OK, it's been awhile since I done one of these, but I figured I'd get back to doing my movie reviews. Now, I'm no movie critic, I'm just a guy who watches movies and tells you what I think of them, nothing too technical there.
Time to talk about IronMan, the first of the 5 Films I Will See This Summer.
Now, as you all know, I'm a huge comics fan. Love them since I was young enough to read. But out of all the characters I know (Superman, Batman, Spidey, The Hulk, etc.) Iron Man is kind of low on the list.
Don't get me wrong. I'm familiar with the character and all that, but I don't buy the comics, get the action figure, have the cartoons on tape or DVD, that type of thing. Pretty much, I didn't much care for Iron Man.
That is, until last summer, when I saw the trailer for this movie. Needless to say, that peaked my interest.
After seeing the movie, which basically tells the origin of how billionaire industrialist Tony Stark becomes the titanium clad superhero, I have to say, I was totally, flat out, blown away.
First off, I have to say that I give mad props to Robert Downey, Jr. for playing Stark in this. I'd admit, when I first heard that he was going to play the lead, I was a bit skeptical. He was not the person I had in mind for the role.
But I tell you what, he absolutely, positively hit it out of the park with his portrayal. He was cocky, sarcastic, arrogant, witty and downright serious when need be. He was also funny when the moment called for it as well as noble as well when he saw the error of his ways and realized that he needed to be the hero instead of being a playboy. Overall, in my mind, Downey was being himself in this. And when you're playing yourself, it makes the performance even more realistic. So hats off to him for doing that.
I also gotta say that the effects in this movie rocked. The flying sequences alone would be enough to make this a hit in my mind, but there were a lot of well done action sequences, as when Stark got captured by the terrorists early in the film (ironically enough, thanks to the very weapons that his own corporation developed) the scene is jarring, scary, and real. When Stark manages to escape with the first crude version of his suit, it's very well done with a lot of firepower. And then, there's the suit up sequence where Stark gets into the red and yellow suit that Iron Man is known for, and I have to tell you that is one of the coolest looking suit up scenes that I've ever seen.
As for the others in the cast, Terence Howard was good as Stark's friend, Rhodes. Gweneth Paltrow did a fair enough job as Stark's secretary and possible romantic interest. And even though I think he'd be better off not being in the suit at the end, Jeff Bridges was a good villian as Stark's business associate and eventual enemy.
Director Jon Favreau, who also has a small cameo, did a very good job putting this film together, again with the sequences, the storyline, which is very true to the comic book origins, and finding the good balance between humor, action and drama. And he's also aware of the character's history, even using in a couple instances the theme music to the old cartoon show, which was my first exposure to Iron Man.
Overall, I'd say this was one of the better comic book movies I've seen, right along with Superman, Batman Begins, Spider-Man1 and 2, and X-Men 1 and 2, and the potential for this character as far as movies go is huge. Heck, they've already planned the sequel for 2010 after kicking some serious butt in the box office so far (Oh, and a heads up if you see this, stay for a bonus scene immediately after all the closing credits roll)
For a character that I didn't much care about growing up, I can definitely say after seeing Iron Man, I'm going to keep an eye on this one from now on.
May 26, 2008
May 02, 2008
Summer Movie Plans: The 5 Films That I Will See This Year
Well it's that time again. The summer movie season is upon us. And between now and Labor Day, there will be a ton of movies coming out.
And this summer, there's a buzz about the slate of films on tap this year.
After looking over the list, drooling over the online trailers and reading over things online, I've narrowed the summer field down to five. Five films that I will see no matter what.
Here they are, in reverse order.
5. The X-Files: I Want to Believe ( July 25) -- I've been a fan of the X-Files since the TV show debuted several years ago. I was there for the first big screen movie as well a few years back. Of course, the show kind of waned in the latter years of its nine season run, but I always hoped that they would do another movie for the fans. Now that time has come. So, I'm looking forward to seeing Mulder and Scully together again, solving a case that's not part of the long standing mythology, but rather facing the "monster of the week", which is where they had their best episodes.that's my plans.
4. Iron Man (May 2) -- I'm a huge fan of comic books, especially Marvel. But I have to admit, Iron Man's not on my list of heroes. I'm familiar with some of his stuff, but compared to the big ones, he's kind of off the radar to me. Still I was curious about the big screen version of this character. But when I saw the footage they showed at last year's Comic Con online, I was blown away. (In fact, it was after seeing this that the idea was sparked for me to plan my trip to this year's Comic Con.) I'm also curious to see how Robert Downey, Jr. does playing the role.
3. The Incredible Hulk (June 13) -- I am a huge Hulk fan. Been a fan for as long as I can remember. I love the character, and to say I was disappointed when the first Hulk movie came out about three years ago was an understatement. It was more psycho babble than action flick in my opinion. So, to hear that they're trying yet another big screen version gave me hope, but still I had my doubts. Will it suck yet again like the last one? Well, with Edward Norton playing Banner, the presence of a true villian with the Abdomination, and paying homage to both the comic as well as the old TV show, I'm crossing my fingers that it won't.
2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (May 22) --To be honest, I never thought I'd see this happen. A new Indy flick? Heck, it's been almost 20 years since we last saw him in The Last Crusade. So I was pretty much convinced that was the final film. But it's not. We're going to see Harrison Ford back in the hat and whip one more time. And as a fan of Indy for nearly 3/4 of my life, that's very very cool. Until I saw the trailer, even I had my doubts as to whether we see Indy being, well Indy or being... well, old. I'm so glad, it's the former. Can't wait to see one of my favorite movie characters of all time back on the big screen.
1. The Dark Knight (July 18) -- Without a doubt, this is the most anticipated film not only of the summer, but of the year in my opinion. Many of my friends feel the same way. The Batman film franchise was successfully revived with Batman Begins over two years ago, and the buzz on this sequel has been on high ever since filming began. Especially with the news that Heath Ledger would be taking on the role as The Joker, Batman's top villian. The first trailer, which showed Ledger in action, sent the hype to another level over his performance. Then came the sad news in January over Ledger's tragic death due to an accidental drug overdose, news that stunned me and just about everyone else. Thankfully, director Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. are doing the right thing to honor Heath's memory and legacy by showing his performance the way it was intended to be, which even adds to the buzz. Not only will I look forward to seeing Christian Bale back as the Caped Crusader after doing a absolutely incredible job on Batman Begins, I'm interested to see how Aaron Eckhardt does as the latest character in the universe, Harvey Dent, aka Two Face.
Others in the mix this summer include Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Speed Racer, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and a few others that I may or may not see. But the five films I listed above are the ones that I'm focusing on.
It all begins today, when I'll check out Iron Man. I'll let you know how it is on my next post.
And this summer, there's a buzz about the slate of films on tap this year.
After looking over the list, drooling over the online trailers and reading over things online, I've narrowed the summer field down to five. Five films that I will see no matter what.
Here they are, in reverse order.
5. The X-Files: I Want to Believe ( July 25) -- I've been a fan of the X-Files since the TV show debuted several years ago. I was there for the first big screen movie as well a few years back. Of course, the show kind of waned in the latter years of its nine season run, but I always hoped that they would do another movie for the fans. Now that time has come. So, I'm looking forward to seeing Mulder and Scully together again, solving a case that's not part of the long standing mythology, but rather facing the "monster of the week", which is where they had their best episodes.that's my plans.
4. Iron Man (May 2) -- I'm a huge fan of comic books, especially Marvel. But I have to admit, Iron Man's not on my list of heroes. I'm familiar with some of his stuff, but compared to the big ones, he's kind of off the radar to me. Still I was curious about the big screen version of this character. But when I saw the footage they showed at last year's Comic Con online, I was blown away. (In fact, it was after seeing this that the idea was sparked for me to plan my trip to this year's Comic Con.) I'm also curious to see how Robert Downey, Jr. does playing the role.
3. The Incredible Hulk (June 13) -- I am a huge Hulk fan. Been a fan for as long as I can remember. I love the character, and to say I was disappointed when the first Hulk movie came out about three years ago was an understatement. It was more psycho babble than action flick in my opinion. So, to hear that they're trying yet another big screen version gave me hope, but still I had my doubts. Will it suck yet again like the last one? Well, with Edward Norton playing Banner, the presence of a true villian with the Abdomination, and paying homage to both the comic as well as the old TV show, I'm crossing my fingers that it won't.
2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (May 22) --To be honest, I never thought I'd see this happen. A new Indy flick? Heck, it's been almost 20 years since we last saw him in The Last Crusade. So I was pretty much convinced that was the final film. But it's not. We're going to see Harrison Ford back in the hat and whip one more time. And as a fan of Indy for nearly 3/4 of my life, that's very very cool. Until I saw the trailer, even I had my doubts as to whether we see Indy being, well Indy or being... well, old. I'm so glad, it's the former. Can't wait to see one of my favorite movie characters of all time back on the big screen.
1. The Dark Knight (July 18) -- Without a doubt, this is the most anticipated film not only of the summer, but of the year in my opinion. Many of my friends feel the same way. The Batman film franchise was successfully revived with Batman Begins over two years ago, and the buzz on this sequel has been on high ever since filming began. Especially with the news that Heath Ledger would be taking on the role as The Joker, Batman's top villian. The first trailer, which showed Ledger in action, sent the hype to another level over his performance. Then came the sad news in January over Ledger's tragic death due to an accidental drug overdose, news that stunned me and just about everyone else. Thankfully, director Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. are doing the right thing to honor Heath's memory and legacy by showing his performance the way it was intended to be, which even adds to the buzz. Not only will I look forward to seeing Christian Bale back as the Caped Crusader after doing a absolutely incredible job on Batman Begins, I'm interested to see how Aaron Eckhardt does as the latest character in the universe, Harvey Dent, aka Two Face.
Others in the mix this summer include Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Speed Racer, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and a few others that I may or may not see. But the five films I listed above are the ones that I'm focusing on.
It all begins today, when I'll check out Iron Man. I'll let you know how it is on my next post.
February 29, 2008
2008: The Big Trip
Well, 2008 is underway and one of the things I want to do this year, more than anything else, is to go somewhere.
Not just anywhere. Not to my friend's place or to my old high school or the the mall or the movies.
But actually go somewhere.
Go on vacation.
Get out of town.
Heck, get out of the state even.
And in July, that's what I'm gonna do:
I'm going to San Diego for the biggest, baddest convention of them all.
That's right, I'm going to Comic Con.
Now, this has been in the planning stages for a while. Ever since me and one of my online friends started talking about it last year. But it wasn't till recently that I was finally able to sign up and register for it.
I've always wanted to go to this, ever since I started going to the conventions near my home. For, this is the biggest and the best convention for comic book geeks.
Like myself. ;)
But the convention is all the way out in San Diego. A place where I have never been, in a state I've never been. In fact, the farthest west I've ever been is Minnesota almost 15 years ago.
But somehow, after talking with my friend about this, I felt determined somehow to do whatever it takes to make it out there. Especially for my first, true out of state getaway since me and my friend Rob went to Indianapolis for the Star Wars Celebration back in 2005
So I'm looking forward to this. Which means I'll be saving every nickel and dime I can to be able to afford this. Because, hey, nothing says pathetic more than going to a convention without at least buying an item or two.
Or in my case, probably twenty. :)
I'm also deliberating whether to go by air, meaning my second ever trip on a plane, or by bus, which means I'll be literally going cross country and marking the third ever bus trip.
And then, there's the matter of where I'm gonna stay. But, I'll deal with that another time.
But right now, none of that matters.
Because for five days, July 23-27, I'm going to be in the granddaddy of comic conventions. The epicenter of the fanboy universe. Where all kinds of events, movies, comics, stars and other cool stuff will be headquartered. And as the days draw closer, I'm going to document everything. Every photo, moment, note and cent even.
So there it is. That's my plan this year. My big trip for 2008.
I'm going to San Diego.
I'm going to Comic Con.
And I can't hardly wait.
February 04, 2008
Super Bowl XLII: A Great Game!
It's been a day now since Super Bowl XLII ended, and all I got to say is one thing:
What a game!!
Of course, all the hype going in was whether the New England Patriots would complete their perfect undefeated season with another championship. For the last two weeks, the hype was also over not whether the New York Giants would lose, but by how many.
Turns out, as expected, the hype was way overrated. as the Giants knocked off the mighty Patriots, 17-14 in a classic game.
Now, I've seen a few Super Bowls, and I can't remember when the last time the game was actually that, a game. Usually, it's either a blowout or the game is so boring that you'd usually watch just for the commercials. This time, this wasn't the case.
The fourth quarter alone was definitely worth it, as the Pats made a great drive to the end zone, as QB Tom Brady threw a TD pass to WR Randy Moss to take a 14-10 lead with 2:39 remaining. But, then the Giants answered back with a tremendous drive of their own, scoring the winning TD with :35 seconds left in the game. The drive was highlighted by one of the best plays I've ever seen, as Giants QB Eli Manning alluded at least three Patriots defenders, coming within seconds of being sacked as they grabbed at his jersey. Then, Manning had the presence to recover from that near sack as he fired the football at WR David Tyree, who leaped to make an incredible catch, pinning the ball to his helmet as he went to the ground.
A great game, probably the best Super Bowl I've ever seen and one of the best plays ever. Congrats to the Giants, for pulling off the incredible and winning their 3rd Super Bowl title.
What a game!!
Of course, all the hype going in was whether the New England Patriots would complete their perfect undefeated season with another championship. For the last two weeks, the hype was also over not whether the New York Giants would lose, but by how many.
Turns out, as expected, the hype was way overrated. as the Giants knocked off the mighty Patriots, 17-14 in a classic game.
Now, I've seen a few Super Bowls, and I can't remember when the last time the game was actually that, a game. Usually, it's either a blowout or the game is so boring that you'd usually watch just for the commercials. This time, this wasn't the case.
The fourth quarter alone was definitely worth it, as the Pats made a great drive to the end zone, as QB Tom Brady threw a TD pass to WR Randy Moss to take a 14-10 lead with 2:39 remaining. But, then the Giants answered back with a tremendous drive of their own, scoring the winning TD with :35 seconds left in the game. The drive was highlighted by one of the best plays I've ever seen, as Giants QB Eli Manning alluded at least three Patriots defenders, coming within seconds of being sacked as they grabbed at his jersey. Then, Manning had the presence to recover from that near sack as he fired the football at WR David Tyree, who leaped to make an incredible catch, pinning the ball to his helmet as he went to the ground.
A great game, probably the best Super Bowl I've ever seen and one of the best plays ever. Congrats to the Giants, for pulling off the incredible and winning their 3rd Super Bowl title.
January 27, 2008
Catching Up: Looking Back at 2007, Part 2
OK back with part 2 of my look back at last year.
I already told you the good moments and highlights, now it's about some of the other stuff.
-As was the case back in 2006, I met a lot of online friends last year, some from where I live and even a few that live overseas. So I want to give a shout-out to Chas, Michael R., Andrew, Jon, Brad (a friend from over in England), Sterling, Michael H., James, Thomas, Hal, Sam (an online bud from down under in Australia), Sonny, Omar and Chris C. It's been good getting to know you this past year. I also want to extend a shout out to Dusty, an old classmate from college who I lost touch with over the years, but by sheer luck we reconnected online last year, so it's good to catch up with an old friend.
-Got to see some good movies over the past year, but unfortunately hadn't had much time to do the movie reviews which I normally do. I hope to rectify that this year.
Anyways, here's my film breakdown from last year:
My annual Movie of the Year pick: Transformers. A great, action packed movie, especially for us fans of the old cartoon and toy sets. 2. The Bourne Ultimatium: Excellent spy thriller with enough action scenes that made it a thrill ride. I hope it's not the last we see of Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. 3. I Am Legend: Didn't think too much of this film, but I have to say, Will Smith impressed me as the last man on Earth surrounded by a lot of vampires. Scary, sad and thought provoking at the same time. 4. The Simpsons Movie: Great funny movie, especially from a fan of the long running TV show. Definitely had some great moments and it didn't over play the big screen card like some TV show/movie versions have done. 5. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. A good little sequel, nowhere near what the first film of the trilogy, but still a good epic and a nice way to wrap up the trilogy. Something tells me though, that we haven't seen the last of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, hands down one of the most unique characters in film.
Biggest surprise: I Am Legend. See above for the reasons why. Biggest disappointment: Spider-Man 3: It was OK, some of the action scenes were great, but after the success of the first two movies, this one let me down. First it played the multiple villian card, which hardly ever works (remember Batman & Robin). Then it relegated Venom, one of the best villians in the Spidey universe, to a bit player, which was a major disappointment. I hope they do make a Spidey 4, because the way this one ended was no way for a movie franchise to go out. Worst movie of the year: Ghost Rider. Without a doubt, one of the worst comic book movie adaptions I've seen. Nicolas Cage's performance was dull and boring. The other actors in the movie were even worst. The storyline was pretty bad, plus they made the hero almost unbeatable, which never works because it insults the audience. It may have had a chance had they kept the prelude going with the younger unknown actors, but this film was a lost cause.
TV Review: The best shows I saw this year were BBC America's Torchwood, NBC's Chuck, Showtime's The Tudors and NBC's The Bionic Woman, although that show tailed off towards the end of the year.
Well that's it. My look back at 2007. Next time, I'll talk about what I have in mind for the new year, including a big trip I'm planning.
I already told you the good moments and highlights, now it's about some of the other stuff.
-As was the case back in 2006, I met a lot of online friends last year, some from where I live and even a few that live overseas. So I want to give a shout-out to Chas, Michael R., Andrew, Jon, Brad (a friend from over in England), Sterling, Michael H., James, Thomas, Hal, Sam (an online bud from down under in Australia), Sonny, Omar and Chris C. It's been good getting to know you this past year. I also want to extend a shout out to Dusty, an old classmate from college who I lost touch with over the years, but by sheer luck we reconnected online last year, so it's good to catch up with an old friend.
-Got to see some good movies over the past year, but unfortunately hadn't had much time to do the movie reviews which I normally do. I hope to rectify that this year.
Anyways, here's my film breakdown from last year:
My annual Movie of the Year pick: Transformers. A great, action packed movie, especially for us fans of the old cartoon and toy sets. 2. The Bourne Ultimatium: Excellent spy thriller with enough action scenes that made it a thrill ride. I hope it's not the last we see of Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. 3. I Am Legend: Didn't think too much of this film, but I have to say, Will Smith impressed me as the last man on Earth surrounded by a lot of vampires. Scary, sad and thought provoking at the same time. 4. The Simpsons Movie: Great funny movie, especially from a fan of the long running TV show. Definitely had some great moments and it didn't over play the big screen card like some TV show/movie versions have done. 5. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. A good little sequel, nowhere near what the first film of the trilogy, but still a good epic and a nice way to wrap up the trilogy. Something tells me though, that we haven't seen the last of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, hands down one of the most unique characters in film.
Biggest surprise: I Am Legend. See above for the reasons why. Biggest disappointment: Spider-Man 3: It was OK, some of the action scenes were great, but after the success of the first two movies, this one let me down. First it played the multiple villian card, which hardly ever works (remember Batman & Robin). Then it relegated Venom, one of the best villians in the Spidey universe, to a bit player, which was a major disappointment. I hope they do make a Spidey 4, because the way this one ended was no way for a movie franchise to go out. Worst movie of the year: Ghost Rider. Without a doubt, one of the worst comic book movie adaptions I've seen. Nicolas Cage's performance was dull and boring. The other actors in the movie were even worst. The storyline was pretty bad, plus they made the hero almost unbeatable, which never works because it insults the audience. It may have had a chance had they kept the prelude going with the younger unknown actors, but this film was a lost cause.
TV Review: The best shows I saw this year were BBC America's Torchwood, NBC's Chuck, Showtime's The Tudors and NBC's The Bionic Woman, although that show tailed off towards the end of the year.
Well that's it. My look back at 2007. Next time, I'll talk about what I have in mind for the new year, including a big trip I'm planning.
January 08, 2008
Catching Up: Looking Back at 2007, Part 1
Hey there.
It's been a long time since I last posted here. Almost five months to be exact. Just been too lazy or preoccupied to update my main blog. Which I apologize, especially to the few who check on the blog.
Well, since this is the new year, I'm going to rectify things. Hopefully update things here at least once a week if I can.
Speaking of the new year, I'm going to get started with a look back at 2007, which was a very interesting year for me. A lot of things happened, some good, some bad. But overall, very interesting indeed.
First the good, got a chance to work with a sports team, through my stint as a team operations intern for the MISL's Detroit Ignition indoor soccer team. It was a chance to work in a sports environment, which was one of my dreams growing up. I also got to meet some cool people and made some good friends as well.
Now this gig started back in November of 2006, but in '07, the team made it all the way to the league championship game. That's quite an achievement, especially for it's first season. Unfortunately, we lost that game, but still it was a good experience to witness it. And I'm back working for the team again this season in the same capacity, with some new roles as well. Hopefully in '08, we'll be able to win it all.
2007 was also a chance for me to achieve something I wanted to do, become a filmmaker. My little company, MarkOne Films, officially got off the ground last year with the September premiere of the teaser trailer for my long standing pet project, "Mark of the Wolf", which recieved good reviews. That was then followed in October by "Vanishing Act" a joint collaboration between me and my friend Chase. I also helped out with a few other story ideas for some friends of mine and concluded things with the launch of "MOTW:The Web Series", an online short film extension with me and several friends of mine that will be related to the MOTW feature film. This was a great year in that regard and I'm proud to see that slowly becoming a reality.
Also in '07, I got a chance to return to my old high school, Cass Tech, for their anniversary celebration, visited Comerica Park for a Tigers game, checked out Ford Field for the first time ever to see a Lions game, and got to reconnect with some old friends. I also made contact with MySpace, joining the social online circle, where I made some more new friends as well. I'll give some shout out to the friends, old and new, in an upcoming post.
And while 2007 has been a year of good moments for me, there was one moment last year that wasn't. In fact, it was something that I never saw coming. I won't talk about it here just yet. But I'll talk about it later on this month, when the first anniversary of that moment is coming up.
That's it for now, but I'm not done with the year in review. On my next post, I'll look back at the friends I've met last year, talk about the best and worst movies and TV shows I've seen, and some other moments. Then after that, I'll look ahead at what's to come for me in 2008, including something very very cool that I'm planning.
It's been a long time since I last posted here. Almost five months to be exact. Just been too lazy or preoccupied to update my main blog. Which I apologize, especially to the few who check on the blog.
Well, since this is the new year, I'm going to rectify things. Hopefully update things here at least once a week if I can.
Speaking of the new year, I'm going to get started with a look back at 2007, which was a very interesting year for me. A lot of things happened, some good, some bad. But overall, very interesting indeed.
First the good, got a chance to work with a sports team, through my stint as a team operations intern for the MISL's Detroit Ignition indoor soccer team. It was a chance to work in a sports environment, which was one of my dreams growing up. I also got to meet some cool people and made some good friends as well.
Now this gig started back in November of 2006, but in '07, the team made it all the way to the league championship game. That's quite an achievement, especially for it's first season. Unfortunately, we lost that game, but still it was a good experience to witness it. And I'm back working for the team again this season in the same capacity, with some new roles as well. Hopefully in '08, we'll be able to win it all.
2007 was also a chance for me to achieve something I wanted to do, become a filmmaker. My little company, MarkOne Films, officially got off the ground last year with the September premiere of the teaser trailer for my long standing pet project, "Mark of the Wolf", which recieved good reviews. That was then followed in October by "Vanishing Act" a joint collaboration between me and my friend Chase. I also helped out with a few other story ideas for some friends of mine and concluded things with the launch of "MOTW:The Web Series", an online short film extension with me and several friends of mine that will be related to the MOTW feature film. This was a great year in that regard and I'm proud to see that slowly becoming a reality.
Also in '07, I got a chance to return to my old high school, Cass Tech, for their anniversary celebration, visited Comerica Park for a Tigers game, checked out Ford Field for the first time ever to see a Lions game, and got to reconnect with some old friends. I also made contact with MySpace, joining the social online circle, where I made some more new friends as well. I'll give some shout out to the friends, old and new, in an upcoming post.
And while 2007 has been a year of good moments for me, there was one moment last year that wasn't. In fact, it was something that I never saw coming. I won't talk about it here just yet. But I'll talk about it later on this month, when the first anniversary of that moment is coming up.
That's it for now, but I'm not done with the year in review. On my next post, I'll look back at the friends I've met last year, talk about the best and worst movies and TV shows I've seen, and some other moments. Then after that, I'll look ahead at what's to come for me in 2008, including something very very cool that I'm planning.
August 18, 2007
Back to My Old School
Last weekend, I got a chance to return to my old high school, Cass Technical in Detroit, as part of the school's 100th birthday celebration. It was part of a weekend of festivities, but I was only able to attend the pep rally/school tour last week.It was fun, got to check out the new building, where you see standing in front of in the photo to the left. Saw some of the old yearbooks and photos from the school's past, even my yearbook photo (and trust me, you will NEVER see that photo it's that bad) and got to mingle with past and current students.
The one downside of all this was that none of my old friends from my time in Cass showed up for the rally, which was disappointing because I was looking forward to reconnecting with them again. But, all in all, I had a good time and it was good to be a part of my alma mater again. I look forward to taking part in the next event that they'll have in the future.
July 05, 2007
Movie Review: Transformers
Hey there.
Hard to believe I haven't done a movie review here in ages. I think the last one I did was for Casino Royale last year. But I have been seeing movies the past few months ( so far I've seen Ghost Rider (worst film so far this year) Spider Man 3 (OK film, not as good as Spidey 2 though) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (another OK film, not as good as the original)
But now it's time for me to get back to reviewing films on the old blog. And I'll start with the film I just saw on the 4th of July: "Transformers"
Now, growing up, I was a huge fan of the old cartoon series and collected some of the action figures. Since then, the figures have since gone to that junkpile in the sky and the only remmants I have from the cartoon was the special anniversary DVD of the old animated movie.
So I was looking forward to seeing Transformers and how it would fare up.
What can I say? I was completely blown away by it.
First of all, the action scenes freakin' rocked!! There were way too many to mention here, but that was the fun part. There were numerous action scenes that covered everything and almost everywhere. From stuff in the air to some wicked car chase scenes and smashups, they did them big and they did them well.
Next, they had a ton of humorous moments. I can't begin to tell you how many times me and the packed audience that was at the theatre laughed out loud throughout that movie. From audio references to dead on sight gags, it had it all. A great balance of action and humor in a film earns strong points with me.
I also loved the characters and how they related to the story. It was a good touch to not only relay it to current times, but also made it realistic as to how the Autobots and Deceptagons came to be and why and how they can transform into cars (sweet looking cars too, especially that yellow Camaro) planes and even a cellphone and beat box. I also liked how they integrated like four or five seperate stories into the main storyline. And it all led up to the slam bang finale, which part of it was filmed in my hometown of Detroit. Kind of cool to recognize some of the areas there on the big screen.
Director Michael Bay did a great job balancing the action, the emotion and the heavy-laden effects that came with this movie. I also have to give props to Shia LeBeouf, who played Sam in the movie. He carried the movie very well, with a sense of humor and quick reactions that made him the definite catalyst for the adventure shown in this movie. I also give props to Megan Fox, who played Sam's girlfriend, Josh Duhamel, who played the Army captain looking into the invasion, and Anthony Anderson, who played a computer expert and had some of the best one liners in the movie. It also was a good feeling hearing the original cartoon voice of Optimus Prime speaking in the film as well.
Overall, this was a good film. I liked it a lot. Looking at the way things stand right now, I think this is my early pick for the best movie I seen all year.
Hard to believe I haven't done a movie review here in ages. I think the last one I did was for Casino Royale last year. But I have been seeing movies the past few months ( so far I've seen Ghost Rider (worst film so far this year) Spider Man 3 (OK film, not as good as Spidey 2 though) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (another OK film, not as good as the original)
But now it's time for me to get back to reviewing films on the old blog. And I'll start with the film I just saw on the 4th of July: "Transformers"
Now, growing up, I was a huge fan of the old cartoon series and collected some of the action figures. Since then, the figures have since gone to that junkpile in the sky and the only remmants I have from the cartoon was the special anniversary DVD of the old animated movie.
So I was looking forward to seeing Transformers and how it would fare up.
What can I say? I was completely blown away by it.
First of all, the action scenes freakin' rocked!! There were way too many to mention here, but that was the fun part. There were numerous action scenes that covered everything and almost everywhere. From stuff in the air to some wicked car chase scenes and smashups, they did them big and they did them well.
Next, they had a ton of humorous moments. I can't begin to tell you how many times me and the packed audience that was at the theatre laughed out loud throughout that movie. From audio references to dead on sight gags, it had it all. A great balance of action and humor in a film earns strong points with me.
I also loved the characters and how they related to the story. It was a good touch to not only relay it to current times, but also made it realistic as to how the Autobots and Deceptagons came to be and why and how they can transform into cars (sweet looking cars too, especially that yellow Camaro) planes and even a cellphone and beat box. I also liked how they integrated like four or five seperate stories into the main storyline. And it all led up to the slam bang finale, which part of it was filmed in my hometown of Detroit. Kind of cool to recognize some of the areas there on the big screen.
Director Michael Bay did a great job balancing the action, the emotion and the heavy-laden effects that came with this movie. I also have to give props to Shia LeBeouf, who played Sam in the movie. He carried the movie very well, with a sense of humor and quick reactions that made him the definite catalyst for the adventure shown in this movie. I also give props to Megan Fox, who played Sam's girlfriend, Josh Duhamel, who played the Army captain looking into the invasion, and Anthony Anderson, who played a computer expert and had some of the best one liners in the movie. It also was a good feeling hearing the original cartoon voice of Optimus Prime speaking in the film as well.
Overall, this was a good film. I liked it a lot. Looking at the way things stand right now, I think this is my early pick for the best movie I seen all year.
July 02, 2007
Take Me Out To The Ballgame!!
This is a rare blog, where mostly photos will dominate it. Recently, I got a chance to attend a Detroit Tigers baseball game. I brought my camera along and here are some photos from the day.
June 08, 2007
Congrats Grads!!
Quick blog this time around. With the school year wrapping up, I wanted to take a moment to extend my congratualations to a few of my online friends who have completed either high school or college this semester.
Congrats to Eric S. and Chase for earning their high school degrees. Best of luck to you guys at the college of your choice. And congrats to Ron, for completing his college MBA program.
Great job guys!
Congrats to Eric S. and Chase for earning their high school degrees. Best of luck to you guys at the college of your choice. And congrats to Ron, for completing his college MBA program.
Great job guys!
Working with the Ignition: A Season Recap
Been a while since I did some updates about what's been going on with me, so I figured I'd touch on things.
First off, I wanted to recap about my stint working as an team ops intern for the Detroit Ignition indoor soccer team.
To the right is a photo of the team interns together after a home game. I'm on the far right.
It was a great experience. I did a lot of tasks for the club, from working as a "timeout coordinator" for the team's TV broadcasts, to handling one of the merchandise booths to helping with the club's birthday parties for the kids in attendance.
I was all over the place and the hours were crazy. Not only did we have to set everything up, and help out with the fans attending the game, but we also have to put most of the stuff away afterwards. For the day games, we start up early in the morning and didn't finish up till after 8pm. The night games, we'd start around 1pm and don't finish up until after 11pm, But in spite of the mad hours, it was all worth it.
What made it more exciting was that the team did incredibly well in it's inaugural season. We finished first in the MISL during the regular season, had an impressive home record, went through an nail-biting, thrilling playoff game that came right down to the wire with an overtime game winner about a minute into the session that advanced us to the league championship game. Not only did we advance to the title game, we also got to host it in front of a nationwide TV audience.
Unfortunately, the season didn't end the way we would've liked, as we lost the championship to Philadelphia. But being a part of it was a great overall experience. I got to make a lot of cool friends and be a part of a team environment. Another cool reason why I like to get involved with sports someday.
Now, I don't know what the future will bring, whether I'd be part of the Ignition next season or not, but I can honestly say I was proud to be a part of the team's inagural season. It was definitely an experience that I won't ever forget.
February 19, 2007
Catching Up: 2006 to 2007
Hey there.
It seems like it was last year when I last wrote in this blog. Well that's because it was, back in November.
Well, it's long overdue for a blog update. And since this is my first blog of 2007, I also figured it was time to look back on last year and look ahead at this.
By far, the biggest thing that has happened to me last year was getting my first job working with a sports team, becoming a team ops intern for the Detroit Ignition indoor soccer team in November. It's been a blast working for them so far and I'm confident and hopeful that this will lead to something bigger and better.
The next big thing has been making progress with my movie project, "Mark of the Wolf". It has come a long way from being a pipe dream at the start of '06 to something that's is looking more and more tangible with each passing day. I've already got a teaser trailer planned in the coming months, and hoping to begin shooting in the fall.
I've also established a new little company, MarkOne Films, that will not only house "MOTW", but some of my other movie ideas as well. Right now, things are only in the early stages, but things should begin to pick up this year.
2006 was also the year that I made a lot of new online friends. From those who lived within my region to a few that live in other countries, I'm proud to have gotten to know each and every one of you over the past year. So, I want to take the time to give a shout-out to those I've met last year: Josh (who'll be helping out with MOTW), Eric, Armin, Will, Bobby, Tony (my bud from England), Victor, Mike H. Jason P. Chris .R., Tom G. (another pal from England), Scot, Mike R. Jason F., Tom S., Gonzalo (another good friend from Brazil), Mike L.. Jesse, Todd, and Paul. It's been a blast getting to know you so far.
Let's see, other things that I've caught up on:
-- I've added several new TV shows to my must watch list, with NBC's "Heroes" topping the list. Other shows I liked: Showtime's "Dexter" (even though I missed several episodes), USA Network's "Psych", and BBC America's "Life on Mars".
-- My favorite movies of the past year: A very tight race, but I give the slight edge and my annual "Movie of the Year" award to "Casino Royale", the James Bond re-launch that was a pleasant surprise. Other top picks: 2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. 3. V for Vendetta. 4. Superman Returns. 5. Mission: Impossible 3.
--Worst movie of the year: "The Sentinel". I'm not usually one to fall into the bad movie trap. But when I saw a film with 24's Kiefer Sutherland, Michael Douglas and the hot Eva Longoria from Desperate Housewives., I thought yeah this would be good. Boy was I wrong. The plot was a joke, the action was terrible and the acting was even worse.
-- Best surprise film I saw: "Casino Royale". Worst disappointment: "X-Men 3: The Last Stand". Talk about a letdown. The action was OK, but the story line development was something to be desired.
And that's it. Sorry it took me longer than necessary to post this, but better late than never, right? Blog at you next time.
It seems like it was last year when I last wrote in this blog. Well that's because it was, back in November.
Well, it's long overdue for a blog update. And since this is my first blog of 2007, I also figured it was time to look back on last year and look ahead at this.
By far, the biggest thing that has happened to me last year was getting my first job working with a sports team, becoming a team ops intern for the Detroit Ignition indoor soccer team in November. It's been a blast working for them so far and I'm confident and hopeful that this will lead to something bigger and better.
The next big thing has been making progress with my movie project, "Mark of the Wolf". It has come a long way from being a pipe dream at the start of '06 to something that's is looking more and more tangible with each passing day. I've already got a teaser trailer planned in the coming months, and hoping to begin shooting in the fall.
I've also established a new little company, MarkOne Films, that will not only house "MOTW", but some of my other movie ideas as well. Right now, things are only in the early stages, but things should begin to pick up this year.
2006 was also the year that I made a lot of new online friends. From those who lived within my region to a few that live in other countries, I'm proud to have gotten to know each and every one of you over the past year. So, I want to take the time to give a shout-out to those I've met last year: Josh (who'll be helping out with MOTW), Eric, Armin, Will, Bobby, Tony (my bud from England), Victor, Mike H. Jason P. Chris .R., Tom G. (another pal from England), Scot, Mike R. Jason F., Tom S., Gonzalo (another good friend from Brazil), Mike L.. Jesse, Todd, and Paul. It's been a blast getting to know you so far.
Let's see, other things that I've caught up on:
-- I've added several new TV shows to my must watch list, with NBC's "Heroes" topping the list. Other shows I liked: Showtime's "Dexter" (even though I missed several episodes), USA Network's "Psych", and BBC America's "Life on Mars".
-- My favorite movies of the past year: A very tight race, but I give the slight edge and my annual "Movie of the Year" award to "Casino Royale", the James Bond re-launch that was a pleasant surprise. Other top picks: 2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. 3. V for Vendetta. 4. Superman Returns. 5. Mission: Impossible 3.
--Worst movie of the year: "The Sentinel". I'm not usually one to fall into the bad movie trap. But when I saw a film with 24's Kiefer Sutherland, Michael Douglas and the hot Eva Longoria from Desperate Housewives., I thought yeah this would be good. Boy was I wrong. The plot was a joke, the action was terrible and the acting was even worse.
-- Best surprise film I saw: "Casino Royale". Worst disappointment: "X-Men 3: The Last Stand". Talk about a letdown. The action was OK, but the story line development was something to be desired.
And that's it. Sorry it took me longer than necessary to post this, but better late than never, right? Blog at you next time.
November 29, 2006
Movie Review: Casino Royale
Hey there. Back to doing something I used to do regularly here on the blog: movie reviews.
Now if you go by what I've done here in the blogs, the last review I did was for "X-Men: The Last Stand" back in May. But no, that wasn't the last movie I've seen since then. Since then, I've seen: Superman Returns, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Pulse, The Covenant, and now Casino Royale. I'll talk about Supes and Pirates later on this week as both films come out on DVD. But back to the matter at hand.
Now, I'm a huge fan of movie franchises such as Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, even some of the Star Treks. With James Bond though, it's been touch and go with me. Sure, I've seen the classics with Sean Connery and Roger Moore on TV, but I've never been one to actually go to a theater and see 007 on the big screen. In fact, as far as I can remember, I've only seen 2 other Bond films at the theater: "Moonraker" when I was a kid and only because my folks wanted to see it in the drive-in and "Die Another Day". And yeah, I liked Pierce Brosnan as Bond (goes back to my days of seeing him as Remington Steele on TV when I was younger) but with that film, it had gotten to a point that the Bond franchise was getting old and tired. This once cool secret agent had become smarmy, corny and cheesy. Definitely too cheesy for my tastes. It was like it was becoming a sad parody of itself. And to be honest, when I first heard they were bringing it back for a new film, I could care less.
Then word came out about who would be playing Bond. Brosnan was out this time and Daniel Craig was going to take over. Now, I never heard of the guy, but I understand he was in such films like "Layer Cake" and "Munich", but according to the fanboys, getting Craig was like the kiss of death. He's blond, they say. He's ugly, they cry out. He would be the death of the 007 franchise, they proclaim. In fact, my friend Rob posted in our blog back when the announcement was made this comment: "What about this new James Bond? Daniel Craig. He is the worst looking Bond ever! He is really ugly looking, I'd be a better Bond! I can think of a dozen others who would have been better. What is this world coming to?"
His words. Not mine.
Me, on the other hand, could care less. I didn't think Craig was so bad as the critics were saying. But I was at the point that it was no big deal. It didn't matter who he was, it was still going to be the same old franchise, where Bond's suit would be perfect, uttering tired corny one-liners while trotting out these incredible gadgets, while getting it on with some beautiful ladies. Not that there's anything wrong with that last part, but I digress.
So as Casino Royale came out, I still had no plans on even seeing it at the theater. I figured, if it was OK enough as compared to the others, then I'd rather wait until it comes out on DVD or cable, if that. But then, something unusual happened. Good reviews started to come in. I mean, really really good reviews about it. Calling it the best Bond flick ever and Craig the best 007. Big words there. So, I decided to give it a chance and went to see it. I came into this with an open mind, seeing if the film lived up to the hype.
Tell you what,"Casino Royale" lived up to it and then some.
This film went the same route with Batman Begins and went with a complete reboot of the series, showing Bond in his first major adventure as a "double-0" agent. And from the moment the film started, it blew me away.
First of all, they changed the traditional Bond opening which we've been so used to seeing in the movies. I won't give it away for those who haven't seen it, but they basically made it into an actual scene, which surprised me and made it actually work, putting a different spin on it.
Then, came the first true sequence after the film's theme (which I liked a lot, by the way). What could I say to that but wow. It was a free wheeling crazy sequence showing Bond chasing a informant. Again, I won't give it away, but that whole scene was absolutely incredible, filled with a lot of mad stunts and crazy fights. By the time that was done, roughly about 15 minutes of the film was underway. In those 15 minutes, it was clear that Craig had put his stamp on 007. He wasn't copying from the other actors before him, he was his own version of the character.
From there, the rest of the film just buzzed with a rhythm that was great. It had a mix of frenetic energy and good acting. The plot was your typical spy caper, but somehow it seemed different. This time, Bond was more gritty, raw, realistic. And it worked great.
The one liners this time weren't your usual cheese that made you groan the moment you heard them. The majority of them actually fit what the scene called for. There was one scene, where Bond was being tortured by the chief villain in the film, in what I could best describe as the most excruciating, painful, cringe inducing way imagineable (you have to see for yourself what I mean) and all the while you wanted to squirm in your seat, here was Bond delivering the most dead on wise cracks I have ever heard. It totally fit that moment and I can tell you those got the loudest and longest laughs out of me and the audience in the whole film.
Overall, I liked this film. Never thought I would, but I did. I was totally surprised by it. If ever there was a franchise that needed a reboot, it's this one. And it was a fresh, unique, more realistic take on 007. Even the gadgets that he used in the film were items that you could see being used in real life, which was a nice touch.
And what can I say about Daniel Craig? He absolutely hit it out of the park with his portrayal. He was funny, serious, tough and tender when the moment required it, and he did something I'd never thought I'd see in a Bond film: he made him human. It was good to see Bond getting physical, getting dirty, getting beat up (which happened to him a lot) and bloodied. It was also good to see him flawed and be imperfect as well. He didn't make him a cardboard stereotype which was what the character had been reduced to. He made him a flesh and blood character that put Bond back to what Ian Fleming (the guy who created the character) had originated. And that made him even more cool to my eyes.
Now, if there was one thing that turned things off for me with this film, was the length. I think it should've been trimmed just a bit shorter, especially towards the end to keep the pace going. But that doesn't take anything away from me enjoying the film. It was good to see it start with a clean slate and made it worth watching right up to the end, where you could see - and hear- the familiar parts that make a James Bond movie.
In my eyes, I still see Connery as the best to play 007, but if Craig continues to build on what he's done with "Casino Royale" (and that will be the big test, how they will build on this movie), then I can definitely see him moving up to the top of the list. He made James Bond cool again, and now, I can't wait to see what he will do next.
Now if you go by what I've done here in the blogs, the last review I did was for "X-Men: The Last Stand" back in May. But no, that wasn't the last movie I've seen since then. Since then, I've seen: Superman Returns, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Pulse, The Covenant, and now Casino Royale. I'll talk about Supes and Pirates later on this week as both films come out on DVD. But back to the matter at hand.
Now, I'm a huge fan of movie franchises such as Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, even some of the Star Treks. With James Bond though, it's been touch and go with me. Sure, I've seen the classics with Sean Connery and Roger Moore on TV, but I've never been one to actually go to a theater and see 007 on the big screen. In fact, as far as I can remember, I've only seen 2 other Bond films at the theater: "Moonraker" when I was a kid and only because my folks wanted to see it in the drive-in and "Die Another Day". And yeah, I liked Pierce Brosnan as Bond (goes back to my days of seeing him as Remington Steele on TV when I was younger) but with that film, it had gotten to a point that the Bond franchise was getting old and tired. This once cool secret agent had become smarmy, corny and cheesy. Definitely too cheesy for my tastes. It was like it was becoming a sad parody of itself. And to be honest, when I first heard they were bringing it back for a new film, I could care less.
Then word came out about who would be playing Bond. Brosnan was out this time and Daniel Craig was going to take over. Now, I never heard of the guy, but I understand he was in such films like "Layer Cake" and "Munich", but according to the fanboys, getting Craig was like the kiss of death. He's blond, they say. He's ugly, they cry out. He would be the death of the 007 franchise, they proclaim. In fact, my friend Rob posted in our blog back when the announcement was made this comment: "What about this new James Bond? Daniel Craig. He is the worst looking Bond ever! He is really ugly looking, I'd be a better Bond! I can think of a dozen others who would have been better. What is this world coming to?"
His words. Not mine.
Me, on the other hand, could care less. I didn't think Craig was so bad as the critics were saying. But I was at the point that it was no big deal. It didn't matter who he was, it was still going to be the same old franchise, where Bond's suit would be perfect, uttering tired corny one-liners while trotting out these incredible gadgets, while getting it on with some beautiful ladies. Not that there's anything wrong with that last part, but I digress.
So as Casino Royale came out, I still had no plans on even seeing it at the theater. I figured, if it was OK enough as compared to the others, then I'd rather wait until it comes out on DVD or cable, if that. But then, something unusual happened. Good reviews started to come in. I mean, really really good reviews about it. Calling it the best Bond flick ever and Craig the best 007. Big words there. So, I decided to give it a chance and went to see it. I came into this with an open mind, seeing if the film lived up to the hype.
Tell you what,"Casino Royale" lived up to it and then some.
This film went the same route with Batman Begins and went with a complete reboot of the series, showing Bond in his first major adventure as a "double-0" agent. And from the moment the film started, it blew me away.
First of all, they changed the traditional Bond opening which we've been so used to seeing in the movies. I won't give it away for those who haven't seen it, but they basically made it into an actual scene, which surprised me and made it actually work, putting a different spin on it.
Then, came the first true sequence after the film's theme (which I liked a lot, by the way). What could I say to that but wow. It was a free wheeling crazy sequence showing Bond chasing a informant. Again, I won't give it away, but that whole scene was absolutely incredible, filled with a lot of mad stunts and crazy fights. By the time that was done, roughly about 15 minutes of the film was underway. In those 15 minutes, it was clear that Craig had put his stamp on 007. He wasn't copying from the other actors before him, he was his own version of the character.
From there, the rest of the film just buzzed with a rhythm that was great. It had a mix of frenetic energy and good acting. The plot was your typical spy caper, but somehow it seemed different. This time, Bond was more gritty, raw, realistic. And it worked great.
The one liners this time weren't your usual cheese that made you groan the moment you heard them. The majority of them actually fit what the scene called for. There was one scene, where Bond was being tortured by the chief villain in the film, in what I could best describe as the most excruciating, painful, cringe inducing way imagineable (you have to see for yourself what I mean) and all the while you wanted to squirm in your seat, here was Bond delivering the most dead on wise cracks I have ever heard. It totally fit that moment and I can tell you those got the loudest and longest laughs out of me and the audience in the whole film.
Overall, I liked this film. Never thought I would, but I did. I was totally surprised by it. If ever there was a franchise that needed a reboot, it's this one. And it was a fresh, unique, more realistic take on 007. Even the gadgets that he used in the film were items that you could see being used in real life, which was a nice touch.
And what can I say about Daniel Craig? He absolutely hit it out of the park with his portrayal. He was funny, serious, tough and tender when the moment required it, and he did something I'd never thought I'd see in a Bond film: he made him human. It was good to see Bond getting physical, getting dirty, getting beat up (which happened to him a lot) and bloodied. It was also good to see him flawed and be imperfect as well. He didn't make him a cardboard stereotype which was what the character had been reduced to. He made him a flesh and blood character that put Bond back to what Ian Fleming (the guy who created the character) had originated. And that made him even more cool to my eyes.
Now, if there was one thing that turned things off for me with this film, was the length. I think it should've been trimmed just a bit shorter, especially towards the end to keep the pace going. But that doesn't take anything away from me enjoying the film. It was good to see it start with a clean slate and made it worth watching right up to the end, where you could see - and hear- the familiar parts that make a James Bond movie.
In my eyes, I still see Connery as the best to play 007, but if Craig continues to build on what he's done with "Casino Royale" (and that will be the big test, how they will build on this movie), then I can definitely see him moving up to the top of the list. He made James Bond cool again, and now, I can't wait to see what he will do next.
November 23, 2006
We Have Ignition!
Hey there.
The last time I posted in this blog, I was announcing that I have a new job, working as an intern for the new Detroit Ignition indoor soccer team.
Now's my chance to tell you all about it.
Basically, I have two positions. One is working as a go-between the team and the cable TV network that's broadcasting several home games during the season. During those games (at least ten of them, plus possible playoffs) I serve as a time-out coordinator, or what they call a "redhat", where for two breaks in betweeen each quarter (four of them), I let the referees know that the network guys want a "TV timeout", or a 90-second break between action.
Now, the first game I did that, which was the home opener (November 4) was crazy, because at first there were problems with the headset I had communicating with the production truck, causing a slight delay with the game's kickoff. Thankfully, the delay wasn't too long and I was able to get with the guys in the truck. Also, because of the mad rush that happens when the game comes on, the director in the truck sometimes didn't give me a count on when to let the refs know that they can resume the game. Again, thankfully, no damage was done there.
The other times when there's not a TV game, I'm a game operations intern. That's the other postition that I do for the team. With this role, I'm all over the place. I can do things from setting up the merchandise booths, which I did for the last home game (November 19) to working the VIP club tables to working the spotlights for the player introductions, to helping take everything down when the game's over. Now those days can run really long. That last game, which was a matinee, I arrived sometime after 9am and didn't leave till after 8pm.
Now, in spite of the long hours, I am having the time of my life working with the team.
I told you before in this blog how much I like knowing the behind the scenes stuff with sports and TV and I'm getting a hands on experience in both. From setting things up to seeing how it all works and everything in between, I'm learning it all. I've only been at it for three days, the two home games and the intial run-through the day before the first home game, and I've already learned a lot.
And the people I work with are a great crew. There's about 12 of us that work on the game ops staff and each of us gets along great. I think the first day we all got together to literally bring up chairs and tables to set things up for opening night was a good moment to talk and connect and form a pretty good team. Our boss, who happens to be the team president/general manager even gets us together for a team huddle before each game to get us psyched up and ready for the game ahead. It's kind of cheesy and corny, but hey it works.
Overall, I like being a part of this. It's been quite a while since I've been a part of something along these lines. It's hard to describe really what it feels like to work in this role, but I can honestly tell you that when I'm there, doing the multiple tasks as a game op or relaying messages to the cable TV crew, this is why I want this to be my dream job, my dream career. Now, I don't know what's going to happen after the season ends next April. I could wind up with a full time gig with the team, parlay it into something else sports or media related, who knows. But I do know, I'm going to enjoy and relish every minute that I work with this club. It's been a great ride so far and I can't wait to see what happens next.
To find out more about the team and it's upcoming schedule, click on the headline or go here for more information.
That's it for now, I'll blog at you later.
The last time I posted in this blog, I was announcing that I have a new job, working as an intern for the new Detroit Ignition indoor soccer team.
Now's my chance to tell you all about it.
Basically, I have two positions. One is working as a go-between the team and the cable TV network that's broadcasting several home games during the season. During those games (at least ten of them, plus possible playoffs) I serve as a time-out coordinator, or what they call a "redhat", where for two breaks in betweeen each quarter (four of them), I let the referees know that the network guys want a "TV timeout", or a 90-second break between action.
Now, the first game I did that, which was the home opener (November 4) was crazy, because at first there were problems with the headset I had communicating with the production truck, causing a slight delay with the game's kickoff. Thankfully, the delay wasn't too long and I was able to get with the guys in the truck. Also, because of the mad rush that happens when the game comes on, the director in the truck sometimes didn't give me a count on when to let the refs know that they can resume the game. Again, thankfully, no damage was done there.
The other times when there's not a TV game, I'm a game operations intern. That's the other postition that I do for the team. With this role, I'm all over the place. I can do things from setting up the merchandise booths, which I did for the last home game (November 19) to working the VIP club tables to working the spotlights for the player introductions, to helping take everything down when the game's over. Now those days can run really long. That last game, which was a matinee, I arrived sometime after 9am and didn't leave till after 8pm.
Now, in spite of the long hours, I am having the time of my life working with the team.
I told you before in this blog how much I like knowing the behind the scenes stuff with sports and TV and I'm getting a hands on experience in both. From setting things up to seeing how it all works and everything in between, I'm learning it all. I've only been at it for three days, the two home games and the intial run-through the day before the first home game, and I've already learned a lot.
And the people I work with are a great crew. There's about 12 of us that work on the game ops staff and each of us gets along great. I think the first day we all got together to literally bring up chairs and tables to set things up for opening night was a good moment to talk and connect and form a pretty good team. Our boss, who happens to be the team president/general manager even gets us together for a team huddle before each game to get us psyched up and ready for the game ahead. It's kind of cheesy and corny, but hey it works.
Overall, I like being a part of this. It's been quite a while since I've been a part of something along these lines. It's hard to describe really what it feels like to work in this role, but I can honestly tell you that when I'm there, doing the multiple tasks as a game op or relaying messages to the cable TV crew, this is why I want this to be my dream job, my dream career. Now, I don't know what's going to happen after the season ends next April. I could wind up with a full time gig with the team, parlay it into something else sports or media related, who knows. But I do know, I'm going to enjoy and relish every minute that I work with this club. It's been a great ride so far and I can't wait to see what happens next.
To find out more about the team and it's upcoming schedule, click on the headline or go here for more information.
That's it for now, I'll blog at you later.
October 29, 2006
A Dream Come True
It's been a dream of mine for years.
Last week, it came true.
Now before I tell you what that is, let me take you back.
Ever since I was a kid, there have been two things that fascinated me. Two things that, as I got older, were things that I could see myself being a part of. Something that would serve as a career goal for me.
Those two things were sports and broadcasting. I love being a sports fan. Something that was ingrained into me by my family ever since I can remember. And I've always been intrigued by broadcasting. I can vividly recall as a kid being in awe over seeing a TV news truck zooming by and as a kid, I made an appearance on the national news over my elementary school being selected for some honor.
Again as I got older, I saw being involved in broadcasting as an actual career. It's the field that picked once I went to college and where I earned my degree. And I really wanted to be involved in sports broadcasting as well. The way I saw it, it would be the best of both worlds.
And even then, if worst came to worst, I would love to be a part of one of the area sports teams, maybe as an announcer or something like that.
But little did I realize, that dreams are one thing. But, reality was something else altogether.
And the reality was, getting a job in broadcasting was as tough as putting a square peg in a round hole. Sure, I had interviews, went to job fairs and events, and sent out more resumes than you can imagine. But each time, something would happen that would set me back. And I'd be lying to you if I didn't say that it hurt me each time I got turned down. Or when I would see a classmate in college that would make it to the big show and think that it should've been me. Or hearing from those who would say that I should've given up on my dreams and settle for a more realistic goal. But I never gave up on that. Which is why I continued at my low paying job and continued to send out the resumes and went to the fairs and what not. Because I knew that somehow, someway a break would come my way. And that's all I was looking for: a break.
Last month, that break finally came.
I don't know what propelled me to, of all things, the Major Indoor Soccer League website that day. But there I was and I clicked on the website for the Detroit Ignition, an expansion team starting up for the league. It was there that I read about that they were looking for people to fill positions with the club. Somehow, after reading that ad, I felt compelled to send out my resume and hope for a response. Little did I know that a few days later, I would get a reply from that club. They wanted an interview with me, maybe to help with their public relations/communications department.
This was my chance. I saw this as my best opportunity to get my foot in the door. So I went to that interview, I sent out my list of references. I emailed and called them several times to see if there were any news. I wanted this. I really wanted this. Then last week, I was called back for a second interview, where they were telling me about working for the club not only in game operations, but also to help out with the team's cable telecasts. Again, I was especially interested in it.
A day later, after I got back from work. I got a message from the team. I called them back, and they told me that they were giving me the position.
I have finally done it.
Now, I'm still a bit fuzzy about my official title, but I do know that starting this weekend and for about 15 days over the next several months, I'll be a part of the Detroit Ignition indoor soccer team staff. I will work as a game operations intern as well as serve as a buffer for the team's ten or so telecasts on cable.
Now, this position doesn't pay, so I'll still be at my other job. But I don't care. My foot is in the door. I had finally gotten a break. And who knows what could come out of this. Or, where this could lead. All I know is I have my shot. And I'm not going to let the team down.
It's been a dream of mine for years. Last week, it came true. And now, this is one dream where I don't want to ever wake up from.
Last week, it came true.
Now before I tell you what that is, let me take you back.
Ever since I was a kid, there have been two things that fascinated me. Two things that, as I got older, were things that I could see myself being a part of. Something that would serve as a career goal for me.
Those two things were sports and broadcasting. I love being a sports fan. Something that was ingrained into me by my family ever since I can remember. And I've always been intrigued by broadcasting. I can vividly recall as a kid being in awe over seeing a TV news truck zooming by and as a kid, I made an appearance on the national news over my elementary school being selected for some honor.
Again as I got older, I saw being involved in broadcasting as an actual career. It's the field that picked once I went to college and where I earned my degree. And I really wanted to be involved in sports broadcasting as well. The way I saw it, it would be the best of both worlds.
And even then, if worst came to worst, I would love to be a part of one of the area sports teams, maybe as an announcer or something like that.
But little did I realize, that dreams are one thing. But, reality was something else altogether.
And the reality was, getting a job in broadcasting was as tough as putting a square peg in a round hole. Sure, I had interviews, went to job fairs and events, and sent out more resumes than you can imagine. But each time, something would happen that would set me back. And I'd be lying to you if I didn't say that it hurt me each time I got turned down. Or when I would see a classmate in college that would make it to the big show and think that it should've been me. Or hearing from those who would say that I should've given up on my dreams and settle for a more realistic goal. But I never gave up on that. Which is why I continued at my low paying job and continued to send out the resumes and went to the fairs and what not. Because I knew that somehow, someway a break would come my way. And that's all I was looking for: a break.
Last month, that break finally came.
I don't know what propelled me to, of all things, the Major Indoor Soccer League website that day. But there I was and I clicked on the website for the Detroit Ignition, an expansion team starting up for the league. It was there that I read about that they were looking for people to fill positions with the club. Somehow, after reading that ad, I felt compelled to send out my resume and hope for a response. Little did I know that a few days later, I would get a reply from that club. They wanted an interview with me, maybe to help with their public relations/communications department.
This was my chance. I saw this as my best opportunity to get my foot in the door. So I went to that interview, I sent out my list of references. I emailed and called them several times to see if there were any news. I wanted this. I really wanted this. Then last week, I was called back for a second interview, where they were telling me about working for the club not only in game operations, but also to help out with the team's cable telecasts. Again, I was especially interested in it.
A day later, after I got back from work. I got a message from the team. I called them back, and they told me that they were giving me the position.
I have finally done it.
Now, I'm still a bit fuzzy about my official title, but I do know that starting this weekend and for about 15 days over the next several months, I'll be a part of the Detroit Ignition indoor soccer team staff. I will work as a game operations intern as well as serve as a buffer for the team's ten or so telecasts on cable.
Now, this position doesn't pay, so I'll still be at my other job. But I don't care. My foot is in the door. I had finally gotten a break. And who knows what could come out of this. Or, where this could lead. All I know is I have my shot. And I'm not going to let the team down.
It's been a dream of mine for years. Last week, it came true. And now, this is one dream where I don't want to ever wake up from.
October 20, 2006
The Dish is Back!!!
Hey there. I have great news to report. After a month and a half away, I'm proud to announce that my satellite is back up and running.
I already told you the story of how my satellite was taken down due to renovations outside my apartment complex. Well after waiting it out until the very day the satellite guys told me that it would take, they finally came in a couple of days ago and reinstalled it.
I can't begin to tell you how good it feels to have over a hundred channels on my TV again. And to see my favorite channels (ESPN, SciFi, HBO, USA, etc.) back after all this time away is a good feeling indeed.
Now that I've got my dish back up, it's time to catch up. Some of my channels have been showing a few marathon episodes of shows that I've missed and other channels have been replaying episodes at other times as well. I also want to thank my old buddy Sam for helping me out while my satellite was down with taping a few shows for me. I definitely appreciate that.
That's it for now. Blog at you later.
I already told you the story of how my satellite was taken down due to renovations outside my apartment complex. Well after waiting it out until the very day the satellite guys told me that it would take, they finally came in a couple of days ago and reinstalled it.
I can't begin to tell you how good it feels to have over a hundred channels on my TV again. And to see my favorite channels (ESPN, SciFi, HBO, USA, etc.) back after all this time away is a good feeling indeed.
Now that I've got my dish back up, it's time to catch up. Some of my channels have been showing a few marathon episodes of shows that I've missed and other channels have been replaying episodes at other times as well. I also want to thank my old buddy Sam for helping me out while my satellite was down with taping a few shows for me. I definitely appreciate that.
That's it for now. Blog at you later.
September 27, 2006
Satellite Down!!!!!
If you know me, there are two things that I cannot live without. My computer and my satellite dish.
Right now, I'm without one of those two things. And since I'm typing this blog out on my PC, you can figure out what's the other thing.
My satellite is down and I am very upset about it.
It all started innocently enough when the apartment complex where I live started doing some renovating outside. You know, new siding, paint job, the whole nine yards. Like I said innocent enough.
Until it got to my place and the workers decided it would be fun to take down my satellite as they made their renovations.
Now, at first I was mad about it. But, there was nothing I can do. I mean, it is their apartments after all and they can do what they want outside. Besides, I figured they be at it for a day or two at the most and I'll have it back.
Those two days turned into two weeks. Straight.
All the while, my dish was offline.With nothing more than a black screen with the words, "searching for satellite signal", posted on the bottom (the worst four words you'd want to see, by the way.)
Now if this sort of thing was happening during the summer, I wouldn't be all upset about it. But to have this happen in the fall, right when the new season of shows are starting up, is the absolute worst time for this to happen.
During the time away, I wasn't missing out on too much, except for Fox's Prison Break, one of my favorite shows. (Thanks to my good friend Sam, he was able to tape last week's episode for me.)
So on Tuesday, everything was finally done and I called the dish people to set up an appointment for them to come over and hook back up the satellite.
And that was when I got the news that I didn't see coming.
They told me, because of so many people around my area asking for appointments for dishes and other service, that the earliest that I would expect a service call to get it back up and running is October 18th.
Let me repeat that again. The earliest I can get my dish back is October 18th.
That's almost a month with out my TV. Technically, a month and a half if you count the time served when it was initially taken down.
Now I am livid. Not only for the fact that I'll be without my dish for so long, but I'll be missing a lot of my favorite shows and channels. Smallville's season premiere, Lost's season premiere, Prison Break on Fox, Supernatural on the new CW, Heroes on NBC, Dr. Who on SciFi, Wrestling, ESPN and on and on. For at least three weeks.
Now, there is a chance that I may get my dish back up sooner, since they placed me on a waiting list in the event someone cancels an appointment. But, either way, whatever day I get it back will already be several days too late because of what I missed and will continue to miss.
I hope that some of my friends who read this will be able to help me out with tapes and/or DVDs of the shows I'll be missing during this time span. But even I know that will be asking way too much of them. If you can help, please contact me.
In the meantime, I've been reduced to something that I haven't done since I was a kid. Watching TV with an small antenna where, instead of having hundreds of channels to choose from, I'm down to about nine where it's a crapshoot at best when it comes to picture quality.
So, this is not going to be a good time for me. At least until I get my dish back up again. Whenever that will be.
Right now, I'm without one of those two things. And since I'm typing this blog out on my PC, you can figure out what's the other thing.
My satellite is down and I am very upset about it.
It all started innocently enough when the apartment complex where I live started doing some renovating outside. You know, new siding, paint job, the whole nine yards. Like I said innocent enough.
Until it got to my place and the workers decided it would be fun to take down my satellite as they made their renovations.
Now, at first I was mad about it. But, there was nothing I can do. I mean, it is their apartments after all and they can do what they want outside. Besides, I figured they be at it for a day or two at the most and I'll have it back.
Those two days turned into two weeks. Straight.
All the while, my dish was offline.With nothing more than a black screen with the words, "searching for satellite signal", posted on the bottom (the worst four words you'd want to see, by the way.)
Now if this sort of thing was happening during the summer, I wouldn't be all upset about it. But to have this happen in the fall, right when the new season of shows are starting up, is the absolute worst time for this to happen.
During the time away, I wasn't missing out on too much, except for Fox's Prison Break, one of my favorite shows. (Thanks to my good friend Sam, he was able to tape last week's episode for me.)
So on Tuesday, everything was finally done and I called the dish people to set up an appointment for them to come over and hook back up the satellite.
And that was when I got the news that I didn't see coming.
They told me, because of so many people around my area asking for appointments for dishes and other service, that the earliest that I would expect a service call to get it back up and running is October 18th.
Let me repeat that again. The earliest I can get my dish back is October 18th.
That's almost a month with out my TV. Technically, a month and a half if you count the time served when it was initially taken down.
Now I am livid. Not only for the fact that I'll be without my dish for so long, but I'll be missing a lot of my favorite shows and channels. Smallville's season premiere, Lost's season premiere, Prison Break on Fox, Supernatural on the new CW, Heroes on NBC, Dr. Who on SciFi, Wrestling, ESPN and on and on. For at least three weeks.
Now, there is a chance that I may get my dish back up sooner, since they placed me on a waiting list in the event someone cancels an appointment. But, either way, whatever day I get it back will already be several days too late because of what I missed and will continue to miss.
I hope that some of my friends who read this will be able to help me out with tapes and/or DVDs of the shows I'll be missing during this time span. But even I know that will be asking way too much of them. If you can help, please contact me.
In the meantime, I've been reduced to something that I haven't done since I was a kid. Watching TV with an small antenna where, instead of having hundreds of channels to choose from, I'm down to about nine where it's a crapshoot at best when it comes to picture quality.
So, this is not going to be a good time for me. At least until I get my dish back up again. Whenever that will be.
September 05, 2006
September 02, 2006
NEW Website Launches on Labor Day!!
It's almost time. Time to finally launch my new website. I'm putting the finishing touches on my new M1N site. I'm adding some new stuff, cleaning up the old stuff and getting rid of the pages that I no longer work on.
So when will it be ready to go? Well I've pencilled in Monday Sept. 4th (Labor Day) for it to be up and running. When? It could be midnight (late night Sunday), 2:00 PM, 7:55PM, 11:59PM, whatever. But trust me it'll be good to go by Monday.
Be on the lookout for it. Thanks.
So when will it be ready to go? Well I've pencilled in Monday Sept. 4th (Labor Day) for it to be up and running. When? It could be midnight (late night Sunday), 2:00 PM, 7:55PM, 11:59PM, whatever. But trust me it'll be good to go by Monday.
Be on the lookout for it. Thanks.
August 26, 2006
Birthday Wishes
Hey there, the next two days (today, the 26th and tomorrow, the 27th) are very special to three people that I know: one who knows me intimately, another who's one of my closest and best friends, and a third who's become a very cool online bud.
Why? Because their birthdays fall on those two days.
On the 26th, it's my mother's birthday (Love Ya Mom!!), and as I just found out the other day, it's also my online friend Tony's birthday (Happy Birthday Mate, don't get too old too fast!)
The next day, on the 27th, it's my friend Rob's birthday (Happy Birthday Bud!)
So I dedicate this blog entry to them, hoping that their special day is truly that.
Why? Because their birthdays fall on those two days.
On the 26th, it's my mother's birthday (Love Ya Mom!!), and as I just found out the other day, it's also my online friend Tony's birthday (Happy Birthday Mate, don't get too old too fast!)
The next day, on the 27th, it's my friend Rob's birthday (Happy Birthday Bud!)
So I dedicate this blog entry to them, hoping that their special day is truly that.
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