Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Why We Draw

STOCKHOLM – A Swedish artist who angered Muslims by depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a dog was assaulted Tuesday as angry protesters interrupted his university lecture about the limits of artistic freedom.

Click here to read the full article from the AP. Or, better yet, watch the video of the mob of "protesters" trying to physically assault an artist for drawing a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed (may piss be upon him). (I wonder what that balding guy in the vest was putting back in his pocket.)



These people need to learn they don't have a right to not be offended. More importantly, they need to learn that they don't have a right to assuault those they take offense at. And, finally, they need to learn for every "blasphemer" they try to silence through intimidation and violence, ten more will show up.

Please. Everyone draw a cartoon of Prophet Mohammed (may peat be upon him) and post it to the web on May 20. I will post it for you here if you want to remain anonymous and/or are afraid of Muslim thugs and terrorists. Send me your cartoons at stevemillermail@gmail.com. Or better yet, send them to one of the many blogs participating in the "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" that are specifically set up for this demonstration. They have a far broader audience than I do.

By the way, here's the cartoon by Vilks that gives some Muslims the notion they have the right to attack and perhaps even murder him.

Tectonic Tuesdays: Salma Hayek

Imam Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi recently revealed that "Many women who do not dress modestly [...] spread adultery in society, which (consequently) increases earthquakes."

A man this wise MUST be a prophet, a prophet on the magnitude of Mohammed [may peas be upon him] and Jesus Christ [may Neosporin be upon him]. The only right thing to do is to spread his message by offering scientific reinforcement for his divinely inspired insight. And this is where "Tectonic Tuesday" comes in.

Fourth Case Study: Salma Hayek

Salma Hayek got her start in a soap opera on Mexican television, but it wasn't until 1996 that she became a danger to the world. That was the year she appeared in "From Dusk to Dawn," as a vampire exotic dancer wearing a snake and a small bikini. That same year, the Lijiang earthquake in southwestern China killed 200 people and left 300,000 without homes; Seattle on the west coast of the United States was rocked by an earthquake; and the Kobe earthquake in souther Japan claimed the lives of over 6,000.



Hayek has endangered the world many times since 1996, displaying her ample cleavage and causing earthquakes with 1999's "Wild Wild West" (a quake and subsequent tsunami rattled Turkey), 2004's "After the Sunset" (quakes in East Timor and Columbia), and 2006's "Bandidas" (an earth quake in Java that killed over 6,000 and injured more than 33,000).


All because of the immodesty of Salma Hayek.



Monday, May 10, 2010

'Shaolin Soccer' scores!

Shaolin Soccer (2001)
Starring: Stephen Chow, Man Tat Ng, Zhao Wei, and Yin Tse
Director: Stephen Chow
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

A soccer coach (Ng) seeking revenge on the rival who ruined his career (Tse), and a martial arts student wanting to revive public interest in Kung Fu (Chow) join forces to create a team that consisting of misfits and martial artists. The sport of soccer will never be the same!


"Shaolin Soccer" is a wild comedy that takes the standard elements of traditional martial arts movies and legends and the standard elements of sports movies and combines them in hilarious and unexpected ways. Toss in lots of clever CGI, and you've got one of the funniest movies ever released.

From the main characters meet, you'll be watching this film with a smile on your face. That smile will get broader when the sweetbun-making Kung Fu master and love interest played by Zhao Wei is introduced into the story. You'll be laughing out loud over the goalie who's a spitting image of Bruce Lee, you'll giggle at the bizarre all-women soccer team Team Mustache (led in hilarious fashion by Karen Mok), and you'll try to cheer on Team Shoalin Soccer as they take on Team Evil for the championship... although you'll probably be too busy laughing at the bizarre on-field antics when battle auras mingle with passes and penalty kicks.

Lovers of manga artist Rumiko Takahashi's "Ranma 1/2" absolutely must see this movie. It does for soccer what she did for ice skating and gymnastics. Lovers of films like "Croaching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" should also seek this film out, because I think you'll get a big kick out of the Kung Fu comedy in it. "Shaolin Soccer" is a sweet, silly, romantic "underdogs do good" tale that I think is a must-see.

(By the way, the DVD version I screened contains both the original Chinese edit of film and the version that was released in theaters in America. You should watch the Chinese version, as it is superior. There are some key character-establishing elements that have been cut from the American version, and they messed with the soundtrack. The orchestra score playing over the film's final scene is far more effective than the lame remake of "Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting" that is heard in the U.S. version. The Nine-Star rating here is for the Chinese version. The U.S. edit rates Eight Stars.)

Frank Frazetta dead at 82

Painter and illustrator Frank Frazetta passed away today after suffering a stroke. Another great artist as left us. Here are some of his artwork, featuring characters you probably know.

Talent show final may turn out to be a bomb

American Dreamz (2006)
Starring: Hugh Grant, Sam Golzari, Dennis Quaid, Mandy Moore, Tony Yalda, Willem DeFoe, and Chris Klein
Director: Paul Weitz
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

Hit talent-show 'American Dreamz' builds toward its greatest season finale ever, as a blond-haired, cute Mid-western pop-singer (Moore) squares off against a musical loving Iraqi immigrant (Golzari) in a contest that will be judged not only by regular show-host Martin Tweed (Grant), but also by the President of the United States (Quaid). Nothing is as it seems, however, as the president is growing disinterested in the superficiality of American culture and instead wants to focus on real solutions, "America's sweetheart" is actually a sociopathic bitch, and the Iraqi immigrant is a wash-out from an al-Qaeda training camp who is being forced into becoming a suicide bomber in order to assassinate the president.


"American Dreamz" is part political satire, part lampoon of American culture (as well as a lampoon of Muslim militants). When it works, it presents likeable characters who the audience is almost immediately invested, and who are very, very funny; this goes even for the "bad guys." When it's not coming together, we're forced to sit through dull stretches of film featuring unlikable characters that aren't funny at all... pathetic and reprehensible, but not at all entertaining to watch.

The storylines with President Stanton, his wife and his Chief of Staff, the storyline with Iraqi Omer, his American relatives, and the al-Qaeda sleeper-cell... both these storylines are VERY funny, and in both cases the audience finds itself rooting for Stanton and Omer to stand by what they know if right, and to reject the destructive, self-centered hypocrites who are trying to manipulate them for their own ends. These are both storylines that will piss off extremists at both ends of the political spectrum, and it is a joy to watch them unfold and ultimately intersect.

Unfortunately, the hilarity of the Stanton and Omer storylines are counterbalanced by the dreary plotline involving show host Martin Tweed and a run-of-the-mill, self-absorbed, wanna-be starlet, Sally Kendoo. Both these characters are typical Hollywood stereotypes, and they have nothing to offer beyond that. There is nothing likeable about either character--other than perhaps both characters realize they are despicable and that they're okay with that and can even bond with each other over that fact--and there's nothing for the audience to latch onto and care about with them.

If there had been a little less Martin Tweed/Sally Kendoo, it would have been a far stronger film. Both characters are essential to the over all point of the movie--and one can't have an "American Idol" spoof without a Simon Cowell-type character--but a reduced presence would have been preferable.

Despite my dislike of certain aspects of the script and the characters presented, everyone in the cast did a decent job. Golzari and Quaid definitely stole the movie from everyone else, however. Not only did they have the best lines and scenes, but each actor played his character with great humor and charm.

Although not a perfect movie, it's better than other films that attempted to present similar material and messages, such as "Man of the Year" (which fails due to a weak script and bad casting) and "Silver City" (which was just plain bad). I particularly liked the upbeat finish to the film... it's "Hollywood Ending" for all the players was refreshing on one level, while serving as a spoof on the spoof on another. It was a very amusing close to a mostly amusing film.



Sunday, May 9, 2010

FOXNews.com - Islam Becomes Taboo Topic

More and more, it's apparent that common citizens need to stand up to the Islamic terrorists. The news organizations and entertainment industry is more than happy to Submit to the Religion of Peace.

This needs to stop. They cannot be allowed to silence ANYONE.

FOXNews.com - Islam Becomes Taboo Topic on TV in Wake of 'South Park' Threats and Times Square Scare

Posted using ShareThis

Saturday, May 8, 2010

In the interest of fairness...

A person emailed me this link to promo for a movement intended to counter all us "haters" who are posting cartoons for Everybody Draw Muhammed Day.



I have a bit of news for the producers of that rather well-done little spot: The "haters" mobilized iIn February 1989 when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Supreme Leader of Iran, issued a fatwa calling on all good Muslims to kill or help kill Salman Rushdie. And they've been on the march ever since.

You have met the enemy, oh you who idolize the Prophet Mohammed (may peat be upon him), and you are he. You and the terrorists you enable are the haters.

(And thanks to Tom for letting me know how to get videos to display correctly.)

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