Chris

The MPAA has finally started suing “alleged” movie pirates. Good for them. Those damn college kids swapping Divix files of “XXX” or “The Whole Ten Yards” are really gonna hurt the movie business and must be stopped at all costs. Shouldn’t the MPAA spend a little less time worrying about file swapping and a little more time trying to improve the quality of films that mainstream Hollywood produces? Hell yes, brother.

I know, sometimes a great movie manages to come out of Hollywood but usually, not so much. For every “The Incredibles” or “Spider Man 2” we are subject to an “Alexander” or “Van Helsing”. Sure, some people probably like those movies but many more don’t. Yes, they open to big numbers (sometimes) but then they fall off and drop dead after the first week as soon as people start to talk about how bad they are. It’s called word of mouth. Can’t fake it. Although, the studios have tried that in the past too.

In other news, NASA’s X43A research aircraft made its third and final flight today, firing its scramjet engine at Mach 10 (7,000 MPH) or close to it, setting a new record. Good for NASA. They can always use good news.

And, it looks like Disney is going to go ahead with another sequel to “Toy Story” even without the participation of Pixar. Pixar and Disney have split and Pixar has balked at the idea of another film. But, Disney owns the rights to the franchise (as they do to most of the world). So, this would make it even harder for Disney and Pixar to patch things up. Can they work without each other? Or, will we be stuck with movies like “Shark Tale” from now on? Dreamworks, what are you thinking?

I’m not afraid to say that I love Paul Giamatti. Of course, I also love Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh and Thomas Haden Church. Why do I love these people? I love them because they are all in my new favorite movie of the year, “Sideways.” I know, the year is almost over and to declare a new favorite at this point is a little silly but still, here I am.

“Sideways” tells the story of wine-lover, High-School English teacher and failed writer Miles (played perfectly by the gifted Giamatti) who takes his buddy, former hot tv actor Jack (the never-better Haden Church) up to wine country for Jack’s last weekend of freedom before he gets married.

There they explore the nature of their failures and question their relationships. Jack has an affair and wonders whether he should call it off. Miles, recently divorced, questions whether or not he made the right choice in getting a divorce, being a writer and just about everything else in his life.

Put these actors and this simple yet touching story together with inspired direction by Alexander Payne (of “Election” and “About Schmidt”) who gets everything right and snappy, poignant writing by Payne and Jim Taylor and you have a mix as good as the best wine you have ever tasted.

I can’t lavish enough praise on this film. It was truly one of the most inspiring times I have had at the movies in some time. The cast is flawless and reaches new heights of nuance and feeling that most actors would kill for. One scene in particular makes the movie for me. Miles explains his love of Pinot Noir and has passion and feeling reveals that he’s not really talking about Pinot Noir, he’s talking about himself.

Virgina Madsen’s work in this scene is also fantastic and shows a range that she has not displayed before. This is a dream cast who make the most of their breakout roles. How many other adjectives can I use to describe the film? Many more. The best thing to do, though, is to go out and see the film and enjoy its many pleasures for yourself.

I don’t know if its too early to call it a “classic”. I hesitate to use that word. If it isn’t one now, it comes as close as you can get. In a few years, after it has aged a bit, who knows? I, for one, can’t wait to open that bottle.

Not that I think Colin Powell is a rat. I don’t. I think he is a very smart man who knows when its time to leave. He, at least, has an exit strategy. What Am I talking about? Colin is resigning. Along with three other senior Bush cabinet members.

I realize that turnover is part of any second term but does this seem like a lot? I wonder if more will come?

It’s only Monday.

Sony introduced this camera. HiDef DV for the prosumer. Nice.

Security guru, Bruce Schneier, talks about the problems with electronic voting. It’s a little technical but very well done. So, check it out.

Security guru, Bruce Schneier, talks about the problems with electronic voting. It’s a little technical but very well done. So, check it out.

I was at a screening and party at The Derby for my friend Todd Wade’s film “The Appointment”. Interesting film which was first a short film then he later added scenes to make it a feature. And, it was in stylistic black and white.

Anyway, I always have time for people who are out their doing it instead of talking about doing it all the time. After working in the “business” for awhile you start to be able to spot the people who are going to do something and the people who just like to take meetings. I only wish I could share that knowledge with some of my other friends who always get involved with these “investors” who will never ever put up anything. I guess its a lesson that needs to be learned by some the hard way.

Over at the political desk, Yasser Arafat has died. At the risk of offending someone, i have to say that I’m having a hard time getting too upset about it. I don’t like to see people die and I didn’t want him to suffer for weeks and months, but that’s about all I am going to say about it.

Also, Bush’s attorney general pick is Alberto Gonzales. He seems a better choice than Ashcroft, who was definitely offensive to many with his policies. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, said, “It’s encouraging that the president has chosen someone less polarizing. We will have to review his record very carefully, but I can tell you already he’s a better candidate than John Ashcroft.”

Well, if Chuck Schumer says so, I guess we can believe him. After all, he is one of the last Democrats in the Senate so we better be nice to him or he might take his ball and go home.

Later.

Pretty smart guy Lawrence Lessig adds his 2 cents (and then some) to the brewing election controversy over those darn exit polls.

“Free the exit poll data” he says. I agree. And let the fur fly.

Attorney General John Ashcroft resigned today. Good? Bad? You make the call. I say good.

Unless he is resigning so he can be nominated to the Supreme Court. That would be bad indeed. Also, another buddy of W, Don Evans, resigned as well.

I really love this money quote from Ashcroft’s resignation letter to George Bush. “’The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved.” Oh, so that’s what they have been doing for the last four years. I was wondering.

Better not dance the happy dance of freedom and safety just yet.