I watched three movies today (I'm about to go to bed. My schedule is so wack.)

Reefer Madness - Pretty stinking hilarious. Incredibly entertaining. I was very well pleased. Highlights: Ana Gasteyer's alto belt is gorgeous. Neve Campbell's dancing is even MORE gorgeous. Alan Cumming was made for this sort of role (his M.C. of the revivial Cabaret is one of my favorite auditory-only performances. Sadly, I never saw him in the role.) Kristen Bell was... really hot. And it had a singing Jesus.

High Fidelity - Seen it many tymes before, and always love it. I still consider that movie to be my number one best example of onscreen romance. Which has gotten me some "Amen!"s and some "WTF?"s in the past, so take your pick. All I know... if I had to pick a movie relationship to have, that's the one I would pick. It feels real. I just die when John Cusack is all "but I never seem to get tired of you."

Spellbound - Second time seeing it. Still among my favorite documentaries ever, but I haven't really seen that many. I think I love it because I did enough National-level academic competitions when I was younger that I can really sympathize with the kids. Though I never had to be in one where the winner was chosen as arbitrarily as in the spelling bee, I must say. What a stupid system to decide the "best speller in the country." Seriously, once it gets down to those top 250 they should just make each of them spell the same 1000 words, in separate rooms, and the one that spells the most gets the trophy. Though I guess that wouldn't really be ESPN material.

There was a full-page ad on Premiere about My Brilliant Career finally coming out on DVD. [link] I love this movie with unholy passion, for all that may come across as dated. Judy Davis is a force of nature, and young Sam Neill is dreeeeamy. Also? Most UST-riffic pillow fight, ever.

There was also a blurb in the magazine about a movie with John Cusack and Diane Lane, something about internet dating... wait a minute... here it is. It's called Must Love Dogs, and despite the rather tired You've Got Mail/Truths About Cats and Dogs-ish premise, I'm psyched to see these two on my screen together. Cherry Valance and Lloyd Dobler, 20 years later. Huh.

This is interesting:

Director Ridley Scott has been praised for challenging the post 9/11 demonization of the Muslim religion and warfare in his latest movie Kingdom Of Heaven. The controversial film depicts a 12th century Muslim-Christian battle for Jerusalem during the Third Crusade - and is set to cast aside stereotypical views of Muslims and show the benefits of diplomacy over war in resolving Middle Eastern crises. Historians have praised the accurate character portrayals - in particular that of Muslim leader Saladin, played by Syrian actor Ghassan Massoud. Muslim scholar Hamid Dabashi says, "There are a few inaccuracies, in that he has probably made Saladin look too heroic. Saladin was always respected more by Christians than Muslims, and would show mercy to those who could afford to pay him. But this is a film that tries to deal as accurately as possible with the difficult issues of religion and warfare of the time. Muslims have nothing to fear." The film, shot in Morocco and Spain, hits screens next month.

That' heartening, ita. Looks there is a reason to see the film beyond the purty cast.

Essay on why Darth Vader is so cool: [link]

Kinda' funny....

Yoda has all the best lines. “Much anger in him, like his father.” Anger in Luke? When was he ever really angry? How about: “Much whining in him, like his father”? That’s actually a truer line but not the grand lesson George Lucas wants to impart.

....

Who knew that a room full of Jedi Knights could be so dull? And what’s with their training program? They take a super-intelligent kid, mature beyond his years, and after a decade’s worth of extensive one-on-one training he becomes, in “Attack of the Clones,” a stupid sulky teenager. Hell, I could’ve done that.

....

The “Star Wars” saga, which originally felt like Luke’s, belongs to Darth Vader now. It’s his story: the rise and fall and semi-redemption of a bad-ass. Here’s the problem for George Lucas. Turning Anakin into Darth Vader, in “The Revenge of the Sith,” is supposed to be a tragedy, yet for most of us it’ll be a thrill, and a relief. No more precocious kid, or sulky teenager, or pasty white British guy. Just the mask and the breath and the voice. “Star Wars” is a morality play in which good triumphs over evil, but in another way George Lucas has shown us all the power of the dark side.

I saw "The Woodsman" last night, with Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick. It was very good, very intense and creepy, and uncomfortable. The little girl in it was just great.

Do they manage to make Bacon's role uncomfortably sympathetic? To me, that was the creepiest part of L.I.E., that Brian Cox actually managed to make his pederast character likeable.

I should point out - as he very scrupulously does - that Hamid Dabashi was a paid consultant on the film. The article in S&S is great, though, in that it puts the movie into the context of Scott's films as being about redemption in foreign lands. Well worth reading.

Of course, you could also refer to the similarly highly regarded historian who raved about Alexander pre-release them admitted that he was mostly chuffed that they let him ride in a cavalry charge...

Do they manage to make Bacon's role uncomfortably sympathetic?

Yes. The whole movie is very uncomfortable, and I don't think there's a single character that you can view completely comfortably. Well, maybe David Alan Grier. He was cool.

I saw Sin City this weekend. I won't need to be seeing that again.

Elijah should never be that creepy.