Where you stand in Politics

I was having a conversation with my dad during dinner tonight and the topic of the election came up. The conversation had started after I had brought up the fact that the $700 billion bail-out was not passed. This began the discussion about taxes and the stances of both McCain and Obama.

The way my dad explained it is that Obama wants to tax people who earn more than $250,000 income a year more than those who don't. I immediately replied that "isn't that communism?" He came back with yes. Now, if you ask anyone who knows me, politics is not my number one choice for a conversation, but I actually found myself really engaged in this conversation with my dad. I don't know if it is because I am growing up (yes, we growing up, funny fact) or because of everything that just happened in the stock market, but I've never been into a political conversation like I was tonight.

While my dad is die-hard Republican, I on the other hand am still trying to first understand both sides' policies and views before I make a decision on who I will vote for. I guess I finally realized that everyone is affected by who we elect to put into office. I think I just wanted to know more about the people on the ballot than I have in the past. I guess this is just part of becoming a full-fledged grown-up.

"Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today."
~James Dean

Change in direction

I know that I haven't written anything in a week because I have been thinking about changing the direction of my blog. Originally I had the expectation of writing news and information in the Film/TV industry. And then I had a conversation with my girlfriend about how bad her gym is where she is going to school. This got me to think...this would be a great idea for a blog (actually it was her idea).

So, I have decided to revamp my blog and titled "What You Notice In a Day." The focus will now be on just occurrences in everyday that either anger, make you pay attention to, or simply something that is interesting. As much as I like movies, I know that I keep a lot of things that I notice during the day inside, and what better place to let it all out than on my blog.

World Championship of....Movie Watching?

I was just reading an article and Netflix is apparently hosting the Movie Watching World Championship in Times Square. The rules for the contest are that contestants are required to to watch films non-stop without averting their eyes from the screen for as long as possible. You can sit, stand or stretch during the movie but your eyes cannot be taken off the screen. The contestants are given 10 minute breaks to do what they have to, but for the most part they are simply sitting in front of the screen, watching movies. The winner receives $10,000, and a lifetime subscription to Netflix. To make the victory even sweeter, the Guinness Book of World Records will be on hand to see if the world record for movie watching (currently standing at 120 hours and 23 minutes) can be beaten.

I thought I have seen it all, but I think this may top the cake. A world championship for watching movies? This will make every film buffs dream come true. I almost feel like people may think this would be the easiest $ 10 grand you would make. Yet, I think that this would be a lot harder that one would think. I mean I love watching movies, I could watch movies all day, but to watch movies for 120 straight hours? Even I think that would be quite challenging, and the fact that you can avert your eyes from the screen makes everything even more difficult.

Being an aficionado of movies, you need to be at the top of your movie-watching game in order to even come close to breaking that record. Obviously I would assume that person who lasts the longest would be considered the winner but still if you are in a contest with a world record, almost every one's initial goal is to beat that record. It will be interesting to see how this contest pans out.


"Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Most men just want to watch the world burn."
~Alfred Pennyworth

His Gift is Life....through the Art of Torture

I'm pretty sure that I may be the only person who is excited about Saw V coming out at the end of October. I feel like the first two in this series help rejuvenate the horror franchise by not only giving you that element of horror but throwing in the mystery surrounding the entire story of Jigsaw. However, with the third and fourth installments in the franchise, viewers may be getting tired of seeing the same old torture to teach a lesson.

However, that is truly what I like about this franchise. The violence and gore in these movies is not just for the sake of doing "blood and guts." It all plays into Jigsaw's message about truly appreciating your life and making sure that you do not take life for granted. It is very rare that a horror movie will have this kind of theme attached to it.

Despite the fact that these movies seem to be fading amongst movie-goers, I, for one, am excited to see what the writers have planned for the fifth and sixth installments. Personally, the fourth was lacking a bit in the story development as well as some continuity. Yet, I do think that it accomplished what it set out to do, bridge the gap from the third and set the stage for the final two films.

The producers say that this fifth one will revisit much of what made the first one so successful, and I am excited to see what this one will bring to the table.

"Time is an illusion that cannot be given."
~Jigsaw

The Dark Knight Returns....sort of

I was reading this article today, and it was explaining that Warner Bros. has decided to re-release The Dark Knight sometime in January. I, for one, think that this could be a very smart move for the studio. My reasoning is two-fold. The first part is to keep the movie fresh in not only us the viewers, but in the minds of the award committee members. Let's think about it, the movie came out in July 2008, the Oscars are not until mid to late 2009. As much as the movie was a success, the one thing holding it back from making an impact at the Oscars is the original release date. By having the movie re-released in January, you give the voters another chance to see it, and they can truly appreciate how great the movie as a whole really is. With this re-release, the movie will be fresh in the minds of these committee members when voting comes around.

The second part is that with this re-release the movie can be the odds-on favorite to surpass Titanic as the highest grossing movie of all time. I did like Titanic but come on, The Dark Knight blew the movie out of the water. It had everything you can ask for in a summer blockbuster: action, suspense, humor, incredible acting, a great story. I was absolutely blown away at how well-made of a movie this was.

Only time will tell how this move fairs for both the studio and the movie itself.

"It's not about the money...it's about sending a message."
~The Joker aka Heath Ledger (RIP)

The Beat Sheet Has Started

Just a newbie in the world of blogging. The Beat Sheet will give anyone who wants to know some of the scope and/or gossip in the world of movies or TV. I also just may throw my opinions in there as well, stir up the pot of debate.

I studied film in college, so rest assure I do have knowledge on the subject as well as watch as much movies and TV that I can possibly fit into one 24-hour period. So don't worry, I will give you my personal take on say how JJ Abrams plans to end LOST in 2010 or how Christopher Nolan plans to top himself after The Dark Knight grossed close to $500 million dollars at the box office this summer.

All that and more can be found right here at...The Beat Sheet.

"Watch the behaviour of the actors"
~JJ Abrams