Category: Film

The Great Escape/Rocky Horror Picture Show

Stayed up until 2:00 am last night (this morning?) watching The Great Escape on DVD. Great film, but it was so influential on so many other films and TV shows, from Hogan’s Heroes to Chicken Run that it’s hard to watch it without thinking that so much of it has become cinematic cliché. Today, I’m all set to watch the 2 disc Rocky Horror Picture Show. When I was a teenager, they used to show this every Friday night at the old Roxy theatre in Toronto and some of my friends would go in costume. Remarkably, I never went. Too much of a punker, I was.

Oscars 2001

Oscars were good last night. Glad to see that Traffic won most of its nominations, although it should have taken Best Picture, too, in my opinion. Steven Soderbergh is the best director working today. I got to see him in person at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1996, after a screening of his film Schizopolis, a film he credits with opening him up creatively. Check it out if you can, it’s a bit of a funhouse mirror. I thought Steve Martin was great, too, making lots of cutting remarks about Hollywood. He also moved things along well. It was nice to have the show end before midnight (Eastern Standard Time) for a change.

Today I begin my job search. Also, have to finish the SXSW section. So no shortage of things to do for this man of newfound leisure.

Links o’ note:

  • Julie has her own domain now. Check her out. Julie was someone fun I met at SXSW.
  • Sara has a new design for her blog. I found her site through Davezilla, who is also now using GreyMatter.

Geek Porn Movies

From The Hollywood Blockbuster Becomes Geek Porn Department:

“Enemy at the Gates” “Enema for Bill Gates”
Jude Law as Vassily, the Russian sniper Lewd Jaw as Vaseline, the rushing stripper
Joseph Fiennes Joe “Parking” Fines
Rachel Weisz Rachel Vice
Ed Harris Ed Hairless
Bob Hoskins Rob Foreskins

And there you have it, a porn-techno-thriller for the Linux set.
(Note to self: Now sit back and watch the sad, strange search requests come rolling in…)

Two More Films

Caught two more films on DVD on the weekend. 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Manchurian Candidate. 2001 was actually the first film I ever went to. My parents took me when it was released in 1968 or 1969, making me 3 or possibly 4 years old at the time. I hadn’t seen it again until Saturday night, and surprisingly, I remembered a lot of it. Now, I have to ask my dad what he was possibly thinking taking a child to that film! Nevertheless, it must have had quite an impact on me to remain so fresh in my mind for all these years. The second film I remember being taken to was The Godfather! I was 7. What kind of parents did I have? Were they exposing me to film genius, hoping to shape my malleable synapses, or just couldn’t get a babysitter. You decide!