Well, its crunch time around here and my stress level is somewhere around “stratospheric”. Paul and Carrie have left for the day so I’m stuck here until I get fed up and leave, with will probably be around 4:30. I’ve got so much going on here, so much stuff to worry about, so much wedding stress, so little money, I’m going slowly but surely nuts. I’ve got a car insurance bill that isn’t correct for the second time in two months, I’ve got $8 to my name, nothing for lunch and I need both gas and a haircut before my next pay check. Fun fun! At least I have my friends and family to help and comfort. Speaking of which, I think I have nearly everyone’s flight info. Chris is coming in on Tuesday to hang out for a few days, My folks are coming in Thursday afternoon, Nagle is coming in Thursday morning, Jason is coming in Friday morning, the Canadians are coming Thursday night and everyone else I’ve completely forgotten because I’m operating on only a few hours sleep and very little cognitive reasoning. Actually, if I was able to put together the phrase “cognitive reasoning” I’m probably not doing that bad. I dunno, it’s just one of “those days” and I’m not feeling real happy or excited or positive about much of anything, with the exception of the actual wedding event itself which, to be quite honest, I’ve been ready for for nearly 3 years. I’m trying to make everyone happy and keep everything from falling apart and take care of all these little last minute things and I just haven’t had time to actually sit back and enjoy any of this. I suppose that’s what the honeymoon is for right? Recovering from the months of planning for the wedding? Have I mentioned I’m tired?
I’m also complaining a lot today, which is something I’m fairly good at, but no one should really have to listen to me bitch about my sad little life. Hey… there’s a hockey game on Friday. That’ll be pretty cool. And Chris will be here on Tuesday, that’s also cool. And my brother found a copy of Max Payne 2 which he’s bringing me, also cool. See, there are positive sides. I also realize that I’m completely talking to myself at this point.
Let’s see, conversation for others… oh yeah, Kill Bill sucks. A lot. If you liked it, please, tell me why and support it with semi-logical resoning, otherwise I will have to punch you and call you a Tarantino fan boy. I left, I actually got up and left the theater because I was so disappointed in the movie. I actually wrote a huge giant review of it on my home computer. The computer that of course has no internet access. Whether you’ll actually get to read that review is secondary to the fact that you shouldn’t see that movie. Ever. Well, unless of course you would like to see crap on screen, then by all means waste your money. I actually wrote a fairly lengthy review and explained why I left the theater and why I thought the movie was absolutely moronic and pointless, but we’ll have to save it for another time. Sorry. You would have liked the review though. I called Tarantino an ass-hat, probably more than once. Actually, the only review on IMDB sums it up pretty well:
” “Kill Bill” is an arty revenge flick. Style over substance is putting it mildly. “Kill Bill” is no substance and all style. … This movie was written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. This movie was made for an audience of one: Quentin Tarantino. He is the absolute master in constantly reminding the audience that they are watching a movie. A Tarantino movie. ”
Yeah. It blew.
Anyway, at the moment I’m sitting at work watching the landscaping crew dig up the back yard for our newest project which I’m now calling “the grotto”. Basically we’re redoing the entire backyard of the studio to make it into an outdoor portrait area. It’ll be pretty cool when it’s done.
That’s about everything I can think of. I’m going to try and do work now, then I’ll probably go home and try to take a nap.
Matt out.
two things, possible two very long things.
thing A: You might alread know all this, but I feel it should be said. Weddings are blessed events and all including being fun for the whole family, but after going through my sister’s wedding I’ve realized a few things about them. While they are a big deal, they aren’t THAT big a deal. Just like anything else in life, if it’s making you miserable it isn’t worth it. Having said that I’m positive it isn’t the wedding making you miserable. It’s all the crap surrounding it. If everything doesn’t go just right, fuck it. I think you’ll find that after the wedding is over you’ll look back and it will seem far less important than it did at the time. Either way you’re getting married to a girl you love wheter the church is on fire and helicopters playing Wagner and dropping napalm are flying overhead, or not. I could go on, but my point has generally been made.
thing B: Why I liked Kill Bill. It’s the same reason I liked the Cell. Both visually stunning pieces of art. Sound design that (if you are paying attention) would make you shit you pants in amazement. Fight scenes that put most other fight scenes to shame. An anime sequence that puts a lot of anime to shame. If you’re looking for story try the next theater over. It’s a cliche story with little to no substance. It’s about people being badasses then bigger badasses killing them. It’s a summation of 20 decades worth of genre film all rolled into one. It definatly has it’s place in the world, but that’s not to say it’s without faults. It displays artistic license taken to almost a criminal level. It glorifies violence in a way few other films have. The script would have been better off being burned instead of read. and again I could go on but my point has generally been made
heh, all you ahve to do is stand there and say “I do”. I’m the one who has to make a toast to your entire families 😉
I thought Kill Bill was great, for exactly the same reasons that Jason mentioned. It’s an homage to spaghetti westerns and Hong Kong action flicks, which neither took itself seriously (or honestly weren’t so good). btw, when did you walk out? the first 20-25 mins are “eh” but after that it’s great (IMHO).
it would be like me calling you an asshat because I really liked your photos, and when you came out with a new set that took another direction, it wasn’t like the rest of them.
asshat ;P
I also loved Kill Bill, the style was great, and the almost constant tongue-in-cheek dark humor keep me laughing through the whole thing. Sure, it took a little while to get going, but I thought the action was great. If you were looking for a serious movie, then you should be smacked and told to loosen up and have a good time.
Don’t ask me why, but I find people wiggling on the ground 10 minutes after they’ve had an arm cut off hysterical. I guess I’m just weird like that.
Ok, good, at least you guys can explain WHY you liked it. Most of the people who’ve seen it around here either loved it or hated it with no reasons. I’m glad Jason is able to talk about why, being a film student and all, and I have to agree with the visually stunning part. It was very “graphic” and very visually appealing. Black, white, color, interesting camera work, etc. That kept me there for the first half, but when the plot never actually started I felt a little disappointed. I thought “wow, this mindless violence is completely mindless”, meaning that while other action flicks may have over the top violence at least there a story (usually a bad one) behind it. This I felt, had so much of a lack of story that it was making my head hurt. It really seemed like there was violence simply for violence sake and that it WAS the movie rather than being the vehicle to tell the story. It wasn’t what I felt like watching, so I left. And, to answer Chips comment, I didn’t make it to the arm and (from what I’ve heard) head being chopped off. Apparently people are finding it humorous in a Monty Python sort of way. I would have liked to see it, perhaps it would have redeamed some of what was lacking. I don’t know, maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for something like that. I’ll try to sit through it again once it comes to video.
The head gets chopped off before the arm, it’s great. Wonderfully cheesy geyser of blood. The story in Vol. 1 is extremely basic, I have a feeling it will get more complicated in the second half.
Chill out and don’t worry – as they said in 4 weddings and a Funeral – “when anybody asks you a question, just say “I do””
You called me an asshat once – but I forgive you!
to throw in my two cents; i too LOVED kill bill. i loved how it didn’t pretend to be something it wasn’t. it definitely took place in a fantasy world where all of the classic exploitation films that tarnatino loves came together…and it knows it and it doesn’t apologize for it. the best description i’ve heard for it is that it is current pop art. seems pretty fitting. as for the lack of plot, well, i dunno. i found one. it’s a revenge story…and there really isn’t much to any revenge story. the bride definitely had her own character and it will be even more fleshed out as it goes on…remember, this flick is merely a trailer for the vol. ii. and as jason points out, the sound design (and the soundtrack itself) is AMAZING. the flick made me respect anime to a point. all of the side stories were worth it, if a little twisted. while the one-liners (like the one uma says to the little girl) weren’t earth shattering, they weren’t meant to be. they were meant to be cool. this flick just oozes cool and slick…it is successful only in a way that tarantino could be successful…no one else working today could pull this off. watch it again, and instead of looking at it as an “important film” look at it as a contemporary to other action flicks like the matrix or charlie’s angels or crouching tiger. nothing more than a popcorn flick, and it’ll blow you away. the fight scenes are some of the best ever filmed. i’m a big fan, i can’t wait for vol. ii, and i hope he makes the pre- or sequels he’s talked about…and if that makes me a tarantino fan-by asshat, then that is what i am.
🙂
seeya in a week. yyyyyyeauh man.