Wreck-It Ralph Review
Wreck-It Ralph Review
Henry David Thoreau said in his novel Walden: "The mass of men lead lives of quite desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation." A person faces this moment of resignation when realizing the monotony of his or her life. How a person handles that moment defines his or her character. Rich Moore's Wreck-It Ralph, the latest film from Walt Disney Animation Studios, is a beautiful, fully-rendered take on this . Wreck-It Ralph is the villain of the Donkey Kong-inspired fictional arcade game Fix-It Felix, Jr. The game sits in Litwak's Arcade with several other games. After the arcade closes for the day, the games' characters come together in their own universe, living like humans do after a day of work - hanging out together, getting drinks, going home, and having parties. On the 30th anniversary of Fix-It Felix, Jr.'s release, the characters throw a party to celebrate without inviting Ralph. Fed up with being seen as only a villain, he decides to "game-jump" - leave his proper game and enter another - in order to prove that he can be a hero. However, his game-jumping yields the possibility of not only closing his game up for good but also wreaking havoc on other games' viability in the arcade. His journey leads him to Vanellope von Schweetz, a misfit in the candy-coated fictional racing game Sugar Rush who glitches uncontrollably and is feared to scare away gamers if she is allowed to actively race. Both see the desire to be more than who they are seen to be, and both work together to try to make their dreams come true. The sheer detail put into the universe crafted is astounding. Not only are classics like Pac-Man, Tapper, Street Fighter II, and Q-bert mentioned, their characters play small but significant parts to the film. The 8-bit style movements of the ancillary Fix-It Felix, Jr. characters start as a gag that slowly becomes a quirk that would have been unnatural to leave out. Even the send-up of first-person action games in the construct of Hero's Duty and of racing games in the construct of Sugar Rush evolve to define their respective gaming environments. A film of this nature could have simply rested on its laurels by making as many arcade game and geek culture references like this as possible. What Wreck-It Ralph does so successfully is run askew of expectations, providing an exciting, engaging, and thought-provoking experience. The voice acting is top-notch. John C. Reilly turns on his lovable oaf mode for the title character. Reilly is a versatile character actor, spanning drama and comedy with ease, and he has perfected the lovable oaf through several of his films, but his Ralph is imbibed with more heart and self-assurance than usual. Part outcast, part father-figure, all soul, Ralph is fully realized by Reilly. Sarah Silverman inverts her raunchy schtick into something annoyingly adorable as Vanellope von Schweetz. Her approach to Vanellope is very much like Lily Tomlin's Edith Ann character but more fully fleshed out. Her chemistry with Reilly is impeccable, and her moments of sadness are as significantly felt has her moments of euphoria, and Silverman makes Vanellope a truly memorable figure of innocence. Alan Tudyk channels Ed Wynn, the voice of the Mad Hatter from the original Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland, with wonderful effect as King Candy, the hilarious and threatening antagonist of Sugar Rush. Tudyk takes Wynn's vocal tics and amplifies them to 11. His versatility is impressive, and he plays off Silverman and Reilly with ease. Jane Lynch plays a variation of her Sue Sylvester from Glee as Sergeant Calhoun, the lead soldier in the light-gun game Hero's Duty. Calhoun is someone that should have been in the film Aliens, a strong-willed and determined soldier whose deep fear of her game's antagonists hilariously borders on paranoia. Her backstory is played for laughs as it should, but Lynch effectively takes that backstory and fills in the emotional gaps Calhoun would have had, making Calhoun an affecting creation. Jack McBrayer is known for playing the sweet, innocent, "Mayberry-type" character. What makes his approach to Felix notable in his repertoire is how rooted in Disney tradition Felix is. Felix is the only character in the film who can do nothing but the right thing. He's so rooted in in the moral high ground that he cannot help but be attracted to Calhoun, someone who is as determined to do good as he is. He is Jiminy Cricket, Thumper, Flounder, and Zazu combined, and Felix never comes across as false or overdrawn under McBrayer's approach. The writing, as done by Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee, is tight and perfectly structured, using Pixar's Toy Story as a template. The initial plot point - Ralph wanting a medal to prove he is a hero - gives way to several plot points, such as Vanellope's desire to be a full-fledged racer, Felix falling for the equally heroic Calhoun, Calhoun's backstory of a lost love, and the story of a long lost arcade game in which the character game-jumped and caused both his game and the other game were taken out of the arcade permanently. The writing is so taut that each of these plot points are resolved and have significance in the overall story, and Johnston and Lee allow the audience to trust them to guide the story effortlessly. The result is a fast-paced story with heart and soul, the best paced animated film from Disney in a long time. Rich Moore has a long history with animation, directing several of the finest episodes of The Simpsons and having a hand in the finest episodes of Futurama. Moore knows how to balance story and themes, and he allows the film to be unpredictable, trusting every actor and crewmember to carry the foundation of the film. Maybe the most impressive aspect of the film is that foundation. So many plot points, so many characters, so many references, so many details, but none of it feels overwhelming. It's all because of the foundation. Ralph is thirty years old, and being treated as the villain all these years has him facing his own quiet desperation. He wants to be a hero. He wants the appreciation Felix gets from the building tenants. He wants to do good deeds without anyone fearing him. He wants to break out of that desperation. From this point, the film begins to address the following - what does it mean to be a hero, and is resignation the point of no return? Ralph starts out purely selfish in his desire to earn a medal that shows that he's a hero. After meeting Vanellope and becoming a part of her selfish game of becoming a full-fledged racer, their mutual selfishness gives way to a strong friendship based on doing anything to make the other person's dreams come true. The natural evolution of their friendship is fantastic, and moments of struggle and hardship are fully felt. In the end, the point of resignation shows what all of the characters are truly worth, and the film's ending is earned without succumbing to melodrama. Walt Disney Animation Studios has ironically been seen as a step-sibling to Pixar as of late. Starting with Tangled, Walt Disney Animation Studios has slowly built itself back to relevance. With Wreck-It Ralph, Walt Disney Animation Studios has made a film that is on par with Pixar's repertoire and stands as the finest animated Disney film since the Disney Renaissance of the late 80's and early 90's. Here's hoping that this is the beginning of another Renaissance. Movie Rating: 9.5/10 The best paced animated film Disney has released in a long time. Film Rating: 9/10 The Hero's Journey gives way to how to face the point of resignation - with head held high and the resolve that this is not the end. Disney Film Rating: 9/10 It's not a straight kid's film due to some of the subject matter, but it's perfect fun for the whole family. Video Game Film Rating: 10/10 By not being about a real video game in particular, the film focuses on the characters and on the arcade universe in general, becoming the greatest video game film ever in the process.
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My Workout For Tuesday January 07
I earned 614 points for my workout on Fitocracy!
Reverse Crunch +53 pts
15 reps (+19 pts)
15 reps (+19 pts)
12 reps (+15 pts)
Plank +30 pts
30 sec (+10 pts)
30 sec (+10 pts)
30 sec (+10 pts)
Side Plank +42 pts
20 sec (+14 pts)
20 sec (+14 pts)
20 sec (+14 pts)
Chin-Up +8 pts
12 reps || assisted || 145 lb (+2 pts)
8 reps || assisted || 130 lb (+2 pts)
6 reps || assisted || 130 lb (+2 pts)
4 reps || assisted || 115 lb (+2 pts)
Dips - Triceps Version +8 pts
12 reps || assisted || 145 lb (+2 pts)
5 reps || assisted || 130 lb (+2 pts)
6 reps || assisted || 130 lb (+2 pts)
4 reps || assisted || 115 lb (+2 pts)
Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row +165 pts
20 lb x 12 reps (+41 pts)
30 lb x 10 reps (+43 pts)
30 lb x 8 reps (+41 pts)
30 lb x 7 reps (+40 pts)
Dumbbell Bench Press +208 pts
30 lb x 12 reps (+49 pts)
40 lb x 10 reps (+55 pts)
40 lb x 8 reps (+53 pts)
40 lb x 7 reps (+51 pts)
Dumbbell Bicep Curl +98 pts
15 lb x 12 reps (+26 pts)
20 lb x 8 reps (+25 pts)
20 lb x 7 reps (+25 pts)
20 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
Stretching +2 pts
0:10:00 (+2 pts)
Think you can beat me, or want to comment?
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Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones Review
The hype and anticipation of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace gave way soon after May 19, 1999 to frustration and disappointment. What could have been the revitalization of a dormant series instead was a cumbersome movie mired in boring politics, forced performances, ruined mythology, and distant action - a far cry from what Star Wars is. The main question from the fanbase now was "Is the worst over? Does it get better from here?" On May 16, 2002, George Lucas provided a response for the fans with the release of Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones: "Yes. No. Maybe?" Set ten years after the the events of Episode I, Episode II begins with an attack on Padme Amidala, now a Senator representing Naboo in the Galactic Republic Senate. This attack results in the Jedi Council calling on Obi-Wan Kenobi, now a Jedi Knight, and his padawan Anakin Skywalker to act as her temporary bodyguards while they find out who was behind the attack. A pursuit of the assassin eventually leads Obi-Wan to the planet Kamino, a planet that has been contracted to create a clone army for the Republic to fight the Trade Federation, now in alliance with fallen Jedi Master Count Dooku. The pursuit also forces Padme to flee to Naboo with Anakin as her bodyguard. Their time together brings about feelings between the two and leads Anakin to reunite with is mother on Tatooine. Everything comes to a head on the planet Geonosis, with Padme, Anakin, and Obi-Wan captured and the new clone army and the Trade Federation clashing in the first major battle of the Clone Wars. Like Episode I paralleling the original Star Wars, Episode II parallels The Empire Strikes Back - The heroes are split apart, two of the heroes develop feelings, one of the heroes goes on a discovery quest, the central character gets tempted by the Dark Side of the Force and loses an arm, and the ending, one with significant complications, sets up the pieces for the next film. However, like Episode I, the results are by-the-numbers instead of inspired. All of the actors struggle to make the material work again, but unlike the last film, there are improvements. The highlight of the actors is Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi. His emulation of Sir Alec Guinness is impressive, making the only earned connection of this film to the original trilogy. Samuel L. Jackson plays Samuel L. Jackson, but he adds some fun to the film's second half that the first film lacked. Newcomer Christopher Lee has more menace and stature as Count Dooku than Darth Maul had all of Episode I, making him at least a more thrilling villain. However, Natalie Portman and newcomer Hayden Christensen have no chemistry together as Padme and Anakin, making every scene they have together an endurance test. Portman can do fragile and tender, but her line reading lacks passion. Christensen comes off whiny and helpless, never inhabiting Anakin the way the audience would have imagined. He is outclassed by everyone else in the film. The music by John Williams is more uninspired this time around. It may well represent his worst work in a Star Wars film - the love theme is a partial rip-off of his work on Hook, and other than random revivals of previous pieces, there are no memorable themes or motifs like in the other films. The cinematography by David Tattersall is just as faceless as before. The visual effects are an improvement over Episode I, but the universe looks too clean and crisp to feel real, especially the overly sterile and artificial representation of the clone planet of Kamino. Again, though, these aren't the main problems. George Lucas makes the same mistakes he made in the previous film as screenwriter and director. The introduction to the film tries to provide excitement with the assassination attempt, but all of it plays too obvious and poorly sets up the instability in the galaxy. Worse, it yields to more of the political discourse that sunk Episode I before it got started. Once the heroes arrive, it becomes obvious how the trajectory of the film will go. Instead of anticipating where the film will go next, the audience only anticipates when the film will end. The love story is forced and inert, becoming unintentionally funny in its moments of awfulness. The audience knows Anakin and Padme will fall in love because there is no other significant female character with whom Anakin is emotionally close. The worst scene of the film, and arguably the worst scene in the film series, features the two of them fighting with their "developing" feelings for each other near a fireplace. It's as if Lucas wanted to emphasize how they had a fiery passion for each other that they couldn't control but couldn't get the actors to do it themselves. This scene and this plot thread is just a representation of an ongoing problem with the prequels - the characters are there to serve the plot, not the other way around. The protracted third act on Geonosis is awkwardly structured. It begins with a somewhat inspired survival fight within a coliseum - a way to one-up the podrace sequence from Episode I, though unsuccessfully. It becomes a visual spectacular once the Jedi arrive and become warriors. Once Yoda and the clones arrive, though, the fun vanishes and the boredome commences. The majority of this portion are clones fighting robots - beings with which the audience has no emotional connection. This is the closest Lucas comes to being Michael Bay as he indulges in the visuals without once pondering what it all means. However, the saving grace of the third act is the lightsaber duel toward the end of this sequence. Although it is as stylized, choreographed, and overdone as the duel from Episode I - the red and blue lighting and Anakin losing his arm especially - the focus is solely on the duelists and nothing else. We care about the duelists. We want to see what happens next. The reward for this anticipation - the introduction of Yoda the master fighter. It's the most thrilling sequence of the film, full of visual splendor. However, in the grand scheme of the series, it's a double-edged sword - it may be exciting, but instead of the simple pleasure of an old Muppet walking around with a cane waxing poetic about the Force, it takes every ounce of visual effects and acrobatics to create the excitement. This is indicative of the prequels in general. Instead of taking, in the words of Han Solo, "simple tricks and nonsense," George Lucas thinks it will take the the most complex sequences to make the film thrilling. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones is two steps forward, two steps back for the series - it's more genuinely exciting, but more emotionally distant. Blu-Ray Observations Compared to Episode I, the Blu-Ray presentation is a significant improvement. The visuals are sharp, but there is a softness to the image that can't be avoided. Part of the problem is that this was the first major film shot and released completely digitally. The technology was still in the early stages, and the Blu-Ray shows it clearly. The contrast is a bit off as well, especially in the scenes in Kamino. The audio is as excellent as all of the other discs, especially the reference quality of the seismic charges. Overall, the presentation of Episode II is good but not great. Movie Rating: 5/10 Exposition dominates the proceedings, and the effects are still too sterile. However, the surprising focus during the duel yields to the most exciting scene in the film. Film Rating: 2/10 All of the previous issues are still prevalent, and the love story is additionally terrible due to the lack of chemistry between two leads involved in that story. Star Wars Film Rating: 4/10 It tries and fails gloriously to parallel The Empire Strikes Back, but Ewan McGregor's emulation of Sir Alec Guiness and the lightsaber duel in the third act are highlights of what otherwise is another frustrating installment in the series. Blu-Ray Rating: 7/10 Much better than Episode I but the flaws of 2002 digital film transferring are apparent. The audio is fantastic, especially the seismic charges.
My Workout For Sunday February 09
I earned 1190 points for my workout on Fitocracy!
Standing Calf Raises +18 pts
12 reps || weighted || 85 lb (+5 pts)
12 reps || weighted || 105 lb (+5 pts)
10 reps || weighted || 115 lb (+4 pts)
10 reps || weighted || 115 lb (+4 pts)
Barbell Deadlift +214 pts
65 lb x 12 reps (+49 pts)
85 lb x 10 reps (+55 pts)
85 lb x 10 reps (+55 pts)
85 lb x 10 reps (+55 pts)
Stretching +2 pts
0:10:00 (+2 pts)
Barbell Squat +230 pts
75 lb x 12 reps (+53 pts)
95 lb x 10 reps (+59 pts)
95 lb x 10 reps (+59 pts)
95 lb x 10 reps (+59 pts)
Standing Barbell Shoulder Press (OHP) +249 pts
45 lb x 12 reps (+59 pts)
65 lb x 10 reps (+66 pts)
65 lb x 8 reps (+64 pts)
65 lb x 6 reps (+60 pts)
Dumbbell Bench Press +199 pts
30 lb x 12 reps (+49 pts)
35 lb x 12 reps (+52 pts)
40 lb x 6 reps (+49 pts)
40 lb x 6 reps (+49 pts)
Dips - Triceps Version +50 pts
4 reps (+14 pts)
3 reps (+10 pts)
3 reps (+10 pts)
3 reps (+10 pts)
2 reps (+6 pts)
Pull-Up +26 pts
1 reps (+13 pts)
1 reps (+13 pts)
Just to see if I could do it today...the answer is YES!!!
Barbell Incline Bench Press +202 pts
55 lb x 12 reps (+47 pts)
75 lb x 10 reps (+53 pts)
75 lb x 8 reps (+51 pts)
75 lb x 8 reps (+51 pts)
Think you can beat me, or want to comment?
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Now available for free on both iPhone and Android!
My Workout For Tuesday January 14
I earned 958 points for my workout on Fitocracy!
Dumbbell Bench Press +203 pts
30 lb x 12 reps (+49 pts)
35 lb x 12 reps (+52 pts)
40 lb x 8 reps (+53 pts)
40 lb x 6 reps (+49 pts)
Barbell Deadlift +190 pts
55 lb x 12 reps (+46 pts)
65 lb x 10 reps (+48 pts)
65 lb x 10 reps (+48 pts)
65 lb x 10 reps (+48 pts)
Stretching +2 pts
0:10:00 (+2 pts)
Barbell Squat +199 pts
55 lb x 12 reps (+46 pts)
65 lb x 12 reps (+49 pts)
75 lb x 10 reps (+52 pts)
75 lb x 10 reps (+52 pts)
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press +160 pts
15 lb x 12 reps (+41 pts)
20 lb x 8 reps (+41 pts)
20 lb x 7 reps (+40 pts)
20 lb x 6 reps (+38 pts)
Dips - Triceps Version +8 pts
12 reps || assisted || 130 lb (+2 pts)
6 reps || assisted || 115 lb (+2 pts)
5 reps || assisted || 115 lb (+2 pts)
4 reps || assisted || 115 lb (+2 pts)
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press +180 pts
25 lb x 12 reps (+46 pts)
30 lb x 12 reps (+49 pts)
35 lb x 4 reps (+39 pts)
35 lb x 6 reps (+46 pts)
Standing Calf Raises +16 pts
12 reps || weighted || 45 lb (+4 pts)
12 reps || weighted || 55 lb (+4 pts)
12 reps || weighted || 65 lb (+4 pts)
10 reps || weighted || 75 lb (+4 pts)
Think you can beat me, or want to comment?
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My Workout For Saturday January 18
I earned 525 points for my workout on Fitocracy!
Moving boxes +480 pts
4:00:00 || Easy (+480 pts)
Shoveling snow +45 pts
0:15:00 (+45 pts)
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A Review of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
A Review of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
The first two paragraphs of the opening scroll of Star Wars is as follows: “It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire. During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.”…
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My Week With Marilyn Review
Marilyn Monroe is and will always be an enigma. A movie star by all accounts, Monroe had an ineffable quality that hypnotized men and women alike. She was the definition of bombshell, but what set her apart from beauties of that ilk in the past, present, and future was that she had the ability as an actor to carry a movie on her shoulders and make it look effortless.
However, that talent was marred by personal issues that eventually led to her death in 1962. She was plagued by a lack of self-confidence and the struggle to maintain her public image while never fully dealing with her private image. These issues are well-documented in books, articles, and movies. Simon Curtis' My Week With Marilyn presents a portion of these issues from another angle with varying results.
Based off of the non-fiction books The Prince, The Showgirl, and Me and My Week with Marilyn, the story is told from the point of view of Colin Clark, the third assistant director of The Prince and the Showgirl the adaptation of the play The Sleeping Prince. Sir Laurence Olivier brings in Monroe to play the titular Showgirl, and while he gets the performance he wants, he struggles with her emotional and professional baggage, namely her new marriage to playwright Arthur Miller, her acting coach Paula Strasberg, and her knack for taking multiple takes to get the scenes right. Clark, working through his infatuation with Monroe, strikes up a romance with her, witnessing her lows and her highs in front of and behind the camera.
This film is an acting haven, and the meat of the film lies with all of the actors bringing their A-game.
Michelle Williams becomes Marilyn Monroe. The mannerisms, the emotional struggle, the effortless shifting between her private and public persona, all of it captured with skill. All of the facial expressions are uncannily Monroe, and Williams makes sure never to come off as a cheap imitation. That ineffable quality of Monroe is perfectly emulated, giving us Michelle Williams' best performance to date and maintains her standing as one of the finest actresses of her generation.
Kenneth Branagh fully commits to being Sir Laurence Olivier. Branagh was the most obvious choice for Olivier - both are Shakespeare experts in theater and film, and both lay claim to the finest Shakespeare adaptations of Henry V and, arguably, Hamlet. He presents the quiet desperation of an aging British stage actor coming to terms with the youthfulness of the American Method. His lack of understanding counteracts with his fascination with one take that captures Monroe's perfection versus the many takes to get there. With that resolve, Kenneth Branagh gives one of his best performances in a long time, and makes me eager to see him age with grace on screen and off.
As the audience's window to the story, Eddie Redmayne does a fine job as Colin Clark. Clark is largely two-dimensional, and because he is a window for the audience, all that matters to us with him is that we see what he sees, but he allows us to feel his infatuation in all of its glory from conception to heartbreak, and Redmayne carries the film well. It may not be the showiest acting, but Eddie Redmayne holds his own amongst acting giants.
The supporting rolls make impacts as well. Dame Judi Dench is as wonderful as always as Dame Sybil Thorndike, a stalwart of British acting amazed by Monroe's magic. Julia Ormond briefly shines as Vivian Leigh, showing the admiration and jealousy as an actress seeing her former glory passed onto Monroe. Dougray Scott, unrecognizable as Arthur Miller, presents a husband who was captivated by his wife's public image while unable to deal with her personal strife. Dominic Cooper, as one of Marilyn's entourage and a man who had been in a similar situation as Clark, personifies Clark's conscience and better judgment with ease. Emma Watson, maturing gracefully from her stint in the Harry Potter series, is ever impressive in the small role of Clark's initial interest.
This kind of acting pedigree could have made any film great if there was a strong backbone to support it. However, director Simon Curtis never balances his work with the actors with a firm grasp on the technical aspects of the film.
The nature of the story is basic - man falls for woman, woman eventually falls for man, man and woman have a jolly time together, man and woman eventually part ways. There are a lot of more interesting details that pepper the story or could pepper it - British stagecraft versus American Method, Vivian Leigh and her eventual mental decline, Sir Laurence Olivier and his aging perspective - but those details are so briefly handled that they come off as missed opportunities. In fact, those avenues are more interesting than the actual trajectory of the film. The framework provided by screenwriter Adrian Hodges isn't enough to keep the audience's interest.
What's more frustrating is that the editing was sloppy, making what should have been a simple approach messy. The flow of the film isn't consistent as it wants to move briskly with a story that has no choice but to take its time. Scenes involving body doubles are obvious, bordering on unintentionally funny. Equally heinous are the cuts within a scene between a close-up and a general shot that don't match.
The more subtle but still important error made by this film is that it tells a specific story with a general theme about Marilyn that everyone knows already - her public persona was in conflict with her private life. No new insight is gained. If the audience knows the general idea before seeing the film, what purpose does the film serve for the audience?
It's a fundamental question that Simon Curtis doesn't answer. The purpose it serves for everyone else involved is to showcase talents either developed or developing. The unfortunate thing about *My Week With Marilyn* is that it is unnecessary, not functioning fully as art or entertainment. However, as a showcase for the actors and how the director works with the actors, it is a minor but unmistakable triumph. Movie Rating: 5/10 It's the basic story of a romantic fling between an ordinary man and a complicated woman. Moments of humor and drama, but nothing special story-wise. Film Rating: 7/10 The acting across the board is the sole reason to see this film. It's a master class in how to emulate well-known figures without becoming caricatures. Biopic Rating: 5/10 Michelle Williams is a wonderful Marilyn Monroe. However, the story doesn't shed light on anything new about Monroe.
My Workout For Thursday January 09
I earned 711 points for my workout on Fitocracy!
Dumbbell Bench Press +196 pts
25 lb x 12 reps (+46 pts)
30 lb x 12 reps (+49 pts)
35 lb x 12 reps (+52 pts)
40 lb x 6 reps (+49 pts)
Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row +163 pts
15 lb x 12 reps (+40 pts)
20 lb x 12 reps (+41 pts)
25 lb x 10 reps (+41 pts)
25 lb x 10 reps (+41 pts)
Standing Dumbbell Upright Row +103 pts
15 lb x 12 reps (+26 pts)
20 lb x 10 reps (+26 pts)
20 lb x 10 reps (+26 pts)
20 lb x 8 reps (+25 pts)
Dumbbell Bicep Curl +102 pts
15 lb x 12 reps (+26 pts)
20 lb x 10 reps (+26 pts)
20 lb x 8 reps (+25 pts)
20 lb x 7 reps (+25 pts)
Dumbbell Shrug +71 pts
15 lb x 12 reps (+17 pts)
20 lb x 12 reps (+18 pts)
25 lb x 10 reps (+18 pts)
25 lb x 10 reps (+18 pts)
Reverse Crunch +52 pts
10 reps (+13 pts)
10 reps (+13 pts)
10 reps (+13 pts)
10 reps (+13 pts)
Cycling (stationary) +14 pts
0:05:30 || 1.0 mi || 5 % (+14 pts)
Dips - Triceps Version +8 pts
12 reps || assisted || 145 lb (+2 pts)
8 reps || assisted || 130 lb (+2 pts)
6 reps || assisted || 130 lb (+2 pts)
4 reps || assisted || 115 lb (+2 pts)
Stretching +2 pts
0:10:00 (+2 pts)
Think you can beat me, or want to comment?
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Struggles with writing
I must admit something to everyone --- I have been attempting to write a screenplay for quite some time now.
The idea came to me while I was recollecting my film reviews and thinking about how most film critics haven't had a produced screenplay or actively participated in the filmmaking process (the notable exception to this is Roger Ebert and his script for Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. My educational background is in engineering, but one of my passions since high school was watching movies and films and becoming an amateur critic and cinephile. I love seeing the disparate genres and techniques, the history of American and international cinema informing and influencing specific artists and works, and evolving my idea of what makes a film or movie "good" or "bad."
However, I believed that my critiques would be limited in quality and understanding if I didn't at least attempt to participate in some part of the filmmaking process. In the film adaptation of High Fidelity, Rob Gordon, purveyor of "high pop culture," decides to try his hand at the music business by helping some local skater punks put out a record they recorded and he liked. As Laura, his girlfriend, highlights, he is now a part of the culture that he and his friends have observed and critiqued from a bird's eye view. With High Fidelity being one of my favorite films and with wanting to hone my critical eye, I was partly inspired by that plot development to participate in the filmmaking process by writing a draft script.
However, there have been several issues that have popped up throughout the process. The first and most important issue is that I haven't written fiction since junior high for assignments. I haven't lost my sense of imagination --- I've had several ideas for stories appear in my thoughts, and I can come up with a couple of big scenes that I feel would make a major impact. The problem is that I can't fill in the blanks when it comes to those thoughts. Since the beginning of college, I have been a glorified essayist as an amateur critic. Nonfiction has been my writing field. Writing critiques and essays come more naturally to me because the audience is me. The thoughts are mine. Everything said is what I want to say.
This informs of my second major issue --- Who is my audience?
Writing critiques and essays does require understanding of who the author wants to read his/her work, but the tailoring process, at least to me, is easier with these works because the end result is still clearly in the author's control. Compromises are made in the flow and diction, but the thoughts are pure.
When I write critiques or essays, my idea of the audience is people who want to read the "hows" and "whys" or for people who want to learn to read the "hows" and "whys." My critiques are never "cut-to-the-chase" works. I want to lay out what I thought was good and bad and then show why the structure is strengthened or weakened due to those proficiencies and deficiencies. Ideally, I want the "cut-to-the-chase" readers to read my critiques and become more inquisitive about the idea of "good" and "bad." Understandably, this is a flawed hope due to my writing approach being static and wanting more people to become elastic when it usually takes the approach to become more elastic to get the static readers. I still hold to my ideals, though, and it is why I see writing critiques and essays as a less compromising form.
My attempt at writing fiction stalls because my definition of the audience has now increased in size. I don't want to write a script that only caters to me (i.e. Michael Scott from The Office and his script for Threat Level Midnight). I want to write something that will keep someone's interest yet be authentic with the characters and their motivations. It's easy to write characters with my voice and thoughts, but I obviously can't make every character that way. It worked for Kevin Smith for a decade, but then it stopped working for Kevin Smith (one can only write so many permutations of Clerks before the idea loses traction). Once I think about the audience, I start to lose grasp of the idea, gaps begin to enlarge, and it all iterates until I have hit the point of overthinking.
My final major issue, and one that is specific to screenwriting, is this --- how the hell do I write something that is interesting for at least 90 minutes?
This issue is due to how the logical part of my mind works. I look at my ideas and develop a very basic plot. While looking at the plot, I fill in the blanks and realize that the plot could be completed in 15 to 30 minutes (if one thinks this is how writing for a television show works, that's only part of the battle --- a American season is at least 13 episodes, and coming up with a good story arc for several episodes is no easy task, so good luck coming up with the other 12+ episodes). Then I start thinking of subplots, but they start to appear arbitrary to the general plot, and the whole structure collapses in my head. The unwritten rule for a feature film is at least 90 minutes. If I can't come up with something that will hold for a third of that, then how will I be able to develop something for more?
I haven't even gotten to the actual writing part and have seen how difficult the process is. I have a deep respect for those who can write fiction in any medium. It takes a great deal of effort and focus just to get through the initial steps. Maybe I should focus on developing a short-film idea, maybe I'll never finish that screenplay or am not meant for fiction, or maybe the mental breakthrough will happen some ways down the road.
The goal of writing a screenplay is currently out of reach. It's frustrating as hell, but maybe I'll learn something from this journey to expand my horizons.
When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. But it’s true pretty much all the time. (via politicalprof)
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zoostationjustdowntheline reblogged this · 12 years ago
My life in film reviews, music reviews, life analysis, and what's going on just down the line in my mind.
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