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The World's End finishes up the Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy. Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead being the other two. On a side note, I searched my blog for an entry for Shaun of the Dead, but the movie came out a month before this blog started in May of 2004. I can't believe that movie is almost 10 years old. I can believe this blog is almost 10 years old and devolving slowly to no entries.

Anywho, while this film was as enjoyable as the others, it's not as good as Hot Fuzz, my favorite. Mostly, its unhappy ending contributed to a less favorable impression. It's a bleak ending with the world literally ended. Oops, spoiler alert!

The film is two films: the first about reclaiming past glories and the second an alien invasion flick. Simon Pegg tries to regain his mojo by returning to the ultimate mistake of his youth, not finishing a bar crawl in his old home town. He recruits the very same crew to redo it almost 20 years later when they are in their 40s. His crew are more responsible adults. They've gotten on in their lives. They don't wear the Ministry shirt and black trenchcoat of their youth. They were respectable adult clothes. Pegg is stuck in the past. Yet the future is about aliens who have taken over their old home town and the world in order to bring Earth and her inhabitants to the future. Pegg wants to stop this. He's selfish in both dragging his pals as well as keeping the world from joining the 'Federation.' Who knows how to be an adult? And is it worth it? His cohorts think so.

I love drinking movies! I was all set for the bar crawl. It's like Beerfest. Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink! It's always a riot when thinking about drinking as much as possible. I feel that even though I no longer drink that I want to get rip roaring drunk again. I'm going on my own Golden Mile.

4 of 5 stars.

Labels: movies, review

I never saw the first one, but Despicable Me 2 doesn't need you to be familiar with its predecessor. You'll get the gist of everything you missed from the first one in the film's opening minutes. Evil mastermind turned loving father because of the cuteness of the kids. Evil mastermind uses his technology to make kids have fun. Evil mastermind is really a softy at heart.

I enjoyed the movie. It was good and it makes me want to catch the first one.

The cutest thing ever was that costume of the princess on the unicorn. Do they make that in real life?

3 of 5 stars.

Labels: movies, review

Elysium is a better action movie than an allegory for the haves and the have nots. The action is as good as the director's previous film, District 9. The robots look real. Elysium, floating like a jewel in the sky, looks real. The space ships and tech looks real. The issue of healthcare for the poor people of Earth not so real.

Look I get it. Elysium is the 1% who can afford to live high above the rabble. What I don't get is why the companies only service them. Those tanning medi-pods would pay for themselves if you allowed the masses to use it. Why does capitalism stop? Why does it only work for those in Elysium? It don't make any sense. It seems as if the filmmaker wanted to use the situation as a plot contrivance. It's ridiculous.

But I believe the action makes it better. Give me shiny explosions and mecha and I'll be happy. As long as I don't have to think about the plot. That's what summer movies are for.

3 of 5 stars.

Labels: movies, review

Labels: boobtube, qotd

Peanuts and Morrisey. That is all.

http://thischarmingcharlie.tumblr.com/

Labels: brevity, Charlie Brown, lotd

"The losing is over, but that doesn't mean the playoffs are here to stay."

Mark Brown on the latest Orioles loss

Labels: Baltimore Orioles, baseball, oops, qotd

How did I find myself stuck between several groups of young girls squirming because of sex talk? I decided to catch the raunch sex comedy, The To Do List.

When I first entered the theatre for the first matinee showing at 2:00, it was empty. I plop myself down in the optimum viewing seat, center seat four rows up. Alone, I was worried that I would be spooked, but then the rest of the audience started filing in. That's when I got sandwhiched between two groups of girls: a set of college girls in front and another triplet behind me. At least, there were a couple of older gentlemen catching the movie by themselves as well. I was not the only creep in the crowd.

The To Do List is sex from the female perspective. It'll make you squirm if you are alone amongst a couple of rows of girls. The talk of handjobs, blowjobs, rimming, cunnilingus, pearl necklaces is funny amongst your guy friends. When done amongst nothing but girls, it's still funny.

The movie is set in the early 90s, so is the music. It opens with 2 Live Crew's "Me So Horny," the raunchy version which when listening now it isn't that bad. It's still funny.

The main character, the class valedictorian, has to pop her cherry in preparation for the sex in college. So she applies herself to the pursuit of sex like she had done for her pursuit of good grades. She makes a list and crosses items off when done. Hand job -- check! Blow job -- check! Dry hump -- check! It was all very clinical in dispatching items. No sentimentality, but that is sex nowadays. It's just a formality like shaking hands. It's not about love; it's sex and it's beautiful!

3 of 5 stars.

Labels: movies, review

I psyched myself up so much that I almost psyched myself out of going to Otakon. I did end up there on Saturday, but I didn't get to experience it all just the cosplaying and the dealer room.

The week leading up to Otakon I couldn't fully make up my mind to go. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go or not. On one hand there is no day ticket; it's $80 at the door for the whole 3 day affair. Would I be able to spend that much time? Perhaps Saturday, but Sunday? To make that $80 go far it would have to be two days.

I went Saturday but failed to make it on Sunday.

Cosplaying is out of hand. I could admire those that put effort into their costume, but most of the time they cosplayer just slaps something on. There's clever and then there's the cosplayers from Otakon. Or is this just an non-japanese thing?

I stood in a line expecting that what I was waiting for would turn out to be worth it. Then I checked the description again, found out they would show several episodes before the special guests would speak, and I jetted. I worked my way to a manga industry panel, Vertical, to see what they had coming out.

That was only thing I sat in on. The day was cut short because I had to go to dinner for a cousin. I left having accumulated several phone charms of K-ON! girls (Waitress Mugi, Jun-chan, and Ui), the special Lawson limited edition Nendoroid petit of some K-ON!! girls (Azusa, Mio, and Yui), and 3 manga of Watamote in Japanese.

It was fun. I'm thinking about next year.

Labels: geeked, let's get together yeah yeah yeah, nerd

Not since the Great Bat Hunt of 2000 on the evening of Dad's wake has the species Chiroptera dared to take on the Gonzales clan. On that night thirteen years ago, we defeated the bat that invaded our home. Tonight, they came again and left defeated.

I was sitting at home playing Simpsons Taped Out when Mom called. "There's a bat in the house." "Can't you throw a blanket over it?" "It's flying!" "Do you need to have me come over?" "YES!" So I went.

The last Bat Hunt was a full house of hunters. Tonight, I was on my own. Going through my mind was the fierce movement of the critter. It flies in zig-zags swerving and diving as it echo location finds clear paths throughout its paths. I wasn't looking forward to this on my own.

When I get to the house, it was dark lock down like the geo-engineering colony on LV426. Even when I entered the house, it was dark and the alarm was on. "Hello!" Mom was upstairs locked in to keep the bat away. I go room by room turning on the lights. Nothing downstairs. Wait, there it is in the dining room light fixture.

Spotted! I'm gonna need something to catch it with. I'm going to need a blanket. Throw it on the chandelier, but will it hold?

Let me first poke it to see it move. Open up the doors so that we can shoo it away. I'm needing a longer pole. I don't want to get close. I find a pole and a fish tank net in the garage. MacGyver has nothing on me. Here we go.

I try to capture it while it resides in the chandelier, but to no avail. I actually dislodge the bat which begins to fly around the room. Going through the house. Mom throws the blanket over her to keep from seeing the bat. I'm whooping and screaming like Kukichiyo seeing lady farmers. I'm trying to drive the bat to an open door. "Stand up, Mom! Stand up! Act like a wall so that the bat's echo location will drive it to the open door!"

I catch it once. Then it's out again. I chase it room to room finally succeeding in driving it out the front door.

Adrenaline surged through me throughout the hunt. Now I'm coming down. We are laughing again. And we go find out where it could have entered the house from.

The Great Bat Hunt of 2013 is done. Now I need to sleep. Calm down first - then sleep.

Labels: home, no new tale to tell, runaway, your kung fu is good

I miss 202.8. I'm now bouncing around 203 to 206 which is sort of making me depressed. I know what's the problem: summertime. I just want to eat food during the summer. The crabs, the corn, the barbecue, the paella, etc., etc. Don't forget the ice cream! Food's too good to pass up.

I've slipped on the food end and also the exercise end. Rowing was hurting my left elbow. I was basically trying to increase my stroke rate that I was pulling too much. Eventually, my elbow started hurting. I haven't rowed in 2 weeks. I'm not going to for another couple of weeks. Not sure if that's good. I'm gonna have to find something in the mornings. Perhaps some calisthenics?

Anyway, does it look like I can make my weight? No idea. 195? That's a long way away and lot's of work to be done.

Labels: fat war, get off your butt