Daily Archives: 08/11/2014

In Memoriam: Robin Williams

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I don’t even know how to begin to talk about Robin Williams. It seems ridiculous to try to remind people of his many standout roles and performances, because he was so iconic that any reminder is unnecessary. I could easily just post a list of his film, TV and stand-up works and everyone would instantly share my feelings by simply reading the list and having a thousand images and moments flash through their heads. I could highlight his unique talents at comedy and improvisation, in which he was in a class all by himself, or pull out examples of his dramatic roles throughout the years in order to needlessly prove that he was a real actor. I could point to his generous charity work, whether with the USO or St. Jude’s, or I could use the tragic circumstances of his passing to help bring awareness to depression and suicide. Yet instead I find myself flooded with moments, each tied to the most vivid of memories.

I remember Genie, because everyone remembers Genie. Continue reading →

Tonight’s Movie: The Birdcage

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“You do an eclectic celebration of the dance! … But you keep it all inside!”

Review: Into the Storm

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It’s inevitable, if unfair, that Into the Storm is doomed to be compared to Twister.  Twister, despite having its fair share of detractors, has become the default tornado movie, so well and widely known that almost everyone is familiar with it, perhaps because it is shown with surprising regularity on various cable channels.  It’s also a film that I deeply love and I think is an unappreciated masterpiece, none of which could bode well for Into the Storm.  But I’ve long believed that familiar stories are worth retelling, and a new take on something old can still have value, so I went into the movie somewhat dubious, but hopeful that it might hold its own.  Unfortunately, the only conclusion I could draw by the end also happens to be an unfortunate and overused pun that I nevertheless feel compelled to make: it sucked.

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Quote of the Day

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Entertaining a notion, like entertaining a baby cousin or entertaining a pack of hyenas, is a dangerous thing to refuse to do.  If you refuse to entertain a baby cousin, the baby cousin may get bored and entertain itself by wandering off and falling down a well.  If you refuse to entertain a pack of hyenas, they may become restless and entertain themselves by devouring you.  But if you refuse to entertain a notion—which is just a fancy way of saying that refuse to think about a certain idea—you have to be much braver than someone who is merely facing some bloodthirsty animals, or some parents who are upset to find their little darling at the bottom of a well, because nobody knows what an idea will do when it goes off to entertain itself, particularly if the idea comes from a sinister villain.

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Vile Village – Lemony Snicket