May 31, 1999 - June 21, 1999
May 31, 1999 - June 21, 1999
May 31, 1999: Larry's rant on 'star varz'
well, people..getting kinna lazy..lots to talk about..i'll get something
up here soon, but meanwhile..enjoy this email from larry. :)
Date: Sun, 30 May 1999 13:34:01 PDT
From: Larry
To: Jeanny
Subject: The Phantom Menace
I saw the Phantom Menace, and this is my review...
If you haven't seen the movie, don't read this, it says too much about it
and may ruin it for you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OK.
That said, I think it was an overhyped, overproduced, poorly scripted,
worse acted self parody.
Maybe I'm just bitter. I'm a hard assed Star Wars fan, and I've been
waiting for this movie since 1996. I was expecting nothing short of the
Second Coming of Christ when I woke up at 3am on a cold, wet Seattle work
night to stand in a line 3 blocks long to get into the theatre. I'm
serious! I expected Jesus himself to appear on a flaming pyre tearing off
ticket stubs to herald the arrival of this wonderful film.
oops.
Here's what I hated about the movie:
1) The fight scenes.
OK, they were fun looking. I'll grant that. Nice colors, fast movement,
etc. But they were just too choreographed.
There were, I think three scenes where Obi Wan and Qui Gon fought robot
armies. It was just the same thing over and over again. It was an unerring
routine that went pretty much like this:
a) Hack up a couple of robots with the lightsaber
b) Deflect their laser blasts with the lightsaber
c) Realize that you're being attacked from behind, and use the force to wave
them back with your hand
and up two three four, back two three four...
It was just a more expensive version of West Side Story
Also, in the lightsaber duel (toward the end of the movie) it was just a
little too formulaic. It borrowed too much from the old Star Wars movies...
for instance:
a) The good guy ALWAYS gets separated from his lightsaber, and has to find
some ingenious way using the force (of course, of course) to will it back to
his hand. Luke did this in the cave at Hoth in the second movie, later
against Vader in the same movie, and then he had to do it at the Emperor's
Palace in the third movie.
b) There's ALWAYS a cliff for you to fall off of and dangle for awhile. Why
can't they fight on level ground?
c) The young apprentice ALWAYS has to helplessly watch his master get struck
down by the evil dark jedi and scream
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
2) Inconsistency.
Even though this movie borrowed so many elements of past movies, it was
inconsistent with a few details I consider important. The main one was the
way Jedis die. When Obi Wan and Yoda died (in the first and third movies,
respectively) they just sort of disappear. This only happens with Jedi
MASTERS on the good side of the force (and there is evidence that Qui Gon
was a master) When Qui Gon Jinn died, however, he ended up with a lightsaber
sized cigarette burn in his back. He should have faded just like Obi Wan
and Yoda did, and there's no explanation as to why he didn't.
3) Too cheesy and sweet.
I'm sick of little kids in TV and movies, and this is no different. They
try to overexpose the kids' cuteness for a laugh, and the kids end up being
more annoying than anything else. The little brat who played Anakin had too
many stupid lines in what was supposed to be a serious role. He was part
Curious George, part Dennis the Menace, but no future Darth Vader. I'm not
saying I expected a demon seed, but they could have turned down the sap
factor.
Even worse than him was the annoying as hell Jar Jar Binks. I spent half
the movie rolling my eyes wishing he'd get hit by a stray laser blast and
die a slow and painful death. His screwed up dialect was hard to
understand, and like the little kid, his lines were a bit too obviously vain
stabs at cuteness. For instance, in the scene
at Anakin's house, when he's building a pod racer, Anakin tells him not to
hit this thing, or his hand would go numb for hours. Naturally, dumb ass
Jar Jar hits it with his head and his tongue goes numb. OK. Kinda stupid,
but what was worse was that they clubbed you over the head with this
supposedly funny moment, and the idiot staggers around trying to talk, I
swear, for a full 30 seconds or so. If it's funny, it's funny. If it's not,
it's not. Doing it over and over again doesn't make it any more effective.
4) Flat performances/ horrible scripting
Samuel L. Jackson is the worst exmple of bad acting. All his lines were
deadpan and monotone. Pay attention to when he says things like
"The Jedi Council disagrees" and "The Code forbids it" he sounds like he's
reading a grocery list or something. Considering that they were trying to
stop Qui Gon from doing something that could potentially endanger all the
good guys, they could have tried a little harder to give a more impassioned
performance. It's Samuel L. Jackson. I expected him to deliver his lines
with his usual fire.
"The Jedi Council disagrees, MOTHERF*CKER!" would have been more
appropriate.
Ewan McGregor's accent was awful. It's just not believable as a young Alec
Guiness - type accent. I think he tried to do it, and ended up sounding
stilted. For as off as that accent was, he'd might as well have been
Mexican.
But he's not alone. Everyone except maybe, MAYBE Liam Neeson gave a sorry,
sorry, sorry performance.
As far as crap scripting goes, there were two places where I just threw my
hands up in disgust:
a) The Emperor always referred to Darth Maul as "my apprentice Darth Maul"
even though he was talking to the same people over and over again. By the
third conversation or so, they know who he is. I don't constantly make
references like "my sister Tracie Kirby" do I? Do I?
b) At the end of the movie, it's just more redundancy and sloppy editing.
Yoda: "Always two Sith Lords there are, no more, no less, a master and an
apprentice"
Samuel L. Jackson: "But which was destroyed, the master, or the apprentice?"
See, Mrs. Speck (our old English teacher) would have given George Lucas a D
on that. It's just redundant and somebody should have caught it. A simple
"But which was destroyed?" would have gotten the point across much more
effectively, and left you dangling with a sense of urgency for the
continuation of the story.
5) Last, but not least, crappy storytelling.
To be a good storyteller, you must be something of a juggler. While they
were in Tatooine, they meet Anakin, strike a deal that would free him, and
watch an unduly long pod race.
This all takes up, seriously, 20-30 minutes without ever flashing back to
update you on what's going on with the rest of the story. The whole time
they were in Tatooine, and I was starting to get bored, all the subplots
were just out in the middle of nowhere. What was going on back at the ship?
What about the debates in the Senate? Or the invasion of the Naboo? This is
too sloppy.
So, overall, this movie wasn't so bad, but not so great. It falls under
tighter scrutiny, though, because I've been waiting for it with the other
geeks for several years now.
I have been a loyal Star Wars fan for 16 years, I liked Star Wars when it
wasn't cool anymore. So, for George Lucas to crank out this crap after so
much hype, he should be stoned in the streets like a common Middle Eastern
criminal. FOR SHAME!
The movie's only real bright spots were excellent computer graphics
(according to People magazine, 95% of the movie is computer generated)
and Darth Maul, who's an even more intimidating villain than Vader was.
I give it two or three stars out of five, although I'll see the next two
movies to see if they improve any, and to see the rest of the story develop.
To his credit, George Lucas hasn't made a movie of this magnitude in 16
years, and his skills are a bit rusty. I will see the second movie, although
it's just a love story, and the third especially because it covers the Clone
Wars and the hunting down of the Jedi Knights. I don't think it will
outgross Titanic at the box office. For it to do that, alot of people have
to go see it 3 and 4 times, and I just don't see it happening. I could be
mistaken though.
Im sorry this was so long, but I am letting out a good deal of
disappointment. :(
Take care, all.
Larry
June 5, 1999: halfway there!!
okay, so i'm finally here! there's a slight break before i have to
study again and i'm gonna use that time to update instead of
studying. *hehe*
so i just took my accounting final this morning and it was precious.
we sat by the door and i didn't know that that was where the
teacher/TA's were gonna stand to see if people raised their hands
for questions. troy (TA) was standing der and i was conscious of
him the whole time the exam was going on. *EESH!!*
i got the exam and we were able to read it foist but not write
anything yet and when i did read it i thought it was okay. but then
when we started..i just blanked out. well, first i went to the last
problem because that was one joint products and that's "easy" for
10pts..i got the first part but the second one i couldn't get...
then i went to the beginning of the exam. and i couldn't do that one
either! and i kept going to the next and next problem and i was so
blocked....but then..finally on like the 7th problem..i figured out
how to do the whole thing and that started me on my roll. i had
wasted 45mins just messing around!!! *GRRRRRRR*
i finished the exam with some time to go over problems and then
we left! but al made me walk all over allen library looking for his
friend, whom we did not find. *haaaaaaa* went home and his brother
was here. they moved some of al's things to the truck and left
while we went to the mall in bellevue.
we were excited to go der cuz there was a sale at the music/instruments
store and i wanted to look in hallmark's for my *furry pillow pal
platypus!!!* the sale at the store wasn't anything great, and we
only saw one puiple platypus but it wasn't furry....but i think i
was gonna get it anyways..but i didn't. :P
then we went to another mall..well first we went to target der..and
i didn't have fun..i *always* have fun at target!!! but they had
reconstructions going on and that messed up the store bad so i
couldn't find anything i needed/wanted. so we went in the mall and
i SAW my platypus!! but it was thirty frickin dollars!! *whaie*!!!
we went home and took a nap and woke up in time to rent movies
at warehouse..and we did that and made dessert..and then i went online
but there's no one to talka to..*cries*
but heeeey, i didn't tell you about my other final, the first one
was law!!!
okay so on friday was law final, i was outside waiting an hour before
it began so i could read up some more..come 3.05pm...the exam was
at 3.30...i realize i don't have my DITTOS!!! and these dittos were
basically the class in 3 packets!! the final was focused on the
topics of torts, contracts, and crimes, and the packets had those
same titles/subjects..*doiiiiiiiii*
i spent 30 seconds debating on whether i needed them or not..but i
KNEW i did cuz i haven't read a THING for this class! so i rush
home, rush back, i BEAT the teacher..and then we go inside the room!
and some one tries to take my SEAT! i've been sitting in this ONE
seat all quarter long..except for when i skipped class and when
i got der late one time and some bastard took my seat!
i get my seat and then a guy sitting next to me (his friend was
standing at my seat..but moved so i 'claimed' it) says: dude,
she jacked your seat!!! and i had to laugh because it's MINE baby,
yeeeeah..and walter said i was "smooth"...*heh*
the exam was long..about as long as the midterm (though she said she
was making it shorter than..whaeva) but since it was only focused
on those 3 topics i was coo. and she even said that we could verk on
it til 6!!! and you know something, i worked until 6!! it was that
long!!! oh well..it's done and i'm outtie.
i went to sell my law book right away cuz i didn't want to be stuck
with it and i got $15 for it. YAAAAAAY! i went to buy my platypus but
they were gone!! (which is why i'm searching for one now).....it
was more precious. i coulda cried if i was just a lil' MO frustrated
than i was. *d'awww*
so up ahead for me is psych on monday and myth on friday. Fu'un.
weese and i are gonna study psych together tomorrow so i should have
my stuffs read before then and then we'll review! oh!! on friday,
in psych we saw another 'better sex' video..it was quite
explicit..*L*
al went home today until wednesday...he has a test on wednesday
and is gonna hang out til friday. .... i got my burned CDz on
friday, cool. i need to give benneba (aka bennetts) his garbage
CD back...oh i need to fix my summer/autumn schedules as well as
look for some kind of dinky office job for money.
did i tell you i got a goat beanie? i got it cuz i'm a goat on
der chinese zodiac...i think, i'm a goat on someTHING. *heh* it's
cute..but i should have gotten my platypus instead! *WAH*
i guess this is good enough..ignore typos...see ya later..be looking
for one of those end-of-the-year-reflective updates soon. :)
June 8, 1999: Happy Anniversary, baby!
Happy Anniversary, Larry..it's been six months since you showed up on
my doorstep...and I'm not letting you go! *hug & kiss* I love you!
June 10, 1999: Can someone tell me where my infinite dress
rant is?
....i need it cuz someone out-of-the-blue emailed me after going to
my page and said to NOT get it..i want to make a page out of it (after
getting permission of course) like i did for the
Idiot
Email Exchange...but it'd be nice to have the entry where i talked
about the dress..but i simply CANNOT find it! RAR!!!!
let's see..what else is going on. well, i only have one final left
and it's tomorrow..and i'm feeling okay about it i have 3 chapters
to read and make notes on and then review before the exam. i'm set!!
i ended up getting a 2.50 in my sex class, which is fine cuz i was
at a score lower than that. *whew* wilson moved up too, but i'm still
higher than he is. *heh*
been fiddling around with my schedules for summer and autumn.....i can't
get what i want, when i want it! RAR!!! and oh, my sister's graduation
is this saturday and it's gonna be 5owa. *hides* i should get her
something but i dunno wha? *scratches head*
also got my sights on a jowb but i haven't gone there yet to actively
pursue it, but that will happen soon as well. supposedly i am helping
wilson move/pack tonight but i dunno if that's gonna hapon cuz i have
to study?
larry's going to see bob dylan on sunday he's really excited..but i
get to stay home. HAR! *LOL* al and his bro are here for a while
i dunno how long..to move the rest of his things and for him to
take the rest of his finals..now, innit that a good idea? *chuckles*
been going to yahoo chat a lot lately..almost like old times, eh
ellen? ... man, my birthday is coming up! i've already decided...
hopefully if things verk...i will go down to olympia on that
friday with wilson..hang out there til saturday/my birthday and then
go back up and celebrate mo with larry. i never end up doing anything
when i'm home anyways..kinna sucks..but i'm used to it..hey! i'm
gonna be 20!! *old*
nothing much else here..lar got a hair cut yesterday. *ROWR* *hehe*
will be trying to search for that infinite dress update so i can
finish that page i'm verking on..and then! afta that i can do my
end-of-the-year stuffs update, kay? byeeeeeeeee. :)
June 11, 1999: some quick stuffs
first: i'd like to thank nancy for her mail yesterday...OOOH
pics!!! i owe her and ellen lotsa mail..i'll get on it soon..
but thanks SOOOO much!! *hugZ*
next: i wanna thank erin and sean and larry for conspiring behind
mah back to send me pikachus in the mail!!! *big thank you hugs to
all* i love em!!! erin, i love you!! *L* damn, i miss talking to
you, the mail truly brightened up my day!! and sneaky....you too
damn sneaky! love you too! *LOL & poke*
so i'm riding high today people! after going to the post office this
morn i went to the poster shop. i have already decided that i
will take this job no matter how much/less it pays and how many hours
i gotta verka..cuz i know it's a good job to start learning register
shitzu...the only thing i dunno how to do yet!!! but they didn't
open til 11.30 and i was der at 10, so i went home..think i'll check
back latta today! i wanna that job!
al and bro moved most of his things home and they lefted a lil' while
ago...last night there was a spat about the apt this summer but i'm
so relieved to say that things will be okay and i did not lose any
friends over this because that would be too horrible.
so i have my final final at 4.30 in the afternoon. i feel okay about
it, i took good notes and highlighted important things..i think i'm
set! i'm so ready to finish with this crap.
as for summer schoo..my other class will be abnormal psychology which
should be coo...who knows, maybe i will major in psych and something
else? *G*
so things on my mind now: myth final, pikachus, pictures, poster
shop, betty's graduation tomorrow, seeing austin powers, spending
sunday alone cuz lar's going to the gorge.
i'm verking on another page...like my email exchange with an idiot..
i think i already told you this..but it's almost complete for
viewing! be looking for that..and as for the end of the year comments
i'll prolly get them done by sunday??? but don't hold me to that. :P
oh and i found that infinite dress entry with help. ;)
hit play for 10 glorious seconds of pika talka!!!
June 16, 1999: Lemme tell you a story
once upon a time, there was a ms. x and a mr. y..they were friends
from high school into university. after an interesting year of
dorming, x and y decided to rent an apartment for the next school
year. they found a cosy apartment and lived there happily. but
one day, x's long distance boyfriend, mr. k, decided to come here.
and if he did, k would have to live with x and y.
x asked y if he was okay with k coming here and all y said was he
was fine because his rent was $100 cheaper. so x told k that it was
all good and k was on his way over. but y still had the option of
saying no, which he did not.
k finally came and he and x were happy. x tried her best to make up
for k's lack of housekeeping/cleaning duties because x wanted no
tension with y. as far as things went, everything was okay.
but then summer came, stuff when down with y's family, and he felt
that the only way to solve things was to rent out his room to someone.
so he told k about it, and k said he would tell x about it and then
they'd all talk it over before anything happened.
k did tell x and the two of them quietly talked about it over a span
of a few days. but x was waiting for y to tell her himself because
it is a common courtesy. x waited but y did not tell her. y went home
on saturday and was not to return until wednesday. x had OTHER
people tell her about y's plan..y's friend mr. a, and their landlord
mr. c.
well, y came back wednesday night and still had not brought it up to
x. so thursday night, the day before y would go back home, x brought
it up. x and y started arguing because y told x he found a roommate,
an italian bird called ms. r. well, k heard and joined in and
everyone talked about it further. but y didn't seem to see that it was
wrong that he did not tell x HIMSELF about it before continuing on
with his plans.
x went to bed pretty upset because she did not want to lose
any friends over stupid rent. the next morning, y emailed her and
said he would stick with the contract they had signed and would pay
for the rent but just be at home. y also said that he wanted to
stay friends with x. so x was HAPPY.
the next few days, x was excited about going back home to spend her
birthday with friends and family. but just yesterday she talked with
one of her friends, ms. m, and m told x that, y and his girlfriend,
ms. s, were very upset with x and s even said that her friendship
with x was 'over.'
y and s do not seem to understand that y's situation is different
from x's. x TOLD y about k, and asked y if he was okay and y said
he was fine. however, y did NOT tell x himself and went along with
his plans as if he did. y and s also make it seem like it was x's
fault that y could not rent his room out. but they forget that k
is also a paying roommate and even IF x had agreed, k wouldn't have
and it still wouldn't have happened.
to make things even more worse, y LIED to x. y said he wanted to stay
friends with x but he didn't. and s, who had no part in this contract,
without knowing x's story, said she wanted no more friendship with
x. y and s didn't have the balls to tell x the truth, they would have
continued to let x think things were okay until god knows when. and
that is NOT right.
so right now, x is minus two 'friends' mr. y and ms. s. x is very sad
and upset beyond belief and often breaks out into tears without
warning. but she will be okay because y and s will never make her
feel the way they have. they have lost a friend simply over MONEY.
x has never never never disrespected y or s..or any of her friends,
even when x was mad at any of them, she never lied or hidden her
true feelings. but she will be okay and is infinitely better off
now.
the end.
so my question to you is, after reading this story..what do you think
was right? did you agree with x or y? the extraneous characters of
mr. a, mr. c., ms. s., ms. r., ms. m., and EVEN mr. k...they are not important...it
is a matter between ms. x and mr. y..it started with them, and it
ends with them.
June 18, 1999: tomorra is my bday
well, okay tomorrow is my 20th birthday, i'm old! and it's gonna be a busy
day cuz i gotta go home at 8am (instead of today cuz B and i had a mis-communication
about wha was going on tonight. d'oh well.) and then come back up to seattle
in the afternoon. so that's just a lot of riding in cars for me, but it's okay.
just spend time with the rents and those girs i used to babysit cuz the
middle (of 3 girs) shares my bday and stuffs....so i'm gonna spend time with
her and her fam..whose parents always make me stay and give me stuffs and
stuff...*LOL* it's nice though. talked to nancy on the phone the other night
and it was coo..she gave goo advice and calmed me down on certain matters
going on in my life. sorry if this update isn't very well structured, i'm
just typing and stuffs..cuz things have gone on and i've been too busy to come
and update. and tonight B & todd are gonna come and take me out..and we're
also gonna look for dada day gift and i need to look for a gift for that
dorky gir..*chuckle* i also got B a late-grad gift which i will give her
tonight. so things should be fine..i think we're getting free cable vewy vewy
soon. *cheers* i guess that's all..will update you all when i come back from
my bday weekend. byeeeee!
June 21, 1999: mah birfday
welp, saturday morning i woke up at 6'ish to get ready and be picked
up by betty to get her friend joanna..so they could go to salem, or..
and i could be dropped off at olympia. i was barely awake. *L* we
stopped off at mcdonald's for breakfast, and joanna paid..which was
really nice. and i volunteered to drive the rest of the leg home,
since betty was gonna drive all day and stuff.
*L* i put the car in reverse and was tapping the gas, but the car
was slipping forward!! i stopped and checked everything and tried
again and it slipped more! *LMAO* betty told me to just "press
the gas"...*chuckle* so i did..a lil' harder and it verked..ta da!
a lil' too early for me to be driving, mmm? ;P
so then we got to oly..the girls left and the rents went shopping,
so i wasa watching tv for a while and did laundry then took a nap.
when i woke up, i was running pretty late...i went to visit the
three girs i used to babysit and we talka for 2hours..then was time
to go home and get ready to go to home-school. *L*
back in seattle..and larry baked me a cake! *awwww* and it turned out
just perfect! he also got me MY PLATYPUS..the one i've been searching
for for weeks!! and few other beanies, 'half baked' and a pokemon
poster. *heh* i was SPOILED rotten by him! we took a nap cuz i was
still very tired and he did all this running/driving around and stuffs.
we got ready to go to SALTY'S for dinner @ 9! and we got a nice table
by the winda and our server was ditzy but okay..the food was GOOOOOO.
we got the same stuffs like last time, but this time we also got
some salmon chowder, which was TO DIE for. it was delicious!!! *MMMMM*
then we drove north for a while, talking and then turned back down
there was nothing left to look at.
tried watching 'four rooms' but that movie was BO-ring, so we turned
it off and fell asleep @ 2am.
the next morning, he got calls and made calls in regards to father's
day..i did as well..then we watched 'shawshank redemption' which is
one of THE best movies i've seen. then i picked up pictures at rite
aid and they came out okay..i'll go scanning some day, okay? :)
today was monday and the first day of summa schoo. i woke up at 8'ish
to get ready and to bid on something at ebay..which i ended up getting!
YAAAAAAAY!! the board game "payday"..it's so coo..especially with
the drawings...*L* retrooooooooooo.
shakespeare is my first class @ 9.40..it was okay. i was surprised
he talked for almost the whole class..until 11.50..then i was rushing
to get to murder-sociology class @ noon..that class was okay, the
guy had interesting stories to tell, but didn't know how to tell
them to keep everyone interested! but he was coo cuz he let us out
early.
the FAO line was too damn long so i went home..i'll check back tomorrow
morning...like i wanna go there at 8? but i read in the 'daily' that
they open at 10? i'm lost here..but i gotta go to see if my classes
are paid for. *eeeeeeeek*
so that's wha i'm doing tomorrow since i don't haf class. :)
oh..so on friday NIGHT...b & todd came..he gave me his patio table
for a present and b gave me the george foreman grill and a pikachu..
*L* i gave her one back..we went and had some good mexican food..then
shopped for dada day..and then i was tired cuz i woke up early to go
to the post office and wented home..it was fun though. :D
claireluv@hotmail.com
