At the risk of alienating people and incurring wrath, I think Israel is acting like a bully in the schoolyard on this one. Violence begets violence; perhaps it's time to try something else. The US needs to have the courage and good sense to call Israel out when it's gone too far. (Just as they have with us in the past) If the US ever wants a chance at brokering peace in the Middle East, we need to support Israel the same way we do ANY of our allies. They are not a 51st state, they are a wonderful, vibrant and strong sovereign Nation, and it's OK and healthy to have differences with it ... Really.
12.31.2008
The Top 10 Things to Teach Your Children in 2009
Top 10 Things to Teach Our Children in 2009
10. Help the ones that you can in life. Because it feels good and not because you want something in return. Help yourself first though.
9. All acts of friendship should be selfless, quiet and done willingly. Be a good friend to get more friends.
8. Read everything you can, but don't believe everything you read.
7. Teach children how to save money, make money grow and how to invest as early as you can - this will become more important in their life.
6. Love is the beginning, middle and end of ....... EVERYTHING.
5. Watch this video with your children - Future of Tech and understand that it is reality, we are a global society now!!! Encourage a liberal arts education, virtue, and religion/spirituality belief. These have never been more critical. Contrary to what some believe, a liberal arts education enables and teaches individuals how to think, not what to think. These are what ground you in the midst of rapid change and chaos. They are what give you the perspective to put technology in its proper perspective. They give you the ability to forge new paths, persevere through hard times, and be a standard to follow.
4. The rest of the world has a larger, better educated population of youth; so your child's education should not come from the media, video games or peers.
3. A confident person knows who they are, where they are going and what they want to achieve. Be remarkable. Be fun. Set goals with your children.... NOW
2. Teach them to Excel in recycling, conserving water and resources; to eat organic food, plant trees and start gardening - they love it!!!
1. Supporting others is the greatest defense against worry. So don't Worry, Be Happy should be the family motto in 2009!! Happy New Year!
This list is via: @T.S. Elliott on Twitter with additions and changes of my own. His list was a great shelf for me to hang some other ideas upon.
12.23.2008
12.13.2008
Bear Snores On: A Book Review
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson My review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
published: 2002 by Margaret K. McElderry
binding: Hardcover, 40 pages
isbn: 0689831870 (isbn13: 9780689831874)
I bought this wonderful board book for my daughter two Christmas's ago. We still read it. As a matter of fact she's reading it now.
I was reminded of it this afternoon while listening to the wonderful NPR show A Way With Words. One of the hosts mentioned this as one of his favorite books (since he's a new Dad).
It's beautifully illustrated by Jane Chapman and written by the wonderful Karma Wilson. The story is both simple and complex. My daughter appreciates it on a different level now than two years ago, but is still delighted by the witty wordplay and rhymes that lead you into them without force or pretense.
Here's a stanza from page 4.
"An itty-bitty mouse,
pitter-pat, tip-toe,
creep-crawls in the cave
from the fluff cold snow."
Not only is this rhyming onomatopoeia evocative of what a mouse would really do, she creates a brand new compound verb "creep-crawls". I've even found myself using it from time-to-time. The Chapman's illustration of a tiny, snow dusted mouse entering emerging from a raging snowstorm cave adds to the feeling. (I usually add the sound effect of wind howling, she still likes it!)
If you have or know of a child anywhere from 1 to 8, I'd recommend this short, beautiful, snappy, witty, well illustrated board book.
View all my reviews.
12.10.2008
Jon Stewart eloquently Debates For Gay Marriage Rights
I respect Mike Huckabee, he's a smart man who lives his values. I do fundamentally disagree with his stance on gay marriage. It's not about religion or choice. No gay man or woman I've ever known has chosen to be gay. It's not about reproduction or propagating the species. It's about despicably unfounded fear of and perverse curiosity for, that thing gays do WITH one another.
I chose my religion. I didn't choose to be heterosexual. I'm a good father. I'd still be a good father if I were born gay. I will not use God to impugn the human rights of an already oppressed group of people. It's against my morals, my values, my testimony, my religion and most of all my God!
Human Rights Day: Happy 60th Anniversary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
THE UNIVERSAL Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10th, 1948, is 60 years old today. It is a deeply auspicious anniversary, given how the document has inspired intervening generations and remains "a common standard of achievement for all people and all nations", as its preamble states. Article 1 eloquently explains why this should be:
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood".
In the preamble to the UDHR governments committed themselves and their peoples to progressive measures to secure the universal and effective recognition and observance of the human rights set out. The chairman of the drafting committee, Eleanor Roosevelt, supported the adoption of the UDHR as a declaration, rather than as a treaty, because she believed it would have the same kind of moral influence throughout the world as the United States Declaration of Independence within the United States. This was a prescient insight. Even though it is not formally legally binding, the declaration has been adopted in or influenced most national constitutions since 1948. It also serves as the foundation and benchmark for international treaties and national laws and international, regional, national and sub-national institutions protecting and promoting human rights, including the European Union.
The declaration became even more influential after the end of the Cold War brought a more genuine universality to bear on human rights. Those events also accentuated abiding dilemmas between sovereignty and intervention, individual, collective and state rights, the correct balance between legal, political and socio-economic freedoms and between different cultural traditions. Part of the genius of the declaration is that it has been able to withstand such conflicting interpretations, as well as the glaring contradictions between the rights it proclaims and the everyday reality of oppression still suffered by so many of the world's peoples.
Eleanor Roosevelt also asked where universal human rights begin and provided the following answer:
"In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world".
12.09.2008
Random Christmasy Things
I'm enjoying watching Grant’s Advent Calendar Video Podcast. They are short, funny, witty and he opens each door with a magical, child-like enthusiasm. Thanks to @Tabs for the heads up on that.
If you want to spruce up your computer's desktop for Christmas try browsing 60 Beautiful Christmas Wallpapers For Your Desktop.
Just for fun, a selection of cats and dogs with Christmas trees on Flickr. (suggested by the Flickr blog)
12.08.2008
A New Ornament Commemorates President Benjamin Harrison and The First White House Christmas Tree
In 1981, the White House Historical Association began offering an annual ornament in honor of a United States President. The 2008 White House ornament has a Hoosier history.
The ornament is a tribute to the nation's 23rd president and the only president from Indiana, Benjamin Harrison. In 1889, for the first time in White House history, President Harrison and his wife Caroline put ornaments on an inside evergreen and placed gifts for the family and White House staff around it.
Ornament collector Jamia Jacobsen said she started collecting the White House ornaments in 1981 while she was in Washington D.C. She said her favorite may be the Benjamin Harrison ornament.
"And it's just so intricate and so special this year," said Jacobsen.
Benjamin Harrison Home President and CEO Phyllis Geeslin said an artist spent four days in the home earlier this year studying Harrison before settling on the tree design.
"We have always known here at the Harrison home how much Benjamin Harrison loved Christmas," said Geeslin. The toys under the tree, including a train and a doll house, were given by President Harrison to three of his six grandchildren while they lived with him in the White House.
"And of course Benjamin and Caroline had a son and a daughter and both of their families, from time to time, lived in the White House,? said Geeslin. Each White House ornament comes beautifully displayed in a box that gives a detailed history of the ornament and its president. Leslie Olsen, WISH-TV
(Click here for the Video of the story)
Read more about the annual White House Ornament.
On a personal note: It was one of my favorite times of the year to help decorate the Harrison Home for Christmas and work with my friends and colleges there preparing exhibits and school programs teaching about a Harrison Christmas and that first White House Christmas tree.
I also LOVE Phyllis. She's a wonderful woman who has done more to promote the memory of President Benjamin Harrison and his home than any Director, President or CEO the Harrison Home has ever had. They are so very very fortunate to have had her loving and guiding hand there for these 15 years! Cheers!
The National Trust for Historic Preservation Presents A Vision for the Obama Administration
12.07.2008
Spying on Pacifists, Environmentalists and Nuns
From: The LA Times, By Bob Drogin
December 7, 2008
Reporting from Takoma Park, Md. — To friends in the protest movement, Lucy was an eager 20-something who attended their events and sent encouraging e-mails to support their causes.Only one thing seemed strange.
"At one demonstration, I remember her showing up with a laptop computer and typing away," said Mike Stark, who helped lead the anti-death-penalty march in Baltimore that day. "We all thought that was odd."
Not really. The woman was an undercover Maryland State Police trooper who between 2005 and 2007 infiltrated more than two dozen rallies and meetings of nonviolent groups.
Maryland officials now concede that, based on information gathered by "Lucy" and others, state police wrongly listed at least 53 Americans as terrorists in a criminal intelligence database -- and shared some information about them with half a dozen state and federal agencies, including the National Security Agency.
Among those labeled as terrorists: two Catholic nuns, a former Democratic congressional candidate, a lifelong pacifist and a registered lobbyist. One suspect's file warned that she was "involved in puppet making and allows anarchists to utilize her property for meetings."
"There wasn't a scintilla of illegal activity" going on, said David Rocah, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed a lawsuit and in July obtained the first surveillance files. State police have released other heavily redacted documents.
Investigators, the files show, targeted groups that advocated against abortion, global warming, nuclear arms, military recruiting in high schools and biodefense research, among other issues.
"It was unconscionable conduct," said Democratic state Sen. Brian Frosh, who is backing legislation to ban similar spying in Maryland unless the police superintendent can document a "reasonable, articulable suspicion" of criminal activity.
The case is the latest to emerge since the Sept. 11 attacks spurred a sharp increase in state and federal surveillance of Americans. Critics say such investigations violate constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and assembly, and serve to inhibit lawful dissent.
In the largest known effort, the Pentagon monitored at least 186 lawful protests and meetings -- including church services and silent vigils -- in California and other states.
The military also compiled more than 2,800 reports on Americans in a database of supposed terrorist threats. That program, known as TALON, was ordered closed in 2007 after it was exposed in news reports.The Maryland operation also has ended, but critics still question why police spent hundreds of hours spying on Quakers and other peace groups in a state that reported more than 36,000 violent crimes last year.
Stephen Sachs, a former state attorney general, investigated the scandal for Gov. Martin O'Malley -- a Democrat elected in 2006. He concluded that state police had violated federal regulations and "significantly overreached."
According to Sachs' 93-page report and other documents, state police launched the operation in March 2005 out of concern that the planned execution of a convicted murderer might lead to violent protests.
They sent Lucy to join local activists at Takoma Park's Electrik Maid, a funky community center popular with punk rockers and slam poets. Ten people attended the gathering, including a local representative from Amnesty International.
"The meeting was primarily concerned with getting people to put up fliers and getting information out to local businesses and churches about the upcoming events," the undercover officer reported later. "No other pertinent intelligence information was obtained."
That proved true for all 29 meetings, rallies and protests that Lucy ultimately attended. Most drew only a handful of people, and none involved illegal or disruptive actions.
Using the aliases Lucy Shoup and Lucy McDonald, she befriended activists. "I want to get involved in different causes," she wrote in an e-mail, citing her interest in "anti-death penalty, antiwar and pro-animal actions!!!"Max Obuszewski, a Baltimore pacifist who leads antiwar protests, said Lucy asked about civil disobedience, but didn't instigate any. "She never volunteered to do anything, not even hand out leaflets," he said. "She was not an agent provocateur."
Greg Shipley, a state police spokesman, said that no one in the department had been disciplined in connection with the spying program. Lucy, who has not been publicly identified, would not consent to an interview, he said.
The surveillance, Shipley said, was inappropriate. And the listing of lawful activity as terrorism "shouldn't have happened, and has been corrected."Most of the files list terrorism as a "primary crime" and a "secondary crime," then add subgroups for designations such as antiwar protester.
Some contain errors and inconsistencies that are almost comical.
Nancy Kricorian, 48, a novelist on the terrorist list, is coordinator for the New York City chapter of CodePink, an antiwar group. She serves as liaison with local police for group protests, and has never been arrested.
"I have no idea why I made the list," she said. "I've never been to the state of Maryland, except maybe to stop for gas on the way to Washington."
Josh Tulkin, 27, a registered lobbyist with the Virginia state Legislature, is cited under "terrorism -- environmental extremists." Tulkin was deputy director of Chesapeake Climate Action Network, an environmental group that claims 15,000 members and regularly meets with governors and members of Congress.
"If asking your elected officials a question about public policy is a crime, then I'm guilty," he said.
Barry Kissin, 57, a lawyer who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2006, heads the Frederick Progressive Action Coalition, a group that works "for social, economic and environmental justice," according to his police file. Their protests "are always peaceful," it added.
He was labeled "Terrorism -- Anti-Government."
Nadine Bloch, 47, runs workshops for protest groups that seek corporate responsibility and builds huge papier-mache puppets often used in street marches. Her terrorism file indicates she participated in a Taking Action for Animals conference in Washington on July 16-18, 2005.
Animal rights, Bloch said, is one of the few causes she doesn't actively embrace. Besides, she was attending an educators conference in Hawaii that week as a contractor for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
"This whole thing," she said, "is so absurd."
Via: A post on Wendy Gonaver's Facebook page. Wendy, a Quaker, had her own dust-up in California earlier this year, it was resolved amicably. Photo: Flickr user laverrue
RIP Walter Reynolds: My Daughters' Grandfather
Walter L. Reynolds
November 29, 2008, Indianapolis Star
Walter L. Reynolds 71, Indianapolis, passed away November 27, 2008. He was born April 6, 1937 in Steubenville, Kentucky to Willie Harvey and Lucy May Abbott Reynolds. Walter served in the United States Army and then married Carolyn J. Hankins November 11, 1961. He worked for Community Hospital East in maintenance for 29 years, retiring in 1999 and was a member of Old Bethel United Methodist Church. Visitation will be held Sunday, November 30 from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at Shirley Brothers Washington Memorial Chapel, 9606 E. Washington St., with funeral services Monday at 12:00 p.m. Walter is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Carolyn J. Reynolds; son, Mark L. Reynolds; daughter, Lucinda A. Thompson; stepsons, Steven E. (Lana), Michael A., and Gary R. (Estella) Hankins; brother, Floyd Reynolds; 10 grandchildren, Jody, Kyle, Tony, Justin, Jeremy, Corina, Vanessa, Cassandra, Elizabeth, and Megan; and 8 great grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association and or the American Lung Association. He was a good man. A hard worker, a loving and devoted son and of the generation where he grew into his nurturing role late, becoming a very beloved Grandfather and Great-Grandfather! I was proud to have known him.
12.05.2008
Linking in the Zeitgeist
Linking in the Zeitgeist!
Your weekend's worth of links I liked, found useful or just plain had to share. Enjoy.
- Are Humans 80,000 Years Older Than Previously Thought? Tools found in Ethiopia are older than the oldest Homo sapiens bones ever found. Fascinating find.
- The Stories Behind Hollywood Studio Logos. Meet the woman who carried a torch for Columbia and the Dreamworks boy who fished from the moon.
- A few months back, an acquaintance of mine on Twitter worked with the guys at Duck N Cover. Check out Sarah Atwood in the “Floater” episode of Duck N Cover. [PG-13 for language.]
- Speaking of Twitter, blogger Tyler Green's noticed that lots of museums, from the stodgy Met to hipper museums such as Seattle's Henry, have started tweeting. That's a good thing, apparently though, Art museums just don't get it.
- It's Christmas time. Do you like Christmas music? OK, do you like FREE Christmas music? Every day through December 25, Amazon.com's unveiling a new holiday song available to download free for a limited time. Check back daily.
- Who flew before the Wright Brothers? They were rightly credited with the first successful flight, but they weren’t the only ones looking for the glory - and the cash.
- Yes the economy is in the midst of a World-Wide Melt-Down and just about every industry is suffering and laying off, all but one that is.
- For five decades, he was recognized as the most important patient in the history of brain science. Henry Gustav Molaison, known to neuroscientists as H.M., was one of the world's most memorable and important amnesiacs. He died Tuesday at the age of 82.
- Tina Fey rules.
- Forrest J Ackerman, who influenced a generation of young horror movie fans with Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine and spent a lifetime amassing what has been called the world's largest personal collection of science fiction and fantasy memorabilia, has died. He was 92.
- The photograph "Migrant Mother, 1936" became an icon of the Great Depression. Katherine McIntosh was 4 years old when the photo, snapped by WPA photographer Dorthea Lange, caught her mother and family at their most desperate. She wants everyone to know, it made them ashamed but ultimately brought them together in determination.
- Just to make you feel better about yourself, 20 random drunken celebrities.
12.04.2008
My Top Ten (15) Movies of 2008
As the year winds down, the top lists are appearing all over the Internet. I decided to compile a list of items I liked in 2008. As with any list, this is my opinion, yours may differ. Leave a comment if moved to do so.
I'll also post My Favorite Books of 2008, My Favorite Websites, My Favorite Albums.
(Just in case you're the curious type, click on the title of each film to watch it's trailer.)
My Top Ten (15)
Movies of 2008
15
The Wackness
It's the summer of 1994, and the streets of New York are pulsing with hip-hop. Set against this backdrop, a lonely teenager named Luke Shapiro spends his last summer before university selling marijuana throughout New York City, trading it with his unorthodox psychotherapist for treatment, while having a crush on his stepdaughter.
14
Vicky Christina Barcelona
Two girlfriends on a summer holiday in Spain become enamored with the same painter, unaware that his ex-wife, with whom he has a tempestuous relationship, is about to re-enter the picture. Directed by Woody Allen
13
Gone Baby Gone
Two Boston area detectives investigate a little girl's kidnapping, which ultimately turns into a crisis both professionally and personally. Based on the Dennis Lehane novel. Directing debut of Ben Affleck (He's a better director than actor, he should stick to it.)
12
Kung Fu Panda
Po the Panda is the laziest animals in all of the Valley of Peace, but unwittingly becomes the chosen one when enemies threaten their way of life. There was so much charm and amusement in this movie. It's without doubt the best animation from Dreamworks since the first Shrek. Voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman and Angelina Jolie
11
Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
The infamous story of Benjamin Barker, a.k.a Sweeney Todd, who sets up a barber shop down in London which is the basis for a sinister partnership with his fellow tenant, Mrs. Lovett. Based on the hit Broadway musical. Get past the musical, get past Johnny Depp talk singing and just enjoy the amazing, sets, costumes, screenplay, direction and acting! Directed by Depp's long time film partner and Helena Bonham Carter's husband, Tim Burton.
10
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Master filmmaker Sidney Lumet directs this absorbing suspense thriller about a family facing the worst enemy of all -- itself. Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Andy, an overextended broker who lures his younger brother, Hank (Ethan Hawke), into a larcenous scheme: the pair will rob a suburban mom-and-pop jewelry store that appears to be the quintessential easy target. The problem is, the store owners are Andy and Hank's actual mom and pop and, when the seemingly perfect crime goes awry, the damage lands right at their doorstep. Oscar-winner Marisa Tomei plays Hoffman's trophy wife, who is having a clandestine affair with Hawke, and the stellar cast also includes Albert Finney as the family patriarch who pursues justice at all costs, completely unaware that the culprits he is hunting are his own sons. A classy, classic heist-gone-wrong drama in the tradition of "The Killing" and Lumet's own "The Anderson Tapes," BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOW YOU'RE DEAD is smart enough to know that we often have the most to fear from those who are near and dear.
9
Cloverfield
Director Matt Reeves (THE PALLBEARER) and producer J. J. Abrams (LOST, ALIAS) turn a mysterious monster loose in Manhattan in the disaster flick CLOVERFIELD. The movie begins at a party for Rob (Michael Stahl-David), who has accepted a promotion that will send him to Japan. Hud (T. J. Miller) is entrusted with the responsibility of videotaping the party--and as the trouble grows, he holds on to the camera, recording everything that happens. In fact, the entire movie is seen through the lens of his camera, reminiscent of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. As terrified people in a post-9/11 New York City take to the streets, Rob decides to head uptown to try to save Beth (Odette Yustman), the woman he loves, though he's afraid to tell her so. Rob is joined by his brother Jason (Mike Vogel), Jason's girlfriend Lily (Jessica Lucas), Lily's friend Marlena (Lizzy Caplan), and Hud, who has a thing for Marlena. Rob is determined not to give up, even after almost being crushed by the Statue of Liberty's head and as the military shows up to force evacuation of the city.
Reeves and first-time screenwriter Drew Goddard, who previously has written television episodes of such series as BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ANGEL, ALIAS, and LOST, focus in on the central aspect of the story: people trying to survive the monster attack. Very little else is explained, since the story is told completely through the video camera. And there is no additional score to heighten the drama; the only music is that which is picked up by Hud and the camera's microphone, including snippets of songs by Kings of Leon, Parliament Funkadelic, Of Montreal, and others. The anticipation of CLOVERFIELD's release was enhanced by a viral marketing campaign that included Web sites built around the main characters and even the fictional drink Slusho.
8
Quantum of Solace
James Bond (Daniel Craig) tries to heed the orders of mentor/Mother figure M (Judi Dench) in this electrifying follow-up to the amazing CASINO ROYALE. The film opens with two gripping, back-to-back chases, as James Bond tries to heed the orders of M and, at the same time, track down the people who blackmailed his love, Vesper. Bond is still struggling with Vesper's death, displaying a new, ferocious violence in his work, and a recklessness that M would very much like to get under control. When Bond discovers a massive, secret organization called Quantum, he believes it might have been a part of the scheme that killed Vesper. Bond knifes, shoots, and kick-boxes his way to the center of the sinister scheme, and discovers that the plot reaches even higher than he imagined, forcing him to abandon M's orders and step out on his own. Where we see the origins of the Lone Wolf Bond we are used to.
Director Marc Forster (STRANGER THAN FICTION) has crafted some truly memorable fight scenes, setting them in the most elegant of locales. Everything is beautifully shot, from Bond racing across the rooftops of Italy, to his showdown at an Austrian opera house. As for Craig, he is once again all cold precision and steely eyes. His 007 is positively riveting. He struts determinedly into every scene, ready to display his near superhuman fight moves, or bed a bombshell with merely a glance. Yet, just as in CASINO ROYALE, Craig never lets us forget Bond's humanity. He may fight like a ninja and smirk like Steve McQueen, but beneath his impeccable wardrobe, Bond is still but an ordinary man, wearily battling his own inner demons.
7
Wal-E
What if mankind had to leave Earth, and somebody forgot to turn the last robot off?
Academy Award-winning writer-director Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo) and the inventive storytellers and technical geniuses at Pixar Animation Studios (The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille) transport moviegoers to a galaxy not so very far away for a new computer-animated cosmic comedy about a determined robot named WALL•E.
After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, WALL•E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) discovers a new purpose in life (besides collecting knick-knacks) when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL•E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet’s future, and races back to space to report her findings to the humans (who have been eagerly awaiting word that it is safe to return home). Meanwhile, WALL•E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets into motion one of the most exciting and imaginative comedy adventures ever brought to the big screen.
Joining WALL•E on his fantastic journey across a universe of never-before-imagined visions of the future, is a hilarious cast of characters including a pet cockroach, and a heroic team of malfunctioning misfit robots.
Filled with surprises, action, humor and most of all - heart, WALL•E was written and directed by Andrew Stanton and features original and innovative sound design by Academy Award-winner Ben Burtt (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial).
6
Hell Boy II: The Golden Army
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY begs any number of referential mash-ups to be used as description of its outlandish tonal and stylistic qualities. It's a little like a romantic and sophisticated live-action Ninja Turtles movie imbued with a cracked version of H.P. Lovecraft's monster storytelling. It's a feature-length version of STAR WARS's Mos Eisley Cantina mixed with a scrappy, proficient passion for creature design reminiscent of Ray Harryhausen.
It's also kind of director/co-writer Guillermo del Toro's HELLBOY (2004) wrapped in a blanket of his PAN'S LABYRINTH. This sequel is all these things, but none of them can accurately capture the singularity of a movie which, in some ways, stands alone in its ability to capture the crass and literary luridness of reading a comic book. It's filled with gross creatures bursting with humanity, dark poetry, and slapstick comedy; in one scene, an argument between Hellboy and Johann Krauss, a formless gas contained in a mobilized suit, escalates to the point of Tom-&-Jerry-like parody.
As Hellboy himself, a heartfelt anti-hero who regularly eliminates supernatural threat as an agent for the U.S. Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense alongside girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair) and comrade Abe Sapien, Ron Perlman (Beauty and the Beast, Easy Money) again embodies the role with the kind of pathos and humor that one can only expect from a horned, red-skinned Hell-spawn who loves kittens and acts like a hardboiled detective who happens to watch TV and drink a lot of canned beer.
HELLBOY II's rather interesting antagonist, Prince Nuada, isn't just an evil dude. In the mold of the complex villains typically found in Hayao Miyazaki's animated fairy tales, his intentions of restoring control over Earth to an Elvish race by regaining the key to unlock the indestructible Golden Army are at least based on a legitimately noble sentiment before megalomania kicks in, of course.
5
Iron Man
For both comic book fans and those who can't tell the Green Lantern from the Green Arrow, IRON MAN is the type of summer blockbuster whose appeal lasts far beyond the season. Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark, a billionaire playboy and genius who puts as much effort into chasing skirts as he puts into chasing his next big idea. A trip to Afghanistan to sell weapons quickly devolves into chaos, and Stark finds himself at the mercy of a warlord who wants him to build a missile. Instead, Stark creates a powerful suit of armor, turning him into Iron Man and allowing him to escape. When he returns to America, his assistant Pepper Pots (Gwyneth Paltrow), friend Rhodey (Terrence Howard), and right-hand man Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) all marvel at the change in the man they knew. IRON MAN is the first film to be self-financed by Marvel Studios, and they should be proud of their freshman effort. They didn't take any obvious routes with choosing the cast or crew, and it pays off.
Director Jon Favreau, who also has a small role in the film, is best known for directing ELF, but his first action-driven effort is nearly flawless. Casting Downey was gutsy but inspired: this is his first big action picture as well, but the wit he displays in films such as the cult hit KISS KISS, BANG BANG works perfectly for the character of Stark. IRON MAN features nods to its beloved source material, as well as to the classic animated series of the 1960s. But even for the uninitiated, this film provides an interesting entry into the Marvel superhero's universe. Audiences who keep watching after the credits have rolled will be rewarded with a bonus scene!
4
The Diving Bell and The Butterfly
Celebrated and controversial painter and filmmaker Julian Schnabel's third feature finds him reaching new artistic heights with this audacious and personal biopic, based on the best-selling memoir of the same name. The film tells the remarkable tale of Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric), the world-renowned editor of French ELLE magazine, who suffered a stroke and was paralyzed by the inexplicable "locked in" syndrome at the age of 43.
Bauby's only way of communicating with the outside world was by blinking with one eye, and after several dedicated helpers--a string of impossibly beautiful women (Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josee Croze, Olatz Lopez Garamendia, Anne Consigny)--helped him to speak through this seemingly irrelevant gesture, he began to produce the words that would form his memoir. Along the way, as he swam in and out of consciousness, memories from his past swelled into the present, resulting in a cinematic experience that is at once heartbreaking and hopeful. Schnabel somehow manages to convey Bauby's internal life with remarkable clarity, employing first-person perspective, striking cinematography (by the always great Janusz Kaminski), and Amalric's pained, life-affirming monologues. The result is a wholly original experience, a painful and tender portrait of a life that is made all the more exhilarating because of its close proximity to death.
3
In Bruges
Martin McDonagh makes his directorial debut on the film, from his own original screenplay. His plays (which include The Lieutenant of Inishmore and The Pillowman) have brought him two Olivier Awards and four Tony Award nominations.
In Bruges was filmed on location; Bruges (pronounced "broozh"), the most well-preserved medieval city in the whole of Belgium, is a welcoming destination for travelers from all over the world. But for hit men Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson), it could be their final destination; a difficult job has resulted in the pair being ordered right before Christmas by their London boss Harry (two-time Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) to go and cool their heels in the storybook Flemish city for a couple of weeks. Very much out of place amidst the gothic architecture, canals, and cobbled streets, the two hit men fill their days living the lives of tourists. Ray, still haunted by the bloodshed in London, hates the place, while Ken, even as he keeps a fatherly eye on Ray's often profanely funny exploits, finds his mind and soul being expanded by the beauty and serenity of the city. But the longer they stay waiting for Harry's call, the more surreal their experience becomes, as they find themselves in weird encounters with locals, tourists, violent medieval art, an hedonistic American dwarf actor (Jordan Prentice) shooting a European art film, Dutch prostitutes, and a potential romance for Ray in the form of Chloë (Clémence Poésy), who has some dark secrets of her own. When the call from Harry does finally come, Ken and Ray's vacation becomes a life-and-death struggle of darkly comic proportions and surprisingly, deeply emotional consequences.
2
The Visitor
In a world of six billion people, it only takes one to change your life. In actor and filmmaker Tom McCarthy’s follow-up to his award winning directorial debut The Station Agent, Richard Jenkins (Six Feet Under) stars as a disillusioned Connecticut economics professor whose life is transformed by a chance encounter in New York City. Walter Vale (Jenkins) is sleepwalking through his life. Having lost his passion for teaching and writing, he fills the void by unsuccessfully trying to learn to play classical piano. When his college sends him to Manhattan to attend a conference, Walter is surprised to find a young couple has taken up residence in his apartment. Victims of a real estate scam, Tarek (Haaz Sleiman), a Syrian man, and Zainab (Danai Gurira), his Senegalese girlfriend, have nowhere else to go. In the first of a series of tests of the heart, Walter reluctantly allows the couple to stay with him.
Touched by his kindness, Tarek, a gifted musician, insists on teaching the aging academic to play the African drum. The instrument’s exuberant rhythms revitalize Walter’s faltering spirit and open his eyes to a vibrant world of local jazz clubs and Central Park drum circles. As the friendship between the two men deepens, the differences in culture, age and temperament fall away.
After being stopped by police in the subway, Tarek is arrested as an undocumented citizen and held for deportation. As his situation turns desperate, Walter finds himself compelled to help his new friend with a passion he thought he had long ago lost. When Tarek’s beautiful mother Mouna (Hiam Abbass) arrives unexpectedly in search of her son, the professor’s personal commitment develops into an unlikely romance. it’s through these new found connections with these virtual strangers that Walter is awakened to a new world and a new life.
This film deeply and profoundly moved me in ways much too personal to share here. Please rent or buy this wonderful film.
1
The Dark Knight
To say that Christopher Nolan's THE DARK KNIGHT is the best comic book adaptation does the film a bit of a disservice. It may be a Batman film, but this isn't a kid-friendly action movie full of the bams and pows of the original series. This is a pitch-black thriller with enough drama and tragedy to please even William Shakespeare, that keeps both comics fans and uninitiated audiences equally happy.
THE DARK KNIGHT starts in the wake of BATMAN BEGINS with the appearance of Batman (Christian Bale), Gotham City's criminal underworld becomes unnerved. They're also plagued by the new D.A., Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), who, in his quest for justice, remains incorruptible. Enter a new costumed villain, the Joker (The Amazing Heath Ledger), who wants to unite the criminals for a common purpose: to kill Batman.
THE DARK KNIGHT is one of the most hyped movies to date, and a lesser film would be crushed under the weight of all that expectation. Some of the publicity stems from the early death of Ledger, who turns in an excellent Oscar-worthy performance. He provides moments of humor, but this Joker is terrifying, sharing more with classic villains such as Hannibal Lechter than with his comic book predecessors. Eckhart is equally good as Dent, and Maggie Gyllenhaal deserves praise for taking over the role of Rachel Dawes from Katie Holmes.
Ledger’s Joker, giggling with delight over the mayhem he causes with a perfect indifference over the outcome is such an overwhelmingly dynamic performance that it overshadows everyone else, despite excellent work, including Christian Bale, who is wonderfully tortured, dark and achingly vulnerable. Joker is the Trickster in the archetypal sense. It’s my prediction that when Heath Ledger is nominated for an OSCAR, it’s as Best Actor, not Supporting.
Though there's more emphasis on plot and character development than in most comic book adaptations, that doesn't mean Nolan has skimped on any of the action sequences. Each set piece is done perfectly, leaving the audience breathless. THE DARK KNIGHT is filmmaking at its best; its subject matter may be dark and depressing, but it's tough not to feel exhilarated by its artistry when the credits begin to roll. In short, this was a great film - period! Completely deserving a Best Picture Nomination.
The blog post I wrote for my geek blog, ab initio. ab intra.:
The Dark Knight’s Joker Is A Mystical Trickster Not Mad Super-Villain
As an afterthought I wanted to mention that the very funny and very wrong, Forgetting Sarah Marshall was a very very close #16. Nearly a tie for 15th place.Movies coming out this month that may unseat one or more on this list include:
Seven Pounds
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Slumdog Millionaire
Wrestler
and Clint Eastwoods' Gran Torino
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