Dra Studio.com - Design & Illustration

5 out of 5 burst and bloody arteries

Just watched Smokin’ Aces the other night. Wow. And more wow. While there is far too much profanity and bloodshed to safely recommend this to any of my friends, it is by far one of the best movies I have seen in a while. The immersive story-line is great and similar to something like Ocean’s 11 … just replace every time you see Brad Pitt eating with 10 dead bodies and you got the idea. ;)

Each of the “villains” is expertly scripted and crazy unique (or in the case of the ‘Tremor brothers’, just straight up crazy!). I don’t really know the director (Joe Carnahan), but the quality of the cinematic build that this film has, makes me want to see more of his work. Any recommendations?

If you’re looking for a great “guys night” flick, this would be one of those fist-pumping thrill-rides that you probably shouldn’t leave out.

The title for this post seems fitting, seeing as how the many of the movies currently out and/or being promoted are of horrible quality/substance. Let’s see if we can find anything worth watching …

Southland Tales – Neither Jodie or myself know what this movie is about. Seriously, this could be a trailer for any movie … or even a movie just pieced together with clips from 10 other movies. Would it help anything if I had seen Donnie Darko?

Jimmy Carter – Man From the Plains – Do you think Jimmy was the one that picked the hip-hop soundtrack for this trailer? ;) But seriously, this will probably be a thought-provoking documentary that my father would enjoy.

When Did You Last See Your Father – It’s like a girlie movie … but for guys and their dads. Hmm. I almost feel inclined to see it because of how much I have enjoyed Jim Broadbent in movies like Hot Fuzz and Moulin Rouge! (and Vanity Fair, too, says Jodie).

One Missed Call – Jodie says “creepifying and stupid”. I personally feel more threatened by the cellphone companies and their ominous fees than I do by a baby-cradle ringtone. It seems as though horror movies are running the full gamut of making ordinary things seem scary to us. With showers, beaches, parking lots and now cellphones causing us so much fear, I can only assume my toothbrush is going to be the next on the list to seek revenge. Shall I suggest a title of … “Did you remember to brush”? Dum dum dun.

King Corn – So if we understood this correctly, everything we eat is made out of corn … which means, that if corn is bad for me and corn is everything I eat, my only choices are corn or death. Hmm. Good to know.

Juno – This looks genuinely entertaining and intriguing, especially because of Rainn Wilson (from The Office) and Michael Cera (of Arrested Development). Fun!

The Final Season – Hey, it’s Rudy, but for baseball!

Moondance Alexander – Jodie wants to know why Black Beauty is painted like a cow. I say the only thing this movie has going for it is a scene with Don Johnson and his ‘71 yellow Cuda.

Enchanted – Agh! Are you kidding me?!? Wasn’t there already some crappy made for tv movie like this? I’m sure there was … and even if there wasn’t, we still don’t need this. Ugh … it depresses me to know that I will at some point have to watch some part of this movie.

Youth Without Youth – Huh? What? Okay … apparently I will have to wait until they put out a real trailer, before I can even decide if this is a movie or just an advertisement for roses and pocket-watches.

So I know that I have been hitting the movie trailers pretty hard this week, but really, what is wrong with that? Here I go again, this time with some trailers that Jodie probably won’t want to watch with me.

Saw IV – Wow. Not really much of a trailer at all … but then again, I haven’t really followed the series, so I don’t have anything invested in another sequel.

Hatchet – Uh … this just looks pretty dumb. Weak story-line and why have we already seen so much of the antagonist? What mystery is left? Which side of the hatchet he uses?? Dumb.

The Nines – Was that references to “The Number 23”, “The Sims” and “Just Like Heaven” that I just saw? Oh this can’t be good.

In the Valley of Elah – I would say that I am bored of this topic and story premise … but does that make me un-patriotic?

Lions for Lambs – Interesting. This is the kind of government / human condition analysis that I would enjoy reading more into … that is, if I was into reading about government and politics. ;)

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Oh … it is finally coming … I am excited. Now if only they would release a premiere date.

• Update: So I just finished watching the newest Totally Rad Show and they hated a LOT on the unreleased pilot for this show. Here’s hoping they were at least partially wrong.

It’s strikes back time … with our two cents on a few more movie trailers.

I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With – So this is pretty much just Jeff Garlin’s real life problems, with some clean Sarah Silverman fun. Huh.

The Comebacks – Makes more sense than “Walk Hard”, but still looks dumb.

Eastern Promises – Viggo Mortensen isn’t enough to make me want to watch this … while it looks interesting, it seems a bit on the gruesome and violent side.

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium – Jodie says it looks as stupid has Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but with toys instead of candy. I want to know who Natalie Portman owes money to that forced her to be in this silly role.

Descent – Jodie says, “It looks like it’s not much of a step up from ‘Rent’ for her.”

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Jodie and I sat down in the studio and watched a couple of upcoming movie trailers … here are our thoughts:

Beowulf – Jodie says that it crosses the line between having to hire actors and computer animation that looks exactly like the actors. I think minus Angelina Jolie it might actually be a good movie. Jodie also think it reminds her of video game cut scenes … which I tend to agree with. Will this movie be just a bunch of video game clips strung together? Oh and the music really doesn’t seem to fit the movie.

Walk Hard – Both of us agree … this just looks like a really long (and really crappy) Mad TV sketch.

Ladron Que Roba a Ladron – (it means, How a Thief robs a Thief) So pretty much just a spanish version of Ocean’s 11. Also, it is difficult to tell who this movie is intended for, since the trailer is all English, but some people are speaking Spanish.

Feast of Love – Jodie thinks it should be called the ‘Buffet of Love’ … with all the schmorgesbord of loves going on. And it is one of those trailers that shows you pretty much everything plot-line of the movie so you don’t even need to bother watching it.

Iron Man – This looks pretty sweet. The Iron Man suit looks great and Jodie says that it is a good use of the “Iron Man” song.

The Dark Knight – First of all, we both hate teasers like this. They could have put this out a couple of MONTHS ago. Second of all, Heath Ledger sounds pretty good, but it is only because he sounds like Jack Nicholson, who was the best Joker to day.

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Here’s Round Three of my upcoming movie trailer reviews … this time curteous of the sweet HD Movie Trailers section of the iTunes Store that I forgot was there.

• Dan in Real Life – Was it just me or was this an unusual story-line that developed as the trailer went on? I won’t see this because as you all know, I don’t really do mushy … but I won’t hold that against Steve Carell. This actually looks like a really great role for him.

• Ira and Abby – Did anyone else go “huh?” at this trailer? Maybe it will be good … maybe it will be coherent … and maybe I won’t go see it. Forecast isn’t looking good, Madnolia.

• Resurrecting the Champ – Of the few things I have seen Josh Hartnett in, I have definitely been a fan … and there is no question of the merit of Samuel L. Jackson in a movie. In case you are wondering, unnamed film studios, this would be an example of a well made movie trailer. Provocative and extremely intriguing.

• Be Kind, Rewind – Amazing. Exciting. Totally corn-ball goofiness. I am so in!

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Round Two of my trailer reviews:

• In the Shadow of the Moon – I don’t my generation was really that big on the whole “space thing”, but that hasn’t stopped me from having interest and intrigue in the stars above. If you enjoyed the great From the Earth to the Moon series that was out a few years ago, this is probably going to be another great treasure for you.

• The Spiderwick Chronicles- This looks to be a new generation’s Neverending Story. It probably will be very visually appealing, but unless I happen to be hanging out with a 10-year old when it comes out, I don’t plan on seeing this one.

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I just got caught up on my Apple Trailers, so here’s the rundown on what looks good and what I wouldn’t waste my money on.

• Dedication – This looks like something that will be honest and real. I think I will like the ungrounded nature of Billy Crudup’s character (He was great in MI:III). And why not give the director, Justin Theroux, props on a cute little trailer intro … with his MacBook Pro flip-around.

• National Treasure – Book of Secrets – Good golly! This looks like such a misapplication of potentially talented actors and a possibly decent storyline. I think this is going to have the same effect on me as Pirates 2 did … instead of loving the whole franchise a bit more, I am going to loathe both movies. Oh well. Nick, you didn’t impress me with Ghost Rider … why should I expect any better from this?

Click through for the rest of my reviews on upcoming flicks!

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Guess who couldn’t finish The Lost Boys this morning because he got scared? Yup, I am a scaredy-cat.

2 out of 5 bubbly washer overloads

Um, this was another one that Jodie and Michelle forced me to watch. It’s pretty much what you would expect from another Lindsay Lohan movie, with typical drama and predictable outcomes. Granted, for what this movie lacked in originality, it made up for with endurability. Not only was I able to stomach the whole thing without cringing too often at cheese-ball corniness, but by the end, I was slightly intrigued. It probably didn’t hurt that McFly’s bass player was rolling with a pretty Fender Jazz, or that Faizon Love actually had a few funny moments.

If you have been as depressed as I have by the lack of quality themes to make good use of your ShapeShifter license, the wait is over. I just heard about the canum theme over at MacThemes and it is one heck of a solid download! And if you are looking for a great complimentary icon set (besides the excellent one done by Jonas Rask), I would recommend David Lanham’s Sticker System. Simple and clean, with just a hint of peel-able fun!

(Side-note: Since I can’t afford CandyBar, I went ahead and put all of the SS icons into one nice guikit, which I can pass along, if you are interested.)

3 out of 5 stabs with safety scissors

Jodie and Michelle made me sit down last night and watch this for the first time. And seeing that Jodie was nice enough to cook homemade lasagna for me, how could I say “no”?

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Sketches coming soon … but in case you missed it last night, the Nintendo Wii got a nice little update to its trial version Opera Browser and it is a full-fledged internet monster now, complete with auto-zooming, a nifty little HUD feedback as you drag the view, and of course, auto-hiding of the navigation bar. Nintendo … we like you a lot. :)

And don’t let your dumb friends sway you … you know you want to buy Galaga from the Virtual Console. You know it’s good. They just don’t understand.

The product of this week’s Art Kids d-group session. Roughly 150 photos, at 8 fps. Enjoy. (If you are in the mood, why not add your own sound-effects and music to it?)

**UPDATE: Check out the pimped out version that Tyler did … very nice.

I am still “getting caught up” on my designs, art and blogs, so go ahead and let this post fall somewhere among the ups and downs of the past couple of weeks …

For Jodie’s birthday, I was finally able to get her the much sought-after Nintendo Wii. It’s funny how it seems so difficult to find and hard-pressed to obtain until you finally have one. Though, one could say that that is the case with so many “things” in life … you can’t live without them, can’t get them out of your mind and out of your dreams … until you finally have it; then it seems as though all the work and wishing was over too quick and what you have finally obtained pales in comparison to the energy and time invested. You quickly find yourself with another pile of “things” that just don’t fit and fill that God-shaped hole. Right? Well … that’s another matter …

We are really loving Wii Sports and look forward to getting our own copy of Smooth Moves or Raving Rabbits. Being able to play all of our old Gamecube games is really great and being the 80’s kids that we are, how could we not but love Virtual Console? There are definitely some games coming out soon that we are looking forward to, including Paper Mario, Mario Party 8 and Mario & Sonic @ the Olympic Games. Woot!

Your assignment for tonight? If you have a Wii, drop me a line with your Wii number and let’s get on with the Mii Parades! If you don’t have a Wii, give me some ideas for what you want to see me draw and post about here in the coming days. Night!

If you’re reading this in the wee hours of the morning on March 8, then I congratulate you … and I reward you with three links to add some internet fun to you night/morning. Here you go:

• MaxWax - Weblog by Superchic[k]’s Max Hsu. He always has some great life insight, music/instrument enjoyment and lots of photography knowledge to share. If nothing else, at least read his latest post, Living passionately. I know it perked up my ears/heart when I read it.


• Photos from Cali - My little bro just got back from his paint-ball tourney in beautiful California. He was nice enough to post 1300+ photos to his Flickr account. His Canon EOS 30D is pretty pimp, so they are worth the look.


• iMixes - I uploaded some of our current playlists, so here you go.

Enjoy and maybe get some sleep later on!

Oddly enough, I didn’t keep any of the things I drew yesterday, so instead I will leave you with two nuggets of YouTube goodness.

The first? John Reuben’s new Word of Mouth video … not too shabby of a track, and the animation is pretty fun. It has this kinda Cartoon Network meets 1970’s School House Rock feel too it. (It was directed by Chris Oatley, who’s work is pretty great stuff).

Second? No More King’s Sweep the Leg video … because I just bought The Karate Kid on DVD, Principal Belding is cool, trailer-park Cobra Kais make me laugh, and I still think Ralph Macchio is amazing! (You will probably get that song stuck in your head though … so fair warning).

Yesterday was pretty standard, with work being typically long and boring and party time at our house being really great. Guitar Hero II battles and yummy Wii goodness, thanks to Josh McGrew. Billy Babbino was there too, with an FCC prospect for next year.

Probably my favorite parts of the day were: 1) The compliments I got on the New Creation posters and 2) Right before Googly’s Cafe, when Jen and I were at the pizza place and having the owner ask us where we had been and how come we hadn’t eaten there in a few days … since neither of us had been there is well over 4 months.

So the other day, we were watching Monster House (quite the enjoyable flick, too) and it dawned on me that, not only would “Thou Art Dead” be a great game to play, but I am sure someone had already made it into one. Sure enough. And I even found a blog by one of the artist/animators. Fun!

Oh and in case I didn’t already tell you about Anberlin’s soon coming album, Cities, consider yourself told. Why don’t you head over to iTunes and buy the two new songs that are available now? You won’t regret it.

Hehe … I’ll let you in on a little secret … Matt and me … we’re planning something. Something cool. Cool and big. Something cool and big and totally needing to involve our faces as cartoons. Hehe.

O, it is gonna be good.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick
(1 out of 5 finicky robotic hands)
That’s it. I am so giving up on Stanley Kubrick. I was sure I would be able to handle 2001 Space Odyssey and even this movie came highly recommended … but I can’t take it. His unusual use of conventional human dialect and emotions, as well as his extremist decisions in camera angles, just turns my stomach every time. I constantly feel as though I should be understanding more than that is being said and that if I did, perhaps the less-than-witty humor and esoteric moral considerations would have more of an effect on me. Instead I have found no deeper meaning, no greater aspiration - just meaningless anti-social-standard dribble.

Granted, I am the first one to berate a stereotypical film concept, but in the case of the few Kubrick films I have seen so far, I feel less like I am on a visionary path and more like I am accompanying a madman head-long over the edge of a precipice.

Though most online reviews will discuss the “true genius” and “governmental introspection” of this film, don’t give credence to. And even if you are interested in hearing both the quotes that ranked on AFI’s Top 100, save yourself the evening of agony and check out Altavisita’s MP3 search.