Sunday, July 29, 2012

14 Days of Summer


In two weeks I’ll be moving back in to campus (As an RA I’ll be moving in a little earlier than most) and I simply can’t wait. I’ve had a great summer, as I’ve chronicled in this blog, from hanging out on the Detroit River, to catching a Tigers game, to some of the fun perks of my Chrysler internship. This was my first summer in Michigan and even though most of my friends from State live in Michigan it has been hard to see them. As it turns out, Michigan is pretty big, and I am not the only one with an internship dominating my time.

I’ve also blogged about my unbridled excitement for the coming football season. It’s hard for me to express how ready I am for the season to start. Let me put it this way: if a genie came to me today, and told me he could fast forward time until 8 am August 31st but I would have to trade in the final 2 years of my life, I don’t know what I would do, I just don’t know.



So summer is coming to an end, and another chapter will close. But as soon as it does we’ll all be back at school, hanging with friends, interesting classes, and of course reminding those in blue why they fear the Green. See everyone soon!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Early Review: The Dark Knight Rises

Catwoman: You don't owe these people any more! You've given them everything!
Batman: Not everything. Not yet.

That’s not a spoiler because it is from the trailer for the Dark Knight Rises and I think it perfectly sums up this amazing summer of movies, From Prometheus to Ted, to the Avengers, movie buffs have gotten a great taste for summer blockbusters. The quote also sums up what Christopher Nolan has given us in his amazing, dark, and gritty take on the Caped Crusader. The Dark Knight was an amazing accomplishment in filmmaking and yet Nolan has more to give us in this breathtaking finale to his trilogy.

I had the amazing opportunity to see the Dark Knight Rises last night along with my fellow Chrysler Interns (Chrysler has a small amount of product placement in the movie) and I thought I would share my spoiler free thoughts.

As you may have noticed from my glowing introduction above, I really loved this movie and it absolutely lived up to the hype for me. Bane is a great villain to follow the devious schemes of the Joker. Bane is a menacing man who’s motivations remain shrouded in mystery throughout the movie. Its this kind of menacing unpredictability that left me guessing what his next move would be constantly.

Of the three Batman movies, this movie has Batman in his suit the least. Instead, Nolan chooses to explore the mental state of Bruce Wayne the man. A man who has carried quite a physical and mental burden over the past two movies for the city of Gotham. This exploration of Batman’s inner psyche really did it for me and I found it one of the most compelling sequences of the series.

I did have a couple of disappointments. Namely that Bane’s plan was far more straightforward than the crazy meanderings of Joker’s, and there was a bit of overlap as Bane tried to present himself as a man handing the power back to the normal people (It would seem the Joker and Bane have very similar views on Government). But these minor problems were eclipsed by the bad assery of Catwoman (played by Anne Hathaway) and the brutality of the hand to hand combat between Bane and Batman.

I’m sure its no surprise for me to conclude that Nolan has delivered again. The Dark Knight Rises is easily the best movie of the summer and will once again contend for the best movie of the year. It is a must see movie that I anticipate will cause the Box Office to explode this weekend. Don’t hesitate.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

2012 Summer of TV



The summer is starting to wind down but the TV season is just  heating up. I’m excited to head back to school, back to campus and among friends. In the interim however, we are now 4 days away from the premiere of Breaking Bad, read: Best TV show ever, and that’s just the headline of a great season for entertainment. So without further ado, here are my five favorite summer TV shows for 2012:

1) Breaking Bad - Sunday, July 15th 10pm




As mentioned above, Breaking Bad is the best show and it’s definitely in the argument for best thing ever made by humans along with the 7 Wonders, electricity, and Dorritos Tacos in no particular order. Therefore if you are not caught up (or worse never started), now’s the time. This show is a scientist’s concoction of adrenaline, characterization, and flawless writing. Did I mention it is really good yet?

2) Newsroom – Sundays at 10pm HBO (First Episode in Full)




HBO got it right again. I’ve fallen in love with their programming and nurturing of creative minds. Newsroom is Sorkin’s newest foray into commentary on American Politics starring Jeff Daniels brilliantly portraying a popular News Personality who’s tired of ratings driven program and strives to educate his voting audience at the cost of ratings. The supporting cast too but the real genius of the show is its portrayal of actual events from 2010 from the perspective of the Newsroom.

3) Wilfred – Thursdays at 10pm FX




The re-make of the Australian comedy by the same name, Wilfred is a smart comedy on FX that plays with the meta questions of how crazy Elijah Wood must see a man dressed in a dog suit, who can talk, but everyone else sees as a real dog. The comedy hits me squarely in the funny bone as a dog lover, so bits like digging in the backyard for exercise, confusion over a laser pointer, and an inability to resist bubbles are all pure gold.

4) Falling Skies: Sundays at 9pm TNT




Falling Skies looks to build on a great inaugural season that surprised me each week with great special effects and action despite a limited budget. Its one of the better action shows on television. Falling Skies portrays a war against alien invaders that is already lost. We follow the survivors and their families as they struggle building a resistance. Not an original plot, but it is a very strong and humanized look at a hopeless war.

5) Louie Thursdays at 10:30pm FX




Finally we have the FX show right after Wilfred. A weird and off beat humor that you either love or you hate. For awhile I hated it, and then for some reason, the combination of stand up bits, dark humor, dry humor, and mainly laughing at the pathetic human condition, it clicked for me. I definitely say its worth checking out once to see what side of the fence you are on.

So that’s this summer of TV. If none of this excites you then maybe Homeland and Dexter (both coming at the end of September) will. Otherwise….are you ready for some football?

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Fourth of July


 Happy Independence Day America! And Happy 4th of July to everyone else! What a great summer holiday! The grill, family, and blowing stuff up with your neighbors. It’s a celebration of America and everything we as a nation have accomplished. A time for reflection as we stare into the lights in the sky. A time when we remember when this happened.

 
Okay so that was a bit self-serving (for those who don’t know I’m interning at Chrysler right now). I promise that’s the last time I shamelessly plug the company I work for. Today is also a great day to look forward, to see where our country is heading, and to remind us to come together as Americans to shape the future we want. 
  
Okay so I lied, but its still a great speech that reminds me why I am proud to be an American. So go ahead and enjoy the day. Wherever you are have a burger and blow something up, it’s the 4th of July!