Shouting into the Wind Saying my piece in a windy world.

As I said earlier, I intend to watch a film a day all year in 2010. The film must be one I’ve not seen before, and I have to blog about each film I see.

You’ll have to forgive that this is more a placeholder post for tomorrow, as it is now after midnight, and I’m exhausted. UPDATE: I am now sick in bed so I might as well finish this post.

Jan. 1, 2010 – AVATAR

I understand why some people are going crazy about how amazing it looks. I understand why some people are disappointed in the story. I have a problem with making exceptions for films that LOOK good but aren’t really good. This is one of those films. I had to ask myself, is AVATAR the kind of film I want to own on DVD or when I flip past it on TV, I’ll stop to watch? Probably not. Is AVATAR great as a technical achievement? Yes, it is. Do you really care what I think about it? I don’t think so. Anyway, it is what it is. Glad Cameron had resources and 15 years to get his vision made.

Jan. 2, 2010 – THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS

Speaking of getting visions made…Gilliam has some trippy visions. I read somewhere that this was his most ‘accessible’ film thus far, but I felt it wasn’t cohesive enough to really be that. I don’t need the story laid out to me like a buffet, but I do like to see what I’m going to eat. It’s breathtaking at times, but most of the time I found it puzzling. I also found it hard not to be pulled out of the film the second Heath Ledger first appears on screen. This film is more about his death than I would have imagined, which is particuarly odd, since it isn’t really about him. One scene in the film, where Heath should have been, but instead Johnny Depp took his place struck me particularly hard — Depp (as Tony, Ledger’s character) stand on the side of a stream as 3 small memorial boats float along — for three who died young. The woman is sad of course — one of the memorialized is Princess Diana — and Tony explains that they are immortal, forever young. There’s a lot to chew on though, so I think I’d see it again without a doubt.

Bonus film for 01/02/2010 – Documentary AMERICAN TEEN

I remember seeing the poster for this in a theater, the subjects of the piece dressed as The Breakfast Club. Because I know how remake-happy Hollywood can be, I was at first furious that someone had decided to remake ‘The Breakfast Club.’ – Thankfully, that isn’t what this film is, which first appeared at Sundance. Of course, now being twice as old as the participants in the film, I can only cringe and laugh at the antics and woes of high school kids.  I suppose that’s kind of the point — when you are in high school, what are life and death issues are completely different than when you are beyond high school.  Yet, I was also disturbed by how much things have changed since I graduated 18 years ago.  I was also disturbed to remember that some of the things I thought had changed, really hadn’t — I just had not been a part of that particular subculture when I was in high school (drinking or dating being things I did not do then).

New TeeVee watched (yeah, not tracking, but why not) – Doctor Who “End of Time, part 2″

You thought ‘Return of the King’ had too many endings…sheesh.  On to the S. Moffat/M. Smith years! (I still heart you David).

Gym workout completed on 1/2/2010.

No writing accomplishments, other than this lame attempt at a blog post.  Now that I’m under the weather, I may actually get some writing done.  Who am I kidding — I’m gonna sleep.

Posted under randomness