Monday, December 26, 2005

 

IT'S BOXING DAY! I should be happy.....

However, I am a tad depressed today. Perhaps RUMOR HAS IT would have been a better Christmas movie choice than SYRIANA. Don't get me wrong, SYRIANA is a great movie. I think that every American should have to go see it, or at least be forced to read it's source material; Robert Baer's book SEE NO EVIL: THE TRUE STORY OF A FOOT SOLDIER IN THE CIA'S COUNTER TERRORISM WAR. The movie is brilliantly acted, especially George Clooney as Baer, Matt Damon as the partner in a Swiss oil brokerage, and Alexander Siddig as an idealistic Arab prince. This is a movie about oil, money, politics, and their corrupting influence on each other. The end is depressing, but I think it is one of those movies everyone should see. It should certainly make people think. This movie is also a tribute to Clooney's growing clout in Hollywood. There are only a handful of people in Hollywood who could have gotten this movie or GOOD BYE AND GOOD NIGHT produced. Speilburg, Redford, Eastwood, maybe Tarentino. That Clooney got both of them made and released in the same year is testimony to the clout he now holds within the industry!

HOCKEY FRIDAY EARLY

The PROVIDENCE HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT is now history, won by the host FRIARS in a huge upset over ninth ranked Colgate. But there are still ten tournaments to be played this week. Check them out HERE. There are four tourneys in particular that should be outstanding!

THE GREAT LAKES INVITATIONAL (thurs, fri) at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit looks to be a classic this year. With MICHIGAN missing four players due to the World Junior Championships, COLORADO COLLEGE , with Hobie Baker winner Marty Sertich and point a game defenseman Brian Salcido, would seem to be the favorites. But Michigan has some very talented freshmen desperate to show they deserve more ice time, and MICHIGAN STATE always plays like the Joe is their home ice. MICHGAN TECH would like nothing better than to spoil the weekend for one of the big boys, so it should be a great tourney.

THE OHIO HOCKEY CLASSIC (thurs, fri) in Columbus features the #2 MIAMI REDHAWKS, #19 OHIO STATE, RPI, and HOLY CROSS. This is a home game for Ohio State, but with half the campus in Tempe for the Fiesta Bowl, look for the throngs wearing red to be Redhawk fans. Still, the Buckeyes could make a statement in the CCHA and NCAA tournament bid quest with a win over the second ranked team in the country.

THE DENVER CUP (fri, sat) features defending national champion and tenth ranked DENVER, #4 BOSTON COLLEGE, PRINCETON, and FERRIS STATE. #10 Denver is red hot, having won 6 of 7, and looking to win a third straight national championship. A win over #4 BC would certainly be impressive come NCAA bid time. This should be a great tourney, and don't be surprised if one of the two top teams get caught looking ahead and is tripped up before reaching the title game!

THE SHERATON/TD BANKNORTH TOURNAMENT in Burlington VT (fri, sat) features #5 VERMONT, #15 CLARKSON, formerly ranked BEMIDJI STATE, and DARTMOUTH. Bemidji would love to fight there way back into the top fifteen. And Clarkson star Shawn Weller, who was snubbed by the US Junior National team, should be playing with a chip on his shoulder. This could end up being the most competitive tourney of the week!

HAPPY BOXING DAY EVERYONE!

Comments:
Saw Syriana yesterday also. Completely agree with your assessment.
 
I was gonna see Munich this weekend, but ighter fare is DEFINATELY in order!
 
I don't know much about hockey, so I'll comment on Syriana. I felt the same way you do - that Americans should see this flick. Yeah, it's a bit depressing, but it's very good. :-)
 
I haven't seen SYRIANA yet, and probably won't until it comes out on DVD. Same goes for Good Bye and Good Night. I'm not a big fan of Clooney's but I do admire his willingness to take a stand and stick to it. The rights rabid hatered of him tells me he must be doing something 'right'!!
I think every American should see BOTH these movies.
Now as for Rumor Has It, I've heard it's a bit of a disappointment. My daughter says it's one of those movies where the best part of the movie is the previews. So maybe you really were better off with your original choice!
 
I think I will still stick with Rumor, because a) I am a big fan of both Shirley McLean and Kevin Costner, and b) I am celebrating Christmas with my kids and grandkids Sunday, and don't want to be bummed out ahead of time!
 
Is boxing day discount day, bonus day or something religous?
 
In England, the day after Christmas is called Boxing Day. It is a holiday, and it's the day you box up all the unwanted gifts and take them to the store to exchange them!
 
Goin Friday night!
 
Good grief - for all of Seattle's "cutting edge", I've yet to hear of Syriana! Thanks for the review...it sounds like something I'll be happy I checked out.
 
I thought Boxing Day was the day they gave gifts to the servants and did nice things for them. But boxing things up and taking them to the stores sounds okay too. Agree on Syriana and Good Night. Oh, and I saw Brokeback Mountain this weekend. I disagree with all the reviews in that, the acting was superb, but the story was sorely lacking. I kept waiting for the script to redeem itself, but it never happened.
 
This from Crazie Queen:

Boxing Day is the following day after Christmas Day. Like Christmas Day it is also a national holiday in England.
The name goes back to medieval times, more than 800 years ago, when alms boxes were placed at the back of every church to collect money for the poor. Traditionally, it is on this day that the alms box at every English church is opened and the contents are distributed to the poor.

Historians say the holiday developed because servants were required to work on Christmas Day, but took the following day off. As servants prepared to leave to visit their families, their employers would present them with Christmas boxes.

There is MUCH more on the origins & traditions of Boxing Day @:

http://craziequeen.blogspot.com/
 
vv - Of the people I know who have seen Brokeback Mountain, reviews are equally mixed. Not taking a chance, i'll wait to rent the dvd

ck- maybe true, but I like Grandma Clarke's story better! One of my goals before I die is to make it to my ancesteral home (Leigh, Lancashire) and see how many distant cousins i can look up!
 
thanks for the SYRIANA review. however, rumor has it that RUMOR HAS IS isn't so great either. however, it sounds like an interesting and fun premise for a movie to me!
 
Well, well, it's amazing what you can learn in a blog!
 
GWB said: One of my goals before I die is to make it to my ancesteral home (Leigh, Lancashire) and see how many distant cousins i can look up!

Small world.... I used to live about 10 miles from there....
 
It's really funny how small a world it has become. My sister has very close friends who are from there. They moved to Michigan because Daimler?Chrysler tranfered him there. My sister met them at the Vets where she used to work. Truely small world.
 
I'm dying to see Syriana.

Good Night and Good Luck was wonderful.

I saw Brokeback Mountain on Boxing Day. I thought the acting was first rate. I thought the first maybe 30 minutes were kind of bland. Nothing extraordinary. It was the later parts of the film that were really good. If you were told the backstory and then saw only the second half, it would have been an awesome film.

Tim and I are going to see Capote tonight.
 
Gympumpkin,
Love your taste in movies and in dogs. I see that you must have a pug. We have a black pug named Duchess that we just spoil rotten.
 
dbackdad -

Thanks! My boyfriend drew that pug for me for our anniversary one year. I used it as the main picture on my blog, but I just changed my template, so now I use it for my profile.

I live in a small apartment, so I have no dogs. But my dad and stepmom have had pugs for many years. Right now they have 3, a black male, a black female, and a fawn female. I love them. Once I can have my own pets I will get a pug.
 
Well, it's belated but Happy Boxing Day. Hey there my favorite Mark Spurrier, did ya get to see the pics of my sweet little munchkin? It was one post down from the last one you commented on. Hope you have a ROCKIN' New Year up there. Me, I'll be home doing the IM celebration with friends from around the world.
 
Don't know how I missed those pics! Emily is just adorable! My daughter says you just want to reach through the computer and hug her! I LOVE the pics of her at the microphone!

And did i mention that her mother is drop deaad gorgeous to boot!
 
I saw Syriana yesterday and agree with you GWB. My companion and I left the theater somewhat depressed.

He said "It was too close to reality."

The woman sitting in front of me said at the end of the pic "That was the most complicated movie I've ever seen."

I liked it more than I thought I would. I was prepared for one of those car chase, blowing up in your face, special effects type Hollywood pic. This film isn't like that at all. There are four stories going on at once and you have to pay attention and, well, be an adult to appreciate the drama and the acting.

There were some teenage boys sitting across the aisle from me, and they got up in the middle and left.

Not enough "action" for them, I guess.

It's nice to go to see a movie that respects one's intelligence and assumes one can sit through a film without having to see something blow up every 9 minutes or be jammed packed with special effects.

I give it a thumbs up, too.

Oh, and Happy New Year, GWB.

My menu tonight for me and my special honey:

clams casino
Champagne

fillet mignon with shallot wine sauce
asparagus with parmesean cheese
pomme frites
Cline 2000 zinfandel

Chocolate mousse with butter cookies

"amusements"
 
HAPPY NEW YEAR, my friend!!
Did you have fun at your game?
 
Well, my dear friend, tell your sweet daughter that Emily is sending a big cyber hug to her (and you). Yes, Emily is like that all the time - just like what you see in the pics. I took your advice and changed my profile pic. LOL! I'm blushing over here from your unbelievably sweet words. You know how to make a woman feel special. :)
 
I finally saw Syriana today, and I have to agree with you completely. I thought it was great, and everyone should have to see it. But I was a bit down at the end. Although, I must say, I usually am into that. Movies that make me feel like I want to jump off a bridge after watching them tend to be my favorites. I'm not even joking. Schindler's List. The Pianist. Bloody Sunday. Osama. Yeah.
 
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