Catching up with Burn Notice

So with the holiday on my heels I took the time to catch up with my favorite spy without a job. Yes, Michael Westen of Burn Notice has been quite busy. And the 3rd season of the show has not let me down.

When last we saw Michael, his sort of girlfriend Fiona, and boozy buddy Sam the group that put out the burn notice that created the problems for Michael had just decided to give him a taste of what freedom is like. Following the adage of be careful what you ask for, the show is shoveling the repercussions down Michael’s throat. So far, not one has been good.

The reason is that with his unwanted employers gone, and no other Government Agency willing to go near Westen, all protection he had is gone. That means the police suddenly have links to our trio, and so does every Government with a chip on their shoulder for something Westen did to them in the past.

So far, as of the 4th episode, Sam has been audited. Fiona has had her background checked, as have Nate (Michael’s brother) and likely his mom. Michael himself though is really getting it thick. He has been betrayed by a former friend with an inferiority complex, weathered the return of Brennan, and hounded by police officer Paxson at every turn.

I really like the Paxson character. She is a no bull hard-line detective that goes after her suspects like a pitbull. You might even think she could like Michael, if she wasn’t so possessed with busting him for anything. Of course trying to get her fired, and succeeding in costing the job of her partner, in one episode didn’t help smooth things between the 2.

Probably the best episode so far was the one with Brennan. His return was exactly what you might expect. Pissed off for being double crossed last season, wanting to exact revenge and get paid doing it. His weapon of choice? Do what I say or brother Nate dies, painfully.

The episode shows off Westen’s skills and the speed of his mind versus a character virtually as smart and definitely more ruthless. The fact that Michael is smart enough to pull in the help of Sam, Fiona, and recurring character Barry really makes the difference. Though I found his major bluff at the end of the show to be particularly brilliant. It plays off of his obvious compassion for children, a fact it seems that even the bad guys have noticed.

I hand it to the writers for doing their jobs well. Having reached the peak of the initial quest in the show last season there were big questions to what might happen next. Could the show continue and be interesting? What would be the new motivation? Would any of it make sense?

As of the 4th episode all the questions have been answered with a positive. Perhaps the only issue I have with the show so far is that Officer Paxson has been mostly taken out of the picture. She added a complexity that was fun to watch, especially as she timed her entrances to be of the most distraction and hindrance to the crew at work. Though she may play a part in future episodes.

But the new questions facing the trio are interesting, if not as volatile as in the first 2 seasons. Fiona wants Michael to stay in Florida and have their relationship grow. Michael wants to get back to the life he had before, while protecting his family from the huge list of people that really would rather he was dead and grieving their loss. Sam though seems content to have a friend around, especially if he can buy a round or 5 from time to time.

Ultimately though the fact that a spy can’t just stop and not have a major organization behind them will catch up with Westen. His prospective employers from season 1 and 2 have not given up on keeping Westen in their fold. They are simply biding their time to re-enter his life when he is at his lowest and most needy point. And you can see it coming.

It seems highly likely that Brennan will be back yet again, and may be the final key to forcing Michael to submit to Management’s offer.

If the writing keeps the current pace and quality, I expect that the show will have 1 or 2 more seasons before the running plot just gets either too absurd, or repetitive. So if you haven’t had the time to watch the current season, I’d recommend looking out for the repeats. And if you can make the time, catch the first runs as they hit each week.

Movie Preview: Sherlock Holmes

As is wont of so many movies these days, the film Sherlock Holmes – starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law – is a physical take on an old theme. At least that is what the trailer is displaying at this moment.



I find it odd that one of the more classic and noted intellectuals of literary work has now become a brawling less thinking more ordinary hero in the hands of Guy Ritchie. I suppose that in this “revisioning” of the character is targeted to the Hollywood mentality that explosions beat thought. Or they just want to draw more younger fans that have never seen a movie based on this character let alone ever read a book about him.

My questions about the film all lie in the depiction the trailer presents and Guy Ritchie. They seem to be emphasizing the many notable flaws that Sherlock Holmes certainly has, and downplaying the deductive reasoning that made the character a master detective. Which is a real letdown.

Of course I have to mention that the accent by Robert Downey Jr. appears to be less than convincing, which is a surprise. In the past Sherlock has always had the distinctive British accent one would expect from an Englishman. But Downey is very American, and his accent betrays a weakness in the portrayal. I would hope it was just that the scenes selected were less important and not a complete picture of the accent employed. Not that many scenes in the movie trailer are speaking scenes.

Guy Ritchie tends to focus on the physical in his movies. He likes the ferocity of combat, and the motion of chaos as I have observed (which is hardly a complete vision of all his films). Thus I expect that much of what makes Holmes indelible will be lost due to no fault of the actors. How modern movie audiences will react is hard to say.

This is a period piece film. Yet the movie trailer flows more like a Dark Knight video clip than you would imagine. You can almost feel a Batmobile ready to pop out of a street corner.

I am comparing this a lot to the latest Batman revisioning. Not because I dislike the Christian Bale version (other than the Joker) but because it too generally ignores the deductive though and detective work (basically all the thinking of the character), replacing them with action. It works well, and audiences like it, but that does not mean that the character is being given the full depth it can have.

Thus I see Sherlock Holmes in a similar manner under the guidance of Ritchie. Bravado and flash, daring do vs. understanding of the situation. It can work well, and be a good film. But somehow I see Law and Downey being under used for such a film.

This is of course the first trailers for the film. This is a tease and as such we cannot be really sure what the actual film will comprise. But we can be sure there is a bit of titillation for the ladies, and action for the guys. Lots of on location scenes, and a bit of the classic British flare. But will there be a mind to the film, a piece of the soul found in the books? Maybe the next set of trailers will tell.

So until we can see more, I think this will be a decent film. I think it will do well in the box office. It will be worth the time spent in the theater, and for many that’s all that matter in the end.

Interview with Zachary Majka about the Dick's Open Pro-Am Tournament

Recently a friend of mine, Zachary Majka (part of my APA 8-ball team and going to the Las Vegas Nationals with me), was able to have an experience that many golfers only dream of having. He was able to play in a Pro/Am golf tournament. This Pro-Am was the Dick’s Open Tournament at En-Joie Golf Course in Endicott, NY on June 25, 2009. I was able to get him to share a few questions about the experience.

Michael Vass: Tell us a little about you.

Zarchary Majka: I am 25 years old, married for 10 months now with a new house and 2 dogs. I have been golfing for about 8 years now and I love the game. I play in a league on Monday nights and also try to get out for another round during the week if time permits. I really can't play enough. I have one saying that sums it up



"Born to golf forced to work, so many courses so little time."



Michael Vass: How did you get to enter the Dick's Pro-Am Tournament?

Zarchary Majka: My employer was a sponsor in the Dick's Open Tournament and because of that they had an appreciation tournament for all sponsors. At that tournament they have a dinner and they randomly pick 8 players to play in the Pro-Am. I was the 8th player picked!!!!

Michael Vass: What handicap are you?

Zarchary Majka: My handicap was 17 for the Pro-Am

Michael Vass: How many days were you able to play?

Zarchary Majka: I played 1 of the days. Thursday June 25th 8am

Michael Vass: Who were you playing with?

Zarchary Majka: The Champions Tour Pro that I played with was Lonnie Nielsen

Michael Vass: How was the course?

Zarchary Majka: The course was in impeccable shape, thick rough, fast greens and lush fairways.

Michael Vass: Any difference from playing the course when the Pro's aren't there?

Zarchary Majka: I have played the course a few times when it wasn't prepared for the Open and yes, I most definitely see a difference in the grooming.

Michael Vass: What was it like to play with the pro?

Zarchary Majka: At first I was very nervous and scared that I would play bad. But playing with a pro was amazing. Lonnie made me feel at ease and gave helping advice when needed.

Michael Vass: Did you learn any tips, what kind of person was he, how was the caddy, ect.

Zarchary Majka: I was hitting the ball to the left often (slicing) and I asked him why am I doing that? He explained why and gave me a tip on how to hit the ball more straight on a consistent basis.

He said that I needed to bring my hips through before I make contact with the ball, and I am happy to say that he was right. It works because I did it at my golf league on Monday night.

Lonnie's caddy, Gipsy, was a funny short big bellied Italian who loved to talk and was very helpful with his reading of the greens and giving the distances of shots from the fairways, sand and/or woods occasionally.

Michael Vass: How did you score?

Zarchary Majka: In the Pro-Am our team shot 13 under and was tied for 9th place.



Michael Vass: What is it like for a normal person to have a crowd around you?

Zarchary Majka: It was very different that just playing in league or going out with your friends. It gave me a new appreciation for the pros on what they mentally have to deal with, and deal with it they do!!

Michael Vass: How did your pro ultimately do?

Zarchary Majka: Well its funny you ask because he went on to not only win the 2009 Dick's Sporting Goods Open but he did it with the lowest 3 round score on the Champions Tour (this year or in history not sure). He shot a 21 under.

[For the record it was a 195 3-day total for the win, beating Fred Funk by 3. The record was for the 3 year Pro-Am at En-Joie. In addition Neilsen’s 63 was the lowest final round score for a winner on the Champion’s Tour this year.]

Michael Vass: Anything else you would like to share with us regular duffers about the experience?

Zarchary Majka: It was just amazing and something that will be with me forever, an experience of a lifetime!!