gdp's Comments

Commentary Magazine : Conservatives Should Accept PSY's Apology

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 02:12:38 +0000

I, myself, was young and stupid in 2004 (I was 17) when I wrote some fiction based on my emotionally-driven outrage over the Abu-Grahb prison scandal. In my naiivety, I wrote about soldiers torturing Muslims, not having done any research of my own about the subject. I simply ate the Media narrative about the subject. I can't think of a single day, in the years that followed when I grew up and developed my own critical thinking, when my stomach turned over what I had written. Of course, even though I wrote it personally for no one to read, I have regretted ever having done that and have been keeping this skeleton in my closet for years, all the while I tried to atone for it by donating to veterans groups and showing my support to the military. I have contemplated about enlisting, but I doubt they'll accept me with my having Asperger's Syndrome and depression. Still, I now have deeper appreciation and respect for the sacrifices the military makes to keep all of us safe, and I am forever grateful to honor them.

Big Hollywood : Aaron Carter Claims Michael Jackson Offered Him Cocaine

Sat, 2 Jul 2011 00:11:41 +0000

I, quite frankly, have never understood why so much scorn has been heaped against Michael Jackson. I'm a libertarian, and for all I know, I wasn't too keen on Jackson's politics. I'd have to assume he was liberal based on doing stuff like "We Are the World" and such, but he seemed to be rather private about it compared to the more smug liberals you see nowadays in the entertainment industry. I can't think it's simply because of the pedophilia allegations, seeing as how there was never any concrete evidence to back that up. Quite frankly, I believe all of the kids who testified were set up by their parents to do so so they could take advantage of Jackson's naivety and get huge cash settlements. It not quite as far-fetched as it sounds.

Big Hollywood : HomeVideodrome: DVD Releases for June 28th, 2011

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 04:55:37 +0000

Interesting that you also mention "Cowboy Bebop" in the same column as "Sucker Punch", because I think that defines the whole problem with that movie: Snyder was trying to treat the film as an anime movie, as if anime was a specific genre. Like Brad Bird has said about traditional animation, anime is another film medium that has a specific style but can incorporate any genre. For example, "Cowboy Bebop" can be best described as a mash-up of sci-fi space fantasy (a la Star Wars), taking place in the future (a la "Blade Runner"), but also featuring western and noir motifs (the gun-toting bounty hunter Spike Spiegel), and probably the trippiest Jazz music score you'll hear in any movie or TV show, let alone anime. It's both eclectic, and yet very streamlined in execution. Snyder seemed to treat the plot for "Sucker Punch" with so many different genres that the movie collapsed under its own ambitions. I think Snyder would do himself a good service by going back to how you make a lean, effective movie that doesn't treat anime as a genre, and I think "Cowboy Bebop" would be a good start.

Big Government : Supreme Court Ruling Frees Families from Government Interference

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:07:00 +0000

I would also add that if the private sector does a more effective job at regulating the video games they sell rather than the government, why should there be government interference? Based on statistics I've read from the Federal Trade Commission as well as some of these parents groups who think the government isn't doing enough, only 19-to-20% of kids have managed ton get their hands on violent video games. Do you realize, based on those statistics, that It is easier for kids to get their hands on CDs with explicit lyrics and to sneak into R-rated movies than it is to buy a Mature-rated video game? That is why I believe the private regulatory arm of the video game industry is the most comprehensive and effective regulator, and that the government would simply make a bigger mess of the issue. To use an old saying, "If it ain't broke, why fix it?""

Big Hollywood : 'Cars 2' Review: Flawed but Still (barely) Worthwhile

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 02:08:31 +0000

Here's what I think the best explanation can be as to how Pixar went wrong with "Cars 2": Essentially, Pixar has come out with its "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace". Think about it: John Lasseter has run into the George Lucas syndrome of wanting to tinker with his previous movies and creating mediocre stories in order to justify creating giant merchandising behemoths. To me, the first tell-tale signs of this happening to Lasseter (if not Pixar itself) was when Lasseter re-edited the short "Knick-Knack" to be more P.C. (For the uninitiated, "Knick-Knack" was a Tex Avery-style Pixar short from the late 80's about a snowman figurine stuck in a snow-globe that wanted to escape and be with the voluptuous bikini-clad babe figurine hanging out by the pool display on the same table.) Here's a link to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HgG3pgR9gY (And yes, that's Bobby McFerrin doing the music for the short.) Here's where it goes downhill: "Knick-Knack" was re-edited to digitally reduce the "voluptuousness" of the bikini-clad babe figurine when it was released on the Disney DVD collection of the Pixar shorts. Doesn't that kind of strike you the same way Lucas re-edited "Star Wars" so that "Greedo shot first instead of Han Solo"? Now with "Cars 2", it seems to confirm my suspicions that John Lasseter is following George Lucas's path of ruining his legacy by letting the commerce come ahead of the story and the legion of fans who identify with Pixar's stories (which oddly enough, is what a lot of liberals always seem to say about the line between art and commerce.) It's sad, though, because Pixar had, for all this time, presented a business plan that presented the best in both art and commerce. I only hope this is just a temporary hiccup in Pixar's legacy because I would hate to see it wind up the way the Lucasfilm legacy has turned into ("Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull", anyone?)

Big Hollywood : Pixar Releases Poster for Next Feature: 'Brave'

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 01:15:04 +0000

Let's hope this one doesn't become as big a car pile-up as "Cars 2".

Big Hollywood : HomeVideodrome: DVD Releases for May 31st, 2011

Fri, 3 Jun 2011 07:43:47 +0000

They did kind of fix Han levitating on Jabba's tail in the special DVD edition, unless you were referring to the DVD special edition because I'm only thinking of the special edition when it first came out on VHS. Basically, I'm talking about a special edition of the special edition. Anybody want to bet a million bucks that the Blu Ray will be a special edition of the special edition twice removed?

Big Hollywood : Taiwanese Animators Offer Helpful Suggestions to Avoid Next WeinerGate

Fri, 3 Jun 2011 07:36:24 +0000

Hey now, that's rather unfair of you to claim this as anime. First of all, anime is specifically an art form originating from Japan, and second: Most anime is not that perverted. It's just a niche category called hentai that has the more perverted aspect of anime, just to set the record straight. Other than that, it is a pretty amusing video.

Big Hollywood : Lady Gaga, Fearless Artistic Visionary, Risks It All By Taking on Christians

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 04:05:37 +0000

No offense, but when you say "...He’s the go-to guy for entertainment sites when some pretentious twerp tries to cash in by trashing the church", well, would you call Trey Parker and Matt Stone of "South Park" pretentious twerps? After all, they're the ones who really got Donahue's blood boiling over their mockery of the Catholic Church, and this was all the while they were also mocking Scientology, Islam, liberalism and other left-wing theologies. Though to be fair, Donahue wasn't the one that threatened their lives with a fatwa; that distinction would go to Zachary Adam Chasser, who is now doing 25 years in prison for various Jihadist-related activities including trying to issue a fatwa against Parker and Stone.

Big Hollywood : HomeVideodrome: DVD Releases for April 5, 2011

Fri, 8 Apr 2011 04:19:52 +0000

Can you believe that I bought the original Tron on DVD two years ago - brand new for only twelve bucks? And on Amazon.com? But the real kicker about it was that I lost it while in the middle of moving, and this was by the time the DVD went out of print and was selling new for as little as forty bucks (last time I checked). Oh well, good thing I upgraded to Blu-Ray in order to justify getting Tron again.

Big Hollywood : Report: Worried About Ratings, Oprah Won't Publicly Support Obama's Re-election

Fri, 8 Apr 2011 04:13:59 +0000

I tend to find myself more often right-of-center than left, but I still find "30 Rock" funny. And I really could care less about the politics of the show. I just find it funny on the level of shows like "Arrested Development", "The Office" or "The Middle". Yep, I like shows that have either a conservative or liberal perspective regardless, as long as they are funny.

Big Hollywood : 'Sucker Punch' Review: Grim, Dark, Unpleasant, Nasty and Weird

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:49:38 +0000

I knew this movie was going to divide all sorts of people. But that's what's great about America: we have the right to disagree on anything.

Big Hollywood : 'Sucker Punch' Review: Strong on Action, Average on Story

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:37:52 +0000

This certainly sounds like the kind of movie that's really going to divide all sorts of people. I already heard that it got zero stars from, who else, Michael Medved.

Big Hollywood : RIP: Legendary Oscar-Winner Elizabeth Taylor Dies at 79

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 06:48:41 +0000

No offense, but don't you think it might be, I don't know, a tad tasteless to post a risque photo of Ms. Taylor at this particular time? And don't get me wrong, it's a gorgeous photo, by all means, but doesn't it seem a little weird to be posting it during a state of mourning? I don't know, it just kind of bothers me for some reason, and that's saying something because I have an extensive Playboy collection and, by far, am no prude whatsoever. I'm just reminded of the phrase "There's a time and a place to do something, but right now is just not the right time."

Big Hollywood : Slate Says Detroit 'Needs' Anti-Christian, America-Slamming Statue

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 04:08:01 +0000

The thing about movies are that when a film is released, it automatically belongs to the people who see it as well as those who made it. After all, do fans of the original Star Wars trilogy not own it as well as George Lucas? It's sort of like that old saying about separating art from the artist and interpreting it for yourself. In the case of Robocop, I interpret it through the eyes of a young kid (which, ironically, was when I first saw Robocop on syndicated TV: I just like seeing cool-looking robots kick ass against bad guys and bigger robots that could woop the ass of an AT-ST walker from "Return of the Jedi", if you know what I mean. Being a young kid, though, I was completely unaware of any criticism directed toward Christianity. Must have went over my head because the only parts I really remember is when Robocop first gets his HUD visor screwed onto his helmet.

Big Hollywood : 2011 Best Picture Nomination Countdown: #1 -- 'Toy Story 3'

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 04:51:42 +0000

Well, Pixar is probably the only studio (not just animation studio, but film studio PERIOD) that spend years writing and re-writing a script for a particular idea in order to get it right. They most certainly demonstrate the old adage that practice makes perfect. Isn't that right, writers of "Men In Black III" or "Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen"? You could learn a thing or two from the Pixar crew about pacing.

Big Hollywood : Mike Huckabee and Michael Medved Were Wrong to Criticize Natalie Portman

Sat, 5 Mar 2011 00:07:35 +0000

What I'm curious about is why a film reviewer like Medved would "loathe" Black Swan, especially after he's stated that one of his favorite films last year was "The Last Airbender"?

Big Hollywood : TV Watchdog Calls for Child Porn Probe of MTV Series 'Skins'

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 09:22:39 +0000

Since I was a teenager not too long ago, I can fully attest that the teenagers I knew in high school never did any of that stuff mentioned in this show, so I don't believe for a minute that this show is a realistic portrayal of teen life. If you ask me, "Degrassi" seems more realistic by comparison. Still, here's why I don't think anything is going to come out of this fracas: If I know one thing, it's that producers and filmmakers have to have certain legal documents and obligations in order to do something that could be construed as illegal. I once read an article about the making of "American Beauty" that the actress who portrayed Kevin Spacey's daughter was underage, and since the script asked for her to perform a topless scene, she had to get special permission from her parents, and have her parents accompany her on set witnessing the filming of the scene. I know, it sounds confusing, and yet, it seems to be legal. It also seems that if such a prosecution were to occur, then among the targets would be the writers, and from what I have read, the majority of them seem to be teenagers. Not sure if they are underage to begin with, but that would be a serious problem to be prosecuting teens as sex offenders.

Big Hollywood : Top 25 Left-Wing Films: #2 – ‘Apocalypse Now’ (1979)

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 09:04:17 +0000

Didn't George Lucas try to make this movie at one time? I know Coppola and Lucas go back a long time, and I also read that Lucas wrote a treatment for "Apocalypse Now", so am I dreaming or something?

Big Hollywood : FCC vs. Bristol Palin: More Proof Free Speech is the Enemy of the Left

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 07:00:00 +0000

This was one of the reasons I left the Democrat party long ago: They are just as liable to try to censor as everyone else. For years, I was naive and convinced the Democrats were the ones against censorship, but something never happened as I supported them: They never dismantled the FCC. To me, one of the points of being a free-speech crusader is to get rid of that infernal agency because its purposes are outdated by many decades. But soon I began to see the Democrats' attempts to use the FCC to censor those they find offensive: folks like Rush Limbaugh. To me, it was the left-wing equivalent of censoring Howard Stern because I hold both Limbaugh and Stern in very high regard in terms of free-speech crusaders. That's when I figured that I, like Dion, "was a Wanderer."