Adventures in Distraction

Music of the 90s

2010-06-18T16:42:00.003-05:00

I was considering what the best rock albums of all time were, and I decided that it would be folly to come up with my own list, especially since I haven't heard a lot of the albums most people think are the best. What I know a lot more about, however, is alternative rock music in the 1990s, especially grunge rock. So here's a list of "must-have" albums from the 90s in my opinion (in no particular order).

1. Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)

2. Pearl Jam - Ten (1991)

3. No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom (1995)

4. Green Day - Dookie (1994)

5. Metallica - Metallica (1991)

6. Alanis Morisette - Jagged Little Pill (1995)

7. Soundgarden - Superunknown (1994)

8. Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine (1992)

9. Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape (1997)

10. Live - Throwing Copper (1994)

11. Alice in Chains - Dirt (1992)

12. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral (1994)

13. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream (1993)

14. Stone Temple Pilots - Purple (1994)

15. Tool - Aenima (1996)

16. Weezer - Weezer (1994)

17. Blind Melon - Blind Melon (1992)

18. Incubus - Make Yourself (1999)

19. Hole - Celebrity Skin (1998)

20. Jane's Addiction - Ritual de lo Habitual (1990)

21. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)

22. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)

23. Beastie Boys - Ill Communication (1994)

24. Radiohead - The Bends (1995)

25. Beck - Odelay (1996)

26. Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted (1992)

27. Dinosaur Jr. - Green Mind (1991)

28. Garbage - Garbage (1995)

29. U2 - Achtung Baby (1991)

30. The Counting Crows - August and Everything After (1993)

31. R.E.M. - Automatic for the People (1992)

32. The Flaming Lips - Soft Bulletin (1999)

33. Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go (1996)

34. Fiona Apple - Tidal (1996)

35. The Offspring - Smash (1994)

36. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes (1992)

37. Dr. Dre - The Chronic (1992)

38. Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle (1993)

39. Depeche Mode - Violator (1990)

40. Bush - Sixteen Stone (1994)

41. The Black Crowes - Shake Your Money Maker (1990)

42. Butthole Surfers - Independent Worm Saloon (1993)

43. Filter - Short Bus (1995)

44. Lit - A Place in the Sun (1999)

45. Sublime - Sublime (1996)

46. Blink 182 - Enema of the State (1999)

47. Fugazi - Repeater (1990)

48. Wilco - Being There (1996)

49. Our Lady Peace - Happiness... Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch (1999)

50. Bad Religion - Recipe for Hate (1993)

Please note that some bands had more than one great albums come out in the 90s, but I only chose one album that I thought was worth listening to above their others. If you agree or disagree, please let me know with what. I can be swayed...

Weekend Shenanigans

2010-04-19T00:07:00.003-05:00

This weekend, Faulkner Alley went to Sam's Lounge in Jackson, MS to play a gig with metal band Flagship, and alt rock band FALLEN, both from Jackson. How did my band get this gig? 'Cause we're bad-ass! Ok, so Flagship is made up of the Hindman twins and Tony Clark and Josh Cavanaugh (three of which I played in The Mourning Republic with.) They were doing me a favor with this show, and I and my bandmates appreciate it. It was this band's (Faulkner Alley) very first road trip! We packed all instruments and guitar PAs into Ray's truck, and he and I drove all of us down. We did have a few fans come down from Oxford, which was nice as we always like to see friendly faces in the crowd. We opened the night up with 11 songs, 8 of which were original material. Lesson learned: don't play ballads at a new place without a strong fan base. Also, learn more on-stage showmanship. Apparently the crowd loves someone acting crazy up on stage, so that's what I gotta be. Flagship went on after us, and they killed! Different sound than ours, scream-o metal style, but they did a great job. FALLEN was last and didn't get to finish a full set, but I wasn't listening much as they were playing from 1:00 to 2:00 in the morning. Did I mention I had awakened at 6:30 a.m. that morning to sub at Oxford High? No? Oh. I was super tired. But, since I was driving Daniel, my drummer, around Jackson and he didn't know anyone who lived there, I felt it was up to me to make sure he had a good time on this trip. So, we stayed to break down the stage, went to an after party till about 5:00 and fell asleep on Brian and Kevin's parents' couches. Did I mention the rest of the band pussed out and went to T.J.'s place to crash and didn't even help break the stage down? And also when I asked if we could crash there, I was told it was too small of a place for two more guys willing to sleep on the floor? No? Oh. I'll get over that, but I gotta tell Kyle that it was a dick move soon instead of bottling that stuff. Overall, it was a good time had by all.

This week, I'll be recording the three songs on our demo: Danger, Homesick, and Belief. Yeah, all our songs could be one-word titles. We pretty much finished Danger last Thursday, and Homesick is just me singing, so that should be done tomorrow, provided I'm not called in to sub again. That leaves Belief. This song is the brain-child of Kyle, and it's in 3/4 time which is cool, but I can't seem to put the right melody on it. I've written something, and it sounds okay, but it doesn't sound right like the other two. It's all major-key, and the verse has a funky number of bars in it. I don't know. I'll record the melody I have now, and if anything else comes to mind, I'll keep trying to replace it.

Songwriting has been really difficult for me. For the most part it goes like this: someone writes a guitar riff, Ray lays the bass line on it (he is incredibly talented and can do that with just about any song), Dan puts a beat to it (or Kyle sometimes if it's his song), then I write a melody and lyrics on all that. The hard part for me is the melody. I try to imagine what the melody would sound like if I heard the song on the radio, then as soon as I hear it, I try to sing it again and again until I remember it. Once I remember it, I'll try to write words for it. The lyrics aspect of songwriting is also difficult, but usually all I need is an idea, and then the story just builds from that. For instance, on Homesick, I heard the chorus melody pretty early on, and it sounded to me like a wistful, nostalgic song, so I decided I would write about someone being homesick. The chorus is

The sun is moving around

But there's no warmth to be found

There are smiles all around

And it's pleasant

But it's not home

I feel left out in the cold

It's lonely here on the road (2nd chorus: Knowing I can't return to our home)

The verses couldn't be just about being homesick because that's too simple. I needed some depth, so Meg helped me out. The first verse was explaining how this person being in a strange town is reminded of his own home town, the similarities and memories. Goes like this:

Driving through this town

It makes me think of the sound

Waves crash on the shore

Seagulls calling for more

There's kids playing with sand

Plastic buckets in their hand

Clouds go passing by

Like white memories that can fly

The second verse was describing how this same person being back in his home town is still homesick, because the thing that made him homesick, an old flame, doesn't live there anymore, and you realize that this person had a serious relationship that ended and he or she can never go home again.

Walking through our home town

I notice you're not around

Traces of your face

In an old familiar place

Lights float on the rain

Nothing new and nothing changed

All these empty days

Our home has faded away

That's it! Now, it took a while to get all the lyrics down, then once I had them written down, I had to memorize them (which I didn't for the first show we played this song.) The very first two songs I wrote with Faulkner Alley were about a couple as well, but in different ways; one was an angrier song so the lyrics told the tale of a guy whose girl cheated on him with another girl, the other song was about a person who works up the nerve to ask someone out, then works up the nerve to ask that same someone on the first date to have sex. Not the most deep or original songs, but Belief and Danger were better subject matter and better lyrics, I think. Only time and effort will tell, but if you wanna check out our demo songs, I should have them up on MySpace, Facebook, and ReverbNation soon (hopefully this week!)

The Music Scene in Oxford

2010-04-13T09:17:00.003-05:00

It's been difficult to get gigs in Oxford as of late. Our band, Faulkner Alley, is an alternative rock band that plays in a town of folk and indie singers. Okay, that's not completely true. There are a few post-punk/punk/metal groups in the area. They are mostly located in Tupelo, but The Cooters and Kill the Ego are here in Oxford. When we were first starting out, we played at a Battle of the Bands at Sterling Apts in town, and we won! Even playing against bands like Jay Lang's band, and the Reviews, and Silas Reed, we won outright. Now, though, those bands are all fairly established bands in Oxford, and we're still struggling to get gigs. Here's a list of venues in Oxford:

1. Proud Larry's. I don't know anyone who has played here, but it seems they bring in talented bands all the time. It's almost a badge of honor to play at PLs, but we'll need a demo or we'll need to open for an established band. I should talk to Beau Bourgeois...

2. The Lyric. Big stage, big venue for this town. We would have to be playing with a special event or become famous. I've already looked into playing at Oxford Music Fest in the fall. That's about the only special event I know that is there.

3. Parrish's. I've talked to him about playing there, but he needs a demo. That place used to be Jubilee, and people would just show up and play sometimes back then. Gotta finish the demo...

4. Taylor's. I haven't looked into this place, as it is cramped and the patrons seem kinda hick-y.

5. Irie. We actually have played here, March 20, 2010. The crowd wasn't there for us, but it was the Saturday during Spring Break (the one before students came back to town). We had some fun, but the owner and the guy who is currently booking didn't hear us play and don't really like our style of music. To play here again, we would have to convince one of them that we bring about 40+ people to our shows.

6. Two Stick. Need a demo, and they don't usually have our kind of band. It's more laid back, singer-songwriter stuff.

7. Rooster's. They are a blues venue, and we don't do blues (we're all too content with life, I suppose.) Kyle works here, so maybe I can get in on the Blues Apparatus...

[no pic]

8. Red House. Trying to play here, but again they need a demo. I know one of the bartenders, but he doesn't have any sway over the guy who books bands here.

I think that's about it. There are other bars like The Library, The Levee, Funky's, Illusions, and The Blind Pig, but I don't know how to crack those places. We have played at The Lanes before on 3 occasions, but that crowd isn't interested in our style of music. I'm pretty sure that if we are to break out and play in Tupelo and other towns, we'll need to put together a press kit. I've worked on that, but I'm waiting on the demo being finished before paying someone to put that together. I ordered a usb connector for the condenser microphone, and it should be here this week. When it gets here, I'll record vocals for Belief, Homesick, and Danger.

The only other thing about the band is that Matt is sick with Mono. I think that he'll be alright for the show we're doing in Jackson this Friday, but his absence from practices have been felt. I gotta lose some weight. On that note, I go run.

Continuing a Blog

2010-04-11T14:11:00.004-05:00

Yeah, I know I haven't written on this blog for a long time, and I probably lost any followers I had before. I think I'll continue it again.

Some things that are going on in my life:

1. I've been teaching at Northwest Mississippi Community College here in Oxford, MS for the past almost two years. It is utterly fantastic work for me! I teach College Algebra, Calculus I & II, Business Calculus I & II, and on occasion a developmental math course we call "College Math." The only problem with it is that it's part-time work, which means part-time pay, no benefits, and no office. Of all the cons on that list, I miss the office. I can get by being poor, plus I'm a pretty healthy guy considering I haven't smoked in over 3 years, and jog regularly now. I love having an office, though, and not having one makes me feel like I don't even have a real job.

I've also been substitute teaching at Oxford High School this past school year, for about $150 a day. Sounds like good money, but it's almost not worth it. When it comes to when you get to be a sub, it's either feast or famine. For most of the month of March, I was called to sub once or twice, but there have been times when I was called in 4 or 5 times in a two weeks time. Depending on which class I got to sub, I could be helping students learn things they didn't know they wanted to learn, or I could be like a lion-tamer with a chair and whip, keeping the students from going wild.

I have been looking for full-time job starting in the Fall. I've applied to Oxford, Lafayette, and Water Valley high schools, and I'm applying to several others in the area tomorrow by mail. I also keep an eye out for job openings for instructors at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, Ole Miss, Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis, and Rust College in Holly Springs. I don't mind commuting to work if it's a job I really enjoy. I really enjoy teaching at a community college or college, especially if they give me an office. Once I have a full-time job and our finances stabilize a little, Meg and I will probably have the talk, that is, the baby talk. I haven't really sat down to think about this future yet, so I won't say anything on the subject here. I'll let you know how that goes when we get there.

2. I went back to graduate school in Fall 2008 to obtain a Ph.D. in Mathematics. Unfortunately, I felt it best to not follow through with it. I could list all the complaints I have from lack of support from my professors to lack of ability to do well in a Complex Analysis class that I've already taken and received a B in, but I won't. It boiled down to three things: lack of funds, lack of time, and lack of drive. I could've taken out additional loans, and Meg would've waited on starting a family while I finished the Ph.D. but I just want to teach. Ph.D. would only help me get a college job, which would be swell, but not worth it.

3. I've been getting into music again. For starters, I've learned that I have a pretty good rock voice, and I have been lending that voice to my band, Faulkner Alley recently. Before them, it was Against the Day (the non-signed one), and The Mourning Republic. TMR was a pretty good band made up of Brian and Kevin Hindman, Tony Clark, and myself. We played a few gigs, a biker rally in Batesville, and ObamaRama (a fundraiser event at the Lyric in Oxford to help get Barack Obama elected as President.) We had about 5 original songs recorded, and while the others were great musicians and very talented, I was getting my songwriting feet wet. My lyrics and melody lines weren't that good, and the band never really made it, even in Oxford. ATD was a younger and very different band, that was grateful for my vocal talents and were patient with me as I became a better rock musician. The other members are Ray Ashmore, Daniel Russell, Matt Saye, and Kyle Sanders. When another band with the same name got signed to a label and started gaining national coverage, we decided to change our name to something that pointed towards our humble beginnings. Plus, it was a name that wasn't taken nor would be anytime soon. We've done a few shows, written about 10 original songs, and I think that this band could potentially become known, at least in this area. Our sound is very alternative rock, pop punk, and indie rock. You can check us out here:

http://www.reverbnation.com/faulkneralley

OR http://www.myspace.com/faulkneralley

OR http://www.facebook.com/faulkneralley

4. Meg's parents have moved from Ocean Springs, a town on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi where they have lived for over 30 years, to Water Valley, about 3o minutes southwest of Oxford. Has it affected our relationship to my in-laws? In little ways, to be sure, but it's not a bad deal. They bought a beautiful home on Blount Street, and since they've been there (about six months), they have really made that house come alive! I'll try to get pictures when all the flora they've planted comes alive. They plan on growing fruit and vegetables and selling them to Farmer's Markets in the area under the moniker "Selladore Gardens." The name is a play on the phrase, "cellar door," which Edgar Allen Poe thought was one of the most beautiful combination of English words.

5. Meg and I have been running recently. Since I quit smoking, she's been running and I only recently start doing it again semi-seriously. When I first started, I had really bad shin splints that would only get worse as I ran, so I remained a walker for about a year. Now the pain is gone when I run which is great! During that time walking, though, Meg trained for a marathon until she hurt her foot, then went back to ballet. She did this for about a year and a half before she hurt her ankle. That injury permanently kept her out of ballet dancing for the local ballet company, so she's back to running again with the goal of the half-marathon and then marathon. I'll run with her as long as I can, but it's harder to run when you're 30 pounds overweight.

6. I've been playing trumpet in the Water Valley community band, such as it is. My old trumpets skills are coming back, so much so that a fellow trumpeter asked me to do a gig with him and one other at North Oxford Baptist Church for Easter. It was a great success, and I got paid for it! I will be continuing my trumpet playing, unless Faulkner Alley makes it in the music business. I'm not holding my breath for that one, though.

7. I've also tried out for the Shakespeare Festival here in Oxford, and despite the lack of acting I've done in the past, I got a large minor role in Merry Wives of Windsor as the Welsh pastor Hugh Evans. I also got a bit part at the beginning of The King and I as the boat captain. The only problem with this distraction is that I will be teaching a class this summer on Tuesdays and Thursdays at night, so this may get in the way of rehearsal. As long as the directors don't mind, I'll do it.

8. My parents are getting divorced after 32 years of marraige. Ah, the bummer, right? Eh. It's not surprising on my end as they haven't really gotten along in all the years I've known them and noticed their relationship to each other. My mom retires this year from bookkeeping at Pascagoula School District and wants to move to St. Louis to be with her ailing parents (my grandpa especially.) My dad still works for Ingalls Shipbuilding (or Northrup Grummond or Litton Industries or whatever), and he doesn't intend to move from the coast ever. So they'll part ways this summer, and after taking care of my grandparents for a little bit, my mom may move to Oxford. This, I believe, will be a good move for my mom in terms of her happiness. This will not be good for my dad for one main reason: my brother and I won't visit very much. He already doesn't much because he lives in Seattle, WA, but without my mom living on the coast, I suspect he'll never be back. I, on the other hand, will visit him on occasion, but it won't be but once a year, maybe. We just never got along much, I suppose. He's a very private person, and we don't agree on just about anything except our taste in movies. I love him, though, so I won't ever let go of him or anything. It'll be interesting to see if either of them find someone new in the latter half of their lives.

That should catch you up for now. I still love watching movies, playing bridge, Rock Band, and Magic the Gathering, and other old past-times, but I don't get to do them as often anymore. The house on Audubon Lane is still a work-in-progress. We still have to finish a couple of rooms, ceiling to floor, and build some better bookshelves (they are overflowing because Meg and I buy used books a lot!) Mogwai is still with us, though she is getting very old and arthritic. Jack and Jill are still here with us, the crazy cats. Hope you're well!

Swiss Teams

2008-04-29T12:49:00.002-05:00

As a new director of the Oxford Duplicate Bridge Club, I decided that besides the website for the club (located here) I would have an annual event for team play. I made a flyer for it and everything. At first, I decided to hold it on a Sunday and May 18th was the only Sunday in May that would be appropriate as the 11th would've been Graduation weekend (in a college town, you can't really do anything during that weekend) and the 25th is the beginning of the SEC baseball tournament (in Alabama, but most of the bridge players here are Ole Miss fans).

Then I found out that the larger nearby club has a game on Sunday (a regular club game), and that it would be difficult to convince the players from that club to participate in our special event. So I relented and moved it to Saturday as they do not have a game on Saturdays. However, there is another event in Winona, MS concerning the Ace of Clubs and Mini-McKenney awards on Saturday, May 17th. This time, I have no other time to move to. We'll see how many teams sign up to play. Meg and I want to play, and personally I would enjoy having George/Tina as teammates (who wouldn't, they're really good) or Ann/Sylvia (who do very well at our club for being 299ers). I also think David H. would be good, but he has no regular partner. We'll see how that goes.

Also, the system that David H and I were going to play will have to wait as both of us are finishing our college courses this next week with final exams and whatnot. Boo.

Self-Service Coffee and a Hidden Air Mattress

2008-04-29T12:11:00.002-05:00

So, Double Decker has come and gone. Initially, Meg and I expected to house my mother and Emmy (her maid of honor) during the weekend, but they both canceled. Instead, though, I got an email from David Duckworth saying he and his brother are coming and would like a place to crash. So, we entertained the Duckworth boys.

David's brother, Patrick, goes to MSU in Starkville (so did I for 4 years) and he hasn't had a true Oxford experience yet. So, David came up with a checklist of things unique to Oxford to see and do before they left. This list included:

1. Drive over Thrill Hill

2. Get Chicken-on-a-stick from 4 Corners Chevron

3. Drink with Faulkner

4. See the Doorknob at the Center of the Universe

We did get to do 3 of the 4 (we just forgot #1). For those of you who don't know, let me explain.
Thrill Hill is the hill on Johnson St. going towards Lamar Ave. When you drive over it at a sufficient speed, your stomach lurches and some get a thrill from it ;)
Chicken-on-a-stick is a popular "drunk food" here in Oxford as it is offered 24 hours a day at a particular gas station. Other gas stations have food as well, but they don't stay open 24 hr/7 days a week. And it is greasy and yummalicious.
William Faulkner is buried in the cemetery in Oxford and those who knew him would tell you that he was a bit of a drinker. Ok, he drank a lot when he wasn't writing is the story told to me and my friends by someone we can't remember anymore (maybe Charter told me). Anyway, so we took a bottle of Maker's Mark whiskey to his grave, shot straight from the bottle, and poured some on the grave to share with Faulkner.
The Doorknob is a place near Oxford. When going to the doorknob, the destination is not nearly as important as the trip there. Typically, in order to see the doorknob for the first time, you must be blindfolded and hammered drunk (usually you get drunk on the way there). It takes about 15 minutes to get there (or 2 hours if you're Keith Sisson. That was not a good trip.)

I think that this weekend was a success overall. Besides the Oxford must-do list, we went to the festival for food and drink (we drank at the Jubilee as it is one of the only bars on the Square with cards and board games), we played Guitar Hero II and Rock Band (we even went to GameStop to play the drumset there and sing), we went to the Farmer's Market and got Mexican cokes (cokes made with cane sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup) and Pan Dulce, and we went to a good ole-fashioned college party where beer pong and flip-cup were played where there was much consumption of alcohol by those not running in the 10K the next morning (read: Meg and myself).

On a more personal note, I ran the farthest I've ever run at the 10K this weekend (6.2 miles) and I wouldn't have made it if it weren't for Meaghin postponing her marathon training and running with me. xxx

If you weren't aware, I decided to move my bridge posts to a specifically bridge blog. You can find it here: Walking the Dog

A New Distraction

2008-02-21T09:36:00.002-06:00

So, among all the other things to do with my time, I met a couple of really good musicians who are looking for a singer/guitarist. I've been listening to their music for about a week now non-stop, and so far I've learned that I'm not very good at creating melodies. I'm going to kind of "audition" tonight to see if I can join them in their quest for fame. They are so good, though, that I'm worried about not being a part of their quest. I guess I'll find out today.
The UMAIT tournament is right around the corner (March 1st), and I'm short a moderator and about 10 judges. It's not that important to have judges with the stronger moderators, but it would've been nice. I think you have to hound these faculty members, and I'm just not that guy. I also have to hound the schools who haven't sent me their registration materials to make sure they are still coming. The only other things that aren't ready for that tournament are the questions. About 50 Toss-up questions need to be written, and who knows how many Bonus questions. That's what I'll be doing for the most part of my job in the next week.
I think I'll do a bridge blog entry later. I've been missing the bidding systems I've obsessed about over the past 4 years. I figured I can share.

Antiheroes in Film Through the Years

2008-01-24T10:16:00.000-06:00

An antihero is defined as a protagonist or notable figure who is conspicuously lacking in heroic qualities. I've noticed that a lot of the movies I like have an antihero in them, so without including the movies where the villain is the main character (like Friday the 13th, etc.), here is a list of 50 Antiheroes through the years. I know there are others, and responses letting me know what others is greatly appreciated. Enjoy!

1. Philip Marlowe - The Big Sleep (1946)

2. James Bond - Dr. No (1962)

3. The Man with No Name/Blondie - A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

4. Luke - Cool Hand Luke (1967)

5. Harry Callahan - Dirty Harry (1971)

6. Jack Carter - Get Carter (1971)

7. Popeye Doyle - The French Connection (1971)

8. Michael Corleone - The Godfather (1972)

9. Jake Gittes - Chinatown (1974)

10. Randle McMurphy - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

11. Josey Wales - The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

12. Travis Bickle - Taxi Driver (1976)

13. Max Rockatansky - Mad Max (1979)

14. Snake Plissken - Escape from New York

15. John Rambo - First Blood (1982)

16. Jack Burton - Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

17. John McClane - Die Hard (1988)

18. William Munny - Unforgiven (1992)

19. William "Bill" Foster - Falling Down (1993)

20. John Spartan - Demolition Man (1993)

21. Eric Draven - The Crow (1994)

22. Leon - The Professional (1994)

23. Dawn Weiner - Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)

24. John Smith - Last Man Standing (1996)

25. Mark Renton - Trainspotting (1996)

26. Martin Q. Blank - Grosse Point Blank (1997)

27. Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski - The Big Lebowski (1998)

28. Derek Vinyard - American History X (1998)

29. Lester Burnham - American Beauty (1999)

30. Tyler Durden/Narrator - Fight Club (1999)

31. Leonard Shelby - Memento (1999)

32. Lisa Rowe - Girl, Interrupted (1999)

33. Porter - Payback (1999)

34. Richard Riddick - Pitch Black (2000)

35. Logan/Wolverine - X-Men (2000)

36. Joe Blake & Terry Collins - Bandits (2001)

37. Anakin Skywalker - Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)

38. Michael Sullivan - Road to Perdition (2002)

39. El Mariachi - Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)

40. Captain Jack Sparrow - Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

41. Beatrix Kiddo - Kill Bill (2003)

42. Frank Castle - The Punisher (2004)

43. John Creasy - Man On Fire (2004)

44. Bruce Wayne/Batman - Batman Begins (2005)

45. John Constantine - Constantine (2005)

46. V - V for Vendetta (2005)

47. Merv - Sin City (2005)

48. Danny Archer - Blood Diamond (2006)

49. Nick Naylor - Thank You for Smoking (2006)

50. Slevin Kalevra - Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

Movies that Influenced Me (1982-1983)

2008-01-15T14:43:00.003-06:00

Now it's time for my second installment to the Movies that Influenced Me. I sense you're seeing a pattern in these films, and the answer is yes, I hate sci-fi/fantasy. OH, didn't expect that did ya? That's because I lied. I'm kinda the opposite in my alleged hate of sci-fi/fantasy films. Ok, enough my yappin'.

1. Blade Runner (1982)

Recently back in the limelight, this sci-fi movie based on a Philip K. Dick story is beautiful and action-packed. Is he/she a replicant? Let's test them. Watch out! Harrison Ford did so much better as an actor when he didn't think so much of himself. Plus, I love to see Rutger Hauer in the bad guy role. I will say that replicant with the snake was uber-hot even for having scales.

2. Conan the Barbarian (1982)

David and I watched this so often that the VHS tape (or was it a Betamax?) was wearing out. Our dad copied this movie from the TV, so he edited out the sex scene (the whole witch scene for that matter) and a lot of the violent scenes (the ending was chopped up a lot). But when I saw the full version, it was just that much better! Anyway, I love movies about a known characters beginnings. Plus, James Earl Jones couldn't have been a better Thoth-amon. Do you wanna live forever?

3. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Classic movie. Spielburg teaming up with the composer John Williams makes for a great sci-fi/fantasy movie. Again, a kid is the protagonist and the alien is a puppet (I see a pattern). I think this may be the first movie I cried at due to poor E.T.'s immune system. There was something magical about this movie (other than the alien's ability to make bicycles fly) that I just can't explain. Drew Berrymore is in this one, plus the main kid actor, Henry Thomas went on to do other great films like Cloak & Dagger, Legends of the Fall, Suicide Kings, and Gangs of New York.

4. Poltergeist (1982)

This movie scared the crap out of me (I was young, c'mon). When the skeletons popped out of the muddy pool, or when the tree tried to eat the kid, or when the clown came to life (nightmares about that one) are all moments that I can't erase. Poor Heather O'Rourke, though. She made three of these films (all good in their own right), and died due to complications from emergency surgery. The movie itself is full of quoteable lines like "This house is clear" or "They're hee-re". If you haven't seen it, you should and if you hear a jingling under your bed, don't look under it for pete's sake!

5. Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan

Meaghin thinks that you are either a Star Wars or a Star Trek person, but I think that you can be a Star Wars guy with a penchant for this movie, the best of a series of ten movies (an eleventh on the way). Khan is one of my favorite villains as he is intelligent and ruthless. And Shatner shows more emotion in this film than when his friend Spock died (Bones was tore up, though). Sacrifice is always a good movie element, but they messed that up in III when they brought him back. Oh well.

6. The Beastmaster (1982)

This movie was a strange one. I remember this movie vividly for the side characters. Rip Torn as the bad guy, the bat-things that absorbed everything on a man except the bones (nightmares again), and the lovable ferrets named Kodo and Podo were some of the images I still have when reminiscing on my childhood movie influences.

7. The Dark Crystal (1982)

Meaghin disagrees with me on this one, but I think it is one of Jim Henson's masterpieces. The storyline was original, the characters were all puppets and all of them had a life of their own, and the music was classic fantasy epic music. That whimper confused me as a child though. I thought that character was female, but I think now that the Skeksis and Ancients were genderless. Great movie.

8. The Secret of NIMH (1982)

One of the most vibrantly animated films of its time, the Secret of NIMH had a good story and it was more adult-theme oriented than other animated feature films. The characters were gritty and determined. The climax was unexpected and made you feel good. Don Bluth did well with this one. Now, for all those reading this, if you see the straight-to-video sequel anywhere, destroy it. I hate that someone did a crappy movie based on these wonderful characters without Bluth's permission or creative input.

9. Krull (1983)

Can you see that fantasy epics were kinda the norm back in the 80's? I loved it! Krull maybe wasn't acted all that well, nor were the graphic effects anything but laughable, and maybe the movie was a tad long and there were holes all over the plot. It did however, make you want a spinning glaive that you could command with the force (you can see this was after all the SW films. Oops.) Anyway, great soundtrack (James Horner) and the storyline made me want a movie about the couple's predestined child, "the one who will rule the galaxy." Maybe Liam Neeson could be in that movie, too.

10. WarGames (1983)

"How about a nice game of chess?"
"No. Let's play Global Thermo-Nuclear War."
Who says that?! Honestly, when I had a Commodore Amiga computer, we pirated this game called Nuclear War (a cartoon game where you build and then launch nuclear weapons at rival countries. Oh, yeah!) and I loved playing it. I didn't understand what the consequences of an actual nuclear weapon would be at the time, and somehow, I don't think Joshua did either (the computer in this wonderful movie). Matthew Broderick made his career from this and Ferris Bueller (in a later post).

Movies that Influenced Me (1980-1981)

2008-01-15T12:20:00.000-06:00

In the spirit of doing large projects and never finishing them, I am now undertaking a kind of list/review of the movies that influenced me as I grew up. My brother would relate the most on the early movies as we watched a lot of them together. So where to begin? How about the 1980s (I was age 2 through 12).

1. Flash Gordon (1980)

This movie was campy, colorful, and just plain fun. Max von Sydow is the best Ming, and Brian Blessed (Prince Vultan) looks like it's his birthday in every scene. Never mind the bad script, bad special effects, or the fact that it seems the only thing Flash does is not give up (and save everyone of us by accident). The soundtrack alone is worth your 111 minutes.

2. Star Wars Episode V: the Empire Strikes Back (1980)

One of the best movies ever created (mostly because George Lucas listened to other people at this time). It's darker than the previous, and there are no Ewoks! Plus, we learn a lot about the main players that was shrouded in mystery in the Episode IV (see Cloud City lightsaber scene). Well acted, good special effects, considering the year, and all-around good story. You don't get many of those anymore.

3. Superman II (1980)

Christopher Reeve was born to play the Man of Steel as the second installment of this movie series came to the big screen. That sentence is so lame. Anyway, Terrance Stamp is a wonderful General Zod, and this movie shows that Superman isn't just super because he comes from Krypton. Even when faced with 3 others from said planet with the same powers that he has, he STILL triumphs. Plus, we see the conflict between what Kal-el wants in life and what he is destined to do.

4. The Shining (1980)

A very creepy movie, it is one of my first horror movies. Stanley Kubrick had a knack for getting under your skin, and this movie shows just that. Jack Nicholson is good in just about everything he does, but he is really good in this movie. It also taught me a valuable lesson: when a possessed killer is after you, run into a shrub labyrinth in freezing temperatures to get away from said killer.

5. Popeye (1980)

Robin Williams defined the live-action version of this character for me with his superb performance as Popeye. Plus, it's a musical! Bluto is terrifying (until he makes Popeye eat spinach, one of the worst moves a villain has made in film). Now I know what you're thinkin'. "Wouldn't Dave Coulier have made a better popeye? He does the impression all the time on Full House." Watch the movie, and you decide. I think you'll come around to the Robin Williams's bench.

6. Clash of the Titans (1981)

One of the best movies that employed the use of what looks like play-doh in almost every scene. But as a kid, you just believe in the magic of movies. Perseus goes through all the classic trials: Medusa, Thetis the goat-boy, giant scorpions, the Stygian witches, the Kraken. And it's one of my first memories of a sidekick (albeit a mechanical owl named Bubo). Maggie Smith looks pissed in this film the whole time, and princess Andromeda was one of the first hot women I saw on screen, and there will always be a place for her in my lusty heart.

7. Dragonslayer (1981)

Believe it or not, it's a Disney film, but a very serious take on dragons in olden days. Set in Britain around the time when Christianity was starting to take over from Paganism, this movie all about Vermithrax, the great dragon. It was a walking, fire-breathing, flying puppet that was only killed because of a major crystal-smashing-induced explosion. Other than that, the protagonist is whiney, the love interest is a boy for a majority of the film, and the Emperor from Star Wars is in it (before he became the Emperor). It did try a little hard to match the time period in dress and issues.

8. Escape from New York (1981)

This was my introduction to one of my favorite action hero actors, Kurt Russell. Great concept to wall up New York, use it as a penal colony, and let the cons run the place. And of course, since they're all cons, it looks like a war zone in there. But hey, Snake Plissken goes in after the president, doesn't take sh** from anybody, and finishes the job he was given. But this antihero is only doing the right thing to save himself (or so he thinks), which is a nice take on things considering not many real people would go after the president into the killer-run New York. If you want a more campy version of the same thing, watch the sequel Escape from L.A.

9. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

The only really good Indiana Jones movie (doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the others, because I did). This is the movie that starts with the ubiquitous temple scene and giant rolling ball. Indiana Jones is in full form as he tries to thwart the Nazis in their attempt to uncover ancient artifacts that could help them take over the world. The music is absolutely amazing (John Williams again), and the ending is the first time I saw a face melting off. Totally fake-looking, but completely believable. The only thing is, I wish that Belloq hadn't died like a bitch. He would've been such a good nemesis for the later movies.

10. Time Bandits (1981)

Terry Gilliam's first real attempt at creating an imaginative and immersive world, this movie really sticks in my mind from childhood. The humor is dark, the bad guy is ridiculous (would later become the bad guy in Tron), and the protagonist is a kid. Now that formula right there is enough to win me over. I went years between seeing this film, and as an adult it isn't really the same. But it was important to me, and I hope it was for you as well.

Most Enjoyable 300 Movies

2008-01-14T15:06:00.000-06:00

I decided to make a list of my favorite movies, but as I was doing that, I realized that I liked way too many! So I decided to do a Superlist, if you will.

I think that everyone who thinks to their self, "Self, I sure would like to watch a movie that I would enjoy." would find this list helpful.

Something else that would be fun (just to see who is reading this): respond or email me and tell me how many of the 300 movies you have seen.

Now here it is: The Most Enjoyable 300 Movies (in alphabetical order)

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2. 28 Days Later (2002)
3. 300 (2006)
4. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
5. A Christmas Story (1983)
6. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
7. A Few Good Men (1992)
8. A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
9. A League of Their Own (1992)
10. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
11. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
12. About Schmidt (2002)
13. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
14. Airplane! (1980)
15. Alien (1979)
16. Aliens (1986)
17. Amadeus (1984)
18. Amelie (2001)
19. American Beauty (1999)
20. American Psycho (2000)
21. Anchorman: the Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
22. Annie (1982)
23. Apocalypse Now (1979)
24. Armageddon (1998)
25. Army of Darkness (1992)
26. Arthur (1981)
27. As Good As It Gets (1997)
28. Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
29. Back to the Future (1985)
30. Batman (1989)
31. Batman Begins (2005)
32. Beetlejuice (1988)
33. Best in Show (2000)
34. Better Off Dead (1985)
35. Big Fish (2003)
36. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
37. Blade (1998)
38. Blade Runner (1982)
39. Blazing Saddles (1974)
40. Boyz N the Hood (1991)
41. Braveheart (1995)
42. Bull Durham (1988)
43. Cabin Fever (2002)
44. Caddyshack (1980)
45. Carrie (1976)
46. Casablanca (1942)
47. Casino (1995)
48. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
49. Chasing Amy (1997)
50. Chicago (2002)
51. Children of Men (2006)
52. Chinatown (1974)
53. Clash of the Titans (1981)
54. Clerks (1994)
55. Closer (2004)
56. Clue (1985)
57. Conan the Barbarian (1982)
58. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
59. Crash (2005)
60. Crimson Tide (1995)
61. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
62. Cube (1997)
63. Dark City (1998)
64. Dave (1993)
65. Dawn of the Dead (1979)
66. Dead Poets Society (1989)
67. Demolition Man (1993)
68. Desperado (1995)
69. Die Hard (1988)
70. Dodgeball: a True Underdog Story (2004)
71. Donnie Darko (2001)
72. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
73. Dragonslayer (1981)
74. Dreamgirls (2006)
75. Drop Dead Fred (1991)
76. Dumb & Dumber (1994)
77. Dune (1984)
78. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
79. El Mariachi (1992)
80. Empire of the Sun (1987)
81. Enter the Dragon (1973)
82. Escape from New York (1981)
83. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
84. Fargo (1996)
85. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
86. Fight Club (1999)
87. Flash Gordon (1980)
88. Fletch (1985)
89. For a Few Dollars More (1965)
90. Forrest Gump (1994)
91. Friday the 13th (1980)
92. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
93. Gangs of New York (2002)
94. Garden State (2004)
95. Ghost Dog: the Way of the Samurai (1999)
96. Ghostbusters (1984)
97. Gladiator (2000)
98. Glory Road (2006)
99. Good Will Hunting (1997)
100. Grease (1978)
101. Gremlins (1984)
102. Groundhog Day (1993)
103. Halloween (1978)
104. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
105. Hero (2002)
106. High Fidelity (2000)
107. Highlander (1986)
108. History of the World, Part I (1981)
109. Hook (1991)
110. Hot Fuzz (2007)
111. Hulk (2003)
112. Jaws (1975)
113. Juno (2008)
114. Jurassic Park (1993)
115. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
116. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
117. Krull (1983)
118. Kung Fu Hustle (2004)
119. L.A. Confidential (1997)
120. Labyrinth (1986)
121. Lean on Me (1989)
122. Legend (1985)
123. Leon the Professional (1994)
124. Les Miserables (1998)
125. Liar Liar (1997)
126. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
127. Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
128. Love Actually (2003)
129. Mad Max (1979)
130. Magnolia (1999)
131. Mallrats (1995)
132. Mars Attacks! (1996)
133. Memento (2000)
134. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
135. Misery (1990)
136. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
137. Moonstruck (1987)
138. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
139. Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
140. Mulholland Dr. (2001)
141. My Cousin Vinny (1992)
142. Napolean Dynamite (2004)
143. Necessary Roughness (1991)
144. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
145. Not Another Teen Movie (2001)
146. Ocean's Eleven (2001)
147. Office Space (1999)
148. Oliver! (1968)
149. On the Waterfront (1954)
150. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
151. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
152. Open Your Eyes (1997)
153. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
154. Pi (1998)
155. Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
156. Planet of the Apes (1968)
157. Platoon (1986)
158. Poltergeist (1982)
159. Popeye (1980)
160. Predator (1987)
161. Psycho (1960)
162. Pulp Fiction (1994)
163. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
164. Rain Man (1988)
165. Raising Arizona (1987)
166. Real Genius (1985)
167. Reign of Fire (2002)
168. Rent (2005)
169. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
170. Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
171. Robocop (1987)
172. Rocky (1976)
173. Romancing the Stone (1984)
174. Rounders (1998)
175. Rudy (1993)
176. Run Lola Run (1998)
177. Say Anything... (1989)
178. Schindler's List (1993)
179. Scrooged (1988)
180. Se7en (1995)
181. Seven Samurai (1954)
182. Shaolin Soccer (2001)
183. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
184. Shine (1996)
185. Signs (2002)
186. Sin City (2005)
187. Sneakers (1992)
188. Some Like It Hot (1959)
189. South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut (1999)
190. Spaceballs (1987)
191. Speed (1994)
192. Spider-man (2002)
193. Spider-man 2 (2004)
194. Stand by Me (1986)
195. Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan (1982)
196. Star Wars Episode IV: a New Hope (1977)
197. Star Wars Episode V: the Empire Strikes Back (1980)
198. Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
199. Stargate (1994)
200. Sunshine (2007)
201. Superman (1978)
202. Superman II (1980)
203. Swingers (1996)
204. Talladega Nights: the Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
205. Taxi Driver (1976)
206. Team America: World Police (2004)
207. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
208. The Abyss (1989)
209. The American President (1995)
210. The Beastmaster (1982)
211. The Big Lebowski (1998)
212. The Birdcage (1996)
213. The Birds (1963)
214. The Blues Brothers (1980)
215. The Boondock Saints (1999)
216. The Breakfast Club (1985)
217. The Butterfly Effect (2004)
218. The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)
219. The Crow (1994)
220. The Dark Crystal (1982)
221. The Departed (2006)
222. The Devil's Advocate (1997)
223. The Evil Dead (1981)
224. The Exorcist (1973)
225. The Fifth Element (1997)
226. The Fugitive (1993)
227. The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)
228. The Godfather (1972)
229. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
230. The Goodbye Girl (1977)
231. The Goonies (1985)
232. The Graduate (1967)
233. The Karate Kid (1984)
234. The Last Starfighter (1984)
235. The Lion King (1994)
236. The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
237. The Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers (2002)
238. The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King (2003)
239. The Lost Boys (1987)
240. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
241. The Matrix (1999)
242. The Mummy (1999)
243. The Music Man (1962)
244. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
245. The Natural (1984)
246. The Neverending Story (1984)
247. The Omen (1976)
248. The One (2001)
249. The Others (2001)
250. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
251. The Prestige (2006)
252. The Princess Bride (1987)
253. The Quick and the Dead (1995)
254. The Replacement Killers (1998)
255. The Replacements (2000)
256. The Road Warrior (1981)
257. The Rock (1996)
258. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
259. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
260. The Secret of NIMH (1982)
261. The Shadow (1994)
262. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
263. The Shining (1980)
264. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
265. The Sixth Sense (1999)
266. The Terminator (1984)
267. The Usual Suspects (1995)
268. The Village (2004)
269. The Wedding Singer (1998)
270. The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
271. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
272. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
273. Three Amigos! (1986)
274. Time Bandits (1981)
275. Titus (1999)
276. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
277. Tombstone (1993)
278. Tommy (1975)
279. Tommy Boy (1995)
280. Tootsie (1982)
281. Top Gun (1986)
282. Trainspotting (1996)
283. True Lies (1994)
284. UHF (1989)
285. Unbreakable (2000)
286. Underworld (2003)
287. Unforgiven (1992)
288. V for Vendetta (2005)
289. Victor/Victoria (1982)
290. Flight of the Navigator (1986)
291. WarGames (1983)
292. We Are Marshall (2006)
293. West Side Story (1961)
294. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
295. William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996)
296. Willow (1988)
297. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
298. Yojimbo (1961)
299. Young Frankenstein (1974)
300. Zoolander (2001)

Posting anew

2007-10-04T13:23:00.000-05:00

So, a new blog! All kinds of possibilities exist right now. I hope to use this as a means to get ideas out of my head about bridge, college football, possible movies, disc golf, and whatever else I can get obsessed about this week.

What am I doing now? Well, I am currently in a money Fantasy Football league with co-workers. I'm now 3-1 and doing well. It's the only reason I keep up with NFL football nowadays, so I deem it necessary. I also got some of my friends to be involved with me in a fantasy football league on Yahoo! where the winner gets bragging rights. Currently undefeated there. Figures.

I am semi-training for a disc golf event coming up on the 12th of October. It's a 4 person team event, so I'm dragging Dr. Adrian Wilson of Ole Miss mathematics fame and Meaghin, my loved and loving wife, and Adrian is dragging James, a colleague of his. We are not good, but everytime we're out there, I hear '80s montage music. This is the disc I almost created one day, but I lost contact with the guy who was making it. I should call him.

I also love to think up movie script ideas. I love movies, and for years, I think of one, write the synopsis, tell Meaghin (she's my crappy-movie filter), and then forget about it. It's frustrating the crap out of me, so I am actually going to film a short film for the YouTube.com contest. A guy I work with is going to help me get all the necessaries for that to come true. I'll let you know a) if it gets done and b) how well it does.

Lastly, I play bridge. 4 years ago, Meaghin and I sat down and taught ourselves bridge compelled by a desire to compete in an intercollegiate tournament on the web (using e-bridge). It was also a team event, so we taught a buddy of ours overnight how to bid correctly in SAYC. He doesn't play to this day. I have kept the interest in bridge alive, it seems sometimes. They say young people don't play the game anymore, and I say... they're right (whoever they are). It's just really difficult to convince someone our age to learn a game where you have to memorize the bidding (and it can get complicated), and think while playing. In fact, it is probably the toughest game to play that I know of. But I love it, I love the bidding, I love the declarer play, the defense, the personalities in the professional world of bridge, everything! Meaghin's interest in the game has waned over the years, and I fear that I will be without the best partner I could ever hope for.

Oh, yeah. I also play trivia for money at Two Stick restaurant every Tuesday night at 10:30. Bong Hits 4 Jesus represent! We're pretty successful, if I may say so.