This Month in Interrupted Viewing: December 2009
I may have gotten a bit ambitious this month. It marked not only one of the first substantial breaks from work in over 8 weeks, but also saw the completion of three 10,000+ word pieces I’d been writing feverishly since Thanksgiving, with a Christmas deadline. Output was at a maximum, and input at a minimum. So I’ve spent the last week trying to reverse this trend, with moderate success. But now I’m obligated to lay out my failed attempts for all to see:
Keep The River On Your Right
Started: 12/6/09
The tagline is “a modern cannibal tale,” but it leaves off the most important part. It should really be appended to read: “A modern cannibal tale about a gay anthropologist who got involved with his subjects and goes back to visit his former lovers, and oh yeah one time he ate a bit of human meat.” An interesting topic still to be sure, but not very well executed. Another low-budget documentary of the aughts edited in iMovie.
Party Down, Season One
Started: 12/20/09
Cringe-worthy attempt at comedy without enough laughs. Liz hit the nail on the head when she said, “Catering rich people’s parties is awkward enough—there’s no reason to exaggerate the things that happen.”
The Shop Around The Corner
Started: 12/20/09
As Christmas approached, a holiday-themed movie was called for. Unfortunately my body called for Theraflu to get through an awful headcold, so I sacked out in the middle. I liked what I saw, though!
White Christmas
Started: 12/25/09
I could barely breathe and couldn’t sleep, so I turned on AMC at 12:30am and watched for a good 2 hours. Not bad as far as musicals go! Vera-Ellen sure is easy on the eyes, but I kept thinking Rosemary Clooney was actually Tony Curtis anticipating his role in Some Like It Hot. Things got weird when they started singing about how their favorite show is a minstrel show, and I finally fell asleep.
Cannibal: The Musical!
Started: 12/25/09
Having had such luck with musicals earlier in the day, I sprung for another while I was in the mood. Unfortunately, this seems to be a movie best seen during South Park’s heyday, and when you are in college. Slow-paced and student-y.
The Hunger
Started: 12/30/09
Netflix will be discontinuing streaming this one on January 1. Bowie and Deneuve and Tony Scott—what’s not to love? It was kind of blowing my mind until I conked out 20 minutes in. No more starting movies at the end of the night.
Still in progress: Dexter, Season Four and The Wire, Season Four.
