Archive for May, 2008
05-28-2008
Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull
So yesterday, on my last day off for the next eight days, I went and caught Indy 4 while my car was getting fixed. I had studiously avoided reading any reviews or comments on it, so as to not have any prior expectations going into it.
What did I think?
It was a fun romp overall, really no more than I was expecting. It was great to see Karen Allen reprise her role as Marion Ravenwood, even if she was only in the last third of the movie and her role was dumbed down a little bit. Marion was always the best heroine by far in the any of the Indy movies.
The plot obviously strained credulity, but if you go into the movie expecting realism, you’ve obviously missed the point. I could see everything coming a mile away, so the writers weren’t subtle at all.
However, when I think about the first three, not much was left in the dark in those either. ALL of the Indy movies have been completely over the top. I mean, in the second one, they jump out of a plane on a raft and slide down a mountain, yet survive. So is the refrigerator scene really any more over the top than that? I don’t think so. Likewise, the twist at the end of this one, which, as I alluded to earlier, isn’t really a twist, because you could see it coming a mile away. I mean, is it any more silly than a 1000 year old knight guarding a roomful of grails with no food or water? Or the guy in the second one who chants to Kali, then reaches into someone’s chest and yanks out their heart?
I think this Indy movie is in line with the rest of them. It’s a fun romp and a tribute to the movies Spielberg and Lucas watched as kids. Harrison Ford looks to be having fun, Shia LaBeaouf plays well as usual, and Karen Allen, despite her limited screen time, rocks.
If you want high art, go see something like “Atonement.” Indiana Jones is a popcorn movie and rollicking ride, and doesn’t try to be anything else.
Posted by Candace in Movies | No Comments »
05-26-2008
Cleaning Up
So, today was part cleanup day. I played a tournament this weekend and really played horribly, which was super depressing. After the last match, I drove over to the old house and helped clean it up a little bit more. I don’t know why we bothered.
It was very sad to be over there, where once we dreamed many dreams, but now said dreams have vanished. The house will be taken by the bank. I love my new apartment, but still, I lived in that house for 10 years, almost as long as I lived in New Rochelle. It saddens me that it is over, even though I know it is for the better.
Posted by Candace in Rants | No Comments »
05-18-2008
Ski Patrol
So, today I got accepted as a candidate for the Arapahoe Basin ski patrol. I’m so excited about it. It sounds like a lot of intensive training next year, but the group was really nice and seem like they’d be great to work with. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, so hopefully I can make it!
Posted by Candace in Skiing | No Comments »
05-15-2008
Ski season 2007-2008
Yesterday, I logged my 25th day of skiing this year. What amazed me was that, considering it’s mid-May, it was some of the best skiing I’ve had this season. A Basin had just received 5 inches of fresh powder, and it warmed up so there was just enough of a mixture of corn and powder. I hiked up the North Pole gate and did Narrow North Pole and had a blast doing jump turns in powder down the chute.
I’ve fallen in love with A Basin. While it’s a little small, it’s really the only place I can think of that has it all as far as skiing, from bumps to chutes to steep bowls and everything in between. I’ll definitely be getting a Basin pass for next season.
I haven’t decided yet whether yesterday will be my last day of the year, though I am tempted to leave it at that, since it was so excellent.
Posted by Candace in Skiing | No Comments »