spike

I dragged Amy out to see Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith this weekend. Usually I write quick reviews of movies, such as “I liked it” or “I didn’t like it.” First of all, I liked Episode III. It was definitely better than Episodes I and II in so many ways.

The problem I’ve had with the prequel trilogy is with the characters. Han Solo and Princess Leia, from the original Star Wars trilogy, were incredibly strong characters with good actors playing the parts. Also, Episodes IV through VI had enough breathing room in the plots for the characters to develop. Harrison Ford and Carrie Fischer as Han and Leia didn’t take their roles too seriously. It’s my understanding that there was a bit of improv and it even looked like the actors were having fun.

The prequels were incredibly serious. There was no room for the characters to enjoy themselves. Ewan McGregor was good at playing Alec Guinness (“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”). Natalie Portman had such a horrible character that her normally good acting was nowhere to be seen. Hayden Christensen was uneffective. The story was supposed to make the viewer feel sorry for the way Anakin was manipulated by Palpatine, but I just couldn’t feel it.

These people clearly had no fun making these movies, and it was glaring.

In other news, Amy and I also caught Hamlet at McCarter Theater. It was a mildy interesting interpretation with stark, modern design. The actors were great, of course.

We decided not to stick around for the discussion with the cast afterwards, and opted instead for ice cream from Halo Pub. While walking around Palmer Square we passed by Shakespeare in the Square by the Princeton Rep Company. They were hosting some kind of Shakespeare-a-Thon, with a competition. I probably would have signed up to read something if I knew about it in advance.

We also passed an advertisement for free movies in the park this summer. I’m looking forward to this and hopefully I’ll remember about it in June.

Star Wars Episode III has finally been leaked to the internet. It’s a “workprint” of the movie with timecodes on every frame. Here’s more information. I’ll probably see the movie this weekend. How could I not?

Everyone seems to be talking about the political statement George Lucas is trying to make and how it reflects his views on the current administration in the United States. But Lucas came up with the premise of the fallen Republic at least prior to writing The Empire Strikes Back. Well, I’ll watch the movie and come to my own conclusion.

One of my students from last year initiated a chat with me online tonight. She said:

u know what [principal] is leaving this yr so that only calls for better! that would be awesome i don’t why though .. like when i talk to [friend] and the other people we really liked having u for band directr because everyone knew that u really cared … i guess we don’t feel that way with [other band director]

It’s nice to hear, that’s all.

When I last redesigned this website I had good intentions. I was going to write deeper things than just quick updates on my life and bits from the web. But I guess other things often get in the way of that. Visitors (and income) keep increasing at other sites, so I’ve spent more time with those. On top of that, there’s working, class, and living life.

Speaking of work, I’m leaving shortly to dial for dollars. I’m volunteering for a phone-a-thon fundraiser for those guys I used to work for.

A little while ago, I arrived home from the concert (Young Concert Artists) for which Stacey and I had second row seats in the new Rose Theater. The three solo performers were very talented, but what is still sticking out in my mind is the amazing Marimba Concerto by the YCA’s composer-in-residence, Kevin Puts. It was a difficult and beautiful piece with an amazing blend between the soloist and orchestra. The sonority of the instruments melted from marimba to strings and back to marimba.

Afterwards Stacey and I wandered around the Time Warner Center and played with some interactive guides designed by Samsung that allow you to control a virtual tour of the city by moving your hands in different directions on top of a monitor.

It’s almost 1:00 am now. It’ll be nice to get to sleep earlier than usual. Thanks for the ticket to the concert, Stacey! :>

That’s right, I’m going to see and hear live music tomorrow night. Stacey and I will be seeing the Young Concert Artists “Irene Diamond Concert.” It’s in Jazz at Lincoln Center‘s new venue (the Rose Theater) where the acoustics are supposedly great, and this will be the only non-amplified concert there this season. The concert will feature three concertos (marimba, trumpet and cello) performed by exceptional young musicians, accompanied by the Orchestra of St. Luke’s.

Stacey was nice and hooked me up with tickets. Yeah Stacey!

You know that something’s amiss when someone from NASA was searching Google for “Is There Anyone Out There?” and clicked through to this website. Eerie.

I’m helping Darren out with lighting for a high school show, starting earlier tonight and ending Saturday. My new class (economics) began today. It’s the busy time of the month at work and my coworkers are gone. I have a new exciting web project and I got no sleep last night. Bring it on!

I forgot to mention that I have another reason I’ve been busy lately. Remember I was offered a post on the board of directors for an organization? We had our first meeting last week, and it went well. This should be pretty exciting.

Alright, I know I don’t write much in this blog anymore. I’m writing more over at Consumerism Commentary. What I write over there is in some ways a lot less personal (and in some ways a whole lot more personal) but I get five to ten times more readers. Anyway, except for approximately one setback in the last week or so (not getting a new job), there has been confluence in the different streams that guide my life, which have been flowing in a generally positive direction.

Maybe it’s just the winter finally ending, or maybe it’s the surprisingly fantastic Doctor Who series on the BBC that I can’t get enough of. On the official website, there’s a neat feature where each episode is “reviewed” by four children, ages 4 to 12. Their reactions to the scary bits are logged and the journal presents a good “fear factor” guide for families watching the show together.

Speaking of fun British stuff, I caught the new movie, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, having been a fan of the books when I was younger. (Did you know that Douglas Adams, the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide, wrote several episodes of the original Doctor Who? You probably did. Another interesting fact about Doug: before his death, he posted regularly on his Usenet fan newsgroup. That was not a normal thing to do. Douglas Adams was also friends with David Gilmour, guitarist with Pink Floyd. He supposedly gave their final album its name, Division Bell. So here we have Douglas Adams connecting Pink Floyd and Doctor Who, two of my adolescent Favorite Things. These two were already interconnected through the Doctor Who theme being quoted in some Pink Floyd songs.)

Oh yes, the movie. It may not have been totally faithful to the original story, but it had many funny moments. The good news is it will likely be a “trilogy,” like the written series.

In other, non-British news, now that I’m back on the east coast, it’s time to start planning more time away. I think a road trip might be next up.