Some of these last posts have been pretty dull. Probably 'cause I've been feeling off - feeling sorry for myself not getting to go home for the holidays - scared to take the car anywhere far in case it decides to stop running. Ugh! Apologies to all who have fallen asleep or other unpleasant sensations when reading them...

Have been watching lots & lots of movies - it's interesting how your impressions of a movie can change due to intervening experiences. I first watched Spike Lee's Clockers about two years ago. It was the Lee film I had ever seen, and it was in an academic context where we were focusing on the director's oeuvre, tracing favorite scene set-ups, themes, camera angles and movements etc. I watched it last night, and in the intervening years have become much more aware of the music of Seal (which figures prominently in the film), lived across the street from some "projects" (though small) and ridden transit with many people who talked and acted like some of the characters of the film. If you have never seen this film - you should - and if you have the opportunity, watch it back to back with American History X - guaranteed conversation starters and no easy answers in either (well, okay, maybe not really easy answers - I think Lee does cop out a bit at the end and the brother's fate is a bit too unrealistic).

[Seal is also one of Dwayne's favorite performers & his North American engagements are few and far between - he had the opportunity of seeing him live at the Avalon nightclub here last month (while I sat in a lecture!) :( ]

Also watched Y tu mama tambien which is well worth sitting through subtitles for, though I can't say the same for Andre Bresson's Lancelot of the Lake, which won at Cannes, but its faults far outweigh the unusual camera work.

Also watched Amityville Horror. I had seen it before, but had forgotten much of it, and coming back to the movie, I really found myself respecting the decision to leave the ending fairly realistic - there are no clear cut winners - the house is left as is, but the family escapes to start again. Many times in life, there isn't a clear winner, and you have to make concessions and leave things less than satisfactory, but you're still standing - the movie seems to say the same thing.

Watched a bunch of other stuff - Terminator 3 - mostly what I expected except the special effects were pretty wild - Attack of the Clones, Finding Nemo etc,... but nothing else that I'd highly recommend. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm going to get to the theatre in the next little while, which is a shame 'cause there's lots of neat stuff playing right now.