At The Movies

Been catching up on movies this past week. Finally saw Murderball; the Oscar nominated documentary on quadriplegic rugby. It is a great flick - funny and moving. It tracks a few different players and coaches for years. This should have won the Academy Award (in my humble opinion). March of the Penguinswas a good documentary and all, but I always thought it was a very traditional nature documentary. Take a standard animal story, throw in a Morgan Freeman voice over and market the Hell out of it. I'd rather learn about interesting people like in Murderball, or even Grizzly Man, than an interesting penguin.

Also watched The Island, the Michael Bay action flick that bombed in the theaters last summer, but whose basic idea I always thought was cool. The idea of clones not knowing that they are clones, and escaping. It was a lot of fun. At times it felt like nothing more than Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson running for hours - but overall fun and enjoyable.

Which I can't say for Fever Pitch. Lori and I were both horribly disappointed by this movie. I don't know why anyone who wasn't a Red Sox fan would even watch it. I thought it was pretty boring, and quite unfunny. Even the stuff at Fenway Park and with the Red Sox just felt very flat. Maybe if the Sox hadn't have won the World Series, it would have been a better film.

Yesterday we watched C.S.A., an independent film that is available OnDemand with cable and is in some theaters. IFC is doing this now with their new releases and I think it's awesome. For $6 we could watch a brand new movie instead of heading into an art house theater in Boston trying to see it. C.S.A. stands for The Confederate States of America, this fake documentary imagines the world if the South won the Civil War - er, I mean the War of Northern Aggression. It covers history right up until today and includes lots of fake commercials and promos within the movie. Bitingly funny, and scarily true at the same time.

Finally, today we actually went to the theater and saw Inside Man. I can't remember going to the theater since King Kong opened. Inside Man is very good; a traditional heist film with some twists, some New York humor, and a couple cool camera shots courtesy of director Spike Lee. I was most interested in the film because it was written by a first time screen writer. This was his first completed script, and it was sold and produced. That is quite a feat, one that I am trying to accomplish as well.

That's It, I'm Outta Here!

With so many Red Sox and Patriots' players fleeing New England lately, we've decided to bolt too. Not forever, just for our next vacation. We've finally nailed down the next adventure. In May, we are off to Peru - for a week in the Amazon and then a few days at the Lost City of the Incas; Machu Picchu. Now, we just need to learn Spanish in a month. Maybe Larry The Lizard already knows it.

Say It Ain't So Adam

What is going on with my beloved New England Patriots? Adam Vinatieri gone!?! To the Indianapolis Colts? I'm gonna puke! And now the Patriots are talking to Mike Vanderjagt. The only thing more disgusting than seeing the best clutch kicker in NFL history walk away is replacing him with Vanderjerk, the kicker hated even by his own team. I hate the modern NFL. Fans are just expected to root for whoever is in the uniform.

I was prepared for David Givens to leave. He's been solid, but I knew someone would pay more than the Pats would. Everyone knew Willie McGinest was gonna get cut over salary cap issues - but he was supposed to resign with us for less. That's how the Pats have been working for years. And his loss is personal. His family sits in our section. Who am I gonna hang out with now after games if Big Willie's folks now spend their weekends in Cleveland.

But now, no more Adam? The highest scoring Patriot ever. The kicker of the Best Kick in NFL history at the Snow Bowl against the Raiders! He could easily win a run for governor of any New England state. Hell he could win them all simultaneously. How can he walk away from all of those who worship at the altar of his foot.
Plus we haven't signed a single of our own free agents. Tim Dwight, gone. Christian Fauria, gone. What's next - Troy Brown joining the Jets? Crap, think I'll just take up bowling.

The only guy left from the core group who had been with the team since the 1996 Super Bowl is now Tedy Bruschi. And we've only got one receiver worth a damn - Deion Branch (for one more season at least).

OK, deep breaths. Remember THREE Super Bowls.... most teams self destruct after one... in Belichick we trust. In Belichick we trust. In Belichick we trust.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Metallica inducted Black Sabbath into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last night in NYC. VH1 will be airing the 2006 Induction starting next Tuesday March 21, 2006. Sabbath didn't play, so Metallica ripped through "Iron Man" and "Hole in The Sky" for them. Also inducted this year; Blondie, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Miles Davis (what?!) and the Sex Pistols who blew the whole thing off. Something Ozzy always said he would do, but didn't.

Queen and Paul Rodgers

Caught Queen + Paul Rodgers Friday night at the DCU Center in Worcester Ma. Went to the show with pretty low expectations. Wasn't counting on much more than a decent cover band since this was really just two members of Queen (Roger Taylor and Brian May) and Paul Rodgers (lead singer for Free, Bad Company and The Firm over the years), but I had never seen Queen and wanted to check it out. My low expectations were easily blown away, this tour was much bigger than I expected. The stage had a center ramp coming halfway out into the crowd and an impressive lighting grid that made it seem they were planning on hitting some major stadiums. And no opening act! The best way to win me over.

After a blistering version of "Tie Your Mother Down" and then "Fat Bottomed Girls" it was clear this was going to be a great show. Rodgers didn't always look comfortable doing the Queen songs, especially "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Another One Bites The Dust", but I'll give him credit for not just trying to do a Freddie Mercury impersonation. The band seemed most relaxed and having fun doing Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin' Love" and "Bad Company". They even did a new track that they wrote together called "Take Love" which was a decent classic rock sort of tune.

Drummer Roger Taylor did a lot more singing than I ever knew he did. He was the lead vocalist for "I'm in Love With My Car", which I didn't even realize was by Queen - it is currently in some car ad on TV. He also stepped down from behind the drum kit for another song later. Brian May did multiple solos and some lead singing as well. "Bohemian Rhapsody" was pretty cool. They combined the live band with Freddy Mercury on the video screens playing piano and singing then joined by Paul Rodgers on stage for a weird but moving video karaoke performance. The encores rocked with "We Will Rock You". Have sung this many times at sporting events but it was very cool to finally do it with live band. And it was a blast seeing Rodgers do his hit from way back when with Free, "Alright Now" and it felt surprisingly awesome to sing "We Are The Champions" with Queen... well most of .. I mean some of Queen. Oh and Paul Rodgers.

Set List:
Intro - Beautiful Day
Reaching Out
Tie Your Mother Down
Fat Bottomed Girls
I Want To Break Free
Take Love
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Love Of My Life
Hammer To Fall
Feel Like Makin' Love
Drum Solo
I'm In Love With My Car
Guitar Solo
Last Horizon
Bad Company
Can't Get Enough
Another One Bites The Dust
Dragon Attack
These Are The Days Of Our Lives
Radio Ga Ga
The Show Must Go On
Bohemian Rhapsody
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We Will Rock You
All Right Now
We Are The Champions