Author: Dan Dickinson

"That was the moment when I fell in love with Paris"

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Two more movies down:

This Film Is Not Yet Rated (imdb | rotten tomatoes) was a very interesting look at the MPAA ratings board (you know, the ones who decide whether a film is G, PG, PG-13, R or NC-17). The documentary is all about the secrecy around the small group of people who decide the rating, and interviews many filmmakers whose films were rated NC-17. There are lots of interesting angles discussed — bias toward studio films, bias against gay sex, acceptance of extreme violence while sex is considered dirty if it shows too many thrusts, etc. — and the filmmaker even hires a PI firm to track down the identities of the raters. The best part comes, of course, when the filmmaker submits the film to the MPAA for a rating. Highly recommended.

Paris, Je T’Aime (imdb | rotten tomatoes) was a collection of sixteen short films about Parisien neighbourhoods. Apart from one or two, they were all quite good. Some were excellent: “Tuileries” by the Coen Brothers, “Père-Lachaise” by Wes Craven, “Faubourg Saint-Denis” by Tom Tykwer and especially “14th Arrondissement” by Alexander Payne. His lone character’s description of what happens in those transcendent travel moments are simply perfect:

“And then something happened. A feeling came over me. As if I recalled something, something that I had never known and for which I had been waiting, but I didn’t know what it was. Maybe it was something I had forgotten. Or something I had missed my whole life. I can only tell you that at the same time I felt joy and sadness. But not a great sadness. Because I felt alive.”

[tags]this film is not yet rated, mpaa, film ratings, paris je t’aime, coen brothers, wes craven, tom tykwer, alexander payne, paris[/tags]

Return to Thundersnow

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At 3:30 last night we were awoken by a noise on our balcony. Not the howling wind; we were used to that by the time we went to sleep around 2:00. This time it was paint cans; we’d forgotten that we’d left a box of nearly-empty paint cans out on the balcony, and the wind had finally flipped the box and sent paint cans everywhere.

It’s been that kind of storm so far: violent winds and lots of snow. I can only see the occasional intrepid (“intrepid” means stupid, right?) soul walking or driving on the streets below us. The city’s pretty much shut down. Fine by us; as I said yesterday we used yesterday to finish everything that required a trip outside. I’ve used this morning to do a little work, read my feeds, finish off a bunch of small errands and even read a chapter of corporate finance. Nothing left to do today, really, except watch the Raptors game, pick off one more chapter of my textbook and watch some movies. It should be a very relaxing Sunday.

As I wrote this I saw a few lightning flashes and heard some thunder. Huh…two thundersnows in one year.

[tags]toronto storm, thundersnow[/tags]

'Tis the season to be forechecking

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There’s no Christmas present quite like a 4-1 win over the Leafs. Fa la la la la la la la la.

.:.

Been watchin’ some movies. Not much else to do when it’s a squall out there.

The Illusionist (imdb | rotten tomatoes) was hard to like at first, and didn’t exactly thrill me with the ending, but in between it was pretty good. There was a very particular style to the film that I had to adjust to — the visual effect of being shot through amber, the simulated screen wipes that made the film look decades-old, etc. — but once I did, and I got into the film, it wasn’t bad. Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti are just good in anything, and pretty much made up for the useless Jessica Biel. It’s worth a watch.

Flags Of Our Fathers (imdb | rotten tomatoes) and…meh. I don’t know; I like war movies, and it was well done, but it was the same well-done war movie I’ve liked about six times in the past six years. I always compare them to Band Of Brothers, and they never stack up. Worth seeing, but there certainly won’t be anything shocking in it for you.

[tags]canadiens, leafs, illusionist movie, flags of our fathers[/tags]

Near-paralyzing, even

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When Environment Canada issues warnings about “copious” and “near-crippling” amounts of snow in the next 24 hours, you know it’s about to get hairy. It’s already pretty ugly out there, but the real fun won’t start until tomorrow. As such, we’ve obtained enough provisions (read: snack food and a full PVR) for the remainder of the weekend.

C’mon, winter, do your worst. It’s fun to see Toronto brought to its knees by snow.

[tags]winter storm[/tags]

Mmmmm…wintery…

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We were supposed to go the Whippersnapper gallery tonight to see the photoblogger exhibit, but CB is under the weather and needs to regain her strength before getting on a plane. Really, I was rather wiped tonight so I used that as an excuse to recommend a more low-key plan — dinner at Smokeless Joe — and then chill.

When we got there the place was packed, so we took the last two seats next to the door. Still trying to get the chill off (we walked there) we ordered a 750mL bottle of the Great Lakes Winter Ale to share. Tasted like gingerbread! I skipped lunch today (except for a couple of pieces of cake that T-Bone was doling out) so I was starving. After some tasty bread to start my giant bowl of pesto pasta arrived. Damnation, that stuff is good. A glass of Black Katt Stout to go with it and I was a happy man.

Now we’re back home where it’s warm and we can chill, watch a movie or two. We have a busy-ass day tomorrow (well, Nellie does; I pretty much finished my shopping today) so we’ll be up early and need our energy.

[tags]smokeless joe, great lakes winter ale, black katt stout[/tags]

They both involve snapshots

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I’m making the most of my MBA-cation. I got so many little things done tonight my hand is sore from checking things off lists. Tomorrow I’ll finish my Christmas shopping, and then tomorrow night, the last hurrah before I get back to the studyin’, we’re going to the Whippersnapper gallery with CBGB to see the photoblogger exhibit.

And then…back to tax shields and dividend policy.

[tags]whippersnapper gallery, corporate finance[/tags]

The reasons for my masochism

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People occasionally ask me why I’m doing an MBA. Recently I’ve found it difficult to answer that; I’ve been down in the weeds of it for so long that it’s sometimes hard to remember why I signed up in the first place. So today I decided to write this, partly to explain it to people, and partly to remind myself. The major reasons:

Colleagues and managers told me I should. This wasn’t a reason so much as a driver. I actually wouldn’t have even considered it if a colleague, one of the first people I worked with when I returned to my company, hadn’t suggested I get into the program (my company has a special MBA program set up through a particular university). She was just about to finish hers and suggested I look into it. A couple of years later my new manager suggested I apply, and this time I did.

To assuage a bit of guilt. Yes, I have a business degree, and yes it’s from the same university from which I’m now seeking an MBA. However, my brain just wasn’t geared for learning in those four years, and what little sank in atrophied in the following five years as I took on a series of technical jobs. Around the time I signed up for the MBA I was back on the business side of things and starting to use those parts of my brain again, but I always felt like I hadn’t used those years as well as I could have. Signing up for the MBA helped me make up for that.

To create a good network of colleagues. Networking isn’t something I do well, or easily. It’s anathema to an introvert. My afore-mentioned colleague (and other people I’d since met who’d gone through the program) talked about the benefits of being thrown into a group of 30 people from all over the company and the networks that develop just by dint of being locked in a room with them. So far it’s worked pretty well; I know more people in different parts of my company (and country) now, and I’ve developed some pretty good friendships too.

I just always feel the need to learn something. Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, Dan’s gotta learn something new. I’m not happy unless I’m learning something on a semi-regular basis. As much as I’m looking forward to finishing this thing, I know that two months after I graduate I’ll take for German lessons or teach myself Python or sign up for digital photography classes. Actually, maybe I should delay the education for a little longer and sign myself up for a 10k…

Any of those strike you as weird? I’ve had people tell me they wouldn’t have signed up for four years of lost evenings and weekends for any of those reasons.

[tags]mba[/tags]

"That's right, preacher, get me drunk so I don't stick my foot up your ass."

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I just watched Black Snake Moan (imdb | rotten tomatoes). Here’s my over-analytical review:

Good: Samuel L. Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson’s mutton chops, Christina Ricci, Christina Ricci’s persistent nakedness, Christina Ricci’s acting & the way the premise worked out better than I would have suspected.

Bad: Justin Timberlake. What the bow-legged hell was he doing in this film?

Awesome: the music. I’d heard the soundtrack before, but the film gives it all context. Hearing Sam Jackson play “Stack-O-Lee” and seeing him play it in a sweaty blues joint are two different things.

Something else I’m noticing since we got TMN: movies are just better in hi-def. You’d think I could have made that leap since I’ve been watching hi-def TV for over a year now, but I guess my brain was still saying “movies: bad; old tv: bad; new tv: bitchin’.” Now I might have to speed up my plan for a hi-def DVD player. There might not be any waiting for the format war to end; I might just have to pick a side.

[tags]black snake moan, samuel jackson, christina ricci, blues, hi-def dvd[/tags]

"It's just like the 60's. Only with less hope."

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Been home sick the last couple of days. Nothing too bad — just a low level nausea and complete lack of energy — but there’s no particular reason why I need to be in the office today, so I’ve stayed home. My boss is leaving on vacation tomorrow and the last thing I want is to infect her before she leaves.

The worst part about being moderately ill like this is that I can’t focus. Yesterday I tried to do some work, but it took me about 3 hours to do what would normally take me 30 minutes. I just couldn’t concentrate and focus on the screen. I’m blogging right now ’cause I know that by noon my brain will be mush again.

.:.

I would’ve paid a great deal of money to see Led Zeppelin last night, but I hope they don’t tour. It kills me to say that — I consider them one of the greatest bands of all time, and regret that they effectively broke up when I was still in diapers — but I hope they don’t go after the carrot that must surely be dangling in front of them.

.:.

Couple of movies we watched on the weekend (when I could still focus on the TV):

Shortbus (imdb | rotten tomatoes) was as weird and explicit as I’d heard…and that was about it.OK, it was mildly funny in places too, but I think the shock of the film is what would have made it remarkable if I wasn’t already hyper-aware of the film’s racier content following last year’s film festival.

American Gun (imdb | rotten tomatoes) was one of those films with a compelling subject and stellar cast that just never got anywhere. With Forest Whitaker, Donald Sutherland and Marcia Gay Harden starring in a film about America’s obsession with guns, you’d expect more meat on the bone, however the director decided to play it. I have no problem with subtlety, but I do have a problem with melodrama. It was OK, but I couldn’t really recommend it.

[tags]led zeppelin reunion, shortbus, american gun[/tags]

"Does the Archbishop of Canterbury know you talk like this? "

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Ever since we signed up for TMN we’ve been recording movies left and right. Unfortunately, because we’re recording in high def, the PVR fills up awfully quick. We’ve had to kill off a few to record the ones we really want to see. This weekend we knocked off a couple:

  • The Last Kiss (imdb | rotten tomatoes) was ok, even if I couldn’t identify with (or stand, in some cases) most of the characters. I’m sure part of the low RT score comes from the fact that Garden State set the Zach Braff bar so high, and I know it affected my expectations as well, but even setting that aside there was very little redeeming about this film. I can only listen to so much whining from a posse of scared little 29-year-old boys.
  • The History Boys (imdb | rotten tomatoes) was a hard one to figure out. At times I felt like the film wason the verge of greatness, about to grab me with some high-minded debate about purity-vs-competition of education, or with a touching exploration of student-teacher bonding, but it too often drifted and teetered into melodrama or tawdriness. There were parts of it I liked very much, but overall I can’t say it’ll stick with me.

Nellie also watched Date Movie (imdb | rotten tomatoes) which, based on the ten minutes or so for which I could stand to be in the same room, was one of the worst movies ever made.

[tags]the last kiss, zach braff, the history boys, date movie[/tags]