Maybe Ebert's Best Work Yet...

Jay Mariotti (newspaper columinst and resident idiot of ESPN's Around the Horn) loudly resigned from the Chicago Sun Times this past week.

Well Roger Ebert (his colleague) gave his take on the resignation.

Priceless. I give it four stars.

Probably another bad idea...

Here we go again.

It's Wednesday evening...my only objective tonight is to watch the Dodgers (and Maddux) play....so here I am again. Don't worry I'm not ignoring Jenny. She's at bell and church choir practice this evening.

It's Dodgers vs. Nationals. I think this time around I'm going to be a little more lax on the actual play by play. We'll see how it pans out.

Top of the First:

Mmm...I see (or hear) Don Sutton is doing the color work for the Nationals. I didn't know that.

Ethier's double is wasted as Kent and Man-Ram are unable to drive him in.

Geez...the Dodgers offense might be worst than the Padres...at least during this run. In their last five games (all loses) they have scored a combined six runs. Adding to the futility was Monday's game where the pounded out 13 hits for a grand total of zero runs. Zippy.

Bottom of the First:

Maddux throws six pitches and the Nats go down 1-2-3.

Top of the Second:

Loney...solo blast....1-0.
Blake...solo blast....2-0. I like it.

Bottom of the Second:

Uggg...here we go. Lastings Milledge reaches on an infield hit. He steals second...and now we have the inevitable babble of how Maddux can't (or doesn't care to) hold runners at first. I've heard that hundred times.
Milledge scores on a RBI ground out.

Dodgers lead 2-1.

Top of the Third:

Football break here...I just read online that Manning had a good practice today. I hope that means he's going to be ready to go. I'm somewhat concerned about the Colts this year. I finally do think that Manning is going to be all right. But I'm concerned...that with his knee issue... that the Colts offensive line play is really going to have to step it up. Well...Jeff Saturday's hurt (don't know how severe yet)...Ryan Lilja's hurt (don't know when he's going to be back). The play of the offensive line is just so crucial to a team's success. I don't know how it's going to all work out. I do have confidence in Howard Mudd (the offensive line coach)...so hopefully he will get the group working well together. But Saturday's injury is definitely not cool.

Let's see here...Ethier doubles again...stranded again. Inefficient.

Bottom of the Third:

Back to the Colts for a minute...I think they'll finish the year 11-5 and win the division. In actuality...I could see them going 12-4 or maybe 10-6. Either way...they're making the playoffs.

Nationals take the lead 3-2. The inning should have been over (with the Dodgers still winning) but Maddux had a throwing error to second on a sure fire double play. Not very Maddux-like.

Top of the Fourth:

Maddux came up with two runners on...but flied out to shallow right. poop.

Bottom of the Fourth:

Error by Kent (he's about worthless)...makes it 4-2.

Top of the Fifth:

I'll have to say that Sutton and his partner Tim Brando are calling a pretty good game.
Example of bad announcing. Any game that Steve Phillips helps to call. He's an idiot. I can't believe he was once the GM of MLB team. Did anybody catch the Colts/Bills game on Sunday night. Wow. Sterling Sharpe doing play-by-play was just plain terrible.

Ethier continues to swing a hot bat...solo blast makes it 4-3.

Bottom of the Fifth:

Here's an example of Maddux being Maddux. There's one out in the inning and Lastings Milledge is at third (a pretty fast runner). The Nationals batter hits a weak ground ball toward the third base line. Maddux fields hit...fakes a throw to first (no doubt that Milledge would have broke for the the plate) and gets Milledge in a run-down resulting in the second out in the inning. Brilliant.

End of five...Nat's lead 4-3.

Top of Six:

Dodgers do nothing.

Bottom of Six:

Maddux exits the game after walking the pitcher.
Reliever comes in...and gets a double play.
Maddux isn't in line for the win...but the Dodgers need to win this game.

Top of the Seventh:

Sorry...I'm caught up in Bill Clinton's convention speech. Say what you want...the man knows how to give a speech.

Dodgers poop all over themselves.

Bottom of the Seventh:

Crap...Chan Ho Park...yes that Chan Ho Park gives a home run to Ryan Zimmerman...man...he crushed that.

Top of the Eighth:

Dodgers get runners at first and third with no outs...and Casey Blake delivers an RBI single. Dodgers still trail 4-5.

Bottom of the Eighth:

Nationals go down in order...last chance for the Dodgers.

Top of the Ninth:

Ethier grounds out.
Kent strikesout...he's terrible.
Manny singles...Dodgers still alive.

Loney flies out.

Losing streak hits six.

poop.

Superman Reboot

This news is a few days old but it seems that Warner Bros. is taking Superman in a new direction.

Warner Bros. Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov stated,

Superman' didn't quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to. . .It didn't position the character the way he needed to be positioned. Had 'Superman' worked in 2006, we would have had a movie for Christmas of this year or 2009. But now the plan is just to reintroduce Superman without regard to a Batman and Superman movie at all.

I don't think this is bad idea. I did like Superman Returns (and it received pretty positive reviews and did so-so at the box-office) but the general consensus is that a lot of moviegoers had a lukewarm feeling about the movie. In the long run, it's a good idea to just reboot the franchise. The gamble of having Superman Returns as a sort of sequel to the Donnor Superman film(s) was a risk that ultimately didn't pay off. I would still like to have Bryan Singer on the project but if it doesn't work out...well than...it's time to find somebody else.

Apparently Mark Millar (Wanted) pitched his Superman movie idea to Warner Bros.

We'll see what happens. But I think the public is ready for a kick-ass Superman movie.

"American Teen" movie review

Though we don’t plan on making this a regular occurrence, we're taking a look at another documentary this week. This time around it's American Teen (PG-13). The film documents a group of high school seniors (the jock, the princess, the geek and the outsider) going through their senior year in Warsaw, Indiana. Nanette Burstein directs.

Ryan: There's no question that filming a documentary about real high school students going through their real senior year is open to criticism in just “how real is this.” Since this is a film, there's obvious manipulation with how the film is constructed and put together. It's also safe to assume that there was probably some prodding by the filmmakers to liven things up (maybe by forcing relationships). But with that said, American Teen is infinitely more authentic than what passes for reality teen TV viewed by million of viewers every week. The kids on this documentary are not here to entertain. They're here to share their stories.

Andy: Unfortunately, I think the reality TV reference is spot on; American Teen feels as much like a reality show as it does a documentary. Perhaps most glaring in its departure from traditional documentary style is the use of animated sequences to visually depict different students’ feelings. All documentaries are the filmmakers interpretation of actual events, but the animated sequences are getting dangerously close to not being documentary at all.

Ryan: I would definitely say that much of the reason to see this film is that its subject deals with a (relatively) small Indiana town. There's a lot of allure in that especially around here. On one hand I would have liked the movie to explore more Hoosier-based themes (other than high school basketball) but it's obvious that the movie is going for a more universal approach so I do understand the reasoning. It just would have been nice to see the Warsaw community (and even Indiana) more integrated into the students' lives.

Andy: It seems clear that the filmmakers made a decision to have each of the students they followed fit a certain mold (the jock, the princess, the geek, etc.), and they framed each of those students’ senior year accordingly. The result is a bunch of young adults who are made to look much more one dimensional than they can possibly be. Furthermore, the relationship they have with their parents seems to be defined by event for each student. Obviously to cover as many students as they attempted to cover some story lines had to be cut out, but the movie seems to oversimplify what is actually one of the most complex periods of a person’s life.

Ryan: There are several attempts to make American Teen more of a contemporary documentary. For example there are several animated scenes in the movie that express what a given character is thinking. There's certainty not anything wrong with that (in theory) except in this case the scenes in question come across as being really cheesy. Unfortunately those laughable scenes take away some of the weight from the film. Furthermore those scenes take up some of the running time and to be honest the film could have used a few more “real scenes” to make the documentary more clear. Nonetheless American Teen does a passable job showcasing modern teen angst. Final grade: B.

Andy: American Teen is interesting in that it raises the question, did the filmmakers attempt to make these teens lives seem like a television show, or do small town teens actually live lives that mimic the shows and movies they watch? Is art imitating life or is life imitating art? I certainly don’t know the answer to that question, but I do feel like American Teen missed a great opportunity to show real, humanized people experiencing the joys and agonies of growing up. Instead they seem to have made a postcard from high school that just touches on the nuances of what it actually means to be an American teen. Final grade: C-.

Obama picks his running mate...

...And it's Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware.



Good pick.



Picking a Washington Senator with more than thirty years in the Senate feels...at first...to run counter to Obama's message of change but Biden has the presence of not being a Washington insider because he freely speaks his mind and has a strong independent mindset.



Biden with his impeccable foreign affairs credentials does help Obama in that "perceived" weakness. Furthermore Biden isn't going to back down from the republican attack machine. In essence Obama can stay on message while Biden does some of the dirty work.


After all it is politics.

Dodgers vs. Phillies (August 22)

For better or worse...I'm taking this blog to a new level.

Yes...I'm going to blog live...this evening's Dodgers/Phillies game that showcases Greg Maddux's first start with the Dodgers. Consider it Greg Maddux Redux.

The pitching match-up is Maddux (6-9) vs. Kyle Kendrick (10-7).

Top of the first:

One can't go wrong with either team's announcers...with this particular game I'm getting (via mlb.com's setup) the legendary Harry Kalas as opposed to the Dodger's equally legendary announcer, Vin Scully. It's all good.

--Mett Kemp strikes out.
--Wow...Andre Either just hit an opposite field home run! I like that guy...he was just a rookie when Maddux was there two years ago and I think Either's on his way to a promising career.
--Jeff Kent pops out.
--Man-ram walks.
--poop...Loney lines out to the right fielder.

(Jenny just infomred me that I'm idiot for doing this...I really can't argue with that)

Bottom of the first:

--Rollins flies out.
--Utley flies out.
--Burrel pops out.

After one...1-0 Dodgers.

Top of the Second:

The Dodgers have an interesting team. They seemingly have no one (at least everyday) player in their prime (age 27-34). Kemp's 24, Loney's 24, Martin's 25 and Either's 26. And then on the other hand...Kent's 40, Normar's 35, Manny's 36, Lowe's 35 and Maddux is 42 years old. The players that are in their primes are either hurt (Furcal--31) or stink (Pierre--31) or really stink (Andruw Jones--31). It's just an enteresting mix and something I found intriguing.

--Martin K's.
--Nomar grounds out.
--Blake just takes one of the melon. Thankfully it was a breaking pitch.
--Wild pitch moves Blake to second. Maybe Maddux will bat him in.
--Nope. Maddux fans.

Bottom of the Second:


--Howard grounds out.
--Victorino strikes out.
--Dobbs flies out to left field.

End of two...1-0, Dodgers.

Top of the Third:

--Kemp grounds out.
--Either grounds out.
--"porn star" Jeff Kent swings at the first pitch and pops out to the shortstop

Bottom of the Third:

--Maddux's personal nemesis, Geoff Jenkins, reaches on an infield hit.
-- 5-4-3...double play.
--Kendrick called out on strikes.

End of Three...1-0, Dodgers.

Top of the Fourth:

--Manny rolls out to the shortstop.
--Loney doubles to left center.
--Martin lines out to the right fielder.
--Nomar grounds out.

One runner stranded in scoring position.

Bottom of the Fourth:

--Rollins bounces out to first.
--Utley strikes out looking.
--Burrell works a two out walk.
--Shit...Howard...two run bomb. He crushed it...and it was an opposite field shot.
--Victorino flies out.

End of four...Phillies now lead 2-1.

Top of the Fifth:

--Blake pops out.
--Maddux lines out to third.
--Kemp flies out to center.

Bottom of the Fifth:

--Dobbs lays down a perfect bunt down the third base line.
Dobbs takes second on Martin's error (attempted pick off at first base)
--Werth singles to right field
--Coste...RBI single
--Kendrick sacrifices...runners on second and third.

It's starting to fall apart for Maddux. He looked great through the first four innings but now it's not looking good.

--Rollins pops out to shallow left. Runner holds.
--Wow...Utley strikes out looking. I was holding my breath there. Maddux escapes with only giving one run in an inning where it looked like the Phillies were going to pour it on.

End of Five...Phillies lead 3-1.

Top of the Sixth:

I'm saying it now...Let's Get Some Runs.

--Ethier flies out to the warning track.
--Kent lines out to third.
--Manny draws a base on balls.
--Loney singles to right.

Pitching change. Chad Durbin's now on the hill.

--Crap....Martin flies out to right field.

Jeez...I didn't think Maddux was still on the Padres. The Dodgers offense has not looked very hot.

Bottom of the Sixth:

--Burrell singles to left. Dammit...I hate when the lead off man gets on base.
--Howard flies out to the warning track. Whew.
--Victorino singles to right.
--Dobbs singles to center.

Bases loaded. One out.

--Werth...sacrifice fly. Now it's 4-1.
--F#ck...Coste hits a three run homer. Who the hell is Chris Coste. Aaaggggg.

I'm aborting this venture.

Maddux--Officially a Dodger

This team jumping is getting a little frustrating but it is what it is.

But it's hard to complain too much consdering how bad the Padres are this season (and boy do they stink). Now he's going to be part of a playoff push and if this is going to be his last year than I'm glad Maddux is back on the Dodgers so that he will have that October opprotunity again (the Dodgers are currently one game behind the Diamonbacks in the NL West).

He pitched well last time around with the Dodgers...going 6-3 down the stretch...and I do think that he did contribute to them making the playoffs in 2006 (not only with his pitching but with his "mentoring" of some of the othe Dodger pichers). So hopefully the magic combination will work again. Plus he gets to be teammates with Manny Ramirez. Now the two of them can share stories.

It's going to be exciting....and that's not even taking into account the Cubbies (who are currently six games up on the Brewers).

There's going to be a lot of baseball watching at 129 S. Vine...I just hope Jenny's prepared for it.

"Tropic Thunder" movie review

As the summer movie season winds down, we take a look at one of the last big tent-pole releases of the season. Ben Stiller stars in and directs Tropic Thunder (R), the story of a group of actors filming an epic Vietnam War movie that end up in real enemy fire with drug runners. Jack Black, Brandon T. Jackson, and Robert Downey, Jr. costar.

Andy: In a summer that was a tad weak on quality comedies, Tropic Thunder ends up being one of the better options. It is not an amazing piece of film, and perhaps it doesn’t even live up to its potential, but at times it is as smart and self-aware as it is funny. The gags cover a large range of topics, but are most consistent when they are mocking the film industry itself, from actors to directors, to studio heads.

Ryan: Sometimes one just leaves the theatre thinking—that movie should have been better. That’s the case with Tropic Thunder. The buzz out of Hollywood had this movie pegged as the comedic event of the summer. And by looking at the trailers, the cast and Stiller’s direction that build-up seemed justified. But Tropic Thunder doesn’t deliver like one would expect it too. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad film or even a mediocre film. In fact it’s a quite clever film with many laughs. It just lacks that “can’t miss” quality.

Andy: Tropic Thunder has an impressive ensemble cast, but the clear star is Downey, Jr. His portrayal of Australian actor Kirk Lazarus playing a black Vietnam War soldier provides the most laughs, particularly when costar Brandon T. Jackson is sharing the screen. Downey’s performance is as ridiculously multi-layered as the line he speaks in most of the movie’s advertisements about being a dude disguised as a dude playing another dude.

Ryan: While Tropic Thunder is not quite the movie it set out to be, I liked a lot of things in the movie. From the faux-trailers at the beginning of the film to the unexpected cameo by one of Hollywood's biggest stars (Tom Cruise), the satirical elements in Tropic Thunder are first-rate. Anchoring those satirical notions is Robert Downey Jr.'s performance as an African-American platoon leader. In a role that could have completely backfired, Downey Jr. gives a brilliant performances that parodies the extremes of method acting. His performance alone makes Tropic Thunder worth watching.

Andy: Tropic Thunder does have some specific missteps. First and foremost is the overuse of Tom Cruise in what should have been an impressive cameo. Instead, his character keeps turning up, and he gets less funny each time. It’s as if Stiller and company were so pleased with themselves for getting Cruise to do their movie that they kept putting him back on screen, even when it hurt the vision and continuity of the film. Nevertheless, Tropic Thunder holds up well enough to earn a B+.

Ryan: Part of my problem with the movie is how it meshes together the smart sardonic moments in the film with the irreverent comedy that Stiller is known for. This mixture has worked well in the past for Stiller—think Zoolander--but with Tropic Thunder the blending of those two comedic ideas makes for some muddled moments. At various intervals in the movie the film has a real uneven tone that prevents it from being a truly great summer comedy. Final grade: B-.

Maddux and Man-Ram

It's late so I don't have to time to write much...but it looks like Maddux has been traded to the Dodgers.

Via si.com (Jon Heyman)...

The Los Angeles Dodgers have re-acquired Cooperstown-bound righthander Greg Maddux in a trade with the Padres, SI.com has confirmed.

This marks the second time Dodgers GM Ned Colletti has acquired Maddux in a mid-season trade. In 2006, Maddux went 6-3 after going to the Dodgers and helped lead them into the playoffs. Colletti is hoping for similar results this time around.

Maddux, 6-9 with a 3.99 ERA for the last-place Padres, cleared waivers earlier in the month. The San Diego resident, who also has kept a home up the coast in Dana Point, about 60 miles southwest of Dodger Stadium, approved a trade only to Los Angeles. The lifetime 353-game winner bolsters a rotation that just lost Brad Penny to the disabled list last week.

The Dodgers made a major move to improve the offense minutes before the July 31 trade deadline when they acquired Manny Ramirez from the Red Sox. Like Maddux, Ramirez will wind up in Cooperstown someday.

The Dodgers and Diamondbacks have been basically in a dead heat in their battle for the NL West division crown. The Los Angeles Times first reported that Maddux was headed back to Los Angeles on Monday night.

Wedding at the Scottish Rite Cathedral

It's been a busy weekend but a really fun weekend. It was highlighted by Nick and Emily's (Faye) wedding...where Jenny was a bridesmaid.

The festivities were held at the Scottish Rite Cathedral which is a cool place for a wedding and a reception (and probably a lot of other events as well). It has a Biltmore-esque feel, which provides a nice tone for a wedding between two wonderful people.

Congrats to Mr. & Mrs. Nick and Emily Hasselbeck. (I'm sure they won't have any problem enjoying their honeymoon in Hawaii).

Unfortunately Jenny and I normally drop the ball in taking pictures at events...and this was no exception.

These were the two we took.

Big pimpin' with two of Jenny's sisters (Corrie and Anna)

"We're all puppets, Laurie. I'm just a puppet who can see the strings"

Well I just finished re-reading the Watchmen mini-series. I haven’t read it since High School. It was central to my senior term paper (something about comic books being literature)—which I’m sure if I reread now… would just make me nausea. But anyway…with the movie fast approaching I thought it was time to refresh my memory of it.

For those not aware, the original Watchmen (published in 1986) 12 issue mini-series ( I just have the trade paperback) is considered the Citizen Kane or Sgt. Peppers of comic books. I can’t really make an argument that would refute that accurate perception. The Dark Knight Returns (also published in 1986) is normally considered the second most important graphic novel of all time but if I was making a list…The Dark Knight Returns would be number one…but that’s probably because of the Batman factor more than anything else. But ultimately one can’t go wrong with either choice.

Without getting sidetracked, the purpose of this post is in regard to the Watchmen movie that comes out next spring. You can view the trailer, here. My biggest question with the movie is this…how is it going to be perceived by the mainstream movie-going public?

Let me clarify and state that I think most Watchmen fans, fellow fan boys and other comic book geeks are probably going to be satisfied (at the very least) with the movie. Zack Snyder, the director, looks like he—first and foremost—gets the graphic novel—not only with the look but the tone as well. So I’m encouraged by that.

But this is what I’m unsure about. There’s no doubt that Snyder has quite a following after the success of 300 and because of that I believe a lot of those fans are going to be wanting the same hyper (and let’s face it—erotic) action showcased in 300. But here’s the rub—that kind of stylized action is not in the graphic novel. In fact there’s not a lot of action in the graphic novel at all. There’s really just a lot of standing around and talking—which I’m not complaining about—because it works very well in the comic series. I’m just not sure how Snyder is going to translate that to the big screen. And if he does a faithful adaptation…I further wonder how the 300 junkies are going to respond to the film. But maybe more so than that…how is the average movie-goer, who expect a certain amount of action from their comic book flicks—are also going to respond to the (potential) lack of action in the story. Like I said...there’s plenty of drama…I’m just not sure how Snyder is going to mesh the action and drama together.

I think it’s going to be a tough task. And that’s not even trying to understand how Snyder is going to work in the Cold War themes that dominate the story. (And boy do they dominate. Ironically enough I was reading the story while the Russia-Georgia conflict was (is) going on…and I’ll tell you what…the atmosphere is created so successfully in the narrative…that I kind of started to freak out one night while watching CNN).

I would say at this point that I’m more apprehensive than excited with the impeding film.

But we’ll see.

"Pineapple Express" movie review

The latest film from the Judd Apatow universe is the stoner flick, Pineapple Express (R). In the flick, Seth Rogen stars as a processor server who while on the job witnesses a gruesome murder between drug dealers. Rightly convinced that his own pot dealer (James Franco) is in danger, Rogen and Franco go on the run to try to figure things out, while also maintaining their constant buzz. David Gordon Green directs this action-comedy.

Ryan: It should be pointed out that this movie is something new from Apatow and company. There's no question that they can more than handle their own when it comes to comedies and romantic comedies. But a stoner-action-buddy flick—now that's something different. Maybe it shouldn't be too surprising, considering the talent involved but Pineapple Express is pretty close to what one would expect. It doesn't measure up to some of the recent instant comedic classics (Superbad and Forgetting Sarah Marshall) but Pineapple Express is quite a funny film that's suitably entertaining.

Andy: The action-comedy subgenre is rarely done very well (48 Hours), but when it is clicking it can be highly entertaining. In its best moments, Pinapple Express lives up to the best of them. In its weaker moments it's still acceptably amusing. The movie is a little up and down and takes its time in revealing how ridiculous it is willing to get, but the script has enough good jokes to carry it through successfully.

Ryan: James Franco has been in plenty of films in his young career and he has the name (and face) recognition from the Spider-Man films but he hasn't had that breakout cinematic role—until now. He's great in this film and unequivocally is the major highlight of the movie. His performance is steeped in that cinematic stoner tradition (think Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High) but layered with little nuances that will remind people of “that guy” that they (might have) knew in college. In essence it's a performance that's cinematically iconic while also being authentic. Pretty impressive.

Andy: The strength of the film is in the performance of James Franco. While Rogen plays the same role we’re now quite used to (and may be tiring of), Franco gives a performance unlike what his movie-going audience is accustomed to. He brings humanity, depth, and nuance to a stoner / drug dealer in a ridiculous situation in a ridiculous movie. In many ways he is reminiscent of Jeff Bridges’s Dude from “The Big Lebowski,” and higher praise cannot be given when discussing stoner-comedy.

Ryan: One criticism of Judd Apatow produced films is that they run approximately twenty minutes too long. I'm not suggesting that's quite the case here but the movie does drag in some scenes and a little more cutting would not have been a bad idea. Another issue with the film is just how ridiculous it gets, especially during the climax of the picture. I'm not suggesting that the movie is grounded in reality but the film reality at the beginning (and middle) of the movie is different from the film reality at the conclusion of the picture.

Andy: An interesting, and perhaps problematic, aspect of Pinapple Express is how the story starts off quite plausible and continues to spin further and further out of control. At some point it becomes a parody of an action film (though less up front about it than 2007’s Hot Fuzz) rather than an action film that happens to be funny. When this transition occurs is unclear, and that makes for a slightly askew viewing experience.

Pineapple Express, despite some of it's shortcomings, is a fun summer diversion. Final grade: B-.

Springsteen's Turn

Now...if only the Colts can make the Super Bowl...than it will be the greatest Super Bowl of all-time.

Click here.

R.B.I. Baseball

This definitely lies somewhere between being awesome and being absurd.

This is a re-enactment--via R.B.I. Baseball-- of the bottom of the tenth inning of game six of the 1986 World Series between the Mets and Red Sox.

"The bases are loaded again, and I wish I was, too."

Over the weekend, I was saddened to hear that Skip Caray passed away. For those not aware Skip...was indeed...Harry's son and carved a very nice career in broadcasting as well--mainly calling games on TBS for the Atlanta Braves.

I've heard Skip call many baseball games and he was pretty darn good at.

Here's a little tribute from Turner Sports...

Caray (02)
by bsap11

"The Rape of Europa" movie review

With travel plans limiting our choices and a complete lack of desire to see the new Mummy movie, this week we decided to go the unconventional route of watching a first-run documentary. The Rape of Europa (NR) tells of the toll the Nazi occupation of Europe took on the art world before and during World War II. Richard Berge and Bonni Cohen direct, Joan Allen narrates.

Andy: I admit that I sometimes get tired of hearing about World War II. As the defining moment of the last century as well as one of the few wars in history where there was clearly a right and wrong side, it seems to have been discussed, dissected, fictionalized, and filmed so many times over that there couldn’t be that much new to say about it. I had not, however, heard much discussion of effect the war had on the masterworks of European art until this documentary. The result was both interesting and extremely educational.

Ryan: The Rape of Europa is a quite fascinating documentary. From a cinematic standpoint I have been getting a little drained with WW II themed movies. It's not so much the subject matter as the movies themselves. Regrettably many recent WW II movies haven't provided new insight with regard to the dialog of WW II. But The Rape of Europa is a pleasant exception that opens a door to an aspect of the war that I was not familiar with. As Andy says, it's very eye-opening and intriguing.

Andy: The most striking aspect of The Rape of Europa is the fact that it finds yet another way to demonstrate the evil of Adolph Hitler. From his premeditated plundering of famous works of art from neighboring European countries to his emptying of modern works from German museums, it is clear that his love of fine art was just as insane and tainted as every other aspect of his leadership. Perhaps most telling was Hitler’s plan to create a city that would be the cultural center of the world, highlighted by an art museum to be named in his honor and stocked with art the Nazis had stolen from all over Europe. Even at the time of his death, he hoped the plans for his city and museum would be carried out.

Ryan: Just when one thinks they have Nazism covered another subject comes to light. It just seems like it's a never-ending revelation in finding out how diabolical Hitler and his party were. As Andy alluded too, Hitler's love of fine art was as absurd as his other believes. He and his other Nazi goons (who were collecting the art) didn't appreciate the art for what it was was. They wanted it as simply treasures to push their own ego's and status. The links they went to acquire this art (really for their own selfish gains) simply demonstrates how nonsensical their mindsets were.

Andy: As far as documentary style goes, The Rape of Europa is fairly straightforward. Joan Allen’s narration is solid throughout, but the real story is told by people who were there. Residents of the European towns effected as well as U.S. soldiers whose job it was to locate and protect fine works of art offer stunning first-hand insight. Various pieces of footage from the war are used to highlight key areas of the film. This is nothing new to documentary filmmaking, but when you have subject matter as interesting as this, it doesn’t need to be.

Ryan: The Rape of Europa is not reinventing the wheel with it's documentary approach. It's very candid and clearcut with its filmmaking techniques. One gets a pretty full picture of the countries that were (and that still are) being effected by the atrocities of the Nazi party.
I'm exactly sure when The Rape of Europa will make it to this area or to DVD but for those that are interested in learning more on the subject there is an official website, http://www.rapeofeuropa.com/.

The Rape of Europa is a traditional documentary by design but excels in it's handling of it's sobering subject matter. Final grade: B+.

Asheville Road Trip

I haven't posted in awhile and that shouldn't be much of a surprise as I was Asheville, NC over the weekend with some of my high school buddies (who will probably be updating their blogs whenever they get the chance--and they'll have pics as well). I probably should look into getting a camera.

All in all I would say that Asheville is a pretty cool little city. Coming back from our Honeymoon Jenny and I did venture to the Biltmore but we didn't explore the rest of Asheville. Lo and behold Asheville is a happening place. Our hotel was downtown and that worked at well as Asheville has a bustling downtown with a low-key vibe--plus almost everything was in walking distance (including McCormick Field--where the Asheville Tourists play).

Things that impressed me (in no particular order)...

1. We took in a Tourists game on Saturday night and that was a lot of fun. They are a single A team for the Colorado Rockies. I had never been to a single A game before. Part of the cool thing about the game (besides the fact of watching professional baseball) was the environment. It's a small venue where things were modestly priced...and where we could also get a little rowdy.

2. We also went to the Biltmore. Now this was my second time and I would say that's probably enough. Don't get me wrong I'm impressed by the Biltmore...no question about that...but the tourist trap aspect of it started to wear on me. But I do recommend going there at least once. It's definitely worth it.

3. Hiking. I'm normally not one on hiking but we did take a pleasurable hike at Graveyard Fields. We saw some water falls and apparently somebody (not a member of our group) was not impressed--as he stated there was more water in his washing machine than up here. Whatever. It was a good hike.

4. We continued with the environment theme the next day by driving through The Great Smoky Mountains National Park on our way home. It did make for a long day but was ultimately worth it after checking out the scenery from Clingmans Dome.

5. Good Eats. Are their good restaurants in Asheville? Are you kidding me. Yes their are. I think my favorite was the one we ate at on Monday morning. It was called Five Points (and it was not a tire place) and it was basically set up like a Waffle House (Waffle & Steak for you Hoosiers). We were lucky to actually eat there as they were closing early due to their air conditioning going out.

But anyway, I had ham and cheese omlette with home fries and biscuits and it was everything one could want from a local diner. It was very good and very reasonable priced. Ultimately every meal we had--especially in Asheville--was pretty top-notch.

6. Beer. My three favorite beers that I tried--that I had never had before--on the trip would be French Broad's Goldenrod (which is brewed in Asheville); Gossard (Australia) and Koing Pilsner (German)--those last two beers were courtesy of The Bier Garden bar.

All right...I'd say that's it for now.

I probably should stop writing and go hang out with my wife who I haven't seen in several days.

All in all I'm racking Asheville.