6/2/2007  9:00 AM CST

I'm attempting to make good use of the recent inspirations I've had as far as the four scrïpts (including this one) I'm writing...have rediscovered "James and the Giant Peach"--which encouraged new respect for Roald Dahl from me--still don't know what to make of "Ratatouille", though...     --guess we'll all find out...

6/4/2007 7:00 PM CST-- checked out the new American version of "Creature Comforts" and could not breathe for laughing--I don't think that idea will ever get old...

06/08/07, 3:30 PM CST--took a break from my current "Soul Calibur 3" fettish to see "Surf's Up" and I was not disappointed--for one thing, that's some of the most beautiful water rendering I've seen in any animated movie OR game--thumbs up...

July 5, 2007--Took a couple of breaks from the attempts to get the storyboards linked on here to see "Ratatouille" and "Transformers"--both highly diverting for different reasons, as I'm sure you gather--back to it--don't be surprised if I just e-mail 'em...

3:00 PM CMT July 13, 2007
BIG FAT WARNING...If you're any kind of Harry Potter fan, don't read this.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
There's a film critic here that I find myself in rather consistent disagreement with regularly.  I only bother to look at his column for information purposes--it's helpful to know in advance what a film is rated, have some idea of the content, and so on before you actually go, and I do like to hear various opinions, even if they conflict with my own.  But the reasons he normally gives only diminish my hopes for the human race...he's as much enjoyed movies simply because they were loaded with profanity, or he'll call, say, "Caddyshack" stupid humor; and sure, it is, but in the same paragraph, say that something like "Knocked Up" is clever.  Apples and oranges, anyone?  But to the point, I'm ranting over him because he really pulled the rug out from under me this time.
Today, he chose "Transformers".  Even spent most of the column on it.  I saw it, and had a lot of fun.  Sure, it's a Michael Bay film, so I had expectations going in.  I knew it would be outrageously illogical and alarmingly juvenille, but at the same time, it defined summer fun at the movies.  I had a great time!  Huge talking robots, hot cars, military vehicles, stuff blowing up real good, it was testosterone paradise. Because I enjoyed it, I firmly expected him to hate it.
He also had a good time!  I myself had written a review on the film, and I found that our ideas were so close, it's as if he had read mine first to see what to say.  He began the entire column with an argument about how he had reviewed over 1000 films and had learned to be objective in that time and how to divorce his opinion from the objectivity.  Okay, makes sense.  And the review was uncanny!  We were in agreement on almost every point!  Transformers was dumb, but based on a kid's cartoon, and fun to watch, so it was worth the time.  Generally, the same things I had said!  I couldn't believe we were on the same page.  Then, just as he reaches the gates of my respect, he states that "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" will be in theatres one and a half weeks ahead of the book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", and asks, rhetorically of course, which one I'm more excited about.
I stopped reading right there, closed the paper, and put it away.  It was all I could do to avoid throwing it away, but I do like the crossword.  I was shocked.  The guy was beginning to appear objective to me for the first time in his existence, only to have a geek seizure just before the end zone.  He had managed to torpedo his entire argument about objectivity in one paragraph.  You might say to me, but this is a wonderful, magical franchise which has encouraged thousands of millions of youngsters to read and enjoy reading!  Okay, great.  It's magical, I'll give you that.  And I definitely respect literature, particularly in the realm of the fantastic--I read "Lord of the Rings" for a grade, and I've been through all seven "Chronicles of Narnia" three times.  I hardly ever put a book down, and when friends urged me to try "The Philosopher's Stone", I looked forward to it, checked it out, read three chapters, and returned it.  Reading's not reading if you don't comprehend and process what you're reading.  Forgive my shortsightedness, but I have serious trouble attributing the badge of literature to the story of an incorrigible boy who rides a broom (in my old neighborhood, even if you were in your own front yard, being a boy and even looking like you were pretending to ride a broom would get you beaten up and shot, not necessarily in that order) and his incorrigible friends who are just as hard to like doing their best to up the ante of disrespecting elders and showing how much in the way of guts they have.  "Well, Transformers was dumb compared to Harry Potter, he's escape fantasy and wonder!  That's genius!"  Okay, help me to understand something--are there now seven degrees of stupid?  Is there now an absurdity curve?  If Transformers was a preposterous cartoon for children, then Harry Potter is a preposterous book series for children.  Sorry if this offends anyone, but this guy's betrayal gave me the need to rant, and now, I've ranted.  (deep cleansing breaths)

 

Sorry, but your opinion of Harry Potter is not valid in my eyes if you only read 3 chapters of it.

Forgiveness, but that's all I could stand.  This is discounting the incessant beating-over-the-head that the media gives us as well.  And I DID warn fans not to read the post...