Monday, May 16, 2011
What's Up?
Hey everyone. We greatly apologize for the lack of a Best Picture Project post for the second week in a row. Sometimes life catches up with you. I assure you we are hard at work selecting future films for the project and it will make its triumphant return. But because you've been so good, there will be an extra special Saturday post this week to go along with Thursday's. It's a whole post devoted to previewing E3 2011! Excited? Don't know what the hell E3 is? Love Wii jokes? Read on Saturday and all will be answered!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Summer 2011 Movie Preview
Holy cow it’s going to be some kind of summer movie season. There are so many films coming down the pipe that I’m going to have to change my format a little. You see, if I had money, I’d just go see a ton of them. Unfortunately I don’t poop cash, despite how many ads I run on this site. So, different from how I did things for the Spring Movie Preview, the categories will be: 1: Go see it in theaters if at all possible (Unfortunately for me, some won’t be) 2: wait for Netflix or rental, and of course 3: if given the option of watching this movie or jumping off a bridge into a shallow river of acid spitting piranhas; choose the latter. Obviously there will be the super secret option 4: My wife is making me see it against my will and I am filling a lawsuit claiming cruel and unusual punishment. Huzza!
Hobo with a Shotgun
Okay this isn't really a summer movie but I needed to address this film to address a larger issue I'm seeing develop in the film industry. This looks just terrible. The budget looks even worse. How did this get made? I'll tell you how. The movie world is looking for the next great cult classic. Back in the day, movies became cult classics. Now days movie are made to be cult films. The fans no longer get to choose. I seriously doubt Ed Wood made Plan 9 from Outer Space with the specific intent for it to become a cult classic. This annoys me. It also annoys me that some people seem to be intentionally making bad movies for this purpose. Some of them (Titanic 2) are so bad they have to be on purpose. If the people who make them legitimately believe they are good then I have less faith in humanity then previously thought. I won't be seeing this. If you do and I am completely wrong about it, let me know. May-ish?
X-Men: First Class
Another X-Men movie, really? I thought the first four Wolverine movies earned us a break so we could to go back to the comics and cartoon show and remember how awesome X-Men used to be. You know before Hollywood got their claws on the franchise. But in all seriousness this movie doesn’t look that bad. My wife also pointed out this is about as close as we are going to get to a true Magneto movie. The fact that she is into these kinds of movies enough to have an opinion like that is awesome enough for me. I’m going to throw this into category 2 but with a strong chance of category 4 because apparently my wife is a bigger X-Men fan than me? Hey, it can’t be any worse than Scream 4. Can it? June 3
Super 8
So shaky cam enthusiast J.J. Abrams is making a monster movie tribute to Stephen Spielberg? Insert random Dawson's Creek reference. I kind of wish this was Cloverfield 2, but whatever. Actually, in all honestly, I wish this was J.J.'s next Star Trek movie. Nothing about the previews for this excite me. Child actors as the main characters: meh. I know it's a tribute to Close Encounters and other Spielberg stuff but I'll make this outrageous statement anyways, it feels like its been done before; by Spielberg no less. Stephen probably did it better too; at least he knows how to hold a camera still during filming. Mr. Abrams really should stick to what he does best — producing two or three really good seasons of a TV show before leaving it to die so he can reboot a sacred science fiction franchise, changing it in unnecessary ways. Don't see it unless you poop money. June 10
Green Lantern
I have to admit I don't know much about Green Lantern the comic. Sorry nerds. I will say this doesn't look too bad at all. Ryan Reynolds doesn't really annoy me as much as I think he should. He is funny enough to not want to kill him. Sometimes what these truly outlandish comic movies need is a little humor and people will give them a reality break (Thor, Iron Man). I do find it ironic that Mr. Reynolds, who has professed his desire to halt his career in order to star in fifteen+ Deadpool movies, has found his way to the DC universe, playing a very major character. It really doesn't look terrible, but I'll wait for video or rental or Netflix; damn what the hell do I call it these days? June 17
Transformers 3
They made a second one? That’s my best guess; that or they just can’t count, but come on, most people have at least three free fingers for counting. The first one didn’t thrill me. I didn’t see the second one. I would have to do way too much back logging to be prepared to see this one. Okay, all I’d have to do is see the second one, but that seems like so much work. I view this like I did with G.I. Joe a few years ago. There are some things from our childhood best left there. I don’t care how many robots are in this. I don’t care how many skanky chicks wearing short shorts there are. That damned kid from Even Stevens helped George Lucas and Steven Spielberg rape Indiana Jones and he isn’t even slightly funny. Super awesome special effects don’t carry a movie for me anymore. Not to mention the first one almost gave me a seizure with its shaky camera action scenes where it’s a true struggle just to see what’s going on. Sometimes I’d like to have a clear view of the action, almost like I’m watching a movie! If I wanted to have a blurry, obstructed view of a poorly choreographed fight I’d go to an NHL game. I know most of you will probably like this movie and that’s your right as Americans. I will not be seeing it, nor renting it. Maybe I’ll catch it on TV in five years edited down to two hours with commercial breaks to ease the pain. July 1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2
I’m not the biggest Harry Potter fan in the world, but even I can admit that this is the biggest movie of the summer. Nothing else even comes close. Some of you may argue that Captain America finally coming to the big screen is huge. I will counter with Cap being the first film in its line, this Potter film is the end. After this summer the Potter films are wrapped. It should be a huge emotional, action packed finally. I don’t care if you’ve read the books or only seen the movies; this is the movie everyone should be waiting for this summer. Go see it in theaters because it’s the last time you will be able to do so for this franchise. Well, at least until the reboot emo version surfaces in a few years. July 15
Another Earth
This looks like a thoughtful little blend of science fiction and drama that I would really like to get a chance to see. I've never heard of it before I saw the trailer. I don't know who any of the actors are. The trailer grabbed me and that's what you're looking for from a them right? Netflix when I get the chance. July 22
Captain America
I’ll be seeing this one in theaters despite my concern that I’ve never seen Chris Evans play a character who is not a huge asshole. If you don’t know, Captain America is not an asshole. I do have high hopes for this film. A super hero movie set in World War II should be awesome. Hugo Weaving is the villain, which is never a bad thing. Tommy Lee Jones is also in this, and he makes everything better, except Batman Forever. This is also the final lead in movie for The Avengers coming in 2012. This should give us a great idea just what kind of quality to expect out of that movie. I’m still pretty skeptic about how well the Avengers is going to work. Captain America looks pretty good though. As long as it doesn’t get bogged down while trying to bridge the gap between World War II and the current time line in which the Avenger movie takes place, I think it will be fine. I’m not expecting a movie the quality of the first Iron Man, but still a good film. And maybe I’ll even be pleasantly surprised. July 22
The Devil’s Double
I was just surfing Apple’s movie trailers page one day when I saw the preview for this. Hey, it looks pretty damned good. An action bio-pic about one of Saddam Hussein’s sons recruiting a body double for himself; what’s not to like? Sadly this will be saved for Netflix because I have to go see all the nerdy movies this summer. If you aren’t legally bound to see every comic book/ fantasy/ science fiction film coming out this summer then please go see this and let me know how it was. Netflix will be a long wait. It will have to make its way past all those seasons of Frasier they haven’t put on instant play before getting to my mail box. July 29
Cowboys & Aliens
My wife laughed out loud when we saw the trailer for this at Thor. I didn't turn around to look, but I could feel sweaty nerd hate coming our way. I have to agree with her, this looks kind of stupid. It's like Hollywood ran out of good Western ideas and good Alien ideas, so they decided to mate them and see how that worked. Hey, getting Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford does give it some respectability, but lets not forget how popular Kevin Costner was before he did Waterworld. Big names don't always make good movies. I'll probably rent so I can at least make fun of it without being super hypocritical. July 29
The Smurfs
Do I really need to say any more about this? Don't see it. Don't rent it. Don't support this shameless money grab. Do kids today even know what the Smurfs are? Isn't that a time in world history we'd all like to forget? I have to create a special fifth category for this one. My wife wants to see it. I refuse! So what does happen when the unstoppable force and the immovable object collide? Find out on July 29
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Does anyone else hear nails on a chalk board? Sequels, reboots, broken records oh my! I want something new please. Go on, I'll wait. August 5
Conan the Barbarian
Shall we pander to the shallow 3D crowd some more? Seriously, this trailer is filled with more cheap 3D thrills than the Transformers 3 trailer was filled with explosions. I'm not sure why they decided to reboot this franchise now and hook it with a trend I hopes dies soon. I guess that means I hope Conan dies with it. Bruiting hero goes after evil oppressor. Yeah yeah, I've seen this one before. Oh that's right, I saw it the first time around. Someone please give me a job writing scripts in Hollywood. I have no resume, but I promise not to write a sequel, reboot or base it off a book or other existing material. Why god why? Umm... category 3. August 19
Hobo with a Shotgun
Okay this isn't really a summer movie but I needed to address this film to address a larger issue I'm seeing develop in the film industry. This looks just terrible. The budget looks even worse. How did this get made? I'll tell you how. The movie world is looking for the next great cult classic. Back in the day, movies became cult classics. Now days movie are made to be cult films. The fans no longer get to choose. I seriously doubt Ed Wood made Plan 9 from Outer Space with the specific intent for it to become a cult classic. This annoys me. It also annoys me that some people seem to be intentionally making bad movies for this purpose. Some of them (Titanic 2) are so bad they have to be on purpose. If the people who make them legitimately believe they are good then I have less faith in humanity then previously thought. I won't be seeing this. If you do and I am completely wrong about it, let me know. May-ish?
X-Men: First Class
Another X-Men movie, really? I thought the first four Wolverine movies earned us a break so we could to go back to the comics and cartoon show and remember how awesome X-Men used to be. You know before Hollywood got their claws on the franchise. But in all seriousness this movie doesn’t look that bad. My wife also pointed out this is about as close as we are going to get to a true Magneto movie. The fact that she is into these kinds of movies enough to have an opinion like that is awesome enough for me. I’m going to throw this into category 2 but with a strong chance of category 4 because apparently my wife is a bigger X-Men fan than me? Hey, it can’t be any worse than Scream 4. Can it? June 3
Super 8
So shaky cam enthusiast J.J. Abrams is making a monster movie tribute to Stephen Spielberg? Insert random Dawson's Creek reference. I kind of wish this was Cloverfield 2, but whatever. Actually, in all honestly, I wish this was J.J.'s next Star Trek movie. Nothing about the previews for this excite me. Child actors as the main characters: meh. I know it's a tribute to Close Encounters and other Spielberg stuff but I'll make this outrageous statement anyways, it feels like its been done before; by Spielberg no less. Stephen probably did it better too; at least he knows how to hold a camera still during filming. Mr. Abrams really should stick to what he does best — producing two or three really good seasons of a TV show before leaving it to die so he can reboot a sacred science fiction franchise, changing it in unnecessary ways. Don't see it unless you poop money. June 10
Green Lantern
I have to admit I don't know much about Green Lantern the comic. Sorry nerds. I will say this doesn't look too bad at all. Ryan Reynolds doesn't really annoy me as much as I think he should. He is funny enough to not want to kill him. Sometimes what these truly outlandish comic movies need is a little humor and people will give them a reality break (Thor, Iron Man). I do find it ironic that Mr. Reynolds, who has professed his desire to halt his career in order to star in fifteen+ Deadpool movies, has found his way to the DC universe, playing a very major character. It really doesn't look terrible, but I'll wait for video or rental or Netflix; damn what the hell do I call it these days? June 17
Transformers 3
They made a second one? That’s my best guess; that or they just can’t count, but come on, most people have at least three free fingers for counting. The first one didn’t thrill me. I didn’t see the second one. I would have to do way too much back logging to be prepared to see this one. Okay, all I’d have to do is see the second one, but that seems like so much work. I view this like I did with G.I. Joe a few years ago. There are some things from our childhood best left there. I don’t care how many robots are in this. I don’t care how many skanky chicks wearing short shorts there are. That damned kid from Even Stevens helped George Lucas and Steven Spielberg rape Indiana Jones and he isn’t even slightly funny. Super awesome special effects don’t carry a movie for me anymore. Not to mention the first one almost gave me a seizure with its shaky camera action scenes where it’s a true struggle just to see what’s going on. Sometimes I’d like to have a clear view of the action, almost like I’m watching a movie! If I wanted to have a blurry, obstructed view of a poorly choreographed fight I’d go to an NHL game. I know most of you will probably like this movie and that’s your right as Americans. I will not be seeing it, nor renting it. Maybe I’ll catch it on TV in five years edited down to two hours with commercial breaks to ease the pain. July 1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2
I’m not the biggest Harry Potter fan in the world, but even I can admit that this is the biggest movie of the summer. Nothing else even comes close. Some of you may argue that Captain America finally coming to the big screen is huge. I will counter with Cap being the first film in its line, this Potter film is the end. After this summer the Potter films are wrapped. It should be a huge emotional, action packed finally. I don’t care if you’ve read the books or only seen the movies; this is the movie everyone should be waiting for this summer. Go see it in theaters because it’s the last time you will be able to do so for this franchise. Well, at least until the reboot emo version surfaces in a few years. July 15
Another Earth
This looks like a thoughtful little blend of science fiction and drama that I would really like to get a chance to see. I've never heard of it before I saw the trailer. I don't know who any of the actors are. The trailer grabbed me and that's what you're looking for from a them right? Netflix when I get the chance. July 22
Captain America
I’ll be seeing this one in theaters despite my concern that I’ve never seen Chris Evans play a character who is not a huge asshole. If you don’t know, Captain America is not an asshole. I do have high hopes for this film. A super hero movie set in World War II should be awesome. Hugo Weaving is the villain, which is never a bad thing. Tommy Lee Jones is also in this, and he makes everything better, except Batman Forever. This is also the final lead in movie for The Avengers coming in 2012. This should give us a great idea just what kind of quality to expect out of that movie. I’m still pretty skeptic about how well the Avengers is going to work. Captain America looks pretty good though. As long as it doesn’t get bogged down while trying to bridge the gap between World War II and the current time line in which the Avenger movie takes place, I think it will be fine. I’m not expecting a movie the quality of the first Iron Man, but still a good film. And maybe I’ll even be pleasantly surprised. July 22
The Devil’s Double
I was just surfing Apple’s movie trailers page one day when I saw the preview for this. Hey, it looks pretty damned good. An action bio-pic about one of Saddam Hussein’s sons recruiting a body double for himself; what’s not to like? Sadly this will be saved for Netflix because I have to go see all the nerdy movies this summer. If you aren’t legally bound to see every comic book/ fantasy/ science fiction film coming out this summer then please go see this and let me know how it was. Netflix will be a long wait. It will have to make its way past all those seasons of Frasier they haven’t put on instant play before getting to my mail box. July 29
Cowboys & Aliens
My wife laughed out loud when we saw the trailer for this at Thor. I didn't turn around to look, but I could feel sweaty nerd hate coming our way. I have to agree with her, this looks kind of stupid. It's like Hollywood ran out of good Western ideas and good Alien ideas, so they decided to mate them and see how that worked. Hey, getting Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford does give it some respectability, but lets not forget how popular Kevin Costner was before he did Waterworld. Big names don't always make good movies. I'll probably rent so I can at least make fun of it without being super hypocritical. July 29
The Smurfs
Do I really need to say any more about this? Don't see it. Don't rent it. Don't support this shameless money grab. Do kids today even know what the Smurfs are? Isn't that a time in world history we'd all like to forget? I have to create a special fifth category for this one. My wife wants to see it. I refuse! So what does happen when the unstoppable force and the immovable object collide? Find out on July 29
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Does anyone else hear nails on a chalk board? Sequels, reboots, broken records oh my! I want something new please. Go on, I'll wait. August 5
Conan the Barbarian
Shall we pander to the shallow 3D crowd some more? Seriously, this trailer is filled with more cheap 3D thrills than the Transformers 3 trailer was filled with explosions. I'm not sure why they decided to reboot this franchise now and hook it with a trend I hopes dies soon. I guess that means I hope Conan dies with it. Bruiting hero goes after evil oppressor. Yeah yeah, I've seen this one before. Oh that's right, I saw it the first time around. Someone please give me a job writing scripts in Hollywood. I have no resume, but I promise not to write a sequel, reboot or base it off a book or other existing material. Why god why? Umm... category 3. August 19
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Review: Thor
Number one complaint about Thor? I have a job and can’t get to a movie show time at seven or eight so I’m forced to see it in 3D at 9:40! Did you hear me? 3D!!!!!!! And guess what, I hated it even more than I thought I would. 3D sucks and now I’m speaking from experience! It actually made the picture quality of the film worse! How can you people watch this crap? I cannot wait to get this on Blu-ray so I can actually see just how beautiful it is. Oh, and talk about Highway robbery! You have to pay five extra dollars a ticket! I’m lucky I didn’t have to go to the ER after wearing the saw blades they were trying to pass off as glasses for two hours. My poor wife had to wear the horrible things over her glasses. The 3D effect itself is unimpressive and adds ZERO to the film. What a stupid gimmick. The first and last 3D film I will ever be seeing. The next time the only show time available is 3D, I’ll just go home.
The evening started great as we both got home from work and began to bicker over dinner locations and movie times. I failed to stave off the 3D showtime and dealt with it the best way I knew how; bitch about it constantly and become utterly bitter, not only towards the movie, but to everyone one I met as well. That in mind it was great to have dinner next to soulful voiced black guy talking very loudly about his love of the wine he was drinking. The perfect little hillbilly family behind us was awesome too. They kept going on and on about muffin tops and Korea. I was very confused. I also felt trapped in a strange gay love triangle as our male waiter and another across the room kept making eyes at each other. I kept getting caught in between these looks of passion. That was about the moment I stopped eating the bread sticks.
The movie itself was fantastic. It was fun and funny and just a great adventure. I've read some reviews from people complaining that the romance in the movie was rushed. They say it's unrealistic for Thor to foster a real relationship with Jane in basically the weekend he spends on Earth. To them I say: is that relationship less believable than the Norse God of Thunder traveling the cosmos on a rainbow bridge slaying frost giants as he wields a magical hammer so heavy only he can manage to carry it; yet somehow he can throw it at his enemies as if it's a boomerang? Some people are just looking for things to pick at; says the pot. Iron Man 2 was good and this was way better. The Avengers is starting to look better and better. Also remember to stay after the credits for super nerd-gasim fun. My wife even had one!
The evening started great as we both got home from work and began to bicker over dinner locations and movie times. I failed to stave off the 3D showtime and dealt with it the best way I knew how; bitch about it constantly and become utterly bitter, not only towards the movie, but to everyone one I met as well. That in mind it was great to have dinner next to soulful voiced black guy talking very loudly about his love of the wine he was drinking. The perfect little hillbilly family behind us was awesome too. They kept going on and on about muffin tops and Korea. I was very confused. I also felt trapped in a strange gay love triangle as our male waiter and another across the room kept making eyes at each other. I kept getting caught in between these looks of passion. That was about the moment I stopped eating the bread sticks.
The movie itself was fantastic. It was fun and funny and just a great adventure. I've read some reviews from people complaining that the romance in the movie was rushed. They say it's unrealistic for Thor to foster a real relationship with Jane in basically the weekend he spends on Earth. To them I say: is that relationship less believable than the Norse God of Thunder traveling the cosmos on a rainbow bridge slaying frost giants as he wields a magical hammer so heavy only he can manage to carry it; yet somehow he can throw it at his enemies as if it's a boomerang? Some people are just looking for things to pick at; says the pot. Iron Man 2 was good and this was way better. The Avengers is starting to look better and better. Also remember to stay after the credits for super nerd-gasim fun. My wife even had one!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Flying Pig Weekend!
Good day everyone. Due to my week long celebration of the movie Thor, I have passed the blogging duties to my dear Wife. She will be informing you of the great weekend we just had where she participated in the Flying Pig Half Marathon. Also it is likely I will blog about Thor on Saturday go be sure to check in. Peace.
-Hobo Dan
I know this blog is a long one...but the husband told me to not hold back and to describe the whole experience!
This past weekend was one of excitement, accomplishment, goal-reaching and fun. To quote Charlie Sheen, it was WINNING! I came, saw and conquered "the flying pig!" In other words, I finally ran my first half marathon on Sunday! I have been running since third grade and ran competitively throughout junior high, high school and college. Other than hurdles, I had ran every track event from the 100 to the 10K.
After my post-collegiate running career, I have done a decent job keeping up with my running, but primarily for fitness purposes. I do not run at the intensity that I did in college nor do I have time to do so. Shortly after college graduation I set a goal for myself: run a half marathon. However, it took a few years for me to actually do it and I began to wonder if I had the guts and drive anymore to do so. It was something I wanted to do, but to be blunt, I was scared. A half marathon is stepping out of my comfort zone...BIG TIME! With encouragement from the husband and some of my running club members, I realized that I could do it. I began doing long runs again (something I hadn't really done much of except for days when I just felt like going out and doing more miles), and decided to set my sites on The Flying Pig Half Marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio. The race was voted by Runners World magazine as one of the Top 10 most fun marathons in the country or something of that nature. Also, I mean the theme is a flying pig, SO CUTE!
Sooooo as the week of the Flying Pig came, I unfortunately caught a sore throat/head cold. YUCK! I hate being sick! I know what typically comes with a sore throat and I was determined to not let myself get worse so I tried everything. Cough drops, massive amounts of Claritan D, ect. The husband suggested gargling salt water...which I found gross, until Internet research indicated that this was a good idea. So I spent the days leading up to the race gargling massive amounts of salt water. Tasty! While I didn't magically get completely healthy, I know the salt water actually helped and my throat didn't feel nearly as bad! Winning!
Still feeling not 100 percent, I decided I was good enough to go running wise, so we kept our hotel reservation in Cincinnati and headed off to conquer "the pig" Saturday morning. This was the first time since my last race in college that I was actually nervous about running again! My only expectation was to finish the race, but because it was unknown and something I had never done, the nerves kicked in hardcore. I asked the husband one thing: to not go all Daniel and complain and rant about the traffic. He agreed to do so, however, this promise lasted only about 20 minutes as we got stuck in traffic in Gallipolis due to a tractor pulling a van. LOL. Sure. Well after we got our dog checked in at his "doggie camp" for the weekend, we finally got out of traffic and made it to Cincinnati in good time!
We immediately went to the Flying Pig Expo so I could register for the half marathon! Parking of course was an adventure, but everything worked out. I registered and then the reality finally slapped me in the face: "OMG I AM ACTUALLY GOING TO RUN A HALF MARATHON TOMORROW!" The expo provided a great distraction though. It was HUGE and so well organized, like the entire Flying Pig Marathon event. There was basically a store in the expo, so along with my race "swag" I got some other goodies, including a pink Flying Pig t-shirt and hot pink arm warmers. Winning! After all the expo madness and checking into our hotel, As a pre-race tradition that dates back to my high school cross country days, we went to Carrabbas for dinner so I could carbo-load with some pre-race pasta and bread! Yum yum!
Sunday race morning came early. VERY EARLY. The race started at 6:30 a.m., but in order to park at Paul Brown Stadium (which is where the race started) we had to be there no later than 5:30...which meant I got up at 3:50 a.m. I'd wager to say I got about 2 hours of sleep total Saturday night. Between the annoying hotel air conditioner, my head cold crud and my nerves, sleep really was out of the question. I woke up with a familiar nervous feeling that I used to always get before races. For my pre-race meal I forced down a Snickers Marathon Bar (not good but a quick fix and better than those awful chewy PowerBars!) I also did another old pre-race tradition of mine: PEED ABOUT A MILLION TIMES. Why oh why do I always pee soooo much when my nerves are up? Luckily, the Flying Pig was also organized in this department and had a HUGE row of multiple porta-potties near the start. After pacing and semi-stretching, the rain began to fall just in time for the runners to go to their starting corrals or "pig pens" as the Flying Pig called them! I was in Pig Pen B (pig pen/corrals are based on projected finish times). My pig pen was the second fastest one. I had to leave Daniel and head to that area alone. I was surrounded by many runners who had running partners or at least knew each other. However, during the 10 minute wait in our pig pen, I ended up making some friends and chatting with people. That's the beauty of distance runners, who for the most part, (except for the witch with a b who tried to accuse me of line jumping during one of my multiple porta potty trips!) are always very friendly. That was nice and made things more relaxed.
Finally, the race started...as more than 30,000 people were in the race and I was in Pig Pen B it was several seconds later (maybe even a minute) before I actually crossed the start line. This of course did not effect times, as all participants wore a timing chip on their shoe that officially started their time when they crossed the start line. The first two miles were insane... "bumper to bumper" traffic of people! These miles were quite slow as there were so many people and not a lot of room to move. I don't even remember seeing mile 1 or the time because all of a sudden I saw the marker and time for mile 2! These miles (although slow) went by fast. While I didn't exactly have a time goal, I knew I could be going faster and finally "traffic" began to be less tight and I picked up my pace. We ran over three bridges (which I loved!) and were in Kentucky for a short stint of the race. My biggest memory of Kentucky was laughing at the "Big Daddy Liquor" store we ran by lol. Yes, I am so mature! When we crossed the third bridge back into downtown Cincinnati, I knew the supposed difficult section of the race, called "the climb" was coming up. I had taken a virtual course tour thanks the beauty of YouTube...so I braced myself for the hills to come. The climb itself wasn't nearly as bad as what I thought it would be. A lot of the runners who had written course reviews describing "the climb" as brutal have obviously never suffered through Agony Hills repeats in Charleston. However, the hills were by no means easy and were still quite a challenge. You would think a hill would be done but then it would keep going! Finally, I hit mile 8 and knew the bulk of the main hill part was done. That being said, I would describe the whole course as not really flat, but a "rolling course." Much of the hill part took place in the beautiful Eden Park, which also was a nice distraction. I like to have nice things to look at while I run, and it was gorgeous there! I went through mile 9, which had some bit of a downhill. But, I really began to feel fatigued in mile 9...although I made it through the hills quite fine and didn't find them to be as scary as I thought, they really made me tired for the remainder of the run. At mile 10, I hit the dreaded "wall." I knew I only had 3.1 miles left...but I was exhausted at this point. Mile 11, while having a major downhill, was probably my worst one. I know I slowed down and of course blew some sweet snot rockets thanks to my head cold...I am a classy lady! I remember thinking on this mile that I couldn't wait to finish and that maybe I wouldn't do another half after this. Then mile 12 came and I realized... ONE MILE LEFT. JUST ONE! THAT'S IT! I got a breath of energy back and as I neared Great American Ballpark, I knew I was soooo close to crossing "run a half marathon" off my bucket list! In the final 100 meters or so, I unleashed my good ole "track speed" and passed quite a few people with my finishing kick. I clocked in at under two hours, which was good enough for me and my first half marathon effort.
Crossing the finish line was amazing! It was such a rush of adrenaline. Despite nearly puking on one of the volunteers as I leaned over after crossing the line (another oh so wonderful running tradition of mine), I was instantly filled with happiness. As I walked down the finishing area, I was immediately given my finisher's medal. I also decided at that point that even though I was sore, exhausted and drenched (it literally rained the entire race), that I would definitely do another half marathon and would have to do the Pig next year too! I hadn't felt that good about myself in a long time, and it was nice to have that feeling of gratification back again. The adrenaline from finishing was like a drug and now I need more! As I collected snacks in the finishers area and made my way out of the "tunnel" to find the husband post-race (which took an hour by the way lol) I cried. I actually did it. I kept saying that to myself. Running this half marathon was just the emotional boost I needed.
Finally, I found the husband and we walked around downtown as much as I could...but ultimately decided to go to the car. LOL. I was sore, tired and ready to change into dry clothes, meet up with our Cinci friends and get some post-race Skyline Chili!
Overall, the race experience was amazing. The Flying Pig organizers put together one awesome, well-run event! Not to mention the support of the city of Cincinnati and the cities in Kentucky that we ran through. Every single step of the race had spectator support, cheers, bands and entertainment of some kind! It all helped motivate me and the other participants sooo much! They also had gatorade and water offered throughout the whole race! With my sore throat, this was AWESOME and very helpful! I feel like I was probably spoiled doing the Flying Pig for my first half because it was so huge and the crowd support was soooooo awesome! The post race snacks were also amazing. I had the best yogurt I've ever had. It is now my quest to find it. They even had non-conventional post race snacks that many people shockingly seemed to enjoy. I've never seen so many people swig down chocolate milk immediately after racing. Not for me, but to each is his own!
Upon completing the race, I also found that some runners and spectators, including Daniel, got a full view of one runner. A naked runner man that is. Manbearpig?!?! Evidently, according to the news report the next day, the man jumped in the race at some point (he was not a registered participant) and well, ran naked! He actually had to be tazed! I am glad I did not see the naked dude... but have to give him props for being so "ballsy." Hahaha to cheesy jokes!
Anyway, this weekend was awesome and an experience that I will always treasure and never forget. Thanks to all those who supported and encouraged me, especially the husband who is and always has been my "biggest fan!" I still can't believe that the girl who used to complain about having to run the 3200 voluntarily signed up for a half marathon and completed the race...and further more, enjoyed it!
-The Wife
-Hobo Dan
I know this blog is a long one...but the husband told me to not hold back and to describe the whole experience!
This past weekend was one of excitement, accomplishment, goal-reaching and fun. To quote Charlie Sheen, it was WINNING! I came, saw and conquered "the flying pig!" In other words, I finally ran my first half marathon on Sunday! I have been running since third grade and ran competitively throughout junior high, high school and college. Other than hurdles, I had ran every track event from the 100 to the 10K.
After my post-collegiate running career, I have done a decent job keeping up with my running, but primarily for fitness purposes. I do not run at the intensity that I did in college nor do I have time to do so. Shortly after college graduation I set a goal for myself: run a half marathon. However, it took a few years for me to actually do it and I began to wonder if I had the guts and drive anymore to do so. It was something I wanted to do, but to be blunt, I was scared. A half marathon is stepping out of my comfort zone...BIG TIME! With encouragement from the husband and some of my running club members, I realized that I could do it. I began doing long runs again (something I hadn't really done much of except for days when I just felt like going out and doing more miles), and decided to set my sites on The Flying Pig Half Marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio. The race was voted by Runners World magazine as one of the Top 10 most fun marathons in the country or something of that nature. Also, I mean the theme is a flying pig, SO CUTE!
Sooooo as the week of the Flying Pig came, I unfortunately caught a sore throat/head cold. YUCK! I hate being sick! I know what typically comes with a sore throat and I was determined to not let myself get worse so I tried everything. Cough drops, massive amounts of Claritan D, ect. The husband suggested gargling salt water...which I found gross, until Internet research indicated that this was a good idea. So I spent the days leading up to the race gargling massive amounts of salt water. Tasty! While I didn't magically get completely healthy, I know the salt water actually helped and my throat didn't feel nearly as bad! Winning!
Still feeling not 100 percent, I decided I was good enough to go running wise, so we kept our hotel reservation in Cincinnati and headed off to conquer "the pig" Saturday morning. This was the first time since my last race in college that I was actually nervous about running again! My only expectation was to finish the race, but because it was unknown and something I had never done, the nerves kicked in hardcore. I asked the husband one thing: to not go all Daniel and complain and rant about the traffic. He agreed to do so, however, this promise lasted only about 20 minutes as we got stuck in traffic in Gallipolis due to a tractor pulling a van. LOL. Sure. Well after we got our dog checked in at his "doggie camp" for the weekend, we finally got out of traffic and made it to Cincinnati in good time!
We immediately went to the Flying Pig Expo so I could register for the half marathon! Parking of course was an adventure, but everything worked out. I registered and then the reality finally slapped me in the face: "OMG I AM ACTUALLY GOING TO RUN A HALF MARATHON TOMORROW!" The expo provided a great distraction though. It was HUGE and so well organized, like the entire Flying Pig Marathon event. There was basically a store in the expo, so along with my race "swag" I got some other goodies, including a pink Flying Pig t-shirt and hot pink arm warmers. Winning! After all the expo madness and checking into our hotel, As a pre-race tradition that dates back to my high school cross country days, we went to Carrabbas for dinner so I could carbo-load with some pre-race pasta and bread! Yum yum!
Sunday race morning came early. VERY EARLY. The race started at 6:30 a.m., but in order to park at Paul Brown Stadium (which is where the race started) we had to be there no later than 5:30...which meant I got up at 3:50 a.m. I'd wager to say I got about 2 hours of sleep total Saturday night. Between the annoying hotel air conditioner, my head cold crud and my nerves, sleep really was out of the question. I woke up with a familiar nervous feeling that I used to always get before races. For my pre-race meal I forced down a Snickers Marathon Bar (not good but a quick fix and better than those awful chewy PowerBars!) I also did another old pre-race tradition of mine: PEED ABOUT A MILLION TIMES. Why oh why do I always pee soooo much when my nerves are up? Luckily, the Flying Pig was also organized in this department and had a HUGE row of multiple porta-potties near the start. After pacing and semi-stretching, the rain began to fall just in time for the runners to go to their starting corrals or "pig pens" as the Flying Pig called them! I was in Pig Pen B (pig pen/corrals are based on projected finish times). My pig pen was the second fastest one. I had to leave Daniel and head to that area alone. I was surrounded by many runners who had running partners or at least knew each other. However, during the 10 minute wait in our pig pen, I ended up making some friends and chatting with people. That's the beauty of distance runners, who for the most part, (except for the witch with a b who tried to accuse me of line jumping during one of my multiple porta potty trips!) are always very friendly. That was nice and made things more relaxed.
Finally, the race started...as more than 30,000 people were in the race and I was in Pig Pen B it was several seconds later (maybe even a minute) before I actually crossed the start line. This of course did not effect times, as all participants wore a timing chip on their shoe that officially started their time when they crossed the start line. The first two miles were insane... "bumper to bumper" traffic of people! These miles were quite slow as there were so many people and not a lot of room to move. I don't even remember seeing mile 1 or the time because all of a sudden I saw the marker and time for mile 2! These miles (although slow) went by fast. While I didn't exactly have a time goal, I knew I could be going faster and finally "traffic" began to be less tight and I picked up my pace. We ran over three bridges (which I loved!) and were in Kentucky for a short stint of the race. My biggest memory of Kentucky was laughing at the "Big Daddy Liquor" store we ran by lol. Yes, I am so mature! When we crossed the third bridge back into downtown Cincinnati, I knew the supposed difficult section of the race, called "the climb" was coming up. I had taken a virtual course tour thanks the beauty of YouTube...so I braced myself for the hills to come. The climb itself wasn't nearly as bad as what I thought it would be. A lot of the runners who had written course reviews describing "the climb" as brutal have obviously never suffered through Agony Hills repeats in Charleston. However, the hills were by no means easy and were still quite a challenge. You would think a hill would be done but then it would keep going! Finally, I hit mile 8 and knew the bulk of the main hill part was done. That being said, I would describe the whole course as not really flat, but a "rolling course." Much of the hill part took place in the beautiful Eden Park, which also was a nice distraction. I like to have nice things to look at while I run, and it was gorgeous there! I went through mile 9, which had some bit of a downhill. But, I really began to feel fatigued in mile 9...although I made it through the hills quite fine and didn't find them to be as scary as I thought, they really made me tired for the remainder of the run. At mile 10, I hit the dreaded "wall." I knew I only had 3.1 miles left...but I was exhausted at this point. Mile 11, while having a major downhill, was probably my worst one. I know I slowed down and of course blew some sweet snot rockets thanks to my head cold...I am a classy lady! I remember thinking on this mile that I couldn't wait to finish and that maybe I wouldn't do another half after this. Then mile 12 came and I realized... ONE MILE LEFT. JUST ONE! THAT'S IT! I got a breath of energy back and as I neared Great American Ballpark, I knew I was soooo close to crossing "run a half marathon" off my bucket list! In the final 100 meters or so, I unleashed my good ole "track speed" and passed quite a few people with my finishing kick. I clocked in at under two hours, which was good enough for me and my first half marathon effort.
Crossing the finish line was amazing! It was such a rush of adrenaline. Despite nearly puking on one of the volunteers as I leaned over after crossing the line (another oh so wonderful running tradition of mine), I was instantly filled with happiness. As I walked down the finishing area, I was immediately given my finisher's medal. I also decided at that point that even though I was sore, exhausted and drenched (it literally rained the entire race), that I would definitely do another half marathon and would have to do the Pig next year too! I hadn't felt that good about myself in a long time, and it was nice to have that feeling of gratification back again. The adrenaline from finishing was like a drug and now I need more! As I collected snacks in the finishers area and made my way out of the "tunnel" to find the husband post-race (which took an hour by the way lol) I cried. I actually did it. I kept saying that to myself. Running this half marathon was just the emotional boost I needed.
Finally, I found the husband and we walked around downtown as much as I could...but ultimately decided to go to the car. LOL. I was sore, tired and ready to change into dry clothes, meet up with our Cinci friends and get some post-race Skyline Chili!
Overall, the race experience was amazing. The Flying Pig organizers put together one awesome, well-run event! Not to mention the support of the city of Cincinnati and the cities in Kentucky that we ran through. Every single step of the race had spectator support, cheers, bands and entertainment of some kind! It all helped motivate me and the other participants sooo much! They also had gatorade and water offered throughout the whole race! With my sore throat, this was AWESOME and very helpful! I feel like I was probably spoiled doing the Flying Pig for my first half because it was so huge and the crowd support was soooooo awesome! The post race snacks were also amazing. I had the best yogurt I've ever had. It is now my quest to find it. They even had non-conventional post race snacks that many people shockingly seemed to enjoy. I've never seen so many people swig down chocolate milk immediately after racing. Not for me, but to each is his own!
Upon completing the race, I also found that some runners and spectators, including Daniel, got a full view of one runner. A naked runner man that is. Manbearpig?!?! Evidently, according to the news report the next day, the man jumped in the race at some point (he was not a registered participant) and well, ran naked! He actually had to be tazed! I am glad I did not see the naked dude... but have to give him props for being so "ballsy." Hahaha to cheesy jokes!
Anyway, this weekend was awesome and an experience that I will always treasure and never forget. Thanks to all those who supported and encouraged me, especially the husband who is and always has been my "biggest fan!" I still can't believe that the girl who used to complain about having to run the 3200 voluntarily signed up for a half marathon and completed the race...and further more, enjoyed it!
-The Wife
Monday, May 2, 2011
Best Picture Project 7, The King's Speech
Welcome back to the Best Picture Project! Hey guess what? I have no idea what we are going to watch next week! That means it's going to remain a mystery for now. Maybe I'll tweet about it when we figure it out. please enjoy and have a great week.
The King's Speech, 2010
We wanted to see The King’s Speech before our Best Picture Project and even before it won Best Picture. So needless to say, we were very excited when this movie was finally released and we got to watch it! As usual, Blu-ray makes everyone look better and the film was crisp, clear and neat in terms of looks. The movie lived up to my expectations and was emotional and motivating. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush were fantastic. The King’s Speech really proved what hard work and determination can do, and was very inspirational.
I also enjoyed seeing actors from some of my favorite films in this movie. Rush (Barbosa from Pirates of the Caribbean!) Then of course the Harry Potter people — Bellatrix Lestrange, Dumbledore and Peter Pettigrew! Hahaha. I really don’t want to elaborate or be spoilerish about this movie since it was recently released to Blu-ray/DVD. I highly recommend it though if you would like to sit down and watch an inspiring piece with good acting. While it didn’t “wow” me like other Best Picture winners have (Slumdog Millionaire, for example), it was certainly worthy of its Best Picture win. Personally, I found Toy Story 3, which was nominated against The King’s Speech, to be more moving and I believe it is just as worthy of Best Picture as The King’s Speech, but I think we still have a long time before the academy would give an animated film this award (even if the animated film, like Toy Story 3, had depth and meaning).
Who knows though? Anything can happen!
-The Wife
Before I begin I’d like to state for the record that I am very tired of hearing about monarchs from another continent. I don’t care what they are doing; getting married, divorced, sex change, midgets; I don’t care. I’m tired them. Why do people in America care so much about this wedding anyway? I thought part of the deal with the whole “American Revolution” thing was that we didn’t have to give a crap about stupid British traditions anymore. The only Princes I care about are fresh ones.
Can I resist making a stutter joke? Why don’t they make B batteries? That joke is mean and stolen. Sorry. Hey, I really liked this movie though! The King’s Speech is a very well made film about some British Duke with a stammer. He only gets to be the King because his Dad dies and his brother likes to screw divorced American chicks. So now he is King and Hitler is going all Blitzkrieg in Europe (Nazi reference two weeks in a row!) Everyone is scared and he has to give a big speech to calm them all down. His wife hires Captain Barbosa to teach him to speak without choking on his own tongue. I hope I didn’t spoil it too much. It really is a fine film. The acting is absolutely through the roof. The story is good, although somewhat anticlimactic. I hate to be a downer but he gives this great speech and then what? Oh, yeah that’s right, World War Two ensues anyways. I know that is what actually happened. I know his speech lifted up the people of the country, but history remains the same. The personal journey the character goes on is the real triumph of the film.
Totally worthy of Best Picture in every way.
-Hobo Dan
The King's Speech, 2010
We wanted to see The King’s Speech before our Best Picture Project and even before it won Best Picture. So needless to say, we were very excited when this movie was finally released and we got to watch it! As usual, Blu-ray makes everyone look better and the film was crisp, clear and neat in terms of looks. The movie lived up to my expectations and was emotional and motivating. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush were fantastic. The King’s Speech really proved what hard work and determination can do, and was very inspirational.
I also enjoyed seeing actors from some of my favorite films in this movie. Rush (Barbosa from Pirates of the Caribbean!) Then of course the Harry Potter people — Bellatrix Lestrange, Dumbledore and Peter Pettigrew! Hahaha. I really don’t want to elaborate or be spoilerish about this movie since it was recently released to Blu-ray/DVD. I highly recommend it though if you would like to sit down and watch an inspiring piece with good acting. While it didn’t “wow” me like other Best Picture winners have (Slumdog Millionaire, for example), it was certainly worthy of its Best Picture win. Personally, I found Toy Story 3, which was nominated against The King’s Speech, to be more moving and I believe it is just as worthy of Best Picture as The King’s Speech, but I think we still have a long time before the academy would give an animated film this award (even if the animated film, like Toy Story 3, had depth and meaning).
Who knows though? Anything can happen!
-The Wife
Before I begin I’d like to state for the record that I am very tired of hearing about monarchs from another continent. I don’t care what they are doing; getting married, divorced, sex change, midgets; I don’t care. I’m tired them. Why do people in America care so much about this wedding anyway? I thought part of the deal with the whole “American Revolution” thing was that we didn’t have to give a crap about stupid British traditions anymore. The only Princes I care about are fresh ones.
Can I resist making a stutter joke? Why don’t they make B batteries? That joke is mean and stolen. Sorry. Hey, I really liked this movie though! The King’s Speech is a very well made film about some British Duke with a stammer. He only gets to be the King because his Dad dies and his brother likes to screw divorced American chicks. So now he is King and Hitler is going all Blitzkrieg in Europe (Nazi reference two weeks in a row!) Everyone is scared and he has to give a big speech to calm them all down. His wife hires Captain Barbosa to teach him to speak without choking on his own tongue. I hope I didn’t spoil it too much. It really is a fine film. The acting is absolutely through the roof. The story is good, although somewhat anticlimactic. I hate to be a downer but he gives this great speech and then what? Oh, yeah that’s right, World War Two ensues anyways. I know that is what actually happened. I know his speech lifted up the people of the country, but history remains the same. The personal journey the character goes on is the real triumph of the film.
Totally worthy of Best Picture in every way.
-Hobo Dan
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