The Waning Intelligence of Today's Generation

This is going to be short, but I just felt like I had to share with all two and a half of you that read my blog. I was asked probably one of the most idiotic questions in my life today, and that's saying something. I get asked ridiculous questions on a daily basis because I work very closely with the public. Now, I'm not saying that the world has taken a step back in evolution or anything, but most of the people I come in contact with are not the brightest in the bushel. In my opinion, today's generation is the worst, but that's a whole other blog altogether.

This stupid question of the day came from a co-worker. Now, I swear to you people, I'm no Einstein myself, but sometimes I feel like a rocket scientist around my fellow co-workers. I was sitting in the break room minding my own business, when *insert sound effects: dun, dun, dun* ignorance struck. Now, keep in mind I have an abscessed tooth right now, so I'm on antibiotics to take care of the infection before I get a root canal. Eek... *shivers* I'm going to try to write down the conversation as it went, so you can have the full impact of his asininity.

I took one of my penicillin pills while my food was cooking in the microwave. He asked me, "What kind of pill was that?"

Me: "It was penicillin for an infected tooth. Not that it was any of your business in the first place!"

Him: "Oh. Why? Do you have the swine flu?"

Everybody in the break room stopped what they were doing and just stared at him. The proverbial crickets could be heard in the background.

Co-worker #2: "Are you serious? In her teeth?"

Him: "Well, she's taking penicillin. That's a hardcore drug." He looks around into five faces of disbelief and continues with a very pathetic, "Well...isn't it? It's always in movies...."

We all just looked at each other for about 2.5 seconds and then burst into uncontrollable laughter for a minute or so. The whole time getting the most perplexed look from him while he was trying to understand why we were laughing about my "swine flu infected tooth" and his "hardcore movie drug, penicillin".

We eventually had to explain to him how to take care of your teeth and what happens to them as you get older. I felt like I was lecturing a child. No, a child would know better than that! Is he smarter than a fifth grader? I think not! He is twenty-one, hence the today's generation remark. And that's bad coming from me considering I'm only twenty-eight! lol I've only got seven years on him and there's like a thirty year intelligence gap between us....

Sometimes I have the strangest conversations at work. I swear, behind the scenes at my job could be a reality show. This one would be reminiscent of the Simple Life season one episode in which, Paris Hilton had to be informed that Walmart was not a wall supply store. *grins in fond remembrance* Oh wow, did I really just admit to watching that? *bows head in shame* I know...I watched that show...and I loved every minute of it....

My First Movie Review

Well, people, what can I say. I was experimenting with Paintshop to do a little sumthin' sumthin' with my review and make it jazzy.... I tried to make some images and they just came out crappy. Oh well, I shall improve as I go, I guess. I have Adobe Photoshop on my other computer, but I'm just too lazy to get on there and send everything over here...it's so old and slow! I'm just apologizing for the crappy photo editing. Hope the review was helpful, though.

Rabid Reviews: Killshot

Directed by: John Maddon
Screenplay by: Hossein Amini
Run time: 95 mins

Main Characters: Mickey Rourke, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Thomas Jane, Diane Lane, and Rosario Dawson

In this screenplay, adapted from Elmore Leonard’s novel of the same name, even the A-list cast can’t save it from the destruction that a couple years of editing can do to a movie. Originally slated to begin production in 2002 under an entirely different director and cast, it was pushed aside when the Weinsteins left Miramax. Only to be picked back up several years later, finally completed in 2006. Alas, it had a limited release with negative test run results and was put through a rigorous run of re-filmings, and much editing. Leaving us with the final production released in November of 2008, it went straight to dvd.

Okay, enough background on the production of the movie. Here’s the low-down:

Rourke’s performance as Native American hit man Armand ‘The Blackbird’ Degas was probably what saved the movie. Even though he didn’t strike me as very Native American at all, his mobster attitude was well played. This was actually the first movie I’ve seen Rourke in that I actually remember his character. I will be on the lookout for others.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt played a semi-psychotic small time bad boy trying to make a name for himself, but getting nowhere. His character was at times slightly over the top verging on unbelievable, and had to be kept at bay by Rourke’s character. He had some comical moments, but over all became very annoying towards the end. Normally, I love Joseph Gordon-Levitt, he’s actually one of my favorite actors. But, with this movie, I felt like his character was just too much. It was funny at first, but then it just became redundant.

Thomas Jane and Diane Lane played a married couple going through the process of divorce, until they unwillingly witnessed Rourke and Gordon-Levitt‘s characters roughing up a real estate agent. In which case they became the new targets. They portrayed a believable relationship going through the trials of splitting up. I had no qualms with Thomas Jane’s character. He was believable as a man trying to save his wife and his marriage. Diane Lane did a decent portrayal as the wife who kept pushing her husband away, not willing to admit that she still needed him, and dealing with being chased by killers in the process.

And last, Rosario Dawson…all I can say is her character was strange. Dawson is an excellent actress and this was just a wasted role. I don’t really see where it even had much importance at all. I just really felt like her part in the movie was nothing but a glorified cameo, in the hopes of using her name to promote the movie and bring in more viewers. Not to bash her acting, Dawson took the role, made it her own, and did the best with what she was offered.

Sometimes the characters in this movie were far fetched and unrealistic, and sometimes they were just too plain and predictable. All in all, the acting was for the most part sound, and the storyline and action were entertaining. Definitely not Oscar worthy by any means, but if you’re in the mood for a little bit of needless killing and violence, then this is your movie.

Movies, Ratings...What?

Just a quick note as to how I shall be doing my movie reviews. No rating system.... I know, I know...that's really weird, huh? Well, I kinda feel like if I grade it, give it stars, or do the thumbs up thing that people don't really bother to read the actual review. A lot of times they just see what rating it's been given and decide from that. I want you guys to read my review and actually, just maybe, take something from it. Maybe, form some kind of thought as to specific reasons why you might or might not want to watch it. Plus...I can't think of anything cool to rate it with.... I don't know, I was thinking something with potatoes.... *shrugs*

Anyway, if anybody has any ideas for a nifty, neat-o, cool, original rating system i could use, let me know.

I'm going to post the movie reviews I've done, as is. I was going to try to rewrite them, but I realized I would have to watch these movies again. I've just got so many others to watch that I just don't have time to watch them again. I promise I'll put more effort into the new ones as I go along.

The Beginning

Wow, this is really rather daunting. I thought this would be easy, just let all the stuff in my head pour out through my fingers and be done with it. Maybe somebody would comment, maybe not; I thought it would be anything but hard! It seems as though this is just like my writing these days...bland, unimaginative, and ultimately lacking. I have nothing but time to think up all these great ideas, but once my mind has conceived said ideas, I find it very hard to bring them to fruition.

Anyway, I guess this will just be an overview of what I want to do with, and where I want to go with this blog. I've never kept one before because I don't really feel comfortable with laying my soul bare for the world to see. Not that the whole world is going to be reading my blog! I dare say I'm not that interesting, but you get my point. I would like to voice my thoughts, my opinions, and exactly what I think of the world and the happenings in it, without fear of people looking at me as a person, differently. I am different, and I like to be different, but sometimes too different is very scary. I hide a lot of myself from the people I'm close to and I yearn to just be me completely and not be scared. So, in this blog, I can be totally me and totally incognito!

With that being said, let me get down to business. There will be totally random posts, an occasional rant here and there. But, I don't really get up in arms about much unless it deeply stirs something inside me. I'm pretty much one of the most cheerful, easygoing people one can meet in life. I will do the occasional movie review. I watch an unbelievable amount of movies, and I'm really hyped up about doing reviews. The only problem with this is that, its hard for me to write one and be satisfied with it. I've been told they're pretty good, but they're just very monotonous sounding to me. No spark, no me anywhere in the review. I'm currently working on re-writing some of them, but who knows. I might just post them the way they are. I also have this idea for a series of short stories forming in my head which I may post one or two and see if I get any response. I'm not too sure about that one though.

Like I said, I'm not really sure how to do this, I've never blogged before. If anybody reads this and you have some suggestions or helpful tips and pointers, they are extremely welcome!

Okay people, I guess I'm done.