In tonight's UFC Light Heavyweight Championship match

the champ, Daniel Cormier, faces a man he's beaten once before but who is on a fearsome knock-out streak, Anthony "Rumble" Johnson.  The match-up is particularly interesting because Cormier is smaller and older than Johnson, and now on the wrong side of 35, while Johnson seems to have improved a great deal in the two years since their last match.

Nonetheless, I'm going with Cormier--and writing it here to put myself on record with the choice.  I think Cormier will smother Johnson and stay on him and be smart enough to avoid the knock-out in the early rounds when Johnson still has energy.  I don't expect it to be pretty, but I do expect Cormier to win a decision against an exhausted Johnson.

In four or five hours, we'll find out if I'm right.

A birthday present we'll be watching soon

Check it out, and you'll know we have to.  We really do.

Yes, it's time to get in the cage for some seriously odd craziness as only Nicolas Cage can deliver it.

How is it possible

that in today's highly interconnected world there is no way for me to legally watch the 10-minute sequel to Love Actually, Red Nose Day, Actually?  I'd pony up a few pounds/dollars/whatever to see it, but alas, I cannot.  Now, the news is that the U.S. version will be different from the UK one, which makes this travesty even more intolerable.

I am not amused.

I'm almost certainly going to be disappointed

by this film, but there's no way I'm going to miss it.



After all, who can resist Tom Cruise being used by a mummy--at least for much of the film?

Not I.

Holden spurns Fur Holden

What cruel rejection is this, that Fur Holden, a creature born of the mighty dog himself, should suffer such willful inattention at the hands of his creator.

Fur Holden, lacking legs, could only hold his ground until breezes or grasping arms or Swiffers hastened his departure from this short, cold life.

Holden says

All your remotes are mine.

He is correct.

If you want to enjoy Ghost in the Shell

the most important thing you need to do is decide to watch it on its own merits and not compare it to the original anime movie (or subsequent films and series).  If you approach this live-action film as part of the Ghost in the Shell canon, then you'll probably be disappointed, in part because the emotional heart of this one is rather different than that of the anime offerings, and in part because the powers of Major are definitely not consistent with those she has in the anime pieces.

As always, I walked into the theater hoping to enjoy the movie, and I'm happy to say that I did.  Visually, it was gorgeous--not as pretty as the anime film, but for a live-action movie, quite lovely. The lead actors, notably Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbæk, and "Beat" Takeshi Kitano, turned in solid performances, with Kitano particularly fun in his role as the head of their agency.

If you don't know the anime predecessors, of course, then just go and have a good time.

Even if you do, I recommend the film, provided you can allow it to be its own thing.  It's far from a perfect movie, but it's beautiful to watch and does have a heart, something many action films lack.