21. Frank Lapidus
Why does the island want Frank? He was scheduled to pilot Flight 815 (episode 4x2, Confirmed Dead) and ended up flying Ajira 316. Bram asked if he was a "candidate" and Ilana replied that he was "important." (Episode 5x16, The Incident)
22. Who was Cesar?
Apparently Cesar distrusted Ilana, because he concealed the Dharma diagrams and shotgun that he found. (Episode 5x7, The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham) Did Cesar know Ilana's identity, and was he working for the other side?
23. Appendectomy
What is the significance of Jack's appendectomy? (Episode 4x10, Something Nice Back Home)
Some of these questions, I didn't even think of. Great! Now I have EVEN MORE QUESTIONS! I both hate and love this show at the same exact time...
Demotivational Poster of the Day
Monday, February 8, 2010
'Lost' Questions to Think About: Part 2
11. Widmore
How did Widmore leave the island and return regularly? (Episode 5x12, Dead is Dead) Did he use the underground time wheel for this purpose? Widmore knew the location of the time portal's exit and kept it under constant surveillance (episode 5x7, The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham).
How did Widmore become so wealthy and powerful after his banishment?
12. Ben
Why did Ben have multiple passports and currencies? (Episode 4x3, The Economist) Why was Miles so certain that Ben could come up with $3.2 million? (Episode 4x4, Eggtown)
Who was the woman for whom Juliet became a substitute in Ben's mind, and what became of her? In episode 4x6, The Other Woman, the therapist (Harper Stanhope) said, "You look just like her."
13. Walt
What's the extent of Walt's powers and why does he have them? Miss Klugh asked Michael if Walt ever appeared somewhere he wasn't supposed to be. (Episode 2x22, Three Minutes) And Ben told Michael, "We got more than we bargained for when Walt joined us." (Episode 2x23, Live Together, Die Alone)
Is Walt still connected to the island? He told Locke that he still dreams about the people there. (Episode 5x7, The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham) Did Walt make psychic contact with Locke through a dream when he appeared to him at the ditch? (Episode 3x22, Through the Looking Glass)
14. Radio Tower
Who recorded the original message with the repeating numbers and when? Danielle Rousseau had recorded over the message to record her distress call, which Shannon translated. (Episode 1x2, Pilot Part 2)
15. Rousseau
What was Danielle Rousseau's team's real mission? Sayid aptly observed, "A science team armed with rifles?" (Episode 1x9, Solitary)
16. Claire
Who arranged Claire's arrival on the island and for what purpose? Richard Malkin (the Australian psychic) tricked Claire into boarding Flight 815. (Episode 1x10, Raised by Another) Yet Malkin admitted to Eko that he was a fake, saying "I gather intelligence on people and I exploit it." (Episode 2x21, ?). Who was Malkin working for?
17. Aaron
Hurley told Jack that an apparition of Charlie left a message: "You're not supposed to raise him, Jack." (Episode 4x10, Something Nice Back Home) Does the island want Aaron back? Is he destined to be an Other because he was born on the island? Was this the same reason that Ethan became an Other, assuming he's the baby born to Horace and Amy in episode 5x9, Namaste?
18. Procreation Issue
Juliet said the problem with pregnant women dying was an immune system dysfunction that attacked fetus and mother. (Episode 3x16, One of Us) When and why did this come about on the island, and only for babies conceived on the island?
19. The Cabin
Who looked out at Hurley before Locke arrived? (Episode 4x1, The Beginning of the End)
20. Penny
Why had Penny hired scientists to look for a magnetic anomaly? (Episode 2x23, Live Together, Die Alone) Who was her mother, the "outsider" with whom Widmore fathered her? (Episode 5x12, Dead is Dead)
How did Widmore leave the island and return regularly? (Episode 5x12, Dead is Dead) Did he use the underground time wheel for this purpose? Widmore knew the location of the time portal's exit and kept it under constant surveillance (episode 5x7, The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham).
How did Widmore become so wealthy and powerful after his banishment?
12. Ben
Why did Ben have multiple passports and currencies? (Episode 4x3, The Economist) Why was Miles so certain that Ben could come up with $3.2 million? (Episode 4x4, Eggtown)
Who was the woman for whom Juliet became a substitute in Ben's mind, and what became of her? In episode 4x6, The Other Woman, the therapist (Harper Stanhope) said, "You look just like her."
13. Walt
What's the extent of Walt's powers and why does he have them? Miss Klugh asked Michael if Walt ever appeared somewhere he wasn't supposed to be. (Episode 2x22, Three Minutes) And Ben told Michael, "We got more than we bargained for when Walt joined us." (Episode 2x23, Live Together, Die Alone)
Is Walt still connected to the island? He told Locke that he still dreams about the people there. (Episode 5x7, The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham) Did Walt make psychic contact with Locke through a dream when he appeared to him at the ditch? (Episode 3x22, Through the Looking Glass)
14. Radio Tower
Who recorded the original message with the repeating numbers and when? Danielle Rousseau had recorded over the message to record her distress call, which Shannon translated. (Episode 1x2, Pilot Part 2)
15. Rousseau
What was Danielle Rousseau's team's real mission? Sayid aptly observed, "A science team armed with rifles?" (Episode 1x9, Solitary)
16. Claire
Who arranged Claire's arrival on the island and for what purpose? Richard Malkin (the Australian psychic) tricked Claire into boarding Flight 815. (Episode 1x10, Raised by Another) Yet Malkin admitted to Eko that he was a fake, saying "I gather intelligence on people and I exploit it." (Episode 2x21, ?). Who was Malkin working for?
17. Aaron
Hurley told Jack that an apparition of Charlie left a message: "You're not supposed to raise him, Jack." (Episode 4x10, Something Nice Back Home) Does the island want Aaron back? Is he destined to be an Other because he was born on the island? Was this the same reason that Ethan became an Other, assuming he's the baby born to Horace and Amy in episode 5x9, Namaste?
18. Procreation Issue
Juliet said the problem with pregnant women dying was an immune system dysfunction that attacked fetus and mother. (Episode 3x16, One of Us) When and why did this come about on the island, and only for babies conceived on the island?
19. The Cabin
Who looked out at Hurley before Locke arrived? (Episode 4x1, The Beginning of the End)
20. Penny
Why had Penny hired scientists to look for a magnetic anomaly? (Episode 2x23, Live Together, Die Alone) Who was her mother, the "outsider" with whom Widmore fathered her? (Episode 5x12, Dead is Dead)
'Lost' Questions to Think About: Part 1
ABC's Lost has been one of my favorite shows since it started. It pisses me off by answering 1 question, but giving us 3 more. I saw this article today that brought up some pretty good questions and thought I'd relay them here!
1. The Hatch (Swan Station)
After the Purge, who regularly placed food and supplies outside the hatch (The Swan Station)? Was it really the Others, and did they put Dharma logos on the supplies to deceive the hatch's occupants so they'd keep pushing the button? In (episode 2x18, Dave), Charlie theorized that the hatch locked down so its residents couldn't see who left the food.
Why didn't the Others ever take over the hatch, choosing instead to monitor it from the Pearl station? (Ep: 3x14, Expose)
Why did Radzinsky splice out the one piece of the orientation tape that warned against using the computer for communication, and hide it in a Bible on the other side of the island? ((Ep: 2x9, What Kate Did and Ep: 2x23, Live Together, Die Alone)
2. The Time Loop
Has the time loop already repeated multiple times, and can Eloise remember what happens each time? In the "Lost Time Loop" discussion, Cooperdale observed that Eloise knew all the major elements in the loop from Daniel's journal. Yet Eloise also knew things that couldn't be in the journal. In episode 3x8, Flashes Before Your Eyes she knew that the man in the red sneakers would be crushed and said, "The universe has a way of course correcting." And in episode 5x6, 316 she told Desmond, "..the island's not done with you yet," implying that she may know his future.
3. Eloise and Widmore
Are Eloise and Widmore working together to fulfill the time loop, or are they on opposite sides?
It appears that both wanted Desmond on the island. Eloise tracked Desmond; she befriended the abbot of his monastery (photo on desk in episode 3x17, Catch 22) and anticipated his arrival at the jewelry store (episode 3x8, Flashes Before Your Eyes). Widmore sponsored the race that shipwrecked Desmond. Both told Daniel to go to the island on the freighter. (Episode 5x14, The Variable)
Yet Eloise helped at least one of Widmore's enemies (Ben) return to the island, and may have helped two more to get there. In episode 5x16, The Incident, it was clear that Bram and Ilana knew Ajira 316 would take them to the island. Did they learn that from Eloise?
4. Libby
Was Libby an agent of Widmore's when she gave Desmond the sailboat (episode 2x23, Live Together, Die Alone)? Was she spying on Hurley in the mental hospital (episode 2x18, Dave), and on whose orders?
5. McCutcheon Whiskey
Does McCutcheon Whiskey indicate a connection to Widmore? It first appeared in Sawyer's stash (episode 3x8, Flashes Before Your Eyes), which means it belonged to another passenger on Flight 815. After Widmore used it to humiliate Desmond (same episode), it appeared again in the hotel room of Locke's father (episode 3x13, The Man From Tallahassee) and Ilana recognized that Sayid was drinking it when they first met at the bar (episode 5x10, He's Our You). Who was the mystery passenger on Flight 815 with the McCutcheon -- perhaps Libby? Did Locke's father and Ilana ever cross paths with Widmore or his associates?
6. Hurley
Has Hurley's purpose been fulfilled? The other people transported back to the 1970s played a visibly important role (in Ethan's birth, taking Ben to the Others, fighting Dharma security forces during the Incident). Hurley's role during that time seemed only minor (chef and van driver). Yet Jacob asked Hurley to come back, and apparently another force tried to prevent Hurley from boarding Flight 815. (In episode 1x24, Exodus Part 2, Hurley's alarm clock shorted out and his rental car stalled.) How important is Hurley, and to which side?
7. What is the Magic Box?
Ben told Locke that the magic box brought his father to the island (episode 3x13, The Man From Tallahassee), and later explained that "the magic box is a metaphor." (Episode 3x19, The Brig).
Did the box also cause the appearances on the island of Kate's black mare (episode 2x9, What Kate Did), Dave (episode 2x18, Dave), and Ben's mother (episode 3x20, The Man Behind the Curtain)?
Are the box's creations the real thing or just facsimiles? Are they only temporary? Locke's father said, "I'll be here the rest of the week, John, if you change your mind." (Episode 3x19, The Brig)
8. Intruders on the Island
How did the US Army find the island in the 1950s? (Episode 5x3, Jughead) Did Dharma learn of the island's existence from the Army and then establish its presence there by force with the Army's support? In episode 5x8, LaFleur, Horace told a subordinate to prepare the "heavy ordinance," a military term.
9. Dharma
What was Dharma's goal? In episode 2x3, Orientation, the tape said that Dharma was funded by Alvar Hanso, "Danish industrialist and munitions magnate." Was the purpose secretly to create a new super weapon, and possibly use it to gain world control and impose the "utopian social order" mentioned in the tape? Was this what Radzinsky meant when he said, "I came here to change the world"? (Episode 5x16, The Incident)
10. Moving the Island
Was the island moved before? Ben knew exactly how to move it and that the mover couldn't return. (Episode 4x13, There's No Place Like Home Part 2) Was this the reason Dharma never tried to retake its base after the Purge?
TO BE CONTINUED....
1. The Hatch (Swan Station)
After the Purge, who regularly placed food and supplies outside the hatch (The Swan Station)? Was it really the Others, and did they put Dharma logos on the supplies to deceive the hatch's occupants so they'd keep pushing the button? In (episode 2x18, Dave), Charlie theorized that the hatch locked down so its residents couldn't see who left the food.
Why didn't the Others ever take over the hatch, choosing instead to monitor it from the Pearl station? (Ep: 3x14, Expose)
Why did Radzinsky splice out the one piece of the orientation tape that warned against using the computer for communication, and hide it in a Bible on the other side of the island? ((Ep: 2x9, What Kate Did and Ep: 2x23, Live Together, Die Alone)
2. The Time Loop
Has the time loop already repeated multiple times, and can Eloise remember what happens each time? In the "Lost Time Loop" discussion, Cooperdale observed that Eloise knew all the major elements in the loop from Daniel's journal. Yet Eloise also knew things that couldn't be in the journal. In episode 3x8, Flashes Before Your Eyes she knew that the man in the red sneakers would be crushed and said, "The universe has a way of course correcting." And in episode 5x6, 316 she told Desmond, "..the island's not done with you yet," implying that she may know his future.
3. Eloise and Widmore
Are Eloise and Widmore working together to fulfill the time loop, or are they on opposite sides?
It appears that both wanted Desmond on the island. Eloise tracked Desmond; she befriended the abbot of his monastery (photo on desk in episode 3x17, Catch 22) and anticipated his arrival at the jewelry store (episode 3x8, Flashes Before Your Eyes). Widmore sponsored the race that shipwrecked Desmond. Both told Daniel to go to the island on the freighter. (Episode 5x14, The Variable)
Yet Eloise helped at least one of Widmore's enemies (Ben) return to the island, and may have helped two more to get there. In episode 5x16, The Incident, it was clear that Bram and Ilana knew Ajira 316 would take them to the island. Did they learn that from Eloise?
4. Libby
Was Libby an agent of Widmore's when she gave Desmond the sailboat (episode 2x23, Live Together, Die Alone)? Was she spying on Hurley in the mental hospital (episode 2x18, Dave), and on whose orders?
5. McCutcheon Whiskey
Does McCutcheon Whiskey indicate a connection to Widmore? It first appeared in Sawyer's stash (episode 3x8, Flashes Before Your Eyes), which means it belonged to another passenger on Flight 815. After Widmore used it to humiliate Desmond (same episode), it appeared again in the hotel room of Locke's father (episode 3x13, The Man From Tallahassee) and Ilana recognized that Sayid was drinking it when they first met at the bar (episode 5x10, He's Our You). Who was the mystery passenger on Flight 815 with the McCutcheon -- perhaps Libby? Did Locke's father and Ilana ever cross paths with Widmore or his associates?
6. Hurley
Has Hurley's purpose been fulfilled? The other people transported back to the 1970s played a visibly important role (in Ethan's birth, taking Ben to the Others, fighting Dharma security forces during the Incident). Hurley's role during that time seemed only minor (chef and van driver). Yet Jacob asked Hurley to come back, and apparently another force tried to prevent Hurley from boarding Flight 815. (In episode 1x24, Exodus Part 2, Hurley's alarm clock shorted out and his rental car stalled.) How important is Hurley, and to which side?
7. What is the Magic Box?
Ben told Locke that the magic box brought his father to the island (episode 3x13, The Man From Tallahassee), and later explained that "the magic box is a metaphor." (Episode 3x19, The Brig).
Did the box also cause the appearances on the island of Kate's black mare (episode 2x9, What Kate Did), Dave (episode 2x18, Dave), and Ben's mother (episode 3x20, The Man Behind the Curtain)?
Are the box's creations the real thing or just facsimiles? Are they only temporary? Locke's father said, "I'll be here the rest of the week, John, if you change your mind." (Episode 3x19, The Brig)
8. Intruders on the Island
How did the US Army find the island in the 1950s? (Episode 5x3, Jughead) Did Dharma learn of the island's existence from the Army and then establish its presence there by force with the Army's support? In episode 5x8, LaFleur, Horace told a subordinate to prepare the "heavy ordinance," a military term.
9. Dharma
What was Dharma's goal? In episode 2x3, Orientation, the tape said that Dharma was funded by Alvar Hanso, "Danish industrialist and munitions magnate." Was the purpose secretly to create a new super weapon, and possibly use it to gain world control and impose the "utopian social order" mentioned in the tape? Was this what Radzinsky meant when he said, "I came here to change the world"? (Episode 5x16, The Incident)
10. Moving the Island
Was the island moved before? Ben knew exactly how to move it and that the mover couldn't return. (Episode 4x13, There's No Place Like Home Part 2) Was this the reason Dharma never tried to retake its base after the Purge?
TO BE CONTINUED....
Saw VI (2009)
Special Agent Strahm is dead, and Detective Hoffman has emerged as the unchallenged successor to Jigsaw's legacy. However, when the FBI draws closer to Hoffman, he is forced to set a game into motion, and Jigsaw's grand scheme is finally understood.Saw VI is definitely a step up from the going-through-the-motions Saw V. It stands with Saw III as the best sequel, over the disjointed Saw II and the tangent that was Saw IV. If VII continues the upswing, we could be in for a much more pleasant surprise. This installment ends the second trilogy of the series, wrapping up Hoffmans arc and Jigsaws last will and testament. The Saw series has always been good with continuity and thats probably because the entire franchises editor, Kevin Greutert, is the director of this one. The traps and deaths are much more creative this time around and the ending feels worlds more satisfying than the last few sequels. The health care issue in the film actually doesnt feel as tacked on and phony as many hypocritical critics are groaning it is. As long as they keep Tobin Bell around, the series should continue to be at least somewhat tolerable. Its definitely worth a watch and might spark your interest in the series again.
***/*****
3/5 Stars
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
The Last King of Scotland (2006)
In the early 1970s, Nicholas Garrigan, a young semi-idealistic Scottish doctor, comes to Uganda to assist in a rural hospital. Once there, he soon meets up with the new President, Idi Amin, who promises a golden age for the African nation. Garrigan hits it off immediately with the rabid Scotland fan, who soon offers him a senior position in the national health department and becomes one of Amin's closest advisers. However as the years pass, Garrigan cannot help but notice Amin's increasingly erratic behavior that grows beyond a legitimate fear of assassination into a murderous insanity that is driving Uganda into bloody ruin. Realizing his dire situation with the lunatic leader unwilling to let him go home, Garrigan must make some crucial decisions that could mean his death if the despot finds out.
Forest Whitaker is the main reason to see this film based on the real-life dictator, Idi Amin, known for having 300,000 Ugandans slaughtered. It delves deeply into the corruption of the soul that comes from too much power, money and fame. This applies not only to Amin, but a fictional young Scottish doctor(James McAvoy), working in a clinic serving the poor. He becomes a pawn of Amin and through bribery ends up serving as his personal physician, his head of security and his political spokesman at times. The doctor is naive, innocent and careless, and takes very dangerous chances that most will see as unbelievable. The film becomes heart-pounding when one particularly crazy sexual encounter ends up going over the edge, but it helps enlighten him to the leader's brutality. Forest Whitaker's take on the tyrant is gripping and hypnotic. He goes from boundless charm one moment and morphs into a murderer the next. The story is based on a successful novel and adapted for the screen by Peter Morgan and Jeremy Brock. Ironically, Morgan also wrote the script for "The Queen", and both stars, Mirren for "Queen" and Whitaker for "King" are Oscar nominated. There is some very graphic gore, but how could there not be in a tale about the dual nature of a man who is charismatic and killer all in one.
****/*****
4/5 Stars
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Southern
Your Northern home for Southern steez
Opening Friday: 1840 W North Ave, btw Wolcott and Honore; Bucktown; 773.342.1840
You know relatively little about Southern culture, but judging by Dukes of Hazzard it revolves around a disdain for car doors, frequent short shorts, and lots of Cooter. Broadening your sub-Mason Dixon perspective, The Southern.
Setting up shop in the former Chaise Lounge space, TS aims to be more of a down-home, laid-back boozer than its coastally inspired predecessor, with a long timber bar surrounded by wood-planked high-top tables that contribute a classy picnic vibe, but thankfully no picnic baskets, or that silly Yogi Bear would mess up EVERYTHING. The menu has a distinct comfort food feel, starting with bar snacks like cheddar/pecan butter/cayenne cheese straws, a "Southern Poutine" of hand-cut fries topped with cheese curds, tasso ham, and gravy, and Gunthorp pork and chow chow (a Southern veggie relish) with cornmeal johnny cakes, which provide a wonderful opportunity to bond with heavyset North Jersey Italians who're hiding their sexuality. Larger plates consist of grilled shrimp and grits with cheddar and Frank's hot sauce, "Country Captain", a roast chicken with curried raisins and pine nuts, and a duck cassoulet with garlic sausage and blackeyed peas whose forward-thinking rhythms and incisive social commentary have made them the legume of a generation/wedding band intermissions.
Libation-wise they'll have 20-plus whiskeys and bourbons, a beer list heavy on Southern faves like Abita and Terrapin, and concoctions like a Stoli/peach schnapps/lemonade/mint number called a "Dirty Peach", just don't say that aloud to Daisy, or her cousins will shoot you with a bow & arrow, as is their Southern custom.
Scope out their entire food and booze capabilities at TheSouthernChicago.com
Once (2006)
A Guy (with no name - Glen Hansard of the Irish band Frames) is singing his heart out on the streets of Dublin for tip money. One day a Czech Girl (with no name - Marketa Irglova) stops to listen to the Guy play his music. She is very impressed by his songs and she asks if he wrote his own music. The Guy says that he writes and loves to play his own songs to himself even if the street crowd wants to hear other music. It is nice to earn tips, but that is not what his music is all about. The Guy lives at home and helps his father repair vacuum cleaners, but he has a dream of becoming a recording star. His girlfriend of many years has just left him and is now living in London. You can tell what this has done to his emotions, because it is being reflected in his new songs. The Girl who happens to have a broken vacuum cleaner also has a musical background of playing the piano and writing songs. Their music brings them together and the Girl begins to help the Guy realize his dream. They begin to share their music and their feeling for each other. They put together a band with other street players and rent a recording studio for the weekend to record two demos. This could be the start of a new and wonderful life.Frankly I was unable to get beyond the first twenty minutes of this movie. I can handle coarse language where applicable but to have to listen to vulgarity forcefully banged into my head is simply an affront to my senses and intelligence. Some may enjoy this form of mental waste and abuse but I do not. My advice and plea to movie producers is to keep it balanced and within reason so the majority of the world can enjoy these stories. Thank you.
*/*****
1/5 Stars
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