So, for work, I was browsing the web looking for some info on this weekend's Jack Frost Children's Winterfest. I found the info I needed at a site called Walk And Sea Charlottetown. Looks like it might be a new site for Tourism Charlottetown. I didn't spend a lot of time on the site, but my initial impression was that it was rather nicely laid out. My problem with the site is the name: Walk and Sea Charlottetown. Specifically, the use of the word "Sea". I understand that it's a play on the word "see" and reflects, I guess, the beautiful harbour element to our city. I get that. But isn't it going to be confusing when speaking the name to whomever? Aren't you going to have to explain that "See" is actually spelled "S-E-A"? It's like those parents who want their children to have unique and interesting names, like Lyndsy or Chyna or St33ve, and toss in some alternative-spelling letters. Then the poor kid has to go through their life always correcting the spelling of their name. "Actually, that's k-a-r-Y-n, not E-n."
Okay, I just typed in www.walkandseecharlottetown.com and it brought me to the same site. So, never mind.
So, for work, I was browsing the web looking for some info on this weekend's Jack Frost Children's Winterfest. I found the info I needed at a site called Walk And Sea Charlottetown. Looks like it might be a new site for Tourism Charlottetown. I didn't spend a lot of time on the site, but my initial impression was that it was rather nicely laid out. My problem with the site is the name: Walk and Sea Charlottetown. Specifically, the use of the word "Sea". I understand that it's a play on the word "see" and reflects, I guess, the beautiful harbour element to our city. I get that. But isn't it going to be confusing when speaking the name to whomever? Aren't you going to have to explain that "See" is actually spelled "S-E-A"? It's like those parents who want their children to have unique and interesting names, like Lyndsy or Chyna or St33ve, and toss in some alternative-spelling letters. Then the poor kid has to go through their life always correcting the spelling of their name. "Actually, that's k-a-r-Y-n, not E-n."
Okay, I just typed in www.walkandseecharlottetown.com and it brought me to the same site. So, never mind.
Without giving too much thought to picking and choosing, here's a quick rundown of movies I most enjoyed from 2009. Probably many of these would get replaced by other names if I gave it much more thought, or if I made the list on another day.
(edited to add:) Antichrist I forgot about this one. How could I forget about this one? The first scene is, perhaps, the most poetically beautiful and heartbreaking thing I've ever seen. And it goes on from there. Wow, what a visual, shocking, tormenting, agitating movie. Be careful if you watch this one. It will affect you deeply. If ever "Yikes" could be used as a positive adjective to describe something, it would be used for this movie. Lars Von Trier, what have you done to me?
Bad Lieutenant:Port of Call New Orleans
With so many awful and/or boring recent performances Nicolas Cage had lost me as an actor, after being one of my favourite actors during his early career.But in this movie, he resurrects the brashness and go-for-broke acting choices that I used to love him for. A pretty great movie from Wernor Herzog with some nice moodiness, a great look, and enough twists and turns to keep it all interesting.
District 9:
Simply, a good sci-fi.A strong, appealing lead performance, and special effects that (just barely) don’t get in the way of story-telling.
Drag Me To Hell
Director Sam Raimi returns to the genre that made him what he is.This is a fun, over-the-top horror thrill ride.Doesn’t take itself seriously, in the best way possible.
Funny People
Suffers from the Film-Making Disease of the last decade – that being:too freakin’ long!Otherwise, a pretty sincere look at the life and impending death of a famous comedian.Sandler shows himself to be a very competent actor (much like he did in Punch Drunk Love, and a couple others).Good movie, good supporting cast.Just too freakin’ long!
The Hangover
I hated the first 15 minutes or so (mysoginistic, homophobic comedy), until the boys got on the road to Las Vegas, and was bored by the last 20 minutes or so, but the stuff in the middle was very very funny.
The Hurt Locker
Maybe my favourite movie of the year. Tons of suspense, and a Iraq war story that doesn't preach to you. Had me from beginning to end.
Inglourious Basterds
Maybe my favourite movie of the year, for totally different reasons. So much fun. So many great scenes.
In The Loop
If you don’t know this movie, seek it out.A very sharp, very funny political satire.If the phrase “political satire” scares you, overcome your fear and treat yourself to this smart British comedy. I wasn't expecting much from this when I started watching it, but I laughed quite a bit. Well done.
O’Horten
Norwegian (I think) movie about a train conductor who retires because and doesn’t know what to do with himself.Might not sound very interesting, but you will enjoy it.Give it a try, if you ever come across it.
Star Trek
A terrific rebirth of the franchise.My only criticism of the movie was that it forego with some of the meat that made the previous Star Treks so popular:This movie was pretty much all action.What I enjoyed about previous Star Treks (and missed in this one) was that time spent between action scenes, when the crew was soaring towards whatever destination – those moments they’d devote to character and relationship building.A small criticism.I very much liked this, and look forward to where the series goes from here.
Thirst
Korean movie about a priest who becomes a vampire, and the woman who falls in love with him.A very good movie. From my favourite Korean director Chan-wook Park.
Up
If you’ve seen it, you know why it’s on everyone’s list.If you haven’t seen it, you’re in for a treat.
Where The Wild Things Are
Fantastic interpretation of the Maurice Sendak children’s book.One of the things I loved about the movie was attention to little things about being a kid, like when the kid is under the desk watching his mother working on the computer, and we see him watching her from his weird angle. Or the sense of time-wasting when he's in his snow fort, or the importance of the snow fight. Little things like that totally took me back to when I was a kid.Other than that, it was simply a magical movie.
Without giving too much thought to picking and choosing, here's a quick rundown of movies I most enjoyed from 2009. Probably many of these would get replaced by other names if I gave it much more thought, or if I made the list on another day.
(edited to add:) Antichrist I forgot about this one. How could I forget about this one? The first scene is, perhaps, the most poetically beautiful and heartbreaking thing I've ever seen. And it goes on from there. Wow, what a visual, shocking, tormenting, agitating movie. Be careful if you watch this one. It will affect you deeply. If ever "Yikes" could be used as a positive adjective to describe something, it would be used for this movie. Lars Von Trier, what have you done to me?
Bad Lieutenant:Port of Call New Orleans
With so many awful and/or boring recent performances Nicolas Cage had lost me as an actor, after being one of my favourite actors during his early career.But in this movie, he resurrects the brashness and go-for-broke acting choices that I used to love him for. A pretty great movie from Wernor Herzog with some nice moodiness, a great look, and enough twists and turns to keep it all interesting.
District 9:
Simply, a good sci-fi.A strong, appealing lead performance, and special effects that (just barely) don’t get in the way of story-telling.
Drag Me To Hell
Director Sam Raimi returns to the genre that made him what he is.This is a fun, over-the-top horror thrill ride.Doesn’t take itself seriously, in the best way possible.
Funny People
Suffers from the Film-Making Disease of the last decade – that being:too freakin’ long!Otherwise, a pretty sincere look at the life and impending death of a famous comedian.Sandler shows himself to be a very competent actor (much like he did in Punch Drunk Love, and a couple others).Good movie, good supporting cast.Just too freakin’ long!
The Hangover
I hated the first 15 minutes or so (mysoginistic, homophobic comedy), until the boys got on the road to Las Vegas, and was bored by the last 20 minutes or so, but the stuff in the middle was very very funny.
The Hurt Locker
Maybe my favourite movie of the year. Tons of suspense, and a Iraq war story that doesn't preach to you. Had me from beginning to end.
Inglourious Basterds
Maybe my favourite movie of the year, for totally different reasons. So much fun. So many great scenes.
In The Loop
If you don’t know this movie, seek it out.A very sharp, very funny political satire.If the phrase “political satire” scares you, overcome your fear and treat yourself to this smart British comedy. I wasn't expecting much from this when I started watching it, but I laughed quite a bit. Well done.
O’Horten
Norwegian (I think) movie about a train conductor who retires because and doesn’t know what to do with himself.Might not sound very interesting, but you will enjoy it.Give it a try, if you ever come across it.
Star Trek
A terrific rebirth of the franchise.My only criticism of the movie was that it forego with some of the meat that made the previous Star Treks so popular:This movie was pretty much all action.What I enjoyed about previous Star Treks (and missed in this one) was that time spent between action scenes, when the crew was soaring towards whatever destination – those moments they’d devote to character and relationship building.A small criticism.I very much liked this, and look forward to where the series goes from here.
Thirst
Korean movie about a priest who becomes a vampire, and the woman who falls in love with him.A very good movie. From my favourite Korean director Chan-wook Park.
Up
If you’ve seen it, you know why it’s on everyone’s list.If you haven’t seen it, you’re in for a treat.
Where The Wild Things Are
Fantastic interpretation of the Maurice Sendak children’s book.One of the things I loved about the movie was attention to little things about being a kid, like when the kid is under the desk watching his mother working on the computer, and we see him watching her from his weird angle. Or the sense of time-wasting when he's in his snow fort, or the importance of the snow fight. Little things like that totally took me back to when I was a kid.Other than that, it was simply a magical movie.
And this routine from the very funny Patton Oswalt reminded me of this "Christmas Shoe Scam" post I wrote way back in 2004. Kinda funny, but looking back on it now, it needed a 2nd draft.
And this routine from the very funny Patton Oswalt reminded me of this "Christmas Shoe Scam" post I wrote way back in 2004. Kinda funny, but looking back on it now, it needed a 2nd draft.
CHARLOTTETOWN - The furor continues. Plans to vaccinate P.E.I children for the swine flu have been put on hold because of a national shortage of vaccine, but Island inmates will continue getting theirs. And now it's been reported that the recently deceased will also get swine flu shots before children receive theirs. Parents and the living are livid. However, Dr. Heather Morrison, the province's chief health officer, said inmates are considered a priority group because they are in a closed facility. As for the recently deceased, Morrison said "they're also considered a priority group because you can't get a more closed facility than a coffin." GREAT NEWS But not everyone is outraged at inmates and the dead receiving shots before children. "I thought it was great news", said Edgar McKenzie, who recently died after a long battle with cancer. "I was too sick to go stand in the lines to get my shot, but now that I'm dead, I get to go to the front of the line. Hopefully, someone'll carry me there. Yeah, it's too bad for the children, I suppose, but then again, I'm dead. I mean, that's pretty serious." Another person who is perfectly fine with the way the vaccine is being priortized is Madeline Arsenault. Her son, Lonnie Arsenault, recently died in the Sleepy Hollow Provincial Correctional Facility. "He was in there for hitting his wife and what not, but she's an awful thing, her," says Arsenault. "Anyways, he died in there, and so now he gets two shots. One for being an inmate and one for being dead. He's not going to get the swine flu now. And we was worried he was right at risk, because Lonnie sure liked to fornicate with the pigs." Officials are advising parents of school age children that if they are truly worried about their children contracting the swine flu, they do have options. "Get your kids to steal something. Or, killing them would be good too," advises Morrison.
CHARLOTTETOWN - The furor continues. Plans to vaccinate P.E.I children for the swine flu have been put on hold because of a national shortage of vaccine, but Island inmates will continue getting theirs. And now it's been reported that the recently deceased will also get swine flu shots before children receive theirs. Parents and the living are livid. However, Dr. Heather Morrison, the province's chief health officer, said inmates are considered a priority group because they are in a closed facility. As for the recently deceased, Morrison said "they're also considered a priority group because you can't get a more closed facility than a coffin." GREAT NEWS But not everyone is outraged at inmates and the dead receiving shots before children. "I thought it was great news", said Edgar McKenzie, who recently died after a long battle with cancer. "I was too sick to go stand in the lines to get my shot, but now that I'm dead, I get to go to the front of the line. Hopefully, someone'll carry me there. Yeah, it's too bad for the children, I suppose, but then again, I'm dead. I mean, that's pretty serious." Another person who is perfectly fine with the way the vaccine is being priortized is Madeline Arsenault. Her son, Lonnie Arsenault, recently died in the Sleepy Hollow Provincial Correctional Facility. "He was in there for hitting his wife and what not, but she's an awful thing, her," says Arsenault. "Anyways, he died in there, and so now he gets two shots. One for being an inmate and one for being dead. He's not going to get the swine flu now. And we was worried he was right at risk, because Lonnie sure liked to fornicate with the pigs." Officials are advising parents of school age children that if they are truly worried about their children contracting the swine flu, they do have options. "Get your kids to steal something. Or, killing them would be good too," advises Morrison.
