Heading Across the Pond

Even though I haven't been posting on this blog much at all the past year (since last summer), this'll be the place for my postings about England and more specifically my 3 and a half month trip to the University of East Anglia in Norwich. Should probably post about once or twice a week at the most, and I'll be throwing them up on my Twitter/Tumblr/Facebook as well so no worries there. See you soon!

Timbers vs. Sounders: Timbers Falter. Again.

The MLS is certainly not a league which possesses its fair share of derbies, but prominent footie websites heralded the Seattle Sounders-Portland Timbers match-up earlier this season as an old, European-style rivalry unlike any other in the country. Sure, we're certainly no Premier league/SPL/Seria A/anything else, but it's quite the praise to generate as much buzz as the teams' managed to this year. It was only a given that when the two sides were set to clash again, this time in Portland, media and fan hype would again soar to all-time MLS highs.

The again-sold out Jeld-Wen was packed with not only the Timbers Army and fellow supporters, but a surprising number of Sounders fans who not only packed it into the Away section but also permeated the rest of the crowd, chanting and drumming their own chants. The thunderous TA, not to be outdone, answered back with force and their chanting could be heard echoing around the stadium long into the game.

The score stayed level during the entire first half, both teams favoring defensive-style play that lead to few chances and even less excitement. Spencer's decision to play 4-5-1 and clog up the midfield seemed to, at the very least, help our back 4 in keeping the sometimes-brilliant Freddy Montero goalless. The Sounders, who have garnered results in their past few fixtures, are second in the league and holding them without a goal in the first felt like an achievement. On the Timbers' attacking side, Kenny Cooper sat on the bench as Perlaza and Alhassan shouldered the attacking responsibility. It would not be until the second half that any real action kicked off, however.

Alhassan's strike just after the half-time break (now listed as an own-goal by John Parke) opened the scoring in front of the Timbers Army, who went wild. Indeed, nabbing the first goal against the Sounders is quite the achievement and things were looking bright for the Rose City's second half against its chief rival. Yet it was Seattle's turn when, 10 minutes later, Freddy Montero curled in a Free Kick outside of the box and past Troy Perkins to equalize. It was Timbers' striker Perlaza who would answer off of an assist from Chara, a shot from the right hand side of the box that deflected off the thigh of Sounders defender and altered trajectory enough to get by vet keeper Kasey Keller. Things were again brought even as Montero picked up his second goal, this time much closer to goal. Finally, as things seemed bleak for the Timbers, matters were made worse when Eric Brunner brought down Lamar Neagle in the box, receiving a red card and gifting the Sounders a penalty which Osvaldo Alonso barely snuck past Perkins. End result 3-2 Sounders win. (long recap is long)

If I'm not mistaken, this is the second game in a row that Kenny Cooper has not been given the starting position alongside Perlaza up front. The big man who arrived in Portland with great anticipation has been held scoreless in almost every fixture, and John Spencer's to bench him is the correct one. Though Cooper presents a big body and a great target in the air (he dwarfs much of the rest of the squad), his on the ground skill and speed leave quite a lot to be desired. His counterpart, Jorge Perlaza, presents a counterpoint to Cooper's style of play; fast-paced hustle, no ball too far to get Perlaza sprinting. Cooper, on the other hand, shows lack of hustle that either demonstrates some kind of faltering motivation (doubtful, the Timbers supporters are among the most frenzied and loud in all the league) or perhaps some kind of injury kept under wraps by the player. The former is inexcusable, the latter unfortunate. As Kenny Cooper came on late into the second half, he had little influence on the game for some time. Though making a couple of well-placed passes, the man up front again demonstrated little effort and subsequently failed to threaten the Sounders back 4.

The guy shouldn't start. Yes, he's a high profile purchase, and yes his size is great for corners and free kicks, but so is Futty Danso who also provides defensive benefits for his size. Nagbe's replacement, Sal Zizzo, demonstrated great pace and influenced a lot of the Timbers movement up front while Perlaza's replacement by Cooper removed quick effort with... nothing.

Nothing is also how I'd describe what the Timbers defense seems to be doing as of late. Montero's free kick, though a beauty, went directly over a defensive wall wherein only one of the Portland players saw fit to jump up. Had the others jumped, it might have sent the ball ricocheting away from goal rather than in it. Similarly, though Perkins made an absolutely incredible save robbing Montero of his hat trick, the striker was often left unmarked and the Timbers back 4 slacked hard on their duties. The second half soon became the Sounders to win, and win it they did thanks to superior play and a lackluster defensive effort that has plagued the Portland side as of late.

The late Red Card given to Eric Brunner presented an interesting late-game decision by the referee. Though the Timbers supporter inside me wants to cry "Bullshit" and verbally abuse the ref for deciding a game with a single call. However, I think though Brunner did win the ball, he was far too high and was certainly a dangerous challenge that was a clear penalty. Though I have no qualms with the call, Brunner's decision to make it and his 1v1 positioning (where were the other 3 defenders) was sloppy, harkening back to the late handball that gave the Red Bulls their final goal earlier this season. On the Sounders side, Alonso received a rather light punishment for his malicious midfield tackle in reaction to what he thought was a foul on the other side of the pitch. Making no effort to retrieve the ball, he brought down a Timbers midfielder via a swipe to the legs and should have been sent off. Dangerous, reactionary play has no place on the pitch.

Though the playoffs may be out of reach, there's still plenty of time for the Timbers to salvage their season. The winless streak can be ended, but it'll take quite a lot of effort considering some 10 of the next games will be on the road. Though it's damned hard to keep hope alive at this point, there's little else a Timbers fan can do.

Trip to L.A. Part 2 - Reality

I arrived to the John Wayne Airport (Such an outrageous name to give an airport. Like... really?) and was greeted by my Aunt and Cousin at the baggage claim. They are much the same as I had remembered them. My aunt is unfortunately rather small and her daughter not too much taller, and I bent down to greet them. Conversation didn't really come easily at first, awkwardly poking around topics like what we were going to do for dinner, how the flight was (a formality of a question, really) etc. It wouldn't be for a day or two that we could actually start picking up some good conversation but this is a side of the family I haven't seen for five years and it was never exactly the easiest before that.

We picked up my grandfather who looked relatively the same, if not a bit more aged, and drove off to a dinner at the Gourmet Cafe and Pie Company. It is, essentially, like most of the restaurants in the immediate vicinity a Marie Callender's clone full of high-calorie meals, desserts, and the elderly. My cousin and I were the youngest in the establishment by about 20+ years, and we got a lot of... looks. I picked a burrito, thinking it'd be pretty standard, but it came as double if not triple the size of stuff we have in Eugene. I ate about a 3rd and felt like I was about to throw up. Best dinner. Finishing dinner, we sat down for some awkward card games and I spent the rest of the night on an inflatable mattress on the floor in the living room. People went to bed at 9. I used my phone until 12 when it died and I decided it was sleep time.

Universal Studios the next day was the plan and, despite the weather reports, we braved the drive to Hollywood and parked. The rain was fairly light at first, and we walked down the "Universal City" area (built like a downtown with restaurants and name brand clothing stores) with half-interest. When we got to the ticket booth, it started hailing. Seeking cover, we ran inside to a Universal Studios souvenir shop just by the entrance gate along with a bunch of people who didn't seem to grasp the concept that they were not the last person trying to get inside. After politely tapping about 4 people on the shoulder and dripping all over a bunch of the merchandise, our group made it all the way inside and settled on some coffee until the weather settled. What followed was basically a rise and fall of torrential downpours and light rain, so we would approach each new attraction at the park as fast as we could, and hopped from adjacent things regardless of what they were.

The first was House of Horrors, a haunted house with real-live "actors" dressed up like scary stuff that would jump out at you or try and grab etc. They never touched, but they got close. I made my cousin go first. Yes, I am partly ashamed. My favorite part was probably the room filled with fake corpses hanging in bags from the ceiling. They came complete with a rancid kind of rotting flesh and feces smell and, coupled with the heavy weight (think punching bag almost), made for a truly eerie experience. The rest was jumpy horror stuff and I certainly got my yell on a few times. I've always been scared of that fucking Chuckie doll.

We checked out the Terminator 2 3D show that mixes a stage performance with big-screen 3D footage filmed with the Governator himself. It was awesome in a kind of archaic way, the technology out of date and the film they were using almost irrelevant. I love the flick but the show was only mediocre. We stayed after for a special animal show they were putting on because of the rain, which lasted about 10 minutes but showcased a lot of trained animals used in films. Nice.

The Simpson's Ride was probably the highlight, one of the virtual rollercoasters but supersized with a huge screen and lots of cars of people all moving and shaking according to the on-screen action. I was skeptical at first thanks to the plethora of tiny and young children giggling at all the corny jokes made from the tv screens mounted for line-waiters to watch, but it actually turned out to be pretty exciting. We had to skip the studio tour thanks to the weather, and we headed home.

The rest of the trip was kind of low-key, and I spent a lot of it listening to my grandfather share the symptoms and ailments of late. His heart is working at about 35% capacity now, and he lamented how he'd get out of breath after doing just about anything. It was hard to know how to react to this man who I've always looked up to in a strange, distant way sharing these really sad things with me. I mostly nodded politely, and said meaningless and often single-word answers to his statements. I'd inquire further, but that might've got him down a path of extreme sadness and I'd rather not. I made sure not to mention or prod further whenever my grandmother was brought up, knowing how sensitive he is on that subject. Still, it was nice to get to know him and I could tell he appreciated the one-on-one time we got together.

When my family arrived, things picked up some. I know my grandpa was super excited to have them there, and he perked up even more than when just I'd arrived. The conversation became much smoother when I wasn't the only one driving it, and we had some good times. Cards, walks, swimming laps in the pool... it was a good time and relaxing despite hearing about my girlfriends awesome time in Mexico. I tried hard not to be jealous.

This morning, turning 21, we hit up the Gourmet Cafe (again) for a special b-day breakfast and I ordered a Bloody Mary. The Waitress didn't card me. Hiding my devastation, I drank my first legal alcoholic beverage and wolfed down some Spinach and Eggs. My grandfather fought tears as we said goodbye, but didnt seem interested in anything other than a handshake. Perhaps he felt it was the manly thing. I gave his shoulder a squeeze and left feeling more guilty than happy about my evening plans in Eugene for my birthday. Still, I wonder if I've made the right decision in going home to be with my friends and doing the stereotypical omgletsgetdrunk bday. Too late.

Trip to L.A. Part 1 - Remembering

As I climbed into the small airplane with the big propellers on the side, I pondered what I'd do during my layover in the Portland Airport. Thanks to a last-minute booking, my flight down to Orange County was going to run from Eugene up (away from LA) to Portland before heading back down after a two-hour stopover. Because $400 doesn't earn me a direct flight. I settled on passing the time doing this; Remembering and writing about my experience on this super-fast trip down to visit the family in Los Angeles. It's something I haven't done in nearly 4 years, school and a job having picked up immensely and preventing any kind of solid trip plans to be made. In retrospect, I'm sure I could've got more time off had I asked really nicely at work or buttered up my professors with false praises of their 2-hour-snooze-fest lectures... or something. Hindsight's 20/20.

My 6'2 body plops down into a seat tailored for the tiny people in the row in front of me. They look like 5'2 tops, and I muse that this is probably the only time their height is considered an advantage. I make a mental note of not helping a short person reach something tall to balance things out because how else do I justify smushing my feets into my backpack? Get the can on the top shelf yourself, tiny, be resourceful. The guy next to me is at least 6'4 with a golf shirt and khakis on, you know, that old world style.

I'm not really sure what it is about me and my seatpartners on airplanes, but I invariably have sat next to someone who recently lost a loved one on the last few flights. We discuss our trips, and it emerges that this'n's visiting L.A. for a memorial service for his father who must have been outrageously old considering this man's 50's/60's age. I tell him I'm sorry, and he replies with a, "me too" that leads into an awkward silence until I offer him my Rolling Stone magazine I'd recently read through thanks to a 2 hour wait in the Eugene airport. Planning is apparently not one of my strong suits.

The plane takes off and I'm going through my mind, looking for memories about L.A. before I eventually arrive there tonight. The first thing that pops into mind is my grandfather's love for constructing models of all sorts. His garage is home to numerous movie theaters (old style, of course, with the marquees and fancy signs. I wish they were still like this), a small town by the train tracks complete with its own train and little tiny people randomly placed around the streets. I remember how the garage always felt so hot compared to the house, heading out from the air conditioned comfort of the living room to go see Poppa's latest model was like walking from the fridge into the oven. It had a very distinct smell, something like car exhaust, glue, and old things stacked in boxes up to the ceiling. Ever since I was little, I'd always try and get into model making while down in Orange County, but I never got around to actually finishing anything because I don't believe there was any real interest in it. Maybe it just made Poppa happy, so I did it no questions asked. Plus, there was always an open box of Orange Soda in the garage too. Warm? Maybe, but still.

I remember that Poppa has massive calves thanks to a lifetime's work in the postal service, back before (or maybe not before) those workers got the neat little boxy cars to roll around in and deliver mail, my grandfather would walk rain or shine his route and drop off people's mail. This is not a job little kids usually decide they'll be when they grow up, and it's certainly not a major at college. It's a kind of work that's hard, probably sucks a lot, but needs to get done. This vigorous exercise is probably what's carried him to old age better than some, always having a strong speedy walk despite his aging body. My grandfather and father walk almost the same. I must make a note not to become another in this cycle.

I realize that I have no idea what my grandmother did. I remember her gnarled hands and stooped manner of walking, maybe a result of whatever it is she did. Hell, I didn't know much about my grandmother beyond her love for those murder mysteries that involved animals of some kind. Little old ladies love that shit. She also liked to wear curlers in her hair to bed, emerging from their bedroom every morning, hunched over and hitting the bathroom up before breakfast. I'd probably woken her up with noise from the tv room, or my sister and I playing pretend while we wait for the adults to get up. The last time I was in LA was for her funeral. I remember that pretty well.

The most recent memory of Poppa is his breaking down at Thanksgiving dinner having lost Grandma, thanking everyone for being together on the holiday and expresses his yearning to have his lifepartner back. There's this awkward moment where I don't know if I should say anything, and if so... what? How does one comfort someone who has suddenly found themselves alone after 50+ years of marriage? You can pat them on the back, sure, and say meaningless phrases from movies or what adults generally say. In the end, everyone just silently let him have his moment before moving on. I find myself hoping this is not going to be the grandfather I arrive to once I land in Orange County later in the day but I should be prepared regardless.

The plane lands and my layover begins. Flashes of memory, a grandfather clock in the living room, couches that find that limbo between comfort and discomfort, swimming pools, Disney Land.

Is my sitting next to someone on a plane dooming them to lose a close relative or loved one? Oh shi-

Writing about film.

I realize I'd probably rather not do it. I was pretty addicted to this website and podcast called Filmspotting, viewing and listening to their reviews, and thought that it was pretty fucking cool. Too bad they've been doing it for years and, as it turns out, writing intelligently about cinema isn't that fun. Oh well, I'll just Tumblr instead.

Movie Thoughts - Tron, True Grit etc

I've been seriously slacking lately on both my blog submissions, my YouTube making, and my creative writing. So, to start out, I'm updating the blog a bit just to get back in the swing of things.

Tron Legacy

Allow me to first say that I've never seen the original Tron and, honestly, don't really plan on it. Yes, I understand the geek love and nostalgia towards a time when there was great excitment and no shitty Mac products flooding the market, but that time is over and I don't believe I'd like it.

Tron: Legacy ultimately reminds me of Avatar (no, not the shitty M. Night movie but the one about blue space Native Americans) in that it relies heavily on its visually stylings to carry the load. Again, as in Avatar, the story here is rather basic (and at times, non existant), stringing along just enough of a plot to semi-justify some of the "big payoffs" that we "get" towards the end. However, the writing is wriddled with ideas and possible points of exploration that they simply didn't capitalize on (fastest lightcycle on the grid, anyone?).

Yet perhaps a larger issue with Tron: Legacy is its complete lack of interesting action. Yes, I know, this is billed as a visually stunning lightcycle ride through an imaginative world, but it turns out it's more of a stroll through a decently constructed cybercity. First, you have this frisbee fight that manages to be boring and also facepalm-worthy thanks to unnecessary and unexplained Capoeira-inspired flips and martial arts moves that literally add nothing to the battles taking place in these suspended boxes trying to pass as "arenas." Fine, I let that slide as a mere obstacle in order to get to the good stuff. The lightcycle fight rolls around and, although still pretty mediocre, is probably the highlight of the film. I was glad to see that the slight innovation on the tried-and-true tron game formula was enough to make it more interesting. However, there is no 45 minute action scene payoff as there is in Avatar, and we get more of a slow crawl to the portal and an inevitable and uninteresting "surprise" appearence.

I must, however, compliment the costume design and the scoring which were both pretty excellent. Beyond that, this flick seems to try and cash in on the spectacle of technology over any real story, any decent character developement etc. I believe the IMAX experience was probably the only one worth money... as of right now, I could have left after seeing Wilde's outfit once and missed nothing.

Not good/10

True Grit

I didn't grow up on Westerns like some of my more educated peers. No, instead I opted to watch cartoons or the filth on the Disney Channel (yeah, I admit it). I've always rather regretted the Wild West's absence in my life, so I was pretty excited to check out the Coen's True Grit. I won't be summarizing the plot since you can IMDB it and I find those sorts of reviews rather tiresome.

At its heart, I think this film is a loveletter to the both the source material as well as the Western genre itself. The language is rich and what I imagine is faithful to the source material, which I suppose could also be construed as a detracting factor for those who dislike the flowery sentences of old times. I, for one, quite enjoyed the way the Coen's dialogue sounds and I think it really adds.

Here, as in A Serious Man (Though that was certainly to a lesser degree), there's a lot of comedy and I found myself and my friends chuckling all along the way. Sure, the story turns semi-serious but never fully shedding the comedic aspects (Thank goodness). Hailee Steinfield's banter regarding selling back horses is hilarious, and the audience learns to enjoy this character who parades around as though adult, though I believe she said she was only 12. At the same time, it's not championing her behavior, and we can relate to Bridges and Damon's characters who at times show their disapproval of her behavior and decision to seek revenge.

The frame in True Grit always has something interesting to show the audience, both the sets and the nature scenes framed and chosen wonderfully. I loved that the Coen Brothers managed to make the countryside seem beautiful while being selective and refrained with their longshots. Sure, we get some, but there aren't many (if any) "LOOK AT ALL THE WIDE SPACES" shots that I find tiresome. The world is as rich as the characters who inhabit it.

It should be said that there are a few things wrong (as with .. anything). There is a short scene Bridges and Steinfield come across some kind of nature man dressed in bear skin and offering to sell them a body they'd only just cut down from a tree. It serves no purpose, makes almost no sense, and can only be included to satisfy what I believe is an obsession with the eccentric that I think the Coen brothers have. Similarly, they telegraph their "climax" far in advance. Yes, it's cliche but I suppose it was that way in the source material... so does that make it ok?

While I sat there watchin' I gave some thought to stealin' a kiss/10

Black Swan

I was enthralled by Aronofsky's The Wrestler a year or so ago, bought the script (which I devoured) and then moved away from the director's work. Sure, I'd seen Requiem though not Pi, but I get overwhelmed by movies pretty often so I didn't make it back for some time. After seeing a couple trailers for Black Swan, I was totally sold and this was further compounded by the directors name being attached. The guy does good work, what can I say?

Black Swan manages to be many things; a peek into the world of proffesional dance, a psychological thriller, drama, and a little bit of horror sprinkled on top. It turns out to be a winning combination, holding the audience's attention both with sharp dialogue and character developement, as well as fast-paced scenes of suspense and terror. I was even happy with the more disturbing shots of the film, the cringeworthy stuff, because it got my entire audience to react vocally or physically. I love when a movie does that.

The sound design is, simply put, brilliant. The music ebbs and flows throughout the entire movie as if it were a ballet itself, fluttering of wings and giggles, and even abrupt dropoffs of all sound. I've always thought, and I think everyone agrees, that silence is far more terrifying than creepy music. There's a lot of silent scary parts here, even when Aronofsky is toying with our expectations.

I'd also like to mention [spoiler] how I feel about the lesbian and maturbation scenes. I've seen a lot of negative response to these select parts of the film; it's degrading, serves no purpose in the film, mysogeny. Let me first say that I don't think any of this criticism would come about if the genders of the characters were reversed, but obviously that means nothing. Considering Nina is ordered to explore her more sexual side in order to better become the Black Swan, it's a no brainer that her sleazy instructor might ask her to touch herself. It's even more believable that she would try to, as Nina is driven to perfection. Sure, maybe this whole idea of exploring one's "dark" side is a bit raunchy, but... so? There may be other ways to get 'in character' but I felt this was a potent way for Nina to explore her Black Swan. Combine this with the fact that she's always interrupted by something scary, and we may see the film not condoning this act.

The lesbian scene, which (SPOILER) turns out to be Nina's fantasy, also makes sense from a plot standpoint, perhaps being a fantastical dance with the dark side that Nina goes through to better fill her stage role. Yes, it's pretty hot, these actresses are incredibly beautiful and it must've delighted many to watch Mila Kunis perform oral sex on Natalie Portman (sure, I thought it was awesome) but it's not exactly just some cheap sex scene, either.[/spoiler]

I knew it would be too much. I knew it!/10

Enter the Void

I caught this with a group of friends at the Bijou Theater. It was playing at midnight... and I think only at midnight... so it goes without saying that I was up late on Friday not partying, but watching a wild visual ride. Void is set in Tokyo, a city I visited this summer, so it was pretty fun to see a few familiar places and re-enter the Japanese atmosphere. However, the film quickly deviates from anything remotely normal and the audience is treated to a visual experience unlike any other I've ever experienced. Sure, I saw Requiem but I don't feel like there's any need to compare this film with Requiem as I find such comparisons and bases for criticism tiresome and unnecessary.

I was entranced by the whole drug trip spectacle in a fantastic way, enjoying every second of the DMT hallucination that we experience in first person along with the protagonist. It's visually stunning, and kind of reminds me of VJ work at Raves or the like. I also really dug the whole first person experience and I think it added something to the story. When I think about the plot itself, it's a pretty run-of-the-mill drug story, and yet Void takes a sharp left turn away from this the moment [SPOILER] Oscar is shot and killed in a seedy nightclub.[/SPOILER] The film suddenly switches to the perspective of Oscar's ghost as he, now looking down at scenes rather than straight on (so we experience most of the subsequent tale from above (a new thing I have mixed feelings about). It's hard to get used to, but once you do it manages to make things interesting. I did long for a regular conventional perspective frequently, but I was glad the flick was making me work a little.

I think my most favorite part of the entire movie was not watching it, but watching the people watching it. One couple ragequit after enduring most of the movie, but simply couldn't stand the long Love Hotel sequence. Though I agree that it went on far too long, it wouldn't be the portion of the film I would think people would walk out over. There was cringing, laughing, protests against some of the longer takes, and as always, DoubleFine mentioning things to me. Certainly made it more fun.

This is certainly a flick that you're either going to love or hate, and in accordance with this, I probably love it more than I hate it. Yeah, it takes too long and could be trimmed without losing anything at all. Perhaps once it comes out on DVD, I'll edit it a little myself just so I can show it to people without having to preface with "It's 3 hours, but shouldn't be". The incestuous family dynamic is well-crafted, the acting is... not so well-crafted but at least it's not horrible. It's easy to see that the visual style and technique is really the selling point, and it sold the movie to me. I can't wait to read reviews and thoughts as more people get to watch it. As of right now, there is the inevitable dribble put out by "critics" working in the journalism world. Check below for some laughably bad responses.

/10

Here's an example of a bad review.

Dear Walter Addegio,

Let me explain to you that you are paid to write about movies. First, explaining the plot to people while you write about it on a website is redundant; they can simply look up the plot for themselves on helpful sites like Wikipedia or IMDb. Your summary, filled with disdain, is lackluster and unnecessary. How you got this by your editor is beyond me. Your criticism of the camera style ("Look, I'm Flying") is laughably underdeveloped. So, too, is your assessment of the sex scene; is the only purpose of sexual intercourse in cinema to arouse you? Hell, you even mention the sex again as though it might be the only reason you'd decided to see the film. Though I agree the Love Hotel sequence was far too long, it does include that little juicy tidbit where Oscar hallucinates that he's making love to his mother.

In the future, please try harder to write something intelligent. If you have a problem with my criticism, hit me up.

Jeff

The horns

how i miss your ginger hair