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Michael Parker's Journal
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Wednesday, January 31, 2007 |
Sure, 2006 had Johnny Depp reprising his role as Capt. Jack Sparrow in the much touted and beloved film series Pirates of the Caribbean 2. (It set the opening weekend record at $135 million, that’s $20 million more than what Spidey took in.) But for all of the hype going into the year with this film and The Da Vinci Code, 2006 ended up being a sub-par year for ticket sales, quite comparable to 2005. Only eighteen films crossed the $100 million milestone in box office booty this year. That falls behind 2005 by one film and a whopping 6 films in 2004, which saw 24 films cross the $100 million mark.
Notice the declining numbers of films since 1999 that are crossing the $100 million mark. And it causes one to pause and ask if our blockbusters (as those are the money-makers) aren’t as good as they used to be. I’ll have to see if I can track numbers further back, to see if there is indeed a trend or its evidence of a roller coaster syndrome.
1999 = 21 films -- the top grosser was The Phantom Menace ($431.09 m)
2000 = 22 films – the top grosser was The Grinch ($260.03 m)
2001 = 20 films – the top grosser was Harry Potter ($317.58 m)
2002 = 24 films – the top grosser was Spider-Man ($405.85 m)
2003 = 29 films – the top grosser was The Return of the King ($377.02 m)
2004 = 24 films – the top grosser was Shrek 2 ($436.47 m)
2005 = 19 films – the top grosser was Revenge of the Sith ($380.26 m)
2006 = 18 films – the top grosser was Pirates of the Caribbean 2 ($423 million)
Here are the eighteen films that pulled in the most business for 2006.
1. Pirates of the Caribbean 2 ($423 million) (Record-breaking opening weekend at $135 million)
2. Cars ($244.05 m)
3. X-Men: The Last Stand ($234.36 m)
4. The Da Vinci Code ($217.54 m )
5. Night at the Museum ($216.85 m)
6. Superman Returns ($200.07 m )
7. Ice Age: The Meltdown ($195.33 m)
8. Happy Feet ($191.93 m )
9. Casino Royale ($165.32 m)
10. Over the Hedge ($155.02 m)
11. The Pursuit of Happyness ($152.93 m)
12. Talladega Nights ($148.21 m )
13. Click ($137.34 m )
14. Mission: Impossible III ($133.38 m)
15. Borat ($127.83 m)
16. The Departed ($125.24 m)
17. The Devil Wears Prada ($124.74 m)
18. The Break-Up ($118.68 m )
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Tuesday, January 30, 2007 |
Note: This review appeared in its entirety on the MiPoesias Blog, which existed on blogspot.com. It doesn't exist any longer so I'm posting it on my journal so it will always have a home. MiPoesias Magazine, the home of today's best poetic voices, exists at www.mipoesias.com.
"Can you understand being alone so long/you would go out in the middle of the night/and put a bucket into the well/so you could feel something down there/tug at the other end of the rope?"
This is the question Jack Gilbert asks the reader who stumbles upon his poem, "Abandoned Valley." It’s the perfect question that represents the heavy thread of loneliness woven through the lines of his latest, and masterful work, Refusing Heaven.
Even the cover of the collection depicts the theme, displaying broken statues, deep fissures, and figures of wide-bellied natives jutting out of a granite rock temple that stands in the foreground of a sheer granite cliff that is being held up by Tuscan-like columns. Amidst this domineering, and starkly lonely landscape, sits a solitary little native girl high upon the edge of a rock dwelling.
With this image of this godforsaken landscape, the stage is set for the portrayal of deeply resonating themes about the human experience: events that leave lingering marks on us-- love, grief, pleasure, madness, age, war, and death. Replete with the wisdom of thousands experiences of 80 years, he has every opportunity (and probably right) to be tainted with pessimism. But he refuses to linger in cynicism’s gutter. He stretches the horizon with a slight, sliver optimism. And it’s never maudlin.
Consider the poem "Seen From Above," in which he compares the loss of love to the defeat of great warriors and armies:
"In the end, Hannibal walked out of his city/saying the Romans wanted only him. Why should/his soldiers make love to their swords?/He walked out alone, a small figure in/the great field, his elephants dead at/the bottom of the Alps’ crevasses. So might we/go to our Roman death in triumph. Our love/ is of marble and large tawny roses,/ in the endless harvests of our defeat./ We have slept with death all our lives./ It will grind out its graceless victory,/ but we can limp in triumph over the cold/ intervening sand."
Despite having some incredible lines (seen in italics above), his image of Hannibal walking out alone to meet the enemy and the carcasses of the elephants lying in the crevasses of the Alps is extraordinary, lending weight to his insight that we can walk away from love’s devastating defeats with triumph, as fortified as "marble."
In another fitting example, "Failing and Flying," Gilbert writes: "Everyone forgets that Icarus also flew."
"Also" is the key word here, highlighting the fact that readers of Icarus’ attempt to fly to the sun seemingly always focus on his failure, as if even the attempt to fly was foolish. Gilbert persuades us otherwise, however in his closing lines: "I believe Icarus was not failing as he fell,/but just coming to the end of his triumph."
Gilbert is also most memorable in his poems about his late wives, Linda Gregg and Michiko Nogami. Consider these closing lines of "Kunstkammer":
"The body keeps so little of the life after/being with her eleven years,/and the mouth not even that much. But the heart/is different. It never forgets/the pine trees with the moon rising behind them/every night. Again and again we put our/sweet ghosts on small paper boats and sailed/them back into their death, each moving slowly/into the dark, disappearing as our hearts/visited and savored, hurt and yearned."
"Sweet ghosts." He's always thoughtful when he speaks of them and its affect is endearing.
"By Small and Small" is a heartwarming example of his thoughtful remembrances of his wives. Within this poem, he is haunted with a guilt for not helping his wife (who was dying of cancer) through her final hours of life.
"For eleven years I have regretted it,/regretted that I did not do what/I wanted to do as I sat there those/four hours watching her die. I wanted/to crawl in among the machinery/and hold her in my arms, knowing/the elementary, leftover bit of her/mind would dimly recognize it was me/carrying her to where she was going."
We walk out into each new day carrying with us the weight of our experiences. Being able to interpret the meaning of our witnessing is never easy. For Jack Gilbert, however, he proves once again that he is a master of life’s interpretation. Refusing Heaven is an unforgettable work.
"Poetry," Gilbert writes, "fishes us to find a world/part by part, as the photograph interrupts the flux/to give us time to see each thing separate and enough./The poem chooses part of our endless flowing forward/to know its merit with attention."
Jack, you have my absolute attention.
NOTES:
Refusing Heaven was awarded the National Book Critics Circle Award for 2005.
To hear Jack Gilbert read poems from Refusing Heaven, visit NPR’s April 2006 interview with him.
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Monday, January 29, 2007 |
...is me!
This has been a pitiful month for posting, thanks to one whole week of being in Vegas working at the International CES show. (And I only had the opportunity of spending two hours walking around the main show room floor at the Las Vegas Convention Center, so I did get to see some amazingly expensive booths from the major companies such as Sony, Microsoft, Panasonic, etc.)
I've wanted to post about the Golden Globes. I was excited for Babel but was rooting for Scorsese's The Departed. I've wanted to post about the Oscar nominations, which I was sorely disappointed in -- again due to the fact that The Departed wasn't recognized more than it was. The Screen Actors Guild and Producer's Award wins for the film Little Miss Sunshine suddenly make it the little film with the most momentum.
Lastly, I started writing about the Sundance Film Festival, with links to photos of the stars and links to the top stories and films premiering there. But alas, I've been too busy and the film festival is over.
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Thursday, January 25, 2007 |
This is a hilarious parody of Bush's State of the Union speeches. (Obviously not this year's as Hastert is still sitting in the Majority Leader's Chair.) Nonetheless, there are some greatly memorable lines. Great editing of footage and sound. Check it out at Video Google.
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Monday, January 22, 2007 |
My review of "Wanton Textiles" by Reb Livingston & Ravi Shankar. Published by No Tell Books. Review published at MiPoesias.
In the beginning, Adam and Eve defied God’s instructions and ate from the tree of good and evil. When God returned to the Garden and called their names, they covered themselves with fig leaves to hide their nakedness, which really was the embodiment of their shame.
Ever since, the fashion of the children of men has progressed from "coats of skins" to the haute couture of designers such as Calvin Klein, Liz Claiborne, Oscar de la Renta, Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfilger, Ralph Lauren, Armani, Gucci, Versace, Dolce, and Gabbana, to name some of the well-known.
Read More >
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Saturday, January 20, 2007 |
Logically, Hillary Clinton is the front-runner for the Democratic ticket for president for one fundamental reason:
Valued Experience.
Now, the Right will allows berate her for her failed Universal Health Care plan while she was the First Lady. But that pales in comparison to boy king’s failed war on terrorism, Iraq war, response to hurricane Katrina, and other national policies that were supposed to make us safer. So I doubt they will start throwing stones on that front.
But let’s get back to "Valued Experience." Hillary Clinton is a seasoned representative in Washington, D.C. who has an impressive track record:
As First Lady, she successfully championed for women’s rights on the international stage. She made adoption easier, expanded early learning and child care programs, increased funding for breast cancer research, and helped veterans suffering from Gulf War syndrome who had too often been ignored in the past. She also helped launch a national campaign to prevent teen pregnancy and helped create the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, which moved children from foster care to adoption more quickly.
Besides that, her influential 1995 book It Takes A Village, about the responsibility we all have to help children succeed, became an international best seller. Ironically, it's message far more applicable and relevant now. Hillary donated the proceeds -- more than a million dollars -- to children's causes across the country.
As NY Senator, her accomplishments and influence on government policies is exhaustive, and her presidential committee website discusses each in detail, but in a nice summary, Hillary has continued to support and champion the causes she did as First Lady, as well as become a dominant figure and national leader on homeland security and national security issues.
Lastly, Hillary’s strengths are she’s very engaging, progressive, responsive, humane, astute, professional, knowledgeable, and confident, in a strikingly personable manner.
Yes, America. I think Hillary would make an excellent president of the United States. Let’s just see if she can convince America of it as well.
Hillary is holding live online video chats all this week. See her website for details if you want to get involved.
Listen to her "I’m In" video announcement here.
10:35:06 AM | |
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Wednesday, January 17, 2007 |
Diego Quiros, a great painter and published poet, manipulated the picture of me sitting in front of Costiera Amalfitana. He came up with this impression of me, in blue, which happens to be my second favorite color. Dig that impressionistic moustache.
I like it very much. Thanks Diego!
Check out his blog here. This is where you can see some of his photos, poetry, and artwork. BTW: I consider two of his poems in my favorites list: "A Promise of Yellow Roses" and "Christ Under Water," both published in different editions of OCHO.
To see his paintings, go here.
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Tuesday, January 16, 2007 |
The New 7 Wonders of the World will be announced during the Official Declaration ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday July 7. 2007, which happens to be my son’s birthday.
The New 7 Wonders came about because many man-made monuments are in jeopardy and perhaps in a dangerous state of decay. The "New 7Wonders Foundation", which is the body behind this campaign, seeks to develop awareness by publicizing their beauty and highlighting their plight to the international community.
Under the auspice of the motto, "OUR HERITAGE IS OUR FUTURE," the campaign will continue educating world citizens regarding the continuing destruction of nature and how this assists in the quick decay of the world’s most celebrated and recognized man-made monuments. The 7Wonders Foundation seeks to document, maintain, restore, and reconstruct many of the world’s most beautiful structures.
They hope the citizens of the world will support this endeavor through film, television, the Internet and books.
The 21 finalists are as follows:
The Acropolis, Alhambra, Angkor, Chichen Itza, Christ Redeemer, Colosseum, Easter Island Statues, Eiffel Tower, Great Wall, Hagia Sophia, Kyomizu Temple, Kremlin, Machu Picchu, Neuschwanstein Castle, Petra, Pyramids of Giza, Statue of Liberty, Stonehenge, Sydney Opera House, Taj Mahal, and Timbuktu.
Vote for your choices of the New 7 Wonders here.
My choices? There is no way I could limit myself to just 7. Absurd. All of these finalists have value. Despite this fact, I do believe I would concentrate on the sites from the age of antiquity.
Now tell me which seven you would vote for?
8:48:17 PM | |
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Tuesday, January 02, 2007 |
If you haven’t heard about the miracle at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, you’re living in outer space. Out West in the Arizona desert, in the football dome where the professional Arizona Cardinals play, Boise State played like professionals against one of the nation’s most prestigious and winning football programs, Oklahoma University, and won.
It was a game for the ages. Young football program against one of the most seasoned. Unrecognizable conference against one of the biggest. It was a true David against Goliath scenario, just like they were spouting off at pre-game.
So, to say Oklahoma was favored is a complete understatement. But someone didn’t tell Boise that they were supposed to roll over and let Oklahoma win.
After blowing a 28-10 lead, (no thanks to some very un-bronco-like play calling offensively –to try to run the clock down – and a "prevent" defense), Zabransky threw the interception and OU ran it in for the score that would give them a 7 point lead. With 55 seconds remaining, Boise State marched down the length of the field and scored the tying touchdown with an amazing hook and ladder play.
In overtime, OU would strike first and fast, scoring a touchdown on the first play. Boise State, on the other hand, whittled the yards down until it was fourth and goal. This is when Boise State ran the statue of liberty play, in which Zabransky faked a pass to the right while he had the ball in the other hand behind his back. The running back, Ian Johnson, grabbed the ball and ran straight to the corner of the endzone on the left side. He went in untouched. Wow! What brilliant play calling and execution.
Boise State’s historical win opens wide the debate over a college playoff. But more realistically, since there is no playoff scenario for this year, Boise’s win proves that they have an absolute claim on the national title this year if Ohio State loses to Urban Meyer’s Florida Gators! Two reasons: 1) Can you say "undefeated." 2) Boise State annihilated Oregon State, who upset #2 USC, who just manhandled #4 Michigan, who barely lost to Ohio State. That sounds like a legitimate pedigree of winning opponents.
A Word About the Commentary
If you want evidence of the inequity of respect in college football, this is a case in point. The talk by the FOX sportscasters in the pre-game and for three quarters dangled on the edge of patronage toward Boise. The sportscasters, which included past OU football coach, Barry Switzer, seemed to have a pre-written script that, in a nutshell, was nothing more than "Can Boise State <you fill in the blank> against this <enter in any superlative adjective here, such as powerhouse> OU?"
As an example: Can Boise State run as fast; pass as precisely; defend as well; kick as far; scramble as cleverly; display so much character as; be as strong, prepared, poised, or disciplined as; have as much class, or have the guts to, etc., ad nauseum. It became so ridiculous I thought they would start questioning who could spit or piss into the wind the furthest.
Respect must be hard to come by these days. For Boise State, they didn’t see their share of it until the third quarter. Just another reason why this impressive, miracle finish in the Arizona desert is one of the greatest things to happen in college football in a very long while!
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