Archive for June, 2005

Summer season at Stone Mountain

Published by Pyrofenix under Main on June 27, 2005

Last weekend I spent a day out at Stone Mountain with my family. My grandmother from Vermont has been here for the last few weeks, so we had to keep her entertained. Stone Mountain park seemed like a pretty logical answer - it’s pretty close and isn’t usually mobbed with people. It’s an interesting area with a turn of the century style feel with the glass blower, bakery, blacksmith and other trades. Along the base of the mountain runs a train which makes a few ‘unscheduled’ stops due to train robbers or moonshiners itching to tell a story.

During the summer they conclude each night with a fireworks display and laser show set to music. We had spent a bunch of hours walking around the park when we decided to head over to the lawn where you get the best view of the show. Apparently we weren’t there early enough because as we came through trees on the path we noticed the lawn was PACKED full of people. I must say I was kind of shocked, there was about 45 minutes before the show was to begin and there wasn’t a place to sit.

We found a spot under some trees to lay our blankets and await the coming darkness. I’ve been to Stone Mountain probably a half dozen times but had never seen the laser show before which is projected on the mountain over top of the carving. The whole show is set to music and is very entertaining. It’s longer than I expected but it never got boring or monotonous.

Once the music subsided, all 8 billion people grabbed their stuff and headed for the exits. We were expecting to get to the car and sit for an hour or more before reaching freedom. Surprisingly however, the local police had set up officers at several intersections moving some cars to a rear exit. We were out of the part and on the highway within 15 minutes and my brother was out cold in the back of the suv within 10.

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The Bat is Back!

Published by Pyrofenix under Main on June 19, 2005
Batman Begins Chris Nolan, director of Momento and Identity, bring the bat back to life with a wonderful beginning! Unlike Tim Burton’s original which was over the top and had no feel of the reality. That sense of reality is what makes Batman so special - what other superhero doesn’t have any special powers?

The film starts out with Bruce Wayne traveling the world angry and full of guilt. He finds himself in a mountain-top monestary where he learns from a secret society of ninja’s led by Ra’s Al Ghul. Here Bruce learns to face his fear (he is deathly afraid of bats). With his newfound skills, he returns to Gotham to save the city from the corruption and crime that is running rampant.

Morgan Freeman is one of my favorite actors and in this time he is playing Lucious Fox, a Q-like character, who works for Wayne Enterprises provides Wayne with the toys which become a staple of any Bat-utility belt. Freeman’s character brings a realistic twist to how batman gets all those wonderful toys.

Initially, when I saw the first photos of the Batmobile for this movie, I was worried. Having seen it on screen i’ve just go three words. I. Want. One. It’s the SUV from hell and again seems more realistic than the jet-powered cars of the previous bat-flicks.

Gary Oldman is a wonderful actor with a great career for playing the bad guy but this time around he plays Lt. Gordon but doesn’t have enough screen time in my opinion. However I expect to see him donning that mustache again soon as this movie leaves an opening for sequels and i’ve heard that Batman himself has signed on for up to 2 sequels.

My only issue with the movie was it’s length. At 2hrs and 20 minutes it felt a little long. I’m not sure how much could have been edited out though without detracting from the stellar storyline. The final scene hints at the next character to attract batman’s attention - The Joker. I can’t wait to see who they get to play that character this time!
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30 Days

Published by Pyrofenix under Main on June 16, 2005

I had seen the promotions for this new show by Morgan Spurlock (he made the film ‘Supersize Me’). He has a new show called 30 Days in which someone does something for 30 days to see how it affects their life. Last night was the premier episode, and if it’s any indication of what the rest of the episodes will be like, it should be worth everyone’s time to watch.

Morgan and his girlfriend were going to live for 30 days making only minimum wage. They started with a weeks pay and went to find an apartment…they found a place for cheap but the downstairs apartment was a crack house last week. It’s the kind of stuff you end up with when you dont have many options. The next day, they both went to find jobs. Morgan found a temp agency which hires unskilled labor each day for various construction type projects and his girlfriend (I forget what her name is) got a job in a coffee house doing dishes. All is working out okay until they find out that the elec. company needs a deposit of just over $100 to which Morgan is surprised saying “I’ve never had to pay a deposit for electricity before, it must be the address”. He makes a good point here, and i’m sure the electric company isn’t the only place that does such things. As the month grinds on it becomes more apparent how working for such little money adds stress to their relationship. Then she has to go to the emergency room for a bladder infection and shortly thereafter he attempts to go to the free clinic for pain in his arm but can’t be seen due to lack of support staff at the clinic and ultimately ends up going to the emergency room himself. At the end of the month they get their hospital bills totalling over $1100 which would take them about 4 months to pay off. It’s not easy, but luckily for them their month is over.

The show expands on this life and shows all the areas which become affected from receiving such a small paycheck. It was a wonderful episode and very honest. If you can check it out, please do. I look forward to next week’s episode.

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The decade that killed creativity

Published by Pyrofenix under Main on June 8, 2005

With the summer blockbuster season starting, I’ve got a question I’d love Hollywood to answer. When did creativity die? I’ve seen information / release dates for Dukes of Hazzard, Hawaii 5-0, Miami Vice, The A-Team, Bewitched, and The Simpsons to name a few. Then there is the sequels that can’t be kept down like X-Men 3, Spiderman 3, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Superman Returns, The Fast and The Furious 3, Batman Begins, Another Harry Potter movie, Indiana Jones 4, Pirates of The Caribbean 2, King Kong, War of the Worlds, Rocky VI, The Posidon Adventure, and Rambo IV.

Don’t get me wrong, some of these may be pretty good but come on. Can’t we have something new?
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Dont go outside and play!

Published by Pyrofenix under Main on June 1, 2005

My mom used to tell me to go outdoors and play once the school year was over - trying to keep my from spending all my days playing video games and watching TV. Forget TV this summer, but forget about going outdoors too!

This year has already had a bunch of entertaining films released. Crash, Unleashed, and of course the final installment of the Star Wars Prequel trilogy but it’s not over yet. The following films will be out this year and look to be worthy of taking your hard earned money in exchange for a few hours of sitting in a dark room with your shoes sticking to the floor.

June 3:
Cinderella Man - I’ve heard a lot of good things about this movie starring Russell Crowe. It’s an intriguing era to base any film (it’s set during the depression in NYC) but the story is an intersting one in itself (I admit, I had to look up who Jim Braddock was). Check this one out - it’s going to be around for Oscar nominations!

June 10:
Mr. & Mrs. Smith - Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Could they find any two more attractive people to star in this action movie? Of course it’s gotten a bunch of publicity more for the personal relationships of the stars than the story or their performances but it looks pretty good.

June 15:
Batman Begins - The bat is back and his suit won’t sport nipples this time around! After taking a well-needed break after the joke that George Clooney and Arnold schwarzenegger put out in 1997. Christian Bale as the psychologically tortured soul/hero, Michael Caine as Alfred, Gary Oldman as Sgt. Gordon (pre-Commissioner Gordon days) and Morgan Freeman as a military source for Batman’s toys. The dark realistic style of this incarnation of the popular series will do well!

June 29:
War of the Worlds - Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg. It’s a no-brainer that this film is going to be B.I.G. Of course it’s a well-known story (or at least it should be) and while it’s not a direct adaptation of H.G. Wells novel, it should be quite the summer entertainment.

July 8:
Fantastic Four - Yes, ANOTHER comic book film coming down the pipe! I’m not as anxious for this movie as I am for Batman Begins or Superman Returns next year but it should be excellent eye candy, both of the female variety (hello Jessica Alba!) and the flaming person variety.

July 22:
The Island - Ewan McGregor has a chance to be ‘The Man’ of film in 2005 with Star Wars and The Island both being released this year. It’s got a really interesting concept with a man that KNOWS action - Michael Bay. Hope it turns out as good as I hope.

July 29:
Stealth - I hadn’t heard about this movie until the last week or two. From what I gather it’s Top Gun meets 2001: A Space Oddyssey. Hal with rockets….scary!

September (TBA):
Aeon Flux - Only 3 things you need to know. Charlize Theron. Barely there outfits. And the release date. Unfortunately only 2 of them are available right now.

September 30:
Serenity - One my most anticipated films for this year! Joss Whedon’s 3rd TV series which unfortunately was cancelled before the end of it’s first season. I’ve watched the trailer for this movie at least 5 times. Remember the first time you saw the original Star Wars? I forsee this being right along that level…

November 18:
Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire - Like this movie/series needs a description.

December 2:
Underworld: Evolution - The sequel to the 2003 film Underworld starring Kate Beckinsale (YUMMY). I don’t know alot about the specifics on this film yet, but I’m sure as the release date nears more will be known.

December 14:
King Kong - Fresh off the Lord of The Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson decided this was his next project. Cast includes Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, and Tom Hanks’ son Colin Hanks.

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