Confessions of a Reasonably Dangerous Mind Let's call this one, punch-drunk blog...I have no idea what you should all expect...I haven't a clue myself. All I can say for sure, is that procrastination is a wonderful thing.
Monday, March 29, 2004
"When The Man Comes Around"
Been a bit since a proper update, but here goes. The plays on thurs and fri went off perfectly, couldn't have asked for a better two nights. True, the audience on friday was no match for thursdays, once again it was tons of fun. It's odd to think about how it all got started purely by chance, but i can't imagine doing anything else, it's that great of an experience. And both nights were nearly sold out! Huzzah for thurs and fri night performances instead of that odd combo of fri night and (gulp) sat afternoon. I'm still not quite sure what was going on in the minds of the schedulers (if that is a word, and if it is spelled correctly). Still, there's this odd sense of being overwhelmed with everything, and then it all having taken place in one (well, two technically) fell swoops and it's all over so suddenly. I felt exactly this way the last two times, and it's not the greatest feeling in the world, but not the worst either. Just odd and sort of empty. Well, maybe not empty, but deflated, or a bit hollow, but it's slowly filling itself up. If that made any sense whatsoever.
I'm currently addicted right now to the Johnny Cash song "When the Man Comes Around', which is highly strange but memorable. It played in the opening credits of "Dawn of the Dead", which i caught yesterday (and is very very good, incredibly effective and intense and fun too)...but that song is just repeating in an endless loop in my head right now.
Some more good news: school is finally winding down. Bad news: five exams. Good news: exams come with a free frogurt. Bad news: frogurt is made with potassium benzoate. (That's bad). Other good news, though, is "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" has finally been viewed, and was incredible. Charlie Kaufman knows how to write a movie, I'll say that. It's odd how Michele Gondry directed the film, but odd in the best way possible. While it seems that Spike Jonze likes to treat Kaufman's work by straightening it out and formatting it to some sort of semblense of the real world, playing it straight pretty much as if it's normal, every-day-type schtick (and spins brilliant, beautiful films from it), Gondry seems to relish in twisting and turning Kaufman's voice even futher. The film was on "11" the entire time, and all the better for it. I need to watch it again to catch the roughly nine thousand forty five things i probably missed.
Wow, I need to update more often. I don't even know if this can officially count as a post either...I want to talk about the plays and how amazingly well they went last night, but i think i'll leave that for after tonight. But, very very quickly, while perusing the movie listings, it's clear the dry-spell of this year so far has been broken with this weeks/last weeks/the next weeks offerings. It's all too much, i tells ya. It's been a while too, since I've even seen a movie in the theatre. I think the last one was "Monster", which wasn't all too of an enjoyable night of entertainment. Here's what to see, in order of importance/feverish anticipation in the coming weeks (when time presents itself, of course).
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2. Hellboy!!!!
3. Dawn of the Dead
4. Jersey Girl
5. The Ladykillers
5.5 and 5.6 (the guilty pleasures...not absolutely necessary, but look like fun): Walking Tall and The Girl Next Door (i know, i know...)
What The Dilly Yo Is THIS?!? And Why Is It So Damn Cool?
I have very little info on what this is. All I know is that it's from Japan, based in part on a manga of sorts, and also loosely based on "Hamlet." I know, i know. Sounds insane. But watch the thing, it IS insane. Thoroughly so. It was also apparently made for only $6 million. And it's called "Casshern." I need to see this movie...right...now.
Annnd, back to the streaming decision, which is apparently due to be made much earlier than I expected.
Ah, procrastination, how much I love thee. And mass emails. And, better yet, mass emails with weird, time-sucking surveys such as these. As my history essay, lines for my monologue, streaming decisions, politics of sexual diversity, and various other things sit on my desk, I sit here doing this survey. Fun in the sun.
THREE THINGS THAT SCARE ME
a. Spiders and Snakes
b. Streaming decision which i have neatly put aside actually making
c. Vampires (they gotta exist..i know it!)
THREE THINGS I DON'T UNDERSTAND
a. the conservative right
b. professional sports
c. how people can change for the worse
THREE THINGS I'D LIKE TO LEARN
a. how to speak japanese
b. how to do laundry, i think this will be inevitable
c. how to succeed in business without really trying
THREE THINGS I AM WEARING RIGHT NOW
a. my robe, very hugh hefnerish, sans pipe...and playboy bunnies..
b. ben folds t-shirt
c. glasses
THREE THINGS ON MY DESK
a. outline of history essay/history notes
b. "agitator: the cinema of takashi miike" book
c. several very amusing day calendars
THREE THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I DIE
a. Travel and hopefully work in the following places: Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia, UK, Las Vegas, Italy
b. invent time machine, see how i die, attempt to reverse it
c. make the streaming decisison
THREE WAYS TO DESCRIBE MY PERSONALITY
a. nervous
b. neurotic
c. partially insane, but drly wacky at the same time, an interesting mix
THREE BAD THINGS ABOUT MY PERSONALITY
a. nervous
b. neurotic
c. prone to being very naive
THREE THINGS MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU
a. my grandmother claims we are distantly related to the rental car business...none of us really believe her
b. i used to be quite the fan of "7th Heaven" (the dog's name was "Happy"!!)
c. i once told roger ebert where the washroom was.
THREE THINGS I SAY THE MOST
a. "You know what's better than ____? ____!"
b. "Just a bit"
c. "Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest of motives." ....okay, that wasn't me, it was Oscar Wilde, but it's a nice saying
THREE NAMES YOU GO BY
a. Barry
b. B. Diddy
c. B-Dawg
THREE THINGS THAT AREN'T WORTH YOUR TIME
a. wouldn't mind getting that media law course out of the way...and...
b. ...that lovely City Politics course...
c. being stuck in transit...or transit period
THREE STATES YOU'VE LIVED IN
a. Uhm, Ontario is a state for these purposes
THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE THINGS
a. movies
b. writing and acting, and theatre-ish things
c. music
I started to write a post about an hour ago, then suddenly stopped. Then I started again, only to be distracted by the rather lackluster new trailer for "I Robot", starring Will Smith, and what looks like an army of very ill-concieved cgi-robots. Meh. Looks like March is shaping up to be a big month indeed, with numerous things on the plate coming up. The play, the papers, the writing, the sleeping, and such. Maybe even a little fun squeezed in here and there. Speaking of fun, tomorrow's Kevin Smith, which I'm greatly excited about. Gotta think of some good questions though...there's bound to be the inevitable ones about Clerks: The Animated Movie, Green Hornet, and Fletch (minus one Jason Lee), but what else? There must be some good, journalist-type-ish question i could make...maybe...?
And I just found out two very good concert announcements occurred, with Dylan making a club appearance (a club, i tells ya!!) and Dashboard Confessional. But Dashboard's at Arrow Hall in the stix, which I hate it when they stick good bands all the way out there. Otherwise, I'm in a very song-listing type of mood, but I just did a soundtrack of the day last post, so I feel bad about doing something similar...so I'll just do a pseudo-facsimile...here's some just dang good songs that have been in my head lately:
Cauterize - If You Go
Black Eyed Peas - Hey Mama
Ozma - Baseball
Thursday - Standing On The Edge Of Summer
The Vines - I'm Only Sleeping (cover)
311 - Love Song
Story of the Year - Until the Day I Die
Plus, more good music-related news, the new Warped Tour lineup is crowded with newfound favourite bands such as Thursday, Taking Back Sunday, Story of the Year (who finally got a nice, short profile in this week's issue of Rolling Stone), Yellowcard, and Billy Talent. Also, I meant to link to an excellent story about Asian cinema influences and remakes in North American film that was on CHUD.com the other day (referencing everything from Takashi Miike to "Infernal Affairs"...it was really cool), but I'll save that for next time...and, only a couple more days until The Sopranos makes it's fifth season return, with Steve Buscemi and Robert Loggia in tow...
The Von Bondies - C'mon C'mon (a most addictive track)
Yellowcard - Way Away
Brand New - Sic Transit Gloria
Phantom Planet - Big Brat
Billy Talent - Standing in the Rain
The Strokes - Repitilia
The Distillers - City of Angels
Switchfoot - Meant to Live
