August 17, 2004 - 11:51 PM

Watching Movies and Other Things

As I ramp up for the back-half of August that will be full of travel and events, I'll let you know what I've been up to.

This past weekend, I worked at the studio with an engineer on a couple projects. Nothing really noteworthy. Went to a Dodgers/Marlins game on Monday with Tony, Nick, and LDBL and had really really nice seats at field level.

Last week, I checked out the Will Smith movie I, Robot which was decent, but seemed a little too Hollywood "shiny pretty pretty" for an Alex Proyas film (he of The Crow and Dark City, a movie that I like a lot). I have a personal distaste for scriptwriter Akiva Goldsman's work (hello, Batman movies directed by Joel Schumacher, as well as Lost in Space and Practical Magic), and this movie was predictably atrocious with it's "witticisms" that seemed to be stuck on the mouths of the actors with a dab of elmer's glue. Ack ack. And Bridget Moynihan, yes, you're kinda pretty to look at (not as pretty as Will Smith mind you), but who told you that acting consisted of you making that same pursed-mouth, about to cry yet still frosty look anytime an emotion is called for? Not impressed by Will Smith's sassitude? Icy woman who might have something in her eye. Sad at your mentor's death? Suck in, show off those cheekbones, furrow those brows. Confused by the apparent "life" in a robot? Creased forhead with a slightly raised eyebrow, and flared nostrils above a tiny mouth. Happy that you're not dead? Same exact thing. It's the utilitarian method of acting: one look for all occasions.

I also saw Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle with Nick and LDBL which was funny, but not as funny as I was expecting. The movie was made less funny by the family sitting behind us with their 8 year old girl who laughed out loud at all the "adult" humor bits. That's really unsettling, to have this little girl guffawing in your ear at drug and sex jokes that you aren't sure she should even get. But apparently, she's a hip kid. She let me know that gratuitous breastal nudity is funny.

We also checked out Ridley Scott's Matchstick Men, which was ok as well. Alison Lohman was amazing playing the 14 year old (she was 22 at the time of filming), and Nicolas Cage wasn't too offputting playing the father-figure. The ending kinda made me want to kick the screenwriters, but in watching the Making Of featurette and listening to the commentary, my anger abated as I realized that they were sticking to the ending of the book (after they initially had written the screenplay with a more pleasing ending).

Lately, I've been watching the Live Via Tape Delay Olympics. It's kinda weird to still be hearing the theme from "The Adventures of Briscoe County Jr.", which was a tongue in cheek western/sci-fi tv show from the early 90's that starred our boy Bruce Campbell, as one of the primary go-to Olympic Themes for NBC. They've been doing this for at least the past 3 Olympics they've carried...basically, there are three or four musical pieces they use when they start off their broadcast, go to commercials, or come back from commercials: the stately offical Olympic theme, the John Williams Olympic Fanfare from the '84 L.A. games, and this Briscoe County theme. Strange musical choice.

My cousin Ros is coming in to town this Thursday. We may try our hands at surfing, and we'll definitely be having fun at Nick and LDBL's party this Saturday. Y'all wanna join in the good times?

Now Listening To : HaLaLi (three fiddlers, HAnneke LAura LIssa, who I know from Berklee...excellent album)
Random Thought : Oh, yeah, I also bought a goosedown pillow. So soft.

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