I met Ray Park yesterday. You may know him better as Darth Maul from Star Wars Episode I or Toad from the first X-Men movie or even Snake Eyes in the G.I. Joe movie though I really don’t remember a single thing from that movie let alone a guy with a mask on the whole time that never speaks. Anyways he’s a sweet guy when you forget about the thirty bucks it costs to have him sign something, even if he’s only signing something you brought. Pictures were free though so we made sure to get a couple of those. He has an accent which I couldn’t picture from Toad or Darth Maul, but then Darth Maul was voiced by some other guy.
Anyways, it was a Star Wars event but we ended up talking about X-Men and Heroes. And then I asked him about the recent movie he did with Johnny Yong Bosch, Hellbinders. (You might know him as Adam Park from Power Rangers or Ichigo in Bleach, or my personal favorite, Renton of Eureka Seven.) He told me it might not even come out in this country. And then he told me he was sure I could probably find it online. Online? ‘Are you giving me your permission to download your movie illegally’ I asked. He responded ‘You didn’t hear it from me.’ And added ‘My Dad bought a copy in London.’ To which I responded that if I couldn’t afford to purchase a man’s scribbling of his name I probably wouldn’t be able to afford a flight to London. We then talked a little bit more about the movie. Did you know Ray and Johnny, both skilled martial artists, never fight each other in it? In fact, Ray doesn’t fight in it at all. He did assure me that there are some worthy comedic moments and that Johnny is a great guy to work with. And then as we were about to leave he leaves me with one final thought, though it had popped up a few more times in our short discussion, ‘I’m sure it’s online. You can find it.’ So I just wanted to let any Ray Park fans out there know that he gives you his blessing in downloading his latest movie, Hellbinders. But he also wants you to remember that you didn’t hear it from him.
That was much more interesting than now grown up young Boba Fett Daniel Logan (who was also there and only charges 20 dollars for autographs by the way) talking about Magic Johnson and AIDS.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Review: The Book of Eli
I know this movie came out a few weeks ago, but what can I say? I don’t get to the movies all that often.
This was an interesting movie as long as you avoid thinking about it. There was fighting and gun shooting but not enough to watch solely for the action. Of the two twists one was completely predictable and the other did absolutely nothing for the story. It sucks because the first one was really important and once I figured out what was going to happen like halfway into it, it really took the urgency out of Eli’s journey. I could’ve walked out right then but then I wouldn’t have seen the fight for the house advertised in the previews. Plus, I was in the middle of a very riveting game of peek-a-boo with the fidgety little girl in front of me. The second one could have been an interesting way to go if there was a little more set up for it and why it should matter.
Some other things that bothered me include but are not limited to the following: 1) I’m no scientist but the whole shaking hand thing makes absolutely no sense. And you know what? From a public policy standpoint the stigma against shakers doesn’t make a lot of sense either. 2) It must be really cheap to film in New Mexico like desert what with both Legion and this movie taking place out there. 3) I don’t understand evil guy’s plan. It seems almost like he’s being evil just because that’s how he is. And then his ending is really weird too. The story lost a lot of its power when it dismantled its antagonist so easily. I mean he starts off with this whole power structure and people who he ruled over and order in the city and it all comes apart so easily. It actually reminded me of that episode in Futurama when Fry and his girlfriend wake up in what they think is a post-apocalyptic year 4000 but it’s really just the present day (as in the year 3000) only in Los Angeles. Anyways, the couple find a gang of kids that rule the city and Fry starts a war with the leader so he can impress his girlfriend. Then the kids’ parents come in a huge SUV and Fry realizes the kids really were just kids and not the savage rulers of the new world at all. That gang of kids is evil guy’s empire. 4) They are awfully vague about this apocalypse. They’re all secretive at first about it and hint around and that’s almost like promising the viewer that soon enough all will be told. And then nothing more is ever told! This works in things like Cloverfield I guess and Children of Men is way better off for avoiding the details of their apocalypse but this movie is not that good.
In the end? I don’t know. Better than Legion. Like I said, I had a good time. It was entertaining for the moment. But then, I tend to enjoy a lot of movies. If I didn’t, I would never even want to be a critic, right? I understand what they were trying to do about it being the Book of Eli. It’s the book he’s carrying, the bible in case you didn’t know, but then it’s also the story of Eli in a prophet like way, like the Book of Job is the story of Job. When I sum it up like that, it seems like it should've been better than it was.
This was an interesting movie as long as you avoid thinking about it. There was fighting and gun shooting but not enough to watch solely for the action. Of the two twists one was completely predictable and the other did absolutely nothing for the story. It sucks because the first one was really important and once I figured out what was going to happen like halfway into it, it really took the urgency out of Eli’s journey. I could’ve walked out right then but then I wouldn’t have seen the fight for the house advertised in the previews. Plus, I was in the middle of a very riveting game of peek-a-boo with the fidgety little girl in front of me. The second one could have been an interesting way to go if there was a little more set up for it and why it should matter.
Some other things that bothered me include but are not limited to the following: 1) I’m no scientist but the whole shaking hand thing makes absolutely no sense. And you know what? From a public policy standpoint the stigma against shakers doesn’t make a lot of sense either. 2) It must be really cheap to film in New Mexico like desert what with both Legion and this movie taking place out there. 3) I don’t understand evil guy’s plan. It seems almost like he’s being evil just because that’s how he is. And then his ending is really weird too. The story lost a lot of its power when it dismantled its antagonist so easily. I mean he starts off with this whole power structure and people who he ruled over and order in the city and it all comes apart so easily. It actually reminded me of that episode in Futurama when Fry and his girlfriend wake up in what they think is a post-apocalyptic year 4000 but it’s really just the present day (as in the year 3000) only in Los Angeles. Anyways, the couple find a gang of kids that rule the city and Fry starts a war with the leader so he can impress his girlfriend. Then the kids’ parents come in a huge SUV and Fry realizes the kids really were just kids and not the savage rulers of the new world at all. That gang of kids is evil guy’s empire. 4) They are awfully vague about this apocalypse. They’re all secretive at first about it and hint around and that’s almost like promising the viewer that soon enough all will be told. And then nothing more is ever told! This works in things like Cloverfield I guess and Children of Men is way better off for avoiding the details of their apocalypse but this movie is not that good.
In the end? I don’t know. Better than Legion. Like I said, I had a good time. It was entertaining for the moment. But then, I tend to enjoy a lot of movies. If I didn’t, I would never even want to be a critic, right? I understand what they were trying to do about it being the Book of Eli. It’s the book he’s carrying, the bible in case you didn’t know, but then it’s also the story of Eli in a prophet like way, like the Book of Job is the story of Job. When I sum it up like that, it seems like it should've been better than it was.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Learning Swedish
I've decided I want to learn Swedish just so I can learn the lyrics to Basshunter's Dota. Sure I can just use the English lyrics of All I Ever Wanted, which has the same melody and made by the same guy, but then I wouldn't be singing about World of Warcraft, would I?
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