Semi Pro is the worst movie ever in the history of ever. I know this from sitting through it for twenty minutes and forty seven seconds. That was all I could possibly take, and it was a lot. You have to factor in that I was really tired and didn't want to move, and that I was really making an effort to like it for my fathers sake. Also, it's easier to breathe when you're upright, but that's a whole other story. I'll be grumpy for three days, in part because of this horrid excuse for entertainment. Semi Pro is one of the things that makes me ashamed to be American. The end.
On a much nicer note, Modest Mouse's major label debut, The Moon and Antarctica is the best album ever in the history of ever. I thought I would share that in case anyone didn't already know.
The Savage Beast (this is what I call The Evil Demon Kitty when she's hungry) has apparently figured out that I get up at six am every day for some reason or another. Sometimes it's to be up for the day and sometimes it's to get water, but she has decided that all the time I can get up at six to feed her. She's very vocal and entitled.
I also keep forgetting to mention that Rate Your Students is my new favourite blog. It is excellent, useful, and lively in tone like Miss Manners.
Dan in Real Life is probably one of the better movies I've seen in the last six months. However, considering the movies I've been watching lately (*cough*27 Dresses*cough*) I'm not sure how much that means.
But I like that Steve Carell is sort of allowed to look his age, and so is Juliette Binoche. Especially, I appreciate that the counter to Steve Carell's character wasn't supposed to look twenty two years old. I'm looking at you, Harrison Ford. I am continually baffled by mainstream cinema's aversion to the combination of women and mature age. No one looks twenty two - not even twenty two year olds. I am twenty two, and I don't look twenty two.
Also, I didn't even notice that Dane Cook was in it until the credits, and perhaps that says the most of all. Dane Cook does not get an imdb link. Interestingly, the bulk of the movie takes place in Rhode Island. The plates on Dan's car appear to be from New Jersey, if my father is a reliable source. I wasn't looking. However, if certain stock images of Manhattan are anything to go by, it ends in New York. Because everything ends in New York. Of course. snerk
Things I liked about this movie which I have not already written about:
I kind of adore the deleted scene with the sandwich conversation and the ipod earbuds.
The soundtrack is good, when you don't listen to the words.
I wouldn't know if it is good when you do listen to the words, because I did not listen to the words. Roger Ebert, however, says it is not.
The primary characters don't fall in love at first sight; it takes the edge off of the 'I've known you for three days and am hopelessly in love with you' bit. That the requisite wedding scene takes place during the credits and feels almost like an afterthought also helps with this.
The eating of the pancakes in the pancake scene. Steve Carrell had the perfect non-expression expression.
I don't think it tries too hard, and I don't think it tries to be too much.
This scene:
I still haven't done anything productive today, so I think I shall go make some of that mint tea now.
I can't quite decide what I think of this movie. It isn't crap. Rotten Tomatoes has it at a 66%.
It isn't good enough that I can't watch it without multi tasking, though. After a while the neurotic-ness of the neurotic character gets trying, especially since he's really just a stereotype. The whole movie is kind of a stereotype, but a bit more subtle about it than most.
As long as I have a laptop and an internet connection, it's enjoyable enough, though.
I'm thinking of applying for a weekend preview thing at Harvard Divinity School. Worst case scenario I'm out a stamp and some time spent reflecting on my life's goals; best case scenario I get a free trip to Cambridge, Mass. Acceptable losses. That means I would need to start on that application, though, and get it done well before it's due in September. At some point in next semester, I have to edit a term paper and submit it for an award, preferably before Fall 2008 finals. Ok, that's not actually that much.
Mister Bones has a refugee look. He sits, extends his neck, hangs his head down, and pulls back his ears so that he looks thinner and you can see more of the whites of his eyes. Then he just looks at you. Sadly. Like a refugee. I should enter him in a talent contest.
I should probably start editing that essay sometime this week. By editing I don't mean editing, of course, but striking through random paragraphs for rewrite and then letting it sit for a month. Of course.
Against my better judgment, I watched 27 Dresses. I already knew it would be lame and I watched it anyway - clearly my decision making process needs some revision. Because seriously - I will never get the last two hours of my life back. Ever.
Assorted comments:
The fetishization of weddings, which are themselves a type of creepy fetishization, creeps me out.
The opening scene is ridiculous.
All the other scenes are ridiculous too.
At times the dialogue doesn't match the actions, or the expressions on the actors faces. It is very odd.
Journalist man has freaky implant looking cheekbones in the beginning.
If she had ended up with the boss, I would have cried. Not in the good way.
Why the hell isn't she a wedding planner? It would be a better career and pay better, besides. Maybe you can't be as excruciatingly repressed and passive aggressive as a wedding planner though...
This reminds me of a bad sitcom episode, but so much longer.
I was sick of this six minutes in, but I kept watching? Why? I think I might need professional help. Or at least a moratorium on the anthropological experiments.
KH seems heavily medicated and vapid throughout most of the movie - more so than necessary. Except for the part in the bar in "East Deliverance", where she seems like a person (in character) rather than a person who is acting like a vapid person.
That Bennie and the Jets thing was horrible, though.
Also, the thing with Pedro? Loudly: Hola, Pedro. I get it, she's the antagonist - Seriously, are you going there? I guess you are.
Nevermind the cleaning business.
The only two lines that I liked the delivery on: ...or would you prefer to lie some more? and You want to find the ugliest stuff in the store and register Tess for it?
Note to the actress playing the sister - I appreciate that the character is impossible to play and has a complete personality change in the last act, but seriously, head waggling is not acting.
The scene with throwing out the dresses - that's not cathartic, it's just stupid.
Also, the creepiest, scariest line I've heard in a movie (or anywhere) in a very long time: You never say no, which I love. There is an acronym for that - fubar.
Now I'm going to play Music Catch just to cleanse my mind of this movie.
Yes, I totally just stole Joe's blog post title. I did that because now that I'm back in Texas, I, much like Joe, am being a bum. This mostly involves watching 30 Rock and taking naps with Mister Bones. He still does that thing where he stretches out and uses a pillow for his head. Sometimes he flops his ears over his eyes.
Last night I finally saw Hot Fuzz - it was not at all what I expected. Actually, it was better than I expected.
I met J-- for dinner Saturday night after cleaning up my room as much as possible without a vacuum. We had end of semester Wisey's in the LXR Underground. Technically the LXR Underground may be the Neville's common room, but it's difficult to tell. It is totally awesome though. We went to N---'s Rocky Horror party, which was very much the type of party N--- might throw. J-- and I were falling asleep and had places to be early in the morning, though, so we left early.
I totally didn't miss my plane, although I did have to repack my suitcase in the middle of the airport. It was over the weight limit, which is stupid when you consider that I was still taking the same amount of stuff, just in two bags. Although, it isn't stupid when you consider that at some point, someone has to be able to lift that bag. I could lift it though.
Right now Mister Bones is having a dream, and he's barking in his sleep. Except not really, because it sounds more like a broken squeaky toy sound, but they're clearly supposed to be barks.
My shoulders do not fit in airplane seats. This is very uncomfortable. The baby carrots and kit kat bar almost made up for it. (Hint: not really)
Before watching Hot Fuzz last night, we had to do mothers day things. These really just consisted of eating dinner outside. Dinner, by the way, was amazing, as it was totally the first real food I've eaten since easter. Negro Modelo, chocolate dipped strawberries, and steaks were involved.
I thought Mister Bones' cookies might have been crushed on the airline, but they weren't. I didn't realize until I took them out of my bag to show my father that they had garlic powder in them as well as peanut butter. So Mister Bones got a garlic powder peanut butter cookie, and then got to go around and lick everyone with his garlic powder peanut butter breath. Good stuff.
Assorted extras: noone knows what happened to Mister Bones' volleyball I got my third grade back, out of four - it is better than I thought it would be! I saw K----, at church, briefly, in between the airport and home my cat hates you we have new cable - with BBCAmerica later I will write a post about how I know my parents are hippies
"Do you know the letter M? M. It's like two upside down Vs..."
The movie was awesome - I now totally have the biggest genderqueer girl crush on Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan ever. I could possibly acquire a sexual orientation.
I did productive things this morning and then accidentally fell asleep. I did productive things again in the early evening and then went to see Juno for the second time. It was adorable for the second time.
There's something completely different about sleeping in the afternoon, when the sky is blue and the sun is in the sky and the light is so, so, so perfect.
