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Black Friday 2008

I had originally was going to write a really simple post about my shopping experience, but while out with friends last night I learned that a Wal-Mart temporary worker had been trampled to death at a Long Island store and that other customers were wounded over a gun fright at a store in California (though the shooting was not related to shopping).

My experience was pretty pleasant and I'm a bit shocked that people would trample through a store's doors to try and get to the bargains. However, when I stop to think about it I've seen some crazy things when I used to work in retail back when I was in college. I've seen women pushing and shoving in line as a mother was angry that her pregnant daughter was being pushed while they were waiting in line. I've seen people just grap arm loads of clothing and run out the door. People have tried to take back clothing they "purchase" but it was just stolen merchandise.

This year I had decided not to go out and face the crowds. But I  changed my mind as the deal I wanted to get online wasn't available. I was a bit frustrated about that so I then went out and hit Staples, Home Depot, and BJ's. I was able to get all my shopping down and be back home by 8am, but I did go out at 5am so it was a long day yesterday.

So in retrospect my shopping experience was not really worth writing about compared to the story about someone being trampled to death. I really feel for this person's family as what type of holiday are they going to have, knowing that their loved one is now dead.

Maybe it's worth taking a step back and realizing that having a Wii or Blu-ray player or whatever else people want isn't the all-important, driving force this holiday season. Take a moment, give a hug to your loved ones and just enjoy the day.

I'm very thankful for all but now my kids are up and breakfast awaits. Can't keep hungry kids waiting! Peace.

Twilight the Movie

My mother-in-law babysat today so that my wife and I could go out to see the movie Twilight. About a year ago I on an airplane to head to Atlanta for a conference I was attending for work and I was listening to a sci-fi/fantasy book review podcast and the hosts mentioned that they were big fans of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Series. I had listened to the podcast because they had an interview with Jacqueline Carey and I really like her Kushiel's books. After hearing about how good Meyer's books were, I bought Twilight, New Mon and Eclipse thinking that the books were more like Carey's Kushiel's series. Although I was wrong with what the books were about, I read them and head a great time reading the series. I shared the books with my wife and friends and they were turned on to the books as well.

Now don't get me wrong: The movie may have done $70 million dollars this weekend but it's not perfect. Let me say that I am a bit impressed that has grossed so much in its opening weekend. And it's also good news to hear that the sequel was announced today. New Moon is a go for being filmed. As only $30 million dollars was spent on the first movie, I think they'll raise the budget and the special effects in the film.

So what didn't I like about the film? I thought the movie was a bit rushed and although they tried to stick to the book a few scenes were a bit out of place without more backstory. The movie itself has way too many closeup shots for me but and some of the dialogue scenes dragged out a bit and some of the acting was a bit weak.

But what did I like? The filming and location were perfect. I also enjoyed Robert Pattinson as Edward. Very nice to see him get such a good role. And with the first film grossing $70 million dollars its first weekend, hopefully they'll make the next three films. I also liked Kristen Stewart as Bella. She is a lot different in the movie than in the book (or at least in my mind), but I liked the character in the film.

Sure there's some problems with the film and it's not the greatest flick ever, but if you're a fan of the series it's really worth check out.

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars Blu-ray Review

I am one of the lucky ones. I saw Star Wars in the theater when I was 6 years old. My grandfather took me to see it at the Mayfair movie theater in Northeast Philadelphia. Now the theater is gone (it had beautiful murals on the tall ceilings. Pictures of Greek mythology) and a Rite-Aid is there now. All of that is so long, long ago. But I remember the hologram of Princess Leia saying, "Many years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars." And, boy, that's all I needed. I imagined amazing space battles with X-wings and Tie fighter that would just absolutely blow my mind.

Flash forward to 2008. Star Wars: The Clone Wars came out this past Tuesday. I passed seeing the movie in the theaters (that tells you something right there) and thought I'd give the movie a spin on Blu-ray. Some technical details: The picture quality is excellent. I watched the movie on a Sony Wega 50" rear-projection TV with 1080i (not p) resolution, listening in 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. The film is clear, crisp and sounds solid. No, it's not the best movie to show off your system as I don't believe the CGI animation truly captures the colors and depth of my setup, but it does look nice.

So what did I think of the movie? I fell asleep. Okay, I am being a bit harsh. Let me explain. I am fighting off a cold and do feel a bit under the weather, but about an hour into the film I lost interest and fell asleep for about 30 seconds. An explosion woke me up and I fought to stay asleep. I would give the film 2 1/2 stars out of four. My main take on the film is this: The younger you are, the more you're going to love this film. If you're 8 years old, this film will rock. If you're 37 like me, well, not so much.

Here's what I did like: I actually liked the little baby Hutt. I didn't think I would, but he works rather well in the plot and I liked Anakin's padawan. She is saucy and just enough rebelious enough for us to see how Anakin needs to pull in his own anger.

What didn't I like? The CGI. Characters move in a blocky, hesistant manner at times. Motion isn't fluid and I know that this is the style of the film, but it's distracting. When you're looking at Jabba's face, there's a part under his mouth that sticks out and I kept thinking I was playing the Star Wars Lego game. Character had that harsh, blocky look. This movie isn't the Clone Wars I wanted so much to see when I was a boy--a live action film with great special effects and a wonderful plot line. Instead, we get a tired and re-hashed storyline: Hyperspace lanes are blocked (isn't the universe 3D? Can't ships just fly around on the Z-axis a blocked "lane"?) and Jabba's son has been kidnapped. Obi-wan and Anakin are leading a clone army to defeat a billion droid on planet X and they have to save the day. Yawn.

There's no drama in the film, no depth of character. Again, it's a great flick for the under 12 crowd. Having watched The Matrix the night before with all its mind twisting "are we in a computer simulation and slaves, what really is reality" and then seeing The Clone Wars the next night was a bit of a let down.

If you're a huge Star Wars fan from back in the day, you'll probably not like the movie. There isn't anything said or done that you haven't already seen before. If you know a young Star Wars fan, show them this film because they'll love it.