol.1 than by itself.
Memorable Moment: Uma Thurman walking into a diner in the middle of the night covered in dust and dirt, asking for a glass of water.

7. Finding Neverland
Johnny Depp surprises me yet again with his versatility in his portrayal of James Barrie, playwright of “Peter Pan”. It somewhat reminded me of “Big Fish” in the way that it is very playful despite being a dramatic work. And Depp’s accent kept reminding me of Mike Myers in “So I Married an Axe-Murderer”.
Why it should be higher: The acting by Johnny Depp and Freddie Highmore, who played Peter, were just wonderful. The kids, especially, were so fun and made the movie just so enjoyable to watch.
Why it should be lower: It didn’t carry the same weight that the other major dramas did and it wasn’t playful enough for the comedies. It fits right in between both at times, making it not as strong in comparison.
Memorable Moment: The play that Peter wrote being performed by all four Davies boys.

6. The Incredibles
Is it just me or do the Pixar films surpass a great movie with an even better one every year? Just when I thought “Finding Nemo” took the cake after “Monsters Inc.” they had to make this film, which was even better than its predecessors. The James Bond-formula works well in animation and this movie gets it right for both kids and adults. Now I’m intrigued at how their next film “Cars” will stack up.
Why it should be higher: Pixar movies have consistently been getting better each year and this one is the best of them all. “Finding Nemo” was fourth overall on last year’s list and this should expect nothing less.
Why it should be lower: Because this is a kid-focused movie, as all Pixar movies are, the story aims to this audience, with more focus spent on the family relationships and some campy moments than desired.
Memorable Moment: “Every time someone runs, you take a shot.”

5. Sideways
The top 5 films were the hardest to arrange because each one of these deserve to be number one. This, of course, includes “Sideways” where Lowell from “Wings” and Tony Clifton team up in wine country. It’s the small things that allow this film to work, and it made me want to pour myself a glass of Pinot Noir after watching it.
Why it should be higher: Paul Giamiatti. He is the loveable loser that we all hope to never become, but still love all the same. This movie hits close to home with my “wine expert” family and our own wine tasting adventures.
Why it should be lower: A little too much middle-aged nudity for my liking. To make matters worse, it was all middle-aged male nudity.
Memorable Moment: Thomas Haden Church charging two guys in a golf cart wielding a golf club.

4. The Aviator
A biopic of Howard Hughes that showed just how crazy he really was and how the crazier he got, the more determined he became to become great. Leonardo Di Caprio does a wonderful job of portraying Hughes from a young heir of millions to an older tycoon of billions. I think he would have also been great in a spelling bee: “Quarantine; Q-U-A-R-A-N-T-I-N-E; Quarantine.”
Why it should be higher: Martin Scorsese captures the sights and sounds of Hughes generation and provides captivating cinematography. Cate Blanchett pulled off Katharine Hepburn nicely too without making it seem like she was just doing an impression.
Why it should be lower: Too long and drawn out, though somewhat necessary. It is a bit of a turn-off for some to sit through a 3-hour plus film. A shortened plot would probably have not been as draining.
Memorable Moment: Airplane crash into a residential neighborhood that nearly killed Howard.

3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
I know I’ve always wanted to forget certain people and this movie shows us both the good and the bad consequences of this process. I loved the backwards story-telling that took place with the memories of Clementine getting more pleasant and heartfelt as the movie went on. Another great screenplay by Charlie Kaufman.
Why it should be higher: Brilliant acting, story, directing, music, etc. My unanimous favorite by the end of summer and just the presence of David Cross makes me laugh.
Why it should be lower: Charlie Kaufman movies are an acquired taste and have a different pace than most movies, which at times can be brilliant but at others seem confusing or disorganized.
Memorable Moment: “I’m building a birdhouse!” – David Cross

2. Million Dollar Baby
It was tough to pick the best drama of 2004, but I finally narrowed it down to this film that is more than just a boxing film (which I’m sure those who haven’t seen have heard ad nauseum). It contains all of the right elements in a simplistic but effective nature. It’s funny when it wants to be and serious when it has to be and what happens in the end is very heartfelt and bittersweet.
Why it should be higher: The performances of the actors amidst the situations of the plot are unlike any other on this list (with the exception of Don Cheadle). Each sequence is done right and everything looks well-made.
Why it should be lower: Having Morgan Freeman as the narrator reminded me of “The Shawshank Redemption” and after awhile it felt stale because I had seen this trick before.
Memorable Moment: Clint Eastwood’s eventual decision in the end, and that’s all I’m saying.

1. Garden State
When I first saw this film, before most people had, I knew I had just watched an amazing film. It really speaks to my generation with people still trying to figure their lives out and searching for purpose. What really propels this into the number one spot is the overall balance it has over the other movies, with not only a great story and acting to match, but with a soundtrack that speaks for itself, wonderful visual shots and visual humor, and some sincere moments that I just love. My number one film isn’t necessarily the best film on this list, but just the film I enjoyed the most.
Why it should be lower: What bothers me now about this film is how popular it has now become with people here constantly talking about it. This ruins one of the reasons I enjoyed the movie, when it still was not mainstream and felt like a hidden gem.
Memorable Moment: There are so many, but when Zach Braff is at the doctor’s office being tested and has marker all over his body is particularly enjoyable.

Movie Survey Results

The Oscars are tomorrow and so before Hollywood annouces who their winners are, I would like to annouce the results the the movie survey that so many of you participated in. The purpose behind this survey was to help me formulate my own Top Ten Movies from 2004, and I will post that list tomorrow. But it was more than just that, it was a chance for me to see how people rated not only the movies under my consideration, but also their take on movies or aspects of movies released in 2004. And so I will show the results to all of the questions asked and explain how the data was synthesized. Also note that my results are included in this data, though not biased in any way.

The first set of data I would like to show is the 'Percent Seen' chart, which shows what percentage of people saw each movie on the list. Eighteen participants answered this segment and revealed that the most seen movie of 2004 was in fact "Napoleon Dynamite", whereas the least seen was "Hotel Rwanda". The remaining results can be seen in this figure.

Moving on to the Top 12 rankings of the movies under my consideration for my Top 10, I received rankings from 15 people and found three ways to analyze the data.

Method #1: I took the rankings as they were posted on the survey site from each voter. These results are unchanged and not manipulated. The average ranking of each movie was taken and from this average the movies were ranked accordingly. This ranking is referred to as the Rated ranking.

Method #2: After several tests had been made, I was receiving complaints from people who didn't find it fair to rate a movie they had never seen or heard anything about before. Therefore, another analysis was done taking the movies seen for each person and their top 12 ranking and creating for each person a new ranking. I simply looked at how they rated the movies they had seen with each other, assuming that the movies they did see were rated comparatively with one another regardless of those they hadn't seen. So new ranks were assigned to the movies for each person, with zeros in place of the movies they had not seen. Then the averages of each poll was taken for each movie and a new ranking was assigned to the movies. This new ranking is now referred to as the Pollster's ranking.

Method #3: One more method of analyzing the data was performed to even out the discrepencies between the other methods. This method took the original rankings of each individual and determined how many 1st place votes each movie received, how many 2nd place votes, and so on up through the 12th place votes. Once these values were tallied for each movie, a numerical model was applied such that when the sum of these votes occurred, the 1st place votes received more influence on the ranking than the 12th place votes. I will spare you the technical details, but this model was applied to each movie and a third ranking was taken; this one referred to as the Numerical ranking.

All three rankings are then averaged together and a final ranking is generated, giving the overall results to the Top 12 ranking section. In the result of a tie in any of these rankings (i.e. two tied for 3rd), they are proscribed the same ranking and the following movie receives the ranking it would normally receive if there were no tie (MovieA - 3rd, MovieB - 3rd, MovieC - 5th, etc.). I want to make this clear before you see the results and complain to me about them. So the overall results can now be seen in the table below.



As you can tell, "Garden State" receives a unanimous number one ranking, which leads me to say that it is the best movie of 2004 of these 12 films, as dictated by this survey.

The rest of the survey got a little more specific and allowed more freedom in choosing favorite films, as well as favorite aspects of these films. The results to these questions are on their own separate webpage found here. The most unanimous results can be seen in the Best Character chart (Napoleon Dynamite), Best Soundtrack chart (Garden State), and Best Special Effects chart (Harry Potter). Overall it was wonderful to receive so much feedback on these films and to see not only what people liked but what particular things they liked about it. This survey is completely anonymous so I don't know who you all are (some of you I can figure out), but thank-you for your input and check back tomorrow for my own Top Ten list!

A Long Overdue Post

Well, my weekend vacation has seemingly turned into a 5-day absence, but not necessarily because of laziness or procrastination. After my 3-day weekend spent in Berkeley I had to catch-up on Tuesday with my schoolwork and spent both Tuesday night and Wednesday night out with friends for various dinner events. Needless to say I haven't been around much to make a post, therefore I'm making an effort now despite being marginally intoxicated. So much has happened in the past week that I don't even know what to say or where to begin. I'll try and be brief and whizz through my week of activity.

Last Friday night I went to a Carnival-themed party where we had party hats, sno-cones, and face painting materials. I, of course, got tattooed on the arm with a heart under which read "Cheap". It was a good event and I curbed my drinking because I was going to be spending all day Saturday driving in the car. What was really cool about the party was the fact that it was thundering and lightening here in LA. Wait a second... we've got thunder and lightening and tornadoes in and around LA? When did we arrive to Kansas?

After 5 hours of sleep, I eagerly awoke in the morning to traverse through the scattered monsoons up towards Berkeley. Becca joined and we had several fun moments. More details can be read on her site so I don't have to go through them all. It's sad to think that this will be my last visit up to Berkeley; a tradition I started 4 years ago. But with the end of every good adventure comes the birth of another, so I think I'll have other trips I'll be taking in the future. We danced Saturday night and spent the rest of the weekend lounging around Rob and Lauren's apartment eating the snacks we each brought. On my way back down I spent some time with Amanda in Bakersfield, just to say 'hi' and catch-up briefly. After seeing Amanda, I realized that I had seen all of my high school group in the past week:
* Natalie - Dancing Wednesday night
* Rachel - Party Friday night
* Rebecca - Weekend in Berkeley
* Robert - Weekend in Berkeley
* Amanda - Monday in Bakersfield
It's nice to keep up with folk'll and see how everyone is handling life.

Tuesday I played catch-up during the day trying to get on top of some lab work. After Dance Club Tuesday night, I went over to Ethan's for a spontaneous get-together for a girl who just broke-up with her boyfriend. We ate dinner, played Settler's of Catan, drank 3 bottles of wine between us all, and did other random stuff. For a Tuesday night, it was fun and it looks like we did our job in cheering her up.

So I wasn't around that night to post as I had intended to, but don't worry, there's always Wednesday. Well, Wednesday was spent on other schoolwork due later in the week along with job-searching stuff. That night, I went out for dinner again, this time to Buca di Beppo's in Santa Monica for Elisa's surprise birthday dinner. We ate a lot of food and I had one drink. Afterwards, I got back intending on doing work, but ended up back at Ethan's for another drink and an attempt at homework. Once again, another oportune time missed out on due to an excess of activity.

The week doesn't get any better because I'll be spending most of my free time working on an engineering lab report, plus I've got my film class Thursday night (I still have to post on last week's movie) along with a scheduled time to meet a friend, and Saturday there's a birthday party I'm going to. So I am going to try and keep up the rest of this week because there's a lot still that I want to post about.

Upcoming this week, I've got the next in my series of movie-class posts, the results from my movie survey plus my top ten films of 2005, an update on my roommate in Italy, and many other random things I have planned. If only I had time to do everything I wanted to do! There's no random Chris fact this week, but there will be one next week so stay tuned. And I'm sure there's more going on that I'm forgetting now.

If anyone is interested in a non-paid secretarial position, I'll be accepting applications now at:
crispy_krisb@yahoo.com
Perhaps then I'll be able to keep up with life....

Weekend of Fun

Just a reminder to everyone, I'll be gone until Monday as I trek up to Berkeley for the weekend. So to everyone have a great President's Day weekend, and to kick off the fun for you I've found a few videos to entertain you! Ta!

GI Joe PSA's Redubbed

Dancing Roommate

Mario Piano

Another Meaningless Quiz

Remember the Book Quiz and the Country Quiz I posted about a year ago? Well here is the next in a line of random, mindless quizzes: the State Quiz. Somehow, I think this result really says something about me.

You're Wisconsin!

You are perhaps the cheesiest person alive. You like '80's music, posing
for photographs, fastballs, cartoon cheetahs, and real mice. You want to have a cow,
man. You have been known to do the Forrest Gump shrimp routine with the word "cheese"
replacing "shrimp". Once in a while, beer will supplement your diet of unending cheese.
Deep down, though, you'd prefer to drink fermented cheese.


Take the State Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Finally!

Well it's been long and gruelling but after a weeks worth of downloading programs to scan and fix my computer, I think I finally purged it from whatever was infecting it (knock on wood). I guess I'll see in the morning for sure. All I can say is that the internet is a powerful tool for fighting bugs. Some brief news about events and activities:

- I'm going to be going to another party this weekend so stay tuned for more wacky pictures!
- and of course like every year, I'm heading up to Berkeley this weekend for President's Day Weekend. So I won't be around again on the weekend but will hopefully have some stories to tell about my weekend.

This is going to be a week of Bakersfield friends, of which I'll see in Berkeley and L.A. this weekend (and perhaps in Bakersfield if I stop on through). I even got to dance with Natalie tonight for the first time in a loooong time. So take THAT all you jelous people.

Alright, I'm rambling and tired so I'm heading to bed.

TFS - Week 5

Welcome back to the screening room where we are now starting to get into the new films that will be released in theaters soon. I'm not sure if many of you will get a chance to see last week's film in theaters, but if you can I highly recommend it. This week's film follows in suit, in that it might be something you may not get out and see on your own, but I can also recommend this film as well.

But before we get to the film, I want to briefly tell you about the pre-movie tirade Leonard Maltin went off on. He was irked right from the get-go (since the Daily Show was on reruns, he said he had to watch "real news") about society and media in society and about all things in general. He ranted about how the movie making process is so formulized now, how DVD's are being thrown at us whether they deserve to be released or not, and finished about some new releases in theaters. "Hitch" and "Assault on Precinct 13" in particular he said weren't bad movies, but they are filled with extraneous subplots or have lost the original vision, respectively. Basically he ranted for a good portion of time before the movie, and it was so great just to see him rip on society. And he was right in every aspect.

After our little chat, we skipped the short and moved straight on to the main event, which is a documentary called Dust to Glory. You might think, "Oh yah, documentary *yawn*" but believe me when I tell you this is not your typical documentary. It's a very active movie covering the Baja 1000: a 1000 mile cross-country race through Baja California that includes motorcycles, buggies, trucks, and of course classic VW bugs. There is a max time limit of 32 hours to finish and the course takes the drivers over hills and through deserts and even onto some of the local highways. Oh and to make it even more challenging, no one knows the course layout until the race starts. It's a pretty intense movie, and you find all of the same elements you would find in a standard movie. There's just incredible tension as you watch some of these racers, and I found myself rooting for all of them just to finish. And of course they have to worry about not hitting anybody or killing these spectators that are just lining the roads.

I looked into what I might reach if I drove for a 1000 miles from my apartment in Los Angeles, and found that I could make it to Denver, CO in 1000 miles, or could make it to the Texas border in 1000 miles. Now imagine racing this distance over a rural, rugged terrain at breakneck speeds. Like I said earlier: very tense. We had the director, producers, director of photography and a racer come and visit our class after the viewing to talk about their production. They managed to get some great footage and they spent months and months pouring over the material just to edit it. All in all it was better than I thought it would be, being a documentary, and for all of those who like racing, or those who just like car chases, this is definately a movie for you. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll sit on the edge of your seat and enjoy the ride. Really check out the trailer in the link above to see the intesity of it all and catch it in theaters come this April!

Random Chris Facts

I'm still debugging my computer, but hopefully it will be up and running properly by tomorrow. So for today's post, I've decided to do something that I thought would ensure more frequent posts. From here on out, I'm going to try and make Monday's "Random Chris Fact" days. I've compiled several candidates when I was attempting to make a top ten list last semester, but since I never got around to that (gee, I wonder why...) I figure I'll try and make a weekly post out of it. I can't guarantee that they'll all be interesting, but at least you will all get to know me just a little better. So we'll see how it goes and determine if it's really worth the extra posts.

So without further ado, today's random Chris fact:

Fact #49: I'm a sucker. When it comes to candy, mints, lozenges, etc. instead of chewing them up, I rather suck them up until they're gone. Rather than chew on ice, I will sit and suck on every piece in my cup until it's empty. I took a nap last week with a lozenge in my mouth and woke up 2 hours later with it still in my mouth lodged under my tongue. Thus, I am a sucker.

I did say they wouldn't all be great, but I'm going to be building up to the more interesting ones. In a look at later this week: a post on last week's movie in my TFS series, also the results of my online movie survey that has officially ended, and finally an update from my roommate in Italy. This and much more to come....

I'm Not Ignoring You

My computer's recently been affected with spyware and possibly a virus, so I haven't had much time to keep up with the posting. All my free time is now being spent on trying to clean-up my system. I've got a few things left to fix so hopefully I can post regularly again soon. Also, I think I've collected enough information on my movie survey, so I will be posting those results as soon as I can.

TFS - Week 4

So I'm finally getting around to last week's movie that we watched in my film class after dealing with visits from my brother, being gone, and pulling an all-nighter. So without further ado, the movie that we watched was a Hungarian film called Kontroll (an English site). This film has yet to be released in theaters in America (April 1st, I believe) but has had an extensive viewing at numerous film festivals, some of which it has won honors for. It's difficult to really explain the film or pinpoint the type of movie, not because it is a foreign film, but because it's so complex with several different stories running in parallel. All that I can say for certain is that I thought it was a great film, even if I did have to read it all.

The main premise of the film is that it follows the activities of a group of ticket checkers on the Hungarian metro system. These people have no real authority on the metro, all they can do is ask for a ticket and issue a fine. So part of the movie follows the disdain this one group of guys receive as part of their job. This covers a wide-range of aspects from a long extended chase scene through the metro to psychological evaluations to fighting, etc. There are several subplots involving a killer and a girl, but I won't share those here because it might spoil the film. Along with all these plot lines, there are several artistic features and sequences that give this movie a very "indie film" feel to it. The whole movie takes place in an actual metro after dark, so it's got a very dark tone about it. Because we are not from Hungary and aren't used to the system over there, it almost comes across as a work of science fiction of some parallel dimension. The best classification I can give it is:
Action/Suspence/Indy/Foreign/Comedy/Science Fiction.

After the movie we got to meet with the writer/director of the film, (we sure are getting a lot of writer/directors), Nimrod Antal. Despite this being a Hungarian film, Nimrod actually was born and raised in Los Angeles by Hungarian parents. He moved to Hungary for film school and has spent the rest of his time there shooting commercials. So despite this being a foreign film, he spoke English with no accent and we didn't have to worry about a language barrier. Actually, the first question posed to him from the audience was someone speaking in Hungarian, to the surprise of the class, so he responded in Hungarian as we looked dumb-founded around the room. It was nice to hear the perspective he had on the Hungarian side of filmmaking, compared to how films are made here. Apparently several well-known actors and directors from Hungary are in it with supporting roles or with just short cameos. He told us the ease of being able to do that there is incomparable to attempting to do that same thing here.

The entire film was made for about $800,000, which is very surprising. I guess this is sort of the definition of an independant film. But they used real metro stations as backdrops, working during closed hours (11pm - 5am) and had no special effects done, meaning that the stunts pulled are in fact real (there's a train that comes very close to hitting someone). Also, through some course of events, which are too long for me to get into now, an actor is chasing someone through the station with shaving cream on their face. They end up running at semi-full speed into a steel pillar and had to be taken to the hospital because their ear got cut off somehow. This scene is in the movie so when you see it, realize that it's not a planned stunt.

All in all I thought it was a great movie, despite it being a bit peculiar and despite the fact that you had to read your way through the movie. But foreign films aren't a problem for me and I actually like the ones I've seen. This one is no different and the music is particularly enjoyable (all techno beats from a now-disbanded group called Neo). So if you get the chance to see it (probably somewhere where they show indy/foreign films) I highly recommend it because I think it's definately worth seeing. It will be interesting to hear what people say about it tomorrow, because it was unusual. So that's what we watched last week, and I'll probably get around to what we watch tomorrow sometime this weekend.

Brief Update

I've got several things I want to update to this site, but they'll have to wait for sometime later in the week. I have currently just survived 2 consecutive lab reports, and pulled my first all-nighter with no sleep since Fall 2003 semester. Up til my nap this afternoon I had only about 2 hours worth of sleep in the past 28 hour. So instead of updating I'm going to be going to bed. Fortunately, the week is getting easier....

So yeah...

I won't be able to update you on this week's movie this week because I am leaving in about 15 minutes to go home for the SuperBowl (and some super cooking). Patrick had another free day yesterday so we spent another night together just hanging out, which put me behind on all of my work. I only got a couple hours of sleep so that I could get him back at his hotel by 7am and then spent the rest of today either napping or doing the work I meant to do last night. So I'll update it next week when I have a free moment (Monday, Tuesday will suck for me). To make it up to you, check out this video.

Enjoy the SuperBowl all!

Another Busy Week

Somehow I feel these past two weeks might be more of an indication of what my life is going to be like this semester. I haven't been as social this week, but I'm still trying to make-up for my lack of work last week. Therefore this'll only be a short post because I've got to run to class yet and do some more work tonight. However, I did want to tell you about my night with my brother Patrick last night. He's currently on his choir tour, as you may recall, and they are on their last leg of the tour, which ends here in Los Angeles. Anyway, he had a day off yesterday, so after my midterm yesterday (yes, already) I picked him up and we went to the Grove. We ate a good dinner and then we caught yet another movie: Sideways. This of course will affect my top ten list, but I am leaving the Movie Poll as is until I deem it over. Speaking of which, I've got some great input from people and some interesting results that I will share probably sometime next week when I close the poll. So if you haven't taken it yet, you should by clicking the link on the right! Check back sometime tomorrow or Saturday for an update from tonight's film.