Break *Updated*

I've added a couple new things I've watched.

As if working about 10 hours a week over the summer wasn't leisurely enough, I'm now officially on break for a couple of weeks, so I have plenty of time to use my roommate's netflix account to watch tons of movies, as well as waste time on the internet. So, I've been catching up on some movies that aren't exactly new releases but that I felt like I should see, sort of.

Aliens - I am just finishing this and it is awesome. It's incredible how much more real it looks (because of the use of actual sets and props and actors) than Avatar, and how much better James Cameron used to be.

The Insider - This is kind of awesome, as well. It's sort of a different role for Al Pacino, but he still gets to yell a lot, which he is very well suited to.

The Rock - Good and dumb fun. Reminds me a lot of ConAir, but somehow not as good for not having ridiculous villain characters.

Spy Game - Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. Current and future heartthrobs team up to make a cool movie about spies. Good stuff.

The IT Crowd - not a movie, but a British TV show I had heard something about. It's kind of funny, not amazing or anything, but very British.

Wall Street - I liked this movie, though it seemed rather hamfisted in its morality. I'm guessing it just hasn't aged well, but seeing Martin Sheen play Charlie Sheen's dad is actually pretty cool. There's not really much to it, just a sort of simple morality play, but not a bad one by any means.

Raising Arizona - The first real Coen Brothers' movie. It is good, I think. I was exhausted for some reason when we were watching it, so I fell asleep for the second half, but I'll go back and finish it. I am a big fan of these guys' movies, though, so if you don't like them (The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Though, No Country for Old Men,...) you probably won't like this one, either.

Moon - This is an excellently composed science fiction movie, not huge in scope or even particularly innovative. Anyone with experience at all with SF or just mystery-type plots in general should be able to see what's coming about a parsec away (haha), but that doesn't mean it's not a good watch.

The Office (UK) - I'm a big fan of the US version of The Office, and consider it far and away better than the original version, but I hadn't seen the last few episodes or the Christmas special that acts as an epilogue to the series, although it is actually about the length of a whole season (or series, if you prefer the Brit term). They are both good shows, and they really do complement each other. There's an excellent essay comparing the two versions that is linked to in the Wikipedia article, which I won't bother looking up. I agree with the author that the British version is much darker and that Michael Scott is much more likable than David Brent, but that both versions bring something to the show. I completely disagree that Dwight is unbearable, however, and feel he is much MUCH funnier than his British equivalent, Garreth. Anyway, see the series, read the article, enjoy.

Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (or something like that) - I can't resist DC animated stuff. This is basically a movie follow up to Batman: The New Adventures, which itself was a follow up series to The Adventures of Batman and Robin, or Batman: The Animated series, whichever title you prefer. It's quality, as everything from the Timmverse is, but I have a preference for the earlier style, as opposed to the simpler more "cartoonish" style of TNBA, but that's just me. The story is ok, but definitely not as good as some other ones. It was annoying to me that they sort of brought up Batgirl and then just forgot about her. Also, Robin didn't do anything but fly the Batwing, which seems particularly out of character, but I suppose it is to give more screen time to the titular character. Ah, well.

Let the Right One In - This is a Norwegian (I think) vampire movie about a junior high (again, I think) boy and his new friend who turns out to be a vampire. It's generally thought of as a horror movie, but it works much better as just a drama with a vampire. It's surprisingly sweet and understated despite people getting bitten to death by a 12 year old. Very good, but obviously not for everyone. Probably unnecessary word of warning: lots of extremely pale people.

McDonald's Breakfast - Not a movie, but always satisfies. Their coffee is so good since they started pretending to be a low rent Starbucks in the morning. This is supposedly an intentional move on their part to capitalize on the recession and people not being able to afford $5 coffee any more. I stopped getting sugar in my coffee a long while back now, and I told the girl behind the counter I was "on a diet," to which she mentioned that I was, indeed, also ordering a McGriddle. Haha, but I can't help it; the McGriddle is probably one of the most brilliant fast food items ever created, even if it has been overshadowed by that sodium bomb known as the Double Down.

Also, this site has a wonderful series of articles mocking and destroying the stupid arguments made by the tea parties, and I feel people should read it just because it puts into words so succinctly what is wrong with these people.

Since I've already established this blog as left-wing extremist by the measuring stick of a seemingly increasingly conservative (not coincidentally, also increasingly stupid and inching steadily towards collapse) society, here is another link for you about income disparity. Enjoy.