rating wes anderson

this is another one of my favorite directors. i love all three films. here is my ranking:

bottle rocket. A+ i love this movie. this just might be my favorite film of all time, and most of it has to do with dignan. this is sublime "dumb" comedy that is much smarter than most films. i tend to judge people on how they feel about this movie.

rushmore. A this film works the whole time and looks about as good as a movie can look. there is nothing i don't like about this movie.

the royal tenenbaums. A this film looks great and is very well done, but seems too unique at times. regardless, i do love this film. an aside: my best friend's mother hated this film so much she stopped it about thirty minutes in and refused to finish it.

while these are listed in chronological order, they are also in order of my preference.

looking back at kevin smith

today i watched all of kevin smith's movies, and i have to say that jersey girl is a really great film. i rated his films here, and while i guess i'll stand by there rankings, i'd take any of his films (well, maybe not jasbsb) over almost any film out there.

bad political move?

not that i'm on the fence about bush, but bringing up a marriage amendment again rubs me the wrong way for two reasons: the obvious homophobic nature of the bill, and using amendments willy-nilly. but won't this hurt him with people that are on the fence? i know many republicans that are not excited about the prospects of changing the constitution, so why mention it now? i am not seeing any political upside to this move.

video games and parents

read the f***ing title of the game, moron! if you buy your kid a game named slugfest or grand theft auto, then don't be shocked if there is violence involved. also, there is a rating system. use it. above all, just think!

bonds

not only do the giants win, but bonds ties the all-time season IBB record held by bonds. think about that: we're not to the all-star break and bonds has tied the season record. wow.

banished

i've been kicked out of the outlaw republican blog for basically being a big bastard. guilty? anyone that knows me knows the answer to that. (yes) my only gripe: how little orange fox (head blogger, then only blogger) kept bashing people she didn't agree with in petty and irrational ways, then was shocked when those that disagreed with her sounded off on her. i can't count the number of times she'd post something only to take it down when it was shown to be a weak or flat-out baseless attack. where was the accountability? oh well. as long as the fox is happy, it's in the past as far as i go.

mclawsuit

as much as i hate mcdonalds, i think anyone suing them for having fatty french fries should be drawn and quartered. it's a french fry. what did you expect?

anchorman

the grade: C

this movie doesn't come close to working overall, but it does have it's moments. i have never been a will ferrell fan, but i have appreciated him in certain roles. this role could have worked in a different movie, or this one if the focus had been on the rivalry with other networks instead of inner-office turmoil. the movie worked best when supporting actors were on screen. steve carell is by far the best of the main cast, and jack black has the funniest role in the film. too bad he had less the four minutes screen time. the other network anchors (vince vaughn, luke wilson, ben stiller, and tim robbins) all work better than ferrell, and even the dog comes off funnier. my favorite part was in the outtakes when they threw in an outtake from smokey and the bandit 2, or the afternoon delight moment. this film would be good for the dollar theatres, or maybe a rental. a disappointment.

swedish connection

my personal website gets much traffic from that great land to the north. i have never met a single person from america that shares my surname. could it be they all went back to sweden (or up to canada)?

king arthur

the grade: B-

this film was long on action and very short on plot. in this case it works. the movie bastardizes the traditional tale, but tries to bring to life the origins of the traditional story. the film is carried by the performances and a nifty scene taking place on a frozen lake. keira knightley only helps the cause, as does her outfit later in the movie. some questions: what the heck are woads, and what was up with stonehenge? if it looked interesting then catch it, but if the trailers didn't get you excited, then nothing else in the film with either.

bush b-day, kerry vp day

kerry names his vice president (edwards) on george w.'s birthday. conspiracy? my father seems to think so. (i don't)

first cockroaches, now this

you'd think living in a metropolis would keep you free from leopard attacks, but you'd be wrong.

the shane pettit update

the number of people i know in kazakhstan is now officially one. my good friend shane pettit is there teaching english for the peace corp. i wish him the best of luck to make a difference and hopefully avoid diarrhea. i am hoping he will give insights into the kazakhstan way of life while he is there, and if he does, i'll share it here.

happy birthday

to america. 228 years young.