  (my film) The only thing happening with the film is that it was shown to the execs over at "Diagnosis Murder," who said they liked it (without saying "Well, that was... interesting"). Soon, the whole world shall witness the awesome, raw power of my mind! Ahahahaha! |
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  Movies seen lately (with the help of gift certificates given to me by the writers and producers from work... thanks, guys!): Momento: I've liked Guy Pearce ever since I saw him in LA Confidential. I thought he had great potential, and he shows it again in Momento. Watching this movie is as disorienting an experience as the main character's life, which I suppose is the point, but by the end it's almost tiring to keep rearranging the events in your head, and the "end" is anti-climactic, considering they show you the "end" at the "beginning." But it was at least different than anything I've seen lately, and that's always good. The Mummy Returns: A very LOUD sequel that is really about 10 movies condensed into one. Unfortunately, not of those movies is very interesting. The soundtrack consists of a looping "ARRRRRRRG!" type sound, and if you blink at all, it's like missing out on $10,000,000 worth of computer graphics that includes a wall of water drawn by a 3 year-old and an all-fake Rock with pinchers for hands. This film will make so much damn money. The Tailor of Panama: Pierce Brosnan plays a really good asshole, and looks like he was having fun doing it (who wouldn't?), but unfortunately, the actual plot of this movie was kind of lost on me. As I saw it, Brosnan's character, an MI6 agent assigned to a boring Panama spy scene, lures a local tailor (Geoffrey Rush) into a pretend spy plot that involves some of the tailor's friends and his wife (Jaime Lee Curtis)... or something like that. Then other stuff happens and that's followed by some more scenes... but, hey, there's pretty hot sex scattered about, so who really cares if the plot's confusing? Bridget Jones' Diary: Actually a fairly funny romantic comedy that doesn't portray men as useless pigs (or as cows, like the recently forgettable "Someone Like You" did). Also shows that normal-looking thighs are a good thing. A Knight's Tale: One of my favorite actors, Mark Addy, puts in another reliable performance, and Heath Ledger dances to David Bowie in a tunic. I didn't quite get the point of putting "Queen" and "Thin Lizzy" over some of the sequences, especially when the crowds in the movie sang along with the tunes. Good jousting, though. Creepy similarities between Ledger's love interest and Angelina Jolie, enough for me to not trust her or her freaky makeup. Caveman's Valentine: A very weird movie about a homeless man who lives in a cave in New York City. A cave. In New York City. Anyway, Jackson was good, and there are some interesting images, but the rest was just too bizarre for me. Maybe it was that whole subplot about the evil of the world being headquartered in the Chrysler Building. Hannibal: Except for unnecessary graphic violence, I can't complain about the movie. Suspenseful, well-acted... just really, really gross. Proof of Life: Please tell me why someone cast Meg Ryan in this movie? It's too bad... too bad that there's no plot, pretty boring dialogue, and a marriage with less chemistry than a pre-school science lab. And, too bad Russell Crowe looks like he knows what he got himself into. Galaxy Quest: Hilarious Sci-fi comedy about aliens who think a group of actors are actually saviors of the universe. Features a crustaceous-type bad guy, who is the only intelligent one of his entire race, and also Sigourney Weaver as a blonde Barbie-type person, which proved to be quite flattering for her. And this may sound odd, but I found Tim Allen really sexy in a tight black t-shirt. He also had good hair going for him. Ahem, anyway, the movie's really funny. Go rent it. What Women Want: We sure as hell don't want this movie. Mel Gibson stars as a cocky, self-inflated, egomaniacal advertising person who, after being electrocuted, can hear what women are thinking. He's surprised to find out that they think he's cocky, self-inflated, and egomaniacal, and lets his every move be dictated by what he thinks the women want him to do. After the gag about him hearing women's thoughts wears off in about five minutes, the movie drags us along through Gibson's romance with Helen Hunt, also a cocky, self-inflated, egomaniacal advertising person. He eventually loses his "gift" and must learn to actually think for himself. What a concept. The Legend of Bagger Vance: Wait a minute... Will Smith can act without being "the funny black guy"? Maybe he should try it more often. This is a very effective effort from Robert Redford, who makes one of the most boring sports on Earth exciting enough to front a story about confidence, faith, and love. Books: Vonnegut, Vonnegut, Vonnegut. Why didn't we ever read this guy in school? Were they afraid that we'd learn that you can write novels in the first person -- even as the novelist, not a character -- and draw your own satiric pictures to illustrate your points? Specifically, I'd recommend Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions, the former being more interesting story-wise and the latter being an exercise in breaking most of the normal literary rules. Instead of killing off a character, Vonnegut, writing as the writer, meets one of his characters in the book, and proceeds to tell him to leave, thus setting him free. Tropic of Cancer. Henry Miller, the self-depricating poet of Paris. Despite the allure of the sexual content, which is pretty much just a bunch of cursing, there are some passages that will make you realize the sheer power of words when under the control of the right person. Listening to: Seal's "Prayer for the Dying," Bjork's "Debut," "Last of the Mohicans" soundtrack, Moby's "Songs," some mixes I've made on my burner, The Smiths' "Greatest Hits," Cher's "Heart of Stone."
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  Nearly a year in LA.: #1 in ozone pollution and traffic, woohoo! This place takes some getting used to. I house-sat down in Lawndale, which is about 20 degrees cooler than the Valley, but has just as many helicopters. Those whirlybirds are constantly circling, circling, circling, and circling some more. That's one thing I miss about D.C. : restricted air space. |
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  Oh, what a year, that's all I have to say. Every time I see a weather map I realize just how friggin' far away I moved. But I thank technology for helping me keep in touch, especially Yahoo's voice messenger, which has allowed several free long-distance "phone calls." I also just had a birthday, the big two-three. Yikes, what a seemingly pointless one that was, but I overcame my initial depression and ended up having a good time. A sidenote: I rule at darts! |
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