AlanBarber.Org
TV, Movies, & Music
Monday, January 26, 2004
I saw "The West Wing" being filmed!
I had toured most of the monuments and memorials in Washington D.C. at last years CPAC. However, this year I went out on the town with a girl that had never been to D.C. So, instead of just hitting the few things that I originally planned to visit we ended up doing our own little "Tour D.C. in 6 hours."Anyways, we were over at the FDR memorial (it's between Lincoln and Jefferson memorials) and noticed a setup on the banks of the tidal basin. Cameras, lights, microphones, the whole shebang.
I didn't see who was being filmed at first but one of the guys turned around and I recognized that it was John Spencer who plays Leo McGarry, the White House Chief of Staff. I'm not sure who the other guy was but I know he wasn't one of the main characters.
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These were the only two pictures that I snapped off before some security guy came over and asked us to get back. At first I thought the guy was going to take my camera or beat me but he nicely asked for us to please keep moving so we don't interfere with the sound or lighting.
So, I just thought I'd share since it's not every day you get to see something like that first hand.
I have to admit that I like the show. I know it has that ass of a man Martin Sheen playing a Democrat president. However, It's still fun to watch. I like to see the staff deal with the drama of working in the White House and I get absorbed into the emotions and story of the political processes they deal with in every episode. Though the liberal rhetoric can be annoying, for the most part I find I can ignore any liberal messages they try to shove down our throats and just enjoy the stories.
on 01/26/2004 at 10:39 AM
Sunday, December 21, 2003
Bad Boys II
I watched Bad Boys II last night for the first time. It's an excellent movie!Admittedly the plot is a bit thin and the movie relies a bit too much on fancy tricks and action but who really cares. I don't think anyone goes into movies like this expecting compelling dialog and intelligent, provoking story lines. It's all about the action and boy do they deliver!
Martin Lawrence and Will Smith didn't seem to have the level of chemistry the first movie had but the story is suppose to take place years after the first one and Martin Lawrence's character, Marcus, is having thoughts of getting a new partner because of the stress Will Smith's character, Mike, is causing. So I guess you could use that fact to give a believable reason for the lack of chemistry.
They have your obligatory car chase on a freeway. However they mix it up by having the bad guys steal a semi loaded with cars. So you get an over the top chase where bad guys are tossing cars off the back of the truck. This of course causes lots of mayhem and crashes and everyone but the two stars ends up in a crash.
Plus there's this cool 360 degree spinning shootout in this old house in the slums. The good guys and bad guys are in separate rooms and are back to back on the dividing wall that has two French doors on either side. They spin the camera around and around focusing on the center of this dividing wall. It's a very interesting shot but it does get a bit annoying after a while as you start to get dizzy and feel nauseous.
The action was great, the story while thin still made enough sense so you don't finish the movie and say "What the heck was that all about?". Best of all it makes really good use of our new surround sound system! Every speaker was working in unity to produce a symphony of directional sound that was pure bliss. Many movies barely make use of the rear surround sound speakers or use any fancy effects. Bad Boys II used it perfectly. In the heat of major shootouts every speaker in the room was rattling with gunfire but only when appropriate for the camera angle. This is one of those movies that makes you feel good for spending the extra money on a good speaker setup.
All in all I liked the movie. So if you haven't seen it, go out and rent it. In fact rent both and have a Bad Boys movie night.
Tuesday, December 09, 2003
Nelly Furtado's Folklore
Sunday night I went to the lab to work on some programming projects. I brought along my headphones so I could listen to something besides the idiot freshmen and sophomores bitching about how hard their Computer Science 200 level courses are. I can't help but laugh every time I hear them. If they think the 200 level courses are hard wait till they see the 400 level courses!I hit up WindowsMedia.com to just find some streaming radio station but found out they had some streams of new releases. Low and behold Nelly Furtado's new CD Folklore was there.
It was really good. It's one of those CDs you can turn on and listen to without any work. I listed to the stream twice though while I was hacking away on my projects.
It's much better in my opinion than her previous CD Whoa, Nelly. It's much less pop and cookie cutter tunes and very much real and original. The strong vocals and catchy, yet meaningful lyrics of Nelly comes through and just blows you away.
The first song "One Trick Pony" is the perfect start to the CD. It's beat grabs you in and the quirky lyrics get you into a good feeling. The next song takes the fun parts of the first one and plays with lyrics to get you to sing along and tap to the beat without even realizing it.
It then all ends with this amazingly poignant song "Childhood Dreams". It uses a church organ throughout the song and it's just so powerful. Her lyrics just cut through you and you can't help but feel the emotion of the song. It all culminates with ringing church bells that prove to be the perfect ending to the CD.
The range and mix of song styles mesh very well and give enough variety so it doesn't get boring. It's very much a work of art from a talented women. When you get done listening I guarantee that you'll put it back in to listen again.
I know the RIAA are a bunch of morons and should not buy music to protest their actions but this is a definite must buy. It's really a mater of voting with our wallets. If people would only buy quality works like Folklore and leave the pre-manufactured junk on the shelves they'll learn it's not piracy that's hurting them but the trash they put out.
Friday, November 21, 2003
Master and Commander
I went and watched Master and Commander. It wasn't too bad of a movie. I think the problem is people are going in expecting a swashbuckling sea adventure and it isn't. It's much more about the lives of the sailors and the true day to day reality of life at sea.I guess the writers and producers spent a lot of time researching to make it true to life. I may be no naval expert but I think they did a hell of a job. The fighting seemed more real than any other movie. They were quick and limited with more time spend jockeying for position or running away. So many classic ship to ship battles in movies go on for every with dozens of cannon volleys with little or no damage to either side. In Master and Commander very few shots are fired and when they hit they do massive damage. As should a flying cannonball!
Also there are really only two battles between the two ships. Rest of the time is dealing with the crew and their experiences at sea. Things like how the officers and crew interact, superstitions of the sea, the tedium of sailing, etc.
All in all I found the movie great. Go see it on a boring weekend. I'm sure you'll enjoy it too.
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
The Family Guy Returns?
USAToday.com is reporting that there are rumors of the cult cartoon "Family Guy" could be returning from the dead.If you haven't seen Family Guy I feel sorry for you. It's on nightly on Cartoon Networks Adult Swim. So go watch it.
There were 3 seasons but FOX ran it more as a filler show off and on. As a result it's a damn funny show but the ratings just didn't do it justice. They [FOX] ended up canceling it but thanks to the killer DVD sales of the episodes they might believe it's worth spending the money on new episodes.
Personally I applaud the move! It's nice to see tv executives, especially the ones at FOX, thinking about more than just the next stupid reality show. Anyways, right now it's just speculation as no official announcement has been made but they're saying it could be as many as 35 new episodes starting January of 2005. That's a ways off so don't go running out and buying stocks of tapes or DVD-RW media yet!
Here's hoping it works out.
Friday, November 14, 2003
Just saw Matrix: Revolutions
The Matrix Revolutions is perfect! Put your hands down, get out of your seat and walk out the door. There is no discussion and there is no debate, period. Don't say it's the third movie and the first was better. Any attempt at comparison is futile and you're wasting everyone's time even thinking about it! So just stop it.The Matrix is one story and though it might have been separated into 2 time lines that are broken into 3 parts to be told it is still one single entity. It's a beautiful and perfect entity. This story has done more to spark intense philosophical thinking and debate than perhaps any other story in history.
So many questions have been answered. I've read and heard everyone talking about the movie for a week. It seems people are ending up more confused at the end. I just feel sorry for all of you. For me everything is very lucid right now. I won't waste anyone's time explaining things other than to say this. If you find yourself confused after the film you need to rewatch the entire series. Watch the first and second part then go see the film again. However this time don't pay attention to the action, don't get caught up in the kung-fu, and above all look and listen to story. When you block out the interference and focus on the story you'll see things start to make more sense. It's rather logical actually.
I'm just floored right now so excuse my strangeness! I'd just like to say I'm such a fool. Going solo to movies is amazing. In fact, I think I might never be able to truly enjoy any movie in a group from now on. If you've never gone alone for reasons I've discussed a few days back [Monday afternoon thoughts] let me be the first to tell you don't let them stop you. You'll experience movies in a new way. No more friends noisily munching popcorn or slurping soda next to you. Nobody commenting on the action, the sadness, the jokes, or story line. You are free to become fully enveloped into the movie's world.
Watching the Matrix solo was refreshing and an experience unto itself. Maybe it's just the mixture of thrills from the movie and the box of Milk Duds, however I think it's something more. Much more in fact. Since leaving the movie my mind is functioning on a different plane. I don't feel stressed like I did going to the theater and worries that have been bothering me weeks and months are a distant memory. It is as if my mind, body and spirit have been washed clean.
I know it sounds like I must be on some chemical induced dementia but it's not. I've just had an intense and influential experience like no other. Heh. Life is rather strange and beautiful.
Monday, September 29, 2003
State of TV report
Well the Season Finale of Dead Like Me was on Friday. I missed it but caught the repeat Saturday. It was a very good show and I liked how they ended the season.It was a nice happy ending. Obviously the writers didn't want to end with a big cliff hanger since they didn't know at the time if there would be a season two. The major plot was about Georgia getting her job back at Happy Times and her family placing the tombstone at her grave. After the family left Georgia and the rest of the reapers celebrated her new after-life by drinking champagne at the grave. It was all peaceful and joyous.
Sunday was the Alias season premier on ABC. A bit disappointing in how it turned out. They left us last season with Sidney waking up in Hong Kong 2 years after the big fight scene where she passed out at the end. The plot followed very closely to the pilot episode.
The plot goes something like this... She was an outsider but needed to get in and earn the trust of the leaders. So she goes awol and single handily retrieves the object everyone wants but can't get. Everyone trust her and it's all back to normal. A little too squeaky clean for my liking.
Still it's nice to have something to watch on Sundays again.
Finally there are two new shows on CBS.
The first is called Joan of Arcadia. It's about a teen girl Joan who God talks to. He takes on different forms and tells her to do things. It's a bit messed up but looks promising long as they keep the religious overtones to a minimum. It's the usual dysfunctional family deal; a workaholic father, goofy mother, geeky little brother, and sports jock older brother who had an accident and is now wheelchair bound. Admirably it was a bit corny at times but it still managed to keep my attention for an hour which is surprising.
The other is The Handler. Joe Pantoliano plays a FBI agent that manages people that do undercover work. He brings them in, trains them, and places them in positions to infiltrate criminal groups, drug dealers, prostitution rings, whatever. Similar to Joan of Arcadia being a new show there was a lot of character development so it didn't flow as well. But it also kept me watching for a hour and Joe plays the part pretty good.
So that's what's up with TV lately. Here's the rundown
Joan of Arcadia - 8pm Fridays - CBS
The Handler - 10pm Fridays - CBS
Alias - 9pm Sundays - ABC
Dead Like Me - Season is over but keep an eye for repeats - Showtime