What's All This About A Mosque?

    This blog is going to be different from what I have done previously.  So far, all fourteen (Can you believe I have done fourteen blog posts?  Neither can I.) have been about movies or television.  And one was about HOBY.  I don't claim to be an expert in politics, and I don't watch the news very often, but this subject has been on my mind for sometime now, and I feel that I can no longer sit on my butt and keep silent.  I have decided to say something about it, and express my thoughts.  Hopefully you guys don't tar and feather me for writing on this controversial subject, and I hope we can still be friends.  :D
     A 100 million dollar mosque/community center has been proposed to be built in lower Manhattan.  It is being built in a lot that once contained a Burlington Coat Factory.  The issue that has everybody's blood boiling is that it is only 2 blocks from Ground Zero, where Muslim extremists flew planes into the Twin Towers, and later the Pentagon, killing nearly 3000, on September 11, 2001.  Proponents argue that it is within their right to religious freedom to build a mosque where ever they please, while opponents say it is offensive to those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks.
    Now I don't have all the facts, and I don't claim to be an expert, so I'm just here to state my humble opinion.  Firstly, my hearts go out to the patriots who died that defending America, and their families, who's lives were forever changed.  It has not been forgotten.
    I can understand why people might view this as "offensive", and I respect their view.  But the first amendment to the Constitution clearly gives citizens the right to religious freedom.  It's one of the beliefs and freedoms that are country was founded.  Denying Muslims the right to build a church is not only in complete contradiction with the Constitution, but I find it offensive.  How is it that in this day and age that we are denying people a basic human right, that is denied to people all over the world, the right to religious freedom.  People have the right to worship where ever they please, and that includes New York City.
     Some people argue that there are no Christian churches in places like Saudi Arabia, and so why should America build mosques if they won't build churches.  To this I say, since when has America cared what the rest of the world done?  Shouldn't America have a higher standard of religious freedom then Saudi Arabia?  Shouldn't this be a place where people can come to worship however they please, and not worry about persecution?  This has nothing to do with 9/11 and sensitivity, and everything to do with Islam.  Americans, and other countries as well, are scared of Muslims, and have long been scared by people they don't "understand", and often try to keep them isolated and out of the public eye.  From slavery, the Trail of Tears, Japanese interment camps, The Holocaust, and racial wars in Rwanda, people are frightened by people who are different, and it is easier to fight them then to accept them.  Personally, I think building a mosque in New York might be good for this country, and help us to get over our "Islamophobia".  People like to group all Muslims in a little group, and associate all Muslims with the soulless people who caused 9/11.  Well, that is simply wrong.  Most Muslims condemn those actions, and it is a peaceful religion, and they have every right to worship in this great country as you and I.  Religious freedom is what has made this country great and prosperous for over 200 years, and it is sad to see it under attack by people who are just a little close-minded.
    Whether you agree with the mosque or not, I think everyone should respect their right to build wherever the please.  And not to mention, there already is a mosque in New York about 4 blocks away from Ground Zero, so it's not like this hasn't happened before.  I just think this issue is being blown way out of proportion to stir up controversy and make people angry because it is an election year.  So that's my humble opinion, and I hope you guys don't hate me.  I promise my next review will be a review of some kind.  Just had to get that off my chest.
Thanks for reading.  :)

District 9 Review

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Director: Neill Blomkamp
Screenplay: Neil Bolmkamp, Terri Tatchell


Starring Sharlto Copley (The A-Team), and Jason Cope
Gross Revenue: $210,816,205 worldwide
Rotten Tomatoes Tomato meter: 91%
IMDB Rating: 8.3

Awards: Nominated for 4 Academy Awards- Best Picture, Best Visual Effects, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing
    Once in a while, a film comes along that surprises you.  A film that you didn't expect to be good or to amaze you, but ends embedding itself in your heart.  That could be said of District 9.  This movie came out of nowhere last summer, and wowed audiences.  A no-name cast with a first time director, with the cast speaking in African accents.  Oh yeah, and there's aliens.  How could this possibly be a success.  But it was.  Adored by critics and audiences alike, this movie sneaked up on me, and soon became one of my favorite movies of all time.  A unique take on the age old tale of race relations, with some awesome sci-fi action thrown in for good measure.

Image by Lord_Henry via Flickr

      District 9 takes place in Johannesburg, South Africa, where an alien ship has been parked above the city for the past 20 years. The alien inhabitants of the ship have been rounded up and placed in "ghettos", and are segregated from the rest of society.  They're houses are beat up and their land is disgusting and piled in trash.  The local government has special teams to help "keep peace" in the ghetto, known as District 9.  They do this by terrorizing the aliens, which they call "prawns", and by enforcing harsh rules and regulations.  One member of the local task force Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley), experiences an "accident" one day while on the job, which will forever change his life and how he views these creatures.
      District 9 is a unique movie.  Not only is it an exciting sci-fi action movie, it is also a thought provoking allegory for race relations.  In the movie, the prawns are treated as outcasts, given their own section of town to live in, segregating them from society.  There's even "Humans Only" park benches, water fountains, and restrooms.  Sound familiar?  By putting familiar concepts such as racial struggles into something completely new, it gives it a fresh face, which makes the point resonate that much more.  I don't want to give away too much, but let's just say that Sharlto Copley's performance required him to play something other then human.  He gives one of the most amazing, and in my opinion underrated, performances I have ever seen.  Wikus Van De Merwe is often the only person on screen.  Copley has to carry the movie, and keep the viewer's interest from fading, and he succeeds.  I He starts out as bumbling doofus, and is often unlikable for his treatment of the prawns.  However, Copley grounds him and humanizes him, while not being too corny.  His transition from clumsy but lovable buffoon to kick-butt anti-hero is remarkable, and a wonder to behold  believe that he was robbed of an Academy Award nomination, and his performance is among the best I have ever seen.  A unique feature of the movie is that it is shot in a quasi-documentary style.  The movie features interviews with various "experts" and even contains shots of news footage.  One more thing that adds to its uniqueness.  The visual effects in this movie are also astounding.  Though the effects look like they were created with a massive budget, it was made on a relatively low 30 million dollars.  This makes it that much more impressive, knowing that these astounding creatures that look 100% believable, were made with Hollywood chump change.  Not only does this movie work as a racial allegory, it also works as an action movie.  The action in this movie is very real, very fast, and very bloody.  It's much more small scale then a movie like Avatar, but that's perfectly acceptable, and is still very exhilarating.  District 9 is such a fantastic movie because it combines an old concept told in a new way, as well as phenomenal acting and exciting action set pieces.

     District 9 is everything I love about movies.  It tells an exciting story with characters you care about, and delivers a message that rings true long after the credits have rolled.  And it also has giant robot vs alien fighting scenes.  What more can you ask from a movie?  In summary, District 9 is about as perfect as movies come these days.  A racial allegory disguised as a sci-fi action documentary.  Smart, exciting, and emotionally gripping, it will surprise you every step of the way.  Highlighted by the one of the smartest scripts and one of the most exhilarating lead performances in years, District 9 is a modern masterpiece.  I love this movie with a passion, and it is easily in my Top 10 movies of all time.  I recommend this movie for people who likes movies, because if you do, then you will love this one.  10/10.  Perfection.
Wikus Van De Merwe: [Picks up silver canister] This is an amazing find! You see it's got the marking there of... It's definitely Alien, but it, it isn't a weapon. However I still don't trust it.

The Princess Bride Review

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Director: Rob Reiner (A Few Good Men)

Screenplay: William Goldman

Starring: Cary Elwes (Saw), Robin Wright (Forrest Gump), Mandy Patinkin (Criminal Minds), Billy Crystal (When Harry Met Sally), Andre the Giant, Chris Sarandon, and Christopher Guest (This is Spinal Tap)

Gross Revenue: $30,857,814

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 95%

IMDB Rating: 8.1
  
Once in a while, a film comes along that truly speaks to all audiences, across all ages and demographics.  The kind of film that everyone from age 9 to 99 can be entertained by.  The kind of film that combines "fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles".  The Princess Bride is one of those films.  It's popularity has skyrocketed since it's 1987 release, and is now considered a classic, and rightfully so.  It is one of the greatest fantasy romances of all time, and easily the funniest.
     The story begins with a sick boy whose grandpa comes over to read him a story.  He is immediately skeptical of a fairy tale book, and is disgusted by what he deems as a "kissing book".  His grandpa proceeds to read it to him anyway.  What follows is one of the truest, funniest, and most modern fairy tales ever put to screen.  Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright) is about to marry the ruler of the kingdom Prince Humperdink (Chris Sarandon), but she is still mourning the loss of her former lover Wesley (Cary Elwes), in a supposed pirate attack.  After being kidnapped by a band of thieves and rescued by what she later discovers is her supposed dead lover, she sets out to be with him, no matter what various external forces she and Wesley must fight.  It features sword fights, giants, a battle of wits, a deadly venture through the Fire Swamp, torture, a daring castle raid, and a lifelong quest for vengeance.
    This is my favorite fantasy film of all time, my favorite romantic comedy, and one of my favorite movies I have ever seen.  Period.  This movie simultaneously satirizes and heeds to the traditional fairy tale archetypes. It is a post-modern fairy tale.  The one-liners are so smart, and so funny, that many of them are very well known, and are still more then 20 years later.  The characters are both endearing and hilarious.  From Inigio Montoya's (Mandy Patinkin) lifelong search for vengeance against the "six-fingered man", to Fezzick the Giant (Andre the Giant), who's heart is twice as big as he is.  This movie is not only hilarious, it is also very romantic.  It seems like Wesley's and Buttercup's love is cursed.  So many forces try to keep them from being together.  Captures, torture, and ruthless brute squads.  Yet through it all, they never lose hope, and the teach us the age-old lesson that "true love conquers all". The sword fight in this movie is also spectacular.  While very relaxed and nonchalant, it is also very deadly and masterful.  One of the greatest sword fights ever captured on film.  The screenplay is very smart, and the actors deliver these lines to masterful effect.  The acting is subtle and honest, just like these characters.

    When The Princess Bride was first released, it was a minor commercial success.  It made back it's budget, but was far from being a true smash hit.  It was critically acclaimed, but many thought it would fade into obscurity.  They were wrong.  This film had become supremely popular over the last 20 years, and is revered as one of the great fantasy movies of all time.  It's fate is very similar to an equally popular fantasy film The Wizard of Oz, which was not well-received but it hailed as a classic.  The Princess Bride is the perfect movie.  It has something for literally everyone.  Comedy, romance, adventure, emotional resonance, and a love story for the ages. These kind of movies aren't made very often, and many like this are forgotten by the masses.  However, it is obvious why this has stood the test of time.  It is like Wesley says, "This is true love, do you think this happens everyday?".

Inception Review

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    Director: Christopher Nolan
    Screenplay: Christopher Nolan
    Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer), Ellen Page (Juno), Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai), and Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins)
    Gross Revenue: $499,754,000 worldwide as of 8/15/10
    Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 87%
    IMDB Rating: 9.1

    Christopher Nolan is arguably the greatest filmmaker of his generation.  After 12 years in the industry, not only has he created some of the most critically acclaimed films of the last decade, but also some of the most commercially successful.  His latest film, Inception, is a huge risk financially.  Budgetted at 160 million dollars, it is completely original and not based off a pre-existing property, such as a video game or comic-book.  This is a rarity in today's blockbuster-driven world, and is a huge gamble for Warner Bros. studio.  Fortunately, they had faith in Nolan's masterful abilities and the film is simultaneously an engaging and entertaining "heist" flick, and a cerebral look into the world of dreams and the subconscious.
     Since this is one of those movies where the least you know about the movie the better, I am going to try and keep this plot description as thin as possible.  Leonardo DiCaprio (Cobb) plays an "extractor", who can journey into people's dreams and steal their secrets.  He is given the opportunity of his life: "inception", or creating an idea within a person's mind, instead of stealing one.  He assembles a team to help him do this, including his newest recruit Ellen Page (Ariadne), his right-hand man played by Joseph Gordon Levitt (Arthur), his financier played by Ken Watanabe (Saito).  They seek to plant the idea into Saito's rival energy tycoon played by Cillian Murphy (Robert Fischer), which Saito sees as a business opportunity.  The team has to complete the job, which becomes burdened by Cobb's past and personal demons.

     This is the perfect summer movie.  Not only is it entertaining and engrossing, it is also smart and really leaves thinking long after one leaves the theater.  Christopher Nolan's "dream logic" is rock solid, and no plot exist in this film.  What makes this film really work is how Nolan takes the traditional heist film, and completely turns it on its ear.  Not only is the point of the heist not to steal something but to create something, but most of the movie takes place primarily in the minds of the character's.  While the concepts in the movie are quite complicated, the movie never "dumbs down" to the audience, yet is not too complicated to understand.  The movie explains everything at a breakneck pace that never leaves the audience bored or uninterested.  However, no matter how complicated or exciting a movie it is, it is nothing without interesting characters that the viewer empathizes for, which this movie has.  Cobb's personal demons and his struggle to correct his past mistakes are the driving force for his newest mission, and the emotional backbone of the movie.  He is the most thoroughly developed character, and the audience really empathizes for him.  Leonardo DiCaprio does a satisfactory job, and all the actors do quite fine in their roles, but this is a not a movie about acting, which is perfectly fine.  All in all, a masterful work of intelligence and entertainment.
    I predict this movie will receive a large number of nominations once awards season rolls around.  This has been a slow year for movies, and this is the rare movie that is popular by both critics and audiences.  Expect a nomination for writing, directing, and for Best Picture, for Christopher Nolan this winter, which he rightfully deserves.  In summary, this is the best movie I have seen this year, and one of the best I have seen.  I highly recommend this movie to everyone, and hope everyone goes out and sees it as soon as possible.  A perfect movie: original premise, interesting characters, exciting action, and a lasting feeling of satisfaction that lasts long after the movie has ended.  10/10
  

Top 5 T.V. Shows

      As I now enter the double digit blogs (10 blogs, never thought I would do it.  :D), I have decided to do a different blog then what I usually do.  Instead of a review, I am making a list of the my five favorite television shows.  This list is extremely limited, since most of the television shows I watch are new and haven't airing yet, I hope this list will encourage you to check out some shows you might not have seen yet.

5. The Soup
Host: Joel McHale

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     The Soup is the most unique show on this list.  Not a drama or sitcom or even a reality show,The Soup is a show that currently airs on E! that shows clips of various television shows from the week (particularly reality shows), and makes fun of them.  The host Joel McHale (Currently the star of NBC's Community airing Thursday nights at 8!), is hilarious, and his biting commentary is both hysterical and a satire of the current state of society.  The show has regular "segments" such as "Chat Stew" which airs clips from talk shows, "Chicks, Man" which is primarily about female celebrity news, "Reality Show Clip Time!" which airs clips from reality shows, and "Clip of the Week" which is the most notorious, hilarious, and often disturbing and shocking clip from television that week.  The show is currently in its 5th season of being hosted by McHale, and is one of the most popular shows on E!, despite being constantly ridiculed on the show.


4. Avatar: The Last Airbender


Starring: Zach Tyler Eisen- Aang,  Mae Whitman- Katara,  Jack DeSena- Sokka,  Dante Basco- Zuko
 Jessie Flower- Toph,  Grey DeLisle- Azula, Mako- Uncle Iroh
          

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    I am undoubtedly going to get ridiculed for my placement of this show on my list, but I will stand by it and defend it to the death.  My favorite show of my childhood, and even better as I rediscover it over and over.  Unusual for a "children's" show to have both a complex mythology and to have a serial format, Avatar is a wonderful program enjoyable for parents and children.  The show is about Aang, the Avatar, who is destined to protect the world by manipulating all 4 elements by "bending" them.  He is joined in his quest for world balance by a close circle of allies, as well as a diverse cast of enemies.  Avatar is enjoyable for children because of it's funny characters and exciting fantasy actions, while adults can enjoy it for it's overarching plots and deep characters.  This is one of those shows that will make you laugh until you cry AND just make you cry.  Avatar has it all; exciting fantasy action, an original plot, 3-dimensional characters, a plot that carries on from episode to episode, and some of the funniest lines you will see on ANY show.  Exceptional episodes include "The Storm", "Zuko Alone", "The Desert" "Crossroads of Destiny", and the 4 parter-finale "Sozin's Comet".


3. Arrested Development

Starring: Jason Bateman -Michael Bluth, Portia de Rossi- Lindsay Bluth, Will Arnett- Gob Bluth, Michael Cera- George Michael Bluth, Alia Shawkat- Maeby Bluth, Tony Hale- Buster Bluth, Jeffery Tambor- George Bluth, Jessica Walter- Lucille Bluth

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      Arrested Development is my favorite sitcom ever, and undoubtedly one of the greatest of all time.  The sshow is a "riches to rags" story of the world's most dysfunctional family.  After the family patriarch (George Bluth) is sent to prison for nefarious acts of business, his son (Michael Bluth) tries his best to keep the family from destroying itself from the inside out.  This show is groundbreaking in terms of it's sense of humor; it often featured "cutaway" jokes, and for it's numerous pop culture references, many of them obscure.  This is the funniest show I have ever watched.  It takes more concentration and focus to understand and catch all the jokes then most sitcoms, which is something I like.  I love re-watching the show and finding all these hidden jokes.  This show makes me laugh, and makes me think.  But most importantly, it makes me laugh, and that's what most important.  This is the smartest funniest sitcom I have ever watched

.2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

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Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar -Buffy Summers, Nicholas Brendon- Xander Harris, Alyson Hannigan- Willow Rosenburg, Anthony Stewart Head- Rupert Giles, James Marsters- Spike, David Boreanaz- Angel, and many other various characters
     This is the only show on this list where I have not finished watching all the episodes, but I am confident enough in the remaining episodes to place this show so high on the list.  Some people will write this off as a mere fantasy show, but I assure you it is so much more then that.  The show follows the adventures of the titular character Buffy Summers, who is destined to fight the forces of darkness as the Slayer, which endows her with superhuman strength and agility.  She surrounds herself with a close circle of friends, known as the "Scooby Gang", who assist her in her quest to fight off vampires.  She struggles to balance a normal teenage life with that of her Slayer duties.  This is the most honest show about teenagers and growing up I have ever seen, despite the monsters.  The thing that makes this show unique (And what makes creator Joss Whedon a genius), is that the monsters on the show (Vampires, demons, witches) aren't just used in a villian-of-the-week format.  Each creature symbolizes an aspect of growing up.  Probably the one the show is most famous for is when Buffy's vampire boyfriend, Angel, becomes evil after a "night of passion", which destroys his human soul, symbolizing how boyfriends often become jerks to their girlfriends after sex.  By portraying the trials of growing up in a creative, unique, and entertaining format, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was more then just a show about fighting vampires.  It was a show about people one could relate to, and went through the same problems we all did.  They just kicked more butt and were funnier.

Glee Review

     "Don't Stop Believin'!!!!!!!".  With these iconic words, Glee planted itself into America's hearts.  It was not the first time a musical television show had been attempted. (See Cop Rock and Viva Laughlin).  But it was the first one that worked, the first one that people enjoyed and actually watched.  Featuring a cast of zany and over-the-top characters, and heart meltingly fantastic covers of a wide range of songs, mixed in with a bizarre sense of humor, made Glee the perfect recipe for success.

Created by Ryan Murphy, the mastermind behind the hit medical dreama Nip/Tuck, Glee centers around the  the lives and performances of the William McKinley High School Glee Club.  The club is under the leadership of Spanish teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) who is a former member of the Glee Club and helped to lead it to a national championship.  Central Glee Club members include; Finn (Cory Monteith), the football player turned Glee Clubber who is the subject of numerous romantic perils, Puck (Mark Salling) a fellow football player turned Glee Clubber who is the resident "bad boy", Kurt (Chris Coifer) the sassy homosexual fashionable singer who struggles with identity, Mercedes (Amber Riley) the plus sized singer with an incredible soulful voice, wheelchair-bound Artie (Kevin McHale),  and the breakout star of the show Rachel (Lea Michele) the obnoxious and overbearing and unofficial "leader" of the Glee Club who also happens to be their best singer.  Their rival is sinister cheerleading coach Sue Sylvster (Jane Lynch) who tries to thwarts the Glee Club's progress every step of the way.  These and other similarly cartooned characters populate this rich and creative show.
    This show succeeds for two reasons: the incredible cover songs, and Jane Lynch's performance. Even when Glee verges into cheesy and bland territory, Jane Lynch never does. She keeps this show grounded, and Glee is worth watching to see her deliver line and hilarious line.  One of my favorites is "We're dealing with children, they need to be terrified, it's like mothers milk to them - without it their bones won't grow properly".  Classic.  
    Glee has the potential to be the best show on television.  It could be great, but right now it's just good.  Glee is very gimmicky; it likes to have a "theme of the week" that the whole episode is built around, including the songs.  Sometimes this works out well (Dream On), other times not so much (Funk).  What the Glee writers need to focus on next season is letting the story flow naturally, instead of forcing these plotlines for our characters that don't match what their personalities.  Right now it's very stunted.  It'll be great one week, mediocre the next week.  They need to learn to build on episodes and build momentum.  Another thing that could be improved is the quality of the stories.  Really Glee?  An entire half season about FAKING a pregnancy?  We get that it's a show about musical theater, but even that was a bit much.  The best thing for the writers to do in the upcoming second season is to craft more plausible storylines that feel more organic and less artificial.  If they can do that, the show will take care of itself.  The music is beyond phenomenal, and it is very rare that they produce a bad song.  The cast is certainly talented enough to handle more sophisticated writing, and I feel they are up to the task.

    Glee has hit the world by storm. It's ratings have GROWN over the course of the season, it's songs have sold more then 1.6 million copies on Itunes, the cast have gone on tour to sold out shows, and it dominated the Emmy Awards, scoring 19 nominations, including Best Comedy, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress, which Jane Lynch is a guaranteed.  Whether Glee will continue to enchant us in the upcoming seasons remain to be seen.  But there is one thing that everyone who watches Glee can agree upon, and that is the shows originality.  It truly is wonderful to see a show so unique on network television, and if Glee helps to usher in more original work like this, then it will have been worth it. 

The Fly (1986) Review

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The Fly:
Director: David Croenberg

Screenplay: David Croenberg and Charles Edward Pogue
Starring: Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park), Geena Davis (Thelma and Louise), and John Getz
Gross Revenue: 60,629,159 worldwide
Awards: 1987 Academy Award for Best Make-Up