Man On Wire

I watched a movie this week that really got under my skin (in a good way) – Man on Wire. It’s a documentary about a tightrope walker who strung a cable between the two towers of the World Trade Center in 1974 and then walked on it.


What I found so interesting about this movie is the vision and drive that the main character (Philippe Petit) has to perform this feat. Like you hear about the motivations of many artists, Petit was compelled to do this. He had to do it. Why? There was no why. It was just something he had to do. It’s like what you hear some writers or musicians say. And if you have an issue with calling Petit an artist, just look at some of the reactions of people in the film to what he did. What he did provoked reactions from many people similar to what a beautiful painting or piece of music provokes.

Provided it doesn’t result in harm to other people, I admire those who have a vision and stick to it no matter what. And I think I am slightly jealous of those who are called so clearly to do what they do. I have never felt something like that. I do know the pleasure of getting lost in a creative endeavor, and having it guide my actions to a certain extent. I guess I have felt called to do certain things, but not to the extent on display in this film. This guy risked his life to do this! I’m not sure I would have the courage to do something like that. And that’s why I found this film so fascinating.

I'm Not There

This weekend I watched one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. It's called "I'm Not There". You may have heard of it - it's the movie that's "about" Bob Dylan and has six different actors playing various incarnations of him. I know, some of you are rolling your eyes already. I was too before I saw it. The movie received a lot of critical acclaim, but I was kind of skeptical. It just sounded like it had the possibility of being too precious, or too clever for its own good. And I'm a Dylan fan. After seeing it I thought the movie lived up to the hype.

Over the years Dylan has inhabited a number of different personae. And while that in itself is not unique in the biopic genre, this movie takes it to a higher level (as some would say Dylan himself has done in real life). The movie presents completely fictional personifications alongside the more realistic ones. Such as an 11 year old African American boy who idolizes Woody Guthrie and rides around the country in boxcars playing his guitar and singing. This character represents the early Dylan who professed a love of Woody Guthrie and liked to tell tall tales about his origins. Another aspect of Dylan is that he is a highly mysterious figure, and this movie does a great job of presenting that aspect too. The movie suggests that all of these shifting personalities were a way for Dylan to maintain his freedom, rather than being stuck inside people's preconceived notions of what he should be, which seems to be key to his creative process.

There are some very interesting themes presented in the film about the nature of identity and reality, and I even think that it says some interesting things about American culture. The movie is really well-made too. The acting is superb, and the way that the different personalities are presented in thematically appropriate film styles is very interesting. There's some amazing imagery, especially in the Billy the Kid segment towards the end of the film. The way that Dylan's music is woven throughout the film is great too. It's used both as straightforward musical accompaniment and dialogue spoken by various characters. This all sounds like a bit much I'm sure, which is why I think my expectations may have been lowered. But it all comes together in a really compelling way in my opinion.

Having said all that, I'm not sure that I would recommend it to everyone. If you need a strong narrative in your movies then you probably want to look elsewhere. This also isn't a movie that you can just kind of watch while you're folding laundry or making dinner - it requires you to pay attention. I do recommend it for people who enjoy bold and unusual films.

JC Goes to Hollywood, Pt. 3

Finally, the long-awaited conclusion (yeah, right) of JC Goes to Hollywood!

I mentioned previously that there was free popcorn at the premiere. Pretty cool, no? Only one problem though – it was stale. Did that keep me from eating the entire bag? Nope. I have no pride.

After the screening of the movie, the plan was to head to the party that was scheduled to take place down the street. There were actual tickets issued for the party too. My sister and I headed down the street toward the party. The sidewalk was still blocked off by barricades, which were jammed with people hoping to see someone famous. By the time we headed for the party, the sidewalk was pretty empty, so we got the full attention of the crowd as they tried to determine whether we were worth taking photos of. Apparently we weren’t. Unfortunately they kept our tickets as we handed them over to get into the party.

We thought the party would be taking place at a club, but upon entering we found a different scene. A parking lot had been transformed into basically an open-air club. It was most impressive. Right at the entrance was a Cadillac like the one in the movie that had copious amounts of smoke coming from the inside. There was a large area in the center of the space that had been made to look like a growhouse. There were tables set up in various locations that had a wide variety of munchies. Several bars were set up as well, and one of them had an ice sculpture of a bee (it took us a while to figure out that the bee was the logo of the sponsor providing the booze). There were pineapples all over the place, and bricks of fake weed.

There was a DJ spinning tunes, and some stairs that led up to another area that had a bar, a bunch of stalls where you could play Rock Band, and a police car with flashing lights decked out to look like one from a certain scene in the movie. There was also an area where you could get your photo taken with all of these props that they had lying around. My sister and I got our photo taken, which you can view below.

I wasn’t very hungry, so I actually didn’t eat much of the food that was there. But I couldn’t turn down free booze!

Shortly after arriving I got to talk to my friend briefly. I think he had a hard time believing that all of this was for a movie that he had made. My sister and I did a quick walkaround to see what was going on, and I saw Mike D again. He looked freaked out again, so maybe that’s just how he looks.

Most of the famous people were hanging out around some reserved tables on either side of the main bar on the lower level. We spent quite a bit of time sitting at my friend’s table, which gave us a good view of a lot of people. Most of the cast was there, although we didn’t see Seth Rogen until pretty late. My friend introduced me to Danny McBride, who I think will be a big deal at some point. I think if you see the movie you will understand why. They have been friends since their college days.

James Franco arrived about an hour after we got there, and he was soon being asked for photos and autographs. I had heard that he didn’t like posing for photos, but he seemed to oblige everyone who asked. He was standing right next to the other side of the table we were sitting at, so we got to see him do his celebrity thing for about an hour and a half. He looked super-grungy in the movie, but at the party he was back to his usual teen dream self. And I know I'm a dude, but I can still admit that James Franco is a handsome man.

Speaking of teen dreams, while we were sitting next to the James Franco receiving line, someone started to squeeze past our table and I looked up to see who it was. To my surprise it was Emile Hirsch. It was really weird seeing him because I hadn’t seen him on the red carpet or at the movie (although he was there), and also because I just watched “Into The Wild” not that long ago. I really enjoyed that movie, and it was strange to see that face that I so identify with that movie in real life. I didn’t talk to him, but I kind of wish that I had. He is also a handsome man.

I decided not to be a celebri-pest for the most part. I think a lot of that had to do with how bad I would have felt if someone blew me off, so I decided not to give them the chance (hmm, sounds a lot like why I never ask any women out). So I mostly contented myself with eyeballing folks from near or far. And I eyeballed Amber Heard quite a bit (dig that dress!) since she was nearby. Despite my best gawking efforts, she seemed impervious to my charms.

This guy was in the movie and was nearby at the party. All I could think of every time I would see him was “Hey, that’s the guy who had to keep stirring the pasta sauce in Goodfellas!”

I did make one exception to the celebri-pest policy in talking to Stanley from The Office (Leslie Baker). My sister wanted me to take a photo of her with him using her camera phone, and I got the feeling that he would be cool with it. So we approached him and I got a photo of my sister with him. I wish I had had her take one of me. He was really nice. We had resolved that we were going to approach Huey Lewis while waiting in line to get our photo made, but by the time we were done he had left. Darnit.

My sister saw Edward Norton sitting at a table late in the evening, and she told me she was going to ask him if she could get a photo with him. I kinda got a vibe from him that he might say “no”, so I told her “Don’t be disappointed if he says no”. Well, he said “no”. Actually he said “No, I don’t do that. But thanks for asking”. I interpret “thanks for asking” to mean “thanks for not taking a photo without my permission”. Although it was kind of a disappointment, I gotta say that I can’t really blame the guy. I would probably do the same thing if I was in his shoes. If he let one person do it, then someone else would come over, and the whole thing would snowball. That’s pretty much what happened to James Franco (while his date sat at a table patiently waiting for him to finish). Famous people gotta chill too, ya know?

We stayed until the bitter end. The “bitter end” being that part of the evening when the bar ran out of alcohol. First they ran out of the tequila that they were using in the mixed drinks that they created for the premiere, and then they ran out of beer. When we asked what was left the bartender found some rum and made us a couple of very strong rum and Cokes, which I think we both came to regret the next day.

It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience, and I’m really thankful to my friend for making it possible for us to be there.

The End!

This is me and my sister in the photo booth thing. I wanted to pose with the bong, but it conveniently disappeared before we got up there.

JC Goes to Hollywood, Pt. 2

And Part 2 of my movie premiere post...

The lobby inside the theater was packed. My sister and I each made bathroom stops before going to sit down, and while I was waiting for her to come out I found myself standing next to this guy, who was getting his picture taken by a fan with a camera phone. I just watched a movie with DK in it (Walk Hard). I talked to him briefly and he seemed very nice. He actually initiated a handshake with me. As we were talking I spotted Mike D, which was very cool since I am a huge Beastie Boys fan. I also love that his wife directed “Billy Madison”. He looked kind of freaked-out, which was either because he heard me say “Hey, it’s Mike D!” and saw me looking at him all slack-jawed, or because that’s just how he looks (second theory may be bolstered by a secondary spotting). He had some crazy-ass hair. I gotta say I’m a bit worried about Mr. D’s caloric intake – he looked a bit too skinny and his face was kind of gaunt. Eat your veggies, Mike! After I was done scaring Mike D, we each grabbed a box of free popcorn and a soda and went in to find our seats.

Things got pretty interesting once we went inside. We were walking down the aisle to our row when who do I see standing off to the right but Daniel Craig. James Bond himself! It was weird for me to see him because I specifically referenced him in my pre-trip post with regards to how I would not be wearing a suit to the premiere (and the guy I threw out as his sartorial opposite was there too, although I didn’t personally see him). And he was wearing a suit, but went sans tie. Before we got to where Daniel Craig was, my sister spotted Edward Norton on the other side. So it was definitely weird to pass within a couple of feet of Daniel Craig and then seconds later pass within a couple feet of Edward Norton.

We found our seats and settled in to see who else we could spot. Jason Schwartzman was seated on the row behind us. There were lots of people who looked kind of familiar, but that I couldn’t quite place. One of them I later figured out was the guy who plays Lloyd on “Entourage”. I love Lloyd! Jonah Hill was seated directly in front of my sister. I was gobsmacked to see that Elizabeth Banks was seated in the row in front of us. I have a super-celebrity crush on her. She looked even more amazing in person than she does on screen. It really is true that so many of these people look even better in person. I do have to say though, that while I love EB, I'm not sure what she was thinking with her choice of footwear.

Apparently we missed some of the big names that were there. We had no idea until the next day that Kanye West, Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy, Jack Black, Amanda Peet, Alicia Silverstone, or Adrienne Curry and Peter Knight were there. They must have all shown up after we went inside and been sitting behind us. I didn’t do much looking toward the back of the theater after we sat down, and it was a pretty big theater too. Had I known that the movie wasn’t really going to start until 8, I would’ve stayed outside longer.

The movie got a really good reception from the audience, and I thought it was really funny. When the names of each actor would appear on screen there would be cheering and applause. I guess that tends to happen when you and your friends go to see a movie that you are in!

To be continued in Part 3...

JC Goes to Hollywood, Pt. 1

OK, I know blog posts should be short. But I'm mostly writing here so that I can look back someday and see what my life was like back in the day. That means that sometimes I want to capture lots of detail, which means long posts. I will break this experience up into 3 posts to help a little bit with readability, though. So here is part 1.

So how was the movie premiere? It was pretty damn cool! We saw lots of well-known faces.

We took a cab to the premiere, and let me tell you that apparently pulling up to the end of the red carpet in a taxi is apparently frowned-upon. The security people had a fit when our taxi stopped. I guess we were just supposed to teleport from the cab to the sidewalk? I’m a VIP dammit!

After procuring our tickets (great-big laminated, thick cardboard things with actual row and seat numbers on them, photo below) we crossed the street where we saw my friend’s family standing. Right before crossing the street I had my first celebrity sighting – this guy from the new Mummy flick – who I only recognized because I saw him on an LA morning show that day.

The theater sits facing out to the intersection of two streets. There was a red carpet running from the entrance out to the street corner, and then it ran down one of the streets. This side area was where the cast was doing their interviews, posing for photos, etc. The side area was backdropped by enormous banners for the movie, as was the right side of the main entrance carpet. There were barricades setup across both streets and in front of the Starbucks next to the theater, and there were tons of people against the barricades hoping to spot celebs. The barricade next to the main red carpet entrance was packed with paparazzi. It was quite a scene.

We spent the majority of our time outside in the triangular area between the main entrance and the interview area. Due to the banners/posters, we could really only see people when they were going from the side area to the main entrance, or when some of the people walked along behind the banners to get to the “secret” entrance. A few of the supporting cast from the movie, like James Remar and Nora Dunn, were hanging out in our area for a while.

Immediately after arriving in this area we saw Jon Voight head for the secret entrance. And then the kid who played McLovin in Superbad. We saw most of the cast, and my friend’s mom took a picture of him coming up the red carpet. I decided not to bring my camera because (a) I wasn’t sure how cool the theater would be with me having it, (2) I didn’t think some of the celebs would be cool with me having it, and (thirdly) I didn’t want to look any more like a tourist than I already did.

The movie was scheduled to start at 7:30, so we stayed outside until about 7:25 before going in. We wanted to stay outside as long as possible without missing any of the movie. We made the choice to walk down the red carpet instead of going to one of the side doors because how many chances will we have to walk down an honest-to-God red carpet at a movie premiere?! This is most likely my only one!

To be continued in Part 2...

Giant laminated ticket!

California Here I Come

I'm taking a little vacation time at the end of this week. I have a special trip coming up. I'm heading out to California. Why, you may ask? BECAUSE I'M GOING TO A MOVIE PREMIERE! I know it's kind of cheesy, but it's still pretty cool if you ask me. A friend of mine is a movie director, and the last time I saw him he mentioned that I should try and come to the premiere of his next movie if I could, so I'm taking him up on his offer. I mean, c'mon, this may be my only chance to attend a Hollywood premiere as a guest of the director!

I had some stress over what I should wear at first, because I usually do not dress to impress. My friend said that I could wear whatever I want, but I didn't want to show up in shorts and a t-shirt. I did some snooping around on IMDB since they have lots of photos of people at premieres, and it really does run the gamut. I'm shooting for retro casual. Think more Jack Black than Daniel Craig! I'm sure I'll be the turd in the punchbowl anyway.

I don't know if I'll get to meet this guy or this guy. I certainly wouldn't turn down the chance to creep out this lovely lady in person. But either way I think it will be fun. I will also be spending some time with my sister (she's going to the premiere with me) and zoo animals. And there will be In N Out Burger. Good times! I imagine the experience will be something like this:



I'm not putting the name of the movie in the post because I don't want people searching for info on the movie to stumble across this post. It could result in me being blog-outed, and we wouldn't want that! But you can see the name of the movie in the photos below.

The invitation looks like a giant matchbook. Very cool.

Here's the inside.

I guess it's kind of dorky of me to wear brand new Chucks to this thing, but I'm kind of a dork anyway so it works out.

Kong King

I watched a really good movie over the weekend. It’s called King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. I had heard from two sources that this movie was good, and now you can add me to the list of people recommending this film. I know when I tell what the subject of the film is, you’re going to think “there’s no way this could be a great movie”. But if you thought that you would be wrong. And I think that that’s because the ostensible subject of this film is not really what it’s about.

The quick version of what this film is about: It’s about two guys who are trying to set the world record score on the video game Donkey Kong. See what I mean? Sounds boring as hell. And I grew up playing Donkey Kong! But what this movie really is is a fascinating psychological study. You’ve got obsession, low self-esteem, megalomania, obsessive compulsive disorder, compensation, manipulation, some serious denial, validation, perserverance, and transference. What’s not to like? I’m fascinated by psychology and this film is a psychology textbook come to life. There’s some just really jaw dropping stuff here. But I think almost anyone would find this film entertaining.

You don’t have to take my word on all this. The review aggregating site Metacritic scores King of Kong at an 83, which is pretty high. It just came out on DVD a few weeks ago.

Aw, Hail

I haven't been feeling so great today. I'm not sure what the deal is. I feel kind of depressed in addition to feeling on the edge of a headache. Maybe it's the weather, it's been pretty cloudy and dreary all day. Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel better since I don't have to work and can sleep in.

Speaking of weather, yesterday I was rather rudely awakened by the sound of hail hitting my roof. If you've never heard hail hitting a roof, you may not know that it's pretty loud. Since I was still planning to sleep a bit longer and since pressing my face against the window probably wouldn't have been a good idea anyway, at the time I wasn't sure how large the hail was. Later on when I was drinking my coffee and watching the local news they had some photos that people had sent in that showed hail that was about the size of golf balls. Nice. There were actually still a few hailstones in the yard when I got up about an hour after they fell. It doesn't look like I have any roof damage, and my car was in the garage. It's very unusual to have hail in February, usually it's more of a springtime occurrence.

I finally got around to watching Shaun of the Dead last night. I've had the DVD from Netflix sitting next to my television for about 3 weeks now. That is one freakin' hilarious movie! It's similar in style to Hot Fuzz (made by the same team and starring the same two main actors), but I thought it was better. I highly recommend watching it if you haven't.

At The Movies

Yesterday I went to see a movie for the first time in forever. I went to see No Country For Old Men. I thought it was really good. I had a reaction very similar to my reaction to two other Coen brothers movies, Fargo and The Big Lebowski. The first time I saw both of those films I liked them but I was also struck by this kind of "what. the. hell. was. that?!" feeling. Again, not in a bad way. Those two films are now among my all-time favorites. I don't know if it's me or the films, but there's something about them that makes them better with subsequent viewings, and NCFOM is no exception. I'm dying to see it again.

The actors in the movie are great. Tommy Lee Jones is Tommy Lee Jones. Javier Bardem is uber-creepy. Kelly MacDonald, who I've adored since Trainspotting and is Scottish as all get-out, nails the Texas accent. Josh Brolin is perfect as Llewelyn, and Woody Harrelson (who doesn't get enough recognition IMHO) is good too. It's quite violent, if violence in movies bothers you I would advise you to skip it.

Here's a trailer for your viewing pleasure:

Scattershooting

It's been dreadfully hot around here. It was 89 today. I'm getting sick of the heat and the high electric bills, I'm really ready for some cooler weather.

Someone found my page by searching "I ate a tooth today". To which I would like to reply "And you'll poop a tooth tomorrow!"

One of the movie theaters that I pass every day on the way to work has a huge sign that flashes various messages. The other day they were advertising their "popcorn". And it was in quotes, just like I wrote it. Our "popcorn" is delicious. Why would they have to put it in quotes? What is this "popcorn" actually made of? Oh my Gah, maybe "popcorn" is people!

I saw the most hideous advertising slogan on a truck yesterday. The truck was advertising Lance brand snacks, and the slogan on the back of the truck was "I've Got Lance in my Pants!" Ick. But I guess maybe it did what it was supposed to do because I just told you all about it.

I saw a movie last week on DVD that I really enjoyed. It's called Brick. It's a film-noir that takes place in a modern day high school, but it's much better than that description would lead you to believe. In parts it kind of has a Twin Peaks vibe, and there is some camera work reminiscent of the Coen brothers. All of the characters speak in a weird slang. If you're looking for something good to watch, check it out!

Now off to bed.

Recuperation

Saturday was just what the doctor ordered. I goofed off all damn day. In the morning I went to see Grindhouse. I thought it was great. I was very surprised by Freddy Rodriguez's ability to pull off that role convincingly. He always looks like such a pipsqueak when I've seen him before, but I thought he was great as an action hero. And how did they do those amazing stunts in "Death Proof"? Wow. CGI effects just can't hold a candle to stunts done "for real" like the ones in that segment of the film. You can always tell when it's real, and it makes such a big sphincter-tightening, edge-of-your-seat difference. My favorite fake "prevue" was "Machete", although I also liked "Don't". Yesterday I also finally squeezed in another workout (OK, not goofing off but I was doing something that I wanted t0!) Actually today has been pretty loosey-goosey too, so I guess I'm ready to tackle another week.

Have you all seen the Alanis Morisette parody of "My Humps"? I actually find it quite haunting, I can't get it out of my head. Here 'tis:




Today's cake gorgers (wow, what a slow day!):

• Roy Clark (did anyone else watch Hee Haw as a child, or was that just me?)
• Sarah Jane Hamilton (this one is just in here for the executive summary!)
• Ed O'Brien
• Emma Thompson
• Emma Watson

Oscar Bot 2000

Being a big movie freak, I always look forward to the Oscars. So here in bullet-point style I present my thoughts on this year’s telecast.

* Ellen DeGeneres – meh. I have nothing against Ellen, she can be very funny. I just thought she wasn’t funny enough for this. She seemed kind of nervous maybe. Let her host the Emmys. There were a couple of good bits – the vacuum cleaner comes to mind – but overall she was kind of bland. I much prefer the more sarcastic take of Chris Rock or Jon Stewart. Billy Crystal always did a good job too. Hell, I even like Whoopi. And did you notice Ellen’s girlfriend in the audience? Love the Portia.

* I loved the bit with Will Ferrell, Jack Black, and John C. Reilly. Although Black and Ferrell did something very similar before, bringing in Reilly kicked it up a notch. And was that Will Ferrell’s real hair, or was that for a role? This is the way to showcase JB to best effect – keep it short.

* The sound effects choir – Kind of cool, but boy did those people look weird making those noises. Can you really make a living making stupid noises like that?

* The dancers? Making the shapes? Kind of cool but more weird.

* I would like to nominate Jessica Biel’s boobs for something. But it won’t have anything to do with the word “supporting”.

* Did you notice that Abigail Breslin had her stuffed Curious George with her? Aww.

* Man I hope that Jack Nicholson look is for a movie. Scary!

* Chris Connelly sucked.

* Celine Dion? Bathroom break.

* So Mr. “Academy award winning screenwriter” Ben Affleck, where’s that second screenplay? Nine years wasn’t enough time for ya? You know, you being such a well-known writer and all. And seriously, they couldn’t find a real screenwriter to introduce the segment paying tribute to screenwriters? Whatever.

* I love that Wes Anderson commercial, but is that the same one they showed last year? I can’t remember last year’s so I’m really not sure, but I remember there was one. Eh, I’m too lazy to research this.

* Apparently Bill Condon, the director of Dreamgirls, is a “genus”. That’s pretty impressive, skipping right over the obvious species route and going straight for your own genus. Way to go Bill!

* Was Eddie Murphy crying, or does he just have really watery eyes? Every time they showed a closeup of him his eyes looked filled with tears. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that, I'm just askin'.

* Hey, Clint Eastwood, could you have mailed in your Morricone intro any more than you did? He did say at the end that he should have worn his glasses, and maybe that's what it was. If so, quit tryin' to look macho and wear your damn glasses! C'mon!

* Pan’s Labyrinth not even winning Best Foreign Film is shite. In fact it’s a big ol’ shite sandwich, with horseradish.

* That would have been so great if Borat would have won best adapted screenplay. I still don’t understand exactly how that movie had a screenplay ( I guess to set up the segments - ‘Borat walks into an antique shop’), but it still would have been funny. At least we got to hear Helen Mirren say “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Khazakhstan.”

* Seeing Robert Altman in the memorial segment made me remember that I mentioned that when A Prairie Home Companion came out on video I was going to watch it. Well, I did, and I thought it was really good. It’s kind of a meditation on mortality, made all the more poignant because it turned out to be his last film. I enjoyed it, and this is coming from someone who can’t stand the radio show.

* I’m glad Forest Whitaker won, I’ve always liked his work.

* Having seen all of the Best Picture nominees, I think they were all fine movies. If I had to vote between those 5, I would have voted for Babel, although I’m cool with The Departed winning too. But to me it kind of seems like one of those “career achievement” type deals because The Departed is no Goodfellas or Raging Bull. I liked Pan’s Labyrinth the best of all the 2006 movies I saw, although it was ineligible for Best Picture since it was foreign-funded. A lot of people thought United 93 was the best movie of 2006, but I haven’t seen that yet. I also heard that Children of Men was very good – I’m waiting on the DVD since it comes out next month. Despite the fact that it seems lightweight, I thought Borat was an excellent movie. But overall I’m glad Scorsese finally won.

You all didn't think I was going to do birthdays after all that, did you? Well, you didn't think wrong (huh?).

Today's birthdays are brought to you by The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation:

• Chelsea Clinton
• Josh Groban
• Howard Hesseman
• Donal Logue
• Neal Schon
• Ralph Nader
• Elizabeth Taylor
• Kate Mara
• Joanne Woodward
  
  

Busy Little Beaver

I'm feeling better today. My eustachian tube seems about the same, but I'm not nauseous or dizzy. Hopefully the ol' tuberini will be showing improvement by tomorrow. So far I have seen no mucus, clothed or otherwise, defecting from my body.

Today I have been busting my hump trying to get as much homework done as I can so on Sunday I can squeeze in a screening of Letters From Iwo Jima and then watch the Oscars. I have Babel at home right now and I'm hoping to get Little Miss Sunshine in the mail tomorrow. If I do then I will have seen all of the Best Picture nominees before the show. I also had some stuff to do at work today (which isn't always a given) so it has been a pretty busy day. I think I'm going to skip the birthdays today. Now it's back to work!

Back To The Movies

In the last week I've actually seen a couple of movies in the theater. My movie going has slowed down tremendously since I started school. And I'm starting to be old-fogeyish enough that I prefer to watch stuff at home more than in the theater. No people talking, crunching popcorn, or generally being asshats. Aside from me, that is. I've been really wanting to see Pan's Labyrinth, but I'm supposed to wait for a friend to see it with me, and his schedule keeps getting in the way.

Last week I went to see Notes On a Scandal, with Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench. I thought it was really good. It's quite the dark film, and it does a good job of portraying an oppressive air of obsession. And it doesn't hurt that the two leads are among the very best actresses around today. Today I saw The Queen. I think Helen Mirren definitely deserves her Oscar nomination. And what do you know, James Cromwell is in it and today's his birthday. I thought it was interesting to see how Tony Blair was portrayed as being "a man of the people" back in 1997, and now he is almost completely at odds with British public opinion in the wake of his war stance.

Today's birthdays are brought to you by the Pillsbury doughboy. Give 'em a shout-out, won't you?

• Bridget Fonda
• Mimi Rogers
• Mikhail Baryshnikov
• James Cromwell
• Tricky
• Joe Bob Briggs
• Alan Cumming
• Nick Mason
• Frank Miller
• Keith Olbermann
• Patton Oswalt
• Marc Singer
• G.E. Smith (I didn't know he was married to Gilda Radner at one point. I'll be damned.)
  
• Samuel C.C. Ting
• Holli Bobolli
  

Of Bond and Bathrooms

My cold seems to be running its course. I'm now in the "hacking cough" phase. I've spent a lot of time over the weekend with the Quil brothers, Day and Night. This morning I met Mr. Mucus, but he wasn't dressed in a tuxedo.

Finally saw the new James Bond joint over the weekend, and I thought it was pretty good. Daniel Craig’s portrayal struck me as the first Bond since early Connery where you get the sense that Bond could actually kick someone’s ass. Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan? Not so much. The stunt work was incredible and the action sequences were top-notch. I was glad to see that they kept Judi Dench as M, I thought that was one thing that was right about the previous Bond incarnation. Although this time I did find myself wondering how M got that job. Dame Judi, while certainly giving a credible performance as a hard-ass not about to take Bond’s shenanigans lightly, doesn’t strike me as someone who has years of spy experience in the field. Hey, that might actually be an accurate reflection of reality these days. But then again I guess reality is probably not the best yardstick for these types of movies. Anyway, aside from a couple of minor issues it’s a pretty good movie.

And what would a Wednesday post be without a little bathroom talk? (I don’t know, coherent maybe? Shut up.) If you’re in need of a quality restroom experience, Northpark Center in Dallas is the place to be. P.F. Chang’s leads the pack with excellent stonework and brass faucets, the Northpark restrooms come in second with very nice tile work and some great blonde wood accents, and the AMC theater places third with excellent tile work and automatic soap dispensers. Maybe I’ve had too much Dayquil.

High Five!

* I went to go see Borat and his banana hammock after work. It's so wrong, but so right, you know what I'm sayin'? I don't know why, but I love "uncomfortable" humor. It's why I love Curb Your Enthusiasm so much. Maybe it's because in real life I sometimes have a bit of a mean streak and I want to act like these people, but I would be too mortified to actually do it. So by watching these things I can vicariously act out my inner a-hole. Or something. Enough pyschobabble - it's just funny.

* I didn't finish watching Lost until this morning. I'm kind of pissed at who they killed off. I really liked that character and that actor. I do give them some credit for not being afraid to kill off prominent characters, I just wish it hadn't been this one. Please kill Charlie next! And I just found out today that that midget who plays Charlie is dating Evangeline Lilly. Somehow I hate him even more now.

* Check out this label from the grapes I ate this week. It kind of gives me the willies, so I thought I'd share (would make an awesome T-shirt, though):



* Date #2 with POI2 will take place tomorrow. Assuming she shows up. Will this be when the wheels come off? Stay tuned!

The Dude Abides

Last night I got shit-faced and watched The Big Lebowski. You know, sometimes there is just no other choice. I like that movie so much that one time when I was in L.A. I figured out where the bowling alley was that they used in the movie and I took these pictures. I heard that it has since been torn down.

Thanks Hank

I watched an interesting documentary this weekend about Charles Bukowski. He is one of my favorite writers, although I realized that I still haven't read all that much of his work, and almost none of his poetry. The first book of his that I read was the novel Ham on Rye, and after that I was hooked. It is by turns horrifying and hilarious, and it is written in a very straightforward style that really grabs your attention. I have also read Post Office, Women, and Hollywood, and I loved them all. I think he was a true original.

One of the extras on the DVD presents a couple of Bukowski's poems read aloud. There was one that really got to me for a couple of reasons. I think the first reason is because I really want to believe that it's true, especially with what's going on in my life right now. The second reason is that I was surprised and touched that such a hopeful poem could come from someone who experienced so much hardship in his life. On the disc it is read by Tom Waits, which is also pretty cool since I am a big fan of his as well. I am not ashamed to tell you that it brought a tear to my eye.

The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski

your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is a light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.

Thumbsucker Doesn't Suck

I watched a movie that I ended up really enjoying this past weekend. It's called Thumbsucker. It's based on a novel that I had never heard of prior to seeing the film. I thought the movie was interesting because one of the themes is that lots of people think that they are 'broken', or that there's something wrong with them, but that there may not be a 'fix' for their 'problem'. And that that's OK because that's what makes us human. Another interesting theme in the film is that many parents think that they should somehow magically have all the answers and be totally together themselves, but that's not how it works out in the real world. And that's OK too. The movie has a very hopeful outlook that I just really responded to in my present frame of mind.

I won't quote it here in case you want to see the movie yourself, but I loved the final quote from the Keanu Reeves character. In a way it's a little like hitting you over the head with the message of the film, but for one thing I often personally need that in a 'message' movie, and for another the 2 words he tacks on to the end of the quote soften the effect wonderfully.

The actor playing the main character is really good, and I think this was one of his first films. And if you watch the interview extra on the disc, he bears a strong resemblance to the author of the book. The movie also stars the usually excellent Tilda Swinton and Vincent D'Onofrio and even has a nice performance from Vince Vaughn. Well worth checking out, and if you want to see what the 'professionals' say, here is a link to the metacritic reviews.

Movie Time

Last week I went to see the new Woody Allen film, Match Point. I've been a big fan of Woody Allen's films for about 9 years now. I think it's amazing how he turns out a film every year, even though I will concede that most of his recent efforts have been kind of spotty. I have found something to enjoy in most of them, however, although I thought that Hollywood Ending was atrocious. That is the one film of his that I refused to buy on DVD. I feel that Sweet and Lowdown is the best of his recent efforts. Match Point has gotten a lot of positive press and has been touted as a return to form. Initially, I was really blown away by it. I think the performances are really good, and the fact that it's set in London provided a refreshing change from the usual New York location. The more I got to thinking, though, something emerged that did bother me. The plot is very similar to Crimes and Misdemeanors, which is one of the best Woody films there is. I guess if you're going to rip someone off, who better than yourself? So, while I think Match Point is an excellent film worth watching, I have to deduct some points for not being entirely original.

Another movie that I watched recently (along with Holli) was Grizzly Man. This movie has received very good reviews and I've been wanting to see it for months now. It is a documentary about the guy (Timothy Treadwell) who would go to Alaska every year and hang out in the wild with grizzly bears. He went on 13 such 'expeditions' before being killed and eaten by a bear a few years ago. I think he thought that he was doing something positive by bringing attention to the fact that bears are endangered, but after seeing this film I have to say that I don't think what he was doing was really in the best interest of the bears. I think it's possible to bring attention to them without conditioning them to be comfortable around humans. I'm sure for him it was a very powerful experience to feel like he was a 'bear' in some ways, and I think that would be a really amazing feeling to have, but it seems kind of selfish. He also seemed to be pretty naive in a lot of ways about how nature works. I will say that the footage that Timothy Treadwell shot is pretty amazing to watch (at least the footage that doesn't include himself). And I will also say that Andy Dick is a shoe-in to play him in the musical.