You Got Zuckerberg'd!

Recently, the Din Tai Fung restaurant franchise has expanded overseas...to Bellevue, WA. Now this would normally be great news for both myself and the Chinese/Asian Community. However, things have taken a turn for the worse when my cousin-in-law, Joe, has been booted off from being a co-founder/owner of this restaurant in Lincoln Square!

So yes, in essence, he got Zuckerberg'd by his longtime friend and colleague - David Wasielewski. I just don't understand how someone how can do to another human being, much less a friend who took you in and gave you a place to stay. This idea of importing xiaolongbaos from China to Washington State has been a long time coming (at least 3 years by my count from when I first heard Joe mentioning it). I don't think Mr. Wasielewski had been seeking some long-term vengeance for not making the ever-so-elusive Phoenix Club...hell, both Joe and David went to the University of Washington together.

In our capitalistic society, it turns out that money is synonymous with happiness, or at the very least, a dream. My cousin is a man who has paid his dues, has a strong work ethic, and invested time and money into this brainchild project. All of that dedication has essentially been squandered now that the restaurant finally opened, business is booming, and the need for a minor owner has seemingly dissipated due to the fact the two majority owners are seeing nothing but green. Like a pawn, Joe was used to set everything up yet is pushed aside when there are finally rewards and benefits to be reaped. Chalk another one up for the Evil Empire. Just remember: while you may have a set of all-star Shanghai chefs right now, soon they will be handing in the reigns to lesser talent when they are asked to move back to China pretty soon. Enjoy donning those pinstripes!

These people sure don't look Chinese to me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giV5yXWUXUw

Premier Monday

Well, it's Monday. However, unlike most Mondays, this one is sure to make even Garfield a little less annoyed as it is Fall Season Premier Monday which means all new episodes of my favorite shows are debuting. In other words, it reveals to the world just how much of a couch potato that I am. I'm not too ashamed though. The reason is because just like with music and passions, I strongly believe a similar interest in the same television show(s) is VITAL to a relationship's success. Yes, it may sound corny or even ridiculous but let me posit this hypothetical situation and how it will make you feel:

Imagine you are about to embark on a road trip with your loved one/significant other. Let's say we are about 8-10 months into the relationship so this is the first time where you will be spending a long drive together, just the two of you and the only way to kill off the dead silences in between is by listening to some music. Imagine further that for the entire drive, your partner chooses to listen to the kind of music that you absolutely detest. We are talking about the kind of music that makes you wish you were permanently deaf. Furthermore, every time you try to change the music to something you like, they start complaining and mocking you for liking "that crap" while they are still bobbing their head along to the cacophony of sounds that they consider art.

Surely this will take its toll on you...regardless of how eclectic your taste might be or your tolerance level. We are talking about the one genre you hate the most in the entire world. If you don't hate a particular genre, just imagine the song you hate the most and your partner not only liking the song but playing it *all* the time.

Someone's taste in television shows, to me, works along the same concept. Obviously, I'd love to travel to exotic lands with my partner, attend both formal events and sporting events, cook together, spend time out with mutual friends, and other social gatherings. However, there will be times where all I would want to do is stay at home, cuddle up, and watch our favorite shows/movies or listen to our favorite music. This will certainly be an impossibility if the shows they watch or music they listen to makes me want to vomit (Jersey Shore, anyone?).

Today my coworker was telling me about her sister. I've seen her picture before (she is absolutely stunning by the way) and how her sister just took her phone and decided to sync some of her own songs to my coworker's iPhone. My coworker mentioned this to me because just weeks earlier, I had burned the EXACT SAME SONGS for my coworker! It looks like her sister and I have the exact same taste in music. Moreover, she is excited tonight because it is the season premier of How I Met Your Mother! Wow. How perfect is that? The answer, sadly, is not entirely because there's more that goes into someone than their likes/dislikes. I don't know a single thing about her other than that. She may be amazing, she may be not so much. But one thing is certain, she has a terrific taste in entertainment, and thanks to CBS, perhaps those who have not yet experienced the phenomenon of HIMYM will get to soon :)

Oh, What Could Have Been!

In light of today's MLB draft and quite fittingly enough, the eve of Stephen Strasburg's much anticipated debut, I have decided to reflect back on what the 2010 Mariners could theoretically look like had it not been for poor management, scouting, and egregious luck that Seattle sport teams seem to have.

It'd be nice if we could label one mistake during the Bavasi regime and just call that "Bavasi's blunder" - referring to one event that turned out to be negative for the Mariners. Unfortunately, he did not just make one. He gave away Shin Soo-Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera for the first-base platoon of Ben Broussard and Eduardo Perez. He also traded away Rafael Soriano for Horacio Ramirez. And of course there's the infamous Erik Bedard trade. Free-agent signings include Carlos Silva, Richie Sexson, Spiezio, Carl Everett, Aurilia, and Jeff Weaver. I don't think there can be one nice and tidy nickname that can sum up Bavasi's era ala Seward's Folly.

Furthermore, Bavasi and his scouts opted to NOT draft Tim Lincecum in the 2006 draft and selected Brandon Morrow instead. Geez, the guy only put up electrifying performances in Safeco's backyard at the University of Washington. But seeing the moves Bavasi and his men made beforehand, how could I have been so naive to think he actually watches baseball games live. That draft could have really started to change everything. Of course Tim is just a pitcher and wouldn't help our offensive woes...which is why I think we still would have been quite terrible in 2007 and 2008. Lincecum won the Cy Young in 2008 even though the Giants finished third in the NL West. If Felix could only win 9 games for the M's that season...you can make the argument Lincecum would not have won 18 and the M's would not have jumped out of the basement. Heck, Lincecum may not even had been activated because they would not want to ruin his development...that would partially explain why Morrow pitched less than 70 innings that year. That, and because they misused him as a RP instead of a SP. Yes, it is evident the knuckleheads Bavasi put together did not know a thing about running a baseball team.

Look no further than 2008 for even MORE proof of this. Obviously the team on the field was terrible. The atmosphere in the clubhouse? Even more so. It was so bad to the point that the enigmatic and rather aloof Ichiro was being complained about by teammates. The ONE, single player that is producing anything on the field is getting complaints? Yeah, I think it is high time to blow the whole thing up and start anew. This is why Junior, Sweeney, Zduriencik and Wakamatsu's presence the following year was such a welcome change. They made playing baseball fun again. It was a much-needed breath of fresh air for the club that just lost 101 games...the first team to do so with a $100 million payroll. Don't you love how the one record the team breaks is an infamous one?

Speaking of which, they can't even lose ENOUGH to secure the #1 draft pick for the following season. Now do you see why management did not know how to manage? Winning that one single game near the end of the season made them the second worst team in the majors behind the Washington Nationals. Our prize for that? Losing out on Stephen Strasburg. I know Dustin Ackley is a heralded player in his own right, but is he doing anything for the 2010 M's? The answer is no, at least not yet. Meanwhile, tomorrow on June 8, 2010, the whole nation will be tuned in to see how this kid that can throw over 100 MPH does in his MLB debut. Damn you, Bavasi! The ONE thing you were good at (losing), you weren't good enough to let us get another once-in-a-lifetime player since well, Ken Griffey, Jr. I am not a fan of the NFL or MLB's rules on draft order because it does not prevent teams from tanking games to secure the pick. Since I live in Seattle and can watch almost all the ballgames on TV, that year I could not imagine a team that was worse than the 2008 Seattle Mariners. I still cannot fathom the idea that the Nationals were a worse team. We deserved Strasburg. We need Strasburg. I don't like much about the NBA even before the Sonics left. However, they did do one thing right - having a draft lottery rather than automatically giving the team with the worst record in the league the #1 pick.

Why is this important? For one, it protects the integrity of the game. It makes players and coaches still compete for pride. Also, fans who bought tickets to the game still want their team to win while they are in attendance. No one likes to leave their home ballpark after a loss. It just makes sense to NOT reward the worse team in the league a #1 pick. Have the 10 worst teams conduct a lottery for that pick. That way, fans, players, coaches and everyone can still enjoy a day out at the ballpark rather than seeing a team pack it in. I know the Nationals did not have many stars on the 2008 roster but if they did, I'm sure they would bench them all so that they could win the Strasburg sweepstakes. Well congrats to them, they did anyway much to the chagrin of Mariners fans everywhere.

So Long, Kid

Career Stats:

Batting Average: .284
Home Runs: 630
Runs Batted In: 1836
Hits: 2781
Stolen Bases: 184
Slugging %: .538
OPS%: .907

13x All-Star, 10x Glove Glove Winner, 11x Slugger Award Winner, 3x Home Run Derby Champ, 1997 A.L. MVP, and a member of the All-Century Team

Great philanthropist and humanitarian

Class act all the way through
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. retires on June 2, 2010, exactly 23 years after he was drafted #1 overall by the Seattle Mariners.

Much like two of my favorite Seattle sports players that played all or most of their career with Seattle, the city is going to miss The Kid. The other two being Gary Payton and Walter Jones.

Griffey is hands-down the BEST baseball player in the 90s and would have been in the 2000s if not for injuries. It is a major travesty to see how injuries derailed the career of this future first-ballot Hall of Famer, the only one who did it right in this so-called "Steroid" era. Much like how Galarraga's would-be Perfect Game was tarnished, Junior's career statistics were subdued by season-ending injuries.

What a sad day for baseball all around. I don't know if/when Seattle will get its next great superstar that will have been drafted by this team and retire in the same jersey. Ichiro was not really "drafted" by the M's per se, but he will be the next retirement that will hit us Seattlelites dearly. After that, who knows? One thing is for certain though: we will never see another Ken Griffey, Jr in Seattle. His athletic ability, speed, power, and humanitarianism was what made him so great.

Hey, Sounders...if you need any ideas on who should get the next Golden Scarf, I think one candidate is fairly obvious. The statement that Ken issued today embodied how much he loved this city and he should know how much we love him back. This city does deserve a major championship as Junior said and his dedication should be rewarded. I sure hope the Sounders front office considers it! Thank you for everything Junior! Congratulations on a wonderful career.



References:

Picture taken from Tim Brown's column on Yahoo! Sports

Aloha to Lost

While saying that ABC’s Lost was a series that began and ended in the blink of an eye may be thematically accurate, it would also be a huge disservice and gross understatement to the phenomenon that captivated millions of people worldwide. The series officially concluded its six-year run on May 23rd, 2010. During its course, it raised many questions, a good portion of which still remain unanswered. At its core, however, the primary question attempts to answer how we, as humans, get along with one another and work through a tragedy.

Self-proclaimed “Losties” (as opposed to Trekkies) have been treated to a bombardment of cultural references and clues that add to the joy of watching the show. Instead of just mindlessly watching 45 minutes that does not have any relevance or important to one’s own life, viewers are challenged to actively engage in what they are seeing. One definitive moment in the series was an episode that was perceived to be another flashback, but only to be revealed at the end as a flash-forward. Instances like these are what make the show such a thrill for each viewer. There is no better proof of this than the “Final Transmissions” that aired during the commercials of the series finale where fans were able to text in how the television program changed their lives and what the show meant to them. Delving into the mythology of the island wasn’t just fun for fans of the show, but it had a cultural impact as well, with the show and its mysteries being fodder for comedians (Aziz Ansari’s Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening stand-up routine) and a reference for films alike (I Love You, Man).

Often regarded as a show that is too time-consuming to get involved in, I will venture to say that for those who have put in the time, they felt rewarded for it more often than not. Of course it is difficult to be completely satisfied without each and every question answered and every loophole explained. Even still, just like with the theme of the characters, Lost is better viewed as a whole whose sum is greater than its individual parts. Keep in mind that the individual parts were quite brilliant as well - monsters, time travel, and polar bears! Oh my!


References:

Picture taken from here

The Team Closest to My Heart

For the NBA, if I were a GM and can create my team, I would probably choose guys that have some relevance to my childhood and life growing up. So without further ado, this would be MY 12-man roster team, with every sense of the word.

Starters:

PG: Gary Payton - favorite player growing up and THE Ultimate Seattle Sonic

SG: Michael Jordan - though I hated seeing him defeat my '96 Sonics, he made basketball fun to watch all through the 90s and into the early 2000s

SF: LeBron James - same birthday as moi but two years older and 20 million times better

PF: Shawn Kemp - the Reign Man had amazing athletic ability that made him a highlight reel every night, and obviously I'm a little biased for the hometown team (as any fan would be)

C: Marcus Camby - love his defensive tenacity and his college UMASS jersey was actually the first basketball jersey I ever got


Reserves:

PG: Brandon Roy - fellow UW alum and now plays for Mr. Sonic Nate McMillan

SG: Kobe Bryant - say what you will but he is definitely a bona-fide star in the league and he's about the only Laker superstar that wasn't before my time (Magic, Kareem, Worthy)

SF: Detlef Schrempf - the third member of the '96 "Big Three" Seattle Sonics and also a UW alumni

PF: Karl Malone - watching him and Stockton play was a recipe for simple NBA magic

C: Shaquille O'Neal - Speaking of magic, the first ever playoff game I ever watched was an Orlando Magic vs. Houston Rockets NBA finals game and Shaq was at the center of it all...as well as my room as he was also the first NBA poster I ever got

PG: John Stockton - former Gonzaga star and I always envied the way he could dish the ball as I tried to emulate his play-making style growing up

PG: Mookie Blaylock - bit of a surprise here but I've always loved the way he played, especially after seeing him obtain a triple-double...with steals!!! Besides assists, most people know the next stat I try to accumulate is steals and Mookie and The Glove were two of the best at the time

A Simple Baseball Question

If a double-play is a pitcher's best friend, what is a triple play? A one-night fling with the one that got away and subsequently acts as the standard of comparison for all future romances?

Milton Bradley Games Presents:

A new drinking game that's fun for the whole family!


The Rules (per Mariner game):

1. Take a shot for each runner stranded on base after each Mariner at-bat.

2. Take a shot for every catch made by Gutierrez.

3. Take a shot for every ball that flies over Bradley's head.


Here are what fans of this game are saying:

"Guaranteed to get you drunk by the third inning!"

"I take a swig every time Bradley misjudges a ball ANYWAY, now I just have more reason to!"

"Most fun I had watching a Mariner game this year!"

So what are you waiting for, folks? Pick up your copy today! Available wherever games and sh*$ty hitting are sold. Come stop by our Seattle offices today. For our friends in the south, visit our other flagship store at Houston, TX.

*Ages 6 and up. Milton Bradley and Co. are not responsible for any alcohol poisoning, kidney failures, or other ailments. We abide by the motto of our founder and president: "It's their fault for anything bad that happens to them, sure as hell ain't mine. Don't be blaming me."






Seriously though, let's go and beat Brett Anderson & the A's tonight :)

Interesting Articles on the TV Front

http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/parks-recreation-vs-the-office--1122

The Office is one of my favorite television shows and I think it's come a long way since being just a rehash of The UK's version. I even chose The Office as the series for my spec script last October for the Disney/ABC Fellowship.

At first I could not get into Parks and Rec until I decided to go ahead and start from the first episode. It slowly grows on you and I think it's pretty decent and it indeed has a lot of similarities to The Office. Is that good? Bad? Doesn't matter? I'm not sure. On the one hand, I love this type of humor. On the other, the sarcastic, over-the-top mockumentary is becoming just another paradigm. Look at ABC's Modern Family. It, too, is a fantastic show but it goes to show the era of television that we are living in.

On a somewhat related note: Aziz Ansari is coming to Seattle in June! His last stand-up is definitely worth a watch for those who have not already seen it.



http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/jay-leno-admits-conan-obrien-got-screwed--1123

We all know about the Late Night Fiasco on NBC and since Leno's back as the host, I've been boycotting it. Unlike many of my cohorts, I don't find Leno to be "terribly unfunny." In fact, I think he has okay jokes. He does, however, suffer in comparison to Conan. Despite all this, Conan came up with a great idea to bring his show live to all across the US, starting in Oregon. *Sigh* If only tickets did not sell out so quickly. Damn scalpers!!!! Either way, good luck Conan - on both the tour and devising a way to stick it back to NBC.

Pitchers and catchers report this week

Seems like the M's players and coaches are pretty industrious.

http://jimstreet.mlblogs.com/archives/2010/02/it_has_been_about_a.html

Lee and Bedard are setting good examples for the younger guys by checking in so early. Hopefully they'll not only get used to the Arizona heat over there, but also their mechanics down and establishing rapport with their teammates.

All's well in M's nation it appears and Jackie Z, we have you to thank for it. Happy Valentine's Day to you, please ignore my man-crush.

R.I.P. Mr. J.D. Salinger

NO! Just read a post on Yahoo saying the great author died at the age of 91.

It has been my dream to someday meet this great writer and somehow, SOMEHOW convince him to let me adapt "Catcher in the Rye" into a screenplay for the silver screen. I know he is famous for being a reclusive hermit that thinks the movies is a "form of prostitution" (or so Holden believes).

Salinger's book has been my favorite novel since I read it in high school as it embodies all the important societal questions that we face; not unlike "Lord of the Flies", "Of Mice and Men", and almost any Kurt Vonnegut book. More importantly, as a psychology major, many of Holden's views (and thus problems) must be addressed to real people who relate to them. As it is shown in the book, psychoanalysis seems to fail in curing Holden of his troubles.

Salinger was truly an interesting man and I would have loved to have a chance to chat with him. After having watched Julie and Julia recently, Salinger is the Julia Child to my Julie. May he rest in peace and my thoughts go out to the Salinger family.


Sources:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100128/ap_en_ot/us_obit_salinger

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._D._Salinger

Cuckoo for CoCo

Apparently CoCo (Conan O'Brien) already has a new deal in place with NBC. It's probably not what you think, however. It's just a television show based off Conan's production company. Still, I'm glad they were able to break up amicably, though The Tonight Show's last week was quite hilarious with all the NBC bashing. After what they did to him and had promised him, he showed he is a man that doesn't hold grudges when he gave his heartfelt speech on the last episode. I hope this (re)union helps NBC realize Conan earned the former Johnny Carson job and will give him the job once again very soon. It was his dream job. I have no idea if it is anymore but at least offer him it to him. If Conan takes it, I don't think anyone will think of him as a coward or anything less to going back to the network that betrayed him. Long live CoCo!


Sources:

http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/conans-surprising-new-deal-with-nbc--947

Public Enemy #1: Billy Beane

Ben Sheets. One-year contract. $10 million. REALLY?! I don't know if the A's got the memo, but Sheets and his agent was seeking a one-year contract for approximately $8 mil. The Mets, the Mariners, and several other teams were interested in signing the former All-Star...but not for anything north of 8 mil considering he missed all of last season.

Obviously my bitterness comes from the fact that I strongly believed the amazing Jack Zduriencik would somehow lure Sheets into Seattle giving his familiarity with him from the Brewers organization. I thought a rotation that features The King (as in King Felix) and The Ace (Cliff Lee) and Sheets as "just" a #3 starter would propel this team from being division contenders to WORLD SERIES contenders. My optimism was for naught, however, and now we wait for Z's next move in a division where no GM is willing to surrender the crown so easily. I predict the AL West will in fact be the most competitive and intriguing division in all of MLB this upcoming 2010 season.

I wonder what the A's plans are for acquiring Sheets. Certainly with the plethora of young starters they have in the rotation and on the field, they know they are still a couple years away from true contention. Secondly, I don't think Sheets is the prototypical pitching mentor you'd seek to be the anchor and teach the younger pitchers. Glavine, Smoltz, and Pedro will be better options for that and they're all still free agents. Finally, the A's already have a promising rotation (a perennial Billy Beane staple) so it'd behoove them to let their young guys get more MLB experience. Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill, Duchscherer, and their pick between Braden/Eveland/Gonzalez/Mazzaro/Outman. Yikes! My guess is that they acquired Sheets just so they can flip him at the deadline ala Matt Holliday circa 2009. So overpaying him now won't matter so much if they trade him for worthy prospects and have the team eat up part of Sheets' salary (though 10 mil is relatively cheap for 2-3 good prospects). Damn you Billy Beane!

I know Rome wasn't built in a day and the 20+ game improvement we made last season was a refreshing start. However, with Cliff Lee rented for just a year and us going out and getting Figgins, Bradley, and Co. and with this being Junior's probable last year in the Majors, it'd be nice to see us win it all this season. Regarding the World Series: If we had acquired Sheets or another legit starting pitcher/bopper that hits for average, that would put us over the top and qualify us as legitimate contenders. Hell, I'm all for signing Bedard now even if it means he misses the first 2-3 months. If we can stay competitive until then, surely he'd help us run away with the division.

My hope now is that Kotchman overachieves in the first half and hits 20+ HRs and the Padres stink so much that they'd trade us A. Gonz for Kotchman straight-up. It's a pipe dream. Besides, if he really did hit over 20 home runs, you'd be incline to think we ought to keep him thinking he'd keep it up. I don't know what's a realistic package we can give the Pads though - Kotch, Triunfel, Saunders? or Kotch, Lopez, and Saunders?

I know us hardcore M's fans are trying so desperately to believe our team is a WS contender right now even w/o the power bat. But let's face it, when you walk into a place like the new Yankee Stadium, if you're not going to hit some home runs, you can kiss your pitchers goodbye because that ballpark is built for left-handed batters to pad their stats. As of right now, we COULD make the World Series but will we? I think we are 1-2 key players away. A third pitcher with Bedard's stuff would be nice. But more importantly, a 1B like Adrian Gonzalez would be much more nicer.

Jackie Z - if you're out there or one of your men stumble upon this post, PLEASE, PLEASE re-sign Bedard. If the two sides can't come to a fair negotiation and Bedard rather bolt for the Orioles who'd probably pay him more to be on a non-contending team, then so be it. But a rotation of Felix, Lee, Bedard, Rowland-Smith, and Snell is enough to get season ticket-holders salivating at the thought of post-season magic. Or at least sign Washburn or Chien Ming Wang! Alan Nero is Wang's agent and after securing Guti (my favorite Mariner) and Felix long-term, I say it's time to pop some more bottles Nero and Co. after Wang joins the Mariners. SoDo Mojo indeed!

Top 10 of 0-10

Fresh off the list of the '09 film winners, now let's take a look at the most anticipated films of 0-10. I'm excited that both Scorsese and Nolan have films coming out this year.

10. The Book of Eli - Denzel and Gary Oldman open up the new year with a post-apocalyptic prophet and his journey to the West. If there's one thing about Washington and Oldman, it's that they bring it to each and every film they make. Truly professionals.

9. Dinner for Schmucks - I'm simply putting this on there for the three-headed monster of Carell, Rudd, and Galifianakis. Plus, it's a remake of Diner de Cons, a hilarious Pignon French comedy.

8. Robin Hood - Russell Crowe as Robin? I can't see it. But until I watch it, I can't doubt any Scott/Crowe collabos.

7. Tron Legacy - Have you SEEN the trailer?

6. Iron Man 2 - Officially kicking off the 2010 summer blockbuster season is Favreau and Downey's sequel. Though 1 was a success, I fully expect this to surpass it in every way. For one, there are better actors (Rourke, Rockwell, Johansson) and as we all know, the second film is usually the best film of a (comic book) franchise (Batman Returns, The Dark Knight, Spider-Man 2, Hellboy II, X2).

5. Prince of Persia - this would be higher on the list but lately it appears as if Bruckheimer and his production company has been losing their touch. Though I did not despise At World's End as most people did, I do recognize some flaws. The "Pirates" series have declined with each film. Hopefully they at least start off this franchise correctly.

4. Toy Story 3 - It's Pixar. It's Toy Story. It's Tim Allen and Tom Hanks. 'Nuff said.

3. Alice in Wonderland - any Tim Burton movie is a treat to watch on the silver screen. So far this does not seem to be an exception.

2. Shutter Island - Scorsese directing a horror/fantasy film? I don't care. The man can do anything and with Leo in the lead, you know it will be a winner.

1. Inception - Speaking of Leo and winning and amazing directors, Nolan's latest appears to be some sci-fi mindgame. Well, as a psychology major, how can I not put this (and consequently every Nolan flick as #1 for their respective years?


There are still so many other great films that are slated for a 2010 release that I would love to include! Of them include the first part of the Harry Potter finale, a light-hearted buddy-cop movie with Walhberg and Will Ferrell entitled The Other Guys, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, The Wolfman, Last Night (so I'm in love with Knightley, sue me), Clash of the Titans, the Robert Rodriguez-directed Machete, the long-awaited Will Forte feature film role in MacGruber, the last Shrek film tentatively titled Shrek Forever After, The A-Team, Jonah Hex (Megan Fox plays a gun-wielding prostitute? Sign me up!), The Social Network (I'm curious how they'll depict my favorite website okay? Besides blogspot of course), and Due Date.

Due Date - does lightning strike twice?...in back to back years, no less? Todd Phillips teams up Downey with Galifianakis along with Jamie Foxx for a road trip/comedy film...we'll see how this one does following in The Hangover's massive, overly drunk and stumbling silhouette. This and the following were the two films closest to cracking the top ten.

Just let me say this. The Green Hornet was going to be a sure-fire top 3 pick until they forced Stephen Chow out of the roles of director and Kato. The guy's a legend and a genius. Give him the creative control he wants and watch the money roll in and the hilarity ensue. After having watched some of his greatest films recently (All for the Winner, Fight Back to School, Shaolin Soccer), I would say that if he wants to write, direct, and star in his own film - let him! I mean this with no disrespect for Gondry, as I love his films and actually want him to direct my little screenplay...but Chow greatly admires Bruce Lee and would have done the film justice by honoring the series as well as putting his own, unique imprint on it that would have made it a WORLDWIDE success, not just a local US success. Ah well, here I go ranting again...

In Light of the Golden Globes...

Of the movies I've seen, here's my list of the 10 best films of 2009:


#10. District 9

#9. Invictus

#8. Up

#7. Inglourious Basterds

#6. Moon

#5. Star Trek

#4. 500 Days of Summer

#3. The Hangover

#2. Avatar

#1. Up in the Air - excellent script, excellent direction, and a hell of a performance from the three stars. First film that actually made me *like* George Clooney! No, in all seriousness he plays a lovable prick in this Jason Reitman film. Goddamnit!


My apologies to "Precious", "The Hurt Locker", and Meryl Streep as I did not see any of those movies.

Notable mentions:

"The Cove" was perhaps the best documentary of '09 followed by "Food Inc."

"Coraline" was a fantastic animated film and if it wasn't for Pixar, it would have won Best Animated Feature Film IMHO.

Congrats to all the Golden Globe Winners, especially Michael C. Hall for "Dexter." It was also great to see Scorsese get his dues and his award presented by his two stars DeNiro and DiCaprio. Looking forward to "Shutter Island" and "Inception", both DiCaprio films should be great considering they are directed by Scorsese and Nolan, respectively.