Collateral

[yendi]

Saw a sneak preview tonight with four people who don't have LJs, which may be the most non-LJ folks I've hung out with outside of work in a long time.

The movie was good -- Michael Mann is one of my heroes, and I'm one of the few people I know who doesn't harbor some special loathing for Tom Cruise. Jamie Foxx was also amazing. There were also some interesting cameos -- Debi Mazar, Jason Statham, etc. Plot-wise, there were some holes, but it was still a solid action movie, and much more real in terms of the effects of bullets and other stuff. Mann's use of music, of course, is also fun. Definitely worth watching.

Then I came home and watched the first of the two World Series of Poker episodes, and found my hatred for humanity restored, as the announcers continue to be the most annoying announcers in the history of everything. C-rate wrestling announcers are less annoying.

But at least the Mets won (too little, too late).

And our Westfield order came! I'm too tired to read everything (Identity Crisis #2 will wait until tomorrow, alas), but I read a few books. And we got a preview of DC's CMX line!

Tomorrow: School registration for Elayna! Woohoo!

Now: Bed.

Comments

[lordrexfear.livejournal.com]

Would you call Collateral a movie theater worthy film?

[yendi]

Definitely. Then again, I consider everything Mann has done to be theatre-worthy.

[absentmammoth.livejournal.com]

You know, I don't understand people's unnatural loathing of Tom Cruise. I'm not a fanatic, by any means, but I thought that most of his recent films were good movies, and he certainly wasn't bad in any of them. I liked Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky, Minority Report, The Last Samurai, even Eyes Wide Shut. I understand people think of him as a "star" and not an "actor", but the films were good, and he was good in them. I don't get it...I guess image speaks louder than action.

[yendi]

My sentiments exactly.

[sweinberg.livejournal.com]

Saw a press screening tonight. I liked the movie quite a lot! I didn't expect too much, but was pleasantly surprised. Cruise is (to borrow a corny critic's phrase) "electric!" in the movie.

Good stuff, aside from a few things I didn't like and cannot mention cuz they'd be spoiler-ish-ish.

On Another Topic

[stratfordbabe.livejournal.com]

The ESPN announcers don't bother me nearly as much as they do you, although the lame jokes are getting old. I suspect this is their last season, though, since poker is going more and more mainstream and they were okay when poker was something ESPN did to fill time, but not when it's becoming a ratings leader (assuming ESPN can even keep the contract).

But I LOVE Razz. I could play Razz. I draw low cards like a magnet! This is a good game for me.

Re: On Another Topic

[yendi]

Honestly, they bothered me ever more during Razz than during the Hold 'em game. I guess there's only so many times I can here Moron #2 talk about how Scott Fischman is such a better announcer than he is and so much better at analyizing the game. In every other sport, the announcers are supposed to be expert analysts, and that's the case with the Travel Channel folks, and Phil over at Celeb.

The thing about Razz is, I usually draw good enough cards to lose in hiball poker. So I'd be stuck with things like two pair.

(and how much did it suck for Howard Lederer to draw three pair twice?)

I do suspect that ESPN will keep the contract, unless Fox pushes hard. Travel and Bravo both have their franchises, and most other networks aren't really in the market for it -- highly rated as it is, it's not going to carry a broadcast network.