Ordinarily this blog doesn't get much in the way of feedback. Recently though, I've started getting a lot of anonymous, mean-spirited, comments on posts made weeks or months ago.
Though I've been neglecting it recently, I like using this blog as a way to improve my writing and articulate my thoughts. Feedback, though rare, is a part of that. To put it mildly, the tone of the recent comments has been neither interesting nor constructive.
I'm not disabling comments or disallowing anonymous commenting, but I've changed some things in the background so that comments made on old posts (30+ days old) will be screened before they appear online. In the spirit of open and free communication I'd rather not screen comments at all, but I also don't want hateful comments appearing in a space that I ostensibly sponsor.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
A Bit of Fry and Laurie
I'm currently working my way through another free trial of Netflix. Mostly I've been fooling around with the selection of stuff available to watch instantly. The selection is still limited, but I've found a useful website for tracking the best stuff thats available.
Besides random episodes of Anthony Bourdain I've mostly been watching A Bit of Fry a Laurie, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie's sketch show from the late eighties/early nineties. I've seen sketches here and there before, but watching the shows as they were originally broadcast really reinforces the (slightly) higher brow Monty Python tone.
I'm really enjoying it so far, though I feel like I'd probably like it more if I understood any of the cultural references being thrown around. Still, its well worth checking out.
I'm really enjoying it so far, though I feel like I'd probably like it more if I understood any of the cultural references being thrown around. Still, its well worth checking out.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
True Grit
The Coen Brothers are making a western. I want this to be in theaters immediately.
I've said this before, but casting Jeff Bridges in a role originally played by John Wayne is absolutely genius.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Apparently this weekend was all about watching David Fincher projects, present and future.
The original title of the book this is based on is "Men who hate Women" and given the subject matter, its incredibly apt. I'm not really familiar with Swedish cinema, but the tone of this felt a lot like the original Insomnia with some pulpy crime tropes thrown in. Though this film superficially is a crime thriller, underneath the labyrinthian murder plot, are a series of strong critiques of big business and misogyny in Swedish culture. I think its worth seeing, but given how explicitly it deals with violence (physical and otherwise) against women, it makes for some really difficult viewing.
The original title of the book this is based on is "Men who hate Women" and given the subject matter, its incredibly apt. I'm not really familiar with Swedish cinema, but the tone of this felt a lot like the original Insomnia with some pulpy crime tropes thrown in. Though this film superficially is a crime thriller, underneath the labyrinthian murder plot, are a series of strong critiques of big business and misogyny in Swedish culture. I think its worth seeing, but given how explicitly it deals with violence (physical and otherwise) against women, it makes for some really difficult viewing.
The Social Network
Really well made. I didn't like it much.
There might be an interesting movie to be made about Facebook someday. Its certainly emblematic enough of social and societal change in response to technology that its worthy of some amount of attention. But to put it plainly, tremendous direction, acting, writing, editing, and scoring, just aren't enough to get me to care about the personal and professional conflicts between a bunch of elitist billionaires.
The film is worth seeing for how well it is executed technically. The direction is interesting, the acting is strong, and the score is suitably moody. Really, if you can get over the face that the central conflict of the film is amongst a bunch of explicitly elitist Harvard students, than this might be the film of the year. I couldn't, so the film fell flat for me.
There might be an interesting movie to be made about Facebook someday. Its certainly emblematic enough of social and societal change in response to technology that its worthy of some amount of attention. But to put it plainly, tremendous direction, acting, writing, editing, and scoring, just aren't enough to get me to care about the personal and professional conflicts between a bunch of elitist billionaires.
The film is worth seeing for how well it is executed technically. The direction is interesting, the acting is strong, and the score is suitably moody. Really, if you can get over the face that the central conflict of the film is amongst a bunch of explicitly elitist Harvard students, than this might be the film of the year. I couldn't, so the film fell flat for me.
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