Archive for November, 2006
Illusionist (2006)
Who’s in it
Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, Paul Giamatti, Rufus Sewell
Should you see this movie?
Yes. Sarah thought this movie was predictable, and me being the usual “enjoyer I don’t think too much” at movies didn’t see anything happening before it did, therefore I was surprised. A story about a man that creates amazing illusions, kind of like magic but much more, and the woman he loves. They are childhood lovers but are separated by class, but are reunited later in their lives in different circumstances. The acting here is solid, nothing to win an Oscar for, but you really watch this for the ideas and the suspended belief in the truth of whether something is possible. I think most people may like this, unless you are trying to predict how it will end like Sarah, then pass on this. But truly a different and interesting movie set in an interesting period and place.
Match Point (2005)
Who’s in it
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Brian Cox
Should you see this movie?
No, skip it. I don’t know too much about Woody Allen as a director, and I shouldn’t have expected any less of this movie from the previews, but this movie is depressing, you hate the main character, and the story spirals out of control to the worst end possible. Meyers is this creepy, charming, driven young man who takes it all from the rich lifestyle, but has an affair with his brother in law’s ex fiancee. After she gets pregnant a chilling set of events happen that he miraculous survives, but has to live with the guilt. I watched the clock the whole time during this movie, and although Scarlett is good in the movie, attractive, the previews make it looks a little different. The subject matter isn’t something I would recommend to most, but you insist on seeing it for Scarlett, she is the only redeeming qualilty of the movie, unless you like twisted stories about affairs.
22nd November 2006
Got out of work at a really nice hour today, I have a great boss. When I got home I met a new arcade contact that is interested in MAME, and sold him a cabinet that was complete except for the monitor I took out of it when I bought it on Monday. He was a nice guy and it was good to meet him. Then I went across the street and met our neighbors that fix appliances, asked them about our old dishwasher, and introduced myself. That was a good contact to make, I can tell right now.
Last night for Sarah was a long night, around a 2 am night with her midterms due and all that. After school today she picked up a leaf blower from a friend to do the yard, did some shopping, and got herself setup at Cardinal Fitness. She then met Brian, Me, and Kim down at the gym closer to seven for my second workout with them, and her first. Also her first trip to the gym since we have been down here, so that is exciting for the both of us.
When we got home, we both kind of chilled. Sarah made some dinner and then passed out on the couch, I did some invoicing, some blogging, researching online for Friday and then watched a movie and went to bed.
19th November 2006
We started off the morning with a walk with Lady before church.
I had a lot of people I wanted to talk to after church today, so even though it was a short service, we still didn’t get back until almost 12. We met Christine and the girls for lunch at Taco Bell and then they came and got Lady dog. Then Sarah worked on cleanup around the house, organizing the entertainment center and the stuff that went in it, and I worked yet again on loading Windows on a computer here at home. I also spent a little time cleaning up my Ms. Pac-Man outside, and got a ton of grime cleared away.
At just before 4 pm we left to go watch the Colts game and Matt and Mary Kay’s house. We stopped for what we thought would be a free shake from Steak and Shake, but no such luck, it was a marketing ploy. See, this week they misadvertised the Cowboys, our adversaries this weekend, to the Colts fans, and as retribution promised a free specially made shake to the fans if they came in with the gear. But no, that was even false, misleading and slanderous advertising, nice establishment that Steak and Shake. You had to dine in, meaning you had to buy something to get it. So we left.
The game stunk, but the company was great and so was the food. The Colts lost their first game, and Manning didn’t generate much offense in a final of 21-14. But that doesn’t change anything, just less pressure on the perfect season front. When we got home we spent the rest of the night, relaxing watching tv, on the phone with family, as well as for me, still trying to Load Windows XP for the last time. All my options are exhausted, I am going to look at getting Sarah a new computer and taking hers for what I need.
18th November 2006
We started early today. I got up and did some measuring in the house and made some phone calls. I was trying to determine if the entertainment center I had been trying to make arrangements for was really a good buy, or if it really was just another “thing” to put in the house and it would be too big even for the upstairs. But Sarah and I talked it out and we came to an agreement that it probably would be good.
We still had the van that we borrowed, so Sarah and I both drove downtown, me with the van, to do a service event at a very beautiful Catholic church off Oriental. Lots of friends were there, Paula, Brian, Lori and Kenny, Christy and John, it was a good time, short, and really not that hard just moving cans around, at least not from our end.
From there we both went to the church, I switched into my car, she went inside to get some work done, and then I went on to borrow a Honda and Trailer to go up to Zionsville to get the entertainment center. The drive went fast, I did some calling on people while I was going to pass the time. Nolan and three other of his friends met me up there and helped me haul the center out in less than ten minutes. It was all taken apart and ready to go, and it all went smoother than I expected.
I got home, called my parents back, and then Sarah got back with Lori and Kenny to help up unload and get everything set up. It was a good buy, we got a great deal, it is a study, solid, good looking piece of furniture, and it doesn’t look too big at all. Our living room upstairs really is taking shape and looks a ton different.
At about 4:00 we were heading out the door so we could return both vehicles, the van and the suv with the trailer. As a result we were late in meeting up with the caravan that was heading down to Columbus for the benefit auction dinner. It ended up being ok though, John was patient.
On the way down we listened as #2 Michigan played #1 Ohio State and was losing terribly, and it wasn’t until later that I got to hear the final and how close it actually was.
The dinner for Camp Lakeview was well attended and there was a great outpouring of donations, it was great to see people donate money in instances where they wouldn’t take home an item. There was just an amazing, pure-bred, Golden Retriever that was up for auction that we fell in love with, and so did a ton of other people as the dog went for $275 over it’s estimated value, and very few things were overbid during the night.
We did make a fairly early exit, which was nice, to come home and relax some. Sarah and I put in a DVD and konked out in front of our new entertainment center.
17th November 2006
I made arrangements today to be able to spend the night after work trying to load a computer with Windows XP to use as my Mame machine, and that is what I did. It was a frustrating night to say the least. Sarah didn’t come home but briefly, she has a musical up at church with her kids, and then afterwards some of the teachers were going out for drinks. I was so tired that although I said I would go, I didn’t end up going anywhere and passed out early on the couch, it was a long week.
Invincible (2006)
Who’s in it
Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear, Elizabeth Banks
Should you see this movie?
I enjoyed this movie a lot, and I think most people would regardless of whether they like football or not. It’s about a local guy in Philadelphia who gets the chance for an open tryout with the Eagles and against all odds, makes the team. But is a solid feel good movie from Disney, and it was said best when it was said this is “The Rookie” movie but for football. It would have been perfect except for this short bizarre slow motion mud football scene that really does nothing for me and was really distracting. But seriously, see this, Wahlberg is so fat it’s amazing.
13th November 2006
Exciting day, very short and tiring night, but it was worth it.
I was going to try to buy an arcade cabinet in Marion, as I mentioned, that was the same shape as a Ms. Pacman, so I could build my own. But I had been watching a local auction on ebay for someone selling a Ms. Pacman that wasn’t working. It sounded like a simple fix, and it sounded like the machine was in good condition, so I made an offer to the guy selling it and he took it.
So I took the van down to Columbus and picked the machine up and brought it back. I was so pumped, when I first started collecting this was what I really wanted, and I didn’t have to pay an arm and a leg to get it like I had thought. It has a cool back story, and it is all original and in decent condition like I mentioned.
As I researched and researched, I didn’t feel great about making my own with reproduced artwork, it would just never be the same, but I couldn’t pay the outrageoous price that the machiens go for, they just were too high. This kind of fell into my lap, and I was glad I didn’t go to Marion, it would have been a ton more work. Check out photos in the Photo Diary section of the machine, and keep posted here and I will try to mention when I get it running.
Updated: Photo Diary
Loading ...
