Monday, June 29, 2009

Another Bad Day

Billy Mays For President Pictures, Images and Photos

So yeah, Billy Mays also died a few days ago and it is very sad. And he will be missed!!!! I am going to go out and buy a big tub of OxiClean in his memory. 

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Pearl Harbor

I just got done watching “Pearl Harbor.” I don’t understand why everybody hated this movie when it really wasn’t that good. I enjoyed it, even with the all the love clichés and the whole ‘romanticizing a national tragedy.” The movie had great action, some amazing shots and yeah, it maybe long and drawn out… the movie was really epic. When I go and see a movie like this, I don’t expect it to be a masterpiece of cinema, I go and see it for the action and the love and that’s why I don’t care if the acting was that bad because it really wasn’t.

I don’t know why people hated this movie so much. Michael Bay has made some really good movies and this is perhaps one of his best. Hell, I even liked some of the cheesy lines that they said during the movie.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Drive-In: An American Past Time

Part I

Part II


Part III


I am so excited that I finally got my documentary up on YouTube. I made this film a while ago and it was my first attempt at a documentary. I was always a fan of drive-ins and they always were my favorite kind of theater seating. It was always about the atmosphere. I know this movie is littered with cheesy songs, choppy editing and everything but it was my FIRST attempt.

I also deticated a short little segment on the Cascade Drive-In in Chicago which is my favorite drive-in of all time and I am glad that they are still in business. I never really told them that I created a little documentary about them… maybe I should.

http://www.cascadedrivein.com/

28W741 North Ave, West Chicago, IL 60185

Thursday, June 25, 2009

A Very Sad Day

Well today is a dark day for the world of music and pop… pop sensation Michael Jackson died today from cardiac arrest at the age of 50. I am a huge M.J. fan and I used to watch his videos every timed they aired on MTV. My friend, NinjaBunny89, told me of the news and I was stunned and I could not believe it. It’s strange because in the past few days Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and now Michael Jackson. I guess its true what they say: it comes in threes.

Then, my other friend said that Jeff Goldblum had passed away while in another country and my heart stopped… Dr. Ian Malcolm was dead!!!! I was going to curl up into a little ball and cry but then he told me that it was a rumor that some guy spread to gain publicity for his blog. Fucking numbnuts!!!!

What pissed me off further was a blog post that Mr. Perez Hilton posted on his gossip mongering website about the now deceased Michael Jackson, which disgusted me:

We knew something like this would happen!! Michael Jackson was taken by ambulance from his Holmby Hills home to a nearby Los Angeles hospital on Thursday afternoon!! Supposedly, the singer went into cardiac arrest and the paramedics had to administer CPR!! His mother is even on the way to visit him!!!

We are dubious!!

Jacko pulled a similar stunt when he was getting ready for his big HBO special in '95 when he "collapsed" at rehearsal! He was dragging his heels on that just like his upcoming 50 date London residency at the 02 Arena, of which he already postponed the first few dates!!! Either he's lying or making himself sick, but we're curious to see if he's able to go on!!! Get your money back, ticket holders!!!!”

I was disgusted!!!! The disrespect that this man has for the singer is beyond me and even if it was a joke, there was no way of telling!!!! And he has exclamation marks after ever sentence as though it was sarcastic! I think Perez needs to stop all this bullshit and do something better with his life or learn to not be such a major douche bag!

Review - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)


New video review up on YouTube. This was my initial review of the second Transformers movie “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” 

I give the movie 2 1/2 out of 5 stars. Which, is an average rating. 

SkillsUSA - Champions at Work


I was sifting through some of my old home videos that I want to eventually upload to YouTube and I cam across a video that I made last year for SkillsUSA. I was approached for the project by the drafting and design teacher at my school since he saw my work on the TV Production class and he figured I’d be the perfect candidate to help out with this video. So took him up on the offer.

Well with the help of one of my friends, Kevin, I got 3rd place in that Nation and then 2nd place in the State. Funny enough, I ranked 3rd place in the city of Chicago… although I think it’s the idea that I got to go down to Springfield and actually get an award medal.

The song that I used is a song that I had to buy the rights to from Immediate Music called ‘Serenada’ and I had to end up paying them $1 for the song’s use, just so long that I didn’t dishonor the contract agreement. When I look back on this video, I have to say that I couldn’t have done it this professionally without the help from my TV internship at our community television station. 

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Transformers Character Guide

Actually, this is a good guide to the new “Transformers” movie that I found on Rotten Tomatoes. For me, it was very helpful because since the TV show I lost touch with my Transformers side and when the new movie came out I only remembered a few from the series.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_revenge_of_the_fallen/news/1828745/whos_who_in_transformers_2_a_visual_guide

Right now, our AMC is being swamped with people because it was a sold out show. Damn!!!!

Transformers: The Night Before

Today is a very special night because it’s the eve of the premiere of the highly anticipated “Transformers: Rise of the Fallen” film from Michael Bay. I am a huge fan of the franchise and an even greater one when I was a kid… in the 90s. Although, I am sad to say that I will not be able to attend the midnight premiere because my teeth are killing me but rest assured, tomorrow, I will be seeing this movie in the afternoon. I am expecting it to be packed even then.

I was a huge fan of the first one and I don’t care what anybody says… it was one of Bay’s greatest movies. It had action, it had humor and most of all it had giant robots beating the shit out of each other!! I probably won’t be able to sleep because I am so excited but it’s going to pay off in the end.

This will be THE movie of the summer if not in the top 3 and it will easily blow ‘Terminator’ out of the water… Michael Bay rises up again!!!!

Monday, June 22, 2009

My Cat Sebastian

Maybe it’s me but I have noticed something about my cat… he is like 11 years old… but every time when I pick him up and give him unconditional love and affection he doesn’t want any, he just jumps down and sleeps in the corner. So I figure he doesn’t want me to hug him so when another of my cats jumps on me and starts rubbing their face up against mine my cat immediately jumps on the couch and looks at me with those sad little cat eyes; like he’s saying:

“Oh, you’d give him/her love but not me?”

It’s like, when I try to give him love he doesn’t want it but when another cat want my affection that’s when he does.

I swear, my cat is so emotionally unstable. 

New Webcam Video


Sunday, June 21, 2009

YouTube Account

I have created another YouTube account after my previous 3 have been deleted. I am hoping to post some video reviews as well as some of my home videos that I made.

 

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Impacted Teeth Part IV

So today I woke up in a daze (damn those painkillers) and I found out that my whole left gum is swollen and throbbing… but not hurting, and my right gum is also swollen but not that much. I looked on the sheet up paper and apparently it is normal for your gums to swell after surgery. It sucks because I cannot laugh, smile or yell without pulling my stitches out but I guess that is the cross that I have to bare for a while.

The good news is: I finally got my yogurt, pudding, Boost, Gatorade and cranberry juice so I think I will be fine when it comes to food. Plus, cranberry juice is supposed to be a healing agent so… maybe that might help me. I am also taking anti-inflammatory medicine so hopefully that will cut down on the swelling.

Thank God I don’t have to do this again for the rest of my life. 

Friday, June 19, 2009

Impacted Teeth Part III

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Well today was my surgery. They walked me into the room and they froze my arm and gave me some knock out pills and some happy gas. Then my doctor talked about Hawaii until I finally was passed out… somewhat. I saw it all happen but I did not give two shits and before I knew it, it was over.

For the next couple of hours I had to have gauze between my teeth to stop the bleeding in my gums. So I had to bite down on it for about 3 hours, and I have been on a diet consisting of Boost, Gatorade, chicken noodle soup and yogurt. For about 2 hours my mouth was so numb that I began to drool and I could scratch my lips and wouldn’t be able to feel anything.

So, I took my meds and now my gums are still throbbing and kind of bloody, but I can manage. I am watching “Last King of Scotland” and I’ll be eating mushy food and liquids for the next week. Wish me luck. 

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impacted Teeth Part II

Well today is the day that I get my teeth pulled. I’ll be getting a knock out serum injected into my arm and I am not looking forward to that. What would also feel a little strange is feeling stitches in my gums and eating mushy food for a while.

I think the worse part is that I cannot eat for 12 hours prior to the procedure so I haven’t eaten anything since 9:30pm yesterday till after the surgery is done. DAMN IT!!!! And I cannot drink anything… only water.

Stupid wisdom teeth!!!!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Review - WALL-E (2008)

I had the great pleasure of buying the ‘WALL-E”  2 disc special edition and I am loving it. This movie is probably my favorite Disney/Pixar movie. This movie, like most DP movies had a lot of heart, soul and very touching story that gives us a sense of happiness. This is what I love about DP movies is the story and how it seems like such an average story but when you watch the movies… there is more to it then what we are lead to believe. Look at it: a story about retired superheroes, a story about toys, monsters that work in a scream factory, a rat that cooks, cars falling in love on Route 66… they all seem simple and silly but they all have heart!

There are several things about “WALL-E” that I love, first off is the sound… like most DP movies the sound is amazing and well crafted. I think that it is a shame that this movie did not win anything for sound mixing or design. On that topic, what I really like about this movie was ‘Down to Earth’ by Peter Gabriel. He got robbed at the Oscars and the award went to “Slumdog Millionaire,” which did not deserve it… I don’t care what ‘Jai Ho’ means Gabriel should have won. I love Randy Newman and Pixar but Gabriel proved to us that he can be just as clever and brilliant.

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The idea about 2 robots falling in love was so touching and it made me feel warm and fuzzy. There are several scenes where you feel for WALL-E and that you know that he loves EVE and when he comes so close to holding her hand… it breaks your heart. When EVE goes into her little shell and WALL-E protects her and makes sure she is save, that whole sequence is so sad. One of the most beautiful and touching scenes is when WALL-E and EVE are ‘dancing’ with the extinguisher and John and Mary finally realized there is a world beyond technology and fall in love as well. It brought a tear to my eye.

I can go on an on about this movie but all I can say is that… right now… it my favorite Pixar Animation films and one of the few movies that made me feel happy and teary. 

Impacted Teeth

Well I just found out that my wisdom teeth are growing in sideways and that there is a chance that they have become impacted, resulting in all my bottom teeth growing in crooked. So… I have to get my teeth pulled so that I don’t end up getting braces. Once this is done, I’ll have stitches in my gums and I will be forced on an all ‘mushy’ diet of oatmeal, applesauce, juice, baby food and pudding. I’ll also be taking a lot of painkillers so I’ll probably be out of it most of the time.

But I have one question, why do they call them ‘wisdom’ teeth if all they do is screw up your mouth? If they were so wise, they wouldn’t do that. 

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Shameless Self-Promotion Part II

It’s that time of the week again… another edition of ‘Shameless Self-Promotion.”

You can follow me on my Twitter.

http://twitter.com/FreddysFingers

You can add me on MySpace

http://www.myspace.com/media_guy

Add me on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?nm=Rick+Romanowski

Fourth down from the top.

Look for my reviews on http://www.imdb.com

Search for Jamhorner

 

I had a YouTube page until it got deleted… damn all of them.

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I also want to take this time to once again do my friend a favor and promote her as well since she also would like to meet new friends.

Follow her on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/NinjaBunny89

Add her on MySpace

http://www.myspace.com/mysensesfade

Subscribe to her on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/user/BurningSpaceship

or

http://www.youtube.com/BurningSpaceship

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

New Tropical Music

Well today I discovered a couple of new Jimmy Buffett songs that I never knew existed… and being the Parrothead that I am, I downloaded them and they are simply amazing. Some of them were from his earlier albums but I still enjoyed them, he still has the tropical country feel. Here are the songs that I got:

Stars on the Water – One Particular Harbour (1983)

Manana – Son of a Son of a Sailor (1978)

Burn that Bridge – Riddles in the Sand (1987)

Gravity Storm – Off To See the Lizard (1989)

Off To See the Lizard – Off To See the Lizard (1989)

Apocalypso – Fruitcakes (1994)

Lone Palm – Fruitcakes (1994)

Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season – A-1-A (1974)

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I also found out that Mr. Buffett also adapted a short-lived play by Herman Wouk in 1997 called Don’t Stop the Carnival. I listened to the 30-second previews on iTunes and I am very impressed and I actually love the CD. So, I downloaded it and now I am jamming to my new editions to my Tropical Island Playlist.

How I yearn for nice, humid, tropical weather. 

My Personal Palm

Bad news, for some unknown reason (we think it’s lightning) the awesome crooked tree in our backyard suddenly split into threes practically overnight. It was such an awesome tree because the wind made it grow on an angle and our neighbors were using it as a tree awning and it was also one of the first trees that my dad planted in our yard. Now, the tree branches fell over the fence and crushed our neighbor’s playground and my step-dad had to cut it down. It was very depressing because it was my favorite tree and now we have to uproot it because the spilt went straight down into the roots. Damn!!!!

I guess now I have to find a new tree to relax under and watch the day go by. Although there are plenty of trees here, plenty of healthy green trees but nothing will ever take the place of my lone palm. 

I miss my slanted palm tree. 

Monday, June 15, 2009

A Fox in the Palm Tree

So I have had a lot on my mind lately and one of the biggest things that I was thinking about, after that new Transformers trailer came out, is why does everybody think that Megan Fox is so hot?? I am not a jealous girl, I am a guy and it’s always been bugging me why do people think she is so drop-dead gorgeous? I read somewhere that she is mostly plastic and that’s something that is a bit shady about this… why is it that looking fake and becoming a doll is considered sexy nowadays?

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And don’t give me any of these answers:

“If you don’t know, then there is no use telling why”

“Because she is hot, that’s why”

“What’s not to like about her?”

“Everything about her is beautiful”

Give me a straight answer. 

Sunday, June 14, 2009

IMDb Profile Updates - Collection

Today, or should I say tonight, I updated my IMDb movie profile and added all the horror movies I have in my collection as well as all the horror movies that I wish to eventually buy. I have not yet created a list of all the ‘regular’ movies that I own. My main priority right now is my growing horror movie collection… and I would like to make it public just in case anybody has any suggestions to what I should watch or own.

http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=29608597

Aside from the usual horror movie, I am looking for hole-in-the-wall movies that nobody has heard of. I hope you enjoy it. 

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Review - The Hangover (2009)

Well I just got done seeing “The Hangover” and all I can say is that it is, as of right now, one of the funniest movies that I have seen all year. Its raunchy, perverted, unforgiving, unholy, sinful and wonderfully twisted and I love it. It was truly a Las Vegas movie and the characters were wonderfully casted. It had a very subtle heartwarming story behind it but it was caked over with the stories comedy but if you look carefully you can see how much these friends really care for each other and how their new friend so desperately wants to fit in. It’s very nice.  

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Unfortunately, the movie started 30 minutes late because the projector wouldn’t run the spools right so they had to move the people out of the theater for “Taking of Pelham 1 2 3” and put them into another theater so they could start the 11:45 show. Phew. But in the end, it was all worth it. I loved it.

Remember, what happens in Vegas… stays in Vegas. 

Evening Under the Screen

Well today since I haven’t don’t much of anything today except watch two movies and blog, I am going to go see “The Hangover" tonight, which my friend said is one of the best comedies of the year… the camera work was amazing, the soundtrack was solid and it was actually funny… again, this is his opinion but him and I are usually on the same track. Before hand, I will be eating some White Castle, only because I had a craving for it, which is the only way that I would eat that.

When I get back I will have a full review of the movies. If I am not sick because of the sliders. 

Yet Another Blog

I created another blog (somebody stop me before this gets out of hand) and this one is only devoted to documenting my various vacations. That means anywhere that I go out of state to take a break or to cut loose. This will be my last blog… I promise.

http://lifetimevacation.blogspot.com/

Friday, June 12, 2009

Shameless Self-Promotion

So, a while ago, I finally caved in and got a Twitter. Although I am not a huge fan of this networking site I still have it and occasionally post my status. I see no harm in promoting my twitter account.

http://twitter.com/FreddysFingers

It’s an old account but I just started using it about a few weeks ago. My friend also has an account and she is more into Twitter then I am and she wants more followers so I will also put her Twitter up here as well.

http://twitter.com/NinjaBunny89

Follow us!!!!

Changes in Latitudes

I have given it much thought and I came to realize something: I want to be a filmmaker, I want to make and produce films as well as edit them, I love films and I love studying about films but if something does not work out then I’m going to fall straight on my ass. So, I have decided to pursue and alternative career in addition to the one that I am currently pursuing and that is to get a PhD in film. If I do, it will increase my job chance and I will be able to write reviews for online websites or newspapers and to possibly teach… which I won’t mind.

The downside is, I have to learn about religion, politics, psychology and sociopolitical studies… yippy!!!!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Nightfall on the Island

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As the night began to blanket the islands I began to think: I really enjoy the nighttime rather then the day. During the day and mornings, everything is so hectic and hustle and bustle. People are working, running around with errands, everything is so bright and loud, people are everywhere talking and crowding up the sidewalks and it can get very annoying sometimes.  

The night, on the other hand, is so calm and relaxing. As much as I love the sun it can get annoying sometimes, especially when I had a bad day… but the night is dark and real easy on the eyes. The night is so peaceful because you don’t have all the traffic and cluster as you would during the day. You can lay down on the beach or sit outside and hear peace and quiet so that you can reflect on yourself. Even the city at night is beautiful because all the building lights are on and it makes things glitter.

It’s also when I do most of my work; I find the night very inspirational and it helps me write my reviews and my screenplays. When the sun goes down, that’s when my day begins. 

Hammock Ponderings

So I was lying in my fake hammock today watching VH1’s ‘I Love the 70’s’ and I remember watching their more famously known ‘I Love the 80’s.’ I came to realize that the 70s were quite boring and the only things that were good about it were the rock and roll songs and the movies… some of the movies. When I watched their 80s show I realized why I know so much about the 80s an not have been born until ’89. I used to watch MTV when I was little and they would play all sorts of 80s music videos and I used to listen to the radio with my mom and the station would play nothing but 80s and 70s music. Of course, there were a few 90s songs that I remember.

Why this random thought came into my head… I do not know, but it made me feel more nostalgic and made me think about everything that came out in the 90s: Mondos, Lunchables, squeeze-its, the list goes on.

Hopefully I am not the only person who used to listen to “Celestial Soda Pop” by Ray Lynch when I was younger. 

Stormy Weather

It’s another crappy day in paradise here… the skies are cloudy, its dark, cold and it’s raining. It would only make sense that I feel pretty depressed and very gloomy. Today is going to be a lazy day where all I do for the first half of the day is listen to Jimmy Buffett and watch movies… nothing much. Luckily, I have my 2 cats Henry and Patty and our dachshund Daisy.

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I am listening to ‘Banana Republics’ from Jimmy’s Changes in Attitudes, Changes in Latitudes album, which was the last of the Key West Album collection. I listened to Steve Goodman’s original composition of this song and after comparing them, I really enjoy Buffett’s version better. It has a softer flow and it’s sung beautifully.

It’s not supposed to get sunny until Saturday… maybe I can hold out till then.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

The Michael Bay Paradox

Maybe I am alone on this but what the hell? I honestly do not see why people hate Michael Bay so much and why people do not like his movie either… I see nothing to hate about the man. Is it because of that whole “Team America” thing because if it is, then that’s pretty stupid? He is the only director that I know that can keep me enthralled and entertained in high-octane stunts and explosions for 2+ hours. His stories are very touching and his movies are very famous.

Tell me, how many of you enjoyed “Armageddon?” Now, how many of you felt sad and depressed when Harry died for the world?

Despite its clichés… how many of you enjoyed “Bad Boys?”

“The Rock” got a nomination for sound.

“Pearl Harbor” was a huge success and it is one of the few films to accurately depict the bombing. Plus several people praised it and its filled with some good action scenes. So what’s to hate?

Everybody loved “Transformers.”

So… what is there to hate when everybody loves his movies? He is living the Hollywood dream: making big budget movies, making big action movies and getting an ass tone of money and producing even more big budget movies. He’s living the Hollywood dream. 

The Curious Case of the Dog in the Nighttime

I got done reading this book and all I have to say is wow!!!!!!!!! That book was amazing and the ending was a bit of a shocker. It's one of those books that I could actually sit down and read and not stop. There were also many things that Christopher pointed out that I agree with him on and in a way... I can actually connect with him on. I am not Autistic but I can relate. I agree with math being something that both him and I understand… or at least I understood for a while. Math is not like life but I wish that it was: complex but there is always a definitive answer.

2.     I agree with his view on metaphors. I don’t understand them half of the time and that in a way… a metaphor is a metaphor for itself.

3.     I agree with his stand on Sherlock Holms and how most people don’t pay attention to some of the small stuff that people do, but I think him and I do.

4.     I do have a mild case of OCD and there are traits him and I share.

5.     I need everything to be orderly and linear or else I freak out.

6.     I agree with him on the constellations. 

I found this book as an amazing read and I would like to own the book someday. Too bad, I have to read ‘To the Lighthouse’ by Virginia Woolfe. Boo!!!!


Introduction

This is a brief introduction to my new blog. My first blog was on MySpace and it never caught on… after a while, because of some copywrite infringement my account was deleted along with my blog. But, it was an experimental blog and I was writing with a different alias and age. I guess that’s why it never caught on. Also, I am not in the Hollywood Hills, I wish I was, but I am located in ChiTown.

Me In A Nutshell

Like the description says, I am a closet horror fan (I guess not anymore) and I am trying to build up a collection of horror movies and collectables. Ever since I can remember I was a horror fan, starting with all those nights I watched ‘Tales From the Crypt’ with my grandma. I began reading and watching ‘Goosebumps’ until I realized it wasn’t scary anymore… so I began watching ‘The X-Files.’ It terrified me. I really got into horror when I tried watching “The Thing” (1982) and “The Blob” (1988) and I couldn’t so I settled with PG-13. Years later, I would become the horror geek that I am today.

I am also an armature student screenwriter and director. I written 2 stupid movie screenplays (Warrior Wars I and II), several short films and a film that my buddies and me are working on called “Masquerade.” I hope to eventually become a moviemaker, producer and writer but for now my concentration is editing.

I have written numerous movie reviews for IMDb, though my reviews are not professional or professionally published its still fun to write them. I have written 7 movie reviews for my high school’s weekly newspaper and that’s pretty much it. I used to write reviews for a horror forum, which will remain nameless, until I stopped because nobody was paying attention. So, I will let all you guys suffer by reading my reviews.

Other then that, I am pretty much average. I read a few magazines, notably MAD Magazine. I still watch TV here and there and I still watch reruns of my favorite shows. I am a hardcore X-Phile and a loyal ParrotHead. I love any and all 80s music, if there is a song that was in the 80s… I probably have it. I love any kind of rock music ranging from 1950 to 2008. I watching a lot of movies and I love cats. That is pretty much me in a nut shell.