A Great One - Heath Ledger (RIP)

I received the news of Heath Ledger's death while checking out at the grocery store when one cashier mentioned it to another. Needless to say, I was devastated. Not only was he an exceptional actor with longevity potential - he was also heavy on my radar after I found out he was playing the Joker in the new Batman flick coming out this year.

A lot of people are familiar with his movies but have a hard time remembering exactly what movies he was in. Most, like the cashier I was talking about earlier, had only heard about him in Brokeback Mountain. While that movie was a huge success, I feel a lot of people didn't see it due to it's content. I for one, didn't see it for the fact I had no desire, however, I was well informed of who Heath Ledger was before that film.
As far back as I can remember the first time I saw him was probably 10 Things I Hate About You. Shortly after that I discovered him in the Patriot. Didn't see all of A Knight's Tale but enjoyed what I saw. It seemed he can really move you into caring about a scene or movie as a whole. I also appreciated how it seemed he took the more dangerous, tough, and risky roles than the easy pretty boy roles he probably had thrown at him.

Now, about this Batman thing. I really hope the movie isn't pushed back due to his untimely death. I really think it should be moved forward for people who are just really getting to know Heath will see what I believe will be his best performance hands down. Unfortunately his untimely death occurred right before a film I was sure was going to shoot him to super stardom. If not in the gossip column ranks at least among the smarter fans of Hollywood.

I'm devastated, broken, and even more eager to see what I'm sure will be the culmination of all his hard work and dedication to his craft up until this point. Years from now we will be missing something. It will seem like it was right around the corner but it will never show. We will realize the potential that we lost today and what amazing contributions Heath could've made to this art form. Let us all recognize his talented body of work and celebrate his dedication and skill the night The Dark Knight opens in theaters. Heath, thank you and rest in peace.

I had to do it.... my take on "Cloverfield"

It's roughly 1:30am and I just waltzed in the door still shaking from the cold, but also shaking a little from what I just saw. Cloverfield, the new JJ Abrams monster flick that is shot by a hand held camera by basically one character giving it that "Blair Witch" look. Please people, I better not see anyone trying to even vaguely compare this movie to the Blair Witch Project. They're two totally different worlds apart.
The story starts with a surprise party and moves right into disaster as New York, more specifically Manhattan, is attacked by a giant monster from the sea (apparently), dropping spider like miniatures of itself that attack people while it destroys buildings. While there isn't much explanation to what's happening you don't need it at all. The visuals give you most of the understanding until the end when most of the meaningful dialogue takes place. Exciting and creative! A rare find amidst the One Missed Call and Turistas era we live in!
What I believe I liked most about the movie is the love plot between Rob and Elizabeth. You only get glimpses of it at the start but it ultimately consumes the film while still leaving you breathless at the chaos surrounding it. The only problem I have with this movie isn't a problem at all. The ending is one of those that leaves you to your own conclusions but it's pretty evident what happens. Although, I wish I could have some sort of closure with the main character Rob and his love interest Elizabeth. I guess there theoretically is closure but you gotta see it yourself to decide.
Even with a shaky camera distorting images, explosions, crumbling buildings, people being eaten, rockets and gun fire perforating Manhattan you develop an insanely close connection with Rob and Elizabeth to a point where you don't care if anyone else dies as long as they survive together. I was startled, shaken, amazed, blown away, and more than anything gripped in a way I've never felt before when watching a movie. This film hits you in not so much a realistic way, but a "wow, I can't believe wnat I'm watching and feeling right now" sort of way. Hard to explain. Go see it.

If I had a ranking system I would give it a 10/10. For the reasons that the actors did the best job they could have possibly done acting like what was going on really was, the effects and realism of the movie were balanced perfectly, they threw in lots of comedic lines that actually made you laugh and work with whats happening, and I just haven't been that connected to the characters of a film in a long time like I was with "Cloverfield". Simply awesome.

Stay up.

mr arSen

myspace.com/jarsen
myspace.com/smashgordonthump

My Reflection on the Michigan Primary/Election in General and the International Auto Show already in progress

It's a couple weeks after the Michigan primary and while most media attention considers this long dead and gone I still had to voice my own opinion being that I live here and I saw it first hand. I can't help but sense more than a few Michiganders are feeling a bit left out this election. I mean, the Dems didn't campaign here!! I also believe that some republicans have to be a bit disappointed in this as well. However, only a few republicans I'd imagine.
I put on my best bible toting, gay hating, contradictory face on and was well received by the republican faithful at a few rallies held by McCain and Romney. I had made it a point to see Romney twice since he is a former Michigander.
If you live in Michigan or have relatives that live here, more than not you already know that our economy isn't all that great. Now, you still got those people who are doing more than alright here and will tell you that we're not doing that bad (these people are typically the ones who claim the housing market is great and we're winning the war on terror). Either way, I was attending these republican rallies to see what issues these candidates were going to raise in relevance to my state. McCain and Romney, the only candidates I saw were fairly similar in presentation, however, McCain had a outsider type of feel to him even though I felt his message was more genuine. We're not getting most of those lost jobs in the auto industry back, contrary to Romney's empty promises that they will return. In the event they do return, the people who lost them will more than likely be under-qualified to handle the new positions.
What troubled me about these two candidates and most of what I heard during the Michigan primary was that they spoke a lot about the auto industry and not much at all about Michigan as a state. Almost to say, that if we never had the auto industry we wouldn't be a worthy state to campaign in.
As for the Democrats, you guys need to realize something quite vital. Michigan is a strong Democratic state and no Dem Administration has won the white house without winning Michigan as well. I'm pretty sure you'll be more than welcoming our delegates at the convention.
My stance is undecided. It will stay that way until someone restores my faith in the system. I'll probably vote Democratic, but may vote McCain or Romney depending on how I feel about them later in the year.

But enough of the inevitable! Let's take a look at something more uplifting! The Auto Show is in town!

I haven't gone yet, I know,I can hardly wait. So, instead of telling you how it is I'm going to inform people of the crisis facing Detroit and it's hold on the auto industry.
Mild rumors suggest that companies like Toyota and BMW will be focusing more debuts and money into other shows where buyers aren't out numbered by reporters as is the case in Detroit. This is bad news for the biggest car show in the world. Cobo Hall is in need of renovation and possible expansion seeing as there will be more and more foreign auto makers coming from India and China every year. Detroit as you can already imagine is losing it's grasp as auto capital of the world.
Believe it or not D-Town dwellers, but people from all over the world tour Detroit and Dearborn as well as other historic sites affiliated with the auto industry year round. Sites we drive by in and take for granted are often thought about the way we may think about dining atop the Eiffel Tower.

While all hope seems lost, Detroit is on the verge of very exciting things.

- As always the case, the music scene here is kicking arse (now, we only need to get Detroit to figure that out).
- Wayne State University is doing break through tissue research right on the downtown campus and we have facilities sporting state of the art medical equipment.
- Google, Rock Financial and other companies are more than likely going to establish offices in the city and bring in more jobs.
- If you haven't noticed, there are exceptional condos and apartments going up around the city.
- The Super Bowl and World Series were great successes and brought lots of positive attention and money into the city.
- The Red Wings will do the same if they keep up the winning and bring another Stanley in town.
- The new Cadillac building will feature brand new office space for companies and prime ground level real estate for retailers and restaurants .

While this all sounds good we as citizens cannot just sit back and wait for the great city that Detroit can be. Here are some things all Michigan citizens, living in Detroit and not, can do to ensure a successful future for our great city:

- Spend some time enjoying the nightlife downtown and spend a little money.
- Pop in for a show at the Detroit Opera House or check out the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
- SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC! Whether it's Hip Hop, Rock, or Acoustic Folk. We have a great pool of talent. Look at our major successes.
- Voice your opinion to the government. Write letters and make phone calls stating your concerns and what you want done for the city.
- Stop thinking about what directly affects you! This isn't about you, it's about the city as a whole. There isn't a successful society on the planet that operated individually. The collective will move mountains.
- If your neighborhood is struggling, organizing a clean up campaign is easier than you think and will bring positive energy to your community. Think, the Broken Windows Theory. If you don't know what I'm talking about then Google/Yahoo it. It worked for New York in the 70's.

I'm not going to run a full list for you but you can surely come up with other ideas based on what you see from a day to day business. Let's make a difference. Please.

Stay up.

mr arSen

myspace.com/jarsen
myspace.com/smashgordonthump