Tip of the hat, wag of the finger, flip of the bird.

All for the movie Splice. And yeah, I've been watching a little too much Colbert Report lately.

Dren looks like that for less than half of the movie.

Tip of the hat to the movie as a whole. Splice was not at all what I was led to expect, and I mean that in the best possible way. Rather than being some jump scare-ridden creature flick, the movie was less about Dren and more about the two scientists who create her. Less horror, more science fiction, and a lot of little peeks into the minds of the two main characters. What compels them to create Dren, how her presence in their lives affects their marriage, how they affect her development, etc. Dren is actually a fairly minor character until the last 1/3 or so of the movie. She's just kind of there until she ages and starts looking more human. Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley deliver rock-solid performances.

Wag of the finger to whoever made the decision to turn the last 20 minutes into a by-the-numbers creature flick. It wasn't entirely out of left field, but it still seemed a tad incongruous with the tone and pacing of the rest of the movie. Plus I wasn't thrilled about the seemingly blatant sequel set-up at the end. Coming soon, Splice 2: Revenge of the Rise of the Double Helix.

Big, fat middle finger to the people in charge of marketing. The trailers and ads almost completely misrepresent the movie, the last 20 minutes notwithstanding. I can only imagine how many people may have been convinced to skip it because of the horrendous marketing campaign. If I hadn't read the reviews, I might have missed out myself. I'm sure some who did go experienced disappointment because of the discrepancy between preview and product. I distinctly remember a few people walking out after 30 or so minutes on the day I saw Splice.

If you're in the market for the kind of horror movie the trailers promise, avoid Splice. You probably won't walk away happy. If stripped down science fiction with interesting characters sounds like something you'd like to see, see Splice. I don't care if you rent it, go to a dollar theater, or view it by some other cheap method. Just give Splice a chance.

The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on the Internet Post

Just got back from the last show of Conan O'Brien's tour not an hour ago. I'm too jazzed to sleep, so might as well post on the internet. The show was excellent, and I don't regret one dime spent on it. Well, I kinda regret the money spent on that soda. Even for a concert venue, the prices on non-alcoholic beverages at the Fox Theatre are outrageous.

The opening act was a musician/comedian by the name of Reggie Watts. His set impressed me a bit. I am definitely interested in checking out more of his material. After a brief intermission while they set up for the main show, The Legally Prohibited Band (Conan's Tonight Show Band minus Weinberg) came out and performed a couple of numbers. I've always been impressed by the lot of them on Late Night and The Tonight Show, but you don't know how good a band really is until you hear them live. After tonight, I view them as nothing less than amazing.

After Conan monologued for a bit, the show alternated between musical numbers and comedy. While I can't say much for Conan's signing, he plays a pretty mean guitar. Comedy highlights included Andy reading an ad for the Clermont Lounge, Conan having a 'dialogue' with the audience (the audience's part being fed to us by teleprompter) in which the audience cajoled him into kissing LaBamba, and the Chuck Norris Rural Officer Handle that played clips of a certain show that shall remain nameless. For the Chuck Norris Rural Officer Handle bit, Conan brought out Evander Holyfield and Jack McBrayer for a pull of the handle. My favorite musical moment was the instrumental rendition of Seven Nation Army. It offered a great chance for the guitarists in the band, including Conan, to show off a bit.

I had so much fun at the show that I almost regret not paying for one of the expensive package deals with autographed merchandise and the like. Almost.