No snappy intro this week - lots to get to, though. Send your March to Box Office Madness entries and vote on the Ladies/Dudes of the 80s polls. That is all.
Movies watched for the first time (non-theatrically) since last week:Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Yes, another in the Sheila Broflovski Memorial "What WHAT
WHAT?!? You haven't seen that??" line of movies that it took me forever to watch. Truth is, it was another one of those that I felt like I'd already seen, what with having seen so many clips here and there over the past three decades. Throw that in with the fact that I actually have seen the last 15 minutes intact and I got the jist. Still, I'd been wanting to sit down and watch it from start to finish once and for all and got the opportunity, so I took it...and was neither pleasantly surprised nor disappointed. That's not a bad thing - it was the same reaction I had when I finally watched
Jaws some months back (for that, I had a legitimate excuse for avoiding it - the whole fear of sharks thing). Each film simply reaffirmed what I already knew: Steven Spielberg is far and away the best director of the last 35 years, and has an ability (to make an intelligent blockbuster...consistently) like no one else I can think of. It's easy to get caught up in the referential brilliance that is Tarantino or the technical genius of Darren Aronofsky, but no one's been more influential over the course of my life than Spielberg (even if
Indy 4 was awful).
Rocket Science - Speaking of influences, it was difficult to watch this and not be constantly thinking "
Rushmore Rushmore Rushmore," but it's a kind of nice film in its own right, even if it never gains all that much traction and ends on a kind of "Oh...hmm...ok." note. I was mesmerized by Reece Thompson's terrific, breakout performance, as well as by Anna Kendrick's fluctuating weight, and Vincent Piazza's (he plays the older brother)
eerie resemblance to Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
Speaking of Kendrick, I've not seen any of the
Twilight pics, but for those that saw
Up In the Air and couldn't stop themselves from saying something like "Wow, so someone from
Twilight can act!," I'll instruct you to watch this film, which came out a year before the vampire saga and earned her an Independent Spirit award nom for Supporting Actress.
Two other final thoughts: always nice to see
Fargo's own Mike Yanagita (Steve Park), here showing up as a step-father of sorts. Also, for anyone that was ever involved with high school debate - is the point really to be a friggin' speed reader? What was portrayed as being great debating seemed awful to Mrs. Fletch and I.
Music I'm currently obsessed with:* Nothing new, though like anyone else in the world on Twitter that's over the age of 17, I'm sick to death of the name J_st_n B_eb_r, for whatever that's worth. Thankfully, the only singing I've ever heard him do was his 5-second bit in the updated "We are the World" that ran during the Olympics.
Book I'm currently reading:Still reading "The Year of Living Biblically," a yearlong journal of a secular guy (born Jewish) attempting to live according to the rules of the Bible (all of them, no matter how minute) for 365 days. Still pretty interesting and mildly amusing.
Finally, the Things to Click On:* Whitney's husband Scott, posted an array of
his "type" of ladies. Well, turnabout is fair play, and
her choices are what you might call...abnormal.
* The Reel Whore
has put out an official Tinsel Alert for an actress that's gone missing. May she return to screens big and small soon. I, for one, miss her smarm and charm.
* It's pretty much done raining in Phoenix for the next 4-6 months (save for perhaps one last hurrah later this week), but in case you're in need of some rainy day pop culture activities,
Brian of The Film Cynics has the prescription for your ills.
*
Travis hits his 300th post after barely more than six months, and does so by contributing to
Andy's Desert Island DVD blog-a-thon (that I'll be a part of as well). I don't know where this kid gets the time or money (he did state that he had a connection at a theater, which helps explain the money side), but I'm impressed (or scared - one of the two). Meta-linkage FTW!
* This is a bit late, but I just want to give
a nod to the way Hokahey's thinking. Not content with the results of the Oscars, he's taking matters into his own hands!
12 people have chosen wisely: on "Tuesday's Things to Click On (3/30/10)"
The "Year of Living Biblically" sounds great. I might have to check that out sometime.
Thanks for the shout out, Fletch. Were reading blogs one of Brian's other rainy day activities, I'm sure he'd thank you too.
As far as books I'm reading, I've just finished the second Scott Pilgrim book and ready to move onto another as soon as my next child tax benefit cheque clears...
Dang - that's two sites now where you've blasted Brian for his lack of reading/commenting. Is there a falling out amongst the Cynics in the future?
I feel your pain, though.
Thanks for the shout out Dylan. Yeah I was glad to Andy's thing and anything LAMB related or featuring LAMBs I always like to be a part of.
Timewise? Well I go to college for three hours a day and sleep about four hours a day on average so for 17 hours I get the chance to write. Plus I love it and it (for me) is a great way to vent.
300 is a big milestone for me because that shows that I can get into the bigger numbers. I'm shooting for 500 by LAMMY season and I won't stop until my FYC poster says The Movie Encyclopedia-500 posts.
Well some ARE afraid of me and some ARE impressed by me so you aren't the first one to be confused by your feelings for me (that sounded less gay in my head)
Thanks
-Travis
Does that "Days of Living Biblically" dude follow the rules that have to do with how you treat other people? I'm just thinking about all that "women as possessions" stuff and hoping he's not married! :)
Steve - I think I know the problem here. You keep referring to Brian on the show as a correspondent instead of a co-host. Maybe they mean the same thing in Canuckian, but not down here in the States. I can hear his anger every time you say it. (Ok, that's not true at all, but I'm trying here.)
Travis - wow. Methinks a rude awakening is headed your way when you graduate and/or get booted from the 'rents house. Still, requiring that little amount of sleep certainly gives you more free time. I get maybe 6 if I'm lucky.
Of course, I'm just jealous of all your free time. Enjoy it while you still can...
Mike - who listed me as their favorite? Also, I've already done an interview with BlogInterview.com. Thanks, though.
Whitney - he does avoid touching her during those days that she is "impure" (according to the bible), but aside from that and her general annoyance at the project, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of it affecting their relationship.
You've been paying way more attention than I thought. Actually the correspondent thing was a jab at Brian for not making the crossing from Vancouver to Victoria for the show and not letting me know until the last minute. Brian's most generous contribution to the show is making the 2 1/2 hour journey each way from the mainland to the Island, which is a big deal. But when he doesn't actually make it over for whatever reason (that time it was so he could be at that Oscar party) it leaves me holding the bag as far as running the show.
We've had chats about this from time to time, our priorities for the show are very different. He sees the radio side of things as the most important, and feels that the blog side of things is more of an add on. I can't really blame him, but I see the two of them as intertwined, with one affecting the other.
Hey man - I might not comment every time out, but I'm a faithful listener...something you could mention to Brian the next time you chat about this.
On the one hand, I think his argument is valid - the radio side is what pays the bills and what your bosses likely only care about. But the downside to it is its limitations: how many people can that signal reach? There's a finite number there somewhere. Meanwhile, your blog/podcast has an infinite number of potential listeners...people that, like me, never would have heard your show otherwise. So, when looking at it big picture, I'd side with you as well. Or at the least, go 70/30 in terms of radio/blog.
And yeah, I've heard you call him a correspondent a few times, and I kind of chuckle every time.
"something you could mention to Brian the next time you chat about this" - that was supposed to sound much cheekier than it reads (since I tied it into the later point). Just wanted to clarify that.
You got it, Fletch. Thanks for the pep-talk/advice. ;)
Shout-out! Thanks!
Also, thanks for your pics today. Posted them this morning.
Those pics dorky enough for you, gringo?
Post a Comment