Well, I saw two new movies over the weekend (new to me, at least). One I thought I would hate, and one I thought I might like. Ok, so it happened to turn out the opposite of what I expected. Friday night at Bransons, we watched How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and I thought I would detest it. The reviews were awful. But actually, it was rather funny. There were some hilarious scenes, and it was a *fairly* clean movie. Of course it was cheesy and predictable, and the ending was bad, but hey, what do you expect from the "typical hollywood romantic comedy".
Then on Saturday night, I took Lacey to see Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. I liked the first one and expected more of the same. But what I got was quite different. It was awful. The entire movie consisted of absolutely pointless scenes, strung together with no transition, just an excuse to dress up the three women in skimpy outfits and blow stuff up. There was no plot, very little dialogue...yuck. Sure, some of the stunts were cool, and I LOVE action movies, but this was too much for even me. I would not recommend this movie to ANYONE.
The final category of comedies is what I am going to call the "smart" comedy. These are movies (as Booth so aptly described them) that go for funny ideas and things, and not necessarily punchlines and easy laughs. Really, the best way I can describe these movies, is to give examples. So here goes...just remember that this is by no means a comprehensive list, so please critique, add or subtract. Swingers, The Big Lebowski, Office Space, and O Brother Where Art Thou.
If you're a cowboy and you're dragging a guy behind your horse, I bet it would really make you mad if you looked back and the guy was reading a magazine.
Dark/Black Comedy
My next to last category of comedy is the dark or black comedy. These would be movies that are termed comedies by most, but with humor that is mostly dark, or edgy. This is not the light fluff of romantic comedies, or the silliness of slapstick and spoof. As Christin put it, this is "life is so pathetic it's funny" humor or simply comedy centering around dark subjects, such as murder, etc. The best movies in this category include: Fargo, Gross Point Blank, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. There are many more, so please feel free to add to my list. A question for debate: could even a movie like Pulp Fiction be put in this category...
Deep Thought For The Day
Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door.
Listening Post
What I've been listening to lately:
Boyd Tinsley (violinist for DMB) --- True Reflections (A pretty good album, but stick to the DMB please)
Radiohead --- Hail to the Thief (see my review...I like it better every time I listen to it)
Elton John --- Greatest Hits
Pearl Jam --- Vitalogy
Mozart --- Requiem; The Magic Flute (highlights)
Action/Adventure Comedy
My next category of comedy is a pretty broad one. It is the action or adventure comedy. This is a movie that is neither an action movie (like Arnold would do), nor an adventure movie (like Indiana Jones or something) but would be defined as a comedy...but includes a good deal of action or adventure. My prime examples of these movies are: Princess Bride, Beverly Hills Cop, Maverick, Shanghai Noon, and Rush Hour. All very good movies, just difficult to categorize. Some of my comedy categories may be catch-all, but I think they fit pretty well, just not perfectly. Anyways, maybe I'm missing some, so please, fill in the cracks.
Deep Thought For The Day
I'd like to see a nature film where an eagle swoops down and pulls a fish out of a lake, and then maybe he's flying along, low to the ground, and the fish pulls a worm out of the ground. Now that's a documentary.
Slapstick
Closely related to the spoof is my next category of comedy: the slapstick or silly comedy. This constitutes by far the largest category of comedies, and some of the most beloved. Favorites of mine in this category include: Tommy Boy, Billy Madison, Dumb and Dumber, Ace Ventura (the first one), National Lampoon's Vacation, Zoolander, and Wayne's World. There are, of course, tons more, and you can feel free to discuss, add or subtract from my list. Only three more categories to go!
Deep Thought For The Day
I wouldn't be surprised if someday some fishermen caught a big shark and cut it open, and there inside was a whole person. Then they cut the person open, and in him is a little baby shark. And in the baby shark there isn't a person, because it would be too small. But there's a little doll or something, like a Johnny Combat little toy guy---something like that.
The Spoof
This will be my second category of comedies: SPOOFS. They are mostly silly "guy-movies" but every once in a while one will come along that appeals to everyone. My favorites in this category include Hot Shots, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, the Naked Gun, and the all time classic, Airplane.
Deep Thought For The Day
I bet a fun thing would be to go way back in time to where there was going to be an eclipse and tell the cave men, "If I have come to destroy you, may the sun be blotted out from the sky." Just then the eclipse would start, and they'd probably try to kill you or something, but then you could explain about the rotation of the moon and all, and everyone would get a good laugh.
More Comedy
Ok, I've thought more about this comedy issue, and I had a good conversation with the Booth last night, so let me go more in depth, and explain myself. My list was for the "funniest movies of all time". This was different than "best comedies of all time" for several reasons. The main one is that there are several different categories of comedies, so that a few cannot stand out as the "best" among so many worthy contenders, which might be in slightly different genres. So with that said, I stand by my original list. Now, over the next few days, I will be revealing the categories that Booth (thanks man) and I discussed briefly, refined a bit to my own tastes, and including a couple of the best examples from each "genre". The first will be: ROMANTIC COMEDY. When Harry Met Sally is the best example, the funniest, and the worthiest in this category, hands down. There are others that are ok, but beyond that, not a lot, making this the weakest category. Please feel free to add your own.
Deep Thought For The Day
I can still recall old Mister Barnslow getting out every morning and nailing a fresh load of tadpoles to the old board of his. Then he'd spin it round and round, like a wheel of fortune, and no matter where it stopped he'd yell out, "Tadpoles! Tadpoles is a winner!" We all thought he was crazy. But then we had some growing up to do.
Breaking Music News
Preliminary plans are underway for a Simon and Garfunkel reunion tour for the fall, sources tell Billboard.com.
I know I'll be there if it comes anywhere close...
Deep Thought For The Day
I remember that one fateful day when Coach took me aside. I knew what was coming. "You don't have to tell me," I said. "I'm off the team, aren't I?" "Well," said Coach, "you never were really ON the team. You made that uniform you're wearing out of rags and towels, and your helmet is a toy space helmet. You show up at practice and then either steal the ball and make us chase you to get it back, or you try to tackle people at inappropriate times." It was all true what he was saying. And yet, I thought something is brewing inside the head of this Coach. He sees something in me, some kind of raw talent that he can mold. But that's when I felt the handcuffs go on.
Movie News
The other night at the Wilkins', we were sitting around talking about funny movies, and the topic of "what your favorite comedy of all time is/what are the funniest movies of all time" came up. I liked a lot of the choices I heard, but here is my own personal list, in no particular order:
National Lampoon's Vacation (the first one), Tommy Boy, When Harry Met Sally, Office Space, Billy Madison, Dumb and Dumber, Groundhog Day, Caddyshack, Swingers, and a new fave: Zoolander. There are many more I could have mentioned, but that is the cream of the crop.
Feel free to discuss.
Deep Thought For The Day
If you're eating a Thanksgiving dinner, but you don't like the stuffing or the cranberry sauce or anything else, just pretend like you're eating it, but instead, put it all in your lap and form it into a big mushy ball. Then, later, when you're out back having cigars with the boys, let out a big fake cough and throw the ball to the ground. Then say, "Boy, these are good cigars!"
Deep Thought For The Day
I scrambled to the top of the precipice where Nick was waiting. "That was fun," I said. "You bet it was," said Nick. "Let's climb higher." "No," I said. "I think we should be heading back now." "We have time," Nick insisted. I said we didn't, and Nick said we did. We argued back and forth like that for about 20 minutes, then finally decided to head back. I didn't say it was an interesting story.
I am a dance dance dance dance dance machine
Well, a bunch of us went dancing last night at the Deja Vu. I had a really good time, and so did all of my cohorts, but I have to say, I've always been pretty insecure about anything but slow dancing. I am always looking around at the other guys, making sure I don't look like some idiot (which I usually think I do). However, it was last night when I realized this invaluable lesson. At one point, Lacey turned to me and said "where did you learn to dance so well?". And I had to tell her: "I didn't". What I realized is the fundamental difference between guys and gals on the dance floor. At some point or another, girls learn how to dance well, and practice at it, and get good at it...because they need to. But for the most part (excluding break-dancers, Ed Lang, etc.), guys just get out there, move their feet around, shake their shoulders and hips a bit, and all of a sudden, they are good dancers...because they don't have to be. Most girls are just happy for the effort, and as long as you can move to the beat, you're fine, amongst all the other sweaty guys doing pretty much the exact same thing.
Deep Thought For The Weekend
Many people think that history is a dull subject. Dull? Is it "dull" that Jesse James once got bitten on the forehead by an ant, and at first it didn't seem like anything, but then the bite got worse and worse, so he went to a doctor in town, and the secretary told him to wait, so he sat down and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited, and then finally he got to see the doctor, and the doctor put some salve on it? You call that dull?
Deep Thought For The Day
I guess I kinda lost control, because in the middle of the play I ran up and lit the evil puppet villain on fire. No, I didn't. Just kidding. I just said that to help illustrate one of the human emotions, which is freaking out. Another emotion is greed, as when you kill someone for money, or something like that. Another emotion is generosity, as when you pay someone double what he paid for his stupid puppet.
Hail To The Thief
Well, I got the new Radiohead album that I've been telling y'all about for weeks now, and I have to say, it lives up to the hype. It is kind of a mixture of Ok Computer and Amnesiac, with a bit of the Bends thrown in for good measure...there are more "normal songs" (electric guitar, bass, and drums) than their more recent stuff, and still the "electronica" moments/droning of Kid A and Amnesiac. But this album has its own distinct sound to it too. There is a genuinely haunting vibe that permeates nearly every song at some point or another. Radiohead has nearly perfected the art of crafting an album. My theory is that they have decided to stop crafting particular songs because it got too easy for them (High and Dry, Just, Karma Police, etc., etc.), and now go overboard to craft the album as a whole. But in my mind, their peak was on OK Computer, when they did both. However, I really like this one and would highly recommend it.
Deep Thought For The Day
A funny thing to do is, if you're out hiking and your friend gets bitten by a poisonous snake, tell him you're going to go for help, then go about ten feet and pretend that *you* got bit by a snake. Then start an argument with him about who's going to go get help. A lot of guys will start crying. That's why it makes you feel good when you tell them it was just a joke.
Deep Thought For The Day
I wish I lived back in the old west days, because I'd save up my money for about twenty years so I could buy a solid-gold pick. Then I'd go out West and start digging for gold. When someone came up and asked what I was doing, I'd say, "Looking for gold, ya durn fool." He'd say, "Your pick is gold," and I'd say, "Well, that was easy." Good joke, huh.
Breaking Music News
We are pleased to announce that Dave Matthews will be releasing his debut solo album titled Some Devil this fall. More information and official pre-order details will be coming soon.
Oh, and don't forget: new Radiohead tomorrow!!!!
The Italian Job
I took Lacey to see The Italian Job on Saturday, and I have to say, it was quite good. I didn't expect too much, but it exceeded my expectations. Of course it was pretty predictable, and a bit unrealistic, but what movie isn't these days? The cast was excellent, there was good humor, a good soundtrack, and some fantastic ideas for stealing...it was a lot of fun. Oh, and Bart, go see it for the mini-coopers...those things are mo' cool.
Deep Thought For The Day
I think a good product would be "Baby Duck Hat". It's a fake baby duck, which you strap on top of your head. Then you go swimming underwater until you find a mommy duck and her babies, and you join them. Then, all of a sudden, you stand up out of the water and roar like Godzilla. Man, those ducks really take off! Also, Baby Duck Hat is good for parties.
Deep Thought For The Day
Too bad when I was a kid there wasn't a guy in our class that everybody called the "Cricket Boy", because I would have liked to stand up in class and tell everybody, "You can make fun of the Cricket Boy if you want to, but to me he's just like everybody else." Then everybody would leave the Cricket Boy alone, and I'd invite him over to spend the night at my house, but after about five minutes of that loud chirping I'd have to kick him out. Maybe later we could get up a petition to get the Cricket Family run out of town. Bye, Cricket Boy.
Back at Work
Well, all my schooling and training has officially paid off. I finally have a real job. I am the new physical science/chemistry teacher at Ouachita Christian School here in Monroe. I will also be assistant coach for junior high football, and track, along with high school soccer and cross country. Needless to say, this is a pretty full load. But I am looking forward to it. I have already been working with kids, and it is so rewarding. I love having an effect on peoples' lives. This is why I got into teaching. The people are great, and I love it so far. Please pray that I fit in well and have a great year...I can't wait to see what God has in store for me.
Deep Thought For The Day
Sometimes, when I drive across the desert in the middle of the night, with no other cars around, I start imagining: What if there were no civilization out there? No cities, no factories, no people? And then I think: No people or factories? Then who made this car? And this highway? And I get so confused I have to stick my head out the window into the driving rain---unless there's lightning, because I could get struck on the head by a bolt.
Deep Thought For The Day
The next time I have meat and mashed potatoes, I think I'll put a very large blob of potatoes on my plate with just a little piece of meat. And if someone asks me why I didn't get more meat, I'll just say, "Oh, you mean this?" and pull out a big piece of meat from inside the blob of potatoes, where I've hidden it. Good magic trick, huh?
Deep Thought For The Day
I hope life isn't a big joke, because I don't get it.