Month: May 2008

Hello, My Name Is Dan and I’m an Idiot

On my dog and pony radio show I’ve been plugging a number of things lately.  It won’t last but none the less I do feel the need to get the word out about some things that are going on with me and TalkRadioX.  

One of those things is this here blog that I’m typing in right now.  So last night when I bring it up, my lovely wife and co-host Jessica says something to the effect of, “Oh yes, I love the blog.  It’s so much fun trying to figure out what you mean.” 

What?  This kinda threw me.  It’s not like I’m talking quantum physics here so obviously she means something else.  Apparently this blog is full of missspellings and fragments and all sorts of things that would give your old 10th grade English teacher fits.   

To this fact I must admit to being oblivious.  Perhaps the fact that I don’t proof read or edit or do anything really to these entries isn’t the best thing in the world.  Maybe a little more attention to detail should be coming into play here.  At the very least I promise to use the damn spellchecker at the top.   So yeah, I’m an idiot.  And if you are one of the five people who read this blog then I apologize for being one.  I’ll still be an idiot after today, however I will attempt to be a more careful idiot.  Not always easy to do. 

In other news today is Friday.  This used to mean that I was TRX free for the night and trust me I would rarely be around internet radio on a Friday night.  Then a few weeks back I got the idea for the Open Mic Night, a side project for TalkRadioX and viola!  Now Fridays are booked!  Just like Sunday-Thursday!  What’s next?  Divorce papers?

Now don’t get me wrong, I love doing the Open Mic Night show.  In fact I think it’s one of the best things we have on the station.  It’s live and unpredictable.  Great programming if I do say so myself.  And personally I think for TalkRadioX we’re going to need some different kind of programming in order to stand out from all of the other upstart talk stations out there. 

It’s not much work for me.  Just sit in a coffeehouse, turn on my laptop and point the mic at the stage.  I add in a little descriptive comment here and there.  But that’s the extent of it.  And a room full of people hear a TRX plug when host Renda announces that we are now broadcasting on TalkRadioX.  Everyone wins.   Except for my free time.  That kinda takes a hit on this.

For example, tonight Jessica is going up to West Palm Beach because a friend of hers is having a house party.   So this is something that I would be attending normally.  However because I’m now committed to the Open Mic Night she’s going solo on this.  And to make it worse she’s gotta take the Tri-Rail to get up there  (Taking the Tri-Rail is kind of like taking the subway,  only there’s no tunnels).  I will drive up and get her at midnight once the broadcast is finished.   Further proof that I am an idiot, but at least I married right.  What other woman is going to be so damn understanding?

 

 

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Speed Racer Review

Oh sure, it’s all over but the crying for Speed Racer at the box office.  The $140 million (or so) would be summer blockbuster is now looking like an all time bust.  And if that’s not bad enough it’s also sitting at a pathetic 35% on RottenTomatoes.com (a critica roundup website).  But the funny thing here is that everyone is wrong.  Yep.  All of ’em.

Now I’m not going to sit here and tell you that Speed Racer is a perfect film or not without its flaws.  Yes, it is too long.  The movie runs two hours and 9 minutes long.  Way too long.  Someone needed to go in there and cut about 30 minutes out of it.  Keep all that extra stuff for the DVD extras.  No one wants a kids movie, and make no mistake this is very much a kids movie, that is over two hours. 

 

Another problem is the story is convoluted.  Absolutely.  I’m sure my nine year old daughter did not understand a good part of what was going on.  There’s just too much plot.  The second act feels bloated and by the time we are in act three it seems like we should be going home.

All that considered I liked Speed Racer.  The special effects are great and the races are fun to watch.  The story was too convoluted for my kid, but I could follow along just fine.  Emile Hirsch stars as titular character, a young auto racing phenom in a family that is devoted to the sport.  After winning a race he is courted by a giant corporation that wants to sponsor him.  Now here is where the plot thickens, and I mean thicken. 

Things are complicated by the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) who seems to be some sort of racing secret agent.  He works for some organization that is intent on getting rid of the corruption brought on by the major coprorations involved in racing.  So sometimes Racer X is racing along side Speed, sometimes he’s doing a James Bond impression burning down the road and shooting at bad guys.   When Racer X and Speed end up getting involved in some ridiculous cross country race that is full of dirty cheaters for the sake of beating bad guys, it’s a bit much.  And a lot to explain to your kid. 

And this movie is for your kid.  Not you.  The violence is very cartoonish and the dialogue isn’t far behind.  The characters are very broad and big.  And there’s nothing wrong with that.  Directors, the Wachowski Brothers, essentially deliver a live action cartoon.  Anyone who was expecting the seriousness of say Iron Man, will be disappointed.

And perhaps that is part of the problem.  Perhaps peoples own expectations helped derail any chances of success Speed Racer had.  All too often people complain about the movie they didn’t get instead of accepting the one they did.  I have a feeling that is part of what happened here.  For me that didn’t add into the equation.  And it’s too bad.  Speed Racer is fun and deserved a better fate than hanging out in the same category as The Golden Compass.  I didn’t watch the show Speed Racer when I was a kid.  I didn’t like it.  It seemed serious and I remember cars exploding and wondering about the people who were inside and how they must have died.  Though I can confirm that no such worries be applied here.  Cars exploded but people seem to survive them one way or another.   Surviving the summer box office is another story.

 

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