Monthly Archives: June 2006

Film

Just Go See It

I saw The DaVinci Code this weekend.  I read the book a few years ago and loved it – proceeded to read Angels & Demons right afterward.  I was raised Catholic (13 years of Catholic school – I used to be able to say all the books of the bible in order in under a minute…) but have fallen to the wayside over the years but keep an open mind about religions, so I found it very interesting.  The book appealed to the side of me that got engrossed in the X-Files and finds stories about paranormal activity, UFO’s and other freaky stuff infinitely interesting.

I’m no tinfoil hat-wearing conspiracy whackjob, but I do believe that there’s a lot more that happens between the people in power than we’d be comfortable with if we knew everything that goes on.  However, since we can’t even get food down to New Orleans after a hurricane, I’m not sure if governments are quite as good at keeping secrets as they used to.  Secret societies have a lot fewer people to answer to, so why couldn’t they keep a secret for a few hundred or thousand years?  Plus, considering the ineptitude of many government officials, I almost find it comforting that our fate just may be in the hands of a secret society which actually controls the governments of the world. 

Anyway – back to the movie.  It was good.  I liked it.  Will you like it?  Well, if you’re a strict catholic who finds the idea of a piece of fiction proposing some alternative theories on the development of the Catholic church to be repulsive, then you naturally won’t like it.  If you are a strict historian who finds the distortion of facts to serve a fictional story to be equally repulsive, then you won’t like it either.  And if you like your summer movies to be action-packed and quick-paced, then you won’t like it as well.

However, if you enjoyed the book and enjoy being presented with a challenging concept which requires to think, evaluate and make decisions, then it’ll appeal to you.  As long as you don’t require your movies to be edited like a music video, you’ll be fine.  A few long pieces of dialog slows the movie down, but if you could listen to people talk about this sort of stuff, then you’ll like the movie.  I also think that the movie leaves you with a much more faith-affirming and positive feeling than the book does.  Everyday Catholics should not be afraid of seeing this movie.

If you see the movie and read the book and still want more, may I offer a personal recommendation of Secrets of the Code by Dan Burstein?  Its fairly lengthy, but you can read it by looking up specific subjects or reading a chapter on a topic that you’re most interested in.

Current Affairs

Weekly Pop Culture Update

1 Comment

Here’s what I found interesting out there this week:

There’s something smelly about this story – hotels using signature scents.

Not sure what to say about this.

"Beanz Meanz Heinz" is the most memorable ad in Scotland.  Apparently they have really crappy commercials there.

Again, a little help to those of you living under a rock: an article about youtube.com

In-home parties are on the rise.  I just like the idea of a bunch of women sitting around playing with sex toys

Speaking of sex toys, why can’t they make some that are controlled by brain waves?

Back in college I did research that basically developed the hypothesis that the Internet would be beneficial to the music industry.  I guess they should have listened.

I really don’t know what is up with the sex toy theme in this post, but apparently that industry is trying to cash in on the World Cup.  And who knew that Germany had a "thriving sex shop industry"?  Must be all the sausage…

Martha Stewart’s version of MySpace allowing "women aged 25 to 45 to share photographs, scrapbooks, recipes and similar projects with one another." Her version of MySpace, my version of hell.

I suppose plain white t-shirts are better than the ones the girls are wearing that say "slut" on them.

Marketing

Starburst 1 – Toxic Avenger 0

2 Comments

There’s a commercial for Starburst that I see nearly every night on the Simpsons syndicated re-runs featuring two doofuses in an industrial plant of some sort, surrounded by 55 gallon drums of toxic waste.  One of them asks the other to give him a Starburst, so the second guy throws it to the guy asking. 

The throw is off and the Starburst goes into the toxic waste.  Doofus #1, then reaches into the barrel of acid or whatever, in an attempt to pull it out, and says "I got it!" and then when he pulls out his arm… the arm is gone.  Apparently eaten away by whatever chemical waste is in the 55 gallon drum. 

So then he tries with the other arm and thinks he has it again… but doesn’t, since that arm is now gone as well.

Naturally, doofus (that’s my word of the day) #2 rolls up his sleeve to reach in and get it, but the commercial ends, cutting away to the final glamour shot of the logo and product, along with the tagline "Blame the juicy goodness."

So I know that the point of the commercial is that Starburst candy is SO GOOD that you will do even the stupidest things in order to get some.  Even put yourself in mortal danger.  Its a bit extreme and I thought it was a good commercial.  Until I thought about it for a millisecond more and thought about something else…. what kind of unnatural polymer-co-chain-carbonite-ferrite ingredients would Starburst put in their chewy candy that would make it survive a plunge into 50 gallons of flesh-dissolving acid??

If the chemicals in that drum of toxic waste can burn away a human arm in a matter of seconds, what in the name of Buddha are Starburst candies made out of that they would survive a plunge into the same chemicals?  Would you eat something that was impervious to an acid that could destroy your flesh?  (ok, well.. Coca-Cola and most super-spicy hot sauces could do damage to you too, but not instantaneously)

I’m sure there’s a junior brand manager for Starburst somewhere reading this going "I TOLD THEM!!!"  Don’t worry kid – I’m over-thinking it.

BTW – I couldn’t find a copy of this commerical to link to anywhere online, otherwise you wouldn’t have been subjected to my play-by-play description of the commercial.  If anyone can give me a link, I would be grateful.