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May 31, 2003
reload the facts..
watched the original matrix in full again tonite--first time since it came out on dvd. fantastically-made movie--seems like every line, every scene, every camera angle is cohesive to the story it drives. my interest piqued, i just had to watch reloaded again--and i did but just the important parts. and things seem to make a little more sense. again, i was a bit disappointed when i saw the sequel but now my thought is the story remains strong despite the flawed filmmakin..
and i as i continued to indulge my intrigue in imdbs mesg board, i was led to a very interestin site collectin the "facts" of reloaded. yes, people are crazy for doin things like that for a MOVIE..
..but im crazier for readin em..
Posted by chars at 01:50 AM | Comments (2)
May 28, 2003
"its in the game"..
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| is he gonna run? is he gonna pass? oh, hes gonna pose.. |
but esther and the other two dogs =) are the obvious. the non-“everyday” things that really get me goin are purely materialistic and w/o purpose..
..like senseless video games that allow me to forget how unathletic and uncoordinated i am as i SCREAM at the stoopid computer controllin my receiver for droppin my “perfect” pass (i hate that!)..
madden 2004 looks awesome–seein that freak of nature on the cover alone makes me drool for it..
of the new features, im most excited bout the new owner mode (you can relocate teams, build stadiums, even set ticket prices!) and the playmaker control, allowin you to re-direct a receiver after the snap..
heres an interview w/ the producer of the game, who goes into some detail bout its development and makes some interestin points bout the difficulty of creatin a realistic, yet user-satisfyin game..
and for those diehard fans whove read this far (i guess thatd really only be you, alpo), check out these video clips from e3:
- video 1
- video 2
i think madden--or football video games overall--make for the best sports games out there. of course, i cant say they ARE the best sports games--just that theyre my favorite. i could try to explain why, but there would be no point cuz just as much as mungmung luvs his fifa 2003 or my bro-in-law vies for his mvp baseball, i crave for a game of madden. boys--er, men--dont think; we just play. and we play the games we luv..
yeah, so basically i cant wait for august..
* interestin to think about: for an nfl player, to make the pro football hall-of-fame is a great accomplishment and currently there are 221 members in it. but theres a certain clout to madden, no doubt due to its history. how many players can say theyve been on the cover of madden? not too many..
Posted by chars at 05:24 PM | Comments (1)
May 25, 2003
more than meets the eye..
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now i luved a lot of cartoons when i was little--like superfriends, gijoe, my little pony (im kiddin...seriously)--so its hard to name a favorite. but transformers was right up there..
great premise, good stories, maybe a little too much bumblebee (and yeah, it always confused me that starscream sounded like cobra commander), but it was a fantastic show. esp to supplement the greatest toys ever made..
i mean, isnt it pure genius to have a car--or gun or plane or wutever--transform into a robot?? its a little boys dream! plus, its TWO toys in one!!
so w/ the adrenaline pumpin and my mouth droolin, i pondered over which were the best transformers of all time. and heres wut i came up w/ (in order)..
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| almost as sad as when arnold died in t2.. |
F - optimus prime: i wanna say he is inarguably the consensus favorite but no opinion is 100%. prime was awesome in every sense--the respected leader who everyone knew could kick a$$, had a great voice in the cartoon, and was a money toy (remember roller?). and man, that heart-wrenchin death scene in the movie <choke>..
F - soundwave: faithful and dependable no. 2 robot of the decepticons who likewise had a coo voice and remained the strong and silent type. okay, so he was a tape player but he sure had some nifty tapes. "laserbeak, prepare for flight.."
C - grimlock: the "leader" of the dino-bots (how coo were they) most likely cuz he was a t-rex. grimlocks main contribution was providin a certain amount of comic relief to the cartoon esp w/ his forrest gump-like talk: "me grimlock bash brains!"
G - skyfire: the f-14 who was never prominently featured in the cartoon, although his first episode was awesome (frozen in ice, discovered by the decepticons, then later became an autobot). he made for an awesome toy, however--remember those long, bendable legs?
G - ravage: one of soundwaves tapes who transformed into a panther. rocked in the cartoon and rocked even more as a toy..
ive only seen bits and pieces of the new transformers series (called armada, i believe?), but i dont think they dont make em like they use to--maybe its cuz im too grown up now..
yeah, which is why i am right now writin about cartoons and toys..
Posted by chars at 11:59 PM | Comments (3)
May 22, 2003
"i am job, i am job"..
remember in mrs doubtfire when robin williams phones in for the nanny job w/ a variety of impressions? well, one of em was suppose to be a foreigner who said could nothin but "i am job, i am job", conveyin the idea that he didnt know wut else to say bout himself..
and that is where i am right--not knowin wut else to say. so im succumbin to one of those horrible surveys (this ones got some interestin questions)..
Section 1: GENERAL
Nicknames: chuck, chuckie, charlie, chaz..
Do you have a crush: on my wife (sshh, dont tell)..
Age you act: 20
Are you simple or complicated?: complicated
Where do you live: baltimore
Where you want to live: california
Birthplace: west virginia
Favorite salad dressing: vinaigrette
Ever gone skinny dipping?: accidentally (ya kno, like when your swimsuit is suddenly snatched by a wave..)
What are you watching?: switchin between law & order and the nba..
Last person you talked to: co-worker about the don & mike show..
Favorite Number: 3
Favorite Type of music: hard, edgy pop
Favorite car: bmw m8
Favorite Fast Food: kfc honey bbq wings..
Favorite Ice Cream: chocolate chip from baskin robbins..
Favorite Alcoholic Drink: heineken or apple martini (yes, chick drink)..
When Do You Go To Sleep: 1:30am
Most Embarrassing Moment: writin my name w/ my butt..
Funniest Person you know: mungmung
Stupidest Person you know: honestly, a lot of times its me..
Favorite holiday: christmas
Favorite Food: bulgogi or dehng-jahng-jee-geh (soybean stew)..
Favorite Television Show: law & order..
Favorite Radio Station: mix 106.7..
Favorite junk food: gardettos snack mix
Favorite song: of late, its been "im with you" (avril) but i think that mcdonalds menu song was pretty ingenious ("big mac, mcdlt, a quarter pounder w/ some cheese..)
Favorite color: blue
Favorite clothes store: jcrew
Favorite Shoes: sneakers
Section 2: THE FUTURE
School: id like to, if i can figure out wut i wanna do..
Where You Want To Live: california
How Many Kids You Want: more than one
What Kind Of Job You Want: still tryin to figure this one out..
Wedding song: was "in this moment", but shouldve been "youre still the one"
Song in your head: "8 mile" - eminem ("want peace of mind? heres a piece of mine..")
Section 3: WHICH IS BETTER
Coke Or Pepsi: coke, but i like pepsi twist..
Cats Or Dogs: dogs--cats are evil..
DVDs or VHS: dvd--vcrs are like records players now..
Deaf Or Blind: blind--i need music..
Pools Or Hot Tubs: pools--hot tubs are too hot..
Television Or Radio: tv--radios are borin to watch..
CDs Or MP3's: both--CDs to listen to, mp3s to burn those CDs..
Apples or oranges: oranges--apples tickle my throat..
Old Navy or Gap: gap--but not really..
Coffee or Ice Cream: ice cream--i dont really drink coffee..
Shampoo or Conditioner: shampoo..
10 acquaintances or 1 best friend: 10 acquaintances. gawd, i used to be so hung up on the sincerity of friendships--now, its just about bein able to chill..
Sun or Moon: moon--too hot in the sun..
Left or Right: right..
Section 4: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU
Took a shower: this mornin..
Cried: really cried or sorta cried? okay, im not gonna answer this..
Watched a Disney movie: when i downloaded "lion king" like half-a-yr ago..
Given/gotten a hug: when i saw my wife at lunch..
Been to the movies: matrix reloaded..
Section 5: WHAT IS
Your Fondest Memory Of This year: trickin esther on valentines by gettin her her favorite dinner dish (korean sausage)..
The Thing That Makes You The Happiest: this is sap, but seein my wife sleep--gettin the rest she deserves in the comforts of our home..
Your Favorite Food For Breakfast: ham & cheese hotpockets cuz it doesnt make me run to the bathroom afterwards..
Your Favorite Food For Dinner: steak w/ mashed potatoes and green bean casserole..
Your Favorite Board Game: monopoly and risk..
Your Favorite Magazine: sports illustrated and rolling stone
Your Favorite Movie: contact, gattaca, shawshank, courage under fire
Your Favorite Soundtrack: superman, e.t., and far & away..
Your Favorite Slow Song: "i thought you would never come" - loni rose
Your Ideal BF/GF: my ideal girlfriend ive had, now my ideal boyfriend.....
Section 6: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT
Bill Clinton: smart, but couldnt get away w/ it..
Love at first sight: maybe, but not really..
Abortion: dont ask..
Teenage smoking: bad idea, but its a teens choice..
Green: money?? i dont understand..
Pot: i wonder wuts it like..
Eating disorders: feel bad for people who have em..
Rap: i like, but wish i was more into it..
Marilyn Manson: creepy to look at, but how much of its for shock value?
Drinking: okay as long as one can live w/ the consequences afterwards..
Suicide: bad idea cuz although it is ones choice, he or she does not hafta live w/ the consequences..
Death: not so bad--we are suppose to die..
One Wish: spend more time, do more things w/ esther..
Posted by chars at 06:17 PM | Comments (2)
May 20, 2003
matrix unloaded..
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| hmm, too many neos to be "the one" to me.. |
i thought it was a pretty good movie. it doesnt compare to the first, but in all fairness the original came out of nowhere--kinda like shawshank (cept word-of-mouth got around while it was still in theatres)..
i had a good amount of respect for the wachowski brothers for their creativity and boldness in makin the matrix. i mean, combinin kung fu w/ john woo while layerin philosophical allusions and computer geekdom onto an end-of-mankind plot--fantastic. so i had little concern that they would pump out a piece of crap now that they had recognition and a fatter wallet..
well, i wasnt wrong--but it sure seemed they tried their best to become the next george "jar-jar" lucas(es)..
i liked the story of the film and the direction the series is goin in, which i cant exactly spell out for anyone--includin myself--but at least it doesnt appear to consist of a standard hollywood "save the world" formula..
i also enjoyed the albino twins, although i wish they had gotten more screen time as well as some time w/ neo. i enjoyed links exasperated "YES!!" (touchdown!!) un-asian-ness of the keymakers voice. i liked the emphasis on free will, control, and the illusion/problem of choice culminatin (at least in this film) in the architects sermon..
but the aspects i was disappointed in had mostly to do w/ the filmmakin..
the pacin of the film just seemed off--a little too slow in the beginnin and a little too accelerated towards the end (too much momentum to be an effective cliffhanger)..
i felt there was too much explicit explanation in the film--wut a film student who posted on imdb calls the "talkin head" mistake. when neo meets agent smith for the "the burly brawl", he is first treated to a long monologue of this-is-how-i-came-back-oblivion-and-this-is-wut-the-audience-needs-to-know-before-we-fight. and although i enjoyed the content of neos conversation w/ the architect, that scene just seemed a bit long and hurried..
my last qualm had to do w/ the fight scenes--from an entertainment point-of-view i thoroughly enjoyed em. i relished the improved bullet-time virtual camera and the chase scene was well-done for the most part. but the fight scenes seemed to lack two things that they didnt in the first:
1) a purpose - there was a point to each fight in the original matrix: to train neo, to free morpheus, to become "the one". here, they just fought to elicit some visually stunned oohs and aahs. yeah, its nifty to look at, but it doesnt push the story forward (the worst pt for me is the brothers deliberately said they didnt like how george lucas traded story for special effects)..
2) fear (this one is from the same post above) - in the first, anyone who encountered an agent in the matrix was told to run. and if there was a fight, i was actually worried about the protagonists--about morpheus sacrificin his life for "the one", about neo in the subway confrontation. but now, no concern existed because everyone stood their ground against the agents even though they were upgrades. and i was never afraid for one sec that someone would seriously die--even in trinitys "death" scene..
man, lookin above it seriously looks like i disliked the film. i actually didnt--i enjoyed it and found the story to be very intriguigin. i just thought there were some flaws..
but like i said, it is an intriguigin story presentin many compellin questions..
- is neo human?
- is it a nested matrix (matrix w/in a matrix)?
- wut did the architect say?
- wut was the purpose of the spoon?
- whos bein fooled/controlled by the matrix?
- and just for laughs, wut really happened to tank? (check out his letter--the dude is mental)..
Posted by chars at 05:30 PM | Comments (3)
May 17, 2003
too much time..
check out this clip called "cog". it contains NO cgi and took over 600 takes to get it right..
Posted by chars at 10:54 PM | Comments (3)
May 15, 2003
great day..
a seemingly bleak thursday has turned into a incredibly glorious nite!! and for two reasons alone..
1) i finally saw the movie id been eagerly droolin for since the word sequel was mentioned. reloaded was a very coo movie. maybe not wut i expected (esp in the beginnin), but the end made the possibilities for the third very intriguin. must write more later..
2) the lakers are in the midst of a 25-pt BLOWOUT (3 mins left in the game)!! and the funny thing is, it was only a 10 pt game by the end of the 3rd!!
"im in heaven, im in heaven"..
..
ps - wow, its the end of the game now and kobe bryant is actually cryin--tears in his eyes as he talked w/ jim gray post game. at least, he looked more composed than derek fisher ballin on the bench..
Posted by chars at 10:38 PM | Comments (2)
May 14, 2003
if theyre not human, why are they called x-"men"?
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| nice wife-beater, bub.. |
great movie--i thought it was much better than the first. more action, better action, fuller characters, and a stronger story. yeah, there were some flaws and things i wouldve like to have seen done differently. but very solid and cohesive..
wut really made the film for me, however, was its faithfulness to the comic book. and im not talkin so much on how the filmmakers made sure to match the right mutants to their correspondin powers and names (although thats always a good thing). but more in the effort they made to capture the authenticity of x-men: the chemistry between em (ie - the ice-cold relationship between wolvie and cyclops), or the insecurity they had despite how powerful they were (jean grey). or even gettin a glimpse of the wut makes a character tick (the anger burrowin in storm)..
i guess seein x2 was more than just watchin another movie--it was witnessin my favorite comic book come to life. utter euphoria. throughout the film, i was chucklin to myself over an inside joke or mutterin how great a small detail the filmmakers added was (just to make us x-geeks/freaks giddy). course, esther kept glarin over at me like i was some weirdo--or mutant..
the tapestry of x-men is so rich and i think the filmmakers did two things very well: 1) capture wut x-men is all about, and 2) not makin the idea of a group of super-powered outcasts bandin together to fight evil seem so ridiculous..
ill tell you though: my biggest complaint w/ the film has to do w/ halle berry. i mean she won an oscar, right? so wuts up w/ her droppin the african accent for storm altogether?! wut--she too "good" to do accents now??
well, i guess its better than that now-you-hear-it-now-you-dont one from the first film..
anyways, i gotta go find me a comic book store..
Posted by chars at 10:59 PM | Comments (1)
May 13, 2003
two days and countin..
i posted a link to an article on reloaded a few entries ago. this one is--albeit different--even better, if for the glossary alone..
i just may hafta watch the original again before thurs..
Posted by chars at 01:32 PM | Comments (3)
May 11, 2003
ill bet michael myers feels left out..
didja know they made a movie called freddy vs jason to be released this summer?? yes, freddy kruegger pittin his i-just-wanna-be-wolverine blades against our favorite if-only-kids-would-behave-at-summer-camp killer from friday the 13th..
gee, gotta give credit to those studios--money well spent..
Posted by chars at 11:59 PM | Comments (1)
May 07, 2003
more funnies..
yeah, ive given up on writin entries (not really). right-click and download em first..
- video 1
- video 2
- video 3
- video 4
- video 5
Posted by chars at 02:59 PM | Comments (2)
May 05, 2003
better than jar-jar..
check out this video--its to die for..
the kids a real talent--his sound effects are w/o equal. and dont miss the remixed version..
Posted by chars at 09:06 AM | Comments (2)
May 04, 2003
reloadin..
i still have yet to see x-men 2 (plan to watch it this week), but im still gettin my fill of unhealthy hype for the next matrix. heres an interestin article..
Posted by chars at 10:41 PM | Comments (1)
May 03, 2003
dirty ole man..
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| bout time he trashed those short-shorts.. |
john stockton is the kind of player you luv if hes on your team and absolutely despise if hes on the other. hes never crossed anyone over in his life. yet w/o an ounce of athleticism in him, hes got more assists and steals than anyone else in the nba. in 19 seasons, hes missed only 22 games (he played a full season 17 times). and he hustles harder than anyone twice his size. loose ball on the floor? dont worry--the little white dude is all over it (AND draws the foul!)..
and now hes done. no more pick-and-rolls. no more runs for the elusive ring..
i dont really like stockton myself. in fact, since the two finals appearances ive hated him. but i respect the way he played immensely--hard and physical, never backin down. pound-for-pound he may have been the toughest player in the league other than a.i..
and i luv his quote above--cuz although its over, its really not for him. too much luv for the game..
(damn, i never thought id devote a whole entry to john stockton. i guarantee i wont for the mailman..)
Posted by chars at 02:27 PM | Comments (1)
buggy..
i just realized movable type does somethin funny if a link contains a comma in its URL (which is why in the sars entry below it simply says "go"). so if youre interested, heres the address for the source article:
http://media.guardian.co.uk/advertising/story/0,7492,932861,00.html
Posted by chars at 03:22 AM | Comments (1)
May 02, 2003
its past time for americas pasttime..
came across this funny tidbit the other day (yet another reason to read an nfl column in the offseason)..
you know nomar garciaparra? the i-should-be-better-than-i-am boston shortstop? well, hes got an interestin first name--pretty unique, right?
do you know why his name is "nomar"?? cuz his dads name is "ramon"..
wut a self-lovin bastard..
- charles "hopin-the-kids-at-school-wont-pick-on-my-son-selrahc" paik
Posted by chars at 01:10 PM | Comments (3)