Review of "Insomnia"

Review of "Insomnia"

The movie I want to critique this week stars three well-known Academy Award winning actors and is directed by someone who should have one for his last film. But here's the problem. Well, problems. Al Pacino's strength: Steaming mad yelling angry man. His character showed this outrage in maybe half a scene. Robin WIlliams's strength: Making faces and getting people to laugh, or doing other things. Actually, he did a good job in playing a pscho who you weren't sure whether to like or not. Hilary Swank's strength: Portraying a man. Her character was not a man. Chris Nolan's strength: His story writing and warping of time, giving us a little at a time at precisely thought out intervals. This film was in complete chronological order and it was a remake of a 1997 Norwegian film.

That's another thing. Are we that desperate for stories that we remake movies not even 5 years old now? First people have stopped writing new music, now Hollywood is jumping on the bandwaggon? Well, I wasn't going to go see the Norwegian film, so I guess they know what they're doing. Now the plot was some twisted murder mystery, but the little catch (because there always is one in these Nolan films), is that Al Pacino's character, who flew up to Alaska from LA during the summer, can't sleep in this fucked up part of earth where the sun never goes down. You've got to be all sorts of fucked up to actually live in this place. It's gotta be great for after work soccer leagues, but for people that enjoy sleep and flashlight tag, it really sucks. Anyway, so Al goes like 5 days without sleeping at all. And Chris Nolan had a scene or two where you could tell that Al wasn't operating on all four cylinders, but I expected more from him. Of course, anything after Memento is going to look extremely ordinary, but I did expect more out of him. Of course since he made it big time, he probably has deadlines to meet and a boss and stuff. And I doubted Guy Pierce and Joe Pantoliano gave him as much crap as Al and Robin.

I'll end by saying I like this film and I will watch it again on DVD just to make sure I don't want to see it a third time, but if you miss it, don't bang your head on the desk too hard. But the story is really good. And you never know who to root for, which I really like in a film. And it's got a twist ending, which I also like. Not quite Shyamalan, but still twisty. 6 1/2 bugs.

Well, I was going to go see the movie with Mike and he showed up to my place 5 minutes before the movie started because he fell asleep on his couch...

Quote of the Day 7/12/02

"Sorry I'm late, but it would be really funny if we were late to a movie called 'Insomnia' because I overslept."

-Yelnick McMikey


You should have heard his excuse for when we were late for "Dick."

Meters to go before I sleep, Meters to go before I sleep,

Dustin Frosty.


Still Standing Right Here...

Accidentally Italian

Accidentally Italian

Sorry about the incredibly sporadic quote production, but something really unexpected happened to me recently. I found a social life. I'm not quite sure how to handle it and I've already cut sleep out of my schedule, so squeezing the quote in will be even more tricky. I'm only going to brush my teeth every other day and I'll sleep in my car to save time somehow. That having been said, I'm obviously not funny right now. So I'll let Tony's self-serving quote of the day application e-mail speak for itself.

Quote Of the Day 7/11/02

MJConover7: Wanna hear a cool song?
Tonedef6: does anyone actually answer 'no' when use phrase it like that?
MJConover7: Download "Inches Feet Miles" by Heywood Banks.
Tonedef6: "use phrase it like that"...odd, ordinarily i have to consciously try to sound italian
Tonedef6: it usually doesn't just happen on its own
MJConover7: LOL

When languages are born from bad spelling and improper grammar...

Sounding Canadian by accident,

Mr. Bacon, eh.


Still Standing Right Here...

Rating Day Camp Players

Day Camp Players

Kids - Not to sound annoyingly obvious, but these little punks are the reason we're all here. And as bratty as some of them are, I miss the kids. My job isn't just playing with kids anymore. I get to play with the parents and the health inspector, etc. The kids are actually the ones that keep my sanity. And my whistle. And the keys to my car. Even the bad ones aren't so bad comparatively. And they have to listen to me. If I go tell them to sit in a corner, they might argue, but every last one will go sit in that corner. I don't think my boss would be as cooperative. A

Counselors - I lied. I do have a group of kids. There are about 13 or so and they wine and bitch about everything all the time too. And some of them are just as bratty as their kids. "Do we have to go to tennis? It's too hot outside." "What's next?" "Can I have a dollar?" But so far this year, none of them have needed to be fired for talking about smoking pot to their kids. A

My boss(es) - I'll be honest. My bosses have bailed me out of trouble when I got in over my head. They're usually very reasonable when I need to order stuff or use the bathroom. But it's really all about the Bengimans to them. Two years ago, my boss's boss sat me down and explained very matter of factly in as nice a way as possible that I wasn't getting a raise or a promotion because they knew I'd stay anyway and I frankly just wasn't worth their money. It burned, but at least I know what he's all about. And it's the Bengimans. Unfortunately, I'm only all about the Washingtons. B-

The parents - 85% of the parents I have to deal with are great. They tell me that their child is having fun at camp and they might have a little constructive criticism or a minor question about policy, but they are founded in reality. Then there's the other 15%. These people have no clue how to parent a child. Granted, I've never had to father a child and I can only imagine how hard it might be, but give me a fucking break. I told a father that I saw his daughter scratch another child's face, showed the child's bloody face to him and the skin was still practically under his daughter's nails, and the guy still sat there and told me that his daughter wouldn't do something like that and that "something else must be going on here." Further down the line on the bad parenting spectrum, I had social services and the police called on me earlier this year for possible child neglect and/or sexual assault over one 8-yr-old calling another 8-yr-old gay in the locker room. She also threatened to go to WBALTV and stand outside with a picket sign saying that we abuse kids. These kind of parents drag down the average. C-

Quote Of the Day 7/9/02

"That's fine. I'll just stand out there with a picket sign that says 'She's a knucklehead.'"

-Mr. Geoff


The two of them can march around in a circle on the FOX Evening News.

Stuck in an endless piggyback ride,

Mr. Jungle Gym.


Still Standing Right Here...

Oh, I Thought You Were Funny

Oh, I Thought You Were Funny

Well, I'm not one to make excuses, but my computer got pink eye. I thought it best not to expose any of you to that. Damn kids.

Oh yeah. The kids. Here's what I'll say about camp so far this year. I have needed to go out drinking on weeknights after camp this year (in only 3 weeks) more than I have the entire other 6 years I've been working camps. Broken arms, social services and the same whacked out parents sending me e-mails complaining that my counselors are giving their child money (I'm not kidding). She even started the e-mail by saying she had a "serious" concern. How the hell am I supposed to talk to these people? I think I'll just sign her e-mail address up for a few porn sites. That'll be funny.

So anyway, camp started a few weeks back. I currently, as I type, have two of my staff members sleeping in my livingroom. So not much has changed except Colin and Woody don't put out first (I hope I didn't cross a line there). So we were all getting to know each other as a staff after work one day and a bunch of us were all telling jokes and piling semi-humorous quip after quip on top of each other. Well, I can't remember exactly what was said to provoke this, but it was one of the least subtle and degrading things that has possibly ever been said to a person. Well, maybe not, but it still stings three weeks later. So what led to this was Colin tossed a quip on the stack and people laughed at it, to which Nate asked what movie that was from. Laurie apparently didn't know it was from a movie and thought he came up with it on his own, to which she said very matter of factly...

Quote Of the Day 7/8/02

"Oh wait. That was from a movie? Oh, I thought you were funny."

-Miss Laurie


Oh wait. That's make-up? I thought you were pretty.

Testing the limits of child abuse,

Mr. Whistlehead.


Still Standing Right Here...