Disqus - Latest Comments for kiley

Re: Todd Starnes Claims Fifth-Grader Isn’t Allowed to Read Bible at School; Once Again, the Facts Say Otherwise

kiley — Wed, 07 May 2014 15:08:28 -0000

In the 9th grade, I was given detention after I was caught reading Les Mis during a world geography class instead of taking notes on Mesopotamia.

And now I've had to grow up with a sense of responsibility and ownership for my actions whenever I break the rules :( Sigh, and that's the REAL tragedy...

Re: Michelle Obama gets a Republican boost on obesity

kiley — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 10:36:35 -0000

i seem to remember George H. bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger telling me and my fellow fourth graders via video about how much we needed to work out and get fit to serve our country as good little Americans. i also seem to remember that all the area P.E. classes at the time were participating in something like the Presidential Fitness Award or something, where we were required to meet certain standards like 36 sit-ups in 2 minutes. I also remember quite distinctly that they took our fat measurements with calipers in front of our fellow classmates and posted the results on the wall for all to see. what i DON'T remember were any republicans (or any other adults for that matter) stepping in and saying, "whoa, whoa, whoa, too much government! Government should not be allowed to dictate when, where and/or HOW we exercise!" i could be wrong though...

Re: Powerful Republican suggests to colleagues he’d shoot at Obama

kiley — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:04:01 -0000

right, because making sweeping generalized statements about a certain group of people in no way makes you sound ignorant.

- signed Texas liberal who, along with several others, voted for Obama.

Re: TFT 135 – THE LAST AIRBENDER / THE KILLER INSIDE ME

kiley — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 10:32:19 -0000

Very much looking forward to the Air Bender movie! I only caught the cartoon series here and there and thought it told a good story, but I've never had time to sit down and watched it consistently. I keep hearing people around me saying it's awful and stilted and just...awful, but one thing to bear in mind (even tho, yet again - haven't seen it! YET) is that the cartoon is an American-made anime styled show. If you watch anime (as i did A LOT in my youth, not so much now), you quickly learn that anime is very stilted, "choppy" and even possibly "wooden." Maybe M.Night (an admitted fan of the cartoon series) is homag-ing? I would not be surprised.

Also, very fecked off at Cameron for using money, power and influence in taking the name 'Avatar,' from the film!! Cuz, it's not like anybody called him on ABSOLUTELY ripping off Halo for Avatar. (yeah, i know, i know, anti-fanboys, that halo rips off Ringworld, Alien, Aliens, etc etc, not my point). I mean, Banshees?! Seriously? You mean the big purpley, bluey, greeny things you fly in Avatar or the big purley bluey greeny things you fly in Halo? Don't even get me started on Grinder vs Warthog, Avatar Scorpion Vs. Hornet, or even the fact that he ripped off the name Scorpion! RAGE - wait, whoops, how did this turn into a Halo fan girl rant?! sorry! Yes, Air Bender, can't wait to see it! ;)

Re: TFT 132 – SPLICE / SEX AND THE CITY 2 / GET HIM TO THE GREEK

kiley — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:08:31 -0000

jett, i don't respect you, GO SEE IT! ;)

(kidding!)

seriously, though, i am very interested in your take on what the movie may actually be doing or attempting to accomplish. I saw an interview with Michael Patrick King (the director) and he explained his purpose for SATC2 as, "How funny to put samantha, over-sexualized, in abu dabi!" He was witty (and apparently once a stand up comedian) but not overly DEEP. So, with your artist goggles on, I, and i think a lot of your listeners, would love to see if there's this hidden depth, this hidden meaning, that we're missing. Why not go see it for ourselves and use our own judgment? Cuz you got the mad skillz...seriously! you have film school education-ness - like a wine taster who's also a winemaker, you can see complexities that we, the un-educated plebeianic masses ;), may have missed! Which is ultimately the purpose of the podcast, otherwise why listen?
and i'll be honest, what i fear is that what the great dr professor higgins takes as pro-muslim may actually be relief that for once the 'arabic,' 'asian,' or 'middle-eastern' characters are not being used to perpetuate violent stereotypes. While that may be a plus and possibly even a small teeny step in the right direction, relegating them to simply personality-less 'props' in scenes does not a pro-muslim film make. THIS is what i'd, personally, like to see your take on...

and ditto to the Testament of Dr Mabuse!

Re: TFT 132 – SPLICE / SEX AND THE CITY 2 / GET HIM TO THE GREEK

kiley — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:13:53 -0000

wait, i have to interject :P i'm from Houston - it is NOT a sparse film culture, independent-ly film speaking (my brother was in two just this year alone)...plus, robocop II was filmed there! ;) but seriously...it's more arty than mainstream i admit, but the film culture is there, check out Montrose and the Museum district! :D
(and tex-mex should be legal currency!!!!)

Re: TFT 132 – SPLICE / SEX AND THE CITY 2 / GET HIM TO THE GREEK

kiley — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:33:01 -0000

yes, jett, see it. why? because i'm a sadist and enjoy watching other's pain. >:D

Re: TFT 127 – Flooded Nashville Edition: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET / CASINO JACK AND THE UNITED STATES OF MONEY

kiley — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:44:36 -0000

Nice analysis! BUT I have a few Epicurean friends that may disagree with your take on food as 'not art,' or even the human response to it! ;) They buid a dish the way a poet creates a poem, the way a writer sets the mood of his story or a photographer places an object in just the right spot.

I'll take your point though, and change the analogy to Jackson Pollack paintings. I'm not a fan. I think the paitings are too chaotic and scream in pain; that he uses bright colors to mask and make light, or even deny what he was really feeling. The ones done in browns and blacks? If you look within them, you see sadness and desparity...lonliness and demons. Now, I have a friend that's and art major, and she will quickly put me in my place and say that his paintings make her the happiest she feels when viewing art. To her they are clearly gleeful, giddy and stylisticly well done. But, herein lies the problem, if I watch horror films, torture porn, or read disturbing literature, then I must, in theory, be attracted to violence and dark things? But, yet, if a Jackson Pollack painting evokes those reactions of sadness and disparity and pain, why wouldn't I view those with the same level of pleasure that I do with horror? Because, for me, when I watch horror films, even torture porn - I know it's fake. I like 'pretending' along with the cast, the writers and the director. It's like make-belive when you were a kid - you got to pretend to be a dragon, or even fighting one, but you probably would be very frightened in real life if you were ever faced with a real one.

Unfortunately, I really do 'like what I like.' I like gratiuotous violence. It's titalating, provocative and fun, for me. Does that say anything about my personal morals? Highly unlikely, since I don't even have so much as a parking ticket, stole one thing when I was five and have never, ever been in a fight (outside of martial arts!). My point is, that I may enjoy reading about cutting someone's heart out and burying it in the floorboards, but I'd never ever do that in real life. Watching, reading or listening to anything that encourages that doesn't encourage me to do it - because I have my own morality code. So,I am quite happy to embrace pain, horror, death, graphic displays of violence, bloodsplattered screens because that's the way my 'artistic' tastes run. I can barely stomach happy, laughing, giddyness because it leaves a bad taste in my mouth ;). But the whys and wherefores I can't figure out. And, sigh, I'll be the first to step up and say "The Blair-Witch Project scared the SHITTTEEEEE outta me!!!" No blood, no gore, all in my head. The second scariest movie that terrified me? American History X, followed by Nothing But Trouble - which I still have nightmares about to this day! ;)

Re: TFT 127 – Flooded Nashville Edition: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET / CASINO JACK AND THE UNITED STATES OF MONEY

kiley — Mon, 03 May 2010 22:33:14 -0000

Gareth brought up a valid question in regards to what makes people purposely watch horror. It was a good question and one I've never thought about before. So, I thought about it.

Keeping in mind that humans are individuals (more or less) and we all have our own predilections, I came up with an analogy. Indulge me if you will, Gareth, and other curious minds out there, but, what makes you like your favorite food? I'm going to go out on a limb here and say, 'the way it tastes. The way it makes you feel when you eat it. The smell, the aroma..but mostly the way it tastes!' ;) Now, let's say your favorite food is 'Chicken and Dumplings'...well, for me, upon being served this I would run screaming into the night, wondering how anyone could bear to put anything so putrescent near their beloved taste buds?! But that's me and my tastes run different. There is no deeper meaning to this, I just don't like the way it tastes. In fact, its very smell offends me!! I think it works the same way with movie genres, possibly.

I, personally, do not care for imaginary worlds crafted of 'lightness' and 'happiness' and 'hope.' In fact, in entertainment, I flee from the words 'hope' or 'uplifting' with the same distaste in my mouth as I imagine you may have for horror and/or violence, but I've never actually thought about that before!

Nice episode! I likes teh onez that makes u think! ;)

On a side note - I do have uplifting and hopeful thoughts for those in Tennessee tonight affected by the floods. As a coastal Texas resident all my life - dealing with hurricanes and flash floods, you have my truest and deepest sympathies and I'm encouraging everyone with in 'listening' range of my internet voice to donate to the Red Cross ASAP!!!!

Re: TFT 126 – KICK-ASS / VINCERE

kiley — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:30:24 -0000

wait! before you make a decision, check this out!! http://nixbit.com/cat/multi... (the player worked for me, ipod's busted and no itunes at work - but i'm on windows/FF)

Re: TFT 126 – KICK-ASS / VINCERE

kiley — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:12:16 -0000

always heard that mp3s can't have chapters (fie on them, i say!) so this may do it for you: http://nixbit.com/cat/multi... <=it's the BBC's open source one they made and use, might could work!!

Re: TFT 126 – KICK-ASS / VINCERE

kiley — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:39:00 -0000

crap - film = "kick-ass"! sorry, was in a rush to comment, forgot to mention WHICH film! :P

Re: TFT 126 – KICK-ASS / VINCERE

kiley — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:37:50 -0000

ok, ok, i'm totally jumpin' the gun here and commenting before I've finished the whole 'cast! So i haven't seen the film, i don't want to see the film. Not because I'm offended, shocked, etc but cuz to me it screams "PHONEYYYYYY!"

meh, i could be wrong, since i am cynical, judgmental and hate everyone. Meanwhile, I'm really digging jett's whole 'we make our own morality' theme, and that actually is right up my alley. Unfortunately, i know (no, not personally of course! i'm being judgmental here!) the lady that wrote the screenplay - it's comedian jonathan ross' wife, who is a walking "LOOK-AT-ME-I-NEED-ATTENTION-BECAUSE-I-HAVE-PINK-HAIR-AND-ALWAYS-DRESS-IN-BLACK" catastrophe!

Cynically,I don't think there's a deeper message in this film. (Again, haven't seen it, completely 100% prejudging it!) i think it was written simply so people would stare and get angry and make controversial statements, so that regarding it as such would allow it to become a cult classic for the fringe pseudo-intellectuals, who try so hard to be different individuals - just like everyone else! Basically, the trailers reek of trying too hard.

Personally, violence is awesome. I have loved blood, guts, gore and sex since i was ickle. In fact, when i was 8 or 9 i LOVED Flesh & Blood with rutger hauer! (now, probably not so much! LOL) So I'm not bothered by kids stabbin' people or saying foul things - hell, the kids on southpark are supposed to be 9 and say far worse! So meh to the whole (contrived) 'controversy'. I say this outta respect for anyone under 80 that's part of mainstream american culture. You wanna shock us? try something that hasn't been done before! maybe i'm wrong, but to me it just screams "PHONEY!" and factory produced!

oh wait, yeah and something else i need to add: OMG THE CHAPTERS, CLICKABLE URL AND EMBEDDED IMAGE = AWESOMEZ!!!!1111!!!!1!!! i would say it gives me 'geek wood' but i'm a chick, so whatever the equivalent of that is! ;)

Re: TFT 116 – HOT TUB TIME MACHINE / THE GHOST WRITER / YOJIMBO

kiley — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:41:33 -0000

DYING TO SEE HOT TUB TIME MACHINE!!
as a child of mostly the 80s, (and roughly a few formative years in the 70s *cough, cough* (>.>)(<.<)), john cusack (and red sports cars) represent to me most of what that decade was about! Of course the young teen movies were often very simplistic and formulaic, but there was a definite comfort in their formulaic-ness that i'm hoping is touched on in this movie! (and was definitely touched on in the South Park episode "Asspen")
Very, VERY glad to hear that Chevy Chase is in the film! Seriously, my childhood love for him has been rekindled due to his role on Community - that i have to second as the funniest on tv right now!

TO PHIL: i actually have had that same thought (in regards to the 50s being 'other-wordly')! but i try not to think too hard on the answer! ;)

Re: Latest Podcast: District 9, the Avatar Trailer, and an Interview with Slashfilmcast

kiley — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:55:47 -0000

just watched District 9...two words:

Diplomatic Immunity

Re: Why Do People Want to Ban This Critic From Rotten Tomatoes?

kiley — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:55:34 -0000

also, i was thinking...you know, since film talk began i have to say that 99.9% of the time (+/- 1% for margin of error) i have disagreed with Gareth, and maybeeee .05% diagreed w/you, Jett (mostly regarding Australia being better w/Gone With the Wind, and well, w/both of ya'll on A.I. ;) ) - point is I DISAGREED WITH SOMEONE ELSE'S OPINION! does that in ANY way mean that i should discredit the good professor doctor's work? NO FREAKING WAY! Should i sit back and list out all of his documented opinions and say 'oh well, he only likes to see the underlying religious themes and approach violence in movies (which i love) as to whether it's gratuitous or not - this means I discount everything, because he does it on purpose and is a contraian to violence (which i hold dear)!' meh, no, i should not. Just because i don't agree w/Gareth's view, (i seriously did NOT mean this to sound like i was picking on him btw - I heart teh Gareth Higgins, seriously!!!) does not mean that i don't feel he's an invaluable asset to the Loe/Higgins critiquing team! In fact, i LIKE hearing other's opinions that differ from mine, because what if i missed something? what if i'm looking at the art piece and missing the point that the artist was trying to make?! what if i missed THE JOKE?! sigh...oops, sorry, this went on a little too long, but those people irked me! :)

Re: Why Do People Want to Ban This Critic From Rotten Tomatoes?

kiley — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:03:08 -0000

meh, sheeple...isn't suppression of the individual a communistic trait?? i know, i know, it's only freedom of expression if it's YOUR expression...i hate the very idea of 'banning' someone because they don't share the mainstream view in ANYthing - and why would a site, dedicated to OPINIONS, oust someone FOR THEIR OPINION?? feh...i found Mr. White to be very intelligent and entertaining when he was on the show; i've even read a few of his reviews - so i'm at a loss as to what people are on about...now, i'm going to read the discussion board on and surely get my blood boiling before breakfast! ;)

Re: TFT 107 – THE FILMS OF 2010 PREVIEW / PRODIGAL SONS / KIM REED INTERVIEWED

kiley — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:26:44 -0000

i agree! ;)

Re: TFT 107 – THE FILMS OF 2010 PREVIEW / PRODIGAL SONS / KIM REED INTERVIEWED

kiley — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:20:47 -0000

OMG, for the first time in over 100+ shows i've found myself agreeing with Gareth!! willem dafoe with a crossbow, then STATING he has a crossbow is 100% reason enough for me to consider giving 'Daybreakers' a try!! yes, it's going to be horrible, but i'm hoping it will be that wonderful kind of horribleness that you find urself sitting there in the theater going: this is horrible, i KNOW it's horrible, and yet i'm sitting here LOVING it!!

Re: You Did It – The Film Talk is Saved!

kiley — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:56:16 -0000

It's MacLeod!!! - i mean, YAY The Film Talk is saved!!!!!!! ^_^

In all seriousness, tho, I share Phil's sentiment and am very happy TFT's Legacy can continue on! ;)

Re: It’s the Last Day to Save The Film Talk!

kiley — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:50:53 -0000

yeah!!! few steps closer!!

Re: It’s the Last Day to Save The Film Talk!

kiley — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:53:45 -0000

i have a deal for the other listeners out there: if two other people will hop on board for $20 a month, i'll gladly up my donation by $20 a month!!!

Re: Three Haiku About Avatar

kiley — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:17:19 -0000

well, no, most everything about halo's storyline (most characters, most plot, most props, etc) is NOT original (- i mean, seriously, Ringworld anyone??), even the guys over at bungie'll tell u that (tho they refer to it as a 'homage') but design wise, color scheme wise, planetary foliage-wise, i'm seeing far too many similarities between halo and avatar - and i would add that as far as the 'hornets' design/development go, halo 3 was actually in development before halo 2 was released in 2004 - now does that mean that james cameron's vision in his head came before halo's implementation of the hornets in the game? who can say, really, but i will say that avatar's been thru several re-writes and re-designs and it's entirely possible a re-design of avatar's vehicles came after the game..i mean, there's even an argument out there that the avatar's facial features were changed to resemble the facial features of edward from twilight and those similarities are striking as well (EW, LOL!)

Re: Three Haiku About Avatar

kiley — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:26:21 -0000

geiger designed aliens...

Re: Three Haiku About Avatar

kiley — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:07:49 -0000

First off, Bravo professor ;), u nailed the seven syllables, i'm impressed!

As far as the movie goes, let me just say, as an obsessive Halo-fangirl, (and some would argue BEYOND obsessed) i'm bothered by the fact that not only do his 'helicopter/plane hybrids' look almost identical to 'Hornets' but a lot of the backgrounds look very similar to the games and the colour scheme IS absolutely the same....very much looking forward to the podcast on this one!!..and really, still can't believe they used the papyrus font.....really....