I've been running this blog since the Fall of 2005. I'm not very good at staying committed to anything, so that was quite an accomplishment for me. Aside from, "The Dark Period," I've been pretty decent about posting regularly. The quality of the content wasn't always what it could have been, but in the middle of all the clutter and nonsense I did manage to mix in a few things I'm proud of... and I'm glad I could share that with you.
Over the years we've shared secrets, tears, and quite a few laughs... Just know that every moment was an absolute pleasure for me.
I'm going to let the words of Brandon Flowers and The Killers send me off:
Pay my respects to grace and virtue,
send my condolences to good.
Give my regards to soul and romance,
they always did the best they could.
And so long to devotion,
you taught me everything I know.
Wave goodbye.
Wish me well.
You've got to let me go.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Solve the Mystery II
It starts with a dead Ivy League lawyer in the guest room of a million dollar Washington, DC home. Next you add in the the following elements:
-a "polyamourous" trio of gay professionals
-an alleged cover-up
-a botched crime scene
-elements of sadomasochism sex acts
-a squad of homicide detectives left scratching their heads
Not enough to pique your interest? How about an autopsy that revealed the victim was, "restrained, incapacitated with a mysterious injection, sexually assaulted and murdered."
For months now I've been looking for the right case to run a sequel to the, "Solve the Mystery," game we played back in May of 2008. If you recall, we spent several days debating the fate of the famous missing NYC judge, Joseph Crater... I think I've finally found a case worth of being the sequel.
I first learned about it when my beloved Washington Post ran a two-part article on the mysterious circumstances surrounding the case last week. I was immediately intrigued with the articles, but it wasn't until FITS friend and frequent commenter, Lauren, emailed me about it that I decided to make it into a "Solve the Mystery" post.
There are far too many details for me to to regurgitate here, so I'll just give a brief synopsis and provide a few links to where the full story can be read. I figure we can use the rest of the week for everyone who wants to participate to put forth their theories... and then next week we'll vote on a winner.
SYNOPSIS:
Robert Wone was a young, Washington, DC, lawyer who had just landed his dream job as legal council for Radio Free Asia. Wone, who had been happily married to his wife Katherine since 2003, was only 32 years old at the time of his murder.
He was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, but it was a friendship he made during his undergraduate studies at the College of William & Mary that would lead to his demise. While at W&M, Wone befriended another future lawyer, Joseph Price. The two formed a lasting friendship despite the fact Price was an openly gay, upperclassman from the South, and Wone was a straight, Asian, freshman from New York. The two ended up attending different law schools, but they stayed in touch and eventually found themselves both practicing law in the Nation's Capitol.
On what would prove to be the last night of his life, Wone had gone to meet his future colleagues at Radio Free Asia, and planned on crashing at Price's million dollar home. Price lived with his domestic partner Victor (an ad-executive working for the group behind the Got Milk? campaign), and their lover Dylan, a massage therapy student with a taste for rough sex. Wone didn't get to the house until around 10:30 pm, and the four of them stayed up until talking in the kitchen until around 11pm, when Wone decided to retire to the guest room.
At 11:49, police received a 9-1-1 call from a distraught Victor, who claimed that someone had broken into the home, stabbed Wone, and escaped off into the night. Police and paramedics managed to arrive on the scene only 5 minutes later, but it was too late... Wone was pronounced dead at George Washington University Hospital at 12:24 am.
Right away police thought things looked suspicious... It seemed unlikely that an intruder would have entered the home undetected, bypassed valuables that could have easily been taken, focused in on Wone for no apparent reason, stabbed him to death, and then fled the scene without being seen. There was no motive, and much of the physical evidence didn't seem to match the residents story of how the night unfolded.
The autopsy complicated things further when it was discovered that Wone had mysterious puncture marks on his chest, neck, foot, and hand. It also appeared as though he had been smothered with a pillow at some point before he was stabbed... and the bloody knife that was found on the scene? It didn't appear to have been the knife used in the attack. Investigators thought it was planted there.
With the focus of the investigation placed squarely on the three residents of the house, all three became basically uncooperative. At one point, police appeared ready to bring murder charges against some, or perhaps all of the residents, but it never happened. As it stands now, the three of them are only facing charges of obstruction of justice and conspiracy. They're still living together, albeit in a different home.
As I mentioned before, this is just a very brief synopsis of what happened. To get all the details I suggest starting with the Washington Post stories:
Part 1
Part 2
And you may also want to check out the wikipedia page, and this site dedicated to a few amateur sleuths who have investigated the murder. Lets put a deadline of Monday morning for any theories or stories to be presented. I'll put up a poll on the sidebar for voting next week.
-a "polyamourous" trio of gay professionals
-an alleged cover-up
-a botched crime scene
-elements of sadomasochism sex acts
-a squad of homicide detectives left scratching their heads
Not enough to pique your interest? How about an autopsy that revealed the victim was, "restrained, incapacitated with a mysterious injection, sexually assaulted and murdered."
For months now I've been looking for the right case to run a sequel to the, "Solve the Mystery," game we played back in May of 2008. If you recall, we spent several days debating the fate of the famous missing NYC judge, Joseph Crater... I think I've finally found a case worth of being the sequel.
I first learned about it when my beloved Washington Post ran a two-part article on the mysterious circumstances surrounding the case last week. I was immediately intrigued with the articles, but it wasn't until FITS friend and frequent commenter, Lauren, emailed me about it that I decided to make it into a "Solve the Mystery" post.
There are far too many details for me to to regurgitate here, so I'll just give a brief synopsis and provide a few links to where the full story can be read. I figure we can use the rest of the week for everyone who wants to participate to put forth their theories... and then next week we'll vote on a winner.
SYNOPSIS:
Robert Wone was a young, Washington, DC, lawyer who had just landed his dream job as legal council for Radio Free Asia. Wone, who had been happily married to his wife Katherine since 2003, was only 32 years old at the time of his murder.
He was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, but it was a friendship he made during his undergraduate studies at the College of William & Mary that would lead to his demise. While at W&M, Wone befriended another future lawyer, Joseph Price. The two formed a lasting friendship despite the fact Price was an openly gay, upperclassman from the South, and Wone was a straight, Asian, freshman from New York. The two ended up attending different law schools, but they stayed in touch and eventually found themselves both practicing law in the Nation's Capitol.
On what would prove to be the last night of his life, Wone had gone to meet his future colleagues at Radio Free Asia, and planned on crashing at Price's million dollar home. Price lived with his domestic partner Victor (an ad-executive working for the group behind the Got Milk? campaign), and their lover Dylan, a massage therapy student with a taste for rough sex. Wone didn't get to the house until around 10:30 pm, and the four of them stayed up until talking in the kitchen until around 11pm, when Wone decided to retire to the guest room.
At 11:49, police received a 9-1-1 call from a distraught Victor, who claimed that someone had broken into the home, stabbed Wone, and escaped off into the night. Police and paramedics managed to arrive on the scene only 5 minutes later, but it was too late... Wone was pronounced dead at George Washington University Hospital at 12:24 am.
Right away police thought things looked suspicious... It seemed unlikely that an intruder would have entered the home undetected, bypassed valuables that could have easily been taken, focused in on Wone for no apparent reason, stabbed him to death, and then fled the scene without being seen. There was no motive, and much of the physical evidence didn't seem to match the residents story of how the night unfolded.
The autopsy complicated things further when it was discovered that Wone had mysterious puncture marks on his chest, neck, foot, and hand. It also appeared as though he had been smothered with a pillow at some point before he was stabbed... and the bloody knife that was found on the scene? It didn't appear to have been the knife used in the attack. Investigators thought it was planted there.
With the focus of the investigation placed squarely on the three residents of the house, all three became basically uncooperative. At one point, police appeared ready to bring murder charges against some, or perhaps all of the residents, but it never happened. As it stands now, the three of them are only facing charges of obstruction of justice and conspiracy. They're still living together, albeit in a different home.
As I mentioned before, this is just a very brief synopsis of what happened. To get all the details I suggest starting with the Washington Post stories:
Part 1
Part 2
And you may also want to check out the wikipedia page, and this site dedicated to a few amateur sleuths who have investigated the murder. Lets put a deadline of Monday morning for any theories or stories to be presented. I'll put up a poll on the sidebar for voting next week.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
FILM VAULT TUESDAY - Carlito's Way
So it's Tuesday and I'm supposed to have something to write today... The new apartment feels like home now but I haven't quite figured out what to do in that home... I know that statement begs for further explanation but I'm not really sure I know what I'm trying to say.
I had my iPhone stolen last Wednesday. I was sitting on the train, near the door, playing blackjack as I listened to the new Eminem album. The train stopped at Rhode Island Avenue and the perpetrator waited until the doors were about to close, snatched it from my hands, and took off running. Or at least tried to run away... I was able to grab the sleeve of his sweatshirt for a second. In that brief moment we made eye contact. I thought I had him, and so did he. He let out a rather feminine yelp before managing to twist himself free from my grasp.
I chased him for a few yards but he was really fast and of course I've got the speed of an amputee trying to break in a new prosthetic leg... So of course, he got away and I had to shell out an ungodly sum for a new iPhone.
The new one is white... I've christened it, "Benny Blanco from the Bronx," a character from one of my all time favorite movies: Carlito's Way. My first iPod was named Pachanga, also named (in-part) after a character from that movie... considering how much I love it, I was surprised to find that I had somehow never bothered to review it for Film Vault Tuesday... until now that is...
Title: Carlito's Way (1993)
Credits: Al Pacino, Sean Penn, John Leguizamo, Penelope Ann Miller, Luis Guzman, Viggo Mortensen. Directed by Brian De Palma
Why?: I think what I love most about this movie is that even though at it is essentially a very basic story at its core, the stellar cast brings so much depth to the characters that the result is a story far more complex than it might have been. It becomes a story as much about relationships, redemption, and loyalty, as it is about romance and crime.
Remote Scene Stopper: There are many scenes that I could pick here... Carlito's intro and closing monologues... The "Okay, I'm Reloaded," shoot-out scene... Any of the Benny Blanco appearances... and of course the satisfying death of Sean Penn's brilliantly layered character. But one scene that flies under the radar is the "Lalin" scene with Carlito and Viggo Mortensen.
Overall: I'm of the opinion that Carlito's Way is one of the most grossly underrated movies on IMDB, which gives it a rating of only 7.8... That makes no sense to me. You have a classic story, well developed characters, two of the finest actors of a generation turning in some of the best performances of their career, a good score, and a great soundtrack.
It's been out for 16 years and yet it holds up as well today as it did in 1993. I give it a 9 without question, and would go as high as a 9.5 had it not been for Penelope Ann Miller's mediocre performance, which wouldn't even stand out so much had it not landed smack dab in the middle of such a strong cast.
*if you can find the books Carlito's Way or After Hours by Edwin Torres (the origin of the movie's plot) I can definitely recommend them. They're both very quick but memorable reads, and I've found myself going back to them both on several occasions... Unfortunately, I fear they may now be out of print. But like I said, if you can track them down they're certainly worth having in your library.
I had my iPhone stolen last Wednesday. I was sitting on the train, near the door, playing blackjack as I listened to the new Eminem album. The train stopped at Rhode Island Avenue and the perpetrator waited until the doors were about to close, snatched it from my hands, and took off running. Or at least tried to run away... I was able to grab the sleeve of his sweatshirt for a second. In that brief moment we made eye contact. I thought I had him, and so did he. He let out a rather feminine yelp before managing to twist himself free from my grasp.
I chased him for a few yards but he was really fast and of course I've got the speed of an amputee trying to break in a new prosthetic leg... So of course, he got away and I had to shell out an ungodly sum for a new iPhone.
The new one is white... I've christened it, "Benny Blanco from the Bronx," a character from one of my all time favorite movies: Carlito's Way. My first iPod was named Pachanga, also named (in-part) after a character from that movie... considering how much I love it, I was surprised to find that I had somehow never bothered to review it for Film Vault Tuesday... until now that is...
Title: Carlito's Way (1993)Credits: Al Pacino, Sean Penn, John Leguizamo, Penelope Ann Miller, Luis Guzman, Viggo Mortensen. Directed by Brian De Palma
Why?: I think what I love most about this movie is that even though at it is essentially a very basic story at its core, the stellar cast brings so much depth to the characters that the result is a story far more complex than it might have been. It becomes a story as much about relationships, redemption, and loyalty, as it is about romance and crime.
Remote Scene Stopper: There are many scenes that I could pick here... Carlito's intro and closing monologues... The "Okay, I'm Reloaded," shoot-out scene... Any of the Benny Blanco appearances... and of course the satisfying death of Sean Penn's brilliantly layered character. But one scene that flies under the radar is the "Lalin" scene with Carlito and Viggo Mortensen.
This was way before Viggo Mortensen was an established fixture on the silver screen. At the time, he was just "some guy" who had been lucky enough to land this very small role. It's only one scene, and it lasts all of about 2 minutes... but during those two minutes, he spends the duration basically alone on screen with Al Pacino in his prime... As they go one-on-one during their interaction it becomes apparent that, improbably, not only does Mortensen hold his own with Al, but he actually steals the scene! He even throws out a flawless Nuyorican accent in both English and Spanish.
It would be another 6 years before he landed a breakthrough role, but you can see all the talent and ability present right there in his brief appearance in Carlito's Way.
Tear Factor: If you can get through Carlito's final monologue without at least feeling the tears build around your eyes then you're lacking both a soul and an appreciation for cinema at its best.Overall: I'm of the opinion that Carlito's Way is one of the most grossly underrated movies on IMDB, which gives it a rating of only 7.8... That makes no sense to me. You have a classic story, well developed characters, two of the finest actors of a generation turning in some of the best performances of their career, a good score, and a great soundtrack.
It's been out for 16 years and yet it holds up as well today as it did in 1993. I give it a 9 without question, and would go as high as a 9.5 had it not been for Penelope Ann Miller's mediocre performance, which wouldn't even stand out so much had it not landed smack dab in the middle of such a strong cast.
*if you can find the books Carlito's Way or After Hours by Edwin Torres (the origin of the movie's plot) I can definitely recommend them. They're both very quick but memorable reads, and I've found myself going back to them both on several occasions... Unfortunately, I fear they may now be out of print. But like I said, if you can track them down they're certainly worth having in your library.
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