Election 2008

The wining ticket?

Dark City Director's Cut

1998 / Director's Cut 2008

I previously reviewed this gem, wrongly indicating that the film was released in 1999 and that it was a "germ" - but no matter, as a "Directors Cut" of this film has arrived. The film is still oft forgotten when people talk about truly “classic” modern films. Still occasionally mistaken for a Matrix rip-off, this film is, as I've said before, like the Matrix in only the most simplistic of terms. It deals with some of the same issues - but with completely different results and conclusions.

John Murdoch wakes up in a hotel bathtub, unable to remember how he got there or who he actually is. The only things in the room are a broken fishbowl (with fish flapping around on the ground) and a swinging hanging light. He soon realizes he isn’t alone, and that people are after him. As he makes his escape away, he soon realizes that nothing is right in the world he once knew. Is he crazy or is the world really as nuts as he’s seeing it as? Jennifer Connelly plays his wife, Emma; Kiefer Sutherland is his purported “doctor”, Dr. Daniel Schreber; and William Hurt is Inspector Bumstead, who is assigned to the case when the previous inspector seemingly becomes delusional. With the help of the three they discover that something is not right with the city they thought they knew.


The new cut of this film does not have the much derided introductory voice over. Also removed is a sequence that is introduced later in the film - with greater impact to the narrative.

Jennifer Connelly actually lends her voice to the vocals sung in the club during the film. In the original film they were provided by Anita Kelsey.

The film also strengthens the supporting cast, Inspector Bumstead and Dr. Schreber. Bumstead has added screen time that provides more screen-time to his investigation, and lends credence that more than just a few people have a sneaking suspicion as to what is going on in their city.


It's hard to improve on perfection - but they've done it.

Fox sues WB over "Watchmen" rights

Apparently Fox is claiming that Warner has infringed on its copyrights when Fox had acquired the rights to the graphic novel back in the 80s.

Watchmen, set in 1985, is an alternate history of the United States where costumed adventurers are real.

For more: New York Times: Fox Is Allowed to Press Warner Over Rights to ‘Watchmen’

Diablo Cody. One movie fluke?

Richard Kelly anyone? Nia Vardalos? Meet Diablo.

This evening I had a brief discussion with my brother over how there are certain films that you just lose interest in wanting to see, the kind of film that you make an effort to see, but after a year or two you give up - only to then catch it on HBO half a decade later. This got me thinking. I haven't seen Juno yet. Like, Little Miss Sunshine, I've lost any interest in the film. The "want" is cold and long dead. The spot of longing that one sometimes gets when you say "I must see that film" has long been filled by other films.

Then that got me thinking about Diablo Cody and how she's literally everywhere. EW even gave her a reoccurring column, which puts me at odds as to why I still get a subscription - but I digress.


Some people who make it huge on their first film, their "huge break" into the business - not in the style of a slow, progressive burst - but the kind that Hollywood loves to glamorize. I pray for my brother not to make it "HUGE" on his first film. That could easily spell doom (well, so long as he cashes his huge check and doesn't squander it Hammer style).

But yes, they usually seem to crash real hard after huge success like that.

Have people seen Southland Tales? Kelly was raked over the coals for that movie. Darko is hailed as a masterpiece yes (I don't agree but that's just me), but all his following films will be heavily scrutinized and blasted for not being "as good" as his big "hit" work.

Nia Vardalos, poor Nia Vardalos. Oh yeah "She wrote My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but didn't they try to make a TV show out of it?" Yep. Everything she will attempt that the media gets a sniff at will be brought up in the context of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Some writers can marginally escape this - for a time at least. Others get stuck in a rut where people are unable to compare your work to anything but the "huge" film that they've made. Look at M. Night Shyamalan, they're still comparing and marketing him as the person who wrote and directed The Sixth Sense. However, that he's still able to finance films after making The Village, The Lady in the Water, and now The Happening, I must commend him - so he may not apply in this case.


Juno could have just been a starting point in her career, but it could easily be a complete fluke that has propelled this woman into a spotlight, into a role that she will never have the ability to fill. When, or if, her next work fails, Hollywood will first abandon her, and then ask why she lost her "gift."

It will either be justice, or a shame.

I just don't know which it is.

Who should be the new villian in the next Batman film?

The Penguin. A short fat gangster who has a passion for birds.

Poison Ivy, an attractive eco-terrorist obsessed with exotic poisons.

Outside their odd passions, they should be otherwise normal in the context of the film. Easily done.

More on Olympics 2008

People are not complaining about how they did not get to see a "pretty girl sing a song", they're complaining because the "pretty girl" did NOT actually sing the song. They're complaining because they didn't see the person who sung the song actually sing the song.

China must have assumed that either everyone wanted to see "perfection" or that they mistakenly believe that any signs of imperfection is a "weakness" (it's the flipping Olympics).

This is as bad as the Milli Vanilli fiasco. They should have either found a "pretty" girl that could sing the song her self, or let the girl who actually provided the vocals to sing the song in front of everyone. The only exception I could see is if the original girl fell ill and they had to find an immediate replacement, which was not the case here.

China apparently wants everyone to believe that they are perfect. Why else would they go as far to keep an "imperfect" girl from preforming at the Olympics? Why else would they clear out a huge chunk of poor people from Beijing? Why else would they ship in more "desirable" people into they city? Why else would they issue passports to 13 year olds claiming they are 16?

This isn't like cleaning up the house before you have guests over, unless you believe moving out over a million "undesirables" out of a city is an accurate equivalent.

Girl lip-synched song at Olympics opening

What do you expect from China?

Forgetting that they're not really a "real-world" Communist nation, and I don't mean not really as in that naive theory that Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels has been proven wrong for the last 160 years, but that they're a totalitarian police state. The bastard step-child of capitalism, communism, and fascism.

They demand perfection. They take away children from their homes and train them from age 2, so what should you expect?

Apparently they're of the opinion that people didn't care about the actual singing but the looks of the little girl.

More: Girl lip-synched song at Olympics opening

Electoral College

The more and more I think about it, I personally don't think there should be any "winner take all" states. Each congressional district should get one electoral vote, with the person with the plurality of the electoral votes in a state winning the 2 "Senate" electoral votes.

Simple example:

Virginia 2004 election:
13 Electoral Votes, George W. Bush

New York 2004 election:
31 Electoral Votes, John Kerry

Texas 2004 election:
34 Electoral Votes, George W. Bush


Virginia 2008 hypothetical election:
10 Electoral Votes, John McCain (8 Electoral Votes from congressional districts, 2 Senate from "winning" the state)
3 Electoral Votes, Barack Obama

New York 2008 hypothetical election:
25 Electoral Votes, Barack Obama (23 Electoral Votes from congressional districts, 2 Senate from "winning" the state)
6 Electoral Votes, John McCain

Texas 2008 hypothetical election:
21 Electoral Votes, John McCain (19 Electoral Votes from congressional districts, 2 Senate from "winning" the state)
13 Electoral Votes, Barack Obama

Star Trek the animated series should be remasted into CGI

Whether the "re-mastering" was 2D or 3D doesn't really matter to me (I'd prefer 3D), I'd just like to see these stories presented in a way that doesn't look like a quick artist chopshop created them a few hours before they aired.

The constant re-use of shots and the 5 or 6 facial expressions really grow old, as does the poor coloring of some of the ships, characters, and objects (some of what is due to Hal Sutherland being color blind). It's just sloppy.

Integrating the original theme would be great, as well as integrating all the sound effects and incidental music (where possible).

I'm certain there are legal issues that they'd have to work through, but Star Trek, even with it's low points, is a huge financial moneymaker for all involved. I just believe that if this was done by the 50th anniversary, that would be a great way of linking the past with the present.

Using the scripts as a basis, with brand new effects and a whole slew of possibilities for animation could create a product that is actually quality.

For years I've actually thought integrating the audio from the early 90s games, creating full length episodes would be awesome. There are literally hours of dialog that could either be used within the confines of a single "new" episode, and whatever doesn't get used be used as "filler" to extend already existing episodes with relevant dialog.

I'd also love to see a transition from TOS to what we see in the first film. By the end of the animated series, there could be a transition to the "new" crappy uniforms that they wear. Since there does not appear to be any actual dialog that could be used to describe their dislike of the new uniforms, they could convey the dislike through facial expressions.

The ideas are almost endless.


Okay, enough of this - I need a life.