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The Big Year

The Big Year


2011
Directed by David Frankel
Written by Howard Franklin

The Big Year
The Big Year takes place in the world of birding, where obsessive fans of feathered friends spend their time watching and following birds. They learn the songs, know the species, and some can even imitate their favorite birds. And there is no greater glory in the world of birding than the Big Year, where a birder spends an entire year seeing as many bird species as possible.

Now, as a biologist, I’ve meet birders and can understand where they’re coming from, even if I have no desire to trek through swamps and snow to spot rare birds with pink feet. Myself, I’m perfectly fascinated by even the most common birds. Crows, starlings, mourning doves, all are cool in my book. Granted, the herons, egrets, and hawks I spy on the drive home are awesome as well. Maybe I am a secret birder…
The Big Year

The Big Year is ultimately about obsession. About a hobby, about love, about doing what you love but also living your life. It’s based on Mark Obmascik’s book The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession, which I haven’t read. But I did get free tickets to an advanced screening, so once again, Tars sells out!

Brad Harris is ostensibly the main character, but in reality there are three main characters, three story arcs, three paths. All of the three main characters want to be the best, to win. but not all of them will win. Only one can be the best. And sometimes, the quest is only the beginning.

Brad Harris (Jack Black) – Brad is the everyman loser who lives at home and is stuck in a dead end job. His only joy in life is birds, recognizing the calls of any bird he hears. He decides to embark on The Big Year seemingly on a lark. He has nothing else going on in life, and this seems to be the one thing he’s wanted to do for years, and has finally gotten around to trying it.
Stu Preissler (Steve Martin) – Stu is a businessman who has been working his whole life wheeling and dealing, all while secretly obsessing over birds. It has been his dream, but he can’t retire. Whenever he tries, he just gets sucked back in. But it’s time, time for Stu. Time to do what he wants for once. But throughout the film, his former employees will continually call upon him to help them run the company as they get into trouble.
Kenny Bostick (Owen Wilson) – Bostick is the prior record holder for The Big Year. He’s spotted more birds in a year than anyone ever. And he can’t let it go. He continues to go birding. He’s on wife #3, birding destroying at least one of the prior marriages. And he’s ready to go off again, especially once he discovers others are closing in on the record.

The Big Year

Doom

Doom (Review)

Doom


2005
Starring
Karl Urban as John Grimm
The Rock as Sarge
Rosamund Pike as Samantha Grimm
Deobia Oparei as Destroyer
Ben Daniels as Goat
Dexter Fletcher as Pinky

A video game with a cult-like following, which pretty much single-handedly changed First Person Shooters (FPS) into a game archetype of their own. A game every male of my generation with a computer played when it came out, and map sites still exist on the internet. Scientists open a portal to Hell on Martian moons, and demons come through killing anyone they can get their claws on. Only the Doom Guy (as I and my friends called him) stands in their way. Oh, and there is some sequel that came out recently that’s pretty dark, I hear. With lame franchises like Alone in the Dark and Double Dragon losing money at the box office, it was only a matter of time before studios got the bigger named video game movies out so they, too, could lose lots of money. That was attempted to be avoided with this film, where they actually kept some aspects of the plot, and introduced some gimmicks to get people in the audience. But is the film any good? Or are we doommed? Will I use any more terribly obvious puns? Read on, read on…