It's Monday night on Memorial Day. I've been at the hospital since 6:45 this morning. ICU call today, tonight, and through the morning. It's been a while since I blogged.
Thinks are relatively peaceful in "the unit" for now, but that could change of course. The lives of about 8 people requiring intensive care are in my hands tonight. That's kind of a surreal thought, but not all together disconcerting. As an intern I would have felt different. But now, nearly graduated, I guess its just that I've been here before, and have a certain comfort level with really sick people. That's reassuring in my work, I guess.
One of the people in the ICU but not in my charge is a sad 20 year old kid who was in a highway accident. He was a passenger in the back seat, not wearing his seat belt, and was thrown from the car and fractured his spine. His fracture is high( about C6/C7 for those with a knowledge of anatomy). The incident has left him a quadriplegic. 20 years old. Very, very sad. (He's not in my charge because he's on the neurosurgery team).
Other News
I spent 4 days of last week doing some actual military training. It seems that "they" (they being an unknown set of shady military higher ups, in my best estimation) make most of the graduating residents go through the 4 day course that they give to the military's combat medics. The first 2 days of the course were mostly in the classroom. Lots of powerpoint, but also several videos, mostly military footage of injuries and combat care regarding the ongoing war in Iraq. There was some pretty sketchy stuff. Its kind of funny to me how I probably shouldn't be talking about it here. Let's just say the footage I watched doesn't make it to CNN. I think the military and the government prefer it that way.
The latter 2 days of the course (particularly the last day) were spent "in the field". The third day featured running simulated combat medic training exercises (as a point of reference - a combat medic is not a doctor; they are an enlisted soldier with EMT or LPN training, capable mainly of rudimentary medical care and stabilization measures....under fire. They are those guys that come running in a firefight when other guys with guns start screaming "MEDIC!"). These drills were done in the "sim center" which is kind of a cool set up with everybody practicing medical care on expensive fully automated mannequins which are run by a computer and can bleed, have a pulse, speak, and all sorts of other cool stuff. After putting us in teams of 4, several "real army people" started putting us through scenarios which comprised of the squad encountering a casualty (mannequin), often under fire (provided by speakers and other theatrics). Some times we had to work in the dark - other times there were strobe lights. (Either to simulate tracer fire and explosions during a night raid OR to simulate the specific niche of treating casualties in a techno dance club - I'm not sure which).
On the afternoon of the 3rd day we practiced real procedures on anesthesized animals - and the less I mention about that the better lest I get in trouble. I will say that the army handled the lab with respect and care for the animals - so while the acts were sometimes difficult, the training was invaluable and I wasn't too against it. (Plus I think I would have to be a full fledged vegetarian before I could get on any sort of serious animal rights soap box, so there).
On the fourth day, we spent the entire day in the field running a simulated live exercise from battle to battalion aid station (or the echelons of military battlefield care) regarding the treatment and evacuation of war casualties. It was kind of nutty, but then again so is all the real "military training" I've undergone to this point. Suffice to say it involved a lot of me running around the brush in full camouflage with lots of theatrics and mannequined casualties along side of real animal casualties, all of which had to be treated and evacuated according to proper military procedure. At one point I was made "medic squad leader" (we all sort of rotated) which involved me sort of running the evacuation. This became entertaining because the course instructor made it his job to try and exasperate the various squad leaders by berating them constantly, as if channeling the drill sergeant from "Full Metal Jacket". So for several minutes I had this whole evacuation to coordinate while some ex-medic guy screamed in my face trying to distract me and add to the overall "feeling of real combat". He was firing off countless acronyms and military jargon which I found amusing more than anything else. After the exercise, he said I did well in keeping my cool and that I "deal with my stress" by laughing. I just shook my head. Honestly, I think I "deal with things that I find funny" by laughing. If and when I ever go into a real battle (now THAT thought is fucking surreal, and all too possible, sadly), I dare say I would not be as amused...
Since the course, which ended last Wednesday, I've been back at this ICU thing, which is getting old. I'm tired of being a resident, tired of being on call like this. Its time to move on. And that presents a whole other set of issues, because moving to Europe via the army is not a simple nor administratively streamlined process. The amount of forms, admin, and overall bullshit required borders on the ridiculous. You see, the REAL army is run by government service workers, which are nothing more than packs of lazy, underqualified, unmotivated, and unfirable civilians who make an already boggy process into an excrutiating, hair pulling ordeal. Imagine people from a 1985 DMV running your life. And that's what I go through on a weekly basis to ensure a smooth transition from this continent to the next.
And though I'm excited to be moving onward and upward, I'm definitely starting to get pangs of anxiety and nostalgia as the Pacific Northwest clock ticks persistently down. Its tough to pick up and start somewhere else, even though it can ultimately be rewarding. I've decided that I'm going to miss Seattle. I like my city apartment and I like the scene up here. Its been a crazy 3 years of my life. I shall have more to say on that in upcoming posts, I should think.
Moustache May
I can't believe I haven't mentioned this earlier, but I've spent the entire last month with a moustache. Not a goatee. A moustache. The Army won't allow much facial hair, but it will allow a simple moustache, as long as the ends don't go beyond the corners of your mouth. And as a sort of a goofy misguided pact, all of the senior Internal Medicine residents (to include myself) decided to grow a dirty moustache and wear it (reluctantly vs. proudly) for the month of May. Of course we proudly deemed this "Moustache May." The results have been interesting, and of course I'll post pics up in a future post.
All I can say is that moustaches are nasty. Especially the narrow military-legal ones that we are suffering through. What becomes sort of a comical bonding experience at work inevitably mutates into a badge of shame out in the real world. At work, it's fun to watch everyone's filthy growth come in (and to a man they all look terrible - though there is a range within even that terribleness, I must say). Out in Seattle, at a restaurant or the like, its no fun to watch a waiter's eyes go from my eyes to my lips, as he contemplates the flagrant atrocity that I sport. My eye contact with strangers has been at an all time low. Parents keep their children on the other side as we cross, not wanting to let little Suzie come anywhere near "that clearly perverted man". Its no fun feeling that you look like a rapist or child molester, and its been very tough at times to keep going with the 'stache. But its fun to come to work and see everyone else looking as ridiculous as I do. And thank heavens June 1st is just around the corner, signaling the heralded end of Moustache May. And believe you me, my razor is ready.
Sith, Sleeplessness, and the Spaghetti Factory
As advertised, I went and saw Star Wars last Wednesday midnight (surrounded by all manner of costumed freaks and selfless nerds - which only added to the experience). I put some rambling, post-call thoughts about the movie up on the old WCD site. Now, more rested, I'm still tossing the film around in my head, trying to see where my take on it will eventually settle out. I'm not in the mood to elaborate on it too much more right now, however. To sum up my current opinion I would say that I enjoyed the film, certainly classify it as the best of the prequels, was pleased to see at least some return to space opera form, only winced outwardly two or three times, am truly disappointed in only two scenes (of consequence), and in general feel satisfied with the result.
I do keep thinking about the movie, and I am eager to see it again. My initial viewing was dampened by fatigue (I'm doing a call-intensive ICU month), which I honestly feel prevented me from reaching the highest level of glee in taking it in (although lower expectations courtesy of the other prequels may have had a hand in that as well). It will also be nice to relax a little more on the second viewing, knowing that it doesn't completely suck, which was of course my biggest fear on opening night. More to follow.
My last few days have gone like this:
12:01 am Wed. night/Thurs. morn - saw Star Wars
3:30 am Thurs. morn - went to bed
5:45 am Thurs. morn - got up and went to work an ICU call
8:30 pm Thurs. night - got a 20 minute nap in prior to being paged again
After that I did some work on call, trying to lie down but failing (curse the pager) until about 1 am
1 am Friday morn. - went to sleep for 3 and a half hours straight! (an ICU call record, and badly needed that night)
4:30 am Friday morn - woke up from pager, began the new work day
13:00 Friday afternoon - departed work, ran a few errands, and headed home (its debatable whether I should have been driving...)
15:45 Friday afternoon - went to sleep, ah sweet wonderful sleep; prior to lying down, I had gotten exactly 6 or so hours in a 2 night span. Yuck.
The rest of this weekend has been mellow thus far. I was off today (Saturday). I slept in, then arose and went to Rosebud. Got home and read a little. (Currently, I'm reading this essay collection by David Foster Wallace, entitled "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again". The title story is his day by day account of going on a luxury cruise - it is the funniest story I have read in a good long while - I highly, highly recommend it.)
This evening I met Gwen, her brother, brother's beau (Nate), and Gwen's mom at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Seattle. Let it be known that I am no fan of the "Factory" at all. Ironically, neither is Gwen, Charles (brother), or Nate. But, Gwen's mom, being the guest of honor, got to pick the restaurant. So she got her wish, and in the process had to put up with us nay sayers and our thinly veiled disdain at eating at the place, the consequence of which was rather amusing. Also funny was the fact that it was prom night for the local teens, which made for hilarious observations of the adolescent sub-culture. (And we all just about died when we learned that Nate (who is CLEARLY gay) went to like 5 proms, 2 as a junior, and 3 as a senior, all with different women from different high schools. He was some sort of prom master. I can totally see it - he was the archetype doesn't-realize-he's- gay-guy in his early days, but was very talkative and sensitive and friends with all the girls. Classic. Simply classic. We were all in stitches about this over dinner.)
Tomorrow I begin a 4 day military medic course based on trauma care "in the field". I'm not really looking forward to it, but it gets me out of 4 days of ICU work (meaning no call), which is a plus. And with that I'm off to bed.
I do keep thinking about the movie, and I am eager to see it again. My initial viewing was dampened by fatigue (I'm doing a call-intensive ICU month), which I honestly feel prevented me from reaching the highest level of glee in taking it in (although lower expectations courtesy of the other prequels may have had a hand in that as well). It will also be nice to relax a little more on the second viewing, knowing that it doesn't completely suck, which was of course my biggest fear on opening night. More to follow.
My last few days have gone like this:
12:01 am Wed. night/Thurs. morn - saw Star Wars
3:30 am Thurs. morn - went to bed
5:45 am Thurs. morn - got up and went to work an ICU call
8:30 pm Thurs. night - got a 20 minute nap in prior to being paged again
After that I did some work on call, trying to lie down but failing (curse the pager) until about 1 am
1 am Friday morn. - went to sleep for 3 and a half hours straight! (an ICU call record, and badly needed that night)
4:30 am Friday morn - woke up from pager, began the new work day
13:00 Friday afternoon - departed work, ran a few errands, and headed home (its debatable whether I should have been driving...)
15:45 Friday afternoon - went to sleep, ah sweet wonderful sleep; prior to lying down, I had gotten exactly 6 or so hours in a 2 night span. Yuck.
The rest of this weekend has been mellow thus far. I was off today (Saturday). I slept in, then arose and went to Rosebud. Got home and read a little. (Currently, I'm reading this essay collection by David Foster Wallace, entitled "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again". The title story is his day by day account of going on a luxury cruise - it is the funniest story I have read in a good long while - I highly, highly recommend it.)
This evening I met Gwen, her brother, brother's beau (Nate), and Gwen's mom at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Seattle. Let it be known that I am no fan of the "Factory" at all. Ironically, neither is Gwen, Charles (brother), or Nate. But, Gwen's mom, being the guest of honor, got to pick the restaurant. So she got her wish, and in the process had to put up with us nay sayers and our thinly veiled disdain at eating at the place, the consequence of which was rather amusing. Also funny was the fact that it was prom night for the local teens, which made for hilarious observations of the adolescent sub-culture. (And we all just about died when we learned that Nate (who is CLEARLY gay) went to like 5 proms, 2 as a junior, and 3 as a senior, all with different women from different high schools. He was some sort of prom master. I can totally see it - he was the archetype doesn't-realize-he's- gay-guy in his early days, but was very talkative and sensitive and friends with all the girls. Classic. Simply classic. We were all in stitches about this over dinner.)
Tomorrow I begin a 4 day military medic course based on trauma care "in the field". I'm not really looking forward to it, but it gets me out of 4 days of ICU work (meaning no call), which is a plus. And with that I'm off to bed.
A Long Time Ago....
The end of an era is here.
Tonight, the final official chapter (all side stories, comics, books, TV spin-offs, etc. aside) of Star Wars will be unveiled. And I find myself looking back on a life with the saga.
The most interesting thing for me about the Star Wars saga is how much it has undoubtedly been a significant part of my life ever since I can remember anything. In some difficult to describe way, I really think that it has had a meaningful hand in shaping who I am. And certainly it has done so to more extent than any other film series or piece of audiovisual entertainment ever has.
The first movie I ever saw in a movie theater was "The Empire Strikes Back" in 1980. I was 5 years old. To be honest, I remember we went to a late show and I fell asleep about the time when Luke got to Dagobah. However, before that, I had my little hands full and little eyes aglow with the most spectacular piece of amazing and imaginative entertainment I had ever scene. The battle of Hoth still ranks among the coolest scenes in cinematic history for me. Not only is it a great scene that holds up, but it brings with it an instant nostalgic chill factor as well. As a 5-year old boy, I was so mesmerized and transfixed by that scene that I think it alone sparked an entire childhood full of desires for Star Wars toys, GI Joes, Transformers, and everything else fictionally imaginative that made my tastes in those areas what they are today.
In 1983 I was 8 years old when "Return of the Jedi" came out. It came out on a Wednesday and we saw it on a Friday after school (I remember that the 2 days of knowing it was out, knowing my best friend had seen it, and still having to wait all the way until Friday to view it were absolute torture). My parents and I (this was before my sister) waited in line, in the rain, for about 2 hours to go see it in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. And it blew me away. To this day, I would have to say that "Return of the Jedi" is in my top 3 of all time movie theater experiences. For 2 plus hours I was absolutely glued to that screen, taking in everything and feeling exhilarated the entire time. I was in that simple state of nirvana that can only be attained during childhood. Afterwards, my parents bought me a toy lightsaber and I spent hours and hours running around the house pretending I was a magnificent jedi battling the forces of evil. Ah, to be young again.
During high school Star Wars reached uber-cult status and, other than some ewok scenes and a tarzan yell, could do no wrong. I remember going to see a special viewing of all three movies (in the theater!) and being so pumped on it. When I was in college, the re-releases of the big three came out and I waited in line on opening night all three times. And despite the aside of discussing the newest nuances, that powerful nostalgia was once again present and exquisitely gratifying. Star Wars, was indeed the coolest.
The timing of the original saga, to include the re-releases, encompassing the first 21 glowing years of my life, was perfect. If at that time I had to sit down and write a book listing 100 reasons why life is grand, you can bet that "The Star Wars Trilogy" would have been high on that list.
And with that, I don't want to spend a lot of time writing about the most recent 2 films and my already well known thoughts. I will say that I am probably particularly harsh on them because they represent such a legendary fall from grace. Its as if Episode 1 and 2 are capable of ripping away some of that symbolic childhood and adolescent goodness supplied by the original trilogy. How dare they come along and cheapen that? Of course, they don't really cheapen it - rather I, like anybody, only allow my now much more adult perspective (and much higher expectations) to interfere with that sense of wonder and bliss attainable only in childhood. Its an unfair comparison, but also impossible to not make given the power that original trilogy still holds for me.
Given such contrasting thoughts, I still look forward to tonight. It really is the end of an era.
I have SO MANY awesome memories of Star Wars, ranging from the powerful sense that I could do anything if I believed in it and myself (this trite but important childhood dream of achievement definitely stems disproportionately from visions of Luke Skywalker and Star Wars) to the countless other little but meaningful thrills along the way (for example like from playing the video game X-wing and then humming the familiar tune while jogging warm laps at track practice with Adam), that I can't help but be excited by this.
Tonight is the last time I will ever see a Star Wars movie for the first time. Ever. And that is a powerful thought, given all that has gone before. I may be older and much more bitter, and when all is said and done I may end up hating the movie. But when those curtains come up and that Lucasfilm logo comes on and that music begins, I will be in a particular special happy place, at least briefly, that only Star Wars can get me to because of its lifetime of memories and influence.
The film itself will certainly be debatable, but the experience of seeing "Sith" in the theater, knowing that it is a finale on many levels, will certainly be potent. I'm hoping and betting that Lucas still has something to give, that his prequels by design were probably one movie stretched over three (with most of his vision coming alive in "Sith"). But those assumptions are neither here nor there.
For me, tonight is about reliving the Star Wars magic that has so been a part of my life all these years. It may sound ridiculous, but it really does represent more than I could possibly understand or express about myself and about how I see things. And though tonight is the last time I will see something NEW from Star Wars, it is the sensation of the OLD that I will cling to. It's that music, those memories, that vibe, and that feel of existing a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. The one that makes the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up and that warm feeling flood over, around, and through me. That Force, if you will. And, if only transiently, it'll be like I'm 8 years old again running around saving the universe with a lightsaber in my hand and the world at my feet. Ah, I absolutely cannot wait!
Mick
PS - In all seriousness, how good is John Williams? I have all 3 of the original soundtracks in my CD player randomly shuffling as I type this, and I can't believe how much emotion and energy is wrapped up in those riffs. Every once in a while I do that, just put the soundtracks on. And no matter what menial task I'm performing around the house, its resounding significance is immediately amplified by a factor of a thousand. All of a sudden I'm not just folding laundry, I'm folding laundry with all the awe and majesty of a Sith Lord leading his fleet out of hyperspace as the Imperial March blares! I'm not just doing dishes, I'm doing them with the fate in the balance intensity of Luke Skywalker leading an assault on the death star! John Williams, did I ever tell you you're my hero? May the Force be with you.
Tonight, the final official chapter (all side stories, comics, books, TV spin-offs, etc. aside) of Star Wars will be unveiled. And I find myself looking back on a life with the saga.
The most interesting thing for me about the Star Wars saga is how much it has undoubtedly been a significant part of my life ever since I can remember anything. In some difficult to describe way, I really think that it has had a meaningful hand in shaping who I am. And certainly it has done so to more extent than any other film series or piece of audiovisual entertainment ever has.
The first movie I ever saw in a movie theater was "The Empire Strikes Back" in 1980. I was 5 years old. To be honest, I remember we went to a late show and I fell asleep about the time when Luke got to Dagobah. However, before that, I had my little hands full and little eyes aglow with the most spectacular piece of amazing and imaginative entertainment I had ever scene. The battle of Hoth still ranks among the coolest scenes in cinematic history for me. Not only is it a great scene that holds up, but it brings with it an instant nostalgic chill factor as well. As a 5-year old boy, I was so mesmerized and transfixed by that scene that I think it alone sparked an entire childhood full of desires for Star Wars toys, GI Joes, Transformers, and everything else fictionally imaginative that made my tastes in those areas what they are today.
In 1983 I was 8 years old when "Return of the Jedi" came out. It came out on a Wednesday and we saw it on a Friday after school (I remember that the 2 days of knowing it was out, knowing my best friend had seen it, and still having to wait all the way until Friday to view it were absolute torture). My parents and I (this was before my sister) waited in line, in the rain, for about 2 hours to go see it in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. And it blew me away. To this day, I would have to say that "Return of the Jedi" is in my top 3 of all time movie theater experiences. For 2 plus hours I was absolutely glued to that screen, taking in everything and feeling exhilarated the entire time. I was in that simple state of nirvana that can only be attained during childhood. Afterwards, my parents bought me a toy lightsaber and I spent hours and hours running around the house pretending I was a magnificent jedi battling the forces of evil. Ah, to be young again.
During high school Star Wars reached uber-cult status and, other than some ewok scenes and a tarzan yell, could do no wrong. I remember going to see a special viewing of all three movies (in the theater!) and being so pumped on it. When I was in college, the re-releases of the big three came out and I waited in line on opening night all three times. And despite the aside of discussing the newest nuances, that powerful nostalgia was once again present and exquisitely gratifying. Star Wars, was indeed the coolest.
The timing of the original saga, to include the re-releases, encompassing the first 21 glowing years of my life, was perfect. If at that time I had to sit down and write a book listing 100 reasons why life is grand, you can bet that "The Star Wars Trilogy" would have been high on that list.
And with that, I don't want to spend a lot of time writing about the most recent 2 films and my already well known thoughts. I will say that I am probably particularly harsh on them because they represent such a legendary fall from grace. Its as if Episode 1 and 2 are capable of ripping away some of that symbolic childhood and adolescent goodness supplied by the original trilogy. How dare they come along and cheapen that? Of course, they don't really cheapen it - rather I, like anybody, only allow my now much more adult perspective (and much higher expectations) to interfere with that sense of wonder and bliss attainable only in childhood. Its an unfair comparison, but also impossible to not make given the power that original trilogy still holds for me.
Given such contrasting thoughts, I still look forward to tonight. It really is the end of an era.
I have SO MANY awesome memories of Star Wars, ranging from the powerful sense that I could do anything if I believed in it and myself (this trite but important childhood dream of achievement definitely stems disproportionately from visions of Luke Skywalker and Star Wars) to the countless other little but meaningful thrills along the way (for example like from playing the video game X-wing and then humming the familiar tune while jogging warm laps at track practice with Adam), that I can't help but be excited by this.
Tonight is the last time I will ever see a Star Wars movie for the first time. Ever. And that is a powerful thought, given all that has gone before. I may be older and much more bitter, and when all is said and done I may end up hating the movie. But when those curtains come up and that Lucasfilm logo comes on and that music begins, I will be in a particular special happy place, at least briefly, that only Star Wars can get me to because of its lifetime of memories and influence.
The film itself will certainly be debatable, but the experience of seeing "Sith" in the theater, knowing that it is a finale on many levels, will certainly be potent. I'm hoping and betting that Lucas still has something to give, that his prequels by design were probably one movie stretched over three (with most of his vision coming alive in "Sith"). But those assumptions are neither here nor there.
For me, tonight is about reliving the Star Wars magic that has so been a part of my life all these years. It may sound ridiculous, but it really does represent more than I could possibly understand or express about myself and about how I see things. And though tonight is the last time I will see something NEW from Star Wars, it is the sensation of the OLD that I will cling to. It's that music, those memories, that vibe, and that feel of existing a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. The one that makes the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up and that warm feeling flood over, around, and through me. That Force, if you will. And, if only transiently, it'll be like I'm 8 years old again running around saving the universe with a lightsaber in my hand and the world at my feet. Ah, I absolutely cannot wait!
Mick
PS - In all seriousness, how good is John Williams? I have all 3 of the original soundtracks in my CD player randomly shuffling as I type this, and I can't believe how much emotion and energy is wrapped up in those riffs. Every once in a while I do that, just put the soundtracks on. And no matter what menial task I'm performing around the house, its resounding significance is immediately amplified by a factor of a thousand. All of a sudden I'm not just folding laundry, I'm folding laundry with all the awe and majesty of a Sith Lord leading his fleet out of hyperspace as the Imperial March blares! I'm not just doing dishes, I'm doing them with the fate in the balance intensity of Luke Skywalker leading an assault on the death star! John Williams, did I ever tell you you're my hero? May the Force be with you.
Who Let That Dog Out?
After watching the Sonics whoop up on the Spurs to even the series tonight, I decided to walk downtown and go see "Unleashed".
I must admit I had been harboring the guilty pleasure of looking forward to see this film, and for reasons which are not terribly clear.
Honestly, I do like the idea of hand-to-hand fighting in movies. Part of my eighth grade testosterone self has never gotten completely tired of a couple of bad asses duking it out. Its fun to watch talented people of jujitsu (such as Jet Li) do their thing. But with an abundance of crappy movies featuring mindless karate for the sake of karate, the trick becomes to tie those flying fists to something important and endearing and still pull off some bitching fight scenes (and in the process, interest the audience in the outcome of the fight and not just in the fight display itself). I thought, I guess, that "Unleashed" had the potential to do this.
And I'm glad to say that it did. While it does not play on the same level that the the-more-I-think-about-the-more-I-realize-I-really-really-liked-it "Kung Fu Hustle" (see last post) does, its still a very watchable film with some definite high points and uniqueness to it.
Thanks to Luc Besson (of "The Professional" fame), the film is actually a film and not just some karate movie. Its quite artfully done and has a killer soundtrack courtesy mostly of Massive Attack. And though there is definitely a stretched suspension of disbelief (this man has the mentality of a dog for this long?!) and some minor other flaws, the film as a whole succeeds. The fight scenes are very well done in that they: 1) employ cool and believable moves (anyone else here sick of blatant and ridiculous wire use?) and 2) incorporate a savagery often missing from the more routine, overly-choreographed and ballet-like scenes from other movies (i.e. people appear to be actually fighting). And perhaps most important of all, I actually cared about what happened to old Jet. By the end of the movie, I was rooting so hard for him to literally bash the crap out of his tormenters and enemies that I could hardly stand it. And though that last sentence sounds twisted, it also explains why the movie works.
If you're so inclined, I definitely recommend checking it out.
( just not before "Kung Fu Hustle.")
Back to work and ICU call tomorrow - lame.
And after that, my life focuses on Star Wars - the final chapter. I'm really looking forward to it. Through this final film I'm giving Lucas an almost Vader-like choice on how to be summarily viewed in my eyes. It all hinges on "Sith". He can continue this epic fall from grace, have "Sith" suck, and take this prequel trilogy forever to the dark side. Or, he can take one last deep look inside, pump out a movie that plays to its near limitless euphoric potential, and save the saga forever and be redeemed. The decision is his. Bring it Lucas!
I must admit I had been harboring the guilty pleasure of looking forward to see this film, and for reasons which are not terribly clear.
Honestly, I do like the idea of hand-to-hand fighting in movies. Part of my eighth grade testosterone self has never gotten completely tired of a couple of bad asses duking it out. Its fun to watch talented people of jujitsu (such as Jet Li) do their thing. But with an abundance of crappy movies featuring mindless karate for the sake of karate, the trick becomes to tie those flying fists to something important and endearing and still pull off some bitching fight scenes (and in the process, interest the audience in the outcome of the fight and not just in the fight display itself). I thought, I guess, that "Unleashed" had the potential to do this.
And I'm glad to say that it did. While it does not play on the same level that the the-more-I-think-about-the-more-I-realize-I-really-really-liked-it "Kung Fu Hustle" (see last post) does, its still a very watchable film with some definite high points and uniqueness to it.
Thanks to Luc Besson (of "The Professional" fame), the film is actually a film and not just some karate movie. Its quite artfully done and has a killer soundtrack courtesy mostly of Massive Attack. And though there is definitely a stretched suspension of disbelief (this man has the mentality of a dog for this long?!) and some minor other flaws, the film as a whole succeeds. The fight scenes are very well done in that they: 1) employ cool and believable moves (anyone else here sick of blatant and ridiculous wire use?) and 2) incorporate a savagery often missing from the more routine, overly-choreographed and ballet-like scenes from other movies (i.e. people appear to be actually fighting). And perhaps most important of all, I actually cared about what happened to old Jet. By the end of the movie, I was rooting so hard for him to literally bash the crap out of his tormenters and enemies that I could hardly stand it. And though that last sentence sounds twisted, it also explains why the movie works.
If you're so inclined, I definitely recommend checking it out.
( just not before "Kung Fu Hustle.")
Back to work and ICU call tomorrow - lame.
And after that, my life focuses on Star Wars - the final chapter. I'm really looking forward to it. Through this final film I'm giving Lucas an almost Vader-like choice on how to be summarily viewed in my eyes. It all hinges on "Sith". He can continue this epic fall from grace, have "Sith" suck, and take this prequel trilogy forever to the dark side. Or, he can take one last deep look inside, pump out a movie that plays to its near limitless euphoric potential, and save the saga forever and be redeemed. The decision is his. Bring it Lucas!
Discostup Does The Hustle
Gwendolyn's mom is in town. She arrived last night. Today, she, Gwen, Gwen's brother, and Gwen's brother's boyfriend (he's gay!), and I went out and got our fill of good old downtown Seattle. We started in the fish market, cruising around its many variety stands/shops and generally taking in the salty air of the fish-friendly place. We had some Thai for lunch and then continued walking downtown.
On a whim we went and saw "Kung Fu Hustle", which was absolutely amazing. It was an odd choice for the five of us to see, but with Gwen's brother lobbying intensely against "Kingdom of Heaven", it remained the only other feasible option. All five of us (with varying movie tastes to say the least) universally LOVED it, and I really can't recommend it highly enough. It was one of those precious few times where a movie comes out of nowhere (I really had NO idea what to expect) and goes above the call and delivers the goods beyond all expectations (and in a kung fu saturated market, no less!). It was incredible - hysterical, mesmerizing, very clever and oddly powerful. If you have the chance, go see it.
On a whim we went and saw "Kung Fu Hustle", which was absolutely amazing. It was an odd choice for the five of us to see, but with Gwen's brother lobbying intensely against "Kingdom of Heaven", it remained the only other feasible option. All five of us (with varying movie tastes to say the least) universally LOVED it, and I really can't recommend it highly enough. It was one of those precious few times where a movie comes out of nowhere (I really had NO idea what to expect) and goes above the call and delivers the goods beyond all expectations (and in a kung fu saturated market, no less!). It was incredible - hysterical, mesmerizing, very clever and oddly powerful. If you have the chance, go see it.
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