April 2005 Archives

One must really have a sense of the absurd to appreciate the humor of Douglas Adams. If you are like me, the HHGTTG series is among your favorite books, and so you have rather high expectations for the film version. This movie delivered. From the opening musical number (yes, I said musical -- it's a hoot), to the final engagement of the Infinite Improbability Drive (leaving an ephemeral image of the author on the screen as the credits begin to roll) that launches you into what must certainly be a sequel, this movie meets all of the expectations of those familiar with the story, and still manages to deliver all the unexpected moments that make a movie like this so much fun.

Dixie and I are both thrilled to announce that we are expecting in October. We started telling friends and family this week. Dixie rented a fetal doppler from BabyBeat.com and so we've already recorded the little tyke's heartbeat. We have truly been blessed.

The movie is called Sin City -- emphasis on the word 'sin.' So much emphasis, in fact, that ordinary, everyday sins (like murder and adultery) weren't enough for director Robert Rodriguez. He and co-director Frank Miller had to resort to exploring some of society's most forbidden taboo sins, such as cannibalism and child molestation. Couple this with the fact that there isn't a single character in the film that you, the audience member, can relate to (unless you're a prostitute, thug, or a crooked cop), and all of the computer-generated cinematographical tricks in the world cannot save your film. The movie is well-made and well-acted (let's be honest, the comic-book feel that was achieved is indeed groundbreaking), but Frank Miller's stories are not ones that need to be told, in graphic novels, or any other media for that matter. Without a protagonist, his tales have very little value at all. Skip this one.