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Saturday, May 10, 2003
Double feature time
I ended up seeing two movies today, taking advantage of the weekday off. First up was X-2, which was exactly what I expected from a summer blockbuster. It was done very well, and I think I liked it better than the first film, mainly because the story seemed to flow better than the first one, which had to introduce everyone. I'm not that clued into the comic books, so I'm watching it with a completely different eye.
A few observations about the film:
-- Alan Cumming seemed to have an odd Paul Reubens vibe about him.
-- It's hard to believe you could actually market this by saying it has two Oscar winners. The Anna Paquin thing confounds me all the time. The hair and the accent really threw me. I still keep on thinking that, "This is the same girl who won for The Piano?"
-- Who is Brian Cox and how has he ended up in so many movies that have come out in the past year? There's not even a pattern to the types of movies in which he appears. With that said, he made for a great villain.
Movie No. 2 was Bend It Like Beckham, which exhibited a real My Big Fat Greek Wedding vibe, at least in the clash of cultures. However, the acting was a bit sharper here -- it wasn't as over the top. Then again, the spotlight was on Jess and her football, and it was done very well. There were plenty of laughs around, but it was still very touching, although I think I could've done without some of the love story between Jess and her coach. I had to chuckle a bit as well when Jules (played by Keira Knightley -- a lankier version of Winona Ryder) was gushing over playing in the WUSA. It is a big deal among women soccer players, no doubt about it, but it's such an afterthought in the grand scheme of things. Then again, it's a bit hard to believe in a place like England that's mad about soccer, the women have to come to the US to really hit it big.
One thing that strikes me about movies like Greek Wedding, Beckham and even Better Luck Tomorrow is how much "traditional" culture/norms/expectations of "foreigners" is both cherished and mocked at the same time. There's a healthy respect for what's going on, yet it often seems a bit stifling, especially to the younger generation. I sorta feel the same way. There's a pride for our heritage, yet we want to adapt to the culture around us. While we want diversity and to show respect for other cultures, it's often those other cultures that show less respect towards the world at large.
posted at 1:20 AM
Friday, May 09, 2003
The Revolution will not be televised -- thank God
Fresh off its inclusion on Entertainment Weekly's list of Top 100 video games of all time, I finally got my own copy of this, although I ended whiffing at three places before going to the old standby when it comes to getting game.
I figured I wouldn't cause at much commotion now with the apartment directly below me currently vacant. I suppose it can be a bit jarring hearing some guy jumping around for lengthy periods of time. (Thankfully the ceilings aren't too thin to hear the music coming through -- at least I don't think so.)
I'm still not all that great yet at the game, but I never purported to have many dancing skills -- at least not in the way this game is set up. Those who saw me on the real machines in Boston can definitely attest to that. Still, I'm learning and getting a bit of a workout in the process, which is something I can definitely use. Might as well kill two birds with one stone, eh? (At least until I try Sports Guy's idea of playing PS2 while on the treadmill.)
posted at 2:32 AM
Tuesday, May 06, 2003
Let he without sin cast the first illegal payment
After reading my colleague Stewart Mandel's scathing column on Alabama football and the subsequent responses from the Tide faithful, it strikes me that the very religious Alabama faithful who helped drive Mike Price out of town seem to be violating one of the Ten Commandments about not having false gods. Sure they may be going to church on Sunday, but on Saturday they're attending the church of Alabama football. By the way they hold Bear Bryant, he might as well be god. (Although I guess the saying goes is that he's "coaching God's team," although I doubt that if some of those things from The Junction Boys are true.)
As for Larry Eustachy, so much for declaring he wouldn't resign. I suppose the move was inevitable, and as long as he got some money for all of his troubles, it was worth fading away, albeit with a huge black mark on his reputation. Although my friend Sean Keeler brought up an interesting point in one of his columns that Eustachy may not have gotten the boot so quickly had he been winning more (andl living up to the distinction of Iowa's highest-paid state employee).
Since the whole Bob Knight fiasco, it seems like schools are acting quicker to get rid of coaches with "character issues." Fair or not, that's the way it is these days, and it doesn't help that the rumor mill fires up much quicker, especially in the college sports world where it can be used for negative recruiting. If it's "sexy" or illegal, someone will know about it and put it out for people to see as soon as possible, even before the reviled "media" can get a hold of it. I suppose both of these stories are of the "This is what the media isn't reporting" variety that gets conspiracy theorists in a tizzy.
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