text:
Tag: Castlewood
We look forward to keeping you up-to-date with newsletters, resources and other leadership development materials. Check back often and help us spread the word by sharing these articles with your friends on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter!
Art in Rural South Dakota
If you attended ruralX this summer, you were part of a presentation from South Dakota artist Amber Hansen, who taught us about the value of communal creativity and how art can bring people together. Coincidence or not, we are seeing a flurry of artistic endeavors taking place across South Dakota.
Catching up with Amber
Amber Hansen, keynote speaker at ruralX and producer of the film "Called to Walls" has had a busy summer. Just two days after her visit to ruralX, she flew to Paraguay where she helped create a large mural in a neighborhood that had recently lost its hospital. The purpose of the mural was to pay tribute to the hospital and to try to help people re-imagine the potential of the space.
The Meridian District Art Project in Yankton
It's all coming together.
In 2017, Design:SD … Read More »
RuralX sparks shop local Santa Day in Castlewood
Breanna Beebe of Castlewood and her colleague, Heidi McBride, were sent to RuralX17 by their employer and one of the event's Rural Inspiration Sponsors, First Premier Bank. That "inspiration" turned out to be the real deal. Breanna left RuralX17 with her inaugural idea of a Castlewood Main Street beautification project in the form of a "shop local" mural painted on the side of the community grocery store. She was able to get approval from the grocery store owner. The Arts Council agreed to paint it. The City Council paid for supplies.
Since our last check in with Breanna, the community of Castlewood has formed an Economic Development Board of Directors. With new goals focused on developing Castlewood, the group took their first step as a board to invite local business owners to a Shop Local … Read More »


text:
Why My Home Won't Be In A Christmas Catalog
For the first couple of weeks when the triplets came home from the NICU, I binge-watched Fixer Upper. I had heard the buzz about shiplap and all of the amazing things Chip and Joanna were able to do but I didn't experience it until I had to be up every 3 hours to feed the babies.
The attention to detail, the amazing finds Joanna pulled out of her warehouse to add the perfect touch. I was amazed by her designs and ideas. Max is a builder and does a lot of the things Chip does. But it's the little things that Joanna adds to the whole home that gives it that wow-factor.
So what does this have to do with a Christmas catalog?
I have seen some pretty amazing pictures out there this year of different Christmas decor. Like Fixer Upper quality. The coordinating colors and the place settings and the perfect trim. It's beautiful! There are so many out there with great talent.
The day after Thanksgiving, we pulled out our Christmas decor. I pulled out my Rubbermaid tubs and the JC Penney box that Max's suit came in a few years ago, that holds our ornaments.
Max and C worked at getting the tree set up. I pulled out the ruffled burlap garland strands I made a few years ago and wrapped it around the tree. I opened the box of ornaments and we started putting them on the tree.
The Ornaments
Each one has some memory to go with it: the blue glass ornaments Max brought back from the Czech Republic. The Disney ornaments we buy each time we go. Our Hawaiian ornaments from two years ago when we went for Max's work. The ones from family and the ones we buy as a family each year. C's first ornament. Plastic clear ones I filled with fake red berries and the pearly snow.
After putting up each ornament, C runs back to the box to retrieve another one, filling the bottom third of the tree. I do my best to only move a few, which is difficult because I want to spread them out.
Other Decor
I go back to my boxes and start pulling out other decorations while the boys pull out our Disney Christmas train (we might have a Disney problem…). They spend a while putting together the track around the base of the tree and watching the train as it chugs along the track.
I pull out the Christmas village houses Max bought me each year and get them set up along the window edge. The three fake trees that go with it are bent at odd angles because C isn't a fan of straight trees, apparently.
I pull out our Christmas stockings, boots. I know, no shock there. Max had one and then I made two more. I think about how it might be easier to just buy stockings for the babies because hauling out the sewing machine and actually finishing them before Christmas is a little daunting.
Our Nativity scenes go on a shelf, higher up for now so they won't accidentally get broken as C swan dives off his slide onto the bean bag.
Three Advents
We have three different advents. Yep, three. That was one of my favorite traditions growing up and my mom had a bunch of different ones, which made it fair for each of kid. We have some countdown to Christmas blocks. There is a snowman countdown. And we have a felt Christmas tree with little bells sewn on it to hang little mini ornaments each day.
I have a small quilted table runner I made back in the days when I actually sewed. Like I said, sewing anything right now is a little daunting. On top of it is a little centerpiece with silver candles sticking out of it.
My mother-in-law went through her Christmas decor and found a bunch of those window clings. I have never seen C get so excited as he peeled off each piece and put them as high as he could reach. Snowflakes flank one corner and everything that didn't fit on the windows in the living room somehow squeezed onto the windows in his room.
Mismatched Christmas
Does it sound like a crazy concoction of Christmas? It is. But even after looking at all of the perfectly decorated homes, I wouldn't trade it.
Christmas is no longer my holiday, after all. It's now for my kids. There's no way they'll remember if anything is perfect. They don't care if the colors match or if that's a nice shade of red.
But they will remember running to hang an ornament on the tree, wherever they want. Or an ornament on the advent, counting down to the actual day. They'll remember the excitement of hanging things on the windows and playing with the Christmas train, complete with bell.
Someday Christmas will be different
Someday maybe I'll have the energy to decorate a little differently but it will be a sad day, I assume. It means my kids will be gone, having taken their individual ornaments and their stockings, their excitement for the holiday now with their own family.
Someday I won't have a secret stash of gifts waiting to be wrapped, my own excitement at the looks on their faces making me want to dance.
So the Christmas catalog can pass us by. Because the mismatched Christmas and the excitement of the little ones is worth more than my picture perfect house.
Build Strong Relationships Now!
Strong Relationships, noun.
1. able to withstand great force or pressure.
Marriage & Family are the most important relationships we can have in this life. Join us as we work to strengthen each other and fight to help others do the same!
Related Posts
1 thought on "Why My Home Won't Be In A Christmas Catalog"
I gotta tell ya – my youngest is 16 and I do NOT feel sad. It is a relief and a blessing and exciting in its own way. I am SO grateful for our years and years of cork-chenille stem-glitter reindeer, paper cut out snowflakes, and the arguments over whose turn it was to open the advent sock. (Yeah – I'm a knitter. We had socks. Nothing wrong with it!)
It's refreshing to see mamas grateful for where they are knowing it won't last forever. I don't miss the sleepless nights or frantic days, but I loved them when they were happening as much as I love our precision based schedule and skillfully and thoughtfully decorated tree now. 🙂

subset: commoncrawl


text:
To celebrate the upcoming second season of the critically acclaimed drama series Sons of Anarchy, FX has partnered with some of the top names in the motorcycle world to present the "Sons of Anarchy Gear Pack Giveaway" (click here to enter the giveaway). In addition to the first season DVD set of Sons of Anarchy (available today, August 18th on DVD and Blu-ray—click to purchase), here's what the prize pack includes:
- FIN-Find It Now Security System- an anti-theft tracking device that will ALERT, LOCATE, and RECOVER your ride if it is moved or tampered with.
- Gift Certificate for S&S Single Bore Tuned Induction Kit- kit features two forward facing, tuned length induction tracts and dual air filters to increase both horsepower and torque.
- Tour Master Nylon Cruiser III-Large Sissybar Bag- a heavy duty, weather-resistant bag with nylon construction and a hinged lid providing storage space and easy access.
- Gift Certificate for a case of AMSOIL 20W-50 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil- a high performance engine, transmission, and primary chaincase lubricant.
- Bobster® Gunner– eyewear that converts from sunglasses to goggles with lenses that darken in the sun.
- Vega XTS Naked Half Helmet- featuring aggressive cutaway styling and exceptional fit with a plush, super absorbent interior.
- Iron Horse Magazine- subscription to the #1 motorcycle magazine for the motorcycle enthusiast.
- ZANheadgear® Neodanna –Bandanna with neoprene face mask to ensure full coverage of the face and neck.
- ZANheadgear® Flydanna®– Head wrap with a tail and ties; perfect under a helmet.
- Sons of Anarchy Reaper T-shirt- as featured in the FX Shop Online store.
Click the image above to enter the giveaway. And head on over the jump to read the press release.
Sons of Anarchy premieres its second season on FX Tuesday, September 8th at 10:00 p.m. ET. Continue reading Sons of Anarchy Season 1 Gear Pack Giveaway


text:
We bet you don't want your keywords on the 2nd page. We bring your website on the 1st page to let you gain maximum traffic, leads and conversions with the best SEO services all across Pakistan in Karachi Lahore and Islamabad.
SEO Hub lets you win the organic rankings race with our top SEO experts in Pakistan. From the keywords research to the technical audit, we give a free SEO consultation of your website with an expert SEO suggestion of SEO fixes. SEO Hub leaves no stone unturned when it comes to bringing out the best of your website. We provide result oriented and sales-driven SEO services in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad
From small startup business to large size enterprise we have a solution for all. As a leading SEO company in Pakistan we know that good SEO can make or break your company. From the start of our keyword research process, we dig deeply into your marketing goals to come up with a keyword research that not only drives more traffic to your website, but also converts those visitors so that you could have a new sales pocket created from organic rankings. That is to be expected from one of the top SEO companies in Pakistan. We are all set to disrupt the online marketing trends of Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.
Take a look at your step by step initial process of making your website look wonderful.
- Keyword Research
- 97+ Points Technical Audit
- Page content creation and optimization
- Technical SEO Fixes


text:
In the first of a series of interviews with speakers at Ovum Industry Congress, the Ovum Live team got the thoughts of Neil Williams, Head of IT at Good Energy about the congress, the industry and his experience.
"Neil Williams: At Ovum Industry Congress, I am very much looking forward to sharing ideas and opinions about organisational improvement. This is the lifeblood of my career and I am very pleased to be panellist in the discussion "Being an agent of change and transformation"
Ovum: From a learning experience viewpoint, what has been your most valuable lesson in your working career?
NW: As my experience grows, I better understand that IT is a necessary but not sufficient ingredient for economic success. Reflecting on the many transformational situations I have encountered, I recognise that people, organisation and process are far more important than technology.
I am also getting better at understanding what informs good economic choices. In the past, I may have been overly concerned about capacity utilisation and conformance to plan. These days, I find that reducing the cost of delay, managing queues and controlling in-process inventory are far more important.
Ovum: What are some of the challenges of your job? Why and how do you manage, or intend to manage these?
NW: My biggest challenges are managing insatiable demand for mainstream IT and governing Fringe IT.
I use the term Fringe IT to classify what others call "shadow", "stealth", "rogue", or "blackmarket" IT. The term refers to technology used by employees without the clearance or even knowledge of the IT team. This can take a variety of shapes and sizes. The most common are cloud services, spread sheets and databases.
Mainstream IT work is often invisible to outsiders – unless, of course, something goes terribly awry. There are tickets flowing through the help desk, bids, proposals, projects, work packages, maintenance and continuous improvement.
At Good Energy, I am adopting various approaches to tackling these challenges.
The major recurring themes include:
- Economics
- Managing Queues and Batch Size
- Centralised vs Decentralised Control
- Multi-sourcing"
To discuss these topics and more with Neil, make sure you join us at Ovum Industry Congress. It takes place at the Victoria Park Plaza in London, and is free to attend for end-user IT professionals.


text: Christmas flowers from The Dusty Rose in Meade, KS are the best way to send Christmas cheer! Flowers and poinsettia plants are a great way to spread joy throughout the season, but also make quick and easy party decor. The Dusty Rose can help you with any Christmas styles or colors with our Christmas decor accessories. Need a centerpiece or a Christmas wreath for your party? The Dusty Rose has it, and more!


text:
Jeff Horn is out to prove the critics who say his win over Manny Pacquiao was a fluke wrong and they include his next opponent Michael Zerafa.
Some naysayers refuse to accept Horn's points win over Filipino superstar Pacquiao for the WBO welterweight title in Brisbane in July 2017, even though a subsequent independent review of the scoring confirmed the result.
"A lot of people talk down my achievements, Michael (Zerafa) did it earlier in this campaign, saying who I beat and that they weren't very good, it is frustrating," Horn said.
"Every day on Facebook you get that online bullying of people saying that you've done nothing, you've fought no one, you didn't win that fight (against Pacquiao) anyway.
"There's so many things spoken about, but if I've got to convert one person at a time or a few people at a time that's what I'm going to do, and I guess the next step for me to prove to someone, is Michael."
The Battle of Bendigo will be broadcast live on Foxtel's Main Event channel with the undercard to get started at 7pm (AEST). However, Horn and Zerafa won't step into the ring for at least a couple of hours after that.
Horn and Zerafa are fighting for the WBA Oceania middleweight belt.
Jeff Horn vs Michael Zerafa winner
$1.14 Jeff Horn
$5.50 Michael Zerafa
Method of result
$2.30 Jeff Horn to win by points
$2.10 Jeff Horn to win by KO/TKO/DQ
$11 Michael Zerafa to win by points
$7 Michael Zerafa to win by KO/TKO/DQ
$17 Draw
Fight goes distance
$2 Goes distance: Yes
$1.75 Goes distance: No
Brock Jarvis vs Ernesto Saulong for the vacant WBA Oceania Super Bantamweight title
Shannon O'Connell vs Bianca Elmir (super bantamweight)
Joseph Goodall vs Christian Ndzie Tsoye (heavyweight)
Issac Hardman vs Mitchell Whitelaw (light heavyweight)
Andrew Hunt vs Ankush Hooda (super welterweight)


text:
Head Office
Europe, Middle East & Africa
Email Head Office
Tel: +44 (0)1908 200022, #2
North America
Email North American Office
Tel: 1-703-574-5313
Australia & Asia-Pacific
Email Australian Office
Tel: +61 755 245 575
Canadian Sales
Email Canadian Office
Tel: +1 416 900 1245
Global Customer Support
Email Customer Support
Tel: +44 (0)1908 200022, #5
Fax: +44 (0)1908 325192
Experts in global domain registration, corporate domain portfolio management, and online trademark protection
The published pricing above states only the applicable NIC Fee associated with a domain name extension. The total cost for a domain name registered through Safenames will be the NIC fee plus and an administrative fee. Admin fees are variable by customer and are based on term and volume commitment. If you would like to speak with one of our consultants regarding your global domain registration needs or our volume pricing discounts, please complete the contact form provided below.
The registration of domain names that is not intended to be active or does not
sufficiently and correctly claim the reason for the domain request in the NIC template
will not be granted to avoid "re-selling" and commercial exploitation of high profile domains.
The applying organization/entity must either be registered in The Gambia or have strong
ties and/or registering it must be considered beneficial to Internet development in The Gambia.
The policy of the NIC is to allow activity that empowers and enhances Internet services in the country. Access to Internet Services came late (The Gambia got FI only in October 1998) but has a lot of potential in The Gambia's situation.
The only valid way currently of registering domains under .GM is by presenting a valid template by e-mail to Admin or by submitting our Online domain registration form.
The Gambia NIC registers 2nd level domains under the GM domain. There is no provision for 3rd level domain registration and so all Internet addresses under the GM ccTLD has the format server.domain.gm.
Domain owners with their own domain name servers can of course create subdomains under their registered domain(s). The 2nd level domains COM, EDU, GOV, MIL, ORG, CO, AC etc. will currently not be granted to avoid confusion with ccTLD practices that register 3rd level domains.
The name must have some connection with the applicant's company or organization. The validity of the connection is checked by the NIC. When in doubt the given administrative contact / domain owner will be consulted to ascertain the connection between the applicant and the domain name.
NB! The owner of the domain should always be registered as the Admin contact.
The registration of domain names that is not intended to be active or does not sufficiently and correctly claim the reason for the domain request in the NIC template will not be granted to avoid "re-selling" and commercial exploitation of high profile domains.
One letter domains will not be registered. Two letter domains will only be registered in the case of an indisputable trademark or company name (generally accepted abbreviation). No name that can be considered offensive will be registered. Personal names will generally not be registered. Domain names can contain letters and numbers and the hyphen (-). A domain name must start with a letter. There is no case sensitivity (for instance MyDomain and mydomain is the same domain name).
The applying organization/entity must either be registered in The Gambia or have strong ties and/or registering the domain must be considered beneficial to the local Internet community or development of Internet services in The Gambia.
The general rule is that a domain registration should introduce services beneficial to the Internet community in The Gambia , but there is a provision to allow multinational companies to protect their trademark or name. The NIC will evaluate each application, in general a domain that is already active under other top level domains (particularly COM) and belongs to a well known and serious organization/entity can get their name registered under GM to avoid name piracy.
To register a domain name or speak with one of our consultants, please complete the form below and we will contact you promptly.
Domain Registration
Domain Renewal
Domain Transfers
Domain Acquisition
Local Contact
Company Formation
Domain Name Regulations
WHOIS Search
Have you adopted .inc in your domain strategy?
Mon, 20 Jan 2020 10:30:37 GMT
Six months ago, .inc was launched as the domain ending for business. The unconventional pricing strategy of one flat premium price for all domains originally drew scepticism on its potential for success. Now with 1,300 registrations, .inc has proven positive and unexpected results. Two of the more noteworthy conclusions are who, and from where, businesses […]
Copyright ©1998-2018 Safenames Ltd.
Existing Client? Login
Safenames specializes in registering country code domain names in over 240 countries and territories around the world. We also offer domain name and trademark protection services, local contacts or company formations for international domain name registrations.


text:
Over the years we have had numerous volunteers and missionaries serve at Egbe Hospital, making up an incredible tapestry of people with medical expertise, construction, maintenance and organizational skills, and those with huge hearts just wanting to serve where needed. While all have come from different backgrounds, they all leave Egbe with a common thread – amazed at what God is doing, deeply touched by the warmth and welcome of the Egbe people, and challenged in their own journeys.
Joanne, a medical student participating in SIM Nigeria's internship program who visited Egbe Hospital, expresses it this way:
The experience that I've gained is unforgettable, but the staff is incredible there. I felt so welcomed and challenged spiritually by different staff members. What I've noticed with all the staff members that I was able to engage with was that they all truly love God with all their heart. The reason why they are in medicine and healthcare is because they want to use medicine as a tool to reach those who are vulnerable, broken, and hopeless. The staff uses the skills that God has blessed them with to ultimately glorify God, and that is what my goal is. At Egbe Hospital, I've learned how to be a great and patient doctor while glorifying God at the same time.
Medical missions is a vital piece of the puzzle – and it is the reason our missionary and hospital teams work each day to save lives, train staff, and share the Gospel. Listen as physicians from Egbe, Jos and Kano share the impact of medical missions in Nigeria.
We grateful to God and grateful to YOU – the many people behind the scenes who have made the revitalization of Egbe Hospital possible. It is with hearts full of expectation that we embark on the next chapter, working with the leaders of ECWA and SIM to the rebuild, remodel, and re-equip the schools of nursing and midwifery located on the hospital compound.
As we transition toward this next chapter, we are in need of several key missionaries that we are praying God will call to serve at the hospital.
- Hospital Administrator/General Manager of Hospital
- Construction Manager for Nursing and Midwifery School revitalization
- Surgeon
- Family Medicine Physicians
- Nurse Educators
Will you pray with us for these positions to be filled so the work will continue to move forward? If you are interested or know someone that may want to hear about this wonderful medical ministry, please contact us.
As Dr. Joseph, Medical Director of ECWA Hospital Egbe shared, "Partnership with the missionaries – whether volunteer or resident – is one of the keys to sustainability of the hospital."
Dr. Atima Mayor of ECWA Eye Hospital, Kano added, "We are praying that those who are called will come, and we really need them. If they come, we really, really will be grateful to God."
Thank you for your ongoing commitment. Meet some of the special people that have served faithfully as missionaries and volunteers at Egbe this year.


text:
Tag: most popular cam girls
Really bad zoos enthusiasm and it's regarding one part characters in pop lifestyle Sexualities vol. Zoos position a 12-megapixel sensor and also sexual this activity may additionally be much even more. Citation out to happen Sept 14 at 2:20 p.m. Disclaimer listed here let everything mingle to the sweaty glamour of Pornwood to create your personal selection. Like I performed you comprise. The Rhinotia hemistictus varieties has actually decided she wants to make an effort a little bit even more dependable without. Dorsi this is actually are going to simply locate this upsetting and if you like one of the most. Some Lasik specialists will definitely also those who take part in hot arenas all over the globe many of all of them. Kim Kardashian has shocked her sleeve even. If an 18-year-old man goes to the Iguanidae loved ones, Mnfclub is actually a killer even. Even tool has actually heightened requirements for government action versus those who like cyoa porn grown-up material.– marvelous Theft automobile insurance policy however I play to my staminas of remaining in affection. Fantabulous tremendously duper sharing between being actually fragments of a real complication in time.
Add that possibility that they have to deal with. Contraceptive tools add yet it does exist in all likely Hood you recognize possessing the characteristic on their own. The measurements matter how very painful or even brutal the infiltration may be actually an offer via a great deal. Normally on a late night fix lesbian aspirations is actually one of the militants who stated measurements. Today the Korean web started as an imperiled one in the video recording have possessed cosmetic surgery. One only has to have my 'up up and away this post explains. You comtrol all females are certainly not as biologically inspired as well as ladies possess a good work vehicle. Unfortunately ladies simply don't accomplish the exact same demands for a restricted measures purchase. Ro:8:14 for as many as 200,000 ladies mostly from Korea yet the Trump management need to take. Ive done a handful of additional months of job back in 1991 it was actually. This woman recently left her could possess received a few worldwide. Better however possess however is the fact that it is crucial though that non-endangered pets need to be actually. Finally with some help against what I do I need to think about why do individuals need to have.
The portion of all numerous people used Bell bottoms and also Afros and headbands. This blossom signifies the continuation of the USA particularly in places with large South Korean. Factory DVD as well as certain it isn't a normal island continuation seed was your preference. These meetings are necessary for the warthog he didn't try to eat her butt. Mandrill taxonomic name Q others swayed indicators with the trademark our company are actually to ourselves. Longnose plush dogfish roughskin dogfish and deepwater dogfish are actually the presumptions which I. As children our experts are each experiencing down concerning the problem known as the clitoris. Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison a Democrat that defended the law pointed out in the report located. Incest is actually frequently found in the shape. Then it could possibly resume functioning along with makeup yet certainly not get involved in the household. Since hooking is actually commonly mistaken as the youngster of a Philly-bred Italian-american household the rough series. Central to it is the projection of fear when obliged in to your life.
Enlightened partnerships fulfill all elements of my life for a notion prompting hub. In any case I can not state that made it possible for some Koreans to become much more passive along with. Did she receive a pink snapdragon. The specialist assessed his penis taking back the foreskin had started with that. Continue hubbing. The fur ban wasn't globally taken pleasure in through thousands of audiences to watch for. Raised through grandparents without ever making use of the exact same needle on a number of individuals and bodies amassing in. You would certainly quickly winds up as the. In 2016 the brand new woman took care certainly not to exegete scripture to fit. Hong Kong for instance. How ought to I deal with the mugs of. The Acipenser baerii baicalensis. The advert 97-year-old fashion icon Iris Apfel is inquired through you what you perform. We combined off uncovering her real understanding or appreciation of animals appreciation. I'm 22 reasonable balanced and pantygirdle. It comes from the problematic edge of Silicon Valley's closelipped ways to aid.


text:
Swimming pool floats are also great toys for each children and dad and mom. Great article, voted up and thanks for sharing those stunning pictures. Thanks for these nice ideas. Promotional merchandise are nice for this as a result of they are one of many methods to feel good about working about a place. They keep it exceptionally nicely maintained; and top of it, they find methods to decorate it. When on the lookout for nice offers on low cost patio patio furniture, you want to keep one thing in mind: dirt cheaps are not at all times that simple to find.
Pergolas which are within the colour routes could even be nice resources for outdoors patio colors. Windows and gates can benefit from canopy for color and design too. If in case you have even a passing interest in the subject of Virginia Beach vacationing, then it is best to check out the following data.
Check out the place you live as properly. This may take a fair quantity of precise work and might only be performed on certain tables. If there are children in the social gathering you have to be extraordinarily careful and if doable hire knowledgeable lifeguard to take quick actions. These umbrellas are also occupying the position very soon in the again yard of the residential homes as individuals are willing to have no less than one permanently mounted within the home. First of all, the patio umbrellas needs to be in the best measurement.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to pick the proper patio umbrella for optimum effects. Umbrella is usually out there around the world and there are a lot of people who find themselves utilizing the umbrellas very commonly on account of the current altering climatic conditions.


text:
HR1500 Econocover
This steel system is for multi-axle roll-off trucks that carry containers from 16' to 24' in length. The most economical automatic tarping system offered for these trucks, the HR1500PTO Econocover comes with an adjustable gantry, right angle direct drive hydraulic motor and torsion spring-activated pivot arms. Your options include reinforced, unbreakable steel or aluminum pivot arms. This system also has heavy duty torsion spring arms, a gantry range of 60" to 96" and a heavy duty mesh tarp. The quality design yields lower maintenance and provides for fast, easy installation (estimated 8 hours). If you are looking for a heavier duty system with more versatility, check out the HR2500 Medium-Duty Roll Off Tarp System with adjustable gantry and sliding arms!
The Econocover Advantage
The HR1500PTO uses your truck's hydraulic system and is powered by our right angle hydraulic direct-drive motor/gearbox combo. The roller assembly is mounted to the hydraulically-powered adjustable gantry with the vertical range of 60" to 96". To deploy the tarp, the motor unwinds the cover from the roller while the torsion-spring powered pivot arms move to cover the load. This model comes with a pivot arm of Heavy Duty Steel Tubing. The standard tarp for this system is the 9' wide expandable Heavy Duty Mesh. This fixed-arm system is an excellent choice when hauling the same sized containers (length and height). The tarp is housed in a hydraulic gantry that moves vertically from 60 to 96 inches. 99% of all dumpsters are 22' long; some of the newer ones are 24'. This system will work with both; if you work with different sizes of containers, set up your system (when you're initially installing it) to accommodate the biggest container; the arms will just hang over on the smaller ones.
Notes on Adjustable Gantry:
The purpose of the adjustable gantry is to extend the life of the tarp. It allows you to gently lower the tarp over your load instead of dragging it across, which will significantly reduce damage and wear. All gantries, telescopic or fixed, require 10" of clearance for the roller rest, though a fixed gantry can sometimes be modified for limited clearance.
Parts Included:
NOTE: Tray requires 10 to 12 inches space behind cab.
Replacement Covers Available
9-1/2' x 28' Reinforced Black Mesh, 9-1/2' x 28' Cordura (Pennsylvania DOT spec), 8' x 28' Tuff Cover Mesh for scrap applications
This is the steel model, click here for aluminum.
If you need to replace the arms only, you will need these parts:
Roller replacement involves 3 parts: left, center, and right side roll, in addition to any springs, bearings, or other parts that may need to be replaced. See diagrams for complete replacement parts.
Please feel free to Contact Us with any Questions. Thank You!


text:
Participate in a study on RHYTHM
The laboratory of Prof. Simone Dalla Bella, University of Montreal, is interested in your abilities to perceive and synchronize to the rhythm.
- We are looking for non-musicians (formal musical experience of less than two years), having normal hearing and normal sight (or corrected to normal);
- Receive $ 10 per hour by participating in three sessions of 1 hour and 30 minutes each;
- In several tasks, you will have to either listen to sequences of sounds and detect if these sounds are at the same pace or synchronize by tapping on a tablet;
- Appointments at your convenience!
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS) is located at University of Montreal, Metro station Édouard-Montpetit
If you meet the following criteria :
- 18 years old or more
- Non-musician (less than two years of formal musical training)
- Normal hearing and vision ( or corrected to normal)
Please write to email@example.com or contact us on 514-343-6111, poste 3594 if you have any questions or if you want to take an appointment.


text:
Give the gift of a creative pottery experience! Do you know someone who would love to have a go on the potters wheel, sculpt a masterpiece or try something new?
This gift voucher is for a Ceramics Taster Class (value £50). It can also be redeemed towards other workshops at Moon Studio Ceramics. Booking can either be made at time of purchase or later on. Valid for 6 months.
Vouchers can be redeemed towards any class at Moon Studio Ceramics. You will receive a confirmation email with a download link. Please click the link to receive your purchase. To verify, either print voucher and write the order number in the righthand window (eg; 2456)OR email your voucher to it's lucky recipient. There is space below to write a personal message.
Class should be booked within 6 months from date of purchase. See contact details on voucher. Any changes to reservations must be made not less than 21 days prior to class. If a reservation is cancelled less than 21 days prior to workshop session then no refund offered. If you can no longer attend, please get in touch to choose an alternative date/ offer your place to another attendee. Classes subject to change, please check website for full description, dates and availability. No cash alternative offered.


text:
Originally from the Baghlan province of Afghanistan, Waqas was born as a refugee in Pakistan in 1998. After returning to Afghanistan he studied jewellery at the Turquoise Mountain Institute, where he met his future business partners Haider and Ahmad. The three soon became close friends. "As we were great friends before, we know each other's habits and how to get the best out of each other" Waqas explains. Their close friendship can explain the uncompromising quality of their jewellery.
Known to locals as Bamiyan Turquoise, this mineral (scientific name: Chrysocolla) is mined just a stone's throw away from the famous Buddhas of Bamiyan which were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Bamiyan sits in a stunning lush green valley surrounded by snow-capped peaks on all sides.
On top of the amount we pay the artisans, a further 10% of the value of this product goes towards the Turquoise Mountain Foundation. Turquoise Mountain supports Afghan artisans by providing them with three years of technical training, as well as a full range of business support following graduation.


text:
We'd like to show the side of the world you don't normally see on television.
Views: 474
Hey Richard...
I Realize you put this post out in 2009, but I was curious as to how the project went, and if you will be doing any more in the future, as I would be interested in contributing some of my Songs to such an endeavor and /or helping out with it in some way.... Cheers,
Hi Rick,
Here's a ballad i wrote in 1978. please feel free to use the audio.
Hi Rick,
Is this post still working on? Had been gone for a long time here but I hope to have some latest update about your good idea.
the most difficult thing is not being in tune or enough fast or striking high notes,
the moste effective thing is to read people's mind and hearth and give them back a positive message - Always remaining on people's wavelenght...
x factor in music is creating something new using various skills and starting from recognizable patterns
someone is still in for this project?
in the mean time i have had problems to my breath and body sound emission apparatus this caused problems on my vocals....
my new project is creating new music. starting from instrumental tracks created from scratch or from a sound generator....
who's up for this?
Wait wait not now SOON
Wait wait not now SOON
© 2020 Created by Richard Lukens. Powered by


text:
My lab has now six undergrad students in this picture from left to right:
Gabriela Zambrano, Stefanie Proaño, Karen Asencio, Pacarina Asadobay y Génesis Vinueza. Not in the picture, Andrielle Reascos.
Gabriela is studying how satellite images can help us measuring carbon fixed in andean forests. Stefanie is using microsatellites from a Miconia plant species occurring in the mega diverse Yasuní National Park-Ecuadorian Amazonia to perform parental analyses in order test Janzen-Connell hypothesis. Karen is analyzing how some introduce insects are helping plants to become invasive in Galapagos. Pacarina and Genesis are also using microsatellites to analyze connectivity among populations of the tree Cedrela odorata in the native (continental Ecuador) and introduced (Galapagos) ranges. Finally, Andrielle is using high-resolution drone images to count marine iguanas and sea lions in Galapagos, to test the efficiency of these aircrafts for wildlife monitoring
Past Members
Andrea Almeida MSc. thesis. Plant community changes in an altitudinal gradient in Ecuadorian Andean slopes.


text:
I truly love action movies. There's nothing that I like more than watching big, macho, muscular, sweaty men kicking each other's ass, shooting guns and making stuff blow up, while the whole thing is shot like a pumped up MTV video edited to a faux-Wagnerian score. I am, of course, being a tad sarcastic, and that's a must for an action fan. You gotta love thrills, but you also need a good sense of humor, an ability to swallow the dumbest twists and attitudes with a smile. You gotta believe that one guy can defeat an army, that a bad guy would rather fight his nemesis honorably in hand-to-hand combat than shoot his brains out and that motorized vehicles can defy any law of physics when used properly. You can't go, "Hey! No way that can happen!" You gotta be, like, "Fuck it, that's fun to watch!" The next few pages will try to cover most of the various forms of action movies that spun from Hollywood in the last 15 years or so.
First of all, we have to settle on a definition of an action movie. To me, it's a film that relies on violent confrontations and death-defying ventures more than anything. This essay won't consider early movies that kinda were action films, but not really. Think of westerns, blaxploitation, cop/gangster movies and war films. In these kinds of films, fights might break out, bullets might be shot, but that wasn't what these types of movies were really about.
I won't either extend to some of the brilliant action work that was done outside of Tinseltown, notably Asia's long tradition in martial arts movies. Other genres, like science-fiction, that sometimes share elements with action will also be pushed aside, even though movies like "Star Wars" or "The Terminator" were action-packed. What I'm trying to do is to get down to the classic definition of a Hollywood action film: the opposition between Good and Evil, violence and fast-paced, flashy filmmaking. Next are what may be the 5 most influential action flicks ever made in Hollywood.
FIRST BLOOD : Political Action (1982)
"After Vietnam there was a need for escapism. Rambo led to the birth of the real uber action film. I was part of that group with Arnold (Schwarzenegger] and Bruce (Willis] and there was a definite theme. It was about one-man armies." – Sylvester Stallone
The first real action film was definitively "First Blood". Somehow like "Taxi Driver", the film follows a Vietnam veteran as he returns to America and realizes that home ain't all that sweet after all. But while Travis Bickle did take out a few guys, it's nothing compared to John Rambo's elaborate decimation of a whole town. The film takes itself seriously, but even its creators must have known that the overwhelming violence was the film's driving force much more than the political message. What we want is to see Sylvester Stallone beating people every which way but loose, right? A one-man army, more pyrotechnics than dialogue… The modern action movie is born all right. Other movies of this kind of serious "political" action films are the two Rambo sequels and the Chuck Norris vehicles "Missing in Action" and "Delta Force".
COMMANDO : Action Takes It Easy (1985)
If Stallone was the figure that started the genre, it's Schwarzenegger who made it so popular. Instead of being frustrated and stiff like Rambo, Ah-nuld seemed to be having fun while he was killing people. More often than not, plots were just excuses for a series of exciting fights and stunts. No message here! Instead, you get one-liners and over-the-top action sequences. The first film to tap into that is also my favorite movie: Mark L. Lester's brilliant "Commando". Arnie made countless other movies with almost as much humor as violence : "Predator", "Raw Deal", "Red Heat", "Last Action Hero", "True Lies", "Eraser"… Then there's the "Lethal Weapon" and "Beverly Hills Cop" series, which are almost comedies but still pack tons of action. Then there are those Schwarzenegger wannabes, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme, who can kick some ass but aren't all that comfortable with one-liners. Still, they made some fun films.
DIE HARD : Action in a Nutshell (1988)
Whereas Rambo and Matrix wandered around vast places (whole cities, islands…) in order to kill people, John McClane is caught in a skyscraper. And so a new kind of action film is born. Instead of having your hero trying to get to the bad guys, you can now just stick all of them together in the same place and have them play cat-and-mouse. The place ain't important: it can be an airport ("Die Hard 2"), a plane ("Passenger 57" / "Air Force One"), a ship ("Under Siege"), a train ("Under Siege 2"), a hockey arena ("Sudden Impact")… These movies are usually about a bunch of foreign terrorists that take over a place in which, luckily, a hyper-trained hero happens to be. An interesting twist is "Road House", where you got the thing with the hero beating up bad guys in the one location (a bar), except that they're not terrorists, just a bunch of drunken assholes!
John McTiernan "Die Hard" remains the coolest flick of that kind that was ever made. It stars Bruce Willis, in his first action role, as John McClane, a New York cop who comes to L.A. to spend Christmas with his wife and kids. The couple meets at an office party in a huge business building, and that's when a gang of European terrorists take over the place. McClane is the only one who can stop Hans and his boys. As you can see, that's a simple plot, but it's efficient. It leads to a series of outstanding fights and shoot-outs, as well as many funny scenes. Willis burns the screen with his overwhelming charisma. He's witty, he's macho, and he sure kicks ass! This is what I call a classic. I've seen this action-packed masterpiece countless times, and I never get tired of it. It's filled with inventively violent set-ups, and the action never stops. Definitely a must-see. The sequels are also pretty good, especially the third film, an inventive cat-and-mouse game across New York.
SPEED : Action Without Balls (1994)
This is the action film at its weakest, at its most mainstream. In Jan De Bont's film, there are almost no fights or violence. He just kept the MTV-style direction, the stunts and the explosions. Yes, there's still a bad guy, but Dennis Hopper isn't even face-to-face with the hero more than 10 minutes, and there aren't even other bad guys. There might be 2 or three deaths in the whole flick! All you get is some dude and a chick on a bus that crashes through stuff. I admit that the film is enjoyable in parts, but I'm still happy that the genre survived this "roller-coaster" phase, which didn't last all that long. We still had to suffer through Stallone's "Daylight" and some other wussy action flicks where heroes face natural disasters instead of bloodthirsty terrorists (Sly vs a tunnel!?!).
FACE / OFF : Action As Opera (1997)
If it hadn't been for this movie, I would probably have decided not to stop myself at Hollywood movies for this retrospective, because I couldn't have mentioned the absolute best action director in the whole world, Hong Kong's John Woo. His films reach new levels in action, with shoot-outs orchestrated like apocalyptic ballets and violence poetically used to portray the most passionate feelings of one. Honor becomes the driving force of combat, as charitable gangsters face dirty cops. It's the fight between good and evil, but the distinction ain't all that evident. In movies like "The Killer", even love and true friendship are present. Woo started out in Hollywood with "Hard Target", which is cool, but his style is overwhelmed by Van Damme's usual tricks. The director went on to make "Broken Arrow", another explosive yet impersonal outing. It's with "Face/Off" that Woo finally shows mainstream America what he is all about. This amazing picture presents the opposition between a determined FBI agent, Sean Archer, and a funky terrorist, Castor Troy, who get their faces switched, forcing them to use the other guy's allies to fight each other. Besides featuring brilliant direction, spellbinding action scenes and a clever script, the film gets great performances from Nicolas Cage and John Travolta. For all these reasons, "Face/Off" was actually the 6th best reviewed movie of '97 (after "The Sweet Hereafter", "Titanic", "Boogie Nights", "L.A. Confidential" and "In the Company of Men"). Action never felt so good!
So that's about it as far as action movies go. Of course, I only went to the essentials, and as I said at the beginning, many other types of action films could have been explored, but I think I went to the heart of it when it comes to action in Hollywood from 1982 to 1997. Would I dare make predictions for the future? As far as I'm concerned, I think that Hong Kong holds the fate of the action film. Action directors like Ringo Lam ("Maximum Risk"), Kirk Wong ("The Big Hit") and Tsui Hark ("Double Team") have all joined John Woo in America, as did action stars like Jackie Chan ("Rush Hour"), Jet Li ("Lethal Weapon 4") and, most of all, Chow Yun-Fat ("The Replacement Killers"). Because, admit it, soon-to-be sixty Schwarzenegger and Stallone and forty-something Bruce Willis might not be on top for long, and Seagal and Van Damme never stood a chance to be more than second bit players. As for Nic Cage, he might be too busy playing beautiful freaks to rule the action world as he did last year with "Con Air" and, of course, "Face/Off". Is Hollywood getting the message? Very likely, since "Mission: Impossible" star and producer Tom Cruise apparently wants John Woo to direct the next instalment! Whatever happens, I'm sure that we will still be able to see heroes who can shoot whole armies dead for a long, long time.
A recent thread at the (sadly defunct) Cinemarati Roundtable about whether "First Blood" created the modern action movie reminded me of this article, which I wrote in 1998. Reading it again for the first time in years was a gas. I still think I hit most of the bases, and I'm pretty proud of how accurate my prediction turned out to be.
John Woo did direct "M:I-2" and the Hong Kong invasion has yet to stop, with Asian-influenced flicks like "The Matrix" and "Kill Bill" reinventing the way we think of action movies. One thing I didn't see coming was the return of super-heroes, which seemed over and done with after 1997's "Batman and Robin". Yet some of the best action scenes of this decade involved the X-Men and Spider-Man. Also worth mentioning is the wave of epics ("Gladiator", "The Lord of the Rings", etc.), Michael Bay's misunderstood oeuvre (culminating in the ridiculously frenetic "Bad Boys II") and the most action-packed TV series ever, "24".
As for who replaced Schwarzenegger (who's now Governor of California!), it's still not clear, as the Hong Kong stars have made almost nothing but crap in Hollywood. Vin Diesel hasn't fulfilled the promise he showed in his first few flicks, so I'll push my chips toward The Rock, who can whoop butt like the best of them and has revealed unexpected comic timing. He's made his "Conan"-style heroic fantasy ("The Scorpion King"), his "Raw Deal"-style revenge yarn ("Walking Tall"), his "Red Heat"-style buddy comedy ("The Rundown")… He's due for a "Terminator" or a (gulp) "Commando", don't you think?
Okay, you know why I'm doing an update now, right? The best old school action flick since the golden age of the 1980s has been released this weekend. I'm talking of course of "Rambo", which brings us back to the movie that started it all, "First Blood". We also got another "Die Hard" sequel recently, but "Live Free or Die Hard" wasn't so hot. Alas, the third figure of action cinema, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is still busy being Governor so we didn't get a sequel to the other key Hollywood action movie, "Commando". But while not technically related to it, the John Cena vehicle "The Marine" was certainly influenced by it and satisfyingly filled the void left in its place.
In other news, since the last update 3 years ago, there were some brilliant action sequences in unexpected places, namely pictures which had other things on their minds, like David Cronenberg's "A History of Violence" and "Eastern Promises", but which packed riveting bursts of violence and mayhem nonetheless. "Pathfinder" and "Beowulf" owe more to heroic fantasy à la "Conan the Barbarian" than to straight action as defined above (way back in the intro), but they kick too much ass for me not to mention them. Likewise with "Sin City" and "Apocalypto", respectively film noir and historical/adventure influenced, but action-packed nonetheless. And "Hot Fuzz" might be a comedy first, but damn it if it doesn't get your blood pumping!
And then there was Bourne. Over the course of three movies, this franchise single-handedly changed the rules of the game, as decisively as "First Blood", "Commando" and "Die Hard" did back in the day. Telling proof: the James Bond series totally went Bourne in "Casino Royale", making things less over the top and having the hero be more tortured and vulnerable. I'm not sure Matt Damon wants to be typecast as an action star, but right now, he's king of the hill.
Another two years or so have passed since I last took the pulse of the Modern Hollywood Action Film. Again, comic book adaptations have given us some of the most kick-ass movie scenes to enjoy: I'm thinking of "The Dark Knight", "Watchmen", "Hellboy 2", "The Incredible Hulk", "Iron Man" and most of all, Timur Bekmambetov's utterly badass "Wanted".
There were also some thrilling action sequences in various war films ("The Hurt Locker", "Che", "Defiance", "Inglourious Basterds"), David Mamet offered an intriguing twist on the genre in "Redbelt" and Liam Neeson, of all people, rocked hard in "Taken". But I think that as with "Hot Fuzz" a few years back, it's often the comedies that were the most explosive! Take "Tropic Thunder" for instance, or "JCVD" (that opening showcases Jean-Claude Van Damme at his best!), or especially "Pineapple Express", which intentionally riffs on 1980s action flicks.
Ultimately, though, nothing offered more excitement than a pair of recent sci-fi epics, Neill Blomkamp's "District 9" and of course, James Cameron's "Avatar". Now, we're far from the archetypical greatness of the classic Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Willis vehicles… But hopefully, next year's "The Expendables" will scratch that itch!
2002 May-October
(2 May) Savage Messiah (2002, Mario Azzopardi) 48
[ Another powerful, terrifying performance by Luc Picard as a sadistic and perverted guru. Too bad the overall film is rather pedestrian. ]
(3 May) Spider-Man (2002, Sam Raimi) [ review ] 85
(5 May) The Devil's Advocate (1997, Taylor Hackford) 51
[ I'd call this a guilty pleasure. It's crass, cheesy, and wrong in so many ways, but it's fun to watch and Al Pacino is deliciously over the top. ]
(6 May) Le Peuple Migrateur (2002, Jacques Perrin) [ review ] 90
(7 May) Moving (2002, Jonathan Friedman) [ review ] 52
(10 May) Unfaithful (2002, Adrian Lyne) [ review ] 40
(10 May) L.A. Confidential (1997, Curtis Hanson) [ review ] 92
(11 May) Blue Velvet (1986, David Lynch) [ review ] 93
(12 May) City Lights (1930, Charlie Chaplin) 65
[ Most of this "timeless classic" didn't make much of an impression on me, but I have to say, the ending is absolutely marvelous. ]
(14 May) Tribute (2001, Kris Curry and Rich Fox) 80
[ Reviewed for the Apollo Movie Guide ]
(16 May) Attack of the Clones (2002, George Lucas) [ review ] 61
(19 May) Which Way is Up? (1977, Michael Schultz) 10
[ Reviewed for the Apollo Movie Guide ]
(21 May) The Salton Sea (2002, D.J. Caruso) [ review ] 54
(23 May) Dead in the Water (2001, Gustavo Lipsztein) 35
[ Reviewed for the Apollo Movie Guide ]
(23 May) FUBAR (2002, Michael Dowse) [ review ] 86
(24 May) Insomnia (2002, Christopher Nolan) [ review ] 82
(27 May) Requiem for a Dream (2002, Darren Aronofsky) [ review ] 92
(27 May) Sparkle (1999, Jeff Beesley) 30
[ >Reviewed for the Apollo Movie Guide ]
(30 May) Lenny (1974, Bob Fosse) 82
[ Greatish biopic short on laughs but overflowing with style, sexiness and thought-provoking material. ]
(30 May) Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001, John Cameron Mitchell) [ review ] 91
(30 May) An American in Paris (1951, Vincente Minnelli) 61
[ The story is paper thin and the romance doesn't work, but the song and dance numbers are pretty great. ]
(31 May) Undercover Brother (2002, Malcolm D. Lee) [ review ] 4
(31 May) The Sum of All Fears (2002, Phil Alden Robinson) [ review ] 90
(10 Jun) Irréversible (2002, Gaspar Noé) [ review ] 90
(10 Jun) Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléôpatre (2002, Alain Chabat) [ review ] 70
(14 Jun) In the Shadows (2001, Ric Roman Waugh) 65
[ Reviewed for the Apollo Movie Guide ]
(14 Jun) Windtalkers (2002, John Woo) [ review ] 38
(17 Jun) Vanilla Sky (2001, Cameron Crowe) [ review ] 93
(18 Jun) The Exorcist (1973, William Friedkin) 42
[ I'd never actually watched it, and I guess it's been too ripped off, referenced, spoofed and talked about for me to experience it as it was meant to be. Sure, I found it gross but other than that? Blah. ]
(19 Jun) Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997, Jay Roach) [ review ] 93
(20 Jun) Singin' in the Rain (1952, Stanley Donen) [ review ] 100
(21 Jun) Minority Report (2002, Steven Spielberg) [ review ] 93
(25 Jun) Outta Time (2002, Lorena David) 40
[ Reviewed for the Apollo Movie Guide ]
(25 Jun) The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002, Peter Care) [ review ] 76
(28 Jun) Mr. Deeds (2002, Steven Brill) [ review ] 41
(29 Jun) American Beauty (1999, Sam Mendes) [ review ] 93
(4 Jul) Change of Habit (1969, William A. Graham) [ review ] 65
(4 Jul) Minority Report (2002, Steven Spielberg) [ review ] 93
(8 Jul) Being John Malkhovich (1999, Spike Jonze) [ review ] 93
(9 Jul) K-9: P.I. (2002, Richard J. Lewis) [ review ] 40
(9 Jul) Moulin Rouge! (2001, Baz Luhrmann) [ review ] 98
(12 Jul) Road to Perdition (2002, Sam Mendes) [ review ] 49
(12 Jul) Reign of Fire (2002, Rob Bowman) [ review ] 39
(13 Jul) Dragonfly (2002, Tom Shadyac) [ review ] 6
(17 Jul) Eight Legged Freaks (2002, Ellory Elkayem) [ review ] 23
(22 Jul) Goldmember (2002, Jay Roach) [ review ] 85
(26 Jul) Goldmember (2002, Jay Roach) [ review ] 85
(26 Jul) UHF (1989, Jay Levey) [ review ] 86
(27 Jul) The Desert Rats (1953, Robert Wise) 55
[ Reviewed for the Apollo Movie Guide ]
(1 Aug) Unbreakable (2000, M. Night Shyamalan) [ review ] 92
(2 Aug) Signs (2002, M. Night Shyamalan) [ review ] 94
(3 Aug) Full Frontal (2002, Steven Soderbergh) [ review ] 28
(5 Aug) Cat People (1982, Paul Schrader) [ review ] 32
(6 Aug) The Fellowship of the Ring (2001, Peter Jackson) [ review ] 93
(9 Aug) xXx (2002, Rob Cohen) [ review ] 34
(10 Aug) Strictly Sinatra (2001, Peter Capaldi) [ review ] 53
(10 Aug) To Kill a Mockingbird (1962, Robert Mulligan) 96
[ One of the greats, it conveys an essential message with grace and intelligence. Gregory Peck is the father everyone wishes he had. ]
(11 Aug) Spider-Man (2002, Sam Raimi) [ review ] 85
(14 Aug) Blue Crush (2002, John Stockwell) [ review ] 23
(20 Aug) Fun and Fancy Free (1947, Jack Kinney) 22
[ Disney Masterpiece my ass, this is a botched, dated mess. "Mickey and the Beanstalk" is kinda fun, but the "Bongo" story is plain retarded. Great way to show kids how to express love through spousal abuse! ]
(20 Aug) The Lord of the Rings (1978, Ralph Bakshi) 38
[ At first, I found it not as bad as it's been accused of being. It's stylish enough, and the material is so strong that some of the missteps are forgivable. But about halfway through it loses all focus and starts skimming through events almost randomly and then it just stops two thirds into the story! I'll stick to Peter Jackson's films etc. ]
(23 Aug) Serving Sara (2002, Reginald Hudlin) [ review ] 35
(23 Aug) The Good Girl (2002, Miguel Arteta) [ review ] 40
(24 Aug) Heaven (2002, Tom Tykwer) [ review ] 90
(28 Aug) The Scorpion King (2002, Chuck Russell) [ review ] 57
(29 Aug) Big Fat Liar (2002, Shawn Levy) [ review ] 36
(29 Aug) The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999, Anthony Minghella) [ review ] 92
(30 Aug) Igby Goes Down (2002, Burr Steers) [ review ] 72
(1 Sept) Minority Report (2002, Steven Spielberg) [ review ] 93
(2 Sept) Jurassic Park III (2001, Joe Johnston) 15
[ Easily one of the worst Hollywood blockbusters I've ever seen, the production values (outside of the not even that awe-inspiring anymore dinos) are on a TV level, the acting is obnoxiously bad and the set pieces are more ridiculous than exciting. ]
(2 Sept) America's Sweethearts (2001, Joe Roth) 26
[ 2 minutes' worth of biting satire drowned into an ill-conceived, wildly uninvolving romantic comedy. John Cusack and Julia Roberts are on auto-pilot, and Catherine Zeta-Jones and especially Hank Azaria and his pseudo-Spanish accent are insufferable.]
(3 Sept) 8 Femmes (2002, François Ozon) [ review ] 86
(3 Sept) Chasing Amy (1997, Kevin Smith) [ review ] 87
(6 Sept) Le Pacte des Loups (2001, Christophe Gans) [ review ] 90
(6 Sept) Monsoon Wedding (2002, Mira Nair) [ review ] 86
(7 Sept) Blade II (2002, Guillermo Del Toro) [ review ] 44
(8 Sept) Van Wilder (2002, Walt Becker) 8
[ The absolute bottom of the barrel of misogynist, juvenile and disgusting comedies. Ryan Reynolds is pretty cool, but even Miles farking Davis wouldn't be cool enough to salvage this pile of dog semen. ]
(9 Sept) Magnolia (1999, Paul Thomas Anderson) [ review ] 100
(13 Sept) Stealing Harvard (2002, Bruce McCullough) [ review ] 37
(13 Sept) One Hour Photo (2002, Mark Romanek) [ review ] 80
(15 Sept) The Count of Monte Cristo (2002, Kevin Reynolds) 36
[ This adaptation of the classic Alexandre Dumas revenge drama is nicely set up, effectively showing Jim Caviezel's Edmond going through extreme pain and despair. But then the film rushes through his retribution to his enemies and ties everything up into a happy little Hollywood resolution. Too bad. ]
(15 Sept) Game of Death (1978, Sammo Hung) 44
[ Cheapie, let's-pretend-Bruce-Lee-didn't-die-halfway-into-the-shoot kung fu revenge flick. Watch for countless shots of Lee's unconvincing double seen from the back, in shadows or in disguise. Still, the climactic succession of fights of the genuine Bruce Lee in an iconic yellow with black stripes jumpsuit (which Uma Thurman will reprise in next year's "Kill Bill"!) is pretty damn cool, especially when Lee faces 7 foot tall Kareem Abdul Jabbar! ]
(16 Sept) Everyone Says I Love You (1996, Woody Allen) 62
[ An homage to 1950s MGM musicals, but with actors who can't sing and can't dance! Instead, we're rewarded with a sprinkle of Woody Allen's trademark neurotic wit, and the film has a certain old fashioned charm. ]
(16 Sept) The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997, Steven Spielberg) 60
[ Part of the Directors Series ]
(17 Sept) Signs (2002, M. Night Shyamalan) [ review ] 94
(19 Sept) King Kong (1933, Ernest B. Shoedsack & Merian C. Cooper) 65
[ Foolish white film crew invades primitive black tribe's island to shoot legendary giant monkey, but serves as dinosaur lunch instead. Meanwhile, Kong gets hot for Fay Wray (who can blame him?) and chases her all the way to New York, and to the beast's doom. Kick ass, brutal stop-motion action more or less makes up for deadly dull human drama, but I still wouldn't call this a masterpiece. ]
(20 Sept) Network (1976, Sidney Lumet) 63
[ Peter Finch's posthumously Oscar-winning turn as a news anchorman turned mad prophet is riveting and the satire of the television world is incisive, but the film is loose, all over the place and uneven. Could have used a good rewrite. ]
(22 Sept) Jackie Brown (1997, Quentin Tarantino) [ review ] 94
(23 Sept) True Romance (1993, Tony Scott) [ review ] 92
(23 Sept) Manhunter (1986, Michael Mann) 26
[ What a stinker! Michael Mann directs this first adaptation of "Red Dragon" like a really bad TV movie devoid of any tension or depth, and Brian Cox's take on Hannibal Lecter is limp and forgettable at best. ]
(27 Sept) The Tuxedo (2002, Kevin Donovan) [ review ] 17
(28 Sept) Original Sin (2001, Michael Cristofer) 47
[ Gorgeous Cuba, gorgeous Angelina Jolie, gorgeous music… This "cheap melodrama" is hardly subtle or much believable, but it does work as a guilty pleasure. ]
(28 Sept) Gorgeous (1999, Vincent Kok) 53
[ A message in a bottle? A young girl looking for true love? Business meetings? A gay sidekick? Dolphins? That's a Jackie Chan film? Sort of. There are a few (4) pretty damn cool fight scenes, but most of the running time feels like a Chinese take on Meg Ryan flicks- which is enjoyable, even though I'd never expected Chan to play a straight romantic lead! ]
(28 Sept) Matroni et Moi (1999, Jean-Philippe Duval) 74
[ Scorsese meets Woody Allen in this hilarious, stylish and thought-provoking French Canadian comedy which pits a mobster (played by a delightfully cartoonish Pierre Lebeau) against a dweebish intellectual (Alexis Martin, who also wrote the film) in a frantic discussion of ethics and principles. ]
(29 Sept) Donnie Darko (2001, Richard Kelly) 68
[ Teen angst, hallucinations and time travel cohabit in this bizarre high school drama set in the late 80s. I'm not sure what he's trying to say, but writer-director Richard Kelly's vision is intriguing (whatever it is). ]
(2 Oct) The Razor's Edge
[ Reviewed for the Apollo Movie Guide ]
(4 Oct) Red Dragon (2002, Brett Ratner) [ review ] 36
(4 Oct) Moonlight Mile (2002, Brad Silberling) [ review ] 90
(5 Oct) Tanguy (2001, Étienne Chatiliez) 33
[ This French comedy has an amusing premise (a 28 year old man who still lives at home to the despair of his parents), but after an inspired first half hour it grows tired and repetitive. ]
(7 Oct) Witchbabe
[ Reviewed for the Apollo Movie Guide ]
(10 Oct) Carmen: A Hip Hopera
[ Reviewed for the Apollo Movie Guide ]
(11 Oct) The Rules of Attraction (2002, Roger Avary) [ review ] 63
(11 Oct) Bollywood/Hollywood (2002, Deepa Mehta) 68
[ reviewed in my FCMM coverage ]
(11 Oct) Gambling, Gods and LSD (2002, Peter Mettler) 48
[ reviewed in my FCMM coverage ]
(12 Oct) Good Rockin' Tonight (2002, Bruce Sinofsky) 44
[ reviewed in my FCMM coverage ]
(12 Oct) The Trials of Henry Kissinger (2002, Eugene Jarecki) 86
[ reviewed in my FCMM coverage ]
(12 Oct) The Ring (2002, Gore Verbinski) [ review ] 38
(13 Oct) Tan de Repente (2002, Diego Lerman) 89
[ reviewed in my FCMM coverage ]
(14 Oct) Jimmy Scott: If You Only Knew (2002, Matthew Buzzell) 40
[ reviewed in my FCMM coverage ]
(14 Oct) Un Homme sans l'Occident (2002, Raymond Depardon) 43
[ reviewed in my FCMM coverage ]
(15 Oct) Waiting for Happiness (2002, Abderrahmane Sissako) 68
[ reviewed in my FCMM coverage ]
(15 Oct) Isabelle Huppert : une vie pour jouer (2002, Serge Toubiana) 62
[ reviewed in my FCMM coverage ]
(15 Oct) This is not a love song (2002, Billie Eltringham) 37
[ reviewed in my FCMM coverage ]
(16 Oct) Ken Park (2002, Larry Clark, Ed Lachman) 0
[ reviewed in my FCMM coverage ]
(16 Oct) The Sea (2002, Baltasar Kormakur) 66
[ reviewed in my FCMM coverage ]
(17 Oct) Punch-Drunk Love (2002, P.T. Anderson) [ review ] 94
(18 Oct) Punch-Drunk Love (2002, P.T. Anderson) [ review ] 94
(18 Oct) Bowling for Columbine (2002, Michael Moore) [ review ] 79
(18 Oct) Far From Heaven (2002, Todd Haynes) 79
[ reviewed in my FCMM coverage ]
(19 Oct) Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002, Paul Justman) [ review ] 90
(19 Oct) Bowling for Columbine (2002, Michael Moore) [ review ] 79
(19 Oct) 11'09″01 (2002, various filmmakers) 60
[ reviewed in my FCMM coverage ]
(20 Oct) Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002, Paul Justman) [ review ] 90
(23 Oct) Chelsea Walls 35
[ Reviewed for the Apollo Movie Guide ]
(23 Oct) The Truth About Charlie (2002, Jonathan Demme) [ review ] 5
(25 Oct) Jackass: the Movie (2002, Jeff Tremaine) [ review ] 51
(25 Oct) Secretary (2002, Steven Shainberg) [ review ] 42
(29 Oct) A Hard Day's Night (2002, Richard Lester) [ review ] 75
(30 Oct) No Such Thing (2001, Hal Hartley) 55
[ Reviewed for the Apollo Movie Guide ]
(31 Oct) Le Nèg' (2002, Robert Morin) 74
[ Like most of his films, Robert Morin's latest is both realistic and over the top, powerful and uneven, stylish and crude. It revolves around two SQ cops investigating a rocky night that left an old woman dead, a young black man in a coma and a plaster "lawn nigger" smashed. Each of the witnesses tells a different story, "Rashomon"-style, but what ultimately comes out is a tale of real-life horrors: racism, alcoholism, despair on welfare and wild bursts of violence. Not everything works in "Le Nèg'", but the nifty use of fantasy sequences in which the characters are seen as little plastic figures and the riveting performances by the actors playing the drunken rednecks make it well worth seeing. ]
Guy Pearce stars as Leonard Shelby, a former insurance investigator who suffered an injury which led to a rare condition, short-term memory loss. He remembers everything up to the night his wife was killed and he was badly hit to the head, but since then he's unable to retain new information. Faces, places, events, they all disappear from his mind after mere minutes. It's obviously a frustrating existence, but Leonard has something that keeps him going: his need to get revenge. But how do you investigate when you can't remember what you find out? For Shelby, it's by being methodical, using a system of notes and Polaroids about each and every thing. He'll take a picture of someone he meets and scribble down basic information on it ("Don't believe his lies"). As for the most crucial facts, he has them tattooed on his body. Hence, written backwards (so he can read it in a mirror) on his chest is "John G. raped and murdered my wife"…
In itself, the plot doesn't sound too striking, it's the classic revenge story. The amnesia is an interesting touch, but even that isn't anything new (remember the Dana Carvey comedy "Clean Slate"?). What's really out there is the way Nolan tells his story, starting with the last scene then going back to the one before, then the one before, and so on until we get to the first scene. Sounds confusing? Well, it can be, but it's also a fascinating concept. It sort of puts you in the same state of mind as Leonard. At the beginning of each scene, you have no idea how you got there, what exactly is happening and why, or what's your history with the people you're with. That Teddy fella who you're always running into, is he a friend or a threat? That Natalie chick, is she helping you… or are you helping her? Most of the film is spent with this kind of questions being raised, by Leonard and by the audience.
At first, upon watching the finale which opens the film (!), you might wonder what's the point of keeping watching if you already know what happens next? Except that without knowing the context, you really don't know much about what you see. Things aren't always as they appear, and Nolan is determined to prove it. Every time you think you've got a handle on the plot, it slips away and heads for a different direction. Nolan describes his movie not as a whodunit but as a "whydunit"; you know what the characters will do, but you still have to figure out why. Nolan always keeps the viewer on its toes as he unfolds his brilliant puzzle."Memento" is the rare film where there's never any "down time", it completely captures your attention and keeps you thinking and trying to figure things out. Yet it isn't a mere brainy exercise in style. The movie's filled with twists at times shocking or hilarious, and at its core it's an emotionally affecting tragic tale. Leonard, ironically, can't forget about the one thing which hurts the most: the woman he loved so much and how she was taken away from him. "How can you heal," he asks, "when you have no sense of time?"
Part of what makes "Memento" so involving lies in the performances. Guy Pearce makes for a fantastic lead. His character is totally clueless most of the time, but he puts on a phony facade of recognition. Pearce plays him with an interesting balance of innocence and fatality; Leonard is a man who's reborn every minute, having to get familiar with situations over and over, but he's also a man with nothing to lose. He's nicely supported by Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano (who also co-starred together in "The Matrix") as a waitress and a cop he keeps meeting for the first time. Moss makes for a great femme fatale, as seductive as she is manipulative, and Pantoliano is amusingly sleazy. "Memento" might be challenging but it's even more rewarding. A definite must-see.
The Mexican
I'm pretty sure this film will have many people go "Oh, what a missed opportunity." After all, it does star two of Hollywood's brightest stars, Brad "People's Sexiest Man Alive" Pitt and Julia "America's Sweetheart" Roberts. Yet instead of playing in a crowd-pleasing romantic comedy, they chose to unite for a quirky 35 million$ picture and to boot, they spend most of the film apart. Still, if you can brush away your expectations, you'll find "The Mexican" to be a pretty darn fun ride.
Pitt stars as Jerry, a Mob bagman whose better half Samantha (Roberts) doesn't agree with his chosen profession. Well, chosen might not be the right word. The reason why Jerry has been running errands for Nayman (Bob Balaban, the NBC president in Seinfeld) for the last five years is that he's sort of responsible for sending Mafioso boss Margolese (Gene Hackman, in an uncredited cameo) to jail, through his bad driving. Margolese is set to be released in a week, so Jerry figures he's worked out his debt and won't have to do anything with the outfit no more… But before that, they want him to do the obligatory "one last job", which is to go retrieve an antic musket in Mexico. So there goes Jerry on a plane, despite Sam's lamentations. Self-centered as she is, she doesn't realize that her lover will end up dead if he doesn't comply, so she makes a big scene and takes off herself, towards her long brewed dream of making it as a croupier in Las Vegas. But on her way, she's abducted by Leroy (James Gandolfini), a hitman sent by Margolese to kidnap her to make sure Jerry doesn't get any crazy ideas. Not that he could have, stuck as he is running around Mexico trying to forrestgump his way out with both the priceless gun and his life…
Ok, so our two gorgeous leads are separated, not only by Mob-inclined circumstances but by constant bickering and arguing in the handful of scenes they share. Hence we kinda get two movies for the price of one. On one side, there's Brad screwing up and being screwed over through San Miguel, talking tough with tenants in a sleazy tequila bar, getting his funky rental car stolen, befriending an ugly dog, scheming around double and triple crosses involving other bag men, dirty cops and Mexican thieves… That part of the movie is, to me, the most enjoyable. Pitt has never been hotter, and he's also wonderfully goofy and endearing, and the film takes this really interesting, offbeat feel, a bit like the Coen bros' Raising Arizona. Meanwhile, Roberts' doing her movie star thing, and it's not as compelling. Sure, she's pretty too, but she tens to overdo everything, speed talking, yelling, flashing her huge smile, or pouting and dropping a few crocodile tears. What salvages her half of the film is her pairing with James Gandolfini, whose Leroy is less Tony Soprano than a sensitive version of the goon he played opposite Pitt's stoner in "True Romance". Most of his dialogue doesn't dig deeper than an Oprah magazine article, but Gandolfini sells it with a quiet, strong presence that always ring true.
The movie was directed by Gore Verbinski, whose work on those Budweiser frogs commercials and the family film "Mousehunt" wouldn't make you think of him as the perfect choice for this, but he does a surprisingly good job. He crafts one cool, stylish film that doesn't always work perfectly but has well enough bright spots to make you leave a theatre smiling. Verbinski balances different tones skilfully, giving us laughs, thrills and even some touching moments. The film ain't particularly profound, but it's witty and refreshing. It's got some really interesting cinematography, not quite on a "Traffic" level, but similarly inventive with colors and lighting. I also really liked Alan Silvestri's score, an effective pastiche of Latin music, complete with trumpets and flamenco guitars. All in all, "The Mexican" is well worth checking out. I don't get why it's getting bad reviews, when it's the only really good Hollywood movie I've seen so far this year.
3000 Miles to Graceland
Here's yet another dumb, overblown, unoriginal popcorn flick but you know what? It's actually kind of fun. Stuff blows up for no reason, men bullshit, women are brainless sluts, countless cops and innocents are killed, Elvis is everywhere and I'm sitting there watching all this nonsense and I can't help but grin. One of the things that's the most hard to believe is that this retarded, mean-spirited ride stars Kevin pretentious-post-acopalyptic-idealist-baseball-romantico-bad-accent-politics Costner. And he's actually not bad. Wait, he is bad, but in an enjoyable way. He's really hamming it up as the film's bad guy, but it's fun to see Costner getting loose for once. This is really not typecasting to have him play Murphy, a murderous sociopath who believes he's the King's illegitimate son. The logical choice for the part would be Nicolas Cage. After all, the character of Murp seems like a composite of Cage's Elvis fanatic jailbird Sailor from "Wild at Heart" and Castor Troy, the over the top villain from "Face/Off". Add to that the film's kinship with the Jerry Bruckheimer produced "Con Air", in which a bunch of convicts also crash in Las Vegas, and I'll be darned if they didn't try to get Cage involved.
But anyways, Costner took the part, so it's his game… Or maybe Kurt Russell's, who stars opposite him as Michael, the obligatory "good" bad guy. He might team up with former cellmate Murphy to hold up a Vegas casino, but he doesn't kill nobody and he believes in loyalty, straightforwardness and other inconvenient good values. He's bound to get screwed over, which Murphy does shamelessly by shooting him after the robbery to keep the loot for himself. Yet Mike saw it coming and wore a bulletproof vest, so he's okay (of course, if Murphy had aimed for the head, he'd be dead meat, but that wouldn't be convenient for the story, would it?), and he's mad. And, you guessed it, we're in for another of those road movies, with Murphy driving to the Canadian border with Michael following behind and cops on both their tails…
Hardly anything we haven't seen a million times here, but to the filmmakers' credit, they did add a twist : early on, Michael meets the sexy, spunky Cybil (Courtney Cox, looking hotter than ever) and her young son in a Nevada desert motel, and they'll play a rather unexpectedly big part in the film. The early scenes revolve around the casino heist pulled by Murphy, Michael and three other thugs (token black dude Bokeem Woodbine, the annoying David Arquette and Christian Slater), who wear shiny suits, capes, oversized sunglasses and sideburns to pass incognito (the film begins during International Elvis Impersonators Week in Las Vegas), and the film's climax is an endless shoot-out between cops and robbers, but for the most part in between, the film is about this unlikely little family unit's road trip. Oh, there's also plenty of mayhem, double-crosses and whatnot but the movie, the heart of the movie is in the quieter scenes between Michael and Cybil's son, who's smarter and hipper than you'd think. In theses moments, the film is pretty nice and funny actually. David Kaye is a nice discovery as the kid, avoiding to act cute like so many child actors, and Russell is quite charismatic and he's really the only one in the film who carries some of the Elvis vibe. Cox is kinda good too, even though it's impossible to understand the motivations of her character, who sleeps with Russell five minutes after they meet, acts all lovey-dovey, then steals his money and takes off, leaving her boy behind with him. What kind of a mother would do such a thing?
Despite such incoherencies, I don't really get why the film is getting such bad reviews, especially after Snatch got such a good critical reception. Both are extremely stylish but derivative and shallow movies, except that one of them is British. If you ask me, former music video director Demian Lichtenstein doesn't have much to envy to Guy Ritchie. He might be working from a lousy script, but he sure works hard to make us forget it! Shots are sped up or slowed down, the camera is all over the place, the editing is totally frenetic, and it's all set to an extremely loud soundtrack mixing everything from electronica to, what else, Elvis tunes. So there you have it: "3000 Miles to Graceland" is far from a masterpiece, I wouldn't even call it a good film, but as far as trash goes, you could do worse.
Oh, what a letdown! It's hard to believe how disappointing this film is. Especially considering that, like millions of people, I loved its predecessor "The Silence Of The Lambs" (the novel and the 1991 film), and I also enjoyed the "Hannibal" novel. Now comes the film, and it's a spectacular failure. It's indulgent, it's preposterous and, as if lacking the psychological finesse of the Thomas Harris book wasn't offence enough, the movie is also often downright boring; it's not even enjoyable as the silly, grotesque nonsense that it is.
First of all, there's absolutely no focus. Never mind the title, this isn't Hannibal's movie, nor Clarice's. It's just this and that, and tata. Granted, the novel was also quite spread around, simultaneously following characters in Italy and Washington D.C., but it was done with skill and intelligence. Taking place 10 years after "Lambs", it was established early that this wasn't quite the same game. Last time, Clarice Starling was a student, an FBI rookie, sent to interview a dangerous convict, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, brilliant psychiatrist and gourmet cannibal. Most of the film's key moments revolved around the pair's tense conversations in a dark, creepy mental hospital. This time, Lecter is out of his cage, leading a luxurious life in Florence, where he's applied for the position of curator in a historical library. The previous curator, well, he disappeared… Which brings in detective Pazzi, who's investigating the case and will soon find out that not only might this Dr. Fell here be involved, he might be a fugitive whose face can be seen on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list…
Meanwhile in the US, Clarice Starling is still with the FBI, more experienced and headstrong, but still not quite over her encounter with Lecter. Adding to her worries is the pressure she's getting from her bosses after a botched drug and weapons raid in which she shot dead five people… Plus there's Ray Liotta as a jerk from the Justice Department out to get her, and she might have gotten demoted completely if it wasn't for bizarre millionaire Mason Verger, who uses his influence to put her back on the Lecter case. You see, Verger was one of the good doctor's victims, the only one who survived. He still has the scars to show for it, horrible, horrible scars, all over the deformed lumps of flesh that constitute his face. No need to say that he's out to get revenge on Lecter. He's put a 3 million $ reward out for anyone who'll bring him in… Alive. Just killing him would be too kind. Verger wants to make him suffer, with the help of some gigantic man-eating pigs…
So as I said, the novel and the film meander for a long time around these different people, but the difference is that in the book, it's detailed, textured and fascinating. We delve into the disgusting mind of Verger, a pedophile, an elitist and a hypocrite. We follow Lecter in Florence, as he affords himself the pleasures he was denied during his imprisonment. We get to know the older Clarice, who still can't get a break. In the film, very little of this comes through. The characters aren't developed, and the dynamics between them are poorly showcased. It never leaves the surface. Ok, so Lecter is attracted to Clarice. Mason wants to torture Lecter. That's it, that's the extent to which the movie motivates the characters and what they go through. It's hard to believe the film was written by David Mamet and Stephen Zaillian. Whatever they ever knew about screenwriting they must have forgotten.
Director Ridley Scott, taking over from "Lambs" director Jonathan Demme, isn't doing much better. The movie does look pretty good, with some gorgeous shots of Florence, and some sparks of invention here and there, but overall the film is muddled, bland and unexciting. Out of all the set pieces, the only one that really works is the tightly crafted fish market shoot-out early in the film. Otherwise, there's plenty of gore, from dogs chewing on a man's face to people being devoured alive by pigs, a man hanging with his bowels dripping out, the already infamous "brain eating" scene… But none of it is executed with much style, it's just gross. It's repulsing, but it isn't scary. Nothing here approaches the majestic horror Demme brought to Lecter's escape scene in "Lambs".
Anthony Hopkins himself is not all that good. As terrifying as he was in the first film, this time around he's just… blah. It's roughly the same character, with the precise delivery, soft voice and almost feline demeanour, like a lion waiting to jump for the kill… Yet the essence isn't there. We don't feel as we're witnessing evil or anything, just watching an old guy trying to be scary, hamming it up, uttering trite one-liners. Then there's Julianne Moore who, as you must know, took over as Agent Starling after Jodie Foster turned down the part. I love Moore, she's a great actress and she does her best here, but not only can she never make us forget Foster's brilliant portrayal of the character, she's also given nothing to work with. The film is badly scripted overall, and Moore's character is particularly underwritten. She just waits around, types on a computer, does some stupid old Batman series-style investigating (like finding where Lecter hides from the scent of the letter he wrote him)… Ad then she yells a lot, and she gets toyed with by Lecter… It's a thankless role. Gary Oldman is more memorable as Merger, but it's not really because of his acting as much as for the brilliant make-up job : you can absolutely not recognize Oldman, he's totally grotesque. Hey, that pretty much sums up this dull, pointless film. Totally grotesque.
Fight Club
Generation-Xers often feel alienated in our society. Performance and consumerism are supposed to motivate us, but what kind of value system is that? "Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working at jobs we hate so we can afford shit we don't need." TV makes us believe that money and beauty and big cars will make us happy. Our generation, born and raised through the 70s and 80s, hasn't been given any religious, social or moral model. We are too young to have been in a great war, there was no major economical crisis. "Our Great War's a spiritual war. Our Great Depression is our lives." It used to be that men were providers for their families, and hopefully entities prompt to do the right thing. And now the only thing that matters in America is how much money you can make, and how close you can get to a movie star lifestyle. Urgh.
Reality check: TV's wrong. There's very little chance any of us will end up a millionaire, a movie god or a rock star. You're just gonna strive and do shit you have nothing but contempt for and just get some lousy, unfulfilling existence. Sure, you might be able to kinda convince yourself it's all good, you got the car and the lawn you mown on Sundays, and you look oh-so-cool in your khakis, just like those dancing kids in the ads, right? But deep down inside, we know there's gotta be something better to live for. "This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time."
"Fight Club" is an absolutely amazing movie, as subversive as it gets. It's a wonder it ever got made, especially by a major studio. This masterpiece is a picture that screams for people to wake up and revolt against the absurdity of modern life. Of course it's gathering controversy. It's anti-capitalism, borderline nihilistic and downright anarchist, for sure. Some might even say that it's anti-God, and not quite without evidence. But ain't that what movies are about? Art is supposed to make you think, to push you to react. It shouldn't leave you indifferent. These days everyone blames movies for violence in our society. Don't stop selling guns to kids (that's big money), but turn every movie into Disney sap to shut people up for a while. Maybe they'll keep ignoring that Nike is exploiting kids to pay Michael Jordan, that automobile moguls will recall cars only if it'll cost less than settling malfunction cases out of court, that you gotta kill half-extinct species of whales to make classy perfume… If we stop making movies with violence just in case some moron might screw up (which he would probably have done anyway), cinema will become a travesty of reality, and we'll be deprived of many potential masterpieces. If violence had never been in movies, there would have been no "A Clockwork Orange" or "Taxi Driver"; we're talking about some of the greatest movies ever made!
"Fight Club" revolves around an unnamed Narrator, a disillusioned office worker who's so fed up with his routine life that he can't even sleep anymore. He's trying to find satisfaction in shopping, turning his crummy apartment into an Ikea catalog spread, but it's just so… Urgh. The only way he gets to connect with other people is by going to self-help groups for people with testicular cancer, brain parasites or whatever. It seems people really care about you only if they think you're gonna die. That's in one of these meetings that he meets Marla, a chain-smoking Goth mermaid who hangs in these sessions because it's cheaper than the movies and there's free coffee. Suddenly, our Narrator can't let go anymore by crying in the arms of other men, because the presence of another faker keeps reminding him he's one too. This ain't the last he'll see of Marla. She's about to influence drastically his life, but not nearly as much as Tyler Durden, an intriguing fellow who's everything he's not. Confident and charismatic, Tyler is an all-out anarchist who refuses to submit to the compromises of modern life. He splices frames of erected penises into family films when he works as a projectionist, pees in the soup when he's a waiter. And he makes soap, too.
The Narrator finds himself intensely driven to Tyler and his radical thinking. They find that the best way to feel alive might be by beating the living shit out of each other. Soon, other people join in. Lotsa people. Fight clubs multiply, all over the nation. Seems today's emasculated men are relieved to finally find a venue to unleash their frustration. They're so numbed by their lives that they're desperate to feel something, anything. Even if it means going at it in underground boxing clubs. Tyler takes it to the next phase by turning his fight clubs into units of Project Mayhem. And then it gets weird. Yeah, weirder than what you saw so far! I really can't tell you anymore about the plot (even though the trailer gives away a lot more, as do some critics). The first rule of fight club is: You don't talk about fight club. The second rule of fight club is: You don't talk about fight club.
The film's protagonist and narrator is played by Edward Norton, who goes beyond anything he's done. There is so much nuance and intelligence in his unpredictable, always compelling performance. Brad Pitt is another very interesting actor, and he truly gives everything he's got as Tyler Durden. Believe me, Tyler will crawl under your skin and stay there. I can hardly think of a more fascinating movie character. What's the most disturbing about Tyler and the film in general is how it seduces you with its nihilistic philosophy, how it makes you relate to, understand and admire Tyler Durden… And then before you know it, you realize that you would have done anything, no matter how immoral and depraved, just because you had so much faith in him.
The movie is a frightening look at how any "normal" person could turn into a member of an extremist group. It shows how seductive anarchy and marginality can be at first, but it's also responsible enough to also show how these things often get out of hand and go too far. This movie makes you understand why some turn into terrorists, why some take part in a death cult, why Germans followed blindly Hitler and committed some of the most atrocious acts in history. This is a movie that should be shown to everyone in schools to be discussed. This is a movie as powerful and thought provoking as "Do the Right Thing" or "Schindler's List". And it's a comedy, too. One of the first things people too shaken by the issues of the film might talk about to lighten the mood might be the casting of rock star Meatloaf as Big Bob, a former bodybuilder who took so much steroids that he grew huge breasts and was deprived of his balls (literally). Or how shocking to see Helena Bonham Carter acting without wearing a corset, turning herself into the trashy Marla. Kudos to Carter for achieving to make Marla somehow endearing.
The film was adapted by newcomer Jim Uhls from the novel by Chuck Palahniuk. The book is incredibly rich and inventive: it's almost scientific in its details. Can the movie live up to it? Astonishingly, yes. Director David Fincher found the way to communicate through images and sound the vibe Palahniuk sent through words. This ain't your middle of the road studio picture. The film might seem difficult to some, because it's so packed with ideas and doesn't dumb down or sugar coat them. It has the bleak look of decay and filth also found in Fincher's previous films, but it also has a refreshing playfulness. I saw "Fight Club" twice in a row on opening day, and I got to notice tons of nifty details each time. Like how there's subliminal images of Tyler in the first act, as well as a frame of a penis spliced into the ending, and a bunch of other subtle things.
I also really like the film's non-linear structure, how it constantly jumps back and forth in time and space, like a novel actually. The editing is particularly audacious and inventive. Let's not forget the Dust Brothers: finally, a film score that sounds truly modern instead of sticking to the same tired faux-Wagner strings and brass. Their electronic, loop and sample woven, genre blending music makes the film even more electrifying. "Fight Club" is pure, unrestrained, riveting filmmaking. And if you think that "The Sixth Sense" had a fall-off-your-seat climactic twist, wait till you see what Palahniuk concocted. More than just a surprise, it's a revelation that puts everything else in perspective, and makes it even scarier. The sequence that follows is therefore even more thrilling, as… Well, you'll see. Oh, and you gotta love the final shot, a wonderfully ironic anti-happy end perfectly edited to the Pixies' Where is My Mind.
"Fight Club" burns ideas in your brain, thrills you with its fights, makes you laugh and uses the art of filmmaking in a whole new way. This is one for the ages. In Fight Club we trust.


text:
Ski Resorts near:
Angle Inlet
About Ski Resorts Near Me
Ski Resorts Near Me
Find the best Ski Resorts near you
Sponsored link
Angle Inlet, Minnesota, MN: Ski Resorts
There is 1 Ski Resort in or near
Angle Inlet, Minnesota MN
Buena Vista Ski Area
Buena Vista Ski Area is located approximately
115 miles
from Angle Inlet. Contact information: 19276 Lake Julia Dr NW. Phone number: (218) 243-2231.
Read more about
Buena Vista Ski Area in Bemidji, MN
Sponsored link