Monday, March 1, 2010

My reality is way better than everyone elses!

So much to talk about!

Well first I'll start with 'The Box' since that is what is on my mind most.

Decided to watch this with my spawn yesterday, ordered it On Demand since I have that luxury with Comcast. I went against what my mom, dad & brother Eric said about it; none of them liked it.

Well, I DID!

But I guess that is to be expected since I am a fan of Richard Kelly's works. You've got Donnie Darko which has become a cult classic, then of course Southland Tales, which, I dunno how much of a fanbase has gathered from that, but the few people I do know that dig Southland Tales are A-O.K.! in my book as far as taste goes.

I think the biggest problem with Richard Kelly movies is the way they are marketed. They are tryna appeal to a demographic in which doesn't really care about most of what Richard Kelly seems to want to tell in a story. If you read the back of a Donnie Darko dvd, you are deceived by descriptions, as they compare it to Sixth Sense. With Southland Tales, they attempt to pull audience in with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson! & then of course with 'The Box' they make it look like some reality show that focuses on some cookie cutter couple making a heartfelt decision on whether they get their money or decide to kill a family.

With Kelly it's all in the details. Whether or not the family chooses the money or not is as much an aside as everything else they try to falsely convey in those ridiculous previews.

This movie blew me away with it's story telling. The beautiful details. Oh, how I want to get my grubby little paws on 'The Lightning Book'. & now I realize I am not the only one who fantasizes about comparing science fiction to magical happenstances & such.

When you watch this movie you don't get a happy little couple who has made a concious decision to do what you hope & think is right. You get reality of what most anyone would do in a situation, & you get consequence. Even the minute details of that consequence, almost to a schizophrenic degree. & I love it.

Enter a mysterious man, who is a salesman of sorts, going door to door to offer a once in a lifetime opportunity. Enter a well to do couple that has gone through what any enduring couple has gone through to keep a family financially secure. Enter a whole fucking world behind all of that & you get Arlington Steward, a man who lost half of his face to being struck by lightning, & is now being imbued with the ability to communicate with "those who control the lightning".

Use mid 1970's as a timeline, retro era mingled with some NASA sass as a backdrop, & you have a recipe for magical success in my book.

There is even a hint of what I deem hobo-alchemy may be in this story, sprinkled gracefully all throughout. O', how it maketh me swoon!

So there that is.

This was all yesterday. After the movie was over my spawn talked me into playing Monopoly, but I agreed only because it was Spongebob Monopoly. I folded after realizing my she-spawn was going to hafta sell her goods on 10th street just to pay rent for landing on Tentacle Acres with 4 pineapples & a Krusty Krab shack. The total came out to like, wut? $1, 700 fat ones? She had less than 200 dollhairz to her name so I was like, "Awww! NeverMIND!" Then of course she folded, & David came out the victor. I knew there was trouble when he still had both his 500 bills at this point & then some. Fucking bankers & their goddamned accountability & whatnot!

Rewind back to Friday, just a couple days before. I managed to talk Snookms into taking the spawn & I to see 'Shutter Island'. My baby bro got to make it out with us too, so that was a big plus.

I don't know if it was because I was so damned tired already (we made it to the 10:00 pm showing!) or wut but I just didn't have the typical visceral reaction I do to a movie like this. I went in with my own expectations, halfheartedly acknowledging that they wouldn't be met, but you know what? They were ALL met pretty much. & I was just so zombehfide I guess that I didn't get all 'woo-hoo! score one for me & my prophesies!' ... though I really would have liked to... We didn't get outta that Metropolis til damn near 1 in the morning. But yeah, if you are going to be doing a pyschological 'thriller' that makes me happy, this movie is a prime example of how it should be done. The whole "I reject your reality & substitute my own" theory here is prominent all throughout. Which I am a huge advocator of, cause like, I am straight up sick in the head, y'know? So yeah, another good flick to watch when you ain't tired I s'pose?

Saturday was a lazy day for me, didn't get outta my pj's once! It was a good day. I am sad though because I finished Kurt Vonnegut's 'Breakfast of Champions' & that book had me looking forward to being bored cause it was such a great read. It touched very many surfaces of myself I didn't think I'd ever have the words to express. Kurt Vonnegut has such a talent for doing that so fiercely & graciously. It had me a' heavin' & a hoe'in so much! I think Richard Kelly could do an immaculate job of making that one into a movie, I AM TELLING YEW! I am okay with this though because I can now go resume reading Mordicai's 'Watchtower Gothic'. I am in love with this Blondie character, she uses curse words SO APPROPRIATELY!

My other brother Eric showed up later Saturday evening & he & his daughter wound up spending the night. We stayed up late eating junk foodz, talking about our Seattle days growing up, with Totally Insane & RBL Posse as our soundtrack for the night. A little 'Trigga Gotz No Heart' didn't hurt one bit either.

One last thing that I am pretty jazzed about is that the interview Betsy Dornbusch (aka SexScenes at Starbucks) invited me to do is up @ Electric Spec for those of you that wanna take a peek at.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to do this interview with her because of the book it was in regard to, Quencher. It's erotica, it's got vamps & it's got muff diving. ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAVE MY NAME ON IT. Now go forth!

6 comments:

Jack Badelaire said...

Some day I should just sell out, start writing erotic vampire fiction, and build a castle out of gold bricks from all the money I make. I would be a total sell-out whore about it.

Actually, are there any guys who write sell-able erotic vampire novels who don't come off as complete douchebags? If not, maybe I could corner the market on it.

... said...

Hey you never know... actually, that particular novel WAS in fact a collaborative effort, the other author was a guy, he seems pretty cool to me; not at all of the douch(e)bag caliber you speak of.

But yes! Go forth & do it if it so pleases ya. :)

kathulhu said...

Being the huge douch(e)bag that I am, I just read your interview with BD. It was freaking awesome!!!! You are such a good writer :)

... said...

Thanks Kat! & you are not a douch(e)bag. You are what's called busy & married & have spawn to take care of.

You're a good writer too. Actually, I just fabricated a really cool idea last night in regard to writing & wanna share it with you, I'll email/message you sometime soon about it. :)

Jack Badelaire said...

Hey, not pointing d-bag fingers (ew) at anyone specific.

I read the interview, btw. Always good to see writers moving forward in their careers, doing what they love.

... said...

Aw it's cool, I knew what you meant! :)