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laurainlimbo at 11:17pm on 16/07/2006
laurainlimbo at 11:17pm on 16/07/2006I really hate summer. And it's not just because of the heat, though that is a major factor. It's because, for my entire life, I've always felt that summertime just proved what I already know: that I have no life. I literally just go to work and go home afterwards, and on the weekends I just shop and clean and watch movies alone. hopefully that will change if M gets a day job and can be home with me on the weekends at night. but I also don't particularly like doing "summer" things like going to the "beach" (what we have here is just a lake), or being outside in the sun, melting and sweating (and I don't like to be seen in shorts since I'm so pale I'd blind everyone anyway), or spending the outrageous sums of money to see a movie in the theater or go out to eat (movie theaters and restaurants being the only cool places to be besides my own apartment). So I stay home. Meanwhile, judging by the fact that very few of my friends are posting on LJ these days, everyone else must be out enjoying summer and having fun.
This week I have the pleasure of dealing with the IRS one more time. I've overextended my extensions with them, and they aren't cooperating with me (or more like they think I'm not cooperating with them), so I have to pay them. All of what they want me to pay them. And it's almost a month's worth of pay. So it's going on my credit card. *sigh* - anyone want to guess why I like "the Fight Club" so much? Just think of the ending... so so perfect!
and speaking of perfect, I saw a movie Friday night that was almost just that.
I finally watched the fourth of the movies nominated for best picture this year, "Good Night and Good Luck" which was directed by George Clooney (who also co-wrote the screenplay). This was a great movie in all respects: the acting, the direction and the story. So many actors I love, like Robert Downey Jr., David Strathairn, Jeff Daniels, Patricia Clarkson, Frank Langella, and RAy Wise (Leland from "Twin Peaks" in a very powerful performance). For me, this story was so important and so fascinating since I was a Journalism major for a short time in college, and I took a very memorable course called War, Peace and the Mass Media - much about how the media is so deferential to the government both in times of war and peace. In this class, I read a book entitled "Television and the Red Menace" which was, of course, all about how television played a major part in escalating the fear of communism in the 1950's. I studied all about "that junior senator from Wisconsin", Mr. Joseph McCarthy and his dirty scare tactics and his lists and his agenda. That was a very scary time, and not because of the Russians. And for anyone who has studied Journalism, Edward R. Murrow is a hero, who was portrayed so beautifully by David Strathairn in this film. Though I believe that this movie might be a bit slow for anyone not interested in this history, for me it was captivating, and I was so moved by Murrow's speeches, and by his overwhelming commitment to the truth, and to exposing McCarthy for who he was, even if it meant jeopardizing his own career. One thing I found so interesting is that they didn't have an actor playing McCarthy. They used real newsclips of his own speeches, which really made the movie feel like a piece of history, something that was also enhanced by the creative use of black and white photography. I highly recommend this film, for all of the reasons just stated, and also because it changed my opinion of George Clooney. Call me fickle if you will, but I didn't like him much prior to this year's academy awards. Of course I liked him as the cute doctor in ER, and of course I knew that he had directed and starred in a number of other films, none of which I liked. So when I saw him recently in "Syriana" (his performance being the highlight of that film), and when I saw this movie that he so brilliantly directed and co-wrote, I came to have a whole new respect for him. He seems very intelligent, and not just a "pretty face" as I previously thought, and I regret saying anything bad about him. Sorry, George:)
The second movie I watched was a spontaneous decision at the video store. I rented a movie with a very strange title called "The Chumbscrubber" which has a cast of some unknown young actors, and some very well-knowns such as Glenn Close, CArrie Ann-Moss, Ralph Fiennes, Rita Wilson and Allison Janney. The description for this film in IMDB is as follows: "The Chumscrubber is a darkly satiric story about life crumbling in the midst of a seemingly idyllic suburbia." Everyone in this movie, at least until the end, is caught up in themselves, ignoring or forgetting about something or someone important, and not aware that anything is wrong. And there is so much going wrong with these characters. About halfway through I realized that it was a black comedy. And in some points it is indeed very dark. But I really enjoyed it, and I was actually quite literally on the edge of my seat at the end, in which everything comes to a very tense climax. It was not ao perfect movie, but I thought it was very well done, and full of symbols and meaning that I'd actually like to analyze more with a second viewing. I was quite surprised to read many negative reviews of this film online; while it wasn't the best movie of the year, it certainly wasn't terrible or pointless. It had some very good points to be made about the self-absorbed upper classes and how completely out of touch they are with reality, or with their own families for that matter. One character for example, played by Rory Culkin, does absolutely nothing but play a video game (called "the chumbscrubber") throughout the entire film. He says a few words, and in the end does something very memorable, but otherwise he's glued to his games. And one of the story-lines involves some kids who "kidnap" a boy who is just a few years younger as ransom for something they want from one of the other kids. But the parents of this boy don't even realize he's missing until the end of the film, so caught up they are in their own menial troubles or jobs. Interesting commentary. And worth the watch, I think.
This week I have the pleasure of dealing with the IRS one more time. I've overextended my extensions with them, and they aren't cooperating with me (or more like they think I'm not cooperating with them), so I have to pay them. All of what they want me to pay them. And it's almost a month's worth of pay. So it's going on my credit card. *sigh* - anyone want to guess why I like "the Fight Club" so much? Just think of the ending... so so perfect!
and speaking of perfect, I saw a movie Friday night that was almost just that.
I finally watched the fourth of the movies nominated for best picture this year, "Good Night and Good Luck" which was directed by George Clooney (who also co-wrote the screenplay). This was a great movie in all respects: the acting, the direction and the story. So many actors I love, like Robert Downey Jr., David Strathairn, Jeff Daniels, Patricia Clarkson, Frank Langella, and RAy Wise (Leland from "Twin Peaks" in a very powerful performance). For me, this story was so important and so fascinating since I was a Journalism major for a short time in college, and I took a very memorable course called War, Peace and the Mass Media - much about how the media is so deferential to the government both in times of war and peace. In this class, I read a book entitled "Television and the Red Menace" which was, of course, all about how television played a major part in escalating the fear of communism in the 1950's. I studied all about "that junior senator from Wisconsin", Mr. Joseph McCarthy and his dirty scare tactics and his lists and his agenda. That was a very scary time, and not because of the Russians. And for anyone who has studied Journalism, Edward R. Murrow is a hero, who was portrayed so beautifully by David Strathairn in this film. Though I believe that this movie might be a bit slow for anyone not interested in this history, for me it was captivating, and I was so moved by Murrow's speeches, and by his overwhelming commitment to the truth, and to exposing McCarthy for who he was, even if it meant jeopardizing his own career. One thing I found so interesting is that they didn't have an actor playing McCarthy. They used real newsclips of his own speeches, which really made the movie feel like a piece of history, something that was also enhanced by the creative use of black and white photography. I highly recommend this film, for all of the reasons just stated, and also because it changed my opinion of George Clooney. Call me fickle if you will, but I didn't like him much prior to this year's academy awards. Of course I liked him as the cute doctor in ER, and of course I knew that he had directed and starred in a number of other films, none of which I liked. So when I saw him recently in "Syriana" (his performance being the highlight of that film), and when I saw this movie that he so brilliantly directed and co-wrote, I came to have a whole new respect for him. He seems very intelligent, and not just a "pretty face" as I previously thought, and I regret saying anything bad about him. Sorry, George:)
The second movie I watched was a spontaneous decision at the video store. I rented a movie with a very strange title called "The Chumbscrubber" which has a cast of some unknown young actors, and some very well-knowns such as Glenn Close, CArrie Ann-Moss, Ralph Fiennes, Rita Wilson and Allison Janney. The description for this film in IMDB is as follows: "The Chumscrubber is a darkly satiric story about life crumbling in the midst of a seemingly idyllic suburbia." Everyone in this movie, at least until the end, is caught up in themselves, ignoring or forgetting about something or someone important, and not aware that anything is wrong. And there is so much going wrong with these characters. About halfway through I realized that it was a black comedy. And in some points it is indeed very dark. But I really enjoyed it, and I was actually quite literally on the edge of my seat at the end, in which everything comes to a very tense climax. It was not ao perfect movie, but I thought it was very well done, and full of symbols and meaning that I'd actually like to analyze more with a second viewing. I was quite surprised to read many negative reviews of this film online; while it wasn't the best movie of the year, it certainly wasn't terrible or pointless. It had some very good points to be made about the self-absorbed upper classes and how completely out of touch they are with reality, or with their own families for that matter. One character for example, played by Rory Culkin, does absolutely nothing but play a video game (called "the chumbscrubber") throughout the entire film. He says a few words, and in the end does something very memorable, but otherwise he's glued to his games. And one of the story-lines involves some kids who "kidnap" a boy who is just a few years younger as ransom for something they want from one of the other kids. But the parents of this boy don't even realize he's missing until the end of the film, so caught up they are in their own menial troubles or jobs. Interesting commentary. And worth the watch, I think.
indifferent
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