June 8, 2010

SIFF 2010

So we watched 4 movies during SIFF 2010.  Friday night was a midnight showing of Fight Club, the next day, Leaves of Grass, the day after that, Utopia in Four Movements, then the day after that The Wild Hunt.

Utopia was the only movie that wasn't filled with beating/deaths.  Funnily enough, Fight Club was the least death-ridden.  Only one death, and his name was Robert Paulson.  Leaves of Grass had the most deaths, with about 5 deaths, and The Wild Hunt ended up being very violent for people with foam swords etc. and had at least three deaths.

What do I take away from watching four movies in four days?
(1) I do not want to get beaten up or shot.
(2) It is hard to be optimistic when human beings have such a high potential for really fucking shit up. Especially when things get crazy.
(3) [insert cliché redeeming human quality and/or witty funny].

Seriously though, my first SIFF was pretty cool and seeing Edward Norton was pretty awesome.  Fight Club is still one of my most favorite movies ever and I've probably seen it more times than any other movie (though maybe not my Disney movies when I was a kid (i.e. Bambi, Beauty & the Beast, the Little Mermaid)).  Anyway, I'm looking forward to next year's gluttony of movies.

June 5, 2010

I Want to Have Your Abortion

Just finished watching Fight Club on the big screen with hundreds of other people. I've probably seen the movie about a dozen times now. One of the few movies that I've seen all the way through on commentary.

This time it was different. I'm no longer as reckless or restless as I used to be. It used to be that after watching the movie, it would alter the way I viewed the world and acted and I would have all this pent-up aggression and energy. The last time I watched it was in college and I ended up running laps around the UW fountain in the middle of the night. Now I guess I just feel like blogging.

Slicing my finger open and going through the excruciating pain that was getting "numbed" and getting three stitches in my flesh has reawakened my sense of frailty as a human, awe at the amazing ability of the body to heal, and OMG WE CAN FUCK OURSELVES UP SO EASILY. It is a goddamned miracle that the majority of us manage to go through life with all ten fingers and toes, and die of old age.

The movie certainly doesn't answer what should be the purpose and goal of life but it does give you the freedom to realize that you do have a choice. YOU are making all of the decisions here and at least you're probably more aware of it than Jack/Tyler.