Amtrak Train. Diner cart. I stand up dazed and angry. Random lady sitting some tables back, as I pass by:
“Are you ok? I saw you were watching…”
Uhm… no, lady. I am not. But thank you for asking. I have to pee, please watch my computer. I walk over to the bathroom. In a daze, somewhat relieved of reality, I walk back, four pairs of eyes, including the lady, commiserating. We chat. Group therapy just short of a collective hug.
Filed under Movies
A while back, I saw the 48 hour film festival and was blown away with this movie:
http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi2106918425/
Should be noted that this was done in 48 hours. Awesome.
And, for the inspirational crap, this was sent to me by someone who has a threshold for forwarding stuff higher than I do (hat tip to the Magpies). And my first reaction will be identical to your reaction, I am sure. But, after the first few frames, call me a sucker, but it actually resonated with me.
http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/popup-frame.html
Life is so strange sometimes… Anyway, enough about that. Back to real inspiration!
I should note, anger can be an amazingly productive coping mechanism for all sorts of things. And on that note, I am heading to the gym.
Mildly unbelievable… mildly… but a good movie to distract from emotional turmoil. In case I haven’t complained to you yet, am going through a breakup… a dumb dumb breakup, where, if I am not mistaken, we both really like each other, but we can’t see each other because… ah, who cares why. Let’s just say it’s my fault and it’s all rational and we are both really hurt and I want to write bad poetry and complain to everyone who would listen about how much I miss her. In other words, a completely banal, yet personally difficult setup. The worst part is that I can’t talk to her for at least another several months. She asked and I agreed not to initiate contact and she, I am pretty sure, is doing the "out-of-sight, out-of-mind” thing. Mildly frustrating. Mildly.
But, I am now understanding why Russian humor is so unique given how miserable the last century was. Somehow misery can and does get evened out with humor if one is to retain balance… it’s uncanny. In particular, I’d like to thank GMail… or rather Google Ads on GMail. These are the ads displayed next to our email communication last. I kid you not:
Behold. Screenshot one:
And, if that wasn’t enough:
Anger therapy? Seriously? I mean, I looked over that email and I was most certainly upset. But “Anger Therapy”? Hilarious, even if interesting implications.
So, can Google diagnose people by looking over our emails? “Dear Sir, it looks like you are depressed. Go have carrot juice. It will make you feel better.”
Anyway, about Salt. Good movie to use for distraction. Non-stop action, and it’s just mildly unbelievable… mildly…
Filed under Movies, Relationships
Liam Neelson, I am very disappointed in you. I am convinced that the way the movie came about is as follows:
Step 1: Seth Rogen comes up with a parody full of clichés.
Step 2: Upon seeing the script, some douche from Hollywood falls in love with this “Springtime for Hitler” type script and decides to cast serious actors and make it a serious movie.
Step 3: Given that Schindler’s List was an awesome movie with an awesome dramatic actor Liam, Liam is pinned to the bathroom wall by some huge mafia guy who says “you WILL do this movie”. Liam says yes, because he only knows one judo-chop self-defense move (to be seen in Taken later on numerous occasions).
Filed under Movies
Confused. Again. Let’s see if I can piece it together. Don’t read unless you saw as I will likely ruin the plot.
Filed under Movies
Having decided to start edumicating myself on them films ‘n shit, I went to my NY ex-roommate Alexis, a French dude that half of Cynthia’s London seems to swoon over (Cynthia included). But this is not about Alexis. This is about Citizen Kane.
Didn’t like it at first. But then, as I thought about it, it sank in. I think I am not able to appreciate it fully though given my lack of cinematographic education. A friend pointed me in the direction of this being a major step forward in cinematographic point of view, how the narrative is told, etc. Referenced Pulp Fiction as another milestone… (need to remember to check with Josh on how Pulp Fiction is perceived from "film progress" sort of vantage point. To me it seems like Citizen Kane is part Murakami (in the floating narrative) and part Roshomon, although, in this case, despite my doubting every separate story, I am not sure if that was the directors intention: i.e. whether the narrative was supposed to be affected by the teller or if different people are simply beads on the same string and do not infuse their perception into their tale…
But, one thought that I can’t get rid of is that the narrative, while it attempts to be complex, is very simple. I am not sure whether I am just not appreciating the complexity (everything simple with 20/20 hindsight) or this is a side effect of being part of my generation, which is significantly more saturated with information than the previous… the idea of an archetype of a hero, a sort of Ayne Rand’s Wynand (from the Foundtainhead) seems… inhuman. That he would end his days alone, dry, lonely, with his soul defined through his childhood sled seems like a fable-type presentation. Yet he is presented as painfully human – someone who changes his values as he grow within the society. But how can a man, who clearly has an amazing sense of humor, an incurable curiosity and drive to salmon against the current – how can such a man end up in a posh palace, lonely, defeated with a woman who thinks that he only thinks about himself and is consumed by image of self? It just doesn’t sit right – feels… cheap?
I’ve noticed I have this feeling of an author taking a shortcut relatively often in this sense. Felt this way in the Watchmen (which was way overhyped – it was excellent, but I felt a letdown), felt the same way with Crime and Punishment (how does one do a 180 like that? seems ridiculous)
Which is not to say I don’t enjoy these thought experiments. But Citizen Kane left a conceptual unfilled expectation… an unsatisfied want for more intellectual brilliance…
But, having said all that, I do understand why it is a classic and am sure that it will come up in conversation as a tool to portray some specific ideas…
Totally wiped out. Came back from NY today, had me some awesome dumplings, going to pass out.
Ta ta.
Filed under Movies
Just finished Lust, Caution. Beautiful movie… If you haven’t seen it, don’t keep reading – I will be talking about content.
Filed under Movies
Nikita's Spot 