2.JPG)
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Saturday, February 28, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Oscar Picks!
Here are this year's Oscar picks from Chris Bollini:
Best Actor: Sean Penn
Best Actress: Kate Winslett
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger
Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director: Danny Boyle
Best Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Animated Picture: Wall-E
Best Animated Short: Presto
Best Documentary: Man on Wire
Best Sound Editing: The Dark Knight
Best Actor: Sean Penn
Best Actress: Kate Winslett
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger
Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director: Danny Boyle
Best Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Animated Picture: Wall-E
Best Animated Short: Presto
Best Documentary: Man on Wire
Best Sound Editing: The Dark Knight
Friday, February 20, 2009
President Carter on the Drive
Part one of Steve's interview with President Carter on The Drive:
Part 2:
Part 2:
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Dennis Hollingsworth Phone
Here is the number for Assemblyman Dennis Hollingsworth's State office, give him a call and demand he vote to pass the State budget!
916-651-4036
916-651-4036
Monday, February 16, 2009
Movies 2-16 Continued
THE INTERNATIONAL
“The International” is a political thriller from Columbia Pictures. Clive Owen stars as Louis Salinger, an Interpol agent obsessed with trying to take down one the most powerful and corrupt banks in the world. He joins forces with a Manhattan assistant district attorney, Eleanor Whitman; the role is played by Naomi Watts. Salinger and Whitman risk more than their careers as their lives are on the line; the bank will stop at nothing to protect keep their interests. “The International” is very engaging, especially given the current questions surrounding banks and their spending decisions. Owen's performance is wonderful as well. It’s a pleasure to watch him portray a driven man that pushes himself way too hard. The film also showcases several memorable action scenes, particularly an exciting and beautifully realized gunfight at the Guggenheim. The story moves along quite nicely and always keeps pace. In addition, producers decided to shoot
“The International” on location in various cities across the globe. As a result, the film feels more genuine. Director, Tom Tykwer, masterfully makes moviegoers feel the tension and paranoia that his characters feel; he keeps the audience on edge.
See it.
3.5 tires
FRIDAY THE 13TH
“Friday the 13th” is yet another remake of a classic 80’s horror film. Jason Voorhees is a legendary serial killer in the world of horror film; in fact, Horror Hound magazine rated his iconic hockey mask as the “most significant mask in horror history”. For that reason, producers needed to tread Camp Crystal Lake’s water carefully. The storyline doesn’t deviate much from the usual “Friday the 13th” films: a group of young kids travel to a vacation cabin near Camp Crystal Lake, Jason’s killing grounds. They drink. They party. Then, Jason systematically and successfully kills them, one victim at a time. To talk about this film, you need to look at it from two viewpoints; first, as a horror film and second, as a “Friday” film. From the first perspective, the film is pretty entertaining. There’s plenty of atmosphere and suspense. The director, Marcus Nispel, creates a movie that feels like an 80’s horror film. It’s filled
with trademark gore, nudity and campy one-liners like its predecessors. It all comes together to create a very nostalgic experience. But as a “Friday” film, it falls short. It’s a straight retelling of the original story. I can understand why producers chose to stick to the basics, but nothing new was introduced to further the legend or enhance the franchise. A lot of people will see this film; there’s no doubt about it. Moviegoers will have a good time, but “Friday” is just another remake.
SIDENOTE” My Bloody Valentine 3D was a much better.
2 Tires
“The International” is a political thriller from Columbia Pictures. Clive Owen stars as Louis Salinger, an Interpol agent obsessed with trying to take down one the most powerful and corrupt banks in the world. He joins forces with a Manhattan assistant district attorney, Eleanor Whitman; the role is played by Naomi Watts. Salinger and Whitman risk more than their careers as their lives are on the line; the bank will stop at nothing to protect keep their interests. “The International” is very engaging, especially given the current questions surrounding banks and their spending decisions. Owen's performance is wonderful as well. It’s a pleasure to watch him portray a driven man that pushes himself way too hard. The film also showcases several memorable action scenes, particularly an exciting and beautifully realized gunfight at the Guggenheim. The story moves along quite nicely and always keeps pace. In addition, producers decided to shoot
“The International” on location in various cities across the globe. As a result, the film feels more genuine. Director, Tom Tykwer, masterfully makes moviegoers feel the tension and paranoia that his characters feel; he keeps the audience on edge.
See it.
3.5 tires
FRIDAY THE 13TH
“Friday the 13th” is yet another remake of a classic 80’s horror film. Jason Voorhees is a legendary serial killer in the world of horror film; in fact, Horror Hound magazine rated his iconic hockey mask as the “most significant mask in horror history”. For that reason, producers needed to tread Camp Crystal Lake’s water carefully. The storyline doesn’t deviate much from the usual “Friday the 13th” films: a group of young kids travel to a vacation cabin near Camp Crystal Lake, Jason’s killing grounds. They drink. They party. Then, Jason systematically and successfully kills them, one victim at a time. To talk about this film, you need to look at it from two viewpoints; first, as a horror film and second, as a “Friday” film. From the first perspective, the film is pretty entertaining. There’s plenty of atmosphere and suspense. The director, Marcus Nispel, creates a movie that feels like an 80’s horror film. It’s filled
with trademark gore, nudity and campy one-liners like its predecessors. It all comes together to create a very nostalgic experience. But as a “Friday” film, it falls short. It’s a straight retelling of the original story. I can understand why producers chose to stick to the basics, but nothing new was introduced to further the legend or enhance the franchise. A lot of people will see this film; there’s no doubt about it. Moviegoers will have a good time, but “Friday” is just another remake.
SIDENOTE” My Bloody Valentine 3D was a much better.
2 Tires
Movies 2-16
This week's reviews from Drive "Movie Guy" Chris Bollini:
CORALINE
Coraline is the new animated film based on the best selling novel by Neil Gaiman. The film is directed by Henry Selick, the filmmaker who brought us “The Nightmare before Christmas.”
Coraline is your average girl who has just moved to a new town with her parents. She misses her old friends and has a hard time keeping occupied. Unfortunately, her parents are far too busy with work to pay attention to her; and in fact, they aren’t very nice about it. Understandably, Coraline hopes for something better.
One night, she awakens from a deep sleep and finds a secret door in her living room. The door leads to an alternate world which is almost identical to her normal existence except the new reality is much, much better. Everything is fun and exciting. She also meets her alternate parents, her “Other Mother” and “Other Father”, who constantly dote on her, satisfying her every whim. This new world is perfect. Or is it?
Coraline is a well done film. Henry Selick brings his colorful and imaginative vision to the screen; the visuals are stunning and beautiful with plenty of color and bizarreness. Selick also creates a very believable young girl with Coraline and surrounds her with plenty of vivid and interesting characters. The stop motion animation is impressive and captivating. And if you see it in 3D, the new technology will only draw you deeper into this unique world. The film is dark in tone and has some frightening images so you may want to consider bringing younger children. It’s a very fun time.
3.5 Tires
PINK PANTHER 2
Steve Martin returns as the bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau. Decades ago, this character was made famous by Peter Sellers and Blake Edwards. In this film, the pink panther, a priceless jewel, has been stolen. Il Tornado, the world renowned thief, is the prime suspect. As a result, Clouseau joins an international team of crime fighters to hunt down the irreplaceable treasure. The film co-stars some of Hollywood finest like Andy Garcia, John Cleese and Alfred Molina. With this A-list cast, you’d think this film would be fantastic. Guess again. Pink Panther 2 is stale and never engaging. The jokes, mostly slapstick, are seldom very amusing. All the characters are stereotyped, text book caricatures. It seems that a handful of comedy skits were simply glued together by a really straight forward story: the team moves from point A to point B trying to find the jewel. Although I didn’t embrace the film, there was some laughter in the theater so maybe
this one just didn’t connect with me. Although there is some innuendo, Pink Panther 2 may be a good film for older kids as it plays out almost like a cartoon.
.5 tire
He’s Just Not That Into You
The new film, based on the best selling book, explores the relationships between a group of intertwined thirty something professionals. The film presents several storylines; a couple trying to stay committed in a marriage, a woman hoping her 7 year boyfriend will enter into a marriage, and everyone else is just trying to find special someone. Text messaging, My Space, Facebook and the all the new technological avenues of communication are addressed here so the movie feels more relevant and contemporary. Characters make mistakes and walk into situations that are going to be awkward, but that’s all part of the journey. “He’s Just Not That Into You” brings together a wonderful cast including Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Long, Ben Affleck, Drew Barrymore, Ginnifer Goodwin - you get the picture. The film gets the audience invested in the characters early which really keeps the story moving nicely. There are a lot of funny, touching
moments to enjoy. It’s predictable in many ways, but there are plenty of unexpected moments to keep it fresh. “He’s Just Not That Into You” skews towards the female demographic, but that’s not to say that guys won’t enjoy it. If you’re an action film fan, you may want to let your wife or girlfriend see the film with her friends. For everyone else, it’s entertaining.
3 tires
FANBOYS
Fanboys is a new comedy from director, Kyle Newman.
Linus and Eric, two old friends and avid Star Wars fans, have grown apart over the last few years. By a chance encounter, they are reunited. Sadly, Eric discovers that Linus is dying. The year is 1998. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace will soon be released. For one last adventure, Eric, Linus and two of their closest childhood friends travel across country to Skywalker Ranch to steal an unreleased print of the upcoming film. Along the way, the four friends encounter their fair share of mishaps, delays, and crazy characters. They even have a heated rivalry with another faction of sci-fi fans: the Trekkies, a group obsessed with the Star Trek films. Newman gives audiences plenty of inside jokes and references to laugh at. Actor, Dan Fogler, turns in a inspired performance as one of the overly enthusiastic friends .There are also a lot of exciting cameos by Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, William Shatner, and the list goes on. Although Fanboys has heart,
it falls a little short of being a great film. It tends to drag in points and some jokes fall flat. There just seems to be something missing. I’m a Star Wars fan so I found enough to enjoy, but if you’re not, this movie is definitely hit or miss.
2.5 Tires
CORALINE
Coraline is the new animated film based on the best selling novel by Neil Gaiman. The film is directed by Henry Selick, the filmmaker who brought us “The Nightmare before Christmas.”
Coraline is your average girl who has just moved to a new town with her parents. She misses her old friends and has a hard time keeping occupied. Unfortunately, her parents are far too busy with work to pay attention to her; and in fact, they aren’t very nice about it. Understandably, Coraline hopes for something better.
One night, she awakens from a deep sleep and finds a secret door in her living room. The door leads to an alternate world which is almost identical to her normal existence except the new reality is much, much better. Everything is fun and exciting. She also meets her alternate parents, her “Other Mother” and “Other Father”, who constantly dote on her, satisfying her every whim. This new world is perfect. Or is it?
Coraline is a well done film. Henry Selick brings his colorful and imaginative vision to the screen; the visuals are stunning and beautiful with plenty of color and bizarreness. Selick also creates a very believable young girl with Coraline and surrounds her with plenty of vivid and interesting characters. The stop motion animation is impressive and captivating. And if you see it in 3D, the new technology will only draw you deeper into this unique world. The film is dark in tone and has some frightening images so you may want to consider bringing younger children. It’s a very fun time.
3.5 Tires
PINK PANTHER 2
Steve Martin returns as the bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau. Decades ago, this character was made famous by Peter Sellers and Blake Edwards. In this film, the pink panther, a priceless jewel, has been stolen. Il Tornado, the world renowned thief, is the prime suspect. As a result, Clouseau joins an international team of crime fighters to hunt down the irreplaceable treasure. The film co-stars some of Hollywood finest like Andy Garcia, John Cleese and Alfred Molina. With this A-list cast, you’d think this film would be fantastic. Guess again. Pink Panther 2 is stale and never engaging. The jokes, mostly slapstick, are seldom very amusing. All the characters are stereotyped, text book caricatures. It seems that a handful of comedy skits were simply glued together by a really straight forward story: the team moves from point A to point B trying to find the jewel. Although I didn’t embrace the film, there was some laughter in the theater so maybe
this one just didn’t connect with me. Although there is some innuendo, Pink Panther 2 may be a good film for older kids as it plays out almost like a cartoon.
.5 tire
He’s Just Not That Into You
The new film, based on the best selling book, explores the relationships between a group of intertwined thirty something professionals. The film presents several storylines; a couple trying to stay committed in a marriage, a woman hoping her 7 year boyfriend will enter into a marriage, and everyone else is just trying to find special someone. Text messaging, My Space, Facebook and the all the new technological avenues of communication are addressed here so the movie feels more relevant and contemporary. Characters make mistakes and walk into situations that are going to be awkward, but that’s all part of the journey. “He’s Just Not That Into You” brings together a wonderful cast including Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Long, Ben Affleck, Drew Barrymore, Ginnifer Goodwin - you get the picture. The film gets the audience invested in the characters early which really keeps the story moving nicely. There are a lot of funny, touching
moments to enjoy. It’s predictable in many ways, but there are plenty of unexpected moments to keep it fresh. “He’s Just Not That Into You” skews towards the female demographic, but that’s not to say that guys won’t enjoy it. If you’re an action film fan, you may want to let your wife or girlfriend see the film with her friends. For everyone else, it’s entertaining.
3 tires
FANBOYS
Fanboys is a new comedy from director, Kyle Newman.
Linus and Eric, two old friends and avid Star Wars fans, have grown apart over the last few years. By a chance encounter, they are reunited. Sadly, Eric discovers that Linus is dying. The year is 1998. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace will soon be released. For one last adventure, Eric, Linus and two of their closest childhood friends travel across country to Skywalker Ranch to steal an unreleased print of the upcoming film. Along the way, the four friends encounter their fair share of mishaps, delays, and crazy characters. They even have a heated rivalry with another faction of sci-fi fans: the Trekkies, a group obsessed with the Star Trek films. Newman gives audiences plenty of inside jokes and references to laugh at. Actor, Dan Fogler, turns in a inspired performance as one of the overly enthusiastic friends .There are also a lot of exciting cameos by Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, William Shatner, and the list goes on. Although Fanboys has heart,
it falls a little short of being a great film. It tends to drag in points and some jokes fall flat. There just seems to be something missing. I’m a Star Wars fan so I found enough to enjoy, but if you’re not, this movie is definitely hit or miss.
2.5 Tires
Amgen 2009 Photos
It was a soggy and wet day in downtown Santa Rosa Sunday afternoon, but that didn't stop Sonoma County from coming out in force to watch the finish of this first stage of the Tour of California. Here are some photos from the afternoon:
The KSRO Team bunlded and ready to go
Steve Jaxon with Olympian Connie Carpenter
Steve Jaxon and KSRO Chief Engineer Randy Wells
Steve Jaxon with Drive contributor Blair Hardman and Mike the Intern
Steve Jaxon and Drive Executive Producer Jeff Clark
David Wesley Page with Santa Rosa City Councilmember Veronica Jacobi
The KSRO Booth
The KSRO team with Odessa Leipheimer
The KSRO Team bunlded and ready to go
Steve Jaxon with Olympian Connie Carpenter
Steve Jaxon and KSRO Chief Engineer Randy Wells
Steve Jaxon with Drive contributor Blair Hardman and Mike the Intern
Steve Jaxon and Drive Executive Producer Jeff Clark
David Wesley Page with Santa Rosa City Councilmember Veronica Jacobi
The KSRO Booth
The KSRO team with Odessa Leipheimer
Friday, February 13, 2009
This Sunday!
Come out this Sunday to Amgen Tour of California event in Santa Rosa! The entire Drive crew will be out there from 2-5PM, stop by and say hello. Even if you can't make it out to the event, listen in from 2-5PM that afternoon for the latest updates on the race, live on 1350 KSRO!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Breaking: President Jimmy Carter on The Drive!
Join us tomorrow afternoon as former President Jimmy Carter joins us on The Drive!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Drive Photo Caption Contest
Time for another Drive contest! E-mail us at thedrive@ksro.com with your best caption for the photo below! The best entry will win a gift certificate to Latitude in Rohnert Park.
Photo credit: Mark Aronoff/The Press Democrat
Photo credit: Mark Aronoff/The Press DemocratFIXED: Listen to the entire interview with Richard Heinberg & Matt Savinar
Click here to download the entire hour-long interview from The Drive's "Doomer Hour" last week. Steve and Fred sat down with peak oil experts Richard Heinberg & Matt Savinar to talk about peak oil and the possibility of an economic crisis.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Drive Movie Reviews 1-2-09
This week's reviews from Drive "movie guy" Chris Bollini:
“New in Town” is the romantic comedy starring Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr.
Zellweger stars as Lucy Hill, a Miami corporate consultant assigned to the task of restructuring a Minnesota food processing plant. Unfortunately, this assignment will result in lay-offs. Enter the local union representative, Ted Mitchell, played by Harry Connick Jr. As you can imagine, these two develop a heated relationship both on and off the job.
This is a genre film which means it’s pretty predictable; there aren’t any ground breaking story-lines or surprise endings. For the most part, “New in Town” sticks to the formula. That’s not a bad thing. The film is fun, cute and mostly importantly, entertaining. It’s good to see Academy Award winner, Renée Zellweger, return to slapstick, situational comedy. Many critics have described her performance as "flat" and “phoned in”, but I disagree. I think Zellweger is having fun. And watching her have fun is a good time for the audience.
The film has more to offer than just a rehashed love story: it’s also about a town fighting for its livelihood, trying to keep their plant open; it’s about a widowed father (Harry Connick Jr.) trying to deal with the fact that his little girl is becoming a woman. Throw is some pratfalls, a scene stealing performance by Siobhan Fallon as Blanche, and you’ve got an entertaining movie. Sure, some guys won’t like this “chic” flick, but I think everyone can enjoy it.
Three tires.
"Taken", a new action thriller opens in theaters this weekend.
The story follows Bryan Mills, an ex-CIA operative, who has made a successful career out of traveling the world and making bad guys disappear. Of course, being fully committed to his job and his country, Bryan was never able to fully commit to his wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen) and his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace).
Now, years later, he’s re-prioritized his life; he’s quit the business and dedicated himself to rebuilding a relationship with his daughter. As for his wife, it’s too late; she’s remarried and not very forgiving. Bryan’s plan has only one problem: when his daughter goes to Paris for vacation, she’s kidnapped by Albanian slave traders. And that’s not a good thing for the bad guys because Bryan takes his new found commitment to his daughter very seriously. In fact, he growls at the kidnapper, “I’ll will look for you. I will find you. I will kill you”. By the way, Bryan is a man of his word. The film is predictable, and there were a few minor issues I had, but I still really enjoyed it. It’s a straight up revenge story about a man driven to save his daughter. It’s very entertaining watching the bad guys getting what they have coming to them, especially, when it’s Liam Neeson dishing out the punishment. Neeson, an extremely talent
actor, brings extra depth to the character and is a pleasure to watch. There’s plenty of action and some memorable one liners. If you're headed to see this film, you won’t be disappointed.
Three Tires
“New in Town” is the romantic comedy starring Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr.
Zellweger stars as Lucy Hill, a Miami corporate consultant assigned to the task of restructuring a Minnesota food processing plant. Unfortunately, this assignment will result in lay-offs. Enter the local union representative, Ted Mitchell, played by Harry Connick Jr. As you can imagine, these two develop a heated relationship both on and off the job.
This is a genre film which means it’s pretty predictable; there aren’t any ground breaking story-lines or surprise endings. For the most part, “New in Town” sticks to the formula. That’s not a bad thing. The film is fun, cute and mostly importantly, entertaining. It’s good to see Academy Award winner, Renée Zellweger, return to slapstick, situational comedy. Many critics have described her performance as "flat" and “phoned in”, but I disagree. I think Zellweger is having fun. And watching her have fun is a good time for the audience.
The film has more to offer than just a rehashed love story: it’s also about a town fighting for its livelihood, trying to keep their plant open; it’s about a widowed father (Harry Connick Jr.) trying to deal with the fact that his little girl is becoming a woman. Throw is some pratfalls, a scene stealing performance by Siobhan Fallon as Blanche, and you’ve got an entertaining movie. Sure, some guys won’t like this “chic” flick, but I think everyone can enjoy it.
Three tires.
"Taken", a new action thriller opens in theaters this weekend.
The story follows Bryan Mills, an ex-CIA operative, who has made a successful career out of traveling the world and making bad guys disappear. Of course, being fully committed to his job and his country, Bryan was never able to fully commit to his wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen) and his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace).
Now, years later, he’s re-prioritized his life; he’s quit the business and dedicated himself to rebuilding a relationship with his daughter. As for his wife, it’s too late; she’s remarried and not very forgiving. Bryan’s plan has only one problem: when his daughter goes to Paris for vacation, she’s kidnapped by Albanian slave traders. And that’s not a good thing for the bad guys because Bryan takes his new found commitment to his daughter very seriously. In fact, he growls at the kidnapper, “I’ll will look for you. I will find you. I will kill you”. By the way, Bryan is a man of his word. The film is predictable, and there were a few minor issues I had, but I still really enjoyed it. It’s a straight up revenge story about a man driven to save his daughter. It’s very entertaining watching the bad guys getting what they have coming to them, especially, when it’s Liam Neeson dishing out the punishment. Neeson, an extremely talent
actor, brings extra depth to the character and is a pleasure to watch. There’s plenty of action and some memorable one liners. If you're headed to see this film, you won’t be disappointed.
Three Tires
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