Everything I Tell You is Hearsay

i went to see this movie last night with some friends. it was an experience.

first let me say, i usually LOVE going to the theater. despite the skyrocketing ticket prices and nausea-inducing concessions, nothing else allows me to submerge into a movie like going to the theater. videos at home don’t have the same power. i think it’s something about being buffetted by sound and in the pitch darkness confronted with larger than life imagery. whatever it is, it works better than drugs. and sometimes when i really need to NOT THINK, there is nothing better than the movies for it.

this theater experience was not that. firstly, there was serious street-concert jam-band action happening outside the metroplex. to which i can only sound an enthusiastic boo, which would of course, need to last 13 1/2 minutes.

once we went indoors we seated ourselves in relative comfort (due to our early arrival, the theater did end up with a full complement of viewers, even on a wednesday night) but i was then unable to unseat myself due to the almost comically sticky floor. wearing flipflops, this is especially unsettling; i do not want to lose my shoe and end up barefoot in this mess.

there were no less than 8 previews. mostly for poop like,

• The Mummy: Brendan Frasier is Balding so let’s go to China where no one is tall enough to see the top of his head
• The Day The Earth Stood Still: What was a classic sci-fi gem now treated to a Reeve-ing (Keanu)
• Something I can’t remember the awful name of but it involved lying: a faux Syriana style film starring Leonardo DiCaprio (who i hate) and Russell Crowe (who i hate more) both looking fat and hairy.
• New Bond Movie: THIS LOOKS AWESOME! (not just cause Daniel Craig is hot as hell, but it doesnt hurt)
• The Spirit: this also looks good. dark, sexy, stylized, very comic-y and SinCity-esque
• Watchmen: looks spooky and graphic intense. might be ok.

whatever the case, even if i LOVED every one of these films, that is still too many fucking previews. seriously.

then there was the film itself. which was CHOCK FULL of action. perhaps a little too chock full. this seemed like 2 films in one. there were several potins at which i thought: huh, that was a pretty good movie! oh, wait… it’s not over? and asking Mr Pencil (who was there too) this feeling was not mine alone.

there were 2 or possibly even 3 sequences which seemed to be the “penultimate scene” which then simply led to more stuff happening. what’s more, when the climax finally DID happen, it was pretty, well, anti-climactic.

this was still a really good movie, and well worth seeing. lots of excitement, interesting effects (i was sad to see the tumbler didn’t make it) and a pretty sound plot line, though i felt it would have served the movie better to have been made into 2 films each about a seperate villian, rather than smooshing them into one.

finally i feel i must comment on the remarkable performance of Heath Ledger. i have always had a good deal of respect for his talents, but this was something else. obviously watching this film with the understanding that it was his final work, and the haunting and tragic details of his passing lent me a particular lens through which to view his portrayal of the Joker. It was a nuanced and thoughtful rendering of a villian who is often simply made ludicrous. this Joker is primarily interested in chaos and attempting to turn his fellow Gothamites into unwilling subjects of violent social experements. he never explains himself to anyone’s satisfaction (which satisfied me completely) and he is not glamorous or flamboyant so much as shocking and awful in aspect and mein. the tics, twitches, cadence of speech, and the knowledge that this hideous creature hides a truly beautful man underneath made the performance that much more riveting and provocative. the unwillingness of the director to suffer pop-psychology fables about why the Joker wears his scars supremely wrought.

on the whole i think this was an excellent action film, well-made and worth watching, if i would have preferred two movies with all the plot points covered, rather than the extra long one we got.

my good friend leslie, her husband mikael, and their impending offspring are moving far away to the mitten state (ie Michigan) very soon indeed. it came about in a bit of a whirlwind, and i think i’m still adjusting to the idea that they’re really leaving. there are many things about this that make me sad, and many things about having them here that i will miss. such as:

1. passing out blind drunk on their couch. they have had a succession of very comfortable couches and i have ended up crashing on more than one of them.
2. their kittehs, particularly Matey, with whom i have a special one-eyed bond. we are even gimpy IN THE SAME EYE!
3. head-bobbing-show-going type activity.
4. camping! best camping trip i ever went on was with leslie & her parents. going to try to convince them they still want to hang out with me even after their daughter leaves the time zone.
5. mutual appreciation of margaritas (see item #1)
6. convenient close-in hawthorn location!
7. jamming in the studio, pretending to be a rockstar.
8. various other feats of tomfoolery i only seem to find when with them
9. the excellent addition they make to my social circle

they’re buying a nice big house out there in Michigan, so i’m hoping items 1 & 2 can still be had, if only after a cross continental airplane ride.

this weekend we are going out to the gorge for a farewell campout & hootenanny. should be good times, if poignant.

sniff

lyza and i have a book disease. i am shocked and sort of shamed to admit; she has it worse than i do. i have never known anyone else in my entire life who read more than me. it’s nice to have a hero…

she’s got me reeled into a website called librarything where you can catalog your books, rate them, write reviews, and basically wallow in all things booky til you are smeary with literature all over the place. it’s pretty much totally awesome.

as a result i’ve started writing reviews, posting them here on my blog, and joined an “Early Reviewers” group in the hope of being sent books to read and review… well, early. a group of these folks have started a group which poses a book review/blog question every Tuesday. and so,

this week’s offering:

What’s the most popular book in your library? Have you read it? What did you think? How many users have it? What’s the most popular book you don’t have? How does a book’s popularity figure into your decisions about what to read?

Sorcerers Stone, natch. i was a relative latecomer to the harry potter franchise. i actually read Chamber of Secrets first and then backtracked. i was in an airport, desperate times…  i did enjoy the book, all things considered. i am a great fan of the middle reader genre, and this particular offering left me impressed with Rowling’s imaginative gifts and ability to create a compelling alternate reality while managing a fairly complex superstructure of characters and events. 32,500 people have it in their library.

the most popular book i don’t ‘have is The DaVinci Code. it’s not so much the sort of virulent popularity the book has enjoyed (although i do find that aversive: part of the reason i avoided HP was the ridiculous line-around-the-block mania) but also the pseudo-scholarly demi-theolgical bent the novel takes. as a person who is actually pretty profoundly interested in religious history i find the whole premise of the story vile.

and this is not to say that i never read popular books; i do. i just find a particular brand of Banes-and-Noble-i-feel-intellectually-superior-for-having-read-four-books-all-year-all-of-which-Oprah-told-me-to mentality offensive and off-putting.

as an aside, there a whole lot of dashes in this post. far more than is customary.

i’ve been wondering lately if the notion of a “best friend” endures into adulthood. if you’d asked me this question a year ago, i would have answered with a resounding,
“uh-huh!”
however, the person who filled that role in my life since i was about 17 and i haven’t even spoken in almost a year, and so now i am no longer sure.

the common wisdom tells us it becomes more difficult to make substantial social connections as we age. that intimacy becomes harder to establish, new friendships less likely to endure.

the way we forge connections changes radically as life goes on. our life circumstances, personalities, ethics, preferences, and degree of emotional competency take on distinct texture and permanence as we age. proximity is, then, no longer the defining characteristic of friendship. the accessibility of a playmate, once the cardinal trait of friendship, becomes largely irrelevant. our sensibilities evolve with our interests and we learn to make alliances based on hobbies, political leanings, fondness for drink, and countless other considerations.

and though these might seem to be a more sound and enduring basis upon which to form a lasting social connection, there are constraints presented by our maturity which can hamper the evolution of the emotional connection of the intensity and scope inherent to the “best friend” role. no longer can we hope to be as unaffected or vulnerable as when we were children. our actions are moderated and mitigated by our experience and politesse. the fear of revealing too much, or pressing upon the tolerance of another. we no longer possess the glorious insensitivity to the effect of our unbridled self upon others.

to my mind at least, it is in many ways the drama of our adolescence that makes the profound and enduring emotional and cognitive impressions upon us that allow us to feel as though we really, really know someone, deep down at their core. it is unusual to encounter a relationship, not romantic in nature, that can (or should) generate this same type of intensity once we are out of those tumultuous formative years. and perhaps if we don’t emerge from this time with a person who has run this gauntlet beside us, they cannot really know us; cannot appreciate our evolution and our constancy.

not to forget the logistical and practical constraints of adulthood. we don’t have time on our hands to devote to just being around to discover or communicate every damn thing.

and all of this being said, i have to admit, the conclusion i come to is that while it may be possible to have a best friend as an adult, it might not be possible to acquire one if you wrecked or lost the one you already had. and this makes me sad and lonesome and wistful. because that’s what seems to have happened. and there doesn’t seem to be anything i can do about it.

i’ve been wondering lately if the notion of a “best friend” endures into adulthood. if you’d asked me this question a year ago, i would have answered with a resounding,
“uh-huh!”
however, the person who filled that role in my life since i was about 17 and i haven’t even spoken in almost a year, and so now i am no longer sure.

the common wisdom tells us it becomes more difficult to make substantial social connections as we age. that intimacy becomes harder to establish, new friendships less likely to endure.

the way we forge connections changes radically as life goes on. our life circumstances, personalities, ethics, preferences, and degree of emotional competency take on distinct texture and permanence as we age. proximity is, then, no longer the defining characteristic of friendship. the accessibility of a playmate, once the cardinal trait of friendship, becomes largely irrelevant. our sensibilities evolve with our interests and we learn to make alliances based on hobbies, political leanings, fondness for drink, and countless other considerations.

and though these might seem to be a more sound and enduring basis upon which to form a lasting social connection, there are constraints presented by our maturity which can hamper the evolution of the emotional connection of the intensity and scope inherent to the “best friend” role. no longer can we hope to be as unaffected or vulnerable as when we were children. our actions are moderated and mitigated by our experience and politesse. the fear of revealing too much, or pressing upon the tolerance of another. we no longer possess the glorious insensitivity to the effect of our unbridled self upon others.

to my mind at least, it is in many ways the drama of our adolescence that makes the profound and enduring emotional and cognitive impressions upon us that allow us to feel as though we really, really know someone, deep down at their core. it is unusual to encounter a relationship, not romantic in nature, that can (or should) generate this same type of intensity once we are out of those tumultuous formative years. and perhaps if we don’t emerge from this time with a person who has run this gauntlet beside us, they cannot really know us; cannot appreciate our evolution and our constancy.

not to forget the logistical and practical constraints of adulthood. we don’t have time on our hands to devote to just being around to discover or communicate every damn thing.

and all of this being said, i have to admit, the conclusion i come to is that while it may be possible to have a best friend as an adult, it might not be possible to acquire one if you wrecked or lost the one you already had. and this makes me sad and lonesome and wistful. because that’s what seems to have happened. and there doesn’t seem to be anything i can do about it.

went with friends lyza, david, and brett to the Armin VanBuuren show last night at the Roseland. i haven’t been to a dance show since seeing John Digweed @ the crystal back in 2002? woah.

danced the whole set. was bathed in other people’s sweat and excitement. overcame my usual crowd terror to follow lyza right up to the edge of the stage. was struck by the contrast in this show vs the multitude of other shows i’ve been to in recent memory…

crowd, though sweaty, smelled good and this is crucial. i was far less anxious being surrounded on all sides by people who didnt smell in a way that distressed me. people were generally polite and trying to take care of each other. stage hands tossed water out to the crowd and generally seemed to be trying to make sure everyone was feeling included. dj looked HAPPY. like he was genuinely enjoying himself instead of the faux-torment put upon by some musicians attempting to convey the seriousness of their art by dint of a glower.

there was jumping. there was smiling. there were various stages of undress. it was good times.

Friend lyza and i are going to take a motorcycle training course. if only we can convice emma to come too we will be the hottest book club/motorcycle gang in TOWN. and this being portland, that is saying something.

i am going to obtain the cruise-yest orange-est honda i can possibly find. just like this one. i almost knocked a girl off of her 550 SuperSport the other day. hodie agreed the girl was not nearly tough or cool enough to justify owning such a kick ass bike, and we should liberate it for ourownselves. because, obviously, we are. she, for one, cannot wait for mommy to become a biker bitch. i’m gonna get us matching helmets. it’s going to be disgustingly cute. which will, in no way, interfere with either the toughness or coolness we will be simultaneously conveying.

went w/ the pencils to bend to enjoy the birth of various presidents (ie:carousin) weather was amazing. hot tub deliciously hot. feats of strength impressive. shotski complicated but successfully done. games entertaining. company enjoyable. specific company especially. wanted to make out. didnt. regretting same slightly. sigh.

went up to smith rock and had an amazing hike. heart poundingly, ass-cheeks achingly, calves protestingly amazing.