__I'm__ a [[-Fake-]]
Х Jul. 21, 2006 - goodbye for now...
Posted By Chol
There are so many things that I want to say but I find that I am no longer able to say them honestly within this blog. I am going to take some time off for awhile and try to work out my problems as best as I can. Who knows, perhaps one day I might be able to continue my humble little blog page once again. Soon I will be starting the next chapter of my life so perhaps this will be the clean start that I have been needing for awhile. If you see someone in trouble, try your best to help them out. We may not be able to change the world right away but a simple act of kindness will always be remembered by both parties involved and thus will continue to be passed along to the next person. One person at a time and eventually we will be changing the world for the better. Good luck to everyone and may you all be able to solve your own individual problems on your own terms.
- Chol
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Х Jul. 21, 2006 - "All By Myself"...
Posted By Chol
Title: "All By Myself"
Artist: Eric Carmen
When I was young
I never needed anyone
And makin' love was just for fun
Those days are gone
Livin' alone
I think of all the friends I've known
But when I dial the telephone
Nobody's home
All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself anymore
All by myself
Don't wanna live
All by myself anymore
Hard to be sure
Some times I feel so insecure
And love so distant and obscure
Remains the cure
All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself anymore
All by myself
Don't wanna live
All by myself anymore
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Х Jul. 20, 2006 - weird dream.....
Posted By Chol
i was in a race. apparently i had friends that were also in the race and then something happened between us and my friends determined that i could no longer participate in the race. somehow my car was destroyed and so i had to go on foot. i was in a strange area which i couldn't recognize. all i remembered was stuffing all of my things into my trusty backpack and that it was heavy as hell. getting ready to leave the place i was staying, i couldnt find my shoes. oh crap i gotta walk to who-knows-where and i dont have any stupid shoes. dream gets weirder. instead of walking out the door of the place i decided i needed to find a secret passage. i think it was a closet that i busted up the back panel and went through the back wall. the hole led to someone else's house. i think it was a mobile home. in the mobile home there were either invalids or children in bed. i tried to sneak though and then i think it was a babysitter who said "what the hell are you doing in here" or something like that. i told her i wasnt a robber but was just trying to find a way out. funny part was that she didnt freak out or call the cops but pointed a way out for me. on the way out i ran into a fat old woman i'm assuming was the owner who was freaking out and kinda chased me out the door. after finally made it outside i ran into some rednecks and asked them what the shortest way was back to austin. one of the dudes pointed to the left and i continue on my journey.
damn i wish i could have finished the dream but the alarm woke me up. what a weird-ass dream it was. i know it was boring but i never have such a strange dream as this and thought i better document this so that i can analyze it later.
have a good day everyone.
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Х Jul. 18, 2006 - new apartment...
Posted By Chol
| well i finally got off my lazy ass and went to look at that apartment i saw online. since i live alone, i really didnt care about what nice area i will be living in. i just wanted to move to a smaller place so that i can save some money. i have signed 3 six month leases at my old apartment already. every 6 months they raise the price by $10-$20 which i think is bullcrap cause i always pay my rent ontime or early. the new place is kinda ghetto but it was on the upper floor like the way i like for security reasons and is also located at a very convenient area of town. since i already plan on having my car in the shop often for repairs, there is an auto repair shop right across the street. right next door is a little asian mall where i can walk to buy groceries or eat out when i dont feel like cooking. in front is a pizza hut. down the road is a laundry mat and convenience stores. the bus stops right in front and the main bus terminal is a few blocks away. a big advantage is that they have a huge pool. i've called around and high speed internet will actually cost me $10 less than what i'm currently paying. they pay for water, gas, and trash which saves me another $23. all in all i will be saving $85 per month by moving. not too bad. the drawback is that i have to come up with $185 up front for deposit and application fee. i was able to talk the manager into letting me move in 3 days early so that was pretty cool. the bad part is that i wont get paid until aug. 1 and i have to come up with rent money by july 29. trying to sell some stuff online to see if i can get the money by then. if not then i'm gonna have to borrow some money from my homeboy. oh yeah... gonna sign a 1 year lease so i guess i'm gonna be stuck in texas for at least that long again. bleh!
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Х Jul. 18, 2006 - "In My Dreams"...
Posted By Chol
At work I am forced to listen to country music 11 hours a day, 5 1/2 days a week. Today I heard a pretty nice country song being played on the radio. The harmony is nice but the lyrics is what made me take notice of this song. Give this song a try and see if you like it as much as I do.- CholTitle: "In My Dreams"Artist: Rick TrevinoI used to think I was the only one.
Who never knew what it was like to fall.
But you came along, changed all the rules that day.
And just for a moment I had it all.
You are the dream I live with, you are the wish I'd made:
The name I always whisper in every prayer I pray.
Now that you left me; while you forget me.
I'll hold you in my dreams.
Now I go on here in my lonely world.
But there's still a bridge I cannot cross.
I can't let go so please forgive me, girl.
'Cause God only knows all that I've lost.
You are the dream I live with, you are the wish I'd made:
The name I always whisper in every prayer I pray.
Now that you left me; while you forget me.
You are the dream I live with, you are the wish I'd made:
The name I always whisper in every prayer I pray.
Now that you left me; while you forget me.
I'll hold you, I'll hold you, in my dreams.
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Х Jul. 18, 2006 - "The Godfather II, III"...
Posted By Chol
damn its been getting hot lately. today will be the 3rd day in a row that it will be 37.7° C (100° F). actually the weather is forcasted to be 40° C (104° F) to be exact. most of the nation is going through an early heat wave. i have some outside work that needs to be done but since my a/c doesnt work in my car and my windows aren't tinted, there's no way in hell you're going to be getting me out in this heat during the day.
last night i pulled a godfather marathon. i started watching the "godfather II" at 8 pm and finally finished "godfather III" at pretty close to 2 AM. from the moment i watched the opening scene, i was lost in another world and in another time. i soaked up every scene, my senses overwhelmed by the authenticity of it all. everything was perfect, the cinematography, the music. throughout all of the brutality, the godfather still showed so much love and devotion to his family. for a man in such high status, you never saw him cheating on his wife. i respected that. the first 2 godfathers seen back to back is such a powerful movie. the 3rd movie on the other hand was such a huge disappointment, the godfather quickly became a frail old man and grooms his nephew to be his replacement. andy garcia is one of my favorite actors and in most of his films he shows such great intensity. everything else i found a little flat. perhaps its just that the 3rd part takes place during the late 70's, thus losing some of its historical charm. the third part just had too much going on and didnt flow quite as smoothly. the forbidden love between first cousins, corruption in the church banking system. mainly i think it was due to the frailty of the godfather which doomed this movie. no one wants to see the godfather become a sickly old man. one scene i found memorable was when the godfather confessed his sins to a priest and breaks down emotionally. another thing i found memorable is the love for his ex wife and how he never re-married after their divorce. perhaps i like the movie so much because i admire so many of the themes that it conveyed. dedication to one's family, and loyalty. so many memorable scenes, such a powerful movie.
have a wonderful day everyone.
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Х Jul. 17, 2006 - dear anonymous...
Posted By Chol
dear anonymous,
thank you for taking the time in providing a link to the source for the proof of your theory on america's reason to go to war in iraq. for the people out there that wants to read a little bit more about your source i have provided the link below so that everyone can see how biased the site really is. i mean what do you expect from a website that has a caricature of george w. bush holding a barrel of oil. again thank you for your efforts and have a nice day.... NOT! hahaha
http://www.oiladdict.com/facts.asp
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Ian Rutledge graduated in Economics and Social Science in the
University of Cambridge in 1968. He continued his post-graduate studies
at Cambridge and at the Centro de de Investigaciones en Ciencias
Sociales (CICSO) in Buenos Aires, before receiving his PhD in Economic
History in 1973. He has taught both economics and sociology in the
Universities of London and Sheffield, as well as spending three years
working for the British Coal Corporation. Between 1985 and 2003 he
taught energy economics on the Sheffield University MA/MSc Energy
Studies Program. In 1989, together with a colleague, he established Sheffield Energy & Resources Information Services (SERIS), an energy economics consultancy and publishing business.
Over the past fifteen years Ian Rutledge has authored or co-authored –
3 Books in the field of Economic History (one of which published in
Spanish); 23 Papers in scholarly journals including: Cambridge Journal
of Economics, Energy Policy, Journal of Energy Literature, Manchester
Papers on Development, Economia delle Fonti di Energia e dell’
Ambiente, MedEnergie and the International Journal of Global Energy
Issues; and 23 Articles in national newspapers, professional and trade
journals, including the Financial Times, Guardian, Financial Times
Energy Economist, Financial Times International Coal Report and Oxford
Energy Forum.
Through SERIS, Rutledge has carried out consultancy work in
the UK, France, Cuba, Colombia and Bolivia, and has participated in
conferences in the UK, France, Holland, Colombia, Algeria and Qatar.
Rutledge is fluent in Spanish and has a good working knowledge of Arabic and French.
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OilAddict :: oiladdict.com :: addicted to oil :: It
has long been acknowledged that in America the car is king. However,
America's car-orientated and car-dependent lifestyle goes beyond the
culture of fast cars and freeways. In Addicted to Oil, Ian Rutledge
explores the political, economic and social ramifications of the
motorisation of the US economy. He argues that America's dependence on
the car has created a lifestyle leading to oil needs which have heavily
influenced US foreign policy in the modern era. Rutledge traces the
origins of America's addiction throughout the twentieth century and
explains how America's relations with the Middle East were developed
through its quest for energy security. America's motorisation and its
consequent demand for oil at predictable market prices was and
continues to be an important influence on US policy towards Iraq -
especially given the uncertainties relating to what has so far been the
securest source of Middle East oil - Saudi Arabia. Ian Rutledge argues
that the war in Iraq was neither a war for 'freedom' or 'democracy' nor
was it a plot to 'steal Iraq's oil', but rather an attempt to establish
a pliant and dependable oil protectorate in the Middle East which would
underwrite the soaring demand from America's hyper-motorised consumers.
Addicted to Oil is the first book to undertake an in-depth analysis of
the motorisation of US society which explicitly links it to America's
foreign policy adventures, past and present. Addicted to Oil is
essential reading for an understanding of America's international
political priorities and its fraught relations with the Middle East.
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Х Jul. 16, 2006 - "The 40 Year-Old Virgin"...
Posted By Chol
i didnt realize that my last blog was going to start a such political debate. so anonymous hates the USA, big deal. take a number and wait in line like the rest of the world. i don't agree or approve of my governments actions in regards to world events and think that a foreign country should be responsible for governing and ruling itself. as for the US going into iraq only for oil is just rubbish theory. oil prices increased here because of the war and instability in the middle east. the billions of dollars spent on the war so far hasnt gained anything economically here back in the US. i respect your hatred for my country but at least back up your accusations with some facts.
bleh! i said i didnt want to get into a political debate. now see what you made me do? hahaha.
ok now onto the lighter side of things again. i recently watched "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and thought it was a hilarious movie. andy, the 40 year old virgin, was such a dork in the beginning. u had to kinda feel sorry for the guy cause all he does is stay at home and collect action figures and paint little toy soldiers. sometimes when he feels wild and crazy he'll play his baritone or with his game machine. a night out for him is hanging out with old people and watching "survivor" with them. his co-workers were a pretty weird group of people also. u had the black dude that was a real lady's man. a rocker type dude that was into kinky sex. a normal looking dude from the outside who is still obsessing after an ex gf even after 2 years of breakup. a pair of middle easterners that really cracks me up, especially the old dude who claims he has a new york accent even when speaking with a thick foreign one. the "i know why you're gay" jokes were really dead on and reminds me of when i was back in high school. i really recommend this movie because its just so stupid and doesnt take itself seriously. 2 thumbs up.
here is a professional review below.
Brian Lowry, Variety
Carell plays Andy, an unassuming clerk in an
electronic equipment store who gets drawn into a poker game with a trio
of his co-workers. As the guys swap sex stories, it becomes painfully
evident that Andy doesn't have any of his own, having given up on women
after a couple of painful (and painfully funny) early miscues. That's
right, as hard as it is to believe, a fellow who collects superhero
action figures that fill his apartment and still rides a bike to work
has managed to reach 40 without getting laid. So after subjecting Andy
to some schoolyard humiliation, his newfound pals -- salesmen David (Paul Rudd)
and Jay (Romany Malco) and stock worker Cal (Seth Rogen) -- make it
their business to remove the scarlet "V" from Andy's resume. They
begin with the easy stuff, coaching Andy on how to pick up "drunk
*****es" in bars or prodding him to chat up customers, which leads to
Andy's relationship with Trish (Catherine Keener), who runs a "store" that sells people's stuff via eBay. (It's one of several prominent product placements in the movie.) Trish
wants to take things slowly, which is just fine by Andy, whose lack of
experience has him dreading the moment perhaps more than anticipating
it. Written by Carell and producer Judd Apatow,
"Virgin" derives much of its humor from the non-virgins trying to lead
Andy to the promised land -- three stooges who, each in his own way,
are far more dysfunctional than he is. David, for example, hasn't
gotten over a girlfriend he's borderline stalking, Jay chronically
cheats on his soul-mate, and Cal is a roly-poly goofball full of
moronic dating advice. "Be David Caruso in 'Jade,'" he says in one of the better obscure non-sequiturs in recent memory. Following
his starring role in NBC's adaptation of "The Office" as well as
first-class stints in "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" (which
Apatow produced) and "Bruce Almighty," Carell is established as a
possible addition to the ranks of comedy headliners, while pic wisely
lightens his burden with an able supporting cast. Beyond the guys, that
includes Jane Lynch -- a veteran of Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy's "Best in Show"troupe -- as Andy's boss and Elizabeth Banks as another potential
conquest who he chats up, with surprising success, using Cal's
seduction tips. Although there are a few big sight gags --
highlighted by the hirsute Andy's extremely painful body wax -- most of
the comedy comes from the quirky characters and their decidedly
unenlightened views regarding sexual conquests. Rudd, the
scene-stealing Malco (currently seen in Showtime's "Weeds") and Rogen
(a veteran of Apatow's TV shows "Undeclared"and "Freaks and Geeks"are all dead-on, making the most of high school put-downs of the "You know why you're gay?" variety. As
with "Wedding Crashers," "Virgin" is occasionally guilty of trying too
hard, and there are a few dry spells that probably could have been
cured by judicious editing. For all the cleverness displayed here,
there's not quite enough gas in the tank to sustain what's nearly a
two-hour running time. Still, there's an ample supply of inspired
irreverence to amuse a younger audience, and pic closes with a catchy
sequence that should stir even a slightly older demo into humming an
especially appropriate song from the '80s -- "Just Got Lucky" -- as
they head up the aisles.
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Х Jul. 13, 2006 - world madness...
Posted By Chol
yesterday i was goofing off online and came across an article about the "killing fields" of cambodia. the khmer rouge thoroughly documented their victims prior to executing them. seeing the faces of the victims touched me in a way i never would have imagined. u could tell how frightened they were by the looks in their eyes. they looked like ordinary people. not soldiers. not troublemakers. just common people who were rounded up because they were educated, a member of the former regime, or related to any of the above. whole families were rounded up to prevent fear of retaliation down the line. women, children, babies. some of the methods used to kill children was like reading something out of the middle ages. to save bullets, children's heads were slammed against a tree. babies were thrown onto bayonnets. adults were killed by bamboo spikes penetrating their skulls, bludgeoned using logs, or gardening hoes. once murdered, they were dumped into mass graves containing hundreds of bodies in each pit. it was estimated that up to 2 million people were killed during the 3 year reign of the khmer rouge from 1976 - 1979. that wasnt such a long time ago. how could such a thing ever been permitted by the world? the topic of genocide has always fascinated me because i can't imagine how a people can kill their own countrymen on such a wide scale. serbia, bosnia, yugoslavia, even now in iraq where u have muslims killing other innocent muslims with suicide bombings. just yesterday terrorists in iraq abducted 24 passengers on a bus, bound them, then shot each in the head. they werent killed because they were soldiers, just innocent people living everyday lives.
sigh... so much madness in this world. when will it ever end?
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Х Jul. 11, 2006 - "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"...
Posted By Chol
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This song was dedicated to Syd Barrett, written and performed by Pink Floyd on the "Wish You Were Here" album in 1975, and is one of my fav songs of all time. I have the original album on vinyl record in addition to the mastered recording album, not to mention the cassette and cd version as well. The album cover poster was hung on my bedroom wall for the longest time. As each passing famous person I know dies, it makes me realize how old that I am getting and leaves me with the feeling of great sadness.
- Chol
Title: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (part 1)
Artist: Pink Floyd
Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Now there's a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
You were caught on the cross fire of childhood and stardom,
blown on the steel breeze.
Come on you target for faraway laughter, come on you stranger,
you legend, you martyr, and shine!
You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Threatened by shadows at night, and exposed in the light.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Well you wore out your welcome with random precision,
rode on the steel breeze.
Come on you raver, you seer of visions, come on you painter,
you piper, you prisoner, and shine!
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Х Jul. 11, 2006 - Syd Barrett....
Posted By Chol
one of my all time fav group is "Pink Floyd" and i discovered a few minutes ago that one of its founding member recently died. late last year i was getting back into my rock mode and downloaded everything i could about Syd Barrett cause i had heard so much about his influence on alot of musicians. i thought his songs were ok but they werent really that special to me but what i found interesting about him was his transformation from a rock star into a very deranged and mentally ill person. i have many pictures of him from the early beginnings of his career when he was a cool looking dude to an old and weird looking old man during the latter stage of his life.
i'm sure someone will make a movie about him pretty soon because his life story was very tragic.
may you always rock on and finally rest in peace, Syd Barrett.
Here's an article about his passing that i found online.
Pink Floyd Founder Dies
By Josh Grossberg
Tue Jul 11, 3:45 PM ET
Pink Floyd has lost its "crazy diamond."
Syd Barrett, the brilliant, erratic catalyst for Floyd's early success,
"died peacefully at home" last Friday at 60, according to his brother.
The musician had been in ill health for years, battling type 2 diabetes,
as well as stomach ulcers.
A singer and guitarist,
and originally the band's principal songwriter, Barrett masterminded
Pink Floyd's breakthrough album, Pipers at the Gates of Dawn,
before being sidelined in the late 1960s by LSD-induced behavioral
problems.
In a statement, the surviving members of
the seminal band, said they "are naturally very upset and sad" at the
news of Barrett's passing. "Syd was the guiding light of the early band
lineup and leaves a legacy which continues to inspire."
Barrett teamed with bassist
Roger Waters, drummer
Nick Mason and
keyboardist
Richard Wright to launch Floyd in 1965, deriving the name
from two bluesmen, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.
Barrett fronted the band during its initial rise to fame, culminating
with the 1967 classic The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, which mixed
jazz, rock and R&B with psychedelia--a template for the prog-rock sound
the band refined in its 1970s heyday--and propelled Floyd to stardom.
But Barrett couldn't enjoy the band's triumphs. He
began to suffer from increasingly severe mental problems brought on by
his heavy use of LSD and mood-altering drugs, frequently faltering
during concerts.
In January 1968, his Floyd mates
invited friend and fellow guitarist-vocalist
David Gilmour to take over
playing Barrett's parts during live shows, but with the understanding
that Barrett would continue writing and recording songs.
Ultimately though, as Barrett grew increasingly unpredictable and
his musical output dwindled, he was booted from the band. Only one
track he wrote, "Jugband Blues," made it onto Floyd's second album,
1968's A Saucerful of Secrets.
With Waters
assuming band leadership, Floyd cemented its legendary status with a
string of masterpieces, including 1973's Dark Side of the Moon,
the 1975 tribute to Barrett, Wish You Were Here, which featured
the epic track "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," and 1979's The
Wall.
The post-Barrett Pink Floyd sold over
200 million albums and became one of the most mesmerizing live acts in
music history. The band, Barrett included, was inducted in the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
On his Website
Tuesdsay,
David Bowie recounted how he was influenced by Barrett. "The
few times I saw him perform in London at UFO and the Marquee clubs
during the '60s will forever be etched in my mind. He was so charismatic
and such a startlingly original songwriter. Also...he was the first guy
I'd heard to sing pop or rock with a British accent," said Bowie, who
recorded a cover of the Barrett-penned Floyd song "See Emily Play" for
his 1973 album, Pin Ups.
"I can't tell you
how sad I feel...His impact on my thinking was enormous. A major regret
is that I never got to know him. A diamond indeed."
He was born Roger Keith Barrett, on Jan. 6, 1946 in Cambridge,
England, the youngest of five children of a pathologist and his wife.
Barrett studied music when he was a boy at the behest of his parents and
acquired the nicknam, "Syd" as a nod to a local Cambridge musician named
Sid Barrett.
After joining together, Barrett,
Waters, Mason and Wright began by playing mainly R&B covers as did their
contemporaries in the Beatles, Rolling Stones and the Who.
Eventually, Barrett and company began to improvise more
and incorporate feedback and echoes into their live shows, drawing a
passionate following at London's UFO club. The band secured its record
deal based on the Barrett composition "Arnold Layne," and he wrote eight
tracks on Piper, the most successful being the Top 10 U.K. single
"See Emily Play."
After leaving Pink Floyd,
Barrett recorded two solo albums, The Madcap Laughs and
Barrett, both of which failed commercially. He subsequently
exited the music industry altogether and became a recluse, spending the
rest of his life living with his mother.
Barrett
shocked his former band mates by paying them a surprise visit during
recording sessions for Wish You Were Here.
According to Nick Mason's book, Inside Out; A Personal History of
Pink Floyd, it was a sad reunion--Barrett had become virtually
unrecognizable to the band, having gained weight and shaved his head and
eyebrows. Barrett had also taken to randomly brushing his teeth and
jumping up and down in place. The sight so upset Waters that he nearly
broke down.
"Roger was in tears, I think I was; we
were both in tears," Wright once told VH1. "It was very shocking...seven
years of no contact and then to walk in while we're actually doing that
particular track ["Shine on You Crazy Diamond"]. I don't
know--coincidence, karma, fate, who knows? But it was very, very, very
powerful."
That image of Barrett was later
recalled in a scene in Pink Floyd's The Wall, Alan Parker's 1981
feature, when
Bob Geldof also had his eyebrows shaved.
No immediate word on a public memorial, but Barrett's brother Alan
tells the British music site NME.com that there will be a private family
funeral in the next few days.
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Х Jul. 11, 2006 - i need a life...
Posted By Chol
taking a break from writing movie reviews i started reading some peeps blogs. man u guys lead pretty interesting lives. it seems many of u are so talented with ur fancy little blog pages with lots of pictures and stuff. makes me kinda want to jazz up my page a little bit also. too bad i'm too damn lazy! haha. foreals some of u are extremely talented writers. sometimes i'm in my intellectual mode and write in a decent manner but usually my blogs show how crude i am. haha. i used to care how i come across but often i just write the blogs for myself as a record of what i have been up to.
from personal observation it seems that bloggers are an intelligent bunch of individuals. i see lots of books reviews, poetry, art, and whatnot. personally i think blogging is what keeps me semi-literate. i mean i would be a complete idiot if i didnt blog. it gives me a chance to practice my typing skills and spelling. it also is a good way to exercise my two typing fingers. haha. they say to combat alzheimers u gotta keep ur brain exercised. haha.
don't get me wrong when u read some of my blogs. i'm not a complete hermit. i do get invited to parties. its just that i'm too damn lazy to ever attend. =)
keep up the good work everyone by continuing to blog cause i really need something to read while i'm eating. haha. have a wonderful day and enjoy the summer!
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Х Jul. 11, 2006 - "Nacho Libre"...
Posted By Chol
first of all, i love stupid comedies. when i saw the previews for "nacho libre", i thought to myself "man i gotta see that movie". the movie didn't let me down. it was so silly and retarded that u couldn't help but laugh. i'm not a fan of jack black and i think he's an extremely annoying actor, but he was perfect in this movie. the wrestling scenes were hilarious and seeing jack black in his "stretchy" wrestling pants will crack u up. 2 thumbs up for a very stupid movie that knows it was stupid.
here is a professional review below.
By Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
Hurtling across the screen in sky-blue stretchy pants worn under
apple-red underwear, Jack Black makes a lasting impression. He's
bouncy. He's kinetic. He flies into solid objects with great force.
Days after seeing him in "Nacho Libre," Jared Hess' sweet, dumb-funny
follow-up to "Napoleon Dynamite" (which he also co-wrote with his wife,
Jerusha Hess), I kept picturing Black as a giant Super Ball. I loved
Super Balls as a kid, and regarded them as the amazing apotheosis of a
major scientific advancement of some kind, just as the box copy told me
to. Anyway, simpler times.
"Nacho Libre" is set in those times — specifically, the '70s — in
a monastery in the countryside outside Oaxaca, Mexico. Black plays
Brother Ignacio, a reluctant friar who works as a cook at the orphanage
where he was raised but dreams of the fame and glory of the padded lucha libre ring.
From the moment he experiences his first, small success, however, you
know he's really in it for the kids. Pursuing his passion in secret,
with the help of a fey man-urchin named Esqueleto (Héctor Jiménez), he
pours his earnings into improving the lives of the orphans by
increasing their daily roughage intake, and dreams of buying them a bus
for field trips. He also entertains romantic notions of marrying the
beautiful nun Sister Encarnación (Ana de la Reguera), who has come to
the orphanage to teach. That is, if he can talk her into not being a
nun anymore.
Although, by comparison, "Nacho Libre" is a silly piece of kitsch, it
put me in mind of the old Cantinflas movies, and not just because
Ignacio's rival sports Cantinflas' trademark quote-mark mustache.
Cantinflas was the well-known persona of Mexican actor and comedian
Mario Moreno, whose characters were all variations on a penniless
outsider who uses his gifts for obfuscation and confusion to get out of
scrapes or get ahead. Ignacio is no wily Cantinflas, and "Nacho Libre"
contains nothing like the barbed satire of Moreno's films, which
merrily skewered Mexican society.
But there's a quality to Black's character that recalls a certain
kind of underdog common to Latin American and Italian comedies of the
'50s and '60s: the little man who is beloved precisely because he is
ridiculous, pathetic and innocent, not in spite of it. His humanity
gives him dignity, and his warmth and generosity earn him love.
Underdog stories are relatively common in American films too, but their
characters' happiness usually depends on an ultimate triumph, usually
reached in a narcissistic, obsessive-compulsive, zero-sum quest for
success. What's rare to see, and what ultimately makes "Nacho Libre" so
enjoyable, is the story of an underdog who's allowed to remain a humble
clown all the way to becoming a hero.
Black is a gifted physical comedian with surprisingly expressive
eyes and an even more surprising tender streak, and Hess makes ample
use of it in the training and fighting scenes, as well as those with
the kids and Sister Encarnación. In one scene, he invites her to his
room for an evening snack of toast, whereupon they discuss their
favorite color. As Esqueleto, Ignacio's geeky sidekick, Jiménez is
feral and cuddly in the most lunatic way imaginable, and Ana de la
Reguera is charming as the nun who comes to appreciate the big-hearted,
barrel-chested fighter.
Hess and his production designer Gideon Ponte also endow the movie
with a visual flair that's rare in studio comedies — everything about
the look of the movie is appealing — and he makes wonderful use of a
score by Danny Elfman, old Mexican pop songs and music by Beck. The
movie is closely attuned to detail, making excellent use of the
locations and incorporating all sorts of local features. (A local treat
— corn on the cob on a stick, slathered in mayonnaise and chile powder
— is put to lethal use in one especially gruesome scene.)
Much of "Nacho Libre" takes place in the ring, where Ignacio
(going by Nacho) and Esqueleto duke it out with a bevy of bizarrely
attired wrestlers whose signature moves include things like slamming
their opponents with folding chairs, and, say whatever you will about
them, Black and Jiménez can take a beating. But the charm of "Nacho
Libre" is mostly to be found in the two friends' ruminations on faith
(Esqueleto believes in science), love, dreams and nutrition. If ever a
movie paid homage to fresh fruits and vegetables, it's this one. And if
ever a born loser looked like the winner of the future, it's Nacho.
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Х Jul. 11, 2006 - "The Island"...
Posted By Chol
the next few entries will be about movies that i have recently seen.n some were good ones, most were stinkers but i'm gonna go ahead and document them for future posterity. haha. i just realized that i watched ALOT of movies recently. i guess its better than goofing off online. =)
first of all we'll start with "The Island". the main reason i wanted to see the movie is of course because of Scarlett Johansson. the second reason is that i love science fiction movies. ever since i first saw her in "lost in translations" i have been a huge fan. what can i say but that she just has a "presence" about her. the premise of the movie was also quite interesting. a group of humans who were supposedly the only remnants of the human race after some kind of catastrophe who are forced to live in a self contained man-made environement. free thought is frowned upon. everyone is expected to fit in. they spend their lives in a very controlled manner. they are forced to all dress the same, and have their diets and everyday routine extremely regulated. every few days there is a lottery and the winner gets to be transferred to "the island". the island is supposedly the only place untouched by the catastrophe, a sort of paradise that is outside their little self-enclosed world. of course everyone dreams of getting chosen in the lottery so they can leave their dull lives. the lead character keeps having dreams and his inquisitive nature finally exposes himself to the truth of what their perfect society really is. he discovers that there really is no "island". people that win the lottery actually is killed and various organs are harvested from their body. when his gf (scarlett johansson) is chosen by the lottery, they find a way to escape their enclosed world to the outside. it is there that they discover that they are really clones. after going through many perilous events on the outside, they finally help lead a revolt by exposing the truth to all of the other clones. i will give the movie 2 thumbs up because it had very interesting concepts that really made you think.
below is a review written by someone else.
Reviewed by Jeffrey Chen:
Could
“The Island” be that “Logan’s Run”
remake we have all been waiting for?
“The
Island” stars Ewan McGregor as Lincoln Six-Echo, a
man who lives in a perfect, yet very strict environment.
His utopian world is filled with duties and routines which
Lincoln begins to question. How does his perfect world actually
operate?
The
only real salvation that Lincoln and the people of his controlled
world have is a daily lottery where winners are whisked
off to the mythical paradise “the island” to
live the rest of their lives in freedom. Where is this “island”
and what do you do when you get there?
The
more questions Lincoln raises the more he begins to doubt
his surroundings until he learns that he is in fact living
a lie and that he is a clone. Lincoln grabs fellow resident
and his friend Jordan Two-Delta (Scarlett Johansson) and
they begin to run for their lives. Together they will find
out all the secrets that their world hides.
“The
Island” is one of those films that the less you know
going in the better the experience it will be. The problem
with that kind of film is that it’s very hard to market
especially when you have a high-profile director like Michael
Bay at the helm.
The
opening and experiences that Lincoln Six-Echo encounters
while still within the utopian society are interesting and
really draw you in. Director Michael Bay’s restraint
here is actually impressive where we begin to see a story
with real substance and he allows his actors to act.
I really
enjoyed McGregor and Johansson as the leads in this film
and the humanity they bring to their characters. McGregor
is one of the most intriguing actors working in Hollywood
today and this proves it once again. I can’t imagine
what this film would have been like without him. Can you
imagine a hack like Colin Farrell in this role? Perish the
thought.
The
production design and basic plot elements reminded me a
lot of the sci-fi classic “Logan’s Run”
where the utopian survivors begin to doubt that the outside
world is contaminated and that their society is in fact
a lie so they must run. Don’t get me wrong this isn’t
a direct remake but it does house a lot of the same philosophy.
The
idea of replacing the whole “dated” nuclear
holocaust angle in “Logan’s Run” with
this cloning angle is actually very intriguing and seems
a perfect way to bring that story into our world and deliver
a similar impact it had back in the 1970s.
I was
enthralled by “The Island” and started to believe
it was the best movie of the summer. For over an hour, I
was transfixed to the screen. Then the more the film moved
along the more signature Michael Bay shots I started to
see. Man stepping from helicopter in slow-mo with blades
whizzing above him. A cluttered freeway crash sequence ripped
right out of “Bad Boys 2”. And even more explosions
and bellowing action stunts that are way, way over the top.
I liked
Michael Bay a lot when he was restrained from using his
signature stuff and I even believed for a second that he
could be a great director if given the right material. But
once I started getting hit with Michael Bay mayhem I started
to lose touch with the story and the characters. Don’t
get me wrong there was also some of the adrenaline junkie
stuff I liked but it just seemed tiresome and routine especially
the truck sequence.
Surprisingly
the product placement in the film didn’t bug me as
much as it has been talked about. There are some scenes
where I did notice it but for me it wasn’t any worse
than it was in “Minority Report”.
I liked
“The Island” and a lot of what it had to offer
but I think the film should have stuck more with the story
and less with the explosions.
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Х Jul. 9, 2006 - weekend of sports...
Posted By Chol
| it was a very busy weekend for me for a change. saturday was spent unsuccesfully working on my friend's truck to figure out what was wrong with it. after reseating every electronic module we could find, we decided to give up when all our attempts failed. called the tow truck and hoped that the mechanic was gonna take pity on us. 5 hours later and the truck was back in his hands again. the stupid truck had a dirty sensor which confused the onboard computer into not wanting to work properly. final price for my friend, including towing... $225. not so bad. the bad news is that if the sensor malfunctions again, replacement cost is $403. ouch! thats why i prefer low tech vehicles. haha. while waiting on the truck to be repaired i watched a full days worth of sports. watched some women's golfing which was pretty interesting. the women were pretty good but most of them were kinda boxy looking. haha my bad. afterwards i watched the wimbledon's double championship which was won by the american twins. the rest of the night was spent watching some movies, which i'll review at a later time. earlier today i watched the wimbledon singles champaionship, federer against nadal. nadal kind of annoys me with all the grunting that he does and other on court antics. federer showed alot of reserve and class and i'm really glad he finally beat nadal this year. all in all i have to say it was a great match. ok now for the big one. world cup finals, italy vs. france. it was a very hard fought game with the french outplaying the italians but it was still 1 - 1 going into overtime. i dislike the french but Zinedine Zidane was a sentimental favorite of mine. he is the captain of the french team. throughout the tournament he's shown so much class, until tonight. in the 107th min. of the game after exchanging words with Marco Materazzi, Zidane turned around and gave a vicious head butt to the chest of Materazzi. the refs didnt see it but after the scene was replayed over and over again, a ref came forward and gave a red card to Zidane. this is Zidane's final world cup and he had played brilliantly until now. a fantastic career defined by an act of such poor sportsmanship. i guess he was so ashamed that he didnt even participate in the final ceremony. such a pity he had to go out that way. well no one scored in extra time so they had to go into penalty shoot out. the italians pulled it together and hit all 5 goals. the french had one ball that hit the edge of the goal and bounced out. it was an extremely exciting finish. watching the joy and exuberation on the faces of the italians and u cant help but feel happy for them also. this will probably be the last you will hear me about sports for the next few months. i don't really watch baseball until the word series. gosh... the next few months without sports. how will i ever survive? guess i'll have to concentrate all of my attention on a very special person. wink wink. have a wonderful weekend everybody. |
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