HEAVY WEATHER 2008: KAMMURI!

Good morning, and welcome to HK’s third typhoon of the year: Kammuri!



Technically, it’s not strong enough to qualify as a typhoon (Signal No. 01 has been up since yesterday, but they only just bothered naming the storm this morning), but is worth posting for a couple of reasons:

1. Beijing and HK authorities are totally freaking out over the weather forecast issued Sunday which says it’s probably going to rain all over the opening ceremony for the Olympics, and up to three (3) typhoons are going to clobber China’s eastern seaboard before the Games are over. Onoes!

2. Far more importantly, KT and I are supposed to be sailing to Gudou tomorrow. So Kammuri could totally screw that up.

We do find the kerfluffle over an Olympic rainout amusing, though. Surely everyone knew what they were getting into when they awarded the Games to a country prone to heavy monsoons and typhoons at around the exact time that the event would be held.

Or not. Team Def forecasts a 70% chance of unruly crowds, with an 89% chance of finger-pointing before this is over.

Whatever. So long as my ferry to Gudou isn’t canceled.

Blame it on the rain,

This is dF

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EDITED TO ADD [six hours later]: They canceled it. The bastards.

THE MEME INTERVIEWS, PART 390

The eternal Def Interview continues, via jasonfranks and dinopollard. Tonight, we discuss teh cinemas, in which I totally blow whatever hip cred you might have thought I had.

1. What movie have you seen the most time in the theater? How many times?
Pulp Fiction. Six times. One of them in a drive-in theatre in Memphis. I’m not only proud of this, I’m smug about it.

2. What was the last movie you walked out of in the theater?
I’ve never walked out of a movie I paid good money to see.

3. What is the first movie you remember seeing in a theater?
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Scared the bejeezus out of me. Loved it, though. Still do. The remake, not so much.

4. What is your favorite movie soundtrack?
Return Of The Living Dead

5. Have you ever dressed up as a movie character for Halloween? If so, who?
Darth Vader. Pictures available on request.

6. What was the first R-rated movie you ever saw? Were you allowed or did you sneak?
It was probably An American Werewolf In London. Or possibly Blade Runner. It was on cable TV, whichever it was, so it was uncut. The first one in a theatre? Probably The Terminator, by which time sneaking wasn’t necessary.

7. Star Wars (orig. trilogy) or Lord of the Rings?
Star Wars. Nothing against LOTR, but Star Wars has more cultural significance to me.

8. Pacino or DeNiro?
Both.

9. Titanic...did it suck or was it great?
I’m biased on this, because well before the film came out, I’d read quite a few books on the Titanic disaster and I had the video about the discovery of the wreck. So from that POV, I liked the film a lot. I’m also a sucker for “poor guy gets the rich girl” cliches.

10. What's your take on Cassavetes?
Never seen a single movie by him. Can’t even name one.

11. Favorite John Hughes character?
Um ... Kelly LeBrock?

12. What movie gives you a boner (or makes you tingle)?
To answer this silly question, I would refer you to the collective works of Russ Meyer.

13. What movie always makes you cry like the big puss you are?
Remains Of The Day or Happy Together usually bring a tear.

14. What's the furthest base you've ever gotten to in a movie theater?
There was typically no base for me to get to. If you know what I mean.

15. Speaking of sports metaphors, what's your favorite sports movie?
Shaolin Soccer

16. (a) Favorite... teen movie?
The Last American Virgin

(b)...Quentin Tarantino movie?
I'm gonna put Jackie Brown, because I think it's his most underrated film

(c)...Bill Murray movie?
Stripes

(d)...romantic comedy?
Shaun Of The Dead

(e)...gangster movie?
Johnny Dangerously. If that’s not acceptable, then either Miller’s Crossing or Goodfellas will do.

(f)...horror movie?
The Exorcist

(g)...made for TV movie?
Does the pilot episode for the original Battlestar Galactica count? Cos otherwise I don’t think I have one.

(h)...director?
Too many to name, so I’ll just say John Carpenter, because somebody has to.

(i)...drug movie?
Possibly Drugstore Cowboy, though I haven’t seen it in ages, so I’m not sure if it holds up.

17. What movie have you seen already but will never, ever, ever watch again?
Four Weddings And A Motherf***ing Funeral. I still want my money back.

18. What movie are you embarrassed to really like?
I stand by all of them.

19. What movie should be remade ASAP?
No movie should ever be remade again.

20. What's your favorite musical?
Rocky Horror Picture Show

21. For the love of everything that's sacred, please someone stop (insert answer) from making another movie!
I don’t subscribe to this line of thought. Anyone is allowed to make any movie they want to make. I just won’t go see them. Especially if it’s directed by Michael Bay.

22. What movie do all your friends love but you're not that crazy about?
Clerks

23. What movie do you love but none of your friends do?
“None” is too strong a term, but no one seems to appreciate Bedazzled (the original, not the remake) as much as I do.

24. If you could hump/date/marry any movie character, who would it be?
Who writes these questions?

25. Best...movie....ever?
No idea, but I’ll put Dolemite because why not?

26. Book you wish would be made into a movie, and who would direct it?
The Becky Horror Picture Show, by me. Directed by Paul Cotter. Or Timur Bekmambetov. Whoever’s available. Provided it’s not Michael Bay.

At the movies,

This is dF