What Exactly Am I, Generationaly Speaking?

As I sit at my desk, reflecting on The Lion King, listening to the soundtrack from Final Fantasy 7 and being devoured by social networking I begin to wonder who am I? Not in some deep philosophical way, but in terms of my generation, what defines us...

So naturally, like any good 20-something, I googled generations. Wikipedia told me that I was "Generation Y," part of something called the "Echo Boomers." What the holy heck is an Echo Boomer? So naturally I clicked the little blue echo boomer link and stepped into the vortex of Wikipedia. Having been through a generational blender of user submitted facts and doctoral anecdotes, I still have come to no definitive conclusion.

Somethings made a lot of sense to me though. They say my generation is counter-counter culture, which is a confusing way to say we rebelled against the guys rebelling. They say we are more civic minded and less cynical. I couldn't agree more, we live in an Anne Frank idealistic world where people are generally good at their core. We see an act as good until the intentions are made clear, and that really speaks to me. I have always been quick judge something as genuine until proven false, I am the guy who watches Law and Order and when the bad guys says he didn't do it I believe him. He seems to have a good story, don't be so harsh Mr cop guy, what if he really is innocent! I think this comes from a childhood devoid of real evil, but a teenage reminder that real evil exists. I know it made me really examine why some people do such terrible things. It is true, the road to hell is paved with good intentions... and honestly that I see that as an extremely uplifting statement.

The phrase "Peter Pan" generation struck me as interesting. Apparently we take longer to become adults then before. We live at home longer, we hold onto things from our childhood with greater reverence then in the past. Most of the describers seem to miss the point though. One entry commented that this generation is learning for the mistakes of our forerunners, that we see all the failed careers and marriages as something to be avoided. So we take our time. I don't think that is completely true either, I have a much more romantic view on this subject. We are a generation of dreamers, of imagination and great personal self worth. We don't cling to the youth years so much as we celebrate them. I sit here writing this listening to music from Super Mario 64, essentially well organized digital bleeps, but I cherish this music for it's role in shaping who I am today, it allows me to look into the past and imagine the future. If everything is cyclical then we simply looked so far ahead, we saw behind us.

They also say my generation is overly self entitled. It stems from childhoods where everyone got a trophy just for showing up. Saying everyone is special is just another way to say no one is. I think that has stuck in our collective cultural subconscious, we dream big, we have the loftiest of goals, and so much of that goes unfulfilled. Psychiatry will be a very booming business in 20 years. This, I think, might be our greatest identifier as a group. We grew up with so much promise, we witnessed the birth of so much amazing technology, so many leaps forward in such a small amount of time. To us, there is no impossible, and that is a dragon we might be uniquely qualified to slay. This generation is poised to do great things, advance in ways that only our children will comprehend.

So what does that make us? Not Generation Y, that is too easy, too derivative. The Echo Boomers? No we stand apart, we love our parents but that's them, we are us. I know some refer to us as the Millennials, and that makes sense for right now, but honestly I think we should go unnamed for awhile, I don't think we have trully discovered what this generation is. I asked who am I, generationally speaking, and the answer I found is that we are still looking for the answer. Only time, and our even more amazing successors can truly be the judge.

Internet Funnies: 4-3-10

Looks like Sharkboy might have had a little assistance filling out his dreamy abs for some of the New Moon promotionals.

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On the next episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit some one in the Vatican learns the uses and practical applications of the Venn Diagram.

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My justification... that IS where X is. Perhaps in the future the teacher will write a more retard proof test.

PS. The guy why wrote this is either working at a McDonalds or is a high priced Defense Attorney

Scattershot: 4-3-10

The Butler Bulldogs are going to play for the NCAA National Championship Monday. Don't worry if you don't follow college basketball and never heard of them, because there are thousands of fans around the country who live and breath college hoops and have never heard of Butler's Bulldogs. America loves an underdog, and mere 2 months after the Saints captured the hearts of country, Butler looks to do the same Monday night.

The Men Who Stare At Goats is an odd film. Wait, odd is not the right word let me consult my thesaurus for the better adjective..... ah, found it! The Men Who Stare At Goats is an eccentric film. The structure is loose, most of the characters have generally magnanimous motivations and the film's main villain isn't so much a villain as he was a selfish younger man who grew up into successful older man, he dosen't really do anything villainous. It's hard to root for any of the characters, because the ones who are "good" are generally crazy or doing things that make little sense to a sane person. That said, I did enjoy the hour and a half I spent with the film, and recommend it as a rental to anyone who had a passing interest in the concept or stars of the film.

I'm really looking forward to The Losers and Kick-Ass. I don't think anything more needs to be said about Kick-Ass so I want spend a few sentences on the Losers. The cast is awesome, Jeffery Dean Morgan was one of the better parts of last year's brilliant Watchmen, and he gets his own starring role here. Zoe Saldana is 42 kinds of hot and is picking a lot of geek friendly roles that I can really appreciate. I also have developed a strong liking of Chris Evans, the man just owns on screen and deserves all the fame he has coming to him as he is taking on the role of Captain America next.

Which brings me to my last point, the Marvel shared universe of films (Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and eventually the Avengers) has had a few developments recently. 1st, obviously Chris Evans was signed on to be Captain America, which sort of completes the "big 3" of the Avengers (Charlie Chaplin as Iron Man, Kirk's Dad from Star Trek as Thor and The Human Torch as Captain America) Not a horrible set of guys to anchor, more or less, 6 films in the next 5 years. 2nd the geek man god Joss Whedon and animation man god Brad Bird have been mentioned as possible Avengers directors, and with Favreau out of the question and Letterier being hobbled by poor reviews of Clash of the Titans, the two new names could be near the top of the short list. I will reserve judgment until they make an announcement, but rest assured these names have a HIGH potential to cause geekgasms so powerful the world over, that the earth's very axis could be shifted... this might be what the Mayans predicted people, Avengers has a tentative 2012! release date!

Mercenary Madness

It seems like every time Hollywood gets a good idea, 4 or 5 other similar ideas crop up right behind it. Usually all but one get weeded before you go see them in the theater, occasionally you will see 2 break through around the same time. Examples of this phenomena are Dantes Peak/Volcano, Armageddon/Deep Impact and Finding Nemo/Shark Tale. This will happen about once a year with varying degrees of visibility, but this year we get the rare trifecta. Three movies all with very similar core concepts all battling for out hearts and wallets this summer. Three films will weave us a tale about a close group of highly trained mercs who used to work for, or were betrayed by the government and only trust each other. They take jobs for money, but the movie likely sees our heroes get revenge for their betrayal. So lets break them down and see who is the Favorite, Dark Horse and Lame Duck of the trio! It's time for some Mercenary Madness!

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The Expendables



Sylvester Stallone knows his fans. Say what you will about the man and his movies, but he knows exactly what people want when they walk into a Stallone film. Ever since he took control over his image and characters with the better then expected Rocky Balboa, Stallone has been on a roll, making films as if he were a Stallone fan boy himself. This summer he might just unveil his masterpiece. The Expendables was cast like the internet's dream list of action stars of the 80's, 90's and today, you will see Stallone, Willis and Ah-Nold together in a scene... you will see Jason Statham, Jet Li and Stallone simultaneously kicking ass... you will see Dolph Lundgern and Mickey Rourke doing stuff... and for those who are interested Stone Cold Steve Austin and Randy Couture are around too. Seriously if you were every excited by some form of cinema violence in the last 30 years, this film will appeal to you. This only flaw in this film's armor is the simple fact that it is hard to sell an 80's style action flick in 2010, especially with other, more flashy, films are coming out before it.

Verdict: With the best cast of the bunch, and Stallone behind the camera this film might be the best, but it is a harder sell and will likely not be the big winner. DARK HORSE.

The A-Team:



The classic TV show is reborn in 2010 with a good cast and a big budget. This is has the most name recognition of the bunch and a Director who can really set up an action scene, so there is hope. The problem here is that this is an adaption of a TV show, and there is a very sticky history of these being balls awful. Added to that is the Mr. T factor which presents the problem of an actor who is larger then the character he played, which will lead to either a painful characiture or a lifeless shell of a character that will bring the whole movie down. This film boasts a good cast that I would generally root for, but I can't shake the feeling that this film will suffer from bad timing. Had this come out last year, or next, it wouldn't have the added burden of having to be better then not just previous TV adaptations (a VERY low bar), but also a pair of similar films out in the same few months that frankly look much better.

Verdict: Might make the most money of the group, just because, but out of the three stands the greatest chance of being a flaming turd. LAME DUCK.


The Losers:



Of the three trailers released for these films, the Losers looks like the most fun. Based on an obscure comic book somewhere in the DC library, The Losers boasts a great cast, a great look and a very interesting director (whose previous work includes Stomp the Yard and I Always Know What You Did Last Summer). Playing like a more colorful mix of both the Expendables and The A-Team, The Losers seems to have something for quite literately everyone. Sexy Ladies? Check. Sexy Guys? Check. (I figure that in theory only) Big Explosions? Check. Lots of Guns? Check. Sexy Scenes and Slow Motion? Check and Check, and both in one scene no less! The Losers looks to be a blast that appeals to the masses in flash, the nerds in substance and the inbetweeners in sex appeal, if only it didn't have to contend with Kick-Ass in theaters this would be a slam dunk.

Verdict: The film doesn't have the big names of the other two and a less then favorable release date to compete with a couple summer flicks, yet despite the underdog status I am willing to bet this will be the more loved of the Mercenary Movies of 2010. FAVORITE.

The Practically Perfect Pixar Personality Prognosticator

(No, this blog post is not a thinly veiled way for me to get a huge 5-pointer next time I play Scatigories, although I am keenly aware of its potential so beware next time you lose to me.)

It dawned on me the other day, as I listened to the cool, breezy sounds the Finding Nemo soundtrack, that Pixar has 10 feature films all of which are classics in their own way. All of which also have fans who count each as their favorite Pixar film. So using this fairly obvious bit of knowledge I have delved into the deep psychological meanings of each film and I can tell you what kind of person you are based only on what your favorite Pixar film is. So take a read at what I have and decide for yourself how close my Practically Perfect Pixar Personality Prognosticator is to the truth! (oh and as a fun little game, see if you can tell which is MY favorite Pixar film)

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Toy Story:

You are old school, a classic. You find that today's films have to much whiz and bang, not enough deep soulful moments of character development. You also have a bit of a sentimentalist in you, you have a soft spot in your soul for the "original," for a film that makes you nostalgic for an easier time. You might not hate current films, but you defiantly prefer the films of yesteryear.


A Bugs Life:

You are unique, or at least you want everyone to know you are. You like things that most people aren't talking about, and that is exactly how you like it. If it's popular, then it simply is to mainstream for your more "advanced" tastes, if it is little known, or considered "lost" you are a fan. You probably don't like 3D, or CGI and are just now coming around to surround sound, air conditioning and "talkies."


Toy Story 2:

You are a movie studio's dream, you love a great sequel or remake. You don't mind treading the same ground so long as the adventure is still fun and exciting. You love the familiarity of characters you've met before, and want to see them in new and exciting tales. In life you likely have a routine you live by, a pattern that varies little throughout your life. Every now and then you might do something crazy like meet a new friend, or go to a new place, but you always find your way back to your comfort zone.


Monsters Inc:

You are a friend at heart. Deeply loyal and true you do anything for your friends. You are also slow to change, especially if you don't see the need to. You really only ever embrace change when it is for the betterment of all around you. In fact you might even be selfless to a fault, helping others even when it might burden yourself. In the end however, you have created deep bonds of friendship that can carry you for the rest of your days.

Finding Nemo:

You are smart, beyond smart really. More god-like genius. You are never wrong, you simply have varying degrees of rightness. People either adore you or they are jealous. You might be kind enough to grace other mere mortals with your presence from time to time, but that is not required for a man (or woman) of your infinite perfectness. You are also really cool, you make Fonzie look like Oprah wrapped in a Britney Spear Snuggie... aka not cool. You might have pets, but they feed and walk themselves because they know better then to interrupt your day.


The Incredibles:

You crave excitement and adventure, you can't be bothered stuck in a cubicle all day. You need to be outside, doing great things. You also have an appreciation for the retro, if it is a call back to a design or fashion from the past it piques your interest. You are a strong believer in being true to yourself, and not compromising to fall into the pack. Being special is a gift that you treasure and think the whole world should share. When you are called to action you are always among the first to respond. You live your life like every day is your last, enjoying all the fruits of existence.


Cars:

You are a fan of the mainstream, popular things are popular because of people like you. You don't mind if everyone likes it too, because that makes sense to you. You never are alone in your actions because it is easy for you to find like minded people to be friends with. Your life's journey travels along a large path and is often shared by many others, and you would have it no other way. You probably don't take many risks, because risks can be risky, and you are likely very content with the things you have in life. Things that are shiny might also appeal to you, but you might not have ever really understood why.


Ratatouille:

You are a multi-textured individual. You feel that anyone can do anything they want to do, and it is wrong for anyone to put limitations on others. You find beauty in anything, and recognize that it is not the appearance of something, but it's soul that is important. You also like to please others finding great pleasure in the happiness of your friends. You also appreciate deeply the magical qualities of food, knowing the inner most emotions a good plate of dinner can bring out in even the harshest of individuals. You live a pleasant life, made all the more so for your love of the simple things.


Wall-E:

You appreciate the history of things. Be it nature, or classic buildings and stores, you find a nobility in something that has been around for a long time. You also feel a personal sorrow for new things that pave over the old. In your prefect world modern advances live in concert with original and classic things. You also might have a strong sense of civic duty which steams from your own personal need to keep things clean. Some might call you obsessive in your need to keep a tidy environment, but to you it makes no sense to live a life surrounded by filth. You also have a romantic in you, both in ideals and in love.


Up:

You are an old soul. Knowing that life is one long adventure, you want to grasp at yours every day you live. You are also very wise, knowing that even the seemingly mundane portions of your life are just as much a part of your grand adventure as anything else. You might also be a tough nut to crack, with a hard and craggy exterior protecting your soft and warm internal core. You are loyal to the ones you love, and would to go extreme lengths to maintain your promises to them. You maintain a youthful soul, even as you age gracefully into the twilight of your days.

The Other Guys (Film Composers)

One of my great passions in life is film music. I do not consider my self an expert, more of an avid fan. In an attempt to break my mind from the sports strangle hold the Super Bowl and now the Olympics have on me I am doing a bit of an exercise.

I am going to shine a spotlight on 5 composers that are not typically known to the average joe film fan. This is not a list, not a best of, not a condemnation of any name not here. Just an opportunity for me to talk about, and hopefully share some beautiful music with all 2 of you who read this (Hi Mom!)

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Joe Hisaishi:

This master Japanese film composer is the go to man for all of Hayo Miazaki's animated masterpieces. At first glance most people would look at Miazaki's work as simply anime, but that would be an unfair generalization to one of the true geniuses of the animation industry. Miazaki is more like the Pixar of the east, all of his films both soar to incredible technical heights, and touch deep into the soul with incredible emotion. A main reason for the deep, resonating, emotional impact of these films is the note perfect scores of Joe Hisaishi. Hisaishi's music is a perfect complement to the stunning images it accompanies and never fails to low you away when you listen to the music alone.

Here is one of my personal favorites, from Princess Mononoke




Clint Mansell:

Probably one of the most loved and well known pieces of modern film music was written by Clint Mansell, yet he still is on a list like this because so few could recall him by name. Mansell wrote the chilling, haunting and cinematicly perfect "Lux Aeterna" for Requiem for a Dream. A bit of music that has become a staple in move trailers and used countless times for many different goals. There is a simplicity to his music that builds into such grand musical moments that it is difficult to get the full majesty of his works in small doses. I have a feeling Mansell is primed to step into the world of well known film composers in the very near future, because his work is already there.

Since every one has heard Lux Aeterna, here is a fabulous piece from the Fountain:




Ilan Eshkeri:

I can really only speak to one score by Ilan Eshkeri, Stardust. However, for what he lacks in quantity he more then makes up for with amazingness! The score for the film Stardust is very much like the film itself, whimsical, light, beautiful and more or less very happy. Now this can sound like a major turn off to some of you sourpusses out there, but the lasting optimism that this music instills every time I listen is a true pleasure. I am a big fan of "loud" scores as I have been told, lots of sounds that build to one giant gorgeous moment musical bliss. Well this film falls directly in that category. Stardust is indeed loud, bombastic and epic but it is also sweet and emotional. A combination that secures this in my heart for a long time.

Here is a nice cut together of most of the main musical cues from Stardust




Bruno Coulais:

Now here is a guy that I know nothing about. This French composer is on my radar for one very admirable fact. He composed my favorite score of 2009, beating out 2 great Micheal Giacchino scores for the honor. His music for Coraline has such a unique quality, it is all together haunting and scary while still maintaining a sweet and childlike innocence in the music that always leaves you caught between 2 worlds. That sort of musical parallel to the story really caught my attention when I was able to listen to the music independent of the film. I hope that brilliant music in Coraline can bring Mr. Caoulais to the states for more readily available projects in the future!

Here is the end credits music from Coraline




James Dooley:

A TV and video game composer who wrote the just point perfect music for the criminally canceled Pushing Daises TV show. Most of his more famous work comes from the video game side of things so hopefully the meteoric success of Micheal Giacchino will open the flood gates for guys who have cut their teeth in game scores. I find Dooley's work on Daises to be a perfect blend of comedy and romance with just a touch of whimsy to glue it all together. The large sounds he brought to the show is rarely heard on TV and is very cinematic. I hope to hear a lot more from this guy in the future.

Here is a piece from Pushing Daisies

The Super Bowl Hiatus...

I took a little break from the blog to follow in depth the New Orleans Saints miraculous Super Bowl run... THEY ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!! sorry, that happens every now and then.

So the Blog is back on track, a lot less lists (I'll finish the all decade lists in the future, I swears) and a whole lot more stream of consciousness.