a broken lull.

can you believe we're already here? December 31st 2006. what a year it was. i'll leave the retrospectives to other people (although i'll probably put a quick Favorite Movies of '06 up in the next couple of days). i'm almost done preparing for the evening. gonna go to a friend's place for the night to ring in the new year.

i just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year. enjoy yourselves tonight and be safe.

Mary -- i tried posting a comment on your blog after christmas but i got an error message. also tried your diaryland address but it bounced back :)

lotsa love and kisses to everyone out there.

Posted by Anonymous | 4:42 PM |

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Gabriele Muccino, usa 2006

7.5
i'm baffled as to why Gabriele Muccino was chosen to direct this project. not because he did a poor job--he didn't; but because Hollywood usually has their roster of hack directors for these kinds of films and don't look outside of the country much. there aren't any cultural differences in the script that jump out, or any point made about the american system. it's really just a father trying to survive through difficult times. according to the imdb, Will Smith chose him after seeing L'ultimo bacio (the original Last Kiss; maybe he got in through a deal?) and Ricordati di me. i have no idea whether Smith saw these films on his own or as part of director packages. but i would love to hear Gabriele do a commentary for this film because chosing an italian director who hadn't directed a single american film up to this point is definitely interesting and should be followed up on. he definitely got the quiet internal/social drama down. the film starts out conventionally, and awkwardly, enough. but it never tries to be cute. i can't put my finger on when it happened but there is a point where i realized the film had me during the beginning of the second act and i was rooting for Chris up until the end. Smith won't get an Oscar nomination (he's good but the part isn't flashy or as overly-dramatic as required by the academy) but he should be commanded for taking on this project. the casting of his real-life son only adds to the father-son relationship. Christopher isn't really a major character other than being his father's motivation for staying afloat through the ordeals. so Jaden Smith acquits himself nicely in a small part. the film focuses on Gardner's motivation and resilience in the face of adversity (but don't worry, the film doesn't stack up the obstacles just to have Chris overcome them. shit happens. it's ugly. and that's that). come to think of it, it took me a while to realize how relatively innovative the film was in that it didn't have a foe or antagonist for Chris to rebel or fight against. not even the system is blamed for Chris' problems, which i thought was incredibly honorable on the filmmakers' part. there are a couple of small points i had problems with but they don't overshadow the quiet accomplishments this team achieved with this picture. a quietly sweet and touching piece of film.

Posted by Anonymous | 10:31 PM |

tonight in the NHL
MONTREAL vs WASHINGTON 7:30PM (TSN/RDS)

update - thursday, 11:57 AM

Habs won 4-1 :)

Posted by Anonymous | 11:27 AM |

Happy Jesus Day.

the Habs lost their final pre-Xmas game last night, 4-2 agains the Bruins. at least we got a 5-win streak before that. we can take a loss here and there :)

Posted by Anonymous | 11:41 AM |

NHL
Montreal 5 Buffalo 2

WHATTHEFUCK? this ain't supposed to happen like this. not five to two. the Sabres are the best fucking team in the NHL. this was one hell of a game, and a great comeback by the Habs after losing 2-1 in the first. the Canadiens are quietly sitting in fifth place overall right now. i would've laughed right in your face if you'd told me this even a month ago :)

wow. so the Yul hat incident controversy is even more twisted. i sorta missed that one but it makes sense. read on.
congrats to Yul for the win sunday night. and a big stinking heap to Ozzy for apparently being an ass when CBS doesn't edit him.

Posted by Anonymous | 11:24 AM |

Habs vs Buffalo. tonight, starting at 7PM (RDS/MSG).

Halle Berry sings??? apparently she quietly finished an album set to be released in February. that's surpising but still tepid news nowadays. but, as far as we can tell, she did get Timbaland to work three tracks for her :) (Scott Storch does four.)

Posted by Anonymous | 10:55 AM |

my god, what a game it was!

Pittsburgh 3 Montreal 6

it all started quietly, both teams getting some chances (a few too many for the Pens, if you ask me) in the first. but then, by the second period on, it seemed like the Habs, after letting a goal that made it 2-1 Pens go in with a second to go in the first, just found their flow and took off and never looked back. Saku got two and Kovalev got a beauty of a goal. taking his sweet-ass fucking time on the side with the puck. if you were watching CBC, you would've heard the commentators mention he was 'controling traffic' at one point. lol. true. that should make the highlight reel. Kovalev had enough time to think through his options (five times each!) that he even brilliantly pointed to one of his teammates where to position himself in the slot. lol :P amazing. see the highlight reel.

ps. got my wish for Justin's SNL appearance, didn't i? :)
was only missing one Timbaland. but i was actually amazed when my predictions/wishes materialized before my very eyes :)

pps. i watched thursday's episode of Survivor tonight (Season Finale sunday at 8PM). thankgod they didn't vote off Ozzy. but. am i the only one pissed off about them making a big deal about Yul bringing Jonathan's hat to him at Tribal Council? the dude is a nice guy. is everyone so cynical these days that he can't just do this nice thing for a former fellow tribesmate? of course it might tide things over, but having seen Yul, he did it because he's that nice guy. leave it. i couldn't believe Parvati and Adam were so quick to jump on the guy. stunk of desperation. i hope Adam is next now. Go Ozzy! Go Yul!

Posted by Anonymous | 1:34 AM |

Justin Timberlake will host and rock tonight's SNL. greatest news of the still-birthing weekend. hopefully SNL brings back Chris Parnell and Jimmy Fallon for a return to Omeletteville and the Barry Gibb Talk Show. and i'm not holding my breath for it but hopefully Timbaland shows for a song or two.

Posted by Anonymous | 1:48 AM |

MARY!! Huet is NHL.com's third star of the night !!! :D

Tampa Bay 2 Montreal 4

well, last night was Saku Koivu's 600th game in the NHL and he scored twice to give the Habs the win against the Lightning :) it was an alright game, notable for the pressure Kovalev's 2nd line (although Carbonneau is playing him more and more on the first with Koivu; and they are clicking like they did when Kovy first came on the team. i like :) was able to give against Tampa Bay. it wasn't a perfect game but we were to stay in it by keeping some energy throughout the 60 minutes. i think we're finally getting there. a good game. and Huet quietly (and sometimes spectacularly) stopped 41 shots.

Posted by Anonymous | 11:03 AM |

the Boston Bruins are coming into town to play the Habs tonight (the Bruins just received a bad news of their own. centre Phil Kessel is apparently being treated for testicular cancer.)
here's an article with numerous reports on the Canadiens (Gainey, Higgins, Maxim Lapierre recalled, the players, etc).
Aebischer gets the start, btw.

Posted by Anonymous | 11:01 AM |

wow.
take a look at this heartbreaking picture in this Gazette article about Bob Gainey and his missing daughter, Laura.
Red Fisher also wrote up an article on the man.

Posted by Anonymous | 10:16 AM |

Howard Dean was at the Liberal Convention in Montreal ?????????! please check this short video out. too funny.

the Habs lost, quite honorably, in shootout, to the Buffalo Sabres tonight. 3-2. a good game, although, as expected, Sheldon Souray and Craig Rivet have been passed over by the new NHL (Souray's goal stats lie about his playing abilities. hey, if his rising status as a solid D can bring in some interested parties, let them. that'll be more for us come 2007). in related news - Kovalev can still move the puck around like nobody's business (and he almost put it in the net too;)

11:35 AM

oh my god. this is Bob Gainey's daughter, Laura Gainey. she was the woman swept away in the mid-Atlantic darkness Friday night. this is scary. please send your thoughts and prayers for this family.

Posted by Anonymous | 1:41 AM |

NHL
Montreal 4 New York Islanders 2

haha :) it wasn't a blow-out by the Habs but they definitely gave the effort. and, Mary, Huet wasn't challenged much but he did make a few spectacular save when they were called for. i'm guessing he's starting against the Sabres tomorrow night as well. good game. i wasn't sure they'd be able to recover from their lost from the night before. (Souray and Rivet are still dreadfully weak, though.)

Posted by Anonymous | 10:12 AM |

one of my very best friends of the last few years, and also my ex, gave birth to a baby girl last night :D and strangely enough, i felt really elated by it.

working at a hospital does have its privileges. the ex called me up monday afternoon to catch up a bit (a few months ago she moved into her boyfriend's house, way out in the country, and since there's a childish coldness between her boyfriend and i, we caught up every 90 days or so) and told me she was having false contractions for the past day or two. she was due on the 9th. yesterday i go into work and a friend/coworker tells me the ex called her up in the afternoon and she was up in maternity and would page me in the evening if she got the time. we checked her status with the staff throughout the evening and at 9:55 a baby girl was quickly born :) she paged me at 11:30, just as i was getting ready to pack things up. she told me to come up for a minute or two (incidentally, her boyfriend was out getting shots for the baby :) he did return while i was there, and literally froze in place when he saw me. lol. but i warmly congratulated him and while he was looking for some warm clothes for the baby, the three of us chatted a bit and everything was fine and dandy.

there you go. that's my story.
i had a glow after the birth and its not even mine :D

Posted by Anonymous | 11:03 AM |

NHL
Boston 6 Montreal 5

ouch. sorry about Huet, Mary!
well, the Habs were once again able to mount a comeback (i think they were 4-1 in this one?) but an extremely late goal in the third from Boston did them in. but they played really well for most of the game (that 5-10 minute stretch at the end of the first was owned by Boston as each goal seemed to go through Huet like butter). otherwise another impressive game by Montreal. no complaint here.

Posted by Anonymous | 10:29 AM |

NHL
Toronto 3 Montreal 4 SO

once again, the Leafs-Habs go into overtime and shootout. but this time we came back from a 2-goal deficit very late in the third, thanks to an extraordinary Saku Koivu. i'd given up, having seen the Leafs overwork the Habs one too many games before (seems they're Montreal cryptonite), but it was a joy to see the Habs come back from behind. and Souray's fake-shot, and game-winning goal, in the shootout was definitely a shocker. big up! we'll take the two points.

Posted by Anonymous | 10:36 PM |

MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND
Ivan Reitman, usa 2006

4.5
this was simply one horrible viewing experience. of course the 90 minutes passed by quickly. but it certainly wasn't painless. and the weird thing is that this came from filmmaker Ivan Reitman. if i had to boil it down, i would say the film was simply inept filmmaking. the character introductions were just too quick, lame, and humourless to get any type of sympathy going, what felt like the obvious, uninspired casting of The Office's geeky Rainn Wilson, and Luke Wilson, whom, apart from his performance in The Royal Tenenbaums, really doesn't seem to know how to act; especially not in a leading role. i have nothing against the man, i really wanted him to do well in this, but he was just too bland and couldn't pull the performance necessary to lead this film. Uma Thurman and Anna Faris are the only ones who seemed to know what to do with their limited characters. the story felt like a rushed under-developed script idea with a bunch of scenes thrown together (Wilson's character is at times a geek, a horny playboy (or was that just in his head), and gay (what was that scarf about??)). oh, and it literally takes half of the movie's running time to get to the ex-girlfriend part. way to make us wait for any type of tension or drama. it was just a sorry viewing experience.

Posted by Anonymous | 3:03 PM |

okay. first off, it seems my archive links on the right is not working anymore. i'm trying to get to the bottom of it asap.

it's snowing today. dunno if i'm going out or not. i feel a bit like a homebody(?) today. we'll see.

the week was good to me. after holding myself from buying up every new beautiful set Criterion was offering us these past few months, DeepDiscountDVD had its semi-annual 20% sale a couple of weeks ago. i was able to get amazing prices for the most important releases i'd passed by and the first two packages came in this week. here's what i got:



tonight the Habs are battling the Maple Leafs (in Montreal) in a classic saturday night matchup (7PM CBC/RDS). have a good game, Mary :)

Posted by Anonymous | 11:49 AM |