30.7.04

It Ain't Easy Lady Stardust

I awoke, much to my amazement, in my bed this morning. An oddity it was. Not that I woke up in a bed, but that I was amazed by it. It didn't seem right. I had this feeling that there was no way I could have been in my bed, yet there I was. I've been chewing over that feeling all day. My best guess is that I was having an amazing dream, jerked awake (I did jerk awake; I'm not sure why), and was left with this strong residual sense of my dream space. Reality's space was shaped all wrong. It didn't fit my mind's idea of reality. Or something like that. The intense feeling, the amazement, it was fleeting of course. But it was just so weird, that I can't force my thoughts to stray towards anything else for long.

The two most successful distractions from my thoughts were Bowie and The Village. Bowie only works while I'm actively listening to it. So even his influence was short-lived today. The Village, it was amazing. It still has my attention. Easily my favorite of M. Night's. All of what critics would call flaws turn out to not really be flaws, if you think about it for awhile. No one had a great aversion to water. The homage-ish undertones or, rather, subtle references to some of my favorite short stories and The Giver, one of my favorite novels, gave me and still leave me with a sort of mental queasiness, a feeling of dystopic anguish that I just can't shake. The end, I love the end. I can't say why without giving anything cool away. Incredibly untraditional end for this sort of story. Of course it might just be me that loves this film. I, shortly after voicing my opinions, learned that many did in fact not like it, hated it, and thought it was just so-so. Jesse also liked it, just not as much as Signs. Whereas I think The Village takes the cake.

Oh, hell. Why not tell everyone what I'm currently watching!

Watching: Mystic River

28.7.04

This just in:

Right, not more than 5 minutes ago it was confirmed that I, in fact, will have a place to live come August. Fabulous news. Back to you, life.

23.7.04

Grittier, Darker, Amneseaer

So, The Bourne Supremacy was as awesome as I hoped it would be. I won't spoil anything yet. The course of the film was pretty much unexpected. There were a couple obvious switcheroo characters. I'll just say there was one obnoxiously, nearly nauseating flaw with the film. At least, it wasn't my style. Anyway, you'll figure out what I'm talking about pretty quickly.

On a more real-life note: is anyone familiar with the wonderful world of css browser compatibility? I've got this one really annoying problem. I'm pretty sure I know exactly what it is, but I have no idea what to do about it. So let me know if you'd style yourself as an expert (or less) in the field.

What is the deal with landlords huh? You'd think they'd be begging to take my money!?! Not slow to show me a place, let me sign a lease, and to give them money. Whatever.

20.7.04

Check it

I finally got the first movie review posted on the site. I just watched the film tonight and this is the freshest review I've ever written. So it's the least well-written (and shortest) of the bunch. Yet I think it's the most relavent to upcoming new releases. But I'm now too tired to put the rest up. Go read my blurb on The Bourne Identity and tell me what you think. Just hold spelling and grammar comments to yourself.

19.7.04

I *heart* Steve Carrell

Ok. I just read some great news. I'm beginning to believe that the American version of The Office won't suck. David Brent, the wonderfully 'not funny' boss's American counterpart will be Michael Scott. Played by none other than Steve Carrell (see: 'The Daily Show', 'Bruce Almighty', 'Anchorman'). The absolute funniest fake newsman alive. Anchorman's best moments were his.

I watched Season 1 of The Office last thursday. I'm trying to let all of those awkward silences settle out of me before I begin Season 2. I watched it all once before (a couple months ago), but it was always really late and I was drinking. Plus I can barely understand most of what these guys are saying. Needless to say, I don't remember the whole experience very well. Who knows: maybe I'll be up for it tonight?! Oh, and I think Newark would be a perfect Slough. There is an undeniable Slough-ness to the city.

Lightning is the bestest

Hoorah for electricity. So nothing I wanted to accomplish yesterday worked out very well... I stood witness to a handful of beautiful strikes of lightning backed and fronted by a water soaked sky. But in the end it was wind that brought the power crashing down at home. Via a tree. No damage done to anything of mine. So I'm happy. I toiled at Tinseltown when it all happened. The flooded parking lot, the lightshow, and the occasional strike too close to the theatre made for some pretty exciting diversions. But the point is, amazing storm aside, that without power on the local grid I didn't get to do any webdesign. I watched 'I, Robot' instead. I love watching movies when I have low expectations. Recently at least, it's worked out really well (see: 'Dodgeball', 'Spiderman 2'). I really didn't expect much out of Will Smith, the whole style, and especially not out of the story. Most good books turned movie just don't do it for me. A few do, and 'I, Robot' is now amongst the upper echelon of the list. It rocked. That's all there is to it.

I also watched Dark City with my brother and his new roomies. Now that's an interesting little gem of a sci-fi movie I'd never heard of before the day before yesterday. Number one. Rufus Sewell stars. I can't get enough of that. There are little to no instances of my wonderful surname in the literal or proverbial top billed slot. If you don't know who Rufus Sewell is, he's the greasy evil lord in 'A Knight's Tale' that wants Heath's lady. Number two. Jennifer Connelly is hot. Number three. William Hurt and Keifer Sutherland are wonderful in their noir detective and mad scientist roles, respectively. I could go on, but I'm not :p

17.7.04

Without further gilding the lily...

Finally I have some coming soon info for my website. Movie and maybe play reviews. A handful of reviews for current films have already been written. And hopefully a review of every new movie worth seeing or not worth seeing will be up the day it opens or just after. After a few weeks of that then maybe the reviews can backtrack into some awesome older films. I'll have the specific location on the site chosen by the end of the day. Well, by day, I mean sometime around 2 or 3 in the morning. The end of my day.

If I received a package tomorrow...

If I were to open up a package, not expecting it, I'd love to rip through the foam popcorn to find:

1 belt buckle/bottle opener,
3 star wars action figures (any),
1 expensive bottle of scotch, and
1 glass.

Yeah, that's what I'd love to see in it if I were to get it right now.  Who knows what tomorrow may bring.

16.7.04

I stubbed my toe

Last night was a good night. I haven't had that much fun and laughter in at least a month.  Probably longer! Cranium is for some reason one of the best games ever conceived.  And it'll only get better. I'm pretty sure the next logical steps involve drinking, stripping, or at least some more funky accents and impersonations. It's kinda like Monopoly in that any house rules one can imagine will fit with the game. But it's better because there's no counting involved. Drunken monopoly goes downhill fast.

7.7.04

I'll be watching the Simpsons.

An oddity: today I didn't work past noon. Normally I don't wake up until noon. I've been soooo bored all day long. I've not even had family around to keep me company. The 'rents left for a rock concert with their friends. They said they'd be back late and not to wait up. It was all so surreal.

Max the Dog was fun though. We went for a glorified walk that was really more a hike. A trail along the ridge that this oh so wonderful town is named for is actually quite nice. Except for the mosquitos. How I loathe those creatures...grrrr. Other than that though, their were some neat creek crossings, some cool rock climbings, and even a doe right on the trail! I saw no bears, thank the maker.

So, if anybody reads this post tonight, and, uh, you know of a wonderful way to pass the time, then give me a ring on the old tele. I'll be watching the Simpsons.

6.7.04

Man, do I suck at tennis...

My heterosexual life-partner is back in town. Resuming the zaniness took about 5 minutes. A couple of days ago Matt and I knocked some golfballs on to his family's own personal fairway. And just today John and Andrea showed us just how much we suck at tennis. The oddity is that never before have sporting activities been such a dense focus of the zany fun. Who knew I could sweat so much in a single long weekend?!

Even without Matt, there was extreme ping-pong, volleyball, and croquet. And let me tell you, croquet during a blistering summer day is hard work! I went through a lot of water yesterday afternoon.

Today, Ben bought me lunch. I'm not sure why exactly, but I forgot to thank him. Now I feel bad about it. It was good to see him, albeit briefly, before he headed back to Denver. This summer's railroad gig seems to be taking him to far-off, exotic locales: seedy steakhouses in the middle-of-nowhere, Nebraska! Sounded like a fabulously boring state, even if the steak is great.

As for my evening: I was sucked into work against my will. Accursed cinema keeps pulling me back in...grumble, grumble... On the plus side I made a lot more money tonight than I spent all weekend, a rarity in my accounts. I also watched a bit of Farenheit 9/11; I should really write a critique and send it to Moore. Being totally biased in his favor to begin with doesn't mean I think he created a perfect video essay. If I can point out as many flaws as I think I can, than any good Republican in Dubya's camp can/will rip the film apart. And any thinking(?) man who might be undecided on some things (yet still leaning towards voting for Bush) might be pushed by the crazy leftists towards Bushian lunacy. I don't want to see that happen. A cleverly written critique might allay some of my fears...hmmmmmmm...

4.7.04

I coulda been a contender

Last night I get the bright idea of going to the Elkmont area of the Smokies to investigate the whole synchronized lightning bug phenomenon. I think Scott and I were a few weeks late. It's hard to say; they're weren't many of the flashy insects around, but we also didn't travel far along our chosen trail. Oh, and we left the flashlight in the car; there was a full moon to light the way...

About 75 yards from our car, in a particularly shadowy, moonless stretch of woods we hear leaves being rustled a few yards ahead on the trail. We stop and Scott asks if I heard the noise. I say it sounds like something small scurrying along the ground. While allaying his fears he kindles mine with something resembling 'oh good, as long as it's not something bigger.' I suddenly remember that we're in bear country. So I freeze and Scott takes five short steps foward before I ask him what exactly he thought he heard. He answers some rustling and a quiet growl. I didn't hear a growl. I tell him such. He freezes but goes on to half-heartedly say that it couldn't have come from something very big. Blind for but a two yard bubble around me, I approach Scott slowly, intending to more quietly deliberate our latest predicament: our fear of moving in any direction. So, of course as soon as we're side-by-side he takes five more short steps foward. My quiet curse for him was cut short by a rather loud, rather deep, barrel-chested, baritone growl. Scott freezes as he asks where that came from. I'm already walking backwards as I tell him about 2 or 3 yards at his 2 o'clock. He doesn't move as he replies I'm pretty sure it's something bigger than a rabbit or deer. I whole-heartedly agree with him, accepting that I was indeed very wrong at first, as he finally begins moving backwards. Once he reaches me, we both turn and begin to run back down the trail. One of us always has a head looking over a shoulder. Neither of us hear anything following on the return trip to the car. I fumble out my keys, unlock the doors, and get in before I stop running.

After we caught our respective breaths, I started the car, the adrenaline eventually wore off, and we continued discussing how awesome Doc Oc is in Spiderman 2. I'm just disappointed that I didn't actually see a bear in what other senses tell me was definitely my first bear encounter.

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?