Entries from May 2008 ↓

Happy Birthday Bob.

Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull

It’s no secret that my favorite fictional character of all time is one Professor Henry Jones Jr. Ever since I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark when I was 7 years old, Indiana Jones ranked up there with Star Wars, G.I. Joe and baseball as my favorite things throughout my childhood. To this day, Raiders ranks as my favorite film of all time, and with all of that history, all of that emotion, I sat down with my family to watch the midnight showing of the latest adventure, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

By now, everyone knows that the story picks up nineteen years after the last film, 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which was set in 1938. That puts us at 1957, right at the height of the Cold War, McCarthyism, and Elvis. The movie even looks like it was made during the 50s at some points, much like the first three looked like they were made in the 30s.

Since there are so many who’ve not yet seen it, I won’t say any more than to give it 4 stars out of 5. It gets two stars automatically because it’s an Indy movie, and another two for the amazing adventure/action sequences.

However, minus 1/2 star for one particularly cheesy scene, and minus another 1/2 star for some weird editing during the ending.

I will say this - I had a HUGE smile on my face throughout the entire movie, and I’m definitely going to see it at least 2 more times before it’s out of the theaters. :)

Radiohead at Nissan Pavilion

Image courtesy of The Washington Post

Radiohead
Nissan Pavilion - Bristow, VA
May 11, 2008

All I Need
Jigsaw Falling into Place
Lucky
15 Step
Nude
Pyramid Song
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
Myxomatosis
Idioteque
Faust Arp
Videotape
Paranoid Android
Just
Reckoner
Everything in it’s Right Place
Bangers and Mash
Bodysnatchers

Encore 1
Like Spinning Plates
Optimistic
Karma Police
Go Slowly
Planet Telex

Encore 2
Fake Plastic Trees
The National Anthem
House of Cards

It was among the best and worst concert experiences of my life. We left Baltimore @ 4:45, and didn’t get to our seats until 8:55. The band went on @ 9 and played until 11. Amidst torrential downpours and 48 degree temps, Radiohead put on an amazing concert at the Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, VA on Sunday night. It really was an absolutely sick show, and I think that’s mostly because the band recognized how horrible it was for people to get in and out of that place. Roads were flooded out, parking lots flooded. It was insane. We were walking in rivers of mud. The rain was coming down in sheets. Everyone was freezing.

We got lucky on the way home. After the first verse of House Of Cards, Jeff suggested we make our way towards the exit. We stood at the gate in the pouring rain until the song ended and then walked all the way to the back of the farthest parking lot. On a nice day it would have been no big deal, but on Sunday, it was one of the worst walks back to the car ever, rivaling the two mile walk back to the car after the loss @ Anfield last month. It had gotten colder, and the rain was coming down even harder. I was soaked to the bone by the time we got to the car, and I was wearing a jacket. There were girls walking around in skirts and shorts. I couldn’t believe it.

We were very lucky - it only took us 10 minutes to get out of the lot, but it then took us until 12:30 to get to 66. Once we were on 66, the traffic started to move, but the roads were so wet, no one could go faster than about 45/50. I ended up getting home around 2:30. I was so cold, I ended up pulling extra blankets out of my closet - and I was still shivering. I woke up at 7:30 feeling like shit. Went back to bed until 8, and decided I best call out of work. I called my boss, emailed my co-workers, checked my email, and went back to bed until 12:30.

Happy Birthday Mom!