Mary Needs to Get Out and About More

So in direct contradiction of beginning-of-school daily goal number 1, I find that I am least effective as an academic producer between the hours of two and four or five (the infamous after-school) hours). So I've been fudging a little (c'mon, I have two night classes--two!) and watching Monday afternoon movies.

A'right, yeah. I've been blown away by every movie Netflix has sent me of late. I'm trying to catch up on the movies I missed on my mission. First I saw The Prestige and let me illustrate:

This is my mind: _ _ _ _ _ _

This is my mind after watching The Prestige: *!&^*#!!

Not that I'm full of expletives, but that sucka blew my mind! I spent the next couple of days just thinking (A) I will never find myself in a distructive competitive trap that will destroy both my competition and myself and (B) how did they do that? Very high "whoa" factor.

Then I thought watching The Queen would be nice and sedate. Nope. Whoa again, my friends, whoa again. I'm totally blown away at the complexities of public and private, especially since I've been reading a bit about a theorist named Habermas (check out his photo--he must have bought in to the Flock of Seagulls hair style fad), not to mention how haunting it is to see Tony Blair protrayed as this totally bright, resourceful and decent guy (will someone PLEASE teleport me back to the nineties?) who thinks he knows how to make the press love him.

Coming up next: Persuit of Happyness. This is probably the best way to watch movies; think of all the time I've saved by not watching the new Indiana Jones and other unfortunate movies. I just get the good stuff. Or maybe all movies are this good, but since my school year's kicked in, I've forgotten how good movies are. Maybe I should be doing more studying. Like now.


Just kidding.

What other movies came out about a year or two ago that I should see? What did I miss? I'll stick them on the list for Monday afternoon distraction-o-rama.

Comments

Kjerstin Evans Ballard said…
Mmmm. My vote on the Pursuit of Happyness: save your Monday afternoon energy (am I late?) and give yourself a couple of papercuts then run 10 miles uphill in the hot sun till the salt water of your sweat makes burns them. Emotionally exhausting, a predictable ending, and a tiny itty bitty payoff. Aaach.
Love the idea though.
October 22, 2008 at 3:23 PM
Jennifer said…
Eh, the new Indiana Jones isn't that bad. I'd say it's worth the two hours. Also, the secret to getting over the unproductive afternoon hours? Classes. 2-5 MWF, my friend. 3-4 on T, with a night class (5:30-8:30) that I haven't gone to in a month on Thursdays. Feel the love. Finally, have you seen Across the Universe? I'm not sure if that fits into your out-of-the-country time frame. I get it mixed up with my out-of-the-country time frame.
October 22, 2008 at 9:24 PM
Makayla Steiner said…
Toward the end of 2006 (I did not like very many movies that year...) I saw both We Are Marshall- which I love if for no other reason than David Straithern is in it- and The Nativity Story, which I did not expect to like, but did.

2007 was a much better year (as far as I'm concerned).

Ratatoullie, Harry Potter 5, Pirates 2, Amazing Grace, The Ultimate Gift, No Reservations, and I know Reign over me is rated R (I don't know how you feel about that), but if you ever get a chance to see it edited, DO.

This fall/winter is also looking promising. I have a list. :)
October 22, 2008 at 10:04 PM
Lobbie said…
Oooh, I have to disagree with the assertion on Pursuit of Happyness. I think my friend put it best when she said "it was the most beautifully uncomfortable movie I've ever seen." I could go into the philosophy of why that is, but you need to see it first! It got my husband really choked up, and he doesn't get choked up about much! The specials on the DVD are also really interesting when they talk to the guy it was based on.

Uh...other movies....I was only around a year before you got back so I'm not sure....But here's a movie I think you'll love:
Waiting for Guffman
It's a Christopher Guest classic and has cult-status with any theater nerd.
October 22, 2008 at 10:05 PM
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