I saw Adaptation the other day, and besides it being hilarious and whatnot, I was just so pleased that it actually played in Toledo, a city not known for its knee-jerk acceptance of art films.
I loved it. Sure, it got a little out of control near the end there, but I thought it was great. Laughed a million times -- that is, in between glares to the couple seated behind us. You know the ones -- who discuss each and every aspect of the movie (as it happens, of course) in full voice. Grrr. I actually had to say something to them -- don't worry, friends, I kept my cool.
As far as my dis on Toledo vis a vis art films is concerned, let me give you a spate of recent examples:
--Toledo's only art cinema (located at a prime example of a "dirt mall") was closed for lack of interest. I think the same 40 people kept going there, but apparently it wasn't enough to sustain it. Sure, there's a theater now that shows an arty flick or two in addition to its regular fare, but it's not the same.
--This anecdote comes secondhad, but as it's from my best friend, I have no reason to doubt its veracity: When Punch-Drunk Love was showing at the aforementioned, still-existing, semi-art house, a disclaimer was apparently run before the movie. It said (and I'm paraphrasing here), "This film is not typical of Mr. Sandler's work. The theater guarantees the presentation of the film, not its content. No refunds will be given." Wow. This disclaimer suggests, to me at least, that so many bozos went into the theater thinking they were going to see Happy Gilmore (which is a damn funny movie, I might add), were pissed at the fact that it wasn't and walked out to demand refunds. 'Nuff said about that. in fact, the reason i haven't seen Punch-Drunk Love is because I didn't want to see it at a theater here in Toledo. Bad attitude about one's hometown? Maybe, but developed out of necessity. You should talk to my ex-girlfriend. She hates this place.

It is my duty, I think, as one who studies and enjoys history, to point out a wonderful new blog, called The Diary of Samuel Pepys. It's fascinating reading -- an actual diary from 17th Centruy London. The historical record contained therein is great.

Figured I'd drop a quick note to end out the year. I'll drum in the year 2003 with a thrown-together "Best of 2002" list:
Best List of 2002:
The Onion AV Club's Least Essential Albums of 2002


Best Albums of 2002:
Bright Eyes -- Lifted or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground
Beck -- Sea Change
Coldplay -- A Rush of Blood To The Head
Doves -- The Last Broadcast


Best Films of 2002 --
The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers
The Bourne Identity
Catch Me If You Can (with the exception of Tom Hanks' horrible Boston accent)
(I haven't seen Punch Drunk Love, Adaptation, or Confessions of A Dangerous Mind yet, so bear that in mind)

Just some opinions to get the ball rolling on next year. I'll soon put out a far more exhaustive list.

I went to see The Two Towers yesterday at 11 a.m. Do I have my nerd credientials in order or what?
Seriously, it was great. Because it was the first show of the day (with the exception of the midnight screening), we got to choose our seats about a half-hour early and sit and watch the slides over and over. No standing in line for us!
But there were some serious, big-time nerds in the hizzy. I overheard someone say, "Guys, we should form our own fellowship!" Plus there were some people dressed as Frodo, a few cloak-wearers, and various other scarily dedicated folks.
But the movie itself was magical. Never have I sat so rapt in a theater for three-plus hours, except for maybe the first installment. I agree with the AV Club's Keith Phipps when he says that director Peter Jackson makes filling three hours of film so effortless. Not having read the trilogy in its entireity, I wondered before seeing the first one if I would get what all the fuss was about. I got it, and I still get it. The Two Towers simply blew me away. The best movie since Goodfellas.

Is it a strange, albeit positive personal development when you'd rather read about TV shows than actually watch them?
Sure, when I actually watched all the shows I would still read about them, but it was more of a timewasting device than anything else. Now, I find most TV shows (network and selected cable shows, mostly) so preachy, pedantic, and otherwise pathetic (!) that I can hardly watch.
Oh, there are exceptions. I watch 24, mainly because Keifer Sutherland is on it. I have warm fuzzies for him because of movies like Young Guns, Stand By Me, and other celluloid from my youth; also, I think he fills the small screen pretty well. Maybe he can't hack it in movies anymore, but he towers head and shoulders above most TV stars.
I used to watch a ton of TV, in my lonely big-city livin' days. The list, at its peak, included such dreck as Dawson's Creek (giving props to hometown girl Katie Holmes), Boston Public (dear God!), Survivor(which has, like The Real World, become a parody of itself), Friends (can hardly bear to look anymore), and various other crap.
When I lived in Chicago, I didn't have cable, so I had to make do with network TV. Perhaps that's why I watched so much junk. Now that I have cable, I tend to watch more History Channel, Discovery, and (gulp) Court TV.
But I'll still tune in for Law and Order. Doesn't hurt that, in its various incarnations, it's on almost 24 hours a day.
As you can see from the links above, I like Television Without Pity. Good writing, funny people, and they don't pull punches. Their motto (hope I don't get in trouble for printing this)? "Spare the snark, spoil the networks."
Classic.

Yeah, it's official, I guess. John Snow, Bush's nominee forTreasury Secretary, is from Toledo!
Hella props for Northwest Ohio! Read all about it here.
OK, so we here in the wasteland get excited when one of our own gets some elevation. It's easy to be from some place cool, like New York, LA, Boston, or what have you. It takes real work to get and stay cool when you're from, say, Topeka, Saskatoon, Indianapolis, or Toledo.

The best music top ten list (and then some) of the year is up over at The Onion AV Club.
The guys (and gals) over at the AV Club are the warmest, most responsible, and most accurate film, music, and book reviewers writing today. And they're damn funny, which is a plus.

Confidential to Mike: Happy now, you smug...ah, forget it.

Here's a question for all you movie buffs out there:
In Darren Arronofsky's Requiem For A Dream, who is supposed to be the most sympathetic character? Or, to put it another way, which character's life works out the best? Is it Jennifer Connelly, because she gets her fix, even though she has to do unspeakable things to get it? Or is it Tyrone, because he's only in jail, not the nuthouse or the hospital, down most of an arm?
Who, then, gets the shortest end of the stick?
Anyway, what a powerful film.
The first time I saw, I think my jaw hit the floor. I saw it on Thankgiving Day, 2000, at the UA Cinema at Union Square. It was the first Thanksgiving I didn't spend with my family (couldn't get the next day off work, so couldn't go home to Ohio from NYC), so needless to say I was depressed. The movie did not lift my spirits. Plus I felt bad for my friend Tiffany, because she came with me and I didn't know the last half-hour or so would be so brutal. It was like the time a girlfriend saw A Clockwork Orange sitting on my shelf and asked to watch it. She had heard that it was good. I said, "Well, it IS good (my favorite of all time, in fact, except for Empire Strikes Back), but I'm not sure you'll like it." Sure enough, after 15 minutes, she left sobbing, me chasing after her explaining myself. But I digress.
But, as I am sometimes wont to do, I saw it again, just to see what my not-initial reaction would be. I have a theory on movie-watching: if you're an astute filmgoer who pays attention, etc., your first reaction to a film is probably the one the director wants you to have. You need to view it again (and again) if you want to think objectively about it.
Anyway, I saw it again a year or so ago (still alone), and liked it quite a bit more, or at least wasn't bummed out by it. At first, I thought, "Wow, what a depressing drug movie. At least Trainspotting gave the viewer some folks to pull for. This is just a bummer." On second viewing, I thought it looked great and did the anti-glamorization thing well.
On third viewing (just last night), I got all philosophical and shit. I figured out that the "dream" was that great summer, and the "requiem" was the hellish slide thereafter. I didn't loathe the characters anymore -- in fact, my reaction to them as people/characters was perhaps as sympathetic as one could feel. I felt something the first time, but mostly it was, "Well, I guess they got what they deserved."
But no. I was moved this time. Plus the DVD extras are great.
Anyway, just a thought.

National Review's Rod Dreher makes this sleepy guy laugh with this assessment of the new Bond movie. The really funny part, though, is his prediction for Scorsese's Gangs of New York.

I know what you might be thinking...how can someone so learned and urbane as I be into high school and college football. Well, let's just say the love didn't exactly come naturally, but had to develop over, say, 20 or so years.
Speaking of football, check out this movie. It's an entertaining watch, but it didn't expose enough of the seamy underbelly of the subject as all documentaries should. Otherwise, what's the point of making the damn thing? A documentray either exposes something intentionally or unintentionally. That's just the way it's supposed to work.
Minor complaints aside, it's a good film about a town that has its values way out of whack and puts a little too much pressure on its kids. Hmmm...maybe it DID expose all it was supposed to. I just felt there was a certain...visceral elemsnt lacking.
It showed football, it showed parties, but it didn't show any rumbles or anything. I went to high school in Ohio, and no sports season is complete without a scrum or two.

I don't have too much to talk about at 1:00 A.M. on a Monday morning, but I felt I should post something, since I'm sitting here, staring slack-jawed at the computer. A couple things of note, though...
I'd entitle this picture (click on the top picture, ya dummies!) "Heartbreak."
I was at the game, in that stinkhole known as Lima, Ohio. I saw a ball, punted by one team and handled by another roll into a end zone, get recovered by the kicking team, and get called a touchback. Huh? Exactly.
The dejected young man of note is one Eric Wisneiwski, who happens to be my little sister's boyfriend. He's the one who recovered the kick for the non-touchdown, causing an entire region of Ohio to scratch its collective head in wonder.
Breaks my heart, I tell you.
But a great article by Don Emmons, who I happen to know. I'm big time!
Speaking of great, how about that OSU-UM game on Saturday? Can't say enough about it, because all that matters is that the record is 13-0 for the season. No Big 10 team's done it since 1979.

It's a beautiful fall day here in Northwest Ohio (armpit of civilization), and what do I have to do? In between articles and subimssions, I have to rake damn leaves!
Well, not rake. Does anyone do that anymore? No, I use the ol' leafblower.
It blows, all right.

Na na na na na NAH NAH! You say it's my birthday!
Well, it was, anyway. I turned 26 over the weekend, and boy, are my arms tired.
It came not with a bang, but a whimper. It doesn't feel any different, but I suppose it marks the slow slide into 30.
What can I expect from this age?

Yeah, right.

My friend and fellow Bridge crony Bill wrote this for a New York-based sports Web site. If you like hockey (or Bill), you'll like this.
By the way, have I told you how great it was writing for BridgeNews? Ask Bill -- it was like Xanadu!
Lousy Brits at Reuters...taking away our sweet gravy-laden train.

I just discovered that some charlatan(s), dressed up as a community organization (they got the .org!) has stolen my name! I won't provide a link, because I don't link to thieves, but rest assured this will not stand. Perhaps I'll engage the services of my lawyer neighbor.


"Heads On Fire is an organization dedicated to bridging the Digital Divide through the means of community based media arts programs. Technoliteracy is increasingly becoming the arbiter that separates the skilled worker from the unskilled, the adequately paid from those whose wages will not sustain a decent standard of living. Heads On Fire seeks to play a crucial role in preventing distressed populations from being flattened beneath the wheels of this revolution, by linking artists, communities, and technology."


Oh, please! I invented the name, and I want all the rights to it!
You want the story? The year was 1999 (or 1998 -- college was a hazy time) and my friends and I were driving to Lake Baw Beese in semi-beautiful Hillsdale, Michigan. I believe we were hung over or something, because as we drove by a woman pushing a stroller, someone remarked "What if you flicked your cig out the window, and found out too late that some wino had spilled some potent and flammable alcohol on that stroller? What would that woman say?
I, of course, responded with the now-famous expression, "My baby's head's on fire!"
And thus, a phrase was coined. For punctuation purposes I changed it to "HeadsonFire," but the genesis is all mine (and Jhoda's).
Case freakin' closed!

Geez, this ambulance-chasing lawyer guy who lives across the street must be up to no good, because he's pulled in and out of his driveway six times in the past three minutes.
Yeah, dude, I see your Corvette, and I don't care. A Civic is where it's at!

Has everyone seen David Frum's Political Diary on NRO? It's only a few days old, but I'm hooked. I like this guy.
Frum, as many of you probably know, is a former writer for The Weekly Standard and speechwriter for Bush. Came up with the whole "axis of evil" speech if I'm not mistaken. So he's cool, I'm sure.
Oh, a bit of news about someone with whom I'm acquainted. A high school friend's fiancee (congratulations, Carrie and Steve), just recently got a job as a Bush speechwriter! Wow...must be cool.
Anyway, you may know Steve Hayes as a writer for The Weekly Standard, but he got some attention recently for getting all up in Scott Ritter's face in the Wall Street Journal and on TV.
Got up in his face...just like many of us, I'm sure, have wanted to do.

Of course, if you were to tune into CSPAN right now, you'd find the not-in-any-way-irrelevant UN debating the current US/UK resolution regarding Iraq. I can't believe we still think we have to run things by these namby-pamby, mealymouthed Eurodorks.
Don't get me wrong, I like Europeans themselves. I love their culture...hell, I studied it in school. However, the current course of European diplomacy and public policy does nothing but confuse and anger me. It's like they assume that we (as the world's preeminent nation) are likely to follow the same imperialistic course they did, beginning about 200 years ago.
Check yourselves before you wreck yourselves, Europe. We're different, and don't go thinking otherwise. We have a little thing called the rule of law (which is a pretty new concept over there, but we've gotten good at it). I mean, Europe has been imperialistic as recently as a half-century ago!
I think (and this is just my opinion) that Europe's attitudes are somewhat influenced by nostalgia (for their own glorious past, and I say that with no irony) and resentment that they've been reduced to marginal players on the world stage.
There, I said it. But don't get me wrong...I think that the UK is on the right track to coming back around to a sensible and less shrill way of doing things, and Europe still has time to board that trolley.

I awoke uncharacteristically early for me today, just to watch CSPAN the ever-dry but entertaining Washington Journal). What a freakin' dork I must be!
No, really. My two favorite Brits, Hitch and Sully, went head to head with each other and a gaggle of University of Denver and Colorado State University students (must've been j-school kids, because they had waaay too many questions).
Anyway, it's fun to watch those two...
My favorite line? When Hitch said, by way of prefacing an answer to a student's question, "I'm going to be rather harsh with these students..."
Bwah!
No link to a transcript available yet, but stay tuned...