Edwin MacPhisto

I'm surprised I'm defending this movie so much--I liked it, but it's not GLORIOUS or anything like that--but this is a gripe that's never really worked for me, with regards to many movies. Yeah, Cruise's character is lucky to not get totally annihilated in the first alien attack (I don't really count that as a spoiler). But of course he didn't die then--the movie is about him. He's not safe because the actor playing him is a big star--he's safe because the movie follows his family. Or, better said: the movie follows his family because he survives the first attack. If the character of Ray Farrier got zapped immediately, the movie would be about someone else who didn't get zapped and then we'd be complaining about how that person shockingly survived the initial assault. It's fruitless complaint because it focuses on the fact that a big star is playing a character in a situation, not on the situation or character themselves. Movie stars play main characters in movies, and yes, that gives as cues as to what's going to happen, but we as an audience have to deal with that as part of our suspension of disbelief. Rarely do you find a movie, book, or story that deals with a character whose qualities or experiences are entirely unremarkable. I never like that complaint. Rudo:

No, because I'm pretty familiar with all the source material. $22 million on Wednesday, by the way. Yikes.

Re: the ships:

Ebert's main gripes come down to the tripods not working for him. And I'm not really sure why, especially considering that . That bit was a wonderfully quiet revelation, and this isn't one of Ebert's best reviews. I saw this impulsively tonight and loved it. Very little waiting, ripping right into the chaos. Some of the landscapes were just horrifying, but I think Spielberg could have gotten a little more out of the movie had he pushed to the R rating. I know he doesn't like to make them and I didn't think the movie needed to be much more explicit than it was, but the audience met the first few truly horrifying visions ( with that laughter that signifies "I'm tremendously uncomfortable watching this, so much so that this is all I can do." A little more might have stifled them, but maybe that's just audiences today. Speaking of audiences today... This version is a fine heir to one of the better sci-fi legacies out there. Overall, a really fine portrait of human desperation in the face of pretty much unspeakable horrors. I dig.

Shelton sucks.

As always, I haven't heard nearly enough of this year's music by this point. If pressed, Arular and Picaresque are my 1 and 2 from what I've heard thus far.

Fantastic. Next year Charlotte shoots for 25 wins!

Charlotte's looking to be in really good shape for that second pick of theirs. At least one of Granger, May, or Warrick are guaranteed to be on the board, and I think they'd be thrilled to grab one of them.

While that's largely true, this was a court decision. I dunno, I see the judges on the supreme court as dots on a much broader plane of conservative/liberal than party-line Republicans or Democrats. I wouldn't characterize one court ruling as a significant sea change elsewhere. BOOOOOOOOOO! ...::watches "Out of Gas"::

Yikes. They must have really wanted him. Thought Toronto could have grabbed him pretty easily with their #16 pick.

But...they haven't.

I did really like the Jack-in-the-Box zombie, I'll give it that much. Rewatched the original Dawn of the Dead tonight with a few friends, since we were all still in a zombie mood. Still pretty close to perfect.

The prospect of second-rate Metallica is one of the worst musical endeavors I can conceive.

Pretty disappointing. I enjoyed most of the setup, but hell never broke loose in an interesting or new fashion. The growing sense of despair that characterizes nearly all apocalyptic/zombie films is one of my favorite things about the genre and one of its greatest strengths, and there was little new here in that sense, except maybe the scene involving the electrified fence. It's all rising action and then a dull plateau to finish things off, and the entire proceedings never feel close to as intense as they should. It wasn't really funny at all either, which is another great hallmark of these pictures. Shaun of the Dead is actually more stimulating and horrifying than this, which is kinda sad for Land of the Dead.

The best thing you can do with a can of Pabst is make a Boilermaker. Since it's such a watery beer, it doesn't overpower the whiskey, and instead almost accentuates it. Not bad at all. Yuengling is my general purpose house beer.

Adore is actually probably my favorite album of theirs. Most of that is probably because I think "To Sheila" is the best song they ever recorded.

That's Road House shit there. Awesome.

Rarely. I don't like having to look her in the eye.

UsetheSledge should run for office.

"300 Bars" was pretty good. Worth it to hear someone else rhyme over the fantastic beat from "Blueprint 2" at the end that samples "Ecstasy of Gold" from The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.

That's, uh, truly bizarre. Way to...not die. I'll be in planes tomorrow but I'll see if they show you in the airport.

Scarecrow was perfect in this movie. Portrayed as unlike a traditional tough villain. He's a creepy pretty boy with a great trick and a lot of ferocity. I have high hopes for more of him in the sequel.

I'd really like to go, but Chicago's a hell of a drive from VA. Maybe Travelocity deserves a look.

There are many cockier songs in Snoop's ouevre than "Ain't No Fun," really. Unless you're actually going for a song about cocks.

Holy shit, Horry's dunk was nuts. Looks like he wrecked his shoulder, though.