The Guild is back!

The Guild is back with Season 4, which continues to follow the lives of the members of an online gaming club. (Weirdly, it's streaming from Bing.)

The show stars Felicia Day, but is made great by the ensemble cast and hilarious writing. If you haven't watched it already, go do so now. It will make you happy!

switched to digital television

I delayed as long as possible getting a converter box for my 10-year-old television set. But a few months ago, I finally applied for the coupon.

Getting the coupon itself was an adventure. When I applied, I was refused; they claimed I had gotten a coupon already. Not so! I had moved into my current apartment in May. I figured the previous resident must have applied for the coupons, and a simple appeal explaining the situation would do the trick. My appeal was refused without explanation.

So I asked one of my friends to apply for me and finally I got a coupon. I wandered over to RadioShack and picked up a $60 converter box. With the coupon, it came to $20, and I'm still ticked off that I had to pay anything at all for the continued privilege of getting broadcast television.

I found that when using a coupon, they record your contact information, and felt vaguely criminal since my info won't match that on the coupon... it should be interesting if the FBI comes knocking at my door.

The converter box has been lying around my apartment for the last two weeks, since I've been too busy to try it out. But a few days ago, I noticed that my tv had stopped picking up the local FOX station. I thought it must be a temporary glitch, and anyway they were doing reruns, so I just waited a few days. Then I noticed that this evening there was a new episode of House scheduled at 8 pm. So I tried picking up FOX again, and the signal was still out. After a quick search, I found that FOX has switched to digital early (reportedly by accident).

I didn't want to miss House, so at 7:45 pm, I fiddled around with some wires and got my converter box set up. Voila... but no FOX. I got a couple of new channels, which look like nothing very interesting, but FOX was missing. So I tilted my rabbit ear antenna in the direction usually required to get FOX, and tried the "EZ Add" feature on the converter box. And it worked! House is coming in clear as a bell, and I'm recording it on my video recorder as I type this. However, I've noticed that my video recorder has to be tuned to channel 3 to pick up the box's signal, which means I can't use the recorder's timer. If I can't find a solution to that, I'm screwed and I'll have to go buy a new VHS recorder. This is one new technology I could have done without.

vengeance (rated 3 stars)

The Brave One (Full-Screen Edition)

by Neil Jordan

The Brave One is a simplistic, fantasy vengeance movie. Jodie Foster plays a woman who is brutally assaulted, along with her fiancé, who doesn’t survive the attack. The story follows her as she tries to deal with surviving the event.

I was disappointed because I was expecting something more complex from Jodie Foster. Not that she doesn’t do a good job acting the part. However, in her “prosecution” of the criminals that she meets (with unrealistic frequency), her character has an omniscience which is completely lacking in reality… she (and the viewer) are always completely certain of the guilt of the people she kills. This kind of certainty is rare in real life; and even when it happens, one person’s certainty is no guarantee of their correctness. That’s the reason that vigilantism is generally a bad thing, and we’re better off with our admittedly flawed justice system.

Is it interesting that a woman is playing the role of vigilante? I suppose so. I don’t think I would have bothered watching the movie if it had been about a male vigilante; but in that case, I wouldn’t have been expecting more depth either.

The redeeming feature of this movie is its realistic portrayal of the impact of violent crime on its victims. The manner in which Foster’s character completely changes is very believable, although the rest of the plot is not.

[Edit: After watching the movie, I checked out a few interviews with Jodie Foster about the movie. She compares it to Straw Dogs and Taxi Driver. If I had known that, I would have been expecting something very different... and also might not have bothered to watch. Those two movies are classics, and alas, The Brave One is not.

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A review of "Gilmore Girls - The Complete First Season"

Gilmore Girls - The Complete First Season

Watching Gilmore Girls makes me want a do over of my childhood. Even the arguments are charming. The premise is highly unrealistic – it’s very convenient that this single mom has a set of wealthy parents that she can approach (albeit reluctantly) for favors. And I’m not really very keen on the cast of quirky supporting characters. But overall, it is enjoyable escapist fare for those of us who had a less-than-marvelous childhood and a bumpy educational experience. The scripting and delivery are both excellent! This is one of my favorite TV series.

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A review of "Protocols of Zion"

Protocols of Zion

I rented The Protocols of Zion because I like a good conspiracy theory, and I wanted to see what this one was about. I thought this would be an interesting exposition and debunking of a conspiracy theory. In that sense, it disappointed.

The movie doesn’t go into the history of the The Protocols, although the DVD extras do fill in the cracks there. This is not a documentary about that text per se; rather, it uses that text as a launching point to study the recent rise in anti-Semitism.

It’s a distressing film, even if you are already aware of the existence of such ignorant and hate-filled people as are interviewed here. Why do some people hold to such confused and unreasoning beliefs? It almost seems like a form of mental illness.

Given that the movie is so emotionally exhausting, is it worth watching? It is educational for anyone who is unaware of what is going on in the world. But if you are aware of these things, it may simply make you feel discouraged, helpless, and hopeless about human nature. In the DVD extras, in a Q&A session with the director, someone suggests that the movie lacks a suggestion about how to deal with these offensive ideologies. The questioner points to organizations like the Anti-Defamation League. Perhaps a better answer is to improve education, in the US and around the world, so that more emphasis is placed on critical thinking skills.

The DVD extras are worth going through. There’s a timeline for the “Protocols” which you can flip through, starting in 1903 and ending in 2005. This gives you some of the facts about the history of that text, which were missing in the documentary itself. There is also a good set of interviews, including one with Will Eisner, whose work I love.

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Why I gave up consuming "Casino Royale (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)"

Casino Royale (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)

by Martin Campbell

I got bored. Not my kind of action movie. But then, I’m not a Bond fan.

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A review of "The Contract"

The Contract

by Bruce Beresford

I’m giving The Contract three stars entirely because I enjoy so much watching John Cusack and Morgan Freeman perform.

These two actors are typecast in my head. John Cusack is the hapless sweet romantic guy who wins over the girl. Morgan Freeman is the fatherly godlike figure who guides people to do the right thing. It’s not their fault; I want to see them in these roles because they do it so well.

So it takes a lot of work to shoehorn them out of these stereotypes… not enough work, in this movie. It’s impossible to believe that Cusack can put karate moves on anyone, even when you see it happening. And Freeman is just so nice and avuncular, I found it impossible to believe that he really meant to viciously throw that guy under a car – it was all a terrible misunderstanding.

If you enjoy seeing these two actors, no matter what, then I guess The Contract is worth the time. But this movie does have a lot of problems aside from ill-fitting roles – too many moments when it’s impossible to suspend disbelief. I don’t even consider this a good thriller/action movie. It is just done poorly.

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A story about "The Office - Season Three"

The Office - Season Three

Hilarious! My favorite quote so far is from Toby Flenderson on disc 2: “Costa Rica will still be there… when I’m 65.”

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House

House: Season Three

Season 3 of House surpasses the previous 2 seasons (which were extremely good, already). I admit that I'm completely smitten with the cynical, pill-popping character of Dr. House. But even if that weren't the case, I'd still find this program the best thing to happen to TV since Buffy hit the airwaves. Brilliant scripting, delivered masterfully. Pass me the Vicodin, I'm hooked!

A review of "Dead Like Me - The Complete Second Season"

Dead Like Me - The Complete Second Season

by Tony Westman

The series Dead Like Me is a real gem; the first season was good and the second season even better. Very witty, well-written, with great performances by all the actors! The plotlines were often a bit weak in the first season, but were gradually improving. However, I enjoyed the acting and character development so much that a weak plot didn’t matter. It’s a pity that Dead Like Me was cancelled. It was one of those rare shows that make television worth watching.

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A story about "Inside Man (Widescreen Edition)"

Inside Man (Widescreen Edition)

by Spike Lee

I finished watching the movie The Inside Man this morning. It was filmed in NYC at 20 Exchange Pl, where I used to work. That makes it doubly entertaining for me!

I have only one quibble with this film – too many stars, I think it would have been better with unknowns in the various roles. In general, it’s an entertaining movie about a bank heist with a twist.

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A story about "Fooled by Randomness : The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets"

Fooled by Randomness : The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets

by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

I just started reading "Fooled By Randomness", by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, yesterday. I have a vague memory that I read the first edition of this book for a personal finance course that I took in 2002, but I don’t remember much about it. In any case, the second edition has been expanded, so now I’m getting some extras. I’ve only finished the preface, and so far it’s going well, as he attacks certain clichés about success and failure, as found in "The Millionaire Next Door":

That all millionaires were persistent, hardworking people does not make persistent hard workers become millionaires: Plenty of unsuccessful entrepreneurs were hardworking people….

It is completely obvious, but it’s still a joy to read.

He also takes a potshot at Buffet: I am not saying that Warren Buffet is not skilled; only that a large population of random investors will almost necessarily produce someone with his track records just by luck. I think it’s not fair to confuse Buffet’s success with that of any ordinary stockpicker, since Buffet has interfered with the management of the companies in his portfolio on more than one occasion. Still, the beneficiaries of random luck are so frequently and unjustly deified, it can make you ill. It’s nice to actually read an alternative view, for a change.

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Why I recommend "Six Feet Under - The Complete Fifth Season"

Six Feet Under - The Complete Fifth Season

by Alan Ball

I just finished watching the last season of Six Feet Under. This was one of the best TV series ever, if not the best. It’s incredibly powerful and moving. Amazing stuff. Words fail me. Wow.

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A review of "Prime (Widescreen Edition)"

Prime (Widescreen Edition)

by Ben Younger

Prime is a solid movie, a good bittersweet romantic comedy. It’s enough of a fantasy to suck you in, but real enough to make you feel for the characters.

My only objection was to the unbelievable unethical behavior of Lisa (Meryl Streep), a therapist, who is being seen by the main character, Rafi (Uma Thurman). It was played for comedic effect, but what she was doing was so wrong-wrong-wrong that it was unfunny (although I admit, some moments really were quite hilarious, despite that). Aside from that though, it’s a good movie. Fine performances by Streep and Thurman, and Bryan Greenberg too.

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Why I recommend "The Constant Gardener"

The Constant Gardener

by Fernando Meirelles

This is a good suspense story; believable, and sad – even depressing. Worth watching, but do not expect to be uplifted. Extraordinary scenes filmed in Kibera.

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A review of "Half Light"

Half Light

Boring and obvious. If you’re looking for a more interesting, recent thriller, try The Forgotten with Julianne Moore.

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A review of "Equilibrium"

Equilibrium

by Kurt Wimmer

There are some good action sequences in the movie, but I found the premise uncompelling: to stop war, would it be worth eliminating human emotions? I suppose it could be phrased more generally as “would it be worth persecuting/killing a minority in order to eliminate war?” In the movie, it hardly seems like anyone is suffering due to the elimination of emotion. Almost by definition, no one could be, except for the few who refuse to dose themselves with the emotionally deadening medication. (Pets are an exception, apparently; they get slaughtered for having emotional content or emotional temptation or some such thing.)

The movie is inconsistent in keeping to the rather bizarre premise. Characters who are supposed to be dosing themselves frequently display emotion of one sort or another – big grins on the face of Taye Diggs, and Christian Bales’ boss slamming his fist down in anger, are among demonstrations of emotions that should never be seen in such a society.

It’s not really a bad movie, just a bit long. Probably worth watching just to get the concept of “gun katas.”

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A review of "Batman Begins"

Batman Begins

by Christopher Nolan

Good for a couple of workouts; nice mindless action entertainment. Good effects, all-star cast. It’s a long movie but the plot was thick; I wasn’t bored.

I have to say, I’m impressed with Christian Bale in particular, whom I’ve seen in The Machinist and American Psycho. He exhibits remarkable range as an actor.

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A review of "Bubble"

Bubble

by Steven Soderbergh

These are the people that I’m a little afraid I’ll wind up sitting next to when I take the bus.

I didn’t know anything about this movie before watching it, other than it was a Steven Soderbergh film (which is why I rented it). About 15 minutes in I was about ready to give up – bored stiff. For some reason I kept watching, and things finally picked up at about 45 minutes. From then on, I was reasonably entertained. This makes the American mid-West seem a bit weirder and creepier than it is. I hope.

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A story about "The Razor's Edge"

The Razor's Edge

by W. Somerset Maugham

I started reading The Razor’s Edge last night.

After watching the interesting but somewhat confusing movie, I had to read the book to get the full picture.

I picked up my copy of the book at the local library. It’s a 1944 edition. Inside the first few pages there’s a note: “THIS BOOK HAS NOT BEEN CONDENSED. ITS BULK IS LESS BECAUSE GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS PROHIBIT USE OF HEAVIER PAPER.” All in caps, yes. McCall and Co would have liked to make the book bulkier; damn that pesky war.

Anyway I’m about 10% into the book and so far so good. Clearly the movie liberally took plot elements from the book and mixed them around. And already something has been made clear: Elliott Templeton (the wealthy chap played by Denholm Elliott in the movie) is an arts dealer. Apparently back in the day this was a bit of a scandalous way to make a living. Anyway, that’s why all those precious items were laying about and getting knocked over in his Paris home; he was buying and selling them. If that was explained in the movie, I must have been napping at the time.

I’m enjoying Maugham’s style but it is a little peculiar. He has a way of describing people which is a little strange. Here’s how we meet Isabel: “She was comely though on the fat side, which I ascribed to her age, and I guessed that she would fine down as she grew older. She had strong, good hands, though they also were a trifle fat, and her legs, displayed by her short skirt, were fat too….” He goes on, but this short bit with “fat-fat-fat” made me laugh out loud.

Here’s the discussion of Gray Maturin: he was “striking rather than handsome. He had a rugged, unfinished look; a short blunt nose, a sensual mouth and the florid Irish complexion; a great quantity of raven black hair, very sleek, and under heavy eyebrows clear, very blue eyes. Though built on so large a scale he was finely proportioned, and stripped he must have been a fine figure of a man. He was obviously very powerful. His virility was impressive….” Doesn’t this passage make you want to giggle? Later we hear that he “strained his heart playing football” so he couldn’t get into the army to fight in WWI. Gee and I thought things like that only happened during the Vietnam war!

In making these descriptions, was Maugham planning out who would play the characters on the big screen (and yes there was a 1946 movie version of The Razor’s Edge, starring Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney, which I now feel compelled to consume as well)? I’d swear this is done by many best-selling authors these days, but I guess I’m a little surprised if it was being done back in the forties already.

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