The Best Part of Valentines

Is the cheap candy the next day.

That's what she said.

So for those of you not in the know, today is National "That's what she said." Day.  Use that joke all day today.  After every sentence.  Maybe you'll get one that sounds way more clever than you actually are in real life.

Also, check your local grocery, pharmacy, or convenience store for the cheap, discounted valentines candy.  Load up on enough to last until next year for mere pennies.  Mmm.

The Point Blank Critic

Free Drink Friday #5: Samuel Adams Double Bock

Okay guys, hope you're ready for a strong drink, because Sam Adams has a Double Bock that will teach you a lesson about drinking beer.

I saw this one recently for the first time at the local grocery, and I had to try it.  I immediately opened one up and poured it into a glass.  The color was the most beautiful deep amber I've ever seen.  And the aroma was a strong hit of hops.

Taking a sip is a huge hit of bitter followed by a wonderful hops taste with a malt sweetness helping cut the bitter.  I personally prefer a less bitter start, but the finish was worth that bite.

I will take 4 of these in my 6 pack please!

The Point Blank Critic

Society: Happy Valentines Day

Many people can say reasons they dislike this holiday.  They may believe that the commercialization of something based on so much romance just cheapens the love it represents.  They may feel that loving your significant other on a schedule isn't romantic at all.

I don't really put much credit to the ideas of others.  Love 'em if you got 'em, folks.

But, just for kicks we can talk about the facts of the day.  St. Valentine is one (or more) of the martyred saints in ancient Rome.  But, unlike many saints, little is known about Valentine.  He was supposedly buried north of Rome, may have been more than one person, and wasn't officially recorded.  The earliest lists of martyrs excluded him, but his feast day was established almost a century and a half later by Pope Gelasius I.  He was included as a saint recognized among men and, "whose actions are known only to God."

So there we go.  A legend of a legend is our foundation.  But, no romance yet, just a feast.  And that feast was even removed from the official Catholic calendar, though some traditional Catholics still recognize the feast day.

Now, for the romance.  There wasn't any for centuries.  The feast was established in the late 5th century, but most of the legends and romantic associations didn't appear until the 14th century.  The best arguments point specifically to the work Parliament of Foules by Geoffrey Chaucer which describes and old tradition of love that didn't previously exist.  Some speculate that, Christians sought to overshadow February fertility rituals by non Christians.

Perhaps Chaucer combined these ideas along with the prevailing romantic society of the time.  It may have even been a satirical parody, as Chaucer was a master of the art.

Either way, now we have a day where happy couples can make an excuse to spend one romantic evening together in the middle of winter.  And try finding flowers in the middle of winter.  Castrating plants for the sake of fertility?  That seems effective.

Writers Strike Over

The Writers Guild of America members voted yesterday on whether or not they were to accept the terms of a new agreement and return to work. Over 92% of the votes were for an end to the strike.

Now, I of course don't understand all the intricacies of the negotiations. I'm not a member of the guild, and I don't hire writers myself. But, I do know they wanted fair things such as credit for their works as they are used beyond their original means. This includes online use and dvd sales among other things.

Ultimately, I'm glad they worked things out, but I really don't care. It was a deal between them and their employers and all it means to me is TV is going to be back to full force. Hopefully soon.

You can check out more of the details from CNN.

The Point Blank Critic

Movies: Superman Doomsday

Following the hype of Superman Returns, another movie seeks to take advantage of this newly rekindled love we all find with Superman. Superman Doomsday is a straight to dvd version of the story arch featuring the death of Superman.

I'm tired of typing Superman now.

I have said for years that film makers need to scrap everything we know already and forget they ever made any Superman movies. Especially after the most recent endeavor into the world of Metropolis, we just need something fresh and something truly epic. I tell people at every opportunity what live action Supermovie they need to make. I've wanted a trilogy on the this death story.

I still want it. This animated movie, while beautiful in style and imagery, ultimately turns out as a huge disappointment. Sure, Superman fights a scary, mysterious monster, is buried, and then returns. But, that's pretty much the only similarities it shares with the original story. The
movie is only about half as long as each installment of the trilogy should be. The entire middle part during Superman's absence is cut to about 20 minutes, and contains about 3 too few new characters.

If you don't know how the story goes, you can find comics and graphic novels, but I really suggest grabbing the novelization as it is truly an excellent read.

Ultimately, skip this movie version unless you're just a huge Superfan. If you are, however, know that its accuracy is way off before you get into it.

The Point Blank Critic

February 11

Today marks the one year anniversary for my girlfriend and I, and I have to say it's been a good year. A fast year, but a good one. Then again, I suppose time always seems faster in retrospect. Mystery of the universe.

My girl is pretty awesome, though. We've had our arguments and all, but hard feelings pretty much never last more than half an hour. She gets me to play more video games instead of less. That's rare to find in a lady. And, for our anniversary, she got me a new Optimus Prime.

You're jealous now, I know.

The Point Blank Critic

New Disney Wonderland

Anyone who has ever read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland knows that Disney toned the surreal setting down a great deal in their animated interpretation.

But, maybe they'll make a better go at it this time around.  Disney is set to produce a new film adaptation of the book, and has signed on Tim Burton to direct.  Burton is a huge fan of the book and promises to be true to the story.  The screenplay is going to come from Linda Woolverton of Beauty and the Beast.  Hopefully the Mad Hatter's teapot won't start singing and dancing.

The movie is to be filmed in part live action and part performance-capture animation.  I imagine the animation will go to the parts of the wild characters, when Alice and other humans will be live.

Burton's dark style seems as if it could have been partly influenced by Alice to some degree.  Hopefully, the movie will be one of the best portrayals of this story for the big screen.  It's even set to be shown in 3D.  I'm excited about this project and can't wait to see how it turns out.

The Point Blank Critic