how many?

man, i have seen a lot of movies lately. can you blame me though, i have a movie theater in my basement!

anyway, the official movie marathon is over, but the movies roll on.

No Country For Old Men -- 4 Stars. New to Me. BluRay. everything in life can not be all neat and tidy. somethings are ugly. they start ugly and end ugly. great acting and a most excellent movie. outstanding picture quality as well.

The Bourne Identity -- 4 Stars. Repeat. HDDVD. who knew Matt Damon could pull this off? not me.

The Bourne Supremacy -- 4 Stars. Repeat. HDDVD. who knew he could do it twice? not me.

The Bourne Ultimatum -- 3 Stars. Repeat. HDDVD. best story and action of the three, BUT someone fell in love with the on the shoulder camera. it gets pretty annoying on a 119" screen.

Gone Baby Gone -- 1 Star. New to Me. BluRay. who knew ben affleck sucked such arse? well, i did. he directed this piece of crap. a movie trying to be complicated for the sake of being complicated. the subject matter is a toughie too. plus, i get it, Boston folks like using the "F" word.

in other news. winter is still here. my knee is better. my IT Band is better. i am only running once a week, which is why i am better and that bums me. i am logging some good hours on the trainer, but have not gotten into any intervals or fancy training. i would rather be riding outside and wish i could be running more. i am not on course for total domination of the 08 BFNIC cycling season and that too makes me sad. i think that sums up my Wednesday.

later.

15, 16, 17, & my knee

15. Spiderman 3. Three Stars. BluRay. Repeat. i love this series, but this one is my least favorite. needed more venom and less crying. PQ is grainy, but it is suppose to be.

16. Kill Bill II. Five Stars. Regular DVD. Repeat. one of my favorite movies of all time. it is violent and kung foo goofy, but that is the point. Micheal Madsen is brilliant.

17. Training Day. Four Stars. BluRay. Repeat. from the opening scene Washington is fantastic. PQ was very good.

the run came to an end last night. i had a stellar two weeks of movie watching though.

on to my knee. it has been a bit bothersome lately. the IT Band is better and the knee jumps up and smacks me in the face. i don't get it.

my first ride of the season was yesterday. twenty-four fabulous miles in 30 degree weather. i loved every minute of it, but it seems to have pissed off the knee. its very tight, just below the knee cap i get sharp pains when i squat. i know, don't squat.

why oh why must you still haunt me Chicago Marathon?

13 & 14

i don't want to give the wrong idea about my movie preference. i like all kinds of movies. from the Notebook to Saving Private Ryan to Pulp Fiction to Dumb and Dumber to Star Wars. so does the wife. we normally watch together. this week she is busy. thus, i am on a solo movie watching binge. i am trying to limit my choices to movies that she is not all that excited to see (new or repeat).

the second criteria is that i prefer the movie be in high definition (1080p = BluRay or HD DVD). some of the choices rank near the top of a so called "BluRay/HDDVD Reference Quality List" from AVSforums. the best picture and sound one can experience at home. i want to really see and test out my system with these choices.

ok, done with that.

13. Casino Royale - 1 Star. BluRay. picture quality was stunning. this aint your daddy's james bond. he looks like a UFC fighter. he bust thru drywall and gets his nuts busted. it's bloody & violent. the scenes are long. the movie is way too long. it's BAD. (N)

14. Spiderman 2 - 4 Stars. Blur Ray. my favorite of the three. great superhero movie. the picture quality was a bit disappointing. spotted some pixelation & had some audio dropouts. (R)

(5 star rating system. N=New to me / R=Repeat for me)


on the workout front, i did a core workout last night during Spidey. if i get my ride back soon, it will be trainer time the rest of the week. maybe even a little ride outside?!@?! if she stays locked up in the shop then running it shall be.

later.

back to back

with the bike in the shop and 5 days of rest I HAD TO work it out. so i ran. Saturday and Sunday runs of 3 miles. i was slow. it was fun and my left leg neither fell off nor spontaneously combust. i call that a success.

weather forecast have upper 40's in the future for us Midwesterners. i see an end of the week ride in my future. do you?

as you may know i have a movie theater in my basement. it has been up and running for two weeks now. i have been watching movies when ever i can, which has been often. some i have seen, but i am revisiting them in High Definition (BluRay or HDDVD). the high def movie experience is incredible. i had no idea how crisp and clear a movie could look on 119 inch screen. every movie lover should experience it.

i am going on a movie marathon. one a night for as many nights as i can swing. i started this past Saturday and my schedule shows my nights free up to this Saturday. i am guessing everyone wants to know what i watched and what i thought :) ?!@? so, that is what you will get.

let me catch you up to date with a list, in order of viewing, since the AMJ Cinema opened.

1. Gladiator - 5 stars. one of my all time favorites. the acting and action is outstanding.(R)

2. Devil Wears Prada - 3 stars. BluRay. i can admit i liked it, but i was drinking.(N)

3. Martix - 5 stars. HDDVD. wow, i love this movie.(R)

4. Ratatouille - 3.5 stars. BluRay & stunning. a rather involved story line for a cartoon.(N)

5.The Notebook - 3 stars. the wifes favorite. again, i was drinking.(R)

6. Fast & Furious - 2 stars. HDDVD. cars, hot chicks & hot dudes.(R)

7. Pleasantville - 3 stars. should have been drinking.(N)

8. Pirates of the Caribbean 3 - 2 stars. BluRay blew me away. too much jack for me though.(N)

9. Martix 2 - 4 stars. HDDVD. great action from start to end.(R)

10. Matrix 3 - 5 stars. HDDVD. the picture & sound is amazing. i forgot how good this one is.(R)

11. Memento - 4 stars. guy pearce is most excellent. the back words story is cool.(R)

12. Count of Monte Cristo - 3 stars. another guy pearce vehicle. the wife loves it. it entertains.(R)

(5 star rating system. N=New to me / R=Repeat for me)

tonight will be night 3 of movie marathon. i have some options, but dont want to spoil my next post.

later.

i see you.......

....spring and cycling season.

winter is coming to an end. it has been a blur for me. this is a good thing. this basement finishing / home theater project has taken over my life. i have been obsessing over it since November and while i still am, at least i am enjoying the benefits now. it really turned out most awesome and i can say that i am fully responsible for that!

i say the obsession was a good thing because this winter has been a toughie in the Midwest. i am glad i kept very busy. otherwise, this IT band injury would have been the end of me. i just cant run with any consistency.

i have been logging 3 to 4 hours a week on my trainer and knocking out some core workouts. i am a cyclist, but i love the added fitness level running brings me. i love the consistent 150 bpm heart rate that running yields. nothing like it.

my bike is in the "shop" getting its pre season tune up. i ran Sunday, besides a tight hammy it went well. this week will be kind of a recovery week, but i hope to get in one more run and some core work. i need to catch up on some sleep too.

wow, the above is seriously boring. :) come on spring, we need you to bring some excitement.

later.