Just another manic thursday

[catch22girl]

What can I say about a day where I went from watching Maedchen in Uniform an early 1930s film about Prussian girls in a boarding school with lesbian overtones (and we're talking like STRONG overtones here) to Jean-Luc Godard's 1967 film Weekend?

I guess exhausting pretty much covers it. Weekend kind of shows that Godard hates me. I know he never met me and has no interest in me at all, but the film itself has so many of my LEAST favorite things in it that I can come to no other conclusion. There's so many layers of meaning that it winds up meaning almost nothing. I kept thinking 'there's no there there'. At least I can cross it off my "classics I must watch" list.

I was reading Pauline Kael's collection of film criticisms "Deeper into Movies" and it's interesting how many films from the 1970s just did not survive. I find it really fascinating to read reviews written at the actual cultural moment of some films and stars. You know, before the director/actor/writer/film became 'untouchable' and all reviews became something like fan club letters. I'm sure people have seen examples of what I mean. There's an entire generation of film critics who are afraid to announce that the emperor has no clothes.

But, I disagree with Kael on a few movies, especially Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid which I adore and she hated. It's especially interesting to read her take on Redford, before he made it really big.

I got my French Cinema paper back, got an A-/A, teacher said that I need to work on fleshing out ideas and my conclusion. This is the paper I stayed up 24 hours to write, but the teacher said that it was very smart and perceptive and a nuanced discussion *beam*.

I need a haircut. And I need more icons now...hmmm. After talking to mosinging1986 I have an idea - hehehehe.

Oh and I'm really thinking for some reason that "Trigger Happy Jack" by Poe sorta fits Jack, LOL. But, that might be 'cause of the title of the song.

Comments

[cinesister.livejournal.com]

One thing to say. Pauline Kael? Spit on her. UGH.

[catch22girl]

I started reading her because she ripped Andrew Sarris's essay on auteur theory to shreds. I'm not sure how I feel about her other opinions.

[cinesister.livejournal.com]

She's a critic. Therefore, a pox on her.

[catch22girl]

I think she might be dead. There are some nice critics. Some of my best friends are critics.

[cinesister.livejournal.com]

I don't believe in the critic culture. I don't believe it's fair to make money out of pulling apart other people's work when most of the time you're not qualified to do it yourself.

[catch22girl]

Well, the critic culture has been around for a long long time, way before film :)

[cinesister.livejournal.com]

Yes, and it sucked back then too.

What a wholly negative way to make a living. Commenting on OTHER people's work. Why not make your own work? It smacks of laziness and the work of obnoxious intellectuals. So you couldn't get into the industry, huh? That's okay, you can always be an embittered critic, pulling down everyone else's work.

[annakie.livejournal.com]

(off topic)

I saw on TV last night that Our President is now the new spokesperson for Allstate insurance company. That was kind of neat... but kind of offputting seeing Dennis Haysbert in anything besides... Palmer. But dude, smart move on their part.... millions see him as the ultimate symbol of strength, power and trustworthyness.

[catch22girl]

But...but...he did something not trustworthy last week *sniffle*.

Yes! Well you're in good hands with Palmer or Dennis, LOL. And he's got a great voice. Not Kiefer on MCI great but great nonetheless.

[mosinging1986.livejournal.com]

I need a haircut. And I need more icons now...hmmm. After talking to mosinging1986 I have an idea - hehehehe.


Uh, oh. I remember saying something, but... who knows what it was. I am not responsible for comments made at that hour of the morning!

I was a pumpkin, I tell you!

[catch22girl]

See, that's your excuse for everything - pumpkindom!

*giggle*