Minnesota Election Court: Franken Won. Period.
Well, the verdict has finally been handed down. In what was a (in my opinion) completely unsurprising turn of events, the Minnesota Election Court has declared Al Franken the official winner of the 2008 Senatorial Race. According to the court, Franken won by 312 votes.
Wow. After over five months of legal wranglings, there it is. It is far from the end, however. Norm Coleman will be appealing the case to the Minnesota Supreme Court, and possibly even the United States Supreme Court (though I doubt they would touch the thing after 2000). But this is a huge victory for Franken.
To make a long story short, the judges basically rejected every claim Coleman’s team made, and affirmed practically everything Franken’s team said. It doesn’t get any clearer than this. Franken won. Coleman lost. A razor thin margin, to be sure, but it’s there nonetheless.
My thoughts now go to NY-20, and the counting of absentee ballots between Scott Murphy and Jim Tedisco. Last I heard, Murphy was ahead by 25 votes. My hope is that we won’t see a repeat of Minnesota here in New York. Though my hopes will most likely be dashed.
On a separate note, apologies for not updating very frequently. I’ve been very busy with school. Papers, readings, etc… Interesting stuff (some of it… most of it?), but time-consuming nonetheless. Worry not, though. I am here and I do remember this blog. I refuse to let it just die!
Add comment April 13, 2009
Film Review – Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda [2008] 
Starring: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Ian McShane,
Director: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
Screenwriter: Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
Jack Black is a funny guy. It’s undeniable. He has a talent for making people laugh. And laugh hard. I always wondered how his comedy would translate into animation. Would it still be as funny as watching live-action films of his? After watching Kung Fu Panda, any fears I had were immediately allayed. This is a very enjoyable film, for people of all ages. It’s true that children will find more to like than adults, but I found more than enough to entertain me
Jack Black voices Po, a panda who works in a local noodle shop for his father (who happens to be a bird… I didn’t question it, it’s best if you don’t – more fun that way), but dreams of becoming a kung-fu master, just like his idols; his idols being the kung fu masters Tigress, Mantis, Crane, Monkey and Viper. One day, the old turtle master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) tells his pupil, Shifu (voiced by Dustin Hoffman), that he’s had a vision that Shifu’s former student, the evil Tai Lung (Ian McShane) will escape from his prison. This prompts the turtle master to decide that now is the time for one to receive the legendary dragon scroll, and with it, the key to unlimited power.
Through what appears to be a fluke (but is it really destiny?), Po, the big fat panda, is chosen as the Dragon Master. Of course, this upsets Shifu and his pupils, as he has been training them for years and doesn’t delight in having to train a big fat panda to become the renowned Dragon Master. Of course the turtle master’s premonition comes true, and Tai Lung escapes from prison. Can Po learn the art of kung fu in time to stop him? His training doesn’t go well at first, and although it’s inevitable that he improves, the way by which he’s able to is quite entertaining and very enjoyable to watch. You’ll see.
Kung Fu Panda has a distinctive and unique style, whereas so many CGI films these days feel like retreads of the same old same old. During action sequences, for example, things will often go into slow motion so that we can see every small detail of the intense kung fu moves. One might think that this would get tiring, but I never found myself tired of the gimmick, and more often than not, found myself laughing as a result of it.
Kung Fu Panda is light-hearted fun that anyone can enjoy. If you’re looking for something funny but not too serious, Kung Fu Panda works quite well. Jack Black is owed a huge amount of praise here. He turns Po into an extremely likable character, and one that we can all understand and, in a way, relate to. Black has an uncanny ability to make us enjoy just listening to him, and the delivery of his lines. And Kung Fu Panda has plenty of them that he pulls off perfectly. The film makes fun of itself, and so does Black, and we like him all the more for it.
Add comment April 11, 2009
Star Trek Secret Screening
According to Wired,
While a world of Trekkers believed the new J.J. Abrams Star Trek would premiere Tuesday in Australia, Leonard Nimoy made a surprise appearance Monday night in Texas to screen the film for an unsuspecting audience.
A theater full of Trek fans showed up in Austin, Texas, thinking they were going to see a new print of the classic Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and 10 minutes of Abrams’ reboot, all organized by Ain’t It Cool News.
What’s so great about it (from my perspective) is the hugely and overwhelmingly positive responses from fans at the screening. A lot of people Twittered after seeing the film. My personal favorite?
“ZOMG!! Just saw the new star trek movie and it MELTED MY PANTS!!!!!\”
You can read more of them here.
Good stuff, I have to say. It bodes well. But simply because Trekkies and fans love it doesn’t make it a good film. Still, it pretty much seals the deal for me, making Star Trek the #1 most anticipated movie of the year in my opinion.
Add comment April 8, 2009
Vermont Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage
After the shocking news that the Iowa Supreme Court had legalized same-sex marriage, it came as a slight surprise that another state furthered its gay rights by also legalizing same-sex marriage. This time it’s Vermont. As a Vermont resident, I couldn’t be happier. And again, it’s a little shocking to me, as I wasn’t sure such a measure would pass. Vermont is a heavily left-leaning state, but it has a Republican Governor, Jim Douglas (mostly because the Democrats and Progressives fight for the left-leaning vote… but that’s a story for another day). Many were afraid that the measure would not pass with enough votes, and thus lead to a veto by Douglas. But the Vermont House had exactly enough votes, so there it is.
I hadn’t been following the local news there, for a number of reasons. But suffice it to say it was a greatly positive surprise for me. Vermont now becomes the very first state to legalize same-sex marriage through the legislature. The other states that did so, did it through the courts. It’s extremely doubtful that anything such as a Prop 8. fiasco will happen here. Unless the Federal Government bans same-sex marriage, Vermont’s same-sex marriage law is here to stay.
Vermont was the first state to allow civil unions. That was back in 2000. So Vermonters have had some time to live with such a law in place. And no, the world didn’t end, and the state didn’t dissolve into a vacuum of sin. Life went on as it had beforehand, with the caveat that more people had rights afforded to them. It’s doubtful that anything will really change from here on out. Most Vermonters (as far as I know) support some kind of same-sex unions, whether they be “civil unions” or full-on marriages, and a nice chunk who don’t outright support it are pretty apathetic. “Live and let live,” for the most part.
This is a huge accomplishment for the gay rights movement, and I couldn’t be happier.
Add comment April 7, 2009
If God Was A Hippie Stoner
That’s basically the character I played in a play I was in over the weekend. It was a student-written one-act play. Tons of fun. I loved it. It was an Adam and Eve story. I wish I could go into more detail, but I guess you would’ve had to have seen it. People seemed to be pretty positive about it. They really liked the play, and my performance. I mean, there is a reason I was a theater major before switching to political studies. I love the stage. I come alive. …Anyway. Now that the play is over, and I’ve finished Battlestar Galactica, I’ve been catching up on LOST. Until now I hadn’t seen any episodes of the fifth season. But now I’m working my way through them.
I’ll be posting more frequently, too, like before. Things just got very, very hectic with the play going on over the weekend and such.
Add comment April 5, 2009
Iowa Supreme Court Legalizes Gay Marriage
Apparently, it’s the case. You can read it all here.
What can I say? I’m ecstatic. This is phenomenal, and after the whole Prop. 8 mess, it’s all the more symbolic. To add on to the symbolism, this is the first state “in the heartland”, so to speak, that has made such a decision. It makes Iowa the third state to completely legalize same-sex unions.
I could make a huge commentary on the significance of this, but in a way it speaks for itself. The caveat from the courts ruling:
“If gay and lesbian people must submit to different treatment without an exceedingly persuasive justification, they are deprived of the benefits of the principle of equal protection upon which the rule of law is founded.”
Perhaps it’s only a matter of time before the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause is applied in such a way. When that day comes, it truly will be a day worth celebrating.
1 comment April 3, 2009
Film Review – The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight [2008] 
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman
Director: Christopher Nolan
Screenwriter: Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan
The Dark Knight is a brilliant film and a masterpiece of its kind. But more than that, it’s also superbly entertaining. It is a dark, brooding film, hearkening back to the true roots of the original Batman comics, and is, without a doubt, the best film of the year so far, and the very best comic book and super hero movie ever made. With it, Christopher Nolan has completely raised the bar for what constitutes both categories, of “comic book movie” and “super hero movie.” While I watched it, I was drawn in, from the very first second to the very last, and my fascination with what unfolded never wavered. For a movie of its length (152 minutes), it was amazing for me to walk out of the theater feeling as if at least half that time had passed. Its ability to do this, to not feel overlong or as if its overreaching its material is a testament to the film’s unwavering brilliance.
The film starts out some time after Batman Begins ended. Batman (Christian Bale) has almost completely cleaned up the city. The criminals have been chased into a corner, and have been forced to take drastic measures to continue their “business”. A new District Attorney is in town. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), and his Assistant D.A., Rachel Dawes (played here by Maggie Gyllenhaal in a huge step up from Katie Holmes) have been doing their part to clean up the crime through legal means. And of course, the infallibly good cop, Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) has been doing his part in collaboration with Batman.
But Bruce Wayne has been struggling with his alter-ego. Other people are putting on “bat costumes” and trying to fight crime, copying Batman. “This is not what I had in mind when I said I wanted to inspire people,” he says to Alfred (Michael Caine, wonderful as always), who provides the voice of reason in the ensuing chaos. Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) also returns, in much the same role he played in the first film, and providing a new and better suit for Bruce Wayne. He’s been struggling with his purpose as The Batman. Is he just a vigilante, as the public thinks of him? No better than the other criminals out there, because he thinks he’s above the law?
These questions, and the issues surrounding them, only become greater when a new criminal, The Joker (the late Heath Ledger) shows up and starts his rampage across the city. “People will die,” he says, “I’m a man of my word.” The Joker is brilliantly and perfectly presented and imagined in this film, a complete compliment to Batman. His “jokes” are true morality plays, bringing not only Batman’s, but the concept of morality itself into question.
As for Ledger’s performance; it’s maniacal, insane, seemingly limitless, and absolutely brilliant in every way. As the film unfolds, he draws us deeper and darker into his madness. There is much talk of a posthumous Oscar for him, and if he were to win it, he would be completely deserving. It is quite unfortunate that he is no longer with us, as this film only bolsters what many of us figured out after Brokeback Mountain: here was a ripe young talent who could go on to do great things.
Nolan has crafted for us a film that feels real, and feels plausible. Not many super hero films have accomplished this, and it’s to his credit that he’s done it so well. It doesn’t feel like a super hero movie, but a crime drama in the vein of Michael Mann’s Heat, a film for which Nolan has admitted was an influence. Actions have consequences, not just results. The city itself feels real and lived in, thanks to Nolan’s on-location filming in Chicago for the site of Gotham City. Nolan makes us feel for his characters, and for their roles in the events as they unfold. He makes us ponder why they do what they do, and why they say what they say. He makes us question the actions the characters take, and analyze the motives behind them. It is again a testament to Ledger that his Joker is impossible to fully comprehend, if comprehend at all.
Is this a summer blockbuster? Yes. And one can tell in the chase and action scenes, and the explosions. But it’s not played as one. It’s thought-provoking and insightful, something that is sorely lacking from most films. It doesn’t look for cheap thrills, and in the end, we’re satisfied, because it’s given us more than we ever thought possible from a “movie of its kind.”
Add comment April 2, 2009
Leahy: 9/11 Truth Commission “Not Going to Happen”
For all those hoping for a 9/11 Truth Commission to investigate alleged criminal acts during the Bush Administration, it’s a bit of a sad day. The Washington Independent reports that Leahy has admitted his proposal isn’t getting any traction.
Apparently the main reason stems from a complete and utter lack of Republican support (huge surprise there). Not a single Republican will sign on with Leahy, and as long as that’s the case, he says, “it’s not going to happen.”
This is pretty unfortunate, in my opinion. I know I’m not the only one. It’s pathetic to think that obvious and blatant criminal acts took place in the Bush Administration, and that those people responsible wouldn’t face any kind of consequences or punishment for what they did. That’s not justice, in any way shape or form. The positive caveat here? As The Washington Independent says,
“…this may mean there’s now more of a chance that senior Bush policymakers who authorized torture, warrantless wiretapping and other illegal conduct will be held accountable in a court of law. Particularly as other U.S. allies — the United Kingdom and Spain, in particular — have recently announced their own investigations related to U.S.-sponsored torture and abuse of “war on terror” detainees.”
Well, one can only hope.
Add comment April 2, 2009
The 10 Most Anticipated Movies of the Summer
The summer is on its way. May 1st will officially signal the start of the “Summer Blockbuster Season”, where big-budget monsters full of exuberant special effects dazzle audiences across America (and the world). There are always disappointments in the bunch, but there are also those gems that exceed your expectations and blow you away. That was the case with both Iron Man and The Dark Knight for me last year. But, of course, there are also tons of comedies, all vying for that spot as the most memorable of the summer not for the excitement it produces, but the smiles and laughs. Rotten Tomatoes has just published its Summer Movie Preview. I’m gonna get on board and put down the 10 films I am most looking forward to this summer.
Note: Clicking on the name of the movie will take you to the trailer for it.
1. Star Trek
From the moment this film was announced, I was instantly excited, and the excitement hasn’t abated, but rather, it has increased, exponentially with each piece of information, each new screen shot, each new trailer or clip, or even the smallest snippet of a review. I am not a trekkie, but I do love Star Trek. The characters seem perfectly cast in this movie, and so far, there’s nothing but good reviews (remember, the film has already premiered in Australia, so the Aussies have had a chance to review it). There hasn’t been a good Star Trek movie in years… 13 years, to be precise. First Contact was the last good one made. If J.J. Abrams can successfully reboot the series, he’ll have my eternal gratitude. What makes this movie’s release so exciting is that it seems like that’s a very good possibility.
2. Up
It’s Pixar’s new movie. That should be enough, in and of itself. The fact that Pixar seems to be getting better, and not worse, is quite scary. And every time they announce a new movie, it seems like this time might mark the first time they fail. …But once again, they seems unlikely. And I couldn’t be happier. I suggest you check out the trailer for the film, which increases and solidifies my excitement.
3. Bruno
Sacha Baron Cohen’s followup to Borat… Wow. What else do I say? Borat is hands down one the funniest films I have ever seen. I wondered how the hell Baron Cohen would follow that up, given the fact that Borat had become so well-known that he’d never be able to pull it off again with that character. …So along comes Bruno, a homosexual reporter from Austria. And if “follow-up to Borat” isn’t enough, controversy abounds around the film’s rating, and apparently Ron Paul is duped by Bruno. I cannot frakking wait to see that.
4. Terminator Salvation
When a new Terminator film was announced, I sort of hung my head and shook it. “Leave the series alone. It’s a trilogy. The third movie was just average. It can only go downhill from here.” When McG was announced as the director, I hung my head and shook it once more. Of all the people to direct this movie, did it have to be the guy who directed Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle? Please god, no! But it was. And yet, since the first teaser trailer was released, I started to get intrigued. Then the full theatrical trailer was released, and I finally decided to give McG a chance. He could pull it off. And frankly, I hope he does, because the Terminator universe is a fascinating one. Although I’m not fully convinced, I have shed my prior prejudices and am willing to give it a chance. Don’t fail me, McG, or the rest of the fans.
5. Inglorious Basterds
Quentin Tarantino tells the story of a bunch of Jewish-American Soldiers during WWII who parachute into France in order to… Kill as many Nazis as possible, in the most brutal ways possible. That’s pretty much the gist of the film from what I can gather. You could either be offended by it, or roll with it. I’m choosing to roll with it. Besides, after some of the ridiculous stuff he’s pulled in some of his previous movies, is this really that far-fetched…? …Perhaps. But I’m willing to give it a shot. It’s Tarantino, after all.
6. Public Enemies
If you’ve seen the trailer, you know why this is on my list. If you’re a fan of Michael Mann, you know why this is on my list. If you’re a fan of Johnny Depp, you why this is on my list. And if you’re a fan of all of the above, then you definitely know why this is on my list. If you’re none of the above, then I suggest you just watch the trailer and find out.
7. Drag Me to Hell
After a long withdrawal from the world of horror in order to work on Spider-Man 1, 2 and 3, Sam Raimi is finally back to his roots. This film wouldn’t be on the list, however, if it didn’t actually look good. And it does. But even if it didn’t, I would be intrigued. As it stands, I really want to see what Raimi does. He’s a capable director, and as I mentioned, horror is where he started, with the Evil Dead movies. This, however, looks to be a more serious, scary film than the Evil Dead films were. One thing that’s missing? Bruce Campbell. We’ll see how things turn out. I can’t wait.
8. Year One
Jack Black is not always good. Some of his movies just plain stink. When I checked out the trailer for this movie, I didn’t have high hopes. But I found it to be quite entertaining and at times I even laughed. It must be noted that trailers rarely actually make me laugh. The jokes are out of context, and they’re usually straining to get a laugh out of the audience — I don’t play nice. It’s also a biblical comedy, in the same vein (or so I’ve heard) as Monty Python’s The Life of Brian (though obviously it has to be quite, quite different… no one does it like Monty Python). Oh, and Michael Cera’s in it. That might be incentive for some…
9. Funny People
It’s a Judd Apatow movie, written and directed. So it’s going to be good, right? Apatow seems to strike gold and make magic on a regular basis, so I can’t help but wonder what the hell is going to happen with this, whether it will be good, as funny as Apatow’s other two directorial outings. My hope is that Apatow can bring out layers of Sandler that we haven’t seen, just as P.T. Anderson was able to do with Punch Drunk Love. From the trailer it certainly seems like it might be the case. Apatow appears to be taking a more serious tone than he normally has, and from the looks of it, it might be a good thing. But one never knows. I, however, am looking very forward to it.
10. The Brothers Bloom
Have you seen Brick? If you have, then you’re probably as excited as I am for Rian Johnson’s new movie. The cast this time is full of stars, such as Adiren Brody, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel Weisz. Will Rian Johnson’s sophomore outing be as good as his freshman one? I don’t know. But I’m certainly excited to find out.
**********
Now, there are (I believe) two obvious omissions… Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I have my reasoning for not including these two movies.
Firstly, although Michael Bay did an adequate job with Transformers, he just barely ever makes good movies. On top of that, the best parts of Transformers, the parts with the interaction of the Transformers and humans, seem to be gone from this sequel. As is typical of Michael Bay, there seems to be a ton more explosions, action, CGI, etc., than in the first. Which, in my personal opinion, can only spell disaster. I hope I’m wrong. But really, unless the reviews are stellar, I just don’t care.
Secondly, I am a fan of Harry Potter. Well, of the books. A couple of the movies were good. But the last one was horrible, and I really just don’t care about this next one, either. The actors are getting too old for their parts, for one, and David Yates is back on to direct. I just don’t care enough of the Potter movies to really care about this one. But again, if the reviews are good enough, I am definitely willing to check it out.
3 comments April 14, 2009