Just a note to my loyal readers (mainly Unspar) that, contrary to rumors floating around the internet that I died in a plane crash, I am indeed alive, and have not quit the blog world.

Random stuff...

You are Alain! Quiet and introverted, you prefer
thinking to talking. Even though you aren't
that social, you have a kind heart, and will
help those in need. You often see things from a
unique perspective, but people seem to ignore
your feelings. Learn to speak up, and show that
you take pride in what you do!


The Dark Tower Character Test
brought to you by Quizilla

stuff that will only interest me...

Somebody just got Bogut-ized to the score of 7-3 in fantasy basketball...

Team	FG%	FT%	3PTM	PTS	REB	AST	ST	BLK	TO	PF	Score
Bogut-ilicious	.450	.782	45	663	223	132	48	31	90	125	7
I Like Cookies	.427	.739	29	474	231	117	42	20	69	92	3

More football stuff...

Leipzig, Germany -- Well, it could have been worse. But it certainly was bad enough.

After all, the United States could have been placed with Brazil, the Netherlands and Ghana in the ultimate "Group of Death" for this World Cup.

In reality, the Americans wound up with Italy, Czech Republic and Ghana.
And that reality bites.

Friday night's draw will make getting out of the first round in one piece not impossible, but definitely more difficult for a team that historically has experienced major problems winning in Europe.

U.S. coach Bruce Arena put on his best face and smile in the post-draw meet-the-press conference in the mixed zone.

"I almost thought we were going to get the opening game or we were going to be the last team picked," he said. "You know, I have no problems with it. It is what it is."
He added: "We have our hands full."

As optimistic as he sounded, the reality is that the U.S. is in arguably the most difficult, if not the toughest group of the eight for the 32-team field. More experienced, more worldly and much wiser this time around, the U.S. still faces a stiff challenge.

Let's take a look at the Americans' opponents:
* The top-seeded Italians, who incidentally, grabbed the last group top seed by a point over the U.S., are ranked 12th in the world. Unless you have been hiding in a cave for the past three decades, you already know that they are a tough nut to crack in the back, thanks to a traditionally hard-nosed defense and talented and nimble goalkeepers.
* The Czech Republic, a newcomer on the international scene after the breakup of Czechoslovakia, is ranked second in the world. The Czechs were one of the surprise sides at Euro 2004. Crafty midfielder Pavel Nedved came out of retirement to boost the Czechs to a pair of 1-0 playoff wins over Norway. Arena voted Nedved one of his top three players in the FIFA world player of the year a few years ago.
* Ghana, World Cup newbies, just might be the best African team in the tournament. Does the name Michael Essien ring a bell? It should. He plays midfield for Chelsea in the English Premiership and became the highest transfer in African history this past August (a cool $41.5 million).

Arena reminded reporters that the U.S. had defeated favored Portugal, 3-2, in its World Cup opener three years ago.

"We opened up with one of the top teams in the world in 2002," he said.
Yes, the U.S. did stun Portugal, taking a three-goal advantage and holding on for a 3-2 triumph in its first game in 2002 in Korea, and then held the hosts to a 1-1 draw before falling to Poland, 3-1, in its final opening-round encounter. The U.S. rebounded with a 2-0 second-round win over Mexico before it was eliminated by Germany in the quarterfinals, 1-0.

But that was on the other side of the world, the first World Cup played out of Europe and the Americas, where the playing field became a little more level between the haves and the have-nots (just ask surprise-team Korea, which had never won a World Cup match before that tournament. Yet, it finished fourth).

The U.S., on the other hand, has been abysmal through the years in Europe, in the World Cup, friendlies or other encounters or tournaments.

In World Cup competition in Europe, the U.S. is an imperfect 0-7, scoring but four times and surrendering 19 goals (in contrast, the Americans are a competitive 6-7-5 in the Americas or Orient.

The Americans' overall record across the Atlantic is not much better. They're 11-33-6.

But Arena did not see playing in Europe as a home-field disadvantage.

"I don't think in Europe it is an issue," he said earlier this week. "Except for Germany.
"It's still neutral, regardless. It's not like a full stadium."
Of fans cheering against you.

Cast No Shadow...especially towards Mwaller, who does not appreciate the beauty of World Cup Soccer

So I went out and got tickets for Oasis' "Grand North American Tour 2006", this tour, of course consists of everything North America has to offer: Milwaukee and Nashville. No where else. In any case, Oasis has to be at the very least entertaining in it's debacle, and at the very best, an orgasmic explosion of Brit Pop.

Makes me think back to the good ol' days of my English obsession with you-know-who.

Speaking of the Isles, they announced the FIFA World Cup 2006 draw today. US has Ghana (Pete: "They're quick, that's about it"), Czech Republic ("We've been annexed into this group to please the Germans"), and Italy (Uncle Gary: "that's-a spicy meatball of-a group!")

Everyone's complaining that the draw is hard, but I'm pretty confident the 9th-ranked Yankees can make it out of the first round and into the next draw. Italy's really the only decent team.

Also, Mwaller seems to have a lack of appreciation towards the genius of World Cup Soccer, although he's never watched it with Pat and Wipert, so that might be why. (hint, hint)

Films that time forgot.

Let's hope this frequent blogging when I'm bored at school and should be writing papers on the "devotional nature of cinema" doesn't go too far...

The other day I was browsing around the old cable-box, looking for sustenence that only networks such as TBS, TNT, or USA network could provide. I came across this movie, a film so convincing and powerful in its argument of the international conspiracy of super-spies that America never again looked at video game consoles as simply entertaining methods of spending a Sunday afternoon. No, no, after this film, Americans were tearing apart every system and game in order to find the hidden codes that the American government was hiding from spies...in children's video games.

These archival photos should help the reader understand the hysteria of looting that was facing America in 1984:

























So what caused all of this fear and rioting in 1984 and that also was able to hold my attention for more than five minutes? Three words:

CLOAK. AND. DAGGER.

Yes, that's the right. That loveable can-do movie with lots of Oscar-upside starring Henry Thomas from E.T. as an imaginative boy who makes up super-spies to help him battle villians from a video game which may or may not be real.

And guess what? The non-existent super-spy is actually his father! Only it's the metaphorical representation of what his father is supposed to be! Oh, the hard-hitting relevance!

Definetly a must-see for any fans of bad 80's movies. (clearly the golden era, led by numerous Chuck-Norris attempts and the Patrick Swayze legend, "Red Dawn")

Nothing beats a chubby, bearded, video-gaming playing William Forsythe, too.

life in a bubble.

I've come to the realization that I likely won't be a rich man one day.

At the moment looking for internships in Hollywood and NYC in film work. I hate the micro-processed garbage that we continually get on a regular basis from the Left coast, but it's where the money is. I've also got this history degree lying around and gathering dust, so maybe I'll teach for awhile to earn some money.

This week, I completed another film, entitled "Bastard", starring my cousin, Jake Cleary. Seemed to go over well in the class, the instructor really seemed to like the images I chose. What the whole film revolves around is the child (Jake) hears his parents having sex in the adjoining room, upon seeing (and hearing them), the child leaves the room, only to reveal a hearing aid that he is wearing. In frustration, he tears it off. It's about the dysfunction of experience and memory, as well as the operational manner of our senses; our desire to see/hear/feel certain things that we have the option to see/hear/feel. And why the decision we make on this matter defines our whole existence.

It's amazing how much I've grown as a filmmaker this semester. In comparing the two films I did last spring: "The Equesterian Ego of Matt Wilson" and my "Tailgating" documentary, I can see the growth in not only my editing, but in the very way I framed the images. Seeming to lose the lack of seriousness in the films also helped too, I've become more more inclined to do work that is going to be taken more seriously, well at least by the UWM-film people. Looking at a film I did a film earlier this semester, in which I handpainted clear leader in different shapes (a la Stan Brakhage) and organized the shapes, animation and movement into a verse/chorus/verse structure, it's the kind of idea I probably couldn't have even fathomed last spring.

So where's the old career going? Who the hell knows, but that's the fun part of it.

So this is the blog, eh?

This blog will not be a slave to formalism.

Partially spurred on Mwaller's insults re: my masculinity, as well as a desire to engage in discussion of filmmaking and other mediums, I decided to start this blog as a means of formulating thoughts and opinions surrounding films and my life, for anyone who wishes to read it. Feel free to comment on it as you wish.

Also, I had to get the hell out of livejournal. It's too full of drama queens these days.