Push Me, Pullman

It finally stopped snowing. Finally! I still haven’t been out since it has turned so cold after snowing the first time. Though, the maintenance guy did come to our apartment to replace the weather stripping on the door the other day and had the door open while he worked, so at least for that hour it felt like I was outside. For some reason he exchanged the facing of the door frame on the outside of our apartment with the facing on the inside of our food pantry??? I don’t know why the hell, but he did. And now there’s weather stripping and no draft so who’s to complain? Well… I am because now we can’t lock our door anymore.

Over Thanksgiving I saw a commercial for System of a Down’s new album Hypnotize. I’ve enjoyed their past albums especially their self titled debut and last album so when I got home I downlo-err I mean, bought their latest. It is a little modern rockish, but evolved and it manages not to take itself too seriously. It takes a couple of listens before it settles in but even the title track which I hated in the commercial sticks in my head now. There’s really nothing to make me say, “ZOMG!!! You have to get this right now!”, just 30 minutes of the standard affair. My current favorites in ascending order are Hypnotize, Tentative and Lonely Day only because I like when Daron Malakian sings lead. Definitely not as good as the previous effort but I’d say its par for the band.

When I heard Peter Jackson’s next project was going to be a remake of King Kong I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t see what the appeal would be in remaking this already remade classic. I don’t have anything against remakes as long as the original warrants a remake and the remake improves upon the original in a significant way. I just was never really a fan of King Kong. So I had reserved it to being a rental at best. With the LOTR Trilogy Jackson showed me fantasy movies didn’t have to be melodrama in front of a green screen (I’m looking at you Mr. Lucas), but could some how seem tangible again. Despite this he still didn’t have me convinced. Then the King Kong preview trailer was leaked to the internet. I can’t pin point the moment, but somewhere probably around the time Kong dives and swoops up Ann just before the T-Rex’s mouth closes around her and the boat captain is running through the jungle with a Tommy Gun blasting away at raptors my eyes widened and hairs stood on end and I reverted to a thirteen year old boy. Right off I was reminded of and thought none of The Jurassic Parks ever looked as good as this. I am concerned about Jack Black, but we’ll see.