dr. merkwurdichliebe

So I snuck into the Intro to Cinema class today, and they were watching Dr. Strangelove. This movie makes me appreciate Stanley Kubrick a whole lot more (especially after seeing Eyes Wide Shut). It's as if Jonathan Swift made a movie. Actually, there are Jonathan Swift references in it. Based on a book called Red Alert by Peter George, it's probably the most brilliant satire ever made in movie form. It's got that air of overly serious characters that just end up being caricatures of themselves. The overzealous general(s), the crazy scientist (with a Nazi right arm), the inept President (sound familiar?), all fighting to stop (or not) a nuclear holocaust. Of course, all of this takes place during the Cold War, so naturally we're attacking Russia. There's some genius one-sided dialogue between the President and the Russian Premier. And you thought our leader was bad. Every little detail about this movie is great, and there's tons of little stuff to notice to get you to watch it again. For a movie made in 1964, I was surprised at how many people I recognized in it. Peter Sellers (in more than one place) of course, the guy who played Taggart in Blazing Saddles, James Earl Jones in his big-screen debut, and Uncle Alonzo from Herbie Rides Again. It's so sad that I've seen but you know what? It was probably one of my favorite movies as a kid, and I still laugh at it when I see it. So it's not all that sad. It's just one of those shitty old live-action Disney movies like Escape to Witch Mountain and Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang. But Mary Poppins was fucking good, I don't care what anybody says.

Work fucking rocks. It's so easy and it's fun meeting lots of people in a short amount of time without having to be in a room full of awkward looking people holding a notecard with your interests on it (so you don't forget of course) while wearing a douche-y looking polo shirt and bad cologne. That was a poor (and probably inaccurate) description of speed dating in case you didn't know. I imagine that's what it's like, except for maybe the polo part, because our uniform shirt is a polo and I don't want to be associated with speed dating.

What the hell is the deal with movie trailers nowadays? Every single new trailer I see makes a movie look compelling and interesting, but if I watch an old trailer (of a movie I've never seen) I can tell if the movie is good or shitty. It's like trailer producers are in their prime right now, because the trailer for Everything is Illuminated made that fucker look funny, interesting, and just plain, old awesome, but then I saw it and some parts were funny and interesting, but for the most part it was just a little above average. Jesus Christ, even the trailer for Domino looks fucking sweet. The only trailer I've seen lately that I knew the movie would be a piece of rotting zombie flesh was the one for Flightplan. Jodie Foster needs to take a role where she doesn't have a kid. Panic Room was cool, but damn, get over it.

Is anyone else as excited as I am for the new Harry Potter? Has anyone in the history of the world asked a stupider question? Because you are excited for this movie. No, you are. Shut up and listen to me. You're fucking dying for this movie to come out, you understand me? You're not? Well, I have a friend in a Quidditch uniform with a Beater bat that says different. Got it? That's fucking right you got it. Now go watch the trailer 20 more times.

My Lost: Season One STILL isn't here. I've seen more of the new season now than I've seen of the old one, and that was not my intention when I ordered the DVD. I wanted to have it before the season premiere, and here we are, at the third week of the season and still no first season. Amazon screws yet another unsuspecting college student with a new credit card. Speaking of credit cards, mine is slowly running out of money. Thank god I have a job that pays 8.50 an hour. And for 8 of the 36 hours per two weeks I work, I'm getting paid 9.25 because it's the late shift. Fucking awesome.

For some reason I'm beginning to feel like I'm in a rut out here. I've been thinking of home a lot and what it's going to be like to be back. I'm almost afraid of what I'm going to hear back home. Just like right before we left for college and everyone always asked the same questions (Where you going to school?...University of...South Carolina?...Ohh, California...What's your major?...Really?...Good school for that...wak, wak, wak, wak) . So I imagine when I get back, it's going to be a bunch of a new set of questions. Can't wait for that. As for seeing everyone again, it's going to be a mixed bag I think. It'll be great to see everyone, but I don't want to get thrown into the same old drama. I've gotten so used to being at peace with everyone out here that I don't want to get back into the habit of making petty little arguments into huge fights. And I know that will happen, and if it's not me doing it, it will be somebody else. Not something I'm looking forward to.

But on the brighter side, school is going well, grade-wise. I got an 88 on my only midterm (and the class average was like 74), I haven't missed a question on the quizzes in my oceanography lab, I got B's on my last two papers (which I thought were shit), and I'm actually enjoying reading Shakespeare (well, Shakespeare Sparknotes at least). Ok, remember in high school when we would "bullshit" on in-class essays? Well, it seems like that "bullshitting" is what we're supposed to do in college. You take a quote and make some crazy-ass random argument that fits the quote you picked. Technically you're supposed to make the argument then pick the quote, but it's way easier my way. So my slacker, bullshit essays of the past are fast becoming what my college professors want. Good to know.

So in conclusion (never do this in a college paper), things are mediocre right now. They could definitely be better by a) me being intoxicated a little more often, b) me getting a little more attention from the ladies, or c) me being home. Ponder that till next time.

Currently enjoying:



Next ish: After this marathon, I don't know what to write about. I'm watching American Beauty tomorrow, so I'll tell you about that eventually. I'm gonna go watch the third episode of season two of Lost.