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TH Says
Lost Season 6, Episode 7, "Dr. Linus"
I like this episode a lot. In fact, as I'm typing this sentence, I
haven't even decided where I'm putting it when I re-rank the episodes
below. It could be anywhere in the top 4, because I think 4 of the 7
episodes to this point have been great (LA X, The Substitute, Sundown,
and now, Dr. Linus). It wasn't the high octane ride that "Sundown"
was. It had a season one feel to it. It was very character focused.
I like that.
It's true that it's hard to talk about how good the "flash-sideways" are until their true nature is revealed, which of course probably won't be anytime soon. We'll be lucky if it's before the series finale. What I'm starting to get out of them, however, is the true nature of the characters we know. Tonight, we found out once and for all that Benjamin Linus is indeed a good guy. He told us so before, we were just unable to believe him.
Towards the beginning of the episode the conversation between Ben, Arzt, and Locke was the foundation of what we were going to see in the flash-sideways. Immediately I believed that we would see a story paralleling the first struggle between Ben and Widmore in which Ben was victorious and Widmore was forced to leave. Clearly we were going to see another power struggle, with Principal Reynolds taking the place of Widmore.
What surprised me was the end result. Ben didn't defeat Reynolds. In the end, he made a decision that "saved" Alex Rousseau. A decision he was unable to make on the island when he allowed her to be murdered by Keamy. But what we learned is that, given the circumstances, Ben is someone who can in fact look out for others. Did Ben want his daughter to meet her end at Keamy's hands? Of course not. But what could he do at that point? Potentially sacrifice the island for her life? In the flash-sideways the decision was far more simple, and Ben made the "good" decision. Of course, right after that in 2007, all it took was Ilana's statement that she would "have him" to convince Ben to come back with the good guys. He made the decision instead of going with the Man in Black who promised Ben could be in charge of the island. Now we see 2007 Ben making a decision that will benefit people other than just himself.
Now, the bullet points:
+ I have class until 8:15 on Tuesdays, so I always only catch the end of the "enhanced" versions of the last episode. The enhanced version of "Sundown" stated directly that Kate had been recruited by the Man in Black. I'm not so sure about that, but it is ABC telling me so. If I'm just going off of what I said above about the flash-sideways showing the true character of these people, I would have thought "What Kate Does" established her as a good guy.
+ I'm glad we finally got the "Ben killed Jacob" secret out of the way. Every single episode Ilana would say something about it like she knew that Ben was really the one who killed him, but never confronted him about it. Just sort of made "I know you're lying" kind of comments. Ben should have fucking slapped her.
+ Ben's dad revealed to us that not only was the island above ground at some point in this other time line, but that the Dharma Initiative still existed, and Ben was still there. Makes you wonder.
+ Fantastic conversation between Hurley and Richard. Hurley as always been "the voice of the audience." "What are you? A vampire?"
+ Yeah, I wasn't happy when Richard was going to try and kill himself. I like that dude a lot. A few months back Pat asked a Mailbag question asking who my favorite recurring characters on TV were. Richard was number one. So I wouldn't have been happy if we were going to be Richardless from now on. That said, two episodes from tonight is a RIchard-centric episode. So a) I'm way fucking excited about that, but b) horrified he could die. I'm sure if I wanted to dig deeper I could look up who next week's episode features, but I'm having some trouble. Since I'm spoiler-phobic about the last season there's no way I'm risking it. It's called "Recon." Usually an abbreviation of "Reconnaissance." How about "Reconciliation," like reconciling the time lines? That would be an early surprise. Actually never mind. I just figured out who it is. I stand by the rest of what I said though!
+ Arzt just wanted a parking space out of the power coup. That's so Arzt being Arzt.
+ Ben's "confused" moment of the night? He gave a weird look when Arzt said "you're a killer." I've given up theorizing about the flash-sideways because it just makes me say FUCK really loud in my head when I think about it.
+ Wait, one more - THEORY: The time lines fold into one somehow and Locke takes over his own body again and defeats the Man in Black. Nah, I'm still just in denial that Locke is dead.
+ Good news about next week: I will be in Methuen so I won't have to grab a shitty Quizno's sub for dinner. Goddammit my stomach hurt the whole episode.
+ Yeah, Jack clearly embraced the destiny thing pretty easy.
+ Dear Lost Writers: I like that you kind of let us be confused about Ben's true motives all these years. It's part of what made him an awesome character. But now that you've put him in the good guy camp, don't Sylar us. You know, like Sylar from Heroes? How in season 2 through 4 he just goes back and forth between bad guy and good guy? DO NOT FUCKING DO THAT! Thanks.
+ Oh, and Widmore is coming to the island. How the fuck did he find it? I'm sure we'll find out eventually, but fuck. I don't think I like him very much.
+ New Season 6 Episode Rankings:
1. Dr. Linus (so sue me)
2. Sundown
3. LA X
4. The Substitute
5. Lighthouse
6. What Kate Does
Yeah, I know I called this "episode 7," but LA X is really 1 episode. I don't know. So just deal with that discrepancy. You should be good at it after being forced to go back and forth between 2007 island time and 2004 mind fuck time.
+ How about this instead of the episode countdown to clear the discrepancy up a bit: only 75 days until the LOST series finale. Oh God that's too soon!
It's true that it's hard to talk about how good the "flash-sideways" are until their true nature is revealed, which of course probably won't be anytime soon. We'll be lucky if it's before the series finale. What I'm starting to get out of them, however, is the true nature of the characters we know. Tonight, we found out once and for all that Benjamin Linus is indeed a good guy. He told us so before, we were just unable to believe him.
Towards the beginning of the episode the conversation between Ben, Arzt, and Locke was the foundation of what we were going to see in the flash-sideways. Immediately I believed that we would see a story paralleling the first struggle between Ben and Widmore in which Ben was victorious and Widmore was forced to leave. Clearly we were going to see another power struggle, with Principal Reynolds taking the place of Widmore.
What surprised me was the end result. Ben didn't defeat Reynolds. In the end, he made a decision that "saved" Alex Rousseau. A decision he was unable to make on the island when he allowed her to be murdered by Keamy. But what we learned is that, given the circumstances, Ben is someone who can in fact look out for others. Did Ben want his daughter to meet her end at Keamy's hands? Of course not. But what could he do at that point? Potentially sacrifice the island for her life? In the flash-sideways the decision was far more simple, and Ben made the "good" decision. Of course, right after that in 2007, all it took was Ilana's statement that she would "have him" to convince Ben to come back with the good guys. He made the decision instead of going with the Man in Black who promised Ben could be in charge of the island. Now we see 2007 Ben making a decision that will benefit people other than just himself.
Now, the bullet points:
+ I have class until 8:15 on Tuesdays, so I always only catch the end of the "enhanced" versions of the last episode. The enhanced version of "Sundown" stated directly that Kate had been recruited by the Man in Black. I'm not so sure about that, but it is ABC telling me so. If I'm just going off of what I said above about the flash-sideways showing the true character of these people, I would have thought "What Kate Does" established her as a good guy.
+ I'm glad we finally got the "Ben killed Jacob" secret out of the way. Every single episode Ilana would say something about it like she knew that Ben was really the one who killed him, but never confronted him about it. Just sort of made "I know you're lying" kind of comments. Ben should have fucking slapped her.
+ Ben's dad revealed to us that not only was the island above ground at some point in this other time line, but that the Dharma Initiative still existed, and Ben was still there. Makes you wonder.
+ Fantastic conversation between Hurley and Richard. Hurley as always been "the voice of the audience." "What are you? A vampire?"
+ Yeah, I wasn't happy when Richard was going to try and kill himself. I like that dude a lot. A few months back Pat asked a Mailbag question asking who my favorite recurring characters on TV were. Richard was number one. So I wouldn't have been happy if we were going to be Richardless from now on. That said, two episodes from tonight is a RIchard-centric episode. So a) I'm way fucking excited about that, but b) horrified he could die. I'm sure if I wanted to dig deeper I could look up who next week's episode features, but I'm having some trouble. Since I'm spoiler-phobic about the last season there's no way I'm risking it. It's called "Recon." Usually an abbreviation of "Reconnaissance." How about "Reconciliation," like reconciling the time lines? That would be an early surprise. Actually never mind. I just figured out who it is. I stand by the rest of what I said though!
+ Arzt just wanted a parking space out of the power coup. That's so Arzt being Arzt.
+ Ben's "confused" moment of the night? He gave a weird look when Arzt said "you're a killer." I've given up theorizing about the flash-sideways because it just makes me say FUCK really loud in my head when I think about it.
+ Wait, one more - THEORY: The time lines fold into one somehow and Locke takes over his own body again and defeats the Man in Black. Nah, I'm still just in denial that Locke is dead.
+ Good news about next week: I will be in Methuen so I won't have to grab a shitty Quizno's sub for dinner. Goddammit my stomach hurt the whole episode.
+ Yeah, Jack clearly embraced the destiny thing pretty easy.
+ Dear Lost Writers: I like that you kind of let us be confused about Ben's true motives all these years. It's part of what made him an awesome character. But now that you've put him in the good guy camp, don't Sylar us. You know, like Sylar from Heroes? How in season 2 through 4 he just goes back and forth between bad guy and good guy? DO NOT FUCKING DO THAT! Thanks.
+ Oh, and Widmore is coming to the island. How the fuck did he find it? I'm sure we'll find out eventually, but fuck. I don't think I like him very much.
+ New Season 6 Episode Rankings:
1. Dr. Linus (so sue me)
2. Sundown
3. LA X
4. The Substitute
5. Lighthouse
6. What Kate Does
Yeah, I know I called this "episode 7," but LA X is really 1 episode. I don't know. So just deal with that discrepancy. You should be good at it after being forced to go back and forth between 2007 island time and 2004 mind fuck time.
+ How about this instead of the episode countdown to clear the discrepancy up a bit: only 75 days until the LOST series finale. Oh God that's too soon!
Oscars Live Blog
4:48 PM: I think I did this last year (is it bad that I'm too lazy to fact check my own blog?) so why not do it again? Come back later and check in whenever you want. Live updates as the show goes on, because it'll just be me and my laptop anyway.
7:45 PM: Ryan Seacrest just did his damnedest to spoil the opening of the show for everyone. Good work, Ryan.
7:46 PM: FYI: Oscar beverage of the night - E&J VSOP brandy. Oscar snack of the night - none.
7:53 PM: The fashion guy on E! is the worst dressed person there.
8:04 PM: Oh God, there is nothing better than Twitter when there's a national event like this. Simmons is debating who will get the last spot on the dead star montage, Lady Gaga is quoting Inglourious Basterds, and Roger Ebert is tweeting just about everything.
8:13 PM: Well that was some fun trivia. Last picture to win when there were 10 nominees: Casablanca.
8:15 PM: Sarah Jessica Parker looks like a monster.
8:25 PM: The ABC Red Carpet Team is like a team of robots programmed to conduct awkward interviews.
8:43 PM: An opening song just to introduce the hosts? A little odd. The back and forth between Martin and Baldwin in the opening bit probably would have worked better if, you know, there was just one host. Like normal. It did pick up a little steam as it went along, though. Kathryn Bigelow is 50+ and still hot. The Clooney staredowns were fantastic. Almost as good as the standoff between Gervais and Carrell a couple years back on the Emmys. Almost.
8:46 PM: So we're starting with the biggest lock of the night? Good plan.
8:51 PM: Waltz wins supporting actor. No surprise there. It's great to start the night 1 for 1, but knowing that it was probably the easiest pick of the night takes away from it a bit. Waltz's other acceptance speeches were much more deep and profound, but I guess after you've won so many awards leading up to this there isn't much else to say other than "thank you."
8:59 PM: Intro to the animated movies nominees: fantastic.
9:00 PM: Also, 2 for 2 now. Is it way too early to get excited for a run at 21? Definitely. Those were two easy categories to pick.
9:04 PM: The Weary Kind wins Best Song. TH goes up to 3 for 3. That was definitely a luck category, so that's the first big prediction for a big prediction night.
9:10 PM: Craig just told me he doesn't like Caddyshack. Our friendship is now on the ropes.
9:16 PM: The Hurt Locker wins Original Screenplay. This is a big sign that my Inglourious Basterds pick could be in trouble. It's also my first loss of the night. 3 for 4. Good news for The Hurt Locker though if this is really a two-movie showdown.
9:22 PM: John Hughes tribute was well down. The man was a genius. Does this mean he won't be in the "In Memoriam" part now though? Oh God, I don't need to see Jon Sheyer ever. Go away.
9:28 PM: Okay, we got some lucky pick categories coming here. These are important after losing in Original Screenplay if I have any chance at a big night (I don't).
9:32PM: Oh shit! Logorama pulls it out! 4 for 5. It was the only animated short film I saw, and that was the only reason I picked it, so yeah, that was lucky. I figured it had no chance. Am I happy that it was apparently made by some French people? Not at all. I want my pick back!
9:37 PM: But I lose Documentary, Short. 4 for 6. I need to go perfect the rest of the way to set a new personal record. Whoa. Awkward acceptance speech right now. If this person suppose to be there? Whoa, rapid fire awards. THE NEW TENANTS WINS SHORT FILM. The dream is still alive! 5 for 7. 2 for 3 in some luck categories there. This is where I have to start blaming myself for foolishly hoping for some Inglourious Basterds upsets.
9:41 PM: Ben Stiller's Avatar bit was funny. We apparently need less Baldwin and Martin. Things are funny when they're not involved. No so much when they are. Is it too late to get Jon Stewart? Oh, and Start Trek wins for Makeup. Did I pick them? Yes, I did. 6 for 8. Is this the beginning of a crazy run to a record? Probably not. Just a momentary sense of empty hope.
9:47 PM: We're about half-way through the show so far (according to my television. No way it will really end at 11:30). Pretty standard/bland so far.
9:51 PM: Wow, Precious wins Adapted Screenplay. Personally, I thought Up in the Air was a lock. Also, that was a loss, so 6 for 9. At best I can only tie my record of 21. This guy is giving an emotional speech though. You always gotta feel good for someone who is genuinely surprised to win and happy about it.
9:52 PM: Martin, quickly realizing that may be the speech of the night, takes credit. Finally some good hosting.
9:55 PM: With a screenplay win a a possible supporting actress win along the way, it is time to start considering Precious a serious contender tonight. Like I said yesterday, the awards are like an equation that add up to the final answer. Good start for Precious.
10:00 PM: That's 2 of the 10 "bigger" awards that Precious has already won with Mo'Nique's win. You gotta start looking at Precious as a real contender now. If they take Editing or Cinematography, look out. Oh, I'm 7 of 10 now. So I need to go 14 for 14 to finish things out here to tie my record.
10:06 PM: Art Direction = Avatar. It's about time Avatar got on the board with a win. It only took more than an hour and a half. Also, 8 of 11 bitches. Much better than how I predicted my predictions.
10:08 PM: First the "dame" mispronunciation joke earlier, now the "horse" mispronunciation joke now. Come on!
10:12PM: Costume Design goes to The Young Victoria, a movie I have never heard of until yesterday. And immediately, the costume designer presents herself as a douchebag bitch: "I already have two of these." I'll take it though since I picked it. 9 of 12. halfway home I'm on pace for 18 of 24. I would be very pleased with that.
10:20 PM: Why do we need a tribute to horror? Also, "37 years since horror has had it's place at the Oscars with 2 awards for The Exorcist." Didn't Silence of the Lambs WIN in the early 90's?
10:24 PM: Morgan Freeman. He built the Batmobile, he can explain Sound Editing and Mixing.
10:26 PM: The Hurt Locker takes Sound Editing. My chance at 21 is finished, but this is a bigger win than you might expect for The Hurt Locker. A win over Avatar in a technical category like this could be very revealing.
10:27 PM: The Hurt Locker does it again in Sound Mixing. Avatar, you very well may be in a lot of trouble. If you'er keeping track at home, that is 3 awards for The Hurt Locker, 2 for Precious, 1 each for Avatar and Inglourious Basterds.
10:31 PM: So the sound awards did me in on my run for my personal record of 21. Like I said yesterday, it's a number I never expect to reach again. That year was just a perfect storm for me (and it would have been 22 if I hadn't decided that Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow would beat out Sean Penn in Mystic River). Oh well. So long as I can hit some awards the rest of the way I'll still have a strong total. I'll take it.
10:37 PM: Avatar wins cinematography, which confuses me. How much camera work is there in a movie that is practically entirely animated? Also, this was big for Avatar. It's back in the hunt. I'd say we've still got a two-horse race (Hurt Locker, Avatar) but instead of Inglourious Basterds acting as the possible spoiler, it might be Precious.
10:49 PM: What the fuck is the significance of these dancers? Just play us the scores and be done with it. The dancing clearly has nothing to do with the individual movies.
10:57 PM: I just hit Visual effects for Avatar and Score for Up. That brings Avatar's total to 3, even with The Hurt Locker. Of course, Up now has 2. Not a real contender for the big prize, but I guess we've never seen this voting system before so who knows? Also, I'm att 11 correct picks. Only 2 more to match my prediction for my predictions.
11:00 PM: Inglourious Basterds needs to win Editing. If it doesn't I think it's out of the running. Oh God, I'm nervous.
11:05 PM: The Cove makes me 12 of 18. Not bad.
11:08 PM: The Hurt Locker takes Editing. I think they might have it in the bag now. Editing, screenplay, and both sound awards. The equation equals The Hurt Locker right now.
11:22 PM: Missing something like Foreign Language Film isn't much of a hit when you're out of the running for anything significant. Like 21 of 24.
11:55 PM: Kathryn Bigelow wins Director. The Hurt Locker has this in the books.
12:00 PM: 6 wins for The Hurt Locker, Best Picture capping it off. Congrats to them, they were the favorite and I'm glad they won instead of Avatar. Now it;s time to go to sleep.
7:45 PM: Ryan Seacrest just did his damnedest to spoil the opening of the show for everyone. Good work, Ryan.
7:46 PM: FYI: Oscar beverage of the night - E&J VSOP brandy. Oscar snack of the night - none.
7:53 PM: The fashion guy on E! is the worst dressed person there.
8:04 PM: Oh God, there is nothing better than Twitter when there's a national event like this. Simmons is debating who will get the last spot on the dead star montage, Lady Gaga is quoting Inglourious Basterds, and Roger Ebert is tweeting just about everything.
8:13 PM: Well that was some fun trivia. Last picture to win when there were 10 nominees: Casablanca.
8:15 PM: Sarah Jessica Parker looks like a monster.
8:25 PM: The ABC Red Carpet Team is like a team of robots programmed to conduct awkward interviews.
8:43 PM: An opening song just to introduce the hosts? A little odd. The back and forth between Martin and Baldwin in the opening bit probably would have worked better if, you know, there was just one host. Like normal. It did pick up a little steam as it went along, though. Kathryn Bigelow is 50+ and still hot. The Clooney staredowns were fantastic. Almost as good as the standoff between Gervais and Carrell a couple years back on the Emmys. Almost.
8:46 PM: So we're starting with the biggest lock of the night? Good plan.
8:51 PM: Waltz wins supporting actor. No surprise there. It's great to start the night 1 for 1, but knowing that it was probably the easiest pick of the night takes away from it a bit. Waltz's other acceptance speeches were much more deep and profound, but I guess after you've won so many awards leading up to this there isn't much else to say other than "thank you."
8:59 PM: Intro to the animated movies nominees: fantastic.
9:00 PM: Also, 2 for 2 now. Is it way too early to get excited for a run at 21? Definitely. Those were two easy categories to pick.
9:04 PM: The Weary Kind wins Best Song. TH goes up to 3 for 3. That was definitely a luck category, so that's the first big prediction for a big prediction night.
9:10 PM: Craig just told me he doesn't like Caddyshack. Our friendship is now on the ropes.
9:16 PM: The Hurt Locker wins Original Screenplay. This is a big sign that my Inglourious Basterds pick could be in trouble. It's also my first loss of the night. 3 for 4. Good news for The Hurt Locker though if this is really a two-movie showdown.
9:22 PM: John Hughes tribute was well down. The man was a genius. Does this mean he won't be in the "In Memoriam" part now though? Oh God, I don't need to see Jon Sheyer ever. Go away.
9:28 PM: Okay, we got some lucky pick categories coming here. These are important after losing in Original Screenplay if I have any chance at a big night (I don't).
9:32PM: Oh shit! Logorama pulls it out! 4 for 5. It was the only animated short film I saw, and that was the only reason I picked it, so yeah, that was lucky. I figured it had no chance. Am I happy that it was apparently made by some French people? Not at all. I want my pick back!
9:37 PM: But I lose Documentary, Short. 4 for 6. I need to go perfect the rest of the way to set a new personal record. Whoa. Awkward acceptance speech right now. If this person suppose to be there? Whoa, rapid fire awards. THE NEW TENANTS WINS SHORT FILM. The dream is still alive! 5 for 7. 2 for 3 in some luck categories there. This is where I have to start blaming myself for foolishly hoping for some Inglourious Basterds upsets.
9:41 PM: Ben Stiller's Avatar bit was funny. We apparently need less Baldwin and Martin. Things are funny when they're not involved. No so much when they are. Is it too late to get Jon Stewart? Oh, and Start Trek wins for Makeup. Did I pick them? Yes, I did. 6 for 8. Is this the beginning of a crazy run to a record? Probably not. Just a momentary sense of empty hope.
9:47 PM: We're about half-way through the show so far (according to my television. No way it will really end at 11:30). Pretty standard/bland so far.
9:51 PM: Wow, Precious wins Adapted Screenplay. Personally, I thought Up in the Air was a lock. Also, that was a loss, so 6 for 9. At best I can only tie my record of 21. This guy is giving an emotional speech though. You always gotta feel good for someone who is genuinely surprised to win and happy about it.
9:52 PM: Martin, quickly realizing that may be the speech of the night, takes credit. Finally some good hosting.
9:55 PM: With a screenplay win a a possible supporting actress win along the way, it is time to start considering Precious a serious contender tonight. Like I said yesterday, the awards are like an equation that add up to the final answer. Good start for Precious.
10:00 PM: That's 2 of the 10 "bigger" awards that Precious has already won with Mo'Nique's win. You gotta start looking at Precious as a real contender now. If they take Editing or Cinematography, look out. Oh, I'm 7 of 10 now. So I need to go 14 for 14 to finish things out here to tie my record.
10:06 PM: Art Direction = Avatar. It's about time Avatar got on the board with a win. It only took more than an hour and a half. Also, 8 of 11 bitches. Much better than how I predicted my predictions.
10:08 PM: First the "dame" mispronunciation joke earlier, now the "horse" mispronunciation joke now. Come on!
10:12PM: Costume Design goes to The Young Victoria, a movie I have never heard of until yesterday. And immediately, the costume designer presents herself as a douchebag bitch: "I already have two of these." I'll take it though since I picked it. 9 of 12. halfway home I'm on pace for 18 of 24. I would be very pleased with that.
10:20 PM: Why do we need a tribute to horror? Also, "37 years since horror has had it's place at the Oscars with 2 awards for The Exorcist." Didn't Silence of the Lambs WIN in the early 90's?
10:24 PM: Morgan Freeman. He built the Batmobile, he can explain Sound Editing and Mixing.
10:26 PM: The Hurt Locker takes Sound Editing. My chance at 21 is finished, but this is a bigger win than you might expect for The Hurt Locker. A win over Avatar in a technical category like this could be very revealing.
10:27 PM: The Hurt Locker does it again in Sound Mixing. Avatar, you very well may be in a lot of trouble. If you'er keeping track at home, that is 3 awards for The Hurt Locker, 2 for Precious, 1 each for Avatar and Inglourious Basterds.
10:31 PM: So the sound awards did me in on my run for my personal record of 21. Like I said yesterday, it's a number I never expect to reach again. That year was just a perfect storm for me (and it would have been 22 if I hadn't decided that Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow would beat out Sean Penn in Mystic River). Oh well. So long as I can hit some awards the rest of the way I'll still have a strong total. I'll take it.
10:37 PM: Avatar wins cinematography, which confuses me. How much camera work is there in a movie that is practically entirely animated? Also, this was big for Avatar. It's back in the hunt. I'd say we've still got a two-horse race (Hurt Locker, Avatar) but instead of Inglourious Basterds acting as the possible spoiler, it might be Precious.
10:49 PM: What the fuck is the significance of these dancers? Just play us the scores and be done with it. The dancing clearly has nothing to do with the individual movies.
10:57 PM: I just hit Visual effects for Avatar and Score for Up. That brings Avatar's total to 3, even with The Hurt Locker. Of course, Up now has 2. Not a real contender for the big prize, but I guess we've never seen this voting system before so who knows? Also, I'm att 11 correct picks. Only 2 more to match my prediction for my predictions.
11:00 PM: Inglourious Basterds needs to win Editing. If it doesn't I think it's out of the running. Oh God, I'm nervous.
11:05 PM: The Cove makes me 12 of 18. Not bad.
11:08 PM: The Hurt Locker takes Editing. I think they might have it in the bag now. Editing, screenplay, and both sound awards. The equation equals The Hurt Locker right now.
11:22 PM: Missing something like Foreign Language Film isn't much of a hit when you're out of the running for anything significant. Like 21 of 24.
11:55 PM: Kathryn Bigelow wins Director. The Hurt Locker has this in the books.
12:00 PM: 6 wins for The Hurt Locker, Best Picture capping it off. Congrats to them, they were the favorite and I'm glad they won instead of Avatar. Now it;s time to go to sleep.
2009 Academy Awards Predictions
You can look at the pre-Academy Awards awards season as an equation that adds up to a final answer. In many categories we probably already know what the answer is (see Christoph Waltz and Mo'Nique). In others we've only narrowed it down, and the slew of awards that are presented during the Academy Awards will be added to our equation when trying to figure out who will take home the big prize at the end.
What makes a good predictions ballot? Mostly luck. You see, my all-time Academy Awards record, which I've already accepted as something I will never beat, is 21 correct picks in the 24 total categories. How did I do that? Like I said, mostly blind luck. You have to hit all these small awards in which there is little you an actually use to make an educated guess. You also have to nail those one or two upsets that happen every year, be it in an acting category, directing, or best picture. Some research can help, but you can't rely on it. Most predictions lists are just rip-off's of someone else's prediction list. So one guy says "X" is a favorite in some small category and everyone else starts following along. So you need a strong person touch to your own list, like relying on the randomness I will explain for some of my picks.
It also helped that my 21 of 24 year was the year Lord of the Rings won fucking EVERYTHING. Since I'm a LOTR nerd, I announced, sarcastically that "it's totally reasonable that LOTR will win everything it is nominated for." So I picked it for everything it was nominated for. It did win everything it was nominated for. So 11 correct picks right there.
This year, one could try riding the Avatar train to a high number of picks. Really, the only way you can make a legitimate run at 21 is to find a year where there is a movie with a ton of nominations and go all-in on it. And get way lucky otherwise. So will I be jumping aboard the Avatar train. Let's find out:
Best Short Film, Live Action
The New Tenants
Why? To be honest I have neither seen nor heard any of these. It's like they all came out of the Milford Academy. So this is one of those categories where you need the luck to come in.
Best Short Film, Animated
Logorama
Why? It's the only one I've seen. It's bizarre and certainly won't win, but I saw it.
Best Documentary, Short Subjects
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
It's topical sounding, I guess. So why not?
Best Documentary, Features
The Cove
Why? I've heard that both The Cove and Food, Inc. are suppose to be fantastic, so I expect one of them to win. Edge goes to The Cove because it's higher on my Netflix queue.
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Un Prophete
Why? It sounds good.
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Up
It's the only animated movie nominated for Best Picture, so I'm not sure there would be any logic in it not even winning best animated film. Fantastic Mr. Fox was fantastic though.
Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Avatar
Well come on. This one is obviously going to be Avatar, but if we're calling it best "achievement," then District 9 should win for doing what they were able to do with like 1/20th of the budget. But it won't.
Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Avatar
Uh, I'm not really sure what sound editing is, so this is an example of riding the Avatar train.
Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
Avatar
You just have to think that Avatar is going to win these technical awards, and whereas I'm sure the sound awards don't always go to the same movie, I can't back that up. So I'm sticking with Avatar for sound mixing. These categories are the first where we could see if there is a chink in Avatar's armor. If it loses a technical award like this, it could be in trouble come the bigger awards later on.
Original Song
Crazy Heart, "The Weary Kind"
It's a movie about a musician. So that's enough for me.
Original Score
Up
I've seen four of the movies in this category but can't bring the score of any of them to mind. I like Pixar. So, Up. Plus I like Michael Giacchino because he is J.J. Abrams guy and he does all the scores for LOST.
Best Achievement in Makeup
Star Trek
Because I don't know what the other two movies nominated in this category are.
Best Achievement in Costume Design
The Young Victoria
I feel like the movies that always win this award are the movies in this genre.
Best Achievement in Art Direction
Avatar
Choo choo!
Best Achievement in Editing
Editing is your first big award of the evening (I assume they won't actually be awarded in the order I'm going in, but in the order I'm going in this one is the first big one). It is also a showdown of the 5 "Real" nominees for Best Picture. Many times it can be used as a very accurate predictor of the film that will go on to win the top prize, so look out for editing tomorrow.
The pick: The Hurt Locker
Best Achievement in Cinematography
Inglourious Basterds
Okay, at this point my personal thoughts are starting to show. I don't want Avatar to win Best Picture, so I'm going with The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds in these early "big" categories. Most people are calling this a two-movie race between The Hurt Locker and Avatar. I think Inglourious Basterds is a dark horse though.
Adapted Screenplay
Up in the Air, by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
Personally, I think the two best movies of the year are Up in the Air and Inglourious Basterds. So here was Up in the Air's screenplay win. Wanna guess who I'm taking in Original Screenplay? Sidenote: In the Loop is really funny.
Original Screenplay
Inglourious Basterds, by Quentin Tarantino
Supporting Actress
Mo'Nique
She's won everything leading up to the Academy Awards, so she's the pick.
Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz
Last fall I had downloaded the Inglourious Basterds screenplay. After a while I decided I would just read chapter one to see if I liked it and leave the rest for when the movie was to be released. Just from the dialogue I knew whoever played Hans Landa was going to be an Oscar front runner. And now, Christoph Waltz is way more than a front runner. It would be an utter shock if he lost.
Actress in a Leading Role
Meryl Streep
Upset!
Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges
This one seems pretty locked up. It seems like every year there is one upset in the 4 acting categories. Most often it happens in the Supporting Actress category which is practically a crap shoot. This year I feel like Mo'Nique has won enough beforehand to have that locked down. My upset will be Streep over Bullock.
Director
Kathryn Bigelow
She would be the first woman to win. It would make sense for me to pick Tarantino here based on where I'm going with my Best Picture pick, but I refuse to follow the formula.
Best Picture
Inglourious Basterds
Yup, the biggest upset of the night. No one will see it coming except for me. Avatar and The Hurt Locker split their votes enough that Inglourious Basterds busts through and takes the prize. Afterwards, everyone will credit it to the 10 nominees and the new voting system, but I will not care. Tarantino will be king. Moon should have been nominated, though. Just saying.
My opinion is that the two best movies of the year are Inglourious Basterds and Up in the Air. It would be tough for me to choose between them if they both had a chance at winning, but since Up in the Air is pretty much out of it, and Inglourious Basterds has an outside shot, I'm picking Inglourious Basterds. Yes, I've done a bad job about picking who I THINK will win the award rather than who I WANT to win the award in some categories, but that's what makes the predictions and the watching fun.
So how do I feel about my picks? Obviously there is no way I'm getting to 21, or even giving myself a shot at 21 by riding the Avatar train. My prediction for my predictions? I say I go 13 out of 24. Just over .500.
What makes a good predictions ballot? Mostly luck. You see, my all-time Academy Awards record, which I've already accepted as something I will never beat, is 21 correct picks in the 24 total categories. How did I do that? Like I said, mostly blind luck. You have to hit all these small awards in which there is little you an actually use to make an educated guess. You also have to nail those one or two upsets that happen every year, be it in an acting category, directing, or best picture. Some research can help, but you can't rely on it. Most predictions lists are just rip-off's of someone else's prediction list. So one guy says "X" is a favorite in some small category and everyone else starts following along. So you need a strong person touch to your own list, like relying on the randomness I will explain for some of my picks.
It also helped that my 21 of 24 year was the year Lord of the Rings won fucking EVERYTHING. Since I'm a LOTR nerd, I announced, sarcastically that "it's totally reasonable that LOTR will win everything it is nominated for." So I picked it for everything it was nominated for. It did win everything it was nominated for. So 11 correct picks right there.
This year, one could try riding the Avatar train to a high number of picks. Really, the only way you can make a legitimate run at 21 is to find a year where there is a movie with a ton of nominations and go all-in on it. And get way lucky otherwise. So will I be jumping aboard the Avatar train. Let's find out:
Best Short Film, Live Action
The New Tenants
Why? To be honest I have neither seen nor heard any of these. It's like they all came out of the Milford Academy. So this is one of those categories where you need the luck to come in.
Best Short Film, Animated
Logorama
Why? It's the only one I've seen. It's bizarre and certainly won't win, but I saw it.
Best Documentary, Short Subjects
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
It's topical sounding, I guess. So why not?
Best Documentary, Features
The Cove
Why? I've heard that both The Cove and Food, Inc. are suppose to be fantastic, so I expect one of them to win. Edge goes to The Cove because it's higher on my Netflix queue.
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Un Prophete
Why? It sounds good.
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Up
It's the only animated movie nominated for Best Picture, so I'm not sure there would be any logic in it not even winning best animated film. Fantastic Mr. Fox was fantastic though.
Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Avatar
Well come on. This one is obviously going to be Avatar, but if we're calling it best "achievement," then District 9 should win for doing what they were able to do with like 1/20th of the budget. But it won't.
Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Avatar
Uh, I'm not really sure what sound editing is, so this is an example of riding the Avatar train.
Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
Avatar
You just have to think that Avatar is going to win these technical awards, and whereas I'm sure the sound awards don't always go to the same movie, I can't back that up. So I'm sticking with Avatar for sound mixing. These categories are the first where we could see if there is a chink in Avatar's armor. If it loses a technical award like this, it could be in trouble come the bigger awards later on.
Original Song
Crazy Heart, "The Weary Kind"
It's a movie about a musician. So that's enough for me.
Original Score
Up
I've seen four of the movies in this category but can't bring the score of any of them to mind. I like Pixar. So, Up. Plus I like Michael Giacchino because he is J.J. Abrams guy and he does all the scores for LOST.
Best Achievement in Makeup
Star Trek
Because I don't know what the other two movies nominated in this category are.
Best Achievement in Costume Design
The Young Victoria
I feel like the movies that always win this award are the movies in this genre.
Best Achievement in Art Direction
Avatar
Choo choo!
Best Achievement in Editing
Editing is your first big award of the evening (I assume they won't actually be awarded in the order I'm going in, but in the order I'm going in this one is the first big one). It is also a showdown of the 5 "Real" nominees for Best Picture. Many times it can be used as a very accurate predictor of the film that will go on to win the top prize, so look out for editing tomorrow.
The pick: The Hurt Locker
Best Achievement in Cinematography
Inglourious Basterds
Okay, at this point my personal thoughts are starting to show. I don't want Avatar to win Best Picture, so I'm going with The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds in these early "big" categories. Most people are calling this a two-movie race between The Hurt Locker and Avatar. I think Inglourious Basterds is a dark horse though.
Adapted Screenplay
Up in the Air, by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
Personally, I think the two best movies of the year are Up in the Air and Inglourious Basterds. So here was Up in the Air's screenplay win. Wanna guess who I'm taking in Original Screenplay? Sidenote: In the Loop is really funny.
Original Screenplay
Inglourious Basterds, by Quentin Tarantino
Supporting Actress
Mo'Nique
She's won everything leading up to the Academy Awards, so she's the pick.
Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz
Last fall I had downloaded the Inglourious Basterds screenplay. After a while I decided I would just read chapter one to see if I liked it and leave the rest for when the movie was to be released. Just from the dialogue I knew whoever played Hans Landa was going to be an Oscar front runner. And now, Christoph Waltz is way more than a front runner. It would be an utter shock if he lost.
Actress in a Leading Role
Meryl Streep
Upset!
Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges
This one seems pretty locked up. It seems like every year there is one upset in the 4 acting categories. Most often it happens in the Supporting Actress category which is practically a crap shoot. This year I feel like Mo'Nique has won enough beforehand to have that locked down. My upset will be Streep over Bullock.
Director
Kathryn Bigelow
She would be the first woman to win. It would make sense for me to pick Tarantino here based on where I'm going with my Best Picture pick, but I refuse to follow the formula.
Best Picture
Inglourious Basterds
Yup, the biggest upset of the night. No one will see it coming except for me. Avatar and The Hurt Locker split their votes enough that Inglourious Basterds busts through and takes the prize. Afterwards, everyone will credit it to the 10 nominees and the new voting system, but I will not care. Tarantino will be king. Moon should have been nominated, though. Just saying.
My opinion is that the two best movies of the year are Inglourious Basterds and Up in the Air. It would be tough for me to choose between them if they both had a chance at winning, but since Up in the Air is pretty much out of it, and Inglourious Basterds has an outside shot, I'm picking Inglourious Basterds. Yes, I've done a bad job about picking who I THINK will win the award rather than who I WANT to win the award in some categories, but that's what makes the predictions and the watching fun.
So how do I feel about my picks? Obviously there is no way I'm getting to 21, or even giving myself a shot at 21 by riding the Avatar train. My prediction for my predictions? I say I go 13 out of 24. Just over .500.
March 5th, 2010 Mailbag
The first Survivor Pool power rankings won't come out until next week, but I want to talk a little about it now. Specifically the villains. I understand the group strategy to just leave the idol out of play. It makes sense from a cohesiveness aspect, and right now that's what is giving the villains this early lead (9 tribe members remaining to the 7 of the heroes). So it makes sense to agree that no one will find out and just focus on continuing to wreck the heroes in challenges. The heroes who showed how fragile they are when everyone scrambled to find the idol as soon as they read the clue.
But, why just let Russell go look for it? You say, "well if he finds it we'll just make him use it" but that means he essentially gets to pick someone to vote out. You could split the vote, but that's putting someone's head on the line in the interest of making Russell play the idol, and what if everyone disagrees about who should get the other half of that vote? If this was the strategy the villains wanted to employ, they should have found the idol together and then destroyed it.
Also, I know it's probably not easy to make one of those fake idols like we've seen in the past, but imagine if say, after Tom found the idol at the heroes camp he and Colby were able to craft a replica. Then no one else would know who was in possession of the real idol. I wish we'd see this happen sometime. Yeah, in the context of last night's vote it wouldn't have mattered (everyone could have split the vote between Tom and Colby knowing that one of them was bluffing), but there are definitely contexts in which this would work and it would be awesome.
Why are you the way you are?
- Mike
That's probably the greatest exit-interview question ever and it should be employed at every office in the world where an unpopular employee is leaving.
List of factors that make someone the way they are in order of priority:
1. The Accident of Birth
2. Their Family
3. Their Friends
4. Their Individual Experiences
5. Their Education
6 Their Physical Limitations
7. Destiny??
8. Luck
Also, was this because of fantasy baseball? If so, that's not cool.
After watching curling on the Olympics this year and seeing some of the people there that were considered "Olympic athletes", I think I may be qualified to become a sweeper. You think if I devote the next 3 years of my life completely to curling I could make the team by the next Olympics? If so wanna join the team with me? And if you say its too late for me, what if I have a kid within the next year or so, make him do nothing but curl(is that the correct tense of curling there) all the time. Would I have the next curling prodigy on my hands and would he be a shoe-in for the 2030 Olympics?
-Eric
1000% chance that if you devote the next three years to nothing but curling you have a very good chance of becoming an Olympic athlete and there's nothing more I want to do than join your team.
The good news is that according to the curling announcers, a curlers prime years are their mid-thirties until their mid-forties. In the context of curling we are not but pups at this point. We have plenty of time to learn the craft and master the game and give us a chance to compete in Sochi in 2014.
As good as our chances could be, if you raise a child on curling he almost has to become one of the best in the sport through sheer odds. How many other people out there are raised to be curlers from the get-go? I hope it's none. Curling is a fall back sport. Sure the Canadian curlers won the gold medal and all, but those assholes wish they were playing hockey. We wish we could be playing other sports as well, but curling has come to us and it is our destiny and that is all. But a child raised to be a curler? My God, he would be a force.
Someone rent out a curling sheet for when I'm home for Spring Break next week. The run to 2014 begins now. I call being skip though because I am ABSURDLY clutch in these target games. I suck balls at horseshoes, but put me in a must-make situation and I'll toss a ringer or whatever you call it. Ask Jeff and Sam. Last year my Aunt threw a barbecue for the one-year anniversary of my Uncle's death (yes, not a normal way to remember such an event). Jeff and I engaged some of his biker buddies in some horseshoes. I was pathetic. Jeff was crazy good. Playing to 21 we stormed out to like a 16-3 lead, probably 15 of the points due to Jeff playing out of his mind. Of course, they gradually came back, taking a 20-19 lead. Was it my fault the game was that close to begin with. Yes. BUT THAT IS WHEN I STEPPED UP AND PUT IT AWAY. I threw like an 8-pointer. Game.
So I'm calling skip, Eric you're the third a.k.a. the vice-skip. Jeff kicked my ass in online curling last night so we should take a look at his real life skills. Craig has expressed some interest. We might have a team here. I see no reason why we can't turn Methuen, MA into the countries number one manufacturer of curlers.
What is it about Antoine Fuqua that makes me want to see his movies?
- Craig
Probably solely his name. The man went entirely against what he was programmed to do with a name like that. If I name my kid Antoine Fuqua I am certain that he is either going to be a kick ass defensive lineman or the WWE champion. It's one of those two things and you just have to face it and live up to it.
Antoine had other ideas though and decided to make movies.
We talked a little last night about Fuqua and I was only able to name two of his movies (Training Day, obviously, and Shooter). Upon an IMDB examination, he really hasn't made anything too great since Training Day. Tears of the Sun was okay. King Arthur was pretty bad. So I would say yes, his name might be the only reason you want to see his movies, if only so you can say things like "hey, did you see the latest Fuqua film?" Ask that to someone who doesn't know who Antoine Fuqua is and you'll most likely receive fantastic results.
Fuqua's real latest film, Brooklyn's Finest, comes out today and it isn't receiving the greatest reviews. Bad news for Fuqua-Nation.
Have you been watching 24? And what do you think so far is you have been watching?
- Jeff
I have been watching 24. The problem with 24 now 8 or 9 seasons is, is that it's kind of a procedural show. Not like an episode to episode procedural like CSI or NCIS or a traditional SitCom. It's a season to season procedural. You know that whoever the bad guy is at the beginning won't be the bad guy at the end. You know that whatever the threat is at the beginning will not be the threat by the end.
So right now everyone is scrambling to get these nuclear rods. How long do you want to bet the nuclear rods remain to be the biggest threat on the show? I give it a few episodes at most, and then something else will pop up. I know this will happen because I've watched 24 from the beginning and I know how the show works. Plus we're already on to like the third bad guy. First it was the white guy who was orchestrating the purchase of these rods. Then it was Hassan after he stole them from the first bad guy and killed that guy's son. Now, Hassan is dead after he was (predictably) betrayed by the terrorists he gave the rods to.
The best parts of the show now, are the parts of the show we criticized when the show was on top of it's game: the crazy Jack Bauer moves. When the show was awesome they were something you could just kind of ignore. "Yeah, there's no way he could do that but the episode was fantastic otherwise so I'll forgive it." Now you just know you're getting mediocrity so those moments are great to watch.
The best scene of this season was when Renee finally snapped on the Russian gangster she had worked for in the past and started stabbing him repeatedly, even after he was dead. Jack rushes in to stop her and to calm her down, and Renee, still crazy, turns and stabs Jack in the side. Jack falls down, a guard runs into the room looks around quick and assesses the situation, starts to draw his gun, when in one fluid motion Jack rips the knife from his side and fires it into the guard's throat. One motion. He didn't take it out, then aim and throw. He went from holding the handle of the blade that was inside of him and threw it from inside of his own body into the guard's throat.
And that's not all. Two more guards here this shit and start running towards the room. Jack, knowing that they're are coming, just fires his handgun through the wall killing both of them who were in full sprint towards the room. JACK BAUER CAN KILL YOU WHEN YOU ARE NOT EVEN IN THE SAME ROOM AS HIM! All of this happens in like 5 seconds of TV time. You go from stunned that Renee is crazy and just stabbed Jack to three crazyassawesome kills.
So unless the plot starts to surprise me and goes in a direction that is unique and original to the show, I will continue to watch only for those scenes. The problem is, I don't think they can top that one.
**********
And here is Hans Landa played by Christoph Waltz, who on Sunday will win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and continue this run of bad guy characters winning the award (Anton Chigurh, The Joker, and now Hans Landa). If you haven't seen Inglourious Basterds yet, you're missing out. No spoilers in the first clip, it's from Chapter 1 of the movie (just a comparison of rats and Jews), but if you haven't seen it and want to eventually, the second clip is a little spoilery (from Chapter 5, the last chapter), as Landa talks to some people who he very much knows are not who they say they are, so why not toy with them?
But, why just let Russell go look for it? You say, "well if he finds it we'll just make him use it" but that means he essentially gets to pick someone to vote out. You could split the vote, but that's putting someone's head on the line in the interest of making Russell play the idol, and what if everyone disagrees about who should get the other half of that vote? If this was the strategy the villains wanted to employ, they should have found the idol together and then destroyed it.
Also, I know it's probably not easy to make one of those fake idols like we've seen in the past, but imagine if say, after Tom found the idol at the heroes camp he and Colby were able to craft a replica. Then no one else would know who was in possession of the real idol. I wish we'd see this happen sometime. Yeah, in the context of last night's vote it wouldn't have mattered (everyone could have split the vote between Tom and Colby knowing that one of them was bluffing), but there are definitely contexts in which this would work and it would be awesome.
Why are you the way you are?
- Mike
That's probably the greatest exit-interview question ever and it should be employed at every office in the world where an unpopular employee is leaving.
List of factors that make someone the way they are in order of priority:
1. The Accident of Birth
2. Their Family
3. Their Friends
4. Their Individual Experiences
5. Their Education
6 Their Physical Limitations
7. Destiny??
8. Luck
Also, was this because of fantasy baseball? If so, that's not cool.
After watching curling on the Olympics this year and seeing some of the people there that were considered "Olympic athletes", I think I may be qualified to become a sweeper. You think if I devote the next 3 years of my life completely to curling I could make the team by the next Olympics? If so wanna join the team with me? And if you say its too late for me, what if I have a kid within the next year or so, make him do nothing but curl(is that the correct tense of curling there) all the time. Would I have the next curling prodigy on my hands and would he be a shoe-in for the 2030 Olympics?
-Eric
1000% chance that if you devote the next three years to nothing but curling you have a very good chance of becoming an Olympic athlete and there's nothing more I want to do than join your team.
The good news is that according to the curling announcers, a curlers prime years are their mid-thirties until their mid-forties. In the context of curling we are not but pups at this point. We have plenty of time to learn the craft and master the game and give us a chance to compete in Sochi in 2014.
As good as our chances could be, if you raise a child on curling he almost has to become one of the best in the sport through sheer odds. How many other people out there are raised to be curlers from the get-go? I hope it's none. Curling is a fall back sport. Sure the Canadian curlers won the gold medal and all, but those assholes wish they were playing hockey. We wish we could be playing other sports as well, but curling has come to us and it is our destiny and that is all. But a child raised to be a curler? My God, he would be a force.
Someone rent out a curling sheet for when I'm home for Spring Break next week. The run to 2014 begins now. I call being skip though because I am ABSURDLY clutch in these target games. I suck balls at horseshoes, but put me in a must-make situation and I'll toss a ringer or whatever you call it. Ask Jeff and Sam. Last year my Aunt threw a barbecue for the one-year anniversary of my Uncle's death (yes, not a normal way to remember such an event). Jeff and I engaged some of his biker buddies in some horseshoes. I was pathetic. Jeff was crazy good. Playing to 21 we stormed out to like a 16-3 lead, probably 15 of the points due to Jeff playing out of his mind. Of course, they gradually came back, taking a 20-19 lead. Was it my fault the game was that close to begin with. Yes. BUT THAT IS WHEN I STEPPED UP AND PUT IT AWAY. I threw like an 8-pointer. Game.
So I'm calling skip, Eric you're the third a.k.a. the vice-skip. Jeff kicked my ass in online curling last night so we should take a look at his real life skills. Craig has expressed some interest. We might have a team here. I see no reason why we can't turn Methuen, MA into the countries number one manufacturer of curlers.
What is it about Antoine Fuqua that makes me want to see his movies?
- Craig
Probably solely his name. The man went entirely against what he was programmed to do with a name like that. If I name my kid Antoine Fuqua I am certain that he is either going to be a kick ass defensive lineman or the WWE champion. It's one of those two things and you just have to face it and live up to it.
Antoine had other ideas though and decided to make movies.
We talked a little last night about Fuqua and I was only able to name two of his movies (Training Day, obviously, and Shooter). Upon an IMDB examination, he really hasn't made anything too great since Training Day. Tears of the Sun was okay. King Arthur was pretty bad. So I would say yes, his name might be the only reason you want to see his movies, if only so you can say things like "hey, did you see the latest Fuqua film?" Ask that to someone who doesn't know who Antoine Fuqua is and you'll most likely receive fantastic results.
Fuqua's real latest film, Brooklyn's Finest, comes out today and it isn't receiving the greatest reviews. Bad news for Fuqua-Nation.
Have you been watching 24? And what do you think so far is you have been watching?
- Jeff
I have been watching 24. The problem with 24 now 8 or 9 seasons is, is that it's kind of a procedural show. Not like an episode to episode procedural like CSI or NCIS or a traditional SitCom. It's a season to season procedural. You know that whoever the bad guy is at the beginning won't be the bad guy at the end. You know that whatever the threat is at the beginning will not be the threat by the end.
So right now everyone is scrambling to get these nuclear rods. How long do you want to bet the nuclear rods remain to be the biggest threat on the show? I give it a few episodes at most, and then something else will pop up. I know this will happen because I've watched 24 from the beginning and I know how the show works. Plus we're already on to like the third bad guy. First it was the white guy who was orchestrating the purchase of these rods. Then it was Hassan after he stole them from the first bad guy and killed that guy's son. Now, Hassan is dead after he was (predictably) betrayed by the terrorists he gave the rods to.
The best parts of the show now, are the parts of the show we criticized when the show was on top of it's game: the crazy Jack Bauer moves. When the show was awesome they were something you could just kind of ignore. "Yeah, there's no way he could do that but the episode was fantastic otherwise so I'll forgive it." Now you just know you're getting mediocrity so those moments are great to watch.
The best scene of this season was when Renee finally snapped on the Russian gangster she had worked for in the past and started stabbing him repeatedly, even after he was dead. Jack rushes in to stop her and to calm her down, and Renee, still crazy, turns and stabs Jack in the side. Jack falls down, a guard runs into the room looks around quick and assesses the situation, starts to draw his gun, when in one fluid motion Jack rips the knife from his side and fires it into the guard's throat. One motion. He didn't take it out, then aim and throw. He went from holding the handle of the blade that was inside of him and threw it from inside of his own body into the guard's throat.
And that's not all. Two more guards here this shit and start running towards the room. Jack, knowing that they're are coming, just fires his handgun through the wall killing both of them who were in full sprint towards the room. JACK BAUER CAN KILL YOU WHEN YOU ARE NOT EVEN IN THE SAME ROOM AS HIM! All of this happens in like 5 seconds of TV time. You go from stunned that Renee is crazy and just stabbed Jack to three crazyassawesome kills.
So unless the plot starts to surprise me and goes in a direction that is unique and original to the show, I will continue to watch only for those scenes. The problem is, I don't think they can top that one.
**********
And here is Hans Landa played by Christoph Waltz, who on Sunday will win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and continue this run of bad guy characters winning the award (Anton Chigurh, The Joker, and now Hans Landa). If you haven't seen Inglourious Basterds yet, you're missing out. No spoilers in the first clip, it's from Chapter 1 of the movie (just a comparison of rats and Jews), but if you haven't seen it and want to eventually, the second clip is a little spoilery (from Chapter 5, the last chapter), as Landa talks to some people who he very much knows are not who they say they are, so why not toy with them?
The Time I Thought I Was Dead
This morning there was a solid five-second period in which I was certain I was either dead or somewhere I've never been before. It's all this fucking street lamp's fault:
You see, the town of Bristol, Rhode Island decided to replace the bulb inside this lamp which resides immediately outside my bedroom window approximately fifteen to twenty feet from the dead opossum (which is still there but in a different position. Something got to it). By replacing the bulb the town has increased the lamp's power, making it safer for drivers at night but mroe dangerous for those in the morning who will now be dealing with my sleep deprived self trying to pull out onto Hope St.
The light shines right on to the side of my bed that I choose to rest my head on. Last night I couldn't take it, and at some point I just decided to switch sides. So I violently (I was not pleased) threw my pillows to the other side of the bed, and pulled off in tremendously fluid fashion a spin move in which I was able to take every inch of sheets and blankets with me and end up in nearly the exact opposite position I was in the instant before. If there were a freestyle bed competition in the summer Olympics, I would represent the United States of America.
It's a mystery of sleep, maybe just to me, but I like to think to others as well. No matter what position I fall asleep in (and I have many), I wake up the same way: face down, head turned to my left. You get used to waking up in that position and you get used to whatever it is you see when you first open your eyes. At home it's my closet, with the "Tom's Tavern" sign about it. In Bristol it is my desk and my clock radio.
This morning I woke up and opened my eyes and was greeted with nothing but whiteness - as it turns out, the wall. Of course, I didn't realize this immediately and grabbed my chest to assure I was still alive. Then I ran my hand over my face to assure I was still me (I am!). Then quickly I looked in all directions and realized I was just waking up on the opposite side of the bed. Heart pounding slows down, deep breathing slowly returns to normal.
I have two new nemesis' in my life. They are not people. It is the alliance of a lamp and electricity. It is good vs. evil. Jacob vs. the Man in Black. To prevail I must destroy one. I would be a huge underdog against electricity, so I'm choosing to battle the lamp. This weekend I shall destroy it. Bristol, Rhode Island will fine me and replace the lamp. But for one night, I will be King.
You see, the town of Bristol, Rhode Island decided to replace the bulb inside this lamp which resides immediately outside my bedroom window approximately fifteen to twenty feet from the dead opossum (which is still there but in a different position. Something got to it). By replacing the bulb the town has increased the lamp's power, making it safer for drivers at night but mroe dangerous for those in the morning who will now be dealing with my sleep deprived self trying to pull out onto Hope St.
The light shines right on to the side of my bed that I choose to rest my head on. Last night I couldn't take it, and at some point I just decided to switch sides. So I violently (I was not pleased) threw my pillows to the other side of the bed, and pulled off in tremendously fluid fashion a spin move in which I was able to take every inch of sheets and blankets with me and end up in nearly the exact opposite position I was in the instant before. If there were a freestyle bed competition in the summer Olympics, I would represent the United States of America.
It's a mystery of sleep, maybe just to me, but I like to think to others as well. No matter what position I fall asleep in (and I have many), I wake up the same way: face down, head turned to my left. You get used to waking up in that position and you get used to whatever it is you see when you first open your eyes. At home it's my closet, with the "Tom's Tavern" sign about it. In Bristol it is my desk and my clock radio.
This morning I woke up and opened my eyes and was greeted with nothing but whiteness - as it turns out, the wall. Of course, I didn't realize this immediately and grabbed my chest to assure I was still alive. Then I ran my hand over my face to assure I was still me (I am!). Then quickly I looked in all directions and realized I was just waking up on the opposite side of the bed. Heart pounding slows down, deep breathing slowly returns to normal.
I have two new nemesis' in my life. They are not people. It is the alliance of a lamp and electricity. It is good vs. evil. Jacob vs. the Man in Black. To prevail I must destroy one. I would be a huge underdog against electricity, so I'm choosing to battle the lamp. This weekend I shall destroy it. Bristol, Rhode Island will fine me and replace the lamp. But for one night, I will be King.
Lost Season 6, Episode 6, "Sundown"
Whoa.
There have been a lot of Lost episodes. They all have endings. For the most part, they are either happy endings (many times in the context of stand alone episodes), bittersweet endings (many times in the context of a major death), or cliffhanger endings (many times in the context of a big revelation at the very end). This was the first ending that elicited an "oh, balls" response from me.
It was an Empire Strikes Back type ending. Did the good guys lose? Kind of, yeah. But they're far from out of it. Until we get the Jacob-Smokey flashback episode, there will always be a doubt, to some degree, regarding who is truly good and who is truly evil. But tonight's episode more or less told us which way it is.
I also think we could be very close to fixing what may be one of the show's only problems at this point: motivation. What exactly are the characters' goals right now? I suppose we can say everyone with Smokey is now intending to leave, but we really don't know what Team Jacob has up their sleeve (let's hope it's something good). With Ilana and company off to find Jack and Hurley, I think we might be on track to figuring that out.
On to the recap, in two parts this week:
Flash-Sideways
Things start out in 2004 (do we know for sure that it's 2004 where this is happening?) with Sayid visiting his brother Omar who has married Nadia. Sayid was apparently working as a translator for an oil company. Had we ever found out what Sayid did with his life post-torturer but pre-island? I know there was one episode where he worked with the CIA to stop a terrorist attack, under the guise that they would help him find Nadia (and that's the reason why he was in Sidney), but I'm not sure if we ever saw Sayid in a real form of employment.
Long story short, Omar owes some bad people some money and he gets the shit kicked out of him. Jack is already back to work at the hospital, as we see him briefly cross paths with Sayid. Some gangsters take Sayid in, and it turns out that Martin fucking Keamy is the gangster in charge of things. I hate that guy. Sayid kills the shit out of him (God, it was fun to watch Keamy die again), and then finds Jin tied up in another room. So it looks like we'll be seeing some more of Keamy, which pisses me off.
The Flash-Sideways almost seemed to be (and probably was but I hate to make definitive reaches with any symbolisym) a separate battle between Sayid's inner good and evil. We've seen Sayid do plenty of good and evil things, both on the island and off of it. That inner battle continued in this 2004 time line. Good with the kids - still an interrogator. Won't torture for Omar's good - kills three people pretty easily.
The Island
The story here was very much the good vs. evil battle within Sayid. We learn that Sayid failed the good vs. evil scale test, and Dogan tells Sayid that he thinks "things would be better off if you were dead." Always a pleasant thing to say to someone.
The Sayid-Dogan fist fight that followed was pretty fucking sweet, but I thought there would be some more significance to the baseball. I'm not saying that wasn't a good little speech at the end (it was clear going into that scene that Dogan was done for), but it seemed like the baseball is what stopped Dogan from killing Sayid right there. Turns out it was just a baseball.
So Smokey can apparently control people to some degree with his words, most likely after they've been "claimed." So I suppose Dogan's hope was that either Sayid would succeed in killing Smokey, or just become evil like he believed anyway. But then why let him back? Once he delivers the message, just kill Sayid. Don't fiddle around and wait for him to drown you. Dogan, I thought you were pretty sweet. Lennon guy, you will not be missed. You were kind of a bitch, in fact.
We end with the battle lines drawn. Smokey, Sayid, Claire and Sawyer along with many of the Others (and Kate is with them, but we can't be sure she's "with" them yet) VS. Jacob, Jack, Hurley, Miles, Ilana, Lapidus, and Ben (they also really want Sawyer on their side, but I'm not so sure that's going to work out).
Random Thoughts
+ First off, I think next week I might just focus mostly on a list like this. The recap doesn't really do any of us any good. We all just watched the episode, we know what happened. So next week a new format: A brief introduction with my general thoughts about the episode and then a bullet list like this. Sound good?
+ Yeah, I want a good vs. evil scale. Not even just for myself or other people. I want to measure how evil inanimate objects are. Or eggs. Would eggs be good or evil either way? What happens if I have a plastic figurine that registers way high on the evil side? Must I destroy it before it comes to life?
+ Uh, the temple people needed way better security, and I mean even before Smokey was able to raid the place. Claire can just walk in? Kate too? Is no one keeping watch? WTF?
+ I can't stand Miles and Hurley being separated. That said, knowing that Miles is en route to Hurley (with Lapidus, no less) greatly excites me.
+ So Kate and Claire's trek with Smokey is going to be a little awkward, huh?
+ The new season 6 episode ranks:
1. Sundown (it might be a snap judgment, but I thought it was better than the premiere. Disagree?)
2. LA X Parts 1 & 2
3. The Substitute
4. Lighthouse
5. What Kate Does
I have a feeling that starting now, we're going to be getting a lot of fantastic episodes in a row. Consider: Ben Linus episode next week, I'm not sure who it is the week after that (I won't look it up until after next week's airs), then, wait for it....a Richard fucking Alpert episode. That one will be special.
+ Oh, only 12 hours of Lost left. I don't like this countdown, but it makes you cherish these last few episodes that much more.
There have been a lot of Lost episodes. They all have endings. For the most part, they are either happy endings (many times in the context of stand alone episodes), bittersweet endings (many times in the context of a major death), or cliffhanger endings (many times in the context of a big revelation at the very end). This was the first ending that elicited an "oh, balls" response from me.
It was an Empire Strikes Back type ending. Did the good guys lose? Kind of, yeah. But they're far from out of it. Until we get the Jacob-Smokey flashback episode, there will always be a doubt, to some degree, regarding who is truly good and who is truly evil. But tonight's episode more or less told us which way it is.
I also think we could be very close to fixing what may be one of the show's only problems at this point: motivation. What exactly are the characters' goals right now? I suppose we can say everyone with Smokey is now intending to leave, but we really don't know what Team Jacob has up their sleeve (let's hope it's something good). With Ilana and company off to find Jack and Hurley, I think we might be on track to figuring that out.
On to the recap, in two parts this week:
Flash-Sideways
Things start out in 2004 (do we know for sure that it's 2004 where this is happening?) with Sayid visiting his brother Omar who has married Nadia. Sayid was apparently working as a translator for an oil company. Had we ever found out what Sayid did with his life post-torturer but pre-island? I know there was one episode where he worked with the CIA to stop a terrorist attack, under the guise that they would help him find Nadia (and that's the reason why he was in Sidney), but I'm not sure if we ever saw Sayid in a real form of employment.
Long story short, Omar owes some bad people some money and he gets the shit kicked out of him. Jack is already back to work at the hospital, as we see him briefly cross paths with Sayid. Some gangsters take Sayid in, and it turns out that Martin fucking Keamy is the gangster in charge of things. I hate that guy. Sayid kills the shit out of him (God, it was fun to watch Keamy die again), and then finds Jin tied up in another room. So it looks like we'll be seeing some more of Keamy, which pisses me off.
The Flash-Sideways almost seemed to be (and probably was but I hate to make definitive reaches with any symbolisym) a separate battle between Sayid's inner good and evil. We've seen Sayid do plenty of good and evil things, both on the island and off of it. That inner battle continued in this 2004 time line. Good with the kids - still an interrogator. Won't torture for Omar's good - kills three people pretty easily.
The Island
The story here was very much the good vs. evil battle within Sayid. We learn that Sayid failed the good vs. evil scale test, and Dogan tells Sayid that he thinks "things would be better off if you were dead." Always a pleasant thing to say to someone.
The Sayid-Dogan fist fight that followed was pretty fucking sweet, but I thought there would be some more significance to the baseball. I'm not saying that wasn't a good little speech at the end (it was clear going into that scene that Dogan was done for), but it seemed like the baseball is what stopped Dogan from killing Sayid right there. Turns out it was just a baseball.
So Smokey can apparently control people to some degree with his words, most likely after they've been "claimed." So I suppose Dogan's hope was that either Sayid would succeed in killing Smokey, or just become evil like he believed anyway. But then why let him back? Once he delivers the message, just kill Sayid. Don't fiddle around and wait for him to drown you. Dogan, I thought you were pretty sweet. Lennon guy, you will not be missed. You were kind of a bitch, in fact.
We end with the battle lines drawn. Smokey, Sayid, Claire and Sawyer along with many of the Others (and Kate is with them, but we can't be sure she's "with" them yet) VS. Jacob, Jack, Hurley, Miles, Ilana, Lapidus, and Ben (they also really want Sawyer on their side, but I'm not so sure that's going to work out).
Random Thoughts
+ First off, I think next week I might just focus mostly on a list like this. The recap doesn't really do any of us any good. We all just watched the episode, we know what happened. So next week a new format: A brief introduction with my general thoughts about the episode and then a bullet list like this. Sound good?
+ Yeah, I want a good vs. evil scale. Not even just for myself or other people. I want to measure how evil inanimate objects are. Or eggs. Would eggs be good or evil either way? What happens if I have a plastic figurine that registers way high on the evil side? Must I destroy it before it comes to life?
+ Uh, the temple people needed way better security, and I mean even before Smokey was able to raid the place. Claire can just walk in? Kate too? Is no one keeping watch? WTF?
+ I can't stand Miles and Hurley being separated. That said, knowing that Miles is en route to Hurley (with Lapidus, no less) greatly excites me.
+ So Kate and Claire's trek with Smokey is going to be a little awkward, huh?
+ The new season 6 episode ranks:
1. Sundown (it might be a snap judgment, but I thought it was better than the premiere. Disagree?)
2. LA X Parts 1 & 2
3. The Substitute
4. Lighthouse
5. What Kate Does
I have a feeling that starting now, we're going to be getting a lot of fantastic episodes in a row. Consider: Ben Linus episode next week, I'm not sure who it is the week after that (I won't look it up until after next week's airs), then, wait for it....a Richard fucking Alpert episode. That one will be special.
+ Oh, only 12 hours of Lost left. I don't like this countdown, but it makes you cherish these last few episodes that much more.
The Vancouver Games in Review
First off, your American medal winners:
Apolo Ohno got really good at losing, but only by enough so that he still gets a medal, and always in some fashion where in his interview following the gold medal race he could disagree with a call that was made or not made by the referee. I'm torn about his becoming the "most decorated" American winter athlete of all-time. I like the guy, but he won mostly loser medals. Bonnie Blair won more gold medals, and Eric Heiden still have our gold medal record with 5 (all in one Olympics). At least I can say, for now, that I watched the "most decorated" American winter athlete of all-time, as well as the most decorated summer athlete of all-time, Michael Phelps. Phelps already has more gold medals than anyone, ever, and if he comes back for the London games in two and a half years, he'll almost certainly become the all-time leaders in total medals won.
I really loved Bode Miller's resurgence. Four years ago the guy was a complete disappointment when we expected him to win or medal in every event he was going to participate in. This year, with far lower expectations, the man won three medals, and added together with some from the past, became America's most decorated male alpine skiier of all time.
Opening ceremony was decent at best, but you had to expect a minor disappointment coming in after Beijing had by far the best opening ceremony ever two years ago. It was also marred by the fact that they hinted very early that Wayne Gretzky would likely be the man to light the torch, which meant for the next three hours, my Dad took every chance he could to mention that he thought Bobby Orr was the better player, and that the Canadians would be making a huge mistake letting Gretzky light the torch and not Bobby Orr.
Curling is fun.
Overall, very good Olympics.
Apolo Ohno got really good at losing, but only by enough so that he still gets a medal, and always in some fashion where in his interview following the gold medal race he could disagree with a call that was made or not made by the referee. I'm torn about his becoming the "most decorated" American winter athlete of all-time. I like the guy, but he won mostly loser medals. Bonnie Blair won more gold medals, and Eric Heiden still have our gold medal record with 5 (all in one Olympics). At least I can say, for now, that I watched the "most decorated" American winter athlete of all-time, as well as the most decorated summer athlete of all-time, Michael Phelps. Phelps already has more gold medals than anyone, ever, and if he comes back for the London games in two and a half years, he'll almost certainly become the all-time leaders in total medals won.
I really loved Bode Miller's resurgence. Four years ago the guy was a complete disappointment when we expected him to win or medal in every event he was going to participate in. This year, with far lower expectations, the man won three medals, and added together with some from the past, became America's most decorated male alpine skiier of all time.
Opening ceremony was decent at best, but you had to expect a minor disappointment coming in after Beijing had by far the best opening ceremony ever two years ago. It was also marred by the fact that they hinted very early that Wayne Gretzky would likely be the man to light the torch, which meant for the next three hours, my Dad took every chance he could to mention that he thought Bobby Orr was the better player, and that the Canadians would be making a huge mistake letting Gretzky light the torch and not Bobby Orr.
Curling is fun.
Overall, very good Olympics.
The Best Bad Movie
Everyone loves bad movies that are so bad they become entertaining. Tonight, I watched the king of them all. "The Room" is a movie that Netflix had recommended to me for a long time. A "cult, indie comedy" is what Netflix referred to it as. Sounded great to me, since the indie-comedy is probably my absolute favorite genre. Thirty minutes in I hadn't laughed once. In fact, I'd say twenty of the first thirty minutes was dedicated to several seemingly never-ending sex scenes.
That's when I hit pause and IMDB'd the movie. It scored a whopping 3.3/10. That's when I realized that Netflix had recommended the movie because I had given generous ratings to several other movies that sucked so hard that I loved them. Somewhere in the middle of the movie I found myself laughing uncontrollably. Just minutes I would grab my hair in complete frustration - no one in the movie has any motivation for anything they do.
Below I included by far the two best scenes of the movie I can show you without ruining the sublimely pathetic story line. I hope it encourages you to spend and hour and forty minutes with "The Room." If you decide to watch it though, DO NOT do it without me. I must be there.
That's when I hit pause and IMDB'd the movie. It scored a whopping 3.3/10. That's when I realized that Netflix had recommended the movie because I had given generous ratings to several other movies that sucked so hard that I loved them. Somewhere in the middle of the movie I found myself laughing uncontrollably. Just minutes I would grab my hair in complete frustration - no one in the movie has any motivation for anything they do.
Below I included by far the two best scenes of the movie I can show you without ruining the sublimely pathetic story line. I hope it encourages you to spend and hour and forty minutes with "The Room." If you decide to watch it though, DO NOT do it without me. I must be there.
February 26th, 2010 Mailbag
See right next to that tree? That's the dead opossum that's in my yard. There are pros and cons to a situation like this, the major con being that I have to see a dead opossum every time I look outside. Not pleasant. The pros range from the fact that a friendly motorist prevented this opossum from reaching my dwelling (who knows what sort of intentions this opossum had? It could have been an informant for the birds (the birds are against me)), and that it is useful as a warning message to any other opossum on the other side of the street that is considering making it's way to my yard. Stay back, fuckers!
Also, it;s fantastic whenever someone walks past from the left-side of that picture. The opossum is perfectly positioned so that you won't see it until right when you pass that tree. A bicycle rider passed it the other day. Upon passing the tree his head darted to the right, to see what was laying there. He instantly has a look of disgust on his face that almost knocked him from his bike and into traffic. The opossum would have been guilty of post-mortem involuntary manslaughter. I can't wait to see Crazy Ladies reaction if she comes by some day. I'm also terrified that she could either collect it or consume it.
The first disturbing thing I ever saw was a dead opossum when I was a kid. It got hit in the road halfway down Carriage Way (the street that leads to my street, for non-Methuenites). Someone just threw the body a few feet off the road, still very much visible to say, a kid who rides his bike every day. Each day I watched the the decomposition progressed. It was horrible, but I couldn't stop briefly checking in every day. My childhood ended that week.
Mail time:
For the next survivor pool do you think it would be a good idea to do a draft?you can draw the numbers of the draft and everyone can go to cbs.com to see who they like and they can pick their people?or would that be too confusing?
- Sam
No, for two reasons. First is the confusing issue. I would have to randomly draw an order, then post it. Then have some place where everyone makes their picks (comment section could work). It would also take a fair amount of time, and that could become a big problem.
Second, it provides an incentive for someone to search for spoilers. I don't think that they're usually out there, or at least very detailed (maybe some rumors that certain people make it far), but based on my experience last season, I know that they exist and that sometimes they can be wildly accurate.
Hey, I don't know a lot about Lost, but I do know everyone is sorta wondering what's gonna happen at the end of the series. I just saw Shutter Island the other day. Can you imagine if the Lost ending was exactly like the Shutter Island ending? What if Shutter Island blew up Lost's spot? Try answering this question without giving away the endings to anything to anybody. Can you do it?
- Mike
I like this question a lot because most everyone will be reading the question trying to figure out what the fuck I'm talking about. To start: some background. I watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics with my parents. There were tons of Shutter Island commercials. I knew both my parents had read it and we started talking about the movie. I said I wasn't going to see it because I thought the commercials may have given away the ending. I said aloud what I thought the ending was, and they confirmed to me that I was correct. So here is my Shutter Island/Lost talk:
I'm pretty sure that Lost won't have the same ending as Shutter Island, but if they do then I imagine Lost fans will scorch the Earth. This was a popular theory in latter parts of season one, however, after a certain revelation was made about one of the main characters. This lead to a whole line of "holy shit it's _____" threads all over the internet. This, as well as the other major season one theory that is was all purgatory, was put to rest by the people in charge of the show when they assured us that neither of these were the ending.
We've also had some more revelations about this character since then that explain a lot of stuff, his/her role this season thus far really provides an explanation for why he/she is this way, as well as provides a compelling argument that much of what we see is truly the fate of the survivors and not always their free will, to an extent.
The Shutter Island ending, minus a few details that are unique to that story, is one that people have definitely seen before. It's an ending that can still work in the framework of a contained, two-hour movie. It's not an ending that will work nowadays for a television series that spans over one-hundred hours of programming unless there have been serious clues along the way that this is what it is.
There was a television show last year (a remake of a British show) that had a somewhat similar ending. It was a show that lasted only one-year, and along the way there were plenty of clues that lead you to believe that something along those lines was going on (it also helped if you already knew the ending to the British series. Although the two differed, they were essentially the same ending). In that case I'm for it. For Lost, the apocalypse would begin.
So now that everyone apparently loves curling... Can we take credit for starting the craze four years ago?
- Craig
I think we can definitely take a lot of credit for it. It's weird too, because four years ago NBC treated curling just the same way. It was almost always on, always live, on either MSNBC or CNBC. Nothing really changed other than the location of the Olympics (which I think has contributed a lot to the popularity of these games in America). There is one other thing that I believe contributed to the curling craze this year that wasn't around four years ago, and based on your irrational hatred of it, you won't like it: Twitter.
Almost every time a USA curling match took place "curling" would rise on the Trending Topics. Any time Shuster missed a big shot, Twitter blew up with Shuster-hate, mostly on hilarious levels. This most definitely lead to a rise in general curiosity, which would lead to more viewership and more fans.
Twitter is the best, at least to me, when there is a sporting event taking place where most everyone is watching. You can instantly discuss the game with all of your friends at once while getting thoughts from anyone else that you like. It was awesome during the Super Bowl, and it has been great during the Olympics. I can't wait for Twitter: World Cup 2010 edition.
Who do you think is coming to the island? Who's name do you think is next to 108 degrees in the lighthouse? And do you think its the same person?
- Jeff
Well I'll answer the question that I know I can give a complete answer to first. The name written next to 108 degrees is "Wallace." You can make it out if you look quick. The name is also crossed off, so that's probably not a good sign for Wallace.
So could Wallace be coming to the island? Maybe, but I think that the number Jacob picked may have just been arbitrary. He just wanted Jack to see the lighthouse and what is does, like he said to Hurley. He knew that Jack couldn't be told something, he needed to see. Perhaps there isn't anyone coming to the island.
But if there is, my guess is either that it's this Wallace dude, or Desmond. Desmond being my guess because he's not on the island currently (an important criteria), and I think it's safe to say Desmond is a good guy, and for now, Jacob appears to be a good guy, so why not? Plus Desmond has the whole time thing going on. He could be the key to reconciling these two time lines somehow.
Other off-island characters? Widmore is always trying to find the island, so perhaps it's him. That of course would raise the question "why does Jacob want Widmore to come to the island?" We've seen Widmore do a lot of evil stuff, but it's really mostly been directed at Ben, not necessarily the survivors of Oceanic 815 (they were just in the way), or the island (he loves the island, that's why he's in this war with Ben, because Ben took his position as leader of The Others).
Speaking of Widmore, I'm still working my way through the entire series again. Right now I'm in the later parts of Season 4. I just re-watched "The Shape of Things to Come" this past week, a Ben flash-forward episode (probably will be on my list of Best Lost Episodes ever that I intend to publish before the Series Finale). This is the episode in which Alex is murdered by Keamy, and we see Ben (in the flash-forward) recruit Sayid to become an assassin and give Widmore a late night visit. They talk about their ongoing feud and vaguely refer to a set of "rules" that apparently governs it. Very similar to the feud that Jacob and Smokey have, which also is apparently governed by a set of "rules" we haven't been let in on yet. Here's hoping Ben can make an upset bid at becoming the island's next "protector" and Widmore returns to take Smokey's spot (I know this is directly adverse to last week's prediction that it would be Jack and Sawyer, but if you can't keep making up theory after theory, then you're just not having enough fun with Lost).
Hey, Amanda Yim just tagged this picture of us from 6 years ago on facebook. Thought that it was blogworthy:
- Mike
Whoa. I used to style the buzz cut all the time but my hair hasn't been that short in years. And you look like Jesse Eisenberg. I could just be saying that because I watched Zombieland last night, but I also think it's true (why has no one ever pointed out that Eisenberg was in two theme-park titled movies last year, "Adventureland" and "Zombieland?").
This must be at Senior Breakfast, otherwise I can't explain the folders everyone appears to have. Definitely a good picture. Your mom once complained to me (and I'm sure you too) that there weren't enough pictures of us, so this could suffice as an addition. If anyone leaves any awesome comments like "wow, I forgot hot cute TH was" let me know.
**********
I've probably posted this video before, but I have no new ones to offer and you can never go wrong with The Wire. So here is 100 of the greatest quotes from the greatest television drama of all-time, The Wire: