First of all, the movie as a franchise has started off smart, by not killing everyone off each movie. Sure, we need a good "bang" at the end, and there really isn't any bigger "bang" than the final kill. Downside of killing everyone off is after they're dead, the can't really add anything more to the story. Batman is set up to work similar to the comics, where any villain can show up at any given time (well, other than those they've killed off already... I won't say who). I love how The Dark Knight focuses on realistic outcomes to extraordinary situations rather than "comicbook-er-izing" everything. I don't know what else to say about it, it's a great movie whether your a comic book fan or not... who's not a fan of Batman these days?

Who's gonna be in the next one? I can't wait.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=137 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:00:09 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=136
I was very anxious for this movie ever since I heard it was going to be made. Also, a HUGE fan of Guillermo del Toro's other films such as Pans Labyrinth and The Orphanage. Hellboy II was a great ride. I'm not sure if it was better than the first, though don't think it was worse... just different. Abe Sapien wasn't voiced by David Hyde Pierce, I don't think... he sounded way different, and there were many visual differences that felt out of place. Though the world was very "Harry Potter-ish" in this movie, which was fun. A whole underground of other-worldly creatures and kingdoms. Guillermo's creatures are amazing beyond words, I think that's where Hellboy shines the most. In the first Hellboy film, the monsters weren't very real-like. Sure, they looked good and real, but they were real like I cared about them. In Hellboy II, the monsters and other creatures had personalities that made them feel, for lack of a better word, "human". That completely turns the story around for the better when you not only care about the "good guy", but can also relate to the "bad guy".]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=136 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:00:09 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=135
What a ride. Wanted, staring Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman, is an action-packed movie with amazing effects. The characters aren't developed much, there isn't much depth, but the action is where it shines. There are parts in the story that leave much to be desired and others that are a bit formulaic, but I don't think it detracts from the ride. Go in to the film expecting a great time, and you won't be disappointed. I'll see it again on Netflix, for sure.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=135 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:01:01 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=134
Awesome! Iron Man was all I had hoped it to be... not a whole lot more than I expected, but definitely didn't disappoint. Iron Man is one of my all-time favorites growing up, right next to Spiderman, Superman and Silver Surfer. Robert Downey Jr. played a perfect Tony Stark and the Iron Man suit was cooler than I could ever imagine.

If you haven't seen it, be sure to stick around through the end of the credits, if you're any kind of comic book fan.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=134 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:01:03 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=133
Amazing movie!! It was so heartfelt and believable. I could totally see myself as Keanu sending letters to Sandra through a time-traveling mailbox. Ok, I'm kidding, it sucked and I laugh almost until I cried. Keanu Reeves is such a bad actor, and this movie's plot, though somewhat creative, is a riot... but it's not supposed to be, of course. I've always been a huge Sandra Bullock fan ("the Net", anyone?), but this unfortunate pairing just didn't have the spark they happened to have in their previous joint efforts (specifically, "Speed"). Guys, do yourselves a favor and don't let your wives/girlfriends talk you into sitting through this movie, because if anyone said it was good... they're wrong. Way wrong.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=133 Sat, 09 Dec 2006 09:01:06 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=132
Wow. From a standpoint of being based on some factual elements, this movie is important and amazing. From the Hollywood standpoint, it's still great. It was tough to watch at times, in the same sort of way that you don't want to look at the homeless guy on the street corner as it makes you think and feel something. Unfortunately, Blood Diamond doesn't make enough of an effort to draw the line between real and fiction, and it comes off as all Hollywood. I hope more and more films based on true events we may not be aware of in our world come out in America and that it encourages some action in us all. Even if we do nothing, knowing is important... even if the only way we become aware is through entertainment.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=132 Thu, 07 Dec 2006 05:01:00 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=131
I really enjoyed this film and it's "Independent" feel. It was, by no means, a fast pace story with a lot going on and did seem to drag a bit. But at the same time, with all the other in your face kinds of movies that we see, it was a pleasant surprise to have one that focused most on the character and not the special effects or wow factor. It most definitely made Morgan Freeman (who basically played himself, although his name was never used) look like he was full of himself. At the same time, it was an interesting idea and clever tactic to making the movie more real. The surroundings in each scene had absolutely no "Hollywood set" feel to them, which is always a nice touch.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=131 Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:00:07 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=130
Seems to be a clever idea... kind of: a guy who has a remote control for his live and is able to FFW, Rewind, pause, etc. The guy who gave it to him turns out to be the "angel of death" (lame) and from there it turns from sappy and boring to ridiculous and unwatchable. Seems Adam Sandler is taking some risks with his "Happy Madison" production company... wasn't "Punch Drunk" one of his? That wasn't bad, but this one, on the other hand, was chock full of cheese. Sandler, go back to your glory days of Billy Madison and the like... you were king. Now, are you just trying to appeal to our parents? Ugh.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=130 Thu, 07 Dec 2006 07:01:09 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=129
I was a huge fan of Transformers when I was a kid. Had tons of the action figures and hardly ever missed one of the cartoon episodes on TV. The new Transformers movie is amazing, although some things are slightly different that I remember. Get past that and it's a thrill-ride. One thing Transformers was missing was a rock version of their 80's theme song. It was clever, though, interjecting bits of the theme song lyrics into the dialog. I hope it becomes a franchise, I want to see more of Optimus Prime and the gang.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=129 Thu, 07 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=128
You all know I love me some comic book movies... but am disappointed 90% of the time. Ghost Rider was no exception, although I did go into it with lower expectations than normal (lower than FF2 even). The movie was campy and cheesy... had too much slapstick and cheeky comments and too little depth. The main villain and his posse were lame. The ending was expected, but short and lame. I can't get enough of movie/horror/sci-fi with religious undertones and thematic elements, but it just isn't properly executed most of the time. Biggest surprise was that Nicholas Cage was the star (who is awesome), and the script and special effects were sub-par. Too bad though, Ghost Rider is a fun character with some potential.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=128 Thu, 07 Dec 2006 03:01:00 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=26 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=26 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=127
Rather, Totally Not-Awesome
Great concept, movie based on hit 80's movies, kinda like Scary Movie did for horror flicks. Unfortunately it just doesn't work. Not the fault of the actors, though, which were great, but the film just wasn't put together very well. Made it look really low-budget. There were a few laughs, but not enough to make it worth recommending let alone see again. Hollywood, keep those 80's-themed films coming... just make them better.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=127 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=25 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=25 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=24 Click Here for a video.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=24 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=126
True to the feel of the comic book as well as true to the past Superman movies. I'm a big fan of the Smallville series on the WB, and have gotten used to that Lex. I guess the liberties they take with the TV show aren't as significant as if the same were taken in Superman Returns. Being true to the Superman tradition, the villain and his "henchmen" were cheesy, as was his plot to "take over the world". Overall, Superman was a fun movie with great special effects, great characters and a fun plot. A nice addition to the Superman movie lineup.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=126 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=125
The third and final installment of the X-Men Trilogy. It was good, at least as good as the previous two. With characters like the X-Men, you kinda long for some good back story, but it's understandably difficult if not impossible to fit that in for all the characters into a 2+ hour movie. For what they did show, it was good. Speaking from a "comic book nerd's" perspective, they made quite a few changes to or added characters that work well on-screen. For instance, a character very similar to "Morrow" in a fight with Wolverine was a man, not the boney-faced lady we saw in the comics. No big deal, decisions needed to be made. X-Men was fun, had some jaw-dropping moments that are amazing on the big-screen, and is a definite must-see if your a fan at all of anything Marvel does... and don't worry, it's no The Hulk.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=125 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=123
You all know the story and have probably seen at least a cartoon, play or "Lifetime Channel" movie based on this story at one point or another. This was the most realistic portrayal of Oliver Twist ever. It lacked all the fluff and sugar-coating found on other versions of the story that take away from the reality of the struggles and difficulties the character had to go through. The scenery, characters, costumes, accents, language... everything came together perfectly, as would be expected in a Polanski film. I highly recommend this one.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=123 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=122
A film about Truman Capote, an author, and his research on his book "In Cold Blood" about murders in a rural town of Kansas. His investigation and research brought him close to the convicted killers and had to deal with the similarities between his live and that of his subject. I knew nothing of Capote prior to this movie. From what I hear, Hoffman's portrayal of Capote was dead-on. The movie was engrossing, and interesting, and each performance was obviously well thought-out. I missed and had to "rewind" many parts of the film because I couldn't understand what was being said when Capote was talking. I guess that's not a fault if it's true to the character. It was an amazingly produced movie, but I'm not totally sure what the whole fuss was about.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=122 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=124
Disney has completely lost it's touch. It hasn't come out with a decent animated feature since Lion King, and without Pixar (which is the magic behind any of the current Disney movies that are actually good) just sucked. First of all, the story was just retarded. The characters (although played by some great voice talent) don't hold up to to the expectations. Despite the mass-merchandising, McDonalds' toys, and commercial advertisements plastered all over the place, Chicken Little was just a stupid movie that we won't remember ever happened by next year.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=124 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=23 river_and_cereal.mov]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=23 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=22 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=22 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=21 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=21 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=20 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=20 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=19 Click here to see how happy he was about it. (Quicktime required)]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=19 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=121
Ugh. Cheesy Christmas movie with horrible animation and even worse characters. I can kinda see how the creators might have thought "neat, it looks like the book", but then again, no one has really gotten this whole 3D animation stuff right yet. I particularily disliked the character models themselves. The facial expressions were fake and, like with so many other 3D animated movies, they appeared to have tried too hard to make it look "real", but it ended up just being extra-fake. I don't know what it is about Christmas, but it seems to bring out the cheese like no other season.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=121 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=120
An enchanting film that takes you to another world full of stunning visuals and characters. I hadn't read the book before seeing the movie (which I don't usually like to do) but from my perspective, there wasn't much, if anything left out to make it a watch-able movie. The characters were so real and heart-felt, which, at the intensity see here, is becoming rare in these blockbusters. I highly recommend seeing this one.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=120 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=119
Big fan of the original book. Read it first when I was in elementary school and have loved "Martian" movies ever since. I didn't think this version of the 1897 classic would be any good... not a big fan of Tom Cruise... But I was pleasantly surprised by the the lack of "cheese" that usually ruins similar "blockbusters". WOTW was action packed and felt real, like the Martians were actually attacking. Although not entirely true to the book, WOTW was a decent movie and was a lot of fun to watch. And if you left the movie scratching your head, just go read the book to fill in any holes in the story... any that aren't mentioned in the book are left to your imagination.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=119 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=116
What a surprise, Narnia was amazing. I grew up with the books (and those ancient live action movies) so I've always been a big fan. All of the original big-screen or small-screen adaptations of the Narnia series seemed to be stripped down to just include the bare minimum needed to tell the story. The latest Narnia flick was full of what the story actually includes, which is great. Characters were real and believable (well... as believable as they can be in Narnia) and the CGI effects and characters were unbelievable. The characters and scenes of the movie reminded me of some of the books original page illustrations, which goes to show the amount of thought and attention-to-detail Adamson and the movie's design team put into it. I'm very excited about what might be out next in this series. I hope they make it to my favorite, book 6: The Magicians Nephew (no, this is NOT the first in the series). Go see it, but read the books. ALWAYS read the books first.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=116 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=117
Another of those "chick flicks" I'm forced to watch with my wife... but not nearly as painful to sit through as most. The Family Stone was very enjoyable with a mix of heart-felt situations and funny dialog. It's an emotional movie as you get to know the "Family" and understand their specific roles in the movie. It wasn't bogged down with cheesy characters or unbelievable scenes, but felt real... like it would in my own family. Keep this one on your list of movies to watch around the holidays.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=117 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=115
I'm always excited about 3D animated movies since I got my degree in Computer Animation from the Art Institute of Seattle. Although I haven't dabbled in 3D since college, I still have a bit of an idea how it's done, what looks good and what's just a simple plugin effect. In college, we got a lower grade if we made 3D robots in class... they're the simplest things to make as they're just shapes. Robots had only a decent story-line... very Disney. The characters were alright, but it was difficult to connect to them. The 3D models were amazing, very well done... however I do have a couple of art critiques: 1) Robots' lips shouldn't move. They're metal, right? They can't move like that. 2) Enough with the roller-coaster scenes already! Another thing that's dirt simple to do in 3D is attach the "camera" to a path and move it around the scene. Robots was 80% roller-coaster scenes. What I did like was the look and feel of the characters and art direction. I liked that everything looked more like appliances rather than standard mechanical robots. Tied in well with the other 50's colors, shapes and what-not. Didn't really care for Robots. It's so tough to find good, new kids movies these days.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=115 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=114
Fun movie. Not amazing, but fun at least. The story was interesting, albeit not completely original... quite similar to True Lies, no? As with most action movies, you have to put reality on hold for a while. This one was no exception, but that's not a bad thing at all. I had a great time seeing Brad and Angelina kick some ass, and had some good chuckles along the way. That's what a good action flick is all about, right?]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=114 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=113
True to the comic book, for the most part. True to the silly super-powers, lack of explanation, and cheesy dialog. I think Fantastic Four falls within the same category as the Hulk, where it's a fine idea when it's in comic book form, but just doesn't translate very well into a movie with human actors. Mr. Fantastic's stretchy powers worked much better in The Incredibles. I'm disappointed, as with nearly all comic book movies... they just don't feel real enough for the big-screen.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=113 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=18 Click here for a little video of the festivities. (Quicktime required)]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=18 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=111
Read the book instead. Great cast of characters, who all did great with what they had to work with, but all of the best parts of the story just didn't translate well into a movie. My wife was bored to tears before anything real even happened. I enjoyed parts of it but missed the narrative of the book, where a majority of the best parts are. Of course, a big disappointment, simply because I hoped for so much as got so little... perhaps it's the "Star Wars: Episode I" Effect, if you know what I mean.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=111 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=112
The latest of the Harry Potter installments is by far the best. Goblet of Fire is my favorite book of the series (with book 5 a close second). I was very excited for the movie, but was a bit disappointed, of course. They just leave so much out of the movies, although I understand why. Goblet of Fire had many sub-plots that kinda set the stage for some happenings in the following stories, many of which were skipped over in the movie. My griping aside, GOF was amazing. The visuals were stunning, and the cast was nearly exactly what I pictured in my mind when reading the book. It started off kinda fast, like they were trying to get through as much as they can without skipping anything, then slowed down to a decent pace once the Tri-Wizard Tournament began. This Harry Potter franchise (if you ignore the plethora of shameless merchandising) has become the Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings of the 21st century... can't wait to see the next one.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=112 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=110
Of course, with a prequel like this, especially after 30 years since the original, you've got to separate the story itself from the experience of the first one. The first Exorcist was a ground-breaking movie that stands alone. Exorcist: The Beginning was supposed to explain more for us, to let us know why much of the original happened. It didn't really do that and kinda turned into one of any of the Exorcist movies. There were parts where they began to delve into some history of locations and happenings, but didn't get too far before getting back into it's old ways. Maybe I was just hoping for the "History Channel" version of the movie.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=110 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=109
File this one under "Movies as bad as, or worse than Hulk". Ugh.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=109 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=108
My wife saw something about this movie on Oprah, they were saying how amazing it was. As for what it was, a movie trying to either teach us something or at least make a statement of sorts, it was amazing. The characters and situations were so real it was shocking at times. It's great when film makers take the high-ground and provide something of entertainment that you leave with something to think about, something that perhaps makes you grow a bit. Crash is one of those films you don't watch more than once, but when you do it sticks with you forever.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=108 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=17 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=17 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=107
Beautiful movie. Big fan of Frank Miller, although I can't say I've actually read his Sin City comic... but I'm familiar with it and his other work. The movie is probably the best comic book-to-movie ever. It's look and feel was 100% the comic, the character actors were dead-on. The cinematography was breath-taking, albeit some scenes were a bit too obviously 3D animation. My biggest beef with the movie was it's extreme violence. I'm aware that it's like this in the comic book, but for some reason I couldn't stomach the whole movie. Much of the violence was done well, in a comic sort of way, but other parts were almost as bad as watching the news. I hope more movies are made with the precision Sin City was made with. It's definitely a ground-breaking movie that remains true to it's roots.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=107 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=106
As I've said many times before in these movie reviews, I love me some vampire/supernatural type movies... but am always disappointed. I was really looking forward to this one as the previews made it look pretty slick. I should have guessed otherwise being Keanu Reeves was the star... not a big fan of his, don't know why he's become the action-star that he is. What I loved about Constantine was bits of the visuals and story elements, such as the scenes in "hell" where hell looks like earth after some natural disaster or something. By mid-movie, it just got kinda confusing. I mean I got the basic idea of everything, but many key elements of the story-line left me scratching my head wondering "why did that happen?". I've still got my hopes up... one of these types of movies will be all that I want them to be.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=106 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=16 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=16 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=105
The reviews for this one were great, pretty much across the board. Funniest movie I've seen in a long time. Big fan of Steve Carell's stuff ever since seeing him on the Daily Show with John Stewart.... perfect role for this guy. Although a bit risqué at some points... well, quite often, actually... this one's got lots of laughs from beginning to end, it didn't disappoint. Just didn't like seeing so much of myself in the main character, what with the action figure collection obsession and stuff ;)]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=105 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=15 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=15 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=104
I'm never excited to go see a romantic comedy... wife dragged me to this one. But, sad to say, I usually never hate the movie. This one's no exception. "Must Love Dogs" was funny and heartfelt, rather than sappy and dull, as I usually expect for this type of film. John Cusack was himself; quirky and different. Diane Lane seems to be an expert at playing a divorced woman... she's really good at it. Overall, I had alot of fun with this one. Laughed out loud may times and really felt for the characters, which doesn't happen often for me. I hate saying it, but my wife has really good tastes in movies and usually picks out the good ones to see.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=104 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=14 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=14 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=98
I was expecting something a least as good as Batman & Robin (which sucked), so I was pleasantly surprised at how awesome Batman Begins was. This Batman was raw and vicious, like in the comic books. Not some fluffy superhero fighting glow-in-the-dark street gangs. I heard that the director made this movie with us comicbook geeks in mind... and did not disappoint. Finally, the Batman franchise is back. Let's hope they don't screw it up again with George Clooney.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=98 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=13 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=13 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=99
Not quite up to the same quirkiness and thoughtfulness of Rushmore and Royal Tennenbaums. The story was just a bit weird and "out there" and the characters didn't seem fully developed. I'm disappointed, I had high hopes.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=99 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=103
Nicely done, Lucas. Revenge of the Sith brought back the excitement of Star Wars. There was a ton of loose ends that needed to be filled between Episode II and Episode IV, about 90% of these were addressed in this Episode. I mean, now we know where Luke and Leia came from (which, if we had known in Episode IV - VI, before they told us, it wouldn't have been taken away the moment), we know why Darth is such as a-hole and how he became the of the Empire. I expected some horrific cartoon movie like Episode I, but in the end, Episode III was a great movie given it's predecessors.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=103 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=12 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=12 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=102
I don't understand. Was it funny?]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=102 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=101
Kind of a funny, shocking movie. It had many laugh out loud moments, and then floored you with OMG moments. It wasn't deep or anything... didn't suck either. Just was there. I'd see it again if I had to. Otherwise I'll forget it but had fun seeing it once.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=101 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=100
Ok, so these parents loose their kid in a freak accident. They meet a guy who'll make a clone of their kid (he's just a nice guy, want's to help). Little do they know this guy grafted parts of his murderous kid into the clone, making these poor parents' new kid kind of a freak.... Interesting idea, not totally believable, even in the movies. The movie itself was fairly entertaining as long as you're able to make huge leaps from one part of the story to another, and will believe what they tell you at face value. If you break it down to it's bare story elements, it's almost a bit like Jurassic Park, don't you think?]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=100 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=97
The last installment of the Blade series. Of course, the villain had to be a bigger vampire... who bigger than Dracula himself? Just like with every modern vampire movie, the story had to re-educate us on how their vampires are different than what we already know... I think it's because they want to nix the part about religious icons hurting vampires. Whatever. Blade Trinity was slightly better than the last one, but nowhere close to as good as Blade 1 was. Blade 1 was freakin' awesome. Trinity had alot of laughs, thanks to Ryan Reynolds (is this the guy from 2 Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place??). The Dracula character should have felt to have much more history. Instead, it was like just another monster. I'm always disappointed with vampire movies, they're my favorite kind of monster movie but are never all I hope them to be. Question for you: How come Whistler dies in every Blade movie? On that note, why do comic book movies always kill off some of the key players? Don't the writers know that comic book movies require the characters from the comic book to make it appeal to us comic geeks? Like with Batman, in each movie they killed the villains. So, they can't ever do a cool movie based on Knightfall or something, where all the villains gang up on Batman. Writers should create "drama" some other way than killing the key characters so that the storyline doesn't end with the movie. Just my 2 cents.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=97 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=96
Yet another story of some crazy guy who did psychic work for the government that he can't stop. This particular storyline was a bit different than what we've seen a hundred times before in regards to what the crazy guy does... but not too different. The main character (Aaron Eckhart) didn't do a very good job with the role, the acting was dry and felt fake. The antagonist (Ben Kingsley) was amazing as always with much feeling and drama in each of his scenes. For some reason, the whole movie felt kinda dry, I think because the soundtrack was either not present or just not very good. I lost interest very quickly and kept wanting to leave to do something else. Too bad, because this could have been a pretty good thriller.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=96 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=95
Holy crap, this is the funniest movie ever. So funny, and original too. I laughed so hard I was crying nearly the whole movie. What made this movie great are the quotes... it's like a story built around quotables.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=95 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=11 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=11 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=94
I thought this was going to suck, but it didn't. First of all, The Hulk was in it... it wasn't long until I stopped associating Eric Bana with The Hulk though. Well played characters. It was the story of Troy played as it happened in real life, without interventions from Greek gods and stuff. It was basically the same as Gladiator or Braveheart, just different characters and different fight scenes. Still alot of fun, if not too long of a movie.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=94 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=93
True story, I think, of a playwright and his work vs. personal life. The people who admire him and his work treat him differently because of what he does. At the same time, he lives his live in the moment taking for granted the people who think so highly of him. As he grows old, these people slowly leave his live and he's left to think about it all. If you're into theatre you'll most likely enjoy this movie... if not, it's still good.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=93 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=92
Great movie, real thinker rather than a fun journey. Follows the life of a couple characters as they experience life in their own ways. They finally meet up as adults and kinda figure things out together.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=92 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=91
Due to the cast, I thought this one was going to be an ordinary teen movie, but it was very enjoyable and thoughtful. I went to a school kinda like the one in Saved!... mine wasn't quite as over-the-top, but many of my classmates were alot like the students in this movie. It's a topic that doesn't get into movies much, with that whole 'church school' crowd. It is very different than your ordinary high school. Fun movie, and wasn't a shallow laugh either.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=91 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=90
Horrible movie. Not only do the actors seem to be kinda fed up with the story itself, but the effects and action that made the first The Matrix so cool were a short and confusing of Revolutions. It seemed like there was alot more to the story than actually made it into the film, which made it confusing and full of holes. I don't understand at all what happened at the end (when Neo fought the bad guy with glasses)... I left the movie scratching my head and very disappointed. What a way to end a trilogy. Start off big and leave with your fans frustrated and confused.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=90 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=9 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=9 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=10 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=10 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=89
What a ride. I,Robot has all of the elements that make for a great action movie. Robots are really cool too... extra cool in this movie. I'd have to say that I,Robot has the most 'realistic' image of what the future might look like. Most future movies have people wearing stupid outfits and there's always some huge catastrophy that changed everything (Waterworld? Postman? Johnny Mnemonic?). In addition to being a cool action movie, it's entertaining enough to see a second or third time. Of course it's got some comedy... the Fresh Prince is the main character... so any way you look at it, I,Robot is a fun ride.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=89 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=88
Lots of fun. The Stepford Wives, a satirical remake of the 1975 thriller version, was filled with campy jokes and witty dialogue. The story, if you haven't seen the original or read the book, which I hadn't, is quite original and interesting. I was, however, distracted during numerous scenes where a microphone was visible at the top of the screen. At first, I thought that this might be something to add to the campiness of the film, but it just didn't appear to be enough to have been on purpose. The cast was perfect, parts well played. And of course, any Christopher Walken movie (at least recent ones) have at least Walken to make it fun to watch.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=88 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=87
Monster Road is a documentary about Bruce Bickford, a stop-motion animator from Seattle, WA. The movie explores how his childhood (particulary his father, a WW2-time Boeing engineer) effected is warped artistic nature as well as his positive and hopeful outlook on life. There's nothing like watching a couple of old people wax philosophical about life for 2 hours. It can really make you think, do these people really get it? Or are is all just a mindless rambling monolouge from someone who is just as confused as the rest of us. The claymation and animation is only a small part of what makes this a fully enjoyable experience... although, you've gotta have an open mind and be ready to possibly learn something.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=87 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=8 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=8 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=86
Best superhero movie ever! Wow. I went into the theatre with high expectations, and left fullly satisfied. Spiderman 2 is full of everything you'd expect from a Spiderman movie, and then some. I found it amusing to see a small 'tribute' to an older movie in Sam Rami's portfolio. One part, which will be completely obvious when it comes up, was strikingly simlilar to a scene from Evil Dead. I'll probably see Spiderman 2 once, or maybe even twice, more in the theatres.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=86 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=7 Alki, a first run play at the ACT theatre. Show was amazing and weather was nice. It was a very relaxing weekend.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=7 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=85
I don't remember high school being anything like it's portrayed in this movie (but then again, I haven't been in high school for quite a few years). I love movies with the Saturday Night Live cast members in it. They always seem to make the comedy much more funny, and less cheesy. I laughed a lot throughout Mean Girls. It was a lot of fun. ]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=85 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=84
Yet again, amazing. The Harry Potter series has got me hooked. The third installment of J.K. Rowlings book to movie series is quite a bit different than the first 2. HP1 and HP2 were bright, magical movies... very kid friendly. HP3 was darker, grittier and alot more 'down to earth'. I like the change, as the books themselves have much more going for them. My only reason for the 3.5 star rating is that the movie itself was too short for the story. There's a lot going on in the book, many different stories and sub stories that are pertinent to the story itself as well as the next. HP3 took quite a bit of liberty in skipping important points in the story-line as well as explaining 'what the hell just happened here?'. My suggestion: Read the book first. Else you'll need to read the book afterwards to fill in the gaps the film left out.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=84 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=83
This one was alot of fun. A great Movie-Monster-Movie with enough twists to make it it's own. From the start of the film, they made it quite evident that there'll be some cheesy scenes and dialog. By telling us so, it made the cheese easier to take... and fun. The Mr. Hyde character was probably biggest cheese character in the film. I much preferred LXG's version of the character. I won't get too into it, because it's a monster movie... not supposed to make sense, but Dracula having babies that are born dead because he's dead? Think about it... if he's dead, a baby can't grow to a state of being born, dead or alive, (let alone that fact that a live egg and other living stuff is requried as well). This isn't the only part of the movie you'd say "Yeah, right.".. but you'll have fun anyhow.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=83 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=6 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=6 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=5 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=5 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=79
*Sigh*... At first, I was not looking forward to Hellboy at all, it looked really cheesy and not nearly as stylistic as the comic... the style is most of what makes it cool. When the movie came out, and it was #1, I thought that it might actually be better than I thought it was going to be. Well, it wasn't. Hellboy's makeup made him look like red Play-Dough. The villains weren't interesting (well, there were 2 that were interesting, but they weren't delved into enough to make their stories worth-while). I just hate when the 'bad guy' is nothing more than a monster that goes around killing people... it's just not gripping enough of a character to care. If I had some sympathy, or some common relationship to the character, it could possibly be different. I, as with every comic book based movie other than Spiderman, was disappointed. And since they made alot of money, Hellboy 2 will be just as disappointing.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=79 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=80
It's been a long time since Disney has come out with any good movies. Pirates of the Carribbean was good too, but other than that, it's been a while. Holes was good. I had no idea what to expect, the trailer and previews didn't seem to explain anything. This movie was funny, but not stupid (which has been Disney's biggest problem lately). It has a story that kept me interested throughout, although somewhat predicable at time. Overall, Holes is a fun movie that doesn't suck. that's what really matters, right?]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=80 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=4 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=4 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=78
It was all I expected. Nothing more, nothing less. I laughed, perhaps twice.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=78 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=77
* Yawn *
This story could have been told in less time than a Simpsons episode. Sure, the cinematograpy was well-done, the acting was believable and sometimes charming... but it just dragged on and on. The story itself is not bad, in fact, it's got alot of twists to differentiate itself from similar ones that have been done a hundred times before. Not quite sure, other than it's nice to see a movie that's just a little bid out of the ordinary, why it won so many awards. Perhaps those award-givers don't mind being bored out of their seats as much as I do (my wife fell asleep 30 minutes into the movie). I don't need big explosions or car-chase senes to rouse my interest all the time... but don't stretch out a movie's story just to fill your allotted 2+ hours.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=77 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=76
Wow. Beautiful movie. Probably the best 'artistic' film I've ever seen. It wasn't so artistic that it was stupid, and the storyline, although way out there, was interesting and engaging. The texture of the film made it feel like it was done without overused computer effects and digitizing... which was nice to see for a change. I hated Titanic, and hated Kate Winslet because of it, but she's not so bad after seeing Eternal Sunshine. This is one of those movies that you can see more than once. I'm sure I missed a bunch of details that will make the movie even more amazing. Guess I'll have to see it again.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=76 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=75
I'm always in the mood for a good suspensful movie with a supernatural twist... was pretty disappointed with Secret Window. If it had starred anyone other than Johnny Depp, it would have been painful too watch, but Depp's quirkiness always adds a fun element to his movies. John Turtoro ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?") is another of my favorite actors, almost wish he was on-screen a bit more in this one. Secret Window was predictable... that's it's biggest flaw. I was thinking to myself "Please don't end like I think it will"... and it ended exactly as I expected. It was a beautifully shot movie... no complaints there... just needed a bit of help with the plot.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=75 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=74
Missed this one in the theatres, but glad I eventually got a chance to see it. Matchstick Men is a fun, yet thoughtful movie that keeps you guessing throughout. Nicholas Cage was his usual self, with a few extra quirks that add some dimention to his character. And of course, Sam Rockwell, who's on-screen presence is always adds alot of fun. The cinematography was artful yet not overkill... just perfect in my opinion. In afterthought, the plot seems like something done a hundred times before, but it's well-done enough to stand as it's own.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=74 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=73
A movie about aging staring 2 old actors acting like children. Hey, it's entertainment. One of the interesting things about this movie is that it fulfills all of your expectations. For instance, you'll think something will happen, and it does... just how you thought it would. Now, it's good to see a film that surprises you, but, at the same time, it's sometimes it's nice to see one that gives you exactly what you expect. Not saying it was bad, but also not saying it was so amazing that I'd go see it again.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=73 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=72
My wife dragged me to this one. It reeks of 'chick-flick' in every way possible. But... (yeah, there's a but)... it wasn't as bad as it should have been. Topher Grace (That '70's Show) added some funny stuff to the movie, making it bearable to watch. Yeah, I even laughed out loud a couple times. Suggestion: If you're not a giggly girl, and want to watch this movie in the theatre, I advise you to go on a school night. Or else, you'll hear alot of gasps, sighs and mind-numbing giggling from the audience. There's my 2 cents.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=72 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=3 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=3 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=71
Again. I hate Ewan McGreggor... but the movies he's in are great. Down with love is just a stupid story about love and the battle of the sexes, but the way it was done was great. It was very stylistic, 50's and 60's style with a modern twist. The editing and storytelling made Down with Love really fun to watch. I hope that more movie makers begin to take more time with how they tell the story rather than just the story itself.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=71 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=70
Tim Burton as you've never seen him before. Big Fish is an beautiful movie with amazing visuals and effects. The storyline is mezmorizing and deep while still being fun and easy to watch. There are happy parts as well as funny and sad parts. I don't like Ewan McGreggor, but he seems to be in alot of movies that I like alot. I'll probably see this one once more before it's out of the theatre.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=70 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=69
Funny movie, all the way through. I wasn't expecting to, but I laughed out loud over and over again during the entire movie. While still being funny, it wasn't insanely stupid (as you might expect from the cast... or even the storyline). The storyline was pretty unbelievable... so don't even try. I guess that's the price you pay for a funny movie.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=69 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=81 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=81 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=68
Amazing special effects. Again, incredible cast and representation of the original story. The only real drawback to this movie experience is the lack of suspense. You know the King will return.. you know that Frodo will dispose of the ring. But they did a good job of keeping me at the edge of my seat until this happened. You must see this movie. If you haven't seen the other two (or haven't for a while) I do recommend watching the first 2 installments first. There's a ton of important characters all with funny names... tough to keep track of everything. I'll see this one again... probably one more time in the theatre even.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=68 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=67
It was funny... in parts, but not at all as entertaining as The Grinch. The story, which was based on the 10 page book, was drawn out way too long. And with the addition of an extra character, it just didn't seem right. Mike Meyers was very himself in this movie, he was more 'Mike' than 'Cat in the Hat', I thought. The 'Seuss'est part of the movie, where they did the best, in my opinion, was Thing1 and Thing2. These two characters looked and moved like they just popped out of the book.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=67 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=66
I really didn't want to see any more Disney movies. They've all kinda sucked after Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story... you know, the few good ones. Then all their movies started to be the same and really dull. Finding Nemo was at least kinda funny. I'm not a fan of the 3D movies where the characters (especially the people) look like cartoons and their environment looks real-life. At times, Finding Nemo's environment looked way too real-life, but at other times it was just as cartoon as the characters. It was fun though.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=66 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=71 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=71 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=2 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=2 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=1 http://www.jasonkenison.com/photo_gallery.html?id=1 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Photo Galleries http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=47 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=47 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=81
If this was an American movie, it'd be the same old stuff. But, due to the cultural aspects of the storyline, it was highly interesting and enjoyable. The characters weren't shallow, as with most movies, and seemed to show a lot of depth that wasn't even delved into in the movie... nice touch. I hate sports and everything sports related, but the whole soccer aspect of this movie didn't take away from the rest of the story. I like it, my wife liked it. It was good.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=81 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=3 This particular site was built with a unique structure containing a basic template, or series of templates, that can hold up to x number of sub sections... all based on the same structure and options. Sure beats having to create 100+ pages in straight HTML, huh?]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=3 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=17 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=17 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=65
Loads of fun. It's obvious they made alot of money on the last one... special effects were believable and the opening credits was awesome (which is rare). Of course, with characters like Croft and actors like Jolie, how can you go wrong? With all these comic book/video game movies coming out, it's nice to see that there are a few, at least, that are worth seeing.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=65 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=72 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=72 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=16 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=16 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=15 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=15 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=64
LXG is a beautiful movie. Each frame is like a piece of art. The special effects were done nicely, not too fake and not overly realistic. I wish ILM (the people who did The Hulk) talked with the people who worked on the Dr. Jeckle/Mr. Hyde transformation before making the Hulk. LXG's version is way better. The storyline doesn't go as deep as I would have liked, but it was enough considering that the majority of the moviegoers have some general ideas who the LXG characters are supposed to be.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=64 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=11 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=11 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=63
Well... It was a fun ride. I, of course, didn't expect too much more. T3 was a bit deeper than the last, but not by much. If you're a fan of the last two (or at least T2), you probably won't hate T3. I'm hoping they don't make too many more Terminator movies. Arnold is already in his fifties. I don't suppose a Terminator with a walker would be too intimidating. It didn't suck as much as The Hulk.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=63 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=62
As far as good, realistic, scary movies go (which there are like, what, 2?) 28 Days Later is the best, most realistic and scariest of them all. I hated most of it, mostly because I don't like blood. The picture quality, camera angles and audio all made me feel like I was there. Just amazing... revolting and un nerving... but well done.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=62 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=12 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=12 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=61
Do not, I repeat NOT, go see this movie. It is the single worst comicbook adaptation of a movie ever! The special effects, although I imagine amazing as per the technical side, were painful to watch. The story dragged on worse the the Batman movie flashbacks. The cinematography attempted to make the movie feel like a comicbook, but it appeared just cheesy... nothing else. The audience in the theatre, filled with greasy comicbook geeks, laughed throughout the flick... I don't blame them. How dare they compare a great movie like Spiderman to this trainwreck they call 'Hulk'. I'd rather watch Howard the Duck again than sit through another minute of the Hulk.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=61 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=60
Incredibly moving movie... but would you expect anything different from a Jack Nicholson flick?]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=60 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=59
Awesome. The special effects were way better than in the first Matrix. There's no way anyone who watches Reloaded won't go see the next. They might have gone a little overboard with the philosophical banter, but the fight scenes more than made up for it. Oh... the 'sex' scene in the near beginning (don't worry, I'm not giving anything away if you haven't seen it yet) was totally pointless. It lasted forever, but added practically nothing to the story. I was forced into seeing Keanu Reeves' butt, and it brought nothing important to the story at all.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=59 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=58
Awesome! Way better than the first (the first wasn't bad though). Making X-Men movies that appeal to the comicbook geeks and everyone else was probably really difficult. I don't care if there are story errors or inconsistencies between the comic and the movie... there's been so many story and character changes in the comics. See it. It's rad.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=58 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=69 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=69 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=57
Although one of the lamest movies of all time, I laughed quite a bit at the 'Cat Ninjas'. I don't recommend this one to anyone over the age of 4 and a half.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=57 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=56
Great cast, that's why I wanted to see this one. I was expecting a movie more along the lines of 'Two Smoking Barrels' or something like that, but the cinematography just wasn't very interesting at all. Other than that, it's a fun movie (although I was pissed off when George Clooney showed up in the movie... I don't like Clooney or his movies).]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=56 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=55
I wasn't prepared for this being a foreign film (English subtitles) but I still thuroughly enjoyed Amelie. It was beautifly filmed, the pacing of the story couldn't have been better. The film is not only funny, but thought provoking, sad, and so much more. I rented it, then had to buy it. Go see it.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=55 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=54
Whoah. This movie rocks! The comicbook based movies just keep getting better and better. The movie was true to the comicbook and had a few cameo's for us geeks who notice things like that. If I was a big Daredevil fan, I'd say this movie was the best thing to ever come out of Hollywood. But I grew up with Spiderman, so I'd have to say I enjoied that one a bit more. I had doubts about Michael Clarke Duncan as the Kingpin, but it was played perfectly. Jennifer Garner played a weak Elektra, I thought, but everything else was definetly worth the buck.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=54 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=53
Me and my fiance saw this movie cause we're going to be 'Just Married' in October. I can definetly say this was MUCH better than Ashton Kutcher's Dude, Where's My Car... but of course, that's not saying much. It's a fun movie if you're in a fun kind of mood.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=53 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=78 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=78 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=76 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=76 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=52
Wow. Amazing. Breathtaking. Chicago the movie is a perfect on-screen version of the musical. The movie felt like it was on Broadway just as much as it feels like a normal movie. As the cast broke into song (as a broadway musical does) it only added to the emotion and feeling of the characters. I'd recommend seeing Chicago even if you're not a big fan of musicals. Mulin Rouge was really good, but as far as movie/musicals go, Chicago blew them out of the water.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=52 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=51
I saw this for two reasons: my fiance wanted to see a chick flick, and I love Sandra Bullock. As far as chick flicks go, this one wasn't so bad. It wasn't mushy or anything, but the end was very predictable (chick flick rule: in a good movie, the girl has to get the guy... in a GREAT movie the guy dies trying to get the girl...I know, what?). This one was just good. I can't recall which they were, but I know I've seen movies with this plot before. But there was alot of Sandra :)]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=51 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=50
Fun from beginning to end. I'm not a DiCaprio fan, but he was alright in this movie. There's not a dull moment. It's amazing, too, that it's based on a true story.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=50 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=79 The design is simple and straight forward, to be bold and easily seen from a distance.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=79 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=49 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=49 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=49
A decent spy flick. I was expecting something a little more light-weight due to the nature of the trailers. It wasn't horrible, but also not what I expected. I guess that's no reason to give it a bad score.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=49 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=48
I didn't see Oceans Eleven when it came out due to bad reviews. I heard it was slow. I think the reviews I read didn't do the movie justice. I found the movie slower than, say, a movie staring Vin Deisel, but not so slow to make the movie ill-paced. The characters were believable, funny and realistic. I really enjoied this movie.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=48 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=47
Amazing movie. More visually beautiful than the last (not to say the last wasn't beautiful). There was alot of story telling that was a little difficult to follow, like all the names of characters and places. But since I've read the book, I followed most of it. The ending made me really mad, I don't want to wait for the next installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Hurry with it already!]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=47 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=46
The first Austin Powers movie was funny and clever. The second one wasn't much more than one joke after another. Goldmember is hardly even funny. I applaud Mike Myers for being able to play so many different characters. If you haven't rented (or bought) this movie yet, don't waste your money. Watch the first one again if you need an Austin Powers fix.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=46 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=45
Uh, I was in the mood for something dumb. Dumb is what I got. Sure I laughed a little throughout the movie, but I was mostly just dumb-founded by the idiocy of it all. Don't waste your money, even if you're a Martin Lawrence fan... it isn't worth it.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=45 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=44
Adam Sandler is a funny man. His movies always make me laugh out loud. It's kinda neat that he did an animated movie, and that his character looks like him. I guess I expected a little more out of this movie though. I can say that I laughed out loud many times throughout the film, so it wasn't a waste of a money. Adam Sandler was himself in this movie, swore alot, so parents, don't be fooled by the pretty colors and animations. This isn't a young kid movie like you'd get from Disney or something.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=44 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=45 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=45 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=65 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=65 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=66 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=66 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=40 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=40 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=39 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=39 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=38 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=38 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=37 big Superman. I hand drew this one and did the whole Streamline thing to it before I colored it in Freehand 9.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=37 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=34 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=34 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=33 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=33 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=32 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=32 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=31 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=31 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=28 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=28 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=82
Of course this was just another 007 movie. You kinda know what to expect when you see James Bond, and don't expect anything more than what you're used to. Die Another Day had some cool effects, fun car-chase scenes and original locations. So, if you wanna see some explosions and 007 gadgets, Die Another Day has them and won't dissapoint. If you're looking for a deep, thought provoking spy movie, look elsewhere.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=82 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=64 Wack-A-Mole game, but I added another character to the mix. Billy (a SportsSquad(tm) character with a bad attitude) pops his head up every so often. If you hit him, you lose points. Just hit the chimp and you'll be fine. The speed and number of Billys increases each level untill it's completely impossible, so the game is as long as each user can handle.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=64 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=63 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=63 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=62 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=62 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=61 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=61 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=60 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=60 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=55 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=55 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=43
Wow. I couldn't get through the entire second book, but Reba (my second half) did. She said it was fairly true to the book, although lots was left out... understandably so. Chamber of Secrets was just as fun as the original, but I wish it was longer and explained a little more what was happening. I'm very anxious for the 3rd installment of the HP series. It just keeps getting better and better. I do think, though, that this movie just borders on a PG rating. There's quite a bit of visual graphic violence that I wouldn't want to bring my 7 or 8 year-old to. The fans are supposed to grow with the book, but the new fans should probably see it when it comes out on video.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=43 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=42
Teriffic movie! Parts perfectly played by the entire cast. This isn't a feel good kind of flick, in the normal sense, but won't leave you crying (well, won't leave ME crying!). Guys, if your ladies are trying to drag you to this one, no need to struggle.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=42 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=41
Now, one of my favorite movies of all time. I laughed so hard throughout the entire movie.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=41 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=40
Uh. I was in a no-brainer mood. Van Wilder catered to my desire to stop thinking for 93 minutes. Sure it was kinda funny, but nothing that really hasn't been done before.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=40 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=39
Creepy and disturbing. By the end of the movie, I thought I knew what was going to happen... I was way off. Don't watch it alone.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=39 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=38
Great movie. Really intense. Kinda predictable though. There were many parts of the dialog that I was able to say out loud even before it happened. If you're looking for an 'edge of your seat' thriller, Panic will satisfy.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=38 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=37
I've been meaning to rent this one since it came out. Finally did and enjoyed every minute of it. While poking fun at the world of art, and being a fairly artistic film itself, Ghost World is complex at many levels yet simple enough to understand enough to just sit back and enjoy the movie.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=37 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=36
Mary Cathrine Gallager in a 2 hour SNL sketch. It was funny, laughed alot. Didn't expect much depth or any more than I've seen on Saturday Night Live so I wasn't disappointed.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=36 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=35
Loved the first one. Second one was alright... as far as sequels go.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=35 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=34
Good, fun, heart-felt movie. A little long though. Don't expect any suprises in this one. I miss the old Jim Carrey though, it's been a long time since he's done something wild and crazy. ]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=34 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=33
I loved Scooby Doo as a kid. There was a formula for each episode. It was disapointing to see that they kinda re-wrote the formula for the movie. Matthew Lillard was an excellent Shaggy, Velma was pretty good too. But Freddy Prince Jr. as Fred and 'Buffy' just didn't belong in this movie. The only reason Scooby Doo gets two stars is because I laughed out loud quite a few times. I don't recommend this movie to seasoned fans of the cartoon.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=33 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=32
I've been a long-time fan of 'Weird Al' Yakovic's UHF. I tried to purchase it through Amazon.com (because it's tough to find anywhere else) a couple years ago, only to hear that it was discontinued. I was so excited to see it re-released and to see it in high quality DVD. I love this movie... I don't know how to explain why I like it, I guess it's just a really fun flick. You gotta dig it.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=32 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=31
I knew nothing about Mohamad Ali before the movie, and after the movie I know just as much. There wasn't any real delve into who Ali was... the movie just barely touched on a couple of fights and his relationships with his women. I couldn't finish the whole movie in one sitting because it was so slow. It's too bad, because I thought the movie had potential.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=31 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=30
I had to see it. Everyone is pretty much supposed to see the new Star Wars flick. They still haven't made a prequel to Episodes 4-6 that came even close to being as memorable and timeless as the originals. I, and my girlfriend (Reba, an actress), thought the acting was bad, the scenes were very 'non Star Wars-like, there was just too much fighting and not enough plot development. The development of Palpatine (played by Ian McDiarmid in episodes 1, 2, and 6) is facinating and well done. He remained a mystery figure in the latter episodes, but seeing episode 1 and 2, it's making sense. I'm anxious to see what happens to Anakin next to turn him into Darth Vader... if I go into the movie not expecting too much, I won't be as dissapointed as I've been with episode 1 and 2.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=30 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=29
A typical Woody Allen movie. He plays his typical roll along with his typical cast. So, as with any other Woody Allen movie, it was just as 'ok'. It was a fairly fun movie if you're in the mood I guess, I chuckled a few times. I'd say, definitly not his best ever, but still alright.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=29 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=28
Perfect comic book/movie adaptation. Casting was perfect. They stuck to the storyline (except for the web-shooters thing). Very fun movie. It looks like they've got plans for future Spidey movies, it's all set up. Can't wait.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=28 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=27
I wasn't expecting an Oscar performance by anyone in this movie... that's what I got. This film was very 'edge of your seat' suspenseful. That part of it was fun. I always hate it in movies when someone goes into a room where they don't belong... you know? And you can't help but say out loud 'What are you doing!? Get out of there!']]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=27 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=26
I was very excited for this movie. I loved H.G.Wells book. I hate the way they took a great story and changed it all around. Wells created a perfect story depicting a scientists explorative nature. The movie creators aparently just read the 'Cliff Notes' on The Time Machine. Why did they have build the movie around the question 'Why can't I change the future?' The book ended so much better too. I was fusterated throughout the entire film. I hope they give Guy Pierce a more accurate roll in 'Count of Monte Cristo'.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=26 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=25
Mezmorizing. That pretty much sums up my review. The casting was perfect. The pace of the movie was a bit slow, but rightfully so. If you're opting out of seeing this one because it's a Stephen King story, forget everything you know about Stephen King and watch this movie.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=25 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=24
I'm not usually a Costner fan... you know, he acts like he's playing the same character in every roll he does. But Dragonfly was different. The story was really good. It was a gripping story and by the end of the movie, what I thought was going to happen, didn't... something completely unexpected did instead. I like movies like that.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=24 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=23
Cool movie. Any movie staring Edward Norton is cool, same with DeNiro...pretty much. I'm disappointed at the previews though, because I knew Norton would turn on DeNiro sometime during the movie. But it wasn't quite what I expected, so it's still alright. DeNiro is getting pretty old, huh?]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=23 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=22
This is a fun movie to watch. It has multiple sub-plots that all come together in the end (like a Seinfeld episode). Jason Schwartzman does a great job being that 'outsider' we've all known at school. What I loved most about this movie was the light feel the music gave to the story. It's very similar to how The Royal Tannebaums felt. ]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=22 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=21
KISS rocks. I dug this movie. The coolest thing about it is that it feels like a movie made during the time period it's portraying. Pretty amazing I think. And, you can't beat KISS.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=21 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=20
I am ashamed. Why did I see this movie? What was I thinking?]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=20 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=19
I'm a big Steve Oedekerk fan, have been ever since I saw High Strung. I loved his TV special and his website. Now this movie... it was, well, pretty dumb. But of course, that's probably what he was going for, so it's cool. The idea of using clips of other movies to make his movie is pretty amazing, and well done. They're advertising the movie '...from the director that brought you Ace Ventura 2', so don't expect much more than AV2. I had a great time at the theatre, my girlfriend, on the other hand, was bored to death. I can't wait until the sequel comes out... I'll go alone though.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=19 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=18
Clever movie. Although, a typical the butler did it kind of movie. They set up each character well, so by the time the mystery began, you didn't really have any idea 'who done it'. The older lady (she was also in 'Hook') was a riot throughout the movie. I loved it.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=18 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=17
If Gene Hackman wins an Oscar for this movie, it will be well deserved. I think everyone involved with this movie should win something. Each actor/actress seemed to play a character that was very unlike what they usually play... and they all did very well at it. Each story has a good guy and a bad guy. In the story, the 'bad guy' seemed to change each scene. By the end of the movie, you're kinda mad at everyone but at the same time, no one.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=17 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=16
What can I say about this? They cast the movie well. I'm a Brady Bunch fan. Got Barry Williams autograph on my wall (of course, all you gotta do is join his fan club to get his autograph). It's clever how they made the Bradys live in modern day society, but still, as a Brady fan, the time period is kinda what made the Bradys.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=16 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=15
My brother has recommended this movie for a long time, I don't know why I haven't seen it until now. It was weird and surrealistic. Of course, its a Kubric flick, so that's what I expected. The cinematography was amazing, equal to that of 'Citizen Kane'. But when I finished that movie, all I could say was: "What?"]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=15 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=14
Dumbest movie ever. (I'm saying that like the comic book guy on the Simpsons would say it.)]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=14 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=13
Pretty cool flick. I never saw the original 'Apes' movies, I heard they were dumb. This movie made me think just how helpless us humans are without our inventions.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=13 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=12
Wow. One of the most amazing movies I've seen in a long time. It's neat to see this right after or before Harry Potter. J.R.Tolken created a pretty amazing world, and that J.K.Rowling stole quite alot of it for her books. I can't wait... literally, can't wait, for the rest of the trilogy to come out. (I hope they can go back and do The Hobbit. That's an amazing book in itself.)]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=12 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=11
All through elemetary school, kids would say to me: 'I can't believe you haven't seen Goonies!'. Well, it was on TV, so I watched it. It's a classic, but it's dumb. What's up with that monster guy in the middle of the movie? I guess I shoud have seen it when I was 6 or 7, before I had any sense of reality.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=11 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=10
Reba, my girlfriend, chose the movie for Saturday night... that's why a movie with 'sweethearts' in the title is even on this list. As far as romantic comedies, this one wasn't half bad. Of course, having a writer like Billy Crystal and top notch actors and acresses like Roberts and Cusak, how could you go wrong?]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=10 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=8
Spacey is one of my alltime favorite actors. Everything he does is amazing. The very best of his I think, was Usual Suspects. K-PAX was good. It's about time a movie based around aliens and stuff doesn't end stupid by disproving the alien and turning it into a dumb imposter type movie. I don't like Jeff Bridges at all though. I wish they picked someone else to play his part.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=8 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=7
Good movie. It's so realistic (well, it's a true story). The storyline was put together very well suprising me along the way and the story unfolded. The best part of the movie was the kid... not the youngest, not the oldest... the second youngest kid. Funny kid.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=7 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=6
Stupid movie. First time I'd ever seen it. I'm sure, for the time the special effects were pretty good, but the rest sucked. This movie ranked right down there with Superman 4 (you know, the one where the computer is alive and uses its computer cables to kill people?). I hate it when computers are depicted as something their not in movies. They never even really show a real OS in the movies either. I don't understand it.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=6 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=5
I heard about this movie from Wizard Magazine a long time ago, so I was excited to see another Jack the Ripper movie. I was dissapointed though. There was way too many sub-plots for them to be able to explain it all. The imagry was disturbing (which they meant to do) but I didn't feel it added to the story. The fact that Depp's character was a drug addict didn't add anything to the story. The only intriguing part of the story was the involvement with the Masons. If you want to see a good Jack the Ripper movie, I'd recommend Ripper (1997).]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=5 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=4
Another movie I saw for the first time that everyone else in the world saw when it came out. This was a typical, off the wall, slapstick comedy... but funny. Bill Murray is always a little weird in his movies, this was no exception.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=4 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=3
I've seen the Matrix before, I saw it again. I kinda like this movie. The only thing that bugs me about the whole thing, is they never say why Neo knows anything about the 'Matrix'. If anyone knows why Neo knows, please email me! Other than that, it's a great special effects movie.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=3 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=2
Ok, 10/7/01 was the first time I saw Ghostbusters. It was sooo bad. I'm sure it was cutting edge when it came out, but compared to... well anything now, it was bad... but fun. I saw the digitaly remastered VHS version (I would recommend the not digitaly remastered, the digitizing is very choppy and they added pans that I don't think were in the original).]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=2 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=1
This is an older movie, I rented the DVD. It's a documentary style movie about a folk singer/politician in his rise to the top. I'm a big fan of Tim Robbins, he's good in any movie he does. Bob Roberts was an entertaining movie, but I didn't care for the documentary style of it. Good story though.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=1 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=59 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=59 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=58 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=58 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=36 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=36 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=35 Amalgam where DC and Marvel comicbook characters were mixed together to form new characters. I thought that was neat, so I drew my own.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=35 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=29 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=29 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=27 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=27 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=9
Incredible movie. True to the book. Amazing special effects. Chris Columbus did a great job with this movie. I read the book (the first one at least) so I knew what was going to happen before I saw the movie. I don't think that I needed to read the book to understand the movie, but there is so much more insight into the life of Harry and the other characters in the book... of course. I just might see it again before it leaves the theatres.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/movie_reviews.html?id=9 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Movie Reviews http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=57 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=57 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=56 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=56 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=53 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=53 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=51 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=51 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=50 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=50 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=13 My class consisted primarily of 5th and 6th graders, so I had to keep the class content fairly elementary while still allowing the students to be able to create a decent web project.

The end result was positive. A couple of the students have continued with some web designing using HTML rather than FrontPage or Dreamweaver. ]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=13 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=10 RECOGITION
Recieved the 2002-2003 Golden Web Award]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=10 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=9 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=9 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=8 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=8 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=5 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=5 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=80 Haven't Had Enough. The final product was a six page accordian style booklet with a 2 color CD label.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=80 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=4 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=4 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=43 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=43 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=42 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=42 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=46 High Strung, starring Steve Oedekerk.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=46 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=48 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=48 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=110 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=110 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:01:01 PST Portfolio movie_reviews/142/Avatar movie_reviews/142/Avatar Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:01:09 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=59
Same issue is happening again with Blu-Ray and DVD, except we've all upgraded our TVs for that magic 16:9 aspect ratio... but the movies are now coming out even WIDER (2.35:1) giving us those annoying "unused areas" on our widescreen sets.



The adoption rate of Blu-Ray seems to be slower than DVD (or at least I've heard/read from various sources online), and the general consensus seems to be the DVD is "good enough" for most people. I think that one of the big reasons for this is that our movies aren't filling our screen and therefore not showing us much more detail than we'd get with a DVD. A 2.35:1 OAR (original aspect ratio) picture with the black bars on the top and bottom shows us more information on the left and right of the picture, but also makes it shorter than it'd be if the 16:9 to 4:3 treatment was done to give us a 16:9 picture from a 2.35:1 source. The overall quality of a 1080p 2.35:1 picture is the equivalent of a 720p 16:9 picture, thus 2.35:1 movies are HALF the quality our 1080p sets want to give us. And with the black bars, in most cases it just seems like they're cropping off the top of people's heads or something else that not being there really adds to the viewing experience.



There are two sides to this debate, however: the movie geeks and the regular joe. I love movies and would like to see the whole picture, sure, but I'd trade that in a heartbeat, for the OPTION to view the same movie filling up my screen. I don't want this option as two separate options like some DVDs do with Widescreen or Fullscreen versions... that's just a rip. When DVD first came out, they used to put both versions in the same package. With Blu-Ray, it seems like a no-brainer since there's so much more space on a disc for this additional information. To be honest, I'd give up all those special features for a 16:9 version of my favorite movies.



For those few movies I've seen on Blu-Ray that do fill up a 16:9 display, they look amazing... no questioning the incredible picture quality and detail you get over DVD. A quality that's much less apparent when everything is shorter and surrounded by emptiness.

I refuse to get another new TV for 2.35:1, as I've seen mentioned a few places online. What's to stop the movie studios for coming out with an even shorter/wider aspect ratio requiring yet another new TV for the new format?

Movie theaters are overpriced and not at all the same experience as they used to be. It's busy. A glass of water cost 3 bucks. The guy sitting next to you eats like a cow and smells like cheese. Parents take their kids to totally age inappropriate films that make them cry. Teenagers talk throughout the whole film... And in my experience, the picture quality is sub-par compared to what I get at home w/o ANY of the the above annoyances.

Movie Studios: Consider the home user and give us a better home viewing experience of your movies that we love. If you do, we'll buy it.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=59 Sat, 01 Nov 2008 07:01:06 PST Blog movie_reviews/139/Watchmen movie_reviews/139/Watchmen Thu, 04 Dec 2008 07:01:01 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=57 Andrea for the print help! Next step: Leave the house and start passing 'em out.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=57 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:01:05 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=56 http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=56 Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:00:05 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=55 Google Chrome is a new web browser from Google. It's lean and lightweight, all the stuff we loved when Firefox first came out taking over the Mozilla suite. Initial reaction seems to be "why?". Of course, the first thought is Google's browser gives them the ability to log EVERYTHING we do for their stats and ads, but on the lighter side, they've given us a bit of a one-click way to access the Google Apps like we would any other app... less of the "web-browser" experience. It's a neat feature, sure it'll be useful for alot of people.

Google Chrome in Windows Vista:
(the look's not all "Fisher Price"/XP)

(click above for a larger view)

Google Chrome "Incognito" in Windows Vista:


Google Chrome is Windows only and doesn't really give me any reason to drop my current web browser. Though I'm happy some new innovations are being considered and I hope this triggers innovations elsewhere as new versions of Firefox and Internet Explorer are released.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=55 Sun, 09 Dec 2007 09:00:08 PST Blog http://www.panic.com/coda/ released out of beta.]]> http://www.panic.com/coda/ Sun, 09 Dec 2007 03:01:05 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=53 Things from Cultured Code for quite a while, and like it alot. It's still in beta, and has had it's share of quirks. Lately it's been solid, and the folks at Cultured Code have recently released the iPhone counterpart to the Things app.

All I can say is "Wow". It's perfect.

GTD systems are great, but one of the shortcomings that hinder other apps and processes is taking that system with you. Your "to-do" list(s) should be able to follow you wherever you go. Otherwise, they loose most of their value (that is, unless you only plan on getting things done at your computer). Being able to take my lists with me makes me consider how to GTD outside of work. GTD to my car? GTD with housework? Etcetera.

The application itself lets you add to-dos to projects and set tags, due dates and notes to each item. The interface, which is very Mac-like, taking alot from the iTunes GUI, automatically groups things that you need to see in categories such as "Today", "Next", "Someday", etc. I could add a task to some project due in a couple months, but I'm not notified of it until it becomes relevant... all based on how I set it up.

The iPhone version is the same. Full featured as ever... just smaller. One of the neatest things about the iPhone version is it syncs with the desktop version over Wi-Fi. When you open Things on your iPhone (when connected to the same network as your Mac... and of course, your Mac is turned on), it quickly syncs and lets you know what it updated. This is great because during the course of a day, I'm most likely to need my Things updated more often than, say, sync of my iPhone galleries or a full iPhone backup. Makes updating my GTD lists quick and simple.

Try as I might I still can't seem to be able to buy Things for Mac, but I'm sure they'll release the final version very soon. You can, however, buy a copy of Things for your iPhone or iPod Touch through the App Store.

Every GTD system is a bit different and one that works great for one might not be ideal for someone else. Do your research first, of course, and give Things a try.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=53 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 10:01:00 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=52 I took some screen grabs from both the Vista and Mac install so you can get an idea of where it's at. Don't judge the app by the screenshots alone, though. The latest version is slick and quick.

	Install window looks slick! It's nice to see some of the ordinary things in software get the "sexy treatment".
	Install process was quick and easy Again, with consistent, sexy progress bars. The install process was identical on Vista and OS X 10.5.
	Same old initializing screen Starting up FIreworks at first, appears no different than CS3
	Welcome Screen Basic stuff, no big deal here.
	The New GUI Holy new GUI Batman! Both Windows and Mac share the same user interface! The app is now a single window, w/o the desktop showing through as with the previous versions on Mac. Hm, dunno how I feel about that yet.
	Most pallets are the same Here's Filters... not much difference.
	Fonts Panel Hm, aren't we supposed to get a revamped "Photoshop-esque" fonts listing? I hope Adobe addresses this prior to official release. But still, the font smoothing is pretty slick though, similar to how Flash does it. Not very useful when I'm trying to illustrate screen fonts, but still... nice stuff.
	Colors Panel The colors panel is completly revamped and has more ways to get that particular color you're looking for. Much nice, IMO, than the current version's integration of the OS color panel.

Well, that's all I have for now. As I use it more and more, I'm sure I'll get used to it and like what I find. Anyhow, if you've got a current license, give the new CS4 a try.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=52 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 06:01:06 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=51 Adobe bought Macromedia, I became worried about the future of my favorite web design software. Fireworks is by far the best for designing for screen, in my opinion. It's quick, light and really good at what it does. Sure, it's missing features such as CMYK support, some filters, etc, but it's vector drawing tools, object selection and speed more than make up for that. It's an application that's rare in that it focuses on what it's designed for without all the bloat found in other major design applications like Photoshop.

I'm excited about the type engine updates as well as the updated user interface. Could take or leave the other updates, but I'll have an open mind until I have reason otherwise.

I guess it might be difficult to make an application that's for everyone. Not all web designers share the same workflow, though Adobe seems to strongly suggest one. Adobe is still including more into the Fireworks application than should be there, but that's so appease more people. My workflow is as follows: Design in Fireworks -> Export image elements -> hand-code the site in Coda. Of course, Adobe has no reason to support or expect people to use anything but Dreamweaver for the web development side of a project, but it might be nice to turn off some of the built in integration and buttons. Not a huge deal though.

I hope to give it a try before it's out. If you've given it a try, let me know what you think about the update. See more at labs.adobe.com.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=51 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 03:00:08 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=50

3 hours!?! That's more than most feature length movies.
I can't wait, I just can't wait ;)]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=50 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:01:05 PST Blog http://www.cupcakekidsnyc.com http://www.cupcakekidsnyc.com Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:00:07 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=48

"The servicing of your loan was transferred from CityMortgage to Citymortgage, INC.. In order to avoid late fees and/or delinquent reporting, please send your mortgage payments directly to your new servicer, Citymortgage, INC..."

I'm a big fan of Edgar Winter (who?), though I've never met someone else who is. I was happy to see myself on his Last.fm page as a "Top Listener". Whoo hoo! I doubt I'll stay up there forever, but it's neat to be there even for a moment.

I've been using CoverSutra from Sophiestication which I got as part of the latest MacHeist bundle. CoverSutra has Last.fm built right in, so that while I play my iTunes it posts my music listening habits (despite how embarrassing they might be) to my Last.fm account. It's neat going back in to see who I've been playing the most. Don't have any Last.fm friends yet (I know, lame... and sad), but it's a cool service once I get some up there.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=44 Sun, 02 Dec 2007 05:01:06 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=43 ]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=43 Fri, 03 Nov 2006 04:01:01 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=109 Check them out online, and be sure to stop by if you're ever in the Leavenworth area.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=109 Sun, 10 Dec 2006 12:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=42 Mac Store" to get the update. Not wanting to be a guinea pig for Apple, I made sure to do my research on what is and isn't 100% in the new OS. The big news was in regards to Adobe's CS3 suite. The problems, however, didn't include Fireworks, Flash Illustrator or Photoshop (the only part of the suite I find useful in day-to-day work)... so no problems there. The Adobe apps do show some signs of visual effect issues when using Spaces, but it doesn't impair the work experience much. I expect updates will be coming for the suite very soon. Panic's excellent FTP app Transmit was also said to have some issues with Leopard, but quick updates to the app have fixed anything that might come up (thanks Panic). Adium and Missing Sync for Blackberry were also said to have some minor issues, but I haven't had any problems with either. I have good backups, so I wasn't too worried about anything less than hard drive failure.

Installation was fairly quick using the Archive & Install option, which is is highly recommended by numerous other bloggers. It took about an two hours total though the installer never said more than "1 hour 40 minutes remaining". It kinda hung for a while (freaked me out actually) in the last 5 seconds when it was transferring my application data. Those 5 seconds lasted for about 20 minutes but eventually finished up just fine. I guess noone can really ever say exactly how long something will *really* take. As long as it gets done, I'm fine with it.

One think I didn't know, however, was that the Archive & Install doesn't maintain any of your MySQL or PHP or Apache settings. Leopard comes with Apache 2 and PHP 5.2.4, but no MySQL. Setting it all up was simple enough, with a quick download from mysql.com and a quick edit to my http.conf file, but PHP power-users will want a more robust PHP setup than what Apple offers by default. Keep an eye on Marc Liyanage's site for an updated PHP installer that works with the folder structure changes in Leopard. Glad I have good backups though, I wasn't expecting my development environment to disappear with the OS upgrade.

In Tiger, I was using SuperDuper! to backup my root drive to an external FireWire (daily) and USB 2 (weekly) drive. I had it set to start first thin in the morning, but if I slept in (which is happening more now that it's so dark and wintery in the morning) the cron wouldn't run on time as I keep my box shut down at night. With Time Machine, it'll do backups while I'm working... all in the background. I don't even have to think about the daily backups anymore. When SuperDuper! is Leopard ready, which they've said should be soon, I'll get that weekly backup running again. I think it'll be a good setup for my needs. If you're interested, here's a diagram of my setup.

iChat is better, I don't need Chax for tabs and such anymore. However, the silliness with the background replacement and other effects are only somewhat usable. Here's how it works in my office, which isn't super bright and the wall behind me is covered with books and artwork:

I tried paying my bill via your PayPal interface, but I got this message: "The credit card you entered cannot be used for this payment. Please enter a different credit card number." I don't think it's a data-entry problem, cuz I re-entered it twice w/ the same result. Any ideas? Cuz I'd sure love to get my air miles for this payment!! ;-)

Hope you find this tip useful.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=32 Wed, 06 Dec 2006 09:00:07 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=31 So, the solution I came up with is put a "Convert to JPG" action into my contextual menu so I don't have to do it all in Photoshop or Fireworks.

It was really simple to do with the built in Automator functions, and my "workflow" showed up in the contextual menu when I put it into my Workflows folder in ~/Users/[computer name]/Documents/Workflows.

Now, I can make a screenshot and use it uncompressed in graphics work as a .png, or I can quickly convert it into a jpg to send via email or whatever. If this sounds like a better solution than permanently changing your screenshot format (in the Terminal: defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg) then download the workflow from the link below, or open Automator and try build it yourself.

» Download Convert_to_JPG.zip Automator Workflow]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=31 Wed, 06 Dec 2006 06:00:08 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=30 available for download. Safari on Windows? Yeah, it sounded odd to me too. The consensus on the blogisphere seems to be that it's for iPhone support, primarily. I guess that makes sense, however it'd be nice if some of these new devices would interface a bit better with the alternatives available and commonly used like IE and Firefox. I shouldn't complain, though, iTunes makes the iPod experience what it is, I'm sure Safari is going to play a big part of the iPhone experience.

So, how is the beta, you ask? I installed it in Windows Vista Business edition just to try it out... didn't try it on Mac though. It's surprisingly similar to the Mac version, even down to font smoothing. It's hand, I'm sure, for developers who are primarily PC users and need to test sites in Safari, but from an "OS integration" and consistency standpoint I'd prefer it to use the Windows "clear type" font smoothing, window shadows, etc that's part of the parent operating system. There are some rendering differences between Safari 2 on Mac and Safari 3 on Windows, but I'm sure those are being worked out to make the two fully consistent with each other (or I just noticed the differences in sites who write sloppy code).

For the most part, it's what Apple says it is: the Safari browser on Windows that's faster than IE and Firefox. I totally noticed the difference, even with my "speed tweaked" Firefox 2. Will I use it over Firefox? No, however I may reconsider if it does bookmark sync w/o a .mac account. Will it fully replace my need for the other browsers? No way. There are still many sites who "forget" to put Safari in the list of compatible browsers even though it technically works just fine.

I'm happy to see another decent browser in the pool. I'm sure that it'll at least hold it's #4 spot in the list of most common browsers, or at least hold a close #5. It'll be interesting to see how this pans out.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=30 Wed, 06 Dec 2006 12:01:04 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=29 Graphics are definitely sub-par compared to PS3 and 360. I'm running it through component cables on my 42in plasma tv, and the jaggies are quite noticeable more often than not. It's not a deal breaker for me though, I'm used to the jaggies. It's a small price to pay for the motion-sensor gameplay actions of swinging my sword and targeting by pointing the "wand".

Wii Sports is so fun. My favorite is tennis and golf. Haven't really mastered bowling or boxing yet and still getting the hang of baseball. I'm a pro level tennis player and golfer... quite proud of that ;). You never really know how out of shape you are until you get sweaty and tired playing Wii Sports. A couple rounds of boxing and I'm ready for some Gatorade and a break.

All of the Wii users in my generation are asking the same question: when can I be a Jedi in a Wii game? The console is *designed* for Star Wars, the controller is shaped just like a light saber. I've played many other non-Wii Star Wars games and they've all been cool, but being a Jedi has always been lacking. Pressing a series of buttons to swing a light saber just doesn't feel right. Lucas, Nintendo... you on this one?

The other great thing about Wii is I can finally play N64 games. I skipped that console (and the GameCube, actually), but have always really liked the N64 version of Mario Cart. With the Wii, I can get the game w/o the console which saves me some quid. I have a wide screen set and the 3D games like Mario 64 and Mario Cart don't get fuzzy when in WS mode. The actual vertices seem to stretch which is something I can handle... fuzzy distortion wouldn't be cool, but stretched, but still crisp and clear display was a pleasant suprise. The classic controller is nice and kinda wireless, which is nice since my console sits about 10 feet from my couch. "Kinda wireless" means the controller wire plugs into the wireless "wand" controller, so I'm wired up to that point, but can move the pair of controllers anywhere I want to play.

This is unique content by no means as everyone had a Wii before me, but the wait was well worth it.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=29 Tue, 05 Dec 2006 01:00:07 PST Blog http://www.rebakenison.com RebaKenison.com, and be sure to send her a birthday greeting :)]]> http://www.rebakenison.com Mon, 04 Dec 2006 03:00:07 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=105 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=105 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 11:01:02 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=27 The first step in our journey was the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse & Imbrie Hall. The atmosphere there is better than most... it's an old barn all rustic and dark with a gear system of ceiling fans keeping the place aerated. It's a bit loud as it can get pretty packed, but since it's got a couple levels and a really high roof, it's not too loud to hear your own party. And it's loud enough we don't feel bad when our 2-year old is loud ;).

The food, as with all McMenamins, is average. I had a plate of tots because I was really there for the beer this particular night. I usually get the Garden Burger with a Boca patty (when available) as I don't eat meat. Options are sparse for vegan/vegetarians, but when there's at least one good thing on the menu, there isn't much to complain about.

I had 3 Wheat beers (my favorite), hold the lemon. Beer was really good here, I think they do some brewing at that facility, not totally sure. I know I've had the same at some of the smaller McMenamins that didn't taste as good, not sure why. Their Wheat is full of body with a good smooth finish. It's high in that "microbrew" taste where it looks and feels a little dirty, which is what the real beer-lovers are looking for anyhow. Cornelius Pass Roadhouse is my favorite non-hotel spot for a good McMena-brew so far.

Reba's Review:
Our first stop on the Kenison McMenami (plural for McMenamins!) Blog Tour was the infamous Cornelius Pass Roadhouse. The atmosphere alone is enough to make you return again and again. With the rustic octagonal barn and giant metal torch with winding out door paths, it's easy to get lost in the beauty and forget to eat altogether! But, that's not the only good thing about this historical pub nestled among the trees.

Being the thrifty hip parents that we are, we hit the pub scene for happy hour and what a happy hour it was. Although I can't say much for the selection of food, the prices can't be beat. The $4 "happy hummus" is always a hit with me. It's the same as the regular $7.25 hummus plate, minus the veggies, which is a bummer, but I'll take no veggies for $3 less any day! The happy wine is 50 cents off, which is better than nothing considering I would have ordered the pino noir blanc even if the hour was sad. Actually, the fruity aroma and smooth finish probably makes me forget that the food isn't quite up to Portland par. But, I still love being amongst the rugged and artistic decor and dim lighting. McMenamins never fails to make me feel right at home and our sever this time was prompt and friendly.

As for the kids meal, for a mere $2.90 River had a full PB&J with a full serving of McMenafries (you either love em or hate em. For me, it depends on the time of the month!) and pickles slices. He ate about half, which is saying a lot for a picky 2 year old, leaving this McMenamom very happy. (hour).

Conclusion:
Overall, Cornelius Pass Roadhouse is one of the best. It's welcoming with a friendly atmosphere and great staff. Summer is the best time to really experience this place as 70% of what's so great about the Roadhouse is the surrounding area, the barn, outdoor seating and pizza house.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=27 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:01:03 PST Blog http://www.cfsclassof97.com CFSClassof97.com for information and to RSVP.]]> http://www.cfsclassof97.com Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=25 The package I got was plain. No box or anything, just a slip-sleeve similar to a trial software package. Inside, however, contains the Vista DVD, covered with the trademark holograms and my very own Product ID. It'll be nice to drop my RC1 partition for something a bit more permanent.

This is exciting for me as I've been running XP Home on my Dell Dimension for a while now as it's been nothing but a headache trying to do anything with my XP Pro (pre-SP1) upgrade disc. I really miss being able to network/RDC/etc easily with Windows. I don't use Windows for anything other than seeing how my websites look in IE, and the occasional game or two. With Vista Business, I may do a bit more in Windows... we'll see how it goes.

I'll probably do a write up of my thoughts on the new OS within the week now that I'll be playing with the *final* version, rather than a release candidate. Stay tuned for that.

On a side note, I spent a good portion of the last couple days getting Ubuntu running on a third partition (if you're counting, that's XP, Vista RC1, Ubuntu). It's amazing how much faster Linux runs outside of a virtual console like VMWare or Q. I'm hoping to get a bit more time to play with Ubuntu and get acquainted with the OS as it comes highly recommended by a couple of my buddies.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=25 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=104 It's new and in a constant state of revisions as he gets responses from his clients, but it's a great start in my opinion, and is fun to work on.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=104 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=24 Transformers? I've been a fan since the old 80's cartoon... BIG fan. From what I can tell from the trailer, this one won't disappoint anyone other than the Transformer "purist" (movie Optimus vs. classic Optimus).

Fantastic Four movie of 2005 was really disappointing, I thought. Of course, F4 were always the lamest of the popular superhero teams. But then came the Silver Surfer. Check out the trailer, ignore the F4 team and marvel (pun intended) at how totally radical the Silver Surfer is, and how potentially-awesome Rise of the Silver Surfer could be. The surfer's always been one of my favorites, although in the comics his stories can get pretty weird.

I don't have to tell you about Spiderman 3. Last one left me speechless, 100% perfect comicbook-movie adapation... hey, they even made lame-ass "Doc Ock" a cool villian! I don't want that franchise to ever end.

Also looking forward to:

• Ghost Rider
• Frank Miller's 300
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  (not comic-related, but kinda the same)

Then, it appears it just keeps coming in 2008 with more awesomeness such as Iron Man, Voltron, and the next Batman installment "The Dark Knight". I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself

... Now, if only I can find a babysitter for the kid ;)]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=24 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=103 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=103 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.tofurkey.com/ Tofurkey®, as we do every year. If you haven't yet tried, it's a great alternative to the classic. I look forward to it every year... can't wait until tomorrow, I can taste it now :)]]> http://www.tofurkey.com/ Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=102 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=102 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=1 Finding Me.

Kevin Wood is a singer and song-writer who has been playing in many venues from Boston to Wyoming. I created www.seekevsing.com for him, to promote news about his career as well as dates and times of his gigs.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=1 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=101 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=101 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=22
With OS X 10.4 Tiger, I assumed Automator would be full of useful tools to make this a simple task, but unfortunately Automator's options for iChat is limited and non-existent for Adium and Skype. I found an AppleScript that included some iChat reference of changing settings, and after some trial-and-error, was able to come out with this:

set myStatus to display dialog "Select your IM Status:" buttons {"Away", "Available"} default button 1

tell application "iChat"
  if the button returned of myStatus is "Away" then
    set status to away
  else
    set status to available
  end if
end tell

tell application "Adium"
  if the button returned of myStatus is "Away" then
    set my status type to away
  else
    set my status type to available
  end if
end tell

tell application "Skype"
  if the button returned of myStatus is "Away" then
    send command "SET USERSTATUS AWAY" script name "My Script"
  else
    send command "SET USERSTATUS ONLINE" script name "My Script"
  end if
end tell

Running this AppleScript will pop up a dialog box that gives you 2 options: "Away" and "Available". Clicking on either will update all 3 chat clients with a mere 3 clicks... 1 double-click to open the script + 1 click to set your status.

Seems to work well for my needs, although I'd love to figure out how to toggle the status and bypass the dialog box all together... anyone have any ideas?

• Download IM Status* (AppleScript and compiled app included)
   (*Mac OS X and latest iChat, Adium and Skype required for script as-is)]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=22 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=100 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=100 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=99 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=99 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=98
Check out BestCarInTown.com put together for Hybrid Moon as well.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=98 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=97
Their website is a combination of Flash and HTML, chosen for quick load-time and ease-of-use.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=97 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=96 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=96 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=95 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=95 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=21 http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=21 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=94 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=94 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=20 that good.

Screenshot from BlackZee.com:

My Drawing: Click Here to see it in my portfolio.

What, they can't read a copyright? Or come up with their own artwork? Looks like they stole a whole site, minus the graphic which they stole from me, from WebMenu.com. So, well, don't use BlackZee.com, they're pirates. Arrgh.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=20 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=19 So, how was installation? It was fairly simple. V did have to dig a trench from my neighbor's front yard to my house to lay some fiber, but they did a decent job of making it look how they left it. There's a big box on the outside of my house as well as in my garage connected to my central wiring system.

There's no modem (that is, unless it's inside one of these boxes). Once that hardware was installed by the Verizon technician, all I had to do was plug and play. I also got a wireless D-Link router to replace my LinkSys wired router. I'm not actually doing anything wireless, but it was free with the service. D-Link router works way better than LinkSys, very happy with it.

Speed you ask? Well here's what I've been experiencing in my first week on fiber:

Verizon FiOS Price: $35/month

FROM		DOWN	UP  
Seattle: 	4946	1748
San Fransisco: 	4948	1746
Los Angeles: 	4951	1743
Dallas: 	4823	1172
Chicago: 	4855	1143
Atlanta: 	4956	1727
New York: 	4646	1720
Wa. DC: 	4451	1714
Avg: 		4.8mb	1.7mb

Here's the speed tests pre-FiOS:

Comcast Price: $50/month

Seattle: 	2720	287
San Fransisco: 	2178	348
Los Angeles: 	2765	355
Dallas: 	2082	349
Chicago: 	2631	254
Atlanta: 	2765	353
New York: 	2769	355
Wa. DC: 	2318	355
Avg: 		1.5-3mb	384mb

Speed Tests run from SpeakEasy]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=19 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=18 Four jobs I've had

1. Humongous Entertainment Lead Online Web Designer
2. Hulabee Entertainment Web Games Developer
3. Jack, Will & Rob Center Web Design Teacher
4. Montana Banana Senior Programmer

Four movies I love

1. Harry Potter (all of them)
2. Spiderman 1 & 2
3. Amelié
4. Garden State

Four places I've lived

1. San Diego, CA
2. Kent, WA (just south of Seattle)
3. Mill Creek, WA (way north of Seattle)
4. Portland, OR

Four TV shows I can't miss

1. Smallville
2. Scrubs
3. Arrested Development (can't believe it got cancelled)
4. Family Guy

Four places I've vacationed

1. Disneyland in CA
2. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
3. Peurto Vallerta, Mexico
4. Mazatlan, Mexico

Four of my favorite dishes

1. Anne's No-Cheese Pizza
2. Shells and Chreese (yes, that's spelled correctly)
3. Baja Fresh Grilled Veggie Burrito
4. Boca Burger from McMenamins, with a plate of tots

Four sites I visit daily

1. Apple.com... always looking for something new
2. PHP.net
3. Google News (via RSS)
4. Macworld.com

Four places I'd rather be right now

1. Henry's Tavern
2. McMenamins' Cornelius Pass Roadhouse
3. On a Mexican Cruise
4. The Movies

Many years ago, I aquired a Palm IV unit, but it was unusable as I couldn't quite get the whole Graffiti input letter shapes and such. Graffiti 2, which the Zire 72 uses, is way easier to use, I haven't had any troubles even without reading the Graffiti 2 instructions. Well done Palm.

Since I didn't like the Palm IV much, I tried PocketPC. Got an HP Jornada 548... big mistake. Cost me around $300 and I made this choice over the Compaq iPaq because the specs looked better. Then, like a week after I got it, they discontinued it and stopped supporting it. Then the iPaq became the PocketPC to have as I was reminded by the suckiness of my Jornada that HP should stick with printers. It was heavy, slow and needed frequent resets... and only synced with Microsoft's apps.

For the longest time I had my eyes on the Treo 650, but my mobile carrier, T-Mobile, recently stopped carrying these units. Don't really want the hassle of trying to unlock one to use with T-Mobile or buy a used one, and it's probably better in the long run as I hear the Treo is a great PDA but a sub-par phone... that's just what I've heard.

One my my goals this year is to get organized with everything and my Zire 72 is going to be a great tool for helping me do so.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=17 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=92 http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=92 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=16 Macromedia is now gone, swallowed into the "Walmart of software companies": Adobe. Upon visiting Macromedia.com, I was welcomed with a new, albeit ugly new site design full of whites and grays. The layout is generally the same, but the colors, backgrounds and everything else have been stripped of all sexiness.

What does this mean for me? Well, firstly, it means that I'm now forced to either stick with my outdated Macromedia software, which will be fine for the next 6 months to a year I figure, or learn to do my web design the Adobe Way, using multiple high priced design programs for simple things that Fireworks did all on it's own.

Photoshop has kinda tightened up in the past, namely it's interface, panels and stuff. It is a tighter interface than any Macromedia program, although I much prefer the collapsable panels in Macromedia's apps. Photoshop's options bar at the top is much more user-friendly than Firework's and Flash's. But fancy layout or not, it's what the program does that makes it preferred to the designer.

Reason's why Fireworks beats Photoshop for us "Web Guy's":

1. Freehand/Illustrator-like vector drawing tools that work with the raster elements in the artboard.
2. Quicker program launch, by far.
3. Color Picker picks from ANYTHING... desktop, other apps, other open files, etc. VERY handy.
4. Import of vector data maintains it's editable vector state. Yeah, I know it's not really vector for print and stuff, but print-schmint, I'm only interested in web stuff here.
5. Non-destructive filters
6. Batch process are easier to do on the fly in Fireworks, no need to set up actions and stuff prior to the batch
7. Full PNG support
8. Web graphic "Export" can bypass Image Ready, or the giant "Save for Web" dialog box.
9. Non-destructive filters
10. Being able to use the Delete key to delete selected elements
11. Default keystrokes match standard default keystrokes
12. Lower Price... don't want to have to buy all of the extra stuff I'll never use that's built for Photographers and print designers.

Farewell Macromedia. You will be missed.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=16 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=91 Even the Lost Creek due to be out early next year. LauraCortese.com has a clean yet fun design full of information on her albums, press and tour information.

Her site looks really slick with a "scrap book" feel. Very happy with how it came out.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=91 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=90 big factor with this one, their old site was #2 in Google. I think what I did in their new site could quite possibly move them up to #1, or at least allow them the top 2 or 3 spots sometime in the near future... we'll see.

I'm also in the process of bringing some consistency to a number of other location specific websites for Unforgettable Honeymoons. I started with Tahiti, and am using that general template for additional ones (like for Fiji, Jamaica, etc). Consistency with branding and design will be a great asset to this client. This, too, has a fully integrated cms.

]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=90 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=89 I think the final product came out looking pretty slick... it'll look better and fuller as content is added by the client in the content management tool.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/portfolio.html?id=89 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Portfolio http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=15 In fact, I never realized how loud my MDD Dual 1.25 G4 actually was (even with the standard Delta fan replaced with a quiet Panaflo fan). You can only hear the P4 when the hard drive is spinning.

On that note, I installed Apple's CHUD tools (3.5.2) for better processor management, so both processors don't run full blast when not needed. It brought my cpu temp down about 40°. Awesome!

Few things I noticed between the 2 comparably equipped desktops:

1. Bootup:
   PowerMac takes 4 seconds longer. Now, I'm sure it's because of all the services I run at startup, including Apache web server. Or it's due to the large number of programs I've got installed or my huge Font collection. But the fresh XP box does load considerably faster. I'm sure it'll slow down as I use it more and install a few more apps.

2. Networking:
   I was able to network my wife's computer (I gave her my old PIII 1.13ghz Sony Vaio Laptop) and my P4 with no troubles. I was able to share my PowerMac's documents with my P4 with no troubles. Sharing iTunes on all 3 systems was a snap. Viewing my P4's documents through my PowerMac hasn't bee 100% smooth though. I think it might be because my network isn't called "Workgroup", not sure yet. If you've got any suggestions, please post a comment below.

3. Screen fonts:
   XP's screen font smoothing sucks. Text is crisp and smooth on my G4, it took alot of tweaking to get text smooth and readable on my P4.

4. Packaging:
   Everything about unpacking my Mac was nothing less than exciting. The box was white and gray/sliver, all CD's and documents were packaged on top in a fancy little booklet. Getting my Dell was kinda boring. It came in a brown box with giant posters instructing me how to plug my computer into the wall... AND it came with an AOL CD (AOL is crap, for all of you who don't know). The experience was sub-par, but then again Apple is kinda the king when it comes to user experience.

There are a few Widgets that were unique and actually usefull. WikityWidget, Keychain Helper, and iClip Lite all gave me functionality that I didn't already have in some other program already installed on my Mac. I do have to say, however, that I find sidenote a more efficient tool for doing the things WikityWidget and some of what iClip does. This, of course, isn't saying anything negative about the widgets themselves, just my personal preference.

My dashboard is empty now, except for Apple's weather widget. I no longer have dozens of useless programs running in the background slowing down my internet connection and hogging system resources (which quite a few of them do). Sad to have no use for them, but I'm hoping it's not good-bye forever.]]> http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=14 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Blog http://www.gravatar.com http://www.gravatar.com Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:00:08 PST Blog http://www.jasonkenison.com/blog.html?id=12 Anyway, the new AOL browser was a unique experience from download to launch. First, the link to download only shows up randomly on aol.com. So to get to it, you've gotta refresh the page a couple times... or do a search. It downloads a downloader file which when run, downloads the installer file. I guess since AOL does cater to the lowest common denominator web user, who might be on a 56k or even a 28.8 connection, I can understand the choice to use the downloader... it should be an option though. When I ran the installer, I had no choices or options for anything. Guess AOL thinks that we trust them enough to install whatever they want w/o letting the user know what's going on. Luckily this is all happening on one of my virtual "machines", so if it sucks too much or craps all over the system, I can go back to a pre-AOL state pretty easily.

With the AOL browser freshly installed, I double-clicked on the odd-looking globe icon (what a unique choice for an icon... I'm being sarcastic) and was thrown into a full-screen browser experience. I've got tabs (one point), integrated RSS (two points) and my default homepage and Favorites auto-set to match my IE6 settings (three points... that is, assuming IE was my default browser). Wait, what's this? AOL wants to check my computer for Spyware... and there's no "No" button? I thought this was a web browser, what are system tools doing in AOL (minus 1 point)? The Spyware box opens up like every few minutes... it's like AOL thinks I'm some "internet clutz" downloading and installing unsigned software left and right. The search box attached to the browser window is AOL search only... not my preference, although search.aol.com is quite a bit slicker than it has been in the past, say 3+ years ago (minus 2 points).

Overall, AOL browser has nothing to add to the current lineup of web browsers. It's nothing more than a bloated interface on top of outdated browser software. If you want tabs, get Firefox or any of the numerous others. If you want a Desktop Search, look to your OS. If you want Spyware protection, look to the leaders in the field, not an internet company. But, if you're currently using AOL, have an @aol.com email address and *need* everything you use your computer for squeezed into a single package, there are worse choices than AOL browser. Just plan on upgrading again very soon, since it's just a bloated version if IE6, your browsing experience will be marred by Internet Explorer's shortcomings.

Related Links: