Well it's been quite some time since my last blog entry. Or at least a good one anyway. What happened? I was on such a roll. Well I'd say most of the month of May was spent in seclusion either in the library or a similar-like environment studying and getting everything done I needed to before graduation. My anxiety was at an all-time high, there was absolutely no time for watching TV, socializing, speaking on the phone, eating, sleeping, etc. Oh and then I had to deal with moving out of my amazing apartment, which required enough physical labor needed for about a month.
But now that that chapter of my life is finally over, I'm done with school and finally entering the real world. I work more hours during the week, I actually wake up before 10 a.m., and I have to say there hasn't been much naptime. And with my birthday coming up, I'll be one year older and one year wiser. So I figured okay time to move upward and onward. I threw away bags and bags of old clothing and things in my room. It felt good but it was also rather horrifying to think I actually wore some of those things and actually thought I looked good in them.
Anyway so I threw all my old stuff away, and precisely displayed all the new. Feeling accomplished and proud after days of hard labor, aka picking up a hammer, my dad commented "Oh so I guess you plan on living with us awhile." The comment put a bit of a damper on things. In a year if I am suddenly working at Wal-Mart dating someone with missing teeth, contemplating if I should milk my own cows, I'll become concerned.
And I FINALLY finished my project of watching all AFI's Top 100 Films of All Time. Promise this is my FINAL movie post. I just have to get it out of my system.
I must admit that after years and months of this, the most memorable films were also the worst films and the most bizarre. Each time I watched a bad one, I was like okay well nothing can be worse than this. Oh but some did get worse. And worse. And some were just like really?
However I did learn a lot-about the world, about myself, and about my opinions-from all those movies and must say I was inspired by more than a few.
For example, today when I broke out my hammer to hang something I thought, you know the Indians and Cowboys in all those awful Westerns I watched didn't have power tools in their time and they managed to build actual homes, I'll be fine.
And then I thought I may just collapse from the heat, but then I thought about how hot it must of been for those US soldiers fighting in the Vietnam war, if they're not complaining why should I?
Then I was annoyed that I had to go into work today, but then I remembered that guy who had to escape out of prison for a crime he didn't even commit in the Shawshank Redemption, and I thought standing in 6 hours of air conditioning and then going home isn't so bad.
I also discovered that a 2 1/2 hour movie really isn't that long. There were about 5 movies on list that were almost 4 hours. I felt like I just lived through 5 years after getting through those. All silent films are not created equal. One of them was funny and enjoyable. The other had a moving train as one of the co-stars, enough said there. And the final one I watched was made in 1916. Yes 1916, who knew they even made movies that early. Oh and it was almost 3 hours. It was made up of 4 eras, the last one being the "modern" era, but I couldn't tell which era that was because I'm sorry 1916 is no longer considered modern times. Oh and you can't look away or zone out for a few minutes, because there is no sound. It required more energy than reading a book. You had to watch every single detail that occurred, read the occasional suggested dialogue and try and figure out what was supposed to be considered humorous in the early 1900s. However I sucked it up and watched them all. After watching the initial majority that I actually had a desire to see, I was left with about 35 unappealing films. For every 7 awful ones came 1 amazing one. I had an open mind throughout the entire process and was pleasantly surprised with the results.
Here are my final comments on a few films and then I promise I'm done writing about a bunch of movies no one else under the age of 80 (okay maybe 50) has seen.
High Noon-I thought if you've seen one Western you've seen them all, but I have to say itwas quite the suspense.
Tootsie and The Graduate-I learned who Dustin Hoffman was-a comedic and talented actor-not just some random, famous guy.
MASH, Dr Strangelove, and Easy Rider- I learned that the 70s were a very, very, very weird time, and if someone claims they were not on drugs during this era, they must be lying. Watching Easy Rider was like watching a movie of what it would be like to be on drugs, except not be on drugs, and then just have your mind blown. It left me both confused, bored, and frightened all at the same time.
2001: A Space Odyssey- Imagine watching 3/4 of Titantic then the last quarter turning into Star Wars. Oh better yet imagine watching ET and then the last 15 minutes transitioning into Finding Nemo. Seriously. And eliminate about 85% of the dialogue in each film. It was the most aesthetically pleasing, yet haunting, yet dullest movie I have ever seen.
Then I watched Nashville- which really after watching I really just had to question why this was on the list. It was 2 hours long and I didn't realize until 1:45 minutes that I had no idea what the hell was going on. So I did a litlte research on IMDB, and apparently the first time you watch it its awful, and then the second or third time you end up falling in love with it. I'm sorry but I have to suffer through 2 hours of a movie, not understand or enjoy any minute of it, and then force myself to do it one or two more times so I can then enjoy it? Not happening.
Duck Soup and A Night at the Opera-not funny nor worth watching if you are under the age of 60 or over the age of 7.
Blade Runner-a cheesy, bizarre 80s sci-fi movie. I didn't know you could combine cheesy 80s romance and science fiction. Why did every movie from the 80s involve the same techno music, big hair, and people dressing as though they were fairies or vampires.
Sophie's Choice and Schindler's List-the holocaust was sad and we should all be traumatized.
The Deer Hunter-I now understand why people who fought in the Vietnam war are mentally ill. I think I'm now mentally ill after watching this.
Rocky-you've seen one boxing movie you've seen them all. They all seem to win Oscars though.
Midnight Cowboy-I feel like I should have been more emotionally invested, I feel like I should have cried at the end, I feel like I should have been weirded out, but really I think my tolerance for my mind being blown is at an all-time high.
The Apartment-apparently in 1960, you could have a job as an elevator girl. I don't get it? You just have to push a button.
Do the Right Thing-I want pizza
Spartacus-you've seen one ancient Greek war film, you've seen them all.
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?-I am. And I'm afraid of professors and marriage at the age of 50.
Bonnie and Clyde-not as fabulous of a couple as I thought. Thank god I don't live in the mid-west. But I guess a significant portion of the population actually does live there.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest-whenever you think that you or the world is going crazy, just watch this movie and you'll feel normal again.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington-well I guess after 50 years nothing in politics has changed.
Gone with the Wind-I guess there were actually 2 sides of the Civil War, who knew?
So now I can finally join the rest of society and again watch movies that are relevant to pop culture or at least have the ability to be mentioned casually in a dinner conversation.
Fabulous tip for today: Start a new project with an open mind.
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