The Scottish Play and Science Vs. Religion.

Hail, king! for so thou art: behold, where stands
The usurper's cursed head: the time is free:
I see thee compass'd with thy kingdom's pearl,
That speak my salutation in their minds;
Whose voices I desire aloud with mine:
Hail, King of Scotland!

Why can't more people be like this guy?
Professor Richard Dawkins of Oxford University sticks it to the Creationists.

Where are more reasonable voices like the good Professor here, when it comes to this Evolution versus "Intelligent Design" debate? And why is it a debate to begin with? Why can't I think one thing, and you think another, and we'll agree to disagree. Teach evolution as the "THEORY" that it is in schools, and keep religion out of public schools, as was intended. If you want to teach your kids Creationism, send them to a Christian school, and don't force it down the throats of others, while keeping potential scientific truth from them.

The religious right has a tendency to annoy me, though I don't take issue with scientific community. I wonder why... Thanks Professor.

Star Wars was awesome. Better than I could have hoped for, it has already set box office records, and most people I've talked to really liked it. So much better than the last two, and finally a Star Wars movie on par with the originals.

On to other matters. Our Scottish Play dress rehearsal was tonight... Quite hectic, but all-in-all I think the show should go well. Again, for those not aware, it is Friday May 27th at 7 pm, May 28th at 2 pm, and May 29th at 2 pm, at Kew Gardens Park in the Beach... A few blocks from Queen Street E and Woodbine Ave. I look forward to a good crowd.

Should be a busy day tomorrow, job interview in the morning, play in the evening and later that night a birthday/going away party for the lovely Christie. Alas the girl is leaving our fair town, off to bigger and better things in New York City.

Argghh... Full plate for the weekend.

Now for the most random thing I've seen all week... And that's saying something :

METAL GEAR SOLID 3 : CRAB BATTLE!!!

Adieu,

- Will   Thursday, May 26, 2005

 

Wow I'm in a Local Newspaper and Star Wars Tomorrow.

Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care
Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are:
Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until
Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill
Shall come against him.


Welcome back Kotter!

Small cast picture from a local newspaper promo-ing the production of Macbeth I'm in. I play MacDuff. By far the funnest part of the whole process, was choreographing the final showdown between Macbeth and MacDuff. It's going to be at Kew Gardens in the Beach May 27th at 7 pm, May 28th at 2 pm and May 29th at 2 pm. Should be good.

Star Wars is tomorrow. My anticipation has reached a fever pitch, and now I'm just sitting here in quiet glee, waiting for tomorrow night. So close!!!

Not quite Paul Stanley, Not quite Darth Maul... it's Maul Stanley!

I'm out, when you next here from me I will have seen the last Star Wars movie ever... And I will be sad.

In ultra-geek mode.

- Will   Wednesday, May 18, 2005

 

Terrorist Product Placement and The Countdown.

Rightly to be great
Is not to stir without great argument,
But greatly to find quarrel in a straw
When honour's at the stake.

So I was watching 24 this week, like I usually do. Another fine episode, with a huge cliffhanger ending. Something was odd about this episode though, I noticed a few products conveniently placed throughout the episode. It seems that CTU uses Cisco Systems Technology, and wanted viewers to know that. In another odd instance of product placement, it seems that the terrorists and their nefarious leader Marwan are partial to using Alienware notebooks.

Now I may not be some marketing genius, but is a terrorist mastermind using your product to launch a nuclear missile against a US city really good advertising?


Marwan uses Alienware, Why don't you?

Look for future product placement in the last few episodes of 24. For example, Edgar Styles will constantly be eating Whoppers for the rest of the season, while wearing a Burger King crown. Tony Almeida will plummet back into a horrible cycle of alcoholism and will become a walking advertisement for Jack Daniels. At random intervals throughout each episode Jack Bauer will feel compelled to say "We keep thinking about tough because we want you to drive a Ford.", and will then proceed to drive off to kick some terrorist ass in a Ford.

I just can't shut up about this... Episode 3 is getting amazing reviews. Rotten Tomatoes.com. Just one week until the big day, then I start counting down to Batman Begins hehe.

A beer truck crashed on the 401 today. Oh the humanity of it! Here's the tragic scene caught on video.

I highly recommend you check out The Lance Krall Show on Spike TV. It is genuinely very funny, lots of toilet humour and subtle gags. Monday nights at 11:05 pm Eastern.

And now to Macbeth it up a notch.

- Will   Wednesday, May 11, 2005

 

House of Wax and Eating pizza in the dark.

You may as well say,
that 's a valiant flea that dare eat his breakfast on the lip of a lion.

I was very pleased to discover yesterday that I ended up with a very solid GPA now that school is over. 76% just over 3.0. Thumbs up I say, I'll take it.


Bring it!

A little under 2 weeks to go until Revenge of the Sith hits theatres, and already the reviews are pouring in; the majority positive, a great relief indeed. I know two people who saw it yesterday and say it is quite probably one of the best in the whole saga, second only to The Empire Strikes Back. And you know, seeing tv spots like this only get me more excited about the film. Episode 3 in all its PG-13 goodness is just around the corner!

And now for a movie that puts the crap in craptacular, House of Wax.

House of Wax
3/10 STARS


You'd be scared too if you were in House of Wax.

House of Wax bears more of a resemblance to classic 80's teen slasher flicks than the original Vincent Price film. If the filmmakers had intended to make a generic slasher flick, then they most definitely succeeded. The movie takes a very standard if overused approach to the horror genre; take a group of hapless, sex crazed teens and pit them against of psychopath of some kind. A group of teens on a road trip to the biggest college football game of the year, decide to take an ill fated short cut through rural Louisiana. Naturally, car troubles force the group to camp out on the outskirts of a mysterious small town. While the rest of the group waits at the camp site, Carly (Elisha Cuthbert) and her boyfriend Wade (Jared Padalecki) head into town to find the local mechanic, Bo (Brian Van Holt). The town it seems is best known for its world famous House of Wax, predictably Carly and Wade decide to snoop around the creepy House despite the sign saying that it is closed. If there is one thing protagonists in a horror film should not do it is tread on a psychos' property. What follows is a predictable kill fest in which many of the teens are systematically stalked and killed in various, mildly amusing ways.

What can I say about this movie that I liked? Not a lot. Elisha Cuthbert and Paris Hilton looked extremely good throughout the film, up to and including Paris's much talked about death scene. Cuthbert for me was the highlight of the movie. In the tradition of the horror genre she gives a strong Jamie Lee Curtis-esque performance, lots of scantily clad running around and screaming. The rest of the cast is just so-so; you don't care enough about them, so when the killer finally catches up with them you'll find yourself quite under whelmed. The movie does have a few standout parts, but they aren't enough to make you forget how mediocre the rest of the film is. One involves a finger and a pair of wire cutters, and the other is the climax when the House of Wax melts. The latter sequence was extremely well executed, but can't make up for the rest of the films shortcomings.

Paris Hilton is not an actress, and it shows. She plays Paige, a non-wealthy version of herself and fairs about as well against a knife wielding maniac as you'd expect her to. A good horror movie makes you care about the characters, so that when they meet their untimely end you actually give a crap. House of Wax does not succeed in this respect; in fact you welcome the deaths of the many throwaway characters in the film. Scare moments in the movie are way too predictable and are overused. I could go on for paragraphs about the myriad other problems House of Wax suffers from, but I'd be wasting my time and yours.

If you're in the mood for a mindless slasher movie this weekend go see House of Wax. The movie takes a tired, overused formula and brings nothing new to the genre. The girls are hot, but that is about all the movie has going for itself. Perhaps a more apt title for House of Wax would be Beautiful People are Slaughtered by Knife Wielding Maniacs. Sure, Paris Hilton with a pole through her head is funny; it's just not worth your ten dollars.

That's my cue to exit.

- Will   Friday, May 06, 2005

 

Van City pics and a Doings a Transpirin'

Make all our trumpets speak; give them all breath,
Those clamorous harbingers of blood and death.

Finally got the pictures from my little Westerly adventure a few months back. My dad just never got around to burning them onto a CD until a few days ago. Vancouver is a great city, I lived there when I was younger, and do appreciate its charms... I'd live there if I didn't like Toronto so much.


Great view from the hotel. Unbelievable weather, warm and clear every day.


Brothers looking badass at the Stanley Park lookout.


Inside the giant hollow tree in Stanley Park.


Whistler Village, shortly after arrival.


Chilling at the chalet after a long day of skiing.


My showboating brother Evan, meeting me at the top of Blackcomb.


View from the edge of Couloir Extreme, literally an icy chute filled with rocks at the top of Blackcomb. You fall and you're guaranteed to break something or die. Evan was crazy enough to ski it.


Will, Dad and Evan enjoying the view from the Blackcomb.

The trip would have been better had I not got a cold the day we arrived, but I still got three solid days of skiing in, and got to enjoy Van City for a few days.
All together a very fun way to spend reading week for myself and the fams, sure as hell beats reading. If only Ontario had real mountains, oh well, we have the lake... ewww.


Bubbles is the man.

Ivan Reitman is producing a Trailer Park Boys Movie! Should be interesting, foul mouthed, criminal hosers seem like they'd be too much for the United States though. Oh well, only time will tell.




I'm such a closet Star Wars geek, though my family would dispute that fact the way I've been anticipating Episode III. I bought my tickets for the 12:01 am showing of Revenge of the Sith yesterday. Everything I've seen from the movie has impressed the hell out of me... Georgie boy may just have hit the nail on the head for this one. In the mean time feel free to nerd it up a notch by watching the Revenge of the Sith music video
'A Hero Falls'. I've already spoiled myself silly, but I can't wait to see this movie... Only 18 days until Darth Vader is back.

May is a good month. The new episode of Family Guy aired tonight, that show is as good as ever. Evil monkey, upsidedown face kid, Creepy old man, Greased up deaf guy! How can you go wrong? And in other news, The Simpsons celebrated their 350th episode with yet another craptacular episode... Please... let the show die!

Check out The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie if you get the chance. Though some liberties were taken with the story, it is a fairly faithful adaptation, and a lot of fun.

Now I just have to wait until 6 am for ROSI to come back up so I can see if my marks are there.

Vaya con dios.

- Will   Sunday, May 01, 2005