Christmas is here folks, and I find myself with a little extra time on my hands, so, without further ado (adiu?...adoo?), here's the Sneaky Cheetah's Best of 2004 Music Post!
WARNING: I can only review albums I've purchased or was given, so in 2004 that comes to 19. Not exactly a sweeping sample of the music industry, but more then most people buy!
2004 was the year of The Greatest Hits Album. Or, as they shall be known forever more as, GRITS (GReatest hITS....get it?!?). All my favorite bands of the 90's are now over 10 years old and their contracts are running out, so out come the GRITS! I picked up GRITS from Pearl Jam, Live, 311, Everclear and Hootie & the Blowfish. But I'm most proud of my Def Leppard Best Of, released only in England and Japan, which I managed to get my meaty paws on. I've still gotta pick up GRITS from Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M., Korn, Creed and Sheryl Crow. These shall not be graded (unless you beg me to) because then I would be judging an artists whole body of work, not just this years.
So.....on to the NEW ALBUMS OF 2004!!!! or...the top ten non-grits albums of 2004 that I bought (I only got 10!)
10. Scissor Sisters - C- - Really only one great song (Take Your Mama Out) and an ...interesting cover of Comfortably Numb. The rest is gay dance/rock poo.
9. LIT - C - Uninspired work here from one of my favorites. As much as I want to, I just can't get into it. Nothing memorable, no hit singles, these songs would be waaaay in the back end of their previous two albums. NOTE: Allmusic.com rates this album at 4.5 stars (Lit's best) and 1999's A Place in the Sun and 2001's Atomic at 2 and 3 stars, respectively. Whose sausage are they smoking?!?!?
8. Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin - C+ - Doesn't sound as fresh as her debut album. She's working with new producers and they're not clicking to strongly. It's repetitive and boring at times. Does have a few hits on it (Don't Tell Me, My Happy Ending, Nobody's Home), hence the "+".
7. Velvet Revolver - Contraband - B- - When most of Guns 'N' Roses (Slash, Duff and Matt) decided to get Stone Temple Pilots' Scott Weiland as their singer in this band (along with some other dude on rhythm guitar, (couldn't they convince Izzy?)), I shit. I kid you not, I literally took a shit. Then I listened and it made me want to shit again. Nothing here is as good as any G 'N' R or STP, but Fall to Pieces comes really close. other highlights are Slither and Set me Free. It rocks alright, but you won't remember anything else here.
6. Jimmy Eat World - Futures - B- - See my full review here.
5. U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - B+ - See my full review here.
4. Collective Soul - Youth - A- - See my full review here.
3. Breaking Benjamin - We Are Not Alone - A - Hands down the best band to emerge in the last few years. They broke in a big way with 2002's Saturate, probably that year's best album (in the humble opinion of the SC!). We Are Not Alone picks up right where they left off. This album rocks hard. They combine great riffs with heavy energy, but their strength is in the chorus. Songwriter, Singer and Guitarist Ben Burnly writes incredible choruses. They are Huge! and Memorable! and he sings them with a kinda funny enunciation, which makes them even catchier! So Cold is their best song to date. Other highlights are Firefly and Forget It (both co-written with Billy Corgan, another Sneaky Cheetah Fave!) and Follow. But the album is great from start to finish.
2. Green Day - American Idiot - A+ - See my full review here.
1. Cheetah Sneaks - This is Where We Get Off - A+ - Ok. So call me bias. I still think this is the greatest music put out this year. From the driving rock of Girl Next Door to the alt-country of For You. The majestic riffage of Illumination to the unclassifiable fun of Honeydew. Plus a cover of Suspicious Minds!?!? C'mon! This album will knock your socks off. Ask anyone who's heard it. I listen to it more then anything else I own. If you want a copy, just ask ol' Uncle Cheetah. He'll hook you up. Maybe one day I'll write the story of this album, but that day shall not be today. (Look how long this post is already!)
Well, there it is folks. Let me know what you think and if you have any other good albums. Or GRITS! Stay tuned for the best films of '04, coming soon to a Sneaky Cheetah blog near you!
Thursday, December 23, 2004
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Let it Snow! Let it Sn...DAMN IT"S COLD!!!!
Had our first snow of the year here. It only snowed for about half an hour and the hurricane force winds didn't leave anything on the ground for more than an hour, but it was snow. I drove through it to work, listening to Live's greatest hits and it was magical! The next morning I awoke at 4:20 am to go to work and discovered it was 9 freakin' degrees! NINE! But that monsoon-like wind gave us a wind-chill of -10!!!! That's cold as balls! I haven't experienced snow/cold since my honeymoon in Denver in 2001. I like it though. It's a new experience. And a positive one.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Music Review - JIMMY EAT WORLD - Futures
When Jimmy Eat World burst onto the popular music scene, I was instantly attracted to their sound. It was 2001, and the "emo" wave was beginning to get some big hits. Weezer had just returned from a long hiatus with The Green Album, and melodic punk/pop was making a comeback. Jimmy Eat World's Bleed American (the name Bleed American was rightfully removed 2 months after the albums release after the events of September 11th, and now the album is simply known as "Jimmy Eat World") ruled the radio in the fall of 2001 with the "on every radio station" "the Middle", "Bleed American", "A Praise Chorus", and the incredible bombastic "Sweetness." But really, every song on the album is a hit. The first 7 songs are all strong and could have been singles.
This is what they had to live up to with the release of Futures. The elements that ruled their last album are still here, but they don't exactly ring out as strong. The songs are melodic, driving rhythms, big choruses, but besides the opening track "Futures" and the first single "Pain," nothing stands out. The really memorable riffs are absent (except on Futures which contains the best guitar riff Jimmy Eat World has ever written!). The lyrics are not as catchy. It's definantly a step back, but to be fair, they couldn't top Bleed American. It's a good enough album, but it doesn't break any new ground
The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: B-
This is what they had to live up to with the release of Futures. The elements that ruled their last album are still here, but they don't exactly ring out as strong. The songs are melodic, driving rhythms, big choruses, but besides the opening track "Futures" and the first single "Pain," nothing stands out. The really memorable riffs are absent (except on Futures which contains the best guitar riff Jimmy Eat World has ever written!). The lyrics are not as catchy. It's definantly a step back, but to be fair, they couldn't top Bleed American. It's a good enough album, but it doesn't break any new ground
The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: B-
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Music Review - U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Ok, It's time for everyone around the world to admit U2 to the greatest bands of all-time club. They are now worthy to be mentioned alongside the other greats, as equals. Who else has sustained a 24 year career, and are still putting out #1 records and are criticlly beloved. The Stones still record new albums, but they are generally regarded as garbage. As are the latest from Aerosmith, KISS, Van Halen, Bon Jovi and Metallica (and I'm probably the only guy who loves Def Leppards newer albums!). U2 can undisputedly claim the title as "Greatest Band in All the Land!"
Bono, The Edge, and "the other two guys in U2" (also known as Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.) decided to leave the electronic pop of their 90's albums with 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind, which ended up being way too Adult Contemporary. So the Edge lobbied to bring back his great rock, delay-soaked riffs (a la` 1991's Achtung Baby). The results are immediate and stunning. The first single which has already taken over radio stations and commercils, "Vertigo," is the best U2 rocker since "Until the End of the World." I was so pumped that the rest of the album would rock like this! Unfortunantly, it doesn't. Nearly all of the other songs start with a slow delayed guitar riff. Some build into psuedo-rock songs, some delve more into 70's style R&B, but not many are instantly memorble. Bono's voice is much stronger then it's been in years, and the Edge plays thinks that other guitarist would never dream of, but it's all standard U2. But hey, Standard U2 is not something we've heard since the early 90's. The memorable songs here are track 3 "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" and what I think should be the next single, track 5 "City of Blinding Lights."
There are really good songs here, but not great songs. This album is not destined to join The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby as a U2 masterpiece. But it's right under it with War , Rattle & Hum, and All That You Can't Leave Behind. It took me a few listen's to really "get" this album, but now that I have, it's a standard in my car for those long rides to work.
The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: B+
Bono, The Edge, and "the other two guys in U2" (also known as Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.) decided to leave the electronic pop of their 90's albums with 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind, which ended up being way too Adult Contemporary. So the Edge lobbied to bring back his great rock, delay-soaked riffs (a la` 1991's Achtung Baby). The results are immediate and stunning. The first single which has already taken over radio stations and commercils, "Vertigo," is the best U2 rocker since "Until the End of the World." I was so pumped that the rest of the album would rock like this! Unfortunantly, it doesn't. Nearly all of the other songs start with a slow delayed guitar riff. Some build into psuedo-rock songs, some delve more into 70's style R&B, but not many are instantly memorble. Bono's voice is much stronger then it's been in years, and the Edge plays thinks that other guitarist would never dream of, but it's all standard U2. But hey, Standard U2 is not something we've heard since the early 90's. The memorable songs here are track 3 "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" and what I think should be the next single, track 5 "City of Blinding Lights."
There are really good songs here, but not great songs. This album is not destined to join The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby as a U2 masterpiece. But it's right under it with War , Rattle & Hum, and All That You Can't Leave Behind. It took me a few listen's to really "get" this album, but now that I have, it's a standard in my car for those long rides to work.
The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: B+
Monday, December 06, 2004
DVD Review - HARRY POTTER & THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
I'm not gonna bother going into the plot on this one. Either you love Harry Potter and have read all the books (as I have) or you just think it's an ok kids movie. Either way, a plot description from me would be pointless. If you haven't read it, I won't spoil any plot elements for you. I will tell you that this is by far the best of the 3 Potter films. This movie is incredible.
The first thing you'll notice is that the cast has hit a growth spurt. Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint (as Harry, Hermoine, and Ron) are all teenagers now, which makes them much more interesting on screen and much better actors. There's actual acting here, not just kids running through their lines. The script is also better this time around. Writer J.K. Rowling was really discovering her characters in the first two films, but in Prisoner, she hits her stride as a really great writer. There are plenty of plot twists and lots of little idiosychratic things that help round out the characters.
But the real success of this movie lies in director Alphonso Cuaron. I haven't seen anything else he's directed, but I'm now a fan. He's darkened the film without making it dreary. This movie is much more grounded in reality, without as much of the bright, obvious magical bombast of HP 1 & 2 (directed by Chris Columbus). Cuaron also uses solid film techniques such as wipes and fades to convey the passage of time. Each Harry Potter movie covers 1 school year, and a major complaint I had with the Columbus films was that he didn't make this clear. Cuaron uses a shot of the Whomping Willow in autumn, winter, and spring to show the change in seasons. He's really added a savvy artistic non-Hollywood aspect to Harry Potter, which is exactly what the series needed.
Another change is with the passing of Richard Harris, a new Dumbledore was needed. Michael Gambon stepped in and was perfect. He was different then Harris' interpretation, less intimidating and more human, and in my opinion better. Other great british actors are following Alan Rickman's (Professor Snape) lead and jumping on Harry Potter. We're also treated to the incredible Gary Oldman as the mysterious Sirrius Black, David Thewlis as the heroic Professor Lupin and Emma Thompson as the wacky Professor Trelawney.
I could go on forever about this movie, but I'm running out of time. This movie will be remembered fondly forever by the young generation of today, just as the Goonies and Back to the Future are by my generation. One of the best of the year, and should, in my opinion, get a best director nod for Cuaron.
The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: A+
The first thing you'll notice is that the cast has hit a growth spurt. Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint (as Harry, Hermoine, and Ron) are all teenagers now, which makes them much more interesting on screen and much better actors. There's actual acting here, not just kids running through their lines. The script is also better this time around. Writer J.K. Rowling was really discovering her characters in the first two films, but in Prisoner, she hits her stride as a really great writer. There are plenty of plot twists and lots of little idiosychratic things that help round out the characters.
But the real success of this movie lies in director Alphonso Cuaron. I haven't seen anything else he's directed, but I'm now a fan. He's darkened the film without making it dreary. This movie is much more grounded in reality, without as much of the bright, obvious magical bombast of HP 1 & 2 (directed by Chris Columbus). Cuaron also uses solid film techniques such as wipes and fades to convey the passage of time. Each Harry Potter movie covers 1 school year, and a major complaint I had with the Columbus films was that he didn't make this clear. Cuaron uses a shot of the Whomping Willow in autumn, winter, and spring to show the change in seasons. He's really added a savvy artistic non-Hollywood aspect to Harry Potter, which is exactly what the series needed.
Another change is with the passing of Richard Harris, a new Dumbledore was needed. Michael Gambon stepped in and was perfect. He was different then Harris' interpretation, less intimidating and more human, and in my opinion better. Other great british actors are following Alan Rickman's (Professor Snape) lead and jumping on Harry Potter. We're also treated to the incredible Gary Oldman as the mysterious Sirrius Black, David Thewlis as the heroic Professor Lupin and Emma Thompson as the wacky Professor Trelawney.
I could go on forever about this movie, but I'm running out of time. This movie will be remembered fondly forever by the young generation of today, just as the Goonies and Back to the Future are by my generation. One of the best of the year, and should, in my opinion, get a best director nod for Cuaron.
The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: A+
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
DVD Review - SHREK 2
I bought Shrek 2 more for my 2-year-old son then myself. He enjoys all computer animated movies while traditional animated shows just don't hold his attention (Sponge Bob being the exception). I enjoyed the first one, but didn't regard it as a modern comedy classic like most people.
The plot starts immediatly after the first film ended. Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz), all green and "stout," return from their honeymoon and are invited to a kingdom far, far away to meet Fiona's parents. Insert script from "Meet the Parents." Along the way are Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas). Hijinks occur, Shrek and Fiona change to human (Donkey to a Stallion), and they're left with the decision whether to remain human or return to ogre. Similar moral choice as the first film. The biggest difference is Myer's Shrek doesn't seem to enjoy himself. In the first Shrek, he reveled in his Ogreness and was very funny, but here, even before abandoning said Ogreness comes into the plot, all he does is complain. The funniest parts are when minor characters from the first return to save the day including my favorite from Shrek 1, The Gingerbread Man (he even yells a good "not the gumb-drop buttons" in this movie also!). But my favorite in Shrek 2 was not Puss in Boots, as 99% of America will tell you, but Pinnochio. He steals every scene he's in. Also adding their vocal talents are John Cleese and Julie Andrews as the King and Queen, Jennifer Saunders as the antagonistic Fairy Godmother, and Rupert Everett as Prince Charming. Only Saunders gives a memorable performance, with Andrews giving no good lines and really nothing to do.
Shrek 2 was entertaining enough but is terribly overrated, especially when the DVD case proclaims it as "The #1 Comedy of All-Time!" Give me Pixar over this stuff any day.
The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: B-
The plot starts immediatly after the first film ended. Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz), all green and "stout," return from their honeymoon and are invited to a kingdom far, far away to meet Fiona's parents. Insert script from "Meet the Parents." Along the way are Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas). Hijinks occur, Shrek and Fiona change to human (Donkey to a Stallion), and they're left with the decision whether to remain human or return to ogre. Similar moral choice as the first film. The biggest difference is Myer's Shrek doesn't seem to enjoy himself. In the first Shrek, he reveled in his Ogreness and was very funny, but here, even before abandoning said Ogreness comes into the plot, all he does is complain. The funniest parts are when minor characters from the first return to save the day including my favorite from Shrek 1, The Gingerbread Man (he even yells a good "not the gumb-drop buttons" in this movie also!). But my favorite in Shrek 2 was not Puss in Boots, as 99% of America will tell you, but Pinnochio. He steals every scene he's in. Also adding their vocal talents are John Cleese and Julie Andrews as the King and Queen, Jennifer Saunders as the antagonistic Fairy Godmother, and Rupert Everett as Prince Charming. Only Saunders gives a memorable performance, with Andrews giving no good lines and really nothing to do.
Shrek 2 was entertaining enough but is terribly overrated, especially when the DVD case proclaims it as "The #1 Comedy of All-Time!" Give me Pixar over this stuff any day.
The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: B-
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Music Review - COLLECTIVE SOUL - Youth
Let me explain one thing about me and Collective Soul. I love 'em. Absolutely my favorite band of all time. I like every song on every album they've ever done. Saw them live in 2000. So it was with great anticipation that I greeted their first album in 4 years, Youth. I hesitantly say I'm kinda disappointed. This is still great stuff. They write riff-based, 4 minute rock/pop gems. After just two listens, I had these songs stuck in my head and couldn't wait to get back into the car to listen again. That being said, Youth doesn't quite live up to Collective Soul's standards. Maybe it's because their last two albums, 1999's Dosage and 2000's Blender, are my two favorite Collective Soul albums. I guess I was expecting something along the same lines. While the sound and style is the same, certain aspect sound weak. The lyrics seem random and cobbled together. I don't listen for lyrics, so that's not huge for me, but it seems Ed Roland just mailed it in. Also missing are the ripping guitar solo's from Ross Childress who I consider a tone genius. There's one or two good leads, but from Collective Soul, I expect a little more. My last little complaint is that the best song on the album (Track 5, "Him") is only 2:30 long and sounds half finished. A little more work and this could have been a hit single, but it sounds like they gave up on the song. The lead single, "Counting the Days" is a good indicator of the style of the album. Other song highlights are "Home" (track 3) and "How Do You Love" (track 4). There's more rockers then ballads. Overall, I'm satisfiedwith this album. It's definantly one of the best of 2004, in my opinion. It just doesn't surpass Collective Soul's previous strong efforts.
Sneaky Cheetah Update! - 12/20/04 - I just discovered that Collective Soul lead guitarist Ross Childress left the band before the recording of Youth. He was replaced by Collective Soul's guitar tech Joel Kosche. No wonder there are no killer solos. Damn.
The Sneaky Cheetah's grade: A-
Sneaky Cheetah Update! - 12/20/04 - I just discovered that Collective Soul lead guitarist Ross Childress left the band before the recording of Youth. He was replaced by Collective Soul's guitar tech Joel Kosche. No wonder there are no killer solos. Damn.
The Sneaky Cheetah's grade: A-
Music Review - GREEN DAY - American Idiot
I was reluctant to by this CD when it was first released. I've been a big Green Day fan for years, have all their CD's, and seen them live once in '94 in New Orleans. But their music was starting to get repetative. And they knew it. They had to go into the studio and expand their songwriting from the standard pop/punk they pioneered in the mid 90's. "American Idiot" is the result and it suceeds on every level. While the opening track (Amercian Idiot) and first single seems like pretty standard Green Day fare, it all changes from there. This album has been described as a rock opera, about the fall of a loser named Jimmy. I 'don't pay attention to lyrics much, so whatever. What I do here are songs that only resemble the Green Day of old in the tone of the vocals. Songs like "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "Are We Waiting" are basically simple in arrangements and structure, but seem fresh and new coming from Billy Joe, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool (the best name in music today). Even these songs are dwarfed by the sprawling "Jesus of Suburbia," a nine minute musical assault in 5 movements. I rank this CD as Green Days second masterpiece. While it won't have the influence of 1994's "Dookie, " it's the most ambitious and rewarding work Green Day's ever done.
The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: A+
The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: A+
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
B.A.M.
In an effort to increase my income and speed along the process of buying an insanely expensive townhouse, I've taken a second job at Books A Million. I've always wanted to work in a bookstore and needed a low-stress, close-to-home night job. So far so good, and I get 30% off all books! I'm gonna abuse that privledge, so expect books for Christmas! kidding. NOT!
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Future Home - Charleston, SC
Just got back from my second foray into freelance videography, the Miss South Carolina USA Pageant. It was held in Charleston and I fell in love with that city. It's an old city, very New Orleans-like. But without the ever-present piss smell (editor's note: To learn how a city gains a "piss-smell" read the previous post "One Hell of a Weekend in LA"). It's got history, ghost stories, an aircraft carrier, and an awesome hybrid downtown. By this I mean old look and feel, but then you'll see a Gap on the bottom floor of an old 6 story brownstone. You have to see it to get it. But it was instantly alluring. And we ate dinner at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Shack. I sat under the actual white suit from Forrest Gump. A very unique experience.
The weekend is a blur. Lack of sleep, cramped plane ride, Embassy Suits (the official hotel chain of The Sneaky Cheetah), Hooters, cute Israeli girl demonstrating head massaging thing, beer, and interviewing 145 of South Carolina's hottest 15-26 year old women. I've also discovered I've still got game. Let me explain.
Our video crew included 3 guys, one 40 years old, one 35 and me, 28. All married. But c'mon, it's impossible to not start flirting backstage at this thing. The ratio is 145 women to 6 men and two of those were gay (the host and the choreographer, of course)! It was frustrating at first because instead of knocking out these interviews (we try to interview all the girls for a customized official Miss SC DVD that they sell), B and T (40 and 35) were just flirting with 17 year old hotties. I was professional. My game was turned off. I began to wonder if I still had game at all anymore. I just celebrated my 3rd anniversary and Alanna and I were together for 5 years before that. My game was dusty and neglected. Like that cool shirt in the back off my closet that I won't throw away 'cause I swear I'll fit it again someday. So after we finished the interviews, we had a few hours before the show started. Hanging backstage, I began chatting with a few of the babes. And it came back! GAME! I was witty. I was funny. I'm overweight and my once signature cool hair is horribly thin now. But these girls were flirting with me. A few at a time, too! OK, they were under 21. So what. It felt good. Nothing was gonna come of it. Just harmless flirting. But I've still got a little game, and I'll keep it tucked away in a cozy, cool place. But I know it's there. g'night little game. g'night cheetah.
The weekend is a blur. Lack of sleep, cramped plane ride, Embassy Suits (the official hotel chain of The Sneaky Cheetah), Hooters, cute Israeli girl demonstrating head massaging thing, beer, and interviewing 145 of South Carolina's hottest 15-26 year old women. I've also discovered I've still got game. Let me explain.
Our video crew included 3 guys, one 40 years old, one 35 and me, 28. All married. But c'mon, it's impossible to not start flirting backstage at this thing. The ratio is 145 women to 6 men and two of those were gay (the host and the choreographer, of course)! It was frustrating at first because instead of knocking out these interviews (we try to interview all the girls for a customized official Miss SC DVD that they sell), B and T (40 and 35) were just flirting with 17 year old hotties. I was professional. My game was turned off. I began to wonder if I still had game at all anymore. I just celebrated my 3rd anniversary and Alanna and I were together for 5 years before that. My game was dusty and neglected. Like that cool shirt in the back off my closet that I won't throw away 'cause I swear I'll fit it again someday. So after we finished the interviews, we had a few hours before the show started. Hanging backstage, I began chatting with a few of the babes. And it came back! GAME! I was witty. I was funny. I'm overweight and my once signature cool hair is horribly thin now. But these girls were flirting with me. A few at a time, too! OK, they were under 21. So what. It felt good. Nothing was gonna come of it. Just harmless flirting. But I've still got a little game, and I'll keep it tucked away in a cozy, cool place. But I know it's there. g'night little game. g'night cheetah.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
Movie review - ALFIE
In celebrating my anniversary this weekend, my wife Alanna and I enjoyed an evening away from the Dominator. After lunch and shopping, we tried to decide on a movie. I begged and begged (I ain't to proud to beg!) to see the Incredibles or Team America: World Police. Alanna shot me down saying those weren't very anniversary-appropriate films. So, being on this "Jude Law is so frickin HOT" kick, she picked Alfie. This film is a remake of the 1966 Alfie starring Michael Caine, but since I never saw that one, I won't compare the two.
Alfie lives in New York, drives a limo, and lives to bang women. And life is good. Among his conquests are unhappy wife hottie Dorie (Jane Krakowski), single mom hottie Julie (Marissa Tomei), best friend's ex hottie Lonette (Nia Long), drug using bipolar hottie Nikki (Sienna Miller), and rich older hottie Liz (Susan Sarandon). Among others. He believes he's helping these women, making them feel wanted, treats them well, but breaks the relationships off before they become too serious. He's got a plan to buy the limo business he works for with best friend Marlon (Omar Epps). Things are going great. Then they start going bad. Really bad. Alfie's perfectly happy life just falls apart before our eyes. One of the women dumps him for a change, one gets knocked up, he breaks his own rules and gets serious with another, and he catches one cheating on him with a younger guy. He also tangles with penis erectile dysfunction and a possible cancerous lump on his dude. His business plan falls apart. His best friend moves away. What starts out as a fun sex romp becomes a total bummer of a film. There's one good surprise twist that I didn't see coming, but it's not enough to save the film. And the ending sucked. Everything's going to shit and then the movie's over. No redemption for Alfie, no happy ending.
One cool thing the filmmakers and Law pulled of is the "breaking of the third wall." Alfie looks into the camera and talks directly to the viewer. He basically nararates the entire movie, often breaking a scene with other characters to look at the audience, make some comment, then turn back to the scene. It takes a charismatic actor to pull this off, and Jude Law is nothing if not charismatic. And he's in EVERY shot of the movie. There's no breakaways to other actors or other places. It's all Alfie. The acting in the movie was good, but the dialogue was nothing new. No great words of wisdom or future catch phrases here. The film was directed by Charles Shyer of Father of the Bride I & II fame. It's well shot and well edited. The music is also excellent, done by Mick Jagger.
Overall this is a well made piece of crap. Direction, Acting, Cinematography, and Music all get A's and B's. The script gets a C-. IMDB.com users give it a 6.1 out of 10. Wait till it comes on HBO. Girls and wives will enjoy 2 hours of nothing but Jude Law, but that sort of thing just ain't my bag, baby.
The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: C
Alfie lives in New York, drives a limo, and lives to bang women. And life is good. Among his conquests are unhappy wife hottie Dorie (Jane Krakowski), single mom hottie Julie (Marissa Tomei), best friend's ex hottie Lonette (Nia Long), drug using bipolar hottie Nikki (Sienna Miller), and rich older hottie Liz (Susan Sarandon). Among others. He believes he's helping these women, making them feel wanted, treats them well, but breaks the relationships off before they become too serious. He's got a plan to buy the limo business he works for with best friend Marlon (Omar Epps). Things are going great. Then they start going bad. Really bad. Alfie's perfectly happy life just falls apart before our eyes. One of the women dumps him for a change, one gets knocked up, he breaks his own rules and gets serious with another, and he catches one cheating on him with a younger guy. He also tangles with penis erectile dysfunction and a possible cancerous lump on his dude. His business plan falls apart. His best friend moves away. What starts out as a fun sex romp becomes a total bummer of a film. There's one good surprise twist that I didn't see coming, but it's not enough to save the film. And the ending sucked. Everything's going to shit and then the movie's over. No redemption for Alfie, no happy ending.
One cool thing the filmmakers and Law pulled of is the "breaking of the third wall." Alfie looks into the camera and talks directly to the viewer. He basically nararates the entire movie, often breaking a scene with other characters to look at the audience, make some comment, then turn back to the scene. It takes a charismatic actor to pull this off, and Jude Law is nothing if not charismatic. And he's in EVERY shot of the movie. There's no breakaways to other actors or other places. It's all Alfie. The acting in the movie was good, but the dialogue was nothing new. No great words of wisdom or future catch phrases here. The film was directed by Charles Shyer of Father of the Bride I & II fame. It's well shot and well edited. The music is also excellent, done by Mick Jagger.
Overall this is a well made piece of crap. Direction, Acting, Cinematography, and Music all get A's and B's. The script gets a C-. IMDB.com users give it a 6.1 out of 10. Wait till it comes on HBO. Girls and wives will enjoy 2 hours of nothing but Jude Law, but that sort of thing just ain't my bag, baby.
The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: C
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
One Hell of a Weekend in LA
After 5 months of the Mid Atlantic, I returned to South Louisiana to celebrate the wedding of my sister Vicki and my friend Neil. This was by far the most fun I've had since the Cheetah Sneaks rocked Downtown Alive! (in May!) I was really stressed as I waited in Dulles airport to fly down to New Orleans. I don't know why exactly, I was just really nervous and stressed out. The flight was uneventful except when Dominic decided since he was in a plane, he would drop some bombs. Twice. One highlight was getting some good ol' Cajun home cooking. Red Beans and Sausage, Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo, Boudin, Jambalaya, I had it all that weekend. But the first 2 days down were just a buildup for the 3rd night: The Bachelor Party.
Neil's Bachelor party was about three things: Beer, Yelling, and Pissing. 20 guys rode a trolley around Lafayette for 4 hours and drank three icechests of beer, yelled at every ho on the street, and baptized various streets, walls, dumpsters, and cars with gallons of recycled beer. Some highlights include drinking beer, yelling at ho's and peeing a lot. It was interesting when that skank jumped on the trolley and said "Why am I the only girl here?" To which 2 guys simultaneously exclaimed "Because you're stupid, bitch!" And two other unsuspecting and not quite as skanky ho's jumped on board at the strip. We drove away then when we stopped to piss at the parking garage downtown, they escaped. As far as the pissing, we hit cars, a jeep, some walls, the street, a fence, dumpsters, a pile of bricks, not to mention some urinals, a sink, and a garbage can. And that's all I saw. We should have known all this free peeing would get us in trouble, we just didn't think it would be Mike who got busted. After leaving the one bar we stopped at and walking about 40 feet, Mike decided to loose the hounds one more time behind a dumpster. He was spotted by one of Lafayette's finest, who immediately called for backup. 3 officers later mike got a public indecency ticket (or maybe littering?) and the trolley rolled on. There was the unwise trip to Simco, singing along to Cheetah Sneak classics and the night finally culminated with Cookie pulling a spider monkey. I won't explain what that is. You had to be there.
The only thing missing was a lack of strippers and female nudity, but I'd trade that for any chance to hang out with Brandon, Cookie, Neil, and Rob. We could have sat at a table in Bob's Pube all night and I would have been happy.
The wedding was just as fun. Good ceremony, except for a rambling, uncomprehensible sermon by the JotP. After walking out to the sound of "Let's Get it On," the party started. Vicki looked beautiful, the building was full, the drinks were flowing. We danced, we sang, we toasted, we partied. All my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and first cousins were there (except for the two "black sheep" of the families.) Dominic tore up the dance floor with his 3 cousins. Dad did the freeze! Little Dave got plastered. Brady forgot his coat. Some single people hooked up with some other single people (allegedly!). It was a classic Southern Wedding.
It was with great regret that I returned to Virginia, Sunday. Louisiana may be an economic turd, but it's home. And it's not just the presence of family and friends, though that is a huge part of it. It's driving roads that I've driven since I was sixteen. Going to the mall I spent so much time at eleven years ago. Eating at the restaurant my wife and I had one of our first dates at. Knowing where to get the best boudin in the world from. Walking into a bar downtown and seeing someone i used to work with 5 years ago. Tailgating before a college football game, knowing half the people outside the stadium won't even go in the stadium. Opening the newspaper and seeing stories about the Saints. Cruising through my hometown and seeing houses covered in toilet paper, knowing I was doing the same thing at the same time to the same houses when I was a high school senior. That's Louisiana for me. That's home.
Neil's Bachelor party was about three things: Beer, Yelling, and Pissing. 20 guys rode a trolley around Lafayette for 4 hours and drank three icechests of beer, yelled at every ho on the street, and baptized various streets, walls, dumpsters, and cars with gallons of recycled beer. Some highlights include drinking beer, yelling at ho's and peeing a lot. It was interesting when that skank jumped on the trolley and said "Why am I the only girl here?" To which 2 guys simultaneously exclaimed "Because you're stupid, bitch!" And two other unsuspecting and not quite as skanky ho's jumped on board at the strip. We drove away then when we stopped to piss at the parking garage downtown, they escaped. As far as the pissing, we hit cars, a jeep, some walls, the street, a fence, dumpsters, a pile of bricks, not to mention some urinals, a sink, and a garbage can. And that's all I saw. We should have known all this free peeing would get us in trouble, we just didn't think it would be Mike who got busted. After leaving the one bar we stopped at and walking about 40 feet, Mike decided to loose the hounds one more time behind a dumpster. He was spotted by one of Lafayette's finest, who immediately called for backup. 3 officers later mike got a public indecency ticket (or maybe littering?) and the trolley rolled on. There was the unwise trip to Simco, singing along to Cheetah Sneak classics and the night finally culminated with Cookie pulling a spider monkey. I won't explain what that is. You had to be there.
The only thing missing was a lack of strippers and female nudity, but I'd trade that for any chance to hang out with Brandon, Cookie, Neil, and Rob. We could have sat at a table in Bob's Pube all night and I would have been happy.
The wedding was just as fun. Good ceremony, except for a rambling, uncomprehensible sermon by the JotP. After walking out to the sound of "Let's Get it On," the party started. Vicki looked beautiful, the building was full, the drinks were flowing. We danced, we sang, we toasted, we partied. All my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and first cousins were there (except for the two "black sheep" of the families.) Dominic tore up the dance floor with his 3 cousins. Dad did the freeze! Little Dave got plastered. Brady forgot his coat. Some single people hooked up with some other single people (allegedly!). It was a classic Southern Wedding.
It was with great regret that I returned to Virginia, Sunday. Louisiana may be an economic turd, but it's home. And it's not just the presence of family and friends, though that is a huge part of it. It's driving roads that I've driven since I was sixteen. Going to the mall I spent so much time at eleven years ago. Eating at the restaurant my wife and I had one of our first dates at. Knowing where to get the best boudin in the world from. Walking into a bar downtown and seeing someone i used to work with 5 years ago. Tailgating before a college football game, knowing half the people outside the stadium won't even go in the stadium. Opening the newspaper and seeing stories about the Saints. Cruising through my hometown and seeing houses covered in toilet paper, knowing I was doing the same thing at the same time to the same houses when I was a high school senior. That's Louisiana for me. That's home.
Sunday, October 31, 2004
DVD Review - VAN HELSING
I had some reservations about buying Van Helsing. I'd heard lots of bad reviews (it's got a 5.3 user rating on IMDB) and frankly I didn't want a retelling of the Dracula, Frankenstein, and Wolfman mythos. They're great stories, classics, archtypes, and I don't want them blended into one plotline (except for in The Monster Squad, 1987). But everytime I saw something I didn't like about this film, something else pulled me back in.
First the negative. It's a CG orgy. I thing there's some CG on virtually every shot. I understand using CG on wolfman, Dracula's brides, and the gone-to-soon Dr. Jeckell. But everytime Van Helsing and friends performed anything resembling a stunt, the film turned into a videogame. This is what ruined Matrix Reloaded and Revolution. Van Helsing swings from a rope, he's CG, he does a backflip, he's CG, he stands around looking grim and utters some horrible dialogue, he's CG (well, almost). Was the stuntman union on strike when they filmed this? There's also way to much "swinging on a rope/chain" going on here. I need to go back and count, but it must happen more in Van Helsing then in Batman and Spider-man combined. And of course, it's all CG. The dialogue is also VERY weak. Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) and Anna (Kate Beckinsale) have virtually nothing good to say to each other. And when they do interact it's line's like "Nothing's faster then Transylvanian Horses, not even Werewolves." Five minutes later the Wolfman catches up to them. The actor portraying Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) is weak. And after an incredible introduction during the black-and-white opening of the movie, Frankenstein's Monster turns into a bible-quoting wimp. Also there are some unresolved plot holes regarding Van Helsing's past (which he doesn't remember ala Wolverine and his past relationship with Dracula). On to the good stuff.
The story works. It makes sense. Van Helsing as a supernatural-evil-batteling-007 employed by the Vatican is a good story, especially in light of popular liturature like Angels & Demons, and The DaVinci Code. He takes out Dr. Jeckell in the best action sequence in the film. He uses high tech (for the turn of the century) gadgets and has a "Q" (David Wenham as Carl "I'm still only a friar!") The story goes like this: Dracula is funding Dr. Frankenstein's experimants to create life in order to re-animate his children (which are born dead since, well, he's undead. Makes sense, see?) Franky creates his monster, then is killed by Dracula. Igor turns out to be Dracula's pawn. The Monster wakes up, does something really cool to Drac, and flees from a mob of torch wielding peasents with the body of his father. They corner him in the windmill and burn it down. All of this is in black and white and is absolutely beautiful. Cut to one year later, Van Helsing is sent to stop Drac from killing Anna, the last of a line of Gypsy Royalty whose family swore to stop Drac. And let me state here that Kate Beckinsale is the most stunning woman in film today (cheesy Transylvanian accent aside). I fell in love with her in Serendipity (2001) and Pearl Harbor (2001) and she looks damn good in tight pants and some knee high boots with very high heels. They fight Wolfman (Drac's servant), his three Brides (super hot whore-vampires), and some unexplained wierd gas mask wearing trolls. It's good, fun stuff.
But the best aspect of this film is the music. It is scored by Alan Silvestri (just look up his impressive resume`). There's this theme whenever Van Helsing rides/runs off somewhere with some thundering drums and a driving classical guitar line. It's still stuck in my head. The score elevates every scene of the movie. Truly a masterful and award deserving job by Mr. Silvestri.
Van Helsing was directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy movies) and feels just as fun as those. He's a good director that could be great if he wouldn't depend on the damn CG so much. Rent it, buy it, enjoy it for what it is. A monster movie. It ain't Shakespeare folks.
The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: B-
First the negative. It's a CG orgy. I thing there's some CG on virtually every shot. I understand using CG on wolfman, Dracula's brides, and the gone-to-soon Dr. Jeckell. But everytime Van Helsing and friends performed anything resembling a stunt, the film turned into a videogame. This is what ruined Matrix Reloaded and Revolution. Van Helsing swings from a rope, he's CG, he does a backflip, he's CG, he stands around looking grim and utters some horrible dialogue, he's CG (well, almost). Was the stuntman union on strike when they filmed this? There's also way to much "swinging on a rope/chain" going on here. I need to go back and count, but it must happen more in Van Helsing then in Batman and Spider-man combined. And of course, it's all CG. The dialogue is also VERY weak. Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) and Anna (Kate Beckinsale) have virtually nothing good to say to each other. And when they do interact it's line's like "Nothing's faster then Transylvanian Horses, not even Werewolves." Five minutes later the Wolfman catches up to them. The actor portraying Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) is weak. And after an incredible introduction during the black-and-white opening of the movie, Frankenstein's Monster turns into a bible-quoting wimp. Also there are some unresolved plot holes regarding Van Helsing's past (which he doesn't remember ala Wolverine and his past relationship with Dracula). On to the good stuff.
The story works. It makes sense. Van Helsing as a supernatural-evil-batteling-007 employed by the Vatican is a good story, especially in light of popular liturature like Angels & Demons, and The DaVinci Code. He takes out Dr. Jeckell in the best action sequence in the film. He uses high tech (for the turn of the century) gadgets and has a "Q" (David Wenham as Carl "I'm still only a friar!") The story goes like this: Dracula is funding Dr. Frankenstein's experimants to create life in order to re-animate his children (which are born dead since, well, he's undead. Makes sense, see?) Franky creates his monster, then is killed by Dracula. Igor turns out to be Dracula's pawn. The Monster wakes up, does something really cool to Drac, and flees from a mob of torch wielding peasents with the body of his father. They corner him in the windmill and burn it down. All of this is in black and white and is absolutely beautiful. Cut to one year later, Van Helsing is sent to stop Drac from killing Anna, the last of a line of Gypsy Royalty whose family swore to stop Drac. And let me state here that Kate Beckinsale is the most stunning woman in film today (cheesy Transylvanian accent aside). I fell in love with her in Serendipity (2001) and Pearl Harbor (2001) and she looks damn good in tight pants and some knee high boots with very high heels. They fight Wolfman (Drac's servant), his three Brides (super hot whore-vampires), and some unexplained wierd gas mask wearing trolls. It's good, fun stuff.
But the best aspect of this film is the music. It is scored by Alan Silvestri (just look up his impressive resume`). There's this theme whenever Van Helsing rides/runs off somewhere with some thundering drums and a driving classical guitar line. It's still stuck in my head. The score elevates every scene of the movie. Truly a masterful and award deserving job by Mr. Silvestri.
Van Helsing was directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy movies) and feels just as fun as those. He's a good director that could be great if he wouldn't depend on the damn CG so much. Rent it, buy it, enjoy it for what it is. A monster movie. It ain't Shakespeare folks.
The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: B-
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Miss Biscuitville, U.S.A.
I spent this last weekend in High Point, North Carolina at the Miss North Carolina USA pageant. I was employed as a videographer and basically had to capture on video everything these young women did including rehearsals, clowning around, and the pageant itself. Great situation, right? In a hotel for the weekend with a legitimate reason to hang around 120 gorgeous girls. Oh, wait, too bad I'm 28, married, and fat. This would have been a dream vacation if I was 21........well I still had fun and made some jack to boot. But what I bring away from this weekend , more then anything I saw, was.....Biscuits. I ate more biscuits then ever before in my life! It started out innocently enough. My two co-workers (Brett and Cecil) and I passed a KFC-looking place called Biscuitville. WOW! We just had to stop and try it! And wouldn't you know it, they served biscuits. And nothing but Biscuits! You really only got a choice of what you wanted INSIDE your biscuit. Sausage, Egg, chicken, steak, chicken fried steak, you name it, they slammed it in a biscuit and charged you $3. The rest of the time, we depended on the catering supplied to the girls for our meals. Well, on Saturday, after a meager lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches, we scrounged for some food and found some...Biscuits. Burger King Biscuits to be exact. I had 2. they were cold. Well we didn't have time for a proper dinner, so we asked on of the pageant assistants to get us some of the food from the contestents dressing room. She came back with some...Biscuits. The were Burger King, but they were hot. By this time, i was at my biscuit limit. The pageant started and when the top 15 came out in their evening gowns, they lead a big poodle on stage. And what do you suppose the name of the poodle was ........... Fifi? ....... No ........... it was ................................................... BISCUIT!
Saturday, October 16, 2004
movie review - FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
The greatest football movie I've ever seen. Nothing else is even close. If you played high school football, this movie will get to you. In fact, during the movie, I was having flashbacks to my senior year, hearing speeches my coach gave me, remembering what it was like to be a senior, to wear that purple jacket with the big yellow "L." And yes, this movie will make guys cry. I didn't but it was close. And the guy I went with got teary.
Anyway, here's the plot, based on a true story. Set in 1988, a school in Odessa Texas is gearing up for another great football season. We're following 3 time state champ Permian High. Their mascot is the panthers, but for some reason, "mojo" is written on everything. Well since most readers of this grew up in Louisiana, we know how real high school football is. But in Texas, it's ten times more important. Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thorton) is the second year coach that makes more money then the principle. His team is lead by an all-american running back and public enemy wannabe Boobie Miles (Derek Luke). The quarterback, Mike Winchell (Lucas Black), is a serious mama's boy who's expected to not fumble as he hands it off to Boobie. And he never smiles. The backup runningback, Don Billingsley (Garrat Hedlund) fumbles a lot and gets abused numerous times by his alcoholic and former-state-champ-runningback-dad (an impressive Tim McGraw). On defense, we have the stong safety Brian Chavez (Jay Hernandez) who's going to Harvard after graduation, and lineman Ivory Christian (Lee Jackson) who doesn't talk to anyone and is called "preacher-boy" by Boobie. Well, after scoring 5 touchdowns in the first game, Boobie tears his ACL, and a team built around one guy must step up and find new ways to win. The film gives equal time to the coach and the players, and it never becomes an "X's and O's" movie about football. It's character driven. And the relatively unknown actors makes it seem that you're never looking at movie stars, just some kids in high school. There are many powerful scenes and powerful performances and the football action is as good as anything made. And the payoff for experiencing all these emotion ups and downs is the state championship game, which is given a full quarter of the movie. It feels like you relly watched an entire game by the end of it. Firday Night Lights was directed by Peter Berg, who's only other film directing credits are the awful "Very Bad Thing (IMDB score = 5.7), and "The Rundown (6.5)," which I haven't seen. He does an outstanding job, giving the movie a documentary feel. The film is grainy and not polished, and there are plenty of establishing shots in between the mini-episodes as the football season goes on. And during the games, you don't get any shots that a normal football television crew couldn't get. No helmet cams or camera on the back of the runner shots. Just sidelines and endzones. This is what gives it the feeling of watching a real game here.
Go see this movie! Even non football fans will be sucked into this story. This is the best movie I've seen all year folks. IMDB.com's user rating here is 7.2 (on a scale of 10), and usually anything over a seven is great! Go see this now, in the theater, on a friday night.
The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: A
Anyway, here's the plot, based on a true story. Set in 1988, a school in Odessa Texas is gearing up for another great football season. We're following 3 time state champ Permian High. Their mascot is the panthers, but for some reason, "mojo" is written on everything. Well since most readers of this grew up in Louisiana, we know how real high school football is. But in Texas, it's ten times more important. Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thorton) is the second year coach that makes more money then the principle. His team is lead by an all-american running back and public enemy wannabe Boobie Miles (Derek Luke). The quarterback, Mike Winchell (Lucas Black), is a serious mama's boy who's expected to not fumble as he hands it off to Boobie. And he never smiles. The backup runningback, Don Billingsley (Garrat Hedlund) fumbles a lot and gets abused numerous times by his alcoholic and former-state-champ-runningback-dad (an impressive Tim McGraw). On defense, we have the stong safety Brian Chavez (Jay Hernandez) who's going to Harvard after graduation, and lineman Ivory Christian (Lee Jackson) who doesn't talk to anyone and is called "preacher-boy" by Boobie. Well, after scoring 5 touchdowns in the first game, Boobie tears his ACL, and a team built around one guy must step up and find new ways to win. The film gives equal time to the coach and the players, and it never becomes an "X's and O's" movie about football. It's character driven. And the relatively unknown actors makes it seem that you're never looking at movie stars, just some kids in high school. There are many powerful scenes and powerful performances and the football action is as good as anything made. And the payoff for experiencing all these emotion ups and downs is the state championship game, which is given a full quarter of the movie. It feels like you relly watched an entire game by the end of it. Firday Night Lights was directed by Peter Berg, who's only other film directing credits are the awful "Very Bad Thing (IMDB score = 5.7), and "The Rundown (6.5)," which I haven't seen. He does an outstanding job, giving the movie a documentary feel. The film is grainy and not polished, and there are plenty of establishing shots in between the mini-episodes as the football season goes on. And during the games, you don't get any shots that a normal football television crew couldn't get. No helmet cams or camera on the back of the runner shots. Just sidelines and endzones. This is what gives it the feeling of watching a real game here.
Go see this movie! Even non football fans will be sucked into this story. This is the best movie I've seen all year folks. IMDB.com's user rating here is 7.2 (on a scale of 10), and usually anything over a seven is great! Go see this now, in the theater, on a friday night.
The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: A
Monday, October 11, 2004
More Chicks
Here's another photo of my infamous night with three VERY drunk Dixie Chicks. NOOTCH! As you can see, I'm quite bored and need some practice with photoshop.
Ken Camaniti, R.I.P.
I was bummed for a few minutes when I found out Christopher Reeve died last night, but I was really shocked when I heard Ken Caminiti former Houston Astro and NL MVP died of a heart attack last night at the age of 41. In the 80's and early 90's, Caminiti was the shit at third base. Nobody could backhand a shot down the line, then gun it to first from foul territory like him. It was awesome to see. He played with Houston in the years when i'd go see them play for a weekend every summer (usually against the Cubbies). In those good old days of playing Sega Baseball, Caminit was ALWAYS the third baseman I went for. I had tons of Caminiti baseball cards (stil do i think), but sadly his legacy was tarnished when he admitted to using steroids especially during his MVP season. then he came out and said half the players in baseball use the juice. This sparked the steroid witch hunt in baseball (which is a good thing), and resulted in Sosa, Giambi, and Bagwell all getting much smaller. In 15 years, his career stats BA is .272, 239 HR, 983 RBI's. His best season was by far 1996 when he led the Padres to the World Series, batting .326 with 40 HR and 130 RBI's. On of my Baseball Legends, Ken Caminiti, R.I.P.
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
The Love of My Life: Magnum P.I.
So, the love affair began like this. I got a small TV for Christmas when I was like 11 or 12, no cable, just some really good rabbit ears. The kind of TV with big knobs to change the channel and it'd make that cool "KaThunk-a-Thunk" noise when you'd turn 'em. Anyway, Id turn on the TV to fall asleep and on Fox (in the very early days of Fox) was Magnum P.I. Mon-Fri, in syndication. I faithfully watched Magnum every night before bed. Eventually, the network started airing something else (I think Arsenio started), and Magnum disappeared from my life. It wasn't until 1995 that i rediscovered Magnum. I was a sophomore at UL Lafayette (Honestly I was a Junior there for like 4 years, i don't know how that was possible). I lived in the roach infested Beau Chene apartment, which were close enough to campus to ride my bike to class. I had a break between 12 and 2 and would bike home for lunch. My roommate Scotty D also had a break at that time, so we sat down in the living room for lunch, flipped on the tube, and there, in all his Hawaiian shirted, ferrari driving, getting chased by Zeus and Apollo glory, was Magnum, P.I. We watched everyday, and next semester, we scheduled our classes so we'd be off at noon, just to watch Magnum. I do believe I've seen every episode ever, so imagine the pure joy that hit me when I found out Season 1 was out on DVD.
Here's a synopsis of the show from tvtome.com
Former Naval Intelligence officer Thomas Magnum resigns his commission to become a private investigator on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. He lands a home in the guest house on the estate of millionaire author Robin Masters in exchange for testing the estate's security, but is forced to work under the strict and ever watchful eye of Jonathan Higgins, a former British Army soldier who serves as the estate manager, and constantly patrols the grounds with his two "lads" Zeus and Apollo, who are loyally trained Doberman Pinschers always ready to pounce on Magnum.
Magnum makes good use of the perks that come with working on the estate, including driving Masters' sporty red 308 GTS Ferrari, Audi, and all-terrain Jimmy, as well as equipment such as high-end cameras and telescopes. Of course, all of these expensive toys are under the keen scrutiny of Higgins, and Thomas often finds himself at the end of Higgins' hard bargaining to secure their loan. Although Magnum's carefree ways often clash with Higgins' stricter manner, their mutual respect forms a strong basis for their working relationship.
Two of Magnum's former Vietnam comrades and friends live and work nearby. T.C. Calvin owns "Island Hoppers", a helicopter tour company, and Rick Wright manages the King Kamehameha Club, an exclusive beach front club. T.C.'s Piloting skills and Rick's shady underworld contacts often get them roped into Magnum's cases. Others in Magnum's circle include Naval officers Mac MacReynolds, Maggie Pool, and Buck Greene; Hawaii P.D. officers Nolan Page and Yoshi Tanaka; Dr. Ibold; Higgins' fellow Brit Agatha Chumley; Rick's underworld contact "Ice Pick"; and Deputy D.A. Carol Baldwin.
Robin Masters was never fully seen, ultimately leading Magnum to the conclusion that Higgins was actually Masters, though this theory was never fully proven. The show was a huge hit, with the first five seasons ranking in the top 20 shows in the U.S. ratings each year, thanks to its wide range of stories appealing to a broad cross section of fans, The series ranged from broad slapstick comedy and farce, to deep, thoughtful drama, to edge-of-the-seat action. The series was widely applauded for being the first to recognize the difficulty Vietnam era soldiers faced in making the readjustment to civilian life. Many episodes touched upon the impact that serving in Vietnam had on Magnum and his friends, as well as echoes to the events of World War II.
The series won many awards, including Emmys and Golden Globes for Selleck and Hillerman.
To put it plainly, Magnum P.I. is the greatest action/drama show ever made. It ran from 1980-88 in the height of the action/drama craze of television.
back to me:
And what a run it was. There is nothing on TV like this now. Today's action shows (24, Alias) take themselves way too seriously, while today's best crime dramas (CSI, Law & Order) forgo deep character development for intricate but formulaic plots. You must compare Magnum to shows in it's era. It's truly rare how re-watchable Magnum is. Just try watching other 80's action shows these days. The Dukes of Hazard, Knight Rider, and the A-team are all painful to watch now that I'm no longer a kid.
Season one has some great episode's with some awesome guest stars, like Ted Danson, Robert Loggia, and Judge Reinhold. But it's the shows intricate, re-occurring themes that make it a joy to watch. Like Magnum's internal monologue when he's trying to pick a lock, (don't look at the dogs, work the lock!) an the way he looks at the camera and speaks to the audience, breaking the "third wall." The flashbacks to 'Nam. The constant trading of perks with Higgins for favors, and the way T.C. always asks for gas money when they're flying in the Island Hoppers Chopper. And I smile every time Higgins talks about "the lads."
I'm done with all of season 1's episodes and i will be the first one in line for season 2. If universal decides to release it.
Here's a synopsis of the show from tvtome.com
Former Naval Intelligence officer Thomas Magnum resigns his commission to become a private investigator on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. He lands a home in the guest house on the estate of millionaire author Robin Masters in exchange for testing the estate's security, but is forced to work under the strict and ever watchful eye of Jonathan Higgins, a former British Army soldier who serves as the estate manager, and constantly patrols the grounds with his two "lads" Zeus and Apollo, who are loyally trained Doberman Pinschers always ready to pounce on Magnum.
Magnum makes good use of the perks that come with working on the estate, including driving Masters' sporty red 308 GTS Ferrari, Audi, and all-terrain Jimmy, as well as equipment such as high-end cameras and telescopes. Of course, all of these expensive toys are under the keen scrutiny of Higgins, and Thomas often finds himself at the end of Higgins' hard bargaining to secure their loan. Although Magnum's carefree ways often clash with Higgins' stricter manner, their mutual respect forms a strong basis for their working relationship.
Two of Magnum's former Vietnam comrades and friends live and work nearby. T.C. Calvin owns "Island Hoppers", a helicopter tour company, and Rick Wright manages the King Kamehameha Club, an exclusive beach front club. T.C.'s Piloting skills and Rick's shady underworld contacts often get them roped into Magnum's cases. Others in Magnum's circle include Naval officers Mac MacReynolds, Maggie Pool, and Buck Greene; Hawaii P.D. officers Nolan Page and Yoshi Tanaka; Dr. Ibold; Higgins' fellow Brit Agatha Chumley; Rick's underworld contact "Ice Pick"; and Deputy D.A. Carol Baldwin.
Robin Masters was never fully seen, ultimately leading Magnum to the conclusion that Higgins was actually Masters, though this theory was never fully proven. The show was a huge hit, with the first five seasons ranking in the top 20 shows in the U.S. ratings each year, thanks to its wide range of stories appealing to a broad cross section of fans, The series ranged from broad slapstick comedy and farce, to deep, thoughtful drama, to edge-of-the-seat action. The series was widely applauded for being the first to recognize the difficulty Vietnam era soldiers faced in making the readjustment to civilian life. Many episodes touched upon the impact that serving in Vietnam had on Magnum and his friends, as well as echoes to the events of World War II.
The series won many awards, including Emmys and Golden Globes for Selleck and Hillerman.
To put it plainly, Magnum P.I. is the greatest action/drama show ever made. It ran from 1980-88 in the height of the action/drama craze of television.
back to me:
And what a run it was. There is nothing on TV like this now. Today's action shows (24, Alias) take themselves way too seriously, while today's best crime dramas (CSI, Law & Order) forgo deep character development for intricate but formulaic plots. You must compare Magnum to shows in it's era. It's truly rare how re-watchable Magnum is. Just try watching other 80's action shows these days. The Dukes of Hazard, Knight Rider, and the A-team are all painful to watch now that I'm no longer a kid.
Season one has some great episode's with some awesome guest stars, like Ted Danson, Robert Loggia, and Judge Reinhold. But it's the shows intricate, re-occurring themes that make it a joy to watch. Like Magnum's internal monologue when he's trying to pick a lock, (don't look at the dogs, work the lock!) an the way he looks at the camera and speaks to the audience, breaking the "third wall." The flashbacks to 'Nam. The constant trading of perks with Higgins for favors, and the way T.C. always asks for gas money when they're flying in the Island Hoppers Chopper. And I smile every time Higgins talks about "the lads."
I'm done with all of season 1's episodes and i will be the first one in line for season 2. If universal decides to release it.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
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