Robots you want to bring home to mom

I’m gonna say it: Wall-E is the best animated movie I have ever seen.

Yes, I know, it’s the kiss of death–swearing by a movie before opening weekend is officially over. But to be honest, I have never been so enamored and captivated by an animated film as I was with this one. Disney/Pixar definitely outdid themselves this time around. Not only was the film ingenious, unique and innovative, but it had all the elements of what older animated films had: humor, adventure, excitement, and of course, that moral at the end of the story.

WALL-E and EVE, enjoying a beautiful sunset. Well, more like WALL-E enjoying a beautiful sunset.

I remember seeing the preview for this film back at Comic-Con and I was so intrigued by the concept. Wall-E is short for Waste Allocation Load-Lifter Earth class–basically a robot tasked to clean up Earth after the human race has properly polluted it to the point of it not being sustainable for life. He is basically alone on a planet littered with waste, and after 700 years by himself, he’s seemed to develop quite a personality, and consequently, has grown quite lonely. Wall-E is like E.T. in a way; curious, quirky and so adorable you just wanna bring him home.

Previous animated films have relied heavily on the written script and character voices to get the humor across and to liven up the scenes, but Wall-E proves you don’t need witty dialogue to hold a film together. I felt like I was watching a mime performance, in that the visuals were so stunning yet elaborate and so detailed. Even without talking, Wall-E is so endearing that you just can’t help but grow fond of him in the next hour and a half. The whole story has minimal dialogue, but is so packed with meaning and message that it totally blew my mind how Disney/Pixar was even able to pull this off!

It looks like we're not the only ones who are perplexed by the Rubik's cube.

Of course, we have to get down to the moral of the story, which is a staple of Disney films. Wall-E covered all the bases! It was like a social commentary from an animated point of view: From environmental awareness to the growing problem of obesity in America, over-reliance on appliances and technology to get by, as well as commenting on social issues like how the quirky and the offbeat are somewhat condemned in society and how the sleek, clean and upright ones are worshipped. Wall-E is not just a quirky robot; you could say he’s a robot with a lot of heart, which sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s true. He’s heroic, selfless, and he follows his heart, even when it gets him into all sorts of trouble. He reminds me of Charlie Bartlett, a character I just saw from the film of the same title. Charlie Bartlett likes to extend his hand out to every single person he meets, regardless of whether they are the “right” kind or not, and always introduces himself. Wall-E is the same thing, only more adorable.

This movie has so much heart! I have never cried watching an animated movie, and this one was so touching I couldn’t help but tear up! It was heartwarming and interesting, but wasn’t over-the-top with the physical comedy like other animated films. What I’m particularly proud of this movie for is the fact that it makes yout think. Right when we emerged from the theater, one of my sisters said “So that’s what the future will be like if we don’t take care of the environment!” I was pleased, because not only was the message relayed to the audience, but it was relayed in a way that makes you enjoy it, yet at the same time fully realize the gravity of the situation it may be implying. But in the end, despite all the intelligent messages and the ingenuity, the film still needs to be entertaining and fun for any person regardless of age. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I saw the film with my two younger sisters and they had a blast. I was also surveying the crowd and the theater was packed with people of all ages. Parents with their kids, teenagers, twentysomethings, grandparents, it was a film for everyone. I think this film will set the standard for the future of animation.

Dr. Bartlett will see you now

My new favorite movie is Charlie Bartlett, a film about a seventeen-year-old kid who is always up to shenanigans that get him kicked out of every private school he’s been enrolled in. His mother gets shrinks to try to figure out what is wrong with him and enrolls Charlie into a public school, where he changes everyone’s lives just by listening to them in the boys restroom. Think Ferris Bueller, only with a bigger message and with a way, way more talented lead actor.

The T-shirt says it all.

It was just delightful to watch Anton Yelchin as the charismatic Bartlett. Like Ferris Bueller, as part of the audience you want to be Bartlett. Or at least, you want to be in Bartlett’s inner circle. Yelchin is quirky, earnest and completely having fun as the pill-prescribing Bartlett, who gets the bright idea (which adults always seem to miss) of actually listening to the kids in his high school and helping them out with their issues. But it doesn’t end there. Charlie Bartlett has his own issues that he needs to sort out–issues that motivated him to help other kids in the first place.

The film is very easy to relate to. Everyone’s been in high school at some point in their life, and everyone knows how that is. My experience was definitely different. In fact, my high school experience was far from excruciating. It was one of the best days of my life. But what is pretty much a staple in high school is how much you start realizing that the adults around you start to become strangers. In my high school experience, your teachers were never really there. They were just getting by, trying to teach you your stuff. It didn’t feel like they cared what happened to you in the future. Your parents seem to not know what to do with you, or they know absolutely what they want to do with you and you have no say about where your life is supposed to go. Ah, such is the drama of teen angst, and Bartlett captures it beautifully with a fun story and a brilliant cast.

Anton Yelchin is not the only standout actor in this film. Robert Downey Jr. plays the high school principal who gets suspicious of Bartlett’s shenanigans and doesn’t exactly know how to handle the situation, let alone his teenage daughter, whom Bartlett happens to fancy. Downey (do I have to say Downey Jr.?) delivers his classic rapid-fire quips and trademark no-nonsense demeanor, and yet you can see his brilliance when he starts to descend into that dark hole where his character writhes in his own personal depression. Downey’s character is a bit of an alcoholic, and since he himself has had experience battling alcoholism in the past, he gives you just the right performance. I love when he says “Never attack a drunk guy with a gun!” That was hilarious.

Hope Davis [The Weather Man] is also one to commend in this film. She plays Charlie’s mother, who is a bit dazed and doped up that she barely knows what to do with her son. Tyler Hilton, who you probably know from One Tree Hill, also delivers a fun performance as Murphy, your typical high school burnout bully.

I would highly recommend this film. It’s your typical feelgood high school movie, but definitely ten notches more intelligent than say, Accepted. The performances are great, the issues are there, and the message is a pretty simple yet profound one: All the therapy that you need is just someone who can listen.

The wrath of mother nature

No doubt you have all heard about the destruction that has occurred in the Philippines due to Typhoon Frank. My hometown, Iloilo, was hit the worst by the typhoon and thousands have lost their homes and are now living in evacuation centers. Most have not only lost their houses and belongings, but loved ones as well. Please do what you can to help by clicking the link below and contacting any of those listed so you can help.

http://www.exploreiloilo.com/typhoon-frankfengshen-ravages-iloilo-philippines.html

This has been a very difficult year for everyone, no matter which part of the world you are in. Myanmar was hit with a catastrophic typhoon as well. Thousands died in China after that devastating earthquake. Here in the U.S., the midwest is suffering from floods as well. We should all try to lend a helping hand during this time of need. Please do anything you can to help.

Following Death Cab into the dark

Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie

I went to see Death Cab for Cutie last night. The band is on tour promoting their new album Narrow Stairs, which just dropped this month. The new record is pretty decent. There are some gems in there, such as “Bixby Canyon Bridge” and “Your New Twin Sized Bed”, but the single that’s getting the most airplay from radio stations is the 8 minute, 35-second long ”I Will Possess Your Heart”, which I have to admit is not my favorite on the record.

Last night’s set was pretty good. There was a pretty healthy mix of old treasured hits like “Title and Registration”, “A Movie Script Ending” (which is this blog’s namesake, duh), and “The Sound of Settling” as well as newer ones off the most recent Stairs and the last album, Plans, such as “Soul Meets Body” and of course, the apparent crowd favorite (though not mine) “I Will Follow You Into the Dark”. The energy of the band was pretty good, albeit surprisingly high-energy for a band whose songs are themes for breakups and moping sessions. I had wished for more of an intimate performance, especially for “A Movie Script Ending”, which is one of my favorites (obviously). However, they had decided to forgo doing an acoustic of that song, which was unfortunate. I wish they had played “Lightness” from Transatlanticism, or “Death of an Interior Decorator” or “Styrofoam Plates” from The Photo Album, but alas, not so much.

The band was still pretty good. Ben Gibbard had a spankin’ new look. He was without his trademark dorky glasses, but his other trademark, the sideburns, were still there. I thought they played a very clean set, and they definitely made use of the lights on the stage. They probably went a bit overboard with the fog machine/dry ice for my taste, but overall it was a pretty decent show. It was pretty funny, because there was this girl sitting right next to my friend and I who was the diehard Death Cab fan. I swear, she was gyrating and doing some sort of strange, interpretative dance to the songs. She was also singing every single song loudly, much to our chagrin. Oh, and she cried during one of the songs, I forget which. I think it was “Title and Registration”.

It's dry ice gone wild! Ben Gibbard performs at an atmospheric SDSU Open Air Theatre.

Overall it was a pretty OK show. I could have done without “I Will Follow You Into the Dark”, but since it’s a crowd favorite, I understood why they had to play it. I think there could have been a little bit more crowd interaction, or at least something that you could at least observe other than listening to their CD. They seemed to have a good time playing though, so that is always good. I would have personally preferred a smaller venue, only because I believe bands play differently in smaller venues. Although Death Cab’s pretty big now, I think their performance would have been much different, and the set list would probably have been much more bent to their hardcore fans. I would have liked them to have changed something up a bit–just switched it up so it doesn’t seem like you’re just listening to their album, but I don’t think they did that. They did deliver on point, though, if that’s the kind of show you like.

The opening act Rogue Wave was also awesome. This band also delivers pretty on-point, not straying too far away from what you can hear on the album. I still thoroughly enjoyed their performance of “Publish My Love”. Here are some pics I took at the show:

Zach Rogue of Rogue Wave, opening for Death Cab for Cutie at the San Diego State University's Open Air Theatre.

Internet killed the radio star

So we all know the power of the mighty Interweb. If you’re reading this now, obviously you are aware that most teenagers these days are so tech-savvy they pretty much know more about gizmogadgetry than 10 old geezers combined (well, 10 old geezers excluding Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, of course). Gone are the days when musicians needed to tour their asses off just to get the word out about their music. You don’t need to have a lot of connections, or a lot of money. All you need to be an internet star is a computer and a webcam, your choice of musical instrument, and voila: instant stardom. That is, of course, considering you have talent.

The strangest things can be found on the internet. A friend of mine has a disturbing fascination with watching internet videos of people getting shit on [Off topic question: what is the past participle of shit, anyway?], while my mother is piqued by the videos of Journey that have been posted on YouTube. It’s true, with the internet, everything is at your fingertips. Nowdays, google is a word you can find in the dictionary.

I like to browse the web for acoustic performances of bands and offbeat antics from music stars. And sometimes you stumble on a few acts that are actually pretty amazing. Here are a few easter eggs found on the interweb:

This band Boyce Avenue likes to post their covers of their favorite songs on YouTube. Some of their performances are even better than the originals, in my opinion; such as this one, a cover of Leona Lewis’ overplayed single “Bleeding Love”:

Now this guy is like a super internet star. His name is Luke Sandoval, and his voice is absolutely amazing. This guy has a really nice voice. He does many covers, and they are all great but this one is a standout for me, only because I absolutely adore Chris Garneau. Here is his cover of “Not Nice”, one of my favorite tracks off of Music for Tourists. The nice thing about this video is he also shows some emotion when he sings–like he really understands the song’s lyrics.

Here’s another favorite Luke Sandoval cover, “Casimir Pulaski Day”, one of my favorite Sufjan Stevens songs.

So as you can see, it’s easy to be an Internet star. What’s not easy is to inherit the same amount of talent these people have.

Frakked up and ready to go

Battlestar Galactica's resident Cylon: Six, played by Tricia Helfer

I don’t know why I have never had the inclination to watch Battlestar Galactica (the TV series) before, but after some people suggested I watch it, I figured, hey what do I have to lose (except, as it turns out, much sleep, because this show is awesome). I heard that it has some good writing and that it’s got a nice cast of characters, so I figured it can’t be half bad. I started watching the pilot episode for the miniseries and was completely blown away.

Basically the premise is that the human civilization is divided into 12 colonies, all ruled by one President. There was the creation of the Cylons, who started to go bad and attacked their human inventors and an attempt at a truce was never resolved. However, after some time the Cylons had stopped attacking and for about 20+ years the humans have had peace. After such a long time without an attack, the humans decide to shut down their space military operations, assuming that the Cylons have either annihilated themselves or that they were simply not hostile anymore. The Battlestar Galactica is the last operating battleship around and it has been turned into a “museum” of sorts after several years of no attack. And then, as you may have guessed, the Cylons attack.

There are some very interesting characters on the show, and unlike other sci-fi shows, this one doesn’t really bother with the kiddie stuff. They don’t try to sugarcoat scenes or try to dumb down the show so non sci-fi fans will like it. This is a show made for sci-fi geeks (like Yours Truly) and even if you weren’t a sci-fi fan I don’t think you would be at all bothered by all the gizmo-talk that the characters do on the show.

Capital D for drama! Battlestar Galactica's awesome cast. From left to right: Tricia Helfer, James Callis, Katee Sackhoff, Edward James Olmos, Jamie Bamber, Mary McDonnell and Grace Park.

The concept of the Cylons seems like Terminator meets Star Wars, though. For one, the older Cylon models look like storm troopers. And then the 12 advanced Cylon models are basically Terminators (cybernetic robots made of synthetic material), except you can uh…have sex with them (don’t ask me how, I don’t know). So far, I have only seen a handful of episodes, but the show already is pulling me in with its unique plot twists and the interesting characters. Although let’s admit that Edward James Olmos is not the most good-looking actor, he definitely brings something extra to his portrayal of Commander Adama. It’s also pretty action-packed, and it’s a pretty nice-looking show with intricate CGI and cinematography.

However, I have learned that this show is on its final run and is currently showing their fourth and final season. I think it’s a shame I only caught it as it was finishing up, but it’s a great show all the same. I wish Firefly was given the same chance as this show has been given, but hey. What the frak can you do, right?

The Chronicles of awesome

Summer Glau plays Cameron, the cybernetic robot from the future sent to protect John Connor.

I don’t know why I shrugged off Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles when I first heard it would be coming to Fox. I was never really a fan of Terminator, but I did love Terminator 2. I got the chance to see the first season and I have to say, man Summer Glau still kicks ass. To those of you who don’t know who Summer Glau is, you obviously aren’t Browncoats. Summer Glau played the awesome River Tam in Joss Whedon’s Firefly and Serenity. She was so great in that character, and she is well-known for her butt-kicking action as well as dramatic acting from the series. She was the sole reason I felt like watching Chronicles.

The pilot was pretty good. It felt like a really long episode, which I like, and I especially loved the classroom scene with the introduction of the first Terminator. The script could use a bit more tweaking, and Lena Headey seems to give a bit of a one-dimensional performance as the title character Sarah Connor, but who cares? As long as Summer Glau continues to be on the show it will be pretty good.

I heard that Fox has picked it up for a second season, and well they should. It has great potential, and I feel like Glau is only deserving to have a show that finally gets picked up for its brilliance, even when her stint on Firefly, in my opinion, was her best.

I like how they made Cameron [Summer Glau] say “Come with me if you want to live”, the famous Arnold line from T2. I thought it was great because it’s a classic line, and yet less cheesy now that someone different is playing it. I think that to have a female Terminator is important because the media knows that women kicking ass sells. Buffy, Alias, and even Kristanna Loken’s role as the bad Terminator in T3. I would give Chronicles a chance if you haven’t seen it yet, and I am definitely excited for season 2.

Oh, folk it!

Some folk tunes and more. If you like Joshua Radin, you will like Chris Garneau’s lullaby-ish songs. The Clientele is for fans of Stars, and Brit-Poppers would dig The isles.

1. Chris Garneau - Black & Blue

2. City and Colour - Against the Grain

3. The Darcys - We Twin Bruises

4. Rogue Wave - California

5. The Dodos - God?

6. Josh Rouse - Summertime

7. Matt Costa - The Road

8. Sea Bear - I Sing I Swim

9. Secret Stars - Back in the Car

10. Andrew Bird - The Naming of Things

11. The Isles - Flying Under Cheap Kites

12. The Clientele - My Own Face Inside the Trees

Obama FTW!

So it has been an intense and grueling journey for the American presidency, and I’m only talking about the battle in the Democratic side of the race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. The race ended yesterday after the final primaries in South Dakota and Montana were finished, and Obama emerged the presumptive nominee after crossing the 2,118 line of pledged delegates required to be the Democratic nominee. Finally! Many people have started to worry that Clinton was becoming this crazy, psycho weirdo who was somehow under the delusion that she would still be able to win the nomination, even though the numbers were against her.

Needless to say, I am extremely relieved the fight is over, and we can now move on to the bigger picture: November. I don’t think that John McCain has a chance in hell of winning the presidency, so I am banking on Obama and I am confident that the Democratic Party will come together and unite around him. Obama’s speech in St. Paul, Minnesota yesterday proclaimed: “This is our time,” and it seemed like after he said that, all over the nation people were either cheering ecstatically or bawling for Hillary.

Unfortunately Clinton still hasn’t conceded, although there are rumors that she will later this week. Hopefully she can put everything behind her and move on. Now the question on everyone’s mind is: Will Obama appoint her for the Vice Presidency? Will there be a dream ticket? Personally, I think it would be a bad idea to have Clinton for VP. I think she is so invested in the presidency that she’s not humble enough to take some consolation prize from Barack Obama. However, Obama does have a significant problem when it comes to getting Clinton’s supporters over to his side. Polls show that most of Clinton’s supporters claim to rather stay home in November than vote for Obama. So many people are trying to pressure Obama into submitting and into making Clinton his VP. Former president Jimmy Carter says this would be “the worst mistake that could be made”, and I agree with him. Clinton on the ticket would mean party unity yes, but it would not help Obama’s message of “change”. Clinton is also way too overbearing and way too persistent when it comes to pushing her points of view, so I think instead of being a harmonious pair, they would be a disaster.

My choice for VP would be Joe Biden, who is strong where Obama is weak: namely, foreign policy. This would create a really strong ticket, because Joe Biden is pretty well-known, and he’s got a great track record. Against John McCain, I think this would be the best pair. On the other hand, people are talking about a Barack Obama-Bill Richardson ticket. I don’t think it’s a good idea, because I don’t think that America is ready for a dual-minority ticket, even though the name Bill Richardson doesn’t exactly reflect which minority the governor of New Mexico belongs to. Caroline Kennedy is just one of the few people appointed by Obama to search for his VP, and in the next few weeks, it will be most exciting to see how this will all unfold.

In the meantime, congratulations to Barack Obama, and I’m looking forward to the debates he and John McCain have over the next few months. And in the meantime, as well, for you people who’ve got time on their hands, this video by Jerry O’Connell is hilarious. See young Hillary Clinton in this hilarious skit:

An anatomy of a bad movie

I saw two films this week that were seriously disappointing. One was Strange Wilderness, which looked promising in previews, but required the attention span of a goldfish to understand. The second was The Air I Breathe–a film with a promising cast, and yet a seriously pointless outcome.

Bad movies are, in my opinion, films that give you two hours give or take of complete nothing. It can be the most interesting concept (a group of guys who decide to make their own wildlife show) or the most star-studded cast (Brendan Fraser, Andy Garcia, Kevin Bacon, Forest Whitaker, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Emile Hirsch), but if the writing and the seamless editing isn’t there, you don’t have a film, you have a wasted million bucks. This is why I don’t consider those stupid romantic comedies bad movies. Regardless of how cheesy they are or how predictable, there are moments in those movies that make you wonder what you would have done had you been in the characters’ positions. Watching these two movies, on the other hand, made me remember that I had to pick up my dry cleaning, and that I needed to get my tickets to Seaworld before next week, and that I had to go get some spinach from the grocery store. When someone in the audience starts ticking off errands in their brain during a film, that’s usually a bad sign.

Strange Wilderness is a Happy Madison production; at least that’s what it said in the credits. It was a complete waste of time; as if someone had given a bunch of high school freshman a couple thousand bucks to shoot their own movie. It wasn’t funny, and you couldn’t sit through it. The film revolves around the premise of Steve Zahn’s character trying to get together a group of friends to help him resurrect his father’s once-golden wilderness show. The film is poorly written, with the sense of humor of a 5-year-old. It wasn’t entertaining–it was like watching someone put your brain into a blender over and over again. Now I love comedy, but comedy that belittles an audience and thinks that smoking pot is supposed to be funny enough, is in my opinion, just plain stupid. I can’t really do a decent review of Strange Wilderness, since I shut the DVD player off at 15:42. I had to. If I didn’t, I think my IQ would have dropped 50 more points.

As for The Air I Breathe…I am a huge Sarah Michelle Gellar fan. Even though she’s made some bad decisions in the past (coughScooby Doo, Suburban Girlcough), I thought, hey, it’s got a star-studded cast. It can’t be that bad. Wrong. The film was not only mind-numbingly uninteresting, it was downright indulgent and silly. The only good thing about that film was Emile Hirsch playing an oversexed white kid trying to be gangsta. Basically the film is kind of like Storytelling, where there are different stories and intersecting characters. The film begins with Forest Whitaker’s character who is so unhappy with his life that he decides to go bet $50,000 at a horse race, after overhearing a bunch of co-workers talking about the rigged outcome. At the end of his story, I was like, “Okay, and?” I could not understand what the movie was trying to say, and I felt like the characters were so vague and so uninteresting that I went to the bathroom twice during this film. Sarah Michelle Gellar playing a pop star (surprise, surprise) in this film was blah, Brendan Fraser trying to channel some kind of tough guy with premonitions, and Andy Garcia channeling…well…Andy Garcia. The film was trying to hard, and 1 hour after it had began, I still couldn’t understand what the fuck was going on.

Bad movies aren’t movies that have predictably happy endings, or have lines that you’ve heard a million times before. I watched 27 Dresses for a cute guy named James Marsden, and yes, it did fail me because it was the stupidest ending on the planet, but it was still fun. On the other hand, these two films, Strange Wilderness and The Air I Breathe, are unoriginal, boring as hell, and simply require the mention of a few big stars to reassure them that audiences will bite. Yes, we know Jonah Hill is a success from Superbad. We know he’s funny. But no, lumping him with the Mac guy and Steve Zahn doesn’t make a film. Believe it or not, these guys are funny when they have funny scripts. The Air I Breathe, on the other hand, was not well-written, and the premise was so confusing you couldn’t even follow 1 hour after it had begun.