A baseball team's batting order, as constructed by the team's manager, is an example of the epitome of optimism. For example, the player he designates as the leadoff (aka, the "one hole") hitter may never actually be the initial batter in any inning other than the first. Still, the manager picks him because, ideally, that guy will lead off several innings, not just the first. He is a "table setter," someone with a high on-base percentage. The prototypical two hole hitter is someone who, in addition to other attributes such as usually making contact, is either good at laying down sacrifice bunts or excels at executing the hit-and-run. But those two talents come into play only if there are runners on base when he comes up to bat. A manager usually puts his biggest power hitter in the clean-up (four hole) spot, even if that big galoot strikes out on a consistant basis. In short, the manager fills his lineup card by thinking positively. He believes the leadoff hitter will bat first in several innings (not just the first), the two hole hitter will come up with men on base, and the cleanup hitter will send the ball into the bleachers way more often than he will strike out. A lot of this is driven by tradition, but the truth is that, for many of the 162 regular season games, a manager could fill out his batting order by pulling the starters' names out of a hat and the results would be close to the same as if he'd completed his selections in the traditional manner. Some managers have tried pulling names from a hat in an effort to snap a losing streak. Why not shake things up a little if the old fashion methods aren't working?
Notwithstanding what I have written above, one lineup orchestration which I do favor is putting the two fastest guys in the lineup back-to-back. Typically this means batting them 1-2 (i.e., the first two spots in the batting order), 9-1, or even 8-9. Obviously if a team is lucky enough to have three speedsters in its lineup, so much the better; they can bat 9-1-2, three burners in a row! What a manager doesn't want is to have a slow guy on the bases impeding a faster teammate. That is often referred to as "clogging the bases" because it negates the athleticism of the speedy trailing runner.
In the National League, where the pitchers are required to bat and are notoriously weak hitters, some creativity in filling out the lineup card may be in order to accomplish the goal of having the speed burners hit consecutively. Tony La Russa, the arrogant yet highly successful former manager, used to insert his pitcher in the eight hole instead of ninth like most other National League managers would do. La Russa's rationale was that having the pitcher bat eighth enabled him to put speed in the ninth and leadoff spots, i.e., back-to-back. The man is considered one of the great managers of all time - - he managed three different teams to the World Series championship, including last year's World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, and is the third winningest manager in the history of baseball - - so there might be a method to his madness.
There are few situations in the fascinating sport of baseball which put more pressure on the defense than having fast runners at first and third base ("burners at the corners") with less than two out. Consider the possibilities which the catcher and his manager must anticipate before every pitch in that scenario. Their main concern is the double steal, in which the runner on first takes off for second, and as soon as the catcher releases the ball, the runner on third breaks for home. There is more than one way for the defensive team to attempt to keep that from happening. The only way that is fool proof is for the pitcher to intentionally hit the batter with the pitch. The result is a dead ball. The bad news is that the bases are then loaded. Aside from taking that drastic measure, the defense has four options with runners at the corners:
1. The catcher can throw down to second to try to nail the back-end base stealer (i.e., the guy who was the base runner at first), and hope that the man on third isn't attempting to steal as well. If the catcher is wrong, the guy on third will probably be successful in his attempt to steal home, because whoever takes the throw at second will not be in a good position to throw back to the catcher; he will be too busy with the incoming runner. Plus,the ball must travel in the air for a comparatively long time (from the plate to second base, and back), probably long enough for the speedy lead runner to steal home.
2. The catcher can throw the ball to one of the middle infielders who runs up to take the throw well in front of the bag. This is sometimes called "the short circuit play" because, by taking the throw in front of the bag, the middle infielder is shortening the round trip which the ball is taking in the air between home and second. If the man on third has broken for home, he will be dead meat at the plate, assuming the catcher and the middle infielder have strong and accurate arms. This option concedes the steal of second base.
3. The catcher can immediately throw down to third, ignoring the trailing runner, hoping that the runner on third leaves for home too early, caught offguard because he was not expecting the catcher to do that. If so, a run-down is the likely result.
4. The catcher can fake a throw to second, and try to catch the lead runner napping.
Of course, one other thing a catcher can do is simply hold onto the ball and concede second base to the trailing/back-end runner.
If you ever see a catcher standing in front of the plate with runners at the corners, he is usually signaling to his infielders which play is on. It is most likely one of the four enumerated above. The signaling by the catcher is not unlike the gyrations which you see a third base coach perform. It's essential that every infielder is on the same page.
With burners at the corners, there are things other than a double steal for the defense to contend with. Suicide squeezes, safety squeezes, and hit and run plays, to name a few. There is pressure on the pitcher to hold the runner at first close to the bag, and to be quick with his delivery. A typical move by the runner on third is to charge up the line toward home and then abruptly stop, in an attempt to cause the pitcher to balk. There is pressure on the catcher to block pitches in the dirt. A good catcher might call for a pitch such as a split finger fast ball, which is designed to dive into the dirt. In some cases that is the best pitch in the pitcher's arsenal. The pitcher needs to have confidence in his catcher, and the catcher needs to have confidence in his own ability to block the low pitch and keep the ball in front of him.
Just as is the case in football, a winning strategy is to keep putting pressure on the opponent's defense. If a defense is under pressure and is required to make several tough plays with perfect execution, sooner or later there will be imperfection, maybe even an error or two. A good team will capitalize on those imperfect executions and errors and turn them into runs. The easiest way for the offense to create pressure is by employing speed. Think about that the next time you see burners at the corners.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Movie Review: "Moonrise Kingdom"
"Moonrise Kingdom": B-. Sam (Jared Gilman) and Suzy (Kara Hayward) are a couple of twelve year olds whose quirky and sometimes unsocial personalities draw them to each other. Sam is an orphan and a Khaki Scout, whose troop leader is the unintentionally funny Scout Master Ward, humorously played by Edward Norton. The scouts' camp is on an island called New Penzance, where the kids learn camping and survival skills. Those come in handy when Sam talks the mysterious Suzy into sneaking off by themselves through the deep forest to see what adventures lie ahead. The two of them set out on foot, and are long gone before Scout Master Ward and Suzy's parents, Walt and Laura Bishop (Bill Murray and the always excellent Frances McDormand), get wind of what has transpired.
Bruce Willis plays Captain Sharp, the chief cop on the island, where nary a crime - - or even a disturbance of any kind - - occurs. Sharp is having an affair with Laura Bishop, something that's not easy to pull off given the compact size of New Penzance. When the kids disappear, Sharp has his hands full, answering questions peppered at him by the social worker (Tilda Swinton) responsible for Sam's well being, and by the Bishops. Meanwhile, Scout Master Ward organizes a search party comprised of Sam's fellow Khaki Scouts, most of whom are armed with dangerous weapons.
Much of the movie's scenes follow Sam and Suzy while they are on the lamb. As a young scout, Sam is well versed in what it takes to prepare for an outdoor expedition, and he brings along a lot of gear. Suzy, conversely, has an old style overnight bag and a small portable record player. They are pre-teens, so probably too young to get into the kind of trouble that older kids with proverbial "raging hormones" might encounter, but still old enough to be inquisitive about the opposite sex. Suzy's dad imagines the worst. The social worker is a finger pointer. Captain Sharp might be in over his head, but is, nevertheless, the voice of reason.
This movie has drawn rave reviews from the critics, and judging by its longevity at the first run theaters - - Ten bucks a ticket for a Monday matinee at West End? You can't be serious! - - it is a hit with local moviegoers too. The director is Wes Anderson, and he obviously has his fans. I gave "Moonrise Kingdom" a B- because it was't quite as good as what I anticipated. The kids are cute, no doubt. But the problems they face while on their island escapade do not come close to those in classic stories like Swiss Family Robinson, Treasure Island or even The Wizard Of Oz. There is more action taking place among the adults than there is with Sam and Suzy.
I did enjoy many of Anderson's touches, such as Laura Bishop using a bullhorn to call her family to dinner in their lighthouse home. Or Scout Master Ward, ridiculously dressed in a scout uniform, dragging on a weed to help calm his nerves. Or the fact that Tilda Swinton's character does not have a name, but is referred to in the movie and in the credits as "Social Services." Or Captain Sharp sharing a cold beer with Sam at the kitchen table. The best part of the movie was a short scene in which Suzy's father is so tense and pent up with emotion that he announces to his family that he's "going out to cut down a tree." He brings with him an axe and a bottle of wine. If offbeat humor is up your alley or you are simply a Wes Anderson fan, then by all means plunk down your ten dollar bill and enjoy the show.
Bruce Willis plays Captain Sharp, the chief cop on the island, where nary a crime - - or even a disturbance of any kind - - occurs. Sharp is having an affair with Laura Bishop, something that's not easy to pull off given the compact size of New Penzance. When the kids disappear, Sharp has his hands full, answering questions peppered at him by the social worker (Tilda Swinton) responsible for Sam's well being, and by the Bishops. Meanwhile, Scout Master Ward organizes a search party comprised of Sam's fellow Khaki Scouts, most of whom are armed with dangerous weapons.
Much of the movie's scenes follow Sam and Suzy while they are on the lamb. As a young scout, Sam is well versed in what it takes to prepare for an outdoor expedition, and he brings along a lot of gear. Suzy, conversely, has an old style overnight bag and a small portable record player. They are pre-teens, so probably too young to get into the kind of trouble that older kids with proverbial "raging hormones" might encounter, but still old enough to be inquisitive about the opposite sex. Suzy's dad imagines the worst. The social worker is a finger pointer. Captain Sharp might be in over his head, but is, nevertheless, the voice of reason.
This movie has drawn rave reviews from the critics, and judging by its longevity at the first run theaters - - Ten bucks a ticket for a Monday matinee at West End? You can't be serious! - - it is a hit with local moviegoers too. The director is Wes Anderson, and he obviously has his fans. I gave "Moonrise Kingdom" a B- because it was't quite as good as what I anticipated. The kids are cute, no doubt. But the problems they face while on their island escapade do not come close to those in classic stories like Swiss Family Robinson, Treasure Island or even The Wizard Of Oz. There is more action taking place among the adults than there is with Sam and Suzy.
I did enjoy many of Anderson's touches, such as Laura Bishop using a bullhorn to call her family to dinner in their lighthouse home. Or Scout Master Ward, ridiculously dressed in a scout uniform, dragging on a weed to help calm his nerves. Or the fact that Tilda Swinton's character does not have a name, but is referred to in the movie and in the credits as "Social Services." Or Captain Sharp sharing a cold beer with Sam at the kitchen table. The best part of the movie was a short scene in which Suzy's father is so tense and pent up with emotion that he announces to his family that he's "going out to cut down a tree." He brings with him an axe and a bottle of wine. If offbeat humor is up your alley or you are simply a Wes Anderson fan, then by all means plunk down your ten dollar bill and enjoy the show.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Album Review: "Welcome To The Fish Bowl" - Kenny Chesney
"Welcome To The Fish Bowl": B+. This coming Sunday I am taking Momma Cuandito to the first-ever concert in the still relatively new Target Field. The headliners for the "Brothers Of The Sun Tour" are Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney. You already know from my February 11 post (Album Review: "Emotional Traffic") that I am a pretty big Tim McGraw fan. I have been attempting to get into Chesney's music as well, although it has been a bit of a slow go. The latest chapter in this endeavor was to purchase Chesney's new CD, "Welcome To The Fish Bowl," which was released during the last week of June.
Upon my first (of five so far) time through the new CD, the thing that struck me was the even-keelness (if that's a word) of the playlist as a whole. I found this ironic, given the fact that the venues for the tour are stadiums, which lend themselves to hell-on-wheels, up-tempo, let it all hang out rock songs. The closest thing to country rock on "Fish Bowl" is the second track, "Feel Like A Rock Star," which was written specifically for this tour and is a duet shared by the two long-time buds, Tim and Kenny.
The vibe on Chesney's new album is laid back, even occasionally melancholy, created by several numbers with outstanding, thought-provoking lyrics. At the head of the class are "Sing 'Em Good My Friend" and especially "While He Still Knows Who I Am." The latter song is about a man traveling back home to see his father who is losing his memory. The son sings that a lot of what he, himself, has become - - his fondness for Chevys, his love of baseball - - is due to his father's influence, but now he hopes to learn more about him as a man, not merely as his dad. This time he's going to give him a kiss, not just a manly handshake.
In "Sing 'Em Good My Friend," an older man is in the final stages of selling all his worldly goods because he needs the money. But he has a hard time letting go of his prized possession, an old guitar which has been with him for years. He finally agrees to sell his instrument to the singer, telling the younger musician that "he left some songs in this guitar; sing 'em good my friend." He admonishes him to sing the truth and sing the pain. In the final verse the singer promises to do the old man proud.
Also on the honor roll, maybe a nano-notch below the two aforementioned tunes, are "I'm A Small Town" and "To Get To You." The former is a clever personification of "a dot on the map."
Upon my first (of five so far) time through the new CD, the thing that struck me was the even-keelness (if that's a word) of the playlist as a whole. I found this ironic, given the fact that the venues for the tour are stadiums, which lend themselves to hell-on-wheels, up-tempo, let it all hang out rock songs. The closest thing to country rock on "Fish Bowl" is the second track, "Feel Like A Rock Star," which was written specifically for this tour and is a duet shared by the two long-time buds, Tim and Kenny.
The vibe on Chesney's new album is laid back, even occasionally melancholy, created by several numbers with outstanding, thought-provoking lyrics. At the head of the class are "Sing 'Em Good My Friend" and especially "While He Still Knows Who I Am." The latter song is about a man traveling back home to see his father who is losing his memory. The son sings that a lot of what he, himself, has become - - his fondness for Chevys, his love of baseball - - is due to his father's influence, but now he hopes to learn more about him as a man, not merely as his dad. This time he's going to give him a kiss, not just a manly handshake.
In "Sing 'Em Good My Friend," an older man is in the final stages of selling all his worldly goods because he needs the money. But he has a hard time letting go of his prized possession, an old guitar which has been with him for years. He finally agrees to sell his instrument to the singer, telling the younger musician that "he left some songs in this guitar; sing 'em good my friend." He admonishes him to sing the truth and sing the pain. In the final verse the singer promises to do the old man proud.
Also on the honor roll, maybe a nano-notch below the two aforementioned tunes, are "I'm A Small Town" and "To Get To You." The former is a clever personification of "a dot on the map."
If you blink you'll miss me.
Go ahead and laugh.
Ever since I lived in Minot I've been a sucker for songs about small towns. These few words from Chesney's song say a lot about what it's like to live in one:
Either I hold your heart, or I hold you down,
I'm a small town.
"To Get To You" is a love song in which the singer tells his girl that, despite their ups and downs, he'd do it all again.
Love's become a frightening thing to do...
I've been scared to try again, but you're worth every hurt that I've been through,
I'd go through it all again if I had to,
To get to you.
There are a handful of songs I don't much care for, including the duet with McGraw and the live version of "You And Tequila," a duet with Grace Potter sung at Red Rocks and which is getting some air play on country radio.
I am not sure what makes this a country album, other that the fact that it's put out by the good ol' country boy from eastern Tennessee, Kenny Chesney. There is more piano than slide guitar, and more traditional violin than country fiddle. Maybe all it takes to make "Fish Bowl" country is Kenny's twang. I am looking forward to seeing him, and his brother of the sun, Tim, live.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Quarterly Cinema Scan - Volume VIII
On April 1 I posted my Quarterly Cinema Scan ("Quarterly Cinema Scan - Volume VII") for the first three months of 2012, and wrote about the genesis of such an undertaking. There is no need to reinvent the proverbial wheel here, other than to state that the QCSs are capsule summaries of flicks I have seen on the TV screen.
Here is what I've seen in the comfort of The Quentin Estates during the second quarter of 2012:
1. The Caine Mutiny (1954 drama; Humphrey Bogart is the eccentric Navy captain of a World War II mine sweeper, but is his mental instability endangering the safety of his ship and crew?) B+
Here is what I've seen in the comfort of The Quentin Estates during the second quarter of 2012:
1. The Caine Mutiny (1954 drama; Humphrey Bogart is the eccentric Navy captain of a World War II mine sweeper, but is his mental instability endangering the safety of his ship and crew?) B+
2. The Cincinnati Kid (1965 drama; Steve McQueen is the ace card shark of the younger generation in New Orleans, but veteran Edward G. Robinson comes into town looking for a game) A-
3. Dog Day Afternoon (1975 drama; Al Pacino and John Cazele hold up a small bank in Brooklyn, and keep the employees as hostages while Pacino negotiates with the NYC police and the FBI) B
4. Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939 drama; Robert Donat is the beloved Mr. Chips, who spent sixty-three years as a molder of young boys at a prep school in England) B-
3. Dog Day Afternoon (1975 drama; Al Pacino and John Cazele hold up a small bank in Brooklyn, and keep the employees as hostages while Pacino negotiates with the NYC police and the FBI) B
4. Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939 drama; Robert Donat is the beloved Mr. Chips, who spent sixty-three years as a molder of young boys at a prep school in England) B-
5. In The Heat Of The Night (1967 drama; Sidney Poitier is a black Pennsylvania homicide detective who, against his better judgment, helps white Mississippi sheriff Rod Steiger solve a murder in a racially divided town) A
6. The Last Picture Show (1971 drama; Timothy Bottoms is a high school senior in a small Texas town (Anarene) where everyone's life intertwines with fellow townsfolk, and there are no secrets) A
7. Last Summer (1969 drama; Teenagers Barbara Hershey, Richard Thomas and Bruce Davison hang out on Fire Island and pretend to strike a friendship with an introverted girl) B+
6. The Last Picture Show (1971 drama; Timothy Bottoms is a high school senior in a small Texas town (Anarene) where everyone's life intertwines with fellow townsfolk, and there are no secrets) A
7. Last Summer (1969 drama; Teenagers Barbara Hershey, Richard Thomas and Bruce Davison hang out on Fire Island and pretend to strike a friendship with an introverted girl) B+
8. Mr. Deeds Goes To Town (1936 drama; Gary Cooper is a hick who inherits $20 million, and hooks up with Jean Arthur who he doesn't realize is a scandal-seeking reporter) B-
9. Mrs. Miniver (1942 drama; Greer Garson is a mother in a small town in England at the very beginning of World War II, and she worries for the safety of her college age son who enlists in the Royal Air Force) B+
10. Peyton Place (1957 drama; Lana Turner is a single mom raising high school senior daughter Diane Varsi in a small New England town, where everyone knows and meddles in everyone's affairs) C+
10. Peyton Place (1957 drama; Lana Turner is a single mom raising high school senior daughter Diane Varsi in a small New England town, where everyone knows and meddles in everyone's affairs) C+
11. 7 Brides For 7 Brothers (1954 musical; Howard Keel, the oldest of seven brothers who live on a ranch in the mountains, goes into town to talk Jane Powell into marriage, and his younger siblings think they should follow suit) B-
12. The Third Man (1949 drama; Joseph Cotton arrives in post-war Vienna, only to learn that the friend who invited him has died under mysterious circumstances and was a key player in alleged racketeering) B+
13. Summertime (1955 drama; Katharine Hepburn travels by herself to Venice, gets bummed when she sees couples strolling through the romantic city, then meets the dashing store owner Rossano Brazzi) B-
14. You Can't Take It With You (1938 comedy; Lionel Barrymore is the patriarch of a multigeneration, extremely eccentric family, and his granddaughter, Jean Arthur, becomes engaged to Jimmy Stewart, the son of ruthless banking baron Edward Arnold) B+
14. You Can't Take It With You (1938 comedy; Lionel Barrymore is the patriarch of a multigeneration, extremely eccentric family, and his granddaughter, Jean Arthur, becomes engaged to Jimmy Stewart, the son of ruthless banking baron Edward Arnold) B+
Monday, June 25, 2012
Movie Review: "Rock Of Ages"
"Rock Of Ages": B+. I thought "Rock Of Ages" was going to be a semi-serious movie with a classic rock soundtrack, but it wasn't until Julianne Hough and her fellow Greyhound Bus passengers started singing Night Ranger's "Sister Christian" as they rolled down an Oklahoma highway that I realized this was a musical. I had to do a quick attitude adjustment, which requires being willing to have dialogue sung for no apparent reason, and once I got into the spirit of things, I found the movie to be good entertainment. It's hard to go wrong when you've got Julianne and classic rock as the main focal points of the film.
Julianne plays Sherrie, an Okie whose grandmother advised her that if she ever wanted to make her mark she'd have to leave her home state. Sherrie has at least two things going for her: drop dead gorgeous looks and a voice that can hit all the right notes. The story, at its core, is a boy-meets-girl affair, so of course Sherrie meets handsome Drew (Diego Boneta) within thirty-three seconds after she has stepped off the bus in LA. She bats her big eyelashes at Drew, telling him she's down to her last few bucks. Naturally he gets her a job at The Bourbon Room, the place where he works as a barback. The Bourbon Room is a huge bar that features live rock music. It is owned by Dennis (Alec Baldwin), whose right hand man is Lonny (Russell Brand). With Baldwin and Brand in the cast, you just know that there'll be plenty of laughs. For example, at some point those two guys end up singing REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling" to each other. Is this a bromance, a drunken bender, something more or something less?
Things get complicated when Lonny books rock god Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) to play The Bourbon. Stacee has been known to be a no-show at several of his gigs, and it's all his manager, Paul (Paul Giamotti), can do to keep him halfway sober and get him to care enough to show up. Dennis needs a big gate from Stacee's concert to keep The Bourbon financially afloat. The first sign of trouble is when Dennis and Lonny have to scramble at the last minute to find a warm-up band for the big show. Good thing Drew, the barback, is ready with his electric guitar and bandmates to fill in.
This is a movie that does not take itself seriously. The set-up for the first encounter of Sherrie and Drew is so bogus it's laughable. As in any film romance, the boy is at some point going to lose the girl, but in "Rock Of Ages" the misunderstanding which causes the breakup is equally bogus. There is also a pretty blonde reporter (Malin Akerman) from Rolling Stone Magazine who shows up at The Bourbon to interview Stacee. She's wearing oversize glasses, and you know it's just a matter of time before she falls for Stacee, letting down her hair and shedding her glasses (and articles of clothing) in the process. Additional comic scenes are provided by Catherine Zeta-Jones playing the mayor's wife. She is outraged by the decadence in evidence at The Bourbon Room, and goes on the offensive to shut it down. (Notice how this endeavor reminds us of Julianne Hough's other major film, "Footloose"?) My favorite scene in the movie takes place in a small church, where Zeta-Jones leads a group of women in a spirited rendition of "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" while the church organist provides musical accompaniment. I did not want that scene to end. If you're not convinced that all these things are ludicrous, consider this: A key component of the plot is that one of the biggest classic rock anthems of all time, "Don't Stop Believin'," was penned by Drew!
The soundtrack for this movie is hard to beat. There are large doses from the classic rock era, including songs made famous by Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and Journey, to name a few. The actors appear to be singing themselves, or else they are doing a very credible job of lip synching. I exited the theater with a worn out ankle. My foot had been tapping for two solid hours.
Things get complicated when Lonny books rock god Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) to play The Bourbon. Stacee has been known to be a no-show at several of his gigs, and it's all his manager, Paul (Paul Giamotti), can do to keep him halfway sober and get him to care enough to show up. Dennis needs a big gate from Stacee's concert to keep The Bourbon financially afloat. The first sign of trouble is when Dennis and Lonny have to scramble at the last minute to find a warm-up band for the big show. Good thing Drew, the barback, is ready with his electric guitar and bandmates to fill in.
This is a movie that does not take itself seriously. The set-up for the first encounter of Sherrie and Drew is so bogus it's laughable. As in any film romance, the boy is at some point going to lose the girl, but in "Rock Of Ages" the misunderstanding which causes the breakup is equally bogus. There is also a pretty blonde reporter (Malin Akerman) from Rolling Stone Magazine who shows up at The Bourbon to interview Stacee. She's wearing oversize glasses, and you know it's just a matter of time before she falls for Stacee, letting down her hair and shedding her glasses (and articles of clothing) in the process. Additional comic scenes are provided by Catherine Zeta-Jones playing the mayor's wife. She is outraged by the decadence in evidence at The Bourbon Room, and goes on the offensive to shut it down. (Notice how this endeavor reminds us of Julianne Hough's other major film, "Footloose"?) My favorite scene in the movie takes place in a small church, where Zeta-Jones leads a group of women in a spirited rendition of "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" while the church organist provides musical accompaniment. I did not want that scene to end. If you're not convinced that all these things are ludicrous, consider this: A key component of the plot is that one of the biggest classic rock anthems of all time, "Don't Stop Believin'," was penned by Drew!
The soundtrack for this movie is hard to beat. There are large doses from the classic rock era, including songs made famous by Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and Journey, to name a few. The actors appear to be singing themselves, or else they are doing a very credible job of lip synching. I exited the theater with a worn out ankle. My foot had been tapping for two solid hours.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
The Two Question Rule
If you check back on my introductory post from December 6 ("Following David Brinkley's Lead"), you'll notice that nowhere in the list of subjects that I planned to cover in The Quentin Chronicle was "advice on the opposite sex." Even though I have been married for thirty-six years and raised two daughters, I am virtually unqualified because I make no pretense about being able to understand women. (My son can vouch for me, because even though I have not been shy about giving him advice, it has rarely, if ever, been about those of the female persuasion.) My feeling is that, if you ever meet a male who makes a contrary claim, take what he says with a grain of salt! Nevertheless, a couple of months ago I read a piece in an advice column - - it might have been Amy Dickinson's column "Ask Amy," and although I don't know for sure I am going to go with that assumption - - that was so downright excellent that I wished I had written it myself. The piece was not actually directly relevant to love life advice; instead it was about manners. However, after reading the column I was reminded about the one piece of advice on the subject of romance that I would have been willing to offer had I ever been asked. I have yet to be asked, but that's what blogs are for. You can answer questions that have never been asked of you!
In the particular "Ask Amy" column to which I refer, her readers contributed advice which they, themselves, had been given in their youth, and which they now imparted to their own children. A woman wrote to share a bit of instruction which her mother had told her and her siblings. The instruction was as follows: If you are conversing with a person who says something that reminds you of one of your own experiences (whether similar or dissimilar), you should first make every effort to ask three questions about what that person had to say. For example, if Lucy says to Ethel that she has just returned from a trip to South Dakota, Ethel should not reply, "I have never been to South Dakota, but I have been to North Dakota," nor should Ethel say, "I was there in 2006 and just loved it." Instead, Ethel should ask, "Did you see Mount Rushmore?" or "How long were you there?" In other words, let the person who instigates the telling of the personal story have her moment in the sun before you highjack the conversation with recollections of your own experience.
To be honest, I think three questions might be a little much, but please, no less than one, and preferably two! I am going to call it the "Two Question Rule." Once you have paid your acquaintance that little courtesy, then you can regale her with your own tale. Of course, it's easier said than done to execute that little courtesy, and it's also tough to restrain yourself if the conversation includes a third person who is not a follower of "Ask Amy" and decides to launch into her own story. It is behavior like that which probably led to the saying, "It's not always about you!"
My personal experience with conversation high jackers probably peaked when our kids were in school. What parent does not want to talk about his own kid? Mr. Jones: "My little Georgie hit two home runs in his T-ball game last night." Mr. Smith: "That's just great! My little Annie scored three goals in her soccer game!" No doubt I was guilty myself of failing to observe the Two Question Rule, but hopefully not more than a handful of times. I guess my excuse is that I had not yet read the Ask Amy column. Kudos to Amy's reader who shared her mother's wisdom. I wish I had that in my (too often used) bag of fatherly tips when my kids were little. It was more worthwhile than a lot of my other pearls of wisdom. But two of my kids follow this blog, so better late than never!
Now, you may now be asking, "What does the Two Question Rule have to do with anyone's love life?" Okay, what follows here is the tie-in, as tenuous as it might be.
From what I have read and observed over the years, a lot of younger people on the dating scene wonder if the person they are seeing is The One. I would advise such a person to pay attention to follow-up questions (or lack thereof) asked of them by their significant other, especially after the lapse of a day or more. The situations which are ripe for follow-ups involve mentioning some event which will occur (or remain in place) the next day, or at least in the very near future. A guy tells a girl that he's going to be studying hard that night for a test the next day, or that he's interviewing for a job tomorrow, or that his out-of-town cousin is coming for a visit. If, the next time they talk, the girl never asks about the test, or the interview or the visit, she is not The One. A girl tells a guy that she's almost done with a great book she's been reading, or that she is writing a speech, or that her mother is sick. If, the next time they talk, the guy never asks about the book, or the speech or the mom, he is not The One. If a person is interested in you, she will ask that follow-up question.
A person's failure to ask the follow-up doesn't make her a bad person. Maybe she is forgetful. Maybe there are so many other guys in the picture that she can't keep straight who told her what. Or, unfortunately, maybe it's just a case of poor etiquette. Obviously my little strategy will not reveal to you who is The One. Entire books could be written, and have been written, about that difficult query. But my strategy will be useful in determining who is not The One. If you see a pattern developing where your significant other consistently fails, time and again, to ask you that longed-for (or at least, anticipated) follow-up, it may be time to recognize that as a red flag. Let's face it, there are plenty of narcissists out there. Why waste your time with one?
How can you be a better conversationalist? How can you be a better mate? One imperative sentence provides the answer to both: Ask follow-up questions. It will show that you've been listening. It will show that you are interested, or at least that you have good manners.
In the particular "Ask Amy" column to which I refer, her readers contributed advice which they, themselves, had been given in their youth, and which they now imparted to their own children. A woman wrote to share a bit of instruction which her mother had told her and her siblings. The instruction was as follows: If you are conversing with a person who says something that reminds you of one of your own experiences (whether similar or dissimilar), you should first make every effort to ask three questions about what that person had to say. For example, if Lucy says to Ethel that she has just returned from a trip to South Dakota, Ethel should not reply, "I have never been to South Dakota, but I have been to North Dakota," nor should Ethel say, "I was there in 2006 and just loved it." Instead, Ethel should ask, "Did you see Mount Rushmore?" or "How long were you there?" In other words, let the person who instigates the telling of the personal story have her moment in the sun before you highjack the conversation with recollections of your own experience.
To be honest, I think three questions might be a little much, but please, no less than one, and preferably two! I am going to call it the "Two Question Rule." Once you have paid your acquaintance that little courtesy, then you can regale her with your own tale. Of course, it's easier said than done to execute that little courtesy, and it's also tough to restrain yourself if the conversation includes a third person who is not a follower of "Ask Amy" and decides to launch into her own story. It is behavior like that which probably led to the saying, "It's not always about you!"
My personal experience with conversation high jackers probably peaked when our kids were in school. What parent does not want to talk about his own kid? Mr. Jones: "My little Georgie hit two home runs in his T-ball game last night." Mr. Smith: "That's just great! My little Annie scored three goals in her soccer game!" No doubt I was guilty myself of failing to observe the Two Question Rule, but hopefully not more than a handful of times. I guess my excuse is that I had not yet read the Ask Amy column. Kudos to Amy's reader who shared her mother's wisdom. I wish I had that in my (too often used) bag of fatherly tips when my kids were little. It was more worthwhile than a lot of my other pearls of wisdom. But two of my kids follow this blog, so better late than never!
Now, you may now be asking, "What does the Two Question Rule have to do with anyone's love life?" Okay, what follows here is the tie-in, as tenuous as it might be.
From what I have read and observed over the years, a lot of younger people on the dating scene wonder if the person they are seeing is The One. I would advise such a person to pay attention to follow-up questions (or lack thereof) asked of them by their significant other, especially after the lapse of a day or more. The situations which are ripe for follow-ups involve mentioning some event which will occur (or remain in place) the next day, or at least in the very near future. A guy tells a girl that he's going to be studying hard that night for a test the next day, or that he's interviewing for a job tomorrow, or that his out-of-town cousin is coming for a visit. If, the next time they talk, the girl never asks about the test, or the interview or the visit, she is not The One. A girl tells a guy that she's almost done with a great book she's been reading, or that she is writing a speech, or that her mother is sick. If, the next time they talk, the guy never asks about the book, or the speech or the mom, he is not The One. If a person is interested in you, she will ask that follow-up question.
A person's failure to ask the follow-up doesn't make her a bad person. Maybe she is forgetful. Maybe there are so many other guys in the picture that she can't keep straight who told her what. Or, unfortunately, maybe it's just a case of poor etiquette. Obviously my little strategy will not reveal to you who is The One. Entire books could be written, and have been written, about that difficult query. But my strategy will be useful in determining who is not The One. If you see a pattern developing where your significant other consistently fails, time and again, to ask you that longed-for (or at least, anticipated) follow-up, it may be time to recognize that as a red flag. Let's face it, there are plenty of narcissists out there. Why waste your time with one?
How can you be a better conversationalist? How can you be a better mate? One imperative sentence provides the answer to both: Ask follow-up questions. It will show that you've been listening. It will show that you are interested, or at least that you have good manners.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Movie Review: "Snow White And The Huntsman"
"Snow White And The Huntsman": B+. I would imagine that the retelling of "Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs" as a fairy tail featuring epic battles, gorgeous cinematography, special effects and a beauty desired by two guys with Hollywood looks is a challenge which would be nearly impossible to tackle, but as President Dub once famously said, "Mission accomplished!" Nice going, Director Rupert Sanders! "Snow White And The Huntsman" is a very worthy offshoot, a retelling of the familiar story but with twenty-first century technology.
Charlize Theron is the conniving and vain Ravenna with a master plan to become the all-powerful queen of the land. She is an accomplished schemer whose good looks belie the fact that she's also a cold blooded killer. The slain king's daughter, little fair-haired Snow White, is imprisoned by the queen in solitary confinement in the castle's grim north tower. Snow White's playmate, Prince William (Sam Claflin), looks on in futility as he barely escapes capture himself, instead being ridden away on horseback by his father as he pledges that someday he'll return to save the princess. Many years go by, and after Snow White has grown into a beautiful brunette, played by Kristen Stewart, she pulls off an exciting escape not unlike the one seen in the movie "The Fugitive." Thus ends the first third of the movie.
As luck would have it, as she is fleeing Snow White comes across an abandoned white stallion, which she rides bareback through the heather toward the Dark Forest, barely ahead of a mounted posse led by Finn (Sam Spruell), the queen's creepy blonde brother. The Dark Forest is too treacherous to ride horses, so Snow White continues on foot, with the bad guys still in hot pursuit. Just as Snow White was lucky to find the white stallion, Finn and his men stumble upon the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth), whom they enlist to track and capture Snow White. The girl is no match for the Huntsman, who calls the Dark Forest his home and easily captures the exhausted Snow White as she cowers under a huge tree. But, the Huntsman smells a rat (or maybe Snow White's Chanel Number 5) and decides that, rather than handing her over to Finn and his dastardly gang, he will aid her escape and bring her to safety. This middle third of the movie is my favorite part. The haunting Dark Forest and its contrast with enchanted bright magical land of the seven (or eight, if you're paying attention) dwarfs are both brilliantly captured by the film makers. It is here that the Huntsman and the dwarfs realize that the pretty young girl they've been protecting is, in fact, the royal princess.
The final third of the movie leads up to the battle royale between the forces of all that is good and wholesome versus the wicked queen's loyalists. I will leave it for you to guess which side prevails. Then there is the final scene, for which the script writers could easily have chosen a cliched ending. To their credit, they did not.
There are a few places here and there which deserve criticism. I will mention just two. The supernatural powers of the queen are a little too over the top for me. (Yes, I realize this is a fairy tale.) Apparently she has the ability to remotely control almost everything that lives and breathes, such as Finn who seems to have more lives than a cat. The other nit has to do with William. He pretends to befriend Finn and rides with Finn's army, but when the army attacks innocent people William conveniently disappears. (Or, did William target innocent people too, but offscreen?) Maybe we are supposed to believe that Finn is as dumb as a post and doesn't see this for himself.
It has been a few days since I saw the movie, yet certain things have stuck with me. For example, the "mirror mirror on the wall" from which Ravenna seeks confirmation that she "is the fairest of them all" is spectacular. The gray castle on the shores of a huge body of water is awesome. The aptly named Dark Forest is the perfect setting for the initial stages of the relationship between the two title characters. And the colorful grove beyond the Dark Forest, with its talking flowers and woodland creatures, goes perfectly with this fairy tale. I absolutely loved the dwarfs; couldn't get enough of them! There is even an angry troll which, of course, is unable to speak but whose thoughts and emotions are clearly visible through the artistic and creative skill of this movie's special effects team.
Regardless of whether you have an HD television, this is not a movie to place into your Netflix que. Rather, you should cough up the price of a ticket to see it in a first run movie theater. That way you'll be in position to enjoy fully all this movie has to offer.
Charlize Theron is the conniving and vain Ravenna with a master plan to become the all-powerful queen of the land. She is an accomplished schemer whose good looks belie the fact that she's also a cold blooded killer. The slain king's daughter, little fair-haired Snow White, is imprisoned by the queen in solitary confinement in the castle's grim north tower. Snow White's playmate, Prince William (Sam Claflin), looks on in futility as he barely escapes capture himself, instead being ridden away on horseback by his father as he pledges that someday he'll return to save the princess. Many years go by, and after Snow White has grown into a beautiful brunette, played by Kristen Stewart, she pulls off an exciting escape not unlike the one seen in the movie "The Fugitive." Thus ends the first third of the movie.
As luck would have it, as she is fleeing Snow White comes across an abandoned white stallion, which she rides bareback through the heather toward the Dark Forest, barely ahead of a mounted posse led by Finn (Sam Spruell), the queen's creepy blonde brother. The Dark Forest is too treacherous to ride horses, so Snow White continues on foot, with the bad guys still in hot pursuit. Just as Snow White was lucky to find the white stallion, Finn and his men stumble upon the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth), whom they enlist to track and capture Snow White. The girl is no match for the Huntsman, who calls the Dark Forest his home and easily captures the exhausted Snow White as she cowers under a huge tree. But, the Huntsman smells a rat (or maybe Snow White's Chanel Number 5) and decides that, rather than handing her over to Finn and his dastardly gang, he will aid her escape and bring her to safety. This middle third of the movie is my favorite part. The haunting Dark Forest and its contrast with enchanted bright magical land of the seven (or eight, if you're paying attention) dwarfs are both brilliantly captured by the film makers. It is here that the Huntsman and the dwarfs realize that the pretty young girl they've been protecting is, in fact, the royal princess.
The final third of the movie leads up to the battle royale between the forces of all that is good and wholesome versus the wicked queen's loyalists. I will leave it for you to guess which side prevails. Then there is the final scene, for which the script writers could easily have chosen a cliched ending. To their credit, they did not.
There are a few places here and there which deserve criticism. I will mention just two. The supernatural powers of the queen are a little too over the top for me. (Yes, I realize this is a fairy tale.) Apparently she has the ability to remotely control almost everything that lives and breathes, such as Finn who seems to have more lives than a cat. The other nit has to do with William. He pretends to befriend Finn and rides with Finn's army, but when the army attacks innocent people William conveniently disappears. (Or, did William target innocent people too, but offscreen?) Maybe we are supposed to believe that Finn is as dumb as a post and doesn't see this for himself.
It has been a few days since I saw the movie, yet certain things have stuck with me. For example, the "mirror mirror on the wall" from which Ravenna seeks confirmation that she "is the fairest of them all" is spectacular. The gray castle on the shores of a huge body of water is awesome. The aptly named Dark Forest is the perfect setting for the initial stages of the relationship between the two title characters. And the colorful grove beyond the Dark Forest, with its talking flowers and woodland creatures, goes perfectly with this fairy tale. I absolutely loved the dwarfs; couldn't get enough of them! There is even an angry troll which, of course, is unable to speak but whose thoughts and emotions are clearly visible through the artistic and creative skill of this movie's special effects team.
Regardless of whether you have an HD television, this is not a movie to place into your Netflix que. Rather, you should cough up the price of a ticket to see it in a first run movie theater. That way you'll be in position to enjoy fully all this movie has to offer.
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