Super 8: B

SUPER 8 POSTER, originally uploaded by JASON_CRYER.

On our way to the theater on Saturday, Mom reasonably asked what movie were we dragging her to. I was a little stumped how to quickly describe Super 8. Worse, I couldn't remember the title, Eight Millimeter, 8 Mile, eight something or other. I didn't want her to veto our choice by mentioning that it may have scary creature like Cloverfield, so I may have implied that the movie was about kids who find an alien like E.T. and the movie was made by Steven Spielberg.

During the movie, Mom expressed concern half-way through the movie saying she thought it was more like a horror movie. Afterwards, when I re-affirmed that Super 8 was like E.T., she remarked, "Yes, but E.T. didn't eat people." However, I think she enjoyed the movie.

Super 8 fully acknowledged that it was an homage to Spielberg's 1980s young-teens-go-on-adventure genre with a classic composition of fat boy, funny boy, and wimpy boy. And yet, this was a J.J. Abrams movie with a few flares, tragic character back story, Kelvin reference, etc.

My main criticism of the movie was that it was a bit too retro and pandering to Spielberg. Why set the movie in 1979 in nearly the same period as Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), E.T. (1982), and The Goonies (1985)? Spielberg's kids movies were directed at kids in their time whereas Super 8 is directly at grown-ups who want to reminiscent about the kids movies they were raised on.

X-Men: First Class: C

by rory_phillips, on Flickr

Scott, ma, and I saw X-Men: First Class yesterday. It was the first hot day of the year (80s f) and spending time in a theater seemed like a good option. Scott has been wanting see Thor, but for some reason that comic book movie just seems too 'out there'. Scott and I want to see The Hangover Part II, but I'm sure mom would not be enjoy that and we can probably wait for it to come out on DVD.

I enjoyed First Class more than 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine and 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand, but I can't say anything about it stands-out as terrific. The movie explains the origins of the franchise. Unfortunately, it doesn't overcome the challenges of all prequels as the story feels unnaturally forced. Not only does the story have to explain the origins of the Xavier Institute and the Professor X-Magneto rivalry, it's further squashed into the Cuban Missile Crisis. I've heard First Class described as a re-boot, but it seems to me have the same comic book feel and character of the prior X-men movies. First Class missed an opportunity to truly re-envision the franchise such as the gritty, realistic feel of the 2005 Batman or the unrestrained 2009 Star Trek reboot.

Bridesmaids: B

Bridesmaids, originally uploaded by machu picchu.

Scott, ma, and I saw Bridesmaid the Saturday before last. Scott and I looked forward to seeing this comedy after seeing the hilarious trailer. I was concerned that it would be one of those comedies in which the best bits were in the trailer, but the movie was thoroughly funny. We were surprised that for a comedy, it was long -- just over two hours; however, it didn't seem long to me -- which is big praise since I think any movie should justify exceeding my 90-minute time limit.

I've heard the movie described as Judd Apatow's female buddy movie, but the movie was more about hitting life's bottom when it seems everyone else is peaking. There's nothing gender-specific about that.

Eurythmics - "Must Be Shopping For An Angel"

With compliments to the Kroger corporate DJ, this song distracted us from our weekly shopping at the 82nd Ave Fred Meyer:

I'm pretty sure the chorus lyrics were, "Must be shopping for an angel. Must be shopping for an angel. Must be shopping for an angel...." over the supermarket loudspeakers.

2011 Special Election Endorsements

05/19/2011 RESULTS UPDATE: The only big election surprise to me was that the Portland Public School's $548m levy, 26-121, narrowly failed by 1%, but the $308m levy, 26-122, passed handily by 16%. Considering the economy and the usual anti-tax rhetoric, I assumed voters would either be either all or nothing. However, some voters presumably studied the issues and decided teachers were more important than buildings and/or decided passing one levy was a good compromise.

	ME ↓	WILLAMETTE WEEK ↓	THE OREGONIAN ↓	PORTLAND MERCURY ↓
CANDIDATES
MULTNOMAH EDUCATIONAL SERVICE DISTRICT: "...An ESD acts like a co-op that delivers regional educational services. Among other things, it provides speech pathologists, special education teachers and school nurses to school districts. And, oh yeah, the ESD offers local kids Outdoor School..." (WWeek.com)
Dir., Pos. 7, Zone 3 SPELLMAN ELECTED 71% (15k)	SPELLMAN	SPELLMAN
	• "...Kay Bridges, a nice woman who owns a flower delivery service, has no grasp of the issues facing..." WWeek.com • "...We see no reason to replace Kevin Spellman, ...Spellman has a strong understanding of budgetary issues and policy..." WWeek.com
Dir., Pos. 6, At Large MONTGOMERY ELECTED 51% (39k)	MONTGOMERY	MONTGOMERY
	• "...'While the April 20, 2010, Regular Board meeting was in session, [incumbent] Director Delman chose to listen through earphones to radio commentary on a basketball game and, upon both private and public admonition from the Chair, continued while the meeting proceeded.'..." WWeek.com • "...We’ll go with Montgomery, a smart and highly qualified candidate who taught public policy at Portland State University and once served as a board member for the Northwest Regional ESD." WWeek.com
PORTLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT #1JT Apparently I live in PPS Zone 1, but my ballot includes zones 1, 2, 3, 7. Do I vote for all the zones and elections sorts it out somehow? (PPS Zones map - large PDF)
Dir. Zone 1 ADKINS RE-ELECTED 74% (46k)	ADKINS	ADKINS	ADKINS
	• "Adkins first ran in May 2007 on a platform of not closing schools. She won. Three years later, in October 2010, Adkins voted to close Marshall High...we don’t fault Adkins for realizing the district needs to consolidate resources..." WWeek.com • "...Adkins, a Yale graduate who works for a housing nonprofit, is a smart and tenacious board member who thinks strategically without missing the fine print..." OregonLive.com • "...Larry Lawson, a network security manager and a photographer. ...he lacks any record of improving schools. ...He doesn’t offer a compelling reason for unseating Adkins." WWeek.com • "...Glen Livingston, a self-described community activist, is also on the ballot. His inexperience makes Adkins a clear choice." WWeek.com
Dir. Zone 2 MORTON ELECTED 52% (33k)	MORTON	MORTON	MORTON
	• "Morton is the deputy director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association. As a tribal member, he has a solid record working on issues related to poverty and the achievement gap...." OregonLive.com • "Brister-Mashia is a regular volunteer at Jefferson High and brings a grounded perspective to issues of school quality and parent involvement. This race is a close call, but Morton's experience with boards and budgets give him the edge." OregonLive.com • "Sweeney has run for almost every office available in Portland. We have yet to find one that fits his skills." WWeek.com
Dir. Zone 3 REGAN RE-ELECTED 64% 40k	REGAN	REGAN	REGAN
	• "Incumbent Bobbie Regan is running for a third term and faces token opposition from two challengers: Martha Perez, who works in customer service, and Christine Nelson, an artist specializing in pet portraits. Neither has mounted a serious campaign..." OregonLive.com • "...Critics say Regan protects the interests of wealthier parents and students with programs like 'school choice.' That lets middle-class white parents who buy homes in gentrifying neighborhoods send their kids to schools in wealthier neighborhoods where the schools have more resources. We don’t always agree with votes she casts, but Regan is a knowledgeable board member who deserves another shot." WWeek.com
Dir. Zone 7 BELISLE ELECTED 96% 45k	BELISLE	BELISLE	BELISLE
	• Greg Belisle is the only candidate to file. • "...Belisle will have two young children in school at a time when most other board members have grown kids. Also, he's a member of the no-frills nonprofit world, where benefits are decidedly non-plush. His insights will be helpful as the district tries to improve classroom quality and keep labor costs aligned with what the community can pay." OregonLive.com
	ME ↓	WILLAMETTE WEEK ↓	THE OREGONIAN ↓	PORTLAND MERCURY ↓
MEASURES
PORTLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT
26-121 REJECTED? 50.7% 51k	YES	YES	NO	YES
	$548m construction bond to rebuild nine schools and update others. Bojack.org has a handy calculator that calculates tax increase for both PPS measures. For us, the measures will increase our annual property tax $377.33 -- although probably more as assessed value increase 3% each year. • "...Ballot Measure 5, passed in 1990, and Measure 50, passed in 1997, capped local property taxes. Before Measure 5, local property taxes supplied 2/3 of Portland’s education funding; now they supply only 1/4 and state income taxes supply 3/5. As the state equalized spending per student around the state, it left Portland Public Schools with less ability to fund the operation of their schools, and facilities maintenance was deferred..." (LWVPDX.org PDF) • NEARLY A HALF BILLION DOLLARS is a lot of money even for a large school district. This construction bond isn't comprehensive meaning more bond levies are sure to follow for the schools that are left out. • What I find the most troubling is that the levy's authors seemed to choose schools based on political considerations instead of need. However, it is understandable that a comprehensive billion-plus dollar levy would be unlikely even in self-taxing Portland. Also, the political considerations are inherent since school improvements depend on neighborhood, city, and state. • This is far from a perfectly-written levy; however, its faults don't outweigh the urgent need. Only complacency stopped critics from offering an alternative levy. • I can't say that I'm overjoyed to pay nearly $400 more in taxes each year. However, I also realize that without Measure 5 and 50 from the 1990s, my property assessment and taxes would have been much higher. I agree with WWeek's reasoning, "...If taxpayers are willing to dig deep for elephants, fireboats and salmon, shouldn’t they also be willing to provide the setting for a proper education for our kids?..."
26-122 PASSED 57% 57k	YES	YES	YES	YES
	Five-year $308m levy renewal to keep 400 teaching jobs under the current levy and add 200 teaching jobs. FAVOR: • Funds remain local - not diverted to state. OPPOSE: • Why should Portland taxpayers pay more than the rest of the state? • "Urban Renewal Districts in Portland utilize property taxes that could fund the operation of schools..." (LWVPDX.org PDF) • Besides the usual anti-tax extremists, it's hard to find anyone opposed to this measure. If anti-tax nihilists think 'the gummit' is so wastefully managed, why aren't they volunteering on the school boards or remodeling schools?

Paul: C

Wow, I haven't updated this blog in a long time. I can't even remember the last movie we went to. I think the Oscar-nominated animated shorts last month was the last time we went to a movie theater.

I dragged Scott to see Paul the other weekend. I think this is Simon Pegg's and Nick Frost's third movie pairing. I wanted to like Paul as I really liked Shaun of the Dead, but I tried to restrain my expectations. Their prior movie, Hot Fuzz was cute, but not really comparable to Shaun.

It seems Paul was intended to be about middle-aged sci-fi geeks growing-up with the title character making witty Americana references. Unfortunately, Seth Rogen's voice as the alien just didn't work for me. Rogen's voice is just too distinctive that they might as well have filmed Seth Rogen with alien make-up. Paul's alien Paul reminded me of American Dad's alien Roger with the equally absurd Paul Lynde-like voice. The difference is that alien Roger is more entertaining.

Overall, it was a cute movie and it was nice seeing the Pegg and Frost team, but I would rate Paul better paced than Hot Fuzz but far short of Shaun.

True Grit: B

True Grit, originally uploaded by Matt Needle.

A few weekends ago, Ma, Scott, and I saw True Grit. Good movie. There isn't much to say about it. It probably isn't the Coen Bros. best or most ground-breaking movie, but it was a well done. My favorite line: "Keep your seat, trash!".

The King's Speech: B

THE KING'S SPEECH poster - Polish style, originally uploaded by Sam's Myth.

Scott (in protest), Sheena, Ma, and I saw The King's Speech last weekend after Christmas Day. This movie had all the typical attractions -- British accents, royalty, period setting, WWII, all-star cast -- for the white-haired art house film crowd (although, Judi Dench was somehow not cast). I've become a bit of an Anglophile after watching so much BBC America, so I'm probably rating this movie better than it deserves. It wasn't a ground-breaking movie, but it was enjoyable and the performances were good. The nearly sold-out showing we went even applauded the movie.

"friendliest cat ever" or "blood thirsty killer"?

How can such a sweet kitty, be so proud of killing so many squirrels?

rant: deceptive packaging

What the heck?!? Food prices are going up and corporations are screwing-over their customers, but really? Shame on you Ernest and Gallo Winery.