Favorite Movies of '09

Crazy. It's the final curtain call for 2009. Tons of stuff has happened this year and you'll be inundated with a bunch of different TV shows reiterating every single moment. From Barack Obama's swearing in, to Tiger Woods failing Pimp School. For my end of year review, I'm going to share with you my list of favorite films I enjoyed in the oh-nine. Take note, I haven't seen Avatar yet. I know, I know. I'll get on it. I promise. When I read other people's top 10 lists, I tend to skip over their summary of the film. So, I'll make sure to keep mine short with the hopes you'll stay interested. Plus these aren't given in any particular order.

Up - Pixar rules storytelling. Yes, I cried.

The Hangover - Funny. Funny. Funny. Makes me want to go to Vegas as well as stay far away from it.

Star Trek - I want to be J.J. Abrams when I grow up. Watched it six times in the theater and religiously a couple times a month since.

Inglorious Basterds - A WWII story only Quentin Tarantino can tell. Loved "The Jew Hunter" and Eli Roth demonstrating his baseball swing.

Taking Chance - Phenomenal film based on a true story. Felt on the verge of tears from the very beginning and yes I shed them several times through the film. Kevin Bacon was meant to wear a military uniform.

District 9 - If a group is oppressed over a period of time, what usually happens? A revolution. Thank you Peter Jackson for taking a chance on Neill Blomkamp.

Watchmen - This is what comic-based movies should look like, plus there's blue wiener.

Zombieland - Read World War Z. Play Left 4 Dead. Watch this movie!

Where the Wild Things Are - We all have our own personal memories of childhood. This film made me relive mine wonderfully. Yes, I cried.

The Hurt Locker - Kathryn Bigelow took something terribly violent and made it look beautiful. Remember there has been plenty of American blood spilled on the sands of the Middle East and still continues to spill.

I'll have to get to Avatar sometime next week. Especially since it's grossed 725 million dollars worldwide in less than 2 weeks. Love him or hate him, James Cameron is a mastermind of a filmmaker.

Happy New Year folks!

Next on The Improv Stage

Back on my old blog I wrote about the many-worlds theory. I would link back to the old blog, but it no longer exists...at least not in this universe. No worries, basically many-worlds means there are an infinite number of parallel universes that exist for us. So, where you made a left in this universe, you made a right in another and so on and so on.

I'm pretty sure in another universe I'm a pretty famous comic. I say that because I've always been fond of comedy and I've been told that I can be a funny guy at times. I even considered being a comedian when I was in high school, but I also considered being a Space Shuttle pilot, porn star, professional skateboarder and an OB/GYN. When you're in high school, the world is still your oyster until you start to pay taxes.

Well in this universe there are some really funny comics getting some airtime on Comedy Central. Here are a few I recommend you check out.

Josh Blue

Jokes.com
Josh Blue - Being Inspirational
comedians.comedycentral.com
Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games

Lynne Koplitz

Jokes.com
Lynne Koplitz - Lollipop
comedians.comedycentral.com
Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games

Gabriel Iglacias


And my new favorite funny girl. Anjelah Johnson

Bad Edit? Who Cares. It's a Parody.

Woke up this morning with a link from Vadinne to a parody of Lonely Island's "I'm on a Boat". Funny stuff, plus the Asian girl in the bikini dancing is a nice bonus...even though she's lacking in the onion department.



And while reading my daily ration of other people's blogs, I caught this on The Corporate Whoracle. It's especially funny if you know any cougars personally...of course I do.

100 Billion Strong

A while back I blogged an excerpt from one of my all time favorite books, American Gods by Neil Gaiman. At the end of it I said, "I believe we're significantly insignificant." Here is what I meant:

Merry Christmas!!!

Hey there folks. I certainly hope this Christmas finds all of you well, in good health and with loved ones. I've finished all my Christmas shopping (took care of the last of it early this morning) and now I'm going to just chill and wait until Santa shows up to share some Sam Adams Winter Ale with me.

We went driving around the neighborhood to see some of the lights our neighbors have done up in their yards. Some of the houses look really good. I'm not big on decorating for Christmas, probably because we go all out for Halloween. Here are a few of the illuminated cribs in my neck of the woods.







Looking forward to not only watching the kids open gifts in the morning, but also go to work on the big Christmas feast. For those of you that know me also know that I can get my burn on.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Subscribe to This Blog...Not My Blog...Yes My Blog, But This One Too

Because I said so, and I'm the boss of you. Seriously though, it is a fun blog and it always makes me laugh. The writing is superb, and you can't help but to find the truth in his, sometimes, ridiculous banter. It is only updated once in a blue moon, but each update is worth it. You've got 129 previous posts to catch up on anyway.

Stuff White People Like

Cuz white folks like a lot of stuff for many fun reasons.

Oh Saint Nicky, Don't You See...

Just saw this and YouTube had it so I can share! And sharing is what Christmas is all about!



And then I found this!



Black Santa represent! North-side!

Mmmmmmfiveguys

I love a lot of shows on Travel Channel. Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations...LOVE it! Dhani Tackles the Globe...love it AND it reminds me I really need to workout. Madventures...those Finns are some crazy ass mofos. Man v. Food...he must have some mad doo-doos AND it reminds me I really need to workout. Bizzare Foods...don't love it as much as I used to because now Andrew just annoys me.

My new favorite TC show? Meet the Natives - USA! If you haven't watched it, I highly recommend you tune in. The premise is very simple. Grab five guys from the remote South-Pacific island of Tanna and let them spend a week with five different American families, all from varying walks of life. The show is both very entertaining and enlightening. They have an almost child-like approach to everything they experience, but they bring with them so much wisdom and real honesty. Here's a sampling:







Keep an out for indigenous nudity you crazy kids!

But I Can Kick Your Ass!

I've blogged briefly about the movie Kick-Ass, but it was more inspired by the character Hit-Girl. Well some more Hit-Girl-induced-Kick-Ass goodness has just hit the web. Oh yea, I'm DEFINITELY going to go see this movie! Red band trailer, by the way. Consider yourself warned!



Props to Harry for giving me a good breakfast!

30 Second Doses of Goodness

You think making a movie is tough? Imagine making a commercial. You have 30 seconds to convey your message and leave a memorable impression upon the prospective consumer. Millions are spent on these tiny pieces of eye candy with the hope that investment will pay back hundredfold. Here are a few of my current favorites:









And of course...



Get crackin' you crazy kids!

More Than Lighting Up The Christmas Tree

Have I mentioned how much I love Pomplamoose? Oh yeah...I have! Merry Christmas!!!



Jemara just reminded me...6 days!

I'll Have the Cuba Libre With My Breakfast, Please

Back in a past life, I used to have to wear a uniform and sometimes Uncle Sam would order me to go to Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico for periods of time to do cool military stuff. Trust me, Puerto Rico isn't the most difficult of assignments a young airman can receive. I really had a great time whenever I went and I'm surprised I survived each trip relatively unscathed. Yes there was danger involved with the "cool military stuff", but the real danger was the super cheap bottles of Puerto Rican rum and how easily it poured down my throat. I remember one morning, after a long night of clubbing, my buddies and I decided to get some breakfast. We sit down at an outdoor bistro/breakfast booth kind of thing and on the menu was the typical Puerto Rican breakfast fare. I think I got eggs with ham, some damn good local bread and fruit. When asked what to drink I look up at the menu and I notice cuba libre was cheaper than orange juice. For those of you not in the know, a cuba libre is basically a glass full of white rum with a splash of coke to change the color slightly and a lemon or lime wedge. So, being a broke airman, trying to save all the money I could, I got the cuba libre, of course. Good times.

The whole conversation about Puerto Rico was supposed to be a segue for the competitive reality show, "The Sing-Off". Before I get started, I'm not really a big fan of these types of shows. It isn't that I don't like them because I've watched the very first season of "American Idol" as well as "America's Best Dance Crew". My buddy, Dusty, is a big fan of "So You Think You Can Dance" and she's shown me some really cool stuff from that show (in fact, she just blogged about it). So, I do watch those types of shows, but the real problem I have with them is they take too long to get to the end. There are like 20 contestants and they slowly whittle them down one-by-one until you reach the climactic finale. So, I find myself not watching it until they get to the last few episodes.

"The Sing-Off" is a little different because the show started on Tuesday with 8 groups and by Thursday they had it narrowed down to the 3 finalists. The voting lines are open and they'll announce the winner on Monday. Yes, a competitive reality show that is only a week long...PERFECT! Anyway, the premise of the show is groups sing songs sans instruments...all a cappella. Yes, most of the groups remind me of glee clubs, but there is one in particular that owns the competition. The group is Nota and they're from Puerto Rico...enjoy:




Finally, how in the hell do you do an a cappella version of Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer"? Like this:

For As Cool As Apple Can Be

Why don't they support Flash on the iPhone/iPod and why won't they let you embed Quicktime trailers? If you're going to take over the world with shiny silver things that make our computing interactions easier, then they should be able to knock those simple things out. C'mon Stevie, hook a brotha up! Well since I can't embed a Quicktime trailer to my blog, I'm going to request you all go here. Click on the down arrow to the immediate right of the "Watch Trailer" button and select one of the HD versions (I recommend 720p). Wait for the trailer to load then hit Ctrl-F, crank up the volume and enjoy!

While you're at it, check out the updated Clash of the Titans trailer with even more clashing goodness!

Kick-Ass!!!

Jemara started a Swear Jar at home. Everytime daddy says a bad word, I put a dollar in the jar. The term "jar" is being used very loosely. The "jar" is really her purse and she's gotten about 15 bucks from me over the past couple weeks. I do my best to not cuss around her, but sometimes (and usually while I'm playing the Xbox) a bad word or two will slip out. That girl has cuss-word-induced hearing though, because as soon as I curse she immediately pops out of hiding, like a money collecting ninja, with her palm extended and a big grin on her face. I am slowly getting better though. Anyway, I figured I could blog curse words all I want because I don't say them outloud. I won't push my luck though because I'm sure Jemara would figure out some Swear Jar loophole so she could collect on both spoken and written words. She's too darn smart for an 11 year old.

Why is this blog titled "Kick-Ass"? Because that is the title of a movie coming out next year. Being a comic-based movie, it's been a tiny blip on my radar the past couple months. The trailer came out and I was impressed, but it wasn't like Watchmen-induced nipple erection. Well, that was until I saw this:



Here's the trailer:

'

Thanks to Merrick at AintItCool for showering me with the goods. Have fun kicking ass...oops, I mean butts you crazy kids!

The Duality of One Man

I know I've hinted several times about how I have this side job of making movies and the such. I certainly haven't kept secret about my bromance with my boy Ken. Well the boys of Cloudy Logic Productions have been working diligently to step up our game. Ken has updated the website to give it a more modern touch. I'm also going to start a new blog, strictly for CLP activities. Do not fret dear readers, for I will continue to maintain this fine virtual place of literary brain dumping. This space will just occupy all of my normal acts of depravity and perversion that many of you are so fond of reading.

Having said that, the Christmas (yes, I still call it Christmas and not Holiday) season is upon us. Hell, for some of the stores it has been upon us since late August. Jemara has a homemade advent calendar thumbtacked on the wall of my office, counting down the days. She also has a little note that says, "P.S. Don't forget to put a ping pong table on my x-mas list." Like we have the space to put in a ping pong table for her and her imaginary friend. I'll get her a ping pong app for her iPod.

While I was I was driving on 436 yesterday, I happened to catch this really cool sight:


I wish I could have seen it at night. He looks like the kind of guy I want to sit down and drink beer with. We can both discuss our checkered histories of being naughty and nice.

Lions and Tigers and Zombies...Oh My!

I recently blogged about the group Pompalamoose and they did their own version of "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music. Well a new version has been surfing the digital waves of the Internets (that NEVER gets old). Enjoy:



Thanks to Hawty McBloggy for sharing the wealth. Make sure you always have a fresh clip handy you crazy kids!

A Vampire Movie I Actually WANT to Watch

I'm sure watching pubescent teenage boys with ripped bodies (and a spritz or two of Sexy Oil upon their young pecs) might appeal to some of you.  Not so much for me.  This, however, does:

Funny, Because I Just Watched "The Mist"

I'm sitting up watching the news and they talk about a strange light phenomenon that happened in Norway earlier today:



I watched the video several times and I immediately thought, wormhole...time to kick in Stage 1 of the Zombie Plan.  Then I found a news report claiming it was possibly just a failed Russian rocket launch.  The more I watch the video, the more it looks like a failed rocket launch.  Maybe I should check the pantry to see how much non-perishables we have anyway.

Glenn Beck is Probably Already Whipping Out the Lube

Got my montly issue of Golf Digest and this was the cover:



I'll make sure to put it in a plastic protector and give it to one of the grandkids in my Last Will and Testament.

Before History...Beyond Imagination!

Dusty blogged about this before, and I've been meaning to touch on it but the demands of trying to be creative seem to take up most of my available time.  I'm about to shut down for the night and I decided to give Jemara a little education on how awesome movies were when dad was growing up.  Namely, one of my most memorable films, Clash of the Titans...



I remember being terrified of Medusa.  She looked so real to me.  Of course, my imagination filled in a lot of the blanks claymation left behind.  And after looking at that trailer, there were a LOT of blanks.  Wow, we've come a long way in creating reality in a movie.  Of course, to Jemara, the 1980's Medusa was kind of comical, but I wonder if she'll be afraid of the computer rendered version in the new movie:



That trailer makes me giddy like a Japanese schoolgirl in a Sanrio store during a Hello Kitty sale.

I'm Sorry Ken, It's Karen's Fault

I was supposed to be working on some CLP goodness, but I get an e-mail from Dusty saying I should show a YouTube link to Jemara.  Purely based on faith, I beckoned Jemara and clicked the link without even knowing where it would take me.  "Karen wouldn't send me anything crazy...or would she?"  Crazy?  It was so crazy it took away precious time I had previously mentally invested to writing treatments, updating shot lists and reviewing scripts.  I don't use the term "precious time" loosely.  Even typing this blog is eating away at valuable seconds I could be using to ensure I get one step closer to doing a job I truly love, every single day.  Alas, sometimes while traversing the path to personal fulfillment you have to take a detour and tread along territory that is completely new.

The new territory is called Pomplamoose Music and they really are a detour worth taking.  If you haven't already cheated and Googled "pomplamoose", please bear with me for a few minutes while I babble some philosophical crap....annnnnnd action!

There are so many different types of people in the world and we run the full spectrum when it comes to talents and traits.  Within humanity we can have the absolute worst, but conversely the very best.  I am of the type of human who like to create.  I guess I would be called an artist by the laymen, but not only am I an artist, I absolutely love and respect others who create.  I really believe people of similar thinking tend to gravitate toward one another.  It is just the nature of The Universe.  So, whenever I'm presented with something that gives me a creativity-induced-orgasm, I have to pay it proper homage and what better way to do that than via the Internets?

What did Karen pass on for me to share with Jemara?  Something extremely cool and oh so very creative.  What happens when you take a very talented musical couple and mix it with some great audio/video editing?  Pomplamoose!

Me and Jemara's favorite song they do:


Some of my personal favorites:



And the song I absolutely love the most:


Want more?  Enlightenment is only a click away...

Sorry Ken.  I PROMISE to get back on track.  You've got to admit though, the distraction is pretty damn cool.

P.S.  Kept on following links and it led me to this:

Tricks and/or Treats

I know Halloween was more than a month ago...wow, it really is December.  2009 is running out of days.  Anyway, I never got around to editing the Halloween video we shot until recently because I was so busy.  Well, here's a tasty morsel to show you how the Zombie Church came to be as well as a few shots of all the wonderful friends and family who helped make it such a success.



BOO!!!