Daily Archives: July 24, 2008

A Friend of Mine Asked Me…

Posted on by

…What kind of films do I like? I replied, “Great nonfiction films or well-written dramas and big well produced action flicks or small indie films with a great directorial point of view. I also like heroic acting jobs by stars that play off character.”He then asked me what kinds of films I didn’t like and I told him I would get back to him. Here is what I wrote him. It is indeed a random list:

  • I don’t like any film where amnesia plays a pivotal part of the plot.
  • I don’t like any film where mistaken identity (or twins as part of the mistaken identity plot twist) lulls the hero into complacency.
  • I don’t like any film where the director shows the passing of time by using newspaper headlines spinning across the screen.
  • I don’t like any film that uses a character’s voiceover to move the plot along.
  • I don’t like any film that shows rich, good-looking young people in California suffering angst with moody, undiscovered artist music in the background.
  • I don’t like any film with a supermodel making her film debut as a leading lady.
  • I don’t like any film where a director pays homage to another director who is a contemporary.
  • I don’t like films based on TV shows.
  • I don’t like any films with a member of the Friends TV show in it.
  • I don’t like “dramadies.” You are either funny or you are serious. Make up your mind.
  • I usually don’t like films starring Saturday Night Live comedians.
  • I don’t like musicians who want to stretch and end up playing a role that they mime on stage in their musical act.
  • I don’t like any film where the plot twist ends up using aliens or outer space creatures out of context.
  • I don’t like any film where someone tries to be funny and mimics an Indian accent.
  • I don’t like any film that I can’t remember or discuss one week later.
  • I don’t like any film where the hero and heroine are lovers off-screen.
  • I don’t like any film where the CGI is cheesy looking.
  • I don’t like any films that are promoted as comeback films for a star who I didn’t even know had left.
  • I don’t like films that are truly summed up by the trailer and all the best lines, jokes and scenes are in the trailer.
  • I don’t like any film where the audience cheers and applauds as the opening credits roll.

It’s the Economy, Stupid

Posted on by

Wow - this is an amazing situation - a team in Greece can pay more money for an NBA player than an NBA club. The Euro is so strong this year that everything that is made or sold in America seems like a great bargain.

The global economy in countries such as China, Russia and Germany is strong. The Canadian dollar is still strong to par. Get ready for a lot more real estate to be sold to people and organizations from around the world. Get ready for a lot more surprise signings in sports a la Jaromir Jagr playing in Russia instead of New York and now Josh Childress going to play in Greece. At the end of the day, no matter what anyone says, it IS always about the money. And right now, other economies are just so much stronger than our economy.