7 posts tagged “movies”

I am a person who really likes all kinds of movies. I am only not too fond of war movies--I get bored during long battle scenes and just want somebody to tell me who won. If there are horses involved, I worry about them getting hurt. I went to see Pirates yesterday, and even though it was totally commercial and the plot wasn't that great, I still enjoyed it. There's something to be said for a splashy, big budget summer movie seen on the big screen on a hot summer day. Also, I, who have never found Orlando Bloom remotely attractive before, suddenly thought he was cute once he tied a scarf around his head. I wondered why, then I realized it was because it made him look more like Johnny Depp. Doy.

Anyhoo...my point is that even though I like almost all types of movies, I have a special fondness for the weird little movie. The quirky characters, the black humor, the unconventional plots where, a lot of the time, not much really even happens. Sometimes, a weird little movie will make it big, but sometimes they just remain this gem that you want to tell all your friends about.

Me and You and Everyone We Know

So, because of all of this, I had really expected to enjoy Me You and Everyone We Know. It got great reviews a lot of places that I usually trust. (I should give a shout-out to Moviepie here, since I usually agree with their reviews. They loved this one.) Um...no. I really just did not like it. I think a lot of it has to do with Miranda July, since she wrote, directed, and stars. And bugs. Seriously. A lot of the problem is that she plays a performance artist. I'm pretty sure that nobody likes performance artists except for (maybe) other performance artists. They're like mimes, except more annoying because at least mimes don't speak. So, for some reason, Miranda decides to obnoxiously pursue a sad sack shoe salesman while wearing a series of vintage 80's blouses that Janet would have worn during the later seasons of Three's Company. That is the main plot of the movie, although there are a lot random subplots, as there often tend to be in this type of movie (something I usually enjoy). I really only kind of liked two characters--the shoe salesman's youngest son, who is just about the cutest kid I've ever seen, and a little girl who spends all her time and money collecting towels and small appliances for her hope chest.

The overarching theme of this film is how technology affects personal relationships. Since July apparently doesn't trust her audience to figure this out on their own, there is ALSO an art exhibit IN the movie on this same theme. Just in case you didn't get it. And in case you still didn't get it, the emoticons used to illustrate a sex act in an earlier scene of the movie involving IM show up four feet tall on the banner for the exhibit. Thanks.

The Station Agent

So, since I, uh--didn't especially enjoy this movie--(and, OK, I was out of Netflix and there wasn't anything good on TV), I felt the need to watch something that I knew would be good. I didn't have to get far in my DVD collection before I came across The Station Agent, which I'd seen, LOVED, and bought, but hadn't rewatched yet. There isn't really much of a plot, but the acting and writing are superb. Miranda July should have studied Bobby Canavale's performance to see how to play a character who is obnoxious but still lovable, Peter Dinklage is amazing, and of course Patricia Clarkson is great, because she always is.

The movie is basically about friendship, but it's open to interpretation. Mostly it will just make you feel nice. You should watch it.

With the upcoming move and some impending job applications, I have tons of stuff to do, so much so that I turned down plans yesterday so I could stay home and get stuff done. So what did I do? Spent the afternoon and early evening watching all three movies I have out from Netflix right now.

Jesus Camp

So, I'm trying to catch up on as many Oscar nominees as I can. This one was nominated for best documentary. I'd seen a preview for it when I saw Little Miss Sunshine in the theater, and thought it looked scary as all hell.

I was right. Jesus Camp follows a handful of Evangelical Christian kids and a youth pastor who runs a summer camp called Kids on Fire. I know not everybody reading this has the same political and religious views I do, and I try to be tolerant, but the way this this particular religious movement is indoctrinating and, frankly, using its children really makes me angry, and always has.

There are several cringe-worthy moments. The earnest, studious little girl who goes up to a stranger in a bowling alley to tell her that "God has told me he is watching you and has special plans for you." The two little boys being chatted up by Ted Haggard (who advises them to use their cuteness to preach to people), kids putting red tape with "Life" scrawled on it over their mouths at camp, and later on at a pro-life rally in Washington D.C. were all images that are sticking with me. Worse were the things I heard these people telling their children; there is such a sense of entitlement, intolerance, a total disregard for science that allows them to completely ignore any repercussions of human actions on the environment, and a sense of fear and shame for acting like normal kids. And since many of these kids are home-schooled, they're not going to get the opportunity to hear other viewpoints so that they can decide what the truth is for themselves. One kid said something to the effect of "This country was supposed to be God's country" (meaning the god of him and his parents), seeming to have no awareness or sense that our country was actually founded on the principles of religious tolerance and freedom. There was one moment that made me laugh, though--As a family is pledging allegiance (at home) to the Christian flag, a longer version of the pledge to the flag, the camera cuts to the family dog, a basset hound, who gives this priceless "What did I do to deserve ending up here?" look.

An Inconvenient Truth

Perhaps unwisely, I moved straight from Jesus Camp into An Inconvenient Truth, also nominated for best documentary. I'd been avoiding/putting off seeing this, mostly because I don't need any convincing that global warming is real and severe, and I already take a lot of steps to reduce my personal impact on the planet. If you've seen the movie, you won't be surprised to hear that I had no idea the problem was as bad as it is. I found the polar bear animation to be particularly distressing.

The combination of these two films has made me want to go live in yurt somewhere. Probably in Canada, since apparently the religious right is even scarier than I had thought, and seems unlikely to release its stranglehold on the country any time soon. Maybe I'll go camp out somewhere in Greenland so I can bail out those little pools of melted water that are forming on top of the ice.

On Edge

What was your very first job? 
Submitted by Laurel.

I worked at Crossroads Cinema in Bellevue, WA. It took me years to like popcorn again at all, and I still don't eat movie popcorn. We were allowed to eat as much popcorn and pop as we wanted, so that was kind of what I had for lunch every day.

And now, a couple of PSAs:

Don't leave your garbage in the auditorium. I have heard a lot of people rationalize this behavior by saying it's someone's job to clean it up, but I can tell you from experience that if the show was crowded, that person probably doesn't have time to pick it all up before the next show. And honestly, there's always a can right outside the door. Are you really so lazy that you can't carry a paper cup and a few wrappers fifty feet?

Yeah, movie tickets are expensive, and concessions are even worse. But don't take it out on the poor person selling them to you. It's certainly not going into their paycheck.

Is there something I am missing about the difficulty of just sitting and quietly watching a movie or live performance? Because it seems to be quite difficult for a lot of people. It's interesting--most people seem to be pretty good about turning their cell phones off these days, I think the reminders most theaters are doing now really help. But they still seem to think it's fine to chat with their friends. It boggles the mind.

So, it's bad enough at movies, but last night I went to see Bombay Dreams (How was it? Good, with some great dance numbers, but not one of my all-time favorites. My ticket was free.) We were sitting in front of this family that seemed to be on their first outing in public, like, ever. The daughters were talking and giggling the whole time. Sure, there were some funny parts of the show, but it wasn't that funny. For example, one thing they seemed to be really amused by was when the male dance corps came out in pink outfits. Then they all "whoooed" after every number, like they were at a football game. And while we were stuck in front of the Giggle Twins, our friend whose seat was a few rows away told us she was sitting with "the gay Ebert and Roeper," and Roeper had a severe case of halitosis.

Oh! And the lady sitting next to me was wearing about a quart of perfume and sitting on a booster cushion, even though she wasn't really very short at all.

It's usually worse at movies, I guess most (but clearly not all, as was evidenced last night) people use better behavior at the theater.

I actually made a concious decision not to go to any more movies with one of my high-school friends because she talked so much during the show. (Although the straw that broke the camel's back was when she punched the back of the seat after Pocahontas because she was mad that it didn't have a happy ending.)

Sometimes I've been at movies where the chatters have ended up being more entertaining than the movie. Or maybe I had to be entertained by them because I wasn't able to enjoy the movie...

Some quotes from the ladies sitting behind me at Two Weeks Notice. (full volume, mind you)
"I hate that kind of elevator."
"Is that Norah Jones? I think that's Norah Jones." Loud. So loud, I wasn't sure if she was asking her friend or the whole theater. Why? Why? Can't you wait and look at the credits like a normal person?

At What Lies Beneath, we had such a relentless running commentary going on next to us, we actually entertained the possiblity that one of the people was blind, and the other was describing everything on screen to them. This is the source of my favorite movie-talker exclamation ever: "She has really nice pants." Pants. Really? You couldn't wait to discuss the wardrobe until after the show?

Depending on the frequency, idiocy, and volume of the comments, I have a few tactics that I usually try.

• Moving, if possible without disrupting other people. Usually if there are talkers close to you, though, it's too crowded to move very easily.
  
• Dirty looks of varying length and dirtyness.
• Laughing. If you are making idiotic comments that I can hear, I fully reserve the right to laugh at what a dumbass you are.

I've always wanted some of these.

What movie can you quote by heart?
Submitted by clamhead.

Beauty and the Beast (Disney Special Platinum Edition)

Beauty and the Beast. Yes, it is my favorite movie. Yes, I am a ginormous dork. Then there are some weird ones that became family in-jokes, like Father of the Bride and Undercover Blues. And then there are those movies that practically everyone can quote by heart, like Princess Bride and Holy Grail. But that's kinda boring, 'cause everybody knows those.

I haven't watched the movie a whole bunch, but I can pretty much sing/speak along with

Rent (1996 Original Broadway Cast)

ever single word on the Broadway cast recording of Rent.