Movie Review: Away We Go November 14, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Family, Society.Tags: review, Movie, Away We Go, Maya Rudolph, John Krasinski
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Netflix Synopsis: Buoyed by the news that they are expecting their first baby, Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) embark on a journey to locate the perfect place on the planet to raise their child. But their quest inevitably yields many unexpected surprises. Sam Mendes directs this quirky comedy while Allison Janney, Catherine O’Hara, Josh Hamilton, Jim Gaffigan, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jeff Daniels co-star.
Let me start by saying this movie was slow. But, and this is a HUGE but, it worked for me. For some reason, I really connected with this movie. It was touching, sentimental, beautiful, and real. I am so glad I was willing to sit through it and let the movie wash over me. It was slow, but it felt like real life. You have to let go and yet still be fully engaged. The movie, the travels of the characters really emulated the journey of our lives. In each place they travelled there was some problem and yet it could be their home. And they continued their journey until they found it.
The soundtrack was soft and gentle and moving. It fit the movie perfectly. And each place, seven cities, was such a great representation of the location and it really felt like you were there. And one of the cool things about this movie was that it was produced in a “green” way. They put a lot of effort into making sure the impact of filming was very small. That is cool. Kudos to all involved in this movie, for sure!
Book Review: Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Stephen Levitt and Stephen Dubner November 13, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Family, Politics, Society.Tags: book, E, economics, Everything, Freakonomics, review, statistics, Stephen Dubner, Stephen Levitt
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As the author points out at the beginning of the book, there is no unifying theme to this point. That is true, however, it does not take away from the value of the book. If you like statistics and hearing anecdotal stories about how data can be used to explain real life events, this is a definite read.
The author goes into a wide variety of topics such as investigating teachers cheating, what has caused crime rates to drop since the 1980s, how parents affect the success of their children, and how their names play into that success (or not). Mr. Levitt has an interesting take on how the world works. He uses to mountains of data to explain social and human actions, which is very intriguing for me.
I listened to this book from Audible and despite all the facts and numbers, it was very easy to digest. At the very end he covered a bunch of lists, but the reader (his co-auther) was able to present it in way that was mostly understandable without having to listen to it again. However, that was the only time it was hard to listen to. The audible book was almost seven and half hours and I did not want to put it down.
I look forward to listening to the authors’ next book, Super Freakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance. If it was half as interesting as this one, it will be still a good read.
Movie Review: Firewall October 21, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Society.Tags: Firewall, Harrison Ford, Movie, review
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Netflix Synopsis: State-of-the-art security system creator Jack Stanfield (Harrison Ford) has cemented his reputation as a man who’s thought of everything. But when a criminal (Paul Bettany) finds a way into Jack’s personal life, everything Jack holds dear is suddenly at stake. Virginia Madsen, Alan Arkin and Robert Patrick co-star in this taut thriller from acclaimed British director Richard Loncraine (Richard III, Wimbledon).
I watched this one a couple of weeks ago and am finally getting around to writting this up. This movie was ok. The suspense and the twists and turns of this thriller made me keep watching. And I appreciated the realistic technology used as opposed to some movies that just make stuff up that people won’t understand. But as a whole it played a little flat. I think the storyline left me asking “why?” throughout the movie and then the ending was a “really?”. There are better movies in the category, but if you like Harrison Ford in a non-Indiana Jones movie, this will probably works for you.
Movie Review: Couples Retreat October 17, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Society.Tags: Couples Retreat, Movies, review, Vince Vaughan
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Here is my first post using my new Apple Touch. My wife worked hard to win a raffle and this was her motivation, a prize specifically for me. Anyway, I am trying to use the WordPress app. I say “try” because it is certainly more difficult trying to type on this little screen than it is on normal keyboard.
So, let me get on to the review before I ramble on any further. Couples Retreat is a funny movie – not necessarily as funny as some of Vince Vaughan’s other movies, but still funny. What I found most interesting about this one is the amount of “truth behind the jokes” there is. Every couple is different. What makes them tick, what makes them work is always different. And there are ups and downs, but the couples that stay together figure out ways to work through their problems through teamwork and communication.
So, I did enjoy this movie, but when you watch it you can’t help think about how important what you do, what you say, and how hard you are willing to work really is.
Movie Review: Gran Torino October 3, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Society.Tags: Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino, Michigan, Movies, review
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Netflix Synopsis: Curmudgeonly Korean War veteran Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood, who also directs) must confront his Hmong immigrant neighbors — and his own long-held prejudices — when the family’s teenage son, Thao (Bee Vang), tries to steal Walt’s beloved 1972 Gran Torino. Walt soon assumes the unlikely role of guardian angel to young Thao and his sister Sue (Ahney Her), both of whom are vulnerable to local gang influences.
Movie #2 this week – most people have heard about this one as it was critically-acclaimed – and rightly so. This was a great movie, I would say very similar to another good Eastwood movie, Million Dollar Baby with Hillary Swank. In this one, the only real star is Eastwood, but his supporting cast builds a captivating scene and entertaining relationships that make this film enjoyable. It is easy to get immersed in this Michigan based story.
Movie Review: The Good Shepherd October 3, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Society.Tags: documentary, Matt Damon, Movies, review, The Good Shepherd
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Netflix Synopsis: Matt Damon and Robert De Niro (who also directs) star in this partially fact-based drama that examines the early history of the CIA as seen through the eyes of a dedicated agent. An upstanding, sharp-minded Yale student, Edward Wilson (Damon) is recruited to work for the fledgling CIA during World War II. Though loyal to his country, Wilson begins to feel the job eroding his ideals, filling him with distrust and destroying his personal life.
My first of three movies from Netflix this week, The Good Shephard was very entertaining and informative. Based on real events revolving around the Bay of Pigs incident and the CIA work. I admit I am not very well educated on these events, but was interested in the history of the time period.
However, the presentation of this movie was rough. It was nearly three hours in length and I think that was in part because of all the timeline transitions. Each new scene seemed to jump from one time period to another. The movie covered from about 1910 to 1970 and while this made for an interesting story, this jump disrupted my enjoyment of the film.
Movie (Documentary) Review: Man on Wire October 2, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Uncategorized.Tags: documentary, Man On Wire, Movies, Philippe Petit, review
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Netflix Synopsis: Philippe Petit captured the world’s attention in 1974 when he successfully walked across a high wire between New York’s Twin Towers. This Oscar winner for Best Documentary explores the preparations that went into the stunt as well as the event and its aftermath. Obsessed with the towers even before they were fully constructed, Petit sneaked into the buildings several times to determine the equipment he needed to accomplish his daring feat.
I first heard about this movie during one of favorite podcasts, Think on NPR’s KERA station in Texas. The passion that came through of Philippe Petite was captivating. I knew then that I had to find it on Netflix. Well, this week, I finally got around to it from the “Watch Instantly” queue.
Now, I have to say this, 8 years after the events of September 11th, 2001, this movie was very errie. That being said, for a documentary, this story is amazing and the performance is absolutely breath-taking. If you can get past the reminders of 9/11, this is a can’t miss movie. It celebrates one man’s passion, possibly slight insanity, determination and skill. And the photography is spectacular.
Movie Review: Escape from Suburbia September 15, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Politics, Society, Technology.Tags: Cap and Trade, city life, Escape from Suburbia, Global Warming, Movie, Peak Oil, review, suburbs, Toyota Highlander, Willit California
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I watched “Escape from Suburbia” last night. It was a captivating documentary discussing the problem of the impending peak oil crisis. (Although it felt at times the “peak oil” phrase was getting hammered in.) It discusses how the world (and namely the US) uses much more oil than we (the world) are able to find and produce. We are running out of oil. I also mentions global warming and other related problems.
It primary discusses localizing economies to reduce non-renewable fuel usage. I think it is definitely part of the solution, but it is hard to enforce and regulate. One thing I found extremely odd was that is never mentioned the Cap And Trade method. And while this is difficult to enforce as well, but it can be more regulated and monitored. But it has to be an international solution. As one of the examples one person mentioned, Canadians catch Whitefish, ship them to China where they are filleted, packaged and shipped back to Canada for consumption… how ridiculous is that! And I am sure it happens all the time. Under a Cap and Trade regulation, this would be too expensive to do and it would produce more local jobs and reduce oil usage.
Another topic I was very interested in was their discussion of Willit, Ca. They, like many other towns on some level, are trying to implement completely localized economies and energy. They are formalizing this effort and really getting the whole town involved. I wish I had the time to organize this for our area. At the global or even national level, I think politics will prevent us from really making much progress.
This movie also made me really have trouble with buying an SUV that getting less than 25 MPG. We are going to need a larger vehicle and my mid-size sedan gets 30 MPG, but there are no American-made SUVs on the market that can come close to that number. It really makes me think seriously about getting the Highlander Hybrid again. They say it can get upwards of 33 MPG. And while we do not want to buy foreign, a used foreign vehicle would not produce the monetary gains out of the US AND it would be re-using a perfectly good product instead of causing a new vehicle to be produced.
Camera Review: Canon G9 vs G10 May 1, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Family, Technology.Tags: camera, Canon, DSLR, G10, G9, Moore's Law, review
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I got this camera a year and a half ago, just as it was coming out. But I was recently at a gymnastics practice and one of the parents was player with her new toy, a Canon G10. She asked for a few pointers and after I provide my disclaimer that I am no expert, I was happy to help and get a chance to look at this newer model. Having noticed a couple of differences, I thought it made sense to write up why I am still happy with my G9.
Back in 2007, I was looking to replace my four year old 4MP Canon point and shoot. I like the smaller size of pocket cameras, but wanted a fuller set of features. I am not ready for a full DSLR, so this camera really fit the bill. In a pinch, it can fit my my pocket, but it has over 15 pre-programmed scene settings in addition to several manual custom settings. My brother-in-law has a G3 and really liked it. I read the pre-reviews and it just made sense.
Rather than list all the features, here is a link to the Canon website. I will just talk about the things I like most about this camera. First, I will say that I am sure higher end cameras offer a higher quality picture. And it isn’t just about megapixels. This camera has 12.1 MP. I feel like if you take a good picture (that being IN FOCUS), it is going to be more important than number of pixels. And one of the big reasons I like this camera is the different scene settings that allow me to find the right pre-defined settings to get the in focus picture. Most often, I find myself using the Indoors, Kids & Pets, Foliage and Sports settings. On really bright days, I also use the Beach setting. I am sure professional photographers might prefer to be in manual mode and this option is there. However, I feel like the settings are there, they work well, and they allow me to focus on the action and getting the pictures.
Here are a couple of differences between the G9 and the G10. I think the G9 wins on several features, so I am not sure why people would look to this newer version. (see slight retraction below) But I will let you decide.
| G9 | G10 | |
| MegaPixels | 12.1 MP, 1/1.7 inch CCD | 14.7 MP, 1/1.7-inch CCD |
| Focal Length | 7.4-44.4mm f/2.8-4.8 (35mm film equivalent: 35-210mm) |
6.1-30.5mm f/2.8-4.5 (35mm film equivalent: 28-140mm) |
| LCD Screen | 3.0 inch 230,000 pixels | 3.0 inch 461,000 pixels |
| Shutter speed | 15-1/4000 sec. | 15-1/2500 sec. |
| Flash | 1.0-13 ft./30cm-4.0m (W) 1.6-8.2 ft./50cm-2.5m (T) 12 sec. or less |
12 in.-15 ft./30cm-4.6m (W) 1.6-9.2 ft./50cm-2.8m (T) 10 sec. or less |
| Image/Movie Compression | Normal, Fine, SuperFine, RAW Movie: AVI (Image: Motion JPEG; Audio: WAVE (Monaural)) |
Normal, Fine, SuperFine Movie: MOV (Image: H.264; Audio: Linear PCM (Monaural)) |
| Movie Pixels options | 1024 x 768 (15 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps/30 fps LP), 640 x 480 (2 hours at 0.5 fps/1 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) available up to 4GB or 60 minutes, 160 x 120 (3 minutes at 15 fps) |
640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) available up to 4GB or 60 minutes |
Now, having gone through this exercise, I am less “against” the G10 downgrades. There are clearly some advantages to the G9 still. I often use the 1024×768 movie mode, but I do not use the RAW image mode – maybe someday I will be so bold. But the G10 has a better LCD and better shutter and flash recycle time, which I would prefer. In the end, I see there is no clear winner, which to me is strange when a company comes out with a newer model. I think that is the bottom line. For the same price, a year later, the newer model should have the same and better features and not compromises between the two. Hasn’t Canon heard of Moore’s Law?
Just Walk Away January 16, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Family, Society.Tags: aging, Laura Linney, Movies, parents, Philip Seymour Hoffman, review, The Savages
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I wish I could. I wish I was able to leave a movie unfinished. I sit here watching what may be the slowest movie since “Dances With Wolves.” And while it feels like it has been 3 hours, this movie is finally wrapping up after 1:40…
“The Savages” stars two great actors in Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney and yet… argh! It just drags. Now, in part this may have been the intent of the director. The topic is not an easy one and I am sure people that go through the process of learning how to take care of their parents find that it drags on too in a dark way… until the last two minutes!
I am certainly not looking forward to these events, but know they are a necessary part of life. They are an honor for those of us who had wonderful parents taking care of us as children. And I certainly hope my outlook on that process is more bright than this movie.
