All Consuming : Randem

Consumed "Alexander Nevsky"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:06:53 GMT

Alexander Nevsky

by Sergei M. Eisenstein

WORTH IT!

A review of "The Case for the Real Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on the Identity of Christ"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:31:59 GMT

The Case for the Real Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on the Identity of Christ

by Lee Strobel

This book is filled with logical fallacy upon logical fallacy—so many examples of argument from ignorance it makes my head spin. Halfway through the book, I began realizing that my brain hurt after each passage I read, because it has to work overtime at cutting through the bullshit. As it turns out, when you cut through the bullshit of this book, you find there’s nothing left.

To begin with, the author takes no responsibility for the opinions he’s passing around. His entire argument is phrased within “he says” quotations. What journalist (he claims to have been a journalist with the Chicago Tribune) of any worth would write an entire book where he does nothing but put words into other people’s mouths?

Then there’s the obvious fallacy begun from the start of the book and carried ~~- unchallenged -~~ straight through to the end: associating an opinion with the name of someone respected or esteemed in a particular field DOES NOT make the opinion a fact. The author even uses this to “debunk” an anti-Christian idea in chapter 2, while blatantly and ironically doing that very thing throughout the entirety of his book.

This is pure, utter, nonsensical dogmatic drivel. It’s ridicule and argument and posturing.

This book should not be read by Christians, because it will only serve to make them liars.

And it really should not be read by non-Christians either, but I doubt there are too many of us out there willing to read an argument for Christ in the first place.

A review of "The Brave One"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:02:41 GMT

The Brave One

by Neil Jordan

The trailers for this movie made it look like a rugged, action-oriented film, which I thought would be a more likable fare than what we normally get out of Jodie Foster. Unfortunately, the trailers greatly misrepresented the film. What little action there is only seemed to be a set-up for the hours of mind-numbing drama. And I’m not talking about the Anthony Hopkins, Meryl Streep, good kind of drama… I’m talking about the painful, boring, I-want-my-money-back Jodie Foster type of drama.

The plot and the dialog were fairly predictable—I found myself saying the lines along with the actors even though I had never seen it before.

The movie did break new ground in one early scene, in an artsy and disturbing fashion, when visuals of a battered and bloody woman being moved around by emergency room doctors were intermixed with visuals of her sexual experiences. The scene relates the paramedics moving her on the gurney to her lover moving her on the bed, and the nurse cutting off her clothes to her lover removing them, and so on. It’s a very uncomfortable, and very vivid bit of cinema that quite clearly draws an undeniable connection between sex and violence.

Disappointing (rated 2 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 13:50:53 GMT

The Number 23 (Infinifilm Edition)

by Joel Schumacher

As a fan of the intellectual and psychological thriller/drama (eg, Se7en, Pi, Magnolia) I had high hopes for this movie. The opening credits succeeded in drawing me in, with a number of “coincidences” being stated as fact, all making connections to the number 23.

I really thought this was going to be a great movie. In fact, the story started out with pretty good potential. Unfortunately, this movie suffers from the same telegraphing symptoms of other high-budget let-downs, like the DaVinci Code, or Secret Window. Every twist is seen coming far in advance, and the plot is paper thin. It’s a story about a story.

I think it’s a sign of a weak writer when you write a story about a story, making that sub-story out to be great. It’s as if the writer imagines his story as great, but knows it’s not, so he has to write a story around it to cast it in a better light. Well, that’s how it looks to me, anyway.

A review of "Survivor: A Novel"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 19:17:19 GMT

Survivor: A Novel

by Chuck Palahniuk

Survivor is an absurdly funny, yet penetratingly accurate look at modern society, in perhaps a not-so-good light. As a follow-up to the wildly successful Fight Club, Survivor carries over some of the elements I found so fresh and new about Palahniuk’s writing, while still keeping the story fresh and new. In other words, this is definitely not Fight Club, Part II.

As an author, Palahniuk’s best quality is his willingness to take chances. From the backward numbering the pages and chapters to the edgy themes contained therein, we can be certain about this: there is no topic too sacred.

A few of the “twists” toward the end didn’t live up to the set-up for me, but it’s not much of a let down when the book is still so much more interesting than the rest of what’s out there these days.

Lousy (rated 1 star)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 19:18:44 GMT

Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life

by Spencer Johnson

It’s a 20-page story that might be helpful to some people, stretched into 70 pages, and then wrapped in 20 more pages of bullshit trying to convince the reader of how good the story is.

This is the very definition of lame. The idea of the story might be a good one ~~- for 6th graders -~~ but it’s what any adult should already know. And more importantly, if you’re an adult and you don’t already know this, you’re not going to suddenly have a revelation after reading this lousy book.

A review of "Coca-Cola Blāk"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 13:58:23 GMT

Coca-Cola Blāk

by Coca-Cola Company

I just tried new Coca-Cola BlâK. Wow, is that bad or what? The flavor is somewhere in between cola and caramel, which is disgusting enough on its own. Then there’s all of the froth… I can already feel my insides gurgling from the carbonation. And the best part is that it’s sweetened with my two favorite ingredients: high fructose corn syrup, and aspartame. Yum!

A review of "Rosenrot"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 17:49:11 GMT

Rosenrot

by Rammstein

I peeled the cellophane, inserted the disc, and spun my volume know hard to the right, and was immediately welcomed by “Benzin” into a kidney punch that makes Sehnsucht sound like a lullabye in comparison.

This CD demonstrates how much Rammstein has polished their sound since Sehnsucht. Not only is the music more mature and more refined, but it also packs a far more serious punch!

Only one good thing about this film (rated 1 star)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 19:23:10 GMT

Amor En Silencio (A Silent Love)

This movie was really slow in developing, poorly written, poorly filmed, and with the exception of Susana Salazar, poorly acted too. It’s bad enough that at times you can’t hear what the actors are saying, but it only gets worse when ~~- in a still shot -~~ the camera is wobbling slightly back and forth. Come on, you couldn’t afford a simple tripod for this film?

The only redeeming use for this film is that the dialog isn’t too fast, so if you’re working to improve your understanding of spanish, this film can be good practice.

Why I recommend "The Stranger"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Wed, 17 May 2006 19:39:43 GMT

The Stranger

by Billy Joel

This has to easily be one of the BEST albums ever made. Of the nine songs contained herein, seven were top billboard hits. This is Billy Joel at his best.

A story about "Koyaanisqatsi - Life Out of Balance"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 00:53:18 GMT

Koyaanisqatsi - Life Out of Balance

by Godfrey Reggio

I woke up at 5:30 this morning, the same as every other day, and went down to the gym to work out. When I came back, Koyaanisqatsi was on my tv. I had no idea what I was watching, but I was quite interested in it. This is art unlike anything I’ve seen before, and I was so impressed by it that I went to the local underground movie and music store to buy a copy as soon as I was done at work.

I don’t know how I could describe this movie to someone who hasn’t seen it, except to say that it’s like photography in motion. I highly recommend this film to anyone capable of enjoying art.

Poorly Cast, Beautifully Shot (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 05:03:28 GMT

Panic Room

by David Fincher

David Fincher is a fantastic director, and it’s only a shame that he was left working without any acting talent. Jodie Foster and Forest Whitaker? What a shame. Still, the cinematography is gorgeous, as one would expect from the eye of David Fincher.

WTF?

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 02:17:08 GMT

The Passion of the Christ (Widescreen Edition)

by Mel Gibson

This isn’t a movie, it’s a snuff film. I’ve seen less suffering in a German porn. Faces Of Death was less graphic than this. It should be classified as a horror movie, because I’d sooner let a child watch Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Hellraiser ~~- back to back -~~ before I’d let a child watch this sick excuse for a film. If Mel wanted to spread the word of his religion, he could have spent less time on the graphic violence and more time on the message of love.

A review of "Fast"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Sat, 04 Mar 2006 21:28:13 GMT

Fast

by Custom

This CD is brilliant. The music is catchy and the lyrics are intelligent—and at times even funny. It takes a special kind of talent to get away with a gospel choir singing “who’s your daddy?” as backup lyrics without the songs getting cheesy. There isn’t a bad track on this disc. It’s a “must own” for any music lover.

Why I recommend "The Metrosexual Guide to Style: A Handbook for the Modern Man"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Sun, 05 Feb 2006 01:04:23 GMT

The Metrosexual Guide to Style: A Handbook for the Modern Man

by Michael Flocker

It’s no longer okay for men to be poorly groomed and fashion-retarded. This book covers the basics of what any modern man should know in order to survive in the modern world.

Gotta Love Snatch! (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Sat, 04 Feb 2006 18:28:56 GMT

Snatch (Special Edition)

I’ve owned this DVD for quite some time, but I hadn’t watched it in a while. A recent viewing brought to mind just how much I like Guy Ritchie. His ability to drive multiple storylines toward a single outcome is matched only by P.T. Anderson. His fast-cut scene changes remind me of some artsy innovation from Requiem For A Dream. His visual conveyance of though brings to mind an ability to convey his story without using words that I haven’t really seen since Pink Floyd’s The Wall. When you take all of that and add the remarkable cast of actors seen here, you’re left with a brilliant movie.

So Funny And So True (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 00:12:28 GMT

The Dilbert Principle: A Cubicle's-Eye View of Bosses, Meetings, Management Fads & Other Workplace Afflictions

by Scott Adams

What makes The Dilbert Principle so funny is its believability. If you ever wondered what makes managers tick, this book will give you some interesting ideas to consider. Extra kudos for the last chapter, in which Adams puts his reputation where his mouth is in proposing how corporations could be more efficient. Some of it may just be wishful thinking, but some of it might make for very successful business practice. My only complaint is that I wanted more content in the book and (would you believe) less of the Dilbert comics. The text stands on its own, and the comics actually dumb this book down to a less credible end result.

Shakira is Amazing

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 00:06:10 GMT

Dónde Están los Ladrones?

by Shakira

You don’t have to understand the Spanish language to appreciate Shakira’s voice, but if you do you’ll enjoy this album even more. If you have any sense of appreciation for music, you’ll really get your groove on for the vast array of musical styles employed from one song to the next—from the very traditional brass in Ciega Sordomuda to the rock-inspired sounds of Si Te Vas, from pop stylings to the heavy Arabic influence in Ojos Asi. This album is an amazing combination of vocal talent and production mastry.

American Idiot Rocks

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 23:59:01 GMT

American Idiot

by Green Day

Green Day has always made very consumable music, but they broke the mold for American Idiot. The band decided to make an album for themselves, rather than to please the critics or the producers or even the fans. What resulted was ~~- in my opinion -~~ the most innovative album since The Wall from Pink Floyd.

A story about "condoms"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 21:28:48 GMT

condoms

by http://www.keepcondom.com

Guys: Never trust your partner. They forget their pill, or sometimes they don’t take it on purpose, and you’re stuck with a kid you didn’t want. Pills, shots, and IUDs don’t prevent disease. And rubbers don’t cause mood swings.

A story about "Propel fitness water"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Randem) — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 21:25:18 GMT

Propel fitness water

I can’t stop drinking Propel. They must put crack in that water because it’s all I want to drink.