Summer Bummer

Well, it's been awhile. I would say sorry for the lengthy absence, but it seems I'm not the only one around here who either took the summer off or really cut down on the production rate. We all seem to be dragging our asses. Wish I could say that I've been really busy with something important and cool, but the reality is I've been clicking my heels. But I didn't stop watching movies. So let's catch up, shall we?

Favorite Recent DVD Rental: The Wackness
Was not expecting to fall in love with this movie the way I did. Great recapture of 1994 New York and the revolutionary rap discoveries of that year, fab supporting turns from Ben Kingsley and Olivia Thirlby, and a fantastic, dorky, vulnerable, frontin' lead turn from Josh Peck, previously known as the fat comic relief on that Nickelodean show "Drake and Josh." Blew me away here, and has just about the greatest smile I've seen all year.

Favorite Movie I Saw in a Theater: 500 Days of Summer
To be fair, I only saw about 4 movies in the theater from July-September, and I'm ashamed that I still haven't seen The Hurt Locker. But this Joseph Gordon-Levitt/Zooey Deschanel vehicle completely lived up to the expectations I had based on that rocking teaser trailer back in March. It's definitely indie fare - look for the alt-approved soundtrack, use of side-by-side camera fantasies, dance sequence, animation coming to life, and repetitive editing - but the script and performances are so strong that these flashy technical devices enhance the film rather than become a crutch.

In celebration of that movie, and also of random dance sequences in general (still loving the ridiculous end of the Jim and Pam "Office" wedding) this is a music video starring Levitt and Deschanel. Yes, that's Deschanel singing as part of her indie group, She & Him. I watched this video repeatedly back in July when the film first came out. (Check out the serious acrobatic chops of Levitt!)



Favorite Movie I DVR'd: The Station Agent
Been trying to watch this for years but my local video store never carried it. It's written and directed by sometimes actor Thomas McCarthy, who also wrote and directed last year's wonderful The Visitor. It stars a somber, quietly sexy Peter Dinklage as a dwarf and train enthusiast who inherits a train depot in a small town. He eventually becomes friends with other small town prisoners Patricia Clarkson and Bobby Canavale, forming a bizarrely sweet threesome (of the friendship variety). It's a quiet film and I don't think it builds to any earthshattering revelations, but the characters are well-formed and excellently acted and it's one of those movies that I find comforting to come back to, almost like revisiting old friends.

Least Favorite Movie I DVR'd: Carmen Jones or A Woman Under the Influence
I've been marathoning through old classics and Ebert picks, and both of these films fall under the category of "Glad I saw it, never want to see it again, EVER." Carmen Jones has a modernized operatic score taken from Bizet's famous "Carmen" and an Oscar-nominated performance from Dorothy Dandridge, but man did I hate the lead character! And co-star Harry Belafonte was a total drip. Could not root for the romance, or revel in the downfall, at all! A Woman Under the Influence was a great acting vehicle for star Gena Rowlands (also Oscar-nominated) and very indicative of lauded director John Cassavetes' style, but the subject matter was just too real. Imagine a really great episode of "The Office," a fabulously uncomfortable one, but take away all the funny and make the characters mentally unstable, alcoholic and abusive. It's an actor's showcase and the subject matter was well-handled, but it was beyond uncomfortable to watch, and was just 2 and a half hours of the same problem being handled badly, though realistically.

Latest TV Discovery: "Arrested Development"
Completely late to the party here, but better late than never. My friend Abby has recommended this to me several times and I finally partook when I saw the entire first season was posted on Hulu. Fantastic group of comedic actors here, a completely ridiculous premise, and writers willing to venture into the absurd. I'm laughing aloud all the time watching this. It also has some of the very best continuity I've ever seen; if the writers created a phobia in episode one, it still exists in episode 22. And there are too many hilarious running gags to keep track of.

Current Song Obsessions: "Fire Burnin' on the Dance Floor" - Sean Kingston (love it so much! *hangs head in shame*), "I Drove All Night" - Cyndi Lauper, and "We Are Golden" - Mika, "Don't Dream It's Over" - Crowded House (gah, the surest way to turn me into a nostalgic pile of goo)

Books I've Read:














EPL: This was my lifesaver during a down time in July. Don't know if it would have meant as much to me in another stage of my life, but Gilbert's narrative was like finding an understanding kindred spirit.
Lucky: Really straightforward account of the author's true-life rape. It was obviously carefully constructed with as much attention to detail as possible while still maintaining a novelistic flow. The details of the rape and recovery are harrowing.
TTTW: Much less sappy that I was expecting given the target demographic. It takes a sci-fi premise and makes it relatable and believable within today's world. I appreciated the way the characterizations of Clare and Henry (the husband and wife) stuck to specific details and emotions. Neither character became a melodramatic plot device, but retained an authentic grounding force.

Can't Stop Playing: Sudoku
Andrea left a deck of cards with Sudoku games on them here and I can't stop completing the puzzles. I've already finished off the Easy puzzles and am struggling through the difficult ones (although I admit, I have to cheat occassionally in order to make progress on those - but only one number at a time!) I'm just so relieved to have actually figured out how these work cause I felt like a real dunce failing so spectacularly at them before.

Last Movie I bought on DVD: Away We Go
I can't decide if the overly broad characterizations of all the supporting characters are genius or a massive overstep, but that doesn't stop me from laughing. I love the soundtrack (which features a lot of great Alexi Murdoch) and as the lead couple John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph create a very touching warmth; I believe this couple is in love and that they make each other happy. Flawed, but ultimately worth it for me.