CheesalaIsGood

Nice! This made me laugh. Then again I'm high right now. Quit fuckin with my head you bastard.

Is it really that hard for other people to do the same? I guess it is when certain banned posters just can't get over it.

Good point. They need to move around to some different places. At least to show that they can. That might take a bit of the edge off the bush league stigma.

He is so pissed that he got banned. It makes me feel all warm inside.

He doesn't like anything. He only pretends to like me.

Nice review. It's one of my favorite Manias as well.

I don't think anybody could right out say that either guy flat out sucks. It simply isn't true. Right now both guys are being put in positions on the card to steal the show whenever they want. Since I like both guys this is a nice treat on a pretty consistant basis. So kudos to both guys. That being said I give the edge to Angle overall as he has done alot more with what he has on bigger and better stages than Christopher Daniels (who for some people will always be that guy who did that awful backflip onto his head one night on Nitro). Finally, I would have to say both guys have had a pretty good year wrestling-wise. Since rankings in wrestling have and always will be a game of "what have you done for me lately"... I'd say both guys would rank pretty fucking high.

You don't get a standing ovation at the end of a match for having just a "good match". You have to blow their fucking minds. In the WWE where that sort of thing is so rare I'd even have to give extra props to the match and the guys in it.

Now if we could only get that math and science nonsense taken out of schools. Actually, get rid of everything but Gym class and Advanced Basketweaving and our future is secure.

I'd fuck that bitch cross eyed.

Ugh. That is some dumb ass shit.

SPOILERS on this one so be careful. I think this one sums it up nicely. Written and Directed by Stephen Gaghan Starring: - Kayvan Novak as Arash - George Clooney as Bob Barnes - Amr Waked as Mohammed Sheik Agiza - Christopher Plummer as Dean Whiting - Jeffrey Wright as Bennett Holiday - Chris Cooper as Jimmy Pope Matt Cale is at least honest... Why on earth do I continue to see movies like Syriana? Why, when there are so many opportunities in this big, wide wonderful world to skip through the park, work with children, or take puppies on walks while the sky glistens with morning dew and rainbows, must I be drawn to motion pictures that leave me drained, battered, depressed, and cursing the darkness? I'd have it no other way, of course, for sentimentality and mindless escape are as foreign to me as compliments in bed or lucrative job offers, but I often wonder what it might be like to have no concern whatsoever for life's bitter truths. And yet, despite Syriana's obliteration of hope, its unapologetic immersion in the brutality of our times, and the refusal to offer even a mere glimmer of hope as we continue our long march to the collective graveyard of dreams deferred and dashed, I was as captivated as a young child at the circus. My glee was that of a cackling demon upon receiving the first cart of damned souls, or even a sadistic warden as the hardened cheeks of his charges are led to the showers. It's a movie for anyone toasting the end of civilization, and while it remains just that -- a movie -- it never leaves the mind that every scene, every image, every last frame, is not only probable, but likely happening somewhere in the world at this very moment. It's about crime, corruption, terrorism, and oil, although it's impossible to distinguish between them at all; as if those chronicling our world have finally been granted permission to speak openly about the way the world has worked for centuries on end. Only now, we do in fact possess the means with which to destroy ourselves. Syriana, like Traffic (also written by Stephen Gaghan), is a jumbled, complex, and exhilarating work; a film that throws out mere pieces of narrative, always trusting the audience to wait patiently for connections that may or may not come. The camera itself is unsteady, as if the only way to portray two hours of globetrotting and political intrigue is to keep us breathless and just a little dizzy. There are literally dozens of faces to remember, although a few do manage to establish a primacy of sorts. Still, this is not about any one man or woman, as the nasty business of oil could hardly be reduced to a single relationship or chain. Far from a shadowy cabal, the corporations and key figures operate largely in the open, couching their transactions in terminology so benign that it requires little effort to see it as "just business." Many of us have little affection for Big Oil, of course, as we bitch about gas prices, wag our fingers at President Bush and his cronies, or question the motivations behind the invasion of Iraq, but almost in the same breath as our complaints, we draw the line at any real regulation or accountability. We too want it all when it comes to our energy, and whatever needs to be done to maintain a cheap, seemingly unlimited supply, we've already signed the deal. Surely, though, if it gets too sticky, we'd rather you close the door and leave us out of it. The harsh light of reality tends to make that drive across town to the Outback Steakhouse in our Hummer a little less jovial. What I like most about Syriana is that it refuses to hide its political leanings or propagandistic identity, choosing instead to have a well-defined point of view. When so much of life is managed, controlled, and studied to ensure maximum participation (and minimum offensiveness), it is quite refreshing to find a film that makes you take a stand. While neither the script nor the director resort to heavy-handedness or oversimplification, it is impossible to remain unmoved in the presence of so vivid a portrait. Yes, the film posits the belief that the American government, through its intelligence agencies, monitors the global network to ensure favorable elections, governments, and economic developments, but as obvious as that idea might be, there remains enough historical ambiguity to allow for a spirited debate. At the very least, indifference is and must remain the refuge of the unconscious. Fictional companies and leaders are put forth in the film, but after Iran, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chile, East Timor, and Iraq, does anyone doubt the disturbing legacy of our nation? Sure, in many ways this could be an American tale, but it is impossible to see how anyone of good conscience could ever step forward to cease operations. Insert a Democrat, or an Egyptian, or even a hero from a Frank Capra movie, and very little would change. Perhaps that's why we are routinely supplied the illusion of elections to fight over like so many scraps of cheese before starving rats. In the end, they're all beholden to the same god. Among the story threads are Bob's tale, and as played by a meatier George Clooney, he is a covert agent who isn't above killing for king and country, but he's the last man to abide betrayal. He acquires a conscience of sorts near the film's conclusion, but it is telling that he is killed for the effort. What's more, his actions, had they been successful, would have changed nothing, as the forces of reaction are extremely patient, after all. Bob has a family (in name only), though his wife and son live in Pakistan, where she is forced to live as a "secretary." In only a few brief snippets, we understand that a man like Bob is incapable of a meaningful relationship, and we instantly wonder how on earth undercover officers maintain their sanity as they attempt to live "normally." He is assigned to "remove" a key roadblock to peace in the Middle East, although as in our own world, we see that peace is far from the absence of tension, but rather the presence of favorable economic conditions. Bob never appears to be anything other than a jaded company man, and thankfully he is not sacked with a dull subplot involving a love interest. And we know that such a movie could easily exist -- just picture Julia Roberts as the ingenue. Matt Damon is also on board as an energy trader (named Bryan Woodman), a title which is never fully explained, albeit deliberately. There are thousands of such men wandering the globe in search of the big prize, and I doubt any one of them could describe their job in less than an hour. Bryan and his family live in Switzerland, although at a moment's notice, he'll be asked to Spain to sweet-talk a young prince. Bryan, while the only character saddled with an intact family, is far from domesticated, as the only real time he spends with his brood ends in tragedy. Other than that, he is in Iran, Saudi Arabia, or any number of key points on the energy grid. The strength of this tale lies in the ease by which Bryan turns on the "role" of business executive. We all know that the life of a high stakes money man is a gigantic fraud full of handshakes, glasses of brandy in hotel rooms, and casual chats in limos, but its representation never ceases to reduce me to a pool of disgust. Perhaps moral clarity ensues when paychecks leap into seven figures, but one glance at this life reminds me of why my ambitions remain little more than having a little cash at the end of the week to hit the movie theater. Flying under the radar may not produce a house in the country, but at least you can retain your dignity. I know, that's nothing more than dressed-up bullshit disguised as nobility, so who's fooling who? Hell, I know damn well that I'd have half my family shot for a nicer apartment. And then there's Jeffrey Wright as Bennett Holiday, a high-powered attorney who works hand-in-glove with various oil men, only to realize that even small pangs of conscience are quickly extinguished by the realities of the marketplace. Investigators, in need of a sacrificial lamb to satisfy certain P.R. obligations, are calling for more meat than the corporation is willing to give, leading Bennett to help broker a deal. In the midst of this we meet Dean Whiting (Christopher Plummer), Jimmy Pope (Chris Cooper), and Danny Dalton (Tim Blake Nelson), whose brief monologue on corruption is so tightly worded and depressingly accurate that we all but throw up our hands, mutter hopelessly, and arrange a long-awaited interview with the dull end of a switchblade. For no matter how much we might be appalled by the sheer avarice of these professional liars, there are millions more waiting in the wings. Sure, consumers receive benefits from all this wheeling and dealing, but shouldn't it make a difference that what we get out of the bargain is the very last thing on the priority list? Oh, sorry, that would be working conditions, benefits, and gross pay for the suckers at the ass-end of things. Sure, I understand the world and no, I don't expect to snap my fingers and produce a workers' paradise where everyone shares and loves and cuddles with joy, but must all roads lead to power and profit? You don't need to tell me the answer. In the end, this is a sweeping epic about where we are now, and it's so much the better for not cleaning itself up. Bryan returns to his wife at the end and another man seems to feel bad for actions taken, but a story such as this is impossible to resolve. The day after the story ends, the same men will be back at work; the same disillusioned young Muslims will be recruited for terrorist acts; and the same U.S. government will be laying its cock on the table while trying to convince the rest of us that it's actually a heart on a sleeve. And speaking of the terrorist angle, it must be praised for its subtle turn, although the end result is far from a surprise. What grinds away at the audience is the realization that, in fact, poverty and despair are the proud parents of martyrdom, and so long as exploitation and inequality reign as champions of the global economy, buses will continue to explode and city life remain one of high alert. And consider the words of the young prince bent towards reform, yet utterly baffled by the United States' shocking display of insecurity: "Five percent of the population, yet fifty percent of overall defense spending.....someone now realizes how ineffective they are at communicating with the world."

Thats sounds about the right amount of time for them at this point. It would be a really hard sell to the network seeing that TV is so locked into a certain format that 90 minutes would seem so odd to them. Like they would have to change the way they sold advertising or some such horseshit.

I gotta give it to TNA it's an energetic show. Still considering the kind of wrestlers they have working for them they should be getting more time to work their matches. Their roster is tailored to it. The PPVs are fine and doing well, but this hour format is killing them.

Actually both the Rock and Foleys promos were built off of Shamrocks lame-ass promo which made them tie together nicely with hilarious results. I still need to know who is "Spaceman" Frank Hickey. Yep, there indeed was a double peoples elbow.

A review from http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=22018 Hola all. Massawyrm here. You know, there are those that are going to say Syriana is a lot like Stephen Gaghan’s academy award winning film (for which he wrote the screenplay) Traffic. But I’m here to say unequivocally that it is not a lot like Traffic. It is Traffic. The Same. Exact. Film. Beat for beat. All you need to do to get a sense of what exactly Syriana is, is simply watch Traffic and replace the international drug trade with the world of international oil. But is that actually a bad thing? I mean Traffic was really good. Some would say great. Is effectively remaking it something of a worthwhile venture? Yes. Yes it is. That is, if you liked Traffic. Me, I liked Traffic a lot, but didn’t love it as much as others did. I thought it was a really good movie that covered a lot of ground, but wasn’t perfect. Then again, I was never very interested in the world of the international drug trade. It’s just one of those topics that never grabbed me. The film had an amazing cast and was well written, but was never anything I was in complete love with. Syriana on the other hand, plays exactly into my realms of interest. I’ve always had a keen interest in back room politics, shady deals and government black bag – including false flag – operations. (oooh, I just put the words False and flag together on the internet. I now have my very own FBI file. Isn’t that cool?) So for me, the idea of a film covering the wide ranging effects of the oil trade through several of its major and minor players is absolutely fascinating. Syriana is the story of Oil, from the guys who pump it, to the guys who sell it, to the guys who lobby for it and ultimately on up to the guys who kill for it. And yet, it manages to accomplish a lot more than one would think. In our current super charged political climate, one would expect this to be an extremely preachy liberal mindfuck of a film – a steel jacketed shell, locked and loaded, ready to be fired at the very heart of the Republican party. But it isn’t. What is most surprising about this film, is that much like Traffic before it, Syriana tells every facet of its tale with even handed care, making sure that every character, both well intentioned and vile, is human. Everyone is flawed and everyone is rational. There isn’t a character here that is completely detestable or beyond logic. Even the most unlikable among them have rational arguments, reasoned beliefs that you have to actually think long and hard to contradict. Never do you sit in your seat, pulling your hair out at the raw, insipid, stupidity of anyone on screen. No one is a cardboard cutout and there isn’t a single side that is really under represented. Sure, there are characters that are total scumbags, irredeemable men who have fallen too far. But they’re real. And they exist on all sides of this story. Which ultimately becomes the tragedy of this film. Because the knee jerks on both sides of American politics are going to pervert this to their own agenda. The ReRe Right, as I mentioned in my Narnia review, are simply going to ignore this and chalk it up to more liberal Hollywood Bullshit. They’re going to chalk up Clooney and Damon with the likes of Affleck and Sheen, screaming “Why don’t they just STFU!?!” The Wingnut left, on the other hand, are going to celebrate this as this years tentpole film for their beliefs, and convince a whole mess of people that this is the must see film of the decade, because it’s exactly what they’ve been talking about, while screaming “No blood for oil! No blood for oil!” And really, they’ll both be wrong. Syriana does in fact have a message, and while on the surface it is about just how fucked up the oil trade is at every level, what it’s really about is corruption. Like Traffic before it, this is a film about the various levels of corruption of the human soul. It is about how sane, rational men – patriotic men, family men, men of honor and virtue - become corrupted and caught up in things they always swore they would never do. There are few people in this world that really set out to do bad things, very few people that want to release untold bloodshed or ruin the lives of others. Sadly, as the cliché goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Syriana is about the trip down that road. It is about why a 19 year old would want to strap a bomb to his chest. It is about why a good hearted business man would get involved with spoiled royalty. And it is about why a family man would high five a coworker after blowing a family off the face of the planet. It’s about what we do, not just we as Americans – but we as people do, to maintain our quality of life. And what we do to improve it. And that a film as important as this, a film as truthful as this, comes out in such a climate – well, the real message is going to be lost. To most people who watch this, it is going to entirely be about Oil. Of course, that’s probably the reason it got made in the first place, but whether by design or pure accident, the film transcended the material and became something to really chew on. Gaghan finally got it right again. After being attached to three miserable failures – Abandon (which he directed), The Alamo and Havoc – he finally manages to attain the promise he showed when he first won Oscar gold almost 5 years ago. Sure, it’s for doing the exact same thing he did before, but some people are only really good at one thing. Perhaps for Gaghan, wide ranging character dramas about current events is it. It’s certainly not a bad thing to excel at. But as a sophomore effort as a director, this is a jump to light speed. Of course, it helps that he’s taking his visual cues from Soderbergh - as if that were a bad thing. What Gaghan does with Soderbergh’s style, however, I really love. Soderbergh is a brilliant director, don’t get me wrong. The man can take some of the most notoriously bad actors in the industry (like Casey Affleck, Jennifer Lopez and Scott Caan) and milk truly inspired performances out of them. He can talk some of the biggest actors in the industry to take on the strangest roles. And he can blend looks together to make truly unique, uncompromised visual styles. Of course, Soderbergh also tends to get just a tad too experimental every now and then. With Traffic, he over saturated different story lines with different colors to accentuate mood, while completely over exposing another to give it a blown out look. And while the effect was, as I said, unique, it was also a bit too jarring for some and turned others completely off to the film altogether. It’s the type of thing that requires you to know who directed it before you call it “Genius.” Because, well, lets face it. It could have been an amateurish mistake. What Gaghan does, however, is borrows Soderbergh’s realistic, gritty style – filled with plenty of handheld camera work and personal “right in the thick of it” angles – and leaves out anything gimmicky. He chooses a style, a look and a color scheme right in the very beginning and he maintains it the whole way through. While some may come to refer to it as Soderbergh lite, I like it quite a bit. The film feels very personal, very up close and real, without feeling like the director ever succumbed to his inner-film student. And Gaghan gets some truly inspired performances out of his actors as well. I mean, he’s getting George Clooney his first Oscar nod, if not his first Oscar. Sure, you’ve already heard a lot of the buzz, and you’re going to be hearing more. Much more. Because this is George Clooney’s career making film. Clooney’s always been great. He showed us Slick cunning cool in Ocean’s Eleven, funny stupid cool in O Brother Where Art Thou, and just plain fucking cool in From Dusk Till Dawn. Hell, I even love him to death in the time honored camp classic Return of the Killer Tomatoes, where he pulled of sleazy best friend cool with all the panache Willie Ames in Zapped. But here, George Clooney is not cool. Hell, he’s decidedly uncool. He’s an overweight, paranoid CIA agent who’s spent way too much time undercover. He’s starting to become a liability to the agency and just absolutely doesn’t see it. His career is just about over and then all hell breaks loose and he finds himself in way over his head. And Clooney is just completely fucking awesome. And the thing of it is, is that despite the trailers and posters selling this as a George Clooney film, it’s not. Not really. It’s an Ensemble piece. Just like Traffic. But also just like Traffic, there is one absolute stand out, one person who’s character may seem small and trivial in the scheme of things, but that turns in a performance so powerful that the movie really, in your mind, becomes about them. For Traffic it was Benecio del Toro. For Syriana, it is George Clooney. Anyone who’s never given Clooney the credit he deserves, anyone who doesn’t feel Clooney’s ever lived up to his hype, owes it to themselves to be proven wrong by Syriana. It proves to be his most wonderfully textured performance to date, and the one I’m certain the Academy will finally recognize him for. Other stand out performances come from Matt Damon (who is so good here he might actually get an Oscar nomination that can be put in trailers that actually refer to his acting), Jeffrey Wright (who is one of those barely recognizable actors due to his tremendous talent to switch from one character to the next), the always solid Chris Cooper, a great creepy old Washington insider performance from the classic Christopher Plummer, and a really surprising dramatic turn from someone no one ever seems to take seriously – Amanda Peet. And there isn’t a weak link in the bunch. Even the relative unknowns plucked for this film (many of which are Arabic actors whose previous work is exclusively in Arab language films) all deliver amazing performances. Nobody is bad. There isn’t a single wasted line or subpar delivery. The acting is perfect, perfect, perfect. So the acting’s perfect, is the movie? Welllllllll…..no. It does suffer from a few small flaws. First and foremost, anyone who didn’t like Traffic isn’t going to like this one bit either. It covers an awful lot of ground in a very short amount of time, and much like its predecessor feels like there’s an hour or so missing that would wrap things up completely. In Traffic, that was actually the case, so I suspect that it’s entirely possible that there’s a much longer cut of this sitting around somewhere, waiting for a special edition DVD release. There is one seemingly incomprehensible subplot involving Jeffrey Wright and his father that comes across as if it were cut to hell. Why it still exists I’ll never know, as it is the one part of the film that really doesn’t add anything to it, nor is ever explained enough to warrant keeping. These truly feel like scenes Gaghan loved so much that he didn’t have the heart to cut them when the bulk of that subplot ended up on the cutting room floor and prove to be the one real misstep in the film. With virtually every other scene being of vital importance to every other character in the film, this becomes the sore thumb that can’t seem to be explained away by anything apart from Gaghan’s vanity or his will to keep a beloved actor in the film after his character was deemed irrelevant. Fortunately, these scenes are quick and bookended by much more important material that pretty much allows you to forget about it. But it’s there. And as this covers so much ground, there are times when some might think it’s merely meandering. There came a point towards the end in which I actually became convinced that Syriana was in fact going nowhere whatsoever. It was approaching the two hour mark and I began to get nervous – just for a second – that this was a lot of jerking off with no money shot. But then, things shifted dramatically, and almost every story came together in one, amazing, final conclusion that left me with my jaw on the floor. I actually jumped in my chair and brought my hand to my face in utter shock. And the payoff was well worth the wait, well worth the set up and the staggering amount of characters. Syriana IS one of the best films of the year. Well made, potent and truly incendiary stuff. Gaghan’s finally on the right track. Clooney’s finally going to get some recognition. Critics finally have something substantive to debate this season. And best of all, we as an audience finally get something deep and important to chew on. Until next time friends, smoke e’m if ya got ‘em. I know I will. Massawyrm

Liberals can't fart in church because God strikes them down before they step foot in a place of worship... Thats why I stay away from those places. Things haven't been the same since I pissed in the holy water.

Oh my god, you are such a fucking idiot. No, I take that back, I don't really think you're too dense to understand me so much as I just think you're being purposefully disingenuous. Why is it that Justice seems to get it while you don't? Oh yes - he's not obsessed with those of us over at the Pit, seeing as I don't think I've ever heard him mention the other board and yet you're always there to add what I'm sure you think is a rather sly comment about it whenever you can. Here's the rub - no one fucking CARES about your opinion or mine on this fucking movie. I've explained why I have misgivings about this film, and instead of just leaving it as that, you, as usual, want to make an issue out of it for your usual reasons. It's rather obvious 'where you are coming from'. Christ. Then I guess we come from the same place. Because hackery is hackery whether it's yours or mine. Sorry, I hurt your feelings. Plus, Justice is a conservative just like you so you speak the same language. Misgivings you say? A liberal can't fart in church without it being some big deal out to ruin everything for neocons. So quit pretending I'm over reacting. You asked for it.

I didn't say it was, I just said that maybe others might view it as heavy-handed. Ah, sorry. My own misinterpretation. God, way to misinterpret. I was simply explaining Vyce's view, and why its fairly legitimate to say that "I don't want to see this movie because I don't want to be insulted for 3 hours", as I'm not eally sure its going to give the fairest viewpoints on things. I haven't seen it yet, though from what I've seen, I'm expecting a movie that is going to be a bit.. biased, I suppose. But I'm going to try and reserve my judgement until I actually see it. Next time, pay attention to the entire conversation, Maybe he should reserve judgement as well. It couldn't hurt.

You're also failing to recognize that it is an inherently political film that is trying to get a single viewpoint across. I mean, Christ, the previews when they show the main title are enough to know that. No offense, but saying 'a movie is a movie' is like saying "Jude Suss" is "just a movie". Trying to deny the political motivations of the movie are, well, like trying to deny the movie itself. You just have to accept that when you enter it. Just... don't try denying it. That said, I'll probably see it and enjoy it. I'm a sucker for political thrillers (I used to read a lot of Clancy as a kid, but then I found out how much of a pretentious douche he is) and I trust bigol on this one. After I see Kong, of course. Never heard of "Jude Suss". I'll have to look it up. I just don't see what the point is of being all threatened by films that don't share your point of view. Even if it is slanted towards one side or the other... who cares?. I mean Rush made such a big deal about "The American President" for nothing. The movie wasn't that huge. It didn't make a lick of difference in how people viewed conservatives. It didn't change any policy. Even more so fattty Mike Moore didn't win the election for democrats with F-9/11. So who gives a fuck? Who gives a fuck even if it makes conservatives look like assholes? It's not like it actually changes anything or takes anything away from them. Cry about it all you want but it's not like conservatives never get to have their say in this country. So chill the fuck out. Plus, I don't see what Vyces problem with being partisan when his when his only counter for it is more partisanship. Hell, it's not like when conservatives complain about the "liberal media" that they are crying out for objectivity. Anyway, I too am looking forward to Kong.

No, I read your post just fine. Try and front all you want but being one of those "pit pigs" its obvious where you are coming from. So no need to pretend otherwise. You feel it's just those "hollywood liberals" trying to take cheap shots at Bush and company. Yup, it's all the liberal medias fault. No wonder you need to "escape" the reality has just gotta being killing your type. There are many "kinds" of movies. The politcal thriller type is just another. Maybe it's time for parnoid conservatives to fianlly accept that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar and a movie is just a movie. No matter what it has to "say".

Well if you have no time for views that might be different from yours how can you ever consider yourself informed? This movie may not represent every leftist persons thinking, but it certainly seems to echo alot of what they are saying. Which deserves time to be spoken openly.

It sucks getting old.... and fat.

You guys fucking rule! RULE!

L.... aww fuck it. I wasn't gonna say anything good.