Finally!
The Detroit Lions after a very long time-yes since December 2007-have won a regular season game. Their 19 game losing streak is at an end and as the owner of the Lions put it so well yesterday in a post game interview with Fox 2-Detroit, “the monkey is off our backs, King Kong is off our backs and now we can start winning.”
The Lions have had a huge turn-over in staff, both coaching and players, that this team is an entirely different one from the past several years. Despite that this team still was caring the weight of last years horrible 0-16 record and with two losses to start this season it wasn’t making winning any easier.
Yet the Lions finally put together a strong performance that lasted the entire game. They had good defense that stopped Washington’s running game at the goal line when they needed. They were able to come up with an interception to stop a drive in the 4th quarter and despite giving Washington a last chance at the end they stopped them short of scoring and short of breaking our hearts again.
The Lions win came in front of what must have been one of the smallest crowds at Ford Field since the stadium opened. Just 40k+ came to see them play yesterday and who can blame us for not going? I sat at home and listened to the game and wondered and waiting and hoped that they’d finally win.
Perhaps now that the Lions have won one game this season it will be, as the Owner William Clay Ford predicts, easier to win. Hopefully this team can put behind that losing streak and move on with confidence to play the Bears next weekend in Chicago. A cold and unwelcoming place soldier Field will be to the Detroit Lions. May the win we just had this weekend keep them warm and may the memory of winning keep them confident enough to win again!
Lions 19 Redskins 14-Week #3
http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=290927008
Calgary Herald-Lions Win
http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Lions+King+Kong+their+backs/2041319/story.html
Espn recap Lions Win
http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=290927008
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
District 9 [2009]
When I first heard of this new film that Peter Jackson was involved in I was interested and excited, then I saw the preview and I was not sure I wanted to view the film. The previews made the film look very depressing. The plot presented was of a group of aliens who became lost and couldn’t get their ship to work and were stranded here on earth.
The trailer made it appear that the aliens lived in squalor and were being held captive by us humans here on earth. So much for ethical behavior among inter-species, but then what should I expect from a species that raises animals simply to kill them and eat them?
Putting the ethics of eating meat aside, the movie itself really was depressing to me. I viewed it last week hoping that I’d be wrong and it presented humans in a very realistic light. We care more about ourselves than anything else. I’m not talking about individual survival or survival of our species. Humans in real life care more about obtaining wealth, material objects and having “the good life” than working towards an ethical dispersal of goods and materials across the planet for the benefit of all of mankind, let alone all of the earth. We worry over global warming and the possibility of losing much of our country’s coastal areas in the next 100 years because of global warming and yet we over produce animals for food in the most disgusting of environments. People across the planet are starving and have no clean water to eat. People in our own country have nowhere to live and not enough food to eat and yet we still worry about getting the new PSP 3 on sale and buying the latest fashions and going to the most elite restaurants.
The film District 9 may be a parody of all of the above. While it may not be the writer and director’s intent to parody modern society they do present humans in a way that appears most revealing and most unflattering. Humans in the not so distant future have to “deal” with the arrival of a group of aliens who have gotten lost. They cannot return home as their ship doesn’t function. As a result of these events the country of South Africa-where the ship has arrived-forcibly removes the aliens from their ship and then makes them live in what amounts to concentration camps. They live in shacks made of cardboard, left over plywood and aluminum. They live in firth and garbage. They are shown scrounging through garbage for food and for whatever they can find to use for survival.
The film shows people being interviewed who have various reactions to the aliens. Some speak as if they are a blight to the world and just want them to leave and “go home” or “go back to where they came from”. Those being interviewed for the film also speak of the aliens as if they are not deserving of any respect and as if they aren’t intelligent and are some form of untouchable, a lower social class and don’t deserve to have a clean place to live or food to eat.
During the film one of the government workers who is been charged with moving the entire group of aliens-some 1+ million-from the current camp to a “newer and better camp” is laughing about the nickname the aliens have and laughing as one of them is scrounging through garbage. They aliens are called “prawns” because they are seen as bottom feeders by humans. We also see the official performing a mass “abortion” on a shack full of young “prawns” incubating. Afterwards he laughs about performing his first abortion.
Later in the movie this same official is exposed to an alien bio-technology which turns out to be fuel for their space ship. The fluid slowly turns the human into an alien and during the course of the human trying to regain his humanity we find that humans have been secretly experimenting on the aliens and trying to use alien technology for profit.
The story line is interesting but it is not a feel good movie with a happy ending, nor is it a scary-horror movie. This film presents humans in a very negative light which appears reminiscent to countless government regimes who exploit those with little power. It’s the story of the human race. I hope that it’s not one that will be repeated forever.
District 9 [2009]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1136608/
Official Web Site-District 9
http://www.district9movie.com/
Monday, September 28, 2009
The trailer made it appear that the aliens lived in squalor and were being held captive by us humans here on earth. So much for ethical behavior among inter-species, but then what should I expect from a species that raises animals simply to kill them and eat them?
Putting the ethics of eating meat aside, the movie itself really was depressing to me. I viewed it last week hoping that I’d be wrong and it presented humans in a very realistic light. We care more about ourselves than anything else. I’m not talking about individual survival or survival of our species. Humans in real life care more about obtaining wealth, material objects and having “the good life” than working towards an ethical dispersal of goods and materials across the planet for the benefit of all of mankind, let alone all of the earth. We worry over global warming and the possibility of losing much of our country’s coastal areas in the next 100 years because of global warming and yet we over produce animals for food in the most disgusting of environments. People across the planet are starving and have no clean water to eat. People in our own country have nowhere to live and not enough food to eat and yet we still worry about getting the new PSP 3 on sale and buying the latest fashions and going to the most elite restaurants.
The film District 9 may be a parody of all of the above. While it may not be the writer and director’s intent to parody modern society they do present humans in a way that appears most revealing and most unflattering. Humans in the not so distant future have to “deal” with the arrival of a group of aliens who have gotten lost. They cannot return home as their ship doesn’t function. As a result of these events the country of South Africa-where the ship has arrived-forcibly removes the aliens from their ship and then makes them live in what amounts to concentration camps. They live in shacks made of cardboard, left over plywood and aluminum. They live in firth and garbage. They are shown scrounging through garbage for food and for whatever they can find to use for survival.
The film shows people being interviewed who have various reactions to the aliens. Some speak as if they are a blight to the world and just want them to leave and “go home” or “go back to where they came from”. Those being interviewed for the film also speak of the aliens as if they are not deserving of any respect and as if they aren’t intelligent and are some form of untouchable, a lower social class and don’t deserve to have a clean place to live or food to eat.
During the film one of the government workers who is been charged with moving the entire group of aliens-some 1+ million-from the current camp to a “newer and better camp” is laughing about the nickname the aliens have and laughing as one of them is scrounging through garbage. They aliens are called “prawns” because they are seen as bottom feeders by humans. We also see the official performing a mass “abortion” on a shack full of young “prawns” incubating. Afterwards he laughs about performing his first abortion.
Later in the movie this same official is exposed to an alien bio-technology which turns out to be fuel for their space ship. The fluid slowly turns the human into an alien and during the course of the human trying to regain his humanity we find that humans have been secretly experimenting on the aliens and trying to use alien technology for profit.
The story line is interesting but it is not a feel good movie with a happy ending, nor is it a scary-horror movie. This film presents humans in a very negative light which appears reminiscent to countless government regimes who exploit those with little power. It’s the story of the human race. I hope that it’s not one that will be repeated forever.
District 9 [2009]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1136608/
Official Web Site-District 9
http://www.district9movie.com/
Monday, September 28, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Inglorious Basterds [2009]
A movie depicting the events of the Second World War seemed somewhat out of character for Quentin Tarintino when I first heard of it. Up to the opening of the movie I still wasn’t convinced that I would like it or that I even wanted to see it. After Tarintino’s last work-Grindhouse-which I felt was so incredibly bad I wasn’t sure seeing another one of his movies was a good use of my time. After seeing and hearing an interview of him by Tavis Smiley on PBS shortly after the film opened last month I quickly changed my mind.
Tarintino explained that yes this film was in fact set during the Second World War, but that while it doesn’t change who won the war it did in fact chance the way the war ended. He went on to explain that he had written several strong characters in the film-Lt Aldo Raine and Sgt Stiglitz-and he let the film follow where these characters would have gone. He believed that if this US Army Soldier-Lt. Aldo Raine-had been in German occupied France in 1943-1944 then what we saw in the film would have transpired and the war itself would have ended sooner. Lt.Raine’s team took risks and those risks let to the end of the war sooner than in reality.
The premise is an interesting one pursued by Tarintino and the film itself is presented much in the style we have seen in the past-with a bit of the Chapters thrown in like in Kill Bill vol 1 and vol 2 as well as the multiple scenes shot simultaneously, but then watched by the viewer successively like in Jackie Brown. The film also is just as violent as any war film that you may have seen in the past, and it does not spare anyone’s delicate sensibilities. IF you faint at blood then you’re best not to view this film.
The film also has several very good scenes in it. One scene near the beginning of the film is when Brad Pitt is introduced as Lt Raine. He is introducing himself to his new squad of eight American-Jewish soldiers. When he states that they all have a debt owed him when signing on to this unit and assignment and that debt is 100 scalps each, no one backs down! They all have a resounding, “Yes, SIR!” to convey their acceptance of this contract. Later in the film two of Pitt’s remaining soldiers are undercover in the theater is to be the Third Reich’s Demise and they burst in to a private box that has Hitler viewing a film. First they both shot Hitler and Goebbels with a machine gun, but moments later one of the soldiers turns and sees Hitler’s body laying on the floor and shoots him several more times. Even though his character says nothing he conveys his hatred and disgust so well with his body language it’s as if he was adding his own, “Screw You F@#$( Nazi!”
The movie itself ends in a way I had not expected, but if I could say that I could predict Tarintino’s movie plots then I’d be the one writing them instead of him!
Over all this is a good film and those who have enjoyed Tarintino’s other films should enjoy this one as well!
Inglorious Basterds-imdb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361748/
Jackie Brown [1997]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119396/
Pulp Fiction [1994]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Tarintino explained that yes this film was in fact set during the Second World War, but that while it doesn’t change who won the war it did in fact chance the way the war ended. He went on to explain that he had written several strong characters in the film-Lt Aldo Raine and Sgt Stiglitz-and he let the film follow where these characters would have gone. He believed that if this US Army Soldier-Lt. Aldo Raine-had been in German occupied France in 1943-1944 then what we saw in the film would have transpired and the war itself would have ended sooner. Lt.Raine’s team took risks and those risks let to the end of the war sooner than in reality.
The premise is an interesting one pursued by Tarintino and the film itself is presented much in the style we have seen in the past-with a bit of the Chapters thrown in like in Kill Bill vol 1 and vol 2 as well as the multiple scenes shot simultaneously, but then watched by the viewer successively like in Jackie Brown. The film also is just as violent as any war film that you may have seen in the past, and it does not spare anyone’s delicate sensibilities. IF you faint at blood then you’re best not to view this film.
The film also has several very good scenes in it. One scene near the beginning of the film is when Brad Pitt is introduced as Lt Raine. He is introducing himself to his new squad of eight American-Jewish soldiers. When he states that they all have a debt owed him when signing on to this unit and assignment and that debt is 100 scalps each, no one backs down! They all have a resounding, “Yes, SIR!” to convey their acceptance of this contract. Later in the film two of Pitt’s remaining soldiers are undercover in the theater is to be the Third Reich’s Demise and they burst in to a private box that has Hitler viewing a film. First they both shot Hitler and Goebbels with a machine gun, but moments later one of the soldiers turns and sees Hitler’s body laying on the floor and shoots him several more times. Even though his character says nothing he conveys his hatred and disgust so well with his body language it’s as if he was adding his own, “Screw You F@#$( Nazi!”
The movie itself ends in a way I had not expected, but if I could say that I could predict Tarintino’s movie plots then I’d be the one writing them instead of him!
Over all this is a good film and those who have enjoyed Tarintino’s other films should enjoy this one as well!
Inglorious Basterds-imdb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361748/
Jackie Brown [1997]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119396/
Pulp Fiction [1994]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
ALIEN NATION [1988]
This movie came out many years ago! So long ago in fact that I was in school at the time! And I’m not saying if I was in grade-school, or high-school! But I do remember seeing it on cable a few years after it came out and recently saw it again on cable. It reminded me of how young the big name stars were in the late 80’s-James Caan and Mandy Patinkin-who looked old to me then, don’t appear as old now some 20 years later!
The movie’s plot is simple-aliens land on earth and are lost. They can’t find their way home and so they crash the INS and start living in LA! Mandy Patinkin’s character is an alien named “Sam Francisco” and it’s a joke that makes you groan to say the least! Patinkin plays a police officer who is partnered with Caan. They stumble on to a new drug that is being produced by the aliens and is about to be widely distributed among the “Newcomer” alien members. We’re told that crack and heroin are like pez compared to this drug!
The story moves quickly-which is a necessity in films but not true in real police work-and we see Caan and Pantinkin’s characters investigating several deaths over the course of a few days. The deaths are all related and lead them to the leader of the alien’s drug operation. An alien named William Harcourt-played by Terrence Stamp. The movie has several very good chase scenes and even an interesting side-line into the personal life of Patinkin’s character and the history of the aliens in general.
Overall the movie is very good and has an interesting sci-fi twist on an old cop movie plot. Old cop and rookie working together to solve a problem larger than themselves and they must put aside their differences and dislikes of each other to achieve the greater good.
Alien Nation [1988] imdb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094631/
Monday, September 21, 2009
The movie’s plot is simple-aliens land on earth and are lost. They can’t find their way home and so they crash the INS and start living in LA! Mandy Patinkin’s character is an alien named “Sam Francisco” and it’s a joke that makes you groan to say the least! Patinkin plays a police officer who is partnered with Caan. They stumble on to a new drug that is being produced by the aliens and is about to be widely distributed among the “Newcomer” alien members. We’re told that crack and heroin are like pez compared to this drug!
The story moves quickly-which is a necessity in films but not true in real police work-and we see Caan and Pantinkin’s characters investigating several deaths over the course of a few days. The deaths are all related and lead them to the leader of the alien’s drug operation. An alien named William Harcourt-played by Terrence Stamp. The movie has several very good chase scenes and even an interesting side-line into the personal life of Patinkin’s character and the history of the aliens in general.
Overall the movie is very good and has an interesting sci-fi twist on an old cop movie plot. Old cop and rookie working together to solve a problem larger than themselves and they must put aside their differences and dislikes of each other to achieve the greater good.
Alien Nation [1988] imdb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094631/
Monday, September 21, 2009
Giants Christian New Dallas Stadium with a Win!
The NY Giants played well in Sunday night’s Dallas home opener. The Giant defense was the recipient of four Dallas turnovers which lead to 12 points, but the NY offense could not get itself in to the end zone most of the night and this nearly cost them the game!
The game itself was exciting and the lead changed hands each quarter. The Giants looked as they would lose when Tynes missed field goal in the 2nd quarter appeared as if it would come back to haunt them at the end of the 4th quarter as Dallas took the lead with less than half the quarter to go. NY marched down the field yet again though and in a dramatic fashion Tynes made a last second 37 yard field goal, which was then called back when Dallas managed to get in a last moment time out. The field goal was re-kicked and Tynes made it and the Giants won 33 to 31 in the first game at the Cowboy’s new stadium which had a record setting 105k+ fans.
It was an exciting game to watch on a big screen TV at home! I wondered not so much which offense would score more, but whether NY would have enough offensive scoring. Dallas opened up their running game more in the 2nd half and made it look as if NY would go home empty handed. But just as the Giants pulled off a win in the Super bowl two years ago against New England they did so hear as well. The Giants are now 2-0 in conference play and on the season, but really need to get their offense playing better within the red-zone.
The previous week NY beat Washington at home in the opening week on Sunday night Football but failed to take control when they entered the red-zone. NY leads their division at 2-0 but if they expect to continue to win they need to find a way to get into the end zone that doesn’t always include defensive touchdowns.
NYG 33 Dallas 31 Week#2
http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=290920006
Giants Beat Washington in Week#1
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=290913019
Monday, September 21, 2009
The game itself was exciting and the lead changed hands each quarter. The Giants looked as they would lose when Tynes missed field goal in the 2nd quarter appeared as if it would come back to haunt them at the end of the 4th quarter as Dallas took the lead with less than half the quarter to go. NY marched down the field yet again though and in a dramatic fashion Tynes made a last second 37 yard field goal, which was then called back when Dallas managed to get in a last moment time out. The field goal was re-kicked and Tynes made it and the Giants won 33 to 31 in the first game at the Cowboy’s new stadium which had a record setting 105k+ fans.
It was an exciting game to watch on a big screen TV at home! I wondered not so much which offense would score more, but whether NY would have enough offensive scoring. Dallas opened up their running game more in the 2nd half and made it look as if NY would go home empty handed. But just as the Giants pulled off a win in the Super bowl two years ago against New England they did so hear as well. The Giants are now 2-0 in conference play and on the season, but really need to get their offense playing better within the red-zone.
The previous week NY beat Washington at home in the opening week on Sunday night Football but failed to take control when they entered the red-zone. NY leads their division at 2-0 but if they expect to continue to win they need to find a way to get into the end zone that doesn’t always include defensive touchdowns.
NYG 33 Dallas 31 Week#2
http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=290920006
Giants Beat Washington in Week#1
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=290913019
Monday, September 21, 2009
Lions Start Season With two Looses!
The Detroit Lions have started their 2009 season the way they started their 2008 season. For that matter they have started the season the way they ended last season and the way they have played the last 19 games. They Lost!
The Lions are 1 and 25 in their last season and a half and so far the press is talking about how the rookies are playing well and how they improved over last week-their first week in the NFL. But I think most of us fans who have been watching the Lions play for many years are more interested in seeing the Lions start winning. An 8 – 8 season this year would be like winning the super bowl! We’ve not seen the latter and who knows if we’re see the former in the near future.
There are things that surprised me about today’s game-first, that it was even televised! After last seasons lack of performance, lack of wins and lack of anything positive I expected none of the home games to be televised. So I was happily surprised that I could watch the game in the comfort of my home earlier today. Brett Favre’s continued ability to play-at such an old age for a football player-surprised me and that he played as well as he did. I had hoped that the Lions would win, not simply because EVERY Lions fan has been waiting for a win for nearly two years now, but because this was an inter-conference rivalry, and a chance to win at home as well as a chance to put Brett Favre in his place.
No matter what might have gone well for the Lions today they still lost.
Minnesota-Detroit Week #2
http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=290920008
Monday, September 21, 2009
The Lions are 1 and 25 in their last season and a half and so far the press is talking about how the rookies are playing well and how they improved over last week-their first week in the NFL. But I think most of us fans who have been watching the Lions play for many years are more interested in seeing the Lions start winning. An 8 – 8 season this year would be like winning the super bowl! We’ve not seen the latter and who knows if we’re see the former in the near future.
There are things that surprised me about today’s game-first, that it was even televised! After last seasons lack of performance, lack of wins and lack of anything positive I expected none of the home games to be televised. So I was happily surprised that I could watch the game in the comfort of my home earlier today. Brett Favre’s continued ability to play-at such an old age for a football player-surprised me and that he played as well as he did. I had hoped that the Lions would win, not simply because EVERY Lions fan has been waiting for a win for nearly two years now, but because this was an inter-conference rivalry, and a chance to win at home as well as a chance to put Brett Favre in his place.
No matter what might have gone well for the Lions today they still lost.
Minnesota-Detroit Week #2
http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=290920008
Monday, September 21, 2009
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