tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14883998465505612872024-03-13T04:04:56.551-07:00Jez ButtsDallas, Glitter Jesus, Billy Mays, 80s new wave.Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-66225535562819491152014-01-07T08:55:00.000-08:002014-01-10T09:10:31.683-08:00How I spent my Winter Vacation<p dir="ltr"><br>
So. New Years. Yay? The party was a blast. Nearly all of my favorite people were there and it was nice to be able to spend time with so many different people. We partied, listened to music, drank, got silly, and took a lot of silly pictures. It was a pretty mellow party, we mostly just stood around drinking and listening to music and having weirdo random discussions, as you do. Before the party actually started we watched a few episodes of Star Trek: TNG, which was fun.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The evening mostly was done by 1:30 and I was in bed by 2. The next morning was blissfully hangover free but I mostly lounged around Liz's house until around 6 because I was very occupied with the book I was reading! (Discussed on 1/02) I was home by 7ish and cuddled up with my cat, who was very happy to see me after over 36 hours away! (He's very needy.) I relaxed by watching a movie and woke up with what I thought was a mild ear problem. I couldn't hear out of my right ear, it felt like I was swimming underwater!  I thought it would go away on its own (it didn't) and I thought I'd try various home remedies, which also didn't help. My sniffles/cough/mucus making factory issues that I had over Christmas came back with a bang as well.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Friday I felt awful but slightly better, so I ended up going to dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday. Big mistake! We ate at a very nice steakhouse (Ruth's Chris) and I had to get a salad/soup because I had virtually no taste buds and therefore steak would be useless. I could barely hear, my nose was experiencing leakage problems, and conversation was difficult at best (due to the ear.) Afterwards, we went to a local bar that is generally fine on weekdays, but intolerable weekend nights as one section is reserved for live music and it's terrible and I'm old and after several hours I wanted to die. It didn't help that loud music + ear problem made conversation impossible and the smoking from everyone around me likely made my ear problem worse.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Saturday I slept until 3. Sunday the Same. Monday I decide to go to the doctor (and sleep until 2ish) and end up getting antibiotics to treat an ear infection and upper respiratory infection. Tuesday (today) I also stayed home under Doctor's orders, sleeping again until 3 and I'm finally starting to feel human again, but still have the ear problem. Is it getting better? Hard to say. It feels like less pressure, maybe? I really hope it clears up soon, regardless!<br>
</p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-38907340799081897192014-01-02T08:55:00.000-08:002014-01-10T09:05:21.849-08:00I can still read! <p dir="ltr"><br>
I really slacked off in December with books. I'm pretty sure I only finished ONE book, but considering some months I finished more than two and January I'm on track to finish at least four, I think it evens out! So I'm going to discuss one December book, and one book I read almost entirely on New Years Day (minus the two chapters I had read before)</p>
<p dir="ltr">Book #1<br>
Everything is Perfect When You're a Liar by Kelly Oxford</p>
<p dir="ltr">This was on kindle special for $1.99 so I figured what the hell. She's a "twitter celebrity" that has somehow gained a whole lot of fame and followers. I've never been overly fond of stuff that I've read of hers, minus the very rare times she's actually pretty emotionally honest. This seemed more like Look How Cool I Am: Humblebrag edition. This is a memoir without any sense of self awareness. She comes across as very full of herself and falsely modest. (You know, when people mention that OTHER people say that I'm x, y and z but oh golly I don't know...) I liked it the most, I think, when she was talking about her childhood, though even those were tinted with various degrees of how smart and amazing she was.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This is a person that came from a good family, married very young (and very well). Her writing is full of privilege of varying degrees and I can't imagine how exhausting it would be to be around such a narcissist full time. It would be impossible to be her number one fan because that title will always belong to her. Maybe the title was more literal than first thought?</p>
<p dir="ltr">Book #2<br>
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green<br>
Okay, I have a mega crush on John Green. Gosh, he's cute! Okay, that out of the way.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The first few chapters were a little jarring. It's a book written from the perspective of a 16 year old girl with cancer. If I didn't know that this was written by a man in his mid 30's I would have assumed it was written by a young girl and the protagonist, Hazel, was a total Mary Sue. This isn't a good thing, by the way. But as the book went on I feel like he found his voice and it become more authentic and realistic. As previously noted, I read almost all of this 313 page book in a single day, having read two chapters the day before.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The plot itself, even the "twists" I saw coming from a mile away, but it was still relatively moving. It's important to keep in mind that this is, indeed, Young Adult fiction. It's a good book and a fairly quick read. It's being adapted into a movie which I will likely see, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the other 3 books he's written. And mooning over his youtube videos. Smart, funny, and handsome! Gosh.<br><br><br><br><br></p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-41390849439051537892013-12-31T08:54:00.000-08:002014-01-10T09:11:04.186-08:00Happy Holidays<p dir="ltr"><br>
So. Christmas? It was spectacularly uneventful, for the most part. Most of my family (save a mostly estranged Uncle) live either 4 hours North in the wastelands of Oklahoma or four hours south in the terribleness of Houston, so I don't go out of town typically. Add to that the fact that I had to work the day before Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas, and it really didn't logically make sense. So. I stayed home, ordered pizza, and was mostly a lazy layabout. I started getting somewhat sick on Christmas itself, but by the weekend it had mostly cleared up.</p>
<p dir="ltr">That was fortuitous timing because a friend that recently moved (back) to LA was in town visiting and we had our friend group Christmas exchange party the Saturday after Christmas. It was a lot of fun! We did a White Elephant/Yankee Swap exchange instead of buying individual gifts, with the stipulation that we spend around $50 and buy gifts that people would actually use and want. This year was a good haul! I bought about 10 classic 80's movies and some boxes of various types of popcorn and the recipient seemed pleased. I ended up with a beautiful box I'm seriously keeping from Darcy, with a $40 gift card to Steam, a box of chocolates, and a twee little candle.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There was lots of food, alcohol, music, lively discussion, and picture taking. I made gift bags for everyone with candy, chocolate bars, snack bags, and candy canes that were fun to put together and seemed to be well received. Cost about $10 each (eep!) but was worth it.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Now, tonight is New Years Eve! BFF Liz is having a party at her place and is expecting 20-25 people, so it should be a hoot. I'll be arriving early to help set up and to get my ridiculous costume of sequins and glitter put together, so that should be fun!<br>
</p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-51110897521299646302013-12-26T12:39:00.000-08:002014-01-09T10:56:21.457-08:00December movies: (mostly) Christmas Edition<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Gosh. Okay. Here's one final blast of movies for the end of the year. Why do I watch so many???</p>
<p dir="ltr">Seen these, not much to say:</p>
<p dir="ltr">A Christmas Story - watched this a good 6 times on Xmas Even and Xmas. Yeah, that's right. I was painting and stuff! This never gets old.<br>
Scrooged - As good as I remember<br>
Bad Santa - Not as good as I remember.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Rapid Fire! Quick!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Don Jon - This was good but the ending felt a little shoe horned, neat, and undeserved. I would have preferred it to not have that ending, otherwise very enjoyable!<br>
Catching Fire - Much better than the first one. Can't wait until the next two, not a lot bad to say about this!<br>
Europa Report - A very low budget film that would have had even more stressful parts if not for Gravity stealing some of the space thunder. If you like sort of slow burning space horror this is worth watching.<br>
Final Destination 5 - Second viewing of this. Not my favorite of the bunch but it amuses me that someone I'm one step removed from was in this.<br>
Parker - Not the best Jason Statham movie, but certainly not his worst. JLo was by far the worst part of the movie and I feel like her entire part should have been reworked or written out entirely.<br>
Brick - This has been on my list for a very long time. The last time I tried to watch it I was tired and a bit sick, so I ended up falling asleep. It was okay, if a bit hokey. Watching what are supposed to be (and some nearly were, I'd imagine) teenagers speak as if in a noir pulp detective story was jarring, and at times distracting. Like watching a high school play or something.<br>
Asexual - It was a bit depressing because one of the people featured seemed very dissatisfied with their life and that's always a little sad. Otherwise, very informative and easy to watch.</p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-64996891392947211302013-12-24T12:37:00.000-08:002014-01-09T10:57:12.559-08:00Things I watched in December: Documentary Edition<p dir="ltr"><br>
So. Back to movies! I've been watching a lot of documentaries lately because it's easy to watch them while I'm surfing the internet or painting. Good background noise, basically. Here are a few of them that I've seen this month</p>
<p dir="ltr">Talhotblond<br>
I won't say much about this to prevent spoiling anything, but I can tell you what we learn in the first minute or so. A man in his mid 40s befriends an 18 year old girl over the internet. Another man ends up dead. This is the true (as far as we know) story of how this happened, and it's fascinating to watch this unfold. I don't think it surprises anyone here that people aren't always who they say they are over the internet, but it's still troubling to know stuff like this happens. Worth a watch!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Best Worst Movie<br>
This has been on my radar for a very long time! This is a documentary based on the infamously bad (Best Worst Movie, you might say!) movie Troll 2. I've long heard amazing things about this doc and I'd say it mostly delivers. If you're a film fan, even if you haven't seen this particular movie or don't especially like it, this is worth seeing. It's always interesting to see what goes on in the minds of people that make unintentionally bad movies, and this provides a lot of that.<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">Methodonia<br>
I watched this on Christmas day because apparently I'm a masochist. This is about methadone and follows a group of about 8 people using it for various reasons. Depressing, eye opening, and interesting. Probably don't watch alone on Christmas!</p>
<p dir="ltr">American Addicts<br>
I only watched about half of this because while it was interesting and factual, it was also extremely dry. I like my documentaries to be a bit more than just live action news articles and that's pretty much what this was. A lot of interesting facts about prescription addiction and the problem we have with over prescribing but I just wasn't in the right head space to focus on hard hitting pure facts based stuff.<br>
</p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-57170033698363242852013-12-19T12:37:00.000-08:002014-01-09T10:54:26.659-08:00AFI 100 Movies: Shane Edition<p dir="ltr"><br>
I finally watched another AFI movie! Shane. A 1953 Western based on a 1949 novel of the same name. It, apparently won an Academy award for Cinematography.  Personally, I found it so dull and slow that I had to watch the 2 hour long film in several chunks spread out over a few days. Here's the basic plot.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Shane, a lonesome cowboy, wanders into Wyoming sometime in the mid the late 1800s. He befriends and starts working for the Starrett family. Apparently, there's some drama with a cattle baron that wants to force the Starrett's and everyone else in the area off of the land. I guess... to... give himself... more... land? I... don't really know.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Conflict arises, people die, there's a showdown, good guys win, bad guys lose. The end. I guess all things considered it's a good movie. Obviously it was good enough to end up on this list, but I just do not like most Westerns. Obvious exceptions for a handful. Western Lovers will probably like this, I guess? That's up to you, man.<br></p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-3699541846611270442013-12-17T12:38:00.000-08:002014-01-10T09:11:15.889-08:00Dinner with people not named Andre<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">This is another one of those slice of life posts, so if those annoy you feel free to move on. :) Over the weekend I had the pleasure of attending a dinner party hosted by some friends of mine; Lyn & Brad*.  I've been to their place several times before and it's always fun and informative. We've cooked, hand made pasta, played rock band, and drank the night away. This time I attended kind of last minute as I had previous plans that ended up falling though and therefore had already eaten a light dinner (small cup of soup and a quarter sandwich.)</p>
<p dir="ltr">L made roast beef with a couple different sides, and we had cupcakes and chocolate for dessert. Oh! And Yorkshire pudding. Everything was delicious as always. Both Lyn & Brad are very talented cooks and even better company. Afterwards we played a variety of card type games while listening to records and drinking wine. Yes, records! I also got to play with their adorable kitty who is a total ham and sweetheart.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Dinner parties are something that always make me feel very Grown Up. Probably because my dinner is usually a hot pocket in front of the computer. I don't even have a table! Unless you count tv trays. My dining room has 4 bookshelves and a desk crammed into it. In retrospect I could easily move my desk into my bedroom... but I don't really do much entertaining. Hmm. I don't know. Anyway!</p>
<p dir="ltr">It was a delightful evening and I'm always glad to spend time with them. They are always a hoot and we are usually in a large group when we see each other so being able to actually have conversations is definitely nice!<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">*Not real names<br></p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-20097326643008163432013-12-13T10:49:00.000-08:002014-01-09T10:49:58.481-08:0030x30 Update #4 <p dir="ltr"><br>
Another month, another not a whole lot to report.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I watched two AFI movies (one should have been in the last report, but whatever.) Midnight Cowboy (review is up) and Shane (review should be up at a future date)<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">I read several books, I'm also including one I hadn't previously, I don't think. I feel like I'm leaving something else off though!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Amateur Night at the Bubblegum Kittykatt - a blogger I've been reading for years self published this book, an account of her ennui filled early/mid 20s about when she worked as a hostess at a strip club. I enjoyed it because I've been following her blog for years, I'm not sure I would recommend it otherwise. There's not a whole lot there to grab you, though she does have a decent enough writing style.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Mennonite in a little black dress - Another memoir (big month for those, apparently!) this time about a reformed/former Mennonite that gets a divorce after 15 years of being married. Her husband leaves her for another man and we later find out that they had a terrible marriage, and she knew that he was bi and had been with other men in the past so this wasn't all together surprising. A bit misleading because at first it sounds like it's totally from left field and unexpected. Worth reading if it's either free or cheap, as you do find out interesting things about Mennonites.<br><br></p>
<p dir="ltr">I only did one new thing, that I can think of. Ate at a fabulous place called Whiskey Cake, as a friend was visiting and a group of us decided to go. Had a very good cocktail that I can't remember the name of, and some amazing pork loin with grits, and a gigantic piece of whiskey cake. It was pricey, but worth it!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Oh! Remembered another thing. Addison Taste of Chicago - FINALLY ACTUAL CHICAGO STYLE PIZZA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was so, so good y'all. SO good. Not quite the real thing, and the crust could stand some flavoring, but pretty close to authentic and insanely delicious. I'll probably order from this place way too often.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I think that's it?<br></p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-66224063313262885302013-12-10T12:36:00.000-08:002014-01-10T09:11:35.459-08:00Sushi, some beer, and ice storm 2013<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">I know that this is mainly an outlet to share my attempts to become or be or do more/better/best before I'm 30, but it gets really old talking about just that I'm probably going to run out of content sooner rather than later if that's all I talk about! So, from time to time I'll be posting about things of a more personal nature than just books I've read and movies I've watched.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So, that being said last week had a few particularly note worthy events happen! First of all, a little bit of a back-story is required. (Names have been smudged for privacy reasons) I've known Mr. S for over 5 years now. We met through friends of friends, as you do, and since then I've been to countless parties he's hosted, drank countless beers together, and celebrated his marriage to Ms. F.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Unfortunately, (for us here!) The two of them have decided, due to a variety of factors, to move to a state Far Away. This will be a fantastic opportunity for them and they are both thrilled. We will miss them dearly but are equally happy for them. They have been discussing this for a rather long time and all of it has really come to a head this month. The house is on the market, Ms. F is currently safely settled in their new home, and their going away parties were last week.</p>
<p dir="ltr">On Wednesday Mr. S had a combination going away/plate party at a local bar. If you have 200 different beers (at a max of 3 a day) you are awarded a plate and given a party. This was, I believe, his 4th plate and he finished right on time! They ordered a wide variety of beers for us to all sample and we ended up staying until after midnight. It was a very fun farewell with a lot of laughter and tears. The next night we had a smaller, quieter final sushi dinner at our favorite sushi place that has been our go to spot for years for birthday dinners, celebrations, or just random dinners. This finished up much earlier than the previous night and overnight we got hit with a pretty heavy ice storm!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Friday Morning I wake up and the city was covered in a thick sheet of ice. The entire nearly half an hour long walk to work it continued to sleet and when I did finally make it to work I found it nearly deserted. Luckily I had already planned on the following Monday and Tuesday being off! By the time I left (slightly early) there was practically no one on the road and every available surface was covered in nearly an inch of ice. I get home and the electricity was out. Oh joy!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Luckily, I had already planned on being out as a friend was having a party that evening, so thankfully a friend of mine arrived not long after in his trusty 4 wheel drive truck to pick me up. That night we had a small party that surprisingly had more guests than expected considering it was still terrible outside, and we partied hard late into the next morning. Saturday was spent mostly taking it easy until the evening when we went to a nearby friends house for a Christmas bash where good times were had by all.</p>
<p dir="ltr">After we finished there we went for a short (but extremely memorable!) joyride in a nearby field and danced the night away to various Whitney Houston songs and other 90s hits. Sunday I get home and electricity has been restored! Temperatures remain cold so I don't even leave my apartment until I have to on Wednesday (which is technically tomorrow according to this post...), at which point most of the ice had melted. Hoorah!</p>
<p dir="ltr">So there we have it.<br></p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-67604396009183767822013-12-05T12:35:00.000-08:002014-01-09T10:51:49.802-08:00December Watch List: An Incomplete List<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Grouping these by genre instead of in order of when I watched, for easier reviewing! Here are the standup specials that I watched.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Bo Burnham: What<br>
This is a brand new special that was put out for Netflix just this month. It was an interesting (and expected) mix of singing, playing piano, some skit type stuff and one liners. His stuff isn't stand up so much as it's performance art, but it's very funny regardless. Now that he's older it's interesting to see how his work is evolving, and you can see some typical "No one understands me" angst going on. Which is understandable considering the fact that he's been in the spotlight since before he even graduated high school.<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">Comedy Central Presents: Donald Glover<br>
This was moderately new, I think from 2012? I had never really seen much of his stand up before so this was totally new for me. It was incredibly hilarious! Riffing on things like race, gender, dating, growing up, politics, etc. He's a very intelligent and perceptive person but isn't afraid to dip into the juvenile humor well from time to time. There was a particular story he told about a teacher farting once that had me laughing for a good minute straight.<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">Comedy Central Presents: John Mulaney<br>
I had heard most of this special before via Pandora but it was still fun to watch and see the actual physical part of the show. Mulaney is a very dry and sharp comedian that does a lot of storytelling type of stuff and this one has a really funny bit about "What's New, Pussycat?" that is worth listening to. I really like this guy a lot and hope he continues to make stuff!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Comedy Central Presents: Mike Birbiglia<br>
Much like Mulaney I had already heard most of this act before (It was from 2006, I think, well before he became famous) but again, it was nice to see it actually acted out because Birbiglia does some pretty amusing physical comedy stuff that benefits from being able to actually see him. If you like his later stuff, you'd like this. Though I did notice that he's been using some of the same material for awhile now, which I'm not used to after following so much of Louis CK's stuff!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Comedy Central Presents: Marc Maron<br>
Hulu has a lot of Comedy stuff, okay?? This is the second bit of actual stand up type stuff that I've seen from Maron. This was also pretty old, probably 2007? So it was before he divorced his second wife, which was interesting. It reminded a bit of Louis CK's stand up from before he got a divorce, where you could tell they are in an unhappy (or at least not working) marriage and it's not at all surprising that they ended up divorced. I think I liked this better than his newer stuff, because he seemed to be in a more grounded head space.<br></p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-374629525408983062013-12-02T08:56:00.000-08:002014-01-10T09:11:53.065-08:00Getting paid to judge people<p dir="ltr"><br>
I don’t know if I mentioned my intentions to cut down posting to twice a week (likely Tues/Thurs) but that’s the plan from here on out! And now, for something completely different, my experience with jury duty!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Okay, first of all the process itself was relatively smooth and efficient. I was told by my paperwork to arrive by 8:30am and I did (well, a bit earlier!) and I was sitting in the actual courtroom awaiting whether I'd be chosen or not by about 10:15. I'd estimate at LEAST an hour of that was waiting for lame ass jabroni late people to show up (A WHOLE BUNCH) or for people that didn't either mail in their paperwork OR fill it out online ahead of time to do that. LAME. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I get my assigned court and wait about 15-20, maybe, to go into the courtroom with the other 23 people. Introductions were made and the Defense had Grumpy SMU Big Cheese, Nervous Noob, and the Defendant. It was announced upfront that Nervous Noob was not yet an Actual Lawyer and this was his very first trial experience!!! Prosecution had ADA and Slightly Flustered Firstimer. We did not find out until later that this was her first trial (after verdict had been reached and we were out of the courtroom) but I guessed as much. She was confident and less flustered than Nervous Noob but she still made quite a few "mistakes" that made it pretty clear that she didn't have a lot of experience. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Prosecutor </p>
<p dir="ltr">Defense side I'd say about 60% was handled by Nervous Noob. His mentor spent a lot of time loudly whispering in his ear what to say or do, even when it seemed clear that he already did. From my position I could clearly hear Big Boss loudly whispering, despite the fact that I was closer to the Prosecutor. Which is to say he wasn't given a chance to speak first in a lot of cases. On the Prosecution side it was more like 90% Flustered Firstimer. When the ADA did have input he would quietly give her an aside and despite being as close as possible to both of them, I couldn't hear a word. All 4 participated in closing arguments. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Now, as for the case itself I won't get too specific more out of respect than for any legal reasons. I will say that nearly two years ago a man (I'll call Dennis) was pulled over for speeding and ultimately arrested and subsequently charged with a DWI and that's what we were there for. After a couple of hours of back and forth, the police officer on the stand, a defense expert called up, and watching the entire 45 minute dash cam we were sent to the jury room where we found him guilty.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Random Thoughts<br>
* I exited the area with him RIGHT BEHIND ME and held the door open for him without noticing at first and then was like OH CRAP but he did not say anything to me or appear angry. </p>
<p dir="ltr">*We had 6 people. 5 women and 1 man. One of the ladies originally jokingly suggested the guy be the foreman (because foreMAN har har har) and he demurred so I said bitch I'll do it. (Did not say bitch)</p>
<p dir="ltr">To start with we all wrote down our verdict and placed them in the middle. 4 guilty, 2 not guilty. 1 of the not guilty people honestly I don't think, um, well. She agreed with our assessment that he should be found guilty but was quoted as saying "he deserves a second chance" which is totally irrelevant. The other person was Not Guilty but leaning towards undecided. The 4 of us (mostly myself and another lady) laid out our justifications based on evidence presented.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Leaning Lady made some counterpoints, we discussed those, sort of batted the ball back and forth on this and that. Very civil and logical. After maybe half an hour Leaning Lady decided that she agreed with the Guilty verdict and Second Chance lady (apparently) realized that oh wait this is a court of law and we were deciding Innocence vs Guilt not la la la this person deserves a "second chance" for whatever bizarro reasons she was thinking. She did some thinking out loud, basically, and determined that there was sufficient evidence to declare him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. We then all verbally confirmed that our verdict was guilty, multiple times. I signed the paperwork stating as such and pressed a button to summon the bailiff. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">* Turns out, in the county of Dallas (and possibly state of Texas) you do not need to prove a BAC of 0.08 or higher in order to arrest/prosecute someone for a DWI. In fact, at the time of the arrest (nearly two years ago) they were moving away from performing breathalyzers in general in favor of doing actual blood tests. Additionally, at the time of arrest you could refuse a blood sample (the defendant did) and the officer could CHOOSE whether to request a warrant for said blood. Now, it is standard that the officer will request a warrant if you refuse a blood draw, but at the time it wasn’t.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So yes. You can be convicted of a DWI even without having BAC evidence. He was, based on the 45 minute arrest video we watched, incredibly intoxicated and he admitted on tape repeatedly that he had been drinking. Out of a possible “drunk scale” (my words!) of 0-18 (based on the field sobriety tests) (I think it’s 18, I could be off on this) he received a 16. It’s either a 6 or an 8 that is considered intoxicated. Dude was super wasted.</p>
<p dir="ltr">*We did discuss that the Defendant admitted to drinking 80 ounces of beer (He was a shorter man of average build, for the record and that's just what he had admitted to!) in no more than 45 minutes. (Based on the time he was pulled over and the time he says left work.) We also had an extensive discussion on whether or not his incredibly slow and yet very slurred speech in addition to his inability to properly perform any of the 3 field sobriety tests could entirely be due to nerves. It was very interesting and a lot more difficult than I expected!</p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-69371125671311935302013-11-27T10:20:00.000-08:002014-01-09T10:50:50.285-08:00I watched these because I wanted to: November Edition<p dir="ltr"><br>
Short thoughts on some of the movies I've seen so far in November! Another post with more will be coming up next week.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Pontypool - I've seen this before, and I like it just as much  now as I did then. Lots of suspense, an interesting twist on typical "Zombie" type movies. It's not really even that, but that's the best way I can think of to describe it. Infection movie might be more accurate? It's an incredibly small movie cast wise and was almost certainly done on a pretty low budget, but you never really feel that. There are only 4 total people acting in it, with on main additional voice on the phone and some misc people calling in. Set in a very small, rural Canadian town during a snow storm and Trouble Happens outside. Very fun!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Robot and Frank - a pretty adorable buddy... uh... caper? Movie. About an old, retired thief and his helper robot. Surprisingly sweet and touching. In the future we have robot maids/butlers/helpers/companions that are pretty advanced and are programmed to do a wide variety of things. An older, retired thief gets one gifted to him by his frustrated and guilt fueled son in an effort to make sure he's taken care of and also to lighten his own load in taking care of him.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Last Will & Testament of Rosalind Leigh - This was unexpected and different. Very moody, you should watch it with your full attention (I didn't, and feel like it suffered because of that) I watched it while distracted by a variety of things and missed a lot of the moody, subtle, compelling bits of atmosphere and gloom. The basic story is that a guys mother dies and he goes back to her home to tie up loose ends. I suggest watching this with all the lights off and putting away your phone.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Serenity - This was not my first time seeing this, but they were having a showing at the Alamo Drafthouse and how could I not? It was super fun to easy again on the big screen with a big group of people that really wanted to see this. If you haven't already seen this well you're weird and me explaining it won't convince you otherwise.<br><br></p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-57366613217181045432013-11-25T12:55:00.000-08:002013-12-31T12:56:15.291-08:00Coming Clean: A Memoir <p dir="ltr"><br>
Extraneous books get their own post! Why? Because I said.</p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr">Coming Clean: A Memoir – By Kimberly Rae Miller</p>
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<p dir="ltr">This is yet another memoir (I seem to be really into those these days!) and was also written by a blogger I’ve been reading for YEARS. I read a lot of blogs and hardly ever comment on them, but I think I’ve made an exception for hers before. It’s a pretty good blog that’s sort of fitness/healthy eating orientated but it has a lot of personality and slice of life stuff. She’s always seen like a relatable person and one that I would enjoy hanging out with. She fairly recently got engaged so yay to that! Anyhow, moving on.</p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr">This story is mostly about her childhood and what it was like living with a hoarder father and the toll it took on her growing up and the ways it still impacts her today. It was really shocking when she announced what it was about because this was something she kept very much a secret even from the people close to her. Even as an adult she was still trying to deal with this as there were many times she would have to help her parents clean/organize so they could move again or in one case when her mom got incredibly sick. These were things she mentioned in passing, almost casually, on her blog but in this book we find out about the chaos behind the scenes.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">If you have any interest in what it’s like living with a hoarder this is definitely worth reading. Well written, eye opening, and compelling. It’s amazing what you get used to and the ways you can adapt to deal with whatever problems you’re facing. I have a lot of respect for her and the way she both chose to handle writing about this and for the incredibly love and patience she seems to still have for her parents, when some people would have just thrown in the towel. I would recommend this book to just about anyone.</p>
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Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-82553236607769076442013-11-20T12:54:00.000-08:002013-12-31T12:54:58.378-08:00I really should be watching Bridge on the River Kwai: November Edition Part 2<p dir="ltr"><br>
More November movies for you! I've been watching quite a few.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I just realized I skipped one from October. Oops! I think I listed it but didn't go into it, so here's that.<br>
The Woman Who Wasn't There - incredibly fascinating and gripping documentary about a woman that survived the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Except... she didn't. The subject matter is incredibly interesting, the woman in question bizarre and inexplicable, and the way that the documentary itself is presented is fun to watch.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Now, onward to November!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Prisoners - A pretty intense movie, great acting all the way around, very brutal and dark. The Basics: Two little girls get kidnapped, and this details how each of the families deal with the stress, grief, helplessness and impotence that such a situation creates. Outstanding performances by Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhal. Not really what you'd expect and some interesting roads are taken. Worth watching but keep in mind it is a very dark and brutal movie.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Jarhead - This is one of those movies I've been meaning to watch for a long time. Stumbled across it on Hulu one night and decided to give it a shot. It stars Jake Gyllenhal as a man that decides to join the Marines. He gets thrust into the role of a sniper and then partially through his tour of duty Desert Storm happens. It gives a fascinating look into the lives and minds of member of the military and the special bonds and heartbreaks associated with it. I don't know how authentic it is but it certainly feels real.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Burn - A documentary about Detroit firefighters. This was pretty well done and interesting to boot. People with Crazy Jobs always fascinate me. Firefighters, military, police officers, bodyguards, etc. In addition to learning about what it's like as a firefighter you also learn a fair amount about the city of Detroit itself and the unique problems and issues they have with regards to abandoned buildings, homeless populations, and fires. Totally worth a watch!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Don't Stop Believin: Everyman's Journey - perhaps only interesting if you're a fan of Journey? I found it really interesting as I AM a big fan of Journey and it's neat to be able to see what has happened since Steve Perry left. They had one replacement Other Steve for 9 years but evidently his vocal chords up and gave up. One of the band members, Noah, took to scouring YouTube, of all places, for a singer and stumbled across this guy Arnel from the Philippines. An absolute dead ringer for Steve Perry and it's a very compelling story to watch unfold. Can you even imagine???</p>
<p dir="ltr">Donnie Darko: Not my first watch, felt like seeing this for some reason? It holds up, I think, but I'm not sure how'd I would feel if watching it for the first time now. If I watched it for the first time as a 29 year old I might not like it as much as I did when I was in my early 20s and watching it for the first time.  Another Jake Gyllenhal movie. 3 in one month! Goodness. Not obsessed, I promise.<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">I might be missing something? Hrmmm.</p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-25386111063845714772013-11-18T12:55:00.000-08:002013-12-31T12:55:27.429-08:00November LOLS<p dir="ltr"><br>
These aren’t really movies, per se, but here are a few stand up specials that I’ve seen recently!</p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr">Marc Maron: Thinky Pain – If you like the neurotic style of comedy this is pretty good for that. It’s fairly long, over 90 minutes I think, and he’s either shooting from the hip or is trying to see like he is, if that makes sense. If you’re a fan of that style, it’s pretty decent. Not a whole lot of laughing moments, but it was interesting to listen to regardless. It felt more like a therapy session than anything else, and the stories he told were enjoyable to listen to if nothing else.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">Dan Cummins: Crazy with a Capital F – I’ve heard a lot of his stuff on my Pandora comedy station, it’s okay? Not a lot of laugh out loud moments. He talks about parenthood and other stuff. I’m not sure how I’d classify his style. He’s not super edgy, in your face, or loud. He doesn’t have a shtick, he just is sort of your everyman with a slight misanthropic bent? He has some bits about being a parent that are probably more authentic and relatable than a lot of comedy in that vein is. He doesn’t sugar coat it or attempt to glamorize it.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">Aziz Ansari: Buried Alive – If you like Aziz, this was pretty typical for his stuff. I enjoyed it a lot.  He’s less zany than he has been in the past, I think largely due to the fact that he’s getting older, and his stuff was really easy for me to relate to, being that we are about the same age. He has some really funny things to say about dating and relationships in this era (and OkCupid in particular) and he does it all in a really funny way. Totally worth watching!</p>
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Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-61750057506475337992013-11-13T07:33:00.000-08:002013-12-31T12:52:01.264-08:00Update the Third: The Updatening <p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Not going to be much of an update this month! I haven't been... spectacular about following much of anything. I would blame the holidays but honestly I think it's just ennui. That being said, I did manage to accomplish a couple of things:</p>
<p dir="ltr">New places:<br>
Jersey Joe's: a cute little sandwich shop. Good sub, nothing spectacular to write home about but decent enough and on my way home. I believe I got the Italian sub<br>
Cindy's NY Deli: very good, a place I've been wanting to try! Inexpensive, large portions, and very delicious. I believe I had the... um.. salami open faced sandwich?<br>
Strangeways: a very neat, dark, interesting divey bar. It's way out of my way but I would love to go back.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Books:  I feel like I'm forgetting something, but we did Handmaid's Tale for bookclub October (November was kind of a disaster because I got fed up with Maps and Legends, a book of essays by Michael Chabon... let's not go there.)</p>
<p dir="ltr">A Year of Biblical Womanhood - I got pretty bored by this, I thought it would be interesting to read about a (Christian) woman trying to follow biblical ideals of being a woman but it turns out? Nope.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Voluntary Madness - Norah Vincent, the same woman that wrote She's the Man decides to spend a few months trying out different mental health facilities. It was... interesting. I feel like at times she was too critical/had too high expectations and she even agreed with that, pointing out that she didn't have any better solutions for the problems she brought up. Worth a read if the mental health field interests you in anyway!</p>
<p dir="ltr">I think that's really all I have update wise! It's not nothing, I guess.<br>
</p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-37479273095912085952013-11-11T12:49:00.000-08:002013-12-31T12:50:16.322-08:00Leeds United<p dir="ltr"><br>
So, I had the opportunity a bit ago to see Amanda Palmer in concert. It was a very small venue benefiting Girl Power or some such? Some local organization that is supposed to serve as a positive encouragement for young girls of the community. It was a very small space, not even really a concert space, and there weren't a whole lot of people there. Unknown to me they also had an open bar (????!!!!!!) I don't know how that's possible, but there you go.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The concert itself was amazing. I've been a fan of her work for awhile but never seen her in concert and she is amazingly, shockingly gorgeous in person (pictures do NOT do her justice at all) and her singing voice is just as lovely. It was just her, no other band mates. She had her ukulele and there was a piano onstage. She did a pretty decently long set, mostly just taking requests and playing what she could. At one point an audience requested Making Whoopie and she came out into the crowd to sing it to him and his lady friend, who were directly in front of me! So that was cool.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It was an absolutely lovely concert, she's incredibly talented and kind and genuine. I think a lot of that sometimes might get lost in her online presence or perhaps come across as calculated or manufactured but she absolutely seems to really feel and believe in all of those things. It gave me a lot of renewed respect for her as both a person and an artist. A++++ would concert again.</p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-47205613148060607442013-11-08T07:05:00.000-08:002013-12-31T12:52:48.255-08:00Cowboys only come out at Midnight<p dir="ltr"><br>
So. This is an interesting movie! From all the way back to 1969 we've got Midnight Cowboy. The story of a small town man from Texas (played with great aplomb by Jon Voight) that moves to New York City because he (literally) wants to become a male escort. While there, he befriends a slimy little grifter played by Dustin Hoffman.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Now, first of all, Hoffman and Voight knocked it out of the park here. Voight was basically the very definition of "Oh, bless his heart" with his bumbling naivety and ineffectual attempts to navigate life in a city that swallows up even the most hardened people. Hoffman is incredible as a street smart, but otherwise pretty dim, sickly, limping, con artist.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The story is perhaps typical, and certainly by this point played out, but it's still a heartbreaking joy to see it played out on the screen. New York City is shown as both dingy and glitzy. Harry Nilsson's "Everybody's Talkin" is played repeatedly to great effect. Directed well by a man with a long career, but nothing that would nearly rise to these great heights. Part of that can perhaps by attributed to the source material. A book of the same name written in 1965 by James Leo Herlihy.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For a movie that was rated X (!!!) at the time, it is surprisingly light on anything inappropriate. At least to modern eyes. The X rating was in fact awarded due to the "homosexual frame of reference". Two years after it was originally released it was granted an "R" rating without any changes being made.  It was an interesting movie made more so but the lack of tying everything up in a neat little bow or attempting to give everyone a happy ending. Life is bleak, at times, and it's nice to sometimes have movies that (mostly) reflect that.<br>
</p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-67860733997758497772013-11-06T12:50:00.000-08:002013-12-31T12:51:06.873-08:00Things I watched, mostly in October (though really, who knows)<p dir="ltr"><br>
Movies that I watched in October and didn’t get around to posting about. There are a lot so I’ll keep the reviews short!</p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr">Gravity – it’s difficult to put this movie into words. It’s too late for this but it was absolutely worth seeing this in IMAX 3D. Heartbreaking, heart STOPPING and incredibly beautiful to look at. Just watch this one, okay? Seriously good stuff.</p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr">For a Good Time Call – this was okay. It seems like it was trying to be a subversion of tropes, rom com clichés, and a modern day feminist tale but it really turned out to be all of those things it tried to avoid and was partially unsuccessful in what it tried to accomplish. If you don’t take it too seriously it’s fine.</p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr">Tent City – A great and eye opening documentary about a group of homeless people in the south that live(d) in a large outdoor area known as Tent City. Goes into a lot of what the homeless population has to deal with, the stigmas attached and so on. Very well done and worth a watch.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Woman Who Wasn’t There</p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr">RIPD – This was basically lambasted by reviewers and viewers alike. I can understand the problems they have with it, but I found it inoffensive and mostly enjoyable. Of course, I didn’t pay to watch it so there’s that. There are worse ways to spend 90 minutes of your time, for sure.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Skeleton Key – If you like Haunted House/Ghost/Possession type stories this is relatively decent. It’s not necessarily any of those things, but those are the best descriptions that I can think of for what it actually is. Pretty moody and atmospheric. Not the best but good for being what it is.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Trick R Treat – not sure if I posted this one or not, this was a special Halloween rewatch. A very fun and enjoyable Anthology type movie with three stories that all loosely tie together. The going ons that happen in a small town on Halloween. Scary, funny, cute, and well written!</p>
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Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-65938426705802617742013-11-04T12:47:00.000-08:002013-12-31T12:49:03.918-08:00Oh Sure Bro<p dir="ltr"><br>
One of the items on my list was to write letters of thanks. Which, yeah. I know. It sounds pretty hokey. BUT it's a way of *barf* putting positive energy out into the universe. People like to know that they're appreciated and this is one way to let them know as such. It doesn't time more than a bit of time and a few pennies to buy a stamp.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I made a list of various people that I would like to express my appreciation to and at the top of the list was a little something you may or may not have heard of. Uhh Yeah Dude. UYD is a podcast I've been listening to since late 2007 or early 2008. The description of the show is "American through the eyes of two American Americans." Or sometimes "Saving America from herself." It features two hosts, Jonathan Laroquette (yes relation!) and Seth Romatelli.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Jonathan is a mid 30s native Angelino with a father almost all of you would know. He is many things, a rastifarian, a dog lover, a musician. He's in an electronic band with his friend Amir and they go by the name Jogger. Seth is newly 40 and has lived in LA for 18 years now. He was born and raised in Haverhill, MA (a suburb of Boston) and has been sober for a decade. He came out here to act and has had a few gigs here and there. His day job (so to speak) is at a medical mj facility.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The podcast started in Feb of 2006 and just recently released episode 389. With very few exceptions they have put out a podcast every single week in the nearly 8 years since they started. It is almost exclusively Jdawg and Sethro. A handful of times while J has been out touring or otherwise occupied Seth brought on his mother, Marcia, to cohost. On at least one occasion, possibly two, they also called up Jonathans dad for a short moment. Mostly though, it's the two of them.</p>
<p dir="ltr">They discuss pop culture, current (popular) news stories, local or more obscure news stories, and share personal events from the present or past life. It's been almost perfectly golden the entire run, but most people agree that in the 60s it really ramps up, and in the 100-120s it is firing on all cylinders. Despite the fact that they do sometimes talk about major news and pop culture, it rarely feels dated and an episode from 4 years ago could just as easily have come from 3 months ago. The chemistry, love, and friendship between Seth and J are second to none and a major part of what makes the show so great.</p>
<p dir="ltr">They also have an impression amount of interaction with their fans. In addition to the usual facebook, twitter, email, instagram, etc they also have an 800 number that Seth listens to personally and often calls back listeners, and Jonathan has his own personal cell number that he uses to text or phone fans. For a good 5 years he gave out his number on every show for fans to contact on, but due to a series of events he had to get a new number. He has given out his new one on a couple of episodes, but it's no longer common knowledge and he doesn't encourage contact that way (though neither does he DIScourage it either.) Seth has also let it be known that he is "in the book" meaning phone book and sure enough, he is! Phone number and address are readily available and if you call he will answer and chat if he's free. I feel a little weird about doing that, even if he is okay with it!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Boy howdy, I'm ramblin'. ANYWAY. Sep 20th was his 40th birthday and last month I decided to write him a letter/send him a card to celebrate this fact. It included a big, multi section, 3D western card, a couple page letter, and some random cowboys swag. I wrote that nearly two months ago now, and the very night I went home and discovered that for the first time in the history of ever, they'd be doing a live show in Dallas! I was thrilled beyond words and immediately bought two tickets. It still took me nearly a month to MAIL the dang thing, but it indeed made it in time for his birthday.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Imagine my shock, when a few days afterwards, I received my OWN mail from Seth. It's glorious and wonderful. A few days before the show was scheduled (11/03) I also called the voicemail to wish him luck and a safe trip. A few hours later he actually CALLED ME BACK but despite the phone literally being inches away from me I missed the call due to it being on silent. UGH. On one hand, I'm super disappointed, but on the other, I'm a little relieved! Who knows what I would have said to him!!! Ugh, so awkward.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The actual show was pretty freaking awesome. They started a little late, and I was in the beginning stages of food poisoning, but it was so very cool. Seth wore a Cowboys hoodie and was clearly pretty thrilled about seeing them the next day. I stood in the merch line only to be heartbroken by the fact that they only took cash. I stupidly had none on me and I was too flustered to properly formulate a game plan to get some. I was able to meet and take pictures with both of them, as well as get my ticket signed. I was so over the moon. You guys! So excited. I really hope I'm able to see them again in the future. I need to also call the VM and ask Seth how he liked the game! He didn't even discuss it. For shaaaaaaaaaame.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br></p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-17820218426704806822013-10-31T06:42:00.000-07:002013-11-19T06:44:37.973-08:00THE FINAL MOVIE: BRAIN DEAD<p dir="ltr">The FINAL ULTIMATE movie for #10daysofjezoween is the 1990 Science is Probably Evil movie Brain Dead. (NOT Braindead aka Dead Alive.) A movie that stars both Bill Ps. Paxton and Pullman. Which is confusing. Anyway. It's about brain scientists and the troubles that plague them. </p>
<p dir="ltr">It's got a sweet ass synth score that is bomb as hell. So that alone means it's aces in my book. Basically we've got this Brain Science Man, Pullman, that studies brains in jars. He is approached by an old chum, Paxton, who is a Business Guy and needs some help. The help? A super smart Math Guy goes fucking nutso and kills his family and Paxton wants Pullman to try to... uh.. figure out why? I guess? Things eventually go sour, as they do. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The two Bills play well off of each other. Paxton is fucking hamming it up as Evil Business Man and Pullman is a bit of a sad sack Ethical Doctor Forced to Make Hard Choices. It's directed by a man that hasn't done much but written by the late, great Charles Beaumont. A man that was prolific in the horror/sci fi world and wrote many famous Twilight Zone episodes. </p>
<p dir="ltr">It's fairly serviceable. If a bit heavy handed. It does follow "Show, don't Tell" but spends a little too much time showing. It's not subtle foreshadowing if you're basically spray painting it on the wall. It's a little dark and dreary, in execution not tone. There's nothing terrible impressive about the camera work or set design. There are some interesting dream like sequences that were well done. </p>
<p dir="ltr">On one hand, the subject matter is pretty terrifying. I've read a lot about mental illness, brain surgery, lobotomies, etc. The knowledge that I might have to go down that road one day was especially frightening. An elective lobotomy and tumor removal are obviously two entirely different things but pokin around in brains is scary business! It's unsettling. </p>
<p dir="ltr">It raises some interesting questions that are just as relevant today as they were nearly 25 years ago. Man playing god, science vs nature, is it okay to meddle in the affairs of the brain? What needs fixing and who are we to decide? Madness, reality, and the intersection between the two.</p>
<p dir="ltr"> I give it 2 out of 5 butts, and one brain, which sort of looks like a butt. Butt! </p>
<p dir="ltr">OH THANK GOD THIS IS OVER I CAN GO BACK TO WATCHING RERUNS OF TERRIBLE TLC SHOWS </p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-69257818886013036462013-10-30T06:38:00.000-07:002013-11-19T06:40:40.189-08:00Day 9: The Stuff<p dir="ltr">The penultimate movie for #10daysofjezoween is the 1985 campy horror movie *The Stuff*. Basically someone finds some… stuff. It’s coming out of the ground, it’s white and creamy (lol) and it tastes delicious as all get out. Problem? Well it’s also like an alien species or something? It basically becomes the next best thing since Diet Coke and everyone in the universe starts eating it. Big Ice Cream takes umbrage with this because it drastically hurts their sales so they hire an Industrial Espionage person. Hilarity ensues. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Larry Cohen wrote and directed it. It’s in a weird spot where it’s not quite campy or funny enough to be a horror comedy, but nowhere near frightening enough to be straight up horror. It presents some interesting thoughts and ideas on mindless consumption and how gullible the American people can be but doesn’t do it in any really interesting ways. They Live came a few years after this one, but it is a much more effective and enjoyable film. </p>
<p dir="ltr">It’s not terrible or bad, but it’s not really something I can see myself ever watching again. I can see this being a good introduction to younger kids to the genre at large, as it’s not especially scary and has a younger kid as the lead. The special effects are almost exclusively practical and pretty well done. They aren’t especially gory in a realistic way, but more fun and interesting looking. Overall I give it 2 out of 5 butts. </p>
Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-61454988920312668192013-10-29T06:32:00.000-07:002013-11-19T06:36:01.514-08:00Day 8: Bay Of Blood<br />
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Day 8 of #10daysofjezoween! As enjoyable as this has been,
I’m looking forward to the end. Being forced to watch (and later write about) a
movie every single day is kind of exhausting. I just want to watch reruns of
What Not to Wear! Anyway, our movie for today is *<b>Bay of Blood</b>* a 1971
Mario Bava movie that is as influential as it is disgusting.</div>
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Plot? Eh, who cares. A family is trying to kill off anyone
that stands in the way of their inheritance in as gruesome and bloody a way as
possible. Look, I know that everyone likes to consider Black Christmas (1974)
or even Texas Chainsaw Massacre (’74) to be the great grandfathers of the
slasher films but as South Park would say “Bava did it!” Well, I would extend
that to most of the Italian schlockmasters, Bava, Argento, Fulci, etc. Anything
that was done in American Horror Cinema was done by the Italians years or even
decades before. This predates the aforementioned Black Christmas and Texas
Chainsaw Massacre. It also predates Halloween, Friday the 13<sup>th</sup>, I
Spit on Your Grave, Cannibal Holocaust, and yes, even Last House on the Left.
Those that bemoan the recent trend of so called “torture p**n” would do well to
remember that the Italians have been produced this for FORTY YEARS. Not that it
excuses this, but it’s by no means a recent phenomenon or sign of the times or
evidence of social decay, or anything along those lines.</div>
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This movie, above any other, I would probably classify as
such though I am loathe to use that term. It is intensely violent, gory, and
bloody. That being said the gore is well executed, Oscar winner Carlo Rambaldi
(Um, ever heard of Alien? Yeah) can be thanked for that (heh), the direction is
stylish and striking, and the overall production is relatively top notch. There
are some beautifully well done shots and the landscape itself is quite lovely
to look at. This is probably the most influential and important movie in the
slasher genre. It kicked start the 1980s trend of teen horror films and even
still today 45 years later it still manages to inspire and demand homage.
Friday the 13<sup>th</sup>, Part 2 directed cribbed at least two death scenes
nearly shot for shot. I Know What You Did Last Summer? Cribbed it. </div>
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Another interesting thing to note that while this movie was
almost exclusively ABOUT the death scenes (13 in all) in the previous year Bava
made 5 Dolls for an August Moon which is a murder mystery film without any
actual murders witnessed. An interesting juxtaposition when viewed together.
That being said I would recommend this movie to almost no one. It’s hugely
influential and important to the genre but it’s also difficult to watch. It’s
as brutal as it is beautiful and the score is effective and haunting but it’s
also a hard pill to swallow. This is for (heh) die hard fans only. Those with
sensitive constitutions should stay away. I give it 4.3 butts out of 5. The
point 3 is because someone hacked away most of the butt so you’re just left with
a tiny, bloody chunk. </div>
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Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-61402365531686235122013-10-28T11:14:00.003-07:002013-10-28T11:14:53.297-07:00Day 7: I Saw The Devil<br />
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Today I will be sharing Kim Jee-Woon’s 2010 film *<b>I Saw
the Devil</b>* a South Korean movie that’s probably more in the revenge
thriller genre, but here we are regardless. This is a film that has been on my
list since it was released. After Jee-Woon’s previous films (A segment in 3
Extremes, A Tale of Two Sisters, and The Good, The Bad, and The Weird) it was
already on my radar. Add to that the fact that the entire horror blog community
was nearly universally praising it? (A feat which is about as impressive as
Comic Book Nerds agreeing on the quality of a movie. If there’s anything genre
fans enjoy more than slap fights over whether a movie is “hella cool” or “hella
gay” I’d be hard pressed to think of it.) </div>
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The fact that it was subtitled AND nearly 2.5 hours long
kept getting it pushed off. I knew I would need to devote my entirely attention
to it for a long time so I always turned to something else. But I’m glad I
finally did. This movie has a lot of things to praise it for. The original
score is full of lush, sweeping, orchestral music. The cinematography is
perfectly done and the film is as brutal as it is beautiful. The writing,
special effects, choreography and direction are all top notch and there’s
little to fault here. </div>
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It is exceptionally brutal. The basic premise is a
man’s fiancée is murdered and he goes on a quest to find her killer and avenge
her death. This is a movie that pulls no punches. There’s plenty of blood,
gore, and even nudity but it never feels gratuitous. It never feels
exploitative. This is a movie about grief. A man so consumed by it that killing
the cause of it wouldn’t even begin to solve it. But how do you lift it? How do
you reconcile that level of loss? The rock that’s sitting on your heart isn’t
going to disappear just because you put one on someone else. There’s a saying
that when embarking on a quest for revenge you should dig two graves. One for
Them and one for You. What a lonely place. I think some of us have felt how
helpless earth shattering grief is. That level of emotional pain makes you turn
outward. To push that energy out into something. Into someone. You can’t always
cause that emotional pain but you can certainly accomplish something *<b>physical</b>*.
A broken heart for a broken heart. </div>
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It is this extreme that drives our Not Quite Hero. He is
blinded by his pain. He is consumed with revenge and making the killer feel the
same pain that he feels. That his fiancée felt. It is an empty quest because it
won’t actually solve his ultimate problem. It won’t give him peace or
happiness. It won’t fill the gaping void inside of him. It won’t help him sleep
at night or heal his wounds any faster. We feel the same suffering he feels.
Between bouts of violence there are scenes dotted with his grief. The loss is
palatable and felt in every beat between takes. We never forget what he’s
fighting and why. It’s never lost in the impact of a hammer or cut of a
scalpel. </div>
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We are on this journey for a reason and at the end we feel
the same void. That nameless, inevitable void that cannot be filled with blood
nor vengeance. Two graves have been dug and we fall screaming into the waiting
earth. The guilt, shame, longing, and haunting memories fill in the spaces
between the dirt. Revenge is a cold blanket, let us wrap ourselves in it and
settle in for the night. I saw the devil and now I can’t look away.</div>
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5 out of 5 butts the highest possible honor. </div>
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Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488399846550561287.post-90032309877316513122013-10-27T11:16:00.000-07:002013-11-19T06:45:04.670-08:00Day 6: Cherry Tree Lane<p dir="ltr"> Anyhow, Today for #10daysofjezoween I will be discussing Cherry Hill Lane. A movie that has been much buzzed about since it's 2010 release but I've been avoiding because it features sociopathic teenagers being annoying ass sociopaths (or so the brief netflix synopsis tells me) and if there's one thing I really hate in life (there are hundreds) it's smug ass teenagers being little smug ass shitheads. It just fills me with so much rage. With all that in mind, was it worth it?</p>
<p dir="ltr">The movie starts with a pretty interesting and mood setting score and we get a nice little "stuff happening on stove while character is out of focus talking" shot that seems like a trope but I can't really think of many examples of it. Maybe it's more of a "mundane domestic activities before the chaos starts" that's a trope. Either way it's effective.* It's a fairly tense lead up because we know something is going to happen but you don't know when so you're watching Boring Domestic Stuff and waiting for the other shoe to drop. </p>
<p dir="ltr">When it does I immediately hate the chav motherfuckers as you're SUPPOSED TO but I just hate them so much. I hate smug, self righteous, think you're tough ass motherfuckers SO MUCH. Especially when they're teenagers. Ugh. It just gets my goat so much. I much prefer QUIET MENACE or INEXPLICABLY CALM AND THREATENING.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I am amused by a scene characters are watching tv and they switch to Night of the Living Dead is on for about two seconds. </p>
<p dir="ltr">All these considered it's a very short movie at 77 minutes and much of it is little to no action with just the intruders being douchebags and saying douche ass fucking things. Thinking they are entitled to shit just because they are the Have Nots and these people are the Haves. It's infuriating and it made me just wish they'd die in a gigantic fire. Regards of their reasons or justifications I don't even care. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Basically, everything that Funny Games was commenting on and chiding us for (railing against violence inflicted on others by wishing violence on those doing the inflicting) is present here and I'm aware of that but I really just don't care and want them to be punished. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The camerawork is good, the score is well done, and there's very little violence or gore. I wouldn't even really classify this as a horror movie. An interesting thing is that it's basically (if almost exactly) in real time. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Anyway, I wouldn't say I'd really reccommend this movie to anyone. It's basically horrible people doing horrible things and even if it does have things to say about class and race and SOCIAL ISSUES I don't really care because you can say those things in other, more effective ways. I've heard complaints about the ending but I mostly found it satisfying.<br><br></p>
<p dir="ltr">*while typing this up today I heard what SOUNDED LIKE LOUD SCREAMING but was just sportsball excitement. stupid sportsball<br>
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Jez In Dallashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15058963844574785522noreply@blogger.com0