Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Before TMNT:

Griffyn: "Dad, how about Meet The Robinsons instead in engine turtles."

Me: "They're ninja turtles. And we gotta see the turtles. We just gotta."

Griffyn: "Firehouse Dog?"

Me: "Turtles."

Maddisen: "You could let me see Are We Done Yet, while you take the little kids to the super-hero turtle movie."


Me: "No."

Jaden: "Can I get some popcorn now?"


After TMNT:

Me: "Well, what did you think, kids."

Griffyn: "I liked Rapheal best."

Maddisen: "It was pretty good, I was surprised I liked it."

Jaden: "Who would win in a fight: Spider-man, or one of the turtles?"

Me: "I'm guessing you think Spidy."

Jaden: "Yeah. I'd wrap the turtle up in a web."

Me: "May 4th is coming, bud.

Appalachian Film Festival

The Keith-Albee will host the the annual Appalachian Film Festival Thursday April 19 through Saturday, April 21, 2007.

According to the story in Huntington's Herald-Dispatch, "The contest is open to all residents of the 13 states in the Appalachian Region, which includes: West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. The films include documentaries, music videos, features and short films, and four guest speakers will host workshops at the festival."

And the price is right: $2 per person!

Anyone wanna go? The festival schedule can be found at this link.

I'll be the geeky looking guy at the popcorn stand.

The Good Shepard

The Robert DeNero-produced-and-directed The Good Shepard tells the story of the building of America's Central Intelligence Agency. Recruited by the government for covert work while still a Poetry student at Yale, Edward Wilson spends his entire adult life helping shape the world's political climate during the 1940's, '50's and 60's.

The character serves as a metaphor for the Nazi-huntin', commie-fightin', Cold War particpatin' America that's all about being nothing but the Red, White and Blue.


It should be a fascinating look into a lifetime of intrigue, international espionage and action.

Instead, it's the kind of stuff that would make up a couple of good sessions on the therapy couch.



Wilson's father, who is a Navy Admiral, commits suicide when Wilson is a young child, and there are hints that Wilson has significant confusion regarding his sexual orientation. He eventually falls in love with one woman, only to marry another who becomes pregnant with his child after a one-date encounter. Time and time again he sacrifices family and personal needs to satisfy what he thinks--or is told--are the needs of his country.

The Good Shepard is a perfect example of how a terrific story can easily go bad while being made in bloated, big-studio Hollywood.

The cast is all wrong: Matt Damon (who plays Wilson) is just not believable as a man in his mid-to-late 40s and the father of an adult son. And Angelina Jolie doesn't have the range to play his wife Clover, who seems seriously selfish and immature one moment, then wise and caring the next. Joe Pesci adds some welcome color to the film for the whole 45 seconds or so he's on screen, and Alec Baldwin as FBI agent Sam Murach is a welcome sight, but he's in the flick for far too few scenes. And this in a movie that runs two hours and forty-seven minutes.

2:47!

That's at least 50 minutes too long.

The Good Shepard is a nice try. Somewhere along the way to getting made it all just went bad. Very, very bad...

Johnny Hart

Cartoonist Johnny Hart died Saturday at his home. He was 76 years old, and died of a stroke.

I used to read B.C. daily as a kid. Hart's perspective made me re-think many a position on religion, politics, war and community. I skipped the comic often during the last ten years or so, mostly because I thought it had developed too much of a religious theme. But every time I opened the paper to check it out, it made me laugh.

And think.

Thanks, Mr. Hart. Send me a message in a bottle when you get there.

If Only It Stayed So Simple

We're not so prayerful at The Film Geek's house. More specifically, we're not so into the out-loud kind of prayer one hears more commonly during religious holidays. So, I was a bit surprised when my soon-to-be four-year-old insisted he say grace at the in-law's Easter Day Dinner.

They take the pre-meal prayer of thanks pretty seriously, so I wasn't sure if that was such a good idea.

Me: "Should we let him?"

Mrs. Film Geek: "I guess so. He seems really excited about it. Go ahead, son."

Jaden: "Dear Easter Bunny, thank you for the food that you brought to our family this year. Amen."

Amen, indeed.

Please, Make It Stop: Part 11

I think it started with Bennifer, and caught fire with Brangelina and TomKat. Portmanteau words: Sounds and meanings from two different words merged into one new word.

Please! Make it stop.

Now comes the Celebrity Couple Name Maker. Not since the Bass-O'-Matic has such an invention been so unnecessary. Nor as annoying.

Plug in your first or last name, then the same for your significant other, hit click and discover what you two would be called if you were beautiful, wealthy and a celebrity. Talent not required.

Although I qualify as none of the above, I did try the Namemaker. Not because I wanted to, of course, but because I felt obligated to before writing this post. Yeah, ...that's the ticket. It was professional obligation.

TheFilm + MrsGeek = TheFeek

Not exactly TomKat, but far better than Spederline.

Up Late With Marshall University

Marshall University's School Of Journalism just launched the new Up Late talk show, which can be seen on local cable in the Huntington area, or via youtube. (On youtube, the first episode is divided into three separate 9 minute segments.)

The show--particularly for a new production--is entertaining and well produced for an initial venture. There are obvious Letterman influences, a laugh track that is used sparingly, and Coach Mark Snyder is the first guest (and ends up playing old-school Techmo-Bowl with a female student named Kassi). "Herd Homes" in segment 2 is particulary entertaining.

I like it enough that I'm gonna add it as a link, and check back from time to time.

Episode 1: Segment 1



Episode 1: Segment 2



Episode 1: Segment 3

When I'm Not Watching Movies

It never ends.

By Brendan McDermid, Reuters
Being a 63-year-old rocker is pretty weird. Being a rocker with a publicly known affection for blow is weirder. Telling people you mixed your father's cremated ashes with some toot and snorted the concoction for the hell of it?

Dude, that's just jacknuttery.


Keith Richards is backing off the story now, but I don't buy his take-back. You and I both know how it went down.

By Kevork Djansezian, AP
... ...

I'm sorry. What were you saying about Halle Berry? I wasn't listening.



By Michael Caulfield, 2001 AP file

John Goodman, sued by a German production company for allegedly backing out of a movie deal.

Remember when Goodman had a movie career, and he didn't have to [allegedly] back out of movie deals with German production companies?

I'm sad.

Where's that Halle Berry story again?




Look, I don't give a rat's ass if Sanjaya Malakar wins this season of American Idol or not. Really. I won't buy the CD either way.


What I am pissed about, though, is that the little bastard has a Wikipedia entry, and I don't.

Pause

It's been a slow movie month. For more than a couple of reasons, but all having to do with time limitations.

Although I did have time to reorganize the blog recently, on a wet and rainy Saturday.

Doing that made me realize I need a good picture of me in the header. I've yet to show a picture of me overtly on these pages (although there are hints here and there), mostly because I just ain't that pretty.

I'm a geek, after all.

But I do want to post a picture, I think. Something that will provide some insight into me. Some reference for people to have as they read my ramblings. A picture that demonstrates my essence, that shows who I am at my core.

So, whattaya think? Is this a bad shot?



(I kid, I kid...This is actor Scott Valentine at the recent Dressed To Kilt fashion show. Photographer unknown.)

Transforming The Keith

The Herald-Dispatch, Huntington's local daily newspaper, announced today that David Tyson has been named it's 2006 Citizen Of The Year.

(Someday I'm gonna have to nominate myself for that award. No one else seems to think of me during the nominations period.)

The honor was awarded Tyson for his efforts in transforming the Keith-Albee, the former cinema built in 1928, into a performing arts venue. Crews have removed the dividers that separated the theater into three separate facilities, revamped the Green Room where performers await cues to enter the stage and added new carpet. Some additional work is needed before the transformation is considered complete.


I'm happy that Tyson--who is considered a go-to guy in Huntington--is leading the efforts, and I'm ecstatic the Keith will continue to be used as a venue for cultural and entertainment experiences.


I was, however, annoyed with one quote used in the story. This, from Penny Watkins, the Executive Director of the Marshall Artists Series:

"David is one of the few people I've met in Huntington who genuinely cares about the quality of life in this community. If he sees a need and signs on to address that need, he goes at it full steam ahead."

One of the few who cares about quality of life in the city?

She needs to get out more.