Hop's Thoughts

One month since I've jotted down my thoughts without hesitation. Although some think my new "project" shows less restraint. My heart is heavy with thoughts of a friend's family member. So much real doom and gloom surrounds me, while I scroll through those wallowing in self pity every day. Changes need to happen. I can't go five minutes within my own home without feelings of anger and sadness waking me or shaking me. Negative thoughts keep coming back as I fight a battle I can not win. I wonder if my thoughts of a simpler life will ever be recognized. A dog, a cat, a roof, a stove and a bed. Maybe a rocking chair. A pen and some paper. I wish this could be my living. Not just writing about me, as it is clear that the audience that cares is minuscule. I want to write about anything and everything. I want to dive back into books without checking my phone. I want to meet the crazy, interesting horror friends on Twitter. In my head, the skeletons in their closets are ...

After years of hearing about it, finally watched Fellini's 8 1/2. A comedy it is not. A satirical look at the life of a director, intermixed with tales of his personal life, eh. As someone who grew up on films by guys like Woody Allen and later David Lynch, I now know where a lot if their inspiration came from. I also admire Fellini's eye for beauty, much like my favorite director, Bergman.  All this being said, the movie fell flat. Please, no comments about me not getting it. I thoroughly understood and even championed his ideas, that we are all haunted by mistakes, lost loves and taking some for granted. I even admired his honestly in telling his wife and his lovers that a woman can not change a man, especially one who draws so much of his inspiration from his own experiences. My problem is that the intentionally convoluted story, just isn't that interesting. It's repetitive and tame in many ways. His reality is more riveting than his fantasy and this troubled me. ...

With the sucker bet Triple Crown over and nothing really going on as far as weekly action, today seems like the kind if day that bettors relish. So much action and so many ways to win. First there's the Stanley Cup. The Kings are up 3-0 and history gives them a 98+% chance of winning with a 65% chance of sweeping. The Rangers are favored in game 4. So why not bet on the Kings ML. If the lose, double down on game 5, then six, then seven if need be? The Spurs are early morning game four favorites. LeBron an underdog at home after a beat down? Try and remember, this is the shadiest sport on the planet. No way they lose by four. Tanaka is going for the Yankees in Seattle on six days rest. He's 2-0 with a 1.20 era in two games with that much rest. Then we get to the futures. The US Open is this week and three hot putters head to Pinehurst. I'd put money down on Rory at 10/1, Speith at 20/1 and Simpson at 45/1. If you have a win - place - show option, throw Scott in the ...

I used to think golf would be my hobby. Work all week, play nine an afternoon or two and once on the weekend.  Low impact sport, which uses your body, but also your mind. I figured, should luck ever shine upon me, I'd spend my life trying to master the sport. Yesterday, amongst the raindrops, I limped through eighteen. A charity foursome. My play was decent. My time was enjoyable. I had no complaint,  but some tightness in my knee. A few drinks and I'd be fine. My eyes fluttered as the morning sun pierced my blinds. I reached for some water, sipped it and leaned forward to get up. Suddenly a sharp pain ran down my left thigh. Another down my right hamstring. I placed my feet upon the ground, my heart starting to beat faster. The stress caused by the pain got me almost faint, but I leaned forward.  Like daggers, the pain shot down my legs. My feet swollen and sore. I limped, gingerly and cautiously towards the bathroom door. My still damp and rather pungent sneakers l...

Arguably the best series I've ever watched and this is due in large part to it knowing when to end. Don't read message boards claiming plot holes and twists. Anyone who pays attention figured everything out long before it is revealed. It's not Law & Order, but a character study on the effects of misogyny, rape and small town politics and how it's all a microcosm of the world we live in. Is the series an empowering voice for women? Yes, but with its feminist tones, it tears away the stigmas women face and reveals their dark truths. Painful at times, but never to the point you look away and that's the point. Elisabeth Moss provides a Jodie Foster-esque performance which rivals the incredible SOTL. Peter Mullan is brilliant. The supporting cast plays so well off the stars, with only Holly Hunter grabbing any scenes. Quirky is an understatement, but read through the lines. All I can say is, Enjoy!

I'll keep this short and simply name the talented person and three films you need to see. These are actors you may or may not know, but somehow superstardom has eluded them. Some are breaking out due to big budget action movies, but their lesser known roles are where they shine. Peter Mullan - Tyrannosaur, Boy A, Top of the Lake (TV) Mads Mikkelsen - The Hunt, Valhalla Rising, Hannibal (TV) Aaron Eckhart - In the Company of Men, Thank You for Not Smoking, Suspect Zero Stephen Graham - Snatch, This Is England, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Carey Milligan - Drive, Never Let Me Go, Shame Sally Hawkins - Blue Jasmine, Never Let Me Go, Layer Cake Andrew Garfield - Boy A, Never Let Me Go,  The Social Network Tom Hardy - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Bronson, Layer Cake Ray Stevenson - Kill the Irishman, Punisher: War Zone, Dexter (season 7) Soairse Ronan - Hanna, Byzantium, Atonement Also, Elizabeth Olsen, Katherine Isabelle, Dreama Walker, Matthew Goode, Mia Wasikowska ...

Korea has some of the best cinema in the world. Their horror is second to none, but the human stories tend to be special. Thus movie was one of them. Anyone who is a practicing Buddhist or simply sees themselves as more spiritual than religious, will no doubt enjoy this film. It's the tale of a young boy being trained by his master. They live a secluded life on a floating island in the middle of a lake. The young boy is mischievous. In the ways that some boys his age show disrespect for animals is unsettling (a tough scene to watch), but he is taught a valuable lesson and the movie takes off. The seasons represent stages in both character's lives and like much of the film, the metaphors are simple. The movies doesn't try to be anything more than a representation of the cycle of life and how expected and unexpected events  change our circumstances, but the true us is always buried within. The movie is nearly perfect in that it allows us to see the magic of nature, our ...

If not for a killer soundtrack, this movie would be a complete bomb. Kasey Chambers"Am I Not Pretty Enough" is perfect in one of the movie's creepiest scenes. Aside from that, there is nothing you haven't seen before and better. Where the movie truly fails, is with the too many to count plot holes, it's ignoring of technology and a much too big budget look. If the exact same movie had been made a little grainier, with stars who weren't gorgeous and with a little more attention to detail, it could have been better. The movie even drops the ball in the perfectly set up final scene. Oh and anyone comparing Lola to Asami Yamazaki in Audition should have their head examined.