Some Thanksgiving Pregaming

Ah, the week of Thanksgiving, a time of stuffing your face, spending time with your family, watching football and overall vegetation, an ode to the pillaging of a race of indigenous people happening to live where the white man landed. :) Just kidding, I don't care.  A shortened work week is sure to give me some time, and aid in my endless search for all things awesome.  I had a busy weekend, but I did manage to delve into some entertainment and hopefully bring you the best of it. 

Movies

As of late, I have been on this whole 90’s crime binge with my movies.  Over the weekend I watched both Rounders, and Knockaround guys. 

Rounders follows Matt Damon, and friend Ed Norton in their path to grandeur as they attempt to build a fortune by way of high stakes card games, most notably no limit Texas hold'em.  Although I am not a fan of poker, I don’t play, not really interested in the game at all, the movie still held my attention.  Norton is one of my favorite actors, and the chemistry between him and Damon was portrayed well.  On a more fundamental level, I can relate to the theme of the movie.  Damon is a law student in the movie who also struggles with his love for high stakes card games.  He is torn between having a stable, yet boring life as a lawyer and the thrilling life of a gambler.  Struggling between stability and excitement/creativity is something I struggle with all the time, juggling the 9 to 5 with some real creativity and production at night time.  Overall I give the movie a 7.5

Knockaround Guys was a decent movie, I love John Malkovich, but I hate Vin Diesel.  There were both moments of brilliance, and utter cheesiness.  As an action star, Diesel is great, but the second he opens his mouth and starts monologing about street fights, or about how he lives his life a quarter mile at a time, something inside me dies.  The whole plot of the movie follows Barry Pepper in his quest to make his own way and not be overshadowed by his Mob boss father, who has given him everything.   He and his crew end up in the Midwest after a job goes wrong which in the end makes Matty Demrest (Pepper) realize what he wants in life.  I give it a 6, I was hoping for a deeper, more gangster plot; when really the comedy was lost somewhere between Vin Diesel’s monologing and intermittent intensity. 

I definitely will be movie binging over the weekend.  Inception, PI and Being John Malkovich should all be on their way. 

Music

Musically, this week has been somewhat dry.  The crown jewel is definitely the release of the Tron Legacy Soundtrack.  The French duo Daft Punk, Guy-Manuel de Homen-Christo and Thomas Bangalter both composed and produced this album.  It is filled with epically classic music that will definitely get you psyched for the movie release.  Don’t expect any club hits though, this is not the Daft Punk of old.

Here are some other songs I have been vibing too as the week has gone one. I hope you enjoy, I also have been listening to All Killer No Filler by Sum41, hit it up, it will take you back.  

Also, Eminem is on the cover of Rolling Stone, if you can get your hands on the issue the article about him is great (I am a biased fan).  America can simply not get enough of Mr. Marshall Bruce Matthers.  I am still blasting The Recovery in my car. I only hope for more greatness as the release of Dr. Dre's long awaited Detox is officially, about half way done (according to Em) 

Stay thirsty my friends.