Chicks Rule!

Check out this awesome poster for a new movie documenting the travails of the Dixie Chicks who were crucified by many for having sympathy for Iraqi civilians:



http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shut_up_and_sing/

Borat II - The Revenge

From Reuters:

Borat star's next film sparks bidding war

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Bruno," English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's follow-up to next week's release "Borat," triggered an intense bidding war in Hollywood on Thursday.

By early evening, sources said leading contender Universal Pictures had offered more than $42 million for worldwide rights to the film.

As in the case of "Borat," Jay Roach would produce with Baron Cohen. No director is on board, though it has been reported that Baron Cohen wants to shoot the movie in the summer.

In "Bruno," he will call upon another of his alter egos, a gay fashionista from Austria. Bruno fancies himself as "the voice of Austrian youth TV." In his appearances on Baron Cohen's "Da Ali G Show," the character sashayed from New York Fashion Week to Miami nightclubs.

Fox, one of the contenders for "Bruno," is releasing the Larry Charles-directed "Borat" on November 3.

Worst Movies: Number 1

The worst movie I've ever seen was released in August of 1998. The reviews said it was pretty bad, but I found that hard to believe with a cast that included Ralph Fiennes, Uma Thurman, and Sean Connery. I was wrong.



http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1083461-avengers/

"The Avengers" was awful. Even Uma's kick-ass outfit couldn't save this one. It sucked more than any other movie that I have ever seen. Will I ever again see a movie as bad? Probably not, God willing.

Garth Part III

I was set. Tickets to 5 of Garth Brooks' 9 shows at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The first show I would be attending was just gonna be me. The seats weren't the greatest, however. They were in the upper level and facing the back of the stage. I printed directions off our PC and made final preparations.

I left plenty early in my 2-door '95 emerald green Neon. I found a parking ramp located just a few blocks from the Center. I had plenty of time, so walked through a mall that was nearby. I ate at their food court, McDonald's if you can believe it (I don't eat there anymore). I had some chicken nuts as my dad once called them.

A little over an hour before showtime, I mosied over to the Center. There were lots of people outside, but no one selling tickets (scalping), which was a bit surprising to me. The atmosphere that early fall evening was electric. GB was in town, for perhaps the last time. I entered the facility, looked at some of the Garth trinkets up for sale, and then found my seat.

Garth wasn't the only one performing that night. Trisha Yearwood (his future wife) was his opening act. As showtime got closer, music started playing over the speakers, music from the Mavericks' new CD, "Trampoline" (Trisha was married to their guitarist at this time). The Center started to fill up. And then it was magic time. Trisha came out to much applause and did most all of her big hits. I had listened to her newest album on my way up to the show that afternoon.



I had actually already seen Trisha in concert 3 years prior in LaCrosse with Collin Raye. Her show ended and there was a short break. By this time, the place was totally packed. We were all ready for the big guy and he made quite an entrance. The stage opened up and we saw a man wearing a cowboy hat playing a baby grand piano. It looked just like Garth. Lots of screaming ensued. However, we then saw someone in a cowboy hat coming out of the piano itself!



This was the guy we had been waiting to see.



The picture above doesn't really represent what I saw. Remember, I was in the upper level facing the back of the stage. However, he did face us "back-side (ass) people" while he sang, "Callin' Baton Rouge". That was sweet of him. After the song, he headed back to the front of the stage. Many of the women in my area started whining. They wanted the sexy boy to continue facing them. Oh well. What can you do?

After the show ended, I could finally say that I had seen Garth in concert, but the view I had had left much to be desired plus I wasn't able to share the experience with another. I looked forward to going to the next show when the seats would be much better and I would be going with my best friend.

An autumnal afternoon at the movie show

I did, indeed, go to the number 1 movie last weekend, "The Prestige", yesterday afternoon.



Not quite as good as "The Illusionist", but I wasn't expecting it to be. Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) and Christian Bale (Batman) were both solid as dueling magicians. Andy Serkis (Gollum) even made an appearance. And like any good magic trick, there were clever twists as well. But to truly get everything, you really have to pay attention. The first lines uttered in the movie (and the tagline on the movie's poster) are, "Are you watching closely?"

I have this thing now where I REALLY like to relax when going to a movie, especially by myself. It started when I went to see Nicolas Cage in "The Weather Man" last fall. I was sitting near the front of the theatre and was feeling really lazy. I lifted the arm rest to my right and put my head down on the next seat. I then lifted the arm rest to my left and stretched my legs out. In this position, I could see all but about 20% (the very bottom) of the screen. It was quite comfy. I like!

Worst Movies: Number 2

Number 2 is another movie that a "friend" suggested we go to, even though I had heard it was abysmal. From the summer of 1999, I give you



http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wild_wild_west/

There was one very small bit in it where I kinda laughed. That was when Will Smith kicked some guy in the groin and then the guy had no reaction. Will shook his head realizing the guy was most likely a robot. Beyond that, it was 1 hour and 47 minutes of agony.

Magic

I am thinking of going to a movie today. I'm leaning towards a matinee, most likely "The Prestige".



http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/prestige/

It takes place at the turn-of-the-century and deals with magic. The last movie I went to was "The Illusionist" which also takes place at the turn-of-the-century and involves magic (I did a write-up on it a couple weeks ago). If it's 3/4 as good as "The Illusionist", it'll be worth the trip.

The Searchers

I've been amused lately looking at some of the ways that people find my weblog. One guy found it by searching for "number 4 prostitute" (a reference to my "Borat" writeup) and another by searching for "frog legs Hy-Vee".

Worst Movies: Number 3

Going to see number 3 was not entirely my fault. A friend of mine wanted to see it at the cheap theatre. I thought, "What the hell? It might be good." I was wrong. This turd came out of someone's ass in 2002.



http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1112357-scoobydoo/

Not one interesting or redeeming thing to be found in it.

The first 4 minutes of the funniest movie I've ever seen!

As discussed in a prior entry, I went to a special screening of "Borat" on September 20th.

Now the first 4 minutes of the film are available for all to see on You Tube.

I like!

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/30483

Garth Part II

I continued to buy each of Garth's new albums as the 90's went by, usually on the day of release. In '96, when I was still living in Winona, he began a 3-year World Tour. Yes, 3 years.



Reports started surfacing in '98 that this might be his final tour (he wanted to be with his wife and daughters full-time, watch the kids grow up). And, indeed, he hasn't toured since 1998, 8 years ago.

I heard in the early fall of '98 that GB would be playing in Minneapolis at the Target Center. He hadn't played the Cities for several years. To get tickets, I would need to wait in line at Hy-Vee before their ticket counter opened on the morning that the tix first became available. I found out that in order to avoid long lines, people were asked to come to Hy-Vee to get a wristband put on. This would save our place in line. So I got a wristband the night before.

The next morning, I went to Perkins with three others. One of 'em asked me what was up with the wristband. I told them. Around about 9:30am, I headed over to Hy-Vee. Shortly before 10am, a number was announced. The person with that number would be first in line with every number that came after that behind him or her. For people that had a number below the first one called, they had to go behind the people with the higher numbers. Got that? I felt sorry for the people in the back. They might not be able to get a ticket. Tickets were only about $25.00 even with the service charge added.

I got to the front of the line and purchased a ticket. I stepped out into the sunshine, happy that I was finally going to see him live in concert. I headed back home. I was curious about the people who were at the back of the line, so walked over to Hy-Vee (they were located about 6 blocks from my townhouse apartment). I was suprised to just see a few stragglers left. Everyone who had wanted a ticket had gotten one. How, you may ask? Well, GB added a 2nd show and then another and then another.

My wheels started spinning. I couldn't wait to see him in concert, but wouldn't it be sweet to see the show twice? I might not be able to take it all in on just one viewing. The lady at the ticket counter said she still had quite a few single-seat tickets left. I had plenty of moolah, so started formulating a plan. I decided to purchase a ticket for his first show (the one I had tickets for was to be the 3rd or 4th night of his Mpls stand). I then recalled that my friend, Art, would also love to see Garth, so bought a ticket for him and I to go on another night. Now going to 3 shows shoulda been good enough, but the ticket lady informed me after one of my purchases that Garth would actually be playing 9 (!) nights in a row at Target Center. My sphincter muscle released and I had to make a shit.

I ended up buying tickets for 5 of the 9 shows. On 3 of the nights, I would have a companion. On the other 2, I would be flying solo. I put all the tickets in my dresser drawer. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me and I couldn't wait to get it started.

Garth

Wal-Mart is releasing a 5-DVD set of Garth Brooks' concerts and videos on November 1st.



He is, indeed, a hell of an entertainer. I first became familiar with him when "Ropin' the Wind" (or as my brother Mike called it, "Ropin' in the Wind") was released in 1991. I saw him on Saturday Night Live sing "Rodeo" and "The River" and was impressed, so bought "Ropin" on tape. It was good, though not spectacular. Still, it did get me into country (previously, I was into oldies and movie soundtracks).

One of my first visits to a Wal-Mart was to the one in LaCrosse with Phil, my mom, and siblings where I bought Brooks' prior album, "No Fences". Again, not great, but decent. Everyone was crazy about the song, "Friends in Low Places", but I didn't think it was that big a deal. Still I listened to and enjoyed his music from time to time.

His next release was "The Chase" in 1992. I enjoyed it a bit more than his prior releases. He really was the hottest thing in music at that time. I would hear about him touring in the Cities, but didn't have a car or much extra money in which to see him. I was content to buy the music and see his concert specials on TV. I moved into an apartment my stepmom owned across the street from Goltz Pharmacy in late 1992.

In the spring of 1993, I was finally starting to come out of my shell and making friends. It was a whirlwind time for me. On a trip to Iowa that summer with Brock, riding in his car, I first heard the song, "Ain't Goin' Down 'til the Sun Comes Up". I was impressed. Quite an exhilarating song. I eagerly looked forward to the release of his next album. At the Valley View Mall in LaCrosse one weekend, I saw the following "coming soon" poster placed near the front of the Musicland store:

It was released in August and I felt it was his best yet. Some of the tracks on it besides "Ain't Goin' Down" included "American Honky-Tonk Bar Association", "The Red Strokes", "Standing Outside the Fire", and "Callin' Baton Rouge". That year, I bought a couple Garth Brooks posters and even bought a belt similar to the one he wore during his concerts. By this time, he was my favorite singer. But would I ever get to see him in concert?

I'll continue this discussion in the next few days.

My hood courtesy of Google Earth

Zoe

Vince Part II

Next week, I am going to see Vince Gill in concert. The last concert I went to was Prince in the summer of '04. That was at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Vince's show will be at the O'Shaughnessy in St. Paul. Yeah, I hadn't heard of the place, either. Here are some of the details regarding the show:

To showcase the new songs on his tour—while still covering his most-requested standards—Gill and his musical director have designed a four-segment performance with a shifting cast of nearly 20 musicians and background singers. Gill will begin each segment with selections from his hits and then introduce, in turn, new material from the four CDs that make up the album. The show will run for approximately three and a half hours, including an intermission. In spite of the size and length of the show, Gill has insisted on keeping the ticket prices affordable. “Vince wants this to be a show that couples and families can enjoy,” says his manager. On the three-tier pricing system in place throughout the tour, tickets will top out at around $50. “It’s been like casting a movie,” Gill says of putting his musicians together. “All these guys are endlessly talented.”

His new 4-disc set, which I'm looking forward to purchasing this afternoon, is currently ranked number 2 on Amazon's music chart.



This will be the 4th time I've seen him in concert (1993 in Rochester with my mommy, 1995 in LaCrosse with my 1st girlfriend, and 1998, for his Christmas show, in Minneapolis).

Sexy Car

In the summer of '84, my dad often took us kids out to lunch, usually to McDonalds. He took us in a 4-door beige car. I'm not sure where he got it from, but let me tell you when he drove that thing, you wouldn't believe the commotion, the people with their mouths wide open looking upon us.

Feast your eyes on it: the Chevrolet Chevette.



I used to call it a piece of Chevette.

A couple years later, my dad bought a bad-ass black pickup truck. No one stared after that.

Vince

As mentioned in a prior entry, the first concert I ever went to was Vince Gill (and Pam Tillis) in the summer of 1993. It was the Gillis tour. :P Anyway, I read a couple months ago that Vince was going to be releasing a new CD in October, his first since '03. But I got even more pumped when I found out how much music he would be releasing:

"In an unmatched outpouring of virtuosity and energy, Vince Gill has created a 4-CD set of 43 new and original songs that MCA Records will release Oct. 17 under the title These Days. The collection is an artistic tour de force that displays Gill's mastery of lyrics and musical styles, ranging from traditional country and bluegrass to jazz and rock."



4 CD's! Do you know how long it's gonna take me to get through that? Whenever I get a new CD, I listen to ALL the tracks at least twice, sometimes more. Each of the discs represents a different musical genre. I look forward to purchasing it tomorrow. Some of the artists appearing on the album include Trisha Yearwood, LeAnn Rimes, Amy Grant, Michael McDonald, Gretchen Wilson, Alison Krauss, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Patty Loveless, John Anderson, and LeAnn Womack.

You're gonna be a star

http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1545453_1_0_,00.html

Borat

Three weeks ago today, I left work early and headed up to Edina, the site of a free myspace screening of the outrageous new comedy, "Borat".

It was a beautiful sunny day. On my way up there, I listened to New Edition and Sounds of the Eighties - 1983. It only took about 95 minutes to get from Rochester to the Southdale Mall in Edina. The screening was to take place at the AMC 16. Seating was to start at 9pm. There were just a few people waiting in line at 4:40pm, so I headed to the food court and had a bite at BK. I usually like to read while I eat, so I looked around for something to peruse. The best I could find was a newsletter that talked about how liberal the media is. I got a few chuckles out of it. I checked the line every 15 minutes or so for the next hour and a half to make sure it didn't get too long. I went to a few stores, most notably B. Dalton. The line was starting to grow by 6:30pm, so I headed over there. I had brought a portable CD player with me to listen to while waiting. I sat on the floor and pressed play. A group of 5 came up behind me, sat down, and proceeded to play a game of Monopoly. As the line grew longer, many people passing by asked what it was we were waiting to see. I'd say 90% of the people there were male and 95% of them were 25 or younger. At about 7:30, a theatre employee told everyone to stand up. A few minutes later, some ladies wearing myspace T-shirts started giving people in the line paper wristbands and told us that seating would start at 9pm. By this time, there were probably about 200 people in line. I strolled around a bit, returned my headphones to the car, and got back into the 2nd line (for people who already had the wristbands).

The excitement continued to build as 9pm grew closer. Some people who arrived too late were given a flyer for a future screening. I felt a little sorry for them, but it did say on the invitation to arrive early to "ensure success". At 9pm, we were given a survey to fill out and pointed in the direction of the screening room. No cell phones were allowed which was cool (no phones going off in the middle of the movie). A couple employees were wanding people (for metal devices). When I passed one, he said I was the first person he had seen that was over 25. No doubt. I found a good seat in the 3rd row, near the middle. The guy behind us was one of the managers of AMC, so had a lot of clout. He told one of the employees to turn the thermostat down 3 degrees since it was getting warm in there. He also said that AMC does not discourage people from bringing in their own food or beverage. He said it was alright if people brought in Chinese food and ate it while watching a film. How refreshing, I thought. A guy sitting two seats down from me drew a pencil sketch of Borat that was quite good. A guy in front of me was reading "Stuff" magazine.

At right around 10pm, a myspace lady came out and said that she really appreciated all of us coming out, that the movie doesn't open nationwide until November 3rd, and to return the surveys at the end of the movie if possible. The theatre went dark as a special introduction by Borat began. He thanked us for attending the "myspaces" screening and hoped we would enjoy his movie. People were already cracking up. And then it began. I don't think I've ever been at a movie where there is so much sustained laughter, so much so that you miss some of the dialogue following some scenes. This one guy nearby had a really weird laugh. One of the ushers sat and watched the entire movie off to the side (he was there to make sure things didn't get out of hand). He was probably in his 50's. I looked at him now and then to see what his reaction was to some of the outrageous things happening onscreen. What kinds of things? Well, how about 2 naked guys wrestling each other, up close, in a fight that spills out into an actual hotel convention (this scene had me crying from laughter for the first time in years). Or Borat at a real-life rodeo with hundreds of people in attendance saying, among other things, "May George Bush drink the blood of every man, woman and child in Iraq!" Or when Borat gives a long passionate kiss to a woman who he then states is his sister, "number 4 prostitute in all country!". Yes, for 85 minutes, we were all joined as one, reveling in this thing, loving every minute. The show concluded at about 11:30 and people started filing out. Many were exhausted from laughing so much, me included.

The below pic sums up how I felt after seeing the movie:



I got in my car and relaxed during the ride home, looking forward to seeing the movie again on November 3rd and many times thereafter. Isnice!!! High five!!!

Choose Your Afterlife

I read an interesting story yesterday about a guy who does not want to go to heaven after he dies. He actually "searched for a religion that specified that people would live on the earth" in the afterlife as opposed to heaven. This guy said he doesn't want to "go to heaven, no matter what heaven is".

http://smallcorner.typepad.com/d/2006/10/my_new_friends_.html

I'll personally take heaven myself, though I may return one day.