SASMR: No Country for Old Men, We Own the Night, Juno

No Country for Old Men
Spanish actor Javier Bardem plays easily the most downright frightening villain this generation has ever seen in Anton Chigurh. Chigurh’s character is creepily unsettling. Everything from his speech to his “weapon” make him the PERFECT “bad guy”. Tommy Lee Jones is Tommy Lee Jones so you already know what to expect from him. He’s consistently delivered convincing performances in nearly every role. Josh Brolin (American Gangster) is a relative “B” lister, who actually holds his own in this film. No Country for Old Men is a screenplay adaptation of a book, and there are times where the director follows the book tooth and nail. Sometimes this works in the movie’s favor… other times it confuses the viewer. No where is this more evident than the film’s ending. I’ve been on forum after forum and I STILL have no clue what the ending is about. No Country for Old Men could have been an “Instant Classic” but the last 5 minutes are so confusing and disappointing, it virtually throws the 117 minutes before it out the window.


We Own the Night
The first thing I noticed about this movie is how much it reminded me of “the Departed”. To say that this movie is star studded is an understatement. First of all, you have two heavy hitters in Mark Wahlberg, and Joaquin Phoenix. Then there’s Eva Mendes and Robert Duvall. Despite the record setting “least amount of elapsed time before a sex scene in a feature length film” We Own the Night has a slow start, and the character development seems to take forever. I felt that this movie would have been a lot stronger if it were 15 to 20 minutes shorter. Length aside, this was a great movie. The plot twists are incredible. And the suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat. The ending is a tad predictable, but it’s not distracting enough to “destroy” the entire body of work. Not quite a “must see”, but it’s definitely no slouch.


Juno
This movie is a gem! It’s a must have for anyone claiming to be a fan of the “comedy” genre. Few films rival the quickness of wit in this movie, and that is largely due to Ellen Page (X-Men: the Last Stand). She was brilliant. Now, don’t get me wrong, this movie is not side-splitting, soda through your nose, knee slapping funny. It’s a lot more subtle. It’s more or a “wait... did she just say…, yeah she said….., who thinks of that” kind of funny. While I loved this movie, there were things I never quite “got”. Like why Jennifer Garner’s (Alias) character was so confusingly high strung, and why Michael Cera’s (Superbad) shorts were so short. Aside from that, I recommend this movie to all the intelligent people. If Soulja Boy is among your favorite "hip-hop artists", Juno is NOT for you.

Despite my promise of posting everyday this week to catch up, I am not going to post any movie reviews tomorrow or during the weekend. I plan to enjoy the holiday and you should do the same. You shouldn’t be sitting at home on the internet reading movie reviews. You should be with your family, or friends doing something summer-y. Like barbequeing, or swimming, or flying a kite, or playing on a Slip-N-Slide, or having a picnic, or…. you get the point. I’ll see you on Monday. Have a GREAT and SAFE 4th!!!!

PEACE
ONE GOD ONE LOVE
J

SASMR: Lars and the Real Girl, Resurrecting the Champ, Mr Untouchable

Lars and the Real Girl
In Lars and the Real Girl, Ryan Gosling (The Notebook, Remember the Titans) shows his acting range by portraying a good natured young man that has social anxiety. His extreme shyness led him to the purchase of a life size doll from the internet, with which he develops a “real” relationship. I went into this movie not knowing what to expect except maybe a “emotional tear jerker”, but Lars and the Real Girl is a comedy. It’s not a side-splitting blatant comedy. It’s far more subtle. It’s a comedy in the likes of “Little Miss Sunshine” or “Dan in Real Life”. Gosling delivers a masterful performance that few others could have pulled off. This is an intelligent film, and the writing is superb. I LOVED this movie, but I don’t think everyone will “get” it. If your idea of a good comedic movie is “Dude Where’s my Car” stay away from Lars, for everyone else, go out and rent this today.

Resurrecting the Champ
This movie didn’t receive a lot of publicity, but I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, any movie with Samuel L Jackson is a safe bet. That guy does little wrong in terms of picking films to be apart of. This movie is no different. In Resurrecting the Champ, Josh Hartnett (Lucky Number Slevin, Black Hawk Down) is a Denver sports writer that one night comes to the aid of a homeless man (Jackson) only to later find out that he is a boxing legend believed to be thought dead. This is a strong film. The plot has surprising twists. Jackson again proves that he is among the best ever at his craft. While Hartnett delivered a solid performance of his own. I liked this movie’s originality and historical references. Don’t go into this movie expecting to be blown away, but if you are in your local video store late one Saturday night and can’t figure out what movie to get, pick up this gem. It’s definitely worth the watch.

Mr Untouchable
First and foremost, this film is a documentary. So, it’s really difficult to mess those up if you follow the recipe. That being said, Mr Untouchable is typical as far as documentaries go. Where Mr Untouchable is impressive though is its presentation and execution of ideas. The cinematography is among the best I’ve seen in its genre, especially for a straight to DVD title. This film outlines the rise and ultimate fall of Leroy Nicky Barnes, Frank Lucas’ (the basis of American Gangster) biggest rival. If you like the American Gangster series on BET, then you’ll love Mr Untouchable. It’s primarily about heroin trafficking in New York City during the 70’s. There’s really not much else to say about this film other than it’s a solid pick if you’re into this sort of thing.

PEACE

ONE GOD ONE LOVE

J

SASMR: Baby Mama, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Iron Man

Last summer I created a series of posts rating the season’s films.  I posted a review of EVERY movie I saw for the first time, whether it was in theaters, DVD, or TV.  I let you know if it was worth spending money or the time to watch them.  So back by popular demand are “the Starving Artist Speaks Movie Reviews” or the “SASMR”.  And since I’m already more than a month behind, I will probably post new reviews everyday this week to get caught up.  I've also taken the liberty of revamping the rating system.  It goes as follows...

Baby Mama

Amy Poehler and Tina Fey’s great “on camera” chemistry comes from years as cast mates on SNL (when it was still funny).  Tina Fey’s awkward off beat humor coupled with Amy Poehler’s wild almost lowbrow humor is a perfect marriage for this type of film.  Fey plays a woman who is unable to bear children because of an abnormality in her uterus, and Poehler is chosen to carry the child through surrogacy.  While I thought this movie was funny, I wasn’t floored with laughter.  Steve Martin proved yet again that he was a comedic genius, and that he deserves to be mentioned among the best of our time.  His character was HYSTERICAL and I laughed EVERY single time he was on screen.  All in all Baby Mama, was an average comedy nothing great about it, but far from bad.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

This is another brain child from the “40 Year Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up” crew.  I think this movie missed the mark of its predecessors.  It’s also a “member” of the disturbing trend taking place in American movies these days, which is full frontal male nudity.  While we all agree that phalli are inherently hilarious aesthetically, it’s not something you want to repeatedly see while ingesting your concession stand hotdog.  British comedian, Russell Brand, was perfect in his role as a rock-star, activist, a$$hole.  And Kristin Bell (Heroes) was GORGEOUS.  She and Mila Kunis (Family Guy, That 70’s Show) were the lone reason this movie was worth watching.  Every single scene in Forgetting Sarah Marshall has been done to death in other movies.  Nothing original in this film whatsoever.  Granted there are more than a few moments you will find yourself laughing hysterically, there are not enough of those moments strung together to make this a good movie.

Iron Man

Despite what early critics said, Robert Downey Jr, is the PERFECT Tony Stark!  I will go on record saying Iron Man is the best movie Marvel has made to this point.  That’s including both Fantastic 4 movies, X-Men, X-2, The Punisher, all three Spiderman films, Daredevil, Elektra, and GhostRider.  The only Marvel movies that even come close are the X-Men: The Last Stand, Blade II and Blade: Trinity movies.  The story line is perfectly adapted from the comic book into the real world adding authenticity.  There isn’t a considerable amount of action being that this is a comic book film, but the action scenes are impressive enough that you won’t notice.  What I enjoyed the most about this film is the fact that there are numerous instances where sequels are alluded to.  Of course, I’m not one to give spoilers, so you’ll have to go see them for yourself, but I will say that you’ll need to stay after the closing credits to see one of them.  This film is a must see for any sci-fi junky or comic book fan.  It’ll be in my personal collection once it hits stores.

PEACE

ONE GOD ONE LOVE

J

Hand-painted C.R.S. skatedeck giveaway!!!

I hate to be redundant, but this free hand painted skatedeck is kind of a big deal.  It's C.R.S. for goodness sake.  Who doesn't like C.R.S.?  And who doesn't like free stuff?  We need as many people as possible to see this.  So do me a favor and post the youtube link or embedded movie ANYWHERE that will allow you to post youtube links and or embedded movies.  As a matter of fact here is the flyer.  



Post this somewhere too!  We of course are not opposed to you using the flyer as your main picture on facebook, or myspace or creating a post on your own blog to inform people of what we are trying to do(hint hint).  And to make the deal a little sweeter for you if you let me know that you have posted the flyer or video somewhere, leave me the link where you posted it and I will shout you out on here and there may even be a free autographed piece of my original artwork in it for you as well.  See, we all get something out of the deal.  And if anyone asks you how they can register to win the C.R.S. deck, you tell them to visit www.unkommonkolor.com and register.  Simple as that.  So, again, tell someone, heck tell EVERYONE!!!

PEACE
ONE GOD ONE LOVE
J

When will the hatred end?

I thought the “nappy headed hoes” comment was funny. I thought the “jiggaboos vs the wannabes” comment was impressive “pop culture knowledge”. I thought Don Imus’ first incident was nothing more than a joke that was taken out of context by the increasingly hyper-sensitive media. I gave Imus the benefit of the doubt cause he was doing what he was hired to do, be a “shock jock”. Say controversial things to get higher ratings and thus more callers to argue with on a day to day, a la Howard Stern. It’s a formula that has been working for years in talk radio. Let’s just be real with one another for the time being. It was no secret that the University of Tennessee’s women’s basketball team was infinitely more attractive than Rutgers’. Candace Parker and nem were supermodels in comparison. Have you seen the Rutgers female basketball team? They look like the Pittsburgh Steelers in the face. We all see it, and have said something similar or worse in private, but if someone says it in public they lose a job doing what they were hired to do in the first place?

But despite my previous Imus “support”, his comments yesterday regarding Adam “Pacman” Jones leads me to believe there is something severely wrong with that man. You lose your job because of a misunderstood joke, then not even 450 days later you tell a similar “joke” on air, but this time I’m not so sure it was a joke. Here is the transcript from the show.

WARNER WOLF: Defensive back Adam "Pacman" Jones, recently signed by the Cowboys, here's a guy suspended all of 2007, following a shooting in a Vegas nightclub.
DON IMUS: Well, stuff happens. You're in a nightclub, for God's sake. What do you think is gonna happen in a nightclub. People are drinking, and doing drugs. There are women there and people have guns. So there, go ahead.
WARNER WOLF: Also, he's been arrested six times since being drafted by Tennessee in 2005.
DON IMUS: What color is he?
WARNER WOLF: He's African-American.
DON IMUS: Well there you go, now we know.

In defense of these statements Imus said today that he was commenting on the unfair treatment that black men. I like to think I’m an open minded left winger, and I’m fairly astute when it comes to reading between the lines in everyday and tactical military conversations. Nothing about that comment, and I repeat NOTHING, could have been confusing, or taken out of context. There was no wrong way to take it. Don Imus solidified his overt hatred for black people on a syndicated radio program for a second time. When does this stop? At what point are racists punished for their hatred and not rewarded? Let me drop a little knowledge on your chickadees. In May 2007 after Imus was released by CBS, he sued them for wrongful termination and won $40 million. Essentially the $40 million that was remaining on his 5 year contract with CBS. While I understand Imus receiving the money that was “rightfully” his, I can’t understand how such a supposedly heinous on-air act landed him another job with a larger company, a larger contract, a cable TV show simulcast of his radio program, and for all intents and purposes a 9 month paid vacation. The vice president of the current network was reported saying “no disciplinary actions will be taken because of the remarks in question”.

I initially planned to close this post with something funny, but it’s obviously taken a more serious turn. The amount of “hate” buried within in the people of this world honestly disgusts me. Whether its driving down the highway, or what someone else is or isn't wearing, or a comment on a youtube video, people feel it’s their sworn duty to literally hate EVERYTHING. You can’t make a mistake without it ending up on the internet or VH1. And while we’re on the subject, who are these people that type such hateful words in the comment boxes all over the internet. All hiding behind the anonymity provided by technology. And why do they feel such a dire need to express that hatred and utter buffoonery? You’ve seen it. Youtube has the word “nigger” typed more in the comment section than a transcript of an entire season of Def Comedy Jam. So I repeat, at what point are racists punished for their hatred and not rewarded?

PEACE
ONE GOD ONE LOVE
J

My first Youtube video...kinda

It's finally done. After 6 hours of filming and 21 hours of rendering the footage, my first youtube video is complete. Well it's actually a collaborative effort between myself and my man Blue the Great of Unkommon Kolor. Check out his website. Both skatedecks are one of a kind, (I'm talking really limited editions, 1 of 1 ), and will be given away in a yet to be finalized competition for you, the fans.  We're thinking it's going to be comment based, so be sure to leave comments on both blogs.  There's really nothing more to say so, enjoy, and $#!+.









PEACE
ONE GOD ONE LOVE
J

Bang Bot: No Soul, no infidelity

As I watched the news last night, one of the stories was about a scientific breakthrough that will ultimately make it possible for inventers to create companionship robots. Robots that will be custom built based on the customer’s personality. These robots will be able to hold coherent conversations, make decisions, and eventually will be able to have sex and react as a human would… yes, robots designed to have sex.

My question is “if a person involved in a relationship was to have sex with one of these companionship designed robots, would that qualify as cheating?” I honestly see it as nothing more than a blow up doll with spark plugs. At its core, its just high-tech masturbation. No one would ever suggest that using a vibrator is cheating. A companionship robot is an elaborate fantasy. A fantasy that can be shutdown and rebooted on a whim. Come to think of it, it gives a whole new meaning to “turn ons” and “turn offs”. It’s sex with no strings… or in this case wires, attached. No pregnancy scares. No STDs. No lack of stamina. The robot can be programmed to do WHATEVER it is you like. Oddly enough, a bang bot doesn’t sound nearly as creepy as it did at the beginning of the post… ok well maybe it’s still creepy, but I think I can be eventually swayed.

The moment the robot starts acting jealous, or nagging, or asking stuff like “why don’t we just talk anymore?” or “why don’t you just hold me” is the precise moment it becomes cheating. Because it’s at THAT moment, the robot has feelings for you. And when feelings get involved, that’s when strange things begin to happen. The robot starts showing up at your job in its robe asking why you didn’t come home last night. Or keys your car. Or burns your clothes in the bathtub. Or sits in the living room in pitch black with it’s legs crossed holding a smoking cigarette in one hand and a half filled glass of scotch on the rocks in the other, asking you “where you two went wrong”?

We are all aware that “feelings” are synonymous with “emotion”. And since we know that “emotion” is a mental state that arises spontaneously as a result of physiological changes, “emotion” is a solely human trait. And if we define “artificial intelligence (AI)” literally, we then know that it’s artificially intelligent. Meaning, a designer scripts conditional statements that mimic human behavior in specific situations. The fundamental flaw with AI is, the decisions made by the computer are based on mathematical equations, and not human intuition. This has been the premise for countless Hollywood blockbusters from “I, Robot” to the “Matrix”. The difference between AI and human intelligence is “choice”. While “instinct” is present in every living organism on the planet, the ability to combine “instinct” with “choice” is what separates human-beings from all other living beings. While AI can mimic “instinct”, it cannot duplicate the ability to choose. No amount of intelligence, albeit artificial or otherwise, could ever make up for human intuition, passion, emotion, and “choice”. It’s these ingredients, among other things, that comprise the human soul. What am I saying in a roundabout way? “No soul, no infidelity.”

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

PEACE
ONE GOD ONE LOVE
J