So on Saturday I saw the movie "Annapolis" at the theater. I hardly ever get to see movies at the theater anymore, and I'm usually pretty particular about what I'm willing to fork over nine bucks for. "Good Night, and Good Luck" was actually the movie I was intending to see (nine bucks for George Clooney? worth the investment every time), but exigent circumstances changed the plan at the last minute, and the only movie available was "Annapolis." And, you know, it was pretty bad, which was to be expected. What I didn't expect, though, was that I actually enjoyed the movie--based in large part on having a group of hilarious teenage girls sitting behind us. Usually it's pretty damn annoying having people provide their own running narrative of a movie, but these girls were freakin' hysterical. And they had the best sense of comic timing. (Semi-greasy horndog guy comes padding out of his room in his underwear? "Oh no, Uh-uh!" the girls cry. Other guy gets knocked out in the boxing ring? "They sure he still alive?" one asks. OK, that one loses something in the translation. You had to hear her delivery.) Seriously, by the end of the movie, I wanted to turn around and invite them to come home with me and live in my basement and provide commentary for all the movies and bad TV I watch.
Other impressions of "Annapolis": The movie itself was painfully dull, but the acting was pretty good throughout. I spent about half the movie vacillating between believing James Franco was playing the main character and thinking there was no way James Franco could have been made so unappealing looking. (It was him, in the end.) In my defense, he had the worst hair cut in the history of the military and somehow his bulking up made his ears stick out like Dumbo's. All in all, not the best look for him. The movie could have been a hell of a lot better if there hadn't been so much boxing, too. Seriously, they could have made a good movie about military academies and the rigors thereof, but instead they decided they would like to make Rocky Part 20 instead. Bad choice. The "Arkansas" character was cute and huggable, though, and even though his character arc was obvious as hell, I didn't foresee it. Of that, I am ashamed. I am not ashamed, however, of hating that "Loo" guy; he was such a kiss-ass fucker and then at the end James Franco was like all buddy-buddy with him and that pissed me off to no end. Heh, I think I invested way more in this movie than it was worth. Just, just...James Franco, please dude, get a better haircut before your next movie.
On a completely different note...Au and I finally watched the end of season 2 of TWW on Sunday. It made me quite nostalgic for the good old days of Sorkinese and smart TV and looking forward to every Wednesday night. Watching "Two Cathedrals," I kept trying to decide whether it was the best TWW episode of all time. Probably it is. Martin Sheen's soliloquy in the National Cathedral? Just amazing. And nobody does flashbacks like Sorkin. The end sequence, with "Brothers in Arms" playing--possibly the best editing I've seen on the show (although there is a similarly great sequence at the end of the fourth season, if I recall). Man, there is something about musical montages that really gets me. And great television in general. Damn. Sorkin is a freaking genius.
Speaking of genius, I have been listening to a ton of Elliott Smith lately. I can't believe I hadn't listened to him sooner. He is amazing. I was gonna make a list of my favorite songs of his, but then I realized that it would be easier to make a list of songs of his I don't like,'cause 99% of them are brilliant. I think my favorite is "Stupidity Tries," but really all of XO and Figure 8 are going to have a permanent spot on my playlist.
I do find it funny that Elliott Smith and a lot of other musicians I like supposedly have such a Beatles influence, and I can hear it, even in my musically uneducated ears...and yet, I really don't like the Beatles. Can someone explain this to me? I've always thought the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and U2 are the holy trinity of most overrated bands of all time. And "Hey Jude" would be their theme song--so fucking annoying. Does the end of that song even qualify as music?
Hmm, I seem to really be enjoying the hyperbole today. I like hyperbole. Also red Sour Patch Kids. They're the best, yo!
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