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In January, following a trip to the East Coast, I complained that the in-flight film selections left a lot to be desired. It seemed then that any tripe that had Ashton Kutcher, Adam Sandler or Will Ferrell would bubble up to the TV screen on my United flights, and, as a captive audience, I would be forced to watch it. 

Yet, it already seems that things have improved, just in the last few months, surprisingly. In May, during my trip to Chicago, we were treated to King Kong. This last week, we saw Ice Age 2: The Meltdown on the way to Chicago, and Mission: Impossible 3 on the way back from Chicago to San Jose. All three of those films were potentially on my list to catch that I hadn't yet seen, for whatever reason, on the big screen.

Now, I have to admit that each of the three aforementioned films likely lost quite a bit of their luster through being displayed on what couldn't be more than a 13-inch screen, and during the showing of Ice Age 2, we particularly had to look through some sort of pink film that didn't give the graphics their due. But it was much better than being stuck in front of some horrendous tripe like Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, or something of that sort.

I don't know if this is just coincidence that we've seen an uptick in film quality since the beginning of the year, if the sample size is too small, or if the future months will return to previous depths, but if it is a real trend, I applaud it, and wouldn't mind taking calls from United or others on just what I personally think should be on their list in the future. After all, my cell phone's listed up in the top right corner of the site. I'll await your call.

Listening to ''Into Your Eyes'', by Armand Van Helden (Play Count: 5)

After reading the book by the same name earlier this year (or late last year), it only made sense to bring the Enron story home, by hitting up Netflix again and seeing the exploratory documentary that aimed to help us understand how the once-proud energy giant fooled customers, employees, bankers and Wall Street, growing to the 7th-largest company in the world, only to collapse in a historic meltdown that wiped out pensions for thousands, and set the securities world on its ear - where repercussions are still being felt today in boardrooms across America.

As usual, I would defer to the book as being substantially more strong than the film. The book helps to fully comprehend the magnitude of the financial tomfoolery, well detailed and documented, and mastered by CFO Andy Fastow, CEO Jeff Skilling and the late Chairman Ken Lay. Yet, the film brings home the pictures and comments depicting scenes like the California rolling blackouts that occurred largely in part due to market manipulation by Enron, and more directly tying the federal government's enabling the illegalities, in large part due to the close ties between Enron and both George W. Bush and his father.

While one can't directly state that Enron was solely responsible for any of the activities, the way that the company influenced the recall of Gray Davis, the stock market's dramatic declines in 2001 and beyond, the annihilation of Arthur Andersen, and development of Sarbanes Oxley, is jaw-dropping.

It's hard to see really where the business ended and the fraud began, and even harder to see what could have been done to prevent it - especially in a fast-paced market that demanded ever-growing profits, profit margins, and an inflated stock price. We've seen other companies post-Enron, like Worldcom, Global Crossing and Tyco follow suit in the corruption chain, but we were all a part of it, from the lowly investor who sat mouth agape at CNBC's flowing ticker, to the highest positions in our national government, and in our financial institutions.

If you haven't read the book, do it. If you prefer the DVD, go get that. But make sure you take the opportunity to go beyond the headlines of Enron - and see how the smartest guys in the room took us all for a ride.

Listening to ''Tribe & Trance (Voyager Remix)'', by John Digweed (Play Count: 6)

As four and five year olds, my brother and I rarely passed a day without donning our Superman capes, Superman shirts, or a one-piece Superman outfit that zipped up the front. It wasn't that we thought we were Superman, or anticipated soaring above Metropolis, fighting bad guys. Instead, Superman epitomized all that was good - he fought the bad guys, always won, and was invincible! The guy could see through walls, except lead, and always outsmarted the criminal henchmen. Who better to emulate?


Following this innocent time, when Christopher Reeve, as Superman, first hit theaters, the franchise frittered itself away, most notably in Superman III when Richard Pryor threatened to turn the superhero gig into slapstick comedy, or even earlier, when Superman spins the Earth backwards to reverse time - all in an effort to save Lois. Pretty silly stuff.

So, with that said, Superman returned to the theaters in a big way this last month, with Superman Returns, aptly named. Set five years or so after having left Metropolis to investigate the last vestiges of home planet Krypton, he returns to a world that has both changed greatly but remained the same. And though I hadn't expected any much more than the standard summer blockbuster fare, I left very impressed. The show's plot, though farfetched, was ingeniously clever, and the characters seemed believable. Far from the laughingstock shown in Superman III, Superman Returns returned the franchise to glory all through fighting for truth, justice and... all that stuff.

The show may not have the urgency of An Inconvenient Truth or the box office dollars of Pirates of the Carribean 2, but it certainly holds its own, and was worth seeing, opening up plot twists and surprises that even my biased, jaded mind hadn't anticipated, while still retaining options for an expected sequel. For two hours and thirty minutes at least, we had traveled back in time two decades and donned the cape again, to fight evil. And we were invincible.

Listening to ''Doorway'', by The Usual Suspects (Play Count: 2)

You've heard the saying - that golf isn't a sport at all, but instead, a good walk spoiled. Yet, for some reason, it can grow to be an obsession. Family fortunes are spent on the green, chasing a little, dimpled ball in the grass, in a repetitive venture that tries to avoid anything that looks like the beach - sand, water, and the rough.

In the early part of the 20th century, though the game was much the same, the people who dominated the sport were quite different - as chronicled in the latest gift from Netflix, The Greatest Game Ever Played, which covers the very unlikely story of an amateur who victoriously challenged the professionals and much more serious caste system that separated rich from poor and aligned one due to their family line, and not their work ethic.

Though I was looking especially hard for the film's visual effects, I didn't miss the plot. It was pretty good, considering it came from Disney, who hasn't wowed anyone with their formulaic storytelling of late. The young conquering hero, and his hilarious 5th grade caddy, win the game, win the girl, and win the hearts of his challenging parents - all in the space of 2 hours and 1 minute!

I can't play golf well. In fact, I've never beaten my wife at miniature golf. But every morning, evening and weekend we hear golfers on the nearby course daring to break par, or better yet, to play hooky from work, regardless of their score. But maybe some day we'll join them - maybe after the baseball season is done.

Listening to ''Noise'', by M83 (Play Count: 4)

It should be interesting to see how well Pixar innovates the world of computer-generated animation now that they have been absorbed by Walt Disney, but in the company's last big salvo as an independent studio, Cars continues the successful track record initiated by Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc, A Bugs Life, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles. Though the film doesn't include any human or animal characters, and guides you along a faux-society led only be automobiles of all shapes, models and colors, the film itself is imminently enjoyable, if imminently forgettable - not an instant classic in the way some of Pixar's pioneering works are now seen. My wife and I took in the G-rated flick this evening in a weekday quasi-matinee, which saw us have the theater to ourselves (along with maybe a dozen folks), likely a great deal different from the film's opening days, which saw it take in more than $60 million at the box office, reaching number one overall.

The film tries to teach lessons and hearkens back to a simpler time, before the cruel, inanimate, unthinking Interstate bypassed what was once a thriving stop along Route 66. It also tries to teach the story that being a self-centered race car is not the substitute for happiness, and that friendships are needed to reach true joy. Preachy, but effective.

Though we enjoyed the film, I don't see it as having the staying power of Nemo or The Incredibles. Kids aren't going to be dressing up like the Cars for Halloween, or reciting lines from the film (unless I missed some good ones). And those of us adults were actually hoping to see some good natured monkey business between the lead race car and the sultry Porsche he had his eyes on. That would have been interesting... but again, the movie was rated G, unfortunately for us.

Listening to ''I Will (Y.O.M.C. Remix)'', by Black Spider (Play Count: 2)

We haven't been the best users of Netflix lately. In fact, after putting Star Wars: Episode III on the queue months ago, the DVD has been collecting dust on the top of our DVD player, as we tried to find a good excuse to watch a show we weren't too excited about anyway. But surprisingly, Revenge of the Sith was actually much better than Episode I and Episode II, and if I were forced to watch all six episodes consecutively (kill me now), I'd actually not be opposed to seeing Episode III again.

I'm not a Star Wars nerd. Never have been. But I had roommates in the last few years before I got married who demanded to go to the midnight showings of Episode I and Episode II, and the anticipation well outweighed the final result. In this case, we had low expectations, and they were exceeded, which is always good. And best of all, we can restart our queue with Netflix, and best utilize my wife's summer vacation with a string of good DVDs.

Listening to ''In Church'', by M83 (Play Count: 2)

In college, my focus took two dual paths - Political Science and Journalism (though Berkeley called it Mass Communications to gain wider appeal, no doubt). I had reached these focuses due to my interests morphing into study and potential career, as a childhood love for the political process and avid consumerism of media, combined with a proclivity for writing and not taking the surface story for the full answer led me ever closer to being a reporter and avid student of both politics and the media.

But decades before my interest, the two worlds collided violently when Edward Murrow, as part of CBS News took on Communist chaser Joseph McCarthy, lending his position to speak out against the congressional witch hunt. As chronicled in "Good Night and Good Luck", which we saw on DVD from Netflix this evening, Murrow and others risked their jobs and reputation to strike out against what they strongly believed to be wrongful activities and to make a difference, to fight for bigger causes than their own flailing ratings and a desire to serve corporate sponsors.

In recent years, George Clooney, who acted and directed the film, has impressed me as much more astute than I ever gave him credit for when he started his stardom on ER. With Good Night and Good Luck and Syriana, he debuted two of the most strong, challenging pictures that have hit the big screen in recent years, and did so when much more entertaining fare was dominating the box office. Rather than a hunky womanizer we saw him as in ER, or the perennial "Sexiest Man Alive" candidate, his efforts show a real interest in driving toward real stories that have long-lasting impact, and we're lucky that the Edward Murrow story was brought to many more of us in later generations who didn't see the frightening time unfold before our eyes.

Revisiting McCarthyism is also a very interesting effort in these times of "Freedom Fries", and partisan bickering, alongside a federal witch hunt for potential terrorist sympathizers, through wiretaps, private group infiltration, and now, data mining on social networks. We should learn from the past and be wary as to those who overstep their bounds.

Listening to ''DJ Culture (Short)'', by Blank & Jones (Play Count: 10)

The film has been the talk of the summer - much of it around Tom Hanks' flowing locks of hair and the critics' near universal dislike of Ron Howard's film adaptation of the Dan Brown novel, but the Da Vinci Code continues to pull in viewers, raking in $70+ million in box office its opening weekend, and trailing only the dominant X-Men 3 in its second weekend, according to Box Office Mojo.

My wife and I pulled into one of the later showings tonight, starting the film at 10:15, and despite arriving 10 minutes early, we found the theater packed. In fact, the only row that had two adjacent seats was the very front row, where we found ourselves facing a huge screen that had us craning left and right to see the action ahead, or racing to read the subtitles as they came on screen, when if sat further back we could have grasped them immediately.

Having managed to avoid reading the novel myself, I came in to the film without deep-set expectations or mental comparisons of how the film would perform versus the novel on which it was based. For my wife that was not the case, and after a series of "That's not how it was in the book!", I made it clear I didn't care, and was trying to enjoy the film for what it was - an attempt to cram a novel's worth of detail, symbols and history into 2 and a half hours of less detailed fare. While the plot line itself was interesting and loosely based on historical fact and religious history, it wasn't any kind of thriller that one would go to time and again or widely recommend. It didn't have any scenes that grabbed you for fear, drama, romance or comedy. Instead it pushed forward from clue to clue and limited character development, focusing on only 4 or 5 main actors without delving too far into their background, with snippets only offering yet more clues to how they got there.

As for the movie's main premises, it's not my place to say how right or how wrong they are. The best part of religion in general is having some things make absolute logical sense, and much more unknown, where faith in the unseen bridges the gap. No amount of debate or research can wholly serve that purpose, as more knowledge often leads to more questions.

Listening to ''Assorted Trance Volume 15'', by DJ Irish (Play Count: 3)

There comes a time in many successful TV actors' lives when they are remembered so well for a specific role, that they can't ever break out of that mold, even when they appear in new TV series, or film. After five seasons as terrorists' worst nightmare, Jack Bauer, on 24, Kiefer Sutherland has got that role down. So it was with no lack of amusement that we saw him team up with Michael Douglas in The Sentinel last night, working with the Secret Service to protect the president against a nefarious plot that threatened his life.

For those of us who watch 24, we've grown accustomed to Jack's brusqueness, and his oft-repeated lines like, "Send it to my cell (or PDA)!", or his hostile interrogation techniques. All were on display in The Sentinel, as he struck a familiar pose, trusting noone, and "following the evidence".

The film was interesting, but fell short of the twists and turns expected from 24 fare - as in an hour and 48 minutes, you didn't have time for true character development, or too many alternative plot threads. Simply put, the movie went from threat to subplot to main character being mistrusted, on the run, discovering the true threat, and returning to good graces. Not even those points that were expected to be surprises did much, as they were dealt with quickly.

While The Sentinel wasn't the famed "24" movie that is in the works, it was a hint as to what we can expect - some action with a thinner plot, and amusing one-sided acting by Sutherland. And if you do see the movie, try and figure if the "subplot" could actually happen in a world of such intense security and media scrutiny. My money is against. Explains the critics average review being a C+.
Listening to ''Tribal Attack'', by Blank & Jones (Play Count: 6)

It's been a while since I've made it out to the theater to catch a film, so when the opportunity arose this evening, I took it, catching "United 93", the first wide-distribution film to hit theaters specifically covering one of the 9/11 incidents (Fahrenheit 9/11 excepted). While I didn't expect to be entertained by the film, I wasn't quite sure what to expect - whether it would be reverential and solemn, or overly patriotic. Instead, we were shown the director's very likely accurate view of the chaos and confusion of the day, when agencies had to face fears never fully anticipated or planned for, and mucked up the process further with failing attempts to communicate, and reactions based on partial and often inaccurate information.

Everybody in our generation has their September 11th stories - just as the generation before us can tell us their memory of when John F. Kennedy was assassinated, or the Moon landing. I'll save mine for a later post, maybe on the date's five year anniversary, but sitting through United 93 and seeing the military, air traffic control and others confront surprise after surprise and horror after horror set processes in my head forward, reminding me of how I had learned of the day's incidents, how I had strained to learn as much as I could, how I had reacted to each new piece, and interacted with others - looking back on it and seeing if I had "done the right thing".

Additionally, now that I've greatly expanded my own flight travel schedule in the years following 2001, I felt aligned with the passengers on the flight who had to face the reality that this trip would be their last. I had quite similar feelings when I actually read the 9/11 commission's report while traveling from New York to San Francisco last year. Reading their report while in flight didn't set my mind at ease about my surroundings at all, nor did it instill any level of confidence in our haphazard government and corrupt, foolish, leadership that expanded the crises of 9/11 into the struggles we face on an international scale today.

If you're of an analytic state of mind to see the 9/11 attacks from a different perspective, without partisan rhetoric and gamesmanship, this film is highly recommended. Go see it before you have to wait for Netflix to come through.

Listening to ''60 Miles an Hour'', by New Order (Play Count: 4)

Rapidly moving from the world of rumor to sparsely known fact, two of my favorite shows have recently announced plans to jump from the small screen to the big screen, though the shows are wildly different in nature - one a cartoon that has been on the air for 17 seasons, and the other a thrilling drama that would see some major changes from its current format - needing to compress 24 hours into a 2-hour feature. That's right - both The Simpsons and 24, coincidentally sharing time on the Fox network, are headed for Hollywood - if entertainment sites are to be believed.

It's said that The Simpsons movie trailer debuted in advance of the animated Ice Age 2 in theaters last week, showing Homer Simpson, in his underwear on the couch, fretting about the show's announced start date of July 27, 2007. (IMDB link) The idea of a Simpsons movie is likely as old as the series itself, and has itself been considered an urban legend - joining the Apple tablet PC, and the imminent release of Duke Nukem 3D. But, just like Apple's "surprising" move to Intel and announcement that its machines will now have the capability to run Windows, stranger things have happened, and we may have to adjust to the fable turning to reality.

(You can view The Simpsons Movie teaser on Apple's Web site)

In parallel, Jack Bauer's dominance over all terrorists and worldly threats, along with a new lucrative contract for Kiefer Sutherland, has launched speculation that a 24 movie is next. In fact, Sutherland, playing the role of spoiler, as MTV put it, has confirmed the movie is a go. The show has at times been riveting, and at other times, befuddling with plot twists the actors themselves can't seem to get behind, but for it to go from a 24 one-hour episode format to a single 2-hour format might be the show's biggest challenge yet. The 24 movie would likely hit screens in 2008, though a script is in development.

Listening to ''Lyteo'', by Mr. Sam (Play Count: 1)

I'm a huge fan of dry, satirical humor, and at times, it seems the British have a monopoly on the best comedy out there - ranging from the infamous Monty Python series to Absolutely Fabulous and of course, The Office, which we discovered on BBC America in 2003, and quickly couldn't get enough of - as the mockumentary chronicled Ricky Gervais as a ridiculous boss of a paper company in Slough, Britain, who tries to augment his dead-end career through being the most popular morale booster in the office, even if he is completely oblivious to the fact nobody finds him amusing and is generally appalled by his behavior.

The show had two solid seasons and seemed to come and go so quickly - especially as I felt we had just latched onto what we considered the best comedy on TV, whether domestic or not. And somehow, we missed the network's airing of a special 1 hour., 35 minute finale that aimed to tie up all the loose ends - what happened with Gervais after being removed from his position, and of course, not only his quest for love, but that of his colleagues. While not as side-splittingly funny as some of the show's classic episodes, the office special, which we rented from NetFlix, definitely had some amusing moments and is a must-see for any fan of the Office, who may not have seen the show to its conclusion.

Listening to ''No Fate'', by Scooter (Play Count: 4)

Apple has led the way in legal music and television show downloads, offering a standard of 99 cents per song, $1.99 for a video or show. The logical next step that everyone expects the company to take is to jump to full-length feature films, and in what appears to be a trial run, Apple has offered a TV movie for the price of $9.99. While that may have seemed steep in comparison to the per song price, it still makes sense, especially if you factor in time to download, time to watch, etc. In comparison, what makes no sense whatsoever is Universal's recently proposed "download to own" service. While one of the earlier announcements, Universal is requesting customers pay $17.50 for older films, and $35 apiece for new downloads. Wow. That is a serious cost, one I can't see paying at all! Barring the company offering new films with major actors on the Web before they hit the theaters, I just don't see the country's movie fanatics embracing this service. The charges will leave your wallet wishing you hit the theater and got a large popcorn, movie nachos and a drink for you and a date. Even that would cost less.

Netflix can be great - if you (ab)use it well. My wife signed up for Netflix about a year and a half ago, and at times, we've enjoyed having three DVDs out at a time, and had the time to enjoy quite a lot of good movies, only to see them replaced with new ones just days after the old films are sent back to company headquarters. Of late, we haven't maximized the service to its true potential - as we've been busy, and during downtime found other ways to be entertained.

Yesterday, we opened one of the trademark red envelopes and saw March of the Penguins, a documentary which chronicles the Emperor Penguins' march across snowy, icy, Antarctica in search of a mate and family-building. The trek is amazing - to see the animals make tremendous sacrifice to extend the population and braving the most harsh conditions on the planet is something to behold. In the US version of the DVD, actor Morgan Freeman narrates and walks us through the journey. I understand the original documentary, in French, has the penguins talking, without the narration, and were I to understand French, that would have been an interesting take as well.

It might not have a 200-million budget, guns blazing, with sex and violence, but it's worth seeing despite all that. Watch it - you might learn something.

Channeling Jerry Seinfeld...
"I mean, airplane movies... are they supposed to be so dull, I mean - come on!"

With all our travel the last few years, I've started to grow accustomed to the in-flight feature films, which are usually popular enough that we've all heard of them, but not blockbusters, making it unlikely I'd already seen them in the theater. On cross-country flights, the major airlines, including American and United, tend to offer 2-hour films to act as a sort of electronic babysitter for us grown-up toddlers, who are probably much better behaved and calm - even if we're watching the latest tripe from Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell or Reese Witherspoon.

Yesterday, we were satiated with the movie "Just Like Heaven", a cutesy film about a career woman who perishes in a car accident, and though separated from her body, she (now as an angel) communicates with the man subletting her apartment, and begs him to help her remember her now-lost identity. Turns out she's in a coma, and only he can see or speak with her... and they fall in love, blah blah blah...

Never would have stuck that on the NetFlix queue. But I watched it. Why? Because it was a frickin' five-hour flight, and we were a captive audience. In recent months, that same excuse can be made for why I sat through "The Longest Yard", "Bewitched", "Kicking and Screaming", "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", and other B-list Hollywood fare. They probably know that. I don't expect to see "Schindler's List" or "Pulp Fiction" on these flights (too edgy), let alone "Turbulence" or "Con Air"... thank goodness. Not to mention the element of plausible deniability. Given the majority of people on the mid-day mid-week flight were businessmen, they could all act macho later and claim never to have seen it, but deep down, we all know they secretly like the soft fare.

So, the wife had a "ladies night" at our place, which means I got kicked out. It happens, and it's better off anyway. Who wants to sit around while four ladies gossip about people I could care less about, and get their toenails painted? What a yawner!

I headed down to the AMC Mercado (the local theater) and caught George Clooney and Matt Damon in Syriana. It's a good movie, easily placing in my Top Ten of 2005 releases, and has its surprises, but was definitely a darker movie. There are films where the audience walks out giddy or laughing, and others when they line out, quiet and stunned. Syriana was one of the latter - I didn't hear anybody talking, or see them sitting through the credits to see outtakes (I'm sure there weren't any). It was a good movie, showing the interweaving of business, religion and international politics.

As timing was right, I doubled down and 15 minutes later, sat down for the basketball movie Glory Road, covering the epic story of Texas Western's rise against all white NCAA traditions and taking down the powerhouses in college hoops, culminating in a victory over Adolph Rupp and his Kentucky Wildcats. That was definitely a lighter film, but as Disney commonly does, they would overdo some things - each game seemed to be a nailbiter, and Adolph Rupp was made to seem bigoted and without positives. I'm sure he wasn't as slanted as they'd like to make you think - but otherwise, I felt it was historically accurate, and portrayed the true fear and hatred that threatened to stop the team in its tracks.

In all - a good pair of films back to back. I'd recommend seeing both, depending on your mood.

When I was young, I don't remember sitting around and reading a lot of comic books. Sure, I read the comics each day in the paper, and enjoyed Calvin and Hobbes or Far Side collections that belonged to my brother or my dad, but I simply didn't have stacks of the latest from Marvel and DC Comics - just wasn't interested.

Now older, I enjoy comics that spark intellectual creativity or thought. Doonesbury is good most days. FoxTrot is outstanding. But my two favorite comics are Tom Tomorrow's This Modern World and Darrin Bell's Candorville. Both are a little outside of the mainstream, but connect with me in some way. For Christmas, I got myself Tom's "Great Big World of Tomorrow", and enjoyed that a great deal. Yesterday, I received Candorville's "Thank God for Culture Clash", and read it all in one sitting. The stuff's great!

A special wrinkle in this note is that I've known Darrin since 1997, when we met in college at UC Berkeley. He contributed weekly comics and editorial cartoons to the school paper, where I worked, and every once in a while, we'd both be stuck in the same, boring Mass Communications course, where I would struggle to stay awake, and he'd be doodling caricatures of the professor in the margins - which was way more fun to watch. Darrin and I went our separate ways after school, but he's really done well for himself, and it's great to watch his progress. If you're not familiar with Candorville, and his other works, including Rudy Park, it's time for a new New Year's Resolution.