May 2005 Archives

Today I am in Phoenix for a quick side trip. My niece graduated from high school, and the California delegation of my dad, sister and I decided to drop in and lend our support.

We departed So Cal at 9am and decided to make a quick side trip down to Glamis to visit the old family stomping grounds. None of us have been there in at least 15 years and it was amazing to see what had changed and what had actually stayed the same. We decided to head down the ol' Ted Kipff road to the train crossing and see if we could find our campsite of many moons. After stopping in one spot and reminiscing about how it all looked the same, we realized that maybe it wasn't the spot. So further down the road we went until we actually found the old train crossing and campsite. It became our in-joke - every time we saw a wash and a berm we'd say "I remember going over there it’s so neat to see it again".

Along our way back down the old road towards the Glamis store, we had a Dukes of Hazzard moment. Amanda was telling Dad we should go off roading in the Tahoe. So Dad veered off the hard road, and didn't realize he was heading towards some ruts. Next thing I know, he is flying in the air out of his seat and we are all bouncing up and down like crazy. Dad was worse for the wear since he is prone to not wearing a seat belt, but after all was done and we came to a stop, we were all busting up laughing. Dad was a little sore, but then we all kept giggling about flashbacks every time there was a bump.

Eight hours later we ended up in Phoenix and checked into the hotel. It was 107 outside and we all faced the prospect of going to a high school graduation in a football stadium at dusk in the heat. We then made it to the stadium and it was darn hot. Also, my niece’s graduating class was 770 students! Amazingly, we only spent just under two hours out in the heat - thankfully we were well watered and not in direct sunlight.

We had a nice reception at my brother's house with some food made by a professional chef. The food was yummy as well as the desserts. But we were all pooped after the adventure. Amanda and Dad headed for the hotel, and I was off to Mom's to spend the night. Tomorrow it is back to So Cal in the AM and then a nice relaxing evening at home.

I am nursing a nasty bruise. The other day at work, I was trying to do a thousand things at once that is always the first step towards disaster. I was at the Buzz Fast Pass area and I was heading out to greeter. Something caught my eye and as I looked to the left, I ran right into a pole (metal ones we use for the chains in our queues).

Thankfully, I am of the right size that the point of impact was about 2 inches above the valuables. Despite the fortunate landing point, I was still doubled over in pain. It felt like I had been shot. I later realized that I actually made impact on the eyehook of the pole, and at full speed walk, was quite the concentrated point of contact. It took a few days for the bruise to rear its ugly head.

Boy am I glad it didn't land anywhere else. The mind boggles as to how long I would have been lying on the ground.

*** 1/2/****
Dir: George Lucas
2005 Color English 140 Min
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and some intense images.

Everyone talks about this being Lucas' redemption after disappointing fans with Episodes I and II. Personally, I have never thought that he needed to be redeemed. I am a big believer that George can do whatever he wants, and honestly doesn't owe anyone anything.

That being said, this movie, by far, is the best of the prequels and dare I say probably better than Episode VI? No nasty Ewoks or wasting of Han Solo's character here. Everyone (including Jimmy Smits!) gets some good quality time here. One caveat tho: George still needs to get someone else to write his dialog. Of course all of the Star Wars movies suffer from this flaw.

If you have been in a cave for the last 28 years or so, this movie follows Anakin Skywalker and his path down the slippery slope to the Dark Side of the Force. This movie is also a nice bridge to the original Trilogy and features a lot of nice touches that really tie the two trilogies together: The first use of the Vader-grip, token passing of Anakin's lightsaber, Yoda mentioning teaching Ben about haunting people after they die, Bail Organa's ship - the same as from Episode 4, Who knew Chewbacca and Yoda were so close? and much much more.

We saw the movie at the same theater complex that we saw Episode II. Lev bought tickets online and without knowing, we ended up in the digital theater. It was amazing picture quality, though I think the sound could have been a tad louder. None of the coloring issues from the last movie - I am sure this is what it will look like when it comes out on DVD in the fall. I certainly wish all movies were digitally projected - no jumps or spots on the screens at all. Another bonus is that Lev was among the first 100 in line at the theater, and since most people were in the Analog theaters, we were not rushed to find a seat and got choice seats. I did feel left out though since Target was giving away Episode III beach balls, and the audience spent the hour or so waiting for the movie by tossing them around the theater.

The best part was that the Grove's exit was much easier to get out of than the last time, and I was home and in bed in just over an hour from leaving.

To wrap up: Even if you were disappointed by the first two prequels, go see this one - it is worth it.

Last night was the series finale of Star Trek Enterprise. The media is all-abuzz with stories about the fact that for the first time in 18 years there is no new Star Trek on the air. It really made me think back over the years of watching trek.

Personally, I can't believe it has been 18 years. I remember TNG when it first was announced. Granted, I have and always will be a fan of the Original Series more than anything, and despite their initial shortcomings, TNG really helped flesh our the Star Trek universe in ways that the movies and the Original Series never could. That being said, all modern Trek has been plagued by the first two seasons or so getting to know the characters and the writers getting a grip on them. Once TNG got past that (say seasons 3-5) the show was firing on all cylinders. The last two seasons were still good, but at that point there was definitely staleness.

DS9 really was the best of modern Trek in many ways. I remember I didn't even watch it the first season and a half until Scott gave me tapes of the shows. There is something about watching a whole season in a week that really gets you involved in the characters. I think DS9, which was darker, and actually featured conflict among the characters made the show more realistic to me. DS9 really took three full seasons to find themselves. I know they had to shift directions from the whole Bajor thing to the Dominion conflict, but I think since the series was the most character driven of modern trek, it actually benefited from it.

Voyager was the series where it wasn't cool to like Trek anymore. People bashed it from the get go and really was the first series that people started to think that maybe Trek should take a break. I think some of the criticism was unfair. It was mainly the same stuff that was said of TNG by the die-hard TOS fans. Overall the series wasn't anything groundbreaking, but personally, I really enjoyed the show.

That leads us to Enterprise. I think the producers made some big mistakes early on, that really the show never recovered from. They waited too long to establish ties with TOS continuity as well as portraying the Vulcans all wrong (only to be corrected in later seasons). I think the producers should know by now - no one is interested in prequels: they always fall below fans expectations. Don't believe me? Just look at the first two episodes of the Star Wars series. Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones were the victims of fans expectations just as Enterprise was. I actually liked the fact that Enterprise did not overlap any existing series. I really didn't like that DS9 and VOY all had that issue. I will say that despite the fact that I never got "into" the series like the others, I thought it actually was pretty good. I think it had more to do with personal taste than anything.

Is that what is wrong? People my age who grew up with Trek just are not into it as we used to be? Do they need to appeal to younger people and skip us? Or do they need to somehow figure out how to appeal to us 30 somethings again? I am not sure what the future should hold for the Trek franchise. Should it take time off? Probably a year or so, but Trek can always be relevant because it has always been an allegory for our current times (at least at its best). Personally, I think fan films are the next big thing. I think Hidden Frontier has kept improving by leaps and bounds. The problem is that there is such an expectation of what a Trek series should be, that I doubt anyone will ever satisfy everyone. Does that make Trek doomed? I don't think so, but I think it is do for a makeover (not an extreme one), but an infusion of new creative talent (like Enterprise had in its last two seasons).

Geez, I guess I am really a geek for posting this - so there is no harm in mentioning that I am going to the Midnight showing of Episode III with Lev next week to continue a tradition. We both miss Andy, Mike, and Oszie and wish they were coming!

*** 1/2/****
Dir: Mike Nichols
2003 Color English 352 Min
Rated TV-MA

Watching Angels in America is an interesting experience. It is one of those movies that draws you in and gets you hooked. It is actually two movies in one (and therefore considered a mini-series when it aired on HBO). The first part “Millennium Approaches” is the stronger of the two, and the second part “Perestroika” is where all the payoff is.

I read the original play and saw a production of both parts back in college over 10 years ago. I remembered most of the basics of the plot, but a lot of the details had escaped me. This was a good thing as the combination had me wanting more. I also feel that watching the mini-series, I connected more with the characters than before. It might be that I am not a full theater away or trying to read, or the fact that I have a lot more life experience 10 years later and therefore can better appreciate it.

The entire movie is just a joy to watch. The acting from the entire ensemble cast is dead on and a treat to watch. I almost didn’t mind that Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson played multiple roles – though by the end of the second part, it was a bit wearisome.

One thing I disliked is the monologues. I guess they are necessary to stay true to the story and give us insights into the characters – it seems the character of Harper had the most of them and every time Mary-Louise Parker would dive into one, I just rolled my eyes and told myself, yep, it’s based on a play.

Obviously the topic of the movie is not for everyone – dealing with AIDS in 1985 and the complications people face and how people react is not a light subject. It is emotionally draining, but I think well worth the effort and I recommend people watch it.

**/****
Dir: Steven Soderbergh
2004 Color English 125 Min
Rated PG-13 for language

This movie is actually a lot like Be Cool: a sequel that I wanted to see, that never lives up to the original, which I really enjoyed. Everyone seems to have lost their coolness in this movie - except George Clooney and Brad Pitt (and even Pitt doesn't have much to do). The story revolves around the gang who pulled off the big heist in the first move has been tracked down by the casino owner who wants his money back. In order to get the money, they head to Europe to pull off some gigs, where it turns out some famous French thief wants to challenge Ocean and his gang to try and steal the same thing.

If the plot sounds forced, it is because it is. Not only that, but the plot is a little convoluted. You know you are in trouble when one of the stars ends up playing a character that has to impersonate the star that is playing the character. Oy, what a mess!

The movie is not completely without merit, as it was a nice escape for two hours, and some of the scenery in Italy is stunning. Ok, maybe because I like George Clooney's new house.

After a year of preparation and lots of paint, the Disneyland 50th anniversary celebration is underway. It certainly is a step up from the 45th anniversary, though I still think they should have ahead a dream machine giving out prizes like they did for the 30th anniversary. However there is still so much to see and do, and if you haven't been to the park in awhile I think you will be very pleased.

The fireworks are simply amazing. Just be sure to get your spot in the hub early, since I would imagine it to be packed to the gills. Of course there is the little Buzz ride which has been popular with the guests and the cast. The Parade of Dreams is good too. I am not a big parade fan, but the floats are all dazzling, and despite the fact it re-uses a Brother Bear song, the music is good too (though not nearly as catchy as 'Style'.

The past week I have seen numerous celebrities come and go on the ride including Jodie Foster, Sean Astin, Jenna Elfman, Kelsey Grammar, Tim Allen, Michael Eisner, Jim Belushi, and Christina Aguilera. All of them were having a great time and were in good moods. Part of me wishes I could have the Gorn somewhere so I could have them pose for photos, but alas, to us celebrities are just like everyone else - guests who are there to have fun - and not to be harassed.

On Tuesday, I bought the limited edition CD box set of Disneyland music and am currently converting it to my iPod so I can listen to it on the go. It is truly an amazing collection!

I've finished my first two Netflix movies, and will post reviews soon!