Dear Lurker(s):
First, let me say "Happy Holidays" to each of you.
Despite Bill O'Reilly's assertion to the contrary, my salutation is not intended to be part of any cultural war. In fact, it's the opposite. I see from Sitemeter that many of you come from places other than Huntington, West Virginia; some are even from countries other than the U.S. of A. So, I presume this open letter is going out to a fairly diverse group of people.
I'm nothing if not inclusive!
Anyway, as I mentioned, I have this Sitemeter thing which gives me data about how people find this blog. Although it's really useless information, I still look at it every couple of days because I'm curious. About the interests of other people, how those interests intersect with what I might have written, etc.
You get the point: I look at the data pretty often, and it tells me a lot.
Lately, I've been noticing a trend. It might be that the trend is due to the holiday season, I dunno. But I realized today I can save a great many of you a lot of time by telling you, right now, this small bit of information: Peter Billingsley, the child actor from A Christmas Story, did not work as an adult porn star.
Due to the heavy traffic of folks asking this question, I want to repeat this part again: "...he did not work as an adult porn star!"
Now, Jack Baker on the other hand...Well, Sitemeter tells me many of you know that already. Very, very well.
So, dear lurker(s), I hope the extra three-to-five minutes I've just saved you from frenetic Internet searching is valuable to you. Extra time in today's world is a rarity, so put it to good use. And think of it as a holiday present from The Film Geek.
For whatever holiday you observe.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Count Out
One question has plagued slackers, rednecks and Gen-X'ers alike for years:
"What you gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?"
According to reports, Linda Hogan just answered the question.
"What you gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?"
According to reports, Linda Hogan just answered the question.
(Photo by Stephen Chernin, AP)
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Black Snake Moan
I gotta admit: I felt a little creepy liking Black Snake Moan as much as I did. Sure, I thought the acting was terrific, and the dialogue was stellar. But I worried that a big part of the reason I liked this movie so much is because Christina Ricci spends most of it partially nude, and chained to a radiator.
See what I mean!?!
(And that's more clothes than she wore during most of the film.)
Sexist, exploitive-looking movie poster aside, Black Snake Moan is a better-than-average flick that examines the need we humans have to connect with others, particularly when we are going through trauma.
As much as we need others we tend to be too prideful to seek help, and sometimes we even ignore the life's problems until they consume us. The characters in Black Snake Moan all experience events that cause trauma, depression and anxiety. And alone, they can't handle the distress.
Together, they realize they can overcome the odds.
Ricci gives a terrific performance as Rae, despite wearing mostly only her knickers throughout the film. (Underwear that stays remarkably clean, Mrs. Film Geek noted several times.) And Samuel L. Jackson is terrific in the role of Lazerus, who almost reaches his boiling point before recognizing he could salvage his own humanity--become a better person-- by helping Rae overcome her problems.
The film boasts a cool blues soundtrack too, including a song or two from Jackson, who learned to play blues guitar for the part.
See what I mean!?!
(And that's more clothes than she wore during most of the film.)
Sexist, exploitive-looking movie poster aside, Black Snake Moan is a better-than-average flick that examines the need we humans have to connect with others, particularly when we are going through trauma.
As much as we need others we tend to be too prideful to seek help, and sometimes we even ignore the life's problems until they consume us. The characters in Black Snake Moan all experience events that cause trauma, depression and anxiety. And alone, they can't handle the distress.
Together, they realize they can overcome the odds.
Ricci gives a terrific performance as Rae, despite wearing mostly only her knickers throughout the film. (Underwear that stays remarkably clean, Mrs. Film Geek noted several times.) And Samuel L. Jackson is terrific in the role of Lazerus, who almost reaches his boiling point before recognizing he could salvage his own humanity--become a better person-- by helping Rae overcome her problems.
The film boasts a cool blues soundtrack too, including a song or two from Jackson, who learned to play blues guitar for the part.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
The Groomsmen
The Groomsmen, like most movies written and directed by Edward Burns, is a film with a simple theme that produces complex reactions from the viewer. As much as any movie-maker these days--and maybe more-so--Burns tells stories about families and friends in small town America that resonates with most everyone.
Well, with me at least.
Burns' character, Paulie, is a mid-thirty-something professional who's getting married to his girlfriend, who happens to be pregnant. The marriage is less than a week away, and Paulie is spending as much time with his friends and family--his groomsmen--as he can. Although Paulie can seem a bit phobic about relationships, he's really struggling with the transition to responsibility that he is facing. Most of his groomsmen are struggling too; with lifestyles that don't fit their childhood dreams, with responsibility, with love. Most urgently, though, each is struggling with what it means to be "a man" in our society.
That's a concept that's more complicated than some would guess.
I've mentioned before--although I don't talk very much about it--that I was first married very early in my life, at age 18. Unlike Paulie, I didn't feel I had to get married because a baby was on the way. Culturally, it was acceptable during the early 80's for an 18 year old to marry right out of high school, and my girlfriend wanted to get married. At that time in my life, I didn't have the gumption or the guts to disagree, so I went along with the plans.
It's what a man does, I thought.
About three months before the wedding, my girlfriend's mother and I found ourselves alone in the house for a few moments. Very quietly, she said:
"Are you sure you want to get married so early in your life?"
In my head, I screamed: "NO! Help me stop this!" Before my lips could speak those words, though, I remembered the promise I had made to my girldfriend, and the excitement she had about the upcoming wedding. My response crept from my brain into my throat and out my mouth as:
"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm positive."
I thought it was what a man would do. Should do, even. Seven years later, I realized I'd been wrong.
The Groomsmen explores friendships and the life transitions of men as well as any movie I've seen in years. (And it's not really a guy movie; Mrs. Film Geek loved it too.) The thing The Groomsmen does best, though, is explore the concept of what being a man means in our society, and how that paradigm affects our lives and our relationships.
Well, with me at least.
Burns' character, Paulie, is a mid-thirty-something professional who's getting married to his girlfriend, who happens to be pregnant. The marriage is less than a week away, and Paulie is spending as much time with his friends and family--his groomsmen--as he can. Although Paulie can seem a bit phobic about relationships, he's really struggling with the transition to responsibility that he is facing. Most of his groomsmen are struggling too; with lifestyles that don't fit their childhood dreams, with responsibility, with love. Most urgently, though, each is struggling with what it means to be "a man" in our society.
That's a concept that's more complicated than some would guess.
I've mentioned before--although I don't talk very much about it--that I was first married very early in my life, at age 18. Unlike Paulie, I didn't feel I had to get married because a baby was on the way. Culturally, it was acceptable during the early 80's for an 18 year old to marry right out of high school, and my girlfriend wanted to get married. At that time in my life, I didn't have the gumption or the guts to disagree, so I went along with the plans.
It's what a man does, I thought.
About three months before the wedding, my girlfriend's mother and I found ourselves alone in the house for a few moments. Very quietly, she said:
"Are you sure you want to get married so early in your life?"
In my head, I screamed: "NO! Help me stop this!" Before my lips could speak those words, though, I remembered the promise I had made to my girldfriend, and the excitement she had about the upcoming wedding. My response crept from my brain into my throat and out my mouth as:
"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm positive."
I thought it was what a man would do. Should do, even. Seven years later, I realized I'd been wrong.
The Groomsmen explores friendships and the life transitions of men as well as any movie I've seen in years. (And it's not really a guy movie; Mrs. Film Geek loved it too.) The thing The Groomsmen does best, though, is explore the concept of what being a man means in our society, and how that paradigm affects our lives and our relationships.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Why I Lied When I Said I'd Never Publish A Meme: Lie # 2
Recently tagged twice for memes, I'm combining Jedi's "8 Random Or Interesting Things About Me" with Buzzardbilly's "Six Secrets About Me" That way, I don't have to tell folks 14 things about me; I know all too well that most folks wouldn't give a goddamn about 13.5 of them.
I'm splitting the difference, though. Here are 7 Random Secrets Of The Film Geek.
1. I often wear no underwear. I was commando when commando wasn't cool, baby. I've also been commando when commando was sorta non-hygienic, but that's for another list.
2. Speaking of: I once found myself needing to pee desperately while driving in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. I was new to the area, and couldn't find a convenience story anywhere and had no bottles in the car that I could use to relieve myself. So, I began to pee in my pants. Mid-way through the peeing in my pants I spotted a 7-11. Pulling into the parking lot, I realized I had a decision to make: I could simply finish pissing in my pants, or I could walk in and use the bathroom.
The dilemma was, of course, I'd already wet myself down one leg of my jeans, and it was more than obvious.
I walked in.
The clerk just stared, and I stared back with a pained look on my face. Without saying a word he simply motioned to the back, where the bathroom was located.
3. Like some other folks I know, I'm painfully shy and more than a little socially awkward. The work I do demands a lot of social interaction, though, so I've learned how to act not-shy. I'm still working on the socially awkward thing.
4. I've always been good at telling a lie. One of my best was when I was in 11th grade.
Some friends and I broke into Mountain Manor campground during the off-season, and were preparing to make out in the woods with our dates when the Game Warden showed up, curious about why we had broken locks to get into the area. I heard him several yards away talking to my friend Bryan. I walked up casually and said: "He's not anywhere to be found, Bryan."
The Game Warden asked who I was talking about, and I told him a long story about how we lost our family dog in the area a week or so before, and were back to see if we could find him. He asked for a description of the dog, and I gave him the description of the German Shepard from Run, Joe, Run--right down to the tattoo on his ear! And he believed me.
It wasn't the details of the lie the Game Warden bought as much as it was how casual I was about telling it.
He took really detailed notes of the dog's description, and promised to get back with me if the dog was found. When he asked for my name, I gave him the name and the telephone number of my arch-nemesis in high school.
5. I was once described by a very good friend as "charming, but in a serial killer sorta way."
(I think that has to do with the eye contact thing...)
6. I consider myself very spiritual and I'm very much interested in theology, but I don't believe in God.
When Mrs. Film Geek and I moved in together, one of her high school friends stopped by because she heard I was an atheist. We talked a long while before it became clear she wanted to meet me like some people want to meet a clown after the circus is over, or people who like to talk to folks from foreign countries because they may never get a chance to again. I was an odd conversation, and one I've never forgotten simply for it's absurdity.
7. Although I have no faith, I desire it. I'm envious of people who can think critically and still believe. In something.
I'm splitting the difference, though. Here are 7 Random Secrets Of The Film Geek.
1. I often wear no underwear. I was commando when commando wasn't cool, baby. I've also been commando when commando was sorta non-hygienic, but that's for another list.
2. Speaking of: I once found myself needing to pee desperately while driving in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. I was new to the area, and couldn't find a convenience story anywhere and had no bottles in the car that I could use to relieve myself. So, I began to pee in my pants. Mid-way through the peeing in my pants I spotted a 7-11. Pulling into the parking lot, I realized I had a decision to make: I could simply finish pissing in my pants, or I could walk in and use the bathroom.
The dilemma was, of course, I'd already wet myself down one leg of my jeans, and it was more than obvious.
I walked in.
The clerk just stared, and I stared back with a pained look on my face. Without saying a word he simply motioned to the back, where the bathroom was located.
3. Like some other folks I know, I'm painfully shy and more than a little socially awkward. The work I do demands a lot of social interaction, though, so I've learned how to act not-shy. I'm still working on the socially awkward thing.
4. I've always been good at telling a lie. One of my best was when I was in 11th grade.
Some friends and I broke into Mountain Manor campground during the off-season, and were preparing to make out in the woods with our dates when the Game Warden showed up, curious about why we had broken locks to get into the area. I heard him several yards away talking to my friend Bryan. I walked up casually and said: "He's not anywhere to be found, Bryan."
The Game Warden asked who I was talking about, and I told him a long story about how we lost our family dog in the area a week or so before, and were back to see if we could find him. He asked for a description of the dog, and I gave him the description of the German Shepard from Run, Joe, Run--right down to the tattoo on his ear! And he believed me.
It wasn't the details of the lie the Game Warden bought as much as it was how casual I was about telling it.
He took really detailed notes of the dog's description, and promised to get back with me if the dog was found. When he asked for my name, I gave him the name and the telephone number of my arch-nemesis in high school.
5. I was once described by a very good friend as "charming, but in a serial killer sorta way."
(I think that has to do with the eye contact thing...)
6. I consider myself very spiritual and I'm very much interested in theology, but I don't believe in God.
When Mrs. Film Geek and I moved in together, one of her high school friends stopped by because she heard I was an atheist. We talked a long while before it became clear she wanted to meet me like some people want to meet a clown after the circus is over, or people who like to talk to folks from foreign countries because they may never get a chance to again. I was an odd conversation, and one I've never forgotten simply for it's absurdity.
7. Although I have no faith, I desire it. I'm envious of people who can think critically and still believe. In something.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Cornapopia....Corpuponia....Cornuplethera.... Damn It!! It's A Horn Of Plenty
Yeah, I know. Thanksgiving posts are stereotypical crap, a level-and-a-half below memes. I've been told bloggers are supposed to be better--more creative--than that.
C'mon, seriously: have you seen some of my posts?
Look, you can't get past a holiday designed for reflection without this annual post from me. If you don't like it, go read something else.
As a person I consider a best friend suggests, we often wait until it's too late to tell people important to us that they are. Important to us, that is. Thanksgiving seems like the time to do that, and to remind ourselves to notice the small things we sometimes take for granted.
My family is healthy, and (for the most part) smart and happy.
In fact, it's more than I deserve.
I'm grateful for the love and friendship of my wife, and that she has become more patient with me as we've grown up together. We laugh now more than we ever did, and we understand each other better now than at any other time in our relationship.
I'm reminded every day of why I fell in love with her.
(Note: Blogger lost the Mickie and Minnie pictures I posted originally, and since they came from someone else's camera I didn't have them to replace. So, I replaced them with these: one of Mrs. Film Geek at the start of day of fishing--which she digs, and I don't--and one of the kids at Animal Kingdom.)
My kids make me smile every day, even on the days we make each other frown. The level of stress that comes with raising small children is surpassed only by the love and joy that comes with raising small children.
My kids make me a better person.
I've developed friendships--including blogger-world friendships--that are long-lasting, and rewarding. Some of the bloggers I've met here have gone out of their way to be helpful and friendly, and in ways I never expected. Whether it's dropping a CD mix in the mail to me, inviting me regularly to lunch, listening to me ramble at the Frost-top, letting me win in a friendly game of darts, driving ninety minutes to give me some much needed advice or simply leaving comments on things I've written here: please know I've noticed.
For those friendships and personal connections, I'm humbled and appreciative.
Enjoy the turkey or ham, and fill up on great food. Don't forget to dig deep into the main course of Thanksgiving, though: those people in your life for whom you care, and those who care about you.
In addition to football, it's what the whole day is about.
C'mon, seriously: have you seen some of my posts?
Look, you can't get past a holiday designed for reflection without this annual post from me. If you don't like it, go read something else.
As a person I consider a best friend suggests, we often wait until it's too late to tell people important to us that they are. Important to us, that is. Thanksgiving seems like the time to do that, and to remind ourselves to notice the small things we sometimes take for granted.
My family is healthy, and (for the most part) smart and happy.
In fact, it's more than I deserve.
I'm grateful for the love and friendship of my wife, and that she has become more patient with me as we've grown up together. We laugh now more than we ever did, and we understand each other better now than at any other time in our relationship. I'm reminded every day of why I fell in love with her.
(Note: Blogger lost the Mickie and Minnie pictures I posted originally, and since they came from someone else's camera I didn't have them to replace. So, I replaced them with these: one of Mrs. Film Geek at the start of day of fishing--which she digs, and I don't--and one of the kids at Animal Kingdom.)
My kids make me smile every day, even on the days we make each other frown. The level of stress that comes with raising small children is surpassed only by the love and joy that comes with raising small children. My kids make me a better person.
I've developed friendships--including blogger-world friendships--that are long-lasting, and rewarding. Some of the bloggers I've met here have gone out of their way to be helpful and friendly, and in ways I never expected. Whether it's dropping a CD mix in the mail to me, inviting me regularly to lunch, listening to me ramble at the Frost-top, letting me win in a friendly game of darts, driving ninety minutes to give me some much needed advice or simply leaving comments on things I've written here: please know I've noticed.
For those friendships and personal connections, I'm humbled and appreciative.
Enjoy the turkey or ham, and fill up on great food. Don't forget to dig deep into the main course of Thanksgiving, though: those people in your life for whom you care, and those who care about you.
In addition to football, it's what the whole day is about.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The Contract
Morgan Freeman's an ex-military assassin, and John Cusack's a soccer dad who stumbles into his path. Cusack's Ray Keene, who happens to be camping in the wilderness with his tweener son when his life intersects with Freeman's Frank Cardin, finds himself in an impossible situation of trying to stay alive while delivery Cardin to the authorities.
Look, there's more than a couple reasons The Contract went straight to video despite a top shelf cast. It's an average story with average acting that delivers less than an average ending.
There is one moment of the film, however, that really struck my interest. Early in the movie, when Ray Keene and Frank Cardin first meet, Keene has to made a decision: does he (a) willingly allow Cardin to escape, knowing the killer will eventually kill again but that he and his son will be unharmed, or (b) take custody of Cardin, understanding that doing so puts his life and the life of his son in serious peril?
It's a moral dilemma I'm not sure how to answer for myself.
Lots of folks talk about living lives dedicated to doing the right thing. That concept isn't always as clear to me as it seems to be for others. It's obviously the right thing to perform an act that effects dozens of people positively, which taking custody of Cardin would accomplish. But, protecting one's son from danger or death is also the right thing.
And truth be told, if it came down to my kid dying or someone else taking the fall...
Well, it might not be everyone's the right thing, but I'm gonna make sure my kid's safe.
Although, I guess that makes for a short movie, eh?
Look, there's more than a couple reasons The Contract went straight to video despite a top shelf cast. It's an average story with average acting that delivers less than an average ending.
There is one moment of the film, however, that really struck my interest. Early in the movie, when Ray Keene and Frank Cardin first meet, Keene has to made a decision: does he (a) willingly allow Cardin to escape, knowing the killer will eventually kill again but that he and his son will be unharmed, or (b) take custody of Cardin, understanding that doing so puts his life and the life of his son in serious peril?
It's a moral dilemma I'm not sure how to answer for myself.
Lots of folks talk about living lives dedicated to doing the right thing. That concept isn't always as clear to me as it seems to be for others. It's obviously the right thing to perform an act that effects dozens of people positively, which taking custody of Cardin would accomplish. But, protecting one's son from danger or death is also the right thing.
And truth be told, if it came down to my kid dying or someone else taking the fall...
Well, it might not be everyone's the right thing, but I'm gonna make sure my kid's safe.
Although, I guess that makes for a short movie, eh?
Monday, November 19, 2007
Dick Wilson
Long before "Where's the beef!?!" and "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful," Mr. Whipple was begging people: "Please, don't squeeze the Charmin."
Dick Wilson died today, at age 91.
photo: Bob Riha, Jr. Getty Images
Dick Wilson died today, at age 91.
photo: Bob Riha, Jr. Getty Images
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Bug
So, this is what's become of Ashley Judd's career.
That saddens me, 'cause the kid has some talent. And it may be she chose to do Bug to highlight those skills; it's dialogue heavy and calls for an intense range of emotions. It looks like she even pulled a Bob De Niro, adding a few pounds and de-glamorizing herself so she could look more convincing in the part.
It does take some convincing: her role, Agnes, is a lonely and sad thirty-something mother of a child kidnapped years earlier who relies on cocaine and beer to get through weekends. Agnes lives in a road-side motel on a long-term lease, waitresses at a local lesbian bar and has an abusive ex-husband who has just been released from jail. She takes in a quiet guy named Peter (Michael Evans) because she's so lonely, and eventually succumbs to his dramatic paranoid delusions, as his mental illness spins out of control.
See what I mean?
And none of it works.
Bug is surreal, unusual and manic. It's also unbelievable, stereotypical and unfulfilling.
That saddens me, 'cause the kid has some talent. And it may be she chose to do Bug to highlight those skills; it's dialogue heavy and calls for an intense range of emotions. It looks like she even pulled a Bob De Niro, adding a few pounds and de-glamorizing herself so she could look more convincing in the part.
It does take some convincing: her role, Agnes, is a lonely and sad thirty-something mother of a child kidnapped years earlier who relies on cocaine and beer to get through weekends. Agnes lives in a road-side motel on a long-term lease, waitresses at a local lesbian bar and has an abusive ex-husband who has just been released from jail. She takes in a quiet guy named Peter (Michael Evans) because she's so lonely, and eventually succumbs to his dramatic paranoid delusions, as his mental illness spins out of control.
See what I mean?
And none of it works.
Bug is surreal, unusual and manic. It's also unbelievable, stereotypical and unfulfilling.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
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