RAMBO! RAMBO!

I'll tell you something; I saw the new Rambo movie last night, and I couldn't be perkier about it. Who would ever have thought that a Rambo flick released in 2008 would be entertaining? I sure as shit wouldn't, but this one made an asshole out of all of us, I guess.
First of all, I could probably give less fucks about the old Rambo trilogy than I would a Knight Rider made for television remake. Come to think of it, that's not a bad idea. Anyway, the point is that I am not a Rambo fan by any stretch of the imagination, but something about this movie really struck a chord in me. It's kind of weird, getting so much pleasure out of something so utterly crappy. It wasn't even an ironic kind of pleasure, either. It really just had some eerie, calm, soothing manner to it.
Which is pretty fucking ridiculous, because it was also the most violent fucking film I have ever seen. I've seen some violent-ass shit, but this one has to take the cake. There were children blowing up and shit, and limbs being severed off left and right. At one point, I just shook my head and started thinking, "Is this some kind of joke? What the fuck is going on here?" The on-screen mayhem and bloodshed had to have set some kind of record.
Anyway, I got in to see it for free, so I am not sure if it's worth paying for. If you've got an hour and a half to kill, there are worse ways to spend your night.

Born Again Borne Again

I've recently been re-reading (for about the third or fourth time) Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli's mid-80's Daredevil run, "Born Again." I was a little hesitant to re-read it, since I had read it so many times in the past. I just really thought it would feel like 'Going through the motions,' and that the comic would have little impact any more.
Boy, was I wrong. I am surprised at how much more I pick up on this go-round. Usually, when people say they "Got more out of it" the second time they read or watch something, or that they "pick up so much more" (kinda like I just did), I just chalk it up to the person being stupid, or unable to grasp the subtleties of a particular work. If you're paying attention and you're halfway bright, you should "get" about 99% of the shit you intake. Most entertainment isn't exactly cryptic these days.
Anyway, Born Again is phenomenal. It's amazing how much Miller was able to 'get away with' in the mainstream comic of the politically charged 1980s. Turning the heroes ex-girlfriend into a heroin addicted, destitute porno star comes immediately to mind. Destroying Matt Murdock's life, and not even featuring Daredevil himself for several issues is another big 'coup.'
Miller really was at the top of his game. Within a few years, he had completed his insanely wonderful initial run on Daredevil, both the Dark Knight and Batman: Year One, and this endcap to the DD series. Too bad most of his output these days is utter crap.

The Gayrriors

Man, I just tried to watch the early 80's flick "The Warriors," about rival gangs in New York City. I am left with one question: What the Hell were they thinking? This movie sucked ass. Sucked TOTAL ass, actually. I'll have to double-check on that, though.
Anyway, if you've never seen it, imagine the suckiest thing you've ever witnessed. Now imagine that with a group of asshole mimes with crowbars. Or baseball players dressed up like Kiss. Get the idea of how sucky this is sucking?
I suppose I can only point the finger at myself, actually. Can society be to blame for my own shortcoming? I knowingly and willingly ordered that movie from Netflix. In a sense, though not a legally binding one, I did welcome it into my home, under thefalse guise of friendship. Putting such a strong stamp upon a rented DVD might be seen as extreme, but realize I am in no position to cast judgment towards anyone.
Anyway, don't rent the Warriors. Go read Moby Dick instead. I ordered that movie from Netflix, too!

Moby Dick Rules!

For some strange reason, someone gave me a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble as a present on the anniversary of Christ the Savior's birth. I guess they just had a hard time moving on. Anyway, I wasn't going to decline it, so I went out to the book store to buy up some shit.
First of all, Barnes and Noble pretty much sucks ass. We don't have one around here, so I went to the one near Philadelphia since I was driving by one day. I had a hard time finding anything to buy in that shithole, so I finally decided on Moby Dick by Herman Melville. I wonder if the expression "Moby Dick" was funny when that book first came out in 1851. It's sure funny now.
As for the book itself, that Ishmael is a real pisser. The dude is a total loser who goes out to sea when he hits rock bottom, and had to settle for the shittiest inn in New Bedford. There is a fucking hilarious exchange between Ishmael and the landlord, who wants Ish to share a bed with some strange man named "The Harpooner."
Ishmael understandably is concerned at this, but he goes nuts, neurotically fixating on the inevitable meeting. Finally the Harpooner arrives, but only after a few chapters of obsessive behavior that would have a first year psychiatry student tossing out his pipe.
I can't wait to finish this fucking book. I'm almost a hundred pages deep, and the sad fucker hasn't even hit the water yet. I can only imagine how crazy this shit is going to get.
Moby Dick Rules!