New furniture

I love the smell of new furniture.  It reminds me of playing Ultima 4 I think.  Today I got a new cherry rolltop desk, new guest bedroom furniture and new master bedroom furniture.  I love smelling it all but it’s a bit dusty yet.

Say Anything

I was pleasantly surprised with “Say Anything”. I was expecting just another John Cusack romantic comedy but instead it was a real romance movie. And I haven’t seen one of those I liked in a long time. It’s probably because it was directed by Cameron Crowe, who is a halfway decent director. He did Almost Famous which was ok, and Vanilla Sky which I actually liked despite the fact that no one else did, and the original was still a superior film. At least there was no mimes in Crowe’s version.

I was extremely impressed with John Cusack’s performance though. Every facial expression, movement or line was perfect, and so moving. It’s really no wonder that Ione Skye’s career continued into oblivion though, since her acting was less than stellar. She just didn’t play a sympathetic character at all, and I actually felt a little bad that John Cusack, in all his noble glory, ended up with her.

Side note: got the bedroom mostly blue, finishing trim tomorrow and getting furniture finally. Hopefully then I’ll have some more free time to work on my screenplay. I have the most wonderful idea for a movie, but I’m having a lot of trouble nailing down specific plot points. I think I need to read some more books on the subject, and probably watch some more movies to get more ideas. I hope it doesn’t lose steam though. I just really wish there was someone around that I could collaborate on movie ideas with, because it’s so hard to brainstorm solo. And I really want to make an effort to show a revolution through non-violent means, though my knowledge of political and economic infrastructure is very limited. I wish I would have taken more economics courses in college. I just really don’t want it to end up like in Independence Day where they’re just like “Wheeeee, let’s upload a virus and we win! Yaaaaay!”

The name Niko is becoming too common. I should have named him Casper. All the bitches love Casper.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

I can’t believe this movie wasn’t rated R. I guess “This Film Is Not Yet Rated” had it right: if you’re a studio, you can get away with just about anything. Pirates contained way to much gore for my taste, and not nearly enough sex. If I were to make a pirate movie it would be 60% sex and 40% violence, and only good clean violence like guns and rapiers. None of this tentacles coming out of nostrils bullshit.

Anyhow, the critics had it right. The movie was way too long and convoluted, and I have to say that for a pirate film I was very disappointed. It’s a pity too, because this was one of the rare times that I’ve been able to see a film in the theaters.

Matt Bellamy plays the piano

I miss my piano.  I hope we get a piano sometime soon, and I can teach Niko to play.  Maybe someday he can write songs and make a difference in the world through his music.  Does music change the world?  I don’t know, a little at a time maybe.  I wonder if there’s a song out there that everyone in the whole world would like.  Maybe “What a Wonderful World”.

Every year I get older and I haven’t accomplished anything I become more aware of how old others were.  Orson Welles was 25 when he made Citizen Kane.  Richard Kelly was 25 when he made Donnie Darko.  I am 27.  Even if I live forever, I won’t ever accomplish anything if I waste my days drinking, doing laundry and other housework.

The Fountain

I loved the visuals in The Fountain.  Each shot looked like a panel in a graphic novel, with the brightest lights and the darkest darks, and everything perfectly framed.  Unfortunately, I don’t know if the story quite lived up to the stunning cinematography.  I tend to like plot lines where people meet up time after time in history, but I am not sure if that was the case.  I am thinking that the only “real” time was the present, and that the past was just a story Izzy wrote and the future was just the future that Tom imagined.

I’m not sure why I didn’t like it.  Maybe Darren Aronofsky should make a happy film for once.  Or at least one with hope.  The end was supposed to be some kind of rebirth, but I didn’t get the impression that Tom and Izzy would be happily ever after because if it.  I’m not even sure if the end was about eternal love either.   I suppose there could be multiple takes on what the film was about and what it was supposed to mean, but it didn’t feel hopeful to me.  And I guess that’s what I was looking for.

This film did make me think about it a lot.  But I don’t know if I’ll watch it again, and I probably won’t buy it.  But it was very very beautiful.

I would like to make a movie of revolutions, time travel, space, and have a Muse soundtrack.

I am not as perfect as I would like to think

Well I’m done with the green painting but I got some bits of green around the painter’s tape so I’ll have to go at the trim with some white now.  I can just imagine that I’ll get some white on the green and have to pull out the green paint can again.  An endless cycle of mistakes and waiting for paint to dry.  I also noticed when I pulled off the tape that some of the paint came with it, like it was still a bit wet.  Oops.  I suppose I could have waited a few more days til it was crispy dry but I didn’t know.  So yeah, after criticizing the paint job in the living room I learn that maybe a couple mistakes here and there are just what happens when people get sick of going over the same areas again and again.  Plus I got a drop of paint on the carpet.  I guess that gives me a reason to replace the carpet in the house.  This time I won’t do it all myself.

Eric’s brother will be here today.  Maybe he’ll set up the basement entertainment center for me.  All Eric’s done lately is find the pegs so I can set up the bookshelves.  I wonder what will happen when there’s no more work to be done.  Maybe the work never ends.  It’s a big house.

Moving is serious business

So the last week and a half has just been moving around furniture, unpacking, mowing the lawn, fixing up around the house and hurting myself in general.  My back and right arm are killing me and I have a huge blood blister on my right hand from snapping it inside a needlenose pliers.  But I got a lot done.  Zack’s room is completely cleared out except for a bed and a dresser, the kitchen is all cleaned up and the counters are spotless, and we got the rest of the furniture moved in from the garage.  I also hooked up the washer and dryer, the icemaker (took 3 kits to get one that didn’t leak), put in a light fixture in the living room ceiling fan, and took all the border off the guest bedroom.  I just need to finish sanding and spackling, put a coat of primer over it and put the new paint on.  It’s a beautiful forest green that I think will be very serene and relaxing, I just hope I can get some furniture and bedding sets to match.

I got Niko enrolled in a daycare for 2 days a week, and today was his first day.  I’m told he was good most of the day but started crying a lot before I came to pick him up.  I think maybe he didn’t nap enough, it’s hard for him to sleep without his fan.  But I think it’s good for him and me to be apart for a while, so I can get work done and so he can hang out with kids his own age.

I think I’m getting a cat this week.  I applied to adopt Tiki last Saturday but they haven’t called me back about him yet.  I keep wondering if I gave an incorrect phone number, since I didn’t have it memorized at the time.  I’ll call tomorrow in either case, since it’s been 5 days.  Getting a dog will probably take a lot longer, since people don’t really have many small dogs around here.  99% of the shelter pets seem to be bigger dogs like labs, shepherds, boxers, rotties and hounds.  All the smaller dogs have been labeled “Not for houses with small children”.  It’s ok though, since we don’t have our fence built yet anyway.