tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11492719.post3422812944681725524..comments2018-12-21T17:38:56.482-09:00Comments on The Way Of The Shirey: REVIEWSPSHIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698752789271708513noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11492719.post-16499768670582161722008-12-29T19:12:00.000-09:002008-12-29T19:12:00.000-09:00well...seeing as how I have only seen two of the a...well...seeing as how I have only seen two of the aforementioned films, it would be safe to say that I can only agree with your noble ratings. <BR/>Well, that and you saved me a lot on my movie watching (and my car insurance).<BR/><BR/>However, I did manage a B in Calculus II in the stead of filling my slowly dying brain cells with random scripts and action sequences. <BR/><BR/>As it be, neither will do me much good in the real world. SO...let it be a lesson youngsters -- whatever the lesson is, do it well.<BR/><BR/>Always a pleasure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11492719.post-33694412263884016682008-12-21T17:10:00.000-09:002008-12-21T17:10:00.000-09:00Yeah, I meant Jordan...but, your point is proven.....Yeah, I meant Jordan...but, your point is proven...that movie is all over the map, both literally and figuratively.<BR/><BR/>At this juncture the most realistic action anyone can find of U.S. soldiers in combat is the shit they've filmed themselves and put on youtube. <BR/><BR/>I actually think you would love "Burn After Reading." It's sick and funny and dark and requires no emotional investment because you just don't care who lives or dies. In that way, it's kind of relaxing, I guess.<BR/><BR/>It's funny you mentioned a Punisher movie where he kills all continents that piss him off. There is one of Garth Ennis' first Punisher stories called: The Punisher Kills the Marvel universe which is so freakin' awesome because he does literally that. He kills the X-men, Hulk, Spider-Man, everyone. It's the best. <BR/><BR/>However, they need to leave ol' Frank alone on film. Unless they're going to let me do it. I GUARANTEE I'll get it right. I stake my life on it. <BR/><BR/>I do like the thought of knocking off J. Travolta though...<BR/><BR/>An American Carol looks pretty stupid. I think Team America probably summed all the Michael Moore spoofing we need. The last thing that pile of shit needs is more publicity.<BR/><BR/>I flipped through his new book (which is more like "Thoughts I came up with while sitting on the toilet and scribbled on a legal pad and sent to my publisher...even though I ran out of toilet paper and wiped my ass with a few pages...) and one of his precious jems is how he thinks everyone in American should get FREE HBO.<BR/><BR/>Which further solidifies his role has socialist pile of shit...it doesn't even dawn in his frontal lobe that HBO is a BUSINESS and that they MAKE MONEY by people subscribing to it...I mean, seriously...How far gone can you be? <BR/><BR/>He feels that HBO's superior programming would benefit Americans...that it would somehow up our ante in the elitist world he envisions...by watching G-String Divas...good one, MM.<BR/><BR/>Maybe we should all get FREE copies of his hideous books while serving in a combat zone, that...oh, wait...that already happened...he got to slap us in the face while we dodged bullets...<BR/><BR/>Anyways, speaking of HBO (which I pay for, btw), if you see the cartoon show "The Life and Times of Tim" you should pick it up by all means. It is hilarious. <BR/><BR/>And if you aren't watching Californication then you are missing out on the best show ever. It's made for you and me, trust me.<BR/><BR/>Enough Pop Culture! <BR/><BR/>I promise my next blog will not be about movies...but rather, about my crazy experiences in this wayward but beautiful life. I need to make fun of myself already.<BR/><BR/>I haven't forgotten the e-mail I owe...paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15550607176147881653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11492719.post-56554827300119930582008-12-21T16:05:00.000-09:002008-12-21T16:05:00.000-09:00Funny how you mentioned that Body of Christ, I mea...Funny how you mentioned that Body of Christ, I mean, Body of Crap was hard to follow location-wise, considering that you didn't even get it right in your review. It was the Jordanian government that he was collaborating with, not Turkey, as most of the film takes place (and was likely filmed -- to include the "Iraq" sequences) in Amman, Jordan.<BR/><BR/>None of the "Iraq" bits looked even remotely like Iraq either. I wouldn't even have known it was supposed to be Iraq if they didn't occasionally parade a bunch of ACU-wearing soldiers around doing pretty much fuck all but directing traffic. Ok, except for the "RPG blowing up the car" scene. You know, I've walked the streets of Iraq for something like 25 or 26 total months now and never once have a witnessed anyone fire an RPG at a foot patrol from a building barely 50 meters away. Ridley Scott can't get Blackhawk Down off his brain. I feel like every Iraq movie battle scene should come with a tiny subtitled disclaimer that reads: "This is what happens the least." But whatever. I suppose showing a guy walking along and then the whole fucking street just blows up underneath him wouldn't make much sense to the audience, especially when the clip is only about 10 seconds long. But I digress with extreme prejudice...<BR/><BR/>I haven't seen any of those other films you reviewed, so that's about all I got. Well, I did catch An American Carol, which is a spoof of Michael Moore that somehow managed to actually be worse than a Michael Moore film. The humor was about as subtle as a giant black doublesided vibrating dildo. And from where I'm from, that ain't subtle!<BR/><BR/>We should collaborate on a future endeavor called Punisher: Genocide, where Frank wipes out entire continents that pissed him off. And he won't even be an ex-FBI agent. Plus, if he carries an M203 grenade launcher on his rifle again this time, HE'LL ACTUALLY FIRE A GODDAMN GRENADE OUT OF IT.<BR/><BR/>Oh, and he'll kill Travolta again too. But not the character, I mean the real Travolta. I say again, John Travolta's ACTUAL MURDER will be chronicled in our film. <BR/><BR/>It will outgross The Dark Knight.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11492719.post-35465907785638780862008-12-21T11:31:00.000-09:002008-12-21T11:31:00.000-09:00Buck, my friend, I owe you a proper e-mail at th...Buck, my friend,<BR/> I owe you a proper e-mail at the least, but it is good to hear from you. You have the rare gift of summing up my long-winded reviews with a mere re-worked title.<BR/> Yeah, it hasn't been too impressive of a year, with the exception of some very good comic book films.<BR/> I have high hopes for Benjamin Button, Valkyrie, and The Wrestler. Although there are a few hopefuls for next year I'm feeling more dread than promise for them. <BR/> However, I think there are a few to count on; I read the script for Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds and it is pretty cool (although FILLED with typos...I was shocked) and I have a good feeling about Michael Mann's newest, Public Enemies, with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. <BR/> I will hit you up soon with that proper e-mail...Stay sharp, home skillet.paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15550607176147881653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11492719.post-8338397534776991662008-12-20T23:38:00.000-09:002008-12-20T23:38:00.000-09:00My ten second reviews of the latest straight-to-ha...My ten second reviews of the latest straight-to-haji flim flams:<BR/><BR/>Screenplay of Lies<BR/>Burn After Watching<BR/>Punisher: Living Room<BR/>Quantum of Bourne<BR/>The Day Keanu Acted Still<BR/>Indiana Jones and the Overworn Franchise<BR/><BR/>Hollywood needs a reboot, my friend. I'm seeing no hope on the horizon.<BR/><BR/>And for the record, I didn't so much "re-up" as "re-Iraq". But I'm almost done with both, so there.<BR/><BR/>"My name's Buck, and I like to..."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11492719.post-79669918708862528902008-12-14T14:22:00.000-09:002008-12-14T14:22:00.000-09:00Movie Reviews: Well... talk about Holly-mania, don...Movie Reviews: Well... talk about Holly-mania, don't see how you can sit thru all this stuff but to each his own...<BR/><BR/>Punisher 3 - I managed about twenty minutes, mainly because the only previous Punisher movie I've seen was the 2nd, and I thought it was all right to kill some time with. But this one... lord luv a duck...<BR/><BR/>Quantum of Solace: As much as I like Sean Connery I have never much cared for the 007 movies, not sure why as I've read most of the Ian Flemming books. Again, to kill some time, as there was nothing else available I sat back to watch Quantum and was so surprised I watched Casino Royale a few days later. I'm a fan of the Bourne series and I agree with your assessment of the relationship between the two. I thought Quantum was better than the first, but perhaps that was because I saw it first and its impact was greater - in any case both are great action movies.<BR/><BR/>Getting a Real Job: I have absolutely no advice in that department; however, I like to visit gadget review sites and a while back over at the gadgeteer.com site they were running a contest for the best graphic design portraying the essential qualities of their site. The prizes were from HP. I am not a HP shill, but when I looked at the early submissions I thought of the graphics you've shown on your site which were damn good - better than the ones posted. Anyway, if you have a need for some computer related equipment, it might be worth taking a look. http://www.hp.com/united-states/campaigns/blogger-magic/<BR/><BR/>Buck: Are you in touch? I see where he re-upped but he hasn't been posting much.<BR/><BR/>Welcome BackAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11492719.post-87593000906700068382008-12-12T20:46:00.000-09:002008-12-12T20:46:00.000-09:00"Up is Down and Black is White" is my favorite Pun..."Up is Down and Black is White" is my favorite Punisher story out of all his books. I think it encapsulates the character and his mission so very well.<BR/><BR/>The new MAX series is, I hate to say it, shit. I'm so sick of everyone copying this Alex Maleev art style. He is a great artist in his own right, but I really don't care to see anymore copycats. <BR/><BR/>The stories are a struggle to get through. It doesn't crackle like Ennis' prose. <BR/><BR/>At this point my favorite Punisher artists are Jim Lee, Whilce Portacio, Hugh Haynes, and now Leandro Fernandez. <BR/><BR/>And none of them have that blocky, sketchy annoying style.<BR/><BR/>The new Punisher XMAS special is actually a really good read. Worth picking up.<BR/><BR/>Strangely enough, War Journal is now a stronger book than the MAX series. My theory is that the book will struggle without Ennis.<BR/><BR/>I'll be picking up his new War Zone series this weekend, though...Ma Gnucci, yay!paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15550607176147881653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11492719.post-45252560341649884632008-12-12T15:15:00.000-09:002008-12-12T15:15:00.000-09:00We can both agree that the MAX run is frickin' fan...We can both agree that the MAX run is frickin' fantastic. The scene you described from "Black is White" was one of my faves. <BR/><BR/>What's your opinion of the post-Ennis stuff? I haven't read it yet...Zakihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014455379015009582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11492719.post-45597583276795277042008-12-12T10:03:00.000-09:002008-12-12T10:03:00.000-09:00I can agree that it feels more like the "Welcome B...I can agree that it feels more like the "Welcome Back, Frank" stuff, but only in the over-the-top fashion. However, it's not the GOOD over-the-top stuff, or rather, it's just not "done" well by the "filmmakers."<BR/><BR/>The strength of The Punisher is that he doesn't have an arc. It's how he is so stoic, so unflinching, how he stays true to his mission when faced with so much adversity to it. <BR/><BR/>Every agency you could dream of tries to reel the Punisher in, to either kill him or convince him that he's crazy and that it's "time to move on." But he never does! And that's the beauty of it and that's what Ennis built up, all the way to his ending with "Valley Forge."<BR/><BR/>The Punisher is a man on a mission and, like a good soldier, will not compromise that mission for ANYTHING.<BR/><BR/>However, Castle is torn many times and you think he just may crack, and that's where Ennis toys with the character just to the edge. "Up is Down and Black is White" is a phenomenal example of this.<BR/><BR/>When Nicky Cavella unearths Castle's family and pisses in the skulls of his dead wife and kids, you think Castle might just crack.<BR/><BR/>And in the end, he just takes Cavella out in the woods and says,"You made it personal, Cavella...but all that buys you is a little more pain than most."<BR/><BR/>He shoots him in his guts and leaves him to die and walks on to continue his mission.<BR/><BR/>In Castle's simplicity he gives himself depth. It begs the question, how can a man remain so unflinching for so long?<BR/><BR/>I have more respect for the character than to let some hackneyed kickboxer relegate him to a one-trick pony forgettable character. There's too much history and way more depth than they give him credit for.<BR/><BR/>On another note, I have to say that I think Leandro Fernandez's art in the Punisher MAX series is phenomenal. <BR/><BR/>If anyone wants to get a real feel for the Punisher, and this is the last I'll play this broken record, read the MAX series and ignore this festering turd of a movie.paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15550607176147881653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11492719.post-26814791097476902292008-12-11T21:53:00.000-09:002008-12-11T21:53:00.000-09:00I don't know how much Punisher you've read or how ...I don't know how much Punisher you've read or how much of the MAX series you've read, but Ennis doesn't bare bones anything when it comes to story or plot.<BR/><BR/>*****<BR/><BR/>I've read all of the Ennis stuff. Knights and Max. To me, watching this flick, I felt like it was a live action Garth Ennis comic, from the RPG-exploding acrobat guy to Soap at the end and "Now I have brains on me."<BR/><BR/>Like I said, I don't expect much depth or introspection from the Punisher. In my opinion, that's not who the character should be. <BR/><BR/>Take "Welcome Back, Frank" (which is fresh in my mind because I just re-read it). What arc does the character have? What emotional journey does he go on? Sure, we meet the people in the apartment, Joan the Mouse kind of forms an attachment to him, but bottom line, <BR/>Frank is exactly the same person the last page of issue 12 as he is on the first page of issue 1. <BR/><BR/>What made Ennis' Knights run work for me was the black humor, and the insanely over-the-top violence. To me that's what I want from the Punisher. Well, that plus lots of, y'know, punishing. And the new movie gave me both in spades, so I'm good.<BR/><BR/>But I'm just easy that way. :-)Zakihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014455379015009582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11492719.post-73630640876924430622008-12-11T20:52:00.000-09:002008-12-11T20:52:00.000-09:00No, I'm right. That movie can be proven bad at ev...No, I'm right. That movie can be proven bad at every turn, regardless of anyone's opinion. <BR/><BR/>Even in your own review you sum up that there is a "skeleton" of a plot, which is simply unacceptable when you're trying to make a good movie.<BR/><BR/>It's garbage. I don't know how much Punisher you've read or how much of the MAX series you've read, but Ennis doesn't bare bones anything when it comes to story or plot. <BR/><BR/>When the "filmmakers" of PWZ claim they are giving an ode to Ennis, then they must have confused him with someone else. <BR/><BR/>I will certainly give you that you liked it, in as much as I loved "Domino" and everyone else hated it. You are in the minority on this one, old friend.<BR/><BR/>I still like you, though.paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15550607176147881653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11492719.post-30302117163449445792008-12-11T17:35:00.000-09:002008-12-11T17:35:00.000-09:00I think it all comes to down to different visions ...I think it all comes to down to different visions of what makes the character tick. If you read my review, you can see my perception of Frank and what I'm looking for in a film version. Based on those criteria, I feel like I got my money's worth, and I'd gladly watch it again on DVD. Not to say I'm right or you're wrong, mind you.Zakihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014455379015009582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11492719.post-6019861558059348922008-12-10T23:19:00.000-09:002008-12-10T23:19:00.000-09:00Z, Seriously. I want to see the version you saw.Z,<BR/> Seriously. I want to see the version you saw.paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15550607176147881653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11492719.post-60038677843788095892008-12-10T20:12:00.000-09:002008-12-10T20:12:00.000-09:00So I was thinking of directing an action movie.......So I was thinking of directing an action movie........<BR/><BR/>Or maybe not.<BR/><BR/>You forgot to mention the glitter in Twilight. That was the BEST part.<BR/><BR/>We may just have to see Bride Wars since I saw Punisher with you.<BR/><BR/>CherieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11492719.post-16111069033701458722008-12-10T17:38:00.000-09:002008-12-10T17:38:00.000-09:00It's hilarious how different our reactions to PWZ ...It's hilarious how different our reactions to PWZ were. :-)Zakihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014455379015009582noreply@blogger.com