Luring You With Moving Pictures

Effed in the a: A different way of saying "Dude, we're screwed."
If we get caught, we're gonna be effed in the a!

So I just applied to write content for a social media site, and they asked to include a blog address if we had one. I did, then realized all the stupid crap I have on this thing. The idea of someone sitting at their desk quietly judging me via Rants and Babbles is a little scary. God knows they're going to think I'm crazy. Plus, I don't want my blog to become so public that something I said five months ago sabotages my future career as a senator. That would just be tragic.

In other news, I'm feeling much better. I started taking antibiotics a few days ago, and they just wiped out whatever was in my system. Still coughing a bit but such an improvement. Azithromycin = magic beans! Speaking of health, I've been researching and comparing different insurance plans lately, and it's probably the worst way to spend your summer afternoons. Copayments, deductions... it's all so messed up. I really hope Obama makes us a little more European in the next few years.

I've watched this video a hundred times lately because it always makes me smile. And they're playing at Pitchfork in two weeks, any takers?



One good thing about unemployment is having the time to watch movies. Good movies. The latest:

Welcome to the Dollhouse - I had seen this dark comedy six years ago or so and remember finding it disturbing. Turns out it still is a little but in an awesome way. It's about a girl named Dawn who is pretty much rejected by everyone she knows. She lusts after the lead in her brother's band until her feelings grow for the school bully. The director Todd Solondz always has the most pitiful protagonists and usually some degree of pedophilia in his films. He's a weird man, but his movies are very original.



In The Heat of The Night - This poster was on the wall of one of my film classes last semester, and it always intrigued me. I finally watched it and was quite pleased. Sydney Poitier plays a homicide expert trapped in this town where a man was just killed. After first being accused of murder, the police chief forces him to help with the investigation. The movie is about 40 years old, so parts of it are understandably dated, but I can imagine how powerful it was during the Civil Rights.
Swingers - Really, I had never seen this before. You probably have so I won't discuss the story. Vince Vaughn is amazing (and so cute). And I love how the male characters dress and really think pocket watches should make a comeback.

Broken Flowers - After Lost In Translation, it seems Bill Murray was trying to reinvent himself as a serious "indie" actor, however the success of that movie is hard to replicate. In this film, Murray goes on a cross-country road trip revisiting old lovers after he gets a letter warning him he has a son who's gone looking for him. The story has the potential to be good, but it was tiresome to watch and barely reveals anything by the end. But one of my favorite films is by this director (Jim Jarmusch), and that's Stranger Than Paradise.



Jesus Camp - Ironically, the only responses I had after seeing this documentary about a crazy Evangelical summer camp in North Dakota involve some religious connotation (i.e. "sweet mother of God" and "holy shit"). It follows a female minister/camp director who aims to train these young children to become "soldiers of God" and essentially brainwash this next generation with fundamentalism. Some footage is truly frightening, and this comes from a girl who went to church camp as a kid. However, they never passed out little plastic babies to represent aborted fetuses where I went.

The Puffy Chair - Part of the mumblecore genre, this low-budget, DIY flick follows Josh and his annoying girlfriend Emily on a journey to find a replica of a recliner from his childhood for his father's birthday. His free-loving, hippie brother invites himself along and completely takes the trip in another direction. Certain scenes are difficult to watch because they're uncomfortably realistic, but I also think that's what makes this film, and those like it, important to experience. It also gives hope to people who want to tell good stories—but don't have the money or resources of a studio—that it's still possible.

Phew, this is one meaty post. If you'll excuse me, I have to go find out which healthcare provider is least likely to ruin my life. Until then, meet me in Canada.


- J.