Some of the news that is fit to print

Subtle like a hammer

They say that timing is everything. Well, in the print world, placement is damn important too... as you can see from the cover of the most recent issue of Rolling Stone magazine. Is this an accident? I can't imagine!

Subtle... yet not!

AI... the final two

So tonight begins the final week of American Idol for yet another year... and to be honest, I don't know if we will watch. Yes, I know it is supposed to be the hottest show on television, but this year, it just didn't work for me. And that is not only because all the CJD-favs got booted. I have been expressing my overall disappointment with the show for weeks. Just none of these people got to me. And I know people are all jazzed -- er, rocked -- by Bo... and I just don't get it.

I am not saying that the show has jumped the shark. That remains to be seen... and we'll have to see next year. I'm just saying this year sure didn't do it for me. (Of course, it is hard to have a Star Wars passion going and an AI passion! One only has so much passion at any particular time, right?)

So we'll see how it goes tonight. At least it is only an hour tonight. They aren't milking it for a full two hours! That would be painful! But given that I haven't seen the Desperate Housewives finale... hmmm.

My pre-show prediction... Bo wins it all.

Even more Star Wars...

So I'm not even pretending that this is going to be the final Star Wars post, but... well, one shouldn't make promises that one can't keep.

The WP.com has an online poll about the best Star Wars movie. I, of course, voted for the first/fourth, but the latest movie is running neck-and-neck with Empire Strikes Back, which the WP.com Star Wars blogger contends is the best. And I know people get all hot and bothered about Empire. I just never really got it... and I still don't. This is a movie without a beginning or end. Call me a traditionalists, but if you are writing a story, a beginning and ending would be good. But what do I know.

Anyway, my favorite cousin -- a graduate of USC's cinema school -- sent me her take on the Sith:

so, when we got home from seeing episode 3 we immediately went home and watched episode 6 to go right to the downfall of darth.  and for those who go on and on about the FIRST 3 being so much better than these LAST 3 -- we say -- WATCH 6 AGAIN!!!  it is like a trip to muppetville outerspace.  there are more disgustingly cute and furry creatures than a disney store.  and there is no good acting, no good dialogue and since lucas can't deal with actors, i say these latest movies are just so far superior becuase the technology has caught up to his vision and they are just seamless as far as what is real and what is not.  you are SOOO right about the big picture -- the good vs. evil is irresistable.  but DAMN he sucks at the minutiae -- stuff life dialogue! -- which makes all the difference in the world between a special effects blockbuster and an epic film [like th elotr trilogy which is SOOOOO far superior i can't STAND it!]

 

there.  i've said it.  and as you, i liked this latest movie... but then again, i liked the last 2 as well because they were BEAUTIFUL to watch and that is all i expect from george...

Meanwhile, the NYT has a story about John Williams' score
Emotions of 'Sith,' Carried by Score [NYT, 5.23.2005, registration required]
The member of the "Star Wars" creative team whose contributions are largely being taken for granted is the composer John Williams.

Monster-in-law... been there, done that

We went to see Monster-in-law last night. Actually, we went to see Crash, but there was some kind of emergency in Woodley Park that blocked Connecticut Avenue and wreaked havoc throughout the area. So the five minute trip to the movie theater took 20 minutes and we missed Crash and got to see Monster-in-law instead. And I was not all that thrilled about seeing it. The movie has not been well reviewed and just seemed... well, lame for lack of a better word. The movie just seemed like a star vehicle for Jane Fonda with a story that we have all seen many times before. And that is largely the case.

The story is about Charlie (Jennifer Lopez), who leads an eclectic life -- she walks dogs, is an artist, work as a temp in a doctors office... she's a free spirit. She isn't unhappy. But then she sees Dr. Kevin Fields (the very hot Michael Vartan) and falls in love and is eventually engaged. Her monster-in-law to-be Viola (Fonda), a recently fired television talk show diva, has a big problem with her doctor son marrying a "temp." And so the "fun" ensues. Much of the movie is a cat fight between these two. Parts of it are funny. Most of it you have seen before. It is fun to see Fonda on the screen again, but the work doesn't live up to her talent.

CJD's grade: C

Star Wars wedding

I know I said I was done with Star Wars posts, but yesterday's WSJ story was just irresistable. It featured a couple having a Star Wars wedding.

Jeff Yankey, a 32-year-old mutual-fund employee, has 200 Star Wars action figures in his Noblesville, Ind., home. His closet is full of Star Wars costumes, ranging from Royal Guard to Slave Leia. He met his wife through the 501st Legion, a Star Wars fan club, and their wedding featured groomsmen dressed as the movie's white-suited stormtroopers.

Again, this makes me feel much better about myself!

Star Wars: The Review

I know just about everybody is sick of me blogging on and on and on about it, but the end is in sight!

As a general rule, I don't say, "I'm too old for..." -- fill in the blank. I don't because I honestly believe that nobody is too old to do almost anything. I have been on bike trips before where there were people in there 70s riding faster and farther then me, so... I don't think I am too old to do many things. That being said, I may be too old to stay up until 4:14a only to have to get up and work in just a few hours. That is, until this kind of thing comes along again.

My own evolution came full circle last night. I went from a person who intensely disliked the fourth/first and fifth/second movies and I had even said I was not going to see the sixth/third movie at all. (That was a rule I successfully implemented with the Matrix movies -- the first one, good, but the second one convinced me that I must miss the third one... and that was a wise move.) But I got sucked in! After all, I remember seeing the first/fourth movie back in 1977 at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood. My father told me it was like a Western in outer space. Even at 11, I was sceptically. But I was enthralled at that first scene where the Imperial cruiser flies over head.

And so I was there last night at 10:45p waiting in a line in Georgetown's movie megaplex waiting for a 12:15a movie. I'm often leery about midnight showings because the folks tend to be a tad bit impassioned. When I Star Wars two/five, the goofballs would applaud at every time Yoda comes on the screen. Give me a break! I'm there to watch the movie! The crowd last night, however, was generally cool -- they were clearly freaks and, of course, predominantly men -- after all, they are going to be up until 3a seeing a movie! -- but they were fun and they really wanted to see the movie. There was an added anticipation because of the generally favorable reviews. And it was a good group -- my "father-in-law," DMV's soon-to-be brother-in-law, my favorite uncle out from San Diego, and one of our dear friends.

The money moment, however, was Batman and Spider Man in a Jedi light-saber fight. Ahh! And don't forget the grown men dressed up like Darth Vader!

And the movie -- the movie really is quite good. This is not the last two movies. It is dark, but you leave with such a sense of satisfaction because it wraps up the series in a bow. I wanted to run home and watch the fourth/first one again!

This is by no means a perfect movie. My one realization -- George Lucas is much more comfortable with technology then he is with people. The movie really looks great... and it has a great overarching story. Lucas is great at the macro-writing, but when it comes to micro-writing. Some of the dialog can be tedious. You just hear some of this stuff and think, "Doesn't anybody edit this?" (The answer is probably no.)

This is not a really a spoiler, but if you don't want to know anything about the movie, skip the rest of this graph... Near the end of the movie, now Darth Vader and the Emperor are on an Imperial cruiser watching the building of the first Death Star. And they have an actor who looks similar to Peter Cushing, who played Grand Moff Tarkin, an Imperial governor who ran the Death Star in the first movie. Cushing, however, died in August 1994 and Wayne Pygram plays him in this movie.

A bonus: Hans Christian Anderson -- OK, Hayden Christensen -- is really hot and there is a bonus shirt-off scene.

And I'm not going to give anything away for those who have not seen it yet -- why weren't you out last night? -- but don't be discouraged by the last two. If you liked the first three movies, go -- I think you will enjoy it. And if you're not a Star Wars fan, Slate.com has pulled together a primer on the movies so you can get caught up.

So my grade... B... a thumb up... seven out of 10...

AI... the end is in sight

There are only three shows left -- tonight's elimination leaving us with the finalists next week.

We've been through this for months and the season is coming to a close. I am disappointed with the show this year. The group just didn't do it for me the way that they did in years past. Perhaps I am just growing out of the AI demographic? In general, my predictions this year were way off -- the only person in my final three still in the competition is Bo... and I don't even like Bo!

So, about last night... I say up front that I am not a Bo fan. I just don't get it. He sings pretty much every song the same! I know folks are nuts over him, including my AI group, but I just don't get it. (This morning, when I was in a foul mood, I was quite adamant, for some reason!) I thought his Rolling Stone rendition was the worst performance of the night. (And I cannot imagine buying a Bo album. UGH! Of course, I swore that I wasn't going to see the final Star Wars movie, and then... guess where I'll be at 12:15a tonight/this morning.)

Vonzell's Donna Summer was the best of the night. And I think Carrie was off all night.

So who should get booted: Carrie
Who will get booted: Vonzell... which is too bad. I think she has the most potential of the three of them.
But I think Bo will win it all next week.
And who knows -- it is proven that I can turn... and who better then Clive Davis, who is super-fab!
Oh... here is an empassioned defense of Bo from one of my AI group members:

I think Carrie and Vonzell sing every song the same...they all do. Isn't that what "making a song your own" is? Having your own personal trademark style? I just think Vonzell and Carrie are so cookie cutter. Bo has "kept it real" from Day 1....and his performance sans band last night was incredible. He's never tried to change who he is or his image, whereas Carrie has tried to dabble with rock and roll (not very convincingly with Joan Jett) and that 1950s-style song...also her second song last night sounded so strained (did anyone else notice that she was practically YELLING the words...and was also way off pitch/flat at the end?)

Watching Vonzell makes me feel nervous because she is too energetic and too type A (I 100% agree on the Miss Congeniality / pageant comment made earlier) some of her songs seem like they are pitched too high and aren't as easy on the ears...because she is trying to outshine SO MUCH (even the original artist).

Yes, it's a competition, but I feel more of that forced feeling from V than from the other two. Bo (and Carrie, too) seem to like to be able to kick back and just enjoy the music and performing. I'm still hoping that we will get to see Bo do an acoustic version of some song where he actually plays his guitar. Maybe I'm a Bo fan because he strikes me as more of a "musician" whereas Vonzell is more of a "singer/performer" does that make sense? I could see Bo writing his own music, playing his own music, instead of being the packaged product.

Star Wars... the early views

So some papers have already run their reviews of the newest Star Wars movie. According to MetaCritic.com, which uses some formula to tabulate reviews and puts it on a 1-100 scale, the movie gets a 69 -- generally favorable.

The WP.com's Sith Sense Star Wars blog has links to other reviews, including yesterday's pretty glowing NYT review from A.O. Scott.

This is by far the best film in the more recent trilogy, and also the best of the four episodes Mr. Lucas has directed. That's right (and my inner 11-year-old shudders as I type this): it's better than "Star Wars."

That, however, can be tempered by the must-read NYorker review from Anthony Lane, headlined "Space Case," which generally slams the movie.

The general opinion of 'Revenge of the Sith' seems to be that it marks a distinct improvement on the last two episodes, 'The Phantom Menace' and 'Attack of the Clones.' True, but only in the same way that dying from natural causes is preferable to crucifixion."

The all-important CJD review to be posted sometime on Thursday -- whenever I can actually pry my eyes open after being up most of the night Wednesday.

And at that point, I think it should just about conclude this seemingly never ending Star Wars tirade I have been on!

Don't mince words...

My early journalism career was on New Hampshire's Seacoast working for Foster's Daily Democrat, a then 30,000 circulation newspaper -- which made it the second largest newspaper in the state, by the way. Initially I covered Hampton, N.H., a beach town that grows during the summer to a small city with the summer visitors. I then moved further north to Portsmouth, N.H. to cover the redevelopment of the former Pease Air Force Base, which the state was redeveloping into the Pease International Tradeport. (PIT? Hmmm)

Well, last week, the region got slammed with news that the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was on the Defense Department's base closure list.

Most lawmakers made statements speaking about the importance of their local facility. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), a moderate, seemed to take the proposed closure of a Maine shipyard personally in the LAT, calling it "nothing short of stunning, devastating, and above all, outrageous. … It is a travesty and a strategic blunder of epic proportions."

Don't mince words, Olympia... What do you really think? She must have stumbled into the no-spin zone.

Photo is from Rich Beauchesne, a friend from New Hampshire who is a photojournalist at the Portsmouth Herald newspaper.And one aside: The paper doesn't use portsmouthherald.com, although they own it and you can eventually get to its main news site that way. Instead, the main news page is the horrible www.seacoastonline.com/news/. What do I know!?

Almost Star Wars, but not quite...

So the Organic Trade Association has a fantastic movie on its Web site -- Grocery Store Wars -- a spoof of Star Wars, of course. But this five-minute online movie features the case of Cuke Skywalker, Princess Lettuce, Chewbroccoli and other organic rebels dressed as Star Wars characters -- battle it out with Darth Tader, the evil lord of the Dark Side of the Farm.

"These are dark times, young Cuke," says Obi Wan Cannoli. "An empire of pollution and pesticides has ruthlessly conquered the market, nearly wiping out our organic birthright." The site also lets you "learn the ways of the farm" and join the organic rebellion.

Meanwhile, Forbes.com talks about the feasibility of Star Wars technology and talk about Star Flops, such as the Star Wars holiday special.

And you just knew there was a political angle to the Star Wars hype -- yes, it is Gulf Wars!

I am humbled by the creativity!