Anyway, I got an excellent email forward (not sure of the source) from my dad tonight, ( 'Now I understand the problem - This is Your Nation on White Privilege' )
Then I stayed up to watch a program called "In the Life: Documentary stories from the gay experience." It featured an excellent interview with NAACP Chair Julian Bond and talked about the upcoming vote on Proposition 8 in California. You can actually watch the program at their website, inthelifetv.org. Seriously, I wish I lived in CA just so I could vote no on Proposition 8. The last thing we need is to take another step backwards when it comes to civil rights in our country.
So, I just got back from seeing The Good Shepherd:
( Cut for the possibility that I actually mention a plot point, however unlikely it may be... )
My father, on the other hand, really liked it, but then, he has read every book dealing with politics and espionage, both fiction and nonfiction, so he was bound to find it interesting. Maybe if a person was fascinated with the Cold War and the CIA, that person would enjoy this movie. It just certainly wasn't my caffeinated beverage of choice.
I saw the movie Syriana today, and I really enjoyed it. It was definitely a thinking kind of film; apparently, though, not everyone who went to see it knew about that part in advance. My mother, who always seems to draw the attention of random strangers in public places, was talked at by an older woman in the restroom who complained about the movie being "too boring". Look, it's not a straight-up action film, and all of the explosions that do take place are there to further the plot. It was definitely intriguing, and had my family discussing the story well into lunch. My advice is to watch it, take as much in as you can, then talk about it afterwards to see if you have all of the pieces in the right places.
( There was one element of the story, though, that had us all stumped. SPOILER )
Other than that, I loved trying to figure it out. It just hammers home the reality of how corrupt governments of the world have been, are, and will no doubt continue to be.
I rented Lawrence of Arabia this evening, and I watched the entire film in one sitting. I don't really know what to say about it other than it has made me more interested in the time period, the life of T.E. Lawrence, and Middle Eastern culture. I figure that any movie which inspires a person to learn more and expand their horizons is definitely worth seeing.
One thing is for sure: both the imagery and the presence of the actors is breathtaking. There's nothing more that I can say about it for now as I'm still trying to process it all. It's kind of funny to be thinking of a movie in that way - like a major life event, or something - but there you go. Life's funny that way.
- and I saw a cabbage butterfly today! Astounding!
I also watched Disney's Tarzan and The Lion King today. Some days, it's just not worth acting your real age.
ETA: And how did I forget that tonight is the night of the Beaver Moon? Well, dang.
One of my mother's favorite movies is "An American Werewolf In London" which I finally saw for the first time tonight. So freaking funny and bizarre. I can see why she likes it so much. And I think the special effects have withstood the test of time, even considering that they're as old as I am... :^D
As a general rule, I am not a fan of horror films - especially those that revel in gore (blech). But this one, though it had some blood (no organs lying about or anything really nasty), had such a neat, creepy, and yes, realistic atmosphere that I liked it a lot. And the banter between David and Jack in the beginning was classic. I'll have to watch it again sometime, as all of this is just a nice kick-off for the month of October which I absolutely love. I love harvest and autumn festivals and the general creepiness that I think comes about partially from the shortening days - where at once it was perfectly normal to hang around outside til eight o'clock with there being plenty of daylight left ... til now where it's pitch-black and the insects are chorusing out their last hurrahs...
At any rate, remember the Alamo!
I'm leaving this afternoon for that town made famous by groundhogs and their shadows (interestingly enough, the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray was not filmed in Punxsutawney, PA, but in some other state entirely. I think that the movie producers found the actual place to be too podunk for their aesthetic tastes). It is time to visit my dad's family, and this weekend is opportune in that it is my grandmother's 76th birthday... and my aunt's 96th birthday. Whoa! :^D My aunt is a remarkable woman, not the least of which is because she was born in 1908 and can tell us young'uns all about how things were "back in the day".
So, no internet until Monday... but two, six-hour car trips to get caught up on my summer reading. Nice. And the weather out there - high of 70F! Life is good.
Lastly, apparently, not all parasites are bad - wherein some parasitic birds benefit by sharing. Huh.
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