1999-12-27 :: 00:51:16
The Iron Giant crusade
Soundtrack: The Blue Hawaiians, "Savage Night"
I just watched The Iron Giant on video. It was the second time I have seen the movie. I have cried both times. It is that good.
I saw it this summer (I probably saw a solid $80 worth of movies this summer and it was easily the best) after reading several amazing reviews for it. Though I tried to spread the word to everyone I knew, told them it blew the doors off of Tarzan (the animated competition of the moment), I got blown off (my family included), and the movie had the same reception. Before I go further, some links:
It made me think about a lot of things. TIG effectively showcases the twisted paranoia of the 50's -- the attitude of "if we didn't make it, it may be out to destroy us, so let's destroy it" is framed in a coffee shop scene between the young boy and the government spook. To me, a product of the 80's, it's so odd -- I don't have to think about the Cold War, it's a page in a history book to me. (You will love the "Duck And Cover" video-within-a-movie, touch, too -- my music teacher riffed on that sort of thing several times this semester.) The fact that they turned a 100 foot robot that barely speaks into a touching, expressive character really does put the question of soul and life on the table -- and it's really nice that they don't show all their cards with respect to the Giant's origin and nature. You are assumed intelligent enough to come into the story and come out of it and make what you will before the beginning and after the end. Hey Hollywood, did anyone catch that? And the fact that we can have a mature animated movie with a score doesn't include a musical number?
The movie really respects the audience -- you are never hit over the head with the hammer of the obvious, but there is always a nice visual cue to clue you in as to what will happen or where the story is going. There are no plot holes, there is a good dose of comic relief, everything ties together nicely. The Showbiz reviewer psuedo-slammed the Bambi reference, but I think it was very well done and beautiful. Brent says that the army stuff was actually very on target as far as "real life" accuracy, too.
It's based on a Ted Hughes story that he wrote in '63 for his kids when Sylvia did herself in... you can see why in one of the exchanges on the IMDB quotes page. The themes of love, redemption, and life&death do not feel so sticky-sweet Hollywood as they tend to do in this -- the whole movie feels like a labor of love. The ending is really touching. I realize the movie review nature of all of this, but I don't want to ruin it for anyone who may happen upon this, so do forgive. If this makes you get up off the couch: It's truly Jennifer Aniston's (would you ever guess it is she?) finest work, now and forever more. Hahaha.
Adding to the injustice, it was finished early and under budget! What can you say that about in this world, let alone a movie? Under budget! Early! Cripes, I'm not even early for my doctor's appointments. Outside of the fact that it was a beautiful movie that had great artistic merit and tied together so well, it was marketed so dreadfully by Warner Brothers (may those executives suffer a terrible bout of intestinal distress) that it stands as a sadly shining example of the fact that brilliant work can (and does) often go unrecognized. Shit, now I have a hankering to see the movie of The Fountainhead. This (Giant) is a movie that I must show to my kids someday. Brad Bird, please, please continue directing and try again. Maybe America won't be so stupid this time. (I can hope, right?)
On a final personal note regarding the movie, I watched it with my dad and my mom joined about halfway through after she finished seeing that tripe with Walter Matthau, Carol Burnett, and John Stamos (that lucky, lucky bastard!) that was on the TV. Boy, did she miss out. Both of them admitted to liking it a lot more than they thought they would. Dad called it "excellent." I slipped on an "I told you so," but I had. And what did we watch last night? Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion. It's a fun movie, but it's no Iron Giant, and it's certainly no movie for a good Jewmas (at least we had good Chinese, right?). That's for certain (this actually applies to everything said in the previous sentence). Anyway, this movie watching occured with Dad after we went out to dinner together and ate a lot of meat. A lot. Skipping the details, I recommend that you take some time to invite your parents out for dinner. I cannot in good faith say the last time Dad and I did that alone and it was a Good Thing. Ask a parent to dinner today!
Back to movies: I don't think any movie I have seen since has really been anywhere near as good as TIG save for Fight Club. Toy Story 2 was up there as a quality film, and it is moving, but not quite like this. I do hope to see American Beauty with Elizabeth at a second run or something in the next few days. It's sad that movies make you feel so rarely.
Here it is that I must admit that I just rented Devil In The Flesh. Yes, I am a sucker for Rose McGowan. I am sorry.
Ben and my conversation just veered towards this subject matter. How amusing:
J (1:32:06 AM): hopefully to see american beauty
B (1:32:08 AM): new Bond film
B (1:32:11 AM): Denise Richards
B (1:32:17 AM): nice
B (1:32:19 AM): very nice
J (1:32:23 AM): haha
B (1:32:26 AM): her 'acting' is atrocious
J (1:32:29 AM): the best special effects are her tits
B (1:32:34 AM): hahaha no kidding
B (1:32:37 AM): they're fake, no?
J (1:32:44 AM): oh yea
J (1:32:50 AM): too bad, that
B (1:33:07 AM): what are her numbers?
Gotta love Ben. He's dope. Look what he taught me just a moment later:
B (1:37:47 AM): that was pretty nasty for a family bond film with the "you know what happens when a man is strangled" bit
J (1:37:52 AM): ?
J (1:37:55 AM): i forgot that line.
B (1:38:30 AM): when she has him in the chair
B (1:38:39 AM): and is slowly strangling him
B (1:38:43 AM): she says that and straddles him
B (1:39:44 AM): I remembered that reference from Naked Lunch
B (1:39:50 AM): apparently, if your neck is broken
B (1:39:56 AM): you come as you die
J (1:39:57 AM): hmmm
B (1:39:59 AM): it's rather grotesque
J (1:40:04 AM): lovely.
J (1:40:19 AM): what is the follow up?
J (1:40:28 AM): i guess you get one last bang heh
B (1:41:13 AM): I doubt you get to enjoy it
B (1:41:15 AM): although maybe you do
B (1:41:20 AM): there's that whole Rising Sun bit
J (1:41:58 AM): haha
J (1:42:00 AM): i guess so
J (1:42:02 AM): like
J (1:42:05 AM): what does he say to her
J (1:42:09 AM): does he have a "come back?"
B (1:42:18 AM): I think they let it slide
B (1:42:30 AM): it's really not appropriate to a PG-13 family Denise Richards Has Huge Tits film
J (1:43:34 AM): hahahahahahahahahahaha
Alright. The rest of it is just too piggish to print. Hahaha.
I did a bit of diary voyeurism (only a bit?) and poked through nobody's diary. That's an interesting idea, but it's not really a diary. Is it? nobody has a few interesting thoughts (ha!). This diatribe on sex is something to chew on. I am not sure that I agree with it; I need to figure out why. But then we also get these cries for help regarding sexual identity with mostly good but somewhat misleadingly permissive replies from individuals I certainly wouldn't trust since she's having cyber-sex with "Matt" while she is married to "Scott". Hmmm. Nothing against cyber, but if you're married, keep your hands to yourself. Even on the keyboard, honey.
So the nobody idea. I like it. I wish there was better stuff on there than anonymous cries for help; it saddens me that this is the only method of action these people have (or rather, feel they can use). In some ways it is a good thing -- perhaps someone will write this suffering soul and get them to seek help in real life. But the whole "happy christmas, children" ending made me wanna hurl. Sorry you are sad... must you make such an obvious mockery of those you are trying to attract attention from? Blech. Not to mention the approach-avoidance nature of not having any contact info whatsoever in the posting. Turning nobody into some kind of messageboard is stupid. If you want help and attention, then put some contact info in your post. Duh. I have this feeling that if it were quality, it could seem a lot like JoeyD's 'diary,' which comes off as more of an ever-evolving story than anything else. Which is cool, and something to which the net seems well-suited. Perhaps I will put that thought up for perusal. Or perhaps it will nest here forever.
And here we are again at the good/bad crossroads of the net. You may get help or friendship from someone you wouldn't otherwise, but you still can't hug 'em. Suck. I learned long ago that you cannot be someone's Superman.
I would like to say two things here. One: I will have to discuss sexuality further later. I do not think bisexuality is bad. I do think that the "Pro Bisexual Propaganda" was really unnecessary after the fairly mature closing paragraph above. Two: I wish to God that I had my personal computer so I could write these diary entries in HomeSite instead of in this shitty Diaryland form. Yeargh!
I have a third thing to say, it's been on my mind all day. My sister is up in NY now and as a result, this means that I can keep the lid up until tomorrow evening -- hooray for ignoring bathroom etiquette! Slobtacular. There must be a lesson about the simple pleasures in life somewhere in this.
Alright, I can't get enough. I am horrible. This, however, was hilarious. One can only guess who was responsible for that. Or the standard "fuck off" response that it garnered. *sigh* I felt that this one was far better. But perhaps this entry was the best. After all, curiousity is so much fun -- oooh, the anticipation! One must suppose an unmasking is only a matter of time.
Jesus. Even the poster is well conceived:
I can still smell rib sauce in my fingertips. That's beautiful. My God. This entry took nearly an hour and a half. I am kind of amused that I have updated this near daily so far. Not that this is terribly far, mind you, but how about that? You think a lot of things, even if a lot of other people are thinking them too. Smashing.
last five [im]personal journal entries:
