Das Boot!

Predator… Arguably one of the best Arnold movies next to T2 in existence. Yeah, I said it, how can you not like this movie?

Let’s just look at the cast… I mean, we have heavy hitters like Schwarzenegger himself, and also Carl Weathers and Jesse "The Body" Ventura (also see: previous governors of Minnesota).

Plot:

The film begins with the arrival of an Army Commando team at a US military outpost somewhere in Central America. After a short briefing, they learn they have to rescue a ‘Cabinet Minister’ who was in a helicopter that was shot down flying over enemy territory. (sounds fishy to begin with… doesn’t it?)

Here’s the catch: they are accompanied by a CIA operative. Even fishier. As they head deep into the jungle; things aren’t as they seem. Almost immediately, they find the desecrated bodies of a US military team (Green Berets) who have been skinned alive in a most atrocious way. I guess you really can’t get skinned alive in a nicer way… so that’s an unnecessary comment.

After that, they head to the enemy camp, but this is where they find out the CIA is using them to get military intel from the bad guys. Arnold is pissed. That’s when it starts happening…

Something is hiding in the jungle, watching them, stalking them. An advanced and powerful alien that hunts only the most badass prey in the universe. They call it the Predator.

He has the acrobatic talents of Kerri Strug, and he can blend into his surroundings like the invisible man Don’t forget about his insanely advanced alien weaponry.

Team member after team member start getting picked off. Basically, everyone dies except Arnold. This is when the governator gets PISSED, and starts fighting back.

It’s a pretty interesting story line, but Obviously the acting is horrendous (see: Arnold, Jesse Ventura). I have to dock it a few points for that fact, but still very solid.

 Plot Rating:

Quotable Lines:

For any one that ISN’T aware, Any movie Arnold is in is quotable beyond belief. Heck, that’s the reason half of his audience watch his movies anyway! This movie is one of the CLASSIC Arnold quoteables.

Here are a few examples:

Sergeant Mac Eliot: You’re ghostin’ us, motherfu@%er. I don’t care who you are back in the world, you give away our position one more time, I’ll bleed ya, real quiet. Leave ya here. Got that? 

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Dutch: [the Predator pulls off his mask] You’re one… ugly motherfu*@er! 

---

Poncho: You’re bleeding, man.
Blain: I ain’t got time to bleed.

---

Dutch: If it bleeds, we can kill it. 

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Dutch: [lying on the ground after being hit by Predator shoulder cannon, he motions to Anna] Run! Get to the chopper!

---

Dutch: Billy, Get Down!! 

Quotes Rating:

Gore & Action Factor:

This movie has some SICK scenes.. dudes getting skinned alive, killed left and right… and the bodies. It’s pretty wild. I also have to say the weapons the Predator (I have to capitalize his name, or he gets mad) uses are beyond cool. That shoulder cannon? And the ending scene when he uses his arm band to blow himself up (presumably along with Arnold, but he’s quicker than that). THAT is timeless.

Gore & Action Rating:

Overall:

This is a timeless guy movie. I honestly can say I could watch this bad boy 2, maybe 3 times in a row in the same sitting. Yeah, that’s how classic it’s become for Action loving guys around the world. The quotes… the plot… its all there.

Ladies, if you haven’t seen it, give it a chance! Even 20 years later, this thing is STILL badass.

Overall Rating:

Courtesty of Burger King and Fox News

Burger King has done it… But not in the US (yet). They have created the $200 burger. Listen to these fancy ingredients and tell me this thing doesn’t sound delicious!

The fine ingredients of what is called simply ‘The Burger’ include

• Wagyu beef
• White truffles
• Pata Negra ham slices
• Cristal onion straws
• Modena balsamic vinegar
• Lambs lettuce
• Pink Himalayan rock salt
• Organic white wine
• Shallot infused mayonnaise
• Iranian saffron and white truffle dusted bun.

Fear not, though.. This burger is only available in one restaurant once a week in London… but there are plans to make it available by hotline soon.

By lunchtime on the first day of The Burger’s unveiling, eight had been purchased, said Chef Mark Dowding, the director of new product development and innovation for the fast food chain.

Dowding said he hoped that more than 100 would be sold by the end of the day.

All the proceeds from The Burger sales will go to the Help A London Child charity, which assists young people experiencing abuse, homelessness, disability, poverty and illness.

So, the guys over at AFI came out with yet another list for all of us to discuss.. This time:

Top 10 Films in 10 Classic Genres

This isn’t your every day list with your favorite movies on it. The word classic should really stand out, because there are a lot of "oldies but goodies" on this list! Take a look, and let me know what you think.

ANIMATION:
#1 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
#2 - Pinocchio (1940)
#3 - Bambi (1942)
#4 - The Lion King (1994)
#5 - Fantasia (1940)
#6 - Toy Story (1995)
#7 - Beauty and the Beast (1991)
#8 - Shrek (2001)
#9 - Cinderella (1950)
#10 - Finding Nemo (2003)

FANTASY:
#1 - The Wizard of Oz (1939)
#2 - Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
#3 - It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
#4 - King Kong (1933)
#5 - Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
#6 - Field of Dreams (1989)
#7 - Harvey (1950)
#8 - Groundhog Day (1993)
#9 - The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
#10 - Big (1988)

GANGSTER:
#1 - The Godfather (1972)
#2 - Goodfellas (1990)
#3 - The Godfather: Part II (1974)
#4 - White Heat (1949)
#5 - Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
#6 - Scarface: The Shame of a Nation (1932)
#7 - Pulp Fiction (1994)
#8 - The Public Enemy (1931)
#9 - Little Caesar (1930)
#10 - Scarface (1983)

SCIENCE FICTION:
#1 - 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
#2 - Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
#3 - E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
#4 - A Clockwork Orange (1971)
#5 - The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
#6 - Blade Runner (1982)
#7 - Alien (1979)
#8 - Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
#9 - Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
#10 - Back to the Future (1985)

WESTERN:
#1 - The Searchers (1956)
#2 - High Noon (1952)
#3 - Shane (1953)
#4 - Unforgiven (1992)
#5 - Red River (1948)
#6 - The Wild Bunch (1969)
#7 - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
#8 - McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
#9 - Stagecoach (1939)
#10 - Cat Ballou (1965)

SPORTS:
#1 - Raging Bull (1980)
#2 - Rocky (1976)
#3 - The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
#4 - Hoosiers (1986)
#5 - Bull Durham (1988)
#6 - The Hustler (1961)
#7 - Caddyshack (1980)
#8 - Breaking Away (1979)
#9 - National Velvet (1944)
#10 - Jerry Maguire (1996)

MYSTERY:
#1 - Vertigo (1958)
#2 - Chinatown (1974)
#3 - Rear Window (1954)
#4 - Laura (1944)
#5 - The Third Man (1949)
#6 - The Maltese Falcon (1941)
#7 - North by Northwest (1959)
#8 - Blue Velvet (1986)
#9 - Dial M for Murder (1954)
#10 - The Usual Suspects (1995)

ROMANTIC COMEDY:
#1 - City Lights (1931)
#2 - Annie Hall (1977)
#3 - It Happened One Night (1934)
#4 - Roman Holiday (1953)
#5 - The Philadelphia Story (1940)
#6 - When Harry Met Sally (1989)
#7 - Adam’s Rib (1949)
#8 - Moonstruck (1987)
#9 - Harold and Maude (1971)
#10 - Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

COURTROOM DRAMA:
#1 - To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
#2 - 12 Angry Men (1957)
#3 - Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
#4 - The Verdict (1982)
#5 - A Few Good Men (1992)
#6 - Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
#7 - Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
#8 - In Cold Blood (1967)
#9 - A Cry in the Dark (1988)
#10 - Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

EPIC:
#1 - Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
#2 - Ben-Hur (1959)
#3 - Schindler’s List (1993)
#4 - Gone With the Wind (1939)
#5 - Spartacus (1960)
#6 - Titanic (1997)
#7 - All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
#8 - Saving Private Ryan (1998)
#9 - Reds (1981)
#10 - The Ten Commandments (1956)

*Pictures linked from FirstShowing.net

Well my buddy over at LukeHackney.com recently redesigned one of his friends websites. This just isn’t any friend, however. Luke happens to know Robert Matheu personally. 

Who’s Robert Matheu  you ask? A famous music photographer who’s snapped the likes of the Ramones, Iggy Pop, Keith Richards, Johnny Cash and the MC5, and many others.

Take a look at Rob’s site, and click around a bit. You might notice some of his more famous work!

Browsing the net I had a chance to run across an up an up adn coming writer, and read one of her short stories.

She asked if I could comment on what I read, and I said I would be happy to.

The story I read was located at Before I am Famous and it was entitled Who Killed Amber-Lynne?

After giving it a quick read, I have to say i’m impressed. At first, i’ll be honest, it seemed like your regular run of the mill short story about an unsolved murder.

There was little character development at first, but you slowly became attached to the main character Peyton, and felt sorry for her.

I liked how that struck a cord emotionally, and as the story continued I tried to imagine what exactly would happen.

The way it was written, however, didn’t really allow me to do that, which I think is a good thing. Usually with stories like these you can guess what’s coming next.

When the character Rachel was introduced, I thought nothing of it. It was very well executed.

I won’t ruin the ending for you, but give it a read and let her know what you think!

There are a few other stories in the story list category that you should all take a look at.

So I wanted to share with you guys a cool new toy I came across the other day. As you know, I like to drop product reviews on this site as well, so here is one on Dirt Devil’s new Accucharge cordless vacuum.

For those of you who like to clean with a conscience, this is the perfect product. The reason I thought this would be a great item to blog about is because it’s an innovator; the Accucharge system is the first cordless vacuum to be Energy Star approved. It enables a 70% reduction in energy consumption compared to other cordless vacuums in its class.

I remember when my parents picked up their first cordless vacuum… It took days for it to charge, and when it was fully charged, we could only get limited use out of it before it needed to be charged again! Obviously technology has come a long way since then, but the accucharge really blows the competition out of the water.

This line is perfect for those who don’t need a large dyson-like or other humongous vacuum.

Got a small job? Want a fast charge time, and save energy while using your appliance? This is the perfect vacuum for you. Try it in bedrooms, dorm rooms, home office, you name it! Try a Dirt Devil today.

Top Gun… What a classic story about fast toys and the guys who love them.

Back in 1986 when this movie premiered, it hit the streets and went running. With Kenny Loggins (self proclaimed kind of Yacht Rock) at the helm of one of the soundtracks most popular songs, how could this major motion picture go wrong?

With a relatively new actor in Tom Cruise, they set out to make the best movie they could, with the greatest 80s synth soundtrack imaginable.

The result? One of the best movies about fighter pilots around (yes, I said it, feel free to quote me!). How can you go wrong with the likes of Cruise, Val Kilmer, Tim Robbins, Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli from Heroes for those of you who dont’ know), Tom Skerrit, the one armed commander from Starship Troopers, and the Principle from Back to the Future…

On to the good stuff… Review from today’s perspective

Plot:

Let’s see if I can grasp this concept… Showboating fight pilot and his goofy sidekick (rear nav) get lucky because their #1 quit, and were sent to an ELITE advanced flight school to compete with other pilots from around the navy.

In the midst of the training, the goofy companion and rear nav Goose dies, so the main stay in the story, Maverick (Tom Cruise), has to cope with inner demons and the ever so prevalent theme of "not being good enough".

Maverick comes to his senses and graduates Top Gun (not getting 1st place), only in time to be deployed to a real life air defense mission.

He comes through in the end, saves the day, and Val Kilmer states that he can be his wing man anytime.

Ohh yeah, and there is a sappy love story throughout the whole process too.

Honestly, I’d give the plot maybe 4 stars…I’d give the last star, but the love story really dropped it down for me. The Meg Ryan hotness factor makes up for it a bit.

Plot Rating:

Quotable Lines:

This movie is FILLED with quotable lines! If your a guy who grew up in the 70s or 80s, you LOVE this movie and there is a great chance it’s memorable lines made their way into your everyday conversations.

Here are a few examples:

Iceman: You two really are cowboys.
Maverick: What’s your problem, Kazanski?
Iceman: You’re everyone’s problem. That’s because every time you go up in the air, you’re unsafe. I don’t like you because you’re dangerous.
Maverick: That’s right! Ice… man. I am dangerous.

---

Maverick: Tower, this is Ghost rider requesting a flyby.
Air Boss Johnson: That’s a negative Ghost rider, the pattern is full.

---

Carole: Hey Goose you big stud!
Goose: That’s me, honey.
Carole: Take me to bed or lose me forever.
Goose: Show me the way home, honey.

---

Iceman: You can be my wingman any time.
Maverick: Bullshit! You can be mine.

---

Maverick: Too close for missles, I’m switching to guns.

Quotes Rating:

Montage Scene:

Gosh.. This is easily the WORST part of the movie. A bunch of guys playing beach volleyball, close up shots, no shirts on (or tank tops), and horrendously tight jeans…. Come on, this is almost as bad as Rocky 3.

Montage Rating:

Overall:

 This movie kicks major ass, US NAVY style. From fast planes, military intelligence, big name actors, you can’t beat this. It has withstood the test of time, and 20+ years later: It’s still a classic. I plan on letting my kids watch this movie when A.) I have them and B.) They are of age.

Overall Rating:

Loyal readers, this is the first of many posts in a new section I’d like to call: 20 Years Later

This is where I will begin to review popular movies, products, and anything else from 20+ years ago with a present day perspective.

Each review will get a star rating out of 5 stars, and you can comment and agree/disagree as much as you’d like.

Now bring on the reviews!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Welcome to the launch of the Task Economy. We’d like you to be among the first to experience it, kick the tires, and share your opinions with your readers.

Microsoft® Task Market is a new Technology Preview site that lets people with tasks find people with the know-how to do them – saving time, and improving the end product.

For every person who throws up both hands at the prospect of creating a complex formula in Microsoft Excel, somewhere in the world there’s another person who can make it look easy. For every poor proofreader, there’s an expert one out there who wouldn’t mind making a few extra dollars. For every small business owner who doesn’t have time to do background research on a new business prospect, there’s a talented researcher who could quickly put together a dossier.

The big idea with Task Market is this: create a viable market to get them together and things get done.

Task Market is in the Technology Preview stage. That means that developers at Microsoft Research are releasing the site “into the wild” to demonstrate the potential of the technology, investigate the breadth of user adoption, solicit ideas on how to improve the site and, ultimately, create a market of Task Posters and Task Solvers to help people get their office tasks done.

A Task Market Task is:

• Something that can be done for $20 to $500
• Something that the Task Poster could use help doing
• Something that can be delivered electronically, like a Microsoft Office document.

A Task Market Poster might need help with:

• a specialized Excel formula
• language translation
• letter writing
• an aspect of their accounting
• making a PowerPoint presentation “pretty”
• graphics, charts, formatting or logos
• research gathering
• proofreading
• building sell sheets, listing sheets or simple brochures
• fact checking

Task Market Solvers create profiles of their skills to help Posters assign tasks to Solvers with the right skill sets, and get email alerts when a job arrives that fits their skillsets. Posters can award and pay several solvers for tasks to compare results, and give more work to the ones they like. All without the commitment of a freelance engagement.

Check out the working tech preview at www.taskmarket.com . Who knows. We may be building a whole new economy. We’d like to start with you and your readers. Let me know if you have any questions.

Well, the aforementioned was Microsoft’s press release on the Task Market product. I have to say, it seems like quite a handy setup, helping connect people with people who have the know how. Got a lot to do? Get more done faster with Task Market. Don’t know where to look? This really could revolutionize the way people find help with Microsoft office related tasks.

Ladies and Gentleman, Frank Martin is back! The driver you all know and love, who’s ready to kick some major butt to save the day.

Jason Statham delivers all you’d expect out of the 3rd part of the transporter series. Don’t believe it? Check out this crazy new Transporter 3 trailer! Sorry it’s in French, but its braaaand new!