ah yeah, that's the stuff

[thehefner]

First of all, aeonata? Remember to bring the cable to rehearsal! Thankee!

After a weekend of depression, I finally have a huge smile on my face. Why? Three reasons: Woody Allen, Scarlett Johanssen, and Christopher Titus.

We saw MATCH POINT, a movie I am reluctant to discuss for the very same reasons that most of the reviewers have been keeping mum on the plot details. I will simply say this- wow. I love you, Woody Allen. He's gotten so much shit for his weaker movies that people seem to forget stuff like SLEEPER, LOVE AND DEATH, and ZELIG.

In case you hadn't heard yet, MATCH POINT isn't a comedy. This is some serious, serious stuff, and it's executed marvelously (although it could really have stood to have edited out 10-15 minutes of footage from the first half). Scarlett is Scarlett, and I certainly hope that's enough to entice some of you to see this. Jonathan Rhys Myers was holding back a lot, probably at Woody's direction. This is not the wild psycho from TITUS and GORMANGHAST or the hot coach from BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM. Also, it was great seeing my favorite Irish actor James Nesbitt play... well, himself, as he always plays James Nesbitt and I love him for it.



I absolutely love the fact that I was watching a film noir the entire time and didn't even know it. I fucking love it.

Then I come home, and what's on TV? CHRISTOPHER TITUS: NORMAN ROCKWELL IS BLEEDING. Some of you may remember him from his self-titled sitcom with Stacy Keach. For those who don't, let me just say this this man...? This man may be my idol. In terms of sheer force of storytelling, in crafting the screwyness of his life into performance art, this man is one of my true heroes. More than David Sedaris. More than Spaulding Gray and Denis Leary and Garrison Keillor.

This guy has gone through some seriously fucked-up shit (including a crazy mother who eventually committed suicide) and manages to spin it into gold. His words are a motto for how I live: "Hey, I do want to hear about your problems, I just want to hear them in joke form." The only way this guy has managed to stay sane is through humor and storytelling.

CHRISTOPHER TITUS: NORMAN ROCKWELL IS BLEEDING will repeat tomorrow (Monday) at noon and Friday at 9:30 on Comedy Central. I wholeheartedly urge anyone interested to check him out.

Comments

[aeonata.livejournal.com]

cable? what cable? When did I tell you I'd bring you a cable? I'm confused...

;)

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

*shakes fist* Youuuuuuuu...!

[aeonata.livejournal.com]

Oh wait... this cable! The one I'm putting in the bag right now....? :

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

No, not that cable! The red one, not the blue one! You fool! You mad, mad fool! YOU'LL KILL US ALL!

Oh wait. We're talking cables, not wires. Yeah, ok. Thanks!

[sabine42.livejournal.com]

Specifically scrolled down quick as to not see the spoiler, but I need to know...how "Woody Allen" is this movie? I really, really want to see it as I've heard so much good stuff, and I love Jonathan Rhys-Myers. But I can't stand Woody Allen. I guess if he's not in and they don't all talk lime him, I could survive it ....

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Except for the credits, you would never have guessed in a million years that this was a Woody Allen movie.

That said, have you seen any of those above movies I mentioned?

[sabine42.livejournal.com]

No, I'll have to check them out. I guess my biggest thing is movies that he's actually IN. I love Bullets over Broadway, but then, it's John Cusak, and although he's acting kinda Woody Allen-y, he's John Cusak, so he can pull it off without annoying me :)

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

ZELIG is a mockumentary with Woody having virtually no dialog, so that might be most up your alley. The first two, particularly SLEEPER, are some of favorite comedies of all time. No romantic neurosis here; pure crazyiness. SLEEPER is Allen doing dystopian future and LOVE AND DEATH is his take on the world of Russian Literature (much, much better than it sounds. I was shocked).

[yancentric.livejournal.com]

SLEEPER, LOVE AND DEATH, and ZELIG

do you not like Annie Hall, or do you figure it's just a given?

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

It's weird. Yes, I love Annie Hall, I think it's wonderful, but a lot of people really don't care for it. It's widely regarded as his "masterpiece" but I've personally known people to be rather divided on it.

On the other hand, I feel like the only person in the world for whom MANHATTAN left me cold...

[yancentric.livejournal.com]

i own manhattan and zelig, but don't much care for either. i got the same cold feeling that you did from manhattan, and zelig's just one of those movies that i watch and think "how clever and brilliant" but don't particularly enjoy. I respect it, but I don't particularly like it.

I love Annie Hall. Whenever people haven't seen it and want to watch a movie, I always recommend it. I took the film class at UMD and that's what introduced me to the movie, and it was hard not to love it since the professor cared so deeply for it. Man that was a great class -- it permanently affected how I See movies, and I've always loved movies.