The Pot and The Kettle

This past week, an overwhelming sense of Blah became too strong and took me down. Tragic, I know. But I got a sick day out of it, so that was a little hidden treat. There was a time when I honestly enjoyed being sick; I thought it was such a nice little vacation from everything and anything. Part of me still thinks like that. This time was relatively painless, although there were some moments of extra-achiness, and it did actually hurt to move. I went to the doctor, and it was pretty much confirmed... I had caught a bug. At least it is better than my frequent ailment, death. In the past, I have been known to catch death pretty much every winter. It isn't fun. And allow me to reveal something more personal than I normally would care to in such a public arena, but I am not a fun patient. Not that I whine and complain and get needy. God, no. Just the opposite. I pretty much hate it if anyone asks me how I am feeling or if I need anything. Which can cause problems.

Anyway, being sick did allow me to catch up on some movies I have been wanting to see or needed to see, due to Netflix conditions. Here they are, in the order of viewing:

1. Barefoot in the Park. Jane Fonda is spunky fun, Robert Redford is the perfect deadpan man, and Mildred Natwick as Fonda's homely mother steals the show in this Neil Simon romp. There is an abrupt ending, thus an A-.

2. A Cry in the Dark (aka The Dingo Ate My BABY!) Granted my only desire to see this movie is due to the Seinfeld episode and wonderful Elaine's yelling at a moronic party-guest, but I was sucked in by the plight of these two Aussie parents. It was both tragic and triumphant. Final Grade: B (the middle bored me, but I was only paying half attention)

3. Breaking Away. I have no idea how this nameless movie made it my Netflix queue, but it was wonderful and quirky fun. A geeky teenager likes to pretend he is Italian and wins tons of bike races. His friends are Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, and the Kelly, the bad-ass, home-run hitting, motorcycle riding, outfielder from The Bad News Bears. His mother was played by Barbara Barrie, who was nominated for an Oscar for it and later went on to play Aunt Margo in the painfully shortlived Double Trouble. Apparently this movie won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, which is a bit much. It pretty much is a really good after school special. A-

4. Red Dawn. This movie is hilariously bad. Patrick Swayze leads Charlie Sheen, Lea Thompson, C. Thomas Howell, and Jennifer Grey (with the greatest suicide ever) against the Russians and the Cubans in WWIII. When I recreate Mystery Science Theater 3000, I am starting here. Good trivia: this was the first PG-13 movie. As a movie: D-; as an experience: A.

5. The Commitments. Was really expecting to like this one more. C

6. Hotel Rwanda. Don Cheadle thoroughly outperformed Jamie Foxx in every conceivable area. It is a tradedy Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for Ray. This blog is too long, so A

7. The Aviator. Leonardo DiCaprio thoroughly outperformed Jamie Foxx in every conceivable area. It is a tragedy Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for Ray. Actually, this was a really really good, fun movie. I was not expecting to like it at all. There is a lot more I would say, but I am bored with this blog by now - A!

(I am getting in Oscar mode!)

The Pot says: I have to disagree with you about (1) Barefoot in the Park (Hanoi Jane Fonda, as an actress, leaves a lot to be desired); (2) Red Dawn, the movie was a C and should not be watched post-Cold War; and (3) The Aviator, while I admit it was good, it was longer than necessary and I didn't really think Leonardo's performance was oscar-worthy.