The season finale of Battlestar Galactica is the best episode ever produced in the series. At times I had to look away from its searing brilliance. It trumps even the shocking finale of Season 2.
Bravo, Ron. I can almost forgive you.
Return of the King
By some unknown series of misfortunes, Suzanne had yet to see Return of the King, so Lesley decided to remedy this by having a “Make Suzie Watch Return of the King” party. Since such a film deserves to be seen on a big screen, I volunteered my home theater. Little did I realize how many people would be attending. I must have had 10 people in my apartment! At last I was able to see if my seating calculations would prove true. My new folding chairs came in handy as well.
This movie will always be close to my heart. I cannot separate the experience of seeing it from meeting Peter Jackson at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, surrounded by fellow geeks. Peter had been walking down the aisle and, when he turned to wave at someone, had lost his balance and tumbled down a few stairs, landing in front of me. A wave of shock washed over the theater as we thought, “We killed Peter!” Without really thinking about what I was doing, I reached down, grabbed him under the arm and pulled him to his feet (he is a small man), pointing him in the direction of the stage. Later, when he came back down the aisle to sit with us, I told him, “Hey, watch your step this time.” He chuckled and said that a nearby serving table had helped break most of the fall.
1. Return of the King
2. Children of Men
3. Stay
4. American Astronaut
5. Shortbus
6. Stranger Than Fiction
7. Pan’s Labyrinth
8. Apocalypto
9. Black Snake Moan
10. Heavenly Creatures
Today’s Chart Topper
I wanted so badly
somebody other than me
Staring back at me
but you were gone
I wanted to see you walking backwards
And get the sensation of you coming home
I wanted to see you walking away from me
Without the sensation of you leaving me alone
Time and time again
Time and time again
Time and time again
I can’t please myself
I wanted the ocean to cover over me
I wanna sink slowly without getting wet
Maybe someday I won’t be so lonely
And I’ll walk on water every chance I get
Time and time again
Time and time again
Time and time again
I can’t please myself
So when are you coming home, sweet angel?
You leaving me alone? all alone?
Well if I’m drowning, darling, you’ll come down this way on your own
I wish I was traveling on a freeway
Beneath this graveyard western sky
I’m gonna set fire to this city
And out into the desert we’re gonna ride
Time and time again
Time and time again
Time and time again
I can’t please myself
I can’t please myself
I can’t please nobody else
– Counting Crows
Preparations
I have passed the first checkpoint. The plan is indeed possible. Preparations begin in earnest.
Shortbus
This movie is so uncomfortably honest and raw and naked. It exposes sexual relationship issues in the most realistic way I’ve ever seen in a movie. My emotions and behavior are as confusing as the situations in this movie. It is so messy and complicated and simple and sad and joyous.
1. Children of Men
2. Stay
3. American Astronaut
4. Shortbus
5. Stranger Than Fiction
6. Pan’s Labyrinth
7. Apocalypto
8. Black Snake Moan
9. Heavenly Creatures
10. Uzumaki
The Only Way Out is Through
The stream of time hit a nexus and, like an arrow striking ice, it splintered into five possibilities. I slipped into the most difficult crack, the choice hardest to make.
Like the Cylons, I have a plan.
And I am so sorry, my friends. I’m so sorry.
I must raze Caprica and follow the Eye of Jupiter.
300
I was not as impressed as I thought I would be. It was gorgeous to look at. I loved the visual style and character design. The blood particle effects were cool. But every battle is in slow motion. And by the time I accepted this as the visual language of the film, it was over. It was so overused that it was no longer a special effect. I mean, it still looked really cool, but it wore thin.
I didn’t expect as many quiet moments as there were. I expected a brief intro which ramped up to non-stop carnage. Instead the film is broken up into two storylines: the battle and life back home, which I will dub Rome Lite. If you’ve seen Rome, then you’ll get it. Although it was not a slavish adaptation of the graphic novel a la Sin City, it did adhere fairly closely to some of the most memorable panels. I had seen all of the intense scenes from the trailer so many times that by the time they happened in the context of the film, they were stripped of power. Overall, it was gorgeous, but diluted. It became a sprawling epic film for tiny slices of time and then shrunk down to very small moments. It was worth seeing, but it was not the mind-blowing action film I was expecting.
I went to add this to the top ten list, but realized that it would be #11. I enjoyed The Host more.
But it’s better than drinking alone
Tonight I decided to get out and have dinner at a restaurant. So I went to Kelly’s and the waitress asks, “Are you waiting for someone?” Because it is obscene to eat and drink alone in public. There are several ways I could have answered, the foremost being “Yes, but she’s waiting for a dark knight on a black, flame-breathing steed.”
Instead I said, “No.”
Starbuck
Fuck you, Ron.
I can’t do this anymore
I never thought I’d end up here
I never thought I’d be standing where I am
I guess I kind of thought it would be easier than this
I guess I was wrong now one more time
Cause I tried to climb your steps
I tried to chase you down
I tried to see how low I could get down to the ground
I tried to earn my way
I tried to change this mind
You better believe that I tried to beat this,
So when will this end
It goes on and on
And over and over and over again
Keep spinning around I know that it wont stop
Till I step down from this for good
“Sick Cycle Carousel”
– Lifehouse