I'm seriously considering going to see Dark Shadows. Big fan of the show; used to rush home from school to catch reruns on Sci-Fi. But the trailer has me concerned. Looks cool and all, but fear it may end up being kind of stupid. Wait, what am I talking about? Tim Burton and Johnny Depp: it's going to be awesome!

Looks like Amanda Bynes is the latest former child star to fall from grace. The 26-year-old actress who once headlined Nickelodeon's "The Amanda Show" and co-starred with Jennie Garth on sitcom "What I Like About You" has been arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence in West Hollywood, California. The sheriff's department there says it was about 3 a.m. Friday when an L.A. County Sheriff's deputy "was stopped at the intersection of Robertson Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard preparing to turn right onto Santa Monica Boulevard when a black BMW driven by actress Amanda Bynes attempted to pass the right of the radio car, colliding with the right rear quarter panel of the radio car." Although officials report there was only "minor paint transfer to both vehicles," the damage was done: Bynes was taken to jail and released on $5,000 bail mid-morning.

This isn't the first time Bynes has had a brush with the law. Gossip Cop, which first reported the arrest, noted that just last month Bynes was pulled over by talking on her cell phone without using a hands-free device while driving, then sped away from the police officer. TMZ is reporting that its cameras caught Bynes as she "appeared to be extremely intoxicated" while getting behind the wheel as she left Hollywood hot spot Greystone Manor on St. Patrick's Day.

Before any of these incidents, Bynes was raising eyebrows with the candid comments she was espousing in her Twitter feed. You'll remember she briefly retired from acting in June 2010. "Being an actress isn't as fun as it may seem," she wrote. "If I don't love something anymore, I stop doing it. I don't love acting anymore, so I've stopped doing it. I know 24 is a young age to retire ... I've never written the movies and tv shows I've been a part of. I've only acted like the characters the producers or directors wanted me to play." She changed her mind a month later, when she wrote "I've unretired." The former teen queen also posted provocative photos, like one showing her from the waist down and flashing a belly ring.

• Jason Brown

  Spontaneity has its time and place.

  March 27 at 10:11pm ·  ·  · See Friendship
• 
  

  
  

  David Brown

  Not sure I like the idea of being confused for Shane Alejandro Williamswearing a dress.

  March 27 at 8:53pm ·  · 

David Brown

went to a very dark, melancholy place at rehearsal last night and haven't been able to shake it.

November 4, 2010 at 10:18am ·  · 

• • 
    

    Emily Regan Nooooooooooooo come back!
    

    November 4, 2010 at 10:22am ·  ·  1 person
  • 
    

    Jason Brown Find a Happy Place! Find a Happy Place!
    

    November 4, 2010 at 11:42pm · 

What Jason Got Me For Christmas 06

1. Dream Lover
2. Nicolas Cage drawing/Trapped in Paradise
3. Gone in 60 Seconds (Nic Cage version)
4. Pushing Tin
5. U-Turn
6. Golden Bowl
7. Chelsea Walls
8. Robert DeNiro Drawing/Once Upon a Time in America
9. Christopher Walken Drawing/The Dead Zone
10. Leon: The Professional
11. Mickey Rourke Drawing/Domino
12. Kiera Knightley Drawing/Pirates of The Caribbean Dead Man's Chest
13. The Libertine
14. Johnny Depp Drawing/Pirates of the Caribbean Notebook

I rarely think ill of my brother, but he has hacked into my personal, top secret computer files. Here’s hoping he doesn’t hack into my ultra top top secret files. Then I’m in trouble.

He deserves a big KUDOS though for capturing a run away wild boar.

Guess which Mr. Smarty Pants broke a string on the piano while trying to tune it? That’s right. C’est Moi. But the only tuner I could get to come to my house wanted to charge me $125.00 to tune it. So I bought a tuning kit of my own for about the same amount. It’ll save me money in the long run though, because a piano needs to be tuned twice a year anyway. Hopefully I won’t break anymore strings though.

I got a new student today. You’d think that someone who went to a school with academy in the title, for music lessons would know more than him. He’s a smart kid and everything, he just wasn’t taught the technical aspects correctly, and sometimes not at all. He plays well though, and more advanced than he should be with his sparse knowledge of theory; which I will certainly remedy.

New student days are hectic anyway, but today was even more so because my kind-of-sort-of-cousins came out with some guys to get the hogs we have. She’s coming to calling and coming to the door, while I’m with a student, looking for my mother who isn’t here. Then I go outside to say hello after the student left; with the intentions of meeting the perky thin blonde my mother was tutoring, and ended up having to help get the pigs out of the pen, soiling my nice white dress shirt. My only nice, white dress shirt.

It’s supper time. And I’m very, very hungry, so I shall take my leave.
P. S. I’m getting to the interesting part of the Anais Nin bio I’m reading. When she meets the Millers (Henry and June) For those of you who are interested in what I’m reading.

P. P. S. I was very glad to see Desperate Housewives return to its former glory. Here's hoping it lasts for the rest of the season!

A Desperate Houseboy's attempt at getting his mack on diffused

And now I’m back, from outer space. That’s right my dead and faithful readers, your favorite rabbit is back on the blog, after a much too long absence.

I’d like to give a shout out to all of those older women who are able to dress like 20 year olds and do; and a big double jeer to those older women who shouldn’t be dressing like 20 year olds, but do. Some things should never be seen. I’ll leave it at that.

The requirements for some scholarships suck. I could have one, easily, but it has to have been a film done for college credit. Other than that, I’d have it.


I’m not really a big fan of grocery stores, or shopping, but after spending a lot of time in them recently to help out my mom’s friend, I think I like Publix the best. Specifically the one on Hwy 27, or Publix at Lake Harris. I don’t mean to point out one, but the management and staff there are extremely friendly. Most of them anyway. (The only exception with stores is the Winn-Dixie in Leesburg. The guy who runs the store is super nice). All of the staff who came by my table had a friendly word or so to say. Which is nice, because at a lot of stores the workers act like demonstrators are in the way.

Of course I could just have bias because I met the cutest cashier ever today. I noticed her checking me out (wishful thinking?) earlier in the day when I was getting the stuff I needed. So, I said to myself, “If she’s there later when I need to purchase more products, I’ll go to her.” And she was, so I did. The items were cheaper than listed on the shelf, so I had some extra money to spend-what I don’t spend I get to keep but it’s deducted from the pay check-so I picked up three more boxes and went back to her. Some dweeb bag boy (I use the term loosely because he’s got to be in his 30s) made some comment about me going to her 2 times in a row before I could put the mack on and make my move; and ended up talking to him, explaining that I’d made purchases earlier at another register, so she wouldn’t think I was a Desperate Houseboy. And the moment passed. I was feeling pretty smooth and slick too. Maybe he was just jealous cause I passed him up to go to her.

Speaking of Desperate Housewives, it’s almost on, well in bout 45 min, but I still have to shower and stuff. There’s time for one more thing though. I met the coolest guy yesterday. He the husband of my mom’s friend, and he got suckered into the job too. He kept coming over to my table and talking to me instead of being at his. I didn’t mind though. That wasn’t at Publix though, unfortunately.

Here is why I don’t watch new television shows until the first season is almost over or the second season starts: I hate it when I get involved in a show and invested in characters, and the stupid execs cancel the show because it doesn’t get ratings like that ridiculous piece of brain cell destroying crap, So You Think You Can Dance?. It happened during the summer season with The Inside. Granted not a terrific show, but it was good. Fox cancelled it once they put So You Think You Can Dance? on the air. This season CBS is coming out with a show just like it. The same thing happened a few seasons back with Wonderfalls. A delightful little show, that was hilarious, but was cancelled after only four episodes, hardly enough time to develop much of a following. Last fall Tru Calling, a truly interesting show was cancelled mid-season without so much as a warning. Because of the networks rash dropping of shows, I almost missed out on Lost, one of the best shows on television. It seemed like a quirky show, and most shows that are odd don’t make it. It wasn’t until I saw promos for how many viewers Lost was getting that I tuned in-luckily for me ABC ran the pilot during the first weekend and so I didn’t miss out on anything. There were only two new shows last season that I started watching from the premier, Desperate Housewives (only because of Terri Hatcher) and Boston Legal (because of James Spader, and later William Shatner).

Sketch

I was watching Dateline on Sunday, and realized how those police sketches can be fallible. You know how they don’t really look like anyone in particular, but could often pass for several people? I know a lot of people anyway, who’ve said that people in the sketches look familiar to them. Anyway, the Dateline segment I saw was about a girl who was murdered, and the guy they believe did it could pass for me in one of those police sketches. We don’t necessarily look alike, but share a lot of the same features and skull structure, enough alike though, that if a police sketch of him were made using those generic computer catalogues they’re using nowadays, I could easily be mistaken for him. It’s even more unnerving and likely that if this were to happen I would stand a likely chance of getting falsely accused because of how little people pay attention. People are always getting my brother and I confused and we don’t even look alike. When we used to work together, people would always think they had just talked to me when they’d actually been speaking to my brother. And we weren’t even dressed alike.
That’s not the worst that happened Sunday. I think my mother had a run in with a potential serial killer; he seems to be an avid fan of the BTK dude. I’ve got to go now, so I’ll write more on that later.

Crying Wolves; Eating Raw Meat

I saw Cry_Wolf yesterday. It was different than I thought it was going to be, and not as good as I’d hoped. Instead of being a film to reinvent the teen slasher flicks, it’s a mediocre horror movie that looks and feels like a low budget British horror film. And there are much better of these films than Cry_Wolf, see The Hole and Murder by Design. Not that it’s a bad movie, enjoyed it and was actually mislead as to whom the actually killer was, by some of the subtext and symbolism. The dénouement was a bit of a stretch, but was not so unbelievable that it didn’t make sense. But Cry_Wolf reminded me more of Gossip, than Scream. It could have been better with a more likeable cast, most of the actors did not give a convincing enough performance that I was able to sympathize with them. Jon Bon Jovi was enjoyable, but did not get enough screen time. Should have made him the lead. Another stand out and one of the few likeable characters was Lindy Booth.

Afterwards I went to Chili’s for supper. I am still grossed out. I can’t stand raw meat, makes me really sick. So whenever I order beef I always order it “well done”. I think I’m going to start ordering it burnt to a crisp. The burger that I got was not quite bloody, but was still kicking and mooing. I sent it back, with visions from the trailer for that new Ryan Reynolds movie dancing through my head. What I got back was better, but still a little too pink around the edges for my taste. But there was no way I was sending it back a second time, already wondering what bodily castaways might have floundered their way onto my meal the first time, and not wanting to get anymore. Disgusting.

Not much to write about today.

I saw Alex & Emma on Sunday. I remember it being pretty much panned by critics, and while it's certainly not Rob Reiner's best, I thought it was quite sweet and funny. I don't know, maybe it's just because I'm a fan of the Wilson brothers. Luke Wilson has that great leading man look and acting style, while Owen-who is not the best actor by any means-has some quirky charm that I can't help but like. If I were the type to go to the local pub after work, these are two guys I'd want to go there with.

I agree with Jeff about the downward spiral Desperate Housewives has taken. I was hoping the show would come back with a bang this season, but so far the only show on ABC to do so was Lost. Even Boston Legal did not have as much of an impact as I would've hoped, but still, it was not bad. William Shatner rocks!

Live TV

I caught the live episode of Will & Grace last night. It was very…interesting. I’m not a very big fan of the show, I’m really indifferent too it. It’s not like I don’t like it, I just have trouble getting on board with any sitcom and there are none I watch regularly. I catch the Will & Grace reruns on UPN occasionally, and enjoy watching it. Anyway, I have new respect for Alec Baldwin and Megan Mullally. The only ones I believe who didn’t crack, although Ms. Mullally appeared to come close once. To tell the truth, I wanted more. It was over way to soon. I think there should be more live tv. Of course it would be difficult to do with hour-long shows like Lost or CSI, but I can see it really working for sitcoms. Modern actors have become lazy, I believe, because there’s no pressure to get it right the first time, or even the second or 8th. Being a fan of James Dean, I’ve seen several tapes of live broadcasts he did before he got into films. While, the story lines and everything aren’t on par with what we see today, there are fewer screw ups than by the SNL crew. Each one has a moral, but the actors for the most part give realistic performances and never drop a line, and if they’re reading from cue cards, I can’t tell it (unlike on SNL). Especially in The Bells of Cockaigne.

Considering my recent posts, one may get the grossly incorrect impression that I watch a lot of tv, which is certainly not the case. There are a few shows I watch regularly, LOST and 24, other than that there are shows I like, but generally end up missing several episodes. CSI for instance, I like it, but actually watch fewer than ten shows a season. Just thought I’d clear that up.
I started reading Little Birds, by Anais Nin last night. I got it because I saw Henry & June, which is based on one of Ms. Nin’s diaries. Apparently, before she became known as the world’s foremost diarist, she got her start writing underground erotica, which is what Little Birds is. This is quite obvious from the cover, which has the title in barely able to read red letters, while erotica is spelled out in large black block print, and is the first thing one’s eyes are drawn to upon looking at the cover. It’s basically just a cheesy marketing ploy to get people to purchase it, I know, but it’s still kind of awkward when I think of some old librarian checking this book out and sending it off through the mail to me. I’m only on the second story (the book is comprised of several very short stories) and so far, like the previously mentioned film, I wouldn’t call it pornographic; which I guess is what the definition of erotica is supposed to be. They certainly are not the best written stories I’ve ever read-the sentences are short and often seem very “choppy”-but there is something lightweight and ethereal about them, making the stories more sentimental and aesthetic than sexual.

TV

I am happy to report that the 2nd season of my favorite tv show, Lost, has so far not been a disappointment. It is annoying in some respects though, like all of the questions that have been posed, with so little answers. But it’s a wise decision on the creator’s part, because it undoubtedly will keep me and many others tuning in each week to find out what happens. I’m almost tempted to quit watching it and wait until the season it released on DVD so that I don’t have to wait so long to find out what new obstacles the characters will have to face and the various mysteries of their pasts and what they will face next. But let’s get real here for a moment, that’s never going to happen, because like a heroin junkie, I need my fix, too bad this one only comes once a week.

My Name is Earl on the other hand is kind of a let down. I just didn’t think this week’s episode was that entertaining, not bad, but certainly not on par with what I like to see in tv shows, hence why I don’t watch that many. But as mentioned previously, I’m a Jason Lee fan so I’ll probably continue watching until it’s cancelled.

I’m glad to see Boston Legal back on the air. It’s a great mix of The Practice (which I missed out on and have to suffer through spotty reruns) and Ally McBeal (saw a few episodes, but it didn’t take). James Spader is awesome, and William Shatner is hilarious. I was a little disappointed with Rupert Everett’s guest appearance. It was just so boring, from a usually very interesting actor. I’m not thrilled about the time slot, I preferred having it follow Desperate Housewives. And I can’t stand Gray’s Anatomy.

Speaking of Desperate Housewives, I was glad to see it back in top form on Sunday. For me, towards the end of last season the episodes just seemed to lag. I was not surprised to see that my prediction of Zach aka Dana, is Mike’s son. I was disappointed however, that after waiting most of last season for the plumber and Susan to get together, they are now splitting up. It’s so unbelievable, I mean, what guy would choose a looser son over Terri Hatcher? Not me. I’m liking the character of Bree more and more, now if they would only get rid of Gabrielle, my least favorite character. I really can’t stand her. I like Carlos though. And why do a take on the legend of Glamis? It’s already been spoofed on the Simpson’s and is so like, 17th century ago. Come one Mr. Cherry, first a rip off of a cheesy made for cable looking movie, and now an old legend? Think of something original!

Karma, hicks, and older chicks

(hick)

One show I didn’t get a chance to praise, for lack of time, was My Name is Earl, the new Jason Lee (see Almost Famous) sitcom. Generally, as a rule I don’t watch sitcoms, in fact, I despise them with a vengeance. There are a few I like (the classic Seinfeld, King of Queens, Just Shoot Me, and a few others that I will watch from time to time late at night when there’s nothing else on), but for the most part I give sitcoms an extremely wide berth. I just don’t like them and they make me violently ill with how moronic most of them are.
Granted, My Name is Earl, is not the best sitcom ever, or the best show on television, but it has some odd charm that has me completely enraptured. I live near a really small town that has several trashy little convenient stores. And whenever I drive by them, there are always guys hanging around outside, guys just like Earl describes in his opening monologue of the show. It had me in stitches. Although I must admit the whole premise of the show is kind of stupid, and the acting could pretty much be described as sinful, but I will still watch it. I guess it’s one of those tv guilty pleasures people always talk about.

I had yesterday off, so I went swimming at my aunt’s. Of course, with my luck, it rained most of the time I was there. A large dark cloud has been following me around the past few days. I mean, every time I turn around it’s there, hovering over my shoulder like some demented psycho just waiting to gets its claws into me. Anyway, my mom’s friend (who happens to live nearby) sees me out at the pool and stops by. Why, I don’t know, but she did. I soon found out why. She never actually crossed over the line, but her flirting made me feel uncomfortable, especially since I was only in a pair of swimming trunks. Rather long swimming trunks, but still I felt vulnerable under her lecherous gaze. I would’ve put a shirt on, but she snuck up on me. Anyway, it made me feel uncomfortable because the attraction is certainly not returned. She’s defiantly not my type. And it was just really, really awkward, and I don’t know her that well. If I knew her better it might not be so awkward. But it did get me wondering, why can’t my mother have friends who look like Terri Hatcher? This woman has about 12 years on Terri Hatcher and looks nothing like her. If she did I might be willing to overlook the fact that she was born over half a century ago. Older women seem to love me, and I have a somewhat unhealthy attraction to them (the hot ones anyway). So my question is, why doesn’t my mother go out and get some hot friends to hit on me?

That last bit was just some sort of subconscious rambling, so pay no attention to it;)

(hot older chick)

LOST again

I am so glad that the season premier of Lost was not a disappointment. I was kind of worried because I had such high expectations, and I assumed I would be let down. But not so. This show has some of the greatest writers working in television, because the show-story wise and the shows essence-picked up right where everything was left off last season. With my experience in returning shows, it usually takes awhile for the show to get back into the swing of things upon returning from summer hiatus, but not this show. Wow! I was totally blown away. I’m still off kilter, and my mind is overflowing with possibilities about how the new character, Desmond, got on the island. And what exactly is he doing down in that cavern? Hmm. The only thing about last night’s episode that disappointed me is that there was no update about what happened to Sawyer (one of my favorite characters). That and the fact that I have to wait until next week for another Lost fix, and several more months of waiting to see how everything plays out.
I couldn’t sleep so I ended up watching Boiling Point, which I purchased recently on DVD. Anyway, it’s not very good, despite the presence of Dennis Hopper, Wesley Snipes and Viggo Mortensen. It’s a Snipes vehicle, and he’s basically playing the same character he played in all of those 80’s-90’s cop flicks he was in. He just really sucks in this one. So does Dennis Hopper, enough so that it makes me wonder how this guy ever got famous. You’d think he would’ve gotten lost back in the 50’s and drowned in thespianic obscurity. (And in case you’re wondering, thespianic is not a real word, I just like making up my own, and hope they catch on). Even Viggo Mortensen, who is usually one cool cat on screen comes across as wooden and uncomfortable. Dan Hedaya, however, comes through and add a little brightness to the scenes he’s in.

Premiers I’m looking forward to:

Lost
My Name is Earl
Boston Legal
The O. C.
House
CSI
Reunion

Premiers I’m not looking forward to but will probably watch anyway

How I met your mother (because in the promo some guy says “this is definitely going in my blog”

American Idol

Desperate Housewives (this show started out cool, but dropped close to mid season. It’s just a rip off of a Pierce Brosnon movie).

Threshold

I saw two of the coolest movies ever. Okay, so maybe not the coolest movies ever, but they are both surreal. Both also prove that film can be art and not just brainless entertainment for the general movie going lemmings. The first is Heavenly Creatures. It’s difficult to believe that Peter Jackson went from doing Dead Alive, to this movie, and eventually to The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It’s very refreshing to see a director who is so versatile. The three movies mentioned above could not be more different in subject matter and scope-although some scenes in Heavenly Creatures do have a style reminiscent of horror flicks. The other movie was Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I wasn’t sure I was going to like this movie. I’d heard good things about it, but the promos I’d seen for it did not seem very enticing. While it’s not the best movie ever made by any means, I found it very interesting. I like the surreal quality to the story and cinematography. The direction wasn’t that great, and none of the actors really seemed that comfortable, except maybe Kate Winslet. What I really liked about the movie though was the non-linear narrative. I’m so sick of screenwriters thinking there has to be a precise “paradigm” just because they’ve read a book by Syd Field, one of the worst script writers to ever try his hand at the craft.

And my stomach churns

I am getting sick over all the “celebrities” trying to cash in some publicity points by pretending to care about the people suffering in the aftermath of the hurricane. Chief among them being Oprah. I know I have some readers who are Oprah fans, but you’re just going to have to get used to the fact that something about that woman rubs me the wrong way. Don’t expect to see a lot of Oprah bashing on here, but don’t ever expect to see me praise her either. My complaint is, why did she think it was necessary to go to New Orleans? I could see her bringing some of the survivors into her studio to get some sappy interviews, that’s what she does, but does she really think she can get some sort of coverage that the actual news channels will not? And it’s not like she was the first person on the scene, anything she’s going to get has already been covered by the real journalists. And does anyone believe Julia Roberts cares about anyone other than herself? I don’t, not for a second. And what’s up with Chris Rock? It just reeks to me of him wanting to look good to people so his new sitcom will be a hit. That’s not what makes me sick. Everyone seems to be exploiting the survivors. What really makes my guts roil, is that stupid Fashion Rocks concert that was on TV last night. No, I didn’t watch it, but saw some footage on some late night “news” channel like Extra or something. First of all, if it’s a benefit for hurricane survivors, why call it Fashion Rocks? It sounds like it should be more something like money going to models with eating disorders. Plus there was a whole Red Carpet thing, that made it all into fun and games. None of the celebrities interviewed were taking it seriously, except for the lovely Tyra Banks, who took a serious moment to remind everyone why they were there before moving on to more important things like who designed the dress she was wearing. If they people asking for money don’t care about why they are asking in the first place, why should I? And for that matter, what does it say about Americans that we need a bunch of famous people to beg us to give money to facilitate those who are truly in need? Shouldn’t we, as a society, be willing to donate to those people without having to be asked to do so by the rich and famous?

Mikey Rourke & Willem Dafoe Crossover DVDs

Mikey Rourke & Willem Dafoe Crossover DVDs

Jason and I had a Mickey Rourke Willem Dafoe crossover DVD party tonight. Jason gave the films we watched tonight to me for Christmas last year, I believe it was, that or my birthday, but I’m pretty sure it was for Christmas. I’ve been waiting since then to watch them, because there were four movies altogether, and we had to wait until a time when we could start early instead of the usual 10:00 at night. Which we don’t have that much time to do since the only night we can is Monday, and I usually give piano lessons until late Monday night. So I was thankful for the holiday so that way I could tell my students, take the day off, while I was really conspiring to spend some QT with brother Jason.






First we watched Point Blank (new), a low budget action flick that is beneath star Mickey Rourke, and co-stars Kevin Gage, Frederic Forest, and James Gammon. It’s not a bad flick when one takes into consideration the type of movie it is, it’s just disconcerting that a fabulous actor like Rourke would be in a flick like this. Although his presence does elevate the drab and laughable acting by the local Texans who make up the hostages in the mall that a group of escaped cons, lead by Ruddy’s (Roake) brother (Gage). To make sure his brother doesn’t get hurt, Ruddy, an ex-Texas Ranger/ex-merc, makes his way into the mall to take out the bad guys before the Texas Rangers go in, or the FBI comes in to screw things up “like they did in Waco”. His brother ends up dying anyway, at the hands of the sleaze ball who was behind the whole breakout anyway (Paul Ben-Victor). This is where Rourke escalates the acting, not only in this movie but in pretty much every action flick that’s ever been made, as he breaks down and actually cries real tears (as opposed to the scrunching of the eyes seen in most of these flicks whenever emotion is called upon).



Next up was A Prayer Before Dying (new), a “thriller” according to the cover, which turned out to be more a very interesting drama about an IRA operative (Rourke) who decides to quit after one of his bombs blows up a school bus full of children instead of its intended military target. But to get out of the country with a new identity, he has to pull a hit for a local mobster, who runs a mortuary/crematorium-not as a cover. Rourke’s character does the hit, but it’s witnessed by a priest (Bob Hoskins) who’s in the cemetery where the assassination takes place. Rourke later takes refuge from the mobster in the priest’s parish where he meets and falls in love with the priest’s niece. A little convoluted, but very entertaining and well executed all the same.




Third on the list, as well as the film which brought together the fabulous actors showcased in our DVD marathon tonight, was The Animal Factory (new). As far as prison flicks go, this one (directed by Steve Buscemi) is excellent. Even Edward Furlong isn’t bad in it. The film is follows Ron Decker (Furlong) who gets sentenced to five years in the penitentiary for possession of marijuana (harsh much?). Being a young, skinny kid, he’s obviously going to be the apple of some poop chute banging residence of the state. So he falls in with Earl Copen (Willem Dafoe) and his buds who take care of the new kid, without him having to worry about them turning him into their broad. Willem Dafoe gives a terrific performance in this movie, he totally embraces the character. And unrecognizable and hilarious in this film is Mickey Rourke as Jan the Actress, I think the name and setting of the film explain the name. Jan is Ron’s cellmate to start with until Copen gets Ron moved to his block. Rourke is spot on with the mannerisms, as he never over plays it, making the portrayal (which could have been played way over the top) so believable that I’m still can’t believe it was the buffed up Mickey Rourke. Copen and Ron develop an almost father son relationship, which seeing Ron’s real father (John Heard) in a few scenes, it’s obvious why Ron cleaves so strongly to this new older male figure in his life. The title (taken from the novel the film is based on) is all but lost in the film, however. It’s supposed to mean that prisons are factories that turn people into animals, instead of rehabilitation centers for the criminally deranged. However, since the two main characters, Ron and Copen, are shown as caring and sympathetic, as are most of their circle of friends-the only deranged people are the rapists who try to butt plug little Ron-this theme does not really come across.




Ending the night was To Live and Die in L. A. (new). Willem Dafoe is absolutely marvelous as the artist/counterfeiter villain of the film. William Peterson (CSI) is also good as the Secret Service agent who tries to take him out. The film itself, however, is rather messy, with subplots running here and there seemingly in a hurry to get nowhere. The death happens too suddenly, and the impact of bullets look like someone is throwing rotten tomatoes at the actors’ faces. The performances by Peterson and Dafoe, however, make this flick worth the time to watch.

It wasn't until The Animal Factory that I realized how many movies these two guys have been in together. There's The Animal Factory, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and White Sands. And if you add Danny Trejo into the mix you get three movies too, Point Blank, Tha Animal Factory, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico (all three with Mickey Rourke and the last two with Willem Dafoe).


Two episodes of Roswell.

Willem Dafoe

William Peterson