Game of Thrones

Posted on February 4, 2012 by foley

I think there is a tendency for people to dismiss what you find based on the way you came to the material. It really should not matter. The point is you discovered something for yourself.

The “fantasy” genre of literature is something I had pretty much abandoned after high school. I also never had a good reason to return to anything within the genre except for The Lord of the Rings series. So I had not been paying attention to the genre. I am always looking for new TV series to watch and I heard reviews for HBO’s new series Game of Thrones. (I do not have cable so I have to wait for the DVD’s to hit Netflix. So when it comes to TV series especially the ones on cable I am always about 6 months to a year behind in watching them.) The series is based on the books by George R.R. Martin who is a writer I was not familiar with either. I wanted to read at least the first in the series to see how well (or maybe not) the TV series plays to the book. I was curious on how the adaptation may work. However, the DVD’s will not be available until March.

I bought the book and 800 pages of story made take pause. I have not tackled reading a book of this amount in a while. However, I made it a goal to read at least one chapter a day. Side track a moment. It is also a goal of mine to read new authors this year and tackle more from my “To Be Read” pile.

This book took about 2 ½ weeks to read. And it was so worth the time. This book is filled with very intriguing characters. Each chapter is written from the “point of view” of its various characters. There is continuity between them all. It is a long book but it rewards the reader. Every time, there was something of “cliché” moment for “fantasy” writing the author goes the other way. Then I found myself drawn in even more to the story line where it became a book that was hard to put down.

I am not going to write a full review of the details. I want to give you the opportunity to discover it for yourself. I believe this work is worth the effort. I was so taken by the story than the day after I finished this book I immediately picked up the second volume Clash of Kings. It looks like Mr. Martin’s series is going to be with me for the next two months. After that I will need a new author to tackle from another genre. I am open to suggestions. I do not want to get stuck for too long in any one particular genre.

I was thinking why this series has gained some of the spotlight when it comes to our popular culture. First, HBO knows how to promote a series. They are also more willing to take on shows that big 3 networks would not have the courage to show. But then again the FCC has a thin skin when it comes to the few of the “offended”. A series also brings attention to the book it is based on. In this case, I think it is the tone of this book which is capturing the audience. This is a story about the most “seductive and addictive” drug ever known and that is “power”. This story highlights various factions trying to obtain that “power” and the characters that are caught up in that struggle.

This book I think captures some undertones that are going on in the U.S. culture at this time. The first thing is these are characters that swear oaths and go into actions to defend those oaths. We live in a culture where it seems like those who are in “power” are constantly saying “I did not say that. I was taking out of context.” We have too many so called leaders now that hide behind lawyers, insurance regulations and opinion polls. People want to experience people who are the “antithesis” of that even if it is in a fictional setting. Secondly, I also think that our current Presidential Election process (or better yet “farce”) is bringing people to this series. In the story, it is a kingdom being ripped apart by various factions with the goal somehow reuniting that same kingdom as a whole someday. How this series will come to that ending is yet to be known (at least for myself)? It is not healthy for a society to have at least two years of two parties with various factions fighting it out for the job of the President. Two years running for a four year job is not an efficient way to run a society. At least not forward and up. But it seems like a good way to “go into the ground”. Ideology cannot be fought on a daily basis. There has to be some “pragmatics” at work. This book says as much about our present times as it does for the time in which it set.

 

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At the Movies

Posted on January 27, 2012 by foley

I recently lost my old computer. (Still not happy about it). I had to order a new laptop via my company’s worker discount program. And it took about three weeks to arrive. And it came loaded with more “issues” rather than software. It gave me time to catch up on some reading and watching movies. And I want to talk about two movies I saw in this time period.

 

 

The first movie I watched because I have some “disease” in my mind that requires watching movie sequels even though I have hated the previous ones. This title is no exception. Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon. It should been called the “Brown Side of the Bowl”. I know the Transformers series has been a very popular and successful franchise movie series. Lots of viewers and made a ton of cash. And it has been a series that has done so with NO CHARACTER DEVELPOMENT what so ever. I did not care for any of them. Another problem was this series had no continuous mythology to hold any storyline together throughout the three parts. You can criticize the Star Wars films all you want (especially the “prequels”) but those films remained true to its established mythology. The other problem is CGI (computer animation) needs to be used with some restraint because the filmmakers overloaded every shot with too much of it. It was very hard to focus on any real action that was taking place. The CGI seem to exist to point out, “Hey look at how good we are with this CGI!” or “Who needs a story when we can do CGI like this?” Plus, a loud soundtrack and rapid edits seem to beat the viewers into submission rather than allowing for a storyline drawing them in. If you have not watched any of these films do yourself a favor and avoid them. The metaphor is the following “A really bad paint job on a not really good car to begin with”. I am sure in the future; they will want to re-launch this series because new technology will make the CGI even better. How about redoing the film with an interesting script that has characters and clear storyline?

MEMO to Studio Execs: Regardless of what you think. Or don’t. The story is what matters in the end. Always did. Always will. So make THE STORY.

There was a quote on the back of the DVD case from a supposedly well-educated film reviewer. He claimed it to be “The Best Action Movie Ever Made”. He needs a refund on his film education. And a pile of John Woo directed DVD’s to see the error in his thought.

I do not get to the Movie Theater that much anymore to see new releases. It is usually a matter of time. And the fact, many of the films do not make me want to go and see them right away. A couple of weeks ago, I saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I read the three books in Millennium Trilogy by the late Steig Larrson. I also watched the Swedish trilogy of films based on them. David Fincher who directed the movie has made some of my favorite films like Seven and the adaptation of Fight Club. It is interesting the various takes on this material from the original book. The latest version I am going to have to watch again at some point. It was a good film but given how well I knew the material I am going to need to do some rethinking to determine my thoughts on it. I must say the Lisbeth Salander character is one the more interesting characters to appear in mass culture popular literature in the last few years. She is better than anyone that appeared in the Twilight series that seems to dominate popular literature. (Note: I never read any of those books and the first film bored me to the point of turning it off. Emo-vampires are annoying.)

I know that films and the books they came from will always be compared to each other. However, the two mediums are totally different in their “execution”. A book can pack out lot information into in. A book is also read by the pace of its reader. A film on the other hand is a visual medium that has to “show” the story. It is also paced to fit into a smaller amount of time. Therefore, the story has to always be in “motion”. There is also the reality of economics between the two. The film cannot possible include all the finite details of the book. The important part is that both can create two unique works based on the same source material. A viewer has to give each a chance to interpret and reinterpret the story. It can be a real deterrent to get “over-hyped” on which one was better.

Finally, I want to talk about the experience of going to an actual movie theater. I like to go to the earliest showing possible but never on an opening weekend for that particular movie. This way I can watch with the smallest crowd possible. I want to have the lowest chance to be annoyed by the bad habits of people. For example, that guy who buys the extra-large popcorn and manages to slowly consume it over the course of two hours. I would mind it. However, this person does not possess the ability to chew popcorn with his mouth shut. The parents who bring their young children to Rated R movies are especially annoying. It is a movie for adults and the material is made for adults. It is unfair to subject a child to material they could not possible understand. I do not go to kid movies in the theater (even though I enjoy the Pixar movies) so keep your kids out of the Rated R showings. However, the one that annoys me the most is the couple who needs to discuss the film as it is playing. I do not mind the emotional response of laughter or fearful screams. It is the people who think their thoughts should be aired during the movie “Siskel and Ebert” style. The coffeehouse after the movie is the place for this discussion. These people always seem to want to sit right by me. And cannot understand why I stare at them or even tell them to “Shut up”. And they found me when I saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The movie is thriller and there are a lot of clues being shown throughout the movie. They could not understand any of them and had to discuss each moment. It is a movie they will show you the next clue. SO SHUT UP AND WATCH. They were out of my voice range and I was not in a yelling mood at the time. And they did see me staring at them and motioning to SHUT UP. And I got nothing. Why can’t these people just wait for the DVD to come out?

You know in the beginning of a movie they have the public service message of reminding people to silence their cell phones. There should be this message. And goes like this. CGI is used to recreate Clint Eastwood circa the first Dirty Harry movie. And says something along the lines like this, “If you are one of those people who needs continuous explanation of movie or has to share their opinions. Get up and leave the theater now! Or people like me are going to find out if we fired 5 or 6 times at your ass.” That is the premise. I know it needs some fine tuning. We can agree that there is a need for this message at movie theaters.

Now that I think about Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro’s character in Taxi Driver) should deliver the message. You know he was crazy enough to do something about it.

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Working at the Rebound

Posted on January 22, 2012 by foley

New computer is in. However, it seems not to want to work well with home DSL modem. So now I have to spend time with my ISP.

So as I am trying to rebuild my computer files.

If anyone knows of someone or can recommend someone I am looking for someone who might be able to attempt to retrieve files off my old (and dead) laptop. Please contact me. It would be greatly appreciated.

And while you are hear please pick a random post and let me read your comments. Thanks.

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This is Not How I wanted to Start the New Year

Posted on January 5, 2012 by foley

I have been taking a break from posting. I wanted to start the year “Full Throttle”. However, my laptop computer died on me last night. And it will be about two weeks for the new one to be shipped to me.

I am not happy at all. I was working on some posts and was in the final stages before posting them. And now I fear that work will be lost.

Please stay tune.

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Which and What Parts of All This Mess is All Just Temporary?

Posted on November 18, 2011 by foley

In the end does it mean the Extended Warranty truly was a scam?

 

And how can this “mess” be “temporary” when it seems to never end?

 

This world operates by the notion of “having box you to brand you” in order to sell you. The role you play has to be clearly defined. Being a true individual is a very dangerous notion. All pieces in this world must clearly snap together like the pieces in a Lego set. If you are the odd piece you are going to be painted as a “target”. Recently, I came upon a story telling about me and all it gave me was another case “existential crisis” for my mental health file. I have a friend who likes to tell stories about me and use me as an example for his college class. I wouldn’t mind but I really wish he WOULD NOT use my real name. For once, I wish he would change my name to Ralph, or maybe Ron, or even Jeremy. The problem is the reaction other people have to these stories. Here is the direct quote from my friend, “They don’t think a person like ‘Foley’ can truly exist.” Now that I think about it. The other problem I have is my friend does not link my webpage to his work to prove otherwise that I may possibly exist.

 

I am beginning to think that the cup that holds my self esteem has really been poured into a “dribble glass”.

 

I just finished reading the latest book by Chuck Klosterman. The Visible Man which is his second fiction novel. The basic premise of this story is a therapist dealing with a mysterious stranger who claims he has invented an invisibility suit. The story is structured in the form of almost “oral history” retelling. Once again, he has the ability to make observations of people’s behavior and draw interesting parallels and context from them. The undertones of this book are about how people appear to be and how people really are when no one seems to be looking. How people have the ability to turn fact into fiction and vice versa.

 

This book for me brought forth one of “symptoms of the season”. We are nearing the eve of “the season of delusional economics”. The season where purchases are suppose to make up for a proportional of the previous year’s short comings. The advertisements are over the top and to point where no one can possibly meet the expectations of the overall message. The message has nothing to do anymore with original intent. Many of the purchases will reflect more about the buyer then the intended recipient. Too often a subtle message of “You need this. And you had better get on my program this year.” How about this for a change? Instead of buying into current “fad”. How about asking the person, “What is one thing you want me to help you get rid of in the upcoming year?” I know this idea will put me on the “Retailer’s of America’s Hit List”. The other problem is the News Industry needs to keep pushing “economic numbers of disaster” storyline that will fill a good chunk of airtime for December. Plus the idea is hard to gift wrap. Plus, too many people would rather have gift wrapped socks and underwear under the tree rather than the promise of “an idea”. The pile under the tree is how people tend to gauge “their worth” from others.

 

Just because the store has 10K + items does not mean you have to buy as many of them as you can.

 

The question that really needs to be put forth this time of year is

 

What is worth to hold on to? What do you let go?

 

Here are some movie examples that I recently watched that fit the theme of this post.

 

I want to say I am not that big of Will Farrell fan. I must say he was a good fit for his role in the movie Everything Must Go. This is the story of man whose relationships and standings have bottom out. In the movie, it has brought about his girlfriend throwing out of his belongings on to the front lawn. Everything he has and what presents him as is now out there for the neighbors to see. He decides instead of picking up everything and going that he is going to take up residency and live on his front lawn. The movie is the story about what he has, what he needs and what he let go. This movie is a good antithesis to the upcoming season.

 

I like the humor of Albert Brooks. However, I know it is not easy for everyone to notice. He is not “loud and in your face” with his humor. It is subtle and it may take a few rewinds to catch it. Defending Your Life is the story about a man who dies in an accident and goes to his Judgment Day. This means he had no choice but to leave all of physical belongings behind.

 

I like how the “Pearly Gates” is shown in this film to be the equivalent of Time Share Junket Vacation. I do not want to go on any religious perspective. But I have to a bit. And that means I going to “walk a thin line” with what I am about to say. They say the point of life on Earth is to prepare one for life in Heaven. And after what I saw in the movie. I now see God as NOT being represented by the Church. In the movie, Albert Brooks is assigned a lawyer to represent his case. There are people standing in lines and filling out paperwork. Therefore, God is really just a One Big Bureaucracy. On Earth, everywhere you turn you have to be deal one. Look at how many times a day you have to wait in a line. Why paperwork is also filed in triplicate? It is a bureaucratic representation of the Holy Trinity. Plus you do a lot more praying trying to maneuver through any bureaucracy.

 

Finally, the last movie on the “absurd undertones” of the Human Condition for this posting.

 

What can I say? All the movies in the Jackass series were at times disgusting and repulsive at the same time for me. And yet I still laughed my ass off.

 

Look many of us are going to have a “noble” death in the end. Quite a few will earn a posthumous Darwin Award.

 

There is a lot of yelling about what life is and what it owes people. And everyone has a different view of what that is. In a world of 7 Billion people there is only one resource or thing that will be disappearing in the future. The ability to have “Overall Consent of the Masses”. Put more than 3 people in a room in there are will be trouble. Multiply that by 7 Billion. And it will always total up to be “One Big Headache”. Which is how the pharmaceutical and alcohol industries want it.

 

So get off your occupying ass.

 

Put the tea cups back in the cupboard.

 

Try to gain some real perspective for yourself.

 

There is only one thing I really need purchased for myself this Holiday Season.

 

 

But knowing some of you.

 

You should probably get one for yourself.

 

Don’t be Delusional this Holiday Season.

 

 


Posted in General thoughts, Human St(r)ain, Movies, Reading, The Mind Wanders | Leave a comment