Movies

I have watched so many movies this week, this weekend in particular. 

• Trantasia- fabulous, just as I expected a Transexual Beauty Pageant to be.
  
• House of D- I love David Duchovny sex addict or not. 
  
• Pieces of April- It was pretty good. I'm not a big fan of Katie Holmes. She bothers me, but I don't know why.
  
• Burn After Reading- Not my favorite Coen Brothers movie, but it was okay.
  
• Dream Lover- I love James Spader weirdo or not.
  
• I Know Who Killed Me- I hate Lindsay Lohan. Not because she is a lez, not because every movie she is in she is way over sexed, it is because her voice is like nails on a chalkboard and she can't act for shit.
  
• Lonesome Jim- By far my favorite of the bunch.  I really like Casey Affleck even if his brother is a douche-bag.  Steve Buscemi directs.  I laughed a lot.  I also love Mary Kay Place.  It isn't a comedy and it is a slow movie.  But I find "chronic despair" funny.  

Now I have to write a paper.  Boo-hiss! 

Movies

Recently I watched There Will Be Blood I am not even sure what to say about it. . . I have sat here quietly for a while and the result is I have no words to express how slow and weird that movie was. Talk about over rated. I also watched Juno. This too is over rated. It was a cute movie. It wasn't bad, but "Best Movie of the Year? (There Will Be Blood was nominated for that category at the Oscars too. Where the choosers of the movies stoned?) Juno is just a high school movie that got a lot of big press. I am really hating the trend of independent movies becoming popular. There is a reason why independent movies are independent. It is because they aren't made for the idiot population. They don't make money with the themes, etc. Doesn't mean they aren't good it means that they are really good. I have always said you have to wade through a lot of shit to find a good movie, but it is so worth it. I think the populous wades through a modicrum of shit finds a decent one then parades it around like they are the Indie Queen of the world. Yes, we all know you are so fucking cool for watching a movie that doesn't star The Rock. But please go back to the hole you came from so the Independent movie doesn't get watered down. If that gets taken away from me I don't know what I would do with myself. I would have to watch independent independent movies. That is already a genre- Youtube.

My luck day

Kyle finally caved and got cable. Can you believe it? He is adamantly against all things television. The things he does for me. I know the real reason we got cable, but don't tell him I know. He wanted a fiber-optic internet connection and you have to get cable in order to upgrade your internet connection. So he plays like it is all for me. So that I can watch the new season of Dexter. Along with Showtime, IFC, Sundance, Encore, and a Oldies Music station I have remote access DVR. I can tell my DVR what to record from a computer far away. That is so damned exciting I can hardly contain myself.

Think of it: Weeds (Mary-Louise Parker is my favorite), Dexter, The L Word, I hear Californication is good, the same for This American Life.

You have to go to the Showtime website to see Mary-Louise Parker decked out in a pin-up style bathing suit. She is adorable. There is a changing picture right on the main page. She is the second picture. Ira Glass is the third picture.

Birthday Presents

I think I'm going to buy myself a laptop for my birthday/end of the semester gift. I have no idea what I'm going to get. I only know that I want something small and that I don't want to pay 2,000. Narrows it down doesn't it.

On a totally different note, I love Pedro Almodovar. I love his movies. I haven't seen one yet that I haven't loved.

Old Men Without A Country

I have to put in my $1.45 about No Country for Old Men.

You may not want to read if you haven't seen the movie. Spoiler.

Its a movie. You have to watch and actually pay attention to get it. Listening and watching are important to the medium. Not all movies are pieces of trash that you look at and understand. That's boring. The movie is about details- little details. If you haven't noticed half way through the movie you aren't watching an action movie, you got it all wrong. You better just pack up your shit and leave the theater. Stop the DVD and start over or try again later. You may be saying to yourself, "You crazy bitch that was an action movie." Maybe you jumped out of your seat. Maybe you were thrilled. But that was no action movie. The movie was simply wearing an action movie suit. What you were really watching was in introspective movie about a good ol' boy getting old and worn down by life. (I love a simple story about a good ol' boy. It the Texas in me. I also like movies about Texas.) Dora the Explorer and Tommy Lee Jones were dueling the whole time. They even have a stand-off of sorts. Llewelyn was only the side story. The side story was exciting, but beside the point.

If you haven't "figured it out" (as if there is some secret code) maybe the title would help you.

"You can't be lucky everyday!"

A number of things I haven't told you, ready?

1. I'm making a scrapbook for my kinda sister in law (Kyle's little sister). It is of her wedding. This is for her wedding present. I'm in scrapbook hell.
2. I saw a mocking bird in target today. He or She was in the cosmetic section.
3. Last night while coming home from the grocery store after dark I saw a swirling collection of bats under a bridge. It was quite lovely. They looked like leaves caught in the breeze.
4. I watched This Filthy World this afternoon, and frankly there is no one alive as awesome as John Waters. I simply adore him. I think I might write him some fan male. Doesn't that sound fun?
5. Weeks ago I accidentally watched The Notebook. Now your saying, "Yeah, right! You liar. We all know you rented it. Your just embarrassed." But let me tell you it was on tv. Nothing else was on so I foolishly decided to watch the movie playing with Ryan Gosling. I think he is pretty cute. What the hell, right? Holy Shit. I cried so hard. The movie was sad no doubt, but that really wasn't the problem. It was the commercials. Crying. Stop crying. Crying. Stop Crying. There should be a warning. It should read like this: WARNING: This movie make you sob uncontrollably. If you are one of these people just rent the damn movie because these commercials with fuck with your head!
6. This is my last weekend of freedom before school starts. I have a 15 hour semester to look forward to.
7. If television truly is a reflection of our lives, I'm terrified. If I didn't know any better I would be sure I was going to be murdered in a day or two. People are getting killed on television right and left, willy-nilly. There is no rhyme or reason, really. I have also been watching the local news pretty regularly. I have to stop. Inevitably the 30 minute sequence goes a little something like this: Top story, local cop beats up minority/ shoots minority in the back/sexual predator of 13 year old girls/ or something equally horrible. Next story, hit and run/murder/ dead body found in lake. After that I'm both numb and horrified that I don't even remember the rest of the news cast.

A Very Long Engagement

Everyone. Drop what you are doing. Go out and buy/rent/borrow this movie. A Very Long Engagement. It is the ONLY war movie I have ever liked. It is so good.

Oh, dear, sweet weekend! How I love thee!

Friday through Monday are pretty smooth sailing. By Tuesday I'm tired again.

The adviser from the English department sent me an email this week about the Honors program. Seeing as I'm brilliant and my "outstanding academic" something or another I'm eligible for the honors program. I didn't believe it at first. I literally thought, "Oh, that was probably a mistake." Then I got a second email from a sorority asking me to join. It was an honors sorority.

My life just took a turn for the nerdy. Apparently , I'm on list somewhere that says I'm smart. How do you like that?

Not like I'm going to apply for the Honors program. I don't really see the benefits. I definitely see the drawbacks. More work. I don't need a star by my name when I graduate to feel validated.

On the movie watching agenda this weekend: Farewell, My Concubine and Jacob's Ladder.
On the listening agenda: Ray LaMontagne "Empty" on the album "Til the Sun Turns Black"
(I especially like the lines, "well I looked my demons in the eyes, laid bare my chest, said do your best, destroy me. You see, I've been to hell and back so many times, I must admit you kind of bore me.")

You can see a small clip of "Jolene" sung "Live at Abbey Road".

I kinda feel like if he were to shave he would look somewhat like Stephen Colbert. Do you get that feeling?

Or you can watch this clip of part of "Empty"


I never said it was a happy song.

I love Jeopardy. I find it interesting and I learn so much. I finally stopped watching the re-runs on GSN. I'm hopelessly nerdy. I know.

The thing about Jeopardy is that it really pisses me off. I watch it like most people watch sports. Well, that may be a bit of a overstatement. I don't stand up or hop around. Way to lazy for that. But I yell at the TV. I call the players names that would make most people turn an unnatural shade of red. I can't help it. I have wished debt on people because I didn't think they bet enough. Come on assholes! It is money you don't have. Play like you got a pair!

The most recent thing that has pissed me off was the final Jeopardy question. The question was something like between 2005 and 2006 this state had over 500,000 people move there. Okay, because I have a pulse not because I live in Texas do I know the answer. Gees, what happened in 2005-2006 that would have cause a mass migration to a different state. A HUGE FUCKING HURRICANE YOU ASSHOLES!!!! Where have you been? You know Katrina you couldn't go 4 seconds without hearing about it for over a year. One guys head was wedged so far up his asshole he actually said Louisiana! I couldn't even believe it. Right about now is where the name calling comes in, because all three of them got it wrong!

I'm ....

-Taking a class on Hans Christian Andersen which I am really enjoying even though it has only been two days. My teacher is adorable. And Danish. And hopelessly nerdy, and a natty dresser. And loves literature. So obviously I'm in love.

-Watching Kinsey. It took me two days. But I finished it. God, to have that kind of passion. I have to stop watching movies when Kyle is in the room. He insists on talking to me or commenting on the movie the whole way through. Eventually, I feel like ripping his throat out with my teeth. So I stop the movie and wait until later.

-Riding my bike in a lightning storm. It had rained just minutes before, so everything was wet and smelled incredible. The air was cool and who doesn't love a good lightning storm? Oh, Texas, how I love you.

-Making a decision. I have decided to cut my hair. Not right this minute, but when I think the black has grown out sufficiently to have a nice hair cut. I want all the black gone. So send pictures of short hair cuts. Though I may wait until after Kyle's little sister's wedding. Maybe not. Here are some things I was thinking about. I may even be willing to go this short. (the one on the right. Tell me what you think.

-Watching Crash. Think ill of me if you must, but I love this movie. (The first Crash with the weird sex and car crashes and David Spader. Not the pretentious, everyone is a racist Crash. Just clarifying I don't want anybody to think I love that movie. ) It is THE weirdest movie I have EVER seen. And I'm no stranger to weird movies. I love David Spader. He must be so strange. His body of work is like no other. He'd have to be crazy to play all those parts.

I have a rant

Let me tell you a little secret. I am very nerdy and so is Kyle. We like the show "How it's Made". I record all of them and sometimes they show 6 or more shows a week that we haven't seen. This is impressive because we have seen A LOT of them. We watched one about laser eye surgery the other day I thought I would actually throw up. They use the slicer contraption that looks like a mini version of something you cut thinly sliced potatoes. Mandolin? You know what I'm talking about. Moving on.

My problem with the show is this: they will explain the most obvious stuff the nth degree. Yet, information that isn't extremely obvious or something that seems really obscure they will barely touch on then move on.

Example: Boat compass. They go on and on and on about what the fucking compass is made out of. Those of us with eyes can see that it is made from wood and they glue it together. They get the guts of the compass and are explaining a little then say a small sapphire is placed in the bottom. No explanation, no nothing. Is this some sort of wizardry I missed out on? What the fuck does the sapphire do?

This isn't the only time they played this wicked little mind game with us. This just happens to be the only example I can think of.

Where was I?

I definitely need to see L.A. Confidential again. I don't remember any of this stuff. I have another 200 pages in the book before I'm done. But it is down to the wire. I can't stop thinking about Bud White. I love him. I didn't love him in the movie. I really dislike Russell Crowe. I'm sure that was the problem before. I will try to look past those things. I love, love, love Kevin Spacey. Love him.

I'm off to read.

I love books

So, we all know I'm reading L.A. Confidential. But, did you know that a friend gave me this book many, many , many years ago? The same friend that I was thinking about in this post. For some reason I never read it. I have no idea why. I always kept it at fingers length and never read the damn thing. If I had it would have been the first in a long list of gritty, filth that I just love. It's is like Iceberg Slim, but not true and really long, and the white side of town. I saw this movie years ago. I don't remember any of the violence and seediness. Quentin Tarantino should have directed it. He can do seediness and violence and still make it watchable.

I went to the park today

Everything is so green. I tried to use the microphone on my camera to get all the birdie and insect noises. It didn't work so good. I wish there was a little place where it would save the smell for replay. When will they be able to turn smells into 1's and 0's? It smelled so freash and clean and new.

Here are the highlights. Go to flickr and see every last photo. I took a lot.

Match Point

I saw this movie last week some time and I am still really disturbed by it. Scarlett Johansson/ Woody Allen film. I was uncomfortable the whole way through the movie. So much so, in fact, I was doing things in other rooms just to get away. I couldn't bring myself to just turn the damn thing off. I thought the first part of the movie with the main character in love with his brother-in-law's fiance was excruciating, then I watched then end for some reason and it was HORRIBLE! I should have just turned it off.

On a lighter note, I love Matthew Goode. He is just so damn cute!

By the way

Planet Earth did not disappoint!

Rome

I just saw last Sunday's Rome. It was so intense. I have come to the conclusion that Pullo is the love of my life. He is a bad mother fucker.

In the past couple of months I have watched two different movies that were basically the same. It was totally random. The first was Birth. It was incredibly bizarre and I thought about writing about it on the old blog afterwards. I never got around to it. Then a couple weeks ago I was watching one movie that ended and I didn't change the channel. The next movie on was called P.S. I info-ed it and saw that it had Laura Linney in it. Good, I really like Laura Linney. It was oddly similar to Birth.

Here is the plot. Boy meets girl. Girl falls in love with boy. Boy dies. Boy comes back as someone else, or at least girl thinks so. Girl has sex with new, much younger boy. Everything is weird all around. The relationship is very inappropriate.

Is this topic that popular? The movies were made about the same time. I find this incredibly weird.

Just one of the many things I learned on Jeopardy!

I wish I could have found the clip from Jeopardy! It was absolutely incredible! The horse stood on only it's back legs, but was parallel to the ground, WITH a rider! They called it something like a lever, maybe. WOW!

Titanic

Titanic really was the worst movie I have ever seen. And I have seen some real shitters! But get this, my brother was telling me that he watched this show on Titanic the real one, on some science channel. James Cameron the director of Titanic got the studio to give him all this money so he could go dive the Titanic. He didn't even want to make a movie he just wanted a ton of money so he could go see the real live wreckage. In the end the studio made him make the movie when, after he dived, tried to back out. He did. It was shit. End of story. Well, not quite. It made tons of money. For everyone involved, I'm sure.