Week of 6/21/2008

Zombies and Tampopo

I've mentioned being a Kevin Smith fan months ago, and a fan I remain. I understand his humor isn't everybody's cup of tea, and he's not exactly in the upper echelon of great directors. Nevertheless, he's an interesting and talented guy and I probably enjoy his writing, his blogs, and his podcast more than his movies.

So he's got a new movie coming out in October called Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Naturally, I'll be among the first in line to see it because not only is it a Kevin Smith film, but it's a Kevin Smith film starring the great Seth Rogan, filmed in Monroeville, PA, which is home to the famous mall featured in Dawn of the Dead. To recognize this, Smith named the fictional hockey team in the movie the Monroeville Zombies. And, naturally, because both the name and the logo are so fucking cool, the hockey jerseys are now up for sale. Naturally, I snapped one up immediately.



Coincidentally, the latest trade copy of Walking Dead arrived today, so it's a good day for zombies. Even if you're not a zombie fanatic, I encourage you to check out Walking Dead. It's fucking fantastic...



Earlier in the week, I talked briefly about the hot miso soup I had at Mitsuwa in Chicago last week. That delicious soup reminded me of a great movie I saw a few years back called Tampopo.

It's a great Japanese film about making the perfect bowl of ramen, as well as the role of food in people's daily lives. Here are a couple scenes:





It's a pretty funny and charming movie throughout, but there are some side vignettes that are fucking crazy. If you get the chance, give it a whirl. If nothing else, it'll make you want to have a bowl of ramen...and maybe fuck an egg.

John



Trickman Weekend

As you may have heard on this week's podcast, the three of us spent the weekend at Trickman Terry's house in Chicago. Despite the 8-hour-one-way drive, it was a great time. Terry, his wife Kristine, along with the three of us, were joined by our forum friends Torgo, Savory Cade, and 9-Volt!!! (Yes, the exclamation points are totally necessary).

I discovered a lot of things this past weekend.

1) 9-Volt!!! is a funny, laid-back motherfucker. I spent the entire weekend being entertained by his sarcasm and mellow attitude. He excels at busting Torgo's balls, and that is a skill I can appreciate.

2) Terry and Kristine and incredibly kind, generous, and hospitable people. They went out of their way to make sure we all had a great time, which is hard to do when six people invade your house for 72 hours. The breakfasts each morning were five-fucking-stars, and drinks and entertainment were provided all weekend long. First class accommodations all around.

3) Torgo can take a lot of shit. From the moment we got there until the moment we left, Torgo was known as "The Money-Hat-Wearing-Bitch!" I was half expecting a ham-handed punch in the mush, but he took it all with humor.

4) R-Type is fucking hard. Really hard. Terry's got an R-Type arcade machine and that thing haunted me the entire weekend. Nevertheless, like a teenage girl with low self-esteem, I kept going back.

5) Minnesota sucks because we don't have a Mitsuwa. This Japanese marketplace is essentially a group of small Japanese shops and food stands inside a Japanese grocery store. I picked up a load of candy (pictured near the end of this post) as well as my very first Famitsu magazine. I can't read the words, but the images of Wario Land for Wii are sure purty. And let me also state for the record that hot miso soup from Santouka is fucking incredible.



6) Minnesota also sucks for not having a Fry's. I realize that Minnesota is the land of Best Buy, but God dammit, that store rules all. This was only the second Fry's I had ever been to (the one in Burbank, CA was amazing as well), and I can't wait to get back.

7) Traveling in the Chicagoland area sucks total ass. Gas is $0.40 more expensive there, the tolls are ridiculous (we spent $3.40 just to get from Chicago to Wisconsin), and the traffic is complete shit. I'll think twice next time before complaining about Minneapolis traffic.

8) Buying stuff is kind of fun. In addition to my goodies from Mitsuwa, I also picked up Disgaea and Space Invaders Extreme for PSP. Here's a picture of my weekend loot:



So that's that. Thanks again to Terry and Kristine for a great weekend.

John





Where Are We Going? What Are We Doing?

Recently, the combination of a few things have left me pondering what the hell exactly is wrong with our society. And as I am part of this society, I am included in that question. What the hell is wrong with me and why am I wasting my life with meaningless bullshit? After all, I've only got one shot at this, and here I am sitting on my ass watching the whole thing go by.

It all began a couple weeks back when I watched this week's Team Fremont Summer Film Festival pick 2001: A Space Odyssey. It wasn't the first time I'd seen the film, but it certainly was the viewing that effected me the most. I sat in my basement alone, popped in the BluRay, cranked up the volume, and watched it non-stop from start to finish. It's movie that spans millenniums, probes into the very question of our purpose in the universe, and puts our day-to-day minutia into almost disturbing perspective.

Again, the question of "where are we going?" arose while watching the Discovery Channel's documentary When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions. We've all seen the moon landing footage, heard Neil Armstrong's famous words, but few of us were actually around to witness it unfold. This documentary starts at the beginning of the space program and brings us up to speed, showing the origins of the various Gemini, Apollo, Shuttle, and other missions and illustrates just how monumental they were. There is footage included that blew my fucking mind.



What really struck me were the attitudes of those involved. The self-sacrificing for-the-greater-good-of-humanity attitudes that made me realize how tiny and insignificant my petty day-to-day life is. One of the astronauts pointed out that his life didn't matter; it was all about accomplishing the mission. To take man to the next level, to take those "small steps" to further our quest for answers was what this was all about.

And it made me wonder: why isn't more importance placed on space exploration and the discovery of new planets and the possibility of not only inhabitable planets, but also life on other planets? When I saw that the third moon landing wasn't even televised because moon landings were becoming "old news", I was astounded. Here we were, exploring new worlds and all the people of that time could think was, "I wonder if Barney Miller is on." And it's only gotten worse. Hell, just last week three Earth-sized planets were discovered and it was barely news. In the linked article, an astronomer states, "Planets are out there. They're all over the place", so why aren't we putting more resources into research and discovery? Because we're too busy dealing with the inane day-to-day bullshit that consumes our lives. We've got elections to prepare for, gas prices to bitch about, murderers and perverts to track down, and celebrity drug habits to gossip about. How can we look off into the sky when all this shit is flying in our faces?

A great man died, one who this country in particular is going to miss dearly. George Carlin, in my opinion, was the most important comedian of all time. Important not only because he was incredibly funny, but because he was sharp, brilliant, relevant for over fifty years, and always pointed out how we are walking around with our heads up our asses. Not too long ago, Carlin had this to say:

"I think the human race has squandered its gift, and I think this country has squandered its promise. I think people in America sold out very cheaply, for sneakers and cheeseburgers. And I don't think it's fixable."

I'm ashamed to admit that not only do I think he's right, but also that I'm included in his description of America. Like I said, I've only got one shot at this, so why am I not being more proactive? Why am I just watching the world pass me by? Is it because I'm lazy? Probably. But it's also because I'm a product of the society that created me. I'm comfortable here in my little cocoon. I've created a den, shielding me from the realities of the outside world and I escape to the fantasies of movies, video games, and books to lull me into a walking coma until I'm ready to die, barely leaving a whisper let alone a mark.

The folks involved in those early space programs, and the ones going on today are risking their lives to further humanity's quest for the great unknown, to evolve humanity beyond what we have known in the search to discover the unknown. Carlin delivered his biting remarks to force us to laugh while looking inward at the absurdity of our so-called civilization and hopefully strive for something better, more meaningful. To separate the bullshit from the stuff that truly mattered. Those types of people are the real "humans", the ones doing shit that matters. And I'm convinced more and more every day that people like me are the sheep, the cattle, the ones lining up at the trough, shuffling their feet in the slop until it's time to pass on.

Sorry to be such a downer today. I'll try to make up for it later by discussing the latest great interactive disctraction.

John