The Simpsons Movie

Let me preface this by saying that I have watched The Simpsons show on Fox for years. I love it. It never ceases to amaze me how inventive the humor is week after week after week. Not only that but the show is always full of surprises, guest appearances by well-know celebrities and just fresh goofiness. So on to the greatly anticipated Simpson Movie…

Honestly, this is one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. From the very first moment the film begins to roll to the absolute last frame, it is filled with so many laughs you could never count them all. I’ll probably have to see it at least once or twice more to catch all the gags I probably missed the first time around.

The first 15 minutes of the movie was so full of laughs that I had tears in my eyes. I guess I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t find The Simpsons funny, but some people just don’t. Oh well. In my small mind, I’d like to think that even a “non-simpson” type might find this movie funny, but then again, probably not because it is 100% The Simpsons. If you don’t like the TV show, you probably won’t like the movie either because the movie is basically a long TV show but in true cinematic fashion.

I’ve seen two great movies this summer; The Bourne Ultimatum and The Simpson Movie. I wish my movie choices were always so enjoyable but inevitably they aren’t. It has inspired me to see a few more this summer… heh heh heh, I wonder when I’ll ever find the time….

The Bourne Ultimatum – So you say you want action?

I love going to the theater and watching movies. The main problem these days is that I don’t have much time for that any more. But during the summer when some of the “big” movies come out, I can’t resist so the last couple weeks I managed to get to see two of the recent offerings. This review has to do with The Bourne Identity.

The Bourne Ultimatum starring Matt Damon was for me one of the most action packed, edge of your set movies I’ve seen in a long, long time. The chase sequences are absolutely incredible. You have to wonder how the director was even able to film such sequences. It is so “real” that it is hard to believe that the people in the streets were extras and that the camera could follow the action so closely. I don’t believe I’ve even seen a movie that was filmed so claustrophobically.

This movie moves so fast that you can just forget about a bathroom or run to the snack bar break. You’ll miss too much. In fact, even blinking runs the risk of missing something… seriously. This is a fast-paced, total action movie and Matt Damon is dead-on perfect in this role. The entire cast is perfect actually. This movie takes you places too… all over the world, Moscow, Paris, London, Madrid, Tangier, and New York.

If this is your kind of movie genre, don’t miss this one. Make sure you see it in the theater and not at home. It’s much too big to see on a small screen.

Clayton & Meghan – August 4, 2007

The amazing summer of 2007 continues. Clayton and Meghan were married this beautiful day in Sage Chapel at Cornell University. The wedding reception took place in the Statler Hotel’s Terrace Room.

I love working in the Statler Hotel. The staff is so professional and Nicole Boosembark, the Events Planning Manager at the Statler is so pleasant to work with. The Terrace room is also one of my favorite rooms to perform in.

The Bride and Groom had their First Dance to the song “Time to say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman. Meghan and Clayton were a pleasure to work with leading up to the wedding. Choosing the songs for the Formal dances was a process that took several weeks. Ultimately though, the songs chosen were the “right” ones for many reasons. Clayton and his Mother danced to a version of “What a Wonderful World” sung by Eva Cassidy. The story of Eva Cassidy is a tragic one and I won’t spell it out here but please visit the website and investigate her music if you are not familiar with her. She has a voice like no other. She is arguably one of the most talented “unknown” artists of our time. The song “What a Wonderful World” will bring a tear to your eye.

Meghan and her Father danced to “”Take My Breath Away” by Berlin.

The wedding cake was created by the incredible Marion Ferrar of Sincredible Pastries. Marion consistently creates some of the most beautiful and delicious cakes you’re likely to see. Usually I’m lucky enough to get a piece of cake at receptions but sadly (sadly for me that is) I was too busy to be able to enjoy a slice of this one. Sometimes the cake at receptions is so… well… how to put this… terrible. But Marion’s cakes are just delicious and so gorgeous.

Shai Eynav was the photographer. I’ve known Shai for about 4 years and have worked at numerous weddings with him. One of Shai’s specialties is panoramic photography. Visit his website and prepare to be dazzled by the beauty of his images. Here is a photo of Shai during the Best Man’s Toast, getting reaction shots of the Bride and Groom during the toast.

It was a beautiful reception and I was honored to be part of the celebration. Clayton and Meghan are honeymooning in Hawaii and I send them both my best wishes! Thank You!

Enjoy a few more photos that I took of your wedding reception.

Luke’s party on Skaneateles Lake

Luke Walker, a great photographer and friend, invited a group of fellow photographers and other wedding professionals to his cottage at the southern tip of Skaneateles Lake this past Tuesday. It was a great time and the weather was fantastic. It has been a beautiful summer from my point of view, and we’ve escaped the really HOT weather… at least until today. But Tuesday was just perfect, not too hot, not too cold.

Marybeth Longo provided some heat on the grill, as is becoming a tradition. She grilled some awesome chicken and her now famous “Corn on the Cob Flambe.” What is the secret recipe to corn flambe? Well as best I can gather, you first soak the corn without removing the husks, in water for a while. Then you turn the grill on until it reaches super-nova stage. Once the proper temperature has been reached you put the corn on the grill and close the cover. Then you walk away and talk to your friends for a really long time. Once you realize the corn is in flames, it’s done! I love it!

Luke and his sweetheart, Alisha Clark, another awesome photographer, struck a pose for the camera. By the way, I was the only person with a camera at the party. I’m a DJ, not a professional photographer. Let’s see, we had Brady Dillsworth (a professional photographer), Sarah and Matt Antonino (both professional photographers) and Marybeth Longo (who is a videographer, but that’s close enough to a photographer for me)… and I’m the only person with a camera??? What’s wrong with this picture? (no pun intended)

Thanks Luke for a great day. Wish I could have stayed a bit longer. Enjoy the rest of your week there.