June In Review

June isn't officially over yet, but since I have stuff I need to do today, odds are I won't be online blogging much.  Because that's the case, I decided to look back on the month that was June.  It started off great because of my birthday, but as the days and weeks went on, June was a tough month to go through.  Three of my friends left Massachusetts to begin their lives anew in new states, I almost failed my midterm, and all the local sports teams I've rooted for have had some sort of trouble or another.  Sigh...added on with this ridiculous heat and humidity, you wonder how a person's supposed to get by, but I have with some standout moments this month.  I've seen some friends I haven't seen in months/years at events like the Scooper Bowl, saw "Man Of Steel", and had a fun memorable and day hanging out with one of my newer friends Franny, who's been awesome with everything she's helped me with.  Because of her, I was able to give one of my dearest friends a card I made, which they loved!  I may not have been able to see my friend, but I was glad I was able to put a smile on her face.  June may of been a tough month, but it had its share of good moments, which make me look back on it fondly.   

Goku vs. Superman

My friends and I used to have a lot of arguments/debates back in high school.  All of them were pretty hysterical and memorable, but one that I'll always remember is Goku vs. Superman.  We used to talk about it constantly, but we never took it seriously enough to get a real answer.  Now that I'm watching Dragon Ball Z, and have seen the new "Man Of Steel" film though, there's no doubt that Goku would reign supreme over Superman.

For those of you who may disagree, I actually think it's simple why Goku could beat Superman.  He's had more training, can go all the way up to Super Saiyan 4, and gets stronger after every batter, which is something Superman can't do.  Yes, Superman is basically indestructible, with only one known weakness, but like Goku, he cares too much about humans, which could be his downfall.  Also, he tires out, which Goku rarely does, and if it somehow does happen, he has senzu beans.  It may not be the best argument to why he's win, but no one can disagree that Goku is cooler.

How about everyone else though?  Who do they think would win in a fight, Goku or Superman?

Man Of Steel

Man Of Steel (PG-13)

Grade: B+

• Directed by: Zack Snyder
• Produced by: Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, and Deborah Synder
• Screenplay by: David S. Goyer
• Starring: Henry Cavill (Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Michael Shannon (General Zod), Kevin Costner (Jonathan Kent), Diane Lane (Martha Kent), Laurence Fishburne (Perry White), Russell Crowe (Jor-El), Antje Traue (Faora), Ayelet Zorer (Lara Lor-Van), Harry Lennix (Lieutenant General Swanwick), Christopher Meloni (Colonel Nathaniel Hardy), Richard Schiff (Dr. Emil Hamilton)
• Cinematographer: Amir Mokri
• Music by: Hans Zimmer
• Studio: Legendary Pictures, Syncopy, DC Entertainment
• Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
• Released: June 14, 2013
• Running Time: 143 minutes/2 hours and 23 minutes
• Language: English

"You're not just anyone.  One day, you're going to have to make a choice.  You have to decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be.  Whoever that man is, good character or bad, it's going to change the world."

-Johnathan Kent

Superman is the most famous superhero of all time.  And when it comes to his powers, few are equal to him, but when it comes to films though, Superman has had his share of hits and misses.  "Superman I" and "Superman II" were great, but all the ones that followed after were duds.  As time passed, the films and actors have changed with the times.  We've gone from Christopher Reeve, to Brandon Routh, to now, Henry Cavill, in the newest Superman flick "Man Of Steel".  I didn't have many expectations coming into this film since the original trailers didn't show much, and I'm generally not a huge fan of the superhero genre, but "Man Of Steel" was a film that I thoroughly enjoyed, despite not being perfect.

"Man Of Steel" doesn't present anything new to us.  Instead, it combines the plots of "Superman I" and "Superman II", focusing on Jor-El /Krypton, General Zod, and of course Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman.  The film starts off showing Kal-El's birth, then shows how closely Kyrpton is to destruction because of it's unstable core.  Jor-El has a plan to save it, but General Zod has a plan to save it too, that doesn't involve everyone, leading to mass violence.  He murders Jor-El, but not before he sends his son off to planet Earth, with something he wants.  For his crime, General Zod and his accomplices are imprisoned in the Phantom Zone, but they eventually break out, vowing to find Jor El's son.  The rest of the film shows Kal-El, who is now Clark Kent, and how he must adapt to life on Earth with his ever-growing powers, enemies, and life problems.

The praise of "Man Of Steel", starts with Henry Cavill, who played Superman in a way I haven't seen since Christopher Reeve.  He's handsome like Reeve was, pulled off a decent enough Clark Kent, (which is always difficult in the Superman films), and he brought sensitivity to the character, which was rare to see, since Superman is basically indestructible, yet Cavill showed with his acting that even a superhero has emotions he must deal with.  Cavill wasn't alone though; I thought Russell Crowe did a great job as Jor-El too because he was a strong, knowledgeable male figure, with an actual important role in the film, which is something I couldn't say with Marlon Brando in "Superman I".  Along with the acting, the fight scenes are fun to watch.  Some of them may drag on, or be Dragon Ball Z/video game-like, but if you're like me, then you just like watching Superman beat the crap out of people.  It's good triumphing over evil.  What can be better than that?      

Of course, with the praise, comes criticism, and "Man Of Steel" has that.  Like I said before, the film doesn't present anything new in terms of plot, which isn't a bad thing, but if you're an old school Superman fan, I can see why that would be boring, like in the flashback scenes for instance.  They may be helpful, but we all know the story so well, that it's distracting, and interrupts the flow of the film.  Another flaw I saw with the film, which may just be something I feel, is the lack of excitement for the cast.  Amy Adams is good looking, and I like Kevin Costner and Laurence Fishburne, but they didn't fit their parts or do much in the film at times, so to me, they were a waste, and just a ploy by the film to sell tickets.

With everything I've just said though, "Man Of Steel" is a good film that I recommend worth seeing if you're a fan of the original film, animated series, or just Superman in general.  It has a few flaws, but they don't take away from the work Henry Cavill did, or the achievement "Man Of Steel" is.  Sure, you could argue it's like "Superman Returns", but this film pays homage to two of the original films, instead of one, and it just looks better, let's be honest!  I know reception to this film is varied, but give it a chance.  It might surprise you like it did me.  Or I may just like it because I'm still a kid inside, and part of me just loves seeing Superman return, looking the part, kicking butt, and saving the world.  Superman is back everyone, and he's here to stay!

Ed Markey

Ed Markey beat Gabriel Gomez in the senate election for Massachusetts yesterday.  It's not a shocking result, considering Markey is a Democrat, but I actually expected Gomez to win because Massachusetts has surprised me before.  They elected Scott Brown, who was a Republican, and elected other people I couldn't stand like Deval Patrick.  Also, Markey is old and his views/beliefs seem outdated.  If the people of Massachusetts didn't want to vote for older candidates, like in Presidential elections, why do it for their senator?  It just doesn't make sense, but goes to show how unpredictable politics can be.  I don't know if Markey will do anything, but hopefully he does something, or else this will be another wasteful campaign.

The Green Hornet Show

Over the weekend, I was flipping through the channels, when I landed unexpectedly on The Green Hornet TV show.  I had heard about it before because I knew it had Bruce Lee in it, but had never seen it before.  Watching it, I thought it was ridiculous with it's plot and special effects, but it was what I expected, considering it was made by the same people who made the Batman series with Adam West.  What I did like though, was the seriousness of it, and the fact that Bruce Lee's martial arts skills were on display.  It wasn't anything spectacular, but I still thought it was pretty cool to see the legend in action at all.  In today's culture, it seems like people forget about Bruce Lee because he lived so long ago, and there are other martial arts stars/actors, like Jackie Chan and Jet Li, but let's not forget who started it all, and paved the way for them and Asians in the United States.

Losers By Name, But Winners In Our Hearts

The story isn't supposed to end this way, at least not for the good guys.  They're supposed to win and triumph over the villains, but that wasn't the case with the San Antonio Spurs or the Boston Bruins.  For the Spurs, I wasn't shocked because they were playing the Miami Heat and Lebron James (although they should have won Game 6).  For the Bruins though, I was disappointed like everyone they lost because they outplayed the Chicago Blackhawks in almost every game, but blew so many chances to close them out.  I know it's just sports, and we as fans can move on, but this Stanley Cup Finals run was more than just an attempt at another sports title; it revived the city and gave them hope after the Boston Marathon tragedy.  You may not believe that, but lots of teams have revived cities after tragedies, like the New York Yankees after 9/11, etc.  Unfortunately, it seems like the right team never wins.

I could get into analyzing how the Bruins lost, but no one wants to read that (and you can see that anywhere on ESPN).  I just want to take this small space I have to say thanks to them for a great title run.  They may have fallen a little short, but for what they accomplished, thrilling us Boston fans, we'll look back on these Stanley Cup Finals with more smiles than frowns. 

The Bruins are holding their heads down after losing, but they raised our spirits in ways we Bostonians never expected after the Boston Marathon tragedy

Jackie Chan Adventures: My Top 12 Talismans

Recently, I've been getting back into the show Jackie Chan Adventures, the cartoon about a fictional Jackie Chan, who is an archaeologist that saves the world from evil villains.  Looking back, the show was pretty ridiculous with what it had Jackie do, like fight with fish, or on pyramids, but the show's concept was cool.  And all the stunts they had Jackie do were borrowed from his film career, which is something I didn't figure out till recently.  I'm only on season 2 of series, which is with the demon portals, but I did watch all of season 1, with the talismans, which are stone objects that have powers based on each Chinese Zodiac animal. They're all pretty powerful, but here's my top 12...

12. Tiger (Power Of Balance): As cool as it would be having two of myself, I'd hate my good and evil half being split up since that would weaken me, so that's a no.

11. Pig (Laser/Heat Beam-Eye Blasts): I like firepower as much as the next person, but if I want that, I can just use the Dragon Talisman.  Plus, having this talisman would mess up my glasses.

10. Sheep (Astral Projection): One of the most useless talismans in the series that it was sparingly used.  The only reason it's not last is because I'm a sheep myself, and astral projection isn't that bad.  I could float through the astral plain, and visit my friend's in their dreams.

9. Monkey (Animal Shape-shifting): I like this power, but it seems utterly useless besides for humor and enjoyment. 

8. Dragon (Power Of Combustion/Pyrokinesis): Shooting fire from my hands isn't anything special, but it's better than the Pig Talisman, and more convenient.

7. Snake (Invisibility): Being invisible would be cool, and I could get away with a lot, but eventually, I'd just want to be seen.
 
6. Rabbit (Super Speed): Speed is a bit overrated, but I still like this talisman, and the thought of being faster than anybody in the world.  Looks like instead of Superman vs. The Flash, it should be me instead.
 
5. Horse (Healing): I love the concept of the horse being the healing talisman (despite not fully understanding why it does that).  The only problem, like some talismans, is that it's only necessary in certain situations.  It is cool thinking of never being hurt though.  Wish I had that when I lost my fingertip.

4. Ox (Super Strength/Durability):  Need I say more?  Super strength would be great, and it would help me out at the gym, no problem.

3. Rat (Power Of Animation): The Rat talisman is so high because it would fulfill every childhood kid's dream of playing with their toys, and help me whenever I feel lonely.

2. Dog (Immortality): Living forever and being young at the same time definitely has it's perks (Look at Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z), but it would suck to live so long and see those I love pass before my eyes, so that's the negative of this talisman.

1. Rooster (Levitation/Telekinesis): This takes the top spot because I've always wanted to fly more than anything in the world.  Not just for the exhilarating feeling I would have, but because of how convenient it would be too.  I'd never have to do anything for myself; I could just use my mind.

The Roller Coaster Week

I've been gone from blogging for almost 5 full days, which is longer than I expected, but I have a good reason for why I've been away.  Besides being busy like any individual, I had one of the most frustrating weeks I can remember, which is ironic considering the week started off so nicely.  I know the week isn't over yet, especially with the weekend upon us, but I have to say what I've been through this week since I've been bottling it up for so long.

The Highs

• On Monday, I hung out with one of my friend's who I haven't seen for months.  We caught up, ate lunch, and overall had a relaxing day, despite the weather going all psycho out of nowhere.
• The Bruins won Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
• Made plans with another one of my friend's for next week.  Nothing is set in stone yet, but I'm looking so forward to it because she's a great person, and last time we hung out, it was a blast!

The Lows

• The weather has been fluctuating this week, which wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't raining hail!
• On Wednesday, I was taking my midterm for my online class (which has to be completed in one sitting), when my internet suddenly disconnected.  I was frantically trying to log back on, but I couldn't on my laptop, so I went on my house computer.  Unfortunately, because of the disconnection, it said I was finished with the midterm, even though I had only done 6 questions.  I was so pissed off at what happened, especially since I studied and needed the grade.  Luckily, when I explained the situation to the teacher, she reset the exam and let me take it again.  I got an 85, which was good, but that was more stress than I needed for one day.
• The Bruins lost Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals badly.  There was nothing positive to say about the game.
• To add onto that, the San Antonio Spurs lost the NBA Finals to the Miami Heat, when the COULD HAVE clearly won!
• Lastly, I lost in Yu-Gi-Oh, which I don't mind, but when it happens constantly, I get frustrated since I'm a sore loser, and I want to win.  I've may give up dueling for good, which sounds extreme (especially considering all the money I spent), but I hate losing, I'm not getting cards for awhile, and I feel as though my friend's cards are way too cheap.  

Final Analysis

• Two more days till Monday (:

Happy Father's Day!

Usually when I don't blog for a few days, I come back with a lot to say, but not today.  Today, I'm going to enjoy my time at home with my dad because today is Father's Day!  So in honor of all the dad's and father figure's out there, this day is for you, for teaching us so many things we couldn't have on our own, and for always being there.  Happy Father's Day everybody!

Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

It's been raining in Boston for the better part of today, and looks like it will continue for at least another day, so I'm posting a song that sums up this weather perfectly, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" by B.J Thomas.  It's from the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and is a very optimistic song, which is what I'll need to be to get through this weather.  Have a nice night everyone!

The famous film version

The Chase Begins!

The Chase for The Stanley Cup begins tonight in Chicago, which as a diehard sports fan, I can't wait for.  I can't say anything about the series yet since a game hasn't been played, but in honor of hockey, and hopefully a Boston Bruins win, I'll play the best song from NHL video games to get me amped up!  Let's hope tonight is a great night! Go B's!

Unwritten Rules Of Baseball

Baseball is my favorite sport, but like any sport, it has some things I don't quite understand, such as unwritten rules.  When I say unwritten rules, I mean like, no throwing above the head, or retaliating for a hit teammate.  Well, it's safe to say that the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers didn't give a damn about that yesterday because they played a baseball game yesterday that had everything: home runs, hit batters, ejections, bench clearing brawls.  It was crazy and something I've rarely seen before.  The only memorable game that comes to mind is in 2004, when the Red Sox and Yankees played a game with a bench clearing brawl.  That's right, the famous game with the Jason Varitek/A-Rod fight and Bill Mueller's heroics, which propelled them to the playoffs and eventually the World Series.

A trip down memory lane for those of you who don't remember or simply didn't watch baseball.  What a game this was!

So why talk about this with better sports topics, such as the Miami Heat getting demolished by the San Antonio Spurs, or the Stanley Cup Finals starting today?  One reason is because I don't want to overwhelm everyone reading, since odds are, they can find coverage of Lebron or the Cup on ESPN.  The other reason is because of what I said above.  I love baseball!  I love the simplicity of it, the unlimited length, the tradition, the fact that it's probably the most laid back and family friendly of all the four major sports, but I do not like what I saw yesterday.  I like good, competitive baseball, not people acting like punks.  It gives a bad image to the sport, which baseball doesn't need with their steroid controversy.

And briefly mentioning the Dodgers, what a mess they are.  Last year they traded for Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Beckett, which was a perplexing move, while this free agency, they just go out and sign everyone.  On paper, they look like a good team with Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and the phenom Yasiel Puig, but their team stinks, showing that money can't make up for bad team chemistry.  Oh well, at least there's still Vin Scully, who is still a delight to listen to even at his age.  That's one bright spot to come out of what was a crazy night in LA.  Rules are there for a reason guys, and while baseball may have unwritten ones, play the game the right way, and stuff like this will never happen.

K-Pop

The United States recent fascination with K-Pop or Korean Pop interests me because of where it came from, Korea, which isn't a place that the U.S. usually has fascination in besides politics.  I remember first hearing Gangham Style and other K-Pop songs, but not understanding the language or why they were popular, because while they were catchy, they're weren't different from some techno or pop I had heard in America.  That of course is based on preference.  Some K-Pop is crazy and dance orientated like anything PSY puts out (who I'm not a fan of by the way) to softer music, which I prefer.

That is why I'm briefly talking about K-Pop.  I guess it's starting to grow on me a little because of it's continuing airplay, and the fact that my younger brother introduced me to it, and plays it often at home.  I'm not saying that it's better than the rock music I listen to, or even the pop music I like, but it's definitely appealing and worth listening to.  One song he played recently is by this K-Pop group 2pm called "Suddenly".  I may not even be able to understand the lyrics, but the group sings in such harmony that they reminds me of the Backstreet Boys.  Their live performance sounds close to the soundtrack version too, so I have to play it once.  For those who don't mind listening, here's 2pm's song "Suddenly".

I have to say, I like that there's no dancing with stage girls in some Korean music, compared to American music, where it's everywhere.  Also, gotta like the sharp look

(500) Days Of Summer

(500) Days Of Summer (PG-13)

Grade: F

• Directed by: Marc Webb
• Produced by: Mason Novick, Jessica Tuchinsky, Mark Waters, Steven J. Wolfe, and Scott G. Hyman
• Screenplay by: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber
• Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Tom Hansen), Zooey Deschanel (Summer Finn), Geoffrey Arend (McKenzie), Chloe Grace Moretz (Rachel Hansen), Matthew Grey Gubler (Paul), Clark Gregg (Vance), Patricia Belcher (Millie), Rachel Boston (Alison), Minka Kelly (Autumn)
• Cinematographer: Eric Steelberg
• Music by: Mychael Danna and Rob Simonsen
• Distributed by: Fox Searchlight Pictures
• Released: January 17, 2009 (Sundance), August 7, 2009 (US)
• Running Time: 95 minutes/1 hour and 35 minutes
• Language: English

"You weren't wrong, Tom.  You were just wrong about me."

-Summer Finn

He wasn't the only one; I was wrong too.  Zooey Deschanel's character, Summer Finn, says the quote above when she's talking to Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character, Tom Hansen, after revealing the truth to him following their breakup.  You may think that I'm spoiling some of the plot to you by revealing some of this, but I'm not.  The plot of this film is predictable.  Unfortunately, that's not the only flaw "(500) Days of Summer has".  It has many flaws, and that's what makes it a terrible film.

"(500) Days Of Summer" is about two people: Tom, an architect at a greeting card company, and Summer, a woman who doesn't believe in true love.  The film shows their time spent together over 500 days (like that's clever) in non-linear format, showing the ups and downs of their relationship.  We see them go through the ups and downs all couples go through, from their happiest moments to their arguments, which eventually lead to their breakup.  What happens from there is anticlimactic.

I realize I didn't say much about the plot, but that's because I don't think this film has much plot.  To be honest, this film doesn't have much of anything in it, besides a lot of fluff.  "(500) Days Of Summer" received acclaim from critics and audiences alike, but I can't see why that's the case.  The film has unlikeable characters, music blaring throughout the film (which is distracting), with a plot that is completely predictable and humorless.  When it comes to romance films, usually people hate them because of their predictability and cheesiness, but they give this a pass?  It doesn't make sense! 

Even looking at some of positive things people had to say of the film, like "it was realistic" or "Tom and Summer look good together", how could they think this?!  Sure, it's realistic that relationships are looked back on in non-linear format, but it's not realistic for a grown man to ask for love advice from his kid sister!  As for the characters, they're not realistic because they're both attractive, so I have a hard time believing they would struggle meeting somebody like real people would.  Also, their personalities made them completely unlikable.  Tom's a cynical asshole, while Summer is a fickle woman.  I honestly wish neither of them found happy endings, but we all know how these types of films have to end.

As you're reading this, you probably think I'm a monster and cynical, but watch the film, and I think you'll agree.  Personally, I've tried numerous times to ask a woman out, and have failed many times.  I saw things I did duplicated in this film, but I didn't feel sorry for the characters for the reasons I stated above.  When a film has this much wrong with it, it's hard to give a damn about it, which is how I feel about "(500) Days Of Summer".

In hindsight, "(500) Days Of Summer" never had a chance to succeed for me because I had high expectations of the film, as well as my own preconceived notion of love.  If you come into the film with an open mind, and believe love is what's shown on the screen, then you may like this, but I think anyone who's like me won't like this film because there are just better films and love stories.  Some of the critics said this film was like "Annie Hall" or "When Harry Met Sally", which are two classic love/romance films.  "(500) Days Of Summer" is like them, but only because it copies scenes from them.  It isn't original, it's just actors and actresses re-acting the scenes hoping to get some reaction.  The way this film is, I'd rather see a "Twilight" film for romance because at least Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson fit together in terms of paleness.  It's harsh, but it's the truth.  "(500) Days Of Summer" is titled what it is, but it should honestly be called (500) Days of Crap or (500) Days Of Hell because I never want to spend 95 minutes watching this film again for any reason.  If you want a real romance watch "Annie Hall", "Casablanca", "Manhattan", "When Harry Met Sally", etc, cause this film should hibernate for all seasons forever. 

Anime Dubbing

Out of all of my friends, I'm probably the only one that doesn't read manga or watch much anime.  Although, in terms of anime, I've watched my fair share from Full Metal Alchemist to Inuyasha.  Then there are the shows from my childhood, like Pokemon, Digimon, and Dragon Ball Z.  I realize now they are anime, but as a child, I thought they were cartoons made in America because I thought all cartoons were American.  Boy was I wrong.  One thing I always hear people complain about, when it comes to anime, is when they're dubbed since usually the dub is terrible, and not authentic because of editing.  And while that may be true for the most part, I'll always believe that anime dubbing isn't nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying anime dubs are better than originals because almost 100% of the time they're not.  I'm just saying, they aren't that bad.  A good recent example for me is with Dragon Ball Z.  I bought the first two seasons of it on DVD and have been watching them non-stop in English.  I know some of you are rolling your eyes at me because the dub messes up the voices, but watching anime in English is how I and so many other children growing up watched them.  Maybe it isn't authentic, but it's comfortable to me, and reminds me of my childhood, so I wish people would stop bashing it.  Yes, most anime dubs are bad, but there are good ones like Cowboy Bebop, so please just stop generalizing. 

My Top 3 Pet Peeves

Usually, I consider myself a pretty mild mannered guy, but it doesn't take a lot to make me angry.  There are obvious things that will cause me to blow a fuse, like when my sports team loses or whenever I have an argument.  Then there are things, like my pet peeves, which don't cause me to blow a fuse, but annoy me.  And because it usually happens in public or with people I don't know, I have to keep my feelings bottled in, which can't be healthy.  A subject like this isn't important, but these things all happened to me recently, so I have to say them.  Without further ado, here's a short list of my pet peeves.

3. People Who Walk Slow: This isn't to discriminate against people who are handicapped.  I just have a problem with healthy people who choose to walk slow when they know that there are other people behind them.  Do the people walking ahead know that other people exist or does the world revolve around them?  Sheesh, pick up the slack people. 

2. Untied Shoelaces: Untied shoelaces annoy me because the people who wear them say they do it as a fashion statement, which to me is pretty stupid.  Shoelaces were invented for a reason.  If you aren't going to use them, then wear different footwear.  No one needs to see your sloppiness.

1. Too Many Cell Phone Related Activities To Count: From one letter text responses to when a person is texting when you're having a conversation, this one doesn't need an explanation.

Conan O'Brien Can't Stop

Conan O'Brien Can't Stop (R)

Grade: B-

• Directed by: Rodman Flender
• Starring: Conan O'Brien, Andy Richter, Jimmy Vivino, Scott Healy, Mike Merritt, James Wormworth, Jerry Vivino, Mark Pender, Richie Rosenberg
• Studio: Pariah
• Released: June 24, 2011
• Running Time: 89 minutes/1 hour and 29 minutes
• Language: English

Very rarely will I ever review a film that I haven't fully seen all the way through, but in the case of "Conan O'Brien Can't Stop", where I missed about 10 minutes of the film, I couldn't pass up the chance to review it after finishing it.  Why, you ask?  The reason why I had to review it is because I was fascinated with Conan O'Brien like many people were when the fiasco at NBC happened, and he got kicked from The Tonight Show by Jay Leno.  I only knew what I knew about the situation from information online and on TV, but now through this film, I was able to get an inside look on how Conan felt about everything.

The film, which is really a documentary, follows Conan after getting axed from The Tonight Show.  It shows his thought process dealing with what happened, then shows what he plans do with his life now that the network he has called home for years betrayed him.  Knowing about his education and background at The Simpsons, I knew Conan was an intelligent man, but what I was amazed by was how quickly he improvised and thought of ideas for his tour, which a majority of the documentary follows.  It was interesting to see the master at work, but at the same time, it was a bit sad because on the surface, he seemed cheerful, but behind closed doors, you could see the frustration and anger he had at NBC for what they did to him.  He lashed his feelings at friends and coworkers, which was surprising, but completely understandable considering the situation.  Even though Conan was depressed, we see glimpses of happiness, like when he's with his family, which to me was the highlight of the documentary, besides the ending, which ends when Conan starts his new gig on TBS.

So why did I give this documentary only a B-?  Some of my reasoning is because I missed some of the film, but my other reasoning is because I found parts of the film boring.  Don't get me wrong, everything with Conan glued me to the screen, but the documentary focused too much on the people he worked with.  And while it's nice to see all the people behind the scenes who don't get the credit they usually deserve, when I see something with Conan O'Brien, I want to see more Conan O'Brien.  Also, I think Rodman Flender, the director, tried too much to integrate humor into the film.  There were instances when I thought the humor was necessary, but other times when it wasn't.  It's good to see Conan O'Brien can't stop working and making people laugh, but I honestly wished their was more time when he was alone and venting because that showed a side of Conan that we as viewers rarely see.  I may be in the minority on that, but it's what I wanted.

"Conan O'Brien Can't Stop" isn't a bad film or a bad documentary, but if you're not into his work, then I don't think you'll be interested in the film or like it.  If you are, then enjoy another piece of work involving Conan.  It's not the best thing I've ever seen with him, but this is the closest I'll ever get to seeing the real Conan, which is honestly what makes this worth seeing.

The Sunscreen I Shoulda Worn

The type of sunscreen I just bought, although mine has an SPF of 50

Today, I did something I haven't done in years, and went to the Scooper Bowl at City Hall in Boston.  For those of you who don't know, the Scooper Bowl is a charitable event set up by the Jimmy Fund where you pay a certain amount of money to eat as many free samples of ice cream you want.  In the past, it was one of the highlight's of my Summer, but now that I've gotten older, and need to watch what I eat more, I care less about it.  This year though, I decided to go because I felt like going, and it was the only way to see one of my friends.  Overall, the event was okay, but it was crowded, there weren't many memorable flavors, and worst of all, the sun was up.  You'd probably think that's a good thing, but when you get a little sunburned like I did, it sucks.

It's ironic I got sunburned a little because I just recently bought sunscreen after my doctor recommended I try it for some time.  At first, I was excited about using sunscreen and protecting my skin, but after buying it, I kind of wished I hadn't because I had no idea sunscreen was so difficult to use.  You have to use a lot of it to cover open areas on your body, and you have to follow the directions completely, otherwise it won't be effective.  For my safety, usually this wouldn't be a problem, but when you have to apply it every 80 minutes, what's the point?  I don't want to carry this around all the time.  After getting sunburned though, I might have to.

Multiple Choice Tests

Yesterday, I had my first quiz for my online class with decent results (I got a 70 for anyone who's wondering).  I was disappointed with myself, but held my head up high, knowing it was early, and I would do better next time.  One thing I can't stand about some online classes and tests though is when they're multiple choice.  For some people, they think that's a benefit since the answer is one of the choices, but I always get confused by all the choices I have, and get distracted thinking about too many things to count.  Along with that, sometimes there's too many choices, and the extra choices say all of the above or something like that.  When it comes to tests, I'd rather write out an answer any day since I like writing, and there's always a chance to get some credit, which as a student, is something I always want.

Peace Out Scotty!

Today is my 22nd birthday, but as I sit here typing and possibly celebrating later today, I can't help but think of my friend Scotty.  He's not hurt or anything, but today, he went off to Mississippi to start his new life teaching for the next few years.  I'm used to friends and people leaving from my life since it's natural, but it's difficult when it's one of your closest friends that you've spent so much time with.  As happy as I am for him, I'm feeling a little nostalgic too, which is why today, even though it's my birthday, I dedicate it to my friend Scotty.