I like making lists. (I know I know... everyone likes making lists.) But I mean it in the literal sense. I like writing lists. It's never just good enough to print out a list and then cross things off, if I see a list I want to make a sheet of paper with properly spaced rows and columns and write them in by hand.
Today my list is of the Top 100 Canadian Films as picked by the Possible Worlds Film Festival people. They've got the list online, but I've now got my OWN list. the same list in the same order and even with LESS information than the fancy reviews and summaries that are on the site. But it's mine and it's in my hand and for some reason the list is more real because I can touch it. Like the 100 films that have been put down onto three sheets of paper are now a unit and it belongs to yours truly. I've just now finished it.
see?
Yeah but what about those other lists that I've put on my blog? You better believe that I've got that shit on paper, stored away, and preserved in its greatness.... Even the list of Empire's 500 movies. Written out. By hand.... That one actually hurt my wrist....
During my busy yet incredibly lazy weekend I had the pleasure of watching a really fantastic movie featured by the Ellensburg Film Festival. While it was a little bit of a drive to get to the show it was definitely worth it.
The film that I chose to see was "Starbuck" (2011) directed by Ken Scott starring Patrick Huard. I walked in about 2 minutes late (see drive time above) and let me tell you. I had a flash of "oh shit is this the wrong movie??" because I had no idea it was all going to be in French!! Good thing I'm learning French so I was able to understand.... NONE of it. But it makes sense. This movie had to be in French. Because it's from Quebec. And the French was 20% of why it was so good- not because French is awesome, but because this movie would not have had the same rhythm and vibe if it were in another language. Before I went to the festival, I read a super short description of a man who donates a ton of sperm and now his kids want to know who he is. I can honestly say I had no idea what it was that made me decide I want to go see this but I liked the name and I thought it'd be cute. Obviously my movie choosing method is really in depth and thorough...
look at this face. look at that name. how could you not?
You can read all about the details on the Wikipedia page (click on the link above) but whatever you read, this movie has very little to do with a man who has fathered 533 children as a sperm donor and more to do with a very human way of dealing with things that seemed like a good idea at the time... or maybe not even a "good" idea, just- an idea.
"Starbuck" gives the viewers a glimpse of what it means to be connected in the most random ways and what it makes a family. Sounds corny, huh. But how many movies have you seen where "family" refers to 533 people who were created by a man who wanked himself into a cup? And even better, 142 of those people find each other and form a family bonded by one question- who is our father; who is Starbuck? David thoughtlessly says to one of his foundling sons "I have a real family you know" and the son's curt retort is "and what are we then?" This man who doesn't have the maturity to keep his own life in order is also the father that 142 people seek to meet and understand. He has been part of their family the whole lives of the children as the person who gave them life but none of these offspring were anything to David beyond the $35 dollars received and spent. Does that make them less than family? How does that work? With the one connecting factor as Starbuck, 142 people who were strangers living completely separate lives and all of those intimately involved in David's "real" life come together and form a ginormous family. It was beautiful. It made me think "how far really, is the degree of separation between us all as strangers and loved ones?" One random common factor can take anybody in the world from being an unknown existence in our lives to someone we someday cherish closest to our hearts. And as weighty as that sounds, this movie was hilarious. For these two reasons "Starbuck" gets a 10.
Plus, the cast was brilliant. And real. Maybe I'm just not used to Canadian cinema but I was surprised at how well the wit was integrated into the plot. None of those random one-liners that make you think "wow the writer must have heard this somewhere and was dying to make this work somewhere in the script." Patrick Huard was great. I wish he spoke English so my love for him could have even one less degree of separation (but no worries there Huard, I am learning the French!!) Antoine Bertrand does the token best friend beautifully with a purpose in the film as something other than "lead's best friend with quirky pips."
last night. And at a point, I looked down at my hand, saw a black dot, asked "am I dreaming?" and, swear to baby jesus, I felt the dream shift. I don't know if its my brain playing games with me but I definitely felt like I was in the dream. The terror was really vivid when the giant dog that was the size of a tank decided to come after me, and the hyperventilation definitely felt real when two of my friends got crushed by a giant tree trunk...
I shall check again tonight.
+ my movie list is being handled much more efficiently than my book list. shit. but Superman Returns (2006) dir. Bryan Singer.. not bad! I approve. And Clark Kent was definitely one of the better looking ones from what I can remember {wink}. I've also, embarrassingly, found that I actually have about 20 more of the movies on the list ready to watch on my computer... and they have just sat here forEVER. I don't know why I never watched them and just kept them on my comp. Today I also watched "The Red Shoes" (1948) dir. The Archers (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger). VERY interesting.. very sad. As a post-feminism woman in my early 20's I can't say I really agree/get what the hell they were trying for with the "choose me, or choose dancing" and the "give up your life for me" and then the tragic ending that ensued... However, keeping half a century's change in mind, I feel the tragedy of the movie. The story within a story was very well played.
Tonight.. Jailhouse Rock. Starring Elvis Presley. I'm excited :P Bring on the swinging hips!
I have decided that I must dumb myself down for the good of society. At least on paper, because apparently the newest epidemic after obesity, voluntary mental retardation by overly efficient and convenient handheld devices, and unemployment, is "over-qualification." I had heard of this growing disease while I was still in the process of becoming infected and did not understand the gravity of the situation. I am apparently TOO qualified - nay, OVERLY qualified - to grind coffee beans, push a button on the coffee machine, pour machine-brewed liquid into pre-assembled cup, seal with pre-sized lid, and accept bartering material through a window for the finished product. I would like to say that in fact sir, if you would look down my resume, you'll notice that none of my previous employers required I do any of above-mentioned actions therefore one could argue that I am indeed, highly UNDER-qualified for the job. In actuality, I am entirely over-qualified to read pre-K through 12th grade reading material and write underdeveloped, inadequately composed essays because my degree ensures that with my skill level I am capable of far more advanced analyses than what is required for such tasks. Yet as it is, in the realm of coffee brewing my degree has ensures nothing. I don't understand this new virus, but regardless I am infected.
Well, fuck all of that then. I shall erase my education and make certain that I am indeed COMPLETELY AND WHOLLY unintelligible, unambitious, underdeveloped, and 100% qualified for EVERY job in this damn town. Problem solved.
And speaking of over-qualified bullshit, I have decided that the critics at rottentomatoes.com can suck on my left STD infected ball because they don't know shit. Perhaps they too are "over-qualified" and never learned to actually watch for good movies and not just flashy graphics. How can they rate a completely plotless movie an 83% and a charming movie about re-starting your life and taking advantage of the opportunities that life present to you a 34%? Oh. Right. The first one has CGI animated apes that can speak. Obviously that is completely life-altering and ENTIRELY deserving of an extra 63% than the actual movie really is worth. Or course. Luckily, God and Buddha conspired to gift me with my own fucking brain and so against everything rottentomatoes.com would suggest, I watched both. On "SooJangles'-list-of-movie-ratings-tomatoes.com" the first movie gets a "don't ever watch again unless I am really ready to research talking apes and throw my life away" while I'll probably buy the second one. Wrong again. You can just suck it [my left STD infected ball that is] rottentomatoes.com. Neither your shoddy, inane, and baseless critiquing nor completely substandard criterion for ratings are needed here.
But what I REALLY wanna talk about... is my modest list of movies that I feel will enrich my life and enhance my understanding of movie-making and movie-watching throughout history. In a word: Culture. I am in the business of acquiring movie culture. The descending list begins at number 500. Don't worry, I've seen about 161 of the titles so it's not such an unreachable goal eh? It's a shame that I have seen so many movies and to think that only 160 of them are on this fancy list. How could I have wasted such time? Such energy?? Alas, it is a fool's destiny to work twice as hard as those who are the wiser. I am not going to post my list on my blog... because it was created by Empire Films and THEY have a list. All pre-typed up and with fancy pictures! WOOT! You can look up THE LIST here! Enjoy yourself, and tell me what you think. Any other suggestions?
P.S. My poo-unconscious post inspired a little story the other day. I chuckled:
I
fell asleep on the toilet.Ok,
medically speaking I “passed out” on the toilet from over-straining and cutting
off the blood circulation to my brain. I blame all the cheese at dinner and my
genetic lactose intolerance. But I was having such a great time and I liked him
so much. I don’t know how long he waited before checking up on me in the
bathroom. The nurse said he brought me to the emergency room close to one in
the morning so that is about… an hour and fifteen minutes after I checked the
time in his apartment. She also said he left shortly after finding out I would
be fine. I hope he calls.
you've stumbled into my head have you? Well good luck finding anything worth keeping!! But if you do find something.. may it bring a smile to your face, or a thought to your brain~
