Hero Inc.

Several posts ago, I mentioned a movie that I was truly looking forward to seeing.  Today was that day and it lived up to everything I expected from it and more.

The Wrestler follows the end of the great career of Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Rourke).  Once at the top of his game in professional wrestler, he has now fallen to nothing more than a minor draw at small venue wrestling events.  The Ram is a man stuck in the glory days of the 80’s as the rest of the world continues to move forward.

Besides the appeal of my old love I had for professional wrestling, Darren Aronofsky (Pi, The Fountain, Requiem For A Dream) was the man behind this film.  However, you would have never known this from watching it.  There were no quick cuts/edits that are typical from his past work.  The only signature was the “unsteady” cam that was used to follow The Ram wherever he went.  The film seemed to be shot more as a “documentary” visually than as a movie telling the tell of a man.  You almost started to believe that Randy was real (although there are real men like Randy) and this was his life crumbling before your eyes.

All of the performances here will tug at your hearts, but Rourke just rips you apart.  When he cries it is real and you feel it.  You cheer when his body gives it his all in every match even though he should have stopped years ago.  You cheer when he somehow finds the ability to enjoy the simple moments in his regular job.  You cry when his daughter wants nothing to do with him and he is left with no one.  I’m hoping this really is the return of Rourke because he is true talent.

Most people will enjoy this movie, but those few of us who watched wrestling back when it was “real” love it.  This isn’t the glitz and glam.  This is the days where heels and faces could not be seen in public together.  The men in the ring really hated each other and would stop at nothing to win the match.  Each match is perfectly executed in the film.  Seeing a man destroy his body by his own choice (blading) or via his opponent, the audience feels the pain.  The scene after the hardcore match where the camera pans across Ram’s body is intense.  Every scar, bruise, cut, drop of blood is shown.  You start to wonder if he can actually feel anything other than pain at that moment.  Heck, I even noticed The Ram using an uncharacteristic move in his final match (vs Ernest The Cat, Thanks James for pointing it out) before it was pointed out on film  (That’s just sad).

[Rating: 4.5/5]

This movie review will be the exact opposite of the Curious Case of Benjamin Button in everyway:  short and crappy vs long and good.

When I say that Benjamin Button is long, I’m not sure if you truly understand what I mean.  It clocks in at 2 hours and 47 minutes.  To me, that was just way too long.  I would say that the time starts to wear on you about halfway through the movie.  It could be that you start to understand the life of this movie will match that of Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) and at this point he is still fairly young. The movie is good, but I think the length is just too much for me to overcome to state it is more than just good.  I was reminded of Forrest Gump because of the way the movie moves across different life events that shape the story.

[Rating:3.5/5]

Yes there is a delay on this post, but after a loss, I’m generally not a happy individual.  I am in a bad mood and usually vow to never watch a game again with whoever is with me (sorry for those that had to hear that from me this weekend).  In order to close out the season right, I’d like to pass on the following playoff review as well as what I’ll be looking for in the offseason.

There are many things to take away from the playoff game (Falcons 24, Cardinals 30).  These things can be both on the field and off the field as well as listed below here for your reading pleasure.  Here are my quick thoughts that I had during the game.

• The Cardinals stadium looks like it is inflatable
• Why do we get stuck with Cris Colinsworth?  He’s terrible.
• Larry Fitzgerald is amazing
• Is it just me or do the Cardinals have Ryan’s snap count figured out?  Maybe the Falcons will have that fixed in the second half.
• I’ve said it once and I will say it again:  The Van Gorder defense only works if you get to the QB.  We keep getting so close but not close enough.
• We just can’t win the field position battle.  Are we just trying to make our team go 90+ yards to score?
• Why does Roddy catch semi-difficult catches but can’t seem to bring in the ones when he is wide open and alone down the field?
• All year I have heard we need to get Norwood the ball more.  He is an impact and needs to be given the ball.  Did we forget this thought or just felt that Turner would eventually break through.
• Roddy don’t just stare at passes that are coming up short for you.  Become a defender and knock it away from the defense.
• I believe Michael Jenkins is still on this team.
• All season we have wanted a pass catching TE.  Marcus Pollard just now appears in this game?
• The media will state that Ryan ended up looking like a rookie in this game, but Sam Baker is the one looking the most like a rookie as he is getting blown up on the line.
• NFL, please stop coddling the QBs.  If a QB is wrapped up and still moving around, let play continue.  Don’t whistle the play dead because he might actually still be able to get the ball away.  The QB should be smart enough to weigh injuries vs additional penalties for certain decisions.
• Is it possible to have an onside kick after a safety?  I know many will scream at me for this move since you are already in terrible field position, but is it actually possible?  Or does the punt not have the same properties and rules as a kickoff?
• Keith!!!  We all knew it was going to be play action.  We all saw it coming but you and your veteran abilities did not.  Ahh!!!!!

The season has ended for the Falcons, but it is just beginning of looking towards the process for next year.  Here’s my quick guide for what I’d like to see this off season (draft, free agent) as well as next season.

• Last season we went out and spent for Turner and it paid off many times over.  However, I don’t really see any “big names” in this offseason that we should spend the money to get.  If anything we should pick up the quiet guys like we did last year with Coleman and Foxworth.
• On the defensive side of the ball, we need to look to fill Safety, OLB, DT, and CB.
• On the offensive side of the ball, we need to look to fill OL and TE (Pass catching)
• Keith should become more leader than player.  Teach the younger guys.  I don’t want to see Keith leave because he is always a Falcon and Georgia guy.  Let him stay here and end his career.
• Next season create more offensive plays around Norwood.  I see him as a Brian Westbrook style back that would excel best in screens and quick pass situations.
• To follow up offensive rookie of the year, let’s see if Thomas and Smitty can pick the defensive rookie of the year.
• A Pro Bowl for Koheonen in 09.  He had a pro bowl style season in Atlanta, but no one votes for punters often unless you are in the NFC East.
• Can we finally end the 43 year drought and finally get back to back winning seasons?

The process is complete.  It is now time to stay the course of action…

Another year is down and I’m just a little bit older.  With 2009 here and now, we take a quick look back across the board on the year that was 2008.

Music

I picked up several great CDs over the course of the year, but there has to be one that is a cut above the rest.  When I opened up Amarok to see which albums were listed for this year, I quickly and easily knew the answer.

Winner		Feed The Animals by Girl Talk This CD is a mix of everything you have heard and nothing you have ever heard. I’ve tried the other Girl Talk albums, but this one is where Girl Talk really found the right formula. The songs move from one to the next as a seamless transition. The album takes you back across your life as you pick out all of the songs used to make the mix. I’m personally a fan of “Hands In The Air” and “Play Your Part (Pt. 1)”.
Honorable Mention		Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings by Counting Crows Let me start by saying James is going to kill me for giving this Honorable Mention. I guess I better now shy away from Bama jokes. Anyway, Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings is easiest to describe as an infusion of “August and Everything After” and “Recovering The Satellites”. Not really sure why I would review this item again, but “When I Dream of Michelangelo” and “Come Around” still top my list for great songs on this album. The more I have heard “Come Around” on the radio the more it has become a CC mainstay for me.

Movies

2008 was the year of hype and that usually leads to disappointment, but it seems that for once the hype was for real and we were all happy to fork over our 10+ dollars.

Winner		The Dark Knight TDK led the reviews for the year (both critic and consumer). The hype was a fear factor in my eyes but this movie went above and beyond so many other “comic book” movies that it stands as simply a great movie. I’m not sure I can say much more for Batman and the Clown Prince of Gotham.
Honorable Mention		Hellboy II and Iron Man The poster may be of Hellboy II but that is simply because I don’t believe it received as much praise as Iron Man did. Hellboy II was much better than the first despite any rumors you might have heard. Iron Man was great as well even if it included Gwyneth. Hellboy II may be ending its franchise (or it looks that way) but Iron Man is only the beginning (Iron Man 2 and Avengers already in the works). However, like I said before, TDK raised the bar significantly.

Television
Heroes. 30 Rock. ER (The final season). Fringe. The Simpsons.

There were many great episodes but I’m not certain if there were any great seasons. I’ve fallen behind on my Heroes watching but it did seem to pick up as I watched more. I will still state that Heroes is not a great show but a good show. I enjoy its theme (everyday people with powers), but I know it can only have a great episode here and there.

The Simpsons has had an amazing run, but I know that it needs to come to an end.  The family has performed every action and every job known to man.  It is starting to hit the moment where it is trying to tell the same story again in a different way (with bad results).  I have a new idea though that I believe everyone can enjoy.  The Simpsons should end after this season, but become a new generation’s Charlie Brown.  Only produce the Halloween special yearly.  It is the highest rated episode and usually the best one regardless of the season.

Sports
My sports story of the year is another no shocker. Anyone who has seen me over the last few months knows that I live, eat and breath my Atlanta Falcons. The playoffs are here and I’m already pumped. My pro team is playing with passion and as a team. Not only are we a great story but an even better team. When this season is over I’ll have nothing to do until the NFL Draft returns. I mean, no other sport is worth my time after football.

Another year and another Adam Sandler movie is out for many to enjoy, mainly families and kids this time.  Bedtime Stories is basically about Adam Sandler’s niece and nephew who have the power to make their bedtime stories come to life.  Of course, once Sandler’s character realizes this he tries to use it to help him gain his dream job that he was promised.

The movie is cute, funny, and a typical Sandler movie.  All of his usual cast returns in minor roles.  I was, however, shocked to see Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential, Memento) in this movie because he was never shown in any of the previews. He sure has fallen from L.A. Confidential.  The jokes are tailored for kids, but adults will enjoy them too. I mean, who doesn’t like a guinea pig with gigantic cow eyes.

Overall I wouldn’t pay full price here but it is a good Netflix rental for those that were considering that.

[Rating:3/5]

Additional Review:  For this movie, May and I headed to the AMC Fork & Screen, once known as the Buckhead Backlot.  Recent renovations had been performed and I was interested in the update.  I have to say this theatre made the right changes.  New seats, better looking theatre, nice updated bar in the lobby, etc.  For those that don’t know, the concept for this theatre is “dinner and a movie.”  The screen is smaller and servers walk the room serving food and drinks during the movie.  The food isn’t the greatest or the most expensive, but it is a nice way to combine the two (dinner and movie) into one event.  I wouldn’t go to the Fork & Screen for an epic movie, but small comedies are great.  I did like the addition of a button at your seat to call the server over instead of having to try to get his/her attention in the dark.  Overall, the changes make for a better experience and I will be heading back again.

Here’s the next set of reviews from my Netflix queue.

The Untouchables Finally I got a chance to watch this movie from start to finish. Everyone can enjoy a good mobster movie with Connery, Costner, Garcia, and De Niro. [Rating: 4.5/5]	The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford More time was spent reading the title instead of watching the movie. 20 mins into it before I quit. [Rating: 0/5]
Southland Tales I’m not even sure if Donnie Darko could have saved this movie. Maybe the bunny, but not Donnie. [Rating: 1.5/5]	Hacking Democracy The title explains it all but the movie was high in the dairy department (cheese). [Rating: 3/5]
Renaissance There is something about watching an animated movie in black and white that I just find amazing. Only two colors to show everything? Wow. [Rating: 4/5]	The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor I’m pretty certain they killed the mummy this time. Well, that or this movie franchise. [Rating: 2/5]

Several months ago, I was looked down on due to my reinvestment in my Atlanta Falcons for another year of season tickets. My team was down with a 4-12 record and a new season was set to begin with a rookie coach and rookie Quarterback that not many fans wanted. Could this franchise lift its head again after the debacle of the previous season? I won’t even begin to vent my frustration over the coach who shall not be named. As far as I’m concerned the Falcons had a year off last year to pursue other options.

With those months behind me, I’m now looking down on people for their poor investments in this economy and I’m holding my head high as I head into the final week of the NFL season. With a 10-5 record, my falcons are playoff bound (thanks to a thrilling victory over the Vikings) and have the potential to take hold of the #2 spot and win the NFC South (based on a win over the Rams and a Panther loss at New Orleans).

I’ve already received wonderful calls and messages from many friends, family members, and the Falcons organization. This is just part of the process that we will use to continue moving towards the ultimate goal during the playoffs.

Playoffs Baby!!!!

Since Gmail’s inception, Google has continuously moved to enhance its capabilities.  This action is becoming even more true with the daily updates from Google Labs that provide mini enhancments that can make one’s daily gmail grind more efficient and boy do I love my life to be more efficient as well as helpful.

Here are a few of my favorite gmail “tricks and treats” that I have found most helpful in controling my influx of emails.  I’ll start with the most helpful and move towards the nice to haves.

1. Gmail Plus (+) –  Gmail Plus is not a new version of gmail that only a certain people currently have access.  It is simply my code name for one of gmail’s greatest advantages.  Let’s say that your gmail address is john.doe@gmail.com.  You are usually required to signup to different sites using an email address.  Instead of entering john.doe@gmail.com, enter john.doe+website@gmail.com.  Gmail will ignore any value placed after you username and before the “@gmail.com.”  You will still receive the emails but it will help you track this particular site’s emails as well as who they might sell your email address to.  I have addresses for +walmart, +target, etc.  It is a very handy tool when used with item number 2.  Some sites may restrict using the “+” in the user name, but it is very rare when this happens.
2. Labels – Gmail has labels that are similar to mail folders from other email programs.  However, an email can reside in multiple labels.  Labels can help you group messages.  I try to keep my labels generic in hopes of minimizing the number of labels, but that is not always possible.  I have setup a few for specific individuals who email me regularly.  In regards to number 1 from above, I’ve setup a “Purchases” label that will house all of my online purchase emails as well as accounts.  By tracking emails with the Gmail Plus (+) option I know which emails to assign the “Purchases” label.  Another great label is my FWD label in order to capture all email forwards that I am guaranteed to receive.  Also, implement Google Labs (Settings / Labs) and select “Right-side Labels” so that you don’t have to scroll down the page every time you want to see updates in your labels.  “Custom Label Colors” lab add-on is another helpful addtion if you have too many labels for the basic coloring scheme.
3. Filters – Filters exist in all email programs.  I use the ones in Gmail to move emails to my labels.  Filters can be setup for past emails you have already received or emails that you will recieve in the future.  These filters will set labels and the move emails out of the inbox.  I’ve never been a fan of a cluttered inbox and filters help clear it.  I already know that I will receive emails when I purchase items so I don’t need to see that email every time.  Setup a filter to move it out of the inbox, into a filter, but leave it unread so that I know a new email exists.  Forwarded emails are nice but often over used.  Have those skip your inbox based on the email subject line.  Yet again labels can be used if needed.  I also don’t need all of the Facebook messages throughout the day either when I’m check my blackberry for gmail.  Tonight I even learned that instead of multiple filters that perform the same function I can use one filter and use simple OR/AND commands.
4. Mark As Read – I can’t begin to tell you how many times I use this labs add-on.  I mean it is just a simple HTML button but it does so much to make the bold font style disappear from my google gmail screen.  I instead of clicking on a stupid drop down and selecting “mark as read,” I can now just click the button.  One click.  Not two.  One.  It saves me maybe 1 second but it is a great start.
5. Forgot The Attachment? – Yet again, I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have written an email describing the attached file and then forgetting to send it with the email.  You look like a complete idiot clogging up someone’s inbox sending multiple messages for the same file.  Well, Google Labs in Gmail help alleviate that issue.  Within Gmail’s Labs, find “Forgotten Attachment Detector.”  Based on certain wording in an email, a message prompt will ask you if you forgot to attach an email.  Pure brilliance.  Now, it isn’t perfect because neither is the English language.
6. Themes – Gmail now supports themes.  I believe in the future they will let users create their own, but until then we are left with their fantastic designs.  I personally use Ninja (3rd row, column 2).  It looks great an updates throughout the day depending on my location.  I have seen the ninjas share dinner, clean, play instruments, etc.  It’s always entertaining to see what they will do next.  The ninja stars instead of Google’s default stars are also a nice touch.  I’m also a fan of the terminal theme (6th row, column 1), but it is a bit much to stare at all day.

Other power items to come for Gmail?  Well if you follow the Gmail Blog any, you already know about several of them.  Here are some that have peaked my interest.

• Tasks – I have this currently enabled, but haven’t had enough time to truly play around with it to see if it is worth it.  I know it is something I want but not sure if they implemented it correctly for me.  Only time will tell.
• Canned Responses – I am quite lazy to some and others I’m efficient.  Setting up automated responses could work well if I create/design them well.
• SMS Google Talk – Google already has my phone number for Calendar updates.  Why not let people send me text messages as well?  Of course, I don’t have an unlimited plan so I’d probably choose to block these if they got out of hand.

This season has been filled with many great surprises thanks to the Atlanta Falcons, but the latest email they sent me definitely raises the bar. This was just classic.

ARE YOU THE ONE?

The acting might need some work but I was highly entertained.  Go Birds!!!!

Say what you want about my love for wrestling during the 90s (and some 2000s), but I’m not ashamed to say that I am looking forward to Darren Aronofsky’s (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, Fountain) next movie with Mickey Rourke (Sin City).  The Wrestler is exactly what it sounds like it is about and I can’t wait for it.

The trailer does not show some of Aronofsky’s normal quick cuts/edits which makes me think he might be trying to stick to his characters more this time or the studio thinks Mr. Rourke has a shot at a few awards.  Whatever, the case may be, I know where I’ll be on January 16th.