The King of Kong

This is the best documentary that I have seen in a long time. I don't just say that because it revolves around competing to get the highest recorded score on Donkey Kong. I say it because it plays out like a Bond film. There are heroes and villains. There is treachery, deceit, and frustration. There is vindication and rallying moments. But, it isn't a work of fiction. That makes it all the better when it hits home. The filmmakers knocked it out of the park with this by making a doc that plays like a feature.

The main villain, Billy Mitchell, is a man that has become a cartoon character. Establishing himself as the premier pac man and donkey kong player back in the 80's, Mitchell began assembling a following of fellow dweebs who looked at him as the next 8-bit messiah. He put up astronomical scores on games that were very popular at the time, and either still holds or until very recently held the top ranks. He has ventured out in life to start a bbq sauce company, but he is still very active and protective of his scores. He is a shady man who undercuts and back stabs anyone that attempts to break his records, but will encourage others to go after records of others. He manipulates the officials that tally and keep the scores and is revered by them as the last authoritative word.

Enter Steve Weibe. A man who stumbled upon the Twin Galaxies website and looked up the top scores of some of his favorite games. He saw the Kong score and figured that he could beat that. He bought a machine and set up recording equipment in his garage and began his quest to be the best. He developed his own strategies and techniques for the game and eventually set the new record. He sent in his tape only to find out that Billy Mitchell questions the validity of his score. Mitchell then sends two of his lackey's to Weibe's house to inspect his machine when he wasnt there. They decide that the motherboard has been tampered with and that his score is invalid. They then invite him to duplicate his score in public where others can see on a machine that has been deemed acceptable.

I won't go further into the story, as this is just the first half. The rest unfolds as a classic david vs. asshole match. It is enthralling and polarizing. You can't help but think that Mitchell is a douchebag, and he confirms it every step of the way.

The most powerful and resonating thing for me was all the back story on Weibe. He is a family man and a new teacher. He has had failures in his life that haunt him. He views himself as a second best player in life and it bothers him. He finds something where he can validate himself and succeeds, only to be brought down by the few that hold on so dearly to the record he is breaking. Weibe has a successful life and family, but is wanting something unique to put a stamp on.

On the flip side, Billy Mitchell and his posse of followers are stuck in the past. They have constructed their entire lives and become fanatical by basing their entire existence on these records that Mitchell set long ago. He comes off as wanting to be Jesus to his desciples of games that most people only lovingly look back on. They are are all trapped and doomed to be closed off from the rest of the world and reject anyone that tries to come into their space as equals. It is the height of snobbery and ugliness. There is no light at the end of the tunnel for Mitchell. Only sadness and the glimmering hope that no one else comes for him or his records.

Wire in the Blood: Bad Seed

Another of the BBC crime drama's that I enjoy from time to time. This story focuses on the ideas of admiration, envy, and inherited behavior.

The thought of inherited behavior is a question that can haunt a person. And it's an argument that gains more ground as DNA testing and analysis continues to push forward. I have heard from the time I was a young boy that my family has predispositions to heart disease. I have a natural addictive personality inherited down the family tree. All of these things I have no control over, but was born with these traits.

The idea that so much of a person is predetermined and incontrollable is a revelation by itself. Of course people will argue that this is "God's" will and that everything has a purpose in life. My guess is that scientists will also argue that it is predetermined due to DNA and genetics. Of course being predisposed to a condition or behavior does not automatically mean that it is a done deal.

That is the idea at the core of this story. A boy adopted as a youth struggles to find out who his real father is. He comes to accept that his real father is a serial killer from 30 years ago, and it is now his life's mission to carry on the "work" that his father carries started. Of course it ends up that he is not the killer's son, and that his "genetic predisposition" towards killing is a lie.

One of the reasons that I think the BBC puts forth much more gripping crime stories than over here in the states is that they allow the viewers mind to control how much of the gore and evil they want to accept. Using broad strokes and dialog allows the viewer to determine their level of involvment in the story. If it doesn't intrigue you the mystery is wrapped up and solved in an hour and a half. But if you get caught up in the story you can find parallels into your own life.

Of course this gives hope to me, a person who has the genetic misfortune to carry on terrible genes. I can fight the past and overcome the odds. I can strike out against the evil DNA and make a new path for myself. It is a subject that echoes throughout me on a daily basis. After many years I feel I have a firm grasp on who I am and what I want to be. I recognized my faults and my past missteps. I move forward into the future knowing that I am grounded. But thankfully I am only predisposed to be a gambler, fat, and an alcoholic. But not a killer. Score one for the Smith genes.

There Will Be Blood

I was knocked flat by this movie. It took me 48 hours to fully digest my feelings and thoughts. It isn't a movie for everyone. It doesn't set out to be. There is no doubt in my mind that Daniel Day Lewis will win the Oscar for Best Actor this year. Even George Clooney, who is nominated in the same category, has already conceded the award to him. He put forth a performance that is simultaneously subtle and nuanced as well as shocking and violent.

Daniel Plainview is a man that only wants one thing. He wants money. Enough money to retire and never have to deal with people again. He says so flat out to his brother about halfway though the movie. He shares the same view of others as Agent Smith from the Matrix. They are all just parasites sucking the life out of everything. Plainview is a successful oil man who travels around the country drilling and collecting properties to amass his great money making empire. And he never falters in his goal.

Daniel Plainview is the movie. Everything that happens revolves around him and his reaction to it. All the subplots and diversions only add to the history and legacy that Plainview is ultimately responsible for. He is the line that the movie always tracks through.

Some of the most memorable scenes for me involve Plainview and his son, H.W. In one of the first scenes when H.W. is still a baby, Plainview and his crew are drilling what will become his first oil well. Many of the workers are seen lovingly holding the baby, cooing at him and kissing him. Comforting him from all the noise and debris around. But daddy is always at the well. Digging, overseeing, and running his operation. At one point after oil has been struck and the extraction process had begun, someone comes by the baby and smears a thumbful of oil on his head, effectively baptizing him in the "blood" that will rule the rest of his life.

When Daniel is drilling in what would become his most profitable find of his career tradgedy strikes when a geyser of oil spurts forth from the ground. The sudden burst of escaped trapped gasses and oil knocks young H.W. from his perch high atop the derrick, knocking him silly and making him deaf. While Daniel quickly runs to the aide of his boy, he quickly deposits him with another man and returns to bask in the fiery glow that has become of his derrick after it caught fire. He is more content to bask in the ocean of oil he has stumbled upon than caring for his child.

Plainview is a man with morals and convictions. They are just unique. He is a man that has raised a child on his own, started and expanded his empire, and makes no apologies for what he has to do to achieve his goals. He is extremely well spoken and has a deep feeling of what is right and wrong. He sets out early to protect and comfort a little girl who is being beaten by her father. He takes great offense if anyone suggests that he should be raising his family or running his business any different. And he seeks out his revenge on every person that slights him. The stealth at which he undermines the preacher in the small town they are drilling in is brilliant. It starts a subtle digs and encounters and builds to the climactic ending that leaves both men changed forever.

One of the final scenes that was very polarizing for me was the scene between an elderly Daniel Plainview and his now grown son H.W. Deaf since his accident, H.W. has since learned sign language and married the same young girl that Daniel protected so many years ago from beatings. H.W. goes to his fathers mansion to tell him that he is striking out on his own to form his own drilling company and heading to Mexico. Daniel proceeds into one of the best and most haunting scenes in the entire film.

I won't spoil it here, but my take is that there are two seperate reasons for his actions. One is that what he is doing to his son is out of love, and is doing it to make him stronger and tougher as he ventures out to make his own name. While it is harsh and unnerving, it is the only way of expressing love that Plainview knows. It is how he was brought up and it is what it took for him to amass his empire.

The second is that he is telling the whole truth. He admits earlier that he hates everyone, and is only goal in life was to make enough money so that he never had to see anyone ever again. He has very few friends, most of which would probably be considered employee's or businessmen at best. And what he says and does to H.W. is just an extension of that hatred. I lean more towards this idea.

I have purposely skipped over the religious overtones and the preacher character that is the main antagonist in the film. It is not because the character is not well written. It certainly is, and is handled by Paul Dano beautifully. But again, that isn't the focus of this film. This is a character study of one man. It follows him from the beginning of his career to the end. Everything else is fluff that while may add to the experience, it is just fluff.

The comparisons that this film is getting to No Country For Old Men is a complement to both films. But they are completely different in my eyes. NCFOM is an ensemble piece that hinges on all performances put together. There Will Be Blood relies only on Daniel Day Lewis. Both are set in bleak and harsh landscapes that offer little comfort to the people that interact in them. But they are so different it is hard to compare them. I have to see each of these films again at least once to truly decide which I like better. But regardless of that, I have set the bar extremely high for myself for this coming year. All 5 movies that I have seen in the theaters this year have been exceptional.

Juno

It is my firm belief that Juno was a gift to the striking writers of America. Obviously written and produced well before the strike began, it is my belief that it caught so much buzz from critics and ultimately was nominated for so many Oscars as a peace offering to all the writers.

Now, don't get me wrong. Juno is a good film that shines positive lights on many topics that can and will affect young people today. That's why it resonated so powerfully. The dialog tries extremely hard to be hip and kitschy and modern. While there were a few lines of dialog that I couldn't quite stomach, the overall tone and feeling that is projected carries the film enough to forgive these minor annoyances.

The heart of this movie is love and goodness. Teenagers are typically written off as stupid and immature when it comes to love and sex. But to present these problems with a backbone of caring strikes a chord where many have failed. While Juno's pregnancy may have been unplanned, it wasn't a conception void of emotion. Juno comes to realize she truely does love Pauly Bleeker. (side note: Who wouldn't? Michael Sera is a force. He is gold in everything hie does) Juno has enough self awareness to also realize she doesn't want to be a mother.

This screenplay delves into topics that are touchy and hard to deal with. Juno's abandonment issues with her own mother, abortion, adoption, marriage, and emotionally infidelity all get touched upon. Where the script truly shines is that it hits all these tough subjects with enough humor and levity that it doesn't feel like a heavy experience when you come out on the other side.

Getting back to my point that this is a gift to the writers. I think that Ellen Page does a wonderful job as Juno. I think it's great that so many critics and awards recognized Diablo Cody as the writer. As an independent woman writer she comprises such a small contingent of what gets written and produced these days. But it is an important market that will surely be looked at further in the years to come. And by nominating this film as one of the best pictures of the year, the Oscars are letting some of their elite status light shine down on a small indie picture that when released was probably destined for a small splash. But money doesn't lie, and lots and lots of people have gone out and suported this good movie.

I think the buzz surrounding this movie was a plea to the writers. An attempt to remind them that they are relevant and supported. An attempt to showcase new talent. I can't say it's undeserving of the attention and praise, but due to the dialog that focus's so much on what is going on TODAY, I think that the lasting legacy of this film will not be the film itself, but what it did to the industry.

Super Sunday

Sunday started out with a whimper. We slept in for a little bit and recovered from all the miles and all the smiles we endured throughout the weekend up to that point. While I am all for being a social butterfly, it can take a tole on a guy when he's used to spending at least half his day in silence around the house. So the extended sleepy time was much needed.

Side note, now that we got the new Queen sized bed I am sleeping much better. And I know Adie will say the same thing. Who would have thought that an extra 6 inches would make all the difference. Actually don't think about it. I don't want me and 6 inches to be associated together. Why start now.

Back on track. Adie headed up to Anderson around noon for her family stuff and I was left to my own devices around the house. I was still planning on heading over to Lauren and Lou's to watch the game. I was just messing around the house picking up a tiny tiny bit and doing some laundry. Lou called around 2 and asked/demanded that I go with him on some picture taking expedition.

I had gone one one these with him prior after we got sushi one day for lunch and Lou saw a train. For those of you that don't know, one of Lou's greatest loves in this world is to take pictures of trains. Not just the trains, but specifically the engines. He knows all about which tracks go where and the history of the trains that run on them. So when he saw this specfic train he knew that it was headed for the famed Stand By Me bridge that goes over Lake Lemon. He had been dying to get a specific shot of this train going over it and the chase was on. Because of his desire to get a shot of the engine, that of course meant that we had to get ahead of the train with enough time to set up and get ready to shoot it as it goes by. While I don't share in his love of trains to the extent he does, and no one will ever consider me a photo buff, it was still fun to share in a moment with him. His excitement wore off on me and it was fun just to ride around and get hyped for an event that I had probably seen happen a hundred times in my life. But this time with a new appreciation. He got the shot he was wanting by the way.

So anyway, he called me up and asked if I wanted to go to the abandoned IU observatory. I of course had no idea what the hell he was talking about. But Lou is not the one to take no for an answer, so when I informed him that I wasn't even dressed at the time he said " Put some pants on asshole, your going. I'll be over in five minutes"

So off we go to the secret location of the abandoned astronomy observatory. I have no idea when this was built, or when it was then left for new digs by the university. Upon our arrival to the spot we noticed a fence, so we figured we would go around the perimeter to see if there was a broken spot somewhere along the way for us to hop over and get to the picture taking. Much to our simultaneous delight and confusion the fence only covered on side of the property. I guess they figured that if you saw fence on the one side, you would just abandon all hope and disappear. But we were much more resourceful and walked the extra 100 yards and walked right around the end of it into the grove of trees. Our next fortuitous discovery is that the building isn't even locked up. There is a halfway broken latch that keeps the door from swinging open, but that's it.

Once we got into the building Lou took some shots and headed up the steps to the second level. This building was used before the advent of machinery because instead of having a roof that would open and close wherever there was a set of pulleys that would rotate the entire rotunda roof to meet wherever the telescope needed to go. There was one open patch in the roof where you would be able to see out, and I image there was some kind of big wheel to turn to get the roof to rotate into position. It was very cool and Lou got some really good shots. All in all we spent about 20 minutes before shoving off. We were sure to "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints" which lou said at some point in a mocking tone. I imagine this is some kind of photographers code to live by, but I imagine we would use it only if we got caught trespassing and tried to pass ourselves off the the police as just a couple of artsy nerds who would rather take pictures of cool stuff than watch the football game that day. Thankfully it didn't come to this and we took off with no one the wiser.

Our next stop in cool shit was an abandoned water slide formerly known as "The Zoom Flume." Shut down sometime ago, all that remains is the broken down remnants of changing rooms and a pump house. And the slide of course. The slide consists of steep blue concrete walls that bank at almost impossible to comprehend angles. The width of the slide was also a concern of mine, as I couldn't see how fattys could have enjoyed such a ride. The slide loops around and around and probably would have taken about 20 seconds to complete. Lou says that you also had to ride some kind of sled when you went down it, which also seems impossible due to the tight corridors you were supposed to be rushing through. Once again there was no lock or gate to this place. Just an abandoned driveway and some brush. Lou had been there before but we took some shots anyway. I was relegated to holding shit while he took the pictures which was fine by me. I did take a few shots on Lou's very nice film camera, including one of him taking pictures with his other camera. Im sure it will come out looking like every other shot of people taking pictures, but I still took some pictures during our excursion dammit!!!

The rest of the afternoon prior to the game was filled with us going to the grocery and fucking around because I couldn't go over to their house till after 5pm. Lauren instructed Lou on this fact and made sure that no one would be over prior because she was cleaning. She was a bit more concerned about the whole thing than Lou or I was.

The game itself was highlighted by some excellent snacks lovingly prepared by Lauren, and some kick ass brats by Lou. While most of us there that day were rooting for the Giants half heartedly, it never appeared that it was going to happen. The fourth quarter finally provided some drama and capped off what will be a memorable superbowl, if only for one quarter.

I can't say that game could have turned out any better from my point of view. It is my belief that most of the patriots of this season will take off for greener pastures and fatter contracts. Which I am all for. Parity is what the NFL needs at this point.

Overall my Sunday started off as a whimper, and roared forward into adventures and experiences that I won't soon forget. If only they could all go this splendidly.

Week 3 and 4

I missed doing an update last week on the steps challenge. So here's a recap of the previous 2 weeks.

Week 3
Day 1 - 8120
Day 2 - 5584
Day 3 - 4740

I don't remember what I did on these days to get my steps in. One of them was at the Y. One was just a day walking around shopping and whatnot.

Week 4
Day 1 - 6230
Day 2 - 6700
Day 3 - 4420

Day 1 was a Y day. Day 2 was shopping with Joan on Thursday. Day 3 was walking around yesterday.

While I am maintaining my average of 5k over the three days, I would like to hit 5k each day no matter what. While it is easy for me to hit the 5k when I go to the Y, it is a crap shoot when I just wear the pedometer when I am out an about.

Another problem/fact about the days when I record my steps is that I don't wear the pedometer all day. Typically if I am going to the Y I will put it on when I leave the house, and then may or may not put it back on after I shower and change clothes. If I know I'm not going to get to the Y, but am going to try and hit my 5k just by walking around, I'll try and wear it all day till I go to bed. So while I am hitting my marks, it is not an accurate description of how many steps I take in a day. My guess is that I take an extra 1k steps a day that aren't recorded.

This weekend also was Bess and Chris's reception. Friday night Adie and I went to their house in Franklin for dinner and to help Bess make and decorate the cake for the reception. The trip started out with a bang as I completely spaced out and forgot how to get to Franklin. We went up 37, completely bypassed 44, and took 144 over to Bargersville. I then continued the to space out and told Adie to head north, because that is where 44 was. We got to Whiteland before my brain clicked back into check and realized we were way north of where we needed to be. We took some back roads and headed up to 31 to head into Frankin. All in all I think we added about half an hour to our trip, and Bess got a hearty laugh out of the whole thing, but we arrived intact.

Decorating the cake went much better than expected. We fixed the spot where Walter the Farting Dog ate a chunk. We even made the cake look good after our disastrous first attempt at covering the cake in a base layer of icing. We even managed to salvage the other cake when Adie forgot what year it was, and incorrectly labeled their wedding day in 2006. For the benefit of the guests who would be enjoying the cake a scant 16 hours later Chris and I were relegated to mostly support roles in this process. Chris provided music accompaniment throughout the evening as well as being the Gopher Bitch who went to Wal Mart to get supplies as we ran low. I mixed up quite a few batches of icing and attempted to make the colors match as we constantly ran out of green icing. We put the finishing touches on the cake at around midnight, and Adie and I headed home. But not before stopping at White Castle for a late night snack. Adie braved her first White Castle Slider ever, and said that they were pretty good. I finished the other 5 and we took the right way home. Rolled into home around 1:30am.

The reception itself was a nice affair filled with many friends and family from both sides of our newly meshed lives. Joan was gracious enough to demand that Adie and I be there for the entire reception, and then also informed us upon our arrival that there was an after party back at the house that we were encouraged to attend. It was posed more as a wild eyed "Your coming back to the house afterward, RIGHT?!?!??" How could I resist.

The reception itself was nice. I jokingly told the BC contingent that this was the most amount of time I had voluntarily spent in Nashville since High School. They all agreed that it was the same for them. I was also graced with the honor of giving a toast to the new bride and groom. Daddy Joe said that I should do it because he didn't want to. It's always nice to be thought of.

While I am sure it will be a shock to no one, but I just winged the damn thing. I got to slip in the fact that I saw Chris naked before Bess did. Gym class, freaks. Don't get it twisted. I got plenty of compliments afterwards, but I was just glad that Bess and Chris liked it. The rest of the event was uneventful, which I consider a good thing. Lots of chit chat and food and mellowness.

The "After party" was good. The animals were freaked out by the 15-20 people that recently invaded their territory. If they hadn't been outnumbered so badly I truly believe that they would have risen up and demanded nummy treats. The conversations flowed as freely as the alcohol that everyone was enjoying. Slowly everyone trickled out until it was close to midnight. Adie and I were the last to leave and got home around 1am.

Today is the superbowl. Adie is missing it, as she's gone up to Anderson to see her family. I've been trying to catch up all the laundry and pick up the house before heading to Lauren and Lou's for the game. I am rooting for the Giants, only because I loathe the Patriots. More specifically I loathe Belechick. I guess that by rooting for Eli, by proxy I am rooting for Peyton. That surely should appease the Indiana Sports Gods.

Truely, I all I have to root for sportswise at this point is the start of Baseball season, which is still two months away. It's about to be a dark time for me dear readers. But fear not, I will rise above the ashes of a Colts season that couldn't live up to expectations, a Pacers team that is quickly becoming a bottom tier team, and an IU basketball team that can't seem to remember how to win anymore. I will emerge from the other side with interests freshly renewed. And I will do it all with a minimum of 5k steps under my belt. If only for three days a week.

Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense

Another gem found in the vaults of Netflix. This is a concert shot from the early 80's by Jonathan Demme. Yes, the same director of Silence of the Lambs. Silence is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I was confused why this was on his resume. Of course this was from early in his career, but after watching the film, I can see why he would want to be a part of this project.

Shot over the course of three nights, the concert unfolds in a very unique and memorable way. David Byrne opens the concert by walking out onto an empty stage with only a boombox and a guitar. He does one song, and after that one member of the band comes out to join him for another song. This pattern continues until the entire band is on stage.

While I had heard the Talking Heads before, I would not consider myself a fan. I always would write them off as a quirky band that never grabbed my attention for any ammount of time. But through this film, I was captivated and transformed into a fan.

While the band plays well together, the addition of some soulful backup singers and Bernie Worell (keyboardist for Parliment Funkadelic) the songs transform into heavy funk driven experiences. David Byrne carefully choreographed and planned out the lighting of the stage to accentuate the band and show them as a cohesive unit. There were none of the now common quick cuts and jumps with extreme closeups and strobe lights. Simple white lighting coupled with wide shots of the band playing were all that were used.

I was impressed with the vision of Byrne and Demme. They were deliberate with how the presented the material and limited the uses of camera tricks and crowd shots. Without the crowd noise and shots of them enjoying the show, it allowed me to form my own opinions of how the show was going.

It was also funny to watch David Byrne do his thing. Years ago my friend Courtney told me a story about one of her friends that hooked up with David Byrne in the 90's. After falling asleep in David's apartment, he woke up to see David's butt hovering above his chest. Apparently he was trying to give the dude a Cleveland Steamer. Now that would have been a memorable experience.