And the winner is....

The competition is over and was actually much more lopsided than I expected. Rather than have you skip down to the bottom of the page to find out the winner, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (TGTBTU) scored a late, but decisive knockout. To be honest, I'm not sure there will ever be a movie made that can beat TGTBTU because it was so ahead of its time and defined filmmaking in many ways.

I decided to score each category with one of three conclusions: EVEN, EDGE or WINNER. Of the six categories, TGTGBU was the WINNER in two, had the EDGE in two others and the last two categories were EVEN. Scary that the best Wall St. could do was even in any category.

On to the scorecard:

1) Plot: EVEN

Wall St.: Set in 1986 (just prior to the crash of 1987), Wall St. shows the ethical pitfulls of the decade of excess. The movie centers on the internal struggles of Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) who is trying to make it rich on Wall St.; however, with the anchor of a nagging conscience based on his blue color upbringing. Bud Fox hooks in with power player Gordon Gecko (Michael Douglass) who takes him under is wing but also taints him with the insider trading. Bud finally succumbs to his blue collar roots and gives up Gecko to the feds when Gecko double crosses him on a deal to save his father’s airline.

TGTGBU: The basic story of "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is actually a simple treasure hunt, but slowly develops over three hours with endless, unexpected twists and turns. Tuco (Eli Wallach) is a wanted criminal who collaborates with "Blondie" (Clint Eastwood) to run a scam where they split the reward for Tuco’s capture when Blondie shoots the rope around his neck as the lawmen hang him. Tuco and Blondie have a reluctant, tortured partnership though and just as they are breaking things off they each learn half of the secret to a $200,000 treasure. As they set out to find the gold together they cross paths with Angel Eyes Sentenza (Lee Van Cleef), another drifter and paid killer, who also learns about the treasure but is missing the details Tuco and Blondie hold. All three converge at the location of the gold to create what I believe is the best moving ending of all time.


2) Cast/Characters: EVEN

"Blondie" (Clint Eastwood), Tuco (Eli Wallach) and Angel Eyes Sentenza (Lee Van Cleef) form a compelling acting trio with combined performances that may never be matched again. However, Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) and Gordon Gecko (Michael Douglass) are an incredible duo in their own right and while Wall St. doesn’t have a third character to compare with any of those from TGTBTU, the depth of supporting characters is very strong whereas TGTBTU falls off a cliff after their top three. Thus, I consider the category to be a tie.

3) Dialogue/Quotes: EDGE TGTBTU

This category took a lot of thought and was difficult to judge. At first blush, Wall St. appears to have the edge almost solely on Gordon Gecko’s incredibly insightful commentary on the stock markets. However, upon further review, many of the quotes are cliché and pithy. Don’t get me wrong, I love Gecko’s quotes and will always be in awe of them, but the lines in TGTBTU are much more genuine and the comedic undertone is sheer genius. The TGTBTU dialogue is genuine and layered, whereas Wall St. falls flat in comparison. There are two types of movie dialogue in this world…

4) Music: WINNER TGTBTU

WHACK…THUD. That’s the sound of Wall St. taking a blow to the chin and falling to the canvas for the first time. Ennio Morricone's brilliant musical score is an instant classic – always hitting the right note and underscoring the slowly building tension of TGTBU. I could mention Sinatra’s Fly Me to The Moon intro song as a great opening song in Wall St. but it’s not even in the same league artistically.

5) Cinematography: EVEN

This may be a shocker to some. TGTBTU is renowned for its breathtaking landscape panoramas and striking facial close ups. However, Wall St.’s cinematography is highly underrated and needs to be appreciated more than it is.

6) Ending: WINNER TGTBTU

This is the death blow for Wall St. In my opinion, too many movies get a free pass on their endings. It’s the ending that makes the movie. It’s what you are building toward and it’s what the audience leaves remembering. Wall St.’s ending is melancholy and anti-climactic. It’s also somewhat symptomatic and unavoidable. Still, it’s nothing noteworthy or memorable and arguably could have been more impactful.

On the other hand, TGTBTU’s ending is probably the greatest of all time. The Good (Blondie), The Bad (Tuco) and the Ugly (Angel Eyes) all converge at the cemetery where the gold is located and face off in a tense three way showdown. When they draw, Blondie kills Angel Eyes knowing Tuco’s gun was empty (Eastwood took his bullets out the night before). Blondie locates the grave where the gold is buried and utters Tuco’s patented “two types” line back at him for the first time all movie: “There are two types of people in this world…those with loaded guns, and those who dig…you dig”. After Tuco excitedly digs up the gold and starts hugging it. Blondie quickly stops the party when he orders Tuco up onto a flimsy wooden cross headstone to stick his neck in a noose. Blondie saddles up his horse with half the gold, looks back at Tuco (who is quivering as he tries to stay up on the cross) and says “two for you, two for me…just like old times”, leaving Tuco’s share of the gold at his feet in front of the cross as his neck hangs in the noose…Blondie rides off into the sunset as Tuco screams for mercy. Blondie disappears but seconds later is seen riding back as Tuco excitedly thinks he is coming back to save him. Blondie stops and there’s a gunshot and Tuco falls off the cross as Blondie ends the movie and their partnership by shooting him down from a noose one last time. The movie ends with Tuco yelling out: “HEYYYY...BLOND…you know what you are?...just a dirty SON-OF-A-B- [wahwahwah…whah, whah, whah….— the theme music cuts off ITCH and the movie ends].

2008 Cycling Season Officially Underway

I broke out the trainer today to kickoff the 2008 Cycling Season. Just 30 mins freestyle (no video) in the small chaing ring/middle ring on the cassette. I used to think time went slowest while watching baseball. I now have to give the nod to riding the trainer (without the use of a training video). Hope to get three freestyle 30 min rides in this week and then start on some videos next week. My SIG training season starts on March 1st (I'm a leader this year).

Ride on.

The Bully

The Judging Criteria

Here's the criteria I'm using to jugde Wall St. vs. TGTBTU:

1) Plot
2) Cast/Characters
3) Dialogue/Quotes
4) Music
5) Cinematography
6) Ending

If any reader(s) can think of other categories/criteria, feel free to chime in.

Challenging the Incumbent

I'm sure many of you have had discussions with your friends about your favorite movies of all time. It's one of those questions you could answer differently one day to the next. But for me there has always been a clear number one: The Good The Bad and The Ugly. I love this movie for many reasons. First, the cinematography is incredible and way ahead of its time. Second, I love that the story builds slowly and with limited/carefully chosen dialogue -- it's the slow progression of the story that ultimately creates the suspense and tension. Third, the actors and acting is incredible -- the gamesmanship between Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach is timeless. Finally, the soundtrack fits the movie perfectly.

Working on Wall St. is a mixed bag -- it's fun but it can also wear on you. You get inside perspective on the game but the emotional highs and lows can drive you a bit crazy and challenge your interest level. However, one thing that seems to be a constant for me is a fascination for the major players that shape the game. I read a great book recently, King of the Club, which tells the story of Dick Grasso's rise to the top of the NYSE. I've pretty much seen every angle of Wall St. (investment banking, sell side research, buy side/asset management) and now the sheen is clearly off for me -- nothing or noone seems larger than life anymore. I've achieved everything I want to achieve in terms of challenges. Reading this book has been an incredible experience bc it makes you realize the power players on Wall St. aren't any smarter than you or me -- they're just human beings with tremendous egos. You think they do things for the good of the markets and investors, etc...but in reality it's only for their self-interest and egos. The tricky part of capitalism is it's built on the individual's desire to get rich/ahead which creates competition, innovation and should move everyone's standard of living forward in the process. In short, the system is driven by greed -- but greed is tricky bc it can push you dangerously close to the line of integrity and in most instances over it. The Grass book really makes you think about the balance of individual greed and what's good for the overall system.

The movie Wall St. has always been lurking in the shadows at number two. One key to being a great movie is passing the test of time, which Wall St. is doing with flying colors. Reading The King of the Club has started me thinking more about the movie and how impactful it really is. How it really captures the essence of Wall St. Of course there's some sensationalism, etc...but it gives as good an inside perspective as I've ever seen.

The challenge is now on. I'm going to watch The Good The Bad and The Ugly and Wall St. as many times as I need to make a decision on which movie will be number one. I may even do individual posts on each one. The best part of the challenge is that it is really a tribute to each movie as in the end, they are both about gamesmanship and the fact that only the strong survive.

Bringing Sexyback

It's been a long tough winter already. Considering we are only technically six days into winter, this is a sobering thought.

Time for me to get back to my healthy ways. I've gained enough weight back for people to make comments and worse for me to feel lethargic, unhealthy and generally flabby. Time to bring sexyback.

I'm setting my cycling goals for 2008 and will begin my training in earnest in January:

1) complete 3,500 miles of riding (vs. 3,000 in 2007)
2) be a leader for the A-19 SIG (this is a 12 week training series for the NYCC I completed last year and will lead this year).
3) do an early summer tour of Nova Scotia, Canada.
4) do a late summer tour of the lakes region of Italy.

I'm hoping to get firSSt to join one of my bike tours. Further, a co-worker has expressed interest in the Canada tour. Regardless, I'm willing to do either or both alone.

Conspiracy to Commit Murder

Billion Bucks is alive and kicking. The song just won't die. I have some theories on it but will wait 'til later to hypothecate.

I have a new strategy for killing the song though. Bring in some co-conspirators. On two separate occassions, I've explained the indestructible song theory to two of my buddies and and then played the song for them. I figure, how the heck can someone like a song that is introduced to them as indestructible? It sets unachievable expectation levels.

What was the result you ask? Complete confusion. In both cases my buddies listened to the song with a someone indifferent expression but then commented "yeah, good song" at the end. No read. I want someone to tell me I am crazy for thinking this song is indestructible or even good in the first place. I thought I had an indestructible sitcom with Hogan's Heroes and then firSSt massacred it with the loudest silent reject in the history of mankind. This is what I'm after with a Billion Bucks. I need someone to tell me it sucks firSSt.

The Money Man

Well, you are looking at the new Treasurer of the New York Cycle Club. I think it sounds more important/impressive than it is considering noone else ran for the job/I was basically recruited for it.

I've been to one transitional board meeting and just had a meeting with the outgoing treasurer to review the responsibilities. While it seems like a good bit of work it definitely feels good to be giving something back to the cycling community. It will also give me a bird's eye view on the inner workings of likely one of the largest cycling clubs in the country. And if I'm (we're) lucky it'll even provide some blogworthy material given that I expect to be interacting with some serious characters.

One of the first things I've noticed is how "paper intensive" the processes are. Almost feels like I'm CFO of some factory in Altoona, PA in the 1970's....check stock, deposit slips, P.O. Boxes, signature stamps, etc...

I think I'm going to try and streamline/automate some things. Likely the thought of every new board member. Let's see if I'm willing to do some heavy lifting.