I finally rolled!!

So I am not 100% successful at doing a roll but I did do a couple on my own with no help. I am really happy that I am getting there. There are still a few problems with my technique, but at this point I need to just get the roll to work consistently then I can start fine tuning it. I am rather bummed that I will not be able to make it to the next class due to a business trip and poor planning. There is no class after that then there is one more at the beginning of March. So I have one more class session left then I have to start working on it in the river. I guess once the weather warms up I can spend the rest of the summer working on it. Fingers are crossed but it seems that all the lessons and hard work are starting to pay off.

This was actually a rather busy day for me. After the rolling session, there was the coffee time. Then I rushed home to get ready for a movie meetup. The movie was Fool's Gold. After that was supper at a tapas place. I had never had tapas before so it was interesting. I bit pricier than I wanted to pay but it was still good. The movie was also good. I liked it as it didn't require much thought or attention to follow it. Very good since I was very tired from the kayak session earlier. I probably should have just taken a nap and rested up but I went out. I also grabbed the wrong coat and found out it was very windy and cold. Fleece jackets don't do much to stop the wind so I was cold. DC doesn't have a closes system so if it is cold at ground level, it is generally cold in the tunnels, just more out of the wind. I am glad the bus came right away otherwise I would have been very cold. I even walked up the big escalator to generate some heat.

Shoot 'em Up

I had a chance to watch an advanced screening of this movie. I have taken lately to not reading reviews as I find that they give away too much of the plot and reduce my interest in the movie. The movie synopsis posted for this movie was a one liner with very little detail. My interest was piqued, plus the movie was free.

This movie is a comedy. There are many moments in teh movie where a suspension of belief is required in order to enjoy the movie. This is the type of movie where the good guy seemingly never runs out of bullets and his aim is perfect. What makes the movie is the dead pan humour of Clive Owens as an unwilling participant in saving a baby from an army of killers. He is a hard core hater of all things but every once in a while he shows a soft side. While it was hard to believe someone could be so lucky as to not get shot, I really did enjoy this movie.

Live Free or Die Hard

This movie was just as I expected it to be, another Die Hard movie cut from the same mold. The mold must work otherwise people would stop watching the movies. But it is making the movie and plot start to feel a little old. Bad guys trying to take over the old/steal the worlds money and Bruce Willis come flying in to the rescue destroying evertyhing and everyone in his path. Then the bad guys kidnap his daughter so he ups the rampage to bisearker mode and wins the day. The difference in this movie from the other Die Hard movies in the franchise is the attempt to use computers as part of the plot line. There was plenty of snickering in the movie theater at many points in the movie. I think there were people who actually worked in the DC anti-hacker office as they were making fun of the decor.

In the end, this was a good watch that required very little intellectual input to follow. Since Willis was the computer n00b, everything was explained in a dumbed down way so everyone could follow the plot. This over explaining did have a draw back in that I felt it was over done and over dramatisied for a bigger effect that would really occur. The action was over the top and of course the hero survived the day. Who doesn't like a good, happy ending when avoiding the summer-time heat.

A Mighty Heart

The movie of the movie meetup this week was A Mighty Heart. I really didn't want to watch this movie because I wasn't interested in the subject matter, I didn't think it was a good role for Angelina Jolie and I didn't know the story it was based on. But, I wanted some company so I went to dinner with the group then caught the movie. I was disappointed in the movie mostly because the story meant nothing to me and I just couldn't get into it. It was a well done movie and Jolie was good but I just couldn't see her in the role of the wife. I would have been much happier watching Transformers or Die Hard as that seemed to be what my mood was up for, neither of which were playing at that particular theater. Another reason that contributed to my having to watch the chosen movie. It turned into a long night, the movie started quite late and it took me forever to bus home. I had also gone to a BBQ here on campus right after work then went out for supper with the meetup. I would have driven but the kayak was on the roof and I was afraid I would get any street parking if I got back so late.

Shooter

The movie of the week this week was Shooter with Mark Wahlberg. Wahlberg is a Marine snipper whose position becomes compromised. He looses his best friend and spotter and finds out that they have been left behind. He gets back to society and retires form the force to persue a better and simpler life. The story to this point was interesting and full of potential. The story after this point seemed a little lacking after the great start. I still enjoyed the movie and the special effects. The story picks up three years later when Walhberg is asked to plan an assassination against the president then help prevent it. The shot is to be taken from a great distance. After the shot, Wahlberg's character is framed for the attempted assassination which killed an innocent bystander. From this point Wahlberg is either running or planning retribution for being set up. There were few points were the movie didn't move forward and plot holes were answered by a secondary support character. It all came together nicely in the end for a satisfying movie experience.

Music and Lyrics

This was a great movie. In fact, I liked it so much I want to see it again. I think this would be considered a chick flick which is normally not my style, but I really enjoyed it. The characters came across as well rounded and disfunctional at the same time making a great interplay off each other.

Hugh Grant plays the role of an old 80's pop band singer trying to make a few bucks to keep on the radar and keep the manager happy. Drew Barrymore plays the slightly odd character who can't seem to take care of plants but can finish a poetic line with a rhyming line. They meet when she comes in to water his house plants while he is trying to write a new song as part of a colaboration to get back into the game. She gives a better line than the one written and he jumps all over it. But due to a bad experience in her past, she doesn't want to write the lyrics and he knows from past experience that he can't write the lyrics himself. Add into the mix a sister crazy for the old pop idol and hilarity quickly ensues.

Reign over Me

I'm not sure I really enjoyed this movie. While I can say that it was good, I don't think it was more than that. It was mildly entertaining and there was some humour mixed in, but the moral of the movie felt a little forced. The ending seemed rather abrupt and with little lead up.

This movie was set in NYC and revoleved around a dentist running into an old friend and his desire to help that friend get him backon his feet. This friend has lost his family to a tragedy and was only able to continue living by staying in denial of the even and even of his family. Adam Sandler who normally plays the funny guy did a good job at being the tragic sufferer. Unfortunately, I kept waiting for him to be the funny guy which he really wasn't in this movie. Don Cheadle played the good dentist who was looking for a little personal time away from the marriage.

Ghost Rider

I went to see Ghost Rider this weekend. I had seen previews but other than that I hadn't read or heard of the graphic novels that this movie was based on. That might be why I enjoyed the movie when I had heard that other people didn't like it so much. As I had not expectation of the story line, I was able to enjoy it for what it was, a movie. The story centers around a daredevil who appears to be trying to kill himself. As the story progresses we soon learn that he has signed away future use of his services to the devil in exchange from some intangible item. Because of this he has isolated himself from the world and is living life one day at a time. Trouble arises when his old flame steps into his life again and the devil comes calling on his promise. The ending wraps up nicely. I didn't see the ending coming and was happy with the way it wrapped up. It was appropriate and fitting. It was not simply "the good guy wins" but rather "evil has been defeated through its own stupidity". All in all, very good. I kind of hope there is another movie in the works as I liked the characters and at the same time, sequels never live up to the first movie. Maybe I should go and check out the graphic novels now.

Catch and Release

The movie of the week was 'Catch and Release'. I had seen a preview for this movie and as with quite a few of the previews lately I was left with a fairly good idea of what the movie was about and where it seemed to be heading. For the most part the movie lived up to its preview with few twists and turns.

The movie revolves around a small group of friends who have just lost one of their member in an accident. The finance is left bereft and the friends are struggling to cope while helping her at the same time. Into the midst of this turmoil, the finance discovers that her husband-to-be had secrets that he never told her. She struggles to come to terms with those while learning more about each of his friends. While learning more about her fiance, she learns more about herself.

Children of Men

Two movies in one weekend, not too bad. I was looking forward to seeing this movie awhile ago but got side tracked and arrived late at the theater. So given the chance, I jumped at seeing this movie. The previews looked very interesting and I was drawn in to find out what would happen. Although the assumption is that everything will turn out well in the end, I wanted to know how things would come together to turn out.

The movie is a what if of what the world would be like if humans lost the ability to reproduce. The year is 2027 and the last child was born 18 years ago. The world has given in to chaos while Britain tries to hold onto the last vestiges of humanity. In the midst of the chaos generated by this degradation of humanity, a woman becomes pregnant. The stuggle then becomes in getting the woman away from the chaos and onto the human project ship where she will have a safe haven for herself and her child. But she will need to hid her pregnancy, find travelling papers and over come the fear that the ship does not exist.

The movie did get off to a good start but through out the whole film I was left wondering why they did not explain the fertility issue. There really wasn't any alluding to the issue either. I felt that this detracted a little from the story line but not overly. It made for a plot hole to be argued over but the story line still preceeded forward in spite of this missing piece. There were a few points that if matched together make for a somewhat shaky explanation. They do a really good job of showing the chaos and violence that remains when there is nothing left to live for. I don't feel that the movie tried to answer the question of how would humanity survive if there is nothing left to live for, but rather how hard would you fight to preserve that spark of humanity.

Spike and Mike Twisted Animaltion Festival

I remember seeing one of their festivals a few years ago and remember liking it. Unfortunately, this year I really didn't enjoy it that much. The animated shorts just didn't have much substance and several of them were just plain dumb. At least one had me scratching my head in confusion and still others made me wonder why I was stil watching. I am sure the bathroom had better content on the walls than some of the shorts had. I did have high hopes for Happy Tree Friends which I have seen before but even that seemed to let me down. Maybe you really need to be in the mood (or drunk) to really appreciate the shorts that they had lined up. I apparently was not in either mood and therefore did not enjoy myself.

Casino Royale

Decided to go watch the movie even though it is a remake of an older movie. Actually, I tried to look up the old movie and couldn't find it on IMDB.com so now I am doubting my memory of the title.

I had not heard many good things about the new James Bond. Most of the complaints seemed to center around his being blond but then the complaints came out before the movie did so I didn't put much stock in them. Also, the critics don't rank very high in my books and I never listen to them. I decided to listen to a friend who had seen it before and we went out and watched the movie together.

I really liked the movie, I liked how they started the film off in his past the jump up to 'modern times' was a little disconcerting though. The film has the feel of being in his past while the film seems to be ahead of the other films. This dichotomy gave the movie a strange feel but overall the movie was still enjoyable. I have been trying to remember if the old movies had M as the director but again, this would be a minor plot point that does not detract from the film unless you are a die-hard Bond fan. The action sequences are spectacular and the action set at the beginning of the film was almost surreal. The man Bond is chasing looks like he had springs for legs and a rubber body. Of course Bond gets the great car, has the good looking girl on his arm and survives death to win the day. It is the getting through all that that makes the film worth watching.

Night at the Museum

I had every intention of watching another movie but after the walk down to the theater and arriving late for that movie, I decided to catch this one instead. I was really not sure what to expect when walking into this movie. From the previews, I gathered that the museum exhibits come to life every night but other than that, there really didn't seem to be any point to the movie. And boy was I surprised. There was a story line to the movie and while a little simple, ended up being very appealing and made for a good movie experience. I was not disappointed after watching this movie. There was enough humour to appeal to both the adult and the kid in me which made for a good night. Too bad the rain couldn't have held out a little longer.

Eragon

The movie of the week was Eragon. Based on the book Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1) that I haven't read yet but I decided to go watch the movie anyways. I figured I can always do what I did with LOTR which was read the books after the fact. The moviedoes seem to be geared for a younger audience. The story starts a little slow as they establish background about the Dragon Riders and the king. We really don't learn much about Eragon. He does seem to have been thrust into the story a little. I did find that there were a few scenes where the cgi artists seemed to be trying to have more fun then trying to make things blend in. I really don't think that dragons would sit up and beg with their wings outstretched, but apparently they do in this world. I also found the final battle to be a somewhat on teh fake and grandious side. I did find overall that the movie was entertaining and mostly absorbing. At least absorbing enough that I didn't really notice the people talking behind me or the baby crying.

The Holiday

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this movie. I had seen the previews but in the end I don't think previews can really be trusted to give a good impression of a movie. The movie group I went with had this film dubbed a 'chick flick'. I was actually very impressed with the movie and the story. I liked the movie a lot and there was an unexpected twist that made the movie a much better watch then it might have been without the twist. Also, hearing people talking with british accents is always nice. Jack Black at one point in the film starts singing which for me ended with a strange meetup in my head. Jack Black also sings for Tenacious D and at that one moment he sounded exactly like Tenacious D which didn't really fit in with the movie for me.

The movie starts off a little slow as we get to know the characters and the lives they are trying to run away from. I have noticed that when I see how bad someone else's life is, mine tends to look a little better. After each character realizes how bad their life is and how much they need to get away, they find each other on a housing exchange site then agree to switch homes for two weeks to get away and experience something new. It was quite entertaining to see a workaholic presented with idyllic country life and how bored she rapidly became. I noticed that they seemed to protray the American as slightly less able to handle driving while the British woman seemed to have no problems. I highly recommend this movie and really didn't find that it was just a chick flick. There were a few guys who showed up wth the group who claimed they enjoyed the film.

The Fountain

Had a chance to see The Fountain. I am so sorry that I did. The movie sucked so bad I was a little surprised I didn't fall asleep during the movie. I could have used the sleep. The only thing I am grateful for is that I caught an early showing meaning I didn't pay full price. The movie was so disjointed that when the ending came, I found myself sitting there in stunned silence waiting for more. The ending was totally unsatisfying and didn't seem to wrap up anything from the movie. I feel that I could have written something better than the drivel that was presented. And probably somewhere is a studio exec selling the movie as very artistic and well done, a story of love through the ages and how aging changes everything and nothing, or some crap like that. I later found out that the critics panned the movie. I don't normally take stock in what critics say as they are likely to find some deep meaning in the film and claim it was artistically rendered. There is almost a guarantee that if the critic didn't like the movie then it must have been good. I may have to start at least skimming a few reviews to at least make sure I am seeing something worth seeing. I have joined a movie meetup down here and at least I will have company during the bombs.