The Filmcake

June 2nd – June 8th

Sex and the City- If you watched the entire series on HBO like me, then maybe this movie is for you. Otherwise, probably not. For fans of the show, it was like 5 bonus episodes. It is what it is. I enjoyed the movie, but there wasn’t anything in it that’s going to really stick with me. Sarah and I watched it at the Warren in one of the balcony seats. We each grabbed a big beer beforehand at the bar to take in with us. As we settled into our big & comfortable seats (replete with heaters), we ordered some mozzarella cheesesticks to enjoy with the movie. The balcony was quite nice. A very good theater experience. I can’t wait to go again with a movie I love…and get sloppy drunk up in the balcony. Fun, fun, fun.

The Andromeda Strain – This was the 1971 version. Very science-y. Most of the movie is just a group of four scientists performing tests to determine what the mysterious life form is and why the two survivors haven’t been killed. Perhaps that makes the pacing a bit slow to some, but for me it was very much welcomed. I like that the saviors were scientists for once instead of the same old sinewy action heroes. Also, the nature of the “alien” (lacking any amino acids) might fit in with what one may describe as a “believable” alien.

The Omega Man- Speaking of sinewy action heroes, we continued our 70′s Sci-Fi marathon with The Omega Man starring Charlton Heston. Heston is just great in the role of Robert Neville. Because, well, he’s Charlton Heston. He embodies God and insanity all at once. He’s “genuine 160-proof old Anglo-Saxon, baby.” I haven’t seen The Last Man on Earth (1964) or I Am Legend(2007), nor have I read the Richard Matheson novel, so I’m not sure how the different versions match up against each other.

For the Bible Tells Me So- This was a nice documentary about the intersection of homosexuality and religion. Sometimes it ends up okay, sometimes it ends up horribly wrong. It featured stories from several families, including Bishop Gene Robinson and Chrissy Gephardt (daughter of former Senator Dick Gephardt). While perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising, it is still shocking to see somebody reject their own child first before rejecting supposed Biblical teachings.

Buried in the Backyard- This was a short, mostly non-judgemental look at a group of people who take bomb shelters very seriously. It’s one thing to be prepared. It’s another thing to think that you can prepare for ALL contingencies. What’s the use in surviving if you’re not really living in the first place? Still, there’s something sort of clubhouse-y about bomb shelters that make them a fun escape (a sort of grown up treehouse).

At the Death House Door- I heard about this after hearing Reverend Carroll Pickett’s story on NPR’s Fresh Air. He was the chaplain who administered to the death row inmates when Texas reinstated the death penalty. After each execution, he decompressed by recording his thoughts onto cassette tapes. I would have liked to have heard more of these tapes…to have seen how Pickett’s thoughts changed as he witnessed more and more executions and ultimately came to be against the death penalty. Regardless, the parallel story of the innocence of inmate Carlos De Luna certainly played an effective role in damaging the credibility of the death penalty itself.

Breakfast on Pluto- This was a fun but scattershot movie. Cillian Murphy was quite good as Patrick “Kitten” Braden. The character was quite annoying, not because of his transgendered nature but because of his real lack of being grounded in reality.  It’s one thing for a man to dress like or “be” a woman; it’s another thing to continuously play a fantasy game of dress-up.

The Seventh Seal- Bergman. Playing chess with death. Enough said. I don’t know about this one. I’m gonna have to watch it again. Actually, I’m gonna have to read up on Bergman and then have a Bergman marathon of my own. I think it’s the sort of film that you have to watch a couple of times in order for it to really soak in. Plus, the subtitles seemed out of whack at times (DVR’ed from IFC). Still, the image of lingering death and the suggestion that God is created out of our own fear are certainly intriguing. But like I said, I’ll have to return to it at a later time.

The Andromeda Strain (A&E)- Well, we bookmarked our weekend with The Andromeda Strain. This made-for-TV miniseries version was just awful. It was way too convoluted and full of unnecessary filler (presumably to stretch it to miniseries length). It lacked the deliberate science style of the original while favoring a busier 24style. It started off entertaining enough, but by the end there were so many twists and turns and conflicting explanations that I didn’t really care in the end.