Montauk Monster

So i just came across this and i had to post it. Apparently this "monster" was found on the beach out in Montauk. An anonymous "tipster" reported that it came from "a government animal testing facility" on Plum Island. "Quotation marks". People are saying this deliciously roasted mutant Turducken is just a viral marketing campaign for Cartoon Network or the new X-Files movie. But what if it is real? And more importantly, who was he giving the finger to?

Either way, it is pretty neat-0. 

The Dark Hype

Living up to the hype is an increasingly difficult task in the information age. A "buzz" can be manufactured almost immediately after production begins through forums, fan-sites, and trailers. Oftentimes a good movie is so "hyped up" it ends up falling short of expectations. With the hype machine in full swing, the untimely departure of a good young actor, and the greatness of Iron Man, the Dark Knight had a lot to live up to.

Yes, the Dark Knight is a comic book/action movie. But everything about this movie, from script and cinematography, to acting and directing is taken very seriously. With the superb cast in place (Bale, Ledger, Oldman, Eckhart, Cain, Freeman) the movie becomes more crime drama and less action movie. Considering its about a billionaire vigilante dressed as a bat fighting crime against a terrorist in clown make-up, this movie is very serious and pretty realistic.

Of course you cant discuss the Dark Knight without praising Heath Ledger. I can't help but feel that his death has been exploited to sell tickets. With that being said, he really is excellent in the film. With the help of some killer make-up, Ledger is almost unrecognizable. He is scary and hilarious almost simultaneously and he steals every scene he is in. The Joker character is very well written and another talented actor probably could have done a good job as well. But Ledger was given the roll and he took it and ran with it. He brought a darker, more human side to a classic villain. He is more disturbed  anarchist than evil genius. Its sad that Heath Ledger died for the obvious reasons. But its also a shame that he wasn't praised for his acting abilities alone and not as some legendary Hollywood martyr. He deserves all the accolades he is receiving, but i can't help but think the sincerity of the praise is tainted and overshadowed by his death. 

The single fault of this movie, like most action movies these days, is that its too long. I enjoy a good epic film, but i hate an unnecessarily long one. Christopher Nolan could have cut 10-15 mins and it would have been just as impressive and a little more streamlined. With that said, The Dark Knight is darkly serious and almost believable. The themes and commentary of the film are well executed. The classic comic book good vs evil (or more accurately right vs wrong) is there, plus some justice vs anarchy, and commentary on the power of fear. It is  nicely intertwined and fits perfectly with the whole Batman vs Joker thing. It is by far the best comic book adaptation, but more importantly one of the better films this year. It is expertly crafted from top to bottom and proves that the superhero/ comic book genre can be taken seriously. 

It is somewhat of a trend that sequels are better then the originals. Characters are established, themes are fleshed out and cast and crew are more involved. Sometimes all you have to do is replace the boring Katie Holmes with any other actress. With the excellence of the Dark Knight, the sequel to Iron Man has a new standard to live up to. And Watchmen is looking like it may be a contender. 

Bootleg Solar Power

The price of oil is having an effect on nearly everything. From the obvious high price of gas to the more subtle spike in the cost of food, our economy and our wallets are feeling the pressure. Recently, my neighbor/landlord had asked us for a significant chunk of change to help "lock in" on pre-purchased supply of oil. Even in the summer, the cost of heating hot water alone is breaking the bank. 

Unable pitch in, we decided that the best plan of action would be to increase our rent and brainstorm ways to cut energy usage. We never use the powerful air condition that our apartment came stocked with. We always use cold water when doing laundry. We collect rain water to water the garden. We are planning on putting up a clothesline to avoid the use of the dryer in warm weather. We've begun unplugging most appliances when not in use (phone and computer chargers especially). These are all positive steps in a better, greener direction, but how much will it curb energy costs? What we really need to do is make the switch to solar energy.

So while the lord of the land is exploring his options in the cost and execution of solar panels, we worked on a quick fix. Using a thick black hose and a 2nd shower head we've easily and effectively come up with bootleg solar powered shower. Somewhat of an eyesore, we've chosen function over fashion. The water sits in the black hose that is in direct sunlight for most of the day. In 75+ degree weather, we've found that the shower not only last long enough for two people but it's also quite warm, bordering on hot. The downsides of the faint rubber essence and the warm water window between 5 and 9pm aside, this seems to be a positive way help cut cost and conserve energy. 

Robot vs. Panda

Sitting snugly between my nerdy videogame lust and my healthy obsession with movies lies my love and appreciation for the art of animated films. Making a great animated movie is daunting task. All the classic cartoons consist of a similar formula. An hour and 1/2 of cutting edge animation. Some slapstick for the kiddies, and some adult humor that the goes over the kids heads. A dash of subtle observational humor based on the stereotype of the society, genre, or characters being featured (be it fish, bugs, robots etc.). All topped off with some serious attention to detail. The top two animation studios came hard with the good stuff this summer. Dreamwork's "KungFu Panda" and Pixar's "Wall-E" followed the formula perfectly and gave us two more classic animated films.

KungFu Panda is the story of Po, a noodle cooking panda who "loves KungFuuuuuuuuu". The beauty of the movie is that it follows the classic KungFu formula as well. An unlikely hero overcomes adversity and defeats scary bad guy in an awesomely action packed way complete with training montage and lots of slow-motion. The always over-the-top Jack Black really shines as a voice actor. The excitement in his voice and his genuine nature makes him the perfect choice for said kungfu panda. Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu was an equally great choice. 

Wall-E is without a doubt the most visually impressive animated film to date. The amazing lighting effects and photo-realistic textures alone make it worth the price of admission to see it on the big screen. The titular "Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earthclass" is a simple robot on an uninhabitable Earth left to compact and stack trash. When he meets the sexy, sleek "apple-esque" EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetative Evaluator), he falls in love and follows her through the universe. The fact that they creators are able to convey the spectrum of emotion solely through body language and robotic "beeps and boops" is remarkable. The social commentary sprinkled throughout is also well done. 

I thoroughly enjoyed both of these films. Wall-E's crispy beautifulness sets the bar pretty damn high for future Pixar endeavors. The first 45 mins were excellent but my interest was stalled with the introduction of the bone deossificated  humans. KungFu Panda, on the other hand, was hilariously action packed from start to finish. Although not as detailed as Pixar's, Dreamwork's animation is great in it's own right. From the stylish opening, really cool prison scene, great character design, and slow-mo'ed fight sequences, KungFu Panda has my vote for the better of the two.

I would be remiss not to mention the totally hilarious and super creative Pixar short "Presto" that is shown before Wall-E. When Presto's magic show is sabotaged by his hungry rabbit Alec Azam, pure slapstick greatness ensues.