Friends

As a Plebe at West Point, I only have so many options on the weekend. If there's an away football game/sporting event, a lot of times I have the option to leave and support the Army team. I've taken advantage of that several times, and have already traversed to New York City, Philly, New Jersey, and Michigan as a result. Not only have I met a lot of great people on these trips, but I've also developed some ability to navigate around big cities - something which a directionally challenged individual from Boise can really appreciate.

The other weekend option for Plebes at West Point is to stay on post. Basically, this consists of chilling in your room, playing video games, watching movies, or performing some combination of those.

Although I prefer the traveling option, a little something that starts with an 'm' and ends with 'oney' has decidedly kept me within the gates of Hogwarts- er, West Point, for this and next weekend. Luckily, I'm ok with a weekend movie marathon.

This weekend I watched several films, but two stuck out to me. "Role Models" and "I Love You Man" are two movies that I've heard a lot about from friends and relatives, but have simply not gotten around to actually watching.

They're freakin hilarious! Both movies had me rolling on the floor at some point. I would highly recommend both.

Both movies laid out a concept that I think each of us, at one point or another, has taken for granted: friendship. I Love You Man deals with a guy who has no "guy friends" and as a result, no Best Man for his wedding. The hilariousness of watching this guy struggle to find grown-up non-gay friends is funny to say the least, but also made me appreciate my buds, both at home and here at West Point.

Finding new friends can be hard, can't it? I think everyone at one point or another has experienced this, and a lot of times it has to do with change. In fact, sometimes finding new friends can be as painful as it is necessary, depending on the circumstances surrounding the change that comes with it. For example, perhaps somebody who is attending a new school has some pain regarding leaving their last school. In that instance, finding friends, although probably the most healthy thing to do, could be extremely painful for that person.

Developing friendships here has been very interesting. During Beast my squadmates and I were brought together by the common suckage of what we were going through. We had to work together and make sure we were giving 100%, because if one person slacked it brought the rest of the group down. It's similar now during the school year: the last thing most cadets need is their roommates or people in their company bringing them down. Working together is applicable in almost any situation here.


I'm headed home in under two weeks for Thanksgiving break. It will be the first time I've been home since coming to West Point. I am so ready to see my friends and family. One thing I've been thinking about is what it will be like to hang with my friends again. The big thing everyone here says is that friends from back home seem so much less mature and more lazy. I'm not sure I'll view my friends in that light, especially since I've kept in pretty good contact with most of them since coming here. However, it will be interesting to see how I have changed during these last several months. How will I act differently? Do I have the same sense of humor and overall personality as when I left? I think so, but I'm interested to find out what,. if anything, has changed.



How about you? Have you ever felt pain as a result of having to form new friendships? What has been your experience?

Colin

Alone

Low Rider, Donny...Donny, Low Rider

When I think of getting pumped for an event, I think of this.

........Ok, let's ride.


Reblogged from DennisMansfield.com

Saturday, 9, and The Beatles

	The Rocket Summer - Saturday
	Found at skreemr.com

Ahhhhh, the beauty of a Saturday. Yesterday, I was plagued by school, homework, and upcoming tests. But today, today is Saturday. The past is the past and the future is the future. Right now, however, it's Saturday. :D

Last night I hit up a Bless the Martyr show in Meridian. It was a fun show, and afterwords I went out with the band (they're all friends of mine) to Taco Bell. That's all fine and dandy, but by the time I got back it was close to 1:15am. That, combined with my having to get up every morning for either school or work at 5:45 left me absolutely and completely exhausted.

Which brings us to today. Saturday :) I slept in until noon, and woke with ideas in my head and a saying in my heart. "Carpe Diem." So, that's exactly what I decided to do.
After meeting up with a couple of my friends, Austin and Collin, we headed off to the Downtown Edwards to catch an afternoon showing of Shane Acker / TimBurton's 9.

9 was a fine movie, not great, but not awful. I found myself appreciating the CGI and animation more then anything else (the plot included.) If your expecting to see some kind of cartoon action/adventure movie, think again. 9 showed exactly what can be done when writers, actors, and special effect wizards (mainly the latter) put their minds together. 9 was no Nightmare Before Christmas, nor was it any kind of animated Wanted. It was a very pretty fireworks show. Once the fireworks ended, I was glad I had seen it, but also glad I had only paid matinee prices combined with a student discount (BODO Edwards FTW).

And now, after returning from 9, I find myself on my living room couch listening to The Beatles Love album. If you haven't listened to it yet, go buy it.

Could this Saturday get any better? Oh yeah, I've got my sisters birthday party and I get to see my girlfriend tonight!

How's your Saturday going?
Colin

I'm in the Nazi killin' bidness

and bidness is a-boomin.

What words do I use to describe Inglourious Basterds? Horrifying. Disgusting. Inhumane. Incredible. Magnificent. Beautiful.
From one chapter to the next, Inglourious kept me wanting more. Character development, plot, cinematagraphy, and brutal-ness all wrapped up in a blood red bow.
I recommend this shockingly amazing film to annyone courageous enough to step into the theatre and be, well, a Basterd for a night.

Left me with a smile on my face, a skip in my step, and a bloodthirsty laugh. Whoa.

Colin

District 9: It didn't accomplish it's goal, and is a sucky movie. But I love it.

I walked out of District 9 after watching the credits roll and I could only say one thing about it. "That movie was CRAZY."
If you've seen the trailer, you'll know that it was a little ambiguous. Aliens, guns, and explosions were the main points. The movie, surprisingly, wasn't much different. That being said, it was so unique, and so well made that there was no way I couldn't write a blog on why I hated it, but can't help but love it.


No spoilers are ahead, so feel free to read at ease.

They all die at the end and get their heads cut off.
Just kidding...lol

The movie starts off as a documentary. Using interviews and a camera man, I was heavily intrigued at where this would lead. Think Cloverfield. It's set 20 years from when human's were surprised to find a UFO sitting in their backyard (Africa- is that racist?). At first we tried treating the Aliens (Prawns, as they're called in the movie due to their shrimp/crustacean like bodies) like members of society. Once it became apparent that their culture was far different then ours (throwing cars is fun) we fenced them in to what slowly became a concentration camp-like area called District 9. The movie follows happenings in District 9, and let's just say it's gruesome.
The documentary feel kept up through about the first half, then all of a sudden it switches to a full fledged movie. I'm not sure if this was due to laziness on the Director's side, or if they simply wanted the transition as an integral part of the movie. Either way, it threw me off. Graphics, CGI, and makeup were seamless, though. The Aliens were really there, as were the heads that got blown off and the bodies that got disintegrated by alien lightning-guns. Like I said, crazy.

I believe the movie was supposed to get me to think. I suppose it did, but more in a confused manner. Perhaps they're trying to say our race is going down the tubes. Perhaps they're trying to make a political statement about the treatment of prisoners or privileged members of society. Or, perhaps the makers of District 9 are simply warning us of what the human race may do if Aliens ever come down.

The movie disappointed me. But with so many fantastic graphics, character development up the shizzang, and Aliens that I felt connected with, how could I not love it?

If you don't mind a plethora of f-bombs, people being blown to smithereens, and scary alien-shrimp people ripping off human arms, I suggest this movie to you. If you prefer great story, interesting plot, and fantastic conclusion, go see 500 Days of Summer.

Have you seen it? Your thoughts?
Colin

Connecting Beauty, Music, and 500 days

A while ago I wrote about some of the closest people I am connected with. I want to expand on that a little bit, but in a different way.

Beauty has a way of grabbing my attention. A recent memory that sticks out in my mind happened just a few weeks ago. I was driving home to Idaho from California. My dad was asleep in the back (he had been the main pilot all morning) and I had taken over the wheel in his stead. In the passenger seat sat my girlfriend, Kona. We kept each other entertained by playing various types of music and having even more various conversations. At one point in our discussions I looked over to my left for a split second. What I saw completely and utterly consumed me. A small mountain stood about 4 football fields away, and above this mountain were broken clouds; like shattered glass the sun peaked through and was reflected off of the clouds onto the face of the mountain resulting in one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. My attention was completely taken over by this magnificent light show. Coupled with the most amazing girl in the world sitting by me and talking, this memory sticks out in my brain as being one of sheer beauty. Beauty has a way of grabbing my attention.

So does music. My favorite songs are ones which can only be described as epic. Two bands which write epics extremely well, in my opinion, are Anberlin and Mae. I'm gonna talk about Mae, but please do look up Fin and Miserable Visu by Anberlin.
One of my favorite songs by Mae is called "The Fisherman's Song". To me it so accurately portrays the heart of the writer, and I love the message. On top of that, the lyrics are written in story form which help me connect immensely. Listen here.
I am an incredibly visual person, and yet I couldn't imagine life without music. As I write this I'm listening to my "Sit Down and Relax" playlist on Pandora. I've found it a great way to connect with myself today.

I was apprehensive about going to see "500 Days of Summer" with my parents and our close friends tonight. I didn't really know what to expect, but I figured a free movie is always worth it. I suppose I was right. That being said, I would gladly pay extra to see this masterpiece. It really connected with where my mind has been the last few weeks; connections.

People. Music. Situations. Friends. Jobs. Movies. Life.

Thinking about all the connections baffles me. It's not really a matter of fate or predestination to me (the way I figure it, God knows everything no matter what I believe.) Really, to me what it comes down to is whether or not I want to acknowledge the connections. Fate? Chance? Phooey. If life were a slot machine I would hate to pull that lever. It's like people are totally willing to acknowledge all the Cherries or BARS lining up perfectly but refuse to instead see the beautiful constelation of life that all our intercrossing lines make.
Life is actually a whole lot safer to look at as a slot machine. Pull the lever; you win some, you lose some. Often it's a whole lot harder to take those losses as building blocks, or at the very least see that they've made me who I am today.

500 Days of Summer emphasized this point for me. No matter what I tell myself, life really holds no accidents. The movie is artsy, beautiful, saddening, vulgar (at times), and flat-out well written. Unlike many chick flicks, this story follows the guy. Also unlike many chick flicks, it holds no happy Hollywood ending. The trailer boasts "this is a story of boy meets girl," and also includes "you should know upfront, that this is not a love story." That's why I don't believe 500 Days of Summer is a chick flick at all. It's too big for that label. It's an epic.


But don't take my word for it. Watch the trailer. Then, go watch the movie.


Colin

Pelham 123: Hairspray and Remember the Titans? Not so much.

Saw 'The Taking of Pelham 123' tonight. Go check http://Twitter.com/ColinMansfield for my 140 character review (or even http://facebook.com/ColinMansfield). Read on for the whole enchilada.

I believe every movie that is worth seeing has one thing in common. They suspend your disbelief; they make you forget your in a cold dark room watching a 20ft screen. Some of the best ways films do this, I believe, is by appealing to the underdog, by relating to the normal joe. Not everyone can dress up in tights and fight crime, but nearly everyone will, at some point, face a moral or ethical dilemma. Good movies often capitalize on this fact (think Die Hard or any Disney Sports flick.)

Pelham 123 had a simple enough set up (I





think it was a remake, actually.) Bad guy (John Travolta) hijacks a New York subway and demands hostage money. Rather than speaking to police, however, he insists on talking to the subway controler who first answered his radio (Denzel Washington). The movie is well written, well acted, and well executed.

Going back to my earlier thought, Pelham did a fantastic job of giving the Average Bob the spotlight- and man does he shine! Each moment-by-moment decision gives his character room to grow; so much so that by the end of it I felt as though I was making the decisions.







Was this movie perfect? No, not even near it. I could have done without the swearing, that's for sure. That being said, it's hard to spot blemishes when something moves as fast as Pelham 123. Might take a few more viewings ;-)

Overall: go see it! If you can sit through cussing, you'll be more than entertained!

Colin

-- Posted from my iPhone --

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The Humans are Dead

After a couple requests, and finally grabbing the time needed, I have decided to actually do a new post! Amazing, right?

Anyways, just to do a brief recap of my last couple weeks:

• Connecticut was AMAZING. Check out WWIIhelmet.blogspot.com for full details
• School's like walking through thick mud.
• This weekend I saw Taken and Slumdog Millionaire. Both are AMAZING films- I would recommend them both.

Ok, enough recap.
I'm in a humorous mood :) Because of that, this post will contain youtube videos I find entertaining. I hope you will too!











Perhaps later I'll do a "deeper" post :)
Colin

Christmas, New Years, and Movies

Neglect is an awful thing. I once had a pet rat, and I forgot to feed it. I learned that the consequences of neglecting to feed a pet rat is that it dies. I think the same could be said of a blog. I never thought that starting a blog might actually force me into the position of having to update it for other people's sakes. That being said I realize I am no slave to this digital journal, this virtual book of anecdotes. I have begun to realize the teeter-totter rhythm of having a blog. Forgive me if I weigh down on my side a little too much.

I had a fantastic break! No school+Christmas+New Years= Amazing fun. Something I want to bring up today is how so often I take for granted the small things. Like going to a movie.

Christmas morning at the Mansfield house is present-clad, candy-laden, with humor and laughter mixed in. This year it was spent with just my mom, dad, and I. At noon my sister came over to celebrate with us. It was all kinds of fun, and I thought it was one of the better Christmas I've ever had.
New Years was spent in a fun way for me as well. My family organized a dance party for my school. We did dances including but not limited to: The Virginia Reel, the Patty Cake Polka, The Cotton Eyed Joe dance, a plethora of swing dancing, the Waltz, and the Foxtrot. I got the honor of being the MC/teacher of the event, and it was an all around good time!

Something else I had the joy to experience during the holidays was watching and going to see movies with an assortment of people. I saw films such as Valkyrie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Seven Pounds. I even watched Christmas With the Kranks (Maybe sitting next to my girlfriend holding hands had something to do with the 'magic' of that film.)
I guess what I'm getting at is this: the holidays are the holidays every year. The same Silver Bells will greet my ears, and the same red-nosed reindeer will be remembered. The Night will stay Holy, and the Sleigh Ride will always be grand. And the same ball will drop in times square.
The main thing I've been realizing about the magic of the holidays has little to do with holly, presents, or noisemakers. The real magic of the holidays comes from memories. I think all the movies I've been watching have shown me that you don't have to spend $100 to make a holiday memory.
And yeah, I know the above couple sentences are pretty cliche. But them being cliche does not refute the truth involved.

So yes, I will enjoy my new iPod nano, leather jacket, snowboarding beanie, sweatshirt, and spider-man piggy bank. But never, never will I forget the good times I've had this holiday season. Material things pass away, but memories last a lifetime.

Colin

Why Hollywood re-makes movies, and why we shouldn't complain

There are some classic movies that simply would never be good if they were re-made. To me, the Back to the Future trilogy is a prime example. Anybody besides Christopher Lloyd simply could not do Dock Brown justice, and that's that.
Then there are movies that ABSOLUTELY should be re-made.

The Day the Earth Stood Still was made in 1951 and is considered a "Sci-Fi Classic"
From what I read in school "Classic" does not always mean "good"
And yet it got an 85% on RottenTomatoes.com (great movie review site.)

The remake, aptly named The Day the Earth Stood Still, came out today, Dec. 12th, and has a grand 24%.
I haven't seen either of the films.

I know you can't read a book by its cover; neither can you read a movie by its trailer. Just by comparing these two trailers, however, you tell me which movie looks more thrilling and entertaining.




I hope to see both movies eventually. The latter of the two I will hopefully see tomorrow night, but I'm inclined to think the former will be a while.

How about you guys? Any films you think should be re-made? Any ones you hope will never be re-made?

Colin