Die Hard is one of my favorite movies and I’m happy they seems to keep finding ways to extend the franchise. This new one, A Good Day to Die Hard, looks like a lot of fun. I’m in.
[blip.tv http://blip.tv/play/hJh3g4fCdQI?p=1 width=”500″ height=”403″]
I’m not always very receptive to remakes of classic movies I’ve enjoyed. Too often the remake isn’t very good and probably shouldn’t have been attempted in the first place.
Of course, even if there’s a remake, I still have the original to enjoy, so it really shouldn’t bother me. right? Well too bad, it does. . . sometimes. However, there’s also the occasional remake that can stand on its own, be enjoyable and not take anything away from the original. Some remakes even end up being even better than the originals.
I can think of a few at the moment: John Carpenter’s The Thing, which is an awesome remake of the original Howard Hawks film and one of my favorites; The Fly, directed by David Cronenberg and the Coen Brothers True Grit, a terrific western update of the classic John Wayne film.
This upcoming remake of Evil Dead just might make the list too. It has the virtue of being produced by Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, so I’ll bet that helps.
Plus, I do like the trailer (which is NSFW, btw). It looks pretty cool. I think I’m gonna give this one a chance.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceBXUyuv4Q0?rel=0&w=500&h=281]
That title may be a touch sarcastic. In truth, I often find meetings to be mind-numbingly boring. People who think they’re informative, funny or somehow interesting tend to ramble on about this or that and after a few minutes, I’m pretty much done.
You all know what I mean so don’t send angry letters telling me I’m the jerk who doesn’t like people. I do like people, just not boring, know-it-all people.
However, over the last week or so I’ve had meetings with people I did find very pleasant and were a pleasure to talk with. It was extremely refreshing and I highly recommend it.
These great meetings where we found common ground, had stimulating and productive discussions and made advances toward our mutual goals almost made up for the others I had to sit through where I seriously considered jabbing a pen into my eye so I could be taken to the hospital and not have to listen anymore.
Okay, maybe that’s a bit extreme (and probably an exaggeration), but you get the idea. Still, progress is often difficult and as I intend to make progress towards my goals, I guess I’m going to have to kiss a few frogs along the way, figuratively speaking of course . . . There’s no actual frogs involved.
Now I’m going to get letters from animal rights groups chastising me about my treatment of frogs. Awesome.
I really hate making decisions in most situations. Often, I have good reasons for choosing either option I’m deciding between. Sadly, I’m in the midst of such a quandry at the moment and not sure how to proceed.
Over the years I’ve discovered that I have a lot of interests. Sometimes, those many interests hinder my focus on one thing in particular. After all, there’s only so many hours in the day and I only have so much energy so. . . you get the idea.
I’m going to be soliciting advice from people who’s opinions I trust and will arrive at some sort of decision sooner rather than later. That’s my process and I guess it’s pretty much the best way to go. I don’t like it but I’ll do it.
Although, I really shouldn’t feel too bad about having to make these kinds of important decisions. It could be so much worse.
I’m very lucky that I even get a choice at all.
I would like to take this moment and wish each and every one of you a happy Friday. I’m having a pretty good day so far. I’ve continued my workouts and went to the gym at 7AM. It didn’t hurt that much. Don’t tell my trainer.
I’ve also started to get in touch with some old friends and colleagues to get the ball rolling faster on my triumphant return to the business of show. So that’s cool. So far, people have been very nice and encouraging about the idea.
With all the unemployment these days, they probably, genuinely do wish me well. At least I like to think so. As for the debate last night between Mr. Biden and Mr. Ryan, I’ve really got nothing insightful to say. I already know who I’m voting for (shocker, it’s the incumbent) so the VP debate, and the P debates, are pretty much wasted on me.
Still, it did seem that Mr. Ryan was kinda uncomfortable and that Mr. Biden was sorta a dick. In truth, I don’t really care for the kind of debate where the participants try to shout over each other to make a point. I know that’s the style of discourse that’s popular on TV these days (thanks a pantload Fox News), but that doesn’t mean I have to like it . . . or watch it.
I spent about ten minutes watching Mr. Biden and Mr. Ryan then I turned the channel and watched some movies, including such classics as New Jack City and the very first movie I ever got paid to work on, Save Me, starring Harry Hamlin (that’s him with his mouth open above), Lysette Anthony and Michael Ironside. I was the Key Set PA on that show, a position much like how Anthony Michael Hall’s character describes himself in Sixteen Candles: “King of the Dipshits.”
Still, I didn’t care at the time. I was working on a movie set and getting paid for it (not much, but still). The truth is, I loved every damn minute of it.
I’m not really going back to Cali, because I never left. I was just using that as more of a fun metaphor for what I’m considering. Well, it’s fun to me anyway, and that’s what counts.
This is my website, after all. If you don’t like it, get one of your own. I hear they’re pretty easy and cheap to get these days. You can’t beat that.
Anyway, what I’m considering is a full time return to the business of show. Since I stopped making movies, TV programs and the like I’ve spent a lot of time working on various other things, including The Flickcast. I still want to do those things but, in truth, the bug to get back to my first love has bitten me again . . . and hard. In fact, I think it’s infected.
Sorry about the weird insect imagery. Don’t mean to digress. Moving on. The difference this time is I won’t be going back doing what I did before (producing, etc.). Instead, I’m going to go back on my own terms with my own projects as a writer and director. Or, at the very least, I’m going to give it my best shot.
It all sounds good on the surface and if things continue to go the way I’ve set them in motion, all should be well. Watch this space for further developments.
On a related note, the site move I recently complained about for The Flickcast is done. It actually went well and didn’t even cost me that much. So I got that going for me, which is nice.
Please feel free to resume your kind patronage of that fine website. Thanks. And my children thank you. . . Or they will when I finally get some.
The new trailer for A Good Day to Die Hard came out today. Gotta say it, the movie looks like fun. Bruce Willis has still got it . . . whatever “it” is.
What do you think?
It’s no secret I like movies. In fact, you could even say I love them. Although, that’s a bit weird. They’re just things after all, not people (or dogs) or anything so how can I really love them?
I don’t know, that’s a question for the scientests or philosophers among you. I just know I love them and that’s all I have to know. Anyway, I’m looking forward to a bunch of movies coming out this Summer and fortunately for me (and by extension you) they have trailers.
So, in the interest of full disclosure, here’s some trailers for movies I’m looking forward to seeing this Summer. Or, in some cases, have already seen and/or enjoyed/hated/was indifferent to.
Yep, there’s a lot of ’em.
Django Unchained
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC8VJ9aeB_g?rel=0&w=500&h=343]
The Dark Knight Rises
The Great Gatsby
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rARN6agiW7o?rel=0&w=500&h=343]
The Bourne Legacy
[blip.tv http://blip.tv/play/hJh3gvmBJAA?p=1 width=”500″ height=”343″]
Looper
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCNKahG1ksg?rel=0&w=500&h=343]
Prometheus
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1byZkbNB3Jw?rel=0&w=500&h=343]
Cosmopolis
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1bv6baU1aY?rel=0&w=500&h=343]
Skyfall
[blip.tv http://blip.tv/play/hJh3gvfnegA?p=1 width=”500″ height=”343″]
Savages
I’m sure there’s more, but for the moment, that’s enough. See anything you like?
On this day in 1977, before it was known as ‘Episode IV’, a little movie called Star Wars made its debut and changed the way things worked in Hollywood for all time. It also had a very significant impact on a young boy named Chris who learned an important lesson that day: there’s no limit to what you can imagine.
Happy 35 Star Wars.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gvqpFbRKtQ?rel=0&w=480&h=360]
Now this is happening.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39KxQrGwOGU?rel=0&w=525&h=300]