Actual Pineapple Express Review

broderic on August 22, 2008

Most times, when you're high, you feel time slow down. Most times, when
you watch a Judd Apatow flick, you feel time slow down. Pineapple
Express is a stoner movie produced by Apatow. Time slowed down.It's not like other movies from the Apatow factory, where the movie was
really 30 minutes too long, although this one had an ending then an
afterward that resolved nothing but added more time. The time seemed to
stretch in this movie and his other movies because of the languid pacing
and stretching out of jokes to maximize, but minimize, their
effectiveness. For example, midway through the film, stoners Rogen and
Franco are selling some pot to kids, and the scene lasts for five
minutes as we watch them smoke up and dance stoner dances with the kids.
The too young to smoke kids inhaling, and you would've been laughing
like you were high, but the story adds extra dancing to this scene that
made it pointless. Ten year olds high, funny. Ten year olds and Seth
Rogan dancing not so much.Still there was some laughs to be had. Only if you smoked. I think
everyone in the audience was high, so people were laughing. Danny
McBride wrestles another movie away from its stars and becomes the most
likeable character actor this summer. Gary Cole plays scary somewhat
scarily funny, and Ed Begley makes you laugh remembering his turns in
other comedies like Spinal Tap and Women on the Moon. And Amber Heard,
although in her twenties, plays a very delicious high school girl.See it, but only if you're high.3 of 5 stars.

Olympic Cycling

broderic on August 22, 2008

Here’s an athlete’s account of the men’s road race during the first day of the Olympics. I couldn’t watch it, because of the lame NBC web interface. It sure does sound exciting, riding through the scrubbed clean streets of China, being cheered by the crowds, riding up that darn hill. Wow. What I wouldn’t have given to see that race.

Quote of the Day [8.22.08]

broderic on August 22, 2008

“Now, my friends, I’ll offer anybody here fifty dollars an hour if you’ll go pick lettuce in Yuma this season and pick for the whole season. So, ok, sign up! Ok, when you sign up, you sign up, and you’ll be there for the whole season, the whole season, ok, not just one day. Because you can’t do it, my friend.”

Sen. John McCain (R-FckTrd) on jobs Americans won’t do

Link of the Day [8.22.08]

broderic on August 22, 2008

The relentless march of links of the day is overwhelming and time consuming. I can’t find things fast enough to link to, so I default to whatever was the last site I thought was interesting.

Here we have a blog about the sport of cycling. Not so much the doing, but the what and whys of things. I like reading about the sport, but sometimes I just have to go out and ride. Lately, I haven’t been doing that. I need 100 miles to make it a decent month of riding. Instead of reading about it, I should be doing it. Yet, thphtt. ;__;

http://www.podiumcafe.com/

Quote of the Day [8.20.08]

broderic on August 20, 2008

Farewell, and adieu to you Spanish ladies,
Farewell, and adieu to you ladies of Spain!
For we’ve received orders for to sail for old England,
But we hope in a short time to see you again.

Ancient sea chanty

Link of the Day [8.20.08]

broderic on August 20, 2008

Macross Frontier is the latest iteration of the Macross anime. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of the first Macross saga, the franchise goes back to all the hallmarks of the first one. The love triangle is there. The city on a spaceship is there. The mecha is there. The drama is there. And the singing. Boy, howdy, the singing!

When you watch it, you will recognize the plot beats that Macross Frontier mimics from the original. Yet, the milieu has been changed. I’ve been watching a lot of anime and the ones made today are vastly different than those of the 80s. For one thing, I don’t remember there being so much fan service in the original Macross. There was that one shower scene, but no fascination with boobs. Macross Frontier, while not overt about it, doesn’t shy away from fan service. And moe seems to have creeped into this one. Girls with glasses, maids, nekomimi, absolute territory: they’re there. Still, I wonder if its because I watch a lot of current anime that I notice these things or are they really embedded in the show.

The songs are also a nice touch, but not knowing the Macross universe too well, I don’t know if they are singing a new song or something from the previous stuff. It’s good to listen to, but I wonder which ones to download for my anime playlist.

http://www.macrossf.com/

Quote of the Day [8.19.08]

broderic on August 19, 2008

“You see Hopsi, you don’t know very much about girls. The best ones aren’t as good as you think they are and the bad ones aren’t as bad. Not nearly as bad.”

Jean Harrington (Barbara Stanwyck), The Lady Eve